community recipes Time to Get Creative

time

TO GET creative

We’re heading into July, and Texas just “paused” its reopening plans. There is a COVID-19 “hotspot” in Southwestern Ohio, and restaurants across the country can’t determine when it’s safe to reopen dining rooms to the public—at any capacity. Given the current conditions we’ll be cooking at home for the foreseeable future—not that we haven’t enjoyed it! At Edible HQs coast to coast we’ve been drawing inspiration from each other. With time on our hands to explore other regional and national culinary traditions comes this:

Recipes for Home: An Edible Communities Cookbook. We invite you to share these recipes from Edible magazines all across the U.S. and Canada, to cook in community with fellow local food aficionados. This interactive cookbook is perfect for using on a tablet or desktop computer, and it includes podcast episodes, culinary tips, and all the gorgeous photography you’ve come to expect from our fellow Edible magazines. (It’s available for purchase at EdibleCommunities. com/edible-cookbook/; proceeds support our collective efforts to champion local food.) Here are a few old favorites for summer and a few new recipes for good measure.

Scan this code with your phone’s camera for a direct link to Recipes For Home.

Bean & Feta Spread

It’s wonderful layered on slices of toasted country bread with tomatoes, mixed greens, homemade pickles and some sliced roasted turkey breast. 2 cups cooked beans, any variety 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 ounces goat or sheep feta Juice and zest of 1 lemon ½ cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped ¼ teaspoon sugar or honey Pinch of chili flakes ½ teaspoon ground coriander Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to combine. Check for seasoning and add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Serve with sliced watermelon radishes, rainbow carrots, cucumber spears and toasted bread, or use in place of hummus on a sandwich.

edible boston

by Sarah Blackburn / photo by Michael Piazza

Sunny Fettuccine

Serves 2 When times are tough, there is nothing more comforting than a hearty pasta. It doesn’t take much to create a delicious pasta dish, and oftentimes less is more. Here Brooke and Jacob Town, proprietors of The Spoon Trade in Grover Beach, CA, share one of their favorite recipes using simple, easy-to-access ingredients. This bright dish is both cozy and joyful.

8 ounces fresh pasta 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup sweet corn kernels, cut off the cob ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup Sun Gold or cherry tomatoes 5–6 sprigs tarragon

{ Cook pasta to desired tenderness. { Melt butter in a sauté pan. Add corn and Parmesan cheese and sauté for 2 minutes. { Add cooked pasta to the pan and continue to sauté for an additional 1–2 minutes. Add tomatoes and sauté until tomatoes are slightly soft to the touch. { Garnish with tarragon sprigs.

edible san luis obispo

by Brooke & Jacob Town photo by Jennifer Olson

edible indy

by Mary McClung & Jennifer L. Rubenstein

Preserve Your Herbs

FLAT FREEZE { Blanch. Blanching kills things that mold or degrade leaves, helping keep the bright green color when frozen. Here’s how: { Dip basil in boiling water until just wilted—no more! { Go immediately from the boiling water to an ice bath to stop the heating. { After blanching, pat leaves dry and cut them from the stems. { Lay in a single layer inside a sealable freezer bag and place in freezer. When winter blues hit, pop open bag, break off a chunk, add to food and feel the warm summer love in your heart.

FREEZE IN OIL { Stem herbs and use whole leaves or chop them into pieces. { Place herbs into cube trays. Don’t fill more than ¾ of each cube with herbs; ⅔ full is a nice amount. { Pour your choice of olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil into each cube until you see the herb/oil ratio you want to achieve. { Place the cube tray into the freezer until your nuggets of herbaceous goodness are completely frozen (probably overnight). { Pop the frozen cubes out of the tray and store in a sealable freezer bag for future use. DRY { Tie bundles of heartier herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, lavender) at the stems and hang them in a dry, warm place away from sunlight. { Drying can take one to four weeks. When dry, simply pack the herbs loosely in a storage bag and store them in that cool, dry spot … you know, the one in your rustic Provençe kitchen. These herbs can last up to a year.

Aguas Frescas

Spanish for “fresh waters,” aguas frescas are satisfying and refreshing for guests of all ages.

Blackberry-Lemongrass

Serves 8–10 For the simple syrup: 1 stalk lemongrass ¾ cup agave ¾ cup water

For the agua fresca: 4 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen) 10–14 cups water, divided ¼–½ cup fresh lime juice Pinch of salt

{ Use a rolling pin or tenderizer to smash the lemongrass. Bring the agave and water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the lemongrass. Remove from heat and cool completely. Strain and discard the lemongrass. { Working in batches, combine the blackberries with 2–4 cups water in a blender and purée. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove seeds and pulp. Add the simple syrup to the strained juice and dilute with 8–10 cups water. At this point you can adjust the drink to your liking with lime juice, adding a pinch of salt and additional agave or water as desired. Serve over ice with sliced lemongrass and blackberries for garnish.

Carrot-Ginger

Serves 6 6 large carrots, peeled and chopped 2 teaspoons chopped ginger ½ cup agave 7 cups water, divided 1 small bunch mint leaves Pinch of salt 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced, for garnish

{ Combine carrots, ginger, agave and 3 cups water in a blender. Blend for 60 seconds, then strain through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh sieve. Do not push mixture through strainer to reduce pulp. Add the remaining 4 cups water, mint leaves and salt; stir well. Pour into glasses full of ice, garnish with red pepper slices and serve immediately (or refrigerate overnight to develop a more intense flavor).

Watermelon-Jalapeño

Serves 10–12 For the simple syrup: 3 jalapeños, seeded and deveined 2 cups water 1 cup sugar 1 cup agave Pinch of salt

For the agua fresca: 1 medium seedless watermelon, cut into small cubes 1 cup jalapeño simple syrup Juice of 2 limes 5 cups water 1 lemon, sliced, for garnish { Combine all of the simple syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool. { Combine watermelon, jalapeño simple syrup, lime juice and water in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds. Do not strain. Pour into glasses full of ice, garnish with a lemon slice and serve immediately (or refrigerate for 30 minutes for a more intense flavor).

edible san diego

by Miguel Valdez / photo by Olivia Hayo, styled by Gary McIntire

edible KENTUCKY

By Lindsey McClave, TheFarmerAndTheFoodie.com/the-show

Recipes for Beef Kofta & Veggie Kebabs with Tzatziki and

Beef & Veggie Quesadillas with Pico de Gallo & Cilantro-

Lime Sour Cream at EdibleKentucky.com

Strip Steak with Balsamic Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Pesto

Serves 2

2 medium or 1 large (about 1 pound) Foxhollow

Farm grass-fed strip steak 10 ounces cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ⅛ teaspoon black pepper Additional olive oil and kosher salt for finishing

Marinade

2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Pesto

1 large bunch basil ¼ cup walnuts 2 garlic cloves ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes Juice of 1 lemon ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ cup olive oil ½ cup Parmesan cheese { Begin by whisking together all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl. Pat steaks dry. Place steaks in a zip-top bag and pour the marinade over top.

Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24. Remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature before cooking. { While steak is marinating, make the pesto. Place basil, walnuts, garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, kosher salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined and evenly chopped.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spoon. With the blade running, slowly pour the olive oil through the food processor’s feed tube. Once pesto has thickened and become creamy, turn off the blade and stir in the Parmesan.

Taste pesto and add additional salt and pepper if preferred. Set aside. Pesto will last in the refrigerator for 1 week. { Preheat oven to 375°. Place tomatoes on a rimmed sheet pan and toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 15–20 minutes, until they begin to pop and blister. Remove from oven and set aside. { While tomatoes are roasting, warm a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Add grapeseed oil and, once hot, add steak. Cook for 2 minutes, flip and cook for 2 additional minutes. Flip again, cooking for an additional 2 minutes. Flip 1 final time, cooking for a final 2 minutes. Remove from the pan to a plate and tent with foil. Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. { Spoon pesto onto a plate, top with sliced steak and pour roasted tomatoes over top. Season steak with kosher salt and drizzle with olive oil before serving.

Blueberry Galette

Serves 6

Perfect for any summer fruit, this simple galette comes together quickly and gives the peak-season fruit center stage.

Dough

1¼ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into small dice 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar ¼ cup ice-cold water { In a food processor fitted with the multi-purpose blade, combine flour and salt and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture looks like wet sand. { Combine apple cider vinegar with ice-cold water and add liquid mixture 1 tablespoon at a time while pulsing until dough just comes together, almost forming a ball. If the dough seems too dry, add more ice-cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time. { Turn out dough onto plastic wrap and form a disc, carefully pushing dough together while wrapping it. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

Filling

1 pint blueberries (or blackberries, strawberries, peaches, etc.), rinsed and patted dry 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon) 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup granulated sugar { Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to warm up slightly while you make the filling. Preheat oven to 400°; line a baking sheet with parchment. { Combine blueberries (or other fruit), lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar and stir together so fruit is well coated. { On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. It’s OK if it’s not a perfect circle. Place dough on prepared baking sheet. { Turn out filling into the center of the dough and spread fruit in a single layer, leaving about 3 inches of dough around the edges of the filling. Carefully fold the dough in toward the center, overlapping in areas. { Bake for 20–30 minutes, checking frequently, until filling is bubbling and pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool and serve.

Wonderful warm or at room temperature.

edible kentucky

by Jessica Kingsley @louisville_locavore on Instagram

Recipes for Eggplant Meatballs, Summer Vegetable Cobbler and Smoky Corn Jalapeno Dip at EdibleKentucky.com