Mercado Kitchen: Southern Cabbage Recipe

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Mission Community Market in Blog, Blue House Farm, Mercado Kitchen, Recipes, Tomatero Farm, Zuckerman's Farm | Leave a comment

Mission Community Market is pleased to welcome back Tomatero Farm to market Thursdays! This week we have highlighted a good ol’ head of cabbage..

To some, one of the most confusing vegetables to prepare. Does one steam, boil, sauté, or bake this round, green beauty? This week’s recipe guides you in the southern style of preparing a cabbage. This quick, easy, and delicious technique will highlight the flavor and texture of this mysterious veggie. To accompany the deep flavor of this recipe, mashed potatoes and blanched carrots make for one hearty, healthy meal! The best part about this recipe is that it’s even better on day two after a night of soaking in the fridge!

Southern Style Cabbage

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage from Tomatero Farm
2 tbs. butter
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
Dash of dill and chili powder
Fresh black pepper
1 1/2 – 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Directions:
Cut the cabbage into quarters and slice off the hard stem. Gently slice each quarter into roughly 1-in. thick strips. In a large pot, add the butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, seasonings, and cabbage. Add in the chicken or vegetable broth and toss. Bring pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring the cabbage occasionally until it is tender. Do not overcook.

Zuckerman’s Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
Mixed bag of potatoes from Zuckerman’s Farm
2 tbs. butter
Salt, pepper to season

Directions:
Chop potatoes in half and add to a pot of water. Boil for roughly 25 minutes until tender. Drain 90% of the water and mash the potatoes with butter, salt, and pepper until smooth.

Blue House Blanched Carrots

Ingredients:
Bundle of carrots from Blue House Farm
1 1/2 cup water

Directions:
Add water to a pan and simmer the whole, cleaned carrots until tender (roughly 15 minutes). This preparation highlights the sweetness of the carrot, while maintaining nutrition and omitting unnecessary fats!

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.

Carrots