Recipes from Chinquapin gardeners
Check out some of these tasty recipes from Chinquapin gardeners, many of which have made appearances at our picnic and socials. They're a great way to use produce grown in your community garden plot!
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Have a recipe to share? Use this form to SUBMIT!
Tomato Tart
Picnic recipe from Diane Miller
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (4 oz, 115g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
6 tablespoons (90ml) ice water
For the tomato topping:
4 medium (or 3 large) fresh tomatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds (680g)
Salt
Freshly grated black pepper
1 cup (90g) finely grated Gruyère
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil,
For the filling
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups (360g) whole milk ricotta
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 large egg
1/3 cup (30g) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly grated black pepper
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 400ºF
Tart dough:
1. To make the tart dough, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter and mix until the butter pieces are the size of peas.
2. Add the ice water and continue to mix just until the dough comes together. Gather the dough with your hands, shape it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Tomato prep:
Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch (2cm) slices and set them in a colander, sprinkle them very lightly with a little bit of salt as you lay them in. Let tomatoes drain for about for 30 minutes.
Filling:
1. Add the whole milk ricotta, mustard, minced garlic, the egg, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne to a blender and mix until smooth.
Dough & assembly:
1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 14-inch circle. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Pour the tart filling in the center of the dough circle and let it slowly spread to within 2 inches of the edges – spread with a spatula if necessary.
2. Line a dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels. Remove the tomatoes from the colander and, working in batches, set a few tomatoes at a time on the paper towels to remove excess moisture, then arrange them in overlapping circles over the filling. Grind a little black pepper over the tomatoes. Take the 2” border of dough without any topping on it and fold over the tomatoes to enclose them and make a crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle the tart, including the crust, with the grated Gruyère and bake until the tart is golden brown on top, for another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool and firm enough to slide the tart onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
– Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz
Shredded carrot salad
Picnic recipe from Jillian Thompson
3 cup shredded carrots
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
1/2 salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Toss together carrots, scallions, lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.
— From 365 Great Barbecue & Grilling Recipes, by Lonnie Gandara
Vegetable ceviche
Picnic recipe from Karen Late
2 cups sliced hearts of palm
1 12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut into pieces
Juice of 5 limes (or 10 tablespoons from a bottle)
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 small Serrano pepper
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Soak the red onions with warm water and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, rinse and drain.
2. Mix the sliced onions, lime juice, vinegar and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and let rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Chocolate zucchini bread
Recipe from Maxine Sorenson
2 cups flour
1 tsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsps vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1) Mix first five ingredients together, Set aside.
2) In large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla together. Add zucchini, mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well. Add oil and beat until smooth.
4) Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
5) Pour into two greased 8x4x3 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour.
Quick Cucumber Salad
Recipe from Don Stokes
1 cucumber
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill
Peel cucumber and slice as thinly as possible. Combine with remaining ingredients and refrigerate at least two hours. Makes two servings. Recipe can be doubled or tripled as needed.
Green Tomato Crisp
Filling:
4 green tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup vegetable stock
Pinches of salt and pepper
Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 stick melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1) Preheat oven to 350. Spray deep pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Stir together tomatoes, onions, parsley, stock, salt and pepper. Pour into pie pan.
3) In another bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter with fork until becomes crumbly. Add in pecans.
4) Sprinkle cornmeal mixture over tomato mixture.
5) Bake 40 minutes.
-- Adapted from The Washington Post
Picnic recipe from Diane Miller
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups (210g) flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (4 oz, 115g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
6 tablespoons (90ml) ice water
For the tomato topping:
4 medium (or 3 large) fresh tomatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds (680g)
Salt
Freshly grated black pepper
1 cup (90g) finely grated Gruyère
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil,
For the filling
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 cups (360g) whole milk ricotta
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 large egg
1/3 cup (30g) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly grated black pepper
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 400ºF
Tart dough:
1. To make the tart dough, mix the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cold butter and mix until the butter pieces are the size of peas.
2. Add the ice water and continue to mix just until the dough comes together. Gather the dough with your hands, shape it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Tomato prep:
Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch (2cm) slices and set them in a colander, sprinkle them very lightly with a little bit of salt as you lay them in. Let tomatoes drain for about for 30 minutes.
Filling:
1. Add the whole milk ricotta, mustard, minced garlic, the egg, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne to a blender and mix until smooth.
Dough & assembly:
1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a 14-inch circle. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Pour the tart filling in the center of the dough circle and let it slowly spread to within 2 inches of the edges – spread with a spatula if necessary.
2. Line a dinner plate with a few layers of paper towels. Remove the tomatoes from the colander and, working in batches, set a few tomatoes at a time on the paper towels to remove excess moisture, then arrange them in overlapping circles over the filling. Grind a little black pepper over the tomatoes. Take the 2” border of dough without any topping on it and fold over the tomatoes to enclose them and make a crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
8. Remove the tart from the oven and sprinkle the tart, including the crust, with the grated Gruyère and bake until the tart is golden brown on top, for another 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool and firm enough to slide the tart onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped basil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
– Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz
Shredded carrot salad
Picnic recipe from Jillian Thompson
3 cup shredded carrots
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley
1/2 salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Toss together carrots, scallions, lemon juice, olive oil, cilantro, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.
— From 365 Great Barbecue & Grilling Recipes, by Lonnie Gandara
Vegetable ceviche
Picnic recipe from Karen Late
2 cups sliced hearts of palm
1 12-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut into pieces
Juice of 5 limes (or 10 tablespoons from a bottle)
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 small Serrano pepper
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Soak the red onions with warm water and a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, rinse and drain.
2. Mix the sliced onions, lime juice, vinegar and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and let rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Chocolate zucchini bread
Recipe from Maxine Sorenson
2 cups flour
1 tsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsps vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1) Mix first five ingredients together, Set aside.
2) In large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla together. Add zucchini, mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well. Add oil and beat until smooth.
4) Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
5) Pour into two greased 8x4x3 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour.
Quick Cucumber Salad
Recipe from Don Stokes
1 cucumber
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill
Peel cucumber and slice as thinly as possible. Combine with remaining ingredients and refrigerate at least two hours. Makes two servings. Recipe can be doubled or tripled as needed.
Green Tomato Crisp
Filling:
4 green tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup vegetable stock
Pinches of salt and pepper
Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 stick melted butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1) Preheat oven to 350. Spray deep pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Stir together tomatoes, onions, parsley, stock, salt and pepper. Pour into pie pan.
3) In another bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter with fork until becomes crumbly. Add in pecans.
4) Sprinkle cornmeal mixture over tomato mixture.
5) Bake 40 minutes.
-- Adapted from The Washington Post
