Farm Fresh Recipes from Keppers Pottery & Produce

Picnics, potlucks, barbecues, county fairs...

Summer is full of opportunities for someone with nightshade and other allergies to go hungry in a crowd!  I almost always bring a small cooler with snacks to these evens and am thrilled if I find one thing that I can safely enjoy. I didn't bring anything with me to Keppers Annual Field & Garden Tour. It was only a 2 hour event and not far from home so I figured I would just skip the food and eat when I got home. Imagine my surprise when Judith laid out a beautiful spread of dishes fresh from their gardens and Ken said to me, "You should be able to eat any of these things with the exception, obviously, of the tomato salad.

It is such a simple pleasure, to be able to go to an event or gathering and share a meal, and one I used to take for granted.  As a host, using simple recipes with minimal ingredients make it easy to modify dishes for your guests while having ingredients lists available and saving packaging from store bought items ensure your guests with allergies or food sensitivities can see for themselves what is safe and what is not.

Thank you to Judith for the wonderful meal and for sharing her recipes on her blog at www.kepperspottery.blogspot.com.

Lunch Hack: Mediterannean Pita

Life has gotten so incredibly busy I often find myself resorting to fast food or coffee shop scones to get through the day. Gaining 10 lbs in the last year and feeling tired all the time tells me I need to get organized again and start packing healthier meals. This morning I had 5 minutes to spare so I looked in the fridge to see if there was something I could throw together to bring along.  This is what I came up with. It worked well for a day that I don't have access to a fridge and didn't have my chillable lunch box with me. I don't know that I would leave it in the car all day on a hot day but it certainly survived a few hours in the office and kept me out of the drive-though.

• 1 individual sized pack (or about 2 tbs) Sabra Hummus
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

• 1/3 package leftover broccoli slaw mix (I almost always have this in the fridge or some type of homemade slaw - just the veggies, no dressing. Almost any variation of julienne veggies will work. I know, it's packaged food but this is one of the compromises I make in the winter when I'm not pulling fresh veggies out of my own garden anyway)
• Pita bread (regular bread, crackers, tortilla chips, whatever...)

I did a quick blend of the hummus and lemon juice, poured it into a container with the slaw mix and viola! By the time I had lunch it had been well tossed and was ready to eat. My only regret is not grabbing a few of the lovely (nightshade free marinated) Greek olives from the fridge to add a little fat to the meal. As it was it was pretty satisfying but the olives would have been the kicker... or some feta... or a little chicken... maybe avocado...

You get the picture, it's not about a recipe here. It's about learning how to work with and make the most out of what you've got while still enjoying nutritious, yummy and SAFE meals.

*Note: sesame seeds can be cross-reactive to nightshade allergy. This means that even though they are not a nightshade, those with nightshade allergy may have trouble with them. I find that I'm OK as long as I don't have too much/too often. If you can't handle sesame seeds it's pretty easy to make your own hummus. Blend up can of garbanzos with1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of salt, a little olive oil and as much water as needed to make it creamy.

Ugly Apple Cookies

They say baking is a precise art, but nothing in my kitchen is precise. I bake the way I cook, glance at a recipe to get an idea and then start putting things together until they are the way I want them. Most of the time it works. Sometimes I fail but sometimes I come up with something good enough to document so I can put it in my 3 ring recipe binder and forget about forever. 

I had a little extra time this evening, which is a rare thing. The boy child was enjoying what was possibly the last nice day of fall and my man was working late in the shop downstairs. I thought it would be nice to have some of his favorite Oatmeal Raisin cookies ready when he was done but I soon realized I didn't have any raisins... or butter... or eggs... and only 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Hmmm...

What I did have was 2 mushy bananas, a freezer full of apples from our woods and some dried cranberries. I combined my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe from Paula Deen with the ingredients I had on hand, a glass of wine in the other hand, and a "devil may care" attitude and ended up with a pretty darn good (and healthy) cookie. Because there is no butter and very little sugar they didn't spread like cookies usually do. They almost have the texture of a muffin. Maybe next time I'll try them in a muffin pan and see what happens.

Ingredients:

2 over-ripe bananas

1/2 cup apple sauce

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup rice milk (or any substitute)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp ground flax

1 cup diced apples

3 cups flour or GF all purpose baking flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 cups old fashioned oats 

2 tsp cinnamon, apple pie spice or any combination of cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice

1 cup dried cranberries

*walnuts would be a nice addition but my kiddo is allergic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Peel and mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add apple sauce, vanilla, rice milk, brown sugar and flax. Stir well. Add apples & combine.

In a separate bowl combine all other ingredients.

Stir together wet & dry ingredients. Add a little more flour or oats if it's too wet.

Drop spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen. Yummy.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients
1 turkey carcass
6 celery stalks, roughly chopped
6 medium carrots, roughly chopped
herbs, chopped-sage, thyme, oregano, rosemary
1 medium roughly chopped yellow onions
3 tbsp garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby arugula
16 oz wild rice blend
Notes / Directions
Put carcass, celery, carrot & onion in stock pot & cover with water

Bring to a boil & simmer 4 hours

Remove carcass, fat, bones, etc. pick meat from bones & return to pot.

Add rice, herbs & seasonings.

Simmer 2 hours, add arugula.

Bhutanese Red Rice Salad

Ingredients
1 cup bhutanese red rice
1 can baby corn, cut in 1/2 inch segments
1 can straw mushrooms, cut in half
2 heads baby bok choi, washed & chopped
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon: ground ginger
1 tsp galangal, optional
1/4 cup soy sauce
Notes / Directions
Prepare rice according to package directions

Add mushrooms, corn & bok choi

Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl

Pour over rice & toss

Serve hot or cold.

Gluten Free Blueberry Scones

I took the day off work to sleep off this cold or flu or whatever it is dragging my butt down today. After almost an entire day on the couch watching back to back episodes of NCIS and compulsively checking Facebook for activity I got an uncontrollable craving for Scones.

I couldn't find a recipe that was free of all the things I needed it to be (wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, potato flour or starch) so I pulled up a few and used them to come up with my own. I don't consider myself a baker and GF baking without eggs is very hit or miss for me so I am amazed at how well they turned out!

Servings: 12
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Category: Breakfast
Ingredients
3 cups Gluten Free flour blend
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp arrowroot starch
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg or egg replacer, i use ground flaxseed in hot water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup, warm
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2-1 cup warm water
2 small flats blueberries
cinnamon/sugar blend
Notes / Directions
Preheat oven to 350

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl

Slowly add melted coconut oil, stirring continuously

Add remaining ingredients except water & stir

Add water 1/4 cup at a time until a firm dough forms

Remove 1/2 of the dough & form into a ball (be careful not to overwork dough)

Place on a cutting board & roll or flatten to 1 1/2 inch thick circle. Cut into 6 & arrange pieces on a baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining dough.

Brush with a little coconut oil & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20 mins

Roasted Garlic Chicken with Root Veggies

Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, pat dry
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
4 tbsp olive oil
1 oranges
1 medium roughly chopped yellow onions
1 cup swanson chicken broth
1 rutabaga, chopped
3 medium beets, chopped -reserve greens
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small red onion, chopped

Notes / Directions
Preheat oven to 375

Combine 2 tbsp salt, 1/2 tbsp pepper and garlic powder, rub chicken with oil & seasoning. Put 1/2 orange & 3 garlic cloves in cavity.

Place chicken on bed of onion & remaining garlic in a roasting pan.

Add chicken broth, cover with foil & bake for an hour.

While chicken is roasting, prep veggies- clean & chop, wash beet greens, separate stems & leaves.

Combine root veggies in baking dish, toss with oil, s&p.

Remove chicken from oven, uncover, baste & return to oven. Turn heat up to 425.

Place roots in oven. Every 15 minutes stir veggies & baste chicken. Cook for 1 hour or until chicken juices run clear. Rest for 10 min. Reserve pan juices.

While chicken rests sauté red onion & beet green stems for 5 min. Add greens & cook until wilted. Add to roots & stir in with balsamic vinegar.

Spoon pan juices over chicken when served.





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Pumpkin Pasta

I have become exceptionally frugal in the last few weeks. I just can't afford to throw anything away. So, tonight when deciding what to cook for dinner, my first priority was what was in the fridge that needed to be used or it would get tossed. I came up with leftover feta from last weekend's pasta, leftover bacon from Sunday breakfast and leftover pumpkin from pumpkin biscuits. This may have been one of my best meals ever. It was so good! (this recipe makes 2 servings with a side or 1 big one if you're hungry like I was!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1/4 cup unsweetened rice milk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 slices cooked bacon
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 oz GF rice fettuccini noodles 
• 2 tbsp roasted pepitas
• sprinkle of feta cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan on med heat. Add onions, cook 5 min. 

Add bacon & cook until bacon is hot & onions are transparent

Add pumpkin puree & rice milk

Simmer on low heat while you cook the noodles according to package directions

Drain noodles & add to pumpkin mixture

S&P to taste

Toss well 

Serve topped with pepitas and feta

Refrigerator Oats

Easy, healthy, no-cook breakfast or high energy snack!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 3/4 cup rice milk
• 1 scoop UltraMeal Vanilla Rice Protein (or 1/2 serving any vanilla protein powder)
• 1/2 cup diced apple
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• pinch sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, cover & put in the refrigerator overnight. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup

My proportions will be vague here because that's how I cook. Don't get caught up in measurements-season to your taste.

1 med butternut squash
1 lg sweet potato
3 carrots
3 small apples - gala, red, braeburn, whatever
1 yellow onion
8 cloves garlic
Chicken or veggie broth
Rice, almond or coconut milk
1 lb bacon or bacon ends if you can get them
Olive oil
Sea salt
Ground clove
Ground nutmeg
Roasted pepitas

Preheat oven to 400
Peel & cube squash, carrot, sweet potato & apples
Place in a large baking dish or roaster
Add about a cup of broth & drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat
Bake until soft (30-45 min stirring every 15 min

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pot- med heat
Add chopped onion & cook until transparent
Add chopped garlic & cook another 3 mins
Add roasted veggies to pot & equal parts milk & broth to 3/4 height of solids
Use an immersion blender to blend, adding more liquid until desired consistency

Sautee bacon and add to soup.
Season with salt, clove & nutmeg to taste.
Top with roasted pepitas or, if you are ambitious, roast the seeds from your squash & use them instead.

All Purpose Bourbon Glaze

This easy glaze adds huge flavor to just about any meat. Use it on chicken, pork, seafood or fish on the grill.

1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup sugar (light brown or raw)
3 tbsp Annie's Naturals Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp soy sauce

Combine all ingredients and marinate meat for a few hours or overnight. Remove meat from marinate and baste while while grilling. Be sure to flip meat after last glazing and cook for 5 minutes.

Reserve leftover marinate and put in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring frequently. Simmer about 10 minutes. Use glaze to drizzle over meat and sides. It's great over simple rice and vegetables!

Colorful Summer Slaw

I came home from the Farmer's Market yesterday with such beautiful produce. I could hardly wait to start finding creative ways to use it. For this fresh summer coleslaw I used chioggia beets but any variety will do. This is also an easy recipe to vary depending on which veggies you have on hand. You'll want to end up with a total of  3 cups grated of any of the following: carrot, radish, kohlrabi, cabbage (any variety), beets (any variety), broccoli (stems and florets). This recipe has no mayo so it's a little lighter/healthier, easier to keep fresh for a picnic and appropriate for those with egg allergies. At a pot-luck or picnic people will "ooh" & "aah" over the visual appeal of the dish with it's bright mix of colors & it's packed with nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, iron, magnesium and folate.

• 2 tablespoons Annie's Naturals Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Cracked black pepper
• 2 Beets (any color or variety)
• 3 Carrots (buy carrots with greens and use can use the tops instead of the parsley)
• 1  Kohlrabi
• (use about 1 cup of each veggie when shredded)
• 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves or carrot tops

Directions

Wash & shred beets, carrots & kohlrabi

In a small, non-metal bowl whisk together mustard, red wine vinegar, mustard seed, honey, salt and olive oil. Season with pepper to taste. combine beets, carrots, kohlrabi and parsley in large serving bowl, pour dressing over salad, toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. This can be served immediately but is better if given a few hours in the fridge for the flavors to blend.

Vietnamese Noodle Salad

Through most of high school I worked in a little family operated Vietnamese restaurant called Pham's. The owner, Hong Pham, worked mostly in the kitchen while his sister ran the front of the house. His parents, who didn't speak english at all, helped in the kitchen prepping the huge quantities of fresh veggies needed for a day's service. I wore a beautiful traditional dress while I waited tables and, with my bleach blond hair cut in an angular bob, people often thought I might be Hong's daughter or niece.

Now we have wonderful restaurants from all the different parts of Asia and Northern Africa in most areas but at the time Asian food was strictly chow mein and fried rice. I instantly fell in love with the unusual fresh, bright flavors and colors. This was so far from the meat and potatoes my midwestern family favored. 

My favorite meal was always the Bun Noodle Salad; warm, marinated meat and onions or crispy spring rolls over chilled noodles and fresh veggies with a zingy fish sauce dressing. This has been a go-to summertime meal and no matter where I have lived over the years, the local Vietnamese restaurant soon got to know me and my love for this salad. It was a special heartbreak the first time I realized it was off-limits with my nightshade allergy due to the chilies and peppers that are in the dressing.

So, of course, I figured out how to make my own version. The first couple of tries were pretty boring. The dressings were so watery and flavorless. I wasn't sure I would be able to get the same zing without chilies. Last night we were really craving a light, healthy meal after a weekend of eating steaks and burgers so I decided to give it another try and it turned out amazing. My husband didn't even add any rooster or scotch bonnet sauce. He always adds spice to my asian cooking! The secret is a special marinade on the meat for extra flavor and to use less water and more ginger in the dressing. For anyone who has stumbled on this recipe who is not avoiding nightshades just add a tablespoon or so of finely diced jalapeño or thai chili before blending the dressing. Also, I used beef but this recipe works with just about anything; chicken, pork, shrimp should all be equally yummy. Measurements are approximate and easy to vary according to taste. Make it your own!

Lastly, this is not a quick recipe. It is easy but time consuming. If I'm taking the time to make it I make extra of everything except the noodles and eat it for lunch over rice for the week.

Meat & Marinade:

1 lb Sirloin Steak or other meat

1 med onion-sliced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup honey

1 lime - juiced

• combine soy sauce, honey & lime juice
• thinly slice beef and combine with marinade at least 6 hours
• saute or stir fry beef with onion & keep warm

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic - minced

2 tbsp fresh ginger - minced

1/8 cup fish sauce

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp sesame oil

• Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor

Salad:

8 oz rice noodles (vermicelli or fettuccine style) 

1 cup fresh cilantro - chopped

3 lg carrots - julienne or shredded

2 cups napa cabbage-finely shredded

1/2 cup cucumber - seeded and sliced thin

1/8 cup fresh mint - chopped

1/8 cup fresh basil - julienne

• cook noodles according to package directions, rinse in cold water
• combine vegetables and herbs

To assemble salad:

• place about 1/2 cup of noodles in the bottom of a bowl.
• layer 1/2 cup veggies on top of noodles
• drizzle with 2 tbsp dressing
• top with beef & onions 

Chicken with Morel Mushroom

Since discovering the joy of Morel mushrooms a few years ago while hiking at Camp St. Croix with an experienced camp employee, I have made a deal with myself.  Where I would previously have turned up my nose at the high price of the interesting looking mushrooms in the small basket that appears for a few short days at the local co-op I have agreed (with myself) that if I am lucky enough to be shopping on a day when these rare beauties are available I will buy them - no matter how tight the budget.

On Sunday I was planning on a quick trip to the market to grab a few items for dinner when I spotted them, the basket of Morels.   They are only available a few days out of the year and I usually find them after they are picked over, small and shriveled, if I get them at all.  This time they must have just been brought in this morning.  They are huge, soft, alive looking.  YUM!

The original recipe that I converted is from Robert Irvine at www.foodnetwork.com.  It was actually nightshade free to begin with but I made a few modifications anyway.   Not exactly a "healthy" or low cal, low fat recipe but was so yummy I wanted to lick the plate.  I have enough restrictions on my diet that I feel no guilt indulging in a luscious cream sauce occasionally.

Ingredients:

Morel Mushrooms (1/2 -1 cup sliced)

5-6 chicken thighs (on the bone with skin)

4 tbsp butter

1 cup red wine

1 cup Swanson's Chicken Broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 lemon

Tinkyada Rice Spaghetti or Fettuccini

-italian parsley & parmesan to taste

• preheat oven to 375
• slice the morels in half and rinse to remove any dirt or bugs, pat dry and slice crosswise, set aside
• sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper on both sides
• heat 2 tbsp butter in large sauté pan on med
• cook chicken skin side down for 8-10 min until browned
• turn over and cook another 5 minutes
• remove chicken and place in a baking dish - cook uncovered
• add the remaining butter to sauté pan
• add mushrooms and cook on low for 2-3 minutes
• add wine, turn up to med and reduce
• add chicken broth and cream, bring to gentle boil and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens (5-10 min)
• pour the sauce and mushroom mixture over the chicken and bake 25-35 minutes until chicken is done

while chicken is baking prepare 16 oz. noodles according to directions, drain and set aside

Toss noodles in a bowl with a enough sauce from the chicken to coat.  Place noodles and chicken on plate, spoon on sauce and top with parmesan and parsley.

Simple Asian Slaw

Ethnic food is challenging when you have a nightshade allergy.  My first job was in a Vietnamese restaurant and cultivated a deep love for all varieties of Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine.  Now, in restaurants, I'm restricted to fried rice or stir fry with Soy Sauce only.  Rather than deprive myself of my favorite foods I've learned to modify many of them into suitable alternatives.  This is a recipe for a simple veggie slaw that I almost always have in the fridge.  It keeps well and is very versatile.  

Ingredients:

• 4 cups total of any combination of red or green cabbage, bok choy, napa cabbage
• 1 cup broccoli stalks – shredded
• 2 lg carrots – shredded
• 1 cup peapods or sugar snap peas – thinly sliced
• 5 green onions – thinly sliced
• 1/4-1/3 cup Bragg’s Ginger Sesame Dressing (or other safe asian ginger dressing)

*chop or shred and add any other veggies that you happen to have on hand – broccoli florets, cauliflower, brussel sprout leaves, celery, radish, whatever!

combine all ingredients in a large sealable container

store in refrigerator 

• Serve chilled as a side for teriyaki grilled chicken or fish
• Add chilled cellophane or rice noodles for a cold salad. 
• Drain well and make it into a wrap for lunch or snack
• Quick stir fry and serve over rice  -  heat on med-high just enough to heat through, be careful not to overcook or it will lose it’s texture (try adding stir fried shitake mushrooms, meat or tofu – stir fry the mushrooms or meat  first and add the slaw for the last minute or two)

Asian Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Red Cabbage

There are a few bonuses to having tricky multiple food allergies.  One of the big pluses is that I have learned to be a very creative cook.  I am always looking for good recipes that I can modify to suit my Nightshade Free diet.  This one was a big hit with my husband.  He loves pork tenderloin but honestly, it's not my favorite so I usually don't make it.  I'll definitely make this one again.  I got the original recipe from Food Network and modified it to eliminate peanut oil and changed the slaw quite a bit based on another recipe I have used in the past.

Here it is.  I hope you enjoy it and I always love to hear other twists you might put on it!

Ingredients:
1 Pork Tenderloin
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder (traditionally nightshade free but ALWAYS double check the label!)
salt & pepper
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1 tsp mirin
juice 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
thinly sliced red cabbage (about 2 cups)
1 small red onion thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 red apple, washed and thinly sliced

1)  Preheat broiler to high and position oven rack 1 level below the top rack

2)  Rub tenderloin with oil, then rub with 5 spice powder and season with salt and pepper.  Place on broiler pan and roast about 10 minutes on each side or until outside browns and meat thermometer reads 150.  Let sit 5 minutes before slicing.

3) While meat is cooking heat remaining sesame oil in a skillet on med heat.  Add cabbage, red onion and apple and sauté until soft.

4) While cabbage sautes, whisk together rice wine vinegar, tamari, mirin and lemon juice.

5) When cabbage is done (some like it barely heated, some like it very wilted - it's up to you!  It could also be kept raw and tossed with the dressing) remove from heat and stir in vinegar mixture.

This recipe serves 2-3.  Serve with rice or a side of crusty french bread.