Recipes of the week: keeping it fresh and simple

My garden this week. Garlic scapes, peas just in front of garlic, clematis and cukes. Photo: Ellen Rocco

Thanks to those of you who shared tidbits of recipes and food ideas for this week’s food post about using early garden bounty. Here’s a sampling of some of the themes and standout suggestions.

I want to start with one that was included in NCPR’s book, “Stories, Food, Life.” It’s perfect for this time of year because just about everyone I know is eating fresh salad greens from their own gardens or from farmers markets. It’s Ben Strader’s salad dressing recipe. Ben is the director of the Blue Mountain Center in Blue Mountain Lake. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to attend a number of Board retreats, conferences and seminars at the Center. Whenever salad is served at a meal, there are big bottles of Ben’s dressing to go with it. Mix up a batch and keep it in the fridge for those summer greens.

Ben’s Blue Mountain Center Salad Dressing, Ben Strader, Blue Mountain Lake

Mix into blender: 1/2 cup water, 1/2 apple cider vinegar, 1/2 cup tamari (or good soy sauce), 1-1/2 cups nutritional yeast flakes (use a bit less if powdered), 1-1/2 cups safflower oil, finely chopped garlic to taste. Blend away, then pour on just about anything but ice cream, and enjoy.

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad, Rhonda Butler, Asgaard Farm, Ausable Forks

First, prepare maple vinaigrette by combining 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup maple-flavored vinegar, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste and, if you like, some fresh green herbs like chives, basil, oregano and/or thyme.

Wrap 4 medium beets in foil and bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove the beets from the oven, cool and slide the skins off beets.

Arrange fresh garden greens on individual salad plates or on a large platter and dice the beets on top of the greens. Dot the beets and greens with pieces of fresh chevre. Sprinkle with walnut pieces and drizzle vinaigrette over everything.

Okay, these recipes address the abundance of salad greens and beets at this time of year. How about those peas or chard? Snap peas can be added to every salad and stir fry, of course. I am a personal devotee of shelled sweet peas. I remember my son, from his days as a toddler right up through middle school, plopping down in the pea patch and happily shelling and eating peas. I very briefly blanch peas (a minute or two, until the peas turn bright green), then dip in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the peas and store in the fridge. I add these to everything: green and potato salads, stir fries, cold soups.

Swiss Chard and Garlic Scapes, Ellen Rocco (this isn’t really a recipe, it’s a way of thinking about using whatever is coming out of the garden at this time of year)

Rinse a big bunch of chard leaves. If it’s small and young, leave whole. If it’s getting large (more than 6-8 inches), chop up the leaves a bit. Trim a batch of garlic scapes (it’s up to you how many you use) and slice up a bit. In a large frying pan or wok, heat some nice oil (sesame is my favorite for this) and toss in the scapes. Soften them up a bit, then throw in the chard. You may want to add a bit of water and/or soy sauce. Cook until chard is tender to the tooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can do the same sort of thing with beet greens (which feel like velvet on the palate), kale, young collards, endive…whatever.

Please add your ideas for early summer cooking. These are just a few ideas to prime the pump.

Coming next week: beverages for hot weather sipping…or guzzling. Share your suggestions and favorites with Nora, [email protected].