Harvest Salad with Lemon Avocado Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

• Lettuce (your preferred)

• Carrots, thinly sliced or grated (reg box)

• Tokyo turnips, thinly sliced (reg box)

• Celery, thinly sliced (reg box)

• Collard greens, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• Summer squash, thinly sliced

• String beans, blanched and cut into bite-sized pieces

• Sweet potatoes, roasted and diced (reg)

• Hass avocado, diced (opt.)

• Melon, cubed

• Lemon zest

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe Hass avocado

• Juice of 1 lemon 

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Dressing:

1. In a blender or food processor, combine ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

The Salad:

1. Start with a bed of lettuce. Arrange the sliced or chopped vegetables on top of the lettuce. Add the roasted sweet potatoes and diced Hass avocado. Sprinkle lemon zest over the salad. 

2. Gently toss the salad to mix the ingredients evenly.
   Drizzle the prepared Lemon Avocado Dressing over the salad. Start with a few tablespoons and adjust to your preference. Ensure the dressing coats all the ingredients.

3. Top with cubed melon. Add a bit more salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy!

Herbed Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

We've shared this one before, but it's such a simple and delicious recipe that will wow your diners that we couldn't help but share it again. (This is from Pamela Salzman, one of our friends up at Manhattan Beach farmers market. Google her for lots of great recipes and cooking tips.)

INGREDIENTS (4 as entree, 6 as side dish):

• 3 Tbsp garlic ghee (or unsalted butter or all olive oil and ½ tsp granulated garlic)

• 3 Tbsp unrefined, extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage or rosemary

• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 4 medium to large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried (all about the same size)

• 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Melt the ghee with olive oil in a small saucepan and add the herbs and ½ tsp salt, stir to combine and set aside.

3. Slice a super thin piece off the bottom of the sweet potato so it will lie flat on the cutting board. Reserve that piece. Lay two chopsticks, one along each side of the first sweet potato and thinly slice (about ⅛-inch) each sweet potato crosswise along the top, stopping at the chopstick so that it doesn’t cut all the way through. Or just do this carefully without chopsticks, ensuring you do not cut all the way through.

4. Place the reserved slices on the prepared baking sheet and place the sweet potatoes on top of each slice. Fan open the potatoes and brush the cut sides with ghee/herb mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the sweet potatoes begin to soften. Baste with remaining ghee/herb mixture. Place back in the oven and roast for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the center is tender. This depends on the size of your sweet potatoes (a small sweet potato will not take as long).

6. Serve with a wedge of lime, if desired. (From @pamelasalzman)

Delicata Squash, Kale, and Apple Salad

Delicata is easy to use. The skin is edible and the seeds can be removed without much effort. It's definitely worth a try!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2):

• 1 bunch of lacinato kale, washed and dried

• 1 delicata squash (cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices, seeds removed)

• 1 small apple

• 1 small fennel bulb

• 1/4 cup crumbled sharp Cheddar cheese

• 2-3 tbsp Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped

• Red Wine Vinaigrette 

• 1-2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)

• Kosher salt

• Black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375° (F). Line a small sheet pan with foil or parchment.

2. Toss squash with grapeseed oil, 1/4 tsp Kosher salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Spread squash evenly on sheet pan and roast for 35-40 minutes, until soft and slightly browned.

3. While squash cooks, slice kale into ribbons and place in a medium bowl. Shave fennel thinly using a mandoline slicer and set aside in another bowl.

4. Once delicata squash is finished cooking, allow to cool to room temperature. While squash cools, toss kale with a small amount of Kosher salt, which will improve its texture.

5. Slice fennel and apple thinly (I like to use my mandoline slicer for this).

6. When delicata squash is cool enough to handle, toss with kale, apples, cheddar, fennel and Marcona almonds. Dress with vinaigrette and season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

(From Sarah Faris IG's @thesaladwhisperer)

Roasted Summer Squash with Whipped Lemon Ricotta and Basil

Looking for more ways to incorporate veggies into your diet?

Visit @ZOE on IG for more simple, healthy recipes like this one.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 squash (zucchini and gold bar work best)

• 250g (8 - 9 ounces) ricotta

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Pumpkin and sunflower seeds, toasted in a dry pan

• A handful of basil

• 1 clove of garlic (grated or crushed)

• 1 lemon

• Salt and pepper

• Chili flakes

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF.

2. Slice the squash lengthwise and then score along both sides to make a criss-cross. Lay them onto a tray with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Roast for 20-30 minutes until they begin to brown and are soft all the way through.

4. While the squash are cooking, whisk the ricotta with a drizzle of olive oil until it reaches a ‘whipped’ consistency.

5. Add the zest of your lemon along with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

6. To make the basil dressing, combine basil, lemon juice, the garlic clove and a sprinkle of salt with a good glug of olive oil in a mortar and pestle or food processor.

7. Once the squash are cooked, spread the whipped ricotta onto a plate and top with the courgettes. -Drizzle over the basil dressing along with the seeds, chili flakes and extra basil.

Enjoy!

Vegan No Bake Carrot Cake Cups!!

INGREDIENTS:

Cake Cups

• 1 cup shredded carrot

• 1 cup walnuts

• 1+1/4 cup dates

• 3/4 cups shredded coconut

• 1/3 cup plant milk

• 1.5 tsp cinnamon

• 3/4 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/4 cup almond flour - or coconut flour

Cashew Icing

• 1 cup soaked cashews

• 1/2 cup plant milk

• 4 medjool dates

• 1 tsp vanilla

• Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend together the ingredients for the carrot cake cups until everything is combined. Add 1 tbsp at a time of plant milk as needed & scrape down the sides while blending but try to add as little liquid as possible!

2. Divide into 6 or 7 cups and make a small hole in the Center. Make sure to grease your muffin tins!!

3. Blend together the ingredients for the cashew icing then add to the Center of your carrot cake cups

4. Top with crushed walnuts & freeze for a minimum of 3 hours to firm up.

5. Store in the freezer and take them out 5-10 minutes before you’d like to eat them!

Enjoy!

Salsa Verde (tomatillo sauce)

Here’s a super easy recipe for salsa verde!

Use the tomatillos and jalapeños from your CSA box to whip this up in no time. 

INGREDIENTS:

• tomatillos

• jalapeños (or mild pepper if you prefer)

• salt

• cilantro

• garlic

• lemon juice

• fresh onion

• avocado (optional, if you prefer a creamy texture)

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Remove the husks of the tomatillos, wash and rinse them and boil them for 10-15 minutes.

2. While the tomatillos are boiling, roast your peppers in a skillet with a tablespoon of oil. Roast until they are cooked thoroughly and blistered to your liking.

3. Add cooked tomatillo and peppers to the blender.

4. Add salt, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, and fresh onion. (For a creamy texture add an avocado!) 

5. Blend for about 15-20 seconds. 

Now you have a fresh tomatillo salsa or sauce, perfect for a dish of green Chilaquiles! Use it with a burrito bowl, tacos, or on your eggs at breakfast.

Or simply add it to any dish where you would like a spicy, creamy and tangy flavor.

Enjoy!