~ Kitchen Play Write ~

Parties and gatherings are better with lasagna. Try out this recipe that uses the magnificent purple peacock broccoli, butternut squash, and caramelized onions to create a warming dinner dish.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash

1/2# bunch of purple peacock broccoli (or any other hearty winter green)

1# of onions

3 tbsp of butter

wine, vegetable stock, or water to deglaze caramelized onion pan

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 egg

white sauce recipe (see below)

12 lasagna noodles

salt/pepper to taste

White Sauce:

3 tbsp of butter

3 tbsp of flour

1.5 cups of milk

1.5 cups of vegetable stock

salt/pepper to taste

Kitchen Tools used: peeler, chef’s knife, cutting board, 2 sheet pans, 2 heavy bottom skillets or pans, spatula, pasta pot, sauce pan, whisk, immersion blender or regular blender, small bowl, 9 x 13 casserole dish, tongs

How to:

1. Roast the Squash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Peel the butternut and slice for roasting 1/8 inch thick

Coat 2 baking sheets with your choice of fat and lay out butternut slices

Sprinkle with salt

Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked through

Set aside to cool

2. Start caramelizing the onions

Peel the onions and cut in half so they don’t roll around

Thinly slice them

Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a heavy bottom skillet or pan

Toss in onions and let cook on medium high for 5 minutes without turning -  they should start to develop some color

Add a generous pinch of salt

Stir and continue cooking, turning occasionally but leaving long enough to brown the bottom layer

If it gets dry, add either wine, broth, or water to keep it from sticking

You can keep working on the other steps as long as you stir this once in awhile

The flavor starts to develop in as little as 10 minutes but get’s better the longer you let them cook

3. Prep the lasagna water

Start a pot of water on the stove that’s deep enough to cook 4 lasagna noodles at a time.

4. Make the white sauce

Melt 3 tbsp of butter into a heavy bottom sauce pot

Add in 3 tbsp of flour

Using a whisk, mix together to form a paste

Let that cook for about 3 minutes whisking frequently

Slowly drizzle in 1.5 cups of milk & 1.5 cups of broth while whisking

Let that cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently until it thickens

Once the butternut squash is done, add roasted pieces and using an immersion blender puree into a bright orange sauce. 

If you're not using an immersion blender, use a traditional blender. Make sure to let steam out from top to prevent the lid from catapulting off.

5. Prep the ricotta cheese

Crack one egg into a small mixing bowl and whisk.

Pour in container of ricotta cheese

Mix

Salt and pepper to taste

6. Cooking purple peacock broccoli

Cut the heads in half and let soak in water to remove any hidden soil

Once clean, rough chop for sautéing

Add 1 tbsp of your choice of fat to a pan and heat on medium high

Toss in the chopped purple peacock broccoli

Sauté for about 3-5 minutes to develop flavor but not fully cook it.

7. Cooking the noodles/assembling

Mix the caramelized onions together with the cooked purple peacock broccoli

In a 9 x 13 casserole dish, spread a thin layer of the butternut white sauce

Toss 4 sheets of uncooked lasagna into the boiling water

Once tender but still a bit firm, pull out with tongs and layer in the pan on top of the sauce

Toss in another 4 sheets of uncoooked lasagna into the boiling water

While those are cooking, in the casserole dish top noodles with 1/2 of purple peacock broccoli and onion mixture

Dollop on top 1/2 of the ricotta

Top with 1/3 of the butternut white sauce

Once the next round of noodles is ready, repeat

The 3rd round of noodle cooking will be your top

Cover the top with the remaining 1/3 of the butternut white sauce

If desired, add some shredded cheese for a bubbly brown exterior

8. Bake at 375 degrees for around 45 minutes

9. Let cool for about 5 minutes and enjoy!

Prepare to be in the kitchen for about an hour preparing the dish for baking and cleaning up your food laboratory. It’s so worth it. 

Happy Cookings!

Purple Peacock Broccoli, a locally grown late fall treat from Lato Sud Farm sourced from the Lackawaxen Farm Company’s Multi-Farm Box Share.

An old school, thirst quenching drink? One that’s delicious and good for your gut? Sign me up!

An apple cider vinegar and honey mixture was an old farm trick to re-hydrate after a long day in the sun. Using the raw version, you’ll help digestion as well with some extra good bacteria in your belly. 

Ingredients:

5 small strawberries

4 leaves of basil

1/4 cup of raw honey

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 Half Gallon Ball Jar or container with water tight lid

good quality H2O 

How to:

Slice the berries into the jar. 

Add basil leaves.

Add raw honey. If it’s crystallized, get it to it’s liquid state again by slowly heating the jar in a pot of water. 

Add apple cider vinegar.

Fill the container half way with water.

Shake. If the honey’s warm, it’ll build up more pressure. When shaking be sure to open up and “burp” the container regularly. 

Fill the rest of the way with water and cover.

Let sit in the fridge for 8 hours to really meld the flavors. 

Happy Cookings and cheers!

Salad greens of all shapes and sizes flood in as the Spring growth takes over the area. Above is my favorite way to enjoy them.

The recipe’s open to whatever amounts suit your fancy.

Ingredients

walnuts

blue cheese

chopped green onions

avocado

young spring greens

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

salt/pepper to taste

How to:

Add the salad toppings to the greens. 

Drizzle over olive oil and vinegar, keeping in mind a 1 part vinegar to 3 part oil ratio.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Black Spanish radishes are pungent. Their spicy nature cuts through flavor profiles, and, as a farm field medicinal, they increase digestive flow and help our liver and gallbladder do their job. 

The strong radish flavor needs something just as powerful to ride with, and, in this recipe, it’s green olives. The saltiness and brightness, along with cooking, calms the radishes bite. 

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

5 eggs

1/4 cup of sour cream

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 black radish, peeled and grated

1/4 cup finely chopped chives

3 tbsp finely chopped green olives

1/2 cup packed cheddar cheese

salt/pepper to taste

How to:

First, Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Second, grease 1 mini muffin pan (24 ct) 

Next, scramble together 5 eggs in a bowl.

Then, whisk in the sour cream and Dijon mustard.

Stir in black radish, chives, green olives, and cheddar cheese.

Scoop this mixture into the muffin tin.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Enjoy and Happy Cookings!

One of the first tastes of spring in Northeast PA, this New England traditional plant adds a bright lemony pop wherever it goes.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of sorrel 

1 cup of toasted walnuts

4 small garlic cloves

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/8 cup of lemon juice

1/2 tsp of salt

How to:

First, put the cup of walnuts in an oven or toaster oven on 350 until slightly brown. In the toaster oven this only takes about 4 minutes.

While these are toasting, remove the sorrel leaf from the stem and wash. 

Peel the garlic and toss the cloves in a food processor.

Once the walnuts are aromatically toasted, add those to the food processor and blend until the mixtures a course sand consistency.

Add the sorrel, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.

Blend until well combined.

That’s it! This spread makes a rocking grilled cheese, a zesty topping for poultry and fish, and a memorable evening pasta dish. 

Winter Carrot Dip  

Ingredients:

2#'s carrots

2 cloves of garlic, peeled

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup feta

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp coriander

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1/8th - 1/4 cup chopped olive oil packed black olives (from olive bar at Weis)

other possibilities: 1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts, 1/4 cup feta crumbles

Creation:

Scrub the carrots, chop off the tops and any shrively ends, and cut into 1" chunks. 

Place these in a pot along with the 2 cloves of garlic in salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.

While these are boiling, prep the saucy portion. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, feta, cumin, coriander, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a food processor (fastest option) or in a jar with a blender stick (aka immersion blender).

Once carrots are cooked, drain.

If you have a food processor: Add carrots and puree until almost smooth.

If you have a blender stick: Once drained, put the carrots back in the cooking pot and add sauce. Puree together until almost smooth. 

Add the chopped olives on top and drizzle with olive oil. You could also add pan toasted walnuts and some chunks of feta for more texture. 

Recipe for Yacon Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

2 shredded medium size carrots ¼ cup chopped red onion 1 clove of garlic minced 8 oz chopped frozen spinach 1 cup sliced thinly yacon (water chestnut shape) 1 cup mayonaise/aioli 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp worcestershire 1 tsp cooking fat Salt to taste Pepper to taste

In a saucepan heat up the frozen spinach. Once it’s defrosted, place in a bowl and let cool. Using that same saucepan, heat the tsp of cooking fat on medium high. Once melted, add carrots, onions, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until carrots color starts to fade. Pour in a bowl to let cool.

Once the spinach is cool to the touch, squeeze out the extra liquid. A cheesecloth would do the trick with limited mess.