Savory Leek Crêpes

Photo from  the site Good To Know (no photographer credited)

Sally tells me that this week's farm share from Glade Road Growing will include leeks, so I thought I would come up with a recipe for crêpes.  On weeks when you don't have leeks this  recipe would be good with either spinach or broccoli.

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Serves  6

Crêpe Batter:

1 cup white whole wheat, sprouted whole wheat or unbleached white flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Filling:

1 ir 2 leeks, washed, root end removed, drained and chopped
1 1/4 cups milk
1Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 Teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2/3 cup shredded Gruyère or extra sharp Cheddar cheese
Sea salt and ground nutmeg to taste

If you want a heartier recipe.  You can also add 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped or one cup of cooked white or black beans, slightly mashed, to the filling.

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1.  To make the crêpe batter, combine all the batter ingredients in a blender  and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crêpes will be less likely to tear during cooking.  (If you want to make the batter ahead of time, you can store it for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.)  If you don't have a blender, you can whisk together the eggs, milk and butter in a small bowl.  In a large bowl, make a well in the flour and sprinkle on the salt.  Fill the well with the liquid mixture and then whisk together until fairly smooth and refrigerate.

2.   To cook the crêpes, heat a lightly oiled cast iron skillet on medium  until a bead of water evaporates.  Spoon 1/4 cup of batter into the middle of the pan.  Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.  Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay he crêpes out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone.  This will make about 18 crêpes.  (After they have cooled you can stack the crêpes and store in seal-able plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. If you are using frozen crepes, you will need to thaw them on a rack before gently peeling them apart.

3.   To make the filling, first melt the butter in the bottom of a saucepan and saute the leeks for 2 minutes, cover and cook for a further 3-4 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a plate.

4.  Mix flour with a bit of milk to make a paste.  Add remaining milk to the saucepan and bring to a rolling simmer.   Gradually stir in butter and the flour paste until it thickens. Turn down to warm and stir in the cheese to melt.  Stir in  mustard, cooked leeks, salt and nutmeg, and, if desired, chicken or beans.

5.  Divide the filling among the cooked crepes,, putting a bit in the center and then folding in half and then half again, as shown in  photograph.

6.  Serve warm.  This would be good with a salad, made from this week's baby escarole, with chopped tomatoes and sweet peppers.

Heirloom Tomato and Onion Pie

Photo from Emily Hilliard's pie blog, Nothing in the House.


When I was at Glade Road Growing on Friday picking up my farm share, JP suggested an onion pie recipe this week,  I had just seen a recipe for tomato pie thanks to my friend writer and artist Angelyn DeBord of Appalshop, who got it from WV State Folklorist Emily Hilliard, who, in turn, adapted it from that wonderful Eastern Kentucky (Corbin) native Ronni Lundy's cookbook, Shuck Beans, Stack Cakes, and Honest Fried Chicken.  So in answer to JP's request, I've added more onions to Ronni's recipe and made some other changes.

Lundy believes that tomato pie is derived from that southern restaurant favorite stewed tomatoes. Many other recipes for tomato pie include mayonnaise, but I prefer otherwise, as does Hilliard.   My pie crust adds  cornmeal and grated Parmesan cheese. I also prefer my tomatoes and onions sliced, rather than chopped, since they are so pretty.

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Serves  6

Crust:3/4 cup white whole wheat  or sprouted wheat flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 T cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or you can substitute extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup yogurt + 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water or milk)


Filling:
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 cup red or white onion, sliced thin
3 cups fresh tomatoes, sliced and left to dry a bit on the counter for a half-hour
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 or five fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon sea salt


1. To make the crust, whisk together in a medium bowl, the flour, corn meal and salt, then use your fingers to work in the butter or olive oil.  Pour buttermilk into the flour mixture and stir until well blended but still damp. Roll into a ball, cover and refrigerate, which will allow the fat to form layers that make for a flakier crust.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the Tablespoon of butter into a large skillet. Add onions and cook until softened.

3.  Drain the juice from the tomatoes and add milk to the juice. Add a bit of the liquid mixture to the cornstarch and stir to make a smooth paste.  Whisk the sugar, cornstarch paste, and spices into the remaining liquid mixture until well blended.  Pour into the skillet with the onions and turn heat to medium.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

4.  Layer the tomato slices on top of the onions and liquid mixture.

4.  Turn the pie crust dough out onto a floured board and roll into a circle the size of your skillet.  Cut into strips about an inch wide for the lattice top.  Lay the strips of dough over the top of the filling,  weaving to make a lattice, if desired.

4. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the dough is golden-brown.

Grilled Eggplant and Fennel

Photo from Gibbet Hill Farm

Sally tells me that tomorrow's farm share from Glade Road Growing is slated to include fennel, eggplant, sweet pepper, garlic, beets and tomatoes.  Continuing with the hot weather recipes, here's one for grilled eggplant and fennel.




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Serves 4


1 large eggplant or 2 small eggplants cut into 1/2 inch thick rounds
1 fennel bulb, stalks and fronds away and reserve for another use, with core trimmed until there is
      just enough to hold the fennel together, cut into quarters.   Slice one of the more tender stalks on a       slant and chop up a few fronds for garnish in this recipe.
2 tomatoes, cut into eights

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 dash paprika
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

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1.  Prep vegetables.

2.  Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl.  Add eggplant and fennel and toss until covered.

3.  Grill eggplant and fennel on medium grill 5 - 8 minutes per side.  Fennel should retain some crispness.  Eggplant should be tender.  If you don't have a grill, you can roast the veggies in the oven on a parchment paper covered baking sheet at 450 degrees F.  It will probably take 10 minutes on each side.

4.  Drizzle with some more balsamic vinegar and serve warm on separate plates, garnished with tomato wedges and a few fennel fronds. If you would like for this to be a meal, rather than a side, you can combine with 2 cups of cooked beans or or 2 cups of cooked chicken or 1/4 pound of  feta cheese and 4 tablespoons of pine nuts, walnuts or peanuts.

Heirloom Tomatoes with Arugula, Onion and Basil

Photo from Christine at Fresh Local and Best.

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Sally tells me this week's share from Glade Road Growing  will include eggplant,  a sweet pepper, a red onion, tomatoes, arugula and basil.  Add some zucchini and you have the makings for ratatouille. Or, if you want, you can grill the eggplant and pepper outside and serve it with this salad.

If you like, this would be good topped with crumbled feta cheese and pitted kalamata olives.  To make it a main course, you could add 2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans (cooking directions) and 4 hard-boiled eggs quartered.


Serves 4


Ingredients

1-2 pounds of heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced crosswise into disks
4 cups fresh arugula, loosely packed
1/2 onion, finely chopped
8 or more fresh basil leaves,  chiffonade-cut (stacked, rolled and sliced thin into ribbons)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


1.  In a large bowl, add the arugula and drizzle with olive oil, 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of sea salt.  Toss gently to coat the leaves.

2.  Plate the arugula.   Top with tomatoes and basil.  Season with pepper.

Raw Beet Slaw

Photograph from Crissy Cavanaugh's recipe collection at her blog.

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When I went by Glade Road Growing last Friday to pick up my share, Sally suggested I continue the no-cook option with a beet slaw this week.  I took my inspiration from the above photograph.

Serves 4

2 raw beets, peeled and shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 green onion, root end removed and chopped
½ cup pecans
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup raw shredded coconut
1 TB orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon cumin
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1.  Combine the green onions, oil, horseradish, lime juice, orange juice, cumin and pecans  together in a large bowl.

2.  Fold in the beets, carrots, apples and cilantro.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Chill for at least an hour or overnight.  


For a bonus, take a look at Freya Bellin's recipe for raw beet tartare I found at Mark Bittman's site. I think it would be really good with goat cheese on pitas!