Not sure what to do with all those cucumbers and zucchinis? Here are simple recipes that would go well with any dinner or with a salad for lunch.

Crisp and Light Cucumber Salad

Instead of peeling your cucumbers and taking away all the nutritious skin, take a fork and run it down the sides around the cucumber. This breaks up the thick skin and when you cut it, makes pretty lines.  Slice cucumbers thin. Mix with some thinly sliced onions, or green onions. Pour on several tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar (enough to cover the botton third.) Salt and pepper and add several 1-2 teaspoons of white sugar (it breaks the acid of the vinegar.) Marinate in the frig and keep mixing frequently – gets better with time. Will last several days in the frig.

Creamy Cucumbers

Follow directions above, except add some sour cream to the cucumbers to cover and only a splash of vinegar.

Zucchini Simple Sauté

Saute some onions for 5-6 minutes in pan on medium until they start getting soft.  Slice up zucchinis (I cut them in rounds than cut in half for moon shape). Saute until al dente..don’t let them get mushy. Add in some herbs – tarragon is great with this dish – or add fresh basil, parsley or cilantro and cook for another minute to two. That’s it! Sprinkle with some parmesan if you’d like.

Grilled zuchinni: Slice thin strips (about ¼ inch thick) of zucchini (the long way). Toss some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper and let sit for 30+ minutes. Or throw any salad dressing on it and marinate. Grill for approximately 7-8 minutes, flipping after about 4 minutes until just soft.

Zuchini with Pecorino (From Poor Girl Gourmet)

Beautiful blueberries!

Blueberries are abundant!  I went this past weekend to Blueberry Bay Farm in Stratham and the blueberries were so ripe that they were just falling into my bucket!  My friend Sheryl brought a blueberry crisp over the other night (see recipe below) and it was so good I had three helpings. It was a little embarrassing actually as I just couldn’t stop eating it!  I thought the almonds really made this dessert! 

There are plenty of U-Pick blueberries for the taking in the seacoast area. It’s a great field trip for kids.  There are 32 farms with blueberries in the seacoast area. Prices range from $1.25 to $2.25. 

You can easily freeze blueberries for your winter smoothies and save lots of money as the frozen ones in the grocery store are more than twice the price. To freeze blueberries, just lay them on a cookie sheet to freeze so they don’t stick together, then throw them in a zip lock. The folks at Blueberry Bay told me that they don’t spray so you don’t need to wash them. Ask the farmer as many don’t spray, or use very little pesticides. If they do, give them a light wash, and dry them on paper towels before you freeze them.

Blueberry Crisp with Oatmeal and Almond Topping
(comments in parenthesis are from me)

Ingredients:

3 1/2-pint baskets fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar (Suppose you could use maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (Brookford Farm is selling fresh butter!)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (or just chop up your own)
Nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (or go with the full fat organic ice cream!)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse blueberries. Drain, allowing some water to cling to berries. Place berries in 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and cinnamon; stir to blend. Let stand until sugar dissolves and coats berries. Stir oats, flour, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar to blend in medium bowl. Add butter and rub in with fingertips or fork until moist clumps form. Stir in almonds. Sprinkle oat mixture evenly over blueberries. Bake crisp until berries are bubbling and topping is golden, about 35 minutes. Serve warm, each serving topped with a spoonful of frozen yogurt. (Source: www.Epicurious.com)

Wendy Berry and her husband Jon, decided to start raising their own animals about 10 years ago because they were concerned about the quality of the food they were giving their six children.  At the time, there were an increasing number of health reports about the antibiotics and hormones that conventional farms were putting into the “feedlot” animals and other health issues associated with large industrial food production. 

Education plays a bit part in Wendy's CSA

Thankfully Wendy and her family lived on a non-working family farm, Lasting Legacy in Barrington, NH, that had been passed down in her husband’s family for 200 years –  all they needed were some animals. Their simple family project started out with three pigs in 2000 to learn the ropes of raising animals. Wendy eventually quit her “day” job at the Rochester Opera House in 2003 to work full time on the farm and now they’re raising more than 30 cattle, 700 chickens, about 30 pigs, 80 turkeys, and a few sheep a year.

The cows are 98 percent grass fed, but are treated with a “cookie” size portion of grain which ‘mellows out the grass fed beef flavor” and gives them a few extra minerals and vitamins. They chose non-organic grain because the organic grain is cost prohibitive, nearly 3 times as much. Their consumers are also more concerned about the animals well being and that they are not given any hormones, steroids, or  antibiotics.

The Lasting Legacy Menu

To respond to customer demands, they offer several ways for customers to purchase meat, so in addition to buying beef directly from the farm, or the farmers’ market, customers can buy cow shares, or join the Lasting Legacy CSA which offers customers a weekly share in their community supported agriculture (CSA) in the spring and the fall. Buy a cow share and you get a quarter share of a cow that is flash frozen so you can store it in your freezer over the winter. Pig shares are also offered. Half a pig or a quarter cow will feed a family of four for about 4-6 months. 

The CSA gives customers a menu for just about everything they need except milk and bread. Working with other farmers the CSA provides a one-stop-shop of food including: beef, chicken, pork, eggs, vegetables (from Heron Pond) fish (from Eastman’s Fish Market) and even ice cream (from Sugar and Ice).  

Raising cattle is as much as a science project as it is an agricultural project and Wendy has become an expert on “pasture raised” animals.  She works hard to keep her grass healthy so that the animals are getting everything they need and is even looking at bringing in seaweed to help fertilize the soil.

I’ve seen firsthand how much time Wendy spends at the farmers’ market and her CSA pick up educating people about the benefits of grass-fed food and how to cook it. This is a big part of her job as more and more people choose to buy directly from the farm instead of supermarkets. Wendy has also helped organize local events around eating local and will be hosting some cooking classes to help new foodies learn the ins and outs of grass fed meats. She is even working on a cookbook  on “eating local” that will hopefully be available this fall!

Wendy was kind enough to share one of the recipes for flank steak, a flavorful, but slightly tougher piece of beef which she marinates to help tenderize it. it  Thanks Wendy!

Steak Fajitas

Ingredients

1 lb of flank steak or skirt steak
1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced with the grain, not against the grain as one would normally slice an onion. Slice first in half, and then slice off sections a half inch wide at widest point.
2 large bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced lengthwise into half-inch wide strips

Marinade:
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 fresh Jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped (be careful not to touch your eyes or anywhere near your eyes after handling a Jalapeño pepper!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems

Directions:
Mix all marinade ingredients. Set the steak in the marinade and let it sit at least an hour, the longer the better.

Heat to high heat a large cast iron pan or griddle. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the steak, frying on each side for 3 minutes, or to desired doneness. 3 minutes per side will yield approximately medium rare doneness for an average cut of flank steak. If pan starts to smoke too much, reduce the heat to medium high. We want the steak browned, not burned. Remove from pan and let sit for 5 minutes.

Reduce the pan heat to medium high. Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary. Add the onions, bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until the onions are slightly translucent.

Slice the meat against the grain into thin slices. If you slice the meat at a slanted angle, you will be able to get your slices pretty thin.  Flank steak is flavorful but can be a little tough, so thin slices will really help make it easier to eat.

Serve immediately with shredded cheese, salsa, shredded iceberg lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and warm flour tortillas. (Hint for warming tortillas – put in microwave over a paper towel for 20 seconds on high heat.)

Rose Sanders

You may have seen my post this past fall for the sweet beet salad from Farmer John’s Cookbook. I’ve modified it using sesame oil and rice vinegar, with just a little agave and it’s so delish! My friend’s keep requesting it so I’m sharing my “Asian” version.  This raw beet salad goes with just about everything and is great to have in the frig to accompany your salads, pork and even eggs in the morning!  It will last 4-5 days in your frig and gets better with age. Fiddle with the dressing – you could also add lime or ginger.  I’ve already seen beets at the Exeter Farmers’ market so keep an eye out and get fresh and local!

Ingredients

4 medium beets peeled and coarsely grated.  (3-4 cups)
¼ cup sesame oil and ¼ cup toasted sesame oil (or some combination there of)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
1 clove garlic minced (optional)
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (optional) (or sweet red or white onion)
Few shakes of toasted sesame seeds

Directions
Put grated beets in bowl and combine with shallot/onion.  Combine oil, vinegar, agave and shake until smooth.  Pour the dressing over the beets and toss until well coated. Marinate in the frig for an hour or so (if you have time – if not it’s still good!). Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on before you serve.

Fish and ice cream don't mix, except at the farmers' market where we enjoy both!

I read a consumer study the other day which showed that although fish consumption is up by 63 percent, more than 9 percent of those surveyed find fish difficult to prepare. It also said that the majority of people like to cook their fish at home, so I thought I would share a few my favorites. We try to eat fish at least 1-2 times per week because we love it and because it is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids which Americans do not get enough of. The simpler the better as far as I’m concerned.  My husband likes his fish crispy and I like it soft and flakey so we have to bounce back and forth between different methods. My 4-year old daughter, who used to eat fish, has decided that she doesn’t like it anymore. I hope it doesn’t take her as long as it took me to appreciate fresh seafood. (After college!)

We pick up one pound of fresh fish each week at the Exeter farmers’ market from Eastman’s Local Catch community supported fishery (CSF). They also have some recipes posted on their web site. The fish is so fresh it jumps in your mouth!  I consulted with my dad who is the master chef in our family and who lives in Florida so he eats fish frequently. I’ll be featuring more recipes over the summer so keep an eye out!

Simple Saute with Garlic, Capers and White Wine

Heat olive oil and butter in a sauté pan (combining olive oil with garlic gives you a higher heat point): add minced garlic, and any combination of tomatoes, capers, white wine, spinach.  Saute these ingredients for 1-2 minutes before you add the fish and then cook the fish on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side until fish is flakey.

Fish in Parchment Paper

This is one of my favorite, full proof, ways of cooking fish because it steams the fish and keeps it nice and light. I feature it in my cooking classes and it is always a hit. You can find parchment paper in any grocery store. This works well with any type of white fish, ocean perch (red fish), pollack,wild salmon or cod (add to cooking time if it’s very thick). Start with a simple marinade. I use one that I adapted from Rachel Ray with whatever I have: 1-2 tablespoons minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced, 3 tablespoons honey and ditto for tamari (or soy sauce) and 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar. (Or I also use just plain rice vinegar.)

Place a large piece of parchment in a shallow dish then in the center of the paper stack add vegetables such as scallions and mushrooms, thin slices of zucchini, cherry tomatoes, or spinach.  Blend the marinade and pour 2 or so tablespoons over the fish. Bring the two sides up over the parchment then roll the sides in to form a sealed pouch on both sides. (Appearance is not critical, just roll up the top and sides as tight as you can.) Lay the pouches on a baking sheet and roast in an oven at 375 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. (If needed, you can open up the parchment and check to make sure the fish is flakey…roll it back up if needed and continue cooking.

You could also skip the marinade and just drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the fish and bake in the parchment. You can definitely add other vegetables to this, but you may need to blanch things like broccoli or carrots before hand as they won’t cook fully in the parchment.

Rub Your Fish

I tried a simple spice rub last night on some haddock using the quick fry method. It was excellent and gave the fish a crispy outside and flaky inside. I combined paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, onion powder, and pepper (ingredients in order from what I used most to least). You could also try some “local” rubs from Buzz Bomb’s Spice Blends which you can get local farmers’ markets. To quick fry something you need a fairly high heat, so I used canola oil – or you could use peanut. (Don’t use olive oil for this method – if you heat it to high you will make it rancid.)  Put the rub on the fish and heat pan until the oil sizzles. Fry the fish for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on size. When fish is flakey it is done. I served this with some homemade (spicy) black beans, brown rice with some fresh scallions tossed in and a green salad! It was delish!

copyright Poor Girl Gourmet

I went to the book signing of Amy McCoy, the author of “Poor Girl Gourmet” cookbook yesterday at the Water Street bookstore in Exeter.  I was curious to see how she cuts corners and as she says, “eat in style on a barebones budget.”  I was pleased to learn that Amy loves to eat local and even has her own chickens.  She also encourages readers to start their own garden even if it is just some potted herbs (herbs are expensive). She shops at Whole Foods and local specialty shops and farmers’ markets, but  still makes most of her meals on the cheap (most dishes were around $10.00 for 4-6 people). She said she never used to shop for sale items, or use generic brands (like the Whole Foods brand of products) but now to keep on budget these are some of her staple items. Bottom line is, she is cooking for less, but she is not settling for Ramen Noodles. She is making healthy meals, with simple ingredients.  I look forward to trying some of her recipes. She couldn’t have been nicer and answered many questions which had nothing to do with food.  You can check out her blog at http://poorgirlgourmet.blogspot.com and her book is available on Amazon. It is a soft cover book listed at $16.99 but Amazon has it on sale for $11.99.

Some of her recipes include “untraditional Bolognese sauce, chicken in cider gravy, sweet Italian sausage with apple and fennel seed and easy sidedishes like roasted cauliflower, pan-sauteed cabbage with roasted garlic and some straightforward desserts without a lot of ingredients.  She even has a section on “value wines” with a list of red, white and sparkling wines for the budget shopper.

For each recipe she breaks down the estimated cost of the dish. She said I could share a recipe so, although I haven’t made anything yet, I’ve picked something with some something you can buy from local farmers - zucchinis which are already showing up at the farmers’ markets (early this year). Thanks Amy!

Zucchini with Pecorino Romano (Serves 4 for $5 or less)

2 pounds zuchini (approximately 2 large or 4 medium), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees farenheit.
2. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini rounds iwth the olive oil to coat them. Season with salt and pepper and arrange the zucchini in a single layer on a 10 by 15-inch rimmed baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle the grated Pecorino Romano over the top of the rounds and bake until the zucchini is soft and the cheese is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.

(Author’s note: Estimated cost for four: $2.99. In season, zucchini costs $1.25 per pound. We’re using 2 pounds here, so that’s $2.50. The olive oil costs 24 cents, and the grated Pecorino Romano costs 24 cents.)

I got this idea from Jordon Pike at Two Toad Farm at the Portsmouth farmers’ market who suggested to use bok choy (or baby bok choy) instead of cabbage in cole slaw. I tried it with a ginger dressing I loved and sweetened it up with some agave and soy sauce and it turned out great. I added some sesame seed for a little crunch and color. You could also add some minced onion to this.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons miso (fermented soy beans)
¼ cup plus 2  tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons wheat free tamari or gluten free soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1-2 teaspoons raw agave sweetner (or try maple syrup or raw honey)
½ cup oil: peanut, safflower or sesame (add in some toasted sesame if you have it)
Splash of water (if needed to thin it out a bit)
One large head bok choy or 2-3 small heads cleaned and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions: Slice bok choy in thin pieces. (Slice thinly and then rough chop so you don’t get big stringy pieces of greens.) Mix dressing ingredients above well until creamy. (Best to add all ingredients then mix in oil slowly or mix well in blender.) Toss bok choy with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Let me know how you like it!

If you like bok choy, here is another recipe for a simple bok choy saute.

Quinoa is an ancient grain.

If you haven’t tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) before, now’s your chance! You’ll love my recipe which combines tart cranberries, sweet honey, hot peppers and cilantro with the fluffy, nutty quinoa.

Quinoa isn’t exactly a household staple, but it’s something you should start adding to your grocery list.  It is actually a seed that is native to South America, but becoming much more popular in the U.S. It is one of the few foods that is a complete protein, meaning that it includes all the essential amino acids that our bodies need.  This would be great for your kid’s lunch boxes or to add to your Thanksgiving dinner!  You can find quinoa at most grocery stores in the natural foods section, health food stores or Whole Foods.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 tablespoons honey (divided)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 ½ cups whole raw organic cranberries
1 ½ teaspoons Serrano peppers, seeded and very finely chopped
4-5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
¼ cup finely chopped red onion (or shallot)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Rinse the quinoa several times and soak with 1 tablespoon lemon for up to 6 hours.  Rinse again and add it to a pan. Add one cup water to the quinoa and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes. (Note: the longer you soak the quinoa the less cooking time required.) The quinoa is done when the water has evaporated. Don’t let it get mushy. 

Put the cranberries and half the honey (2 tablespoons) and lime juice in a food processor and pulse until the cranberries are chopped well, but still a bit chunky.  To make the dressing combine the remaining honey (2 tablespoons), rice vinegar, and garlic and shake well.  Combine the dressing with the quinoa and cranberries. Add the cilantro, red onion and salt. Toss and chill until ready to serve.

For more on quinoa check out The World’s Healthiest Foods.