Recipe – Groundnut Stew

Posted on February 14, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

An old Red Avocado recipe from an African recipe originally found by Derek and much adapted over the years. Great warm to your bones food.

Note – T=tablespoon, t=teaspoon, c=cup

4 T oil
1 inch cinnamon stick, whole
½ t whole cumin seeds
5-10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1 leek, washed (see below) and roughly chopped
3 sweet potatoes, peeled, diced 1 inch
1 celeriac, peeled and diced, ¾ inch
2-4 carrots, rinsed, diced, 1 inch
1 can diced or crushed tomato
1-2 inches ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
¾ t turmeric
1 t paprika
Handful spinach
Large pinch sugar
¾ c peanut butter
1 t salt, or to taste
½ a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
1-4 T fresh lime juice

Add oil to wide, heavy bottomed pot and heat to medium-high. Add cinnamon and whole cumin seed. Heat for a few seconds (it should bubble at edges). Add garlic and fry until golden, add diced onions and stir often, coating all with oil. After 5 minutes (still stirring often, at lively heat), add the leeks and stir thoroughly again.

After five minutes or so add sweet potatoes, celeriac and carrot. Stir. Add tomatoes and water to just cover vegetables. Stir in ginger. Turn heat up high, partially cover pot.

Meanwhile mix 1 t cumin, 1 t coriander, 1 t paprika and¾ t turmeric. And this spice mixture and stir. Re-cover pot and bring to a boil. When it boils, stir and turn heat down to low and cover completely. Cook until vegetables are soft, 30-45 minutes.

Ladle out 1-2 c cooking liquid and add 1 c peanut butter off the heat and whisk until smooth. Add peanut butter mixture to pot and stir.

Add salt, chopped cilantro and lime juice to taste, off heat.

Four Square Meals – February 17

Posted on February 13, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

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Available for pick up Tuesday February 17.

Fandango Stew – pinto beans, napa cabbage and jalapeno
Mushroom Pullao – basmati rice and quinoa with criminis, ginger and garam masala

Tofu Zeera – marinated tofu and carrots in roasted cumin sauce
Gujerati Pilaf – brown jasmine rice, kamut and seasonal vegetables with brown mustard seed

Chole – garbanzos in a rich, spiced sauce with root vegetables
Potato Salad – with red cabbage, sweet corn and celery

Forest Spirit – seitan and mushroom in roasted garlic-leek sauce
Days Go By Salad – Faro, green & black rice with baby greens, caramelized onions and garlic

To order click here. For newsletter sign up, click here.

Menu for Feb 17.

Produce and grains purchased locally at New Pioneer Food Co-op, Echollective Farm, Organic Greens and Grinnell Heritage Farm

Valentine’s Day from Four Square Meals

Posted on February 7, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

If you are looking to avoid the elbow bumping and non-intimacy of a restaurant on Valentine’s Day, have a look at our 4-course feature, available for pick up or delivery to enjoy at home by the fire…

Canapés – sliced bread with toppings: fried shallot-gold beet and curried white bean
Coconut Corn Soup – creamy and slightly spicy
Tempeh Cutlet Zeera – breaded marinated tempeh in a rich creamy roasted cumin sauce
Persian Rose Pilaf – aromatic basmati rice, amaranth and seasonal vegetable infused with sumac and rose petal essence
Herbed Ragout – carrot, red beet and baby greens with tarragon
Sweet Potato Sorbet – with berry jam

Recipe – Cilantro Pesto

Posted on February 2, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

This is a quick and easy topping for bread, pasta or anywhere else where a little zing is required.

4 T sunflower seeds, toasted
6 T extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 t salt
Cilantro 2 cup tightly packed (1-2 bunches)
3/4 t fresh squeezed lime or lemon

Put the sunflower seeds in a food processor with 2 T olive oil, 1 clove of garlic and 1/2 t salt. Blend until fairly smooth.

Clip and inch or two off the stem of the cilantro and discard. chopped the rest roughtly (1-2 inch) and place in processor. Run the processor, pouring in 4 T olive oil as it runs. Stop and scrape sides. Pulse for a few seconds and scrape. Repeat several times. Try to run the processor as little as possible.

Remove pesto from processor and stir in lemon juice.

Four Square Meals – February 3

Posted on January 29, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

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BBQ Seitan– sweet, sour and spicy with carrots
Oliver’s Best – einkorn wheat and millet stew with eggplant and green cabbage

Southwestern Salad – black beans, tomato and seasonal vegetables with and ancho pepper dressing
Punjabi Summer Pastel – basmati rice and rye with sweet potato, cumin and bay

Paris in Istanbul – creamy French Lentils with aromatic spices and seasonal vegetables
Aloo Sem – Indian spiced potato and green beans

Tempeh alla Manna – marinated tofu with seasonal vegetables in a cilantro-lime sauce
King’s Rice – pink and brown rice and with seasonal vegetables and eastern flavors

To order click here.
For newsletter sign up, click here.

Produce and grains purchased locally at New Pioneer Food Co-op, Iowa City Farmer’s Market, Friendly Farm, Echollective Farm and Muddy Miss Farm.

Four Square Meals – January 27

Posted on January 23, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

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Mung Bean Magic – protein salad with mung beans, spices, tomatoes and leeks
Curried Rice – basmati rice and millet with black radish

Tofu Sangre – with red beets and asparagus in basil-caper sauce
Mixed Jeweled Pilaf – barley, rye, faro and kamut with pomegranite, raisin and apple

First Star Stew – split red lentils with star anise, fennel, cinnamon and green cabbage
Red to Green Line – brown and jade pearl rice with mixed greens, red onion and herbs

“Seitan Sunday Roast” – seitan with mushroom gravy and zucchini
Lemon Pepper Potatoes – with squash, fresh lemon and black pepper

To order click here.
For newsletter sign up, click here.

Produce and grains purchased locally at New Pioneer Food Co-op, Iowa City Farmer’s Market, Friendly Farm, Echollective Farm and Muddy Miss Farm.

Four Square Meals – January 13

Posted on January 9, 2015 by davidmacleodburt

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Korean Winter Stew – Kidney beans and seasonal vegetables with spices
Sweet Tooth Pilaf – basmati rice and rye with pear and green onion

Tofu Dijon – marinated in rich mustard sauce with seasonal vegetable
Exotic Tabouli – barley and jade cloud rice with Roma tomatoes, sunflower seeds, oregano and lemon juice

Aromatic Black Eyed Peas – a rich dal spiced with coriander, cumin and turmeric
Macro Mash – millet, cauliflower and amaranth with roasted garlic and nutritional yeast

Tempeh Slaw – with cilantro and crunchy vegetables
Potato chukander – Potato and beet in onion-cumin sauce

Fried Green Tomatoes

Posted on November 20, 2014 by davidmacleodburt

Somehow we still had tomatoes on the vine a couple of weeks ago. Here’s a nice way to use those green tomatoes

1 3/8 c all-purpose flour
2 T corn starch
1 T Baking Powder
1 tbs coriander
2.5 tsp cumin
2.5 tsp paprika
1 t salt
1 ½ c beer or seltzer water
Flour for dredging
4-5 tbs vegetable oil (eg sunflower, organic canola, safflower)
1-1.5 lbs green tomatoes

Wash, dry and slice the tomatoes crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. If the tomatoes are small, just half or quarter them.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and measure out liquid. Heat a pan to medium then add oil. (If using teflon add oil before heating.) While the pan heats, put a cup or two of flour in another bowl and set aside. Add the measured liquid to the dry ingredients from recipe, to make the batter. It should bubble slightly.

Keeping one hand for dry and one hand for wet. With the wet hand, pick up a few slices of tomato and gently toss into flour. Shake bowl to cover tomatoes with flour. Using dry hand, take out tomato slices, and gently toss into batter. Turn them with your hand to make sure they are covered in batter.

One by one place the tomatoes into the hot oil. Leave for a few minutes to sizzle and turn. When golden, remove from pan onto paper towel to drain. Use the same pan to go through the tomatoes, adding a tbs or two of oil if it begins to run low.

Serve with potato salad or kraut.

Eggplant Steak with Mushrooms and Sage

Posted on November 6, 2014 by davidmacleodburt

1 or 2 globe eggplant
Salt
¼ c extra virgin olive oil
Flour for dredging
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
8 oz mushrooms
1 small clove garlic
1/4 tsp choped sage
2 tbs balsamic or white wine vinegar
Large pinch salt
2 tbs water

Cut eggplant lengthwise into ¾ – 1 inch “steaks”. Sprinkle liberally with salt and let stand in a colander for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. Wash off salt and dry with towels. Heat a pan to medium and add half of the oil. Dredge the eggplant in flour and shake off. Add to pan. Try not to mess with them too much, just let them cook. After 5 minutes check that they are not burning.

If they are charring turn them and add oil to pan (not to eggplant), let oil heat up and then turn heat down slightly. Cover. If they are not charring or browning, let them cook another 5 minutes then add oil to pan (not to eggplant), let oil heat up and then turn heat down slightly. Cover.

Check after 5 minutes by gently pressing eggplant. When done it should be very soft to the touch. Ripeness affects cooking time greatly, so it could take another 10 minutes. When done, place on paper towel (or towel) to drain off excess oil and serve.

While eggplant cooks, prepare the mushrooms and sage. First, take 1 tbs of the flour from the eggplant dredging and whisk with 4 T water. Set this slurry aside. Heat a pan to medium-high, add 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil followed immediately by onion and garlic. Sautee 2 minutes, sizzling and stirring. Add mushrooms and continue stirring until oil is evenly spread. Cover, turn heat down and cook 1 minute. Remove lid and add vinegar. Cook 2-3 minutes at a simmer, then add slurry. Continue stirring until sauce thickens a little.

This Week’s Menu

Posted on October 7, 2014 by davidmacleodburt

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Fandango Stew – pinto beans, cauliflower and jalapeno
Athena salad – Athena salad – Brown rice, barley, kamut, carrot and daikon, tossed with olive oil, sesame seed, nori and soy sauce

Tempeh Sangre – with red beets in herbed-caper sauce
Arco-Iris Salad – buckwheat and basmati with raisin, sweet corn, fennel and cilantro

First Star Stew – split red lentils with star anise, fennel, cinnamon and green cabbage
Rice Rojo – pink rice and einkorn with beauty heart radish and fresh herbs

“Seitan Sunday Roast” – seitan with mushroom gravy and zucchini
Lemon Pepper Potatoes – with squash, fresh lemon and black pepper

To order click here

.Produce and grains purchased locally at New Pioneer Food Co-op, Iowa City Farmer’s Market, Echollective Farm and Muddy Miss Farm.

Four Square Meals

Potato pancakes at the Iowa City Farmer's Market

Tag Archives: field to family

Recipe – Groundnut Stew

Four Square Meals – February 17

Valentine’s Day from Four Square Meals

Recipe – Cilantro Pesto

Four Square Meals – February 3

Four Square Meals – January 27

Four Square Meals – January 13

Fried Green Tomatoes

Eggplant Steak with Mushrooms and Sage

This Week’s Menu