'The Produce Bible' an up-to-date guide to using farmers market bounty

By SASHA PAULSEN
Register Features Editor

Interest continues to grow in fresh, local produce, driven by farmers markets, chefs who favor top quality seasonal ingredients,  says author Leanne Kitchen, author of “The Produce Bible.”

“Another contributing factor is fatigue with our complex, rat-race lifestyle and a nostalgic yearning for the values of a slower time when one ate what the earth offered up when it saw fit, and each season’s bounty was a refreshing change from the previous one.”

Kitchen has put together a comprehensive guide to fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts, that’s more than a collection of recipes — she includes nutritional information and tips on selecting produce and storing everything from the familiar summer berries to the more unusual taro, jicama and tamarillo.

It’s also a visual delight, with a bounty of color photos, and a clever, easy to follow design.

“The Produce Bible” is available at the Cornucopia shop at Copia.

Here’s a sampling of recipes from the book.

Beet Hummus

“The Produce Bible” by Leanne Kitchen

1 cup dried chickpeas

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound beets (about 3)

1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra to serve

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak overnight.

Drain the chickpeas and put them in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan with the onion. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 hour or until the chickpeas are very soft. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Allow the chickpeas to cool.

Cook the unpeeled beets in a large saucepan of boiling water for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Drain and allow to cool slightly before removing the skins.

Chop the beets and place them in a food processor, in batches if necessary. Add the chickpea and onion mixture, tahini, garlic, lemon juice and cumin, and process until smooth. Slowly add the reserved cooking liquid and olive oil while the machine is running. Blend until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Drizzle with a little olive oil to serve.

Slow-roasted Balsamic Tomatoes

“The Produce Bible” by Leanne Kitchen

10 firm plum tomatoes

8 garlic cloves, crushed

1/3 cup superfine sugar

4 Tbsp. torn basil leaves

4 tsp. chopped oregano leaves

Few drops good quality balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 275 F. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Cut each tomato lengthwise into quarters and put the quarters in rows on the sheets.

Mix the garlic with the sugar, basil, oregano and balsamic vinegar. With your fingers, put a little of the mixture onto the sides of each tomato and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bake for 2 1/2 hours. The tomatoes are ready when they are slightly shriveled at the edge and semidried (they should still be soft in the middle). Eat warm or cold and store in the refrigerator. Serve with barbecued lamb cutlets, beef steak or as part of an antipasti selection. Makes 40.

Chicken with Apricots and Honey

“The Produce Bible” by Leanne Kitchen

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/ tsp. cayenne pepper

4 chicken breasts (6 oz. each), trimmed

1 onion, sliced

1 cup chicken stock

6 cilantro sprig, tied in a bunch

10 apricots, halved, pits removed

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted

Couscous

Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the spices, season with freshly ground black pepper, and stir over low heat for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken breasts. Cook for 1 minute on each side, taking care not to let the spices burn.

Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring the onion and turning the chicken occasionally. Add the stock and cilantro sprigs and season to taste. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, cover then rest for 2-3 minutes. Put the apricots, cut side down, into the frying pan with the juices and drizzle with the honey. Cover the pan and simmer 7-8 minutes, turning the apricots after 5 minutes. Remove the cilantro and discard.

Spoon the apricots and sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with almonds and serve with couscous. Serves 4.

Cherry Clafoutis

“The Produce Bible” by Leanne Kitchen

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

1/4 cup superfine sugar

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. cherry brandy, such as kirsch

2 1/4 cups sweet black cherries

Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the over to 350 F. Put the cream in a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add the seeds and scraped bean to the cream. Heat gently 2-5 minutes and remove from heat. Add the milk, then cool. Strain to remove the vanilla bean and seeds.

Whisk the eggs with the sugar and flour, then stir into the cream. Add the kirsch and cherries and stir well. Pour into a 9-inch round baking dish and bake for 30-3 minutes or until golden on top. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve. Serves 6.

Note: It is traditional to leave the pits in the cherries when you  make a clafoutis (they add a bitter, almost-almond flavor during the cooking), but you should point this out when you’re serving the pudding.

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