@m.k.nutrition - Salad Fixings

As the weather cools and the rain has decided to bless us with its presence, lettuce is happily sprouting up again. Never thought I would be so excited to see lettuce in my share again. There is just something so special about those leaves that we often times take for granite. With that being said, I am focusing on all things salad this week.

Let’s do what we do best and throw everything together, add a protein, and just enjoy the flavor explosion of those fresh veggies! *Need a protein option? MEF has chicken!*

Below I will add a vegan based Ranch Dressing recipe that is easy and delicious.

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@m.k.nutrition - It's a fruit! It's a vegetable! It's a TOMATO!

Tomatoes are the newest addition to Mother Earth Farm Shares and we are very excited about it. One of the best things about tomatoes is that the recipes ideas are endless! This week I will focus on a simple bruschetta recipe that can spread onto a number of bases. This can be used as an appetizer and topped onto homemade bread, spread over chicken or fish and baked in the oven, or mixed into your morning egg scramble. GET CREATIVE!

Tomatoes are a garden staple, but are they a fruit or a vegetable? This is a question that leaves many people stumped.

  • A botanical classification of a fruit is something formed from a flower that have seeds and assist with the plants reproductive process. Vegetables are botanically known as the roots, stems, leaves or other structural part of a plant. Therefore, according to science, tomatoes are a fruit. However, in the culinary world, tomatoes are categorized as vegetables. So, to answer the question, it depends on who you are talking to! Farmers, gardeners, and scientists all consider this versatile produce a fruit. While chefs will use it as a vegetable.

Another awesome fact about tomatoes is that they come in many shapes, sizes, colors, and even flavors. A great way to understand the tomato society is to break them down into categories. Such as; Sauce/Paste, Red slicing, Cherry/Grape, Color slicing, and Heirloom. This will help, when preparing your recipes, to know what that particular tomato is best used for. For example, is it best for sandwiches or salsa? Of course you could throw any tomato into a salsa and it would taste amazing! However, some have a texture that is better for chip dipability (did I just make up a word?).

Skip to the bottom to see this week’s recipe!

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Bruschetta

Ingredients:

2 cups diced tomatoes

1/2 a red onion, chopped (medium sized)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp oregano

10 basil leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Feta cheese for topping (optional)

Instructions:

Toss all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Refrigerate for 15 min or up to 2 hours. The longer that it refrigerates, the more flavor.

Serving Options:

Scoop over a toasted baguette with a sprinkle of feta.

Scoop onto chicken or fish and bake in the oven. Then sprinkle feta cheese on after baking.

Add to a heated skillet then pour in your scrambled eggs or just serve cold on top of eggs. Top with feta.

Ketchup @thewildharvest

Serving: 3 pints

Ingredients:
3 lbs of tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp brown mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil, simmer for up to an hr.
2. Remove from heat and blend ingredients.
3. Pour into a mason jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.

** You can separate and freeze some for future use.

Mozzarella Tomato Spears @thewildharvest

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup basil, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup mozzarella
1 cup parmesan

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Spread out the tomato slices on the baking sheet. Top each slice with cheese, basil, and drizzle with olive oil.
4. Bake for 10 min or until cheese is melted.
5. Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler, broil for 2-3 min.
6. Enjoy!

**Also try this on a grill, line the grill rack with foil.