Cat­e­gory: Side Dish

Plac­er­Grown ingre­di­ents used: Onions Radishes Wine

Ingre­di­ents:

• Cook­ing spray
• 1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 tea­spoon minced fresh thyme
• 3 cups small radishes — all about the same size
• 1 cup Chardonnay
• 1 Table­spoon butter
• 1/2 tea­spoon salt
• 1 Table­spoon chopped fresh parsley.

Instruc­tions:
Heat a medium saucepan coated with cook­ing spray over medium-low heat. Add onion and thyme; cook 3 min­utes, stir­ring fre­quently. Stir in radishes; cook 1 minute, stir­ring con­stantly. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and sim­mer 5 min­utes or just until ten­der. Remove radishes from pan with a slot­ted spoon. Cook wine mix­ture 2 min­utes or until slightly thick, stir­ring occa­sion­ally. Remove from heat and stir in but­ter and salt. Pour wine mix­ture over radishes and sprin­kle with pars­ley. Serve imme­di­ately. Serves 6.

Serves 6; Recipe By Courtney McDonald

Ingredients:
-1 pound beets, any color, washed, stem and root ends removed
-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
-1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
-2 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
-2 cups vegetable stock
-2 tsp. sugar
-1/2 cup buttermilk
-salt and pepper, to taste
-1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss the washed beets with ¼ cup olive oil and 1 Tbsp. salt. Spread on a baking sheet and add 2 Tbsp. water. Cover the baking sheet very tightly with foil and roast in the oven until tender – about 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the beets. The water will steam the beets while roasting. When beets are tender, remove from the oven to cool slightly.

While beets are cooling, heat a small soup pot over medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil, onion and carrot. Sweat, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to scrape the skins off. Cut into quarters and add to the soup pot. Add the vegetable stock and enough water to cover the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes to marry flavors. Remove the pot from the heat. Using a blender, puree the soup to a fine consistency. Finish with the sugar and buttermilk, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place soup over an ice bath to speed chilling and thin the consistency with cold
water, if necessary. Once soup is chilled, add the chopped dill and serve.

Cat­e­gory: Main Dish

Plac­er­Grown ingre­di­ents used: Arugula Chiles Cucum­bers Onions Pep­pers Toma­toes

Served with these Plac­er­Grown Prod­ucts: Toma­toes

Ingre­di­ents:

• 4 large cucum­bers — peeled
• 4 assorted col­ored bell pep­pers — seeded
• 1 cup cilantro or arugula
• 2 cups green onions — sliced (2 bunches)
• 1/2 cup assorted chopped chilies that have been roasted peeled and seeded
• 2 cloves gar­lic — mashed
• 1 table­spoon white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tea­spoons salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups fresh-diced toma­toes for garnish

Instruc­tions:
Cut cucum­bers in half length­wise, and slice into chunks. Dice pep­pers. Place cucum­bers, pep­pers, cilantro, scal­lions and chilies in blender or food proces­sor, and process until smooth. Add gar­lic, vine­gar, salt and olive oil, and mix well. Add water, taste, and adjust sea­son­ing with salt and vine­gar. Add more water to thin soup if needed. Chill in refrig­er­a­tor until cold, 2–3 hours. Serve in chilled bowls topped with fresh-diced toma­toes. Serves 4–6.

Cat­e­gory: Dessert

Plac­er­Grown ingre­di­ents used: Eggs, Oranges (Blood and Navel), and Walnuts

Ingre­di­ents:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2-cup cocoa
• 2 1/2 tea­spoons bak­ing powder
• 1 1/2 tea­spoons soda
• 1-teaspoon salt
• 1-teaspoon cin­na­mon
• 3/4-cup soft butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tea­spoons vanilla
• 2 tea­spoons orange peel
• 2 cups coarsely shred­ded zucchini
• 1/2-cup milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2-cup raisins (optional)

Instruc­tions:
Com­bine the flour, cocoa, bak­ing pow­der, soda, salt, and cin­na­mon; set aside. With an elec­tric mixer beat together the but­ter and sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, beat­ing well after each addi­tion. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange peel, and zuc­chini. Alter­nately stir the dry ingre­di­ents and the milk into zuc­chini mix­ture, includ­ing the nuts and raisins with the last addi­tion. Pour bat­ter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in cen­ter comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 min­utes; turn out on wire rack to cool thor­oughly. Driz­zle with an orange glaze.

Serves 2 – recipe by Courtney McDonald

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup fresh citrus segments- mandarins, grapefruit, orange, blood orange or mix of all
-1 small head butter lettuce or ½ head other lettuce (you could also use 1 bunch arugula or mizuna)
-1 tsp. Meyer lemon juice
-zest of 1 Meyer lemon
-1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
-1/4 cup toasted walnuts, broken into small pieces
-1/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese
-salt and pepper, to taste

Place the citrus segments into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Separate the lettuce leaves, and wash and dry well. Tear leaves into bite-size pieces and add to the mixing bowl. While tossing gently, slowly add the Meyer lemon juice and zest. Next add the olive oil and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the salad on two salad plates. Top with the chopped walnuts and goat cheese and serve immediately!

Cat­e­gory: Baked Goods

Plac­er­Grown ingre­di­ents used: Blue­ber­ries, Eggs

Ingre­di­ents:

• Crumb top:
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 table­spoons unsalted but­ter — chilled
• Cake bat­ter:
• 3 table­spoons unsalted but­ter — room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tea­spoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream (not fat reduced)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tea­spoon bak­ing soda
• 1/2 tea­spoon bak­ing powder
• 1/4 tea­spoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blue­ber­ries — rinsed and dried
• 2 table­spoons unbleached all-purpose flour

Instruc­tions:
Rub crock pot gen­er­ously with but­ter. Place the sugar and flour in a small bowl and using your fin­gers, rub in the but­ter until coarse crumbs are formed. Set aside. With an elec­tric mixer, cream the but­ter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, the vanilla, and the sour cream; beat well on medium-low speed 30 sec­onds. Add the flour, bak­ing soda, and salt. Beat about 30 sec­onds on medium-high speed, until thick and fluffy. Do not over beat. Fold in the blue­ber­ries. Spread evenly into the cooker. Sprin­kle with the crumbs. Cover and cook on HIGH 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until puffed and a cake tester inserted into the cen­ter comes out clean. Let stand 30 min­utes in the uncov­ered cooker before cut­ting small wedges to serve warm or at room tem­per­a­ture straight out of the crock.

Serves 8; prep time – 10 minutes

Ingredients:
-4 small cucumbers, about 4-5 inches long
-1 basket cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved
-1 bag spicy greens mix, or 2 cups each arugula and mizuna
-2 Tbsp. julienned fresh mint leaves
-2 Tbsp. julienned fresh basil leaves
-2 tsp. white balsamic vinegar
-2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. XV olive oil
-salt and pepper, to taste

Rinse the cucumbers and thinly slice them crosswise to form small rounds. Place them in a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the cherry tomatoes, spicy greens, fresh mint and basil. Toss to combine. Slowly add the vinegar and olive oil, tossing gently, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Serves 6; Recipe by Courtney McDonald

Ingredients:
-6 large or 12 baby carrots, scrubbed and trimmed (if using large carrots, cut in half lengthwise)
-4 sprigs fresh thyme
-2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
-1/2 Tbsp. Curry Powder
-2 Tbsp. water
-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
-1/2 pound fresh summer beans (yellow wax, blue lake or mix), washed and trimmed
-1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
-salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the carrots with the thyme, olive oil, and curry powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper and lay out evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet . Roast, stirring occasionally, until carrots are slightly softened – about 20 minutes. Add the water, garlic, raisins and summer beans.

Continue to roast until carrots and beans are cooked/steamed through-about 20 more minutes. If vegetables are cooking too quickly, add a few drops of water to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and serve immediately as a side dish. Would pair well with chicken, pork or lamb, or would make a great chilled lunch alone garnished with
goat cheese. Enjoy!

Serves 6; Recipe by Courtney McDonald

Ingredients:
-2 heads cauliflower, trimmed of greens
-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
-1/2 Tbsp. curry powder
-4 cloves garlic, smashed
-1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
-salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the cauliflower into large bite-size chunks. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, curry powder and smashed garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper and lay out evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet . Roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is nicely caramelized – about 20 minutes. Add the golden raisins. Continue to roast until cauliflower is soft but not mushy, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately as a side dish.

-6 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
-2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
-3 Tbsp. mild curry powder
-2 medium winter squash, such as acorn, turban, kabocha or butternut
-3 Tbsp. local honey
-salt and pepper, to taste

Make the curry oil:  Heat the olive oil, butter, curry powder in a small pot over low heat until the butter melts.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer until the curry becomes very fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Set aside 4 Tbsp. curry oil for the chutney.

Preheat oven to 425.  Carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half in half again lengthwise.  Lay out the squash on a rimmed baking sheet or large glass baking dish, cut side up.  Drizzle evenly with the remaining curry/butter/oil mixture and honey.  Season again lightly with salt, cover with foil and bake until squash is tender, 30-40 minutes.  Remove foil and allow to caramelize for another 5 minutes.  While the squash is roasting, make the persimmon chutney.

For the chutney:

Ingredients:

-4 Tbsp reserved curry oil from above recipe
-1 large yellow onion, finely diced
-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
-4 firm-ripe fuyu persimmons, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
-3/4 cup golden raisins or other dried frit
-1/2 cup rinsed and drained capers
-salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the curry oil over medium-high heat in a medium pot.  Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.  Add the diced persimmon and cook until barely softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the dried fruit, capers, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside until squash is finished roasting.

Transfer squash to a serving platter and top with a generous spoonful of the persimmon chutney, serve immediately.