Recipes

Now that you've purchased all the fresh, healthy produce, meat, cheese, and other tasty ingredients from local farmers and producers, you're probably looking for some new recipes to try. Our Farm Trails members have got you covered! Enjoy these easy, delicious recipes to making staying at home both nourishing and exciting.

Duck Breast Rice Bowl

Recipe by jennifer reichardt, Liberty Ducks, Petaluma

(Click here to order Liberty duck breast and other duck products for local and national delivery.)

For the duck:

1. Score the skin in a cross hatch pattern. This helps it render efficiently on the man

2. Season meat and skin side with five spice and salt

3. Start a pan cold, put the meat on skin side down, then turn to medium heat

4. Render the meat side for about 10-15 minutes, till the skin is crispy

5. Dump out some of the fat rendered

6. Put the duck back in the pan, meat side down, cook about 5-7 minutes med heat - like a nice steak

7. Slice and serve!

For the bowl:

1. Cook rice in your preferred method; we like using our Instant Pot and its rice setting, but everyone has a different method.

2. Other sides! We always have kimchi, nori, and sesame oil and seeds on hand. We always add a vegetable, too; this dinner included cabbage sauteed in oil, with soy sauce and rice vinegar. But you can also add avocado, fried egg, sauteed mushrooms, pickled veggies, raw radish, cilantro, green onion, etc.!

3. Plate beautifully, but eat messily. My preferred method is to just mix it all up together.

Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette

recipe suggestion from Pink Barn Farm, Sebastopol

(Pink Barn is a CSA accepting new members for the summer season starting in May; click here to sign up.)

We love the spicy and bold flavor that this veggie brings to the kitchen. We add the whole bunch to a big pot of marinara sauce for that extra fancy italian flavor. The flowers, florets, stems, and leaves are all edible and can be easily combined. This veggie holds up well in sauces and soups, and can also be steamed, blanched, or sauteed. Don't be intimidated by this spring delight! Also known as Cime di rapa, try this classic Italian orecchiette recipe from Great Italian Chefs.

Ultimate Comfort Potatoes

by Michele Anna Jordan,
of micheleannajordan.com

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer, easily doubled

These potatoes have a great back story, told to me by a kind woman at the Onandagan Salt Museum in Onandaga County, New York. Back when salt was produced there using what is called the grainer method, which involves boiling cauldrons of salt water until the salt forms crystals, the day’s teenage “hoodlums” crawled over the factory’s fence, tossed potatoes into a cauldron, and then hung out, waiting until they were tender, and delicious. Such a charming version of teenage rebellion, don’t you think? I’ve added butter and pepper and served these countless times, including at so many memorials that they’ve come to be called Funeral Potatoes. Even people in deep grief find them hard to resist. The recipe is in The Good Cook’s Book of Salt & Pepper, which you can read about here.

2 cups kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal brand
2 pounds very small new potatoes
6 tablespoons local salted butter
Black pepper in a mill, optional

Fill a large pot with 2 quarts water, add the salt and stir to dissolve it. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a bamboo skewer or fork, about 25 minutes or a bit longer, depending on the size of the potatoes. They should be very tender.

Drain thoroughly but do not rinse.

Put the potatoes in a serving bowl, add the butter and toss gently until the butter is melted. Season generously with black pepper, if you like it, and serve hot.

Nettle Pesto

Recipe from Green String Farm, Petaluma

(Green String's farmstand is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; click here to learn more.)

1 cup of Green String nettles
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons of Pine nuts or almonds
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Olive oil, for drizzling

First make sure to boil water and use tongs to place nettles in boiling water for about 60 seconds. (This will rid the nettles of any stinging properties.) Strain, dry, and finely chop nettles before adding them to a food processor.

Once nettles are added, add in pine nuts (or whichever nut you choose), parmesan, and finely chopped garlic, and begin to pulse your food processor. Slowly add in olive oil and salt. Depending on your consistency preference olive oil amounts will change! Enjoy on bread, pasta, or simply as dip!

Fava Leaf Pesto

Recipe from Flatbed Farm, Glen Ellen

(Flatbed Farm is open Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm; you can buy fresh produce, pantry items, eggs, and plants starts as well as produce boxes with more recipes. Local home delivery available. Click here for more info & to sign up for their newsletter.)

1 bag fava beans (1/2 lb)
1 stalk green garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup walnuts (toasting optional)
1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

In a blender or food processor, add fava leaves, removing the thickest part o the stalks, the bulb of green garlic plus 2 inches of the stalk, walnuts, and lemon juice. Blitz to form a paste. With motor running, slowly add olive oil until you get the consistency you like. Stir in parmesan and salt to taste. Add your favorite garnish with some chopped toasted walnuts and enjoy!

Preserved Lemon Caesar Salad

Recipe from Lala's Jam Bar & Urban Farmstand, Petaluma

(This recipe uses Lala's preserved lemons, honey, and olive oil, which you can buy from the shop, or order online for local and national delivery.)

2 cups loosely packed baby kale
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Flesh of 1 preserved lemon rinsed under cold water (save lemon rind)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp honey
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp anchovy (optional)
Croutons (optional)

Dressing: Combine vinegar, preserved lemon flesh, garlic, honey, pepper, and anchovy in a blender.

Blend until well combined. With blender motor running on low speed, slowly add olive oil. Stop motor and add egg yolk. Blend for a few seconds.

Pour over half over kale and toss well. Taste, add more dressing if desired. I like the rest on cold pasta or use it as a marinade on fish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and grated lemon rind on top. Add croutons and toss again.

10 Ways With Fig & Port Vinaigrette

FROM SONDRA BERNSTEIN, THE GIRL & THE FIG, SONOMA

(The girl & the fig is offering curbside pickup, plus is selling pantry items and wines from their online store.)

Our Fig & Port Vinaigrette, which is part of our figFOOD line, makes a delicious addition to many things. It's rich, tangy, and peppery with a touch of sweetness. Today on the blog we're going to share 10 Chef-recommended ways to enjoy our Fig & Port Vinaigrette!

1. Toss into your favorite salads! We created our Fig & Port Vinaigrette for our beloved Fig & Arugula Salad. Click here for the recipe!
2. Drizzle on top of your favorite fresh summer fruit.
3. Mix into sauces or marinades.
4. Spread a splash onto your sandwich roll.
5. Use as a dip with your favorite steamed veggies.
6. Marinate your steak - the acidity of the vinaigrette will enhance the steak's flavor.
7. Dress your favorite pasta salad recipe.
8. Cook with brown sugar over medium heat in a saucepan to create a delicious glaze.
9. Drizzle over a slice of pizza or flatbread.
10. Stir into your favorite barbecue sauce recipe for a deliciously sweet twist.

Smoked Honey Vinaigrette

recipe from handline, Sebastopol

Handline is temporarily closed but you can buy gift cards online by clicking here. Purchase honey from Beekind on-site on online; click here for more info. For more recipes from Handline and Fernbar, click here.)

Makes approximately 1 cup

2 tbsp smoked honey*
2 lemons, juiced and strained
1 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½–¾ cup olive oil
Salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and salt in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together to combine. While whisking, slowly add olive oil to the mixture (pro tip: roll up a kitchen towel and twist it into a circle under your mixing bowl to stabilize it so you can pour oil with one hand and whisk with the other). Adjust the seasoning with salt or more lemon to your taste.

*A note on smoking honey: For the home cook there are a couple options. If you have a powerful hood above your range you can use a stovetop smoker, but you may prefer to do this outside with a kettle or gas grill. I buy applewood chips at my local hardware store and soak a couple handfuls in water for at least half an hour. Strain the chips and set aside. Pour honey into a wide and shallow container. You want to expose as much of the surface of the honey to the smoke, but be sure it’s a vessel that you will be able to handle easily while its hot (honey will hold its heat for a while, so be careful!). For a kettle grill, I like to get a few pieces of charcoal red hot in my smoking tray and I drop my chips on top. In a gas grill, a smoking tray set on top one of the burners works great. Place your honey onto the grates and be sure the vessel is stable. Close the lid and smoke the honey for at least an hour.