If you love growing beautiful medicine that also attracts the pollinators, then let me introduce you to Aronia Berry, aka Chokeberry. Actually, you may have already met Aronia Berry while walking in the woods or edges of prairies in the Midwest of America.

Officially named Aronia melanocarpa, this cold hardy North American native woody shrub is worth adding to your landscape for its adaptability, form, fall color, and, of course, its fruits!

Aronia Berry: Knowing + Growing

The aronia berry tends to stay around 8 feet tall (depending on variety) and is much less picky about soil as it has deeper roots than the elderberry. They are hardy to -40F or USDA Zone 3. They also don’t have any pest issues and are disease resistant.

I’ve been successfully growing the common Viking variety for five years now in Zone 4. We’re growing and harvesting berries from my front yard from 2 mature bushes. We get about 4 pounds of fruit total. This amount is more than enough to keep us in Aronia Berry immunity syrup heaven, and extras for smoothies too.  We would likely get more of a harvest if I amend the sandy soil. Maybe someday, ha! They produce beautiful clusters of the deepest dark purple (pretty much black) berries—which is where the anthocyanin comes in…

Powerful Plant Chemistry

Anthocyanin gives the dark superfruits their super powers. The purple-black berries of both Aronia and Elderberries pretty much blow away other commonly revered superfoods with their antioxidant levels.

Antioxidant levels in food are measured by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC). ORAC measures the overall antioxidant power of a food or supplement. USDA research shows Aronia Berries have one of the highest antioxidant content of any fruits, according to the Aronia Berry Services of Northeast Iowa.

There’s quite the list of berries that grow in our Zone 4 Midwest region: Aronia Berry, Elderberry, Wild Blueberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Strawberry, and Cherry. Each of these contains elevated levels of antioxidants. Our local food system is providing for us, keeping us from needing to fly food halfway across the world to boost our immunity and up our antioxidants. Thank you, Mother Nature!

Comparing Berries

Both Aronia and Elderberry grow to between 6 and 10 feet tall. They will produce better in full sun, but they don’t mind a little afternoon shade. Elderberries prefer it wetter than Aronia. Aronia are self-fertile while Elderberry require another variety for pollination.  Both will start producing more fruit about 2–3 years after planting.

Raw elderberries (the berries, leaves, bark, and roots) contain both lectin and cyanide, which can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, so ALWAYS cook elderberries before consuming! Aronia berries may be eaten raw, or frozen and added to smoothies.

I love a good blueberry, but they do require a specific pH, so test your soil before planting, as changing soil pH is a very difficult task! Chokecherry  (Prunus Virginiana) grows more like a tree up to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide and produces smaller berries (like pin cherries) but are adored by birds and humans alike.

How to Use Your Aronia Berries

Aronia berries are the driest berries I’ve ever worked with, so they do lend themselves to dehydrating and adding to trail mix.

I really enjoy using frozen aronia berries in place of blueberries in my morning smoothies. I think the dairy (or oat/almond milk) really balances out the tart berries nicely. Adding greens and other fruits helps too.

I’ve also baked with them, making scones and muffins. Although I compensated for the astringent berries with a sweeter than normal dough, they still weren’t my family’s favorite.

But for our family, we mostly use these in the immunity boosting aronia syrup recipe below. I especially love being able to add our home-grown ginger into this recipe.

And YES- You can absolutely use a combination of elderberries and aronia berries in this recipe.

Aronia Berry Syrup Recipe

• 3 Cups aronia berries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ Cup filtered water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 tsp cloves
• 1-2 inches of ginger, sliced or grated
• 1 cup + Honey (Raw + local if possible)

Simmer with lid on in a non-reactive pan for 15–20 minutes, adding water as needed to keep from scorching.

Cool, remove cinnamon stick, and strain. I place the cooked pulp into a (very stained) jelly bag and squeeze out every last drop of juice by hand. You may want to wear rubber/latex gloves to avoid staining your hands a very dark purple (the stain wears off in a day or two). 

Pour into a clean glass jar.

Mix in honey to taste (I find we use less honey in aronia berry syrup than elderberry syrup).

Stores in refrigerator for 1 month. I prefer to make a small batch every month or so rather than a bigger batch that might spoil.

Dark Blue Deep Dive

If you’re interested in adding more of these antioxidant-rich plants to your landscape and diet, check out Honeyberry USA for a wide selection of high anthocyanin fruiting shrubs. Or consider connecting with the Blue Fruit Farm for a delivery of Minnesota-grown berries, syrups, jams, and jellies in the Twin Cities. They also sell elderberry canes for those interested in growing out their own stock.

If you’re looking for the finished product at your local farmer’s market, check out the fine ladies with Sailor Mercy.

Have I tempted you to grow more of your own medicine?

Let me know what you think!

Dig In,

Michelle

The post The Amazing Aronia Berry appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

There are few veggies that bring me as much JOI in the garden and on my plate as this veggie, so I’m declaring myself a founding member of the Joi Choi Fan Club! She’s as delicious as she is beautiful!

This has consistently been one of the easiest veggies to grow. It is also one of the fastest maturing early spring veggies, ready to harvest within 30 days of transplanting in all but the coldest spring weather. This means I can usually get at least three successions of Joi Choi in each season in my Zone 4 gardens.

Read more about Succession Planting HERE

It is way more heat tolerant than other Pak Choi I’ve tried. Meaning it keeps growing a lot longer, and therefore bigger before it bolts. I mean, look at those thick stalks! All that stem equals weights of close to 2 lbs. per average plant if harvested all at once. Last fall I harvested a single Joi Choi that was over 4 lbs. heavy and still tender and crisp in October!

When growing, Joi Choi forms a 12–15″ tall, broad, heavy plant with dark green leaves pure white stalks. Plants prefer a wide spacing of at least 1 foot. I plant three total across my 4′ wide beds.

I buy my seeds from Johnny’s and have had great germination rates and consistent harvests for years now.

Harvesting Joi Choi

I often just harvest the outer stems. Treating this as a cut-and-come-again veggie is possible because it can hold in the garden better than most other varieties of Pak choi. The leaves make great ‘wraps’ for lettuce-wrapped meals.

The leaves do tend to be a little more bitter than most folks enjoy, so they do need a little doctoring, but adding chopped stalks and leaves to stir fry, etc. is a great way to use them and gain the nutritional benefits too!

The stems are so crisp they even stand up to being sliced on a mandolin! I will shred raw like a coleslaw, chop for stir fry, or just add a little garlic (or some garlic scapes) for a simple side dish. I can succession sow these at least three times a year, and they are gorgeous in the garden as well. They also hold well in the fall garden, but do need protection if we drop down to the 30s.

Read more on Garlic Scapes HERE

The following recipe is what I make when I end up harvesting a few at a time, usually when they start to bolt at the end of June.

I’m always so busy at this time of year, so I crafted this super simple ferment as a spin off from a zucchini and carrot ferment recipe from Stephanie at Minnesota From Scratch (my Small-Scale Homesteading coauthor) I’d been making and boom—the flavor is something I look forward to each year! I do a batch with and one without the red pepper flakes for a little extra variety.

This recipe uses an old school mandolin to slice the Joi Choi. It is a slow process, but I like the crisp edges better than what a food processor does.
But you do you

Also, I make this Kimchi Style Kraut with green cabbage that I love!

Joi Choi Fermented Slaw Recipe

• 1.75 lbs sliced stalks (max 1/4 green leaves)
• .5 lbs medium carrots, shredded
• .25 lbs garlic scapes minced (or diced in food processor) (can sub regular garlic for scapes)
• 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt (iodine free, fine grain)
• Red pepper flakes if desired

1. Prep all veggies by washing and shredding
2. Mix together with salt and pepper flakes, massaging to make a brine
3. Pack into sterilized jar
4. Submerge veggies under brine, weighing down a with jar weight
5. Add lid of choice, either burpless or check daily

Depending on the temperature where you’re fermenting, I leave my jar out to ferment for roughly 4–6 days. Warmer temps make for a faster ferment. Make sure to check daily, both to burp extra gasses and to check for ‘floaties.’ These are the little bits and pieces that if on the surface can attract bad bacteria instead of the good kind to your fermented foods.

Here are some basics of fermentation from Harvard Medical School.

I love this on eggs both scrambled and hard boiled, mixed into stir fry, even on Asian spiced fish with rice. So versatile, and a fun way to savor two start of summer flavors together: Garlic Scapes and Joi Choi!

Have I tempted you to try growing Joi Choi now too?

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Growing Joi Choi + Recipe appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

This corn chowder recipe is such a perfect blend of sweet corn nostalgia and winter comfort that I can get a craving for this soup just about any season… but it feels especially fitting during that ‘hungry gap’ when many of the frozen veggies are gone and we’re down to sprouting potatoes and mason jars from the pantry.

This recipe can skew simple or a little more involved depending on how you’re feeling, but on way or another, make this while it is still soup season!

My latest version included the last of a batch of ‘corn and vegetable stock’ from the summer. This simple seeming stock is rather magical in my opinion. You make it from the leftover cobs after canning the sweet corn this past summer. This just pulls all the deliciousness out of every cob of corn.

After you cut off the corn kernels off the cob, just toss cobs, and onion peelings, celery leaves, carrots (or just their peelings), garlic and a bay leaf into a pot and simmer for at least 4 hours, strain off the stock and either freeze (leaving a good inch of headroom in the jar) or pressure can with the cans of corn.

Like all my recipes, especially soups, there is a lot of leeway to use up veggies and ingredients that you have on hand. If you have zucchini but not celery, go for it- or parsnips instead of carrots- OK! Make this corn chowder recipe yours, you are in control in hte kitchen!

Corn Chowder Recipe

Ingredients

½ lb Bacon cooked, drained, crumbled
1 yellow onion, diced
1-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 medium carrots, shredded or diced
2 stalks of celery finely diced (using frozen is fine)
1 tsp Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
*Optional Pepper (see note below)
4-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
(or the amazing corn cob and veggie stock)
½ lb potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces (Yukon Gold or whatever least starchy potatoes you have)
1 quart of canned sweet corn (or roughly 8 fresh ears)
Note: If you have any creamed corn, you can sub in up to half of that for the corn kernels.
Salt and White Pepper to Taste

Directions

Cook bacon, reserving 3 tablespoons of fat (at least) in the pan. Set bacon aside and crumble once cooled.

Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in bacon fat until onion is translucent.
Add in thyme and bay leaf.

*You can also add in some heat with a ‘hot’ pepper such as; jalapeno, poblano, black Hungarian, or even a milder Alma Paprika. I often use frozen peppers in soups and love their flavors. This can add a nice depth of flavor. Leave whole and add in with spices, sautéing just enough to release the oils before adding the stock. Be sure to scoop pepper out of soup before serving.

Add in potatoes and stock, simmer roughly 20 minutes.

Take off heat.

Using your stick blender, puree about half of the contents of the pot. Stir in and take off heat. (If you like a chunkier soup, skip this step).

Add whole milk, half and half or a little cream and taste test.

Confession: I have started liking to finish this soup off with both butter and lemon juice… Hear me out:

The butter at the end is a chef secret, thanks to Chef Matt of Browns + Blues, and the lemon juice adds a layer of brightness and might be needed to help balance out the soup depending on just how “sweet” your sweet corn is.

And then of course, add those bacon crumbles, some nice cheddar, and if you happen to have any green onion or chives- they freshen up the whole bowl as well. Nothing beats a crusty loaf of sourdough to accompany this soup.

This is such a perfect example of simple foods becoming elevated when together.

I really hope you give it a try.

…And of course let me know what you think!

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Corn Chowder Recipe appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Start with the Best Broccoli

Broccoli is one of our family’s favorite garden veggies to grow. So much so that my boys will even go patrol for cabbage worms, the little green guys that can ravage this plant if left to their own munching.

I also love that when we eat broccoli, we’re eating the immature flower buds! I used to tell my boys they were eating broccoli bouquets, and I like to think that helped them grow in their love for this powerhouse veggie.

I’ve had good luck growing Bellstar, Emerald Crown, and Green Magic varieties of broccoli in our zone 4 gardens (all from Johnny’s Seeds).

Harvesting Tip** Soak your broccoli florets in salty water (1 Tbsp in a bowl of water) for a few minutes so any creepy crawlies float to the top!

Because it is a family favorite veggie, we grow a lot of broccoli and usually have some frozen to use during the winter months. And while we love many veggies from green beans to corn simply heated and eaten as side dishes straight from the freezer, I find broccoli needs a little extra love once frozen.

Soup is the perfect spin!

In addition to the blanched and frozen broccoli from the garden, I’m also saving broccoli stems all season to use in this broccoli soup. To make the best use of them, peel the ‘skin’ from the tender part of the stems closer to the buds. Toss the woody part (further down the stem) into the compost. These add great bulk and flavor to soups. And by peeling, you’ll get rid of the most gas-inducing part of the broccoli!

My secret ingredient in so many pureed soups is a little cream cheese. It adds such a depth of flavor and pairs well with broccoli.

You can keep it really simple, and even skip the pureeing, if you like it chunky. If leaving this kind of soup chunky, make sure to not overcook the vegetables. You can also add up to half cauliflower if preferred. See, super-flexible soups really are the best!

I’ve added the white beans and/or potatoes as a way to thicken this soup without adding gluten, and I like the flavor better too. Leave out the cream/cheese if you want to keep it dairy free or vegan.

Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1-2 yellow/white carrots (optional)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1-2 cups shredded zucchini (optional but great thickener)
• 2-3 Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
• 4-5 cups broccoli stems and florets (frozen is fine)
• 6 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
• ½ cup white beans (optional)
• 1 cup milk, or ½ cup of half and half, or ¼ cup of cream cheese
• Salt + pepper to taste
• Olive oil to sauté

Our family’s favorite garnishes for this healthy broccoli soup recipe are roasted chickpeas, pea shoots, green onion—and of course always served with toasted bread.

Directions:

• Chop veggies into desired sizes, considering if you’ll be pureeing.
• Sauté onions for a few minutes, then add garlic, thyme, and celery.
• A few minutes later add the shredded zucchini, potatoes, and stock. If you have lots of good broccoli stems, add those in now as well. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Then add in broccoli florets and cook for another 5-10. Or if pureeing, add florets at same time, cooking for 10-15 minutes total.
• You can puree some stock with the white beans to thicken, or add milk, half and half, or cream cheese while pureeing as well.

Have fun garnishing! We love to sprinkle microgreens on top of our soups. And make sure that bread is extra toasty!

Last Words on This Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe

For more Very Veggie Soup Recipes, check out my RECIPE page. I’m also perfecting a “Broccoli Leaf Soup” recipe—check out this deeply flavorful and nutrient packed recipe!

This healthy broccoli soup recipe makes excellent leftovers and keeps in the fridge for a few days.

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Best Healthy Broccoli Soup Recipe appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Who doesn’t love a good two for one? I’m here to show you that you can have your squash and eat the seeds too! So many of us skip over roasting pumpkin seeds and squash seeds because we’ve had a bad experience. Maybe you did it once and they were, well, stringy, chewy, like eating straw… and just not very good at all.

Well, that probably comes down to two main problems:

• The wrong seed
• The wrong preparation

So let’s get you back on track to using all of that pumpkin/squash/gourd! And if you’re into squash like I am, check out my Pumpkin Spice cake recipe, and my Winter Squash Lasagna recipe too!

Botany Moment

If you’re interested in the difference between pumpkins, gourds, and squash, it gets a little confusing… A squash is in the Cucurbita genus, and also, by the way, technically a fruit. Pumpkins are one type of a squash. Gourd refers to a different branch of the same family. Summer squash (like zucchini and yellow squash) have soft skins and are warm weather crops, compared to the long storage possibilities of the winter squash varieties. What does this mean to you? …not much unless you create a new variety of squash, but it is good plant trivia!

Winter squash typically produce lots seeds and any of these can be collected and eaten. I stay away from saving any Cucurbita seeds to plant as they are notorious for getting cross pollinated, so eating them makes even more sense!

Check out my blog post on ways to ecologically deal with the aftermath of your pumpkins/gourds/squash)

Eco Smart is Sexy!

Roasting Pumpkin Seeds: The Secret Is in the Seed

The best seeds are going to be those that are slightly immature to just mature. Many of our carving pumpkins are brought home very ripe, as we want that large, deep orange variety for our classic carving, right? Great for Halloween, but not so much for eating the seeds.

Look at the seeds once you slice into your squash; this seems obvious, but taking a minute to observe now can save you lots of frustration later!

*If the seeds have started sprouting inside the pumpkin (it happens!), you’ll do best to toss them to your chickens or compost pile.

*If the seeds are firm and plump, you’re in for a real treat!

*If the seeds are hollow feeling and small, you can pull one apart to see if there’s any ‘meat’ inside. If they are thin and empty, you’ll just be trying to eat the fibrous pod and that’s just as bad as eating a huge over-ripe pumpkin seed!

Now that we know how to pick the best seeds for roasting…

Let’s Get Cooking!

RECIPE for Roasting Pumpkin Seeds

• Squash Seeds
• Oil (EVOO)
• Salt/Seasoning

Prep Seeds

Start by scooping out those perfectly plump seeds and rinse them of the goop + gunk in a colander until mostly clean. Tip: Use a serrated grapefruit spoon or a heavy duty ice cream scoop to help with the scraping!

Soak in water (I set my colander in a bowl of water) where it is easier to pull away the stringy squash pulp. Drain and repeat a few times.

Secret #2 is in the simmer!

Then you’re going to place those mostly clean seeds in a pot of salted water and simmer for at least 10 minutes. I go heavy on the salt here: a full tablespoon of salt per 2 cups of water.

This step makes a HUGE difference and is my secret to delicious, crave-worthy roasted seeds!

100% Worth the Simmer

Rinse again in the colander, then pat dry.

Season Seeds

You’ll need to add some oil to the seeds to help them crisp up, and so you can get some seasoning to stick. You can either combine the seeds and oil in a bowl and toss, or add them to the pan and toss. I estimate about a tablespoon of oil per sheet pan full, so not much. And while I love my sea salt for lots of recipes, I actually really like popcorn salt for roasted seeds because of how fine it is and how it sticks to the seeds!

You can go savory or sweet here. I prefer savory as there are so many delicious options. A few of my favorites:

• Curry
• Onion + Garlic
• Chili
• Smoky Paprika
• Turmeric + Garlic
• Dill with S&P
• Aminos (Soy sauce) + Garlic

The spices listed would be in powdered form. And if you want to just roast with salt and oil and add other spices after, that works too!

Roast Seeds

Spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan (I prefer not using parchment for this recipe as I think they get crispier without it). Preheat oven to 350–375F and roast for 5–15 minutes. The top rack helps in my oven. *Each oven is different, so watch carefully!

Start checking after 5 minutes. The smaller the seed, the faster they’ll pop. Wait until you hear the popping and smell popcorn when you open the over door. This was a revelation to me. Yes, corn and squash seeds are very different botanically, but they’re both seeds that I’m “roasting” so it is not too weird that they smell the same!

You must let them cool a few minutes or you will burn your mouth!

Eat the Seeds

These are best eaten while still warm out of the oven, so if you can, wait until you can enjoy them. Cleaned, uncooked seeds can hang in the fridge for a few days before roasting.

*They can be reheated and crisped up with a quick toss in a skillet.

Hope this gets you to try roasting your pumpkin and squash seeds again this fall!

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Roasting Pumpkin Seeds + Squash Seeds appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

I never met a zucchini I didn’t like. I’ll grill them, relish them, pickle them and freeze them all season long. But at least once (or twice) a summer I’ll bake up a storm with them too. And over the years I’ve tried and loved many versions of zucchini breads and desserts- but I think I’ve settled on this as my favorite. Adding some fresh whipped cream and sour cherry sauce doesn’t hurt either…

I really do love zucchini, check out my previous articles Zucchini Relish + “A Zillion Ways to Zucchini”

Eat What You Grow

Cucurbit What?
All squash and zucchini are in the Cucurbit family (along with cucumbers, melons, gourds etc.) All zucchini are squash, but not all squash are zucchini…

Regardless, I’ve tested this recipe with all yellow summer squash, all green zucchini and even all very large patty pan. I might actually prefer the patty pan! Whatever kind you use, be sure to scoop out any large seeds and that ‘spongy’ area that forms when zucchini get away from us…

Dress it up or down
I have made this recipe in large and small loaf pans, as a double decker round birthday cake, and as muffins. So there are a few different timings- but really this recipe does well being baked in all these ways. For a fancy cake, I love raspberry, cherry or un-sweetened strawberries on top of whipped cream- maybe with a decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting layer in between, I mean you’ll already have the unsweetened cocoa on hand, just saying

Kinds of chocolate – I prefer dark chocolate but my kids prefer the milk chocolate version. I love the way the melted dark chocolate deepens the color, and the flavor of this dessert. I have yet to try a semi-sweet version- but if you do, let me know! I’ve also tried to make this with more cocoa  powder and no melted chocolate, and it just isn’t the same…

There is magic in the mixer!
I got the idea for blending part of the zucchini from another sauce recipe that uses zucchini- and it really works for this- also adding an extra silkiness. Plus, you’ll have to use a blender to thoroughly mix in the melted chocolate chips- but don’t worry, since you have to melt the coconut oil anyway, it is just one streamlined step.

GF Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ C all purpose gluten free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Flour)
• ¼ C natural cocoa powder (lots of options on Amazon and at your local co-op)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 2 C grated zucchini/squash, some water squeezed out
• 1/3 C coconut oil
• 1 C chocolate chips – divided in half (your choice, semi-sweet or dark)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

DIRECTIONS

Shred Zucchini. Grease and powder your pans.

Mix dry ingredients together, making sure all the cocoa powder is well incorporated. Mix in 1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini so the dry ingredients coat the shreds.

Melt the coconut oil and ½ cup of chocolate chips and add to a blender base (like a ninja or nutria bullet). Add the eggs, vanilla, and the last ½ cup of zucchini and blend together well.

*You can skip the melt and blend step and add directly to the dry ingredients but it comes out smoother when blended.

Add wet ingredients and the rest chocolate chips (unless you want to save a few for the top) to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Spread into pan of choice (listed below).
Bake on center rack until that toothpick comes out clean: 
25 minutes- cupcakes
30 minutes for 5 small 3″x5″ loaf pans
35 minutes for 1 deep or 2 thin 9” rounds
50 minutes for 2 large 5″x9″loaf pans.

Leave pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

These don’t last long around our home, but I’d say to transfer this to the refrigerator after a day or two, since it is so dense and moist.

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Decadent GF Chocolate Zucchini Cake appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

I think my deep love for beets may be in part because it was one of those vegetables my mother NEVER cooked. So, I got to discover it all on my own and there’s something simply endearing about that, isn’t there? Their flavor and nutritional powers are pretty good reasons to love them as well…

Variety Matters!

I also love beets because you can use the entire plant, literally roots to shoots. I admit it took me a few years to fully board the ‘beet green’ bandwagon- but I am quite comfy now not giving up my seat now!

The rest of my family grew to love beet greens as a substitute for half the greens in their salads last summer. They even preferred it to spinach as the season wore on… we’ve also been enjoying frozen beet greens this winter.

But the beetroot is still up for debate with most of them.

One HUGE step forward was growing Burpee’s Golden from Seed Saver’s Exchange and most recently, Territorial Seed Company’s “Avalanche” white beets. I don’t mind the ‘earthy’ flavor of beets at all, in fact I adore that flavor palette, but the rest of my family was a hard pass.

First off, homegrown beets (like all veggies) just taste better than store bought, so that’s one step closer. But the Golden and White varieties have truly decreased some of that flavor profile. This also corresponds to the greens (hence eating it like spinach). While there are beets grown specifically for their greens, I find the greens of the regular varieties we grow just as tasty.

Growing Beets

Like any vegetable, the flavors will reflect that soil that nurtured it- so making sure the soil is rich with humus and well-draining. They also like phosphorus, so for those of in Minnesota, where we typically have lots of phosphorus in the soil- this is good news. They tend to be a little picky with their pH, doing best between 6.5-7, a pretty small window. Besides making sure to water well so they don’t get tough, the other tip is to make sure you thin early and give them lots of space! I also like starting these really early. I direct sow the majority of my beet crop once the soil reaches 40F. But will also start a few in a winter sowing jug to get a jump start. More on winter sowing HERE.

Harvesting Beets

I usually just harvest as I need as they do hold well in the early summer and later fall. You can also harvest the “beet greens” the leaves similar to a cut and come again lettuce, taking the outer leaves as they mature. Always make sure to leave enough leaves to keep the roots happy. I use fresh beet greens just like spinach, and the baby leaves are every bit as tasty as any other green.  

Most beets can be taken a little earlier than their typical 50-60 days to maturity. While they don’t appear to change much, if they stay in the ground too long after their 60 days to maturity, they will get woody.

Eat Yer Beets!

I really enjoy raw shredded beets on salads, along with the more traditional roasted and sliced options. Grilling them the night before when we’re already using the grill (or oven if winter) makes it so much easier to incorporate these veggies into meals.

I’ll also give one more shout out to the Beet Greens

I also adore Beet Kvass. This is a fermented beet juice that is slightly salty and tangy and tastes like the winter to me. It can be an acquired taste, but I have definitely acquired it, and actually crave it in the depths of winter…

Beet Kvass Recipe

2 to 3 large beets, scrubbed but skins on.
Chop into ½-1 inch cubes.
Add beets, 1 tsp salt and cover with water in a glass jar or crock, making sure to dissolve salt.
Screw on lid tight and keep away from direct light.
Check daily (or more often) to mix and to release any build up of gas. I ferment for 3-4 days.
Strain off the fermented juice and enjoy.

I often eat the beets after draining too, and my chickens go BONKERS for them, although I do rinse off any excess salt before giving them to my hens.

Chef in the HOUSE

Another favorite way to eat them is in Chef Matt’s Beet Risotto! I’ve made his recipe a few different ways and loved them all. This is a versatile recipe that is delicious with different varieties of beets, from the blood red, to the golden and whites!

With my Avalanche White Beets, I shredded and added to the risotto right at the end, as shown in one of Chef Matt’s notes on the recipe below. But pink and red rice is fun, delicious and fitting for Valentine’s celebrations too! Remember, Food is Fun!

Chef Matt

Chef Matt is a stellar chef and local food aficionado (along with being my good friend)! He teaches online cooking classes via “Chef’s House”, prepares weekly “pick up’ meals and caters events large and small. You may also recognize him from the Cider table at our White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Markets…

If want to support a local small business and learn to cook local food at the same time, he’s your guy! Chef Matt is down to earth and explains things thoroughly- but also has a great sense of humor that makes the classes fun- and you’ll love eating the results!

Link to Chef Matt’s Online Cooking Classes

Beet Risotto Recipe

Ingredients                 Amount

Arborio Rice                          1.5 cups
Beets                                    2 or 3 each 
Yellow Onion                        1 medium Onion 
Garlic                                      3 Cloves
Chicken Stock       2 Quarts +
Oil, Vegetable or Olive    Varies
Salt and Pepper                   To taste
Parmesan Cheese              To taste
Butter to finish the dish and for the puree

Steps for Roasting Squash

1. Place whole, washed beets in a roasting dish.
2. I like to add fresh herbs, onion, garlic, apple or orange to the roasting pan, leave in large pieces.
3. All pieces will be tossed in Oil and Salt, pepper, and add ¼ cup of water.
4. Cover with Tinfoil.
5. Place in a 400 degree oven until fork tender and browned. Do not worry if the bottom of the pieces gets dark, it will add to the flavor.
6. Peel beets once they are still warm.

Steps for Beet Puree

1. Place warm beets into the blender.
2. Season with Salt, Pepper
3. Add ¼ cup warm water
4. Add 1 tablespoon of butter
5. Purée until smooth, if more liquid is needed use warm water

Steps for cooking main recipe

1. Get water or Stock heating up in a separate pot.
2. Cook onions and garlic in oil over medium heat. We do not want to get too much color on them, just sweat them to soften up.
3. Add rice and coat in the oil.
4. Cook rice till it starts to look translucent, or “pearlized”.
5. Once rice is looking clear, we will begin adding the liquid.
6. Risotto is about stirring the rice to get the starch to release and thicken the rice.
7. We will keep stirring and once the liquid is just about reduced and gone, we will add another ladle full.
8. Repeat stirring and adding liquid until Rice is al dente and a slightly thickened “sauce” is in the pan.
9. To finish, we will add some of the beet puree, Parmesan cheese, butter, and season with salt and pepper.
10. Garnish with sautéed beet greens if they are in good shape.

Recipe Notes

You could also grate the beets and then sauté them quickly with the onions and garlic and then let them soften up as you are stirring the rice and adding liquid. *This is my favorite way to use my white Avalanche beets!

Another nice beet dish is to use regular rice, cook it, cool it, add the cooked beets and any other veggies you want. I usually make a flavored mayo to use as a dressing.

THANK YOU CHEF MATT!

Deep Beet Love

Because my love of beets runs deep, I wanted to share one more way I enjoy eating them – home made beet chips! These are easiest in a dehydrator, but can be done in an oven (just watch them closely so they don’t burn). I’ve got them pictured plain with just a marigold microgreen (they are deliciously lemony) so you can see the chip- but I usually eat them with a smear of goat cheese and micros!

I really hope Chef matt and I have inspired you to both grow and cook more with beets!

Let us know what you think below!

Cheers to Digging into beets,
Michelle

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Everyone loves lasagna, right!? Here’s my veggie-heavy version. And the trick is using larger (what people may think of as past their prime) Patty Pan squash.

Patty Who?

Patty Pan squash are a prolific heirloom variety that I think of something between a summer and winter squash. The firmness and dense texture of these squash make for a much closer “faux pasta” than regular summer squash! I love all kinds of squash, especially zucchini, and have a dedicated blog all about different ways to use those beauties in Zucchini a Zillion Ways.

The plants themselves are large, but not as big as some typical zucchini plants can get. I got my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, “White Scallop.”

So how does a big ole squash become pasta-ish? Welcome my trusty mandolin. I use this simple kitchen appliance to slice and shred, and it makes my veggie loving life so much easier! From making beet chips to slaw, I use this handy tool almost every day.

A note of caution here: the blades are VERY sharp. Most mandolin packages come with a ‘guide’ or shield of some sort. I suggest using that whenever you get even a little close to the slicing blade.

VIDEO: watch a mandolin slicing patty pan in action

I also use cottage cheese instead of ricotta in my lasagna. This is mostly for the ease since I usually have cottage cheese on hand. But also, using cottage cheese lowers the saturated fat, cholesterol, and overall calories. Cottage cheese’s calories comes from the protein, which equates to staying full longer. This is worth considering since we’re swapping out the starch in this recipe! Cottage cheese does contain more sodium though, so we don’t need to add as salt much to the dish with this switch. But I love all cheeses, and ricotta will work here as well.

Let’s Get Cooking!

Patty Pan Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients:

3 large Patty Pan squash

1 lb Italian Turkey Sausage (Ferndale Market makes an awesome variety!)
1 large onion
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
Tomato Sauce (I used roasted tomatoes, about 16oz pureed, spaghetti sauce also works here)
Italian seasoning to taste: Marjoram, Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary

2C Cottage Cheese
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Black Pepper

2 Cups Mozzarella Shredded

Instructions:

Slice patty pan into thin ribbons with a mandolin.

Sautee turkey with onions, garlic (and spices if not using Italian flavored to start)

Add tomato sauce and seasonings.

Mix cottage cheese with eggs and black pepper

Layers

A little meat sauce on the bottom
Patty Pan Noodles
Cottage cheese/egg
Meat Sauce
Mozzarella
Patty Pan Noodles
Cottage cheese/egg
Meat Sauce
Mozzarella
Patty Pan Noodles
Cottage cheese/egg
Meat Sauce
Mozzarella

Bake at 375F for 40 minutes

Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving

Delicious served  with a simple kale salad!

So… have you grown Patty Pan, or have you seen them at your local farmers markets? I dare you to try these beauties.

I also shred and add to other recipes as a meat substitute. I love a versatile veggie!

Dig In,
Michelle

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Are you a Zucchini lover or a hater?

Of course I’m a zucchini lover, I’m a sucker for a veggie that goes overboard and can be used in both sweet and savory ways!

I’ve finally gathered together my collection of recipes and ways I use and preserve Zucchini. I know lots of us vegetable gardeners joke about ‘ding dong ditch’ with these as the season progresses… This is the notorious prolific vegetable. And many get away from me and all gardeners each year (see picture at the end if you want proof of that ;-).

There are so many ways to make use of zucchini! This is such a delicious and versatile veggie. For those of with bounty, or if you just want to savor the sweet summer flavors into winter, read on!

Zucchini Growing Tips

I both start seeds indoors and direct sow- with similar results. I get earlier harvests with the plants started earlier, or more prolific but later with the plants I direct sow. Choose what works for you! They do like lots of compost and can be planted outside a fence, as critters (at least in my area) do not nibble. This is a great news because zucchini plants take up a LOT of space, easily three square feet. A little compost and mulch when planting and you should have oodles of zoodles!

*Hand Pollinating* Tip

If you aren’t getting good fruit set, you can hand pollinate, taking pollen from the male flower and dusting it onto the female flower!

Grab a paint brush and have fun!

I have had limited success starting a second round of zucchini and summer squash mid-July for fall harvests here in Zone 4b.

My Favorite ways to Enjoy Zucchini

Zoodle:

If you have a spiralizer, great- if not a mandolin is your BFF! I often use the ‘small shred’ option on my mandolin to make a salad base while my lettuce greens are slim picking during the hot days of August.

A quick sizzle with EVOO, Garlic, Onion, Oregano, Salt, Pepper and you’ve got summer stand in for pasta!!

In fact, I’ve got a flavor packed Summer Spaghetti Recipe as well!

Grill:

Sliced 1/4 -1/2″ thick drizzled in EVOO, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder + Oregano. Oregano plays really well with zucchini! Sear for 5-10 until al dente. Skewering chunks onto a kebab is another favorite way to grill this veggie- try alternating cherry tomatoes and onion slices in between the zucchini for a flavor pop!

Sauté:

I will often simply chop up fresh zucchini or summer squash and add any

f you want a savory take on the good old pancake- Zucchini Fritters are for you! I love two different versions of this recipe almost equally- but having just perfected the zucchini Cornmeal Fritter- this is our current go to quick lunch- served with a fresh Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber + Yogurt Dip) these are out of this world! They’re also surprisingly delicious cold the next day .

RECIPES: GF Zucchini Fritters 2 Ways

Bake:

And of course everyone has their favorite Zucchini Bread Recipe. I love that fellow local homesteader Crystal, of @wholefedhomestead (yes you should follow her!) shared her gluten free zucchini bread recipes with us all!

And here’s my very own Decadent Chocolate Zucchini cake recipe.

Ferment:

Shredded Zucchini Kraut: A simple and zesty way to make your zucchini even more beneficial. I use this simple recipe from Cultures For Health.

Another favorite fermentation recipe is from Can It and Ferment It by Minnesota local, Stephanie Thurow, I love making the fermented Zucchini-Carrot Relish! I’ve eaten this like a side salad, plus it tops everything from eggs to burgers. Here’s a link to the book, Can It and Ferment It if you’re interested.

Can:

Zucchini makes a great substitute for cucumbers in relish and I actually prefer the texture. Follow my Zucchini Sweet Relish Recipe  to use those big ones that ‘got away’ from you. This is one of my most requested recipes!

Freeze:

The fastest, easiest and honestly the what ends up happening with most of my zucchini is shredding and freezing! Simply shred, squeeze out excess liquid and freeze in Ziplocs for winter soups, stews and baking! I’ll either wait until I have a good amount and bust out the food processor to shred lots fast, or shred one at a time with my mandolin. *No blanching needed* I usually freeze in 2 cup amounts, but you do you!

As always, if you’d rather give your extra produce away, find a local food shelf to donate to. Our local White Bear Lake food shelf accepts garden produce at certain times details here, so please call before you drop.

Have I made a zucchini lover out of you yet?

What is your favorite variety of zucchini, and how do you enjoy it the most?

Dig In,

Michelle

The post A Zillion Ways to Zucchini appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Kale really is the QUEEN of the late Fall garden. It is by far one of the easiest plants to grow and it just keeps giving. Easier to grow than many other superfoods, this stuff was made for Minnesota gardeners.

Growing Kale

Kale can happily grow with only 6 hours of sunlight, and will still produce tender leaves – making it a great option for those of us struggling with the shady side of the garden. Like most leafy things, it likes a healthy dose of Nitrogen, my best practice is to add homegrown compost to the top before planting.

There are quite a few different varieties out there and they are not all created equally.

Kale Variety Role Call

Seed Savers Exchange Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale has consistently tender leaves, and stay roughly one and half feet tall. One of my all time favorites.

The Westlander Kale from High Mowing Organic Seeds was a show stopper this season, producing the ‘Kale Trees’ loved by vegetable gardeners.

I prefer any kind of curly kale to Lacinato (aka Dino) Kale about 1000 : 1. So when I am raving about kale, keep in mind I do NOT mean the stuff pictured above. I mean nothing is 100% perfect, right…

Red Russian is a striking beauty that had a more leathery texture than the others I’ve grown, so I suggest using these in cooked form. Still very much worthy of a spot in the garden.

A single glorious Scarlet Kale from that OVERWINTERED (yes through last years insane polar-vortex temps) and is happily living its best life towards the back of my garden, partly shaded and loving it. I’ve now overwintered plants from the seeds of this kale.

I may have saved the best for last- this is for sure my new favorite for late season harvests and the fact that it is a true perennial in my Zone 4b Minnesota garden.

Homesteader’s Kaleidoscopic Perennial Kale Grex

Not only is this a perennial, but the variety of leaves coming from that single seed packet, from flat to curly, darkest green to purples- but all with the best kale flavor I’ve grown. This is also my go-to variety for blanching and freezing to use all winter long. The only company selling these amazing seeds is Experimental Farm Network.

Cold Hardy

Most kale varieties can easily handle temperatures down to 10F. So even up here in Minnesota we can keep these beauties growing into November. A few years back they lasted until our Christmas meal! Because of their size and ability to take the cold I have never grown these with any season extension covers or hoops.

After the first few frosts you’ll fall even more in love with this veggie. They get sweeter with each passing frost!

HARVESTING TRICK

Snap off those bottom leaves first working your way up the stalk as you go. This is a key to not being stuck with big, tough leaves! This is especially important if you want to keep enjoying all season long.

You can always snap off a few leaves and freeze them rather than having to eat tough leaves a few weeks later! This will also leave you with adorable kale trees at the end of the season.

Meet the Kalettes!

Kalettes are kale’s hipster little sister. They’re a mix of kale and Brussel Sprouts. These are gorgeous to grow, with intense purple stems, and purple coloring into the base of the leaf clusters.

They take up a huge space like Brussel Sprouts, and produce a lot of fluff – but the taste is pretty awesome! I’ll grow two or three plants next year instead of six.

Kale Recipes

We grow a LOT of kale, so here’s some of our favorite (kid approved) ways we eat it.
Kale + Collard Gratin Recipe

Sausage , Potato + Kale Potage

Fresh Eating

Chopped and ‘massaged’ (when you run olive oil into the leaves to tenderize them) salads, Here’s one of my favorite chopped kale salad combos as highlighted on my website‘s recipe page.

Kale Chopped Salad
Ingredients
3-4 Cups Kale, torn
Drizzles of EVOO, honey, 
1/2 Lemon juiced
S&P
A few Craisins
Directions
Toss into blender of choice and just barely pulse.
Can add fresh berries, parmesan cheese and nuts after blending 

Crispy

Kale chips are such a great way to sneak in ALL those Vitamins, minerals and Protein! We just tear and massage in EVOO, bake on a sheet pan for 5-10 minutes at 350F. You can use whatever seasonings you feel like that day- chili powder, cumin, onion powder, or go for an Asian taste and add in Aminos and red pepper flakes. One note; garlic powder tends to burn for me on these.

Steamed + Sautéed

Warm Squash and Crisped Kale Salad!

Have you ever cooked up a pan of kale and red onions? If not, this needs to be one of the next things you try. I’ll add a simple mix of kale greens, onions + garlic with chick peas and roasted squash and boom you’ve got your self a perfect fall salad. This recipe is included in my Market Meals post from last winter.
Add kale, onions and tomatoes to your egg scramble in the morning to boost flavors and nutrients.

Preserving Kale

Since we grow so much kale it is one of the veggies we preserve a lot of as well. I used to just wash tear and freeze kale. But I’ve found that it holds both its flavor and its texture better if I blanche it before freezing.

Also, steam blanching is better for greens that regular blanching directly into the boiling water as it helps retain more of the nutrients, plus you can skip the ‘ice water bath’ step! Letting it cool on some paper towels also helps it dry out a bit.

I then pack the blanched kale leaves into muffin tins and freeze overnight. *Someday I will upgrade to the Souper Cubes* but my muffin tins work well, too.

Then remove the ‘pucks’ which equal roughly 2 cups of fresh kale into freezer bags. With the air removed from the bag, its also a great space saving way to store kale. We use frozen kale in recipes all winter long.  Frozen kale is perfect for adding into soups and stews, you can also eat it just like steamed/creamed spinach – YUM.

*If your main use of frozen kale is in smoothies, I’ll suggest you DO NOT blanche it before freezing. There is something magical about the way kale crumbles and loses some of its toughness when frozen raw. If you’ve never liked kale in smoothies, I challenge you try frozen kale and let me know!

So, are there any Kale Nay Sayers left out there? What can I do to convince you of kale’s abundant awesomeness?

Tell me, which recipes are you going to dig into first?

Michelle

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