Parsnip Hummus

Parsnip Hummus

A quick and refreshing alternative to traditional Garbanzo bean hummus.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds parsnips, about 4 medium sized parsnips, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1/3 c tahini
• 1 T or less, to taste and preference, extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic
• 1 small lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Paprika, for decorative sprinkle
• An assortment of raw and blanched vegetables, for serving such as cauliflower, red bell peppers, jicama, radishes, carrots, beet stems,  cucumbers, etc.
• Directions
• 1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt and add the parsnips. Boil until the parsnips are as soft as butter, 10 to 15 minutes. 
• 2) Using a slotted spoon, scoop the parsnips into a food processor, saving the hot cooking water*.
• 3) Add the tahini, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of hot water. Puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning, and adjust the salt and pepper accordingly.
• 4) Pile the hummus into a shallow bowl.  Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.  Sprinkle with a little paprika before serving. Serve alongside a gorgeous platter of vegetables.
• Carrot soup
• *I always use the parsnip water for another use. After this recipe, I cooked about 2 pounds of carrots in it and poured it all into my powerful blender. I added 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 c apple juice, pinch of salt, and 2 T agave (or use favorite sweetener, such as brown sugar or omit). Delicious and flavorful carrot soup.Ground ginger sounds like a good addition for next time.
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If you couldn't grow it, think twice about eating it.

If you couldn't grow it, think twice about eating it.
I've luxuriated these last couple of days in reading what I consider to be classics. It's Easter and I've read a couple of chapters of The Resilient Gardener by Carol Deppe and found meaning in most paragraphs. I've considered borrowing phrases from all of my readings but after I simply sleep on the words and let them digest, I find I can process them and come up with my own.
I only began vegetable gardening last year. Yesterday, my husband and son built another 4 x 10 raised bed, in preparation for my growing penchant for fresh, organic, know-your-source food. I'm awaiting my carefully-placed Fedco non-GMO seeds, which I consider to be a significant factor in determining a crop's worth, even more so than it being organic or heirloom. I cross-referenced Fedco's available seeds with the Cornell Cooperative Extension's guide for LI plants and ordered what I hope to be a collection of seeds that will yield my family with a substantial variety of nutrient-packed food that will grow in my south shore Long Island garden with some tending.
More posts to include my beet burgers, carrot soup, and parsnip hummus.

Recipe from The Farm: Greek Kale Salad

This is a good recipe for people who haven't yet fallen in love with kale. The strong flavors of the feta and olives, together with the acid of the lemon juice, set the kale's flavor to the background.

• 2 bunches of kale, large stems discarded or saved for another use (my dog Moe loves them too)
• 2-4 T extra virgin olive oil, to taste or preference
• 2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 t. crushed red pepper
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, cut lengthwise into silvers
• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 2/3 cup)

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook kale leaves until just tender; 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Transfer the kale to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Fluff up the leaves, coarsely chop them and transfer to a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of olive oil with the lemon juice and crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper. Add the grape tomatoes, olives and crumbled feta to the kale and toss. Add the dressing and toss to coat.

Sun dried tomato sandwich spread/dip

This recipe comes from a graduate of the Chef's Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. Tracy Karanik used to hold classes at Cornucopia's Health Food store in Sayville where she prepared this delicious recipe.

Sun Dried Tomato Dip
makes about 3 cups

2 cups sun dried tomatoes (NOT the ones packed in oil from a jar, DRY ones)
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup cooked white beans (navy beans, cannellini beans- can be cooked beans or from the can)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil, or less I used barely 1 T)
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 T)
1/4 tsp salt

Place tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover with a plate and let soak for about 15 minutes.
In a food processor, grind the almonds into a powder.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the water and add them to the almonds. (Make sure to reserve the water.)
Add the remaining ingredients and puree. Add about 1/2 cup (or more, depending on how much oil added) of the reserved tomato water and scrape down the sides as you go.
Cover and chill for an hour. Serve with vegetables or as a spread on a sandwich. I dipped the stems from greens that might otherwise be trimmed away, like dandelion greens, kale stems, bok choy, swiss chard but the obvious veggies like cukes, carrots and celery work fine too. On a sandwich, I add a bunch of sprouts for a hearty meal and sometimes use greens to serve as the bread.
High protein, fiber.