Pea Pods & Radishes:  A great combination in the spring.  Slice or halve the radishes (depending on their size) and  saute them with the peas (snow peas or snap peas) in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Like garlic -add chopped garlic.  For a Asian twist add corn starch dissolved in soy sauce and Asian sesame oil at the last moment.

 

Collards & Onions: If you've never had collards, give them a try.  They're sweet and cook up quickly.  Cut out the tough stems by running a knife along the side of each stem.  Pile the leaves, roll them into a cylinder and slice very thinly .  Slice an onion thinly.  Saute these in several tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper for 4 - 5 minutes until they're wilted, adding water as necessary.  The collards will be dark green, sweet and chewy.

 

Collard Soup: Put the cooked collards and onions (see above recipe) in a sauce pan with a box of chicken broth.  Add 2 Tbl. of instant polenta (optional) to give the soup body.  Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve topped with drops of olive oil or grated cheese or both.

 

Not 'Roasted' Potatoes: Summer time is no time to be using your oven so try these 'on the stove' potatoes.  Using  fingerling potatoes or small Yuckons whole: cover in a sauce pan with cool salted water, boil potatoes and 5-6 cloves of unpeeled garlic until potatoes are done.  Drain.  In the same pan put olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped boiled garlic and your favorite herb.  Return the potatoes and swirl around until coated.  Left overs make great potato salad with or without mayo.  Maybe just a bit of olive oil to refresh them

 

Arugala Pasta Sauce: This is an almost no cook dinner that you'll be proud to serve to the queen of England.  For each serving put the following into each person's bowl:  

    1 heaping Tbs. of BALSAM FARMS ARUGALA PESTO.

2 Tbls crumbles feta or other goat cheese

1 Tbl. olive oil

salt and pepper

Add one portion of hot cooked pasta to each bowl and mix.  You'll probably need to add 1-2 Tbls. of hot past water to each bowl.  Great hot or at room temperature.

 

Grilled Cubanelle Peppers:  Having a bar-b-que?  Buy one Cubanelle for each diner.  Slather each with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill.  Excellent at room temperature.

 

Swiss Chard Fritata:  This works well with almost any green but Swiss chard is a favorite of ours.  Thinly slice the stems and leaves of a bunch of chard.  Slice an onion thinly.  Saute the veggies with salt and pepper in 1-2 Tbls. of olive oil.  When well wilted, let cool briefly.  Scramble  5 or 6 BALSAM FARMS eggs in a bowl and add the sauteed veggies and more salt. Pour into a medium no-stick pan that has some olive oil or melted butter in it.  Cook over medium heat under a lid until done.  If you prefer your eggs well done, slide the mostly cooked fritata onto a plate, hold the pan over it and flip.  Cook to your satisfaction. I usually slice these with scissors rather than a knife for a cleaner cut.

 

Summer Casserole:  Cube 1 large or several small eggplants.  Cube a equal amount of summer squash (green or yellow).  Halve several tomatoes along their equators.  Gently squeeze out out most of the seeds as you would an orange.  Cube these.  Slice cloves of garlic to taste. Stir all of these together with  a 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt and pepper and put into a casserole dish.  

Combine bread crumbs (preferably fresh), grated hard cheese and 2 Tbls. olive oil.  Sprinkle on top of the veggies and bake at 350' until crusty.  40 to 50 minutes.  Can be served at room temperature.

 

Green Beans Italian Style:  The debate continues.  Do we steam green beans or wax beans for a brief time to keep them crisp (a la the French) or do we do as the Italian do and cook them well. Here is a version:  Cook the beans with a few unpeeled garlic cloves.  When cooked to your satisfaction add olive oil, salt and pepper, a Tbl. of tomato paste and the chopped cooked garlic. Cook a few minutes more.  (By the way tomato past keeps nicely in the freezer if you divide the contents of the can into Tbl. size blobs and freeze them before putting them into a freezer container.)

 

Good Soup:  Perhaps you have the desire to shop at our wonderful BALSAM FARMS stands and you notice that you have a little of this and a little of that left over from your last visit.  The perfect time to make some quick soup. Cook the coursely cubed veggies in a box or two of chicken broth or, in a pinch, water until tender along with some salt and pepper and maybe a pat of butter.  When the melange has cooled down puree with with your immersable blender (What a handy tool!).  Re heat and decorate each bowl with a splash of olive oil, shaved hard cheese or cream.  

 

Winter Squash & Ginger Soup:  Peel and cube any of our wonderful winter squashes.  Cook with 2 - 3 teaspoons of chopped ginger root, a chopped carrot, salt and pepper and a box or two of chicken broth.  When cool enough puree with your immersable blender.  Serve with a dollop of cream or 'creme fresh'.

 

Roasted Corn:  Since we have 'the best corn in the world' most customers simply love to boil it for about a minute and a half but sometimes ask about roasting it.  Pull the husks back far enough to pull out the silks.  Soak the whole corn, husks and all, in cold water for about 15 minutes.  Put on the grill and turn as the husks char.