Mushroom Pesto with Parsley and Thyme

10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced 1/4 -inch thick
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
3 medium unpeeled garlic cloves
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated in 1/2 cup boiling water until softened, about 5 minutes, hydrating liquid strained through damp paper towel–lined sieve and reserved)
1 small shallot, chopped coarse
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup packed parsley leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees; line rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Toss sliced mushrooms with 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper in medium bowl; spread evenly on prepared baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast garlic in small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until softened and spotty brown, about 8 minutes; when cool, remove anddiscard skins.

In a food processor, process roasted mushrooms, garlic, porcini and liquid, shallot, thyme, parsley and remaining 7 tablespoons oil until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl. Transfer mixture to small bowl and stir in cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Creamy Turnip Puree with Walnuts, Anchovies, and Parsley

6 pounds medium turnips, peeled, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup olive oil
6 anchovy fillets
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook turnips and garlic in large pot of boiling salted water until turnips are very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Return turnips and garlic to pot; stir over medium-high heat until dry, about 2 minutes. Working in batches, puree turnips, garlic, 1 1/2 cups cream, and butter in processor until smooth. Return puree to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more cream if necessary to reach desired consistency. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Heat olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add anchovies and cook, mashing with back of wooden spoon until dissolved, about 1 minute. Add walnuts and cook until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley. Rewarm turnip puree over medium heat, stirring frequently. Transfer to serving bowl. Spoon walnut mixture over.

Fattoush

The ingredient list is long, but it’s actually quite simple and uses many of the vegetables from this week’s share.

3 pita rounds, torn into pieces

oil for frying

2 cups torn romaine lettuce

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 small cucumbers, peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 green onions, minced

15 fresh mint leaves, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon cilantro

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

1 pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1 pinch celery salt

1 pinch garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place pita pieces into the skillet without crowding. Fry in batches until browned; then remove to paper towels.

Place romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell pepper, green onions, mint leaves, parsley, and cilantro into a large bowl.

Pour lemon juice and white wine vinegar into a small bowl. Season with salt, lemon pepper, onion flakes, celery salt, and garlic powder. Stir in olive oil.

Gently toss salad with fried pita pieces and dressing. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve.

Leek and Fennel Relish

1 Tb olive oil

3 large leeks, white part only, washed and thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, without leafy fronds, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the leeks, fennel, and parsley. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté, stirring often, until the leeks are soft, about 7 minutes. (The fennel should still be crunchy.)

Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer it to a medium glass or earthenware bowl. Let it cool completely. Stir in the lemon juice, mustard, and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

Source: The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook

Summer Bean Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing

1 lb mixed summer beans

1 1/2 shallots, finely chopped

1/2 cup walnut halves and pieces, toasted (toast walnuts at 375 on a baking sheet for 7 to 8 minutes)

1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 Tb grainy mustard

1 Tb hot water

1/2 tsp sugar

Juice of one lemon

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup crème fraiche or sour cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add all of the beans and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl of salted ice water to stop the cooking, and drain well. Transfer to a mixing bowl and toss in the shallots, walnuts, and parsley.

In a jar, combine the mustard, water, sugar, lemon juice, oil, crème fraiche, salt, and pepper. Put the cap on and shake vigorously to emulsify. Just before you serve the salad, pour the dressing over the beans and toss well to coat with the dressing.

Source: Eat this Book

Savory Corn Pudding with Tomato Salsa

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup minced shallots

2 Tb chopped cilantro or parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, to taste, seeded and minced or 1/8 tsp cayenne

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tb sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne

Pinch of dried oregano

2 Tb butter, cut into thin slices

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 eggs

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. In a small bowl, mix the tomatoes with 1 1/2 Tb shallots, 1 Tb cilantro, half the garlic, the jalapenos, and a pinch of the salt. Set the fresh salsa aside at room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, remaining shallots and garlic, sugar, baking powder, remaining salt, mustard, cayenne, and oregano.

In a large glass measure or other microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter on high until mostly melted, about 1 minute. Add the milk and heat until the milk is hot and the butter completely melted, about 2 minutes. Gradually pour into the cornmeal mixture, whisking to remove lumps. Stir in the corn, eggs, and remaining 1 Tb of cilantro.

Pour the pudding base into a lightly buttered 8-inch square baking dish or oval gratin. Bake 30 min. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese evenly over the pudding. Increase the oven temperature to 375 and bake about 15 minutes longer, until the pudding is set and the cheese is lightly browned on top. Serve hot with the salsa.

Source: One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes

Chickpea, Garlic & Parsley

We tried this with our last share of parsley—it’s a delicious twist on the standard hummus dip.

1 19-ounce can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed

2 cloves of garlic, mashed to a paste with ½ tsp salt

½ cup packed fresh parsley

¼ cup water

3 Tb lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

In a food processor blend all ingredients except oil until smooth. With motor running add oil in a slow stream. Season dip with salt. Serve dip with toasted pita wedges or French bread.

Source: Gourmet

Chickpea, Parsley, & Carrot Salad

1 19-ounce can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1 cup loosely packed shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot)

½ cup sliced radishes (about 6)

½ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (about 4)

3 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground coriander

Salt and pepper

6 Tb olive oil

1/3 cup crumbled feta or pine nuts (optional)

Put 1/2 cup of the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and mash them into a coarse paste with a potato masher or large wooden spoon. Toss In the remaining chickpeas along with the parsley, carrot, radishes, and scallions. Stir to combine.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, coriander, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Continue whisking while adding the olive oil in a slow stream.

When ready to serve, pour dressing over the salad and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with feta or pine nuts, if using, and serve immediately.

Source: Cooking New American

Fennel Slaw

1 Tb fennel seeds

1 Tb anise seeds

1/3 cup mayonnaise

½ cup red wine vinegar

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks discarded but fronds reserved

1 Tb fresh lemon juice

1 small green cabbage, tough outer leaves discarded

1 large carrot, coarsely grated (1 cup)

1 small red onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced (1 cup)

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

To make the dressing, toast the fennel and anise seeds in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, shaking occasionally, until lightly browned, then cool. Coarsely grind seeds in a spice grinder (or coffee grinder). Whisk together ground seeds with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper.

To make the slaw, halve fennel bulbs lengthwise, then cut out and discard cores. Thinly slice fennel crosswise and toss with lemon in a very large bowl. Finely chop enough fennel fronds to measure ¼ cup and add to sliced fennel.

Quarter cabbage and cut out and discard core. Thinly slice cabbage crosswise and add to fennel along with carrot, onion, parsley, and dressing and toss well. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour. Serves 10.

Braised Chicken with Green Peppers and Tomatoes

4 Tb extra-virgin olive oil

2 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

2 Tb minced Italian parsley

2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch squares

6 whole tomatoes (can be canned), chopped

1 cup dry white wine

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, cook chicken until golden brown, about 4 minutes, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to a platter and reserve skillet.

Add onion, garlic, and parsley to skillet; sauté until onion is soft, scraping up browned bits, about 4 minutes. Add green peppers, tomatoes, and wine; return chicken to skillet. Cover; simmer over medium-low heat 30 minutes. Uncover, cook until chicken is tender and sauce is reduced, about 15 minutes. Serves 6.

Eggplant Salad with Parsley and Lemon

3 Tb olive oil

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

¾ Tsp salt

2 garlic cloves, chopped

¼ cup water

2 Tb chopped parsley

1 Tb fresh lemon juice

4 romaine leaves

In a large nonstick skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté eggplant and onion with salt, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is browned well. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water and cook, until eggplant is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, remaining tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Chill salad 15 minutes before serving. Serve on romaine. Serves 2.

Zucchini Italian Style

Another family recipe, this uses the fresh parsley and oregano, too.

1 lb. zucchini, sliced

1 onion, sliced

1 cup fresh or canned tomatoes

2 tblsp parsley

1 tblsp oregano (or thyme)

Parmesan cheese

Sauté onion in butter until yellow, then add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and herbs, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Put in a casserole dish, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and bake at 375 degrees until brown.

Serves 4.

Zucchini "Crab" Cakes

Growing up in Maryland, we found ways to make everything taste like Old Bay! This is a great vegetarian version of crab cakes that my mom used to prepare for dinner.

2 ½ cups grated zucchini (grate early & let stand in a colander to drain off excess liquid)

1 egg beaten

1 tbsp melted butter

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

2 tbsp minced onion

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning

Cracker meal

Squeeze excess moisture from the grated zucchini. Then combine with the egg and butter. Add bread crumbs, onions, parsley, baking powder and seasoning. Shape into patties and roll in cracker meal. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Makes 8 crab cakes.