Salsa Verde

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Ingredients: 

8 ounces tomatillos, husked 

1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped 

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced 

4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 

1/2 tablespoon cumin 

2 teaspoons salt 

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped 

2 cups water 

Directions:

• In a medium sauce pan, add all of the above ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until soft about 15-18 minutes. Blend in a blender until smooth. Perfect for chicken! 

Tip: When blending hot ingredients in a blender make sure you don’t overfill the blender and that you start out on a slow speed.

Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients: 

8 ounces tomatillos, husked and rinsed (finely chopped) 

1/2 cup cilantro (finely chopped) 

1/2 cup red onion (finely chopped) 

1 small jalapeño pepper (finely chopped) 

1 large, ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced into small pieces 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon lime juice 

Directions:

• Mix all the above ingredients together. Serve with corn chips or use over chicken, beef or pork dishes.

Tomatillo and Lime Salsa Verde

Tamara Stimpson

Ingredients:

12 cups chopped tomatillos

3 cups chopped onions

1/2 cup finely chopped seeded Serrano or long hot green chile peppers

1/4 cup finely chopped seeded jalapeno peppers

1/4 cup finely chopped garlic

4 tsp Kosher salt

1 cup white vinegar

1 tsp grated lime zest

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• In a large pot combine tomatillos, onions, Serrano, jalapeno's, garlic, salt, vinegar and lime juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking.

• Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often, for 20 minutes or until tomatillos and onions are tender and salsa is slightly thickened.

• Stir in lime zest and cilantro.

• Cool and serve!

Summer Vegetable Hash

The Martha Stewart Magazine

Ingredients:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/2" cubes

1 tbsp EVOO

1 1/2 cups of quartered potatoes (leave the skin of for added potassium, B6 and iron!)

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 small leek, thinly sliced

1/2 jalapeno chili, stem, ribs and seeds removed, minced (1 tbsp)

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tsp coarse salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp fresh marjoram (roughly chopped)

• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl.

• Add 2 tsp of the oil and the potatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (approx. 4 mins.). Transfer to a small bowl.

• Add remaining tsp oil, the corn, 2 tbsp leek, and the jalapeno to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally until the corn turns dark brown in spots, about 2 mins. (Some kernels may pop!)

• Add tomatoes and cook until the skin just begins to soften (approx. 1 min). Add stock, salt, pepper and reserved chicken; bring to a boil. Fold in the reserved potatoes, and sprinkle with marjoram and remaining 2 tbsp leeks. 

• Place in a large serving dish and allow everyone to serve themselves!

Sweet Corn Casserole

From `The Harrow Fair Cookbook`comes a favourite recipe of author Moira Sanders and her sister!

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh corn kernels

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1/4 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 cup shredded aged Canadian cheddar cheese

• Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 8"x8" baking dish and set aside.

• Pulse the corn kernels in a food processor until they are creamy, but not smooth.

• Beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs and set aside until all the liquid is absorbed.

• Stir the corn, butter, carrots, red pepper, onion, chili flakes, and salt into the bread crumb mixture. Place the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese.

• Bake for 45 minutes and serve warm!

*It will take 4 to 5 ears of corn to make 3 cups of kernels. Once the kernels have been cut off, use the back of a knife to scrape the cobs to remove all the milky corn mush!

Spaghetti Squash with Jalapeno Cream

Jacquie Peppler

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash (about 3 lbs.)

2 cups milk

2-3 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and chopped

2 Tbsp butter, plus more for pans

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp salt  

1 cup shredded cheese (I use Parmesan)  

• Preheat oven to 375.

• Cut squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove seeds and surrounding fiber. Put squash, cut side down, on a lightly buttered baking sheet and bake until tender when flesh is pierced with a fork. (30-40 minutes). Let sit until cool.

• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk and jalapenos until bubbles form form along the edge of the pan. Remove from heat and let sit 15 minutes. Strain and discard jalapenos.

• When squash is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scrape the strands out of the skin and into a large bowl.

• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter. Whisk in flour and salt and cook, whisking, until flour smells cooked (like piecrust), about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in jalapeno infused milk while whisking. Reduce heat to medium and continue whisking until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.

• Pour mixture over squash and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a buttered 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until bubbling and brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Butternut Squash and Beef Chili

Tamara Stimpson

This is a colourful and tasty chili! Bonus: almost all the ingredients can be found at the farm store!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

3 cups chopped tomatoes

3 cups chopped, peeled & seeded butternut squash

3 cups water

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 tsp each of dried oregano, cumin, chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 - 16oz can of kidney beans, drained & rinsed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup small, pitted olives

2 to 3 tsp minced, seeded jalapenos

6 tbsp thinly sliced green onions

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

• Combine the first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven (beef, onions, and peppers). Cook over medium-high heat until browned.

• Drain well, return to pot and stir in the next 10 ingredients (tomatoes - garlic) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.

• Stir in olives and jalapenos and cook for 5 minutes more.

• Ladle into bowls and top with green onions and cilantro.

Homemade Ground Cayenne Pepper

A quick guide to making your own ground cayenne peppers!

• Cut the stem end from the cayenne peppers and remove seeds. Place them on a rimmed baking dish in a 350F oven until completely dried out. Keep an eye on them to ensure they don't burn! Remove from the oven and let cool completely. With a mortar and pestal, combine the dried cayenne with a small amount of salt - this helps the grinding process. Once ground to your taste, place in an airtight jar and store in a dark cupboard.

• If you wish to simply have the dried cayenne (or red chilis) on hand, follow the above recipe and skip the grinding process. You can even leave the seeds and create your own red chili flakes by grinding with the mortar and pestle until flaked instead of ground.

Green Poblano Rice

Sandy Kitely 

Lisa's mom is at it again! Here is another tasty poblano pepper recipe to satisfy your pepper cravings this summer.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups chicken broth or water

2 fresh poblano chiles, stems and seeds removed, and roughly chopped

12 sprigs cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon if using salted broth, 1 teaspoon if using unsalted or water

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

1 cup rice, preferably medium grain

1 small white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

• The flavoring: In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the broth and chiles, bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer gently over medium to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the chiles are very soft. Pour the chile mixture into a food processor, add the cilantro (stems and all), and process to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt.

• The rice: Wipe the pan clean, add the oil and heat over medium. Add the rice and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is chalky looking and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.

• Add the warm (or reheated) chile liquid to the hot rice pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and check a grain of rice: It should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes longer to complete the cooking. If the rice seems far from done, continue cooking for 5 minutes or so, retest, then turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes longer. Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs and it's ready to serve.

• Advance preparation: The rice can be made several days ahead; turn out the fluffed rice onto a baking sheet to cool, transfer to a storage container, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat the rice in a steamer basket set over boiling water.

*You could use 3 or 4 long green (Anaheim) chiles, or to mix poblanos and long greens with hotter chiles like jalapeño, manzano or habanero. Grilled corn cut from 1 cob or 1 large grilled zucchini (cubed) are tasty vegetable add-ins. About 1 cup coarsely shredded roast (or barbecued) pork or smoked salmon, mixed in toward the end of cooking, will make green rice a full meal.

Chili Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Sandy Kitely

Lisa's mom is famous for her amazing pepper dishes! This is one of Steve and Lisa's favourites.

Ingredients:

1 pound 90% lean ground beef

4 large poblano peppers*

1 can (15 ounces) chili-seasoned beans

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chili-style chunky tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon Mexican (adobo) seasoning

2/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese

*Poblano peppers can sting and irritate the skin, so wear rubber gloves when handling peppers and do not touch your eyes. 

• Preheat broiler. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in 3-quart saucepan. Meanwhile, cook ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink.

• Meanwhile, cut peppers in half lengthwise; remove stems and seeds. Add 4 pepper halves to boiling water; cook 3 minutes or until bright green and slightly softened. Remove and drain upside down on plate. Repeat with remaining 4 halves. Set aside.

• Add beans, tomatoes and Mexican seasoning to ground beef. Cook and stir over medium heat 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly.

• Arrange peppers, cut side up, in 13X9-inch baking dish. Divide chili mixture evenly among peppers; top with cheese. Broil 6 inches from heat 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

• Serve with corn bread and chunky salsa.

Stuffed Poblano Pepper Casserole

Sandy Kitely

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

2 1/4 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic - minced

1/4 cup fresh oregano - roughly chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)

1 1/2 cups corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 poblano peppers - sliced in half, seeds removed

• In a large pan, add the rice, vegetable broth, cumin and coriander.

• Bring the broth to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 45 minutes or according to package directions.

• Stir the green onions, garlic, oregano and corn into the pan of cooked rice.

• Add the shredded cheese, and stir until well blended and the cheese has melted.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Spray a 9 inch by 13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

• Place the poblano peppers on the bottom of the baking dish.

• Stuff each of the poblano peppers with the rice and cheese mixture.

• Extra filling can be placed on the bottom of the casserole dish, around the stuffed peppers.

• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly brown on top.

• ENJOY!

Lesco

Tamara Stimpson

This traditional Hungarian meal is simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 onion, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large 28oz can of diced tomatoes

2 - 3 banana peppers, thickly sliced

2 - 3 green or red bell peppers, thickly sliced

1 package of smoked sausages, sliced in 1/2" rounds

Vegetable or olive oil

• Heat oil in a large skillet with a lid, over medium high heat.

• Add onions and garlic and saute for a few minutes, or until fragrant.

• Add all the peppers and saute, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes with all the juices. Stir in the sausages. Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally and then turn to medium low.

• Cook, covered, for approximately 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

• Serve alone or over boiled potatoes that have been coarsely mashed with a fork!

Roasted Fingerlings with Red and Yellow Peppers

Tamara Stimpson

I usually make this dish around Thanksgiving. It makes quite a bit so you'll have some yummy leftovers!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp olive oil

2 large red & 2 large yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/4" wide strips

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

3 lbs fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• Preheat oven to 425F

• Pour 1/2 cup oil onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread all peppers and sliced red onions over the pan evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat and place in oven to roast for 10 minutes.

• Remove pan from oven and place halved potatoes and remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on top of peppers (ensure cut sides are facing up).

• Place pan back in the oven and roast until potatoes are tender and beginning to turn golden, approximately 50 minutes. *This can be done 2 hrs ahead if preparing a meal in advance - just let stand at room temperature and reheat in a 425F oven for 10 minutes*

• Sprinkle chopped parsley & shallots over potatoes and roast for 5 minutes longer in oven.

• Remove and transfer to a large platter before sprinkling with chives, basil and thyme. Drizzle with vinegar and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper if necessary