Caramelized milkweed pods

Here’s a recipe for this month’s seasonal ingredient Milk Weed Pods: simple and delicious.

CARAMELIZED MILKWEED PODS

2 T coconut oil
3 cups fresh milkweed pods, cut in half horizontally

1.  Add coconut oil to a large skillet over high heat.
2.  Add pods, cut side down, and sear for about 1-2 minutes or until nicely browned.
3.  Flip pods carefully with tongs and cook on second side about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4.  Season lightly with sea salt and pepper add to pot with meatballs.

To Learn More about Milkweed click here

Pork and Lambsquarters Meatballs in a Coconut Chicken Broth

Serves 8-10

MEATBALLS:
1 T coconut oil
1 stalk lemongrass, tender part only, minced
2 cups onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups lambsquarters or spinach, chopped
1 T lime juice
1-2 eggs
2 lbs ground pork
1 tea salt
1 T liquid aminos or soy sauce or soy free coconut aminos
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup spelt flour or all purpose flour

SAUCE:
2 T coconut oil
1 stalk lemongrass, tender part only, minced
2 tea fresh ginger, grated
2 fresh tomatoes, diced – or 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tea palm sugar or brown sugar
squeeze of lime juice to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
2.  Heat 1 T coconut oil in a large skillet and cook onion, lemongrass and garlic until soft.
3.  Add lambsquarters in batches, folding in until all are wilted and reduced to half their volume.
4.  Add lime juice off heat and mix well.  Set aside to cool slightly.
5.  In a large bowl, mix pork, sea salt, liquid aminos and cinnamon.
6.  Add greens and mix well.
7.  Add spelt flour to firm up the mixture if too wet.
8.  Roll meatballs into 1/2 inch or quarter sized balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
9.  While meatballs are in the oven, add 2 T coconut oil to a stock pot over medium high heat.
10. Add lemongrass and ginger and cook 1 minute, or until fragrant.
11. Add diced tomatoes, coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
12.  Add sugar and stir to dissolve bringing the broth to a simmer.
13.  Add meatballs and simmer in the sauce for anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour.  The longer they simmer, the more tender they will be.
14.  Serve with Caramelized Milkweed Pods and soba noodles, if desired.

Recipe by Chef Lisa Caccamise, Simple Earth Cuisine Personal Chef Service, LLC.

 To watch the cooking video click here

The post Recipe: Caramelized Milkweed Pods and Pork and Lambsquarters Meatballs in a Coconut Chicken Broth appeared first on Suburban Foragers.

To Learn More about Milkweed click here

For our recipe click here

Cropsey Farm

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Spring is a beautiful season with life blooming all over. Vibrant greens sprouting on the ground, tiny buds on the trees and colorful flowers springing up all over. Did you know that most of the cold tolerant flowers are edible such as pansies, petunias and, oh yea, dandelion? I know, I know, but dandelion is a weed. Well, it’s the give and take of all this beauty around us as with beauty comes the weeds. But to a forager, the beauty is indeed beautiful, but the weeds are even more appealing. The dandelion is one of many examples.

Did you know that every part of the Dandelion plant is edible? Flowers, leaves and root. Dandelion is a rich source of vitamins A, B complex, C, and D, more beta-carotene than carrots and more iron and calcium than spinach as well as tons of potassium, and zinc. Medicinally, the plant is used as a diuretic, producing urine to eliminate toxins from the body, curing mild stomach aches and acts as an inflammatory. Hence the prescription to eat your dandelion greens in spring for a perfect body cleanse as dandelion is a powerful diuretic but does not deplete the body of potassium. The beauty of this plant is now increasing, isn’t it. This is one hearty little plant, ask any frustrated gardner. But here’s another fact, the plants give off a ethylene gas which actually accelerates the ripening process of crops, fruit, shrubs and trees. Try this little trick. Want peaches, tomatoes or avocados you purchase from the market to ripen quickly? Place some dandelion (leaves or flowers) in a paper bag with the fruit on the counter overnight and it will indeed cause the fruit to ripen much more quickly then just putting them in the paper bag alone. Better yet, make an infusion of the leaves and root and water your plants with it as a natural fertilizer.

A grassy field in the heat of summer is quite a lovely site with sunny yellow flowers popping up. Dandelion’s solitary, bright yellow flowers open with the sun in the morning and close in the evening or during overcast, cloudy weather. The deeply notched leaves are shiny and hairless and funnel the rain to the root making the plant very drought tolerant. Collect the flowers from an open field on a sunny day and bring home some sunshine to put into simple syrups or make into dandelion wine.

This is a plant that gives and gives and gives some more. In the fall, the roots are ready to harvest as they have grown significantly during spring and summer giving life to the plant that will now start to go dormant for the long winter months. Harvest the roots of the plant with a little elbow grease, as the tap roots are fleshy and can be up to 10” long, and make delicious dandelion coffee! Dry the roots well and grind in a coffee grinder. Keep them in your winter storage medicinal cabinet as the roots store potassium and calcium, which are very valuable in curing a number of disorders and illnesses including constipation, inflammatory skin conditions, joint pain, eczema, liver dysfunction and conditions such as hepatitis and jaundice. 

So this year, instead of trying to get rid of what most people believe is a “problem” why not harvest them and enjoy the benefits?

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serves 2

1/4 cup young mugwort leaves, packed and chopped

1 teaspoon herb de provence

4 organic, free range eggs

1 T fat of choice (olive/butter, bacon, coconut. . .)

pinch of sea salt

1. Heat a heavy bottomed 8 inch skillet to medium high heat.

2. When hot, add fat to the pan and swirl to coat bottom.

3. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a bowl and add to the pan.

4. Sprinkle mugwort and herb de provence evenly over eggs and let sit, untouched for about 2 minutes, or until the sides are cooked and the inside is starting to set.

5. If your herb mixture does not include salt, add some to the pan.

6. Carefully flip the frittata over and cook the second side for another 1-2 minutes.

7. Serve hot or room temperature.

Golden Beets with Winter Cress, Proscuitto and Goat Cheese

Serves 2

2 medium golden or red beets, leaves and stems removed

4 slices proscuitto, cut in half

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup winter cress leaves, roughly chopped

fat of choice (olive/butter, bacon, coconut. . .)

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1. Heat oven to 400. Rub beets with olive oil and lay on a parchment lined baking pan and cover with second pan or parchment and then foil. Roast for 30-60 minutes, checking after 30 minutes. The beets should give easily when fingers put pressure on them.

2. Remove beets and let cool until they can be handled easily with ungloved hands.

3. Alternatively, peel beets and slice to medium thick slices. Add water and sea salt to a large skillet and bring to a boil. Add beet slices and simmer for anywhere from 10-12 minutes, or until beets can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove to a paper towel lined platter and set aside.

4. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 T fat of choice and then add the proscuitto slices, spreading out to flatten and making sure they are not crowded in the pan. Cook each side about 1 minute, or until shriveled and starting to brown. Remove and set aside.

5. Add more fat to the pan, if necessary, and then add onion, cooking about 5 minutes.

6. Add greens and cook until wilted. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

7. Add half the goat cheese to the greens and stir in until the cheese starts to melt.

8. To plate: Place 4 beet slices on plate or platter, top with greens, 1 slice of prosciutto and a sprinkling of goat cheese.

   
   

   Field Garlic Dip with Crudite

   Serves 4

   about 1/2 cup of field garlic bulbs

   Field garlic tops, chopped for garnish

   1/2 teaspoon dried onion

   1/2 teaspoon dried garlic

   1/4 teaspoon celery seed

   1/4 teaspoon black pepper

   8 ounce sour cream

   ** Note that the dried herbs measurements are just a guide. Use more or less depending on taste.

   1. Mix all together in a medium bowl and serve with your choice of raw vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower, celery, radish, peppers. . . etc. . . .

   
   

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