Vegetable Archives - Pure Grace Farms

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Glaze and Cherries

April 15, 2014 by Shari Eckstrom 11 Comments

Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another. – George Eliot

I can see her today, standing in our kitchen. She is a little over 5 feet tall, pleasingly plump encircled by a full apron, tied about her neck and waist. Flour is strewn about the kitchen table where my grandmother stands, her powdered white hands and arms diligently working away at a lump of dough. The push and pull, push and pull, mesmerizes me, and I watch the steady rhythmic dance in awe and wonder.

My grandmother made the softest, most delicious white bread imaginable and as I watched, she sprinkled bits of wisdom my way that had tremendous influence over my life as I grew older. Grandma taught me to bake bread, show kindness to others and love with a big heart. She rarely measured when she cooked…a pinch of this and a dabble of that was her method, and so too with her love. A generous sprinkle here and there of affection and warmth to give this sometimes lonely child a sense of love and security.

I am grateful for the times I got to spend with her and sometimes wish I could fold myself into her ample embrace once more. As I reflect on Grandma, I wonder what lasting impression and legacy I will leave with my Grandchildren. How will they remember me? A serious thought well worth pondering, for maybe it is not only the words we speak that leaves a lasting impression, but perhaps in how well we love that procures the greatest impact.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Glaze and Cherries

5.0 from 1 reviews

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Glaze and Cherries

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

55 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1½ pounds Brussel Sprouts, Rinsed well, wilted leaves discarded
2 Tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup dried sweet cherries

Instructions

To Roast Brussel Sprouts:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place cleaned Brussel Sprouts in large baking pan, add oil. sea salt and freshly ground pepper, mix well.
Roast Brussel Sprouts for about 20 minutes, shaking pan half way through cooking time to turn Brussel Sprouts. When done, Brussel Sprouts should be soft on the inside and a bit crispy on the outside.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, bring the broth and maple syrup to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced to ¼ cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter.
When Brussel Sprouts are done, add cherries and pour glaze over all. Stir to evenly coat Brussel Sprouts and cherries.
Add additional sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Serve warm.

Transforming Gratitude

January 25, 2014 by Shari Eckstrom Leave a Comment

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. ― William Arthur Ward

Have you ever had a day, week, or even a year, that is just flat out difficult? Maybe it’s a relationship that is tenaciously unstable, an illness or injury that continues on and on despite your best efforts at creating health, or financial circumstances that continue to spiral downward with no relief in sight. In a word, life is not behaving in a way you expected it to. The question is actually meant to be rhetorical. It is no surprise that everyone of us have faced difficult circumstances at numerous times in our lives, and I would bet that we will continue doing so until the day we die. No matter what anyone might tell you, this is life in all of its glorious imperfections. Right now I am struggling with a back injury that stubbornly refuses to heal. I have found that I can rail against life, be miserable to everyone around me or wallow in self pity. I am no saint, and I have done every one of those things in turn. But, in the midst of this difficulty I realize I have a choice to make. Maybe I have little say in whether or not I will get better, but I do have a choice in how I will respond to this difficult challenge in my life. More and more these days, I am choosing gratitude and thankfulness. It has been transforming. Gratitude and thankfulness has helped to take the focus off what I don’t have and put it squarely on the many blessings I do, and they are many.

No matter the difficulty you face today, count your blessings and see for yourself if those difficulties begin to lose a bit of prominence. No, the problem might not necessarily go away, but your capability to deal with it will be greatly enhanced. Today’s recipe, Warm Spinach, Caramelized Red Onion and Gorgonzola Salad is one I could eat every night of the week and be heartily satisfied. I love the sweet, tangy, crunchy mixture that lingers on my tastebuds and am always a bit sad when that last bite is taken. This is a dish, you will have a hard time sharing, so double the recipe. Or do as I do, and make it when no one else is home, so you get to savor every morsel all to yourself.

Warm Spinach, Caramelized Red Onion and Gorgonzola Salad

Rich Flavorful Vegetable Stock: Pure and Simple

October 19, 2013 by Shari Eckstrom 11 Comments

I try to be grateful for the abundance of the blessings that I have, for the journey that I’m on and to relish each day as a gift. – James McGreevey

Holidays are right around the corner. I get excited when I think about all the opportunities I will have to cook for my family and friends. This time of year always gets my creative juices flowing.

I work outside the home, so I often don’t have the time I would like to spend cooking and creating in the kitchen. When I find a shortcut offering better quality than store bought, doesn’t take much effort on my part, and adds amazing flavor to the dishes I create, I jump on it.

Making your own vegetable stock is one of those shortcuts. The flavor and quality can’t be compared to what you buy in the store and it is simple to do. As an added benefit,when making your own pure food vegetable broth, you know exactly what you are getting.

I prefer to make my vegetable broth gluten free as it is simple to accomplish. The vegetable broth recipe is mostly made up of vegetables. Soy sauce is the only potential product with gluten. Use Tamari gluten free soy sauce and your whole broth remains gluten free. Simple.

When making your broth feel free to experiment with different vegetables. Today I made one batch that strictly followed the recipe (go figure, I actually followed a recipe). The other batch I added a few beets that were homegrown from the garden and needed to be used up and pumpkin broth left over from making a batch of pumpkin puree. The second pot of broth was a little more colorful but just as delicious. Your imagination is all that is required, along with a few leftover scraps.

Double the recipe so you will be sure to have enough to freeze. This is the best part. The broth freezes well and is great to have on hand when you need a bit of extra flavor for your pure food recipes.

Tonight I am using my broth for a delicious split pea soup recipe. Be sure to come back on Tuesday and check it out. I would love to hear what you use your vegetable broth for. Make a comment and spread a little inspiration my way, I would surely appreciate it. The following recipe is from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food

Rich Flavorful Vegetable Broth

2013-10-19 15:42:21

Write a review

Save Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, quartered (don’t bother to peel)
1 potato, sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic (don’t bother to peel)
5 to 10 white mushrooms, halved or sliced
10 to 20 parsley stems or stems with leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Put the oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven on medium high heat. When hot, add the carrots, onion, potato, celery, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook without stirring for about 5 minutes, then stir occasionally, allowing vegetables to brown well. Usually about 15-20 minutes.
Add the parsley, 6 cups water, the soy sauce, and some pepper. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily but gently. Cook for about 60 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
Strain, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more soy sauce or a bit of salt, before using or storing.
Broth can be used immediately, stored in the refrigerator for about 1 week in an airtight container, or frozen.

Notes

Double your batch to have some on hand in the freezer for later use. Trust me, you wont regret it.
Allowing the vegetables to brown well adds depth of flavor and a richer color to the broth.
When freezing vegetables, I prefer to freeze mine in 1 cup plastic containers. Once frozen, I pop them out of the container and place them in a heavy duty freezer bag. It is easy to grab the amount I need out of the bag and reseal.

Pure Grace Farms https://puregracefarms.com/

[ois skin=”pure grace”]