Carrot Ginger Soup

Bowl of carrot ginger soup

Ingredients:
 ▪ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
▪ 1 c.chopped yellow onions
▪ 3 garlic cloves, smashed
▪ 2 c. chopped carrots
▪ 1½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
▪ 3 c.  vegetable broth
▪ Salt to taste
▪ dollops of sour cream optional

Instructions:
 Heat the olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the onions and 2 pinches of salt. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, until transparent. Add the smashed garlic cloves and carrots to the pot and cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the ginger. Add broth. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the carrots are soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Return to clean pot, bring to simmer, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with a a dollop of sour cream if desired.

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Lentil Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 bag of uncooked lentils
1 tomato cut in small cubes
2 minced shallots
1/3 of green bell pepper cut into 1/4″ small cubes
2 leaves of fennel, cut into 1/4″ cubes
4 leaves of raddiccio, largely chopped
4 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar
4 Tblsp. plumb vinegar
8 Tblsp. extra virgin olives oil
1/2 c. white wine
Salt to taste

Soak the lentils in cold water for one hour. Put the lentils in a pot with a large amount of water, white wine and salt and cook for 25 minutes, until al dente. Strain. Cool inrefrigerator for 1/2 hr. Stir in ingredients one by one. Chill and serve.

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Our Roadside Plant Wagon

The Roadside Pant Wagon has caused some confusion. It was first started in 2011 so my neighbors could buy BBP plants without coming up to the nursery. There are annuals, perennials, vegetables and seasonal plants. It has since become a destination for many homeowners from all over and that’s fantastic!

For you professional gardeners, if you need just a handful of those plants (1-5 pots) by all means take from there and pay in drop-box, cash or check, no receipt. Restocking the RPW is hard. All plants on it are also up in the nursery at the same price with a receipt.

So please buy what you can up here at the nursery yard. Thanks!

Plants on wagon wheel
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Plastic Recycling

New Rules for returning plastic…the backlog continues. I’m having a big problem with where this plastic waste goes. Last fall, we neatly filled a 30 yard recycling roll-off dumpster with only #6 plastic (carriers, flats, plug trays, etc.) and they (unnamed) carted it away to the landfill! So until the process changes we can only take back #2 pots. The thin pots, trays, etc. should go back to the plant supplier you purchased them from and they can … 1) throw them in the landfill, 2) reuse what they can, #3 collect them in hopes that in the future there is a better solution. – JB

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Summer Tomato & Mint Sauce

Wondering what to do with all that mint in your garden?
Join forces with your abundant tomato harvest!
This summer pasta sauce is light, flavorful and refreshing.
Best served with medium shells or orecchiette.
Makes about 4 quarts. You may also serve over grilled chicken or fish.
Freeze some for later…

Ingredients

1/2 c olive oil
128 oz canned tomato or pureed fresh tomato
1 large sweet onion
3-4 Bell peppers
2 C chicken broth
12 cloves garlic 2 T dried fennel seeds (optional)
1/2 c dry vermouth or dry white wine (optional)
2 c chopped fresh mint leaves – Spearmint or peppermint will be fine.
2-3 tsp. each: fresh oregano, basil & thyme
or
11/2 each if dried
1 T Salt
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Black pepper (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Method
Use a large stock pot, heat olive oil over low-medium heat.
Add onion and pepper, semi cover and cook slowly until transparent, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, cook slowly for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add fennel seeds, stir for about 30 seconds.
Add salt. Add tomato. Add broth. Add red pepper flakes (optional…to taste)
Add black pepper  (optional…to taste). Bring to a simmer – this may take about 1 hr.
Simmer about 15-30 minutes.. Note, this is not a thick sauce.
Stir in chopped mint. Simmer 10 minutes.
Remove from heat. Pour over pasta. Top with parmesan.

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Sunchoke Chips with Warm Blue-Cheese Dip

sunchoke harvest

Ingredients:
Greek Yogurt, 1 c.
Crumbled Blue Cheese, 4 T.
Ground Pepper, 1 tsp.
Salt, 1 T.
Rosemary, 1 1/2 tsp., finely chopped
Sunchokes, 2 lbs.
Fresh Chives, 2 T.
Vegetable oil

In medium saucepan over low heat, heat 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese and 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper for about 10 minutes, stirring well to combine. Keep warm. In a small bowl, toss 1 tablespoon salt and 11/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary to combine; set aside. Thinly sliced 2 pounds of well-scrubbed large suncokes. In a large sauté pan with thermometer attached, over medium high heat, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil until it reaches 375ºF. Working in batches, fry sun chokes until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain and immediately sprinkle hot chips with rosemary salt. Garnish warm blue cheese dip with 2 tablespoons chopped chives and a dash more pepper and serve alongside chips.

Per serving:
protein 6g ; fat  19g ; carbohydrate 2-g ; fiber 2 g ; sodium 1.256mg ; cholesterol 11mg ; calories 268.

 

by Carrie Purcell

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