Recipes from Cooking Day with Chef Jen July 5

 Roasted beet salad with tangerines

Remove the beet greens if needed. Place scrubbed, whole beets in a single layer on a cookie sheet with a  little olive oil to lightly coat the beets.  Place in 450 degree oven for 45 minutes -1 hour or until tender when poked with a knife.  Let beets cool.  Remove skin-a veggie peeler works well.  Cut into chunks.  Peel 4 tangerines, slice in half and add segments to bowl with beets.  Add a 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese.  Make a orange vinaigrette with the juice of 3 tangerines, a big splash of balsamic vinegar and about 3-5 tablespoon’s of olive oil.  toss to coat.  Add salt and pepper.  Taste and serve at room temperature or chilled.  Several market vendors have beets this year.  These came from Windyhill Farm.

Spiralized squash

Spiralize squash. The squash came from Harvest Moon Farm. Take the ribbons and sauté with butter, olive oil and microplaned garlic. (a microplane gives a very fine mince)Add a cup of chopped tomatoes and a splash of balsamic vinegar  Sauté until tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

Sautéed green beans

Pour a few tablespoons of sunflower oil into a frying pan.  Get the pan  and oil hot.  Cook the beans until almost blistered.  The beans came from Part From Me Farm. Add a tablespoon each balsamic vinegar and soy sauce and 1 chopped tomato.  Cook until reduced by 3/4.  Add red pepper flake, salt and pepper to taste.

Sautéed Mushrooms

Melt butter in a frying pan.  Add chopped mushrooms and microplaned garlic. The mushrooms came from Hillcrest farm.   Add juice from 1 lemon and 2 small tomatoes-Jen used garden peach from Wagon Wheel Farm.  Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and sauté until tender.  The mushrooms were served on warm mini tortillas with cream cheese.

Lamb patties

Ground lamb from Peaceful Heart Farm was gently mixed with a cup of breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons each chopped mint and parsley, minced shallot, red pepper flake, salt and pepper. Gently form into patties and grill until done.

Roasted duck with potatoes

Duck legs from CW Farms received a generous dusting of salt and pepper and were browned in a hot skillet with sunflower oil and butter on both sides.  Potatoes were cubed and soaked in water briefly, this removes excess starch, drain. 2 shallots were minced and sautéed in butter.  Everything was put in a roasting pan and baked at 350 until cooked through, approximately 20-25 minutes.

Cornmeal almond cake with red plum sauce

To make the sauce: pit the plums and add almost an equal amount of sugar( these plums were very tart) add a 1/2 cup of water and cook until thickened.

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl:  1 cup almond flour, 1 cup fine cornmeal, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the zest of 1 lemon and mix well.

In another bowl mix 1/2 cup milk with the juice of 1 lemon and let sit 5 minutes.  Then add 3 large well beaten eggs 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon almond extract.  Mix well.  Next pour into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Put parchment paper in the bottom of a 9inch cake pan or use a springform pan and pour the batter in the pan.  Bake at 325 about 55 minutes.