Organic Pickled Beets- New

I used the Instant pot to cook my beets, but they can also be cooked on a stovetop in a large pot.

8 Cups organic beets, ends cut off and peeled, then quartered.
2 Cups organic apple cider vinegar
1 Cup of organic sugar

In the Instant Pot, I used about 1 cup of water and set it to pressure cook for 20 mins.
If you are cooking them on the stovetop, cook until soft.

In a pot on the stove, add organic apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of organic sugar.
Cook for 10 mins, stirring often. You want the sugar to blend into the vinegar.

Pour vinegar sugar mixture over the cooked beets and refrigerate overnight.

Easy peasy and delicious!

Amazing Cream of Buttercup Squash Soup- New

I just made this for the two lunch tours this past weekend (early Oct. 2022) and it was such a hit.
In fact, Dave and I ate this soup for three meals in a row and still didn’t get sick of it.

  • 1 large Organic buttercup squash, baked in the oven (cut, seed, put face down into a baking dish with about one inch of water. Bake on 350F for about one hour, until it’s soft to the fork.)

  • One large organic onion

  • Two cloves of organic garlic

  • 1 tsp. organic cinnamon

  • 1/4 tsp. of organic nutmeg

  • 1/4 tsp. of organic cayenne pepper (adjust according to how much heat you want to have)

  • 1 Tbsp. organic brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons organic pasture raised butter or organic olive oil

  • 2 cups of organic chicken broth

  • 1 cup of organic (preferably not ultra-pasteurized-as that is a lifeless liquid. You can’t even make cheese with it) half and half (or heavy cream-it’s up to you)

Sauté onions, garlic and the spices in a frying pan with pasture raised butter or olive oil until translucent.

Add the squash, brown sugar, and chicken broth. Blend in your Cuisinart, blender or vitamix until smooth.

Transfer back into the pot and add the cream or half and half and heat until it’s hot enough for you.

Serve and enjoy.

Amy’s Massaged Kale

  • Fresh organic kale, peeled from the stem and ripped into smaller pieces

  • Approximately 1 tablespoon organic lemon juice

  • Approximately 1 tablespoon organic oil (olive or sunflower are good ones)

  • 1/4 Tsp. Himalayan salt

In a bowl, literally massage the kale for a minute or two, until it turns darker green. Put aside.

In another bowl, combine:

  • 1/2 cup of organic peanut butter,

  • 2 tablespoons of toasted or dark organic sesame oil,

  • 1 tbsp. of organic rice wine vinegar, 1 clove crushed organic garlic,

  • approximately 1 inch of fresh organic ginger (alternatively I’ve used pickled organic ginger that’s made for sushi, just chop it up into small bits)

  • Approximately 1 Tbsp. of maple syrup

  • 1-2 cloves crushed organic garlic

  • A little warm water to get the right thickness (or thin-ness)

Put peanut sauce over the massaged kale and serve. Even people that don’t like kale, LOVE this dish.

Amy's Arugula and/or Watercress Salad

  • Organic watercress

  • 1 organic mango

  • 1 organic avocado

  • 1/2 cup organic dried cranberries

  • 1/4 cup organic sunflower seeds

  • Organic maple balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Amy’s Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup organic balsamic vinegar

  • 1/2 cup organic olive oil (I also like sunflower oil as an alternative, or half olive/half sunflower, for a gentler flavor)

  • 1-2 cloves crushed organic garlic

  • 1 inch chunk of fresh organic ginger root (peeled and crushed). You can also replace with organic pickled sushi ginger.

  • Approximately 1 Tablespoon organic *tamari sauce (what’s Tamari? See the * below)

  • Approximately 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (you may need to adjust the tamari and syrup ratios to get the perfect balance of sweet to salty. I’m not 100% sure how much I use, lol, as I just eyeball it and taste.)

Basil Pesto

  • 2 cups fresh organic basil leaves, packed 

  • 1/2 cup freshly grated organic Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin organic olive oil

  • 1/3 cup cashews, walnuts, or pine nuts (ideally organic)

  • 2 organic garlic cloves, minced

  • Salt a to taste

In a food processor, puree fresh garlic first, add nuts, then basil, cheese and olive oil. Pour a thin layer of olive oil on top of the pesto to keep the oxygen from hitting it and turning it brown. Serve over warm pasta, on spiralized zucchini “zoodles” (in place of pasta), or in a sandwich with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, or whatever you like pesto with. 

Cream of Watercress Soup

Serves 6-8 (makes about 10 cups). Ideally all of the ingredients are organic:

1 tablespoon organic olive oil
1 large organic Hartshorn Farm yellow onion, diced
2 cloves organic Hartshorn Farm garlic, minced
1/2 cup (organic) white wine, sauvignon blanc or chardonnay
1 pound (about two medium-sized) organic Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups organic vegetable (or chicken) stock
1 pound organic watercress
1/2 cup organic heavy cream
Juice from 1 organic lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

To prepare the soup, warm the olive oil in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook until the unions are translucent. If they start to brown, lower the heat. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the wine and simmer for about 2 minutes, until it has reduced by about half.

Add the potatoes, vegetable stock, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are very soft, 15-20 minutes.

Chop the tough white ends and roots (if still attached) from the stems of watercress, and run the watercress under water to rinse away any dirt. Drain in a strainer, but don't worry about drying the leaves.

When the potatoes are cooked, add the watercress to the soup in handfuls. Stir for a few seconds until the watercress is bright green and wilted. Remove the pan from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. (Alternatively, transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor and puree. Return the soup to the pot.)

At this point, the soup can be served immediately, kept over low heat for a half an hour before serving, or refrigerated for up to 24 hours and warmed over low heat before serving. When ready to serve, stir the heavy cream and lemon juice into the soup. Taste and add more salt if needed.

What’s Tamari?

“Tamari is a Japanese form of soy sauce, formed as a byproduct during the production of miso paste. Unlike conventional soy sauce, it contains no added wheat and is made with a higher volume of soybeans, resulting in a rich, thick texture and nuanced salinity. Spores of Aspergillus tamarii (cultures known as koji) are added to the boiled soybean paste, or the paste is allowed to incorporate natural spores from the surrounding environment to promote fermentation. Instead of being pressed, the liquid is simply collected from the runoff of the miso. Source: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/whats-the-difference-between-soy-sauce-and-tamari)

(Source for some of the recipes is: thekitchn.com, with a few changes by me, Amy.)

Pasta with Green Beans and Mushrooms

1 1/2 pounds fresh organic green beans, cleaned, 1 1/2 inches pieces
1/2 pound organic mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 organic onion, sliced
5 or 10 organic cloves, minced or smashed
2 teaspoons dried organic basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup red wine
4 cups of organic tomatoes, crushed
1 pound mostaciolli or other organic pasta

Put red wine in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add vegetables and herbs, simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes. Let simmer for 30 minutes or until you are ready for it. Cook pasta in unsalted, unoiled water. Combine the two. Enjoy!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 cup organic butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup organic sugar
1 cup of organic brown sugar
3 organic eggs, beaten
1/2 cup organic milk
1 1/2 cups organic flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound organic zucchini, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
1/2 cup organic semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease the pan. Cream the butter, oil and sugars until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs and milk. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and ground allspice together and fold gently into the mixture. Stir in the grated zucchini and vanilla extract and spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the top using a metal spatula and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake in the oven for 35-35 minutes until the cake is firm and a knife comes out clean. Cut into squares while still warm and then leave to cool.

Sweet and sour cabbage

1/4 Cup (1/2 stick) of organic butter
One 2 pound organic red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)
6 Tbsp. Organic white sugar
2/3 C. Organic balsamic vinegar

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add cabbage and saute until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add sugar and toss to coat evenly. Add vinegar. reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer until cabbage is tender, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.