Beet and Carrot Veggie Burgers

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups peeled grated beets (1-2 medium beets)
2 cups grated carrots (about 4 carrots)
1/2 cup minced onion (about 1 medium onion)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Butter or oil for greasing the baking sheet.

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place a small, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame seeds and stir them on the dry skillet just until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning them. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the toasted seeds to a dish to cool.
3. Return the skillet to the heat. Add the sunflower seeds and stir them on the dry skillet just until lightly browned and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to avoid burning them. Immediately transfer them to the dish with the sesame seeds.
4. Combine the beets, carrots, and onion in a large bowl. Stir in the toasted sunflower and sesame seeds, eggs, rice, cheddar cheese, oil, flour, parsley, soy sauce or tamari, and garlic. Add cayenne and mix until thoroughly combined.
5. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 patties and arrange them in rows on the baking sheet.
6. Bake the patties until brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Unless they are very large and thick, it should not be necessary to flip them.
Makes 12 patties.

Carrot Drop Cookies

½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 egg
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup uncooked rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ cup instant dry milk
1 cup grated carrots
2/3 cup chopped nuts

Carrot/Potato Vichy Soup

3 large potatoes, pared and sliced
1 pound pared (peeled), sliced carrots
2 bunching onions, sliced and rinsed
3 cups boiling water
 4 teaspoons chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon salt
2 T butter, melted
2 ¾ cups half-and-half
Tabasco pepper sauce to taste

Combine vegetables, boiling water, broth and salt in a large heavy saucepan.  Cook, covered, until very tender, about 25 minutes.  Puree in blender OR USE HANDY HAND-HELD BLENDER.  Beat in butter, half-and-half, and Tabasco to taste.  Chill and serve cold or reheat over low heat, beating with wire whisk to blend well.  Top with parsley or other fresh herbs

Simple Lentil Bolognese Sauce

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, rushed
2 carrots, coarsely grated
2 celery stalks, chopped (from Iron Creek, if they have them.  They are the only other organic farm at Wicker Park—certified no less.)
3 T olive oil
2/3 c red lentils
chopped tomatoes (the recipe says “one 14 oz can”)
2 T tomato paste
2 cups stock
1 tsp dried marjoram
salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a large saucepan, gently fry the onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the oil for about five minutes, until soft.
2.  Add the lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, spice and seasoning.
3.  Bring the mixture to a boil; then partially cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes until thick and soft. 

Caramelized Vegetable and Meatball Soup

From sunset.com/chicken broth
1 small, peeled and seeded butternut squash
3 medium white potatoes
4 large carrots, peeled
10 - 15 garlic cloves!!!
¼ cup olive oil, divided
1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 ½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 lb ground turkey
1 T fennel seeds
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 bunching onions, cut into slices and rinsed
1 large head fennel, cut into ¼-inch slices (reserve feathery fronds for garnish)
8 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.  Cut squash, potatoes and carrots into 1-inch pieces and put in a large oiled roasting pan; add garlic.  Toss with 2 ½ T olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and spread out in a single lager, leaving as much room as possible around the pieces.  Roast on lower rack about 40 minutes or until browned and tender.  (Stir after they’ve browned underneath, about 25 minutes.)
Meanwhile, make meatballs:  With wet hands, mix turkey, fennel seeds, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ tsp pepper together in a small bowl.  Oil you r hands with some of remaining oil.  Shape turkey mixture into 1-in meatballs and set them on an oiled rimmed baking sheet as you go.  Roast on upper rack 15 – 20 minutes, turning a couple of times to brown well on all sides.
Heat 1 T olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onions and fennel, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Pour in broth and bring to a boil over high heat, covered.  Lower heat and simmer vegetables until meltingly soft, about 25 minutes.
When vegetables in oven have caramelized and meatballs are browned, remove both from oven.  Transfer meatballs to roasting pan.  Pour a ladle of hot broth into baking sheet and scrape up browned bits.  Pour bits into roasting pan along with all contents of pot and gently scrape up vegetables’ browned bits.  Return to oven and bake 5 minutes to let flavors mingle.  Serve with hunks of warm bread.

From Our Chef Shareholder…
Thanks, Lance!

Curried Carrots

1 bunch Peasants Plot's tasty carrots
1 can coconut milk
2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch black pepper
1 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. freshly chopped cilantro or basil
1/4 lemon, juice of

Directions:
1. Wash, peel, and cut carrots into 1 inch pieces.
2. Warm the coconut milk, curry, salt, pepper, and honey together in a medium sized sauce pot and heat until a simmer is reached.
3. Add the carrots to the seasoned milk and cook, on low heat, simmering, covered, until the carrots are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and serve, garnishing with the fresh herbs and lemon juice.

Thai Kale Stem (and carrot) Salad (Yam Kanard)

1-2 bunches of kale, leaves removed
85g (3oz) squid, cut into thin slices
half a bunch of carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
85g (3oz) small peeled cooked shrimp

1 T fish sauce (yummy just on its own!)
2 T lemon juice
1 t sugar
chili pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 T fresh minced onions

Peel the hard outer layer from the kale stems. Bring a pan of water to a boil and blanch the stems for 15 seconds; drain well and place in a bowl. Bring the water back to a boil and briefly blanch the squid (just put it in and then take it out), drain well and add to the bowl. Mix in the carrots and the shrimp. Add all the dressing ingredients except the onions and stir well. Just before serving, stir in the onions and turn out onto a plate.

Honey Glazed Carrots and Roasted Chard Stems with Sage Bread Crumbs
from the interweb: www.food2.com

3 medium carrots, quartered and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 oz. baguette (or 2 slices white bread), torn into small pieces
4 sage leaves

1. Roast vegetables: Toss carrots and Swiss chard stems with 1 Tbsp. oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400˚ oven 40 minutes or until carrots are almost tender; toss carrots and chard stems with honey. Top with chard leaves and drizzle with remaining Tbsp. olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Return to oven and roast, tossing once, 5 minutes until leaves are almost wilted. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and toss with vinegar.
2. Make breadcrumbs: While vegetables roast, heat oil in a small skillet over medium. Add bread and sage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, 5 minutes or until bread is toasted.

Glaze Your Carrots! Dazzle Your Friends!!

Bunch of carrots- half them and quarter them lengthwise
2/3 c. honey
6 tbsp. butter

1. Cook carrots in small amount of water until tender, but still firm. I like to just barely cook them before glazing.
2. Drain off any water in the pan. Add butter and honey. Simmer slowly until stems are glazed and brown, turning once or twice.

People love when you do this. It's a nice accompaniment to curries. -Julia