Cooking with Culver Farmer’s Market Ingredients
Cooking with Culver Farmer’s Market Ingredients
By Noemi Adame, MD, FAAP
I consider myself a home cook. I am not a chef. I am not a recipe writer. I wing it in the kitchen most of the time. Recipes are general guidelines. Like most Mexican-American Gen X’rs, I obtained my cooking knowledge from a combination of learning at my mother and Abuela’s sides in the kitchen as well as watching The Food Network back when cable was a thing.
I also come from a huge extended family that still eats at the table when all 20+ of us are together. Those meal times are fun. We’ve had fist fights, crying meltdowns (not from the children!), and big secret reveals that would put The Real Housewives to shame. But in the end, the tradition of eating together like this has taught me to make meals that feed a lot of people for cheap, are easy to self-serve/clean up, and accommodate different dietary restrictions. We once had a Thanksgiving that included four vegans and three manly men on Keto. It was like the Hunger Games meets Chopped!
My cooking background also means I have a diverse culinary arsenal. I can eat refried beans and rice three times a day, or I can make a killer vegan butternut squash gnocchi with raw cashew-based spinach alfredo sauce that is a holiday staple for us. Below is one of my “wing-it” recipes. I usually use basil and kale from our summer garden to make pesto, but I changed up the recipe based on what I got from Culver Farmer’s Market this weekend.
At a time where most families are staying home and cooking, I hope you find this recipe easy to make. Microgreens and other green and leafy veggies are packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, which are important nutrients to consume for their immune-boosting properties.
Spinach and Microgreens Pesto
Ingredients
2 clamshells mixed microgreens, washed (Hole in the Woods Farm)
2 bunches wild scallions, washed, tops chopped off (Hole in the Woods Farm)
4 oz fresh spinach, washed (Flower Hill Farm)
8 cloves garlic, peeled with the centers removed
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (I buy it at Harvest Moon)
2/3 cup roasted peanuts, pine nuts, pecan halves, roasted almonds, roasted cashews, macadamias, or any other nut you like (omit if allergic)
¼ cup EVOO (add a little more if needed to reach desired consistency)
Juice of 1 or 2 limes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix all ingredients in a food processor until it is the consistency you like. Makes ~ 2 ½ cups.
How To Serve
Topping to avocado toast using Hole in the Woods Farm’s baguette.
Toss with cooked pasta and roasted broccoli for a nutritious and delicious pasta dish. Kid- and meat-eater approved!
Use it as a dip with rice crackers and raw veggies.
Use it instead of marinara or tomato sauce on homemade pizza.
Make a pesto, tomato, English cucumber sandwich. Trust me when I say you will not miss the ham, mayo, or cheese.
Mix it with fresh cherry tomatoes, avocado, and balsamic vinegar for a delicious and nutritious avocado “caprese” salad.
Dr. Adame is a board-certified pediatrician and plant-based home cook. She will open up a Culver-based, concierge-style practice later this year. Stay tuned for more information.
