Page 2 0
Cl'' jdnrtlanb (©bscruer.
M a rch 27. 2013
Learn to Garden
Courses Available
Hoping to grow a successful vegetable garden this year?
Need a little help? Oregon Food Bank, in collaboration with
Oregon State U niversity Extension Service, offers a free,
five-session "Seed to Supper" course for beginning gar
deners at sites throughout the m etro area.
"Our goal is to give gardeners the skills and confidence
they need to grow a portion of their own food on a lim ited
budget," says Ali Abbors, learning gardens program coor
dinator.
Topics include: garden site and soil developm ent, plan
ning your garden, planting your garden, garden m ainte
nance and harvesting. All participants will receive a begin
ning gardening book and a certificate o f com pletion.
F o r m ore in fo rm a tio n , v isit o re g o n fo o d b a n k .o rg /
seed to su p p er.
Vegetable Soup with Asparagus,
Artichokes, Peas & Spinach
A vegetarian soup in time inspired by the spring garden.
Hands-on time is 20 minutes; time to table is 24 hours. Makes
12 cups.
Ingredients:
•6 cups stock (I used Homemade Chicken Stock, Note to
Vegetarians)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 leek, white and green parts only (How to Clean Leeks), cut
into half circles
• 2 ribs celery, trimmed and cut into half-inch thick pieces on the
* diagonal
•3 carrots, trimmed and cut into half-inch thick pieces on the
diagonal
• 1 15-ounce can artichoke bottoms, tough bits sliced off and
discarded, remaining parts cut into lengths
• 16 ounces frozen artichoke hearts (from Trader Joe's, one of
their marvelous bags of frozen vegetables)
•8 ounces asparagus, woody ends snapped off, skin pared off
if tough, spears cut into one-inch lengths, tips set aside
•8 ounces frozen peas
•8 ounces frozen spinach
• Generous salt & pepper to taste
•Cream to taste (I used about a quarter cup)
Directions:
1. In the microwave, bring the stock to a boil. (This step helps
'move the recipe along' but isn't necessary if time is no issue.)
2. In a large pot, melt the butter til shimmery. Add the
leek, stir to coat with fat and let cook until just soft. As
they are prepped, add the celery and ribs to the pot,
stirring to coat with fat and letting cook until just soft.
As they are prepped, add the artichoke bottoms, arti
choke hearts and asparagus lengths (leave the tips aside
for now).
3. Add the hot stock and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce
the heat to maintain a slow simmer, let simmer until all the
vegetables are cooked through.
4. Stir in the asparagus tips, peas and spinach and let
cook through.
5. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Stir in cream
to taste. Best if left to rest for 24 hours before serving.
Spring Garden Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
•7 baby carrots, halved lengthwise
• 1 cup fresh sugar snap peas
•4 cups tom Boston lettuce
• 1 cup trimmed watercress
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1 /2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
•2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless
chicken breast halves
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• 1 /4 tsp freshly ground black pepper,
divided
• 8 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
•2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
•2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 1/2 tsps honey
• 1 1/2 tsps water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
Preparation:
1. Cook carrots and peas in boiling
water 2 1/2 minutes or until crisp -ten
der. Drain and rinse with cold water;
drain. Combine carrot mixture, lettuce,
watercress, radishes, and parsley in a
large bowl; set aside.
2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of
plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thick
ness using a meat mallet or small heavy
skillet. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon
salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2
teaspoons oil in a large skillet, swirling to
coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes
on each side or until done. Let stand 5
minutes; cut across the grain into slices.
3. Com bine rem aining 2 tablespoons
oil, rem aining 1/4 teaspoon salt, re
m aining 1/8 teaspoon pepper, vinegar,
and rem aining ingredients in a small
bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle
dressing over lettuce m ixture; toss
gently. Arrange about 2 cups lettuce
m ixture on each o f 4 plates; divide
chicken evenly among servings.
Spring Garden Potato Salad
Dressing Ingredients:
•2 cloves garlic, peeled
•2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
•Freshly ground black pepper
•2 1 /2 tablespoons white wine
vinegar
Salad Ingredients:
•8 cups water
•2/3 cup dry white vermouth
•3 cloves garlic, smashed
•2 tablespoons kosher salt plus additional for seasoning
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
•4 black peppercorns
•2 pounds small red-skinned waxy potatoes, sliced into 1/
8-inch-thick rounds
•5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick
rounds
• 1 bunch radishes, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rounds (about
8)
• 1/2 Englishcucum berorl large Kirby cucumber, slicedinto
1/8-inch-thick rounds
• 1 cup grape or cheny tomatoes, halved
•3 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
•Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup lightly packed chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as
flat-leaf parsley, dill, or tarragon
•6 lemon wedges
Directions:
1. For the dressing: Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with
the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and
smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Put in a bowl and whisk
with the mayonnaise, vinegar, and black pepper to taste.
2. For the salad: Put the water, vermouth, garlic, salt, thyme,
bay leaf, peppercorns, and potatoes in a large saucepan and
bring to a boil. Add the carrots, lower the heat, and cook until
the vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Stir
in the radishes, then immediately drain all the vegetables in a
colander in the sink. Remove and discard the garlic, thyme, bay
leaf, and peppercorns. Cool slightly and toss the vegetables
with the dressing. Cover and refrigerate about 30 minutes.
(The salad can be prepared up to this point a day ahead.)
3. About 10 minutes before serving, toss the cucumber,
tomatoes, and scallions in a small bowl with salt and black
pepper to taste. When ready to serve, fold the cucumber
mixture and herbs into the potato salad. Serve with lemon
wedges.