Here are some of the recipes from the 13th annual Flavors of the Valley.
Willing Hands – Crispy Kale
Wash kale in water. Cut or rip leaves off the thick stems. Cut kale leaves into pieces. Put kale on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
Farm to School – Black Bean Brownies
- 14 oz cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk (or dairy, skim)
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground coffee or instant coffee
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9-inch pan and line with parchment. Blend the black beans, eggs, cocoa powder, sugar, oil, almond milk, balsamic, baking soda, baking powder, and coffee in a food processor or blender until smooth and fold in chocolate chips. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan (or cupcake wrappers) and bake for 20-30 minutes (until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing.
CO-OP Culinary Learning Center – Creamy Polenta
- 5 cups water
- 1 Tbs. salt
- 5 Tbs. butter, unsalted
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbs. cornmeal/polenta mix
- ½ lb. cheese, your choice, cut into chunks (Swiss, goat, and Parmesan all work well, or a blend)
Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil. Trick: add the butter once the water has boiled to avoid boiling over. Whisk in cornmeal. This may cause a white foam “head” to form on top. Stir constantly until “head” has been incorporated. Reduce heat. Simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cheese and serve immediately. Serves 6
Walpole Valley Farms – Bonnie’s Swedish Meatballs
- 1 1/2 lb. WVF ground beef
- 1/2 lb. WVF ground turkey
- 1/2 lb. WVF ground pork
- 1/2 c dried breadcrumbs
- 1 large fresh egg
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 1/2 pt heavy cream
- beef or chicken stock
- 1/2 c milk
- 1 medium organic onion finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp dried dill weed
- salt & pepper to taste
Saute onion in butter until just soft, then cool. Mix all ground meats together with the breadcrumbs, egg, spices, and milk. Add onion; mixture should be soft. Form into small meatballs and saute lightly on all sides until almost done. Remove from frypan and stir in the beef or chicken stock into the drippings (use about 1-2 cups depending on how much gravy desired). Add meatballs and cook for 5-8 minutes, then add heavy cream to thicken. Do not boil; just bring to a hot temperature and serve over homemade mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Walpole Valley Farms – Maria’s Pulled Chicken
- 1 Pasture-raised chicken
- 1 Bottle of local BBQ sauce
- 1 Bay leaf
- Salt to taste
Cover chicken halfway with cold water in a large pot. Add salt to taste and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium heat for 1-1½ hours. Pour off the stock and save for a chicken soup or something else-chicken stock can be used for all sorts of recipes. Let the chicken cool, and remove all of the meat from the bones. Put all of the meat into a pan, add a little bit of the reserved chicken stock and as much BBQ sauce as you like. Mix together thoroughly and cook on medium for 10-15 minutes to get the flavors to blend. Serve with any kind of bread for a sandwich. This recipe can be doubled, tripled, or more quite easily. Fun to make for large parties! Use your favorite BBQ sauce and get creative to add whatever else you like.