Please add your own recipes and links below:
Apples | Beets | Broccoli | Cabbage | Cardoon | Carrots | Celeriac | Celery | Chard | Corn |
Cucumbers | Currants | Dandelions | Eggplant | Fava Beans | Fennel | Garlic Scapes | Gooseberries | Greens |
Kale | Kohlrabi | Lamb's Quarters | Leeks | Melon (Korean Melon | Watermelon) | Mint |
Pac Choi (Bok Choy) | Peaches | Pears | Peppers | Plums | Potatoes | Purslane |
Radish | Spinach | Squash (Summer | Winter) |
Tomatillos | Tomatoes | Green Tomatoes
Apples
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Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit. One of the problems identifying apples in religion, mythology and folktales is that the word "apple" was used as a generic term for all (foreign) fruit, other than berries but including nuts, as late as the 17th century. For instance, in Greek mythology, the Greek hero Heracles, as a part of his Twelve Labours, was required to travel to the Garden of the Hesperides and pick the golden apples off the Tree of Life growing at its center. (From the New York Times, August 4, 2008) |
Recipes
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Apple Ginger Upside Down Cake - Dairy (source: NYT)
Fresh Apple Salsa - Parve (source: NYT)
Apple-Beet Chutney - Parve (source: NYT)
Beets
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It’s easy to love fresh beets, and not just for their nutritional advantages. Beets have an earthy, hard-to define flavor like no other vegetable’s, one reason they so often appear on high-end restaurant menus. But they're perfect at home, too, and so this week we'll be offering some simple ways to prepare them. Look for unblemished bulbs with sturdy, unwilted greens. In addition to the usual red variety, you may find beautiful golden beets, and pink-and-white striated Chioggia beets. Unless a red color is important to the dish, either type can be used interchangeably with red beets. (From the New York Times, August 4, 2008) |
Recipes
Quick Beets with Chile and Lemon
Golden Beet and Barley Salad with Rainbow Chard
False Mahshi: Layered Swiss Chard, Beets, Rice and Beef
Broccoli
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Broccoli (from the Italian piccoli bracci, meaning "little arms") is a plant of the cabbage family Brassicaceae(formerly Cruciferae)....Broccoli is high in vitamins C, K, and A, as well as dietary fiber; it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as diindolylmethane and selenium. A single serving provides more than 30 mg of Vitamin C and a half-cup provides 52 mg of Vitamin C. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli) |
Recipes
Cabbage
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Red Cabbage
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Red cabbage is often used for salads and coleslaw. This vegetable can be eaten raw or cooked. It is also used to determine if a substance is an acid or a base by boiling it in water and using the water as a pH indicator. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_cabbage) |
Recipes
Napa Cabbage
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With its long crinkled leaves, Napa cabbage is more delicate in flavor than green or red cabbage. Napa cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis), also known by the names Chinese cabbage, celery cabbage, and Peking cabbage, is a member of the cabbage family that originated in China several millennia ago. It is delicious raw or cooked, and can be substituted for regular cabbage in most recipes. Napa cabbage has been grown in China since around the fifteenth century. It is an extremely popular vegetable in China today, partly due to its versatility. In Korea, which has also been cultivating Napa cabbage for centuries, it is pickled, salted, and flavored with ginger and chili peppers to make kim chi, the national dish of Korea. Napa cabbage was introduced to North America from China toward the latter part of the nineteenth century. Today, it is cultivated in countries all over the world. |
Recipes
Napa Cabbage Salad (source: New York Times)
Napa Cabbage Salad (source: Allrecipes.com)
Chinese Lion's Head Soup (source: Allrecipes.com. FYI, this can be made with ground turkey or chicken and it is a delicious soup!)
Napa Cabbage Slaw (source: Martha Stewart Living)
Cardoon
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When these thick, silvery stalks are cooked, their flavor is a cross between artichoke, celery and salsify. A member of the thistle family. When these thick, silvery stalks are cooked, their flavor is a cross between artichoke, celery and salsify. A popular Italian vegetable. Resembles a bunch of wide, flat celery. Wegman's website for storage, selection and cooking recommendations) |
Recipes
Fried Cardoon Recipe - Fritto di Cardoni (source: about.com)
Cardoon Potato Gratin (source: Mariquita Farm)
Braised Cardoon (source: about.com)
Carrots
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Carrots are a root vegetable that originated in Afghanistan. They were purple, red, white, and yellow, but never orange. They are a member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes celery, parsley, dill, cilantro, caraway, cumin, and the poisonous hemlock. Both the Ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated carrots. (source: 25 Facts About Carrots) |
Recipes
Apple Carrot Muffins (source: allrecipes.com)
Glazed Carrots (source: Alton Brown)
Warm Carrot and Lentil Salad (source: Martha Stewart Living)
Spicy Sweet Potato Carrot Soup (source: thekitchn.com)
Indian Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger (source: epicurious.com)
A few pickled carrot recipes (source: thekitchn.com)
Celeriac
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Celeriac is also known as 'celery root,' 'turnip-rooted celery' or 'knob celery'. It is a kind of celery, grown as a root vegetable for its large and bulbous hypocotyl rather than for its stem and leaves. Unlike other root vegetables, which store a large amount of starch, celery root is only about 5-6% starch by weight. Celeriac may be used raw or cooked. It has a tough, furrowed, outer surface which is usually sliced off before use because it is too rough to peel. Celeriac has a celery flavour, and is often used as a flavouring in soups and stews; it can also be used on its own, usually mashed, or used in casseroles, gratins and baked dishes. (source: Wikipedia) |
Recipes
Celeriac Mash (source: epicurious.com)
NPR story about Celeriac including recipes
Celeriac and Carrot Salad (source: The Kitchn)
Celeriac and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger (source: Chocolate & Zucchini)
Celery
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Celery contains phytochemicals called phthalides, which some studies have shown reduce stress hormones and work to relax the muscle walls in arteries, increasing blood flow. As a result, it has long been used in Chinese medicine to help control high blood pressure. Celery is an excellent source of vitamins K and C, and a very good source of potassium, folate, dietary fiber, molybdenum, manganese, and vitamin B6. (source: NYT) |
Recipes
NYT Celery Recipes from the New York Times
Cream of Celery Soup (source: allrecipes.com)
Celery and Apple Dijon Salad (source: Gourmet)
Chard
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Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender. Swiss chard isn't native to Switzerland, but the Swiss botanist Koch determined the scientific name of this plant in the 19th century and since then, its name has honored his homeland. The actual homeland of chard lies further south, in the Mediterranean region, and in fact, the Greek philosopher, Aristotle wrote about chard in the fourth century B.C. This is not surprising given the fact that the ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, honored chard for its medicinal properties. Chard got its common name from another Mediterranean vegetable, cardoon, a celery-like plant with thick stalks that resemble those of chard. The French got the two confused and called them both "carde." (source: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=16) |
Recipes
Swiss Chard Rolls with Cheese Filling
Provençal Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart
Golden Beet and Barley Salad with Rainbow Chard
False Mahshi: Layered Swiss Chard, Beets, Rice and Beef
Corn
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Corn is descended from a plant called teosinte, which still grows in Mexico, and the first corn plants seem to have appeared in Mexico. The earliest known ears of corn were tiny - only a few inches long. Centuries of breeding, first by Native Americans, then by early settlers and modern scientists, have resulted in bigger, fuller ears of corn and made corn one of the world's three leading grain crops. A couple of Interesting Corn Facts: An ear of corn averages 800 kernels in 16 rows. Corn is produced on every continent of the world with the exception of Antarctica. In the U.S., corn production measures more than 2 times that of any other crop. (source: Iowa Corn and The Story of Corn) |
Recipes
Herbed Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad
Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and Corn
Cucumbers
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Cucumber originated in India. Therefore, the English word cucumber is derived from Indian word "kachumbar". Large genetic variety of cucumber has been observed in different parts of India. It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years in Western Asia, and was probably introduced to other parts of Europe by the Romans. Records of cucumber cultivation appear in France in the 9th century, England in the 14th century, and in North America by the mid-16th century. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber) |
Recipes
Cucumber Purslane Yogurt Salad
Currants
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Recipes
Black Currant Sauce
Place black currants in a saucepan with water. add some sugar to your taste. Simmer to make a sauce and serve on top of ice cream.
White or Pink Currant Snack
Mix currants with honey and ricotta cheese. Enjoy!
Dandelion
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The common name Dandelion is given to members of the genus Taraxacum, a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Europe and Asia, and two species, T. officinale and T. erythrospermum, are found as weeds worldwide. Dandelion leaves and buds have been a part of traditional Mediterranean (especially Sephardic) and Asian, most notably Chinese and Korean, cuisine. Also the roasted, ground root are sometimes used as a caffeine free coffee substitute. Once a popular salad green in these regions, dandelion leaves are becoming popular worldwide in restaurants, in braised and salad dishes, and are not difficult to find at farmers markets in the spring and summer. The dandelion plant is truly a weed in the classical sense: "a plant for which we once knew the use but we've forgotten it." (source: wikipedia.org) |
Recipes
Dandelion Greens With Crispy Onions
Dandelion Tart source: NYT
Eggplant
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The eggplant, aubergine, or brinjal (Solanum melongena), is a plant of the family Solanaceae (also known as the nightshades) As a nightshade, it is closely related to the tomato and potato and is native to India and Sri Lanka. Although somewhat bitter when raw, it becomes tender when cooked and develops a rich, complex flavor. Salting and then rinsing the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") can soften and remove much of the bitterness though this is often unnecessary. Some modern varieties do not need this treatment, as they are far less bitter. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed. The thin skin is also edible, so that peeling is not required. The plant is used in cuisines from Japan to Spain. It is often stewed, as in the French ratatouille, the Italian melanzane alla parmigiana, the Arabian moussaka, and Middle-Eastern and South Asian dishes. It may also be roasted in its skin until charred, so that the pulp can be removed and blended with other ingredients such as lemon, tahini, and garlic, as in the Middle Eastern dish baba ghanoush As a native plant, it is widely used in Indian cuisine, for example in sambhar, chutney, curries, and achaar. Owing to its versatile nature and wide use in both everyday and festive Indian food, it is often described (under the name brinjal) as the 'King of Vegetables'. |
Recipes
Balsamic Grilled Eggplant "Parmesan" on Baguette
Fava Beans
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Vicia faba, the broad bean, fava bean, faba bean, horse bean, field bean, tic bean is a species of bean (Fabaceae) native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. Broad beans have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture, being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. It is believed that along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they became part of the eastern Mediterranean diet in around 6000 BC or earlier. The pale green beans in the big floppy pods have been a beloved early spring food on much of the planet for centuries. Favas have long been diet staples in Asia, the Middle East, South America, North Africa and Europe. These ancient beans are one of the oldest cultivated plants and among the easiest to grow. They were the only beans Europeans ate before they discovered America and all its legumes. They took our beans home and left us the fava, which never really caught on here. They are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion because they can overwinter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil. These commonly cultivated plants can be attacked by fungal diseases. |
Recipes
Spicy Fava Bean Fritters with Lemon Minted Yogurt
Fava Bean Salad with Roasted-Garlic Vinaigrette
Fennel
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The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are widely used in many of the culinary traditions of the world. Fennel pollen is the most potent form of fennel, but also the most expensive. Dried fennel seed is an aromatic, anise-flavoured spice, brown or green in colour when fresh, slowly turning a dull grey as the seed ages. For cooking, green seeds are optimal. The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to those of dill. The bulb is a crisp, hardy root vegetable and may be sauteed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennel) |
Recipes
Braised Fennel in Orange Juice
Fennel and Apricot Salad source: cookthink
Arugula Fennel and Orange Salad source: allrecipes.com
Garlic Scapes
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Garlic scapes are the tender young stalks of hardneck garlic plants, cut in late spring and early summer to encourage bulb growth. Scapes have a mellower taste than garlic cloves, a versatile cross between garlic cloves, green onions, and asparagus, they can be can roasted, pickled, stir fried, and used in pesto, salads, soups, egg dishes, and dips. (from the kitchn: Garlic Scapes and Blossoms) |
Recipes
White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip
Gooseberrries
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Gooseberries grow on low, scrappy bushes, and they're quite common and even wild throughout much of Great Britain and parts of Europe and Asia. In the United States, however, they aren't as common; they've been considered carriers of white pine blister rust, and it's still illegal to cultivate them in some parts of the country. So they just aren't as commonly used here... What do they taste like? They are quite tart, although larger, softer berries were sweeter. They have a prickly fuzz, and little "tops and tails" on either end from the stem and flower. You pull these off, then eat the berry whole. (from thekitchn: Seasonal (and Regional) Spotlight: Gooseberries) |
Recipes
Greens
Recipes
Reduced-Fat "Buttermilk" Herb Dressing
Kale
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Among the most common of the mixed cooking greens that we receive from the Norwich Meadows Farm is kale. Kale or Borecole is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), green in color, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavorful after being exposed to a frost. Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly-flavored ingredients as dry-roasted peanuts, tamari-roasted almonds, or red pepper flakes. Kale is a very good source of iron, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K and Carotenoids (which provide vitamin A). In Japan, kale juice (known as aojiru) is a popular dietary supplement. |
Recipes
New York Times-Kale, the Winter Green
Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing
Kale Salad with Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon
Kohlrabi
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Kohlrabi (German Turnip) is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage that will grow almost anywhere. It has been selected for its swollen, nearly spherical shape. The name comes from the German Kohl ("cabbage") plus Rübe ~ Rabi (Swiss German variant) ("turnip"), because the swollen stem resembles the latter. The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to those of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple, although much less sweet. Except for the Gigante cultivar, spring-grown kohlrabi much over 5 cm in size tend to be woody, as do fall-grown kohlrabi much over perhaps 10 cm in size; the Gigante cultivar can achieve great size while remaining of good eating quality. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw as well as cooked. |
Recipes
Roasted Kohlrabi and Butternut Squash
Lamb's Quarters
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This European relative of spinach, beets and goosefoot, which grows throughout the North America, bears large quantities of edible, spinach-flavored leaves you can collect from mid-spring to late fall. It's one of the best sources of beta-carotene, calcium, potassium, and iron in the world; also a great source of trace minerals, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, and fiber. The young leaves and smaller stems can be eaten raw in salads. Or you can experiment by substituting lambs quarter for spinach or chard in some of your favorite recipes. source |
Recipes
substitute for spinach or chard
Leeks
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The edible portions of the leek are the white onion base and light green stalk. The onion-like layers form around a core. The tender core may be eaten; but, as the leek ages, the core becomes woody and very chewy and better replanted than eaten. Leek has a mild onion-like taste, although less bitter than scallion. The taste might be described as a mix of mild onion and cucumber. It has a fresh smell similar to scallion. In its raw state, the vegetable is crunchy and firm. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek |
Recipes
Leek Bread Pudding source: NYT
Mushroom Leek Risotto source: thekitchn.com
Leek and Yogurt Pie source: NYT
Melon
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Korean Melon
| Korean melon, or dua gan, also called "Yellow melon." In fact, Korea has many different kinds of native melons, but this is the one that has become popular at U.S. and Canadian farmer's markets in recent years. These melons are small, about the size of medium papaya. They have a very fragrant smell and mild sweet flavor, a bit like cantaloupe, but with firmer flesh, and not as sugary sweet. It is also one of the few types of melone where every part is edible including seeds and skin. Chill before serving for a delicious cool treat. Also great in a refreshing summer salad (see one example below). Enjoy them while you can; there’s nothing like summer’s fresh melons to cool you off on a hot day. |
Recipes
Melon, Fennel and Olive Salad with Feta Cheese
Korean Melon Summer Salad (Farm recommended!)
Watermelon
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Enjoying a juice slice of melon is always a refreshing and rejuvenating experience that I look forward to. I recently learned that all parts of the watermelon can be used for food preparation. In fact, in China, the melon rind is often stir-fried or stewed. When stir fried, the de-skinned and de-fruited rind is cooked with olive oil, garlic, chili peppers, scallions, sugar and rum. |
Recipes
Watermelon or Cantaloupe Agua Fresca
B-ton Melon Salad
Watermelon Gazpacho
Mint
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The leaf, fresh or dried, is the culinary source of mint. Fresh mint is usually preferred over dried mint when storage of the mint is not a problem. The leaves have a pleasant warm, fresh, aromatic, sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste. Mint leaves are used in teas, beverages, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams. In Middle Eastern cuisine, mint is used on lamb dishes. In British cuisine, mint sauce is popular with lamb. Mint was originally used as a medicinal herb to treat stomach ache and chest pains, and it is commonly used in the form of tea as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. During the Middle Ages, powdered mint leaves were used to whiten teeth. Mint tea is a strong diuretic. Mint also aids digestion, in a way that it breaks down the fats. (source: wikipedia.com) |
Recipes
Minted Apricot Couscous source: Tasty Kitchen
Pear Gazpacho with Mint source: cookthink
Bulgur and Walnut Kibbeh source: NYT
Chilled Zucchini-Yogurt Soup With Fresh Mint source: NYT
Pac Choi (Bok Choy
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Pac Choi, also known as bak choy or Peking cabbage, forms a small but elongated head (not round like European cabbage) with plump white stalks and deep green leaves. A member of the brassica family, pac choi offers nutritional assets similar to those of other cabbages: It is rich in Vitamin C and contains significant amounts of nitrogen compounds known as indoles, as well as fiber—both of which appear to lower the risk of various forms of cancer. Bok choy is also a good source of folate (folic acid). And with its deep green leaves, bok choy has more beta-carotene than other cabbages, and it also supplies considerably more calcium. The stalks and leaves have quite different textures, so in culinary terms, it's like getting two vegetables for the price of one. (source: www.wholehealthmd.com) |
Recipes
Spicy Stir-Fried Tofu With Bok Choy or Baby Broccoli source: NYT
Roasted Baby Bok Choy Recipe source: www.everydayhealth.com
Peaches
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Recipes
Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting via smittenkitchen.com
Pears
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Recipes
Peppers
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Recipes
Plums
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Recipes
Poached Plums with Brown Sugar Syrup
Brown Butter Plum Cake
NOTE: I made this with olive oil instead of butter for a parve version of this cake. Worked very well!
Potatoes
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Recipes
NYT recipe: Indian-style rice salad
Russian Potato and Purslane Salad
Purslane
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Storage: Best if used fresh. But, if you must store it, wrap purslane in a moist paper towel and store in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Preparation: Wash. Remove larger stems. Some recipes use leaves only. Purslane can be substituted for spinach or wild greens in lasagnas, filled pastas, and Greek-style tarts. |
Recipes
Kitchn Seasonal Spotlight: Purslane - information and a few recipes
Russian Potato and Purslane Salad
Cucumber Purslane Yogurt Salad
Purslane Salad With Mushrooms, Walnuts and Olives source: NYT
Radish
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Recipes
Spinach
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Spinach is thought to have originated in ancient Persia (Iran). Spinach made its way to China in the 7th century when the king of Nepal sent it as a gift to this country. Spinach has a much more recent history in Europe than many other vegetables. It was only brought to that continent in the 11th century, when the Moors introduced it into Spain. In fact, for a while, spinach was known as "the Spanish vegetable" in England. (source: The World's Healthiest Foods) |
Recipes
7 Variations on a Spinach Salad
Squash (summer)
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Summer squash are a subset of squashes that are harvested when immature (while the rind is still tender and edible). All summer squashes are the fruits of the species Cucurbita pepo (although not all squashes of this species are considered summer squashes). The name "summer squash" refers to the inability to store these squashes for long periods of time (until winter), unlike winter squashes. Summer squashes include Cousa squash, Pattypan squash (aka. "Scallop squash"), Yellow crookneck squash, Yellow summer squash, Zucchini (Courgette). Squash blossoms are edible flowers, raw or cooked. Both summer and winter squash blossoms can be battered and fried in a little oil for a wonderful taste sensation. If you’ve never eaten squash blossoms, you are in for a treat. To store summer squash: harvest small squash and place, unwashed in plastic bags in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Wash the squash just before preparation. As with most vegetables, water droplets promote decay during storage. The storage life of summer squash is brief, so use within two to three days. |
Recipes
Provençal Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart
Zucchini "Tagliatelle" with Mint, Cucumber, and Lemon
Yid.Dish: Israeli Cous Cous with Summer Squash Ragout (source: JCarrot.org)
Yid.Dish: Squash Lasagna with Spicy Fresh Tomato Sauce (source: JCarrot.org)
Tomatillos
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Tomatillos are a close relative to Cape gooseberries. Under their tissue-thin papery husks is a sticky, smooth skin. They have a tart, lemony flavor and are high in vitamins C and K. Choose firm, dry fruit with clean, tight husks. Tomatillos will keep in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks. |
Recipes
Tomatoes
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There are many, many ways to prepare tomatoes, and there are several ways to preserve them. These include canning, freezing, and pickling tomatoes. Check the website for the “pickles” recipes. These recipes work very well for tomatoes in addition to the more common pickled cucumber. Follow this link for information on canning and freezing: http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3320.htm |
Recipes
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado over Greens
Green Tomatoes
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Green tomatoes are tomatoes picked before they are ripe. Often this happens at the end of the tomato season, or to protect the crop from disease. Here are some ways to enjoy green tomatoes: Tomato pickles, Tomato relish, Green tomato mince meat, Stewed tomatoes, Green tomato pie, Green tomato marmalade. |
