IG Fresh Haul Week 11
Frigid Haul
Can anyone else believe that we are at week 10! It’s Labour Day Long weekend already, our last kick at the can for summer activities.
Even though summer is winding down, the garden is still in full production mode. No winding down just yet. All of this warm weather has brought the tomatoes and peppers with it!
Work in the garden is a constant. More getting some areas ready for winter. Now is the time that I start preparing a couple beds for garlic. And continue to build compost piles.
Good Eats
It is true, the garden is already being packed up for the winter in some areas. Beds are getting weeded, re-shaped, a heavy watering and covered for the winter ahead. Ok, so why do I water an area that doesn’t have anything in it? The simplest answer is I want any dormant weeds to pop up after the watering, but when the area is covered with black plastic. The weeds pop up, but there is a lot of heat and no sunlight under the plastic. Hopefully ruling out a bunch of weeding for next year.
This hot weather we have been having the last couple weeks, has me thinking, destination holiday. Well I am not going to trade our summer heat for, a tropical locations current insane heat. The hot days followed by the warm evenings has me thinking back to the trip I took to Greece last September. Hot days out in the sun, along with warm humid evenings. And great food! I would say there isn’t any that is really anything special about the food in Greece. We can get a lot of the same things in Canada. The world is a tight knit community at this point. What they largely do different there is fresh. So much fresh produce! Every where you go there is perfectly imperfect vegetables. And a huge abundance of peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions. A lot of what goes into a Greek salad.
This weeks recipes are going to be slightly influenced by what I discovered for myself on that trip. This weeks new addition is a Santorini Salad. Spend a day walking the crowed streets in the mid day heat looking at white buildings with blue domes it gets tiring. So sitting on a shaded patio terrace enjoying a cooling berverage and eating one of the freshest salads you will ever eat. This salad brings the one, two punch of tomatoes. Fresh juicy cherry tomatoes, along with sun-dried tomatoes and salty capers. I hope you are able to enjoy this recipe this week.
What’s In The Haul
HALF
Cucumber
Potatoes
Carrots
Garlic
Beets
Pepper
FULL
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumber
Beets
Zucchini
Carrots
Potatoes
Onion
Garlic
Pepper
Lettuce
Week 10 Recipes
Garlic
Roast Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Garlic Storage Tips:
Store garlic in a cardboard box or paper bag in a cool dark area. The paper bag or box still creates air flow and ventilation allowing the garlic to breath. Avoid storing the garlic in a plastic bag. This will create moisture build up and make the garlic spoil faster.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1 Bulb of garlic
1 lb of potatoes
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
Salt and Pepper
Cut the top off of the garlic exposing the cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper wrap up in tin foil. Cook in the air fryer at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
While the garlic roasts, chop and boil your potatoes until tender and strain. In the same pot over medium heat add the cream and butter and melt. Add the potatoes back in and mash. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. And mix everything together really well.
Zucchini
Zucchini Pancakes
Zucchini Relish
Zucchini and Grilled Bread Gratin
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Zucchini Storage Tips:
Store zucchini, in a resealable bag in the fridge, with a piece of paper towel inside the bag to wick away any moisture. Zucchini will stay good this way for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Zucchini Pancakes
2 1/4 cups flour or gluten free flour
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups milk or dairy free milk
4 tbsp butter or coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugar; mix well. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry and mix thoroughly. Next add in the shredded zucchini and mix in well.
In a sauté pan over medium heat add butter or oil to the pan and allow to get hot. Cook the pancakes and serve with butter and syrup. I like to add peanut butter to my pancakes.
Zucchini Relish
4 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp celery seed
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp pepper
In a bowl add the zucchini, onion and salt. Mix everything together and let sit for 1 hour. After the hour is up rinse the zucchini in water and squeeze out all the moisture. In a medium pot over medium heat, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Add in the zucchini and onion mixture. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to medium low and simmer everything for 30 minutes.
From here you can pack the relish to can it or you can put in containers and store it in the fridge or freezer.
Zucchini and Grilled Bread Gratin
1-2 zucchini, Sliced
1 Onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic
3 thick slices of crusty bread or 2 cups premade croutons
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Slice the zucchini into coins. Slice the onion and garlic and set off to the side. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on the bread and toast or grill. Cut the bread into cubes. In a baking dish toss together the bread, zucchini, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Grate the cheddar cheese over top of the veggies and bread. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy warm.
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
1 1/2 cups flour or gluten free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola or coconut oil
2/3 cup white sugar or coconut sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup zucchini, grated
1 cup ripe banana, mashed
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the shredded zucchini and place it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze the excess water out. In a large bowl combine all of the dry ingredients, mixing together. In another bowl mix together all the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and mix well. Dump in the chocolate chips and fold everything together.
In a greased 9 by 13 baking pan, pour the batter in. Tap the baking pan a couple times to release any air bubbles in the batter. Add more chocolate chips to the top before baking. Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes. Allow bread to cool before cutting into it.
Lettuce
Blue Cheese Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Green Goddess Dressing
Lettuce Storage Tips:
In a resealable container or bag, line the bottom with a paper towel. Place the lid back on or reseal the bag and store in your fridge for up to 7 days. A container works great because it prevents the lettuce from getting bruised.
Blue Cheese Dressing
1/4 cup mayo
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp vinegar of your choice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
Salt and Pepper
In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients together and mix well. Spoon over crisp romaine and garden veggies.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove of crushed garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients together and mix well.
Green Goddess Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or oil of your choice
2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar of your choice
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 avocado
1 clove of garlic
Herbs of your choice (dill, cilantro, parsley, oregano, chives, sweet marjoram)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tbsp water
In a blender or food processor combine all the ingredients together. Add 1 tbsp of water to the dressing if it is looking too thick and blend together again. Use right away or store in a container for up to 1 week.
Beets
Beet Brownies
Beet and Rye Bread Salad
Pickled Beets
Beets Storage Tips
In a resealable container or bag, line the bottom with a paper towel. Place the lid back on or reseal the bag and store in your fridge for up to 7 days. A container works great because it prevents the lettuce from getting bruised.
Beet Brownies
Beet puree:
1 large Beet, cooked
1/4 milk
In a blender combine the milk and beet into a smooth paste. You will only need a cup of this puree.
Brownie mix:
3/4 cup flour or gluten free flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of the beet puree
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees farenhiet In a bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, butter, sugar, beet puree and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then mix in the chocolate chips. Grease a 9 by 9 pan and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Beet and Rye Bread Salad with Feta
1 Bundle of beets
3 thick slices of rye or pumpernickel bread
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup feta cheese
Salt and Pepper
With some tin foil wrap and roast the beets in the oven for 45 minutes. Grill the bread on the BBQ and set off to the side.
Once the beets are cooked let them cool slightly and carefully peel. Chop into rough chunks and put into a bowl. Roughly chop the grilled bread into bight size pieces and add to the bowl with the beets. Add in the chopped onion, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss everything together and garnish with feta cheese.
Pickled Beets
1 lbs of cooked beets
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Pinch of whole cloves
First start by cooking the beets in simmering water until fork tender. Strain, peel and cut into slices and place into a jar.
To a pot over medium heat add in the vinegar, sugar and salt. Let simmer until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Let the brine cool slightly and then pour into the jar with the beets add in a pinch of whole cloves. Cover with a lid and sit out for 10 minutes, transition over to the fridge and let it marinate for 3 days.
Cherry Tomatoes
Roasted Tomato Aioli
Santorini Salad
Tomato Storage Tips:
Store your tomatoes, upside down (stem side down) on a tray left out on the counter. Ripened tomatoes will store like this for up to 6 days. If they last that long.
Freezing tomatoes has never been simpler, start by coring the tomato. Next place the tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 5 hours. Once frozen solid, remove the tomato from the freezer and put into freezer bags. Put back into the freezer, the tomatoes will last like this for up to a year.
Roasted Tomato Aioli
1 cup cheery tomatoes
1 egg
1 clove of garlic
1 cup canola oil (or any nutrial tasting oil)
1 tsp dijon mustard
Basil
Salt and Pepper
Roast tomatoes and a bulb of garlic in the oven at 350 F for 1 hour. In a jar combine the oil and egg and blend until combined. Add in the cooked tomato, roasted garlic, dijon mustard, basil, salt and pepper. Blend until the aioli becomes smooth. Enjoy as a salad dressing or a spread for sandwiches.
Santorini Salad
1 cup Arugula
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped, sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup cucumbers, choppped
1/4 cup capers
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup dill, chopped
1/2 cup feta crumbled
Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
1 clove of crushed garlic
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 anchovy fillets of 1/2 tsp pureed anchovies
Salt and Pepper
In a large bowl combine the all of the salad ingredients. In a small bowl or blender add all of the dressing ingredients and blend. Pour over the salad and mix together.
Onions
Charred Onion Dip
Onion Storage Tips:
Whole onions can be stored in a cool, dry, dark and well ventilated place. This would be a basement, cellar, or garage. Already peeled and cut onions can be stored in the fridge in a air tight container to prevent the onion odour corrupting other foods. They will store in the fridge for 7-10 days.
Green onions can be stored in the fridge in a zip lock bag with a paper towel for up to a week.
Charred Onion Dip
3 small onions, cut into rings
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and Pepper
Preheat the BBQ on high. Slice the onions into rings and toss in oil, salt and pepper. Grill on the BBQ until each side is charred. Place charred onions, garlic, cream cheese and sour cream into a food processor and blend. Add in the spices and blend again. Serve with crusty bread, crackers or veggie sticks.
Carrots
Carrot Salad with Whipped Feta
Carrots Storage Tips:
When you get your carrots, cut the tops off. The carrot tops will literally suck the life out of the carrot. Place the carrots into a zip lock bag with a dry piece of paper towel. The paper towel will soak up any extra moisture the carrot gives off. The Carrots will stay crisp in the fridge up to 7 days.
Freezing carrots, cut into uniform pieces and blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes. This will slightly cook the carrot, but not completely through. With a slotted spoon remove the carrots, or strain with a colander. Dump out the carrots on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Put into the freezer for 2 hours. Remove the tray and put the frozen carrots into a zip lock bag, and store it in the freezer.
Carrot Salad with Whipped Feta
10-12 medium carrots, cut in half length wise
1 tsp olive oil
3 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup brie
1 tsp honey
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp Chilli flakes
Salt and Pepper
Place the oven wrack at the highest level and pre heat the broiler on your oven to high.
Cut the carrots in half, length wise. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, spread out evenly on a sheet tray. Put under the broiler and let the carrots cook for 12-15 minutes. You want the carrots to char. While the carrots cook place the brie, sour cream, honey and thyme in a food processor and blend until smooth. Next, make the chilli oil, in a small pot over medium hight heat add in the olive oil and start to warm. Once the olive oil starts to warm and become fragrant add in the chilli flakes and remove from the heat.
Now to assemble, remove the charred carrots from the oven. Take your brie cheese mixture and spread it out evenly on a plate, next place the charred carrots on top and finish with a tbsp of the warm chilli oil. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy.
Potatoes
Potato Pancakes
Gnocchi
Potato Storage Tips:
Store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark and well ventilated place. Typically in a cardboard box in the pantry or garage. Do not store them in the fridge. The humidity in the fridge will make them sprout over time and the cold air will make the potato convert its starch to sugar. Making the potato sweet.
Potato Pancakes
5-6 medium potatoes, shredded
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
4 sprigs of thyme, stem removed
1 large egg
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 cup flour or gluten free flour
Shred the potatoes and add the salt and mix thoroughly, let sit for 10 minutes. Drain off the liquid in the bowl. Squeeze the potatoes removing any extra water from the potatoes. In a bowl combine all the ingredients to the potatoes and mix until everything is incorporated. In a frying pan over medium high heat add 4 tbsp of cooking oil or fat of your choice. Wait till the oil is hot. Form the potato pancakes into little patties and place into the pan to fry for 3 minutes each side. Serve with sour cream and chopped chives.
Gnocchi
1 cup potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 cups flour
1 egg
Boil and mash the potatoes. In a large bowl add the mashed potatoes, flour and egg, mix together until the dough forms a ball. Divide the dough into 1/4’s and form into a little ball. Take each small ball of dough and roll out into long snakes. On a floured surface cut the snakes into half inch pieces.
In a large pot of lightly salted water cook the gnocchi for 3-5 minutes. Drain and serve with sauce of your choice.
Cucumbers
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Cucumber & Grape Salad
Korean Cucumber Salad
Herb Cucumber and Whipped Feta Salad
Cucumber Storage Tips:
Storing cucumbers is easy as wrapping them in dry paper towel and placing them in an open plastic bag. Make sure the bag is left open to allow air flow. Cucumbers will store in the fridge like this for a 10 days.
The alternative method is to just store the cucumbers on the counter. They will delicious and crisp like this for 7 days.
CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD
1 cucumber
1 bundle of green onions
1 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp mayo
Salt and Pepper
Cut cucumbers into coins. Roughly chop the green onions. In a bowl combine cucumbers, green onions, vinegar, mayo, salt and pepper.
Cucumber and Grape Salad
1 cup lettuce or micro greens
1 cucumber, sliced
1 cup of grapes, cut in half
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
1/4 cup toasted almonds
1/4 cup feta
Dressing
1/4 cup greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup mix of basil and cilantro, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Salt and Pepper
Combine your lettuce, cucumber, grapes, onion, almonds and feta. In a separate bowl mix together the yogurt, oil, vinegar, herbs and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix the dressing together. Mix the dressing into the veggies and enjoy!
Korean Cucumber Salad
1 Cucumber
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp sesame seeds
2 green onions
Slice the cucumbers. In a bowl mix the together the soya sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar. Pour the sauce over the cucumbers and mix well. Add in the green onions and chilli powdered. Mix everything together and serve.
Herb Cucumber and Whipped Feta Salad
1 large or 2 medium cucumbers
1 bundle of green onions
1 cup of feta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Fresh chopped dill
Fresh chopped parsley
Pistachios, toasted
In a food processor add the feta and sour cream, and blend until nearly smooth. Pour out onto a serving tray.
Cut the cucumber into quarter length wise and then roughly chop into 1 inch sized cubes. Lay the cucumbers and chopped green onion on top of the whipped feta.
Garnish the salad with freshly chopped dill, parsley and toasted pistachios. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, the fresh squeezed lemon, salt and pepper.
Peppers
Sheet Pan Roasted Veggies
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Pepper Storage Tips:
Peppers will last in your fridge crisper drawer for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze peppers, slice or dice the pepper to the desired size. Next evenly space out the peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze for 2 hours. After 2 hours remove the peppers from the freezer and place in zip lock freezer bags and put back into the freezer. Peppers will store like this for up to 6 months.
Sheet Pan Roasted Veggies
1-2 peppers cut into 1/2 inch pieces
10 mushrooms cut into 1/4’s
2 onions, diced
1 zucchini, diced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl toss together all the vegetables, oil and seasoning. Evenly spread out the veggies on a sheet tray and roast for 15-20 minutes.
This is a great stand by veggies after a long day at work. Throw it into a pasta and tomato sauce for a quick tasty meal.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
2 large bell peppers, diced
2 onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 small carrots, chopped
1 lbs of ground beef or turkey (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups of chicken broth
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup rice
2 tbsp Italian herd seasoning
Salt and Pepper, to taste
In a large pan over medium heat add the ground meat and cook all the way through. Once the meat is cooked remove from the pan and add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is heated, add the chopped onion, celery, peppers, carrots and garlic to the pan. Letting the vegetables cook for about 4-5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a 1/2 cup of white wine. Let the wine reduce by half. Next add the ground meat back into the pot. Add the dried herbs, broth, rice and crushed tomatoes to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let the rice fully cook for 10-15 minutes. Lastly season with salt and pepper to taste.
