Cucumber, Tomato, Chick Pea Salad

We got a butternut squash in our CSA box this week. I was shocked. Especially since sweat was beginning to puddle in my shoes. Guess that means summer is close to an end.

This simple recipe includes so many of my favorite summer flavors, so I'm putting it in the weekly rotation until all the ingredients play out. It won't be long before they'll all be a distant memory.

Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, peeled if you like, and cut into quarters
sea salt
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small Vidalia onion, chopped
Sprinkle of Wildtree Dill Dip Blend*
Drizzle of Natural Grapeseed Oil*
1 15oz. can of Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
Salad greens

* Email here for details and/or to order.

Directions

1. Slice cucumber and place in a colander. Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit in sink while preparing remaining salad.
2. Combine remaining ingredients up to and including beans in a medium size bowl. Toss to coat. 
3. Shake cucumbers in colander and lightly press out water. Add to bowl. Toss to coat.
4. Let sit in refrigerator for an hour or more to bring out flavors or serve over salad greens immediately.
5. Enjoy!

Curry Ginger Chick Peas & Mushrooms with Tumeric Rice

I'm experimenting with a new Wildtree product in my kitchen. It's the Curried Garlic Blend, and it's pretty fantastic. I've added it in place of curry to a couple of different things, but this recipe, I have to admit, is pretty outstanding.
It helps to have fresh produce from the market to add to the experiment, too. So here's what I made up:

Ingredients
2 cups water
2 generous teaspoons ground tumeric
1 generous teaspoon sea salt
1 cup brown rice
a little high heat cooking oil (I used Grapeseed oil)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 teaspoons Wildtree Curried Garlic Blend or curry powder
a couple of hand fulls of colored peppers (I used red and yellow)
shiitake (or other) mushrooms
1 can chick peas, drained
some chopped up cooking greens (collards, kale, chard, etc.)
2 generous teaspoons freshly grated ginger
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place water in pot with tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. Add salt and tumeric. Add rice, stir it around, return to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
2. Place oil in skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. FYI: I like to let the onion and garlic cook while chopping the remaining veggies. It makes the onions sweet.
3. When onions are really soft, add the curry seasoning and mix well.
4. Add peppers and mix to coat. Let cook 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add mushrooms, mix, let cook 5 minutes or so to soften.
6. Add chick peas and greens. Cover and let chick peas warm and greens get greener about 4 minutes.
7. Check rice (timer should have gone off by now!). Does it need more cooking time or a little water added?
8. Add grated ginger and mix one last time.
9. Serve chick peas over rice.
10. Enjoy!