Brown Rice, Ramp, and Feta Risotto with Spinach and Beans

My kids were so keen on my first brown rice risotto that I had to try another one. You can make just ramp feta risotto part of this as a side dish, or add the spinach, beans, and optional pine nuts for a meal - either served over the risotto or stirred in. This was inspired in by in-season ramps and spinach, plus a nice big block of feta from Upinngil Farm.

Olive oil
1 large shallot, minced (optional)
1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, warm
1 bunch ramps, thinly sliced (stalks and leaves, about 2-3 cups total)
3-4 ounces crumbled feta
6-8 ounces spinach, stemmed and chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
1 cup pine nuts, lighted toasted (optional but good)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in the pressure cooker. Add the minced shallots, if using, and saute for about a minute. Add the rice and saute over medium heat for a minute or two, until partly translucent. Pour in the warm stock. Cover and lock the pressure cooker and bring to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. Release pressure. Stir risotto. If needed, simmer for up to several additional minutes, stirring frequently, until the risotto reaches the desired consistency,

While the risotto cooks, heat a little more olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the ramps and saute for about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Also while the risotto cooks, saute the spinach in olive oil and add the beans until heated through.

When the risotto is ready, stir in the ramps and feta. If desired, stir in the spinach and bean mixture; otherwise, serve mounts of risotto in bowls or plates and top with spinach and bean mixture. Sprinkle pine nuts on top.

Serves 4-5.

Slow Cooker Bean Soup from the Pantry with Dried Garden Herbs

This is a classic pantry soup, made largely with stuff you probably have sitting around already and little that is fresh. That said, if you do have fresh (or frozen, or canned) veggies on hand, feel free to throw in whatever you like. The part I really liked about this was getting out jars of herbs from the garden that I dried last summer and crumbling them fresh into the soup. My hands smelled like summer when I was done. This makes a big batch, perfect for freezing.

You can use a packaged soup mix of beans here if you like, or mix and match from your pantry (back beans, red beans, navy beans, pinto beans, lentils...it's all good). I included some absolutely lovely, creamy local beans from Crabapple Farm - the variety was called Marfax.

3-4 cups mixed dried beans and barley
Vegetable stock
1 medium onion, diced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Parmesan rinds (optional)
1/4 cup dried parsley
1-2 Tbsp dried oregano
1-2 Tbsp dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Good quality olive oil for topping (optional)

Place the bean and barley mix in the slow  cooker and add enough vegetable stock to cover by 2 inches (be more generous if you won't be able to check on the soup during the day). Add the onion, garlic, Parmesan rinds (if using), and the herbs.

Cook on high for 7-9 hours (longer is ok), until the beans are all completely tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot. If desired, drizzle with olive oil at the table.

Serves about 8.

Red Bean and Vegetable Soup

Locavore vegetable soup in February usually means root vegetables or squash, but it doesn't have to if you plan ahead and have some storage space. Last summer I froze heaps of local corn along with our own paste tomatoes and peppers, and those flavors and colors sure are welcome now. Because I was using good sweet corn as well as tomatoes that are sweeter than your typical commercially canned tomatoes, I added a splash of lemon juice at the end to temper the flavor. If you use more acidic tomatoes, you may not need it.

Olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

8-10 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 - 3 cups peeled chopped tomatoes (canned, or thawed if frozen)

1 1/2 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)

3 cups chopped red peppers (frozen is fine)

4 cups cooked red beans

Chicken or vegetable stock

1 Tbsp dried parsley

2-3 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste (optional)

Heat a bit of olive oil in a soup pot, then add the onions and garlic and saute over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the tomatoes, corn, peppers, and beans plus enough stock to generously cover. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, then add the parsley, time, paprika, salt and pepper, and lemon juice (if using). Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serves about 6.

Italian Sausage and Vegetable Stew

Warm and hearty for cold winter day.  Use sweet or hot Italian sausage according to your preference.

Olive oil
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium onions, diced
1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or hot), casings removed
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large carrots, diced
3 cups tomatoes (canned or thawed if frozen)
2-3 tsp dried oregano
3 cups cooked red and/or white beans
Chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot.  Add the garlic and onion and saute over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.  Once the sausage is well cooked, use a baster to remove excess fat if desired.  Add the pepper, carrots, tomatoes, oregano, and beans, plus enough chicken stock to achieve a good consistency.  Simmer until vegetables are tender.  Once vegetables are cooked, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Eggplant Chicken Chili

Yes indeed, more eggplant.  Not your standard chili vegetable perhaps, but its texture works well and it soaks up the flavors quite nicely.  If you like, substitute some minced chipotles in adobo sauce in place of the fresh hot peppers for a delicious shot of smoky heat.  Skip the chicken for a vegetarian version.

Olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
2 red bell peppers, diced
2 hot peppers (e.g. jalapenos), seeded and minced (or to taste)
4-6 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 cups cooked kidney beans
1 Tbsp ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Sour cream and or shredded cheddar for topping (optional)

Heat the oil in a soup pot.  Add the garlic and onions and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the eggplant, peppers, hot peppers, and tomatoes.  You may want to add a little additional oil as well, as the eggplant will tend to soak it up.  Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are somewhat softened.  Add the beans, cumin, salt and pepper, and chicken.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the veggies are soft.

Serves 4-6.

Minestrone from the Freezer

Tonight I felt well enough to cook - and eat - a proper meal for the first time in a week. But I still wanted something sort of comforting. I pulled kidney beans, chickpeas, red peppers, green peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes out of my freezer and made this yummy soup. The frozen ingredients work great. You'll need to thaw the tomatoes and beans (at least partially) but the others can go in frozen. You can also try this again in the fall, when the weather has cooled enough for soup but the veggies are still all available fresh; you might even be able to score some fresh shell beans to use then.

olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups chopped tomatoes and their liquid
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans or cannellini
2 medium carrots, in thin rounds
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 cup diced or shredded zucchini
Water or stock (chicken or veggie) as needed
1 cup dry elbow macaroni or similar pasta
1-2 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat some olive oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic and onion and saute over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, beans, carrots, peppers, and zucchini, and enough water or stock to generously cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the pasta, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. Return the soup to a boil, then simmer again until the pasta is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves at least 6.

Variations: substitute other vegetables with whatever you have.

Barley with Arugula and Red Beans

I scored three different kinds of local greens at Green Fields Market this past weekend--winter must be coming to an end, despite the fresh snowfall this week. Here's what I did with the arugula.

4 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups pearl barley
1 head garlic (12 or so cloves), minced
3-4 cups cooked red beans (2 15-oz cans)
1/2 lb arugula
1 - 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the barley and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the barley is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 20-30 minutes.

While the barley cooks, heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the beans, then remove from heat.

When the barley is just about ready, reheat the beans and garlic and add the arugula. Cook just until wilted.

Combine the barley and the bean mixture in a serving bowl. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.