Salads are a great way to feel good about what you are eating, Pile on the creamy dressings and the calorie and fat count can go way up. I love Cesar salads and many years ago I started using greek yogurt for a healthier version. Then I tried Sierra Nevada's plain yogurt and it is the best dressing ever now. Grill some chicken and make a meal out of it, Or use the dressing as a marinade for your protein.
TIP - In regards to the garlic, I love love love garlic and always believe more is better, except for this recipe. Stick to one clove otherwise it will take over the other flavors.
Ingredients;

• 1 6oz container Sierra Nevada plain yogurt
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup grated Pedrozo Black Butte Reserve cheese
• 1-2 tsp anchovy paste
• 1 tbs Wild Groves kitchen blend olive oil
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Salt & pepper
  

Instructions;

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together really well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

There was a time that chicken was my go to protein. Then when I became pregnant with Maggie it was in my top 5 items that I could not be around. 8 years later and it is still not in the regular rotation of meals but this lemon chicken is so amazing I could eat it every week. 
Ingredients;

• Bonesless skinless chicken breast
• Lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Flour (we use Llano Seco patin flour)
• 2 tbs Sierra Nevada butter
• Wild Groves kitchen blend olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth

Directions;

• Place the chicken between two pieces of parchment paper and thin chicken with a meat mallet.
• Sprinkle sale and pepper on each side of the chicken. Pour some flour onto a plate and dredge the chicken. Shake off any excess flour.
• Heat half of the butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and brown on each side for 2 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium or medium low. Add the chicken broth and juice the lemon to the skillet.Add the remaining butter. Using a wooden spoon stir the broth and juice picking up any of the brown bits on the skillet for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken back in and allow to cook for about 8 minutes on each side.

If you are looking to amp up your egg salad then this is the recipe for you. If you are are trying to cut down on carbs enjoy this salad in a butter lettuce cup. We cut the mayo with yogurt to be it a little more healthy.
Ingredients;

• 1 leek
• Wild Groves olive oil
• 2 tbsSierra Nevada plain yogurt
• 8-12 hard boiled eggs
• 2 tbs mayonaise
• 1 tbs Wild Groves mustard
• Dash of garlic salt, pepper, sweet paprika

Instructions;

• Slice the root end and the green end off of the leek. Slice the leek. Heat up the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the leek until caramelized.
• Peel and chop the eggs and place in bowl. Mix in the yogurt, mayo, mustard and spices with the eggs. Add in the leeks.
• Spread the egg salad onto bread, scoop into a lettuce cup or enjoy with crackers.

The other day I was thinking I wanted to do a chickpea recipe. Then our wonderful customer Maggie Brown told me she had perfected her chestnut hummus recipe and asked if I would like to share. To me it was meant to be.
Here is the note shared from Maggie 
Ok so this is a fun twist on hummus that’s particularly good for the winter months. You can find roasted chestnuts anywhere from a specialty market to Amazon.
​I am really excited to try this!
Ingredients
10oz roasted chestnuts
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup EVOO
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix on high until smooth.
Serve warm or cold with naan or pita.

Sweet or savory crepes are always delicious. I bought myself an electric crepe maker, then threw it out. I had no luck with it. What I find works the best is a medium sized skillet and patience. If you do not have a non stick skillet I recommend using cooking spray in addition to butter. After the crepes are finished cooking fill them with anything you like. For savory I really enjoy some greens sautéed with garlic and onions and topped with poached eggs. For sweet there is nothing better than strawberries and nutella but sometimes something as simple as lemon and powdered sugar helps that sweet tooth.
Ingredients;

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbs sugar
• 3 tbs melted butter
• 4 farm fresh eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups of milk

Instructions

• In a large bowl sift together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Make a well in the middle of the flour then add in the wet ingredients. Whisk together until smooth and everything is blended together well.
• Over medium heat melt a little bit of butter in a medium skillet. Ladle in the crepe batter until it forms a thin layer over the pan. Allow the batter to cook for a couple minutes. You can watch as the outer layer starts to cook and then it slowly moves inside. When done carefully allow it to slide out of the pan onto a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
• To fill the crepes place your chosen ingredients down the middle of the crepe. Fold one side over the ingredients then roll over. ​

I love beets. It has not always been that way though. Growing up I always thought the only ways to eat beets were pickled from a sale bar. Yes, I knew they were grown but I had no idea how versatile they were. Turns out that my dad hated beets and thats why we never ate them. Happy to say, after making a beet dish my dad now likes them. The main reason I hear from people not liking beets is that they tend to have a "dirt" taste. They are one of the most nutritious vegetables though so I really wanted to find a way to incorporate them into my kids diet. I made the hummus to last as a snack for a few days and it was gone within an hour. Maggie loves the color and word fuchsia, so she gobbled these biscuits down when I told her they were fuchsia biscuits.
A few tips on these recipes, make sure the roasted beets are pureed completely. I find the food processor works the best but a blender or handheld mixer may work as well.

​

Ingredients
*3-4 beets
*1 head of garlic
*Olive oil
*1 cup cooked chickpeas
*Lemon juice
​*Salt
**I do not use tahini in this recipe but you can add 2 tbs tahini if you prefer**
**I also prefer to make my own chickpeas over can bought**
Instructions
*Slice ends off of beets and place on foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil. Slice off the top of the head of garlic, place on foil, drizzle olive oil over the top of garlic and wrap in foil. Place both in oven and roast for 35 minutes at 425 degrees.
*When the beets and garlic are done roasting allow them to cool. When cool slice the skin off of the beets and cut into chunks and peel the garlic. Add the beets, half the garlic, chickpeas, lemon juice and salt into the food processor and puree until smooth. You may need to scrape the sides several times.
*When it is smooth transfer to a bowl and serve with pita chips, carrot sticks or use as a spread on toast or sandwiches.

​
 

Ingredients
*1 large roasted beet pureed
*1 1/2 tbs baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*1 tsp sugar
*1/2 cup butter cold
*1/2 cup cold buttermilk or 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tbs vinegar added

Instructions
*Set oven to 425 degrees
*In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients
*Cut the cold butter into little cubes. With a handheld mixer mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly and the butter is mixed in.
*In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk with the beet puree until completely smooth.
*Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine. Place the mixture onto a lightly floured cutting board and mix together by hand until the color is mixed throughout. Be very careful not to overwork the dough as this will give you flat biscuits.
*Flatten out the dough until it is about 1 1/2" thick and cut out your biscuits with a biscuit cutter or I find a mason jar works perfect.
*Bake for 15-18 minutes.

When we talk about summer produce the first place our mind goes to is tomatoes. It is one of the first items harvested and has a very long season. There are so many different varieties of tomatoes and when they come in they come in a huge abundance. A perfect way to not waste the tomatoes is to make marinara sauce. If you spend a little more time and roast them the flavor really shines. Any extra marinara can be canned or frozen and used throughout the year. In the middle of winter when you are craving a hearty meal like lasagna you can still enjoy marinara with quality ingredients. We use grated carrot instead of sugar. This will balance the marinara out and add a sweetness with the bitterness of the tomatoes. 

Ingredients;

• Tomatoes (we prefer an heirloom)
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Basil
• Olive oil

Instructions;

• Preheat oven to 450 and line a baking sheet with foil.
• Place tomatoes with the bottom facing up and slice an x on each one. Peel garlic and place whole cloves on the sheet as well. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and garlic and roast for 45 minutes.
• Allow the tomatoes to cool. Remove skin. Slicing the x on the bottom will make this much easier.
• Grate a small carrot and chop the basil.
• Add the tomatoes and garlic to a food processor and puree.
• Transfer the pureed tomatoes and garlic to a pot and heat over low. Add the basil and carrot. 
• Let simmer for at least 15 minutes then serve or save for later.

Fritters are wonderful because they are so versatile with the ingredients that can be used. In the summer zucchini and squash can be the main ingredient and in the winter root vegetables provide just as much flavor.I like fritters with a sauce and my go to for easy sauces plain Greek yogurt. Mix sriracha or your favorite herbs with some lemon juice and put a dollop on top of the fritter. We are headed into summer in about a month so this recipe shows spring veggies but they can be replaced with whatever is currently in season. With all of the grating I recommend using a food processor to save a lot of time.
Ingredients;

• 1 medium turnip peeled and grated
• 2 small carrots peeled and grated
• minced red onion or finely dice green onions
• 1 kohlrabi peeled and grated
• minced garlic
• choice of fresh or dry herbs
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup flour
• salt & pepper
• olive oil

Instructions;

• Combine turnips, carrots, kohlrabi and onion. Place on a dishcloth and squeeze out all moisture. This is an important step otherwise the fritters will not cook correctly.
• Mix the vegetables, garlic, flour, herbs, egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. (I always use our cast iron for frying.) Drop a large spoonful of the fritter mixture in the skillet and flatten with a spatula. Cook several fritters together but make sure there is plenty of space between them.Cook for a couple minutes or until they start to turn brown and crispy and do the same for the other side. 
• Transfer to paper towels and add a little salt then serve on their own or with the yogurt sauce.

I do not have a great track record with pork chops. I have to cook them real low and slow or else they come out dry. We recently welcomed Heather's Custom Meats on as a supplier. I like to test out what we put in our boxes so we know that it meets our standard of quality. How much more of a test for quality than to grill a pork chop. With the blueberries in our boxes this week and just seemed like the perfect partnership. This dinner was quick, easy and the pork chop far exceeded our expectations. This is when I remembered that a good dinner has to have quality ingredients. If you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but impress your family then put this into your dinner rotation.

Ingredients;​

• Pork chops
• Olive oil
• Fresh herbs and garlic minced
• Salt & pepper
• 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup blueberries
• 3 tbs raw honey
• lemon juice
• 2 tbs butter

Instructions

• Drizzle olive oil over both sides of pork chops. Rub the herbs,garlic, salt and pepper onto each side.
• Place the pork chops on a grill. If gas set at med heat. Cook each side for 5-6 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest.
• In a saucepan add the blueberries, balsamic vinegar, wine or stock and honey.Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and butter and simmer for several more minutes. 
• Plate the pork chops and pour the sauce over the top. 

My sweet little Maggie has the strangest taste in food for a 6 year old. She refuses to eat pizza with red sauce, has to be garlic sauce. Devours mac and cheese with winter squash in it. Will eat any edible flower because it "tastes good and has to be magical". She will also not touch anything with potatoes, what kind of kid does not like french fries or mashed potatoes?! I do not know why but I have taken this on as a challenge so I am always looking for ways to trick her into eating potatoes. Well, I failed with her taking the bait on this one but everyone loved these eggs in a nest. 
Ingredients;

• 3 potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 tbs grated turmeric
• 1/2 c cheddar cheese
• eggs
• salt & pepper

Instructions;

• Preheat oven to 475
• Grate the potatoes and carrots. Wrap them in a smooth non fuzzy kitchen towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. The less moisture the better they will cook. 
• Place everything potatoes, carrots, turmeric, cheese, salt & pepper in a mixing bowl and combine.
• Coat a regular size muffin tin with cooking spray. Fill each muffin tin with the mixture then push down the middle and up the sides. These will cook down so don't worry about it looking like too much. 
• Bake for 13 minutes and the edges begin to brown.
• Remove from oven and lower the heat to 350. Crack an egg in each of the nests. For medium eggs bake for 13 minutes.
• When it is done use a butter knife on the sides and then slowly remove from the muffin tin and onto a plate.