Check out these amazing recipes coordinated with the ingredients in this week's Organic Fruit & Vegetable basket.
To sign up for a Weekly or Bi-weekly Organic Basket click here https://www.gdorganics.com/book-online
This Week's Ingredients
Spinach,
Dandelion, Local large & Jumbo baskets
Globe Eggplant,
Orange Bell Peppers, Jumbo baskets
Covington Sweet Potatoes,
Zucchini, Fancy
Roma Tomatoes,
Red, Cara Cara Naval Oranges
Kent Mangos,
Pink Lady Apples, Extra Fancy
Meal #1
Entrée ( Main Course)
Ratatouille
Ratatouille is a bright and chunky summer vegetable stew, rich with olive oil and fragrant with garlic and herbs.
Servings: 8 (Makes about 7 cups)
Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 large (1¼ lbs) eggplant, cut into ⅓-inch cubes
Salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 medium zucchini (about 1 lb), cut into ⅓-inch cubes
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
5 large vine-ripened tomatoes (1¾ lbs), cut into ⅓-inch cubes, with their juices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, plus more for serving
¾ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (no need to clean it). Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and transfer to a plate; set aside.
Add two more tablespoons of oil to the pan and add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 3 minutes more. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, thyme, sugar, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and ¾ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down into a sauce, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cooked eggplant to the pan; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is soft. Add the zucchini and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until just warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme, drizzle with a little olive oil if desired, and serve warm or chilled. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Let the dish cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. (Keep in mind that the zucchini won't stay crisp after being frozen.) This is delicious served cold or reheated in the microwave.
Side #1
Spinach Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apple
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
9 ounce pkg. baby spinach
1 medium crisp apple, cored and cubed
1/2 cup toasted whole pecans
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Place the cubes of sweet potato on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tender
In a small bowl or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, mix the vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk to combine.
In a large salad bowl, toss together the spinach, apple, and pecans.
Add the dressing, toss, and top with the blue cheese crumbles.
Notes: To keep your apples from discoloring, give them a toss with a teaspoon or so of fresh lemon juice.
Side #2
Orange Tomato Smoothie
2 oranges
3 ½ oz. orange juice
4 tomatoes
2 bell peppers
1 tbsp soy sauce
Pepper to taste
4 basil leaves
Peel and chop oranges, reserving juice, and place everything in a stand blender with orange juice.
Clean, wash and chop the tomatoes and add to the blender. Halve peppers, remove seeds, wash, chop and add to blender.
Season with pepper and soy sauce, puree as finely as possible and pour into glasses. Wash basil leaves and garnish drinks with 1 basil leaf each.
Dessert
Mango Tart
YIELDS: 8
PREP TIME: 45 mins COOK TIME: 35 mins
Ingredients
CRUST:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold butter (no substitutions)
3 tbsp. ice water
LIME PASTRY CREAM:
1 c. whole milk
3 large egg yolks
c. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. butter (no substitutions)
1 tsp. grated fresh lime peel
FRUIT TOPPING:
2 mangoes
1 peeled slice kiwifruit (optional)
Directions
Prepare crust: In food processor with knife blade attached, combine flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt; pulse until blended. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. (If chilled overnight, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll disk into 11-inch round. Transfer dough round to 9" by 1" round tart pan with removable bottom . Press dough onto bottom and up side of pan. Trim dough level with rim of pan; discard trimmings. Refrigerate or freeze tart shell 10 to 15 minutes to firm dough slightly before baking.
Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights, and bake about 15 minutes longer or until golden. (Cover rim of tart with foil if browning too quickly.) If center of crust puffs up during baking, gently press down with back of spoon. Cool in pan on wire rack, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Lime Pastry Cream: In 2-quart saucepan, heat milk to simmering on medium. In small bowl, whisk yolks and granulated sugar until blended. Mix in cornstarch until smooth. While constantly beating with wire whisk, gradually pour about half of simmering milk into egg-yolk mixture. Pour egg-yolk mixture into remaining milk in saucepan and cook, whisking constantly to prevent lumping, until mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Boil 1 minute, stirring. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in butter and lime peel. Transfer pastry cream to small bowl; cover surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
Spoon pastry cream into baked tart shell and spread evenly. Arrange mango slices on top; place kiwifruit slice in center. Remove tart from side of pan. Place tart, still on pan base, on serving plate. If not serving tart right away, cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours.
Meal #2
SWEET POTATO, BLACK BEAN AND SPINACH SAUTÉ
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Sweet potato, black bean and spinach sauté is a quick and easy one pan vegetarian main dish that’s hearty, filling, budget friendly and ready in under 30 minutes.
PREP TIME 5 minutes COOK TIME 25 minutes TOTAL TIME 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small, sweet onion, chopped.
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced small
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 cup water or vegetable broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. fresh spinach
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Shredded cheese, Greek yogurt or sour cream, avocado or guac, hot sauce, fresh lime juice, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
Add the sweet potatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes more, until well mixed.
Add the spices and water or broth and stir to combine.
Cover the skillet and cook over medium-low for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. (You should be able to easily pierce them with a fork.)
Add the black beans and spinach and stir until combined and the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot, with desired toppings.
Sweet potatoes: You’ll want to make sure your sweet potatoes are diced similarly and on the small side so they don’t take forever to cook. Mine are about 1/4- to 1/2-inch dice.
Onion: I use a sweet onion, but a yellow onion or red onion would also be fine here.
Beans: A can of black beans is what I use, but you could substitute some homemade cooked black beans if you prefer. Or sub in your favorite bean, like pinto beans or cannellini beans.
Spinach: Baby spinach or regular bagged spinach is fine here since we’re wilting it in. Start with a few handfuls, stir it in, and add more as space allows in your pan. You could also substitute kale, but it'll need a few more minutes to soften and wilt.
Side #1
EGGPLANT NAPOLEONS
Prep Time10 minutes Cook Time20 minutes Total Time30 minutes
Ingredients
3 medium eggplants
4 large tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic , minced
⅓ cup sour cream
Mozzarella cheese , sliced
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon parsley , chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 395*.
Slice the eggplants and tomatoes into 2 cm slices.
Put all the slices on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the eggplant slices with olive oil, then bake for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow them to cool.
Now, in a small mixing bowl, mix sour cream, garlic, salt and Italian seasoning.
Assemble the Napoleon in the following order, eggplant, sour cream, tomato, eggplant, mozzarella cheese, tomato, eggplant.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar, lightly drizzle napoleons with the mixture, garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
While picking out the eggplants, go for a size about 3.5 or 4 inches in diameter and has little to no curves. Pick out the tomatoes that are also large.
Upon trying and testing the recipe, you will determine how crispy you like your eggplants and how long you should really leave them in the oven.
Recipe Variations
For Eggplant Napoleons that are vegan, you can switch out the sour cream for some pesto. With the addition of pine nuts and basil, you can quickly whip it up with the existing ingredients of this recipe. To prepare the pesto, mix the parsley, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, salt, pine nuts and basil in a food processor. Blend until the consistency of a thick paste is achieved. Now replace this sour cream layer with this pesto, or however, you may please.
Some people prefer to dip their Eggplants in egg and bread crumbs before setting them aside to bake. This will mean you add a bit of gluten, but it will still be a minimal amount. Plus, it makes for extra crispy Napoleons.
The types of vegetables you use to layer your Eggplant Napoleons is also up to you. Other than tomatoes, we encourage you to try yellow squash, bell peppers, zucchini slices or even red onions.
Feel free to replace mozzarella cheese with cheddar or edam cheese.
Side #2
Zucchini Stir Fry
YIELD: 4 – 6 Prep 10 minutes COOK 15 minutes TOTAL 25 minutes
Ingredients
3 small zucchini
1 large yellow onion
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 bell pepper
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
pinch salt
pinch pepper
Instructions
Slice the zucchini into thin slices.
Slice up the onion, bell pepper and the mushrooms if not using pre-sliced.
Pour the olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat.
Sprinkle the basil, salt and pepper into the skillet.
Once oil is heated add all the cut up vegetables, except the zucchini, to the skillet.
Cook until starting to soften, stirring occasionally. About 5 minutes.
Quickly stir in the zucchini, cover and reduce heat slightly.
Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until zucchini get a glazed look. About 8 - 10 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Mexican Roasted Broccoli
Dessert
Cara Cara Oranges with Toasted Honey Meringue
Jewel-like slabs of orange topped with a broiler-kissed meringue are as delicately delicious as they are beautiful to behold.
Ingredients
3 Cara Cara oranges, peel and pith removed from 2
1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 egg whites, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Step 1
Preheat boiler. Slice peeled oranges into crosswise rounds. Zest and juice remaining orange into 2 separate small bowls and set aside. Whisk honey, salt, and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer set over a pot of simmering water until honey is dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch. Remove from heat and whisk in electric mixer on high speed until shiny, stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla and whisk until just combined.
Step 2
Divide meringue among 6 shallow oven-proof dishes, fashioning dollops with a spoon. Transfer dishes to a rimmed baking sheet and broil until meringue is just toasted, about 1 minute. Remove and set alongside citrus rounds, drizzling with juice and sprinkling with zest. Serve immediately.
Meal # 3
Entrée (Main Course)
Eggplant Sweet Potato Curry
yield: 4
prep time: 10 MINUTES cook time: 30 MINUTES total time: 40 MINUTES
A delightful Eggplant Sweet Potato Curry Recipe that is perfect for Meal-Prep. Fully Plant-Based, Vegan & Gluten-Free.
Ingredients
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 eggplant
2 sweet potatoes
1 can coconut milk
3 tsp Harissa sauce (Store bought or homemade*)
1 tsp curry spice mix
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
1 cup long-grain rice
Instructions
Peel and finely chop onion and garlic.
Dice the eggplant, peel, and dice sweet potatoes.
In a large pan or pot, heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the chopped onions until translucent. Add spices and dry roast until the darken in color.
Add garlic and diced eggplant and let stew until the eggplant turns soft.
Add diced sweet potatoes and pour over with coconut milk. Add 3 teaspoons of harissa sauce,(depending on heat preference)
Season with salt to taste, stir to combine and let simmer on low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are fork tender. If needed, add a splash of water during cooking to thin the sauce.
While the curry is simmering, cook rice according to package instructions.
Serve the Eggplant Sweet Potato Curry with cooked rice and some finely chopped parsley or coriander.
Side #1
SPINACH DANDELIONS GREENS
INGREDIENTS
1 lb spinach
1/2 lb dandelion greens
1 TBS ghee
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1 TBS lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and add dandelion greens to the water making sure the greens are fully covered. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Drain the water, rinse quickly and dry well (squeeze out moisture using kitchen towel or cheese cloth). Chop dry dandelion greens to bite size.
While dandelions greens are soaking in hot water, in a large skillet heat ghee over medium high and add garlic. Sautee until beginning to brown and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add spinach to the skillet in batches, waiting for one batch to wilt before adding the next. Cook until tender.
Add chopped dandelion greens to spinach and mix. Cook for 3 more minutes.
Season with salt and pepper and add lemon juice.
Side #2
Baked Tomato Garlic Stuffed Peppers
These easy roasted stuffed peppers are delicious served as an appetizer or as a light meal. If you wanted to skip the fresh tomatoes, open a can of diced tomatoes, and use a tablespoon or so added to each pepper half instead.
Makes 6 pepper halves
YOU WILL NEED
3 bell peppers
8 cherry tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh basil or use another herb such as thyme, parsley or oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 ounces goat cheese or feta cheese
1 baguette, warmed for serving
DIRECTIONS
PREPARE PEPPERS
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a shallow sheet pan with foil or parchment paper or lightly oil.
Cut each pepper in half, lengthwise through the stem. Remove the membrane and seeds but leave the stalk intact. (The stalks are not edible but will help the peppers keep their shape while roasting). Lay the pepper halves in the sheet pan with the inside of the pepper halves facing up.
PREPARE TOMATOS
Bring about 2 cups of water to the boil. Meanwhile, score an “x” into the bottom of each tomato then place into a heat-safe bowl. Pour the boiling water over the tomatoes and leave for one minute. Drain the tomatoes and use fingers to slide the skins from the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, evenly divide and add to each pepper half.
BAKE PEPPERS
Divide the garlic slices and fresh herbs between pepper halves. Drizzle the pepper halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake until the peppers are tender, about 50 minutes. Transfer the cooked peppers to a serving dish, pour any juices left in the pan over the peppers, crumble goat cheese into each pepper and serve alongside warmed bread.
Dessert
Zucchini Apple Cake Recipe
PREP 30 mins COOK 45 mins
When you taste this cake, you’ll be delighted with the wonderful sweet and spicy flavor, the incredible moistness, and the pleasing texture
Ingredients
2 cups peeled and grated zucchini
2 cups peeled and grated apples*
2 cups white sugar
2 medium eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of 9" x 13" pan with oil and flour lightly.
Peel, core, and grate apples. Slice zucchini in half, remove seeds and grate. If the zucchini is large and has a tough skin, peel before grating.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Add oil and continue to mix until well blended. Add remaining dry ingredients to mixture and blend. Stir in zucchini, apples,* raisins, and nuts (optional).
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.
*Carrots can be substituted for apples.