Imam Bayildi

Ingredients

• 1 medium or large egglplant

• 1 red onion

• at least 4 cloves garlic

• olive oil

• 3–4 large tomatoes

• olive oil

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tbs honey

• black pepper

Directions

1. Remove the top of the eggplant and halve the eggplant. Make a pocket in each eggplant by slitting them from top to tail, not cutting the whole way through. Peel the skin in alternating strips. Rub them inside and out with salt and set aside for half an hour. This sweats out the bitterness. Rinse the eggplants in cold water, and squeeze the flesh with your thumbs to make the pocket bigger.

2. Meanwhile, make a fresh tomato sauce using the red onion and lots of garlic–both diced. Sautee olive oil until golden brown. Add bit of honey, a twist of black pepper, a generous glug of olive oil, and three or four chopped tomatoes. Cover, and let them simmer for ten minutes or so.

3. Back to the eggplants: squeeze them out and fry in enough olive oil to coat the pan until all sides are golden brown. Set them in an oven safe baking dish, stuff the pockets with a generous heap of tomato sauce, add about 1/2 a cup of water and a big splosh of olive oil, and bake them, covered, in a hot oven for about 45 minutes. If your dish doesn't have a lid, cover with aluminum foil.

4. You can serve them hot; but better still give them time to cool and serve at room temperature. You know how good it is to pick at a cold stew? Same thing.

Winter Squash Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 pounds hard squash delicata or butternut


• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper


• 2 heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled 
(about ½ cup cloves)


• 2 or 3 serrano peppers, sliced in half, stems and seeds removed


• 1/4 cup tahini

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• Plain yogurt for garnish (optional)

• Cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

• Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

• Crusty bread, pita or crackers

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Rub flesh with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 generous pinches salt.

2. Place squash cut side down in roasting pan and bake until very soft, about 1 hour.

3. While squash is baking, place garlic, Serrano peppers and remaining olive oil in small pot over low heat. Poach garlic and peppers in oil until completely soft (30 to 40 minutes). Garlic should be very lightly browned.

4. Scoop out flesh from roasted squash and place in food processor. Add: garlic-poaching olive oil, garlic, Serrano peppers, tahini and lemon juice. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Hummus texture will vary depending on squash variety and size; add up to 1/2 cup water until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 1 week.

6. For 1 cup hummus, garnish with ¼ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds and sprinkling of cilantro leaves. Serve with crusty bread, pita or crackers.

Stuffed Delicata Squash

Delicata squash is considered a winter squash because of its texture, taste and growth patterns however it belongs to the same species as the summer squash like pattypan, zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. It takes the farmer roughly 100 days from planting the seed to harvest and then about one week to cure. Right now is the time to get them from our farmers at Freedom Farmers Market. I do consider this a long storage squash but they don’t store quite as well as true winter squash like butternut or acorn squash and more than likely after you taste one of these sweet things they wont last long at your house at all!

Delicata squash can be baked, sautéed, stuffed or steamed, can be eaten as a side, as the main course, or as dessert.

Check out this recipe, I absolutely love making it for dinner!

Ingredients

• 2 medium to large Delicata squashes, halved and seeds removed (it can be hard to cut them evenly so take your time)

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped (you can also use 6 small Gala apples from Moore Farms and Friends)

• 2 medium leeks white and light green parts only, cleaned of grit, split in half lengthwise, and sliced into 1/4-inch half moons (remember you can always substitute this for any of your favorite type of onion)

• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

• 1/2 cup raisins

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 bunch kale, rinsed, thick stems removed, shredded (about 2 loosely packed quarts) I sometimes use swiss chard or whatever greens are in season.

• 1 cup cottage cheese, goat cheese will also do very nicely

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup packaged or fresh unseasoned breadcrumbs, plus more for topping

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 8 small cubes

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Halve squash, cutting from pole to pole. Remove seeds with a spoon. Rub with 1 tablespoon oil and lightly season with salt and pepper, then lay on a baking sheet.

2. If squash halves do not sit flat on baking sheet, use a vegetable peeler to trim a strip or two away from the bottom to allow them to lie flat. Bake until flesh is starting to turn tender, about 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing. Heat remaining olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the apples and leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, raisins and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium, add kale or greens of choice, cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are mostly wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Add cottage cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Mix well.

5. Remove squash from oven and divide filling evenly among 4 halves. Sprinkle squash with additional breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and dot each squash half with 2 cubes of butter. Return to oven and bake until squash is tender and stuffing is nicely browned, about 30 more minutes.

6. If you have any leftover stuffing, bake it in a greased dish alongside for the during the last 30 minutes.

SERVE and ENJOY!

Okra, Pickled

This recipe was generously provided by the great and talented Becky Striepe of glueandglitter.com,eatdrinkbetter.com, and other spots of greatness.

Yield: about 3 pints

Ingredients

1 pound whole okra

1 tablespoon table salt or sea salt

2 3/4 cups apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced

1 tablespoon dried dill/1 bundle fresh dill

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, chopped with seeds removed

Method

1. Combine the okra and 1 tablespoon salt in a colander, and toss to combine it really well. Let the okra sit for one hour, then drain and rinse well.

2. Meanwhile, combine the onion, vinegar, dill, garlic, and jalapeno right in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture on high until it comes to a boil, then simmer for just a couple of minutes, until the onions and peppers begin to soften.

3. Divide the okra between your jars, and pour the vinegar mixture over them. As you can see in the photo above, I used one quart jar and one pint. You can also use three pint jars, if you prefer.

4. Screw the caps onto your jars loosely, then tighten them when the jars have cooled to the touch. Let your pickled okra chill for 24 hours before serving.

Use within 3-4 weeks.

Okra Gumbo

Ingredients

Protein and stock

• Riverview Farms offers pork options, such as ham, and pork sausage

• Grass Roots Farm offers chicken, chicken sausage, duck sausage, and Andouille

• Stone Mountain Herbs (they wont be at the market this Saturday but return on September 13th) offers a dried stock blend that can add a nutritional and flavor value that is out of this world.

• Sparta Imperial Mushrooms offers mushrooms that would be a great addition to any locally inspired gumbo.

Veggies and Herbs

• Woodland Gardens, Riverview Farms, Rise N Shine Farm, Hickory Hill Farm, Goodness Groceries, and 3 Porch Farm offer oka, peppers, celery, onions, garlic, tomatoes and more for the perfect gumbo recipe.

Directions

1. Grab the ingredients this Saturday at our OKRA Day and bring friends and family together to create your own version of Gumbo!

2. Clean and cut up the chicken. Cut the ham into small squares or dice and chop the onions and herbs. Skin the tomatoes, and chop fine, saving the juice. Wash and stem the okra and slice into thin layers of one-half inch each. In a separate pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a smiling boil.

3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter in a large dutch oven until glistening. Add the proteins, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the onions, tomatoes, and herbs. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

4. Add the okra, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. When the gumbo mixture is well fried and browned, add the boiling water and set on a very slow fire, letting it simmer gently for about an hour longer.

5. Serve hot, over your favorite rice.

Okra is in the Mallow family and is grown in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world. The word okra is used mainly in the United States and is related to the Nigerian word okwuru. In French the word okra is gombo sounding a lot like gumbo a popular dish that originated in southern Louisiana from the Louisiana Creole people during the 18th century. Gumbo consists of a strongly flavored stock, veggies, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and seasoning vegetables, which can include celery, bell peppers and onions.

As a shopper of Freedom Farmers Market you can get all the ingredients for gumbo at the market. Gumbo is a process and one should always use what is available at the local farmers market for the ingredients and the inspiration.

Peach BBQ Sauce

It has to be summer now that the peaches have arrived. It is all things peachy for the next month or so…

This week I want to share a recipe from Marisa McClellan author of Preserving by the Pint. She was at the market in April selling and signing her awesome canning cookbooks. You can find out where to buy this cookbook by visiting her website.

This is a recipe for canning but I like to cut the quantities in half and use it right away.
___

Makes 2 (HALF-PINT/250 ML) JARS

Ingredients
1 dry quart yellow peaches (about 2 lb), from Watsonia Farms
3/4 cup/180 ml cider vinegar
1/2 cup/115 g packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup/80 g minced yellow onion, from Hickory Hill Farm
1 garlic clove, crushed, from Goodness Groceries
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons finely milled sea salt, from Beautiful Briny Sea
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While it heats, cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Blanch the peaches in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, then immediately transfer to the ice water. When cool, remove the peach skins.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the peaches and onions have softened. Using a potato masher, break down the peach pieces. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until mixture has reduced by about half.

3. Remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until smooth (you may have to tip the pan a little to do this) If you don’t have an immersion blender, scrape the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

4. If the sauce is nice and thick, it is done. If it’s still a little watery, return it to the heat and cook a bit longer. At this point, taste it and add more salt or pepper, if necessary.

Salsify fritters

Yield
5-6 patties

Ingredients
10-12 ounces black or white salsify
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon juiced, 1 lemon wedge for garnish (optional)
Oil for frying
Plain Greek yogurt as garnish

Directions
1. As salsify emits a sticky milky substance, it is best to scrub the salsify and peel it using a vegetable peeler under running water.
2. Once the salsify is peeled, use a food processor to coarsely grate it.
3. Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the salsify and thyme.
4. Sauté the salsify until it begins to soften. It will be about 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, chop the parsley.
6. When the salsify has become soft, remove from the heat and place in a bowl.
7. Add the breadcrumbs and mix well.
8. Add the parsley, garlic and egg.
9. Season with salt and pepper and mix.
10. Form the salsify mixture into 5-6 patties.
11. Heat the oil in frying pan and fry the fritters until golden on both sides.
12. Remove from the heat.
13. Lightly sprinkle a bit of lemon juice on each of the patties and top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

More About Salsify
Salsify, Salsify, what is this strange root? If you were at market 2 weeks ago and stopped by Good Groceries and saw a strange skinny looking parsnip, you should win the golden farmers market award for finding the most unusual veggie at a market! This yummy root is surely not a normal find at any farmers market. Salsify is a white root or black depending on the variety, like a parsnip but skinnier.    All parts of the plant are edible. The greens are sweet, the root is tasty and easy to cook, and as if that weren’t enough, salsify’s purple flowers are really pretty.

Don’t mind the way the roots look; they are tan and shaggy with coarse side roots.  The taste out weighs the look of this root crop. To make them visually more appealing one can peel them with a vegetable peeler to reveal the snow-white flesh. They will oxidize (turn a darker color) so you can place them into a bowl of water with lemon juice, to keep them snowy white. If you plan to steam them and brown them in butter (I would!) then there is no need for soaking them in lemon juice that snowy white color will be disguised by the cooking process.  You can also use the greens, which look like tall, wide grass blades. The light-colored part of the leaf, the bottom six inches or so, is tender and delicious, like the bottom of a leek, and can be sautéed along with the roots.

The most surprising thing about salsify, the first time you eat it, is its flavor. Traditionally it is called “oyster plant,” and some folks say that they taste like oyster mushrooms. Don’t let that scare you off the root taste a lot like artichoke hearts, which is something we don’t get at a local farmers market in Georgia. I will take salsify over an artichoke heart any day!

Good Groceries at Tewksburry Farm has the white salsify this week and will have the black salsify very soon. Be sure to stop by his booth to get the ever so righteous salsify. Here are some recipes to try out. You can use the white salsify for the black in any of these recipes.

Chard, Sauteed

Ingredients
1 large bunch of fresh Swiss chard (Rise N Shine Farm and Woodland Gardens)
1 small clove garlic, sliced (Hickory Hill Farm)
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or your favorite oil to sauté with)
2 Tbsp water
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper (3 Porch Farm)
1 teaspoon Banner Butter (Moore Farms and Friends)
Salt (Beautiful Briny Sea)

Directions
1. Rinse out the Swiss chard leaves thoroughly. Remove the toughest third of the stalk. Roughly chop the leaves into inch-wide strips.
2. Heat a saucepan on a medium heat setting, add oil, a few small slices of garlic and the crushed red pepper. Sauté for about a minute.
3. Add the chopped Swiss chard leaves. Cover. Check after about 5 minutes. If it looks dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Flip the leaves over in the pan, so that what was on the bottom, is now on the top. Cover again. Check for doneness after another 5 minutes (remove a piece and taste it).
4. Add salt to taste, and a small amount of butter. Serve and ENJOY!

About Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard is a part of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiacea) appropriately named because the leaves resemble a goose’s foot. Other members of this family are beets and spinach -- No wonder it tastes so delicious. Our farmers grow both, Green Chard and Rainbow Chard. The brightly colored Rainbow Chard will surely catch your eye but both varieties are equal in nutrition and flavor.

Chard is a nutritional powerhouse -- an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber.

If you are someone who juices, but have not yet explored vegetables, give Chard a chance. Add this leafy green to your yummy morning fruit smoothie and see how it tastes.

Chard can be cooked any way you want; boil, braise, steam or sauté. You can chop it up and include it in your favorite stuffing mix or pasta sauces. The general rule with Chard is to cook the leaves like you would spinach and the stalks like asparagus.

Pesto, Dandelion Pecan

Ingredients
¾ cup unsalted raw pecans (from Moore Farms and Friends)
3 garlic gloves minced

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

1 bunch dandelion greens (from Woodland Gardens) (about 2 cups, loosely packed)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Black pepper, to tasted

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the pecans onto a shallow-rimmed baking sheet and roast until just fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
2. Pulse the garlic and pecans together in the bowl of a food processor until very finely chopped.
3. Add parmesan cheese, dandelion greens, and lemon juice and process continuously until combined. Stop the processor every now and again to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The pesto will be very thick and difficult to process after awhile — that’s ok.
4. With the blade running, slowly pour in the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ideas for Dandelion Pesto
• Spread over pizza with cooked potatoes slices (from Hickory Hill Farm), then baked.
• Smeared on crostini (from Star Provisions) over a layer of fresh spreadable cheese (from Decimal Place Farm).
• Use to dress potato salad.
• Toss with pasta (from Storico Fresco), with chicken (from Grass Roots Farm), or roasted vegetables (from Rise -N- Shine Farm).

About Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens are the most nutritious leafy vegetable that you can buy. The root of the dandelion can be used for medicinal purposes. Its flowers can be harvested for wine. And its greens have a bitterness that can be delicious (plus they’re packed with iron). They are one of the first spring vegetables, they come on even earlier than asparagus, and they make a great spring tonic. Cultivated dandelion greens from the farmers market’s are generally less bitter than the wild ones, but be sure to nibble on a leaf to determine it’s bitterness and gage how much to include in your dish.
Dandelions support digestion, reduce swelling and inflammation, and treat viruses, jaundice, edema, gout, eczema and acne. It is also a wonderful liver cleanser. It is the perfect food for us when we emerge from winter hibernation.
Dandelion greens are excellent in a salad, or strip the stems and use in any cooked dish as you would bok choy or kale. Here is an easy pesto recipe for utilizing some ingredients from Freedom Farmers Market.

Merguez Sausage

Chef Logue's Merguez was the heart of his chick pea soup
with house cured olives.

Ingredients
20 lbs lamb shoulder (or goat), butchered and cubed
110g kosher salt
55 g white pepper, ground
¼ cup nutmeg, grated
65 g raz el hanout
35 g sumac
25 g cayenne
20 g caraway, gound
60 g cumin, ground
170 g garlic, finely chopped
80 g fresh oregano, finely chopped
140 g harissa paste
16 oz olive oil
16 oz tomato paste
1 ½ cup stock or water
natural lamb casings

Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients besides the lamb in a blender and blend until a paste. Mix the meat with the paste and let sit overnight in the cooler.
2. Grind through either dye you desire, large for rustic, finer for putting in casings.
3. Test a patty after grinding for seasoning and adjust as needed with salt only.
Note: Use natural lamb casings for this sausage only, nothing large.

Aioli, Soy Mash

Bruce Logue's aioli was an unassuming squirt bottle on its own, but wow was it great
on his bruchetta sandwich.

Ingredients
1 cup soy mash
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 quart canola oil
2 cloves garlic

Directions
1. Chop the garlic and place in a stainless bowl. Add the egg yolks, water and half the lemon juice.
2. Slowly add the oil until a thick aioli is achieved add the soy mash and remaining lemon juice and whisk well. Thin to desired consistency with the water and final season with salt to taste.
3. Assemble the sandwich on your favorite crusty bread and finish with sea salt.

Pickles

Bruce Logue's amazing pickels added a lighter counterbalance to his porchetta sandwich,
and made for a great chip dip.

Ingredients
5 heads fennel
3 cucumbers
1 quart water
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
2 garlic cloves smashed
2 sprigs thyme

Directions
1. Combine the water, vinegar, salt and spices and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow to steep for 3 minutes.
2. Slice the cucumbers and fennel to desired thickness and pour the hot liquid over.
3. Allow to cool to room temp. and store for a day before using.

Porchetta

Bruce Logue's fabulous sandwich was built around the thin sliced porchetta, dressed
with a soy mash aioli, topped with homemade pickles, and absolutely amazing.

Ingredients
1 Riverview Farm Pork Middle
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 tablespoon black pepper
3 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoon fennel pollen
1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds

Directions
1. Remove the loin from the middle and any bones and excess fat. Lay the middle out flat and trim the skin removing a 2 inch strip from the belly side.
2. Season aggressively with the above spices and roll tightly. Tie with butcher twine and allow to sit for one day.
3. Smoke for 4-6 hours, at 275º or until an internal temperature of 160º is achieved. Cool overnight and remove the skin. Slice thinly for sandwiches.