Easy Back-to-School, Labor Day Recipes

Hello members, welcome to week 14.  This week we have a pork roast with salsa verde, but also four recipes that are vegetarian/vegan friendly.  Two recipes make use of slow cookers, and one is a “all-in-one-pot” recipe for families who will be starting school this week.  Enjoy!

Zucchini Hummus

• 1.5 lbs zucchin, grilled or roasted
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/8 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs: mint, parsley, or both (optional)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil for garnish

1. Grill or roast the zucchini in strips ahead of time, about 15 minutes cooking time. Wrap them in foil after done to steam them for a few more minutes.
2. When cooled, place zucchini, along with other ingredients in a food processor. Puree until relatively smooth.  Transfer to a serving bowl, make a little well with a spoon in the middle to drizzle the olive oil into.  Serve with sliced veggies, pita chips, or more zucchini strips (so meta!).

Chili Verde Tacos

• 2 lb pork roast
• 6 tomatillos
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 7 oz can of salsa verde (store bought or home made)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• soft taco shells
• toppings: cilantro and chopped onion, cheese and sour cream, your choice

1. Spray a medium size crock pot with cooking oil.  Place the roast in crock pot, season with salt and pepper.
2. In a medium saucepan heat 2 Tbsp oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until transparent.
3. Add salsa verde and oregano to pan, stir.
4. Put tomatillos in blender with just enough water to cover them, blend until liquified.
5. Pour the onion, salsa, oregano mixture over the pork roast. Pour the blended tomatillos over the park roast.
6. Cook on high for one hour, then change to low for 6 hours.
7. Shred pork with a fork and cook on low for one more hour.
8. Serve pok in your favorite taco shells with your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce (The Tom Carey Method) For Freezing

 

When I used to work at Groundswell, Tom and I would discuss the finer points of life, including how to make tomato sauce.  Tom told me you can put whole tomatoes in a slow cooker overnight without the lid on.  At first I didn’t believe him, and said “No way!” and he said “Way! Now get back to work!” I think is how the exchange went.  So that night I went home, took some tomatoes, and a slow cooker, and made my first batch of tomato sauce that I would freeze.

• 5 lbs. of tomatoes, or however many you have on hand
• one slow cooker
• one hand mixer, processor or blender

1. wash the tomatoes, peel or cut any bad spots out, and  the core if you want.
2. Place the tomatoes in the slow cooker, stacking as many as you can.
3. Turn the slow cooker on low, with the lid off, and leave overnight.
4. In the morning you can mash the tomatoes with a masher and leave them to cook more, or transfer the tomatoes to a stock pot on the stove.
5. Cook the tomatoes down on either the slow cooker or stove top. Use a hand mixer to blend up the skins and seeds, or put the sauce in the blender/processor to blend up the skins/seeds.  When you have a sauce consistency you like, let it cool for a few minutes, then  pour into quart bags, close carefully, and freeze.
6. This winter, when you need tomato sauce, grab a bag of frozen sauce, reheat, add dried herbs, and enjoy!

When I told Tom the slow cooker method worked really well, he said “Of course it did! Try it with a bunch of cherry tomatoes! Now get back to work!”

(Editor’s note: Tom Carey is a great guy and encourages employees and only uses positive reinforcement when encouraging employees to be more productive.)

Green Bean, Cherry Tomato, and Cheddar Salad

(credit: cabotcheese.coop/legacy)

• 4 cups green beans, trimmed
• 3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder, or 1 chopped garlic clove
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 6 oz cheddar cheese, cut in small cubes
• 2 Tbsp chopped basil

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil.  Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Whisk yogurt, mayo, vinegar, salt and pepper, and garlic in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the green beans, tomatoes, and cheddar to dressing bowl, toss.
4. Serve with chopped basil.

Amazing One Pot Pasta

• 16 oz box of linguini, or your favorite pasta
• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 5 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 bunch of spinach (or salad greens)
• grated parmesan cheese for serving

1. In a large pot, bring all ingredients (except for basil, spinach, and parmesan) to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
2. Continue to boil pasta until al dente, about 9 minutes for linguini. Stir often.
3. Add basil and spinach, cook one more minute until greens begin to wilt.
4. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.
5. Serve in bowls, garnish with parmesan and more basil.