Eat Your Greens | Zucchini Pesto Lasagna

This week Mary from Sweet Roots and I are focusing on green foods! Lots of veggies and fresh spring dishes. This recipe is a creation to accommodate many dietary needs. It is gluten free and has the option of being dairy free, too!

Pesto:

Handful of Kale

Handful of Basil

Handful of Spinach

1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds

2 cloves Garlic

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2-3/4 Olive Oil

Pinch of Salt

Dairy Lasagna:

2 Zucchini

Ricotta Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Mozzarella Cheese

Non-Dairy Lasagna:

2 Zucchini

Daiya non-dairy cheese

Directions

Blend pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

Slice zucchini with a vegetable peeler, knife, or mandolin into long, thin strips. 

Layer pesto, zucchini, and cheese about three times in individual pans or a casserole dish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes...until cheese is golden brown or melted. 

Enjoy!

Lovely photos by MaryAngelo Photography

Warm Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese

We have been growing a few different varieties of beets the last few years. We usually make them boiled but for an event in September we roasted them in the oven for about an hour and served them warm with bits of melting goat cheese.

Ingredients

4-6 Beets

1 block Fresh Goat Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Clean the beets well and cut the tops and roots off.

Boil the beets whole in a large stock pot of water for 20-30 minutes.

This helps to remove the skins.

Remove from the hot water. Cool.

Gently rub or peel off the skins.

Dice the peeled beets into 1-2 inch cubes.

Toss with Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper in a large roasting pan.

Roast in a 400 degree oven for 40-55 minutes or until beets are fork tender.

Transfer the hot roasted beets to your serving dish and sprinkle the top with bits of fresh goat cheese.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash

This is one of our favorite side dishes! We can eat almost a whole squash! It is very easy and simple and compliments any fall or winter meal!

Ingredients

1 large Butternut Squash

2 Cloves Garlic

1 TBS Sea Salt

2 tsp Pepper

4 TBS Olive Oil

Directions

Peel the entire squash whole with a vegetable peeler. Cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Cut squash long ways into strips then into 1 inch cubes.

Finely chop garlic. Toss the pieces of squash with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

Serve hot!

Bizzare Carrots

Does anyone know WHY this happens to carrots? Half of our carrot bed has been plagued with this bizzare disease. They look like mutant carrots!

Farmer's Market

We have a lovely Farmer's Market in Hayden & Coeur d'Alene. The best in the area, I think! Jessica and I visited it a few weeks ago and enjoyed the hustle & bustle of the market, the colorful fruits and veggies, and delicious brick oven pizza made right on the street! Here are some photos to feast your eyes upon! Enjoy!

I love the dahlias you can find at the Farmer's markets! So big and so many different kinds!

This is quite possibly the best bread ever made! They bring it in straight from the oven and it's always still warm. It is light and airy and melts in your mouth! So delicious! My favorite one is the Parmesan.

  Huckleberries!

 Beautiful heads of Garlic!

This is the pizza! So delish! Fresh tomatoes, fresh goat cheese, and arugula! YUM!

Minestrone Soup for a cold September Day

It has been very cold here for the last few days of August and beginning of September. Very unusual but it makes me wish for that cold, crisp fall air! (and secretly wish for snow!) So we've been having soup! I used up a lot of garden veggies to make this Minestrone.

Ingredients

3-4 Carrots

1 large Yellow Onion

3-4 stalks of Celery

1 Zucchini

1 Yellow Squash

Any other veggies you have!

 I used some Broccoli Rabe, Kale, and Bell Pepper.

2 TBS Olive Oil

2-3 Cloves Garlic, grated

2 TBS Parsley

2 TB Basil

1 tsp Chili paste or Red Pepper Flakes

2 cans Diced Tomatoes

2 cans Kidney Beans

2 quarts Chicken Stock

Directions

Chop or Dice all the veggies the size you prefer.

 Begin sauteing onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in a tiny bit of Olive Oil until soft and translucent.

Add the rest of the veggies and the garlic, chili paste, salt and pepper. Sautee for about 5 more minutes.

 Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil for. Add in Beans and Parsley and Basil.

If you want to add meat I would suggest ground beef or Italian sausage. You can also add cooked pasta when you serve it. I like to serve it with a crusty loaf of bread.

Enjoy!

Produce Stand

So the other day, I decided to set up a produce stand on a busy corner near my house to get rid of the surplus vegetables that we can't eat right now! Cars are zooming by all day and people walk by as well. So I spent hours cutting, cleaning, and bundling up all of my extra vegetables, herbs, and flowers from the garden.

My little brother-in-law came to help me and to sell his Fresh Eggs and Garlic that he harvested himself. So we set up...and sat...and sat...and sat! NO CUSTOMERS! It was so disappointing! I mostly felt bad for dragging my bro-in-law out there with me and then having no business! I mean, at least 100 cars had to have driven by and looked at our stand. I think my location was bad...not the right "clientele."

So we packed everything up. I made a few phone calls to friends. And we were on our way delivering boxes of fresh vegetables, flowers, herbs, and eggs!

I am so thankful to all of you who bought my produce from me that day! You saved the day! My vegetables would have gone to waste! I am glad all my friends could enjoy them and now I can look forward to delivering weekly boxes of surplus produce to my friends and putting a smile on their faces! Thank you, everyone!!!