Well this week the “solanacious”, sun loving crops are in. Now the share has the colors and smells of summer. Homestead Growers has supplied some tasty and addictive cherry tomatoes, a few heirloom tomatoes and some eggplant this week. We have quite a few items in small amounts as we have crops just beginning to come in, so not all members will receive identical shares this week. Our farm and Homestead growers have oodles more tomatoes and eggplants coming, so don’t be worried, everyone will get their “share”. We have lots of basil again this week. If you plan on setting Pesto or basil back for the year, now would be the time. See last week’s fresh page for our pesto recipes. Remember, when you have too much pesto, you can freeze it in a left-over container or make pesto cubes. Just be sure to seal tightly to preserve. If making cubes, put in a freezer bag or two, or better yet, use a vacuum sealer. Another way to preserve basil is in oil. Puree destemmed basil in a food processor while drizzling oil in. Use as much basil as you prefer, jsut be sure basil is covered with oil. It keeps well in the fridge for a while that way as a flavored oil that you may use on about anything. Most often I freeze it at this stage as the beginning of pesto for later on down the road.

?What’s in the Box?

Please Note:

Most likely, you may not receive all vegetables listed below, as not all members receive identical shares each week. However, we do keep good records to make sure you receive the full variety throughout the season. Currently our farm is switching organic certifiers and all veggies below are identified as pesticide & chemical free produce from our farm. AS WITH ALL PRODUCE, PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH THOROUGHLY PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION 

• Basil
• Collards
• Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash
• Summer Squash (Homestead Growers)
• Cabbage (Homestead Growers)
• Heirloom tomatoes (Homestead Growers)
• Cherry Tomatoes (Homestead Growers) 

This weeks recipes:

•·          Caprese Salad

•·          Ratatouille

•·          Moussaka

Caprese Salad

Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil.[1] In Italy, unlike most salads, it is usually served as an antipasto (first course), not a contorno (side dish).

Lay a bed of clean basil leaves on a plate. (Add some lettuce leaves if desired) Top with slices of tomatoes and slices of Fresh Mozzarella and Drizzle some Olive oil and Balsamic Vinaigrette and you have captured the taste of summer!

 Ratatouille

Adapted from:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/dads_ratatouille/

Ingredients

1 lb of yellow onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lb zucchini, chopped

1 lb yellow squash, chopped

1 lb green bell peppers–seeds removed, chopped into 1/2 inch square pieces:

1 lb eggplant, 1/2 inch cubes

1 lb fresh ripe tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt to taste

1.5 Tablespoon finely diced basil

1 bay leaf

1-inch sprig rosemary

3/4 cup vegetable stock (or ¼ cup water ½ cup tomato juice)

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400° F.

2 Using a large oven-proof pan over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to low.

 3 While the onions and garlic are cooking over low heat, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a another frying pan over high heat. As soon as oil starts to smoke, quickly add enough zucchini cubes all at once to cover the bottom of the pan. Keep on cooking over high heat, stirring, until zucchini is lightly browned on all sides. Remove zucchini cubes, and add them to pan with the onions.

 4 Working in batches if needed, repeat this process until all of the zucchini cubes have been cooked. Do the same with the yellow squash. Make sure to add a little olive oil between each new batch. Continue with the bell peppers, then the eggplant cubes, adding the browned vegetables to the onion pan as soon as they are cooked.

 5 When all the vegetables (except the tomatoes) are browned and in the pan with the onions, increase the heat to high and stir, making sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt to taste, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary, the vegetable stock (or tomato juice), and stir well. Place in oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Alternatively you can cook them on the stovetop on low heat for 30 minutes.

 6 If using fresh tomatoes, boil water in a saucepan on stove. Remove stems from tomatoes, and crisscross the bottoms with a knife. Plunge into boiling water for a minute or two, until skin starts to fall away. Rinse in cold water and remove skin. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise, remove seeds, chop coarsely, set aside.

 7 After the vegetables have been in the oven for a half hour, remove from oven, drain vegetables in a colander set over a bowl. Clean browned bits (if any) off bottom of pan with a paper towel. Return any liquid to the pan and reduce to a thick glaze over medium high heat. Keep on adding juices to the pan as they run out of the vegetables into the bowl.

 8 When all the juices have been reduced, return vegetables to the heavy pan. At this point the ratatouille should be moist and shiny, with very little liquid. Turn heat off. Add the chopped tomatoes and cover. If serving as a warm side dish, let the ratatouille stand for 10 minutes, just enough to “cook” the tomatoes. The ratatouille can be served at room temperature or refrigerated and reheated the next day.

 9 When ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

 Moussaka

One of my favorite Mediterranean dishes

 1 Lb eggplant, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large zucchini, thinly sliced

1 lb potatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

 1 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons organic unbleached flour

1 ¼  cups organic milk

black pepper to taste

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 organic egg, beaten

¼  cup grated organic Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides; drain. Adding more oil if necessary, brown potato slices; drain.

Saute onion and garlic until lightly browned. Pour in vinegar and reduce. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.

In a 9×13 inch casserole dish layer eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, onions and feta. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.

Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine butter, flour and milk. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and add nutmeg. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.

Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.

Well the smell of summer is here this week, with a nice bunch of basil this week. Please find pesto and preserving recipes below. Homestead growers has provided some of their fresh shitake mushrooms this week too, what a great combo.  Next week we foresee different herbs and possibly the first of the tomatoes and more. The following weeks should have potatoes, peppers, eggplants and cucumbers. We are a little slow to get to these crops this year, but not to worry, the summer crops are coming along and there will surely be several more “bumper shares” to accommodate for any of the weeks viewed as less.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. We feel the shade and space provided at pick-up sites in past kept the vegetables comfortable and fresh. If you think your vegetables have been affected by heat etc. at your site (particularly outdoor locations), please let us know so we may attempt to remedy the situation.
2. CARMEL AND FISHERS MEMBERS MAY NOW BEGIN PICKING UP AT 2:00 PM
3. PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH AND RINSE (X3) YOUR CONTAINER BEFORE RETURNING EACH WEEK.

?What’s in the Box?

Please Note:

Most likely, you may not receive all vegetables listed below, as not all members receive identical shares each week. However, we do keep good records to make sure you receive the full variety throughout the season. Currently our farm is switching organic certifiers and all veggies below are identified as pesticide & chemical free produce from our farm. AS WITH ALL PRODUCE, PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH THOROUGHLY PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION

o        Basil

o        Collards

o        Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash

o        Shitake Mushrooms (Homestead Growers)

o        Cabbage (Homestead Growers)

This weeks recipes:

o        Pesto

o        Preserving Pesto

o        Shiitake Mushroom Pizza

o        Shiitake Mushroom and Collard Carbonara

Pesto

Great with any pasta, chicken, sandwich, pizza, dipping sauce and more.

1 cup basil leaves, separated from stems

1-2 cloves garlic (to taste)

1/8  cup raw pinenuts (or toasted pinenuts, you can do this in the oven just until browned)

–You can also use walnuts

1/8 tsp salt

1-2 tbs Parmesan

1/4 cup olive oil

Blend everything in food processor except olive oil. Then add oil and blend until smooth.

Note:

Try not to cook pesto if possible, to avoid much color change.

Variations:

You may add:

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Parsley or Cilantro

Various dried cheeses

Preserving Pesto

Freezing—If you have more pesto than you can use, don’t forget about PESTO CUBES

Just add pesto to ice cube trays, freeze and put in a freezer bag for your next gourmet meal on the go.

Shiitake Pesto Mushroom Pizza

Ingredients:

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)

1 cup thinly sliced yellow crookneck squash

1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated)

1 pizza dough

2 green onions (sliced)

1 table sesame seeds - toasted (optional)

½ cup Pesto (see recipe above)

1 tsp fresh or raw garlic (optional)

 Directions:

1. Sauté’ the mushrooms  in garlic (optional) and oil until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Assemble pizza.

4. Bake in a preheated 500F oven until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.

5. Serve garnished with green onions and sesame seeds. (optional)

Shiitake Mushroom and Collard Carbonara

1 tablespoon organic olive oil

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 clove garlic (1 tsp dry)

2 dried thai red chilies, crushed. Or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)

salt and pepper

1-2 cups roughly chopped collards

2 organic egg yolks

1/4 cup grated Organic Valley Parmesan

1 tablespoon Organic Valley butter

2 servings organic spaghetti

Boil some salted water for your spaghetti. In the meantime heat a large skillet to medium and add oil onion, chiles and garlic and sauté. Add spaghetti to boiling water. In the meantime cook onions for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add mushrooms and a good grinding of pepper and sauté’ for another 3 minutes. Add collards with a big punch of salt. Stir and turn regularly to wilt the collards to taste. Meanwhile whisk together egg yolk and Parmesan. Reserve a cup of water from the pasta and drain. Whisk 1/2 cup of the pasta water into egg yolk mixture and combine, with vegetables, sauté with vegetables and toss. Add drained pasta, toss well to melt and fuse adding water if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Hello Members,
It has just come to my attention this message did not post on Wednesday, my apologies. Please contact me if ever you do not find the Fresh page in your inbox on delivery day.

Well the past couple weeks has been somewhat less in variety as the turnips filled the void for a couple crop failures. We spent a good deal of time this spring with beets, first starting in the greenhouse, that were eventually consumed by the grass/weeds in June. With repeated rain we were simply unable to cultivate these little plants in the fields as they also suffered from being water logged. We received 12 inches in June which is nearly a 1/3 of our yearly rainfall including a couple 3″ down pours. 70% + of our fragile baby plants could withstand this, but some did not. Other troubles we’ve experienced include poor Broccoli germination in the greenhouse (2 plantings) and we also are revisiting our deer prevention strategies as they grazed on nearly 500 ft of peas (again) this year! Through inspecting organic farms, I have visited nearly 150 organic farms throughout the Midwest in the past few years, and I do take comfort in knowing that our farm is not alone in the struggle with weeds. Cultivation of organic crops takes cooperating weather in the early months as crops get established. The past few Junes have been pretty wet across the Midwest, recordbreaking in many cases. Many farmers know some years may be more difficult that the next, but the alternative is herbicides and we believe this is not a viable sustainable solution.
Because we know some weeks will be less, we take the spirit of the CSA seriously and provide larger shares when we can as we did in weeks 2 and 3, and more weeks to come.
We see this as part of growing so many varieties and we must realize that some things are out of our hands. To many this is the beauty of farming - that some things are beyond our control. Some crops will be successful, some may not, however the crunch has been felt the past couple weeks. The turnips are gone and fortunately much more is around the corner. We have many new veggies coming up that we are thrilled about such as tomatoes (roma, heirloom, cherries), peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, herbs, sunflowers, gourmet mushrooms, melons, potatoes, summer squash, winter squash, okra, green beans, lettuce, peas (deer-fenced!) and lots more.

PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH AND RINSE (X3) YOUR CONTAINER BEFORE RETURNING EACH WEEK.
?What’s in the Box?
Please Note:
Most likely, you may not receive all vegetables listed below, as not all members receive identical shares each week. However, we do keep good records to make sure you receive the full variety throughout the season. Currently our farm is switching organic certifiers and all veggies below are identified as pesticide & chemical free produce from our farm. AS WITH ALL PRODUCE, PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH THOROUGHLY PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION

• Basil
• Turnips
• Summer Squash mix: Patty Pan, Ball squash, Yellow Squash, Zucchini (Homestead Growers)
• Mixed Chard Bunch (Homestead Growers)
• Cabbage (Homestead Growers)

This weeks recipes:

• Cabbage Potato Koora
• Traditional Cole Slaw
• Cole Slaw for Kids
• Creamy Cole Slaw

Cabbage Potato Koora
A great recipe adapted from Masala Magic:
http://masalamagic.blogspot.com/2006/06/cabbage-potato-koora_21.htmlIngredients:

1 head Cabbage - Chopped lengthwise
2 cups potatoes - Peeled, Cubed and Boiled for 5-10 minutes
1 Medium Onion - Chopped lengthwise
2 Tomatoes - Chopped Lengthwise
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Dhaniya Powder
Salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro for garnishing

For seasoning:2 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds (Jeera)

Preparation:

In a pan heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds and the chopped onions. Saute until the onions are light brown.
Then add the chopped cabbage and the dry powders. Mix well. Add the salt and mix.
Sprinkle a little water and cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes in a medium flame.
Halfway through add the chopped Tomato and mix well.
Cook without the lid until all the water evaporates.
Drain the Boiled Potato and add to the above curry. Mix well. Saute for about 5 minutes on a medium to low flame.
Garnish with chopped cilantro or coriander leaves.

Traditional Cole Slaw
1 large or 3-4 cups cabbage (remove outer leaves, shred)
2 large carrots, shredded
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dill, chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried
1 egg
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup organic distilled vinegar
1/3 cup organic sour cream (Organic Valley’s is my favorite)
1 teaspoon chili, ground, mild
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine vegetables and dill in a large bowl. Toss lightly. Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Slowly add the oil, vinegar, sour cream, chiles, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour this dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Refrigerate covered for 2 hours before serving.

Cole Slaw for Kids
(something a little sweeter)

3 cups cabbage (remove outer leaves, if necessary)
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 Red Delicious apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup currants
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider

Combine cabbage, onion, apple and currants in a bowl. Gently toss in oil and cider. Cover and refrigerate a few hours to blend flavors. Toss before serving.

Creamy Cole Slaw
3-4 cups shredded cabbage (remove outer leaves, if necessary)
3 green onions, minced
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons organic mayonnaise
1 teaspoon coarse grain mustard

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Gently toss in oil and cider. Cover and refrigerate a few hours to blend flavors. Toss before serving.

PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH AND RETURN YOUR CONTAINERS EACH WEEK.
If you realize you have forgotten your container upon arrival at the pick-up site, please return home to grab last week’s container, prior to picking up the new one.-THANK YOU

?What’s in the Box?
Please Note:
Most likely, you may not receive all vegetables listed below, as not all members receive identical shares each week. However, we do keep good records to make sure you receive the full variety throughout the season. Currently our farm is switching organic certifiers and all veggies below are identified as pesticide & chemical free produce from our farm. AS WITH ALL PRODUCE, PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH THOROUGHLY PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION

• Turnips
• Basil
• Summer Squash mix:
  Patty Pan, Ball squash, Yellow Squash, Zucchini (Homestead Growers)
• Mixed Chard Bunch (Homestead Growers)

This Week’s Recipes:

• Squash Casserole
• Cheesy Squash Casserole
• Baked Zucchini Gratin (use any squash)
• Preserving Turnips

Squash Casserole

1 lb. squash, sliced
1 med. size onions, sliced
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. fresh chopped basil weed
1 egs, slightly beaten
1/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. shredded organic cheese

Place squash, onions, basil and salt in water. Boil until slightly tender. Drain in colander. Part of the basil will drain off. The remainder clinging to the squash will be sufficient. Mix remaining ingredients. Add hot squash. Stir thoroughly. Pour into baking dish. Cover with buttered bread crumbs or cracker crumbs. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Can be frozen for later use.

Cheesy Squash Casserole

4 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1lb. zucchini, sliced and quartered
3 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 Tsp Chopped fresh Dill
Pinch of black pepper
1/2 c.bread crumbs (Use recipe from Zucchini Gratin from week #5, or purchase)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter 2 quart shallow baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Blend in squashes, cheese, dill, and pepper; toss gently. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Melt remaining butter; add crumbs and saute until golden. Spoon over mix. Cover and bake until tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more. Serves 6 to 8.

Baked Zucchini Gratin

1 medium onion, sliced
2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/2 cup butter or margarine melted and divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In lightly greased 2-quart oblong baking dish, layer onion and zucchini slices; drizzle with 1f4 cup melted spread. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Combine remaining spread, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top. Bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes or until zucchini is fork tender.

Preserving Turnips

Adapted from:
http://www.pickyourown.org/turnips_freezing.htm

Equipment
1 Large pot of boiling water
2 large bowls, one filled with cold water and ice.
1 sharp knife
Vacuum food sealer or “ziploc” type freezer bags (the freezer bag version is heavier and protects better against freezer burn.

Step 1 - Wash, Peel and Cut
Wash, peel and cut into the turnips into ½ inch cubes. This is a good time to get a large pot of water boiling (the bigger the better).

Step 2 - Blanch
Put the turnips in the boiling water for 2 minutes to blanch them.

Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the turnips in the boiling water. Cover the kettle and boil at a high temperature for the required length of time. You may use the same blanching water several times (up to 5). Be sure to add more hot water from the tap from time to time to keep the water level at the ideal height.

Step 4 - Cool
As soon as the 2 minutes are up, remove the turnips or parsnips with a slotted spoon and plunge them into a large bowl of ice water. let them cool for 2 or 3 minutes then drain the water off them.

Step 5- Bag the turnips or parsnips
I love the FoodSavers (see this page for more information) with their vacuum sealing! I am not paid by them, but these things really work. You can generally acquire one at most department stores for $50-$100. If you don’t have one, Ziploc bags work, too, but it is hard to get as much air out of the bags and they seem to take up more precious freezer space. Remove the air to prevent drying and freezer burn. One person wrote to tell me that she uses a straw and seals the Ziploc around the straw to suck the air out of the bag, then pinches the straw and quickly removes it while pressing the seal. It works fairly well, but I’ll stick to the Foodsaver, since the bags are microwaveable, you can even boil them and much thicker than a Ziploc bag (even the Ziploc “freezer bags”)

Step 8 - Done!
Pop them into the freezer, on the quick freeze shelf, if you have one!

It seems like we might get a break from rain this weekend, as June has been an incedible month of rain. 12 inches of rain for us this month in comparison to the 35-40 inches we receive annually. It is reported to be the Third wettest June on record. It has had an adverse effect on some crops or in some places, but many crops have thrived on this. The tomatoes are loving the rain and heat and seem to be not far down the road. The rain has been a little tough on the turnip greens, but they are still pretty tasty. We have included some collards this week and more will be coming along soon for those members who didn’t see it this week. Homestead Growers has treated us with some wonderful cabbage and a mixed chard bunch. Feel free to use some of the previous greens recipes for chard or collards.

 We are working our way through the spring greens and more summer crops are around the corner!We hope everyone is taking the opportunity to experiment with greens while they are abundant.

This week, not only are we harvesting greens but we are also harvesting seed for greens that have “gone to seed” or “bolted”. We are currently collecting kale seed and bok choy seed.

?What’s in the Box?
Please Note:
Most likely, you may not receive all vegetables listed below, as not all members receive identical shares each week. However, we do keep good records to make sure you receive the full variety throughout the season. Currently our farm is switching organic certifiers and all veggies below are identified as pesticide & chemical free produce from our farm. AS WITH ALL PRODUCE, PLEASE BE SURE TO WASH THOROUGHLY PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION  

o Turnips and greens
o Collards
o Mustard Greens
o Cabbage (Homestead Growers)
o Mixed Chard Bunch (Homestead Growers)

This Week’s Recipes:

o Turnip Fries
o Mustard Mayo Sauce
o Traditional Cole Slaw
o Cole Slaw for Kids
o Creamy Cole Slaw

Turnip Fries
4-5. turnips (med-large_
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground paprika

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
I prefer Spectrum’s Organic High Heat Canola Spray Oil http://www.spectrumorganics.com/?id=89

Peel and cut turnips into 2″ x ½” inch sticks.
In gallon-size sealable plastic bag, combine cheese, onion powder and paprika. Add turnips; seal bag, squeezing out air; toss to coat turnips. Place turnips on baking sheet. Bake at 275 degrees, 15-20 minutes or until turnips are tender and golden.

Mustard Mayo Sauce

Great sauce to make out of those mustard greens if you are not sure what to do. Great for dipping, sandwiches, spreads etc.
You can make the mayo yourself or just combine with a store bought Organic Mayonnaise. Spectrum has a nice one.
Or you can use vegenaise. Even though I have never been vegan, I actually enjoy Veganaise a good deal. http://www.followyourheart.com/vegenaise.html

Ingredients:
2.5 cups Organic Mayo

OR:
Veganaise

OR:
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups olive oil
and
1 cup washed/dried chopped mustard
salt to taste

Preparation:
Process all eggs and lemon juice together for a minute. While the processor is running, add oil in a steady stream. Add the mustard greens once the mixture becomes thick and creamy. This will keep refrigerated for about 5 days. You can also thin a small portion with water to make a salad dressing!

Traditional Cole Slaw
1 large or 3-4 cups cabbag

e (remove outer leaves, shred)
2 large carrots, shredded
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dill, chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried
1 egg
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup organic distilled vinegar
1/3 cup organic sour cream (Organic Valley’s is my favorite)
1 teaspoon chili, ground, mild
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine vegetables and dill in a large bowl. Toss lightly. Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Slowly add the oil, vinegar, sour cream, chiles, cumin, salt and pepper. Pour this dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Refrigerate covered for 2 hours before serving.

Cole Slaw for Kids
(something a little sweeter)

3 cups cabbage (remove outer leaves, if necessary)
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 Red Delicious apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup currants
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider

Combine cabbage, onion, apple and currants in a bowl. Gently toss in oil and cider. Cover and refrigerate a few hours to blend flavors. Toss before serving.

Creamy Cole Slaw
3-4 cups shredded cabbage (remove outer leaves, if necessary)
3 green onions, minced
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons organic mayonnaise
1 teaspoon coarse grain mustard