EverGreen Farm Recipes

Freezing Herbs

If you ever find yourself with "extra" herbs and don't want them to go to waste, I have a helpful hint for freezing them.  This tip works especially well with parsley and cilantro.  Just place the herb in a blender  (stems can be removed first if you desire) and puree with as little water as necessary to get the leaves to chop.  Then pour the mixture into ice cube trays.  Once solid, the herb cubes can be frozen in a freezer bag and used as needed.  The herb's true flavor is maintained incredibly well, it smells and tastes so fresh.  Just pop a cube into a soup, mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, or whatever.  Or you can put a cube in a strainer and allow the water to melt off, then add the herb to your cooking.

Fried Pasta

One of Shain's favorite ways to cook with fresh parsley is to make something he calls Fried Pasta.  Here is the recipe:

Cook angel hair pasta per package instructions, drain and refrigerate until cool.  Meanwhile, fry one package of bacon.  Remove from pan and crumble bacon strips when sufficiently cool.  Mince 2 to 3 cloves of garlic and set aside.  In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Brown the minced garlic in grease/oil. 

Remove stems from parsley and coarsley chop, you will need approximately 1 cup.  When garlic is browned, add cooked pasta to the frying pan and fry until lightly cooked and warmed through.  In a bowl, mix fried pasta and garlic, 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, and chopped parsley.  Toss until well mixed.  Serve immediately.

Ministrone

A good recipe to use up all those veggies! 

1 lb. round steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes                         
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. unsalted butter                                                         
5 tbsp. Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, chopped
4 – 6 cloves garlic, finely minced                                                                      
3 – 4 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch dice                              
2 tsp. dried (3tsp. fresh) oregano
1 onion cut into 1/4 inch dice                                                      
1 leek (white part and 1 inch green) rinsed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/4 inch slices                  
1 1/2 tsp. dried (3-4 tsp. fresh) basil                  
3 C finely shredded cabbage                                             
1 tsp. coarsely ground
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices                      
black pepper & salt, to taste
2 – 3 potatoes washed and cut into 1/4 - in. dice                  
3/4 C dried red kidney beans, cooked and drained, or 2 C canned
1 1/2 C fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths                      
3 ribs celery, sliced                                                                        
4 C  beef stock                                                                                             
2 C  chicken stock 
4 plum tomatoes cut in ¼ in. dice (or 15 oz. can, diced)
1/2 - 3/4  C small pasta
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Brown the meat in the butter in a large soup pot, about 10 minutes.  Remove meat and add the garlic, carrots, onion, green beans and leek and raise the heat slightly.  Cover and wilt the vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cabbage, zucchini, potato, both stocks and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and add 2 tbsp. of the parsley, the oregano, basil, pepper and salt.  Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.  Add the kidney beans, tomatoes and pasta.  Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.  Adjust seasonings and heat through.  Stir in remaining parsley before serving.  Pass the Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Pesto Pasta with Parsley

1 cup of olive oil
1 cup of parsley sprigs
2 cups of fresh basil
1/2 cup of almonds
2 cups of Parmesan cheese
2 to 3 cloves of garlic

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender.  Pour over hot bow tie pasta.

Option:  sauté chicken mushrooms, tomatoes, and garlic together in butter and toss into pesto pasta.