Introducing Cooking Classes at Jubilee Farm

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Giant Pumpkin

I am so thrilled to announce that I will be teaching a cooking class at Jubilee Farm in October as part of their ongoing Pumpkin Festival! There are two dates available, to maximize availability for CSA members as well as the public. All squash will be from the farm and the class is designed to inspire you to use these nutritional powerhouses in new ways. Here’s some more information:

Pumpkin & Winter Squash Cooking Class

Jubilee Farm | Carnation, WA

October 17 @ 6 pm OR October 21 @ 2 pm

Come delight in the bounty of winter squash! In this class we’ll learn how to cut, cook, and prepare a variety of pumpkin and squash dishes. You’ll never have to fear the dreaded butternut or question how to tackle these autumn beasts again. Instead, come celebrate the abundance of fall as we pickle pumpkins, roast whole squash, make pumpkin pie filling from scratch, and feast upon winter squash chili. This class is 2.5 hours and includes refreshments and hearty snacks. Cost is $50 per person. To register, click here. In the contact form, please let me know which day you plan to attend so that I can send you the proper invoice.

Kitchen Tip #1: Purple Green Beans

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Green Beans

I’m excited to introduce a new series on the blog: Kitchen Tips! These are not recipes per se, but suggestions of how to use your veggies in ways you may not have considered. For my first post in this series, let’s talk about purple green beans.

Cut beans

These showy legumes are one of the great joys of summer produce. Their contrasting deep purple outside and bright green inside are a delight to look upon. What a disappointment though when they hit the pan or pot of boiling water and seconds later the purple has completely disappeared only to be replaced with a drab green.

And so, I present to you Kitchen Tip #1: eat your purple green beans raw.

Close up beans

Slice your purple green beans on a bias and you get the best show. Flashy purples and greens can now take center stage on the plate. The icing on the cake? Their sweet crunch adds fantastic texture to any salad or side dish. This week at home, I sautéed up their yellow and green cousins with some tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Once they were done and on the platter, I topped them off with raw purple beans and some oregano flowers from the garden. Voila! Dinner was served.

Green beans two ways

Lemon Balm and Cucumber Yogurt with Rose

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The summer garden is in full swing, which means lots of refreshing herbs are now easy to come by! Lemon balm and sumac add hints of citrus while the rosewater gives just the slightest floral hint. If you cant find lemon balm, any mint would be a great substitute. This simple recipe makes a great dip for pita chips or you can use it as a mellow dollop on a spicy curry.

Lemon Balm and Cucumber Yogurt with Rose

1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1/4 cucumber, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lemon balm, chiffonade
1/4 tsp sumac
Zest from one lemon
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 small spring onion or scallion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp rosewater
Salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of dried rose petals for garnish (optional)

  1. Combine all ingredients except rose petals in a mixing bowl and stir until well incorporated.
  2. Pop the mixture in the fridge and allow the flavors to combine for about an hour if you can.
  3. Place the yogurt mix in a serving bowl and top with rose petals. This should keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Whole Wheat Dutch Baby

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A Dutch Baby is a fantastic weekend treat in our house. It’s quite simple to make but requires a bit of patience while it cooks. For those of you who are new to Dutch Babies, these popovers have their roots in German cuisine and are much like a heartier baked pancake. Their high egg content makes them quite filling and high in protein. Traditionally made with sugar, these can also be prepared as a savory breakfast. Leave out the sugar and other sweet ingredients and serve it with bacon, cheddar, and tomato jam (just a suggestion 😉). One Dutch Baby serves two for a lighter breakfast or one for a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast. It can easily be doubled.

This recipe is inspired by my friends at Jubilee Farm who are growing and milling their own whole wheat as part of their CSA. Fresh whole wheat flour has a distinct nuttiness and richness that simply cannot be beat. If you can get your hands on some I highly recommend it for its higher nutritional value and superior flavor.


Whole Wheat Dutch Baby

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 all purpose flour
1/4 whole wheat flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 Tbsp butter
Toppings of choice for serving

  1. Place a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven on the center rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450°, allowing the pan to heat at the same time.
  2. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients except butter in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.
  3. When the oven has reached its temperature, add the butter to the pan. As soon as it has melted, carefully tilt the pan to coat it with the butter and quickly pour in the batter. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the Dutch Baby has puffed up and is golden on top. Serve with your favorite toppings like fresh fruit, maple syrup, and/or a dollop of yogurt. Serves two.

Perfect Granola

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granola

In our house, we eat granola almost everyday. With homemade yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast, by the handful as a snack, or with milk for a very lazy dinner… it never disappoints! After years of tweaking my granola game, I’ve finally settled on this recipe. The only sweetener it uses is maple syrup, so it is much healthier than the grocery store options with ingredients I can’t pronounce. Use this recipe as a guide. You can easily change out the fruit and nuts. Sometimes I make this with cherries and walnuts or hazelnuts and figs. The cacao nibs in this recipe are the raw parts of the chocolate pod and contain lots of phytonutrients. They have a slightly bitter flavor, much like dark chocolate. You can usually find them in the bulk bins at your local health food store or, if you live in Seattle, they can be purchased from Theo Chocolates. Can’t find them? No worries, just leave them out.

Mise en place

Maple-Sweetened Granola

1/2 cup sunflower oil or coconut oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw cashew pieces
1 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup cacao nibs

  1. Preheat oven to 325°.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sunflower/coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, spices and salt. Stir until well mixed.
  3. Add oats, cashews, sesame seeds, and coconut flakes and stir until evenly coated. Spread into an even layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the granola halfway through.
  5. When done, allow to cool for 1 hour.
  6. Add blueberries and cacao nibs, gently stirring to incorporate.
  7. Store in an airtight container for up to a month, though I doubt it will last that long.

 

Ready to bake