ITEMS
Mint
Pea Shoots
Arugula
Feta Cheese
French Green Lentils
Ground Beef / Carrot Sticks
PRODUCERS
Lowdown Farm - Moiese
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Terra Greens Produce - Manhattan
Tucker Family Farm - Victor
Timeless Natural Food - Ulm
Muddy Creek Ranch - Wilsall / Root Cellar Foods - Bozeman
Lentil Salad with Olives, Mint, & Feta
Recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Serves 4-6.
1 C French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
Salt and pepper
2 C water
2 C chicken or vegetable broth
5 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
1 bay leaf
5 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/2 C pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 C fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 shallot or ~1/4 of an onion, minced
1 oz feta cheese, crumbled (~1/4 cup)
Put lentils, 2 C water, 2 C broth, garlic, bay leaf and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium saucepan. Cook until lentils are tender but retain their shape, 25-30 minutes. Meanwhile, prep your mint, olives, shallot, and feta. Once cooked, drain lentils thoroughly and discard the garlic and bay leaf.
Whisk oil and vinegar together in a large bowl. Add the drained lentils, olives, mint, and shallot to dressing and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with feta just before serving. [Chopped arugula and/or pea shoots would not be out of place here, either.]
Beef and Lentils
If making lentils the star of it's own dish doesn't work for you or some of the eaters in your household, you can use them to make a meaty recipe go twice as far... think bolognese/spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes, filling for pitas or burritos, meatloaf, etc. Cook lentils according to the package directions and store them in the fridge for a week or so, or in the freezer for a few months, so they're on hand to supplement ground beef whenever you need them. Here's a recipe for Beef & Lentil Spaghetti.
Meatballs with Mint & Feta
Adapted from Molly Wizenberg. Makes ~8 meatballs. These Mediterranean-style meatballs would go well with rice, warmed pita, greek yogurt or tzatziki sauce, a side of dressed arugula, etc.
1 lb ground beef, thawed completely
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 tsp coarse kosher salt
1/3 C feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tbs fresh mint, finely chopped
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Place ground beef in a large bowl. Sprinkle with garlic and salt and gently mix to blend. Combine feta and mint in a separate small bowl.
Divide beef into ~8 equal mounds. Using damp hands, shape each into a ball. Working with 1 ball at a time, poke thumb into center to make hole. Press ~1 tsp feta-mint filling into hole. Pinch hole closed, then press ball between palms to flatten slightly into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Repeat with remaining beef and feta-mint filling. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate.)
Preheat oven to 250°F to keep meatballs warm once cooked. Then, heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook patties until browned on both sides and cooked through, or to desired doneness. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm so that you can serve them hot.
Pea Shoot & Arugula Salad
Adapted from Merril Stubbs, Food52. Serves 2, and can easily be doubled.
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbs rice vinegar - sub white wine or champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3-4 Tbs olive oil or your preferred salad oil
1 small package pea shoots, chopped
~2 cups densely packed arugula, chopped
Wash and dry the pea shoots and arugula. Chop both into bite-sized pieces. Put all of the greens in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, vinegar, honey and salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly to emulsify. (or, shake everything up in a jar.)
Add some of the dressing, toss gently and taste. Add more dressing plus salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately. [For variation, add sliced mint leaves, crumbled feta, toasted nuts or croutons...
Additional Recipes & Suggestions
One of our most popular recipes to date: Real Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Spring Ricotta Gnocchi with Peas & Herbs from Bon Appétite
Pea Shoot Pesto - pesto can be made from any number of ingredients. A combo of pea shoots and arugula could pair nicely, the cheese can be optional, hot peppers like serrano can be added for heat, the oils and nuts can vary depending on what you have or what you like.
Chef Claudia's Timeless Farmer Salad is a lasting favorite because you can change up the veggies to make it more seasonal, or use up the last of your roots!
My favorite soup recipe is this Lentil Vegetable Soup from Ina Garten... yes, it sounds like the most boring of soups, but I can never get enough of it.
Maple Roasted Carrot Salad with Arugula is a great way to use your carrot sticks (less prep!) and arugula.