courtesy of Dr. Weil (www.drweil.com)

Description
Even if your kids don’t like broccoli, they will eat these pancakes. You can serve them as a side dish, however they are certainly a meal on their own if you want to serve them as an entrée. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables including cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnip greens and kale are rich in antioxidants, which help protect against both cancer and heart disease.

Food as Medicine
It is especially important to eat broccoli if you are pregnant. One cup supplies 94 mcg of folic acid; a deficiency of this vital nutrient has been linked to birth defects including spina bifida.

Ingredients
1 large head broccoli
1/4 cup coarsely chopped onion
1/2 small hot chili pepper or 1 teaspoon chili paste
1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 pinch salt
1 large egg or 2 egg whites
1/4 cup low-fat milk
A sprinkling of paprika

Mock Sour Cream:
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 small onion or large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Sprinkling of chopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. Cut the florets off the head of the broccoli and separate them by cutting the large ones in half so they are all more or less the same size. You should have about 3 cups. Discard the stalks, or save them along with any remaining florets to use in soup or a vegetable stir-fry.

2. Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium pan, then drop in the broccoli florets, cover, and let steam as they cook, for 3 minutes. Strain in a colander.

3. Put the steamed broccoli, onions, chili and garlic in a food processor and pulse on and off to chop (do not puree the vegetables), or chop by hand. Transfer the chopped ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir in the oil, flour, dill, and salt. Add the egg or egg whites and milk and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

4. Smear the bottom of a large, nonstick skillet with 1/4 teaspoon of butter and set it over medium heat for about 1 minute. Drop tablespoons of the batter into the hot skillet, placing them far enough apart so that the pancakes don’t touch, and cook over low to medium heat for about 1 minute. Turn the pancakes and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer them to a hot platter to keep warm while you continue making the rest until all the batter is used up.

5. Mix all of the ingredients for the Mock Sour Cream together and spoon 1 teaspoonful on top of each pancake, then top with a sprinkle of paprika.

Makes 20 1-inch pancakes – 2 per person.

gluten & dairy free

Jolinda Hamilton
Hamilton Farms, Clinton, Arkansas

4 lbs green beans
1-3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3–1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
3–1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
7 garlic cloves
5 cups water
5 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup caning salt

Wash beans and remove ends.  Cut beans into 2 inch pieces, divide among several pint jars.  Put 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon dill seeds, and one clove of garlic into each of the jars.  Combine water, vinegar, and salt and bring quickly to a boil.  Pour boiling liquid over beans, leaving 1/2 inch in headroom.  Process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Note: If you are a novice canner, please consult The Ball Blue Book or the USDA Food and Nutrition Center for accurate, reliable information for home canners.

gluten & dairy free

I love to collect fresh herbs in late spring/early summer and make this delicious warm potato dish. The herbs come alive when mixed with the warm potatoes. Scallions/green onions work well in this recipe too!

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley or any combo of herbs
½ cup chopped chives
4 tablespoons of olive oil
Sea salt and black cracked pepper to taste
Steam potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender.  Transfer to bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.

gluten & dairy free

This recipe works with all hearty greens, but it works especially well with spinach.

1 cup balsamic vinegar
½ c. extra virgin olive oil
a handful of basil leaves, chopped
8 cups of spinach, washed well
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Simmer vinegar in small saucepan until slightly reduced. Add olive oil and basil.  Lower heat and set aside.  Place wet spinach in large saucepan on medium heat and cover. Spinach will wilt quickly. Remove spinach from heat and drain.  Place on a platter, season with salt and pepper and drizzle balsamic mixture over spinach.

gluten & dairy free

Make this salad with veggies straight from your CSA and notice as you slowly take each bite just how miraculous vegetables are!  It is incredible how little we really need to “dress up” farm-fresh veggies.

2 heads of butterhead, Boston or bibb lettuce, washed
4 radishes trimmed and sliced thinly
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Tear lettuce into small pieces.  Add lettuce, radishes and carrots to a bowl.  Whisk vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper and pour over salad.  Toss gently.

gluten & dairy free

Some of these recipes call for veggie stock or broth, use this!  Make batches ahead of time and freeze.  Defrost to make quick soups and stews.

8 cups of cold water
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 leeks chopped
10 peppercorns
Sprigs of fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, parsley

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 75 minutes.  Strain through sieve and discard solids.  Let cool and refrigerate.  Containers can be frozen for about three months.

gluten free

Lisa Jessup
Common Ground Farm, Beacon, New York

1 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups water
2 cups snap peas
1 cup white wine
bundle of spring herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon, thyme, chervil)
2 heads of lettuce, chopped
large handful arugula, chopped
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cream plus 1/2 cup (to be whipped for garnish)
1/2 cup chopped sorrel (spring green with lemony flavor)
Sweat onions in butter over medium-low heat in a large soup pot for about 10 minutes.  Blanch snap peas in boiling water for one minute and plunge into ice cold water.  Reserve pea water.  Add wine, pea water, and bundle of herbs to the pot and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and add one cup of cream.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add lettuce and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove herb bundle and blend soup in small batches in blender until smooth.  Add sea salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with unsweetened whipped cream, chopped sorrel and the peas.  Serve hot or cold.  Serves 6.

gluten & dairy free

This soup screams SPRING!  Many times while preparing this soup, I quietly chop veggies and decide just what seeds I’d like to plant in my own life.  From new projects that fall outside of my comfort zone to old hobbies that I’d like to reclaim, the spring is the best time to start creating!

3 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 c. organic low-sodium veggie broth (recipe follows)
2 small zucchini, cut into ½ inch chunks
1 c. thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 c. sliced asparagus
2 c. baby spinach
2 c. baby peas
16 oz. cannellini beans, cooked, drained and rinsed
½ c. fresh flat leaf parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat olive oil in a large pot.  Add onions, sauté about 7 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté about 1 minute.  Add broth, zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus, cook 5 minutes.  Add spinach, peas and beans and cook 5 minutes more on low heat.  Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.