Valley Flora

Salad:

• 3 lbs potatoes, scrubbed and cut into half inch cubes
• chopped green olives
• a few hard boiled eggs
• handful of chopped roasted red peppers (we roast our own and freeze them in the fall)
• a scoop of capers
• fresh carrots, diced up mini
• fresh peas or greens or any other veggie (colored cauliflower is great)
• Fresh herbs (cilantro, dill, basil, thyme, tarragon, anything you like, in any combination)

Steam or boil the cubed spuds until just tender (don't overcook! they keep cooking even after you drain the water). Add the rest of the ingredients to the drained spuds.

Dressing:

I always wing it, but I usually do some combo of the following in the blender to taste:

• glug of olive oil
• a couple big spoonfuls of mayo or vegenaise
• splash of tamari (soy sauce
• little glug of vinegar (cider or red wine is good)
• plop of sweet pickles & their juices (we make our own in the fall and our recipe includes onions)
• salt
• pepper
• dash of Cranky Baby Hot Sauce

Blend. Pour over the potato mixture and mix together.

Adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Salt and freshly milled pepper

2 pounds green or yellow zucchini, freshly grated

2 eggs, beaten

1-2 onions, thinly sliced

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup parsely or cilantro, chopped

1 Tbs. chopped marjoram or basil

1 tsp. chopped mint

Olive oil as needed

Lightly salt the zucchini and set it aside in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients together except the oil and the pepper. Quickly rinse the squash, squeeze out the excess water, then stir into the batter. Season with salt and pepper.

Film two large skillets with olive oil. When hot, drop in the batter - 1/4 cup makes a fritter about 3.5 inches across - and cook over medium heat until golden on the bottom. Turn and cook the second side. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro or parsley.

Fresh Pea Soup
makes 6 cups

We use organic frozen peas to make this beautiful bright-green soup. Adding them to the pot at the tail end of the cooking time preserves their sweet flavor and vivid green color. It's lovely garnished with lots of snipped fresh chives, dill or chervil. Adding a small dollop of creme fraiche, sour cream, or whipped cream to each serving is pretty delicious, too.

2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, trimmed, washed and sliced
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into small pieces
4 cups chicken broth
2 pounds (6 cups) frozen peas
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft but not colored, about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and chicken broth to the pot and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the peas and season with some salt and pepper. When the peas are heated through, about 1 minute, remove the pot from the heat.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. For a smoother texture, pass it through a strainer into a bowl, discarding the solids. Taste the soup and season it with more salt, if you like, as it will probably need it.

Return the soup to the pot and warm it over low heat. Or, cover and refrigerate it until cold. Serve the soup hot or cold.

Being the web guy for Valley Flora has it's benefits. Each week brings cucumbers, radishes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, squash and any number of odd but tasty items that pile up -- hey a geek can only eat so many vegetables between pizza and espresso!

 Oh I grill and salad to my hearts content but each Wednesday yet more produce comes and I'm still left over with whatever I didn't get around to gnoshing on the previous week. Fresh food is wonderful but what's worse is watching it slowly wilt into mush so I hit on a simple solution: Vinaigrette Slury

 I have a big covered stainless steel bowl in my fridge filled with vinegar, olive oil, chopped up garlic, some basil, cilantro, black pepper, a bit of marjoram, some jalapeno or crushed red pepper and Dijon mustard -- a classic vinaigrette but heavy on the vinegar (I use a combo of red wine and apple cider vinegar). As the Valley Flora Veg get a little on the squishy side I just chop them up and throw them in the bowl. Cucumbers, tomatoes & onions do especially good in this bath, but squashes, and even spinach will soak up the goodness for quite a while without turning to yuk.

 So whatever I'm making, I just grab out some of that pickled veg and add it. For fresh salads it's great as a bit of spice and vinegar, it's freaking awesome on hot bagels with creme cheese and even better as a crunch on a taco or as a side to a nice bit of lamb. Best part is, it doesn't go bad!

So don't despair if your veg are going soft -- just open up a vinegar spa in your fridge and let them soak

BTW: Lee's Bees Honey just went live with a bunch of Oregon honey just south at Cape Blanco so check out the new site.  Still working on it but I think it's going to be pretty cool.

-Zachary the VF web geek

• 3/4 cup French green lentils
• 6 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded  pumpkin
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 cups greens or torn lettuce leaves
• 1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Place lentils in small bowl. Cover with cold water and soak 10 minutes; drain.
Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Drain lentils. Rinse under cold water, then drain.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place pumpkin in large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and sea salt. Arrange pumpkin in single layer on baking sheet; roast 20 minutes. Turn pumpkin over. Roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.
Combine lentils, pumpkin, and oil from baking sheet with greens, half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates; sprinkle remaining goat cheese over.
Adapted from epicurious.com

Makes 2 1/2 cups
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced celery (optional)
1/3 cup diced onion
2 1/2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
 
1.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let marry for 30 minutes.
2.  Serve as picnic side dish, or as condiment to hot dogs and burgers.

Makes 6 servings
 
1/6 lb. prosciutoo, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp.  sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb.  fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and torn into pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 c.  sliced black olives
grated parmesan cheese
 
1.  Cook and stir prosciutto in hot oil in skillet over medium heat.  When browned, add garlic.  Cook 2 minutes.  Add wine, juice, sugar, salt, and pepper;  heat just until simmering.  Pour over spinach in bowl. 
2.  Add walnuts, olives, and Parmesan to bowl;  toss.  Serve at once while dressing is still warm.

Makes 6-8 servings
4 medium sized beets
2 sprigs of basil, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 to 2/3 cup flour
olive oil
mozzarella cheese
burger buns
 
1.  Trim beet tops and root.  Shred the beet in a food processor; transfer to a bowl.  Add basil, onions, eggs, salt and pepper; mix.
2.  Mix in just enough flour to make the mixture stick together.  Form into 4-inch patties about 1/2 inch thick.  (Don't make them too thick or the centers won't cook well.)
3.  Heat 1/4 inch of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Fry patties 2-3 minutes on one side, until crispy.  Turn, place a slice of mozzarella on top and fry 2-3 minutes more, until crispy.
4.  Place hot on bun; serve immediately.

Serves 8-10
Slow-cooked, jammy shallots are an sumptuous and unexpected addition to these buttery mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
For shallots:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 pound small shallots, peeled
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For potatoes:

• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• Special equipment: large heavy skillet with lid

Preparation
Make shallots:
In skillet over moderate heat, melt butter. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add shallots and thyme and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.
Stir in oil, breaking up any clumps of sugar, reduce heat to moderately low, and set lid ajar. Simmer, partially covered, until shallots are deep golden brown, silky, and falling apart, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. If liquid completely evaporates before shallots reach desired consistency, add 1 tablespoon water as needed.
Discard thyme sprigs and stir in salt and pepper. Keep warm, covered. (Shallots can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated. Gently reheat in microwave before serving.)
Make potatoes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prick potatoes all over with fork and wrap together in aluminum foil packet. Bake until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (Potatoes can be baked up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated; rewarm in microwave before continuing.)
In small saucepan over low heat, bring milk to simmer. While potatoes are still warm, halve and scoop out flesh into large bowl. Add hot milk, butter, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Using potato masher, mash until smooth. (Potatoes can be mashed up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated; rewarm in microwave before serving.) Top with shallot confit and serve immediately.

Serves 6. Takes about 45 minutes - a quick, easy fall soup!
 
Ingredients:

• 4 bacon slices (optional)
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1/2 pounds carrots, chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 1/2 cups veggie or chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

 
Preparation:
Cook bacon in a 4-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
Add garlic and caraway seeds to fat in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. If skipping the bacon, substitute butter or olive oil for the fat. Add squash, carrots, apple, thyme, bay leaves, broth, water, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaves.
Purée about 4 cups soup in a blender, in batches if necessary, until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot and season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

Adapted from Gourmet...
 

 
Makes 8 servings (about 10 cups)

The roasted acorn squash tastes fabulous when scooped up with spoonfuls of the beet soup. But if oven space is limited, simply serve the soup in bowls.

 
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Ingredients
For roasted squash

• 8 (1- to 1 1/4-pound) acorn squash
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

For soup

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 medium beets (about 2 pounds without greens), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red apple such as Gala or Braeburn, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 to 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

Preparation
Roast squash:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut off "tops" of squash (about 1 inch from stem end) and reserve. Scoop out seeds and discard. Cut a very thin slice off bottoms of squash to create a stable base. Brush "bowls" and tops all over with oil and sprinkle salt inside. Arrange squash bowls, with tops alongside, stem ends up, in 2 large shallow baking pans.
Roast squash in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until flesh of squash is just tender, about 1 1/4hours total.
Make soup while squash roast:
Cook onion in oil in a 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add beets and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
Add broth and 4 cups water, then simmer, uncovered, until beets are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in vinegar and brown sugar.
Purée soup in 3 batches in a blender until very smooth, at least 1 minute per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a large bowl. Return soup to pan, then season with salt and pepper and reheat. If soup is too thick, add enough water to thin to desired consistency.
Serve soup in squash bowls.
Cooks' notes: • Squash flesh shrinks during baking; if a small hole forms, serve soup in squash but set in a soup bowl.
• Soup can be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Salad Niçoise (pronounced nee-suaz) is essentially a French composed salad, much like our American Cobb Salad but with tuna, green beans, and potatoes, instead of chicken, bacon, and avocado. Salad Niçoise hails from Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, though like so many foods we enjoy here of French origin, has changed a bit to adapt to our tastes. Like its American Cobb salad cousin, the Salad Nicoise takes some time to prepare, given all of the ingredients. This is one dish where setting up your mise en place (all ingredients chopped and ready to go) will help the salad come together smoothly.
 

 
Vinaigrette
Rounded 1/2 tsp. anchovy paste, mashed with 1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small leek, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp minced fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
Salad
2 grilled or otherwise cooked tuna steaks* (8 oz each) or 2-3 cans of tuna
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and either halved or quartered
1.5 pounds new potatoes, each potato scrubbed and diced into 1" cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium heads butterhead lettuce or other leaf lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths
1 small red onion, sliced very thin
1 sweet pepper, sliced into long, thin strips
3/4 lb. green beans, stem ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise
1/4 cup niçoise olives
2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies (optional)

 
 
*Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.
1 Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
2 Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.
3 While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated. Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter (I used two serving platters, shown in the photos). Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices, coat with vinaigrette. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
4 Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
5 Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.