Today Is 'National Eat Your Veggies Day': 5 Recipes To Help You Do That!

Today --  June 17 -- is National Eat Your Vegetables Day, according to Agrilicious, an organization looking to expand the family-and-farmer connection.  

“National Eat Your Vegetables Day 2014 is a perfect opportunity for all of us to reconnect with all that is good about dirt candy, AKA veggies!” said Duane Dahl, Agrilicious co-founder. “The one day out of the year we celebrate the fact that Mother did know best. The one day where we must eat our vegetables!”

To read more about Agrilicious, follow this link.

Meanwhile, we collected some delicious vegetable recipes from our Bay Area Farmers' Markets.

 
Fatoush Salad with Fresh corn off the cob

1 head of red leaf or any market lettuce, washed and torn
2 medium sized cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 ears of fresh corn, shave kerns off the cob
1 basket of cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 small red onion, sliced into small half moons
½ bunch of fresh mint, chopped fine
½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped fine
½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup of pita chips, 
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives chopped.

Toss all together in a large salad bowl with Lemon – Cumin Vinaigrette.

Lemon – Cumin Vinaigrette ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice 
2 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar 
¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil 
2 tablespoons of freshly toasted and ground cumin seed 
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh garlic 

Whisk all together in a bowl and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. 
Serves 4

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Fresh Kale Appetizer
1 bunch small leaf kale -wash, pat dry
Use whole leaf and cut stem to about 1 inch for holding with fingers
Place leaves in a large bowl
Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil
Toss with kosher or sea salt and pepper to taste
Serve on a platter

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Kale Chips
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
1 bunch kale - wash, pat dry, tear or slice into 2 inch pieces
Remove or cut the middle rib
Place leaves in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil to coat
Toss with kosher or sea salt
Place leaves on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes but toss to turn chips midway until leaves are crisp

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2 lbs Asparagus – snap off stalk ends
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Reggiano parmesana cheese- select a piece large enough to shave with a vegetable peeler
Kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

Toss asparagus in a bowl with olive oil and salt to coat.
Grill on low heat on a gas grill or on the low temperature end of a charcoal grill.
Grill until the outside skin begins to blister and turn bright green.
Remove from heat and place on a platter. 
Shave cheese on top and sprinkle with balsamic and add a more salt to taste.

Serves 4.

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Ingredients: 1 lb assorted peppers olive oil or grapeseed oil, as needed
(bell, gypsy, Italian sweet, pasilla) 4 cracked olives
1/2 small onion a pinch of thyme
6 cloves fresh garlic salt & pepper, to taste
2 medium heirloom tomatoes juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime yogurt cheese (see below)
tortilla chips, to serve

To make matbucha:
Toss peppers with oil to coat. Grill, turning often, until the skin has blackened. Place in a paper bag and let cool. Heat oil in a pan, slice onion thinly and add at low temperature, saute for 7-8 mins, or until soft. Crush garlic with the side of a chef's knife, add to onions and cook for 5 mins. Peel & seed peppers, cut into strips. Add additional oil to pan, increase heat and add peppers, cook for 3 mins. Mince olive meat, add to pan. Coarsely chop tomatoes, reserving their juice, and add, stirring gently. Season, and cook until the moisture level has reduced, add lemon & tomato juices. Remove from heat.
Adjust seasoning, serve with tortilla crisps & yogurt cheese. 

Yogurt cheese: 
2 cups natural yogurt(no pectin or starch, live cultures)
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
6 leaves fresh mint
1/4 tsp salt

To make yogurt cheese: 
Finely cut fresh mint, gently blend all ingredients together. strain through cheesecloth or a yogurt strainer until correct thickness. Drizzle with olive oil to preserve.

©2009 Chef Daniel Clayton shared with the Contra Costa Certified Farmers' Market.