Recipes from the Editor

By Paula O'Brien, Editor

Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference in a recipe: the pinch of nutmeg in a savory dish; the fun of fermentation that brings an unexpected flavor and chewiness; a creation that takes odds and ends and gives them a new (and delicious) life; an easy and reliable dessert treat that celebrates seasonal fruit — or a stew with comforting, velvety goodness.

Knoephla Soup

6-8 servings A creamy chicken and dumpling soup originated from German immigrants from Russia, “knoephla” refers to the type of dumplings. Super easy to make, it tastes even better the next day when the flavors have come together and the dumplings have added more thickness to the soup.

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 large carrots, chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

Kosher salt & finely ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp ground nutmeg

10 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ tsp dried thyme

4 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

2 sprigs fresh dill, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 ½ pounds red potatoes, chopped into ½ inch pieces

½ cup heavy cream

3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ¼ tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 large egg

Soup:

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onions, a good pinch of salt and a few turns of pepper and cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 more minutes.

Stir in stock, herbs, bay leaves and potatoes. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook for 40 minutes.

Knoephla:

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, a few turns of pepper and nutmeg. Stir in 1 cup water and egg to form shaggy dough. Turn out onto clean work surface and knead a few minutes, adding flour as needed, until you have smooth/stiff dough. Roll into ½-inchthick shape, then cut into ½- to ¾-inch squares, dusting with flour so they don’t stick together. When the soup has 20 minutes left of simmer time, add knoephla to soup and continue to simmer.

Stir in cream. Taste and adjust seasonings, remove bay leaves before serving.

Nutty Sweet Potato Stew with Greens

Makes 6 servings Inspired by a traditional African flavor combo, this delightful dish is easy and quick to make. Leave out the spicy stuff if it’s not your thing…there’s still plenty of flavor going on! Also, you can sub almonds for peanuts if you want.

2 Tbsp olive oil

Half an onion, diced

1 jalapeño, minced, or a small pinch of crushed chili flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 14-oz can fire-roasted tomatoes

1 14-oz can coconut milk

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp curry

1 tsp turmeric

½ cup chopped toasted peanuts (or almonds)

¼ cup peanut butter (or almond butter)

1-2 cups kale, stems removed, chopped (or spinach)

Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and jalapeño (or chili flakes). Sauté until soft. Add sweet potatoes and brown them a little bit.

Add tomatoes, coconut milk, water, spices, and nuts. Simmer until sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Add nut butter and kale (or spinach). Simmer until everything is thick and creamy. Top with cilantro and a few more peanuts.

Try this in your Instant Pot!

Uttapam (say “Oo-tah-pam”)

4-6 servings

Uttapam is a type of dosa from South India. Unlike a typical dosa, which is crisp and crepe-like, uttapam is thicker, with toppings. They’re great any time of day. Gluten-free and chock-full of veggie protein! Plain or with veggies, they’re easy to make, versatile and can be refrigerated and re-heated. There’s soaking and fermenting time involved so you need to plan ahead, but it’s so worth it!

1 cup mung dahl, soaked 6-8 hours or overnight

1 cup rice, soaked overnight (separately from mung dahl) (You can use whatever rice you’ve got on hand.)

Coconut oil

Salt to taste

Optional: Various mixed vegetables, grated or finely chopped (carrots, onions, tomatoes, red or green bell peppers, frozen green peas)

Cilantro leaves, chopped

Drain/rinse mung dahl and rice. Place both in high-speed blender with just enough water for ingredients to turn over; blend until smooth. Place in container allowing room for batter to expand by 20% and put in warm spot. Check smell/taste for desired level of tangy fermentation; allow 10-24 hours depending on ambient warmth and your taste. If batter reaches desired taste before you’re ready to cook, refrigerate up to 12 hours to slow fermentation.

Put batter in bowl with room for stirring and add salt to taste. Using sauté pan or griddle over medium heat, add a little coconut oil. Add ¼ cup batter and use rubber spatula to spread it out slightly until about ¼ inches thick. Once bubbles form on top, sprinkle on a few mixed veggies and chopped cilantro. Flip uttapam once the bottom is golden and press down slightly to make sure the batter around the veggies touches the pan and gets cooked thoroughly. Drain on paper towel before serving.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Shortbread Streusel Bars

Makes 24 2-inch squares

This is a great treat to make and enjoy, and a fun way to introduce folks to the joys of rhubarb! The crust and streusel topping work great with other seasonal fruit all year long.

1 cup plus

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled to just warm

1 ½ cups sugar

¾ tsp salt

2 large egg yolks

3 cups plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups hulled/diced strawberries

2 ¼ cups diced rhubarb, sliced ¼ inch thick

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch

Filling:

In medium saucepan, bring strawberries, rhubarb, ½ cup sugar, lemon juice and 2 Tbsp water to a boil over high heat. Mix 2 Tbsp. water to cornstarch to make a slurry and add to fruit. Reduce heat to low-medium and continue to boil until fruit is broken down and syrupy-thick, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool 5 to 10 minutes – syrup will continue to thicken as it cools.

Crust:

Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, letting ends create overhanging edge for easy removal. In medium bowl, stir together butter, ¾ cup of the sugar and salt. Whisk in egg yolks. Stir in flour to make stiff dough. Transfer about 2 cups of dough to prepared pan, press mixture evenly into the bottom. Prick dough all over with a fork. Refrigerate pan for 30 minutes (or freeze 5-7 minutes), until dough is firm.

Position one oven rack near center and another near top. Heat oven to 325°. Bake dough until crust begins to set but doesn’t brown at all on edges (center won’t be firm yet), about 20 minutes.

While crust bakes, prepare streusel topping.

Streusel:

Using your fingers, combine remaining ¼ cup sugar with reserved dough until crumbly. Mixture should hold together when pressed, but readily break into smaller pieces.

Spread filling evenly over hot crust. Scatter streusel over filling – don’t crumble too much or filling will be sandy. Increase oven temperature to 350° and bake bars near top of oven until streusel is golden and set, about 25 minutes.

Place pan on metal rack to cool until crust is completely firm, at least 1 hour.

When bottom of pan is cool, carefully lift bars from pan using foil sides and transfer to cutting board. Separate foil from bars by sliding spatula between them. Cut bars into 2 ¼ inch squares.