Recipes Featured on KEIM TV Channel 3

The Locally Delicious Heirloom Tomatoes are teaming up with KIEM TV News Channel 3 to present healthy new recipes, news and information on local food.

Team members appear the first Wednesday of each month on the 5:00 PM news with Betsy Lambert. See below for some recipes from past shows.

Pictured left: Tomatoes Carol Moné & Lauren Sarabia and KIEM News Director, Betsy Lambert.

--- December 2011, Stuffed Peppers ---

Preheat oven to 350◦.

This recipe could be vegan with the removal of the bacon. Substitute smoked tofu. Or use a cup of any leftover meat – turkey, chicken, pork.

   2 bell peppers cut in half from top to bottom
   1 teaspoon olive oil

Remove seeds and pith from peppers. Place face down on roasting pan. Brush tops with olive oil. Roast until soft, 12-15 minutes. Watch so the skin doesn’t begin to brown and the sides don’t begin to collapse. 

   3 strips bacon, cut into ¼ inch pieces.
Cook until not quite crisp in large frying pan. Drain on paper towels. Remove fat from pan, to use in next step.

   3 leeks, white part only
   2 large garlic cloves
   ½ cup celery, sliced into ¼ - ½ inch pieces
   ¼ pound mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
   2 teaspoons olive oil
Add oil to wiped-out bacon pan and heat to shimmering. Add leeks for two minutes. Add celery for two more minutes. Smash garlic cloves and add to pan along with mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are tender, but not mushy.

   ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
   3 fresh sage leaves, cut into ribbons
Add herbs to mixtures and cook for two more minutes. Combine all with bacon and continue to cook until all is warmed through. When peppers are pre-baked, and had a few minutes to become cool enough to handle, turn over and divide the mixture among the four pepper halves.

   4 tablespoons grated cheese
Sprinkle cheese over the four peppers. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until bubbly. 

By Martha Haynes

--- October 2011 - Sautéed Medley of Fall Veggies Over Rice, Pasta, or Quinoa ---

8 servings.

This recipe blends together the wonderful flavors of fall vegetables.  It is simple to prepare and can be frozen for future use.  Feel free to try mixing other vegetables such as fennel, beets, turnips, and carrots for delicious combinations.  This is also a good way to use up “tired” vegetables.  Feel free to add more of one thing than another to create the flavors you like.  Use a large, heavy pan and lid.

    3 medium red or yellow onions
Peel onions and cut in half.  Cut halves into thin strips. Set aside.

    6 cloves garlic
Peel garlic and slice. Set aside.

    4-6 sweet peppers of varying color
Cut peppers in half.  Remove seeds.  Slice into thin strips.  Set aside

    6 stalks celery
Peel the ribs off the celery and dice.  Set aside

    4 tablespoons olive oil
Add onions to heated olive oil. Sauté until slightly translucent. Add garlic, peppers and celery and continue to sauté for about 8 minutes.

    1-quart tomatoes or about 8 large fresh tomatoes
    1/4th cup chopped dried tomatoes
    1 tablespoon chopped or dried basil
Add to the mixture and stir.  (If using fresh tomatoes, remove the skins by dipping them in boiling water until the skin cracks.  Remove from water and remove skins).

    1, 2-pound butternut squash
    Salt and pepper to taste
Wash squash thoroughly and cut off any blemishes.  Cut in half.  Scoop out seeds.  Cut squash into bite-sized pieces. (Do not peel).

Add squash, salt and pepper to mixture and simmer for at least 45 minutes with a lid on pot.

Serve over brown rice, pasta or quinoa.

Optional: a dash of curry or masala will give this recipe a distinctive Indian flavor and adding a bit of chili pepper can give it a little heat. Grated Parmesan cheese makes a tasty addition

By Suzanne Simpson

--- September 2011 - Corn Fritters & Heirloom Tomato Salad ---

CORN FRITTERS WITH HUMBOLDT GOAT CHEESE AND FRESH BASIL

6 servings.

This is a wonderful way to catch the taste of summer in all its glory. Corn is versatile, and this recipe can be used with other summer veggies such as diced sweet peppers.

   6-8 ears of corn stripped off cob to equal 3 cups

   2 eggs, beaten

   ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onions

   ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

   1/3 cup all purpose flour

   1 cup crumbled goat cheese

   salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl except the flour. Add flour a little time until the mixture is gooey.

   butter or oil for frying

Put butter or oil in large frying pan and heat up. Using a medium-sized spoon, put a dollop of mixture in the pan and slightly press down. Fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes then turn and brown the other side. The fritters should be golden brown.

   crème fraiche (optional)

   cherry tomato

Top with a dollop of crème fraiche , a sprig of basil and a cherry tomato. Serve immediately.

By Suzanne Simpson

FRESH HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH CUCUMBERS AND BASIL

6 servings.

This is one of the most delicious summer salads that just shouts out the richness of our local summer bounty. Late summer the heirloom tomatoes are at their sweetest. It makes a colorful salad if you use different varieties of tomatoes. It’s fun to experiment with different cucumbers, and it’s also fun to experiment with different types of vinegars. Be creative!

   4-6 large heirloom tomatoes

   handful of yellow pear tomatoes

   6 small  green zebra tomatoes

   4 medium sized green cucumbers OR 1 long Armenian cucumber OR 4 medium sized yellow lemon cucumbers

   splash of olive oil

   splash of balsamic vinegar

   sliced basil leaves

   salt and pepper to taste

   Optional: thinly sliced sweet pepper strips

Cut large tomatoes into bite-sized chunks and green zebras in half or quarters if they are large. Make sure to cut out the hard, green part at the top of the tomato. Peel the green cucumbers and the lemon cucumbers. The Armenian cucs don’t need peeling. Slice all very thin. Toss all together. Splash with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste. Add salt and pepper and serve in a pretty bowl or on a large serving platter.

By Suzanne Simpson

--- April, 2011 ---

CHICKEN THIGHS WITH DIJON MUSTARD AND BREAD CRUMBS

6 Servings. Preheat oven to 350.

This is a very simple but extremely delicious main course that people love.

   12 organic chicken thighs with skins intact

   24 tablespoons Dijon mustard

   Breadcrumbs to cover thighs

   Salt to taste

Sprinkle a liberal amount of breadcrumbs in a 9’x13" baking dish or two smaller ones. Put Dijon mustard in a bowl and slather each thigh on both sides with mustard, using your hands. Put thighs in baking dish. Cover with a liberal amount of breadcrumbs. Add salt to taste.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on size of thighs. The top will be crisp and the kitchen will smell divine.

Note: This recipe does not work with the chicken skin removed.

By Suzanne Simpson

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH BUTTER & LEMON ZEST

6 Servings. Preheat oven to 425.

   1-2 pounds of asparagus

   1 tablespoon olive oil

   4 tablespoons butter

   ¼ cup lemon juice or orange juice

   1-2 tablespoons lemon zest

   Salt and pepper to taste.

Snap off the tough parts of the asparagus where it bends. Wash in cold water and drain. Toss asparagus, olive oil and salt and fresh ground pepper in a gratin dish or a shallow pan. Bake until tender 20-40 minutes, depending of thickness of asparagus. Check for doneness by piercing with a fork. The stalks should be slightly firm, but cooked.

Bring the juice to a boil in a small skillet until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Add the lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Put cooked asparagus on a platter and drizzle with the sauce. Serve warm.

By Suzanne Simpson

--- February 4, 2011 - Valentine's Treat ---

LEMON TEA CAKE

This lovely citrusy cake is perfect for Valentine’s Day on the North Coast. We have all the dairy ingredients and the lemons readily available locally and you could even grow your own poppies for the poppy seeds. This cake is delicious served plain or with strawberry or raspberry preserves.

The recipe has two parts, the cake and the lemon soaking solution which will be poured over the cake as it cools.

Cake

Bake in a loaf pan. Makes two 9x5 inch loaves. Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

  ½ cup butter, at room temperature

  2 ¼ cups sugar

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

  4 large eggs

Add the eggs, one at a time incorporating them well.

  1 ¼ teaspoon salt

  2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

In a separate bowl, combine the salt, flour, and baking powder.

  1 1/3 cups milk, at room temperature

Alternately add the milk and dry ingredients to the wet batter. Start and end with the milk, adding the ingredients in 3 to 4 additions.

  2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest

  2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds and stir until blended.

Pour the mixture into two buttered loaf pans, filling them a bit more than half way.  Place the pans on the center rack of your oven and bake until golden brown and the center springs back up when gently touched.

Lemon Soaking Solution

  ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

  ½ cup sugar

Combine the juice and sugar in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.  Once the cake loaves are out of the oven, pour the juice/sugar solution over the loaves. Cool the loaves on wire racks until they are completely cool remove the cakes from the pans and cut into serving size portions.

Be creative and serve the lemony cakes with fresh berries or preserves that you put up earlier in the year. Strawberry or raspberry preserves are two favorites.

--- January 4, 2011 - Starting the New Year ---

CRUNCHY WINTER SALAD

6 servings.

This salad is a super clean out your refrigerator solution. Perfect for after the holidays or anytime. All of the vegetables can be found locally or grown in your own winter garden. The Yacon is grown on the Neucomb Family Farm in Willow Creek and available during the winter months at the Northcoast Coop. It has the texture of jicama; although not as sweet, and looks like a potato. This salad can be made with the suggested vegetables listed below or feel free to be creative with any veggies to your liking.

Salad

  1 head of lettuce, chiffonade (cut into thin strips)

  2 carrots, grated

  1 medium sized Yacon, ¼ inch slices and cut in half

  3 radishes, 1/8 inch slices and quartered

  1 stalk celery, diced

  1 small red onion, diced

  ½ cup broccoli

Combine all the vegetables in a medium sized salad bowl.

Dressing

  ½ cup olive oil

  3 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar

  2 Tablespoons honey

  1 clove garlic, pressed

  2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients in a blender and serve over salad.
By Lauren Cohn-Sarabia

WINTER SQUASH, TOMATO & COCONUT SOUP

6 servings

This is a delicious, creamy soup that even kids love!

Since we support eating locally grown foods, we suggest using winter squash grown in Humboldt, and encourage you to “put up” your own tomatoes during the fall harvest. Although we know coconut does not grow here, it is a lovely addition to many dishes and is very healthy for you. Although coconut has a substantial saturated fat content (the healthy fat), this soup is fairly low in calories.

  4 cups tomato sauce or canned tomatoes

  2 cups coconut

  1 medium cubed butternut squash

  salt to taste

Wash the whole squash well. Do not peel. Cut in half and remove seeds. Cut the squash into small cubes. Put all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to boil. Turn heat down to simmer and cook until squash is soft. Remove from heat and let cool. Put ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until the ingredients are creamy.

Warm up for serving. This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.

For a spicier soup, you can add a bit of curry powder or other spices such as garam masala or some chili pepper flakes.

By Suzanne Simpson

 --- December 2010 - "Party Time"  Appetizer and Dessert ---

SAVORY KALE AND LEEK FLAN

6 Servings. Preheat oven to 325°F.

  2 large leeks

  1 tablespoon butter

  1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarsely chop the leeks, using both the white and tender green parts. In a large frying pan, sauté the leeks in the butter and olive oil over medium heat about 5 minutes, until they are soft.

  ¾ pound of kale, coarsely chopped

Stir in the kale and cook about 2 minutes more or until it is also soft. Cool mixture and purée in a blender or food processor and pour into a large mixing bowl.

  3 eggs
  1 cup vegetable or chicken broth           
  Optional: 1½ ounces Parmesan or pecorino cheese

Whisk the eggs into the broth. Add the egg mixture and optional cheese to the bowl with the processed kale.

  ⅔ cup cream

In the same sauté pan that was used for the kale and leeks, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour the cream into the kale, leek and egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly as you do so.

Salt and pepper to taste

Add salt and pepper, then pour the mixture into 6 buttered ramekins or custard cups. Place them into a metal pan with hot water half way up the sides of the cups. Bake in pre-heated oven 30 to 35 minutes. To test to see if done, insert the tip of a knife into the center of one custard. The knife should come out clean. When the ramekins are cool enough to handle, run a knife around the inside of each cup and turn the flan out onto individual plates. Serve with bread, crostini or bruschetta.

By Patricia Cambianica, La Trattoria, Arcata, California

COOKED PLUMS AND YOGURT CHEESE

6 Servings

  2 cups fresh yogurt

  Zest of 3 Meyer lemons

  Honey to taste

In a bowl, mix together yogurt, lemon zest and honey. In another medium bowl, spread a linen tea towel. Pour the yogurt mixture into the tea towel. Secure the top and place the towel in a strainer or colander in the sink or over a bowl. Let all the liquid drip out. This generally takes 12 or so hours.
When the mixture is semi-solid, form the yogurt into a ball.  Refrigerate if not using immediately.

  24 ripe, dark-colored plums, any size or type

  1½ cups water

  1½ cups port or red wine

  ½ cup sugar or honey

  1 4-inch cinnamon stick

  10 whole cardamom seeds, crushed

Cut the plums in half and discard pits. Place in a medium saucepan and add wine and water to cover the plums. Add the sugar, cinnamon and cardamom seeds.
Bring ingredients to boil, then lower heat and simmer until plums are softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and cool.

To serve, put plums on a small dessert plate and add a generous dollop of yogurt cheese to the top.

Both the plums and the yogurt can be made in advance and stored 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Note: Canned plums work just as well as fresh plums—no need to cook them.

By Suzanne Simpson

--- Other Featured Recipes ---

LOCALLY DELICIOUS STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

6 servings. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Strawberry shortcake is a traditional early summer dessert made sublime by using fresh-picked local strawberries that can usually be found at farmers’ markets. Better yet, plant a dozen plants in your yard and enjoy them throughout the summer. If you have excess, make strawberry jam.

  1 quart or more of fresh, local strawberries

  Sugar to taste

Wash strawberries thoroughly. Remove tops and any discolored areas. Cut up into small bite-sized pieces. Add sugar to taste and set aside.

  2 cups flour

  3 tbs. sugar

  3 tsp. baking powder

  ½ tsp. salt 

  ½ cup melted butter

  1 cup whole milk

Stir flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in melted butter and milk until dough is blended. Scoop out small balls of dough onto cookie sheet and flatten a bit. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

  1 pint whipping cream

Whip cream and refrigerate.

To assemble: Cut each shortcake into half. Put some strawberries on the bottom half, then put top half on. Cover with berries and slather on as much whipped cream as you want. 

Hint: The more berries you use, the better it is!

By Suzanne Simpson

FINGERLING POTATO SALAD

6 Servings.

This is a favorite recipe of mine that my mother made for summer picnics. It is perfect with BBQ chicken, a nice green salad with cucumber and avocado and fresh, ripe peaches.

  2 pounds of similarly sized fingerling potatoes

Boil in salted water until tender (5-10 minutes). Cool in a bowl of cool water. Peel and cut into bite-sized pieces, then toss in a bowl with the following:

  2 tablespoons minced onion or scallions.

  3/4th cup or more mayonnaise

  3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  ¼ cup sweet pickle relish

  Salt and pepper to taste

Cover and keep chilled until served.

WINTER VEGETABLE & RICE BOWL

4 servings.
 

This recipe calls for using any variety of healthy, delicious winter vegetables including broccoli, collard greens, kale, carrots, kohlrabi, Asian greens, mizuna, chard, and tender shoots of anything green like broccoli leaves. This is a good recipe to clean up the odds and ends of the green produce in your refrigerator. 

  1 cup brown or white rice

  2 cups water

  Salt to taste 

In a 4-quart saucepan, bring water to boil over medium-high heat. Add rice. Bring water back to boil, cover the pan and lower the heat. Simmer about 30 minutes. Rice is cooked when the water has been absorbed.

  1 medium onion, chopped

  1 tablespoon diced fresh ginger

  1 small head of broccoli, diced

  6 large collard greens leaves, cut into thin strips

  6-8 kale leaves, cut into thin strips

  2-3 carrots, sliced thinly into rounds 

  2-3 tablespoons olive oil

  1-2 tablespoons sesame seed oil

Use any combination of greens. Put olive oil in medium to large-sized hot skillet. Add onions and ginger. Stir until slightly translucent. Keep pan hot. Add vegetables and stir with tongs until vegetables are bright green and wilted. Add sesame seed oil. Stir. Add water. Put lid on pan and cook for 30 seconds. Divide rice into four bowls. Place the vegetable stir-fry on top.  

  Soy sauce

  Fish Sauce

  Oyster Sauce

For an enriched flavor, add a few sprinkles of one of the sauces to the top of the vegetables

By Suzanne Simpson