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Ingredients:
1 large leek
1 tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
½ head cauliflower, cored and divided into large flowerets
2 ½ cups water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Half the leeks lengthwise, then slice them into half-moon shapes approximately ½-inch thick (use white and light green parts only).  In a colander, rinse the leeks thoroughly to remove any dirt between layers.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re tender.  Do not let the leeks brown.

Add the cauliflower and water or broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cook until the cauliflower is falling-apart tender.  Add the yogurt and return the soup to a boil.  Remove from heat.

Using a blender or food processor, purée the soup as finely as possible.  Season with salt and pepper.  If needed, thin to desired consistency with milk or water.  Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
½ cup pitted dates, chopped
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 pound carrots, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions:
Put dates in a small bowl.  Pour lemon and orange juice over dates and leave to soak for 15 minutes.

Drain dates, reserving juice mixture.  Combine dates with carrots in a mixing bowl.  Stir garlic, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, paprika and salt into reserved juice mixture.  Gradually drizzle olive oil into juice-spice mixture, whisking constantly.  Pour dressing over carrots and dates and stir well to coat.  Stir in mint and parsley.  Allow to sit an hour at room temperature before serving.  Serves 4

You can make the squash up to one day ahead.  Reheat in the oven before serving.

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each), unpeeled, quartered lengthwise, and seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss squash with oil; season with salt and pepper.  Arrange on sheet, cut side down, and roast until easily pierced with a paring knife, 35 to 45 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.  Immediately pour into a small bowl; stir in cinnamon.  Place squash on a serving platter; top with cinnamon butter.  Serves 8

ngredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound sausages, left in their casings
1 tablespoon Local Folks Foods mustard
1/2 cup beer
1 pound green cabbage (1/2 medium head), shredded
salt and pepper

Directions:                                                                                       

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the foaming subsides, add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Add the mustard and beer and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.  Add the cabbage, stir to combine, cover, and simmer until the cabbage is wilted but still bright green, 7 to 9 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4

ngredients:
½ cup white beans such as cannellini, baby lima, or navy
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 small onion, cut into quarters
1 head garlic
Salt
½ cup pasta such as small elbow, shells, or fusilli
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 bunch kale
6 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place beans in a large bowl, and cover with water.  Let soak overnight and drain.

Cut a 7-inch square of cheesecloth.  Place 1 rosemary sprig at one end, and roll, enclosing sprig; secure with kitchen twine.  Place beans, wrapped rosemary, onion, and 6 cups water in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until beans are just tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain beans in a colander.  Discard onion and rosemary, set beans aside.

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Wrap garlic in aluminum foil.  Cook until soft, about 40 minutes.  Remove garlic from oven, and allow to cool.  Slice garlic in half crosswise, and squeeze, removing cloves; set cloves aside.

Bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a colander, drain, and set aside.

Place a 6-quart low-sided saucepan over medium heat.  Add olive oil; heat until oil is hot but not smoking.  Add shallots, remaining sprig rosemary, and roasted garlic cloves.  Cook until shallots become translucent.  Add sweet potatoes; cook, stirring until the potato pieces just begin to soften, about 8 minutes.

Add kale; cook until kale begins to wilt, about 4 minutes.  Add stock; cook until potato pieces are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add reserved beans, pasta, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper.  Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Serves 6

Ingredients:
8 bone in chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 ounces Portobello mushroom caps (about 3 medium), wiped clean and cut into ¾ inch cubes
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups dry red wine
½ cup chicken broth
½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 piece Parmesan cheese rind (2 inches, about 1 ounces), optional
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes.  Add four chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook, not moving them until skin is crisp and well browned, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer.  Transfer browned chicken to large plate; brown remaining chicken thighs, transfer to plate, and set aside.

Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.  Add onion, mushrooms, and ½ teaspoon salt; sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until moisture evaporates and vegetables begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.  Meanwhile, remove and discard skin from browned chicken thighs.  Add garlic to pot and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minutes.  Add wine, scraping pot bottom with wooden spoon to loosen brown bits.  Stir in broth, tomatoes, thyme, cheese ring (if using), ½ teaspoon salt (omit salt if using cheese rind), and pepper to taste.  Submerge chicken pieces in liquid and bring to boil; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 45 minutes, turning chicken pieces with tongs halfway through cooking.  Discard cheese ring, stir in sage, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and serve.  Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 to 3 baby bok choy heads (1 ½ to 1 ¾ pounds), washed, leaves and stems separated
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Directions:
Prepare the bok choy by cutting each white stalk in half lengthwise and then crosswise into ¼ inch slices.  Stack the leafy greens and then slice them crosswise into ½ inch strips.  Keep the sliced stalks and leaves separate.

Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat until hot, about 2 minutes.  Add oil, swirl to coat pan bottom.  Add bok choy stalks and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add bok choy greens, broth, mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring twice, until bok choy is very tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove cover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until excess liquid evaporates, 2 to 3 minutes (bok choy should be moist but not soupy).  Stir in rice vinegar and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; serve immediately.  Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
1 tablespoon chopped butter
3 onions, sliced 1 inch thick
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
4 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon salt.  Spread out, and roast until the florets turn brown, about 25 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add onions, cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Stir in curry powder, cauliflower, water, and broth; cover, and bring to a boil.  Uncover, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups cauliflower to a bowl, and set aside.  Put remaining florets into a blender or food processor, add 1 teaspoon salt, and process until smooth.  Stir puree into broth in pan, and reheat if necessary.  Ladle soup into bowls, and top with reserved florets and parsley.  Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 medium carrots
2 medium beets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or thyme
1 cup dried red lentils
2 bay leaves
6 cups water or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

Directions:
Scrub and chop carrots and beets.  Heat oil in a soup pot; add onion and sauté until soft.  Add carrots and beets; sauté a few minutes more.  Finely chop rosemary and oregano leaves.  Wash and drain lentils.  Add herbs, lentils, bay leaves, and water or broth to onion mix; bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer 40 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Puree soup in blender or processor.  Add tamari or soy sauce.  Gently reheat before serving.  Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

2 bulbs fennel, trimmed (1 ½ pounds)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup dry white wine or vegetable broth

Directions:

With a large knife, cut each fennel bulb lengthwise into four slices.  In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter and oil until sizzling.  Lay fennel slices in skillet, cook, turning once, until browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Pour orange juice over fennel; season with salt and pepper.  Bring mixture to a boil,  then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until fennel is tender, about 15 minutes.  Add wine or broth, and continue cooking until fennel is very tender and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper, as desired, and serve warm.  Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 ounces soba noodles
Salt and pepper
1 cup ½-inch sliced bok choy (stalks and leaves)
3 medium carrots, halved, and shaved with a vegetable peeler
1 container (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:
Cook soba noodles according to package directions.  Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water.  Add bok choy, carrots, and tofu to pot with soba noodles; stir in ingredients; then immediately drain soba noodle mixture, and set aside.

In soba noodle pot, stir together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.  Add reserved soba noodle mixture; toss gently, adding reserved cooking water a little at a time to create a thin sauce that coats the noodles.  Season as desired with salt and pepper.  Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large onion or leek, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
2-15 ounce cans white beans such as cannelloni, rinsed and drained
1 large white potato, washed and diced
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
Bouquet garni (a collection of fresh rosemary, thyme, sage)
2 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh greens such as collard, kale, spinach, or chard, thinly sliced
Splash of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Grated cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the carrots and celery, stir to combine and coat with oil.  Next, add the beans and potatoes, stir to combine.  Pour in the broth and add the bouquet garni, bay leaves, and greens.  Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.  Discard the bouquet garni and bay leaves.  Add the lemon juice and adjust seasonings with salt and freshly milled black pepper.  Garnish with grated cheese, if using.  Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and quartered

1 ripe banana, halved crosswise, then lengthwise

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

½ cup pitted dates

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup walnut halves, toasted

¼ cup plain yogurt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put apple wedges in an 8-inch baking dish.  Cover with foil, and bake until beginning to soften, about 20 minutes.  Add banana and butter.  Bake, uncovered, until fruit is softened and pale golden, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Process dates, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a food processor until dates are coarsely chopped.  With machine running, gradually add 1 cup cold water; process until smooth.  Transfer to a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat; cook until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Divide fruit between 2 plates.  Drizzle with date sauce; sprinkle with walnuts.  Top each with 2 tablespoons yogurt.  Serves 2

Oakvale Farmstead Cheese (London, Ohio)

All-Natural Local Farmstead Artisan Cheese

Oakvale is a 5th generation dairy farm located in London, OH. The family has deep agricultural roots in Central Ohio dating back to 1853. Their handcrafted Farmstead Gouda is an authentic Dutch-style cheese.  For the past 7 years Oakvale has provided an award-winning premium cheese respected on a local and national platform.  Their cheese is made solely from the milk of grass-fed registered Holstein cows. This milk is grade-A premium quality and produces a smooth, buttery gouda with a creamy texture.

True Farmstead cheese is unique to the place it originates from and the people who make it. The flavor of the milk is created by the cows themselves, their diet, the land they live on, and the care they receive.  The quality of the milk is a direct reflection of herd health and management. Milk quality has a huge impact on the grade and flavor of cheese. It is up to the cheese maker to preserve that flavor and enhance it with care.  The advantage that farmstead cheese makers enjoy is that they control every aspect of the process from start to finish.  Each vat of cheese will be slightly different. Even the weather plays a part in the cheese flavor the day it is made.  Farmstead cheese makers must also pass various inspections and meet the same FDA and USDA requirements as do the large manufacturing plants.

For more information please visit http://www.oakvalecheese.com/index.html.

Crazy Charlie’s Salsa (Fishers, Indiana)

Crazy Charlie’s Gourmet Salsa products are all natural, low in sodium, have low carbs, and have no sugar or sweeteners added. They use a five-pepper blend with fresh peppers in our salsa. Crazy Charlie’s uses great tasting, high quality Indiana tomatoes that are diced in puree. Everything else in the product is fresh: cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. They have won many awards Nationwide and have had write ups in many local publications and Time magazine. Charlie and Glenda are dedicated to making the most authentic and quality products possible and have true passion for their product.

For more information, please visit www.cgsalsa.com.

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 medium onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 small chicken breast (about 6 ounces), cut into ½-inch cubes

1 bay leaf

1 bag (1/2 pound) baby spinach, washed and dried

¼ cup chopped parsley

Directions:

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring ½ cup broth to a simmer. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook about 8 minutes or until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 7 ½ cups broth, water, chicken, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook about 20 minutes. Add the quinoa and cook an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaf and stir in spinach and parsley. Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 small onion, sliced in 1/8 inch thick half moons

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (optional)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 small bulb fennel, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick

2 cups milk

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons cream cheese

2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

Directions:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the onion, oil, and salt in a Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, fennel seeds (if using), and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the potatoes, fennel, milk, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until partially tender, and a fork can be slipped into a potato slice with some resistance, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Whisk the cornstarch and water together, then add to the pot and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, stir in the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, being careful not to break up the potatoes.

Transfer the mixture to an 8 inch square baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until the potatoes are completely tender, a fork can be slipped into the center of the dish without resistance, and the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8

Gus the Golfing Green Bean grew up right on our very own The Feel Good Farm! His early days were spent climbing up on fence on the bean vine, which gave him a great view of the surrounding countryside. Sometimes the Feel Good Farm farmers would go out in the neighboring fields to practice their golf swings. Once Gus decided that he would try to join them to stretch his legs and get a better look at what was going on. Now, you can’t keep him off of the putting green! Gus loves to “cut the turf” as long as the light lasts. Matt, make some funny jokes about golfing! Yay!

Skye the Skiing Strawberry loves to zoom down the slopes of Kentucky. Born and raised at the Holy Mountain Farm strawberry patch near Lexington, KY, Skye spent a lot of time snuggled close to the ground looking up at the world above her. Skiing was her way to get up and fly! You’ll see Skye “shredding the powder” all over the countryside and working on catching air as she sails through the ski jumps. Luckily she always has on the cutest bright neon “snow bunny” ski suits to keep her warm as she rides up the ski lift. When Skye is on her way to the finish line, you’d better not scream “AVALANCHE!” but can definitely compliment her on her “nice turns”. Skye’s special talent is to be willing to try new things even when they’re scary. Don’t give up, Strawberry Skye! The sky’s the limit!