Summer Vegetable Pasta with Creamy Ricotta Sauce

My parents are overflowing with green summer vegetables and they look so pretty in this summer pasta dish, covered in a creamy cheese sauce. Green beans, peas, zucchini and onions are cooked quickly with a little white wine and then tossed in an herby, ricotta and parmesan sauce that coats everything just beautifully. Serve over whole grain pasta and your whole family will be eating a fulfilling and healthy homemade meal in just minutes! You can use any combination of vegetables that your family loves, I just went and picked whatever was ready in my parent's garden so this combination cost me very little and was so delicious together. The peas are creamy, the green beans are crunchy and the zucchini adds a subtle sweetness, what more could you want!

I used to subscribe to Everyday Living and this recipe was inspired by a pasta recipe that I found in one of the monthly subscriptions. The ricotta sauce in that recipe was a little bland and lacked something. This recipe I feel has a lot more flavor and personality that the original, I hope you agree!

This pasta serves 6.
Adapted from Everyday Living, Herbed ricotta pasta with corn and zucchini.

Ingredients

1 lb whole grain pasta, I used Barilla ziti.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Pasture raised butter

1 Medium organic zucchini, chopped.

1 Small organic onion, chopped.

Organic green beans, chopped in half, I just used a large handful, about 2 cups when cut.

1 Cup fresh, organic peas

1/4 Cup dry white wine, I used Pinot Grigio.

14 oz Ricotta cheese, I used Maplebrook Farm hand-dipped ricotta.

1/3 Cup parmesan cheese, grated, more for serving (optional).

10 Fresh, organic basil leaves, chopped finely.

1 Sprig fresh, organic oregano, leaves only, chopped finely.

1 Bunch organic chives, chopped finely.

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.


Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and blanch the green beans and peas (quick cooking them) for 2 minutes, remove from the water with a slotted spoon and set aside. Bring the water back to a boil and cook pasta based on the package directions, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.

In a saute pan heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat add in the onion and zucchini, season with a bit of salt and pepper and cook till soft and slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add in the peas and green beans and cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the white wine and cook till the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan, herbs and the vegetables. Add in the pasta water and the pasta and stir everything to combine well. Taste for seasoning and salt and pepper as needed. Serve with an additional sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

4 Cheese & Zucchini Stuffed Green Tomatoes

The weather has been unusually cool here for August in New York and that means we have tons of tomatoes on the vine that are not ripening, I have about 100 green tomatoes on my plants. My parent's have two whole rows of tomatoes that are big and beautiful...and green. I love fried green tomatoes they are super tangy and my mother is from the south so she grew up eating them every summer and cooking them for us in return. The drawback is that they require a lot of work and I really do not like frying things, it just takes a huge amount of oil and I get impatient. I decided that green tomatoes do not have to be lumped into one recipe category, they are a delicious and deserve to be used for other things. They are firm so they stand up to any cooking process well, but they are still tender enough to not require a lot of cooking. This tangy fruit/vegetable goes so well with the creamy and sharp filling, that is full of pungent herbs and sweet zucchini. It was a culinary revelation and I plan on stuffing them from here on out! They go perfectly with grilled meats, fried eggs or as an appetizer, we ate them along side a juicy burger...ahhhhmazing!

This recipe makes 10 stuffed tomatoes, the size of apples.

Ingredients

10 Apple size, organic, green tomatoes

5 oz Pasture raised, soft goat cheese, room temp., I used Nettle Meadow garlic and olive oil.

1/4 Cup parmesan cheese, grated.

1/4 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated, I used Cabot.*

1/4 Cup mozzarella, shredded, I used Cabot.*

3 Tbsp pasture raised butter, I used Cabot.*

2 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.

1 Small organic spring onion or large shallot, finely diced.

1 Small organic zucchini, chopped.

1 Sprig fresh, organic oregano, leaves only, chopped.

1 Sprig fresh, organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.

Handful fresh, organic chives, about 4 Tbsp, diced.

1/2 Cup homemade seasoned bread crumbs, get my recipe here.

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle over top before serving.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut around the stem of the tomatoes with a pairing knife and pull out the stem, with a spoon hollow out the inside of the tomato making a space large enough to stuff in a good amount, mine were about 1.5 inches.

In a bowl mix together the goat cheese, parm, mozzerella and cheddar, set aside.

Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add in the butter, when it has melted add in the onions, garlic and zucchini, some salt and pepper. Saute till the zucchini is browned on all sides and tender, about 7 minutes. Add in the oregano, thyme, chives and bread crumbs, cook for another two minutes to coat everything and slightly brown the bread crumbs. Remove from the heat.

Add the bread crumb and vegetable mixture to the cheese mixture and mix well. Taste for seasoning and salt and pepper as needed. Salt and pepper the inside of the green tomatoes. Stuff the mixture into the tomatoes, overflowing them a bit.

Place them in a deep baking dish and fill with water 1/4 the way up the tomatoes, just above their bottoms.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are slightly browned and the filling is bubbling, pierce them with a knife to check for tenderness.

Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil over each one and serve hot or room temp.  Enjoy!

*I use Cabot products because they are local to me here in New York and 100% of their profits go back to the farmers who provide their milk.

White Bean & Summer Squash Saute

Summer squash is so versatile and doesn't require a lot of work, its tender, no need to peel and gardens produce oodles of them! This recipe is full of great Italian flavors; creamy white beans, fruity olive oil and lots of fresh herbs. The squash cooks in minutes and goes perfectly with any meat, pasta or even a fried egg over top. You can use zucchini, patty pan or yellow summer squash; I used a combination of yellow summer and patty pan, it was amazing!

This recipe serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Ingredients

1 Medium organic summer squash, chopped.

3 Medium (apple size) patty pan squash, chopped.

1 Cup marinated white beans, I use Divina, regular cannellini beans will work.*

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 Cup fresh, organic, mixed Italian herbs, I used oregano, rosemary, thyme and chives, leaves only and chopped finely.

2 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated. 

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.


Directions

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, heat olive oil. Add in garlic and squash and saute till the squash is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add in the white beans, with some of the marinade, if using the Divina, and the herbs. Saute for another 2 minutes to wilt the herbs and heat the beans through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve & enjoy!

*If you can't find or don't want to use the Divina beans you can get the same flavor by using a can of regular cannellini beans, drained. Add in an extra Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or white wine vinegar to the dish when you add in the beans.

Zucchini & Caramelized Onion Lasagna

My husband's absolute favorite meal is lasagna, and this recipe is a keeper for sure! Zucchini is a crop that produces insane amounts of veggies and its so economical and so delicious. Both the zucchini and the onions are sweet and they go so well with the tangy tomato sauce and creamy ricotta and herb filling. I like to saute my zucchini before I add it to the lasagna because it has high water content, sauteing gives it lots of flavor as well as reducing the water, this ensures that you will get a lasagna that won't be watery. In my book watery lasagna = no flavor and falling apart, no bueno! We love a meat sauce with our lasagna and I recently made an awesome beef shank crock pot sauce that was amazing, I used the leftovers on this lasagna and it was perfection!! The sauce cooks all day and makes a ton that can be used over pasta or in this lasagna. Feel free to use your favorite meat sauce or plain marinara instead, its all about the veggies in this recipe anyway!

This recipe serves 8-10.

Ingredients

1 (12oz) box organic lasagna noodles, cooked according to box directions.

3 Cups meat sauce, I used my beef shank crock pot sauce, but any meat sauce is fine.

2 Cups pasture raised mozzarella cheese, grated.

1 Medium, organic zucchini, sliced into thin long strips the size of lasagna noodles.

2 Medium, organic spring onions, sliced.

1 Pint organic, cherry tomatoes

1 Sprig organic, fresh thyme

1 (15oz) tub ricotta, I used Maplebrook Farm hand dipped.

1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, grated.

2 Tbsp organic, dried Italian herb mixture

10 Fresh, organic basil leaves, roughly chopped.

2 Large, farm raised eggs

Extra virgin olive oil, for sauteing, about 3 Tbsp.

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl mix together the ricotta, 1/4 cup of the parmesan, dried Italian herbs, basil, some salt, pepper and the eggs. Mix well to combine, set aside.

In a saute pan over medium high heat, add 1 Tbsp of the olive oil and saute the zucchini in batches till browned on all sides, about 3 minutes a side. In the same pan, turn down the heat to medium add in the rest of the olive oil and saute the onions with some salt, pepper and the thyme till the onions are deeply browned, it takes about 20-25 minutes. You may need to add water to the pan during the cooking process, I add about 1/4 cup at a time just to keep them moist and keep them from burning. When the onions are caramelized add in the tomatoes and cook till they soften and burst, about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce on the bottom of a large, deep baking dish. Start with a layer of noodles, overlapping them and cutting them to fit. Don't discard the cut scraps, I use these to fill in gaps. Layer some zucchini next, spread with the ricotta mixture, some of the onions and tomatoes and finish with some parmesan and mozzarella, just to cover, make sure to reserve some cheese for the top, top with noodles. Continue layering till you are out of ingredients, ending with noodles. I ended up with 3 layers, top the last noodle layer with lots of sauce, making sure to cover completely so that it stays moist and doesn't burn. Do not put cheese on the top of the lasagna yet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until its hot and bubbly all the way through. Top with the remaining cheeses and bake for a few more minutes to melt the cheese and brown the top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

To serve, cut carefully with a sharp knife serve with extra sauce and parmesan. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Succotash

Its local sweet corn season here in upstate New York and its one of my most favorite summer vegetables! I love to put it in just about everything because it goes by so quickly and there is nothing that compares to fresh, sweet, corn on the cob! This particular recipe is the fourth recipe in my vintage recipe remake collection, and comes from the Young Republic era of American cookery. This cookbook focuses on how traditional american dishes were born as we further gained our independence from Britain. We as a country began moving away from European influences in our cooking and started to make and define the "American cuisine." Succotash is an old fashion side dish that was introduced to the American colonists by the Native Americans, who also introduced us to corn. The dish is now found all over the United States consisting of corn, of course, and whatever beans or vegetables are native to the area where it is being made. My version of succotash is influenced by the flavors of the Mediterranean; it contains marinated white beans that are creamy and incredibly tangy and they go so well with the crunchy and intensely sweet corn. Divina is a Mediterranean food company in NYC and I just love all of their products, especially the giant white beans. The come in an incredible vinaigrette so there is no need to add much else to the succotash in way of seasoning, they are perfect! Local pasture raised bacon, some spring onions, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon completed and modernized the dish. The resulting combination was sweet, savory, tangy and salty; about the most perfect bite your taste buds could imagine. I served the vibrant succotash with an herb stuffed roasted chicken breast, it was amazing!

This recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients

6 Ears fresh, local sweet corn

1 Cup Divina giant white beans in marinade, regular white cannellini beans can be used.*

4 Slices pasture raised bacon, chopped.

2 Organic spring onions, chopped, they are young
and sweet, 4 large shallots can be substituted.

1 Sprig fresh, organic rosemary, leaves only.

1 Sprig fresh, organic thyme, leaves only.

6 Fresh, organic basil leaves

10 fresh, organic chives

1 Sprig fresh, organic oregano, leaves only.

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Organic lemon, zested and juiced.

Directions

Heat a grill to very high heat, we use charcoal so I don't know the exact temperature but you want to be able to char the corn.

Clean the corn, pull back the husk but don't remove it completely. Clean off all the silk and then pull the husk back up over the corncob. Repeat with all the cobs.

Cook them on the grill over high heat till they are charred on all sides, about 4 minutes a side. Remove from heat and allow to cool.


While the corn is cooling, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat till crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same skillet, turn down the heat to medium and cook the onion just till soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix the onion, bacon and beans in a large dish.


Place the herbs, a pinch of sea salt, pepper and the lemon zest in a food processor (not the juice). Pulse a few times to chop. Add in the olive oil and pulse a few more times to create a paste. Add to the bean, bacon and onion mixture.

After the corn has cooled so that you can work with it chop off the kernels. I do this by putting it on the center of a bundt pan and cutting down the sides with a very sharp knife, the kernels will fall into the bundt pan and not fly all over your kitchen. If you don't have a bundt pan you will just have to chop them off very carefully. Add the kernels to the bean mixture and stir well to combine it all. Add the lemon juice to the dish and taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve with any of your favorite grilled meats and enjoy! This dish is great hot or cold, we ate it at room temperature.

*I buy my Divina beans at my local grocery store, I have also ordered them in bulk from Amazon because I love them so much. If you do not want to order them then you can use cannellini beans and just add 1 Tbsp of white wine vinegar and 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to your succotash to mimic the marinade on the beans.

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Veggie Parmesan

I make spinach, artichoke and roasted red pepper dip for almost every family gathering, everyone loves it and its the first thing to go. The last family gathering that we had my husband took some of the spinach dip when no one was looking and "squirreled" it away in the refrigerator, away from all the eaters. I found it later on and laughed because I know how much he loves it. I bought some patty pan squash at the farmers market, they are little flying saucer shaped summer squash that are so tender and meaty, I just love them. They were my inspiration for this dish, along with the contraband spinach dip. I decided to hallow them out, stuff the dip inside and bake them in marinara and mozzarella like a parmesan, it was ahhhhhhhhhmazing! I also had some banana peppers from my parent's garden that I stuffed making the dish more of a mixed veggie parmesan, feel free to stuff whatever you have in your vegetable drawer; zucchini, bell peppers or eggplant are all in season and would be wonderful.

This recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients

4 Organic patty pan squash, you want them the size of an apple.

5 Organic banana peppers

2 Cups my recipe of spinach artichoke and roasted red pepper dip, click the link to get the recipe.

1 Tbsp pasture raised bacon fat, olive oil can be substituted.

2 Organic spring onions, chopped.

1 Tbsp organic dried oregano

1 Tbsp organic garlic powder

1 Jar of your favorite, local marinara sauce, I use Casa Visco.

2 Cups mozzarella, grated.

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Parmesan cheese, to serve, optional.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

With a small pairing knife and spoon cut around the top of each patty pan and scoop out the "innards," not going all the way through the bottom. You want to make a hole big enough to stuff. Do this with each one. Chop up the part that you have removed, the innards, and set aside. Clean the banana peppers removing the stem and carefully slice down one side and remove the seeds, you want them to stay sort of whole so don't open them too much. Discard the stem and seeds.

Heat the bacon fat in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook the squash "innards" and onion till they are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder and saute for another few minutes. Remove from heat.

Stuff the hallowed squash and peppers with the spinach/artichoke dip, filling them generously. Place them in a baking dish, fitting them snugly. Sprinkle them with the squash "innards" and onion mixture. Spoon the marinara sauce over everything, making sure to cover it evenly and get it all down in the pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the squash is tender, I like to poke it with a butter knife, it should slide in easily. Top with the mozzarella cheese and bake till browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool fro 10 minutes before serving.

To serve, place a squash and a pepper on a serving dish, spoon extra sauce from the pan over it, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Potato & Sunchoke Herb Fries

I really love sunchokes, they are also known as Jerusalem artichokes though they are not anything like an artichoke. They are the root of a certain species of sunflower and considered a tuber like potatoes or yams. They have a nutty slightly floral flavor that is intensified when roasted. You can leave their skins on and they are super easy to work with. I just chop them up and roast them right along with my other root vegetables. They are also very popular in soups and stews, but that is for another day. Sunchokes are super nutritious, they have unique flavor and are a cinch to work into any favorite recipes, I encourage you to give them a try! I bought some locally grown ones at my local co-op but you can usually find them in the "weird veggie area" at your local grocery store, you know where the celeriac and horseradish roots are. They can also be found at the farmer's markets when in season, so ask around. I decided to pair them with some russet potatoes to make some oven baked, herb fries. These fries were so crunchy on the outside and loaded with herb/garlic flavor; they were just about the best fries I have ever had, I was in absolute heaven.




This recipe serves 2-3 as a side dish.

Ingredients

1 Large, organic russet potato, cut into strips or fry shape.
3 Medium size, organic sunchokes, cut into strips.
4 Spring onions or a small white onion, whites only on the spring onions and chopped roughly (if using a small white onion cut it into strips like the root veggies).
2 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated
4 Sprigs fresh, organic thyme, leaves striped and finely chopped, about 2 Tbsp.
1 Sprig fresh, organic rosemary, leaves striped and finely chopped, about 1 Tbsp.
Enough olive oil to coat all vegetables evenly, about 2-3 Tbsp, its important to use enough oil or they won't brown or crisp, they will just burn and stick.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large bowl toss the vegetables with the herbs, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. Coat evenly and spread them out, in an even layer on a large baking sheet. You don't want them overlapping because they will steam and not crisp up, so make sure they are in one layer, use two baking sheets if you have to.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until they are browned and crispy, keep an eye on them, they burn fast.

Serve with your favorite burger, hot dog or eat the whole bowl dipped in some garlic aioli, my favorite way to eat them!

Served here with local, pasture raised, elk burgers!

Oven Roasted Lemony Baby Artichokes with Spring Shrimp Scampi

I wanted to recreate a stuffed artichoke recipe that I saw in an Italian cookbook I got at the library. I went to my local co-op and realized that it's the season for baby artichokes and their window is very small, so that is exactly what I bought. I love when I have a recipe in mind and I am forced to be even more creative because I see something at the farmer's market or produce section that inspires me! The baby artichokes are tender and can be eaten whole, they are a lot less work than the larger ones and this recipe is absolute heaven!! The tender, slightly tangy artichokes are baked in a bath of garlicky lemon vinaigrette, topped with homemade breadcrumbs and then baked till golden brown, I could have licked the dish when I was finished, it was that good.

Going along with the spring theme, the co-op is also choc full of baby asparagus. The first emerging shoots are tender and sweet and they are my absolute favorite. The flavors of scampi; lemon, garlic, olive oil, go so well with spring vegetables because they enhance their delicate flavors and do not overpower. This whole meal was so incredible and delicious, my husband kept commenting on how fresh it was, he said he could taste each and every component.

Let's talk a little about buying your shrimp. I really like to pay attention to where my seafood comes from. I always buy wild American shrimp from responsible fishermen. My co-op sells large, slightly cranberry colored shrimp that are fished and shipped in NY and they are always fresh and incredibly
delicious. I feel good about buying them and serving them to my family. When you buy shrimp or any other seafood, even if it's frozen, it should smell like the sea; salty and sweet. You can always ask the fishmonger at the store to let you smell the seafood before you buy. Fresh, responsibly sourced seafood is going to be more expensive but if you are buying seasonal veggies, which are always cheapest, and filling your plate with those, you won't need very much of the protein. I only used 10 large shrimp for this recipe and it was a perfect amount for 2 people.

This recipe serves 2 but can easily be doubled to serve more.

Ingredients

Artichokes

10 Baby artichokes, cleaned and set into lemon water, click here for a video on how to prepare your babies.
1 Large, organic lemon, zested & juice reserved, I buy organic citrus if I am using the zest.
2 Organic cloves of garlic, grated on a microplane.
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 Tbsp organic oregano, leaves only, chopped finely.
1 Tbsp organic thyme, leaves only, chopped finely.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1/3 Cup seasoned bread crumbs, preferably homemade, click the link to get my recipe.
2 tsp olive oil


Shrimp scampi

10 Wild caught, American shrimp, 1/2 pound.
Olive oil, for sauteing.
1/2 Pound asparagus
1 Large, organic tomato
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp organic oregano, leaves only, chopped finely.
1 Tbsp organic thyme, leaves only, chopped finely.
2 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.
6 Leaves organic basil, chopped.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese, grated, to finish the dish.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Clean your shrimp, remove shells and cut down the back of the shrimp removing anything black or muddy. Rinse under cold water and place on a clean towel, dry them thoroughly. Set aside.

Cut your cleaned artichokes in half and place in two small baking ramekins or one medium size one.

In a small bowl combine lemon zest, juice, olive oil, herbs, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Whisk till combined and emulsified. Pour over the artichokes, mix well, taking care that all artichokes are well coated. Place all artichokes cut side down in the baking dishes. Mix bread crumbs and olive oil in a another small bowl till it resembles wet sand. Salt and pepper the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top of the artichokes. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and the artichokes are tender enough to pierce with a butter knife.

While artichokes are baking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanche asparagus, about 1 minute and remove to a bowl of ice water to stoop the cooking and retain vibrant green color.

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, drizzle in olive oil and cook garlic for one minute. Salt and pepper shrimp and add to pan, cook on each side for 2 minutes till they are seared and just pink. Add in asparagus, tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for 3 minutes to heat through and combine flavors. Remove from heat, rip the basil leaves and sprinkle over top. Finish with parmesan cheese sprinkled over top.

Serve artichokes in their dishes alongside the shrimp scampi and enjoy a taste of Italian inspired spring!

Let me know what you think! Leave a comment below!

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables with Apples & Herbs

I am so ready for spring but I am also sad about some of the dishes that I won't be eating for a whole year. When the weather turns warm we sort of retire our oven and conserve energy by using our grill or eating lots of raw things, salads, smoothies or plates full of fresh veggies which celebrates their inherent beauty and flavor. In the colder parts of the year; fall ,winter and early spring we like to eat our veggies roasted. Most of the vegetables in season during these parts of the year are hearty root veggies that taste their best when drizzled with oil, salt and peppered, and then roasted on a high temp which caramelizes their sugars and makes them sweet as candy! I love pairing these, with succulent and salty roasted chicken thighs or sometimes I throw in huge chunks of locally made sausage to roast right in the pan with them. This imparts rich, porky goodness to the veggies as well. This particular recipe for roasted root vegetables is a sweet and savory mix, it combines earthy beets, sweet carrots, sharp onions, sweet apples and nutty pumpkin seed oil. The veggies roast at a very high temp which creates a crispy exterior and a creamy interior. The beets melt and bleed a rich red color to the whole dish that looks so beautiful.



Let's talk local! All of the vegetables in this dish are picked within 100 miles of my house and arrive a few hours from the time they are picked. This means that I am getting vegetables that are not only grown organically, without the use of pesticides or other chemicals, but I am also getting vegetables that are full of vitamins and nutrients because they haven't sat around on a truck or warehouse for days. Everyday that a vegetable is picked, packaged and shipped, the vegetables loses nutrients and vitamins. So when you buy one at the grocery store that comes all the way from Mexico or Chile you are getting a bland, pesticide laden and virtually nutrient free product that is only grown to survive the travel. Have you ever tasted a grocery store tomato and compared it to one from a farmer's market? The grocery store tomato is bred and grown to produce a tough, bland tomato that will survive the travel and shelf life. No respect is given to the flavor it will have. The farmer's market tomato is produced by a farmer who takes pride in their work. He/she wants to produce the best tasting tomato they can. They don't have to worry weather the delicate heirloom variety is hearty and strong because they will be transporting it locally for sale, the same day it's picked. I strongly urge you to go and look at the vegetables at a farmer's market. You will find 100's of different kids of tomatoes, beets, lettuces, beans and probably vegetables you have never even seen before. I love to peruse the stalls tasting and eyeing all the gorgeous varieties. You can also talk to the farmers who grow them, watch their faces light up when you talk about their craft, it's a very spiritual and powerful experience. I liken it to, attending a church service.  I always feel renewed and light after I visit the farmer's market. I love to take all my purchases home, lay them on the counter and think about what I will create!

The oil I used in this dish is also made locally. I love, love, love olive oil and use it every day, but none of it is produced locally, I usually buy mine from California. There is a wonderful company, however, that is local to me, in the Hudson Valley, that produces some unusual oils that are so delicious and healthy. Stony Brook, wholeheartedfoods, makes expeller-pressed squash seed oils. All of the squash are grown locally, and without pesticides or chemicals and the oil is pressed without the use of high heat so all the nutrients are retained. It results in a luxurious, nutty and oh so wonderful oil that tastes amazing on everything. I just love their products and I send them as gifts all the time because they are so unique. You can buy them online, click on the link above to see all their incredible products.


This recipe serves up to 6 as a side dish.


Ingredients

5 Organic carrots, peeled.
4 Organic beets, peeled and greens cut off and saved.
1 Large onion, peeled.
2 Organic apples, peeled, I used granny smith.
6 Organic cloves of garlic, minced or grated.
4 Tbsp fresh, organic thyme, leaves only, chopped finely.
4 Tbsp fresh, organic oregano, leaves only, chopped finely.
Lots of sea salt & fresh ground pepper, about 2 Tbsp each or to taste.
1/4 Cup olive oil
4 Tbsp pumpkin seed oil, optional.
2 Tbsp pumpkin seed oil, to finish, optional.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut all vegetables and apples into equal size chunks, I like large ones, just make sure they are uniform in size so that they cook evenly.

Place all vegetables and apples in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and drizzle with the olive oil and 4 Tbsp of pumpkin seed oil, if using. If you are not using the pumpkin seed oil all olive oil is fine.

Mix all ingredients together with your hands till all vegetables and apples are well coated with oil, garlic and herbs.

Place in preheated oven and roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables are brown and soft.

Place on a serving dish and drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp of pumpkin seed oil, if using. Serve with your favorite meat or even a poached egg on top would be wonderful! I served mine with roasted chicken thighs and the left over beet greens, sauteed with garlic and tomatoes!

“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” 
― Herophilus