1st Place: Joanne Keith’s Stuffed Peppers. “Everything but the meat and cheeses come from my garden!”
Ingredients: 4 Peppers
1 onion
1 lb. ground beef
1 small can of tomato paste or 3 cups of homemade thick sauce
1 cup of rice
1 ½ cups water
2 Tbl. vegetable oil/olive oil
1 ½ tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chives
1 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
4 slices of provolone cheese
8 to 16 ounces mozzarella cheese
Cut peppers in half from top to bottom, remove stem, seeds, and pith. Boil enough water to boil the half peppers for 12 to 15 mins. Longer if you want them really soft. Pour gently into a colander and let cool slightly. When they can be handled, line them up in a 13 x 9 baking dish and put a half slice of provolone in the bottom of each half pepper.
Bring the 1 ½ C. water to a boil and add rice and butter, 1 tsp. salt, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
In a large frying pan, add the oil, sweat the onion (chopped) for a few minutes then brown the ground beef, salt, and pepper to taste. Add the tomato paste or homemade sauce and enough water to cover the mixture, bring to a boil…add garlic, basil, oregano, parsley, and chives, simmer on med/low for about 20 minutes.
Put a couple of tablespoons of the meat mixture into the peppers in the 13 x 9 pan. Mix the rest into the rice pan. Half fill each pepper with the rice/meat mixture, put a handful of mozzarella on top and finish filling with meat/rice mix. Any extra filling I place around the peppers as well. Use remaining mozzarella (to taste) on top.
Bake in a 350-degree oven till heated through, and the cheese melts about 20 minutes…then dig in…yum!
Artisan Food Educator, Food Designer, and Chef Rosa Prezioso-Galeno will prepare Joanne’s recipe and offer commentary on video (look for in the coming weeks! ) PLUS Joanne wins 2 Hours Landscaping Service from Rose & Stone Landscapes
2nd Place: Kelly Stanley’s Edamame Zucchini Salad
2 cups frozen shelled edamame
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 halved, thinly sliced zucchini
1 grated carrot
2 sliced scallions
2 tbsp chopped dill
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook 2 cups frozen shelled edamame as the label directs and set aside. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, sugar, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Add the edamame, zucchini, carrot, scallions, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve.
Kelly won a $50 Gift Certificate to Bridgewater Farm Supply, 1000 Plymouth St Bridgewater, MA
3rd Place: Korin Zigler’s Garden Salad with Homemade Dressing over Rice
This recipe is inspired by many yummy dinners we had when I was a little kid in the good ol’ hippie days. I first remember eating this dish at a potluck at a commune in the woods in Skamania, Washington. The dish resonates with what we know about nutrition today. My kids grew up on it and love it. The ingredients are flexible, based on what is growing in your garden at the moment.
Rice
It’s important to use brown rice for this recipe. White rice doesn’t have the body or nutrition that does justice to the salad. I like to use brown Basmati or brown Jasmine rice.
1 cup of brown rice
2 whole cloves
2 cups of water
Put together in a pot with a lid and bring to boil. Them simmer for 30-40 minutes on lowest heat, so that it bubbles just a little. Do not stir the rice, and keep it covered but tilt the lid so steam can escape. Test the rice to make sure it’s tender. Remove cloves.
Dressing
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon tamari (soy sauce)
1 garlic clove, peeled and split in half
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
I have a glass jar with a lid that I put all dressing ingredients in and shake. You could also put them in a small bowl and whisk it all together. After mixing, let it rest so the garlic will have time to infuse.
Salad
Here’s the fun part! Go walk around in your garden and harvest what you have. If you don’t have greens to harvest, buy some interesting ones like arugula or radicchio, and also use some romaine. I also like to use avocado and alfalfa sprouts. Whatever you cultivated and cared for in your garden is what you like, so pick it, wash it, and add it to the salad! If you’d like to add some protein, also put in some feta cheese, or hard-boiled eggs cut in half.
After the rice has cooled, spoon it into bowls. Top with salad, mix the dressing again by shaking or whisking and dress the salad. This is hearty enough to be the main dish for dinner. Enjoy!
Korin won a $30 Gift Certificate to CN Smith Farm, 325 South St East Bridgewater, MA
