The Sensual Vegetable: September 2012

Hilltop Hanover Farm

http://www.hilltophanoverfarm.org/

Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center is a working crop farm and environmental educational center located in Yorktown Heights, NY. The farm was a former dairy farm dating back to the 1600’s. Today the farm is a regional education center that offers programs on healthy and sustainable food production and teaches skills for small-scale suburban and urban farming techniques, illustrating sustainable living practices for the region and local communities.

The farm features demonstration models for backyard farming, rainwater harvesting, composting, and greenroof technology. Visitors can hike the farm’s 3.5 miles of woodland trails, picnic on the farm grounds, purchase a CSA share, or produce from our farm stand or at U-Pick during the growing season, or attend any of our numerous classes and lectures. Hilltop Hanover Farm offers tours, classes and field trips to school groups, garden clubs, and scout troops.

The center is committed to donating 10% of annual vegetable production to local food pantries and warmly welcomes volunteers.

NYC is due south and only a little more than an hour away.

The leaves are just starting to change.

Not sure what this is.

Fresh from the farm

Will become:

Cauliflower soup

Leeks for the Mac and "Cheese" (Cashew)

Kale chips

Fresh corn tortillas

Creamed carrots

Roasted eggplant

Dehydrated Kale chips with cashew cheese...Yum!

Kale

Fresh from the Farm

Hilltop Hanover Farm on Yorktown Heights, NY

Washed and Spun

Dry and ready to be tossed with the

Cashew Cheese sauce.

Break the leaves in half...leaving big pieces.

I like to remove the lower leaves from the stem.

The three key ingredients.

Nutritional yeast - 1/2 cup.

Raw Cashews - 2 cups

Pepperdews (or red peppers can be used) - 1 cup

For 2 bunches of kale use

1 cup of cashew cheese sauce.

Add the cashews and cover with water, add the pepperdews, nutritional yeast, sea salt and a pinch of cayenne. Blend until creamy...adjust to your taste.

Pour over the raw kale and mix with your hands...it needs to get in the folds of the leaves.

Racked and ready to dry.

3 trays with Cashew Cheese.

The bottom rack is just olive oil, salt, pepper

and garlic powder.

I start out with the dehyrator on high for the first 2 two hours

Then adjust it to mid way for the rest of the time.

This batch seemed to take longer than previous

batches...with any drying, you need to keep

checking. The chips are done when they are crunchy.

Questions about dehydrating? Just ask.

Kale chips can be done in a oven...but be careful not to burn them. Turn the oven on high and get it real hot...then turn it off...when it get to about 200 degrees...place the tray of kale in the oven and put the oven back on to the lowest temp. possible...Keep checking...you might have to turn the oven on and off...so as to not over bake the chips.

Tofu Shirataki noodles...quick and easy dinner

Dinner in 30 minutes.

Red pepper/walnut puree, creamed carrots with agave, braised tofu with crispy ginger and sesame seeds, tofu noodles with roasted almond oil and scallions. Side of arugula salad with a sweet/tangy dressing.

All prepared from what I happened to have had in the frig.

Red Pepper: Sautee the red peppers, when almost soft ...add the walnuts, sautee for a few minutes...let cool. In a food processor...puree with some olive oil, fresh garlic and some sea salt. I also added some cayenne.

Carrots: Simmer carrots or steam until soft.

In a food process...puree until creamy...add some veggie

margarine, salt and a bit on un-sweetened soy milk...add a little agave to pump up the sweetness.

Tofu: Braise the tofu in olive oil..but first cut into 1/2" think slices and let sit on a towel or paper towel

to draw out the excess water.

Add some tamari ...as it is cooking and let the tofu brown.

Remove the tofu and add the ginger...which has been chopped up ...fry up until crispy...add the tofu back in.

Noodles: Drain the noodles from the package and rinse well with cold water. Cook as directed...15 seconds before draining add the cut up scallions. After draining...place back in the pot, add the roasted almond oil to taste, tamari and sesame seeds. Saute for a minute...this really helps separate the noodles and makes them less rubbery.