Mercado Kitchen: California Marinated Artichokes

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Tomatero Farm, Twin Girls Farm | Leave a comment

Spring weather is here which means it’s time to drag out that barbecue, wipe it off, and heat it up! At MCM you can now find Blue House Farm, Tomatero Farm, and Zuckerman’s Farm offering an array of seasonal, local veggies perfect for grilling. Although you can roast almost any vegetable, this week’s recipe highlights the flowering artichoke drenched in healthy oils and grilled (or roasted in the oven) to a crisp, hearty perfection.

You probably have a bottle of olive oil sitting on their counter for use during cooking, but what you may not know is how beneficial olive oil is to one’s health. A study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine found that those who ate up to four tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil a day cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 30 percent compared to other low-fat diets. This recipe uses fresh extra-virgin olive oil to enhance the flavor of the artichokes while providing you with a heart-healthy dose of deliciousness!

California Marinated Artichokes

(Recipe has been adapted from the Tony Baker Rio Grill in Carmel, California)

Ingredients:
For the Grilled Artichokes
1 cup of White wine
2 tbs. of Fresh lemon juice from Twin Girls Farm
3-4 Artichokes from Blue House Farm

For the Marinade
1 1/2 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 stalks of Green garlic from Blue House Farm
1 tbs. Fresh oregano, thyme, and marjoram, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut off the top 1/3 of artichoke and trim the tips of leaves. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover artichokes, and add 1 cup of white wine and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the water. Boil the artichokes in the water, wine, and lemon juice for about 25 to 30 minutes until soft. The wine preserves the color and gives the artichokes a deep, unique flavor.

Set aside the cooked artichokes and prepare the marinade by combining 2 cups of olive oil with 1 cup Balsamic vinegar, 2 stalks of fresh green garlic, 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, and 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Once artichokes have cooled, spread the leaves out slightly with a spoon to allow the marinade to infuse into all parts of the artichoke. Drizzle artichokes with the marinade, setting aside enough to coat each artichoke after cooking.

If you would like to grill the artichokes: Wrap each artichoke individually in foil. Place on hot coals in grill for about five to seven minutes. Remove from foil and brush with remaining marinade. Serve hot.
If you do not have a grill, roast them in the oven: Place the marinated artichokes on a pan and cover with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for another 5 minutes to crisp the tips of the leaves. Brush with remaining marinade. Serve hot.

Mercado Kitchen: Sugar Snap Pea Soup

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Great Valley Poultry, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes | Leave a comment

This past week Blue House Farm brought MCM a lovely spring treat: Sugar Snap Peas! These peas traditionally are eaten raw, in a salad, sautéed, or steamed. But why not warm your hands over a simmering pot of soup during the rainy days upon us? The warmth of the soup, the subtle flavors, the deep hearty broth with a touch of velvety coconut all combine to make a wonderful afternoon meal! Come by the market 4-8pm this week to pick up some of your own peas please!

Sugar Snap Pea Soup

Ingredients:

Basket of sugar snap peas from Blue House Farm
Bundle of carrots from Blue House Farm
2 eggs from Great Valley Poultry (beaten, as though for a scramble)
2 tbs. Garlic (finely chopped)
1 tbs. Ginger (finely chopped)
1 Lime
Handful of buckwheat soba noodles
4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken broth
Spices: Salt, pepper, chili powder, basil, coriander
2-3 tbs. Coconut oil

Instructions:

In a pot, sauté slivered carrots and snap peas in coconut oil and stir for roughly 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger. Stir for roughly 2 more minutes then add the entire 4 cups of vegetable/chicken broth. If desired, add a cup of water to balance out the broth. Wait until the broth begins to simmer before adding spices. Season to taste. After the broth simmers for roughly 5-8 minutes, add soba noodles. Gently drizzle the beaten eggs over the simmering broth. Stir for roughly 3 minutes or until the noddles are fully cooked. Serve with a sliver of lime.

Mercado Kitchen: Caramelized Carrot Soup with Carrot Top Pesto

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes | Leave a comment

Delicious carrots are in season at the market! Celebrate the tasty root vegetable by making this sweet, creamy carrot soup. And don’t throw away the green, leafy carrot tops – you can use those to make fresh pesto that tastes great drizzled over the carrot soup. Pick up a bunch of carrots from Blue House Farm this week at the market and try it out!

Carrot flavor really shines in this soup made with both carrots and carrot juice. The carrots are cooked in a pressure cooker, resulting in richly browned and caramelized carrots thanks to the addition of baking soda that triggers browning reactions. Plus carrots are at their sweetest in the winter when the cold encourages conversion of starches to sugars, making it an ideal time to enjoy this soup.

Full recipes are after the jump!

Mercado Kitchen: Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

Posted on February 12, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blue House Farm, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes | Leave a comment

If you’re looking for a sweet but healthy snack, try glazing your carrots in some brown sugar, ginger, and garlic! This dish is delightfully full of flavor and satisfies your sweet tooth without the processed sugar conventional candy contains. Adapting your palate to craving healthier sweets can start with a visit to the Blue House Farm stand at this week’s market. They grow an array of organic vegetables, cut flowers, and fruits year-round on a beautiful farm tucked into the valley of Pescadero, California. Grab a bunch of carrots from the market, and add in some garlic, organic dark brown sugar, organic sweet butter and ginger from Rainbow Grocery or your local market to make this easy, delectable dish at home!

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:

1 Bunch of carrots from Blue House Farm
1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 tbs. Ginger, minced
1/2 tbs. Garlic, minced
1/4 stick of Sweet butter

Instructions:

Slice carrots in half after a good wash to get all of the moist soil off of their skin. Blanch sliced carrots for roughly 6 minutes until they embody their true orange hue. In the meantime, melt butter in a separate pan. Add minced garlic and ginger when melted and simmer on low. Add brown sugar once the garlic and ginger have infused with the butter and add a dash of water. Strain carrots and add them into the brown sugar sauce and simmer until carrots turn slightly gold with sweetness. Serve alone or accompany with a side dish of coriander rice.

Blue House Farm