Beet Ravioli with cashew cream cheese filling and asparagus salad

Beet Ravioli with Cashew Cream Cheese filling and Asparagus Salad

This one turned out a lot better than I thought it would.   You'll need to use a mandolin to get the beets as thin as possible, otherwise they are a bit too tough.  Next time I would reduce the amount of onion powder, or leave it out completely, in the cashew cream cheese to let the cashew taste come through.  Otherwise I think you just get a big mouthful of onion powder.  This one takes a lot of prep time to marinade beets overnight and soak the cashews in water overnight.  Take the time to do it overnight, it turns out much better than if you try to rush it with just a few hours.

1. Cut the beets as thin as you can on a mandolin.  Then combine with the following marinade either overnight or for at least four hours:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of one lemon
• salt & pepper

2. To prepare the cashew cream cheese, soak 2 cups raw cashews in enough water to cover overnight to soften them. When you are ready to make the cream cheese, do this about an hour before you assemble to let the flavors meld together:

• drain the 2 cups cashews and combine with:
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tspn onion powder
• 1 tbsp shallot finely minced
• 1 tbsp diced chives
• 1/2 tspn salt

in a food processor or a high-speed blender and process until smooth.  Don't confuse your home blender with a high-speed blender, they aren't the same device.  Use a food processor because you want the blades to break down the cashews into a smooth cream.  It's going to take maybe five to ten to fifteen minutes to get creamy enough.  If you think it is taking too long, keep going.  The beets are crunchy enough, you want the filling to be smooth.

3. Once the cream has set for a while, fifteen to thirty minutes, place one layer of beets on your plate.  Put a spoonful of cream and then top with another beet.  You're done with this part.

4. To make the asparagus salad, wait until you've plated your beets, because the asparagus will break down after you shave it and you want a little crunch on it.  When you select asparagus for this salad you want the thicker stalks, but if you end up with thin ones maybe you just want to cut them in half or quarters length-wise.   If you have the thicker ones, I suggest holding the asparagus on a cutting board and run a vegetable peeler from the base to the tip to try and get a shaving like in the first picture above.

Place the shaved asparagus in a bowl, combine with either a tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil and some lemon juice and salt and pepper, then serve on top of, or alongside the beet ravioli.

Polenta Pizza

Polenta after broiling

When you make the polenta in this recipe, be sure to use a stock instead of water for a lot of taste.  

It is pictured here on a cutting board, because you have to put the pizza under the broiler to melt the cheese, and I did not want to use a baking sheet.  However, the truffle oil just slides off and will soak into your cutting board, so I suggest using an oiled baking sheet instead of a board.

Truffled mushroom polenta pizza

1 cup polenta
2 cups mushroom stock (or other flavor)
1 cup grated jack cheese
2 cups sliced mushrooms, crimini, shitake or a mix
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 tsp sage leaves chopped
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp chopped rosemary
5 oz taleggio cheese 
1 tsp truffle oil

Cook the polenta as per the directions, for mine I bring the 2 cups stock to a boil, stir in the polenta and cook on low for 30 minutes until creamy.  

While the polenta is cooking, clean and slice the mushrooms.  Add the olive oil to a hot pan, then mince or slice the garlic and add to the oil for about a minute but do not burn the garlic.  Add mushrooms and sage leaves, saute for 3-5 minutes until they are cooked but not limp, you want some bite left in them for this dish.

Add the grated jack cheese, tarragon, and rosemary and fold until melted into the polenta.  

Tomato Pie

Summer means tomatoes, and for us this means tomato pie.  Goes great with a rosemary-olive bread we're getting from our CSA bread share this year.

Tomato Pie
* enough tomatoes to end up as about 4 cups chopped.  This probably means about six medium sized tomatoes, or two of the extra large heirloom pictured here.
* 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup mayonaise
* 10-14 fresh basil leaves
* pie crust
* 1 onion
* 2 tbsp butter
* 2 cloves garlic


The timing on this recipe took me a while to figure out.  Here's what I do, but you might like to do things in a different order.


1. Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator to warm up.  Pre-heat the over to 400F.


2. Slice the onion, and start to caramelize in a large pan on medium low heat with the butter.  Stir the onions every five minutes so they cook evenly. 


3. While the oven is warming up, wash the tomatoes, and slice them about 1/2 inch thick.  Take the slices and push out the seeds and squeeze out the liquid in to a bowl.


4. Place the tomato slices into a colander over a bowl to catch the liquid.  The reason to catch the liquid is so you can have a nice tomato cocktail later.


5. Salt the tomato slices, and every five minutes or so, press down on them with your hands to expel the liquid into the bowl.  You want to get the liquid out so that you don't end up with a pie plate full of tomato juice after it bakes.


6. Unroll the pie crust onto a pie plate, and prick it with a fork so that it doesn't rise out of the plate.  Bake 12-18 minutes until it is well browned.  You might be tempted to just par-bake it, but trust me, you want it to be well cooked before you put the tomatoes in, because they have a lot of liquid in them.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-7 minutes.


7. Crush the garlic, or chop finely and add to the onions.  Cook over medium heat for another 1-2 minutes but do not burn the garlic.  Remove onions and garlic from heat and allow to cool.


8. Mix the grated cheese with the mayonaise.  Roughly chop the basil and combine the tomatoes, basil and onions together, then scoop the tomato mixture into the pie crust.  Top the pie crust with the cheese and mayo evenly.  


10. Depending on how browned the edges of the pie crust are, you might want to cover the edges with foil, and bake the pie in the 400F oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begins to brown.  Remove from oven, allow to cool about 5 minutes then slice and enjoy.

Garlic Scape Anti Vampire Pesto Pasta

Shortly after ramp season ends at the farmer's markets you'll see the garlic scapes arrive.  Fear not, these are most delicious in a raw pesto recipe with pasta.   Today's recipe was done with linguini, but you could use whatever pasta noodle you prefer.

Coarsely chop the garlic scapes before you add them to the food processor.

Throw it all in the processor.

Blend until smooth.

Garlic Scape Pesto Pasta Recipe

• 1/2 lb Linguini Pasta
• 1 bunch garlic scapes (10-20)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Cook the noodles in boiling water until al dente.  While the noodles are cooking, toast the almonds in a small pan over medium heat until just starting to brown.  Add to the food processor.  Coarsely chop the garlic scapes and add to the processor.  Grate 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, or a little less if you prefer, and add to the processor.  Salt and pepper is optional and rarely adds anything to the garlic scapes, but if you feel something's missing, throw it in.

Pulse a few times, then turn on and add the oil until you get the consistency you like.  Add a few spoonfulls to the pasta, toss, and enjoy.

Ramp Pesto Super Awesoma Power

As a college radio DJ, one of the first things you are taught after the term "Dead Air" (which we have plenty of here on the Dudley Dish) is not to start a segue with "And we're back..."

This year's season started off with a sweltering BOOM they call ramps.  Usually I completely miss the two week ramp window at the farmer's markets, but somehow it didn't slip by unnoticed this year.

Because it's impossible for me to follow a recipe, here's how we do it on Dudley:

Ramp Pesto Recipe

• .5 lb Fettucine Pasta
• 1 bunch ramps, root trimmed and washed then chopped
• 4 oz Ricotta Salada cheese
• .5 cup pine nuts
• dash of salt 
• dash of pepper
• 1/3 cup oil

Start cooking your noodles in boiling water until al dente.  While they cook, heat a small pan over medium heat, and add the pine nuts.  Toast the nuts until they start to brown, then transfer to a food processor.  Coarsely chope the ramps and ricotta, then add to the food processor.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.  Pulse a few times, then turn on and add the oil until you reach your desired consistency for the pesto.  Sometimes a little more olive oil is better to coat the noodles.

Stuffed Squash

I don't have a picture of this one right now, when I make it next I'll update with a picture.

Start with your rice, ours takes an hour for brown rice, so begin with that.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
6 mushrooms chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, or roasted squash seeds
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage, or 4-6 sage leaves
6 inch french baguette cubed into 1/2 inch cubes
1 lemon
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, or gruyere

Preheat the oven to 350F, split the butternut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, wash and salt them for roasting while you cook the squash.

Place the squash cut side down on an oiled pan for 40-50 minutes until fork-soft.

While the squash is cooking prepare the stuffing by sauteing the onion and celery in the butter for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.  Add thyme, sage, mushrooms, seeds, and bread and continue another 5 minutes.  Squeeze in the lemon juice, cook another minute or two add half the cheese.

When the squash is fork soft, remove from the oven, turn cavity side up, and fill with the stuffing.  Don't just put the stuffing the cavity, cover the entire top of the squash with the stuffing so it will cook and get crunchy.  Cover all the stuffing and squash with remaining cheese.  Put back in the oven and cook until cheese melts, another ten to fifteen minutes.  Remove, let cool five minutes, and serve with rice.

Sweet Potato Bisque with mushroom and scallion topping

The sweet potato bisque with mushroom and scallion topping can be made with just about any squash, pumpkin, or potato.

Ingredients:
6 tbsp butter

3 carrots chopped

1 onion chopped

2 garlic cloves

4 cps vegetable stock

.5 cup dry white wine

1 lb sweet potatoes peeled and diced

herb bundle - 30 stems fresh parsley 10 stems fresh thyme

5 oz shiitake mushrooms 

1 cup tomato puree

6 scallions minced

.5 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

Melt butter, add carrots and onions cook for 10 minutes until onions clear, add garlic and one more minute

Add vegetable stock, wine, sweet potatoes, herb bundle shiitake stems, and tomato puree.  Bring to a boil

then cover and simmer 15-30 minutes

Prepare topping - heat 2 tbsp butter in skillet, add scallions and mushrooms cook 5 minutes until softened.

Use slotted spoon to transfer soup solids to blender, and blend until smooth in batches - only fill the blender 

1/4 of the way full and hold the top down or it will blow off and soup will go everywhere.

Return soup to pot, add cream and heat through.  Serve in bowls and put some topping on the soup.

Some hints: the wine is optional, and I prefer mushroom stock instead of vegetable stock, but choose what you like.  I find with a good stock the herb bundle doesn't add much flavor, so that's optional as well.  I rarely buy tomato puree, I like fire roasted tomatoes, and since you're going to throw it all in the blender, it doesn't mater what state the tomatoes are in - you could probably put fresh in for a great taste as well, just de-seed them first.