1/4 cup chopped onions, sauteed in 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork (or another lb ground beef
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 cups brown sauce (made with 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour cooked together to form a dark brown roux, then add beef stock stirring constantly)
1 cup heavy cream or sour cream

Combine meat, onions, bread crumbs, eggs, and spices. Blend together with hands then form into balls...small for appetizer or larger for main dish. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes (for appetizer size).

A traditional molasses cookie recipe turned local using sorghum, eggs, and buckwheat flour. YUM!

Cream together:

1 1/2 cups shortening (butter)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs

Combine & Stir in:

4 cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Blend well. Chill (we skipped this step and they came out just fine). Form into balls and roll in sugar. Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. For chewy cookies, make sure not to over bake. Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Store in a cookie tin or other airtight container. Enjoy!

We made this coffee cake the other morning and it was so delicious. You can use any type of flour you like...I used 1 cup rice flour and 1 cup spelt flour just to mix it up a little.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup yogurt or 1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash salt

Beat butter and sugar together, add egg and yogurt and beat again until combined. Measure out dry ingredients into bowl on top of egg, butter, sugar mixture. Stir until just combined. Spread this mixture into the bottom of a 9 X 9 or slightly larger baking dish.

3-4 peaches, peeled, sliced

Layer peaches over the batter in the baking dish.

1/2 cup Walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup oats
1 tsp cinnamon

In food processor, pulse walnuts, sugar, butter, cinnamon and oats together until the nuts are ground and ingredients are mixed evenly. Top peaches with nut mixture and bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

So, last night I kept tossing and turning in bed and was laying there wide awake at 12:30 am when I decided to just get up and do something productive. I have vegetables galore in my fridge waiting to be prepared into some delicious dish before their demise and what better way to tire myself out. Also, my grandmother has been sick and unable to cook for herself and my grandfather so I decided to make something I could easily transport to the store and send with my mother for them.

You can prepare this fritatta using almost any vegetables you have on hand, these just happen to be the ones that needed the most attention in my fridge.

7 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 medium red potatoes, washed & diced
3 small summer squash, washed, quartered & sliced
1 large bunch greens, washed, and chopped (I used beet greens, but other choices could be kale, Swiss chard, or spinach)
1 cup sharp cheese (Such as Asiago or Toma Celena)
Olive oil
Tuscan Sea Salt or salt and pepper
chopped chives, or parsley, or scallions

In a large cast iron skillet heat olive oil until very hot. Add the diced potatoes and brown for about 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add summer squash and saute uncovered for about 5 minutes. Spread the potato/squash mixture over the bottom of the pan evenly and place greens on top. Cover and cook approximately 10 minutes. Uncover, and stir vegetables together and continue cooking until greens are tender and liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl beat eggs, milk, herbs, a pinch of salt, and the cheese together until combined. With the heat on high, pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture in the cast iron pan. If you don't have a cast iron pan you can just transfer the vegetables to a glass baking dish, pour egg mixture over, and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. If you are using the cast iron pan, continue to cook the fritatta on medium-high heat until you can easily pull the side of the fritatta away from the pan, about 15 minutes. Broil on high for about 10 minutes until browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

Most people think of kale as a garnish on their plate when eating out, as I did up until a few years ago. Kale is really one of those vegetables we all should include in our diets due to its phytonutrient load and high levels of vitamins K, A, and C. It is a member of the brassica family of vegetables which also includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and collards. I have found that many people just don't know what to do with or how to use kale so here's one yummy recipe for including it in the meal plan. This one passed my 11 year old test and my picky husband test!

I recipe pizza dough or frozen pizza dough (thawed and brought to room temperature)
1 bunch kale
2 cups favorite cheese, shredded (mozzarella, jack, cheddar)
cooked sausage or pepperoni (optional)
salt
garlic
olive oil
tomato sauce (for dipping)

Wash and chop kale into bite sized pieces by piling up the leaves together, cutting along either side of the stem making two halves and removing the stem. Make on pile out of the two and chop into small pieces. Chop or press 2-3 large cloves of garlic. In a large skillet heat olive oil and add garlic, quickly stir frying for less than a minute, then add the chopped kale. Stir kale and garlic together until kale wilts then reduce heat slightly and cover pan to let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour on a board and stretch the dough into a long narrow oval. Spread one cup of cheese over the dough. After the kale cooks season it with salt and pepper and place on top of the cheese on dough. Add sausage or pepperoni, if desired. Cover kale mixture with remaining cheese. Bring long sides of dough together, pinch, fold over and pinch again. Repeat this process until the dough is all sealed. Place Stromboli onto a baking sheet (preferably with sides) placing the seam side down. Bake @ 400 degrees until browned, about 30 minutes. Heat tomato sauce for dipping if desired.

I know it isn't quite broccoli season...but I had a request for this recipe so here it is!

1 head broccoli, washed, and cut into small florets
1 cup chick peas
1/4 cup dried currants
1 red pepper, diced small

1 cup yogurt
1 cup feta cheese
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt
pepper
2 large cloves fresh garlic, pressed

In a food processor or blender combine yogurt, lemon juice, half of the feta cheese,and pressed garlic. Blend until smooth. In a small bowl combine blended yogurt with the rest of the feta cheese and season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

In a large bowl combine broccoli florets, chick peas, and diced red pepper. Pour yogurt dressing over vegetables and stir until combined. This salad can be eaten right away or can be made ahead.

Here's a great quiche recipe that will utilize the wild leeks (ramps) that are in season right now, as well as asparagus. You can also use local free range organic eggs and raw milk cheese made from grass fed cow milk sold at Mildred's Meadows to make this dish with almost all local ingredients.

1 bunch wild leeks (cut off greens halfway down & freeze for use in stock), washed and sliced thin
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice (sharp cheeses taste best)
4 eggs
1 lb soft tofu (or if you prefer the traditional quiche recipe, 2 cups heavy cream. Yeah, I didn't think so)
1/2 lb asparagus, washed and cut into spears
olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
dash cayenne pepper

In a medium frying pan heat 2 tsp olive oil and cook leeks until soft. Add asparagus and cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
In a blender or food processor mix together eggs and tofu until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and mix in the shredded cheese. Add the cooled vegetables and mix until combined. Season with salt and pepper and pour into a glass pie dish coated with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Awhile ago I heard a story on WAMC about the leakage of Bisphenol A (BPA)from the plastic liner on the inside of canned goods. It turns out that another food we thought was perfectly safe for our consumption really contains a toxic chemical that the Center For Disease Control states has reproductive and developmental effects when exposure is high(www.cdc.gov). The Environmental Working Group's testing found that canned pasta's and soups contained the highest levels of BPA. However, all canned foods were found to have BPA leaching from the plastic liner to the food itself (www.ewg.org/bisphenol-a-info).
After hearing this distressing information I set out to reduce the amount of canned goods my family was eating. The biggest thing we regularly ate from a can was baked beans and I had been wanting to try my hand at making them from scratch. I got out my trusty crock pot cookbook and looked up a recipe I had looked at longingly for years. I have made them a number of times now and the family is hooked...no more Bush's for us. This recipe is so simple and the ingredients are most likely already in your possession, except maybe the bag of dried beans. I have gotten into the habit of making large batches of these and freezing the leftovers for another quicker meal. Put the beans in the water to soak before you got to sleep and in the morning throw all of the ingredients into the crock pot and let them cook all day.

1 lb or 2 1/2 cups dried navy beans (I have used lots of different kinds but overall the smaller the bean the yummier they are)

2 onions, peeled, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp ground cloves (optional)
1/3 cup tomato ketchup or tomato paste
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Dash of smoke flavor (optional)

salt and ground black pepper to taste after cooking

Rinse beans and cover them with cold water and leave to soak for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse beans. Place them in a large pan, cover with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil gently for about 10 minutes, then drain pour them into the crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir to combine. Turn the crock pot on high and let cook for 8-10 hours removing cover during the last 2 hours of cooking to thicken.

We first discovered this recipe in a Fine Cooking magazine labeled "Buttermilk Spiced Cake", however I feel that is misleading. I almost didn't try this recipe because I didn't notice there was butternut squash in it until my husband read it through. We were both surprised and had to try making it immediately. Well, it is simply great and many who have tried it think that it would make a great addition to a brunch menu. The original recipe had 1/2 cup of oil that I have since replaced with applesauce and the cake was still fabulous. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups peeled, grated butternut squash

Icing:
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 1/2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10 cup bundt pan.

Beat butter and sugar until well combined. Add applesauce and beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time on low speed. Add vinegar and vanilla and mix again. Add baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and half of the flour. Mix on low speed until just combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk. Stir in the squash and transfer into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool for 30 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack or plate and cool completely. Mix together icing ingredients and drizzle over cake. Let icing set at room temperature for about 45 minutes. ENJOY!

A few weeks ago I was visiting my next door neighbor and the conversation turned to food. I was telling her that I was making stock with the chicken bones from a roast chicken. She said that she had always wanted to do this, knew it was a easy thing to do, but had never actually done it. So I gave her the simple instructions on how to go about making the stock. Whenever I roast a turkey, chicken, or even beef with bones, I always save the bones to create a yummy, healthy stock. Whatever we don't use right away I freeze in quart containers to have on hand to make sauces, soups, or even to eat as is when someone is not feeling well. This stock is so much healthier and more delicious than what you buy in the store, TRY IT!

In a large stock pot place the chicken, turkey, or beef bones. If you don't have a stock pot, use the largest you have and then after it has cooked and all the vegetables and bones have been removed you can add some boiling water to the pot to dilute it a bit.

Wash and/or peel:
2-3 carrots, depending on size, chopped in 2-3 pieces each
4 cloves garlic
2 large onions, quartered
4 stalks celery, chopped in 2-3 pieces each
1 parsnip (optional, but a very good addition to the flavor of the stock)
1 bunch parsley, stems and all

Add:
1 tbsp salt-more or less depending on taste and size of pot you are using
4-5 bay leaves
1 tbsp black peppercorns

After adding all the ingredients to the pot, fill the pot with water up to 2 inches from the rim of the pot. Cover pot, place on burner and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil and turn to simmer. Simmer stock for about 3-4 hours. Use a slotted spoon to remove some of the bones and vegetables and then pour through a strainer into another large vessel or through a sieve into storage containers. Transfer to quart containers, let cool, and freeze or use to make soup, sauce or gravy.

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
3 tbsp butter (I sometimes use olive oil instead)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

In a skillet, cook and stir walnuts in fat until toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sugar, salt and pepper.

12 cups mixed salad greens
3/4 cup dried cranberries
4 oz feta cheese (or blue cheese if you prefer)

Place salad greens in a large salad dish. Sprinkle cranberries and feta cheese over salad greens.

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup red onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp salt and pepper

Place dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor, cover, and process until smooth. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Serves about 12.