This recipe is less of a recipe, and more of a formula. It's a great way to clean out your fridge and use up lots of veggies at the end of the week, and our SECRET INGREDIENT is the thing that brings all the flavors together. This soup is something that we recently served at our Fermentation Celebration - it was very simple to prepare for a very large crowd and so tasty and nourishing to eat on a rainy fall day. 

This big delicious vegetable soup can really be a mix of whatever you have on hand you, but we recommend adding some basic elements- beans, greens, starchy and non-starchy vegetables. Below you'll find one version of this soup that I made with what I had stocked in my house, but really you can use whatever you'd like. 

The Soup Formula:

1 part aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, carrots, peppers, fennel)
3 part non starchy veggies (green beans, zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes) 
​1 parts starchy veggies (potatoes, winter squash)  
4 parts liquid (crushed tomatoes/bone broth/stock) 
3 parts cooked beans  
4 parts greens 
seasoning  // optional protein

​Okay...it's time to shine a spotlight on the SECRET INGREDIENT. Our Root 5 Farm Herbes Salées. This herb salt adds a ton of savory flavor and really bumps up any soup that it's added too. Herbes salées is a traditional Quebecois preservation method that makes it easy to put up large amounts of herbs for use all winter. This is more than just salted herbs- it's super versatile. Beyond just adding to soups and stews, mix into salad dressings and tomato sauce, mix with cream cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese for dips, spreads and snacks.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bulb fennel, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 cup sweet bell pepper, diced
1 cup zucchini
1 cup green beans
3 cups of cooked navy beans (2 cans or 1 cup dried)
3 cups winter squash, peeled and cubed
2 cups cabbage, chopped
2 cups spinach (I had some frozen from earlier in the season!)
4 cups crushed tomatoes
1 Tbsp R5F Herbes Salées

Method of Preparation

1. Chop all the veggies and heat the biggest pot you own on medium heat. First, cook your aromatic veggies like onion, carrot and bell pepper for 5 or so minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic.

2. Cook for a few minutes more, and then add squash (or whatever starchy vegetable you're using). Add the quicker cooking veggies (chopped zucchini, green beans, or cabbage). Toss everything together and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring every so often.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes and the drained cooked beans. Cook for at least 20 minutes, or longer to really let the flavors all come together. You may need to add some water or more cooking liquid depending on what vegetables you end up using in your mix. 

4. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the chopped spinach and a big spoonful of Herbes Salées. Add salt and pepper to taste. We recommend serving it with some crusty bread or a biscuit!

This "recipe" is yet another choose your own adventure, and it doesn't require turning on a single kitchen appliance. These vegetable summer rolls are super fresh, and can change with the seasons in regards to what veggies are included. 

When building summer rolls I always like to include a few categories of components: crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs/aromatics, and protein. These ones are loaded with cucumbers, tofu, mint, basil, and more... all complimented by a peanut dipping sauce. 

Don't be afraid to branch out and make this your own. Try adding cooked and cooled shrimp instead of tofu, or rice noodles instead of greens. 

Ingredients:

1 package of rice spring roll wrappers
1/2 bag of mixed greens or lettuce
4 cucumbers, sliced thinly
3 cups sliced crunchy vegetables - peppers, carrots, radish, salad turnips etc
1 block of firm tofu
2 cups of fresh herbs- basil, cilantro, mint, and/or green onion

Quick & Easy Peanut Sauce: 
3 parts peanutbutter (crunchy or smooth)
2 parts soy sauce or tamari
1 part sesame oil
1 part rice wine vinegar
maple syrup & sriRAWcha to taste
optional: minced ginger & garlic

Method of Preparation: 

1. Prepare all of the fillings before you begin- drain and slice tofu into matchsticks or small planks, slice or julienne the vegetables, and pick the herbs from their stems. If using green onions, slice into 3 inch pieces. 

2. To assemble: Fill a large, shallow bowl with warm water. Soak one rice paper wrapper in the water until it begins to soften. Lay the wrapper on a plate and fill with a handful of greens, some tofu, a few pieces of vegetables and a few pieces of fresh herbs.

3. Fold the sides inward and wrap snugly like you would with a burrito. Wrap tightly but also gently to avoid ripping the softened rice paper. Repeat with the remaining rice paper, soaking and wrapping just one at a time. These can be wrapped a few days in advance and kept in the refrigerator. 

4. Serve with your favorite peanut sauce, or make your own by combining the ingredients listed above together, thinning with warm water until you reach your desired consistency. 

This year we've been blessed with a nice, cool spring. The greens are abundant and just begging to be turned into a comforting meal. As the weather starts to warm up I wanted to include one more cozy recipe before leaning on low or no cook dishes that will keep our kitchens cool.

A classic pot of greens and beans doesn't need to be complicated or serious. Choose your favorite greens, choose your favorite beans... you're basically done. You can bump up the flavor and nutrition on this recipe cooking with bone broth or adding protein that suits you. Enjoy it as a main dish, or as a side. Flexibility is the name of the game with this one. 

Ingredients

1 bunch of greens (kale, collards, swiss chard etc)
1 can drained or 2 cups of cooked beans (cannellini, navy, great northern, etc)
1/4 cup vegetable stock or bone broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar (sherry, apple cidar, etc)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
salt & pepper
optional: red pepper flakes/parmesan cheese

Method of Preparation: 

1. Rinse the greens and remove the stems. Tear leaves into bite sized pieces and chop the stems if using something tender like swiss chard. 

2. Add olive oil to a deep pan and heat on medium before adding the sliced garlic. Cook until fragrant and then remove once browned slightly. If using tender stems, add to the same pan and cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.

3. Add the torn leaves and cook down until wilted. Add the remaining ingredients- vinegar, stock, cooked beans, and red pepper flakes if you like some heat. 

​4. Turn down the burner and simmer on low until the liquid is absorbed. Add back the cooked garlic if you'd like and top with optional parmesan cheese.

I was lucky enough to spend my childhood years in Nice, France where local produce is abundant and fresh vegetables make up a big part of the diet. The classic salad Nicoise always features fresh tomatoes, briney olives, hard boiled eggs + tuna or anchovies dressed in vinaigrette. More modern versions add additional ingredients like cooked potatoes, green beans, capers or radishes...so this really can be a choose your own adventure style salad. I especially like to make this when summers start to heat up- only about 15 minutes of active cooking time, and you only need one pot of water to get it done. 

A mixture of cooked and raw vegetables plus multiple protein sources really make this salad a complete meal. By cooking the vegetables and eggs ahead of time, and keeping them in the refrigerator, this meal comes together in just minutes whenever you need something fresh and filling. If you can find Nicoise olives, definitely use those- but most of the time I will make this with whatever I have access to. This recipe will make 2 large meal-sized salads or 4 smaller salads.

Ingredients

1/2 bag of salad greens or arugula
4 eggs, hard or soft boiled
1 lb yellow or purple potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup kalamata or green olives 
1-2 cans of tuna packed in olive oil
1/2 cup of your favorite vinaigrette

Method of Preparation

1. Start by cooking the potatoes and blanching the green beans- usually I do this in the same pot. Starting with cold water I cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, then add the green beans and cook for 2-3 more minutes. You can also cook your hard (or soft) boiled eggs at this point too! 

2. Remove the green beans with a slotted spoon and put into an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them crunchy and green. Drain the potatoes and chill in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the salad. 

3. To assemble: toss potatoes and green beans with half of the vinaigrette, and the salad greens with the remaining. Add the greens to your plate, topped with the beans and potatoes. Pile on the remaining ingredients - tuna, tomatoes, olives, and sliced hardboiled eggs + any additional fresh vegetables that are in season. 

​Each year I get into obsessions with certain foods as they come into season. It’s always my way to use up as much produce as possible when it’s fresh. This spring with all my lettuce I’ve been making caesar salads. Each time I make it, I use the same dressing - but I always mix up the produce and crouton bread. Fresh crouton are so quick and easy to make and very underrated. You should definitely start making your own. I’ll tell you about how I prepare each of the components, but please use whatever ratio of dressing, greens, and bread chunks that you like. This vegan caesar salad dressing is great for folks with allergies and comes together in just a few minutes.

Caesar Dressing 
4 Tbsp vegan mayo, sour cream or tahini
2 Tbsp chopped green olive or capers 
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 Tbsp mustard 
1/2 Tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce  
garlic powder to taste
TONS of black pepper
​
Add everything to a bowl and whisk together. I like to add a lot of fresh black pepper to set it off.  The olives, lemon, and soy are all pretty intense so I say DO NOT add any salt salt. This is great in salads but you can also use it as a spread on sandwiches. 
​

​The Greens
Any type of lettuce works. I have been using tender white silesian and this red romaine. If you have them, use some fresh herbs or mix in some spinach. Use whatever you have and like, just make sure to wash and dry it well. To add more crunch to sort of wilty lettuce, I’ll soak it in a bowl of water for awhile and then spin dry. 

I like to keep my caesar salads to just a few simple ingredients, but this makes a really good background to things like radishes, snap peas, or whatever other fresh salad things you like. ​

​Crouton Crouton
I always make croutons out of whatever types of bread that I have laying around. Sourdough is a classic, but I really love making them out of english muffins, naan, hamburger buns… literally whatever you have. In the time it takes to preheat the oven, you can have them ready to go in. Here’s what you need: 

This makes enough for 4 big, dinner-sized salads- I use about 1 serving of bread & 1 tsp of olive oil per person. 

4 pieces of bread- english muffins, buns, or slices. 
4 tsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves or 1 tsp garlic powder
herbs/spices like oregano, basil, thyme, chili powder (choose whatever you like or skip it) 
salt & pepper
​
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Chop your bread into bite-sized cubes and add to a bowl. Warm up your oil in a pan and add minced garlic. Cook gently for a few minutes until garlic is fragrant, then add whatever seasonings you like. Toss your bread cubes in the oil and spread out on a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes. It may take longer depending on the type of bread you use, just give them a check every few minutes. Remove when they are golden brown and crispy.

This SUPER quick and fun side is simple, fast and tasty! I whipped this up in just a few minutes and ate it with left overs. This would go great with Thai, Indian or Chinese food! The leafy green with the red flakes of seasoning make it a great cold weather delicacy!

​Ingredients:
2 heads baby bok choy, washed and cut lengthwise
2 Tsbp oil (any works, I used sesame)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp seasoning of choice (chili powder, paprika, cumin) base the seasoning on what you're serving this with!
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. While the pan heats, coat the baby bok choy in oil. Once the greens are evenly coated in oil, add the spices of choice, salt and pepper. Place the greens in the hot pan, flat side down. Sauté  for 3 minutes on high, flip to other side. Repeat this step 2 times. Rotating greens from side to side will prevent the greens from burning or wilting. If the greens start to look too browned lower heat, or remove the greens from pan. Note: If your bok choys are larger, you can also try blanching them quickly in a pot of hot water, then sauté  in the pan. This cooks them all the way through without burning. 

Serve over rice as a side dish or as the main course for a lighter meal!

It's always exciting to create a meal that's made up entirely of ingredients from this week's CSA share! This simple spaghetti squash recipe even uses the skin as a bowl! 

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1 bunch collards washed, trimmed and chopped finely
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tomatoes cored and chopped Salt and pepper to taste
​3 Tbsp olive oil (divided)

Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prep the squash by cutting and seeding. Place halves on baking sheet and dress with 1 Tbsp olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Coat all surfaces of the squash. Place open side down on baking sheet, as pictured. Place in oven to cook for 1 hour.

​While the squash cooks, prepare the filling. In a medium sauce pan saute the onions and garlic in remaining olive oil over medium heat. Once onions are clear and fragrant (about 4 minutes) add the collards. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.

Remove lid and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir well and cook over medium heat for 20 more minutes. Turn off heat, let the mixture sit in the sauce pan.

Once the squash has fully cooked, remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Gently remove the meat of the squash by loosening up with a fork. The squash will flake away from edges in nice spaghetti size pieces. Add the meat of the squash to the prepared veggie mixture. Stir a few times to distribute veggies evenly through the “meat”. Salt to taste. 

​Stuff the filling back inside the shell of the squash! Garnish with herbs, cheese or additional toppings! NOTE: Spaghetti Squash skin is not edible (or if it is I do not recommend trying it!)

This is an adaptation of a recipe my Mom used to make for us as kids. Broccoli­ Rice Casserole is the “Original” using brown rice, broccoli and a combo of parmersan and cream cheeses. In the pictures featured, I am using Green Radicchio and Kale for the greens, brown rice, and cheddar/cream cheeses.

Suggested Ingredients:
1 Tbsp ANY oil or butter
2 Cloves garlic, pressed
1 onion of any variety, chopped
4­5 cups fresh greens or veggies chopped to desired size
6 oz soft cheese
4 oz hard cheese grated (Divided, reserve 1­2 Tbsp for sprinkling atop casserole)
1 cup rice cooked as per package directions