Stuffed Purple Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

1T unsalted butter or olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic
2C fresh corn kernels (from 3 ears of corn)
4 bell peppers
1C cooked faro
1/3C ricotta cheese
1/2C grated Parmesan cheese
1/4C minced green onion
1t fresh thyme
1/4t salt
1/8t ground pepper

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350°.

Lightly grease an oven proof dish or pan.

Warm the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly. Add the corn and sauté just another minute, until almost warmed through and coated with butter. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl add the cooked corn, faro, ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup of the grated Parmesan, green onions, thyme, salt and pepper. Fold together to throughly mix. Stuff the peppers and arrange them in the prepared pan.

Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the pan. Place the cover on the pan or cover tightly with foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the peppers are cooked and just begin to slump.

Remove the pan from the oven and adjust the oven heat to broil. Remove the lid from the pan and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the peppers. Broil until the cheese melts and becomes golden brown.

Recipe Source

Mini Potato Pancakes with Green Garlic and Chives

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds potatoes
3 tablespoons chopped green garlic (white and light green parts only)
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for frying
24 flat-leaf parsley leaves
Dipping sauce to serve: 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Instructions:

Peel and finely grate the potatoes with a Microplane or the small holes of box grater. Place the potatoes in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and press with the back of a spoon to drain as much liquid as possible. (Alternatively, you can wrap the grated potatoes in a tea towel or fine cheesecloth and wring out all the water into a bowl.)

After a minute or two, the starch will settle to the bottom of the bowl. Carefully pour away the liquid and mix the starch with the grated potatoes, green garlic, chives, and salt.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop a tablespoon of the potato mixture into the pan, using the back of a spoon to flatten and shape it into a 1/4-inch-thick pancake. Gently press a parsley leaf into the top. Cook until the bottom turns crisp, then flip over with a spatula and continue cooking until crisp.

Repeat process with the rest of the mixture and add more vegetable oil to the pan as needed.

Serve warm or at room temperature with dipping sauce.

Recipe Source

Pizza With Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

1 recipe Neapolitan Pizza Dough, or 2 pounds store-bought pizza dough
1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
Kosher salt
1 pound fresh mozzarella, torn into rough chunks and drained
8 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, split in half
4 to 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
24 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:
Divide dough into four even parts and place each in a covered quart-sized deli container or in a zipper-lock freezer bag. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking. Transfer tomatoes to a medium bowl and roughly crush by hand. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

Adjust oven rack to 6 inches under broiler and place stone or steel on rack. Preheat oven to highest possible temperature (500 or 550°F) for at least 45 minutes. Alternatively, use Kettle Pizza and Baking Steel grill insert.

When ready to bake, turn single dough ball out onto lightly flour surface. Gently press out dough into rough 8-inch circle, leaving outer 1-inch higher than the rest. Gently stretch dough into a 10 to 12-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick by draping over knuckles and gently stretching. Transfer to floured wooden pizza peel.

Preheat broiler to high. Spread thin layer of sauce over pizza, followed by 1/4 of mozzarella. Spread 1/4 of garlic slices, 1/4 of cherry tomatoes, and 1/4 of Parmesan evenly over pizza. Sprinkle lightly with salt, add 6 basil leaves, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.

Transfer pizza to hot stone or steel and broil until edges are puffed and lightly charred and bottom is crisp, rotating regularly for even cooking, 3 to 6 minutes total. Retrieve pizza with a metal peel and transfer to a cutting board. Slice and serve immediately. Meanwhile, switch oven back to 550°F to reheat stone for remaining pizzas.

Repeat steps 4 through 6 for remaining pizzas.

Recipe source

Herb Corner: Basil!

Did you know we grow 5 different types of basil on the farm? And they are all available to you in the you-pick section. Get familiar with this multi-faceted herb and try each kind!

Eleonora This is your traditional, green basil. Perfect for making pesto, putting on pizza or adding to pasta dishes.

Red Rubin This basil is purple. It has a similar flavor to the Eleonoara but is a stunning, unique color.

Lemon You guessed it, this basil has a lemon scent and flavor. Add a citrus splash to your usual basil recipes.

Thai This basil has an anise-clove flavor. It has attractive purple tinted stems and flowers.

Tulsi (Holy) Basil This basil is in the medicinal tea bed, at the top of the you-pick section. It is known for its use in Hindu culture, it can be used in Thai cuisine and in tea. It is used medicinally for digestion and immune system support.