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
Collard Greens, NC
Romaine Lettuce Local FL (In the large & Jumbo baskets)
Rainbow Carrots
Russet Potatoes,
Onions, Vidalia, Sweet
Tomatoes, Roma
Cucumbers
Granny Smith Apples
Banana, Del Monte
Kent Mangos (In the Jumbo baskets)
Fresh Apricots! - (just a sampling in each basket)
Meal #1
Entrée
Slow Cooker Butter Bean Minestrone
YIELD Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
For the minestrone:
1 pound dried butter beans
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium sweet onions, cut into small dice
2 quarts low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 large carrot, cut into small dice
1 celery stalk, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon freshly ground fennel seeds
4 medium plum tomatoes, cut into small dice
1 small zucchini, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
optional
For the basil pistou:
Kosher salt
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup shelled roasted unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the minestrone: Place the beans in a large bowl and add cold water to cover by 3 inches. Cover the bowl and soak the beans in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, or until softening, then remove from the heat.
Drain the beans and add them to the slow cooker. Add the broth, cooked onions, carrot, and celery. Cover cook until the beans are tender but not busted, 6 to 8 hours on the LOW setting. Meanwhile, make the basil pistou.
Make the basil pistou: Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water and set it nearby.
Add 1 teaspoon salt to the boiling water. Add the basil and blanch until it develops a bright green color, about 20 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to immediately remove the basil from the water and plunge it into the waiting ice bath. After a minute, strain the basil from the water, wrap it in a kitchen towel, and squeeze gently to remove excess water.
Place the basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and pistachios in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Turn it on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a paste forms. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
Finish the minestrone: Stir the ground fennel, tomatoes, zucchini, pepper, and 1 tablespoon salt into the beans. Cover cook for 1 hour more. Taste and season with salt as needed.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish each one with basil pistou and a drizzle of the remaining olive oil. Serve and eat!
RECIPE NOTES
Make ahead: The pistou will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week. We recommend pressing a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pistou before placing the lid on the container.
Storage: Leftover minestrone can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Side #1
Tomato, Vidalia Onion, And Cucumber Summer Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
▢¼ cup (2 ounces) mayonnaise
▢3 Tablespoons (1.5 ounces) white wine vinegar
▢2 Tablespoons chopped Vidalia onion
▢1 clove garlic minced
▢1 teaspoon sugar
▢½ teaspoon Kosher salt
▢1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
▢⅛ teaspoon hot sauce
▢½ cup olive oil
▢2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Salad
▢3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
▢1 English cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
▢1 Vidalia onion, peeled and thinly sliced
▢6 Romaine lettuce leaves
Instructions
Dressing
Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce in container of electric blender. Process on high until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. With blender on high, gradually add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add chopped parsley and process 5 seconds until parsley is finely chopped. Transfer to container; cover and chill. Yield: 1 cup.
Salad
Arrange romaine lettuce on chilled salad plates. Top with alternating tomato, cucumber, and onion slices. Drizzle with dressing.
Yield: 6 servings
Side #2
Vidalia Onion Casserole
A Vidalia Onion Casserole is just what suppertime needs on a spring or summer night. It’s a cinch to make and full of sweet onion flavor.Serves: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
4 large Vidalia onions, quartered
¼ cup butter
3 large eggs
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
30 buttery round crackers, crushed and divided
1½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Butter a 1½-quart baking dish.
In a large saucepan, bring onions and water to cover to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and evaporated milk. Add onion, half of crushed crackers, cheese, salt, and pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared dish.
Bake for 35 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together melted butter and remaining crushed crackers. Sprinkle onto casserole, and bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes more.
Dessert
10-Minute Banana Apricot Coconut Cream Crumble
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
10 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients
½ medium banana, sliced
3 apricots, sliced
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup granola of choice
1 tablespoon coconut chips or shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon chia seeds
½ cup unsweetened light coconut milk
(optional: 1 tsp honey to sweeten fruit)
Instructions
In a medium pan add the coconut oil and heat over medium to high heat.
Add in the sliced banana, apricot, (honey if using) and cinnamon and reduce heat to medium,
Sautee for 3 minutes until soft and warmed through.
Divide the fruit mixture between two dishes.
In the same pan over medium heat add in the granola, coconut, and chia seeds and sautee for 2 minutes until the coconut is lightly toasted and the granola is warmed through.
Divide the granola mixture between the two dishes by adding to the top of the fruit.
In the same pan, add in the coconut milk and sautee for 1-2 minutes just to warm. Pour the warmed coconut milk over each dish and serve!
Meal #2
Chunky Vegan Potato Soup
Delicious vegetables make a hearty and dairy-free winter soup that hits the spot.
Total:1 hr 15 mins
Active:20 mins
Yield:
Makes about 10 cups
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 medium carrots, cut into chunks
8 cups vegetable stock
3 pounds baking potatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
Directions
In a large heavy pot, heat the oil over medium high heat until hot. Stir in the onions, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Peel and dice the potatoes. Stir in the carrots, stock, potatoes, and thyme, then bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are very soft and starting to fall apart, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Side #1
Collard Greens with Tomatoes and Garlic
"I grew up in North Carolina, and a lot of the foods that we ate as kids, like okra and collard greens, are really African in origin," says Hubert Des Marais. The collard dish here is called sukuma wiki ("to push the week") in Swahili, because Kenyans commonly eat it to stretch more expensive ingredients, like meat.
Total: 45 mins
Active:25 mins
Yield:4 to 6
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 jalapeño, halved lengthwise
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 pounds collard greens, stems discarded and leaves finely shredded
3 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a large enameled, cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion and jalapeño and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, collards, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the collards are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the jalapeño, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Season the collards with salt and pepper and serve.
Make Ahead
The collards can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently.
Side #2
Cleansing Green Juice
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Easy cleansing green juice recipe with cucumbers, romaine, apples, celery, and lemon.
PREP TIME10 minutes
TOTAL TIME10 minutes
Ingredients
3 cucumbers, peeled
3 organic hearts of romaine lettuce
2 organic gala apples, cored
1 organic celery heart
½ lemon
Instructions
Peel cucumbers
Wash romaine and chop off ends
Wash and core apples (do not juice the core - see note of caution above)
Wash the celery
Halve the lemon and cut off the peel before juicing
Add all ingredients to a juicer
Serve immediately
Dessert
Chris’s Mango-Apple Sorbet
1 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Water
1 Mango
1 Gala Apple
Juice of 1 Lime (2 Tblsps.)
1 Shot (1 oz.) white or red wine (Optional. Red wine gives sorbet a pinkish color)
Combine both the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely and the syrup is clear. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Peel and cube the mango and apple. Don’t worry about the size of chunks as it will be pureed. You should have more mango that apple. 60/40 or 75/25 mango to apple. The best way to judge is to use a scale. Combine only 1C. cooled syrup (you will have about 2 Tablespoons left over-use for your next sweet cocktail or dessert) and the fruit, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Blend it until it is smooth. Cover the mixture and put it in the fridge until is cold.
Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of ice cream maker. Let it run like that for 20-25 minutes. When done the mixture will be like a cold thick apple sauce. Transfer it to a freezer safe container. Put it in the freezer at least 20-30 minutes, if you want to serve it that evening. OR just leave it in the freezer.
Obviously, the freezing takes time. I recommend making a day ahead of time to make sure that the sorbet is frozen before you need it.
Meal # 3
Entrée (Main Course
Collard Greens & Potatoes
Ingredients
3 bunch baby collard greens, picked & stems removed
1 lg onion, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste as desired
2 lg russet potatoes peeled & cubed
1 Tbsp sugar
Directions
Add the greens to a large pot, cover with water or use chicken broth if desired for a bit of extra added flavor. Add in all the spices & chopped onions. Cook over medium high heat until greens are tender as desired. May need more or less time as mentioned in this recipe according to your personal preference.
During the last 20 minutes or so of cooking time add in the cubed potatoes & continue cooking until potatoes are tender. Add in 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine if desired. Serve & enjoy.
Side #1
Lettuce and Carrot Salad with Sweet and Sour Dressing
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds for serving 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon honey 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon wasabi 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 romaine lettuce 1 medium carrot, grated 1 spring onion, chopped cilantro for garnishing
Heat a skillet over low heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast for 2-3 minutes while continuously stirring.
For the dressing:
Add the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl. Mix them using a teaspoon. Set aside.
For the salad:
Add the lettuce, carrot, and spring onion to a bowl. Mix them.
Distribute the salad to 3 glasses. Drizzle with dressing, add fried sesame seeds to each of them and garnish with cilantro.
Side #2
Fresh Tomato Mango Salsa
I love this recipe and it tastes good with tortilla chips.
Additional: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 20 mins
Prep: 20 mins
Servings: 40
Yield: 5 cups
Ingredients
2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
1 ½ cups diced mango
½ cup diced onion
1 teaspoon white sugar
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
Stir the tomatoes, mango, onion, sugar, cilantro, lime juice, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic together in a bowl.
Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
Dessert
Mozzarella Stuffed Apricots With Fruit And Cheese
These mozzarella stuffed apricots are a quick and easy appetizer! An elegant, timeless pairing of fruit and cheese that will leave everyone impressed!
Course Appetizer, finger food
Cuisine American, French
Keyword cheese stuffed fruit, fruit and cheese appetizer, stuffed apricots
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 5 pieces
Calories 35 kcal
Author Mahy
Ingredients
· 5 apricots
· 10 baby bocconcini mozzarella pieces
· 0.5 tablespoon fresh basil minced (optional)
· 1 Tablespoons chopped toasted pistachios (optional)
· 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (more or less to taste)
Instructions
1. Cut each apricot in half and remove the pits.
2. Fill each apricot half with one piece of bocconcini mozzarella.
3. place the apricots stuffed side up on a serving platter.
4. Sprinkle fresh basil and pistachios if using, and drizzle generously with balsamic vinegar. Serve.
Recipe Notes
· For goat cheese-stuffed apricots, mix creamy goat cheese and fresh thyme leaves. Stuff your apricots and drizzled them with honey.
· Cream cheese is neutral and a fabulous filling here as well. Drizzle with either balsamic or honey or both!
· A filling of vanilla cream cheese and honey makes for a sweet almost dessert-like finger food.