Recipe Repository

This is a fairly standard stuffed pepper recipe, but I wanted to write it down with the proportions I used, since I just made this off the top of my head. This goes well with fresh guacamole and a little salad on the side. Serves 2-4.

Ingredients:
2 Poblano peppers (substitute bell peppers if you can’t find Poblanos or prefer a dish without any “heat”)
2/3 cup ground pork sausage*
1 cup cooked rice
3 scallions, white and half of green parts chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
1 small tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 pinch cinnamon

Instructions:
Break up the sausage into small pieces and place into a non-stick frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the meat is browned. Add the chopped vegetables and spices, and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Turn off the heat and add the cooked rice, mixing well to combine. The filling can be stored in the refrigerator for a day or two if you want to make this ahead of time.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash the Poblano peppers and slice each in half from top to bottom. Carefully cut out the stem and pinch out the white ribs inside. Roll up four pieces of aluminum foil and form into rings. Place rings in a 9-inch square baking dish (or larger). Divide the filling into four equal portions and fill each pepper half. Place each filled pepper on one of the rings in the baking dish (this keeps them from tipping over during baking). Pour a little water in the bottom of the baking dish and cover the entire dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until the peppers are slightly tender and the filling is heated through.

*I used free-range, Certified Naturally Grown pork purchased directly from Walter Jeffries and his family at Sugar Mountain Farm. If you are using a pre-cooked sausage, cook the vegetables in a little olive oil first, then add the sausage and the rice together with the heat turned off. Vegetarians can substitute their favorite faux-meat product for the pork sausage.

This alliterative recipe is a quick, easy summertime favorite. Serves 4 as a main dish or 8 as a side dish.

Ingredients:
1 lb dried pasta, any shape
2 cups fresh English peas, shelled and blanched
1/3 cup fresh basil pesto (adjust to taste)
1 small in-season tomato or a small handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped (optional - omit if fresh tomatoes are not available)
grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
In a large pot cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Do not overcook! While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl combine pesto with two tablespoons of boiling water to thin the sauce out just a bit.

When pasta is done, drain thoroughly (do NOT rinse) and replace in cooking pot. Add pesto, peas, and chopped tomatoes, and toss well so that all of the noodles are completely coated with pesto. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh grated Parmesan on top.

Adapted from this recipe posted on the Old Shaw Farm blog. When we tried the original recipe I found the sauce a bit too rich. Cutting back on the peanut butter should help. This dish is fairly simple and a great way to get more kale in your diet! Serves 2 for a main dish or 4 for a side dish.

Ingredients
1 large or 2 small bunches kale, washed and de-stemmed
1/2 lb. pasta (thin rice noodles or regular spaghetti)
2 Tbsp. all-natural peanut butter
3 Tbsp. chili-garlic sauce
2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
a splash of water

Preparation
In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, chili sauce, tamari and sugar. Add a little water to thin out the sauce a bit. Set aside.

Rinse the kale and cook it wet in a large frying pan (no oil needed). Cook on medium heat until tender. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package directions and drain, then add them to the pan with the cooked kale. Pour the sauce in and toss well. Serve hot or at room temperature.

This is a great summer pasta dish that my mother and I started making several years ago. The sweetness of the tomatoes goes perfectly with the savory heat of the chilies. Serves 4.

Ingredients
8 medium garden-grown or vine tomatoes (or 14 small roma tomatoes), roughly chopped (seeds and skins may be removed, if desired)
2-3 Anaheim chili peppers (or any mild chili), seeded and minced
8 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. fresh or dried pasta, any shape

In a large, deep frying pan, sauté the chilies in the olive oil over medium heat, until they change color a bit and become tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic and salt and pepper, and continue to cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes are soft and begin to break up. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Turn off the heat when the tomatoes are cooked.

In a large pasta pot, bring salted water to the boil and add the pasta, cooking according to the package directions. Do not overcook! Drain the cooked pasta and then add it to the pan containing the sauce. Turn the heat on, sprinkle on the basil, and toss the pasta so that it is evenly coated. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, if desired.