Recipes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Years ago, my friend Carla brought a sweet potato casserole to Thanksgiving dinner on a bright, sunny day in Arizona. You could taste the sweet potatoes, instead of sugar, and there wasn’t a melted marshmallow in sight. Her secret? Crushed pineapple. It has been YEARS since I had those sweet potatoes, but this year I experimented with a recipe and wound up with something I think is pretty darn tasty and is healthier than your average sweet potato casserole. Leftovers are great eaten cold right out of the storage container in your fridge (not that anyone would do that …).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter/ cooking spray a 8 x 8 pan or a pan about that size.

For the Potato mixture:

5-6 large Little Bent Farm sweet potatoes
1 egg
1/2 cup milk of choice
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (optional)
1 tsp. cinnamon (generous teaspoon)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 regular size can of crushed pineapple, well drained

For the Streusel:

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts or a combo of both
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flour (can use white, whole wheat, oat or almond flour)
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 TB melted butter

Putting it all together:

Puncture your potatoes and roast in the oven until done. Let cool; the peel should easily come off with your hands. Mash the potatoes in a bowl; mix in the other ingredients. Spread the potato mixture into your prepared pan. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the top is slightly brown and is bubbling a bit on the sides. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.
ENJOY! ~~ Jen

Michael's Potato, Sausage & Kale Soup

Michael is pretty accomplished in the kitchen and recently made this soup using potatoes, kale and onions that he and Zach grow. Also in the recipe is a very gentle pinch of Peter Pepper flake that is jarred at Little Bent Farm after their Hot Peter Peppers are dehydrated. Jackson’s Sausage is available for purchase at The Parlor and it goes well in this soup. Without further ado, here is Michael’s soup recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 pound pork sausage (Jackson’s fresh, smoked or Italian)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups sliced kale (remove the kale from the stems before slicing)
32 oz. box of chicken or vegetable stock/broth
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (such as Knorr)
GENTLE pinch of Little Bent Farm Peter Pepper flake *
* omit if using hot sausage unless you really like HOT
1/4 cup cold water & 1 TB cornstarch
1/2 cup sour cream – ADD at the VERY END – don’t cook with the soup!

In a large saucepan, cook sausage and onion over medium heat 5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and onion is tender; breaking up sausage into crumbles. Drain any excess sausage “juice”.

Stir in seasonings. Add potatoes, kale, chicken stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1o-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into soup. Return to a boil stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup sour cream immediately before serving.

ENJOY!

Jen's Sausage Balls with Kale

Kale is a superstar of leafy greens. Kale is loaded with antioxidants that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures. Kale has protective plant compounds called indoles that have been found to have a protective effect against breast, cervical and colon cancer. How about calcium, iron and vitamins A, C and bone-building K? We should all strive to eat more kale.

We can sneak kale into occasional treats such as sausage balls. You can take these treats to your next potluck or party and folks will likely never guess you put a bit of #goodstuff in every bite.

Yield: Approximately 32 sausage balls

1 lb. Jackson’s Sausage * (Regular, Hot or Smoked) available at Little Bent Farm

2 cups baking mix such as Bisquick or Jiffy

3 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (finely shredded works best, but you can use any cheese that you like)

1 cup finely chopped kale (My favorite Kale is Red Russian, but any kale from Little Bent Farm would be a great choice). I use a mini food chopper to finely chop my kale into what I call “kale dust”.

Get ready to use your hands because it’s really the only way to get it done. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your sausage into a large bowl and let it warm up a bit so that it is easier to handle. Mix the cheese into the sausage. Mix in your chopped kale then your baking mix.

Roll into balls. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes (ovens vary). Important not to overbake since they will continue to cook a bit after you take them out of the oven. They will slide right off that parchment paper then you simply throw that parchment paper away – easy clean up!

*Note: Jackson’s Sausage not only has great flavor, but it also has the right amount of fat to make tender sausage balls. If your sausage doesn’t have enough fat the balls will be dry; too much and they will be greasy. As we all know, dry or greasy sausage balls = not a good thing.

Linda Lacy's Sweet Potato Muffins

Linda is a FABulous cook and baker. If you attended our Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting and Open House, you were able to sink your teeth into one of her sweet potato muffins. Linda is sharing her recipe with us, so be sure to get yourself some farm fresh sweet potatoes from Little Bent Farm and let the baking begin.

2 cups self-rising flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 egg

2 cups cold, mashed Little Bent Farm sweet potatoes

1 cup canola oil (or oil of choice)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk egg sweet potatoes and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

2. Fill greased mini muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan. You can also make large muffins if you want.

Yields about 48 mini muffins.

Hazeline’s Winter Breakfast Scramble

1 large sweet potato
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup of cooked sausage or bacon (any type)
1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil
-other ingredients that make tasty add ons: leftover rice, a handful of spinach, shredded cheese, scrambled egg
Salt, pepper, dash of nutmeg to taste

Wash and peel the sweet potato; place whole in a microwave safe dish with 2 tablespoons of water; microwave for 4 minutes, dice when cool & set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute one small onion till translucent.
Reduce heat to med-low.
Add in your choice of crumbled sausage or bacon, cooked rice, spinach, etc…heat thoroughly.
Add diced sweet potato.
The key is to keep the mixture moving until spinach is wilted and ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Remove from heat, add shredded cheese and stir.
Serve hot.
This is a great recipe to make in larger batches, and refrigerate or freeze in portions.

New England Hot Lettuce Salad

1 pound of bacon, cooked till crispy/diced & set aside (reserve bacon drippings)
1 large bag of Little Bent Salad Mix, washed & dry, roughly chop & set aside
1 small onion
3 eggs
1 tsp pepper
½ cup raw sugar or honey
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce
(Lovely additions are also cayenne or chili powder; for a slightly creamier texture add in 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to whisked mixture)

Bacon Dressing
-Whisk eggs, pepper, water, vinegar, sugar, hot sauce in a bowl
-Place mixture in a saucepan and place over medium heat, whisk occasionally
-Cook until mixture develops a slow boil
-Add diced bacon & 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings
-Reduce heat & simmer to desired thickness

Lettuce
-In a large skillet, add a few teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat
– Sauté small diced onion till tender
-Add chopped lettuce
-Sauté till wilted and toasted to desired doneness
-Remove from heat and spread on a platter
-Drizzle mixture with Bacon Dressing
-Serve warm

Black Radish & Apple Chopped Salad With Lemon & Mint

Inspired by Barb Magee, The Local Dish blog

3 Black Radishes, julienne d
1 Granny Smith Apple, julienne d
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Carrot, julienne d
1 Celery Stick, julienne d
2 Tbsp Mint, chopped

Additions:
Roasted Sunflower Seeds, pistachios, or almonds
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper

In a large bowl, add julienne d radishes to lemon juice and let stand, allowing radish to soften slightly. Once softened, add apple, other veggies and additions. Mix well. Add olive oil (at least 2 tbsp), salt, and pepper to taste. Combine well, serve cold.

One-Pot Creamy French Onion Pasta

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of salted butter
4 medium yellow onions
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon thyme
8 ounces bow tie pasta
1 cups shredded Havarti cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon parsley

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil and butter in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat.
2. Add onions and stir to coat with oil. Sprinkle with salt.
3. Cook onions, stirring occasionally to avoid burning until onions are tender and slightly caramelized, about 20
minutes.
4. Increase heat to medium-high and add in balsamic vinegar cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
5. Add in broth, heavy cream, spices, pasta and a pinch of salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed
and pasta is tender, stir in sour cream.
7. While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Once pasta is cooked, stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle the top with remaining cheese.
9. Transfer skillet to the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted.
10. Season to taste is desired and serve.

This recipe is easily frozen in smaller batches. I love adding a few cups of grilled or shredded chopped chicken to mine. This is great for leftovers, and makes for a heartier version.
Enjoy!

Hazeline’s Winter Salad With Warm Honey Vinaigrette

Salad:
1 cup Brussels Sprouts, chopped
1 cup Cabbage, chopped fine
1/2 cup Kale, chopped fine
1 cup Spinach, chopped
2 cups Gourmet Salad Blend Lettuce
1/2 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries or Dried Cherries
1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
-Lovely add on ingredients are crumbled Bacon, sliced Radish, finely sliced Onion, Feta Cheese, Pine Nuts…options are endless!

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients, set aside.

Warm Honey Vinaigrette

Over low heat, combine:
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or substitute vinegar of choice; Pear Vinegar is particularly delicious)
2/3 cup Local Honey
2 tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds
Add a dash or two each of coarse salt, black pepper, onion powder, nutmeg, and cayenne powder

Heating this mixture over low heat ensures that all ingredients meld gently. We want to just to heat it, not cook it.
Stir continuously with a whisk until thoroughly warmed, and any sugar granules in the honey are dissolved. Remove from heat for 5 minutes, then pour carefully over salad ingredients.

This salad is AMAZING, and even tastes better cold, after all the flavors combine. But good luck! It probably won’t last that long. It’s delicious by itself or paired with pan seared pork cutlets or flank steak.

Zach’s Radish Tea Sandwiches

This is one of Zach’s favorite quick meals. It is also a refreshing and delicious appetizer choice for a tea or colorful party tray.Take it to the next level by using homemade bread.

2 slices of White bread of choice (toasted or fresh)
2-3 Thinly sliced radishes (our Giant German radishes are a great choice)
Butter, or butter spread of choice
Salt
Pepper

(the recipe amounts listed are for one serving, but can be easily increased to feed as many as you need it to)

Spread the bread slices on one side with butter, set aside. After thoroughly washing your radishes (no need to peel them), pat them dry & slice them as thinly as you desire. Layer them onto the buttered sides of your bread. At this stage, you may add salt, pepper, or other seasoning, as desired. Place the sandwich slices together, and divide the sandwich into triangles or squares. Enjoy!

(These are great, make-ahead sandwiches. Store in the fridge between layers of paper towels until ready to serve.)