As we come into the warmer Spring months, we’re excited to share some great Spring recipes with some of the vegetables included in your Seasonal FarmBOX. We hope you enjoy the variety of vibrant salads, tarts and snacks!
The purpose of these recipes is to give you some inspiration for the week ahead. We’ve suggested meal ideas based on our produce selection and they can all be enjoyed on their own, or with any protein that suits your appetite.
Enjoy!
Roast Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Casserole
This easy to make Middle Eastern casserole is perfect for those cooler days. Serve with Lebanese bread to make the dish extra special!
- ½ cauliflower, cut into florets
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- 900g sweet potato, peeled, cut into 3cm pieces
- 3 tomatoes, quartered
- 1 large red onion, halved, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 long fresh red chilli, finely chopped
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice
- 250ml (1 cup) vegetable stock
- 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
- 1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 Lebanese bread
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Yoghurt dressing
- 130g (1/2 cup) Greek yoghurt
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
Preheat oven to 210C/190C fan forced. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place cauliflower on 1 tray. Drizzle with 1 1/2 tbs oil. Season. Place sweet potato on remaining tray. Drizzle with 1 tbs oil. Season, then roast both trays for 30 minutes or until golden.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place tomato, cut side down, on prepared tray. Drizzle with 2 tsp oil. Season, then roast for 15 minutes or until skins soften. Remove and discard skin. Coarsely chop.
Heat 1 tbs oil in a shallow casserole dish over medium-low heat. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in garlic and chilli for 2 minutes. Add cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander and allspice. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Stir in tomato and stock. Simmer for 1 minute. Add cauliflower and sweet potato. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 15-17 minutes or until vegies are tender. Stir in chickpeas. Simmer, uncovered, for 6 minutes until warmed through. Remove from heat. Stir through half the coriander.
Reduce oven to 200C/180C fan forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll up Lebanese bread. Thinly slice into rounds. Place bread and pine nuts on prepared tray. Drizzle with remaining oil. Season. Roast for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp.
For the yoghurt dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Season. Sprinkle casserole with the remaining coriander. Sprinkle the bread with pine nuts. Serve casserole with the bread, yoghurt dressing and lemon wedges.
Mushroom Spring Onion Curry
A curry with easy-to-chop, quick-to-cook veggies – mushrooms, spring onions and tomatoes – and a dash of Italian spices, for a weekday dinner.
- 200g Button mushrooms
- 1 Bunch spring onions
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 Onion
- 1 tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- Tsp Olive oil
Clean and chop spring onions and mushrooms.
Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the whites of spring onions till translucent.
Add mushrooms, spring onions and tomatoes.
Sprinkle the spices – oregano, red chili powder and salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Mushrooms and tomatoes cook in their own juices – a reason why this curry can be made effortlessly with very little oil.
Cook until the sauce has thickened; this will take about 7-8 minutes.
Asparagus and Zucchini Frittata
This versatile frittata with crisp spring vegetables can be eaten warm, or at room temperature! Serve it for brunch or have it as a quick lunch.
- 2 zucchinis (medium halved lengthwise and sliced)
- 1 bunch asparagus (trimmed, stems sliced on the diagonal and tips left whole)
- 8 Gippsland Free Range Eggs
- Salt to taste
- Pepper
- ¾ cup fresh ricotta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat the oven to 160°c. In a medium saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the zucchini and asparagus for 1 minute, then drain well and pat dry.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the vegetables. In a bowl, season the ricotta with salt and pepper.
In an ovenproof non-stick pan, heat the oil. Add the egg-vegetable mixture and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until starting to set at the edge, 3 minutes. Dot the ricotta on top.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the frittata is just set. Let cool slightly, transfer to a platter, cut into wedges and serve.
Broccoli and Mushroom Stir fry
This quick dish can be served over rice or noodles for a quick weekday meal, or on it’s own as a side dish!
- 1 Cup Broccoli
- 1 Cup Button Mushrooms
- 1 tbsp Garlic(finely chopped/minced)
Sauces
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup optional
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Chilli Sauce
Spices
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar/Agave Nectar or any other sweetener
- 2 tbsp Oil(Sesame preferably)
- Salt to taste
Wash both broccoli and mushrooms, get rid of all the dirt from mushrooms.
Cut broccoli into small florets and cut mushroom into half or as preferred. You can cut the stems if you want.
Mix all the sauces together.
In a wok or in a non-stick pan, add oil and when the oil is hot enough, add garlic and saute for a minute, add mushrooms and broccoli and stir-fry on high. Keep stirring the veggies so that it doesn't burn.
Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, keep the texture as you like.
Add sauces and mix well. Fry again for a minute and serve as you like it.
Roasted Beetroot, Carrot and Kale Salad
This kale salad with roasted beets and carrots is not only pretty to look at, but also bursting with flavour and nutrients!
- 2 medium beets trimmed, peeled, quartered and sliced
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 medium shallots peeled and quartered lengthwise
- 1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 8 cups chopped kale stems removed and cut into smaller pieces
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. In a large bowl, combine beets, carrots, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper. Add carrots and beets to a baking sheet and roast in oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and toss the shallots and pumpkin seeds with the beets and carrots on the baking sheet. Roast for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.
Meanwhile, place the chopped kale in the same bowl where the beets and carrots were. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and massage into kale leaves with your hands until the leaves are bright green and tender, about 2-5 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, maple syrup and Dijon mustard until combined.
Remove vegetables from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Add vegetable mixture to the bowl with the kale and toss with the dressing until well combined. Add the dried cranberries. Allow salad to sit for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to combine. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Crispy Hash Browns
This is a super easy recipe that is great for weekend breakfasts!
- 450g Potatoes, peeled if desired
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Scrub the potatoes clean and grate them on a large-holed cheese grater. In a fine-mesh sieve, rinse the grated potato well until the water runs clear.
Drain the potatoes, and then place them on a clean tea towel or several paper towels. Twist the towel to remove as much moisture from the potatoes as possible (you might need to do this in two batches).
Transfer the grated potato to a bowl and toss it with the salt, garlic powder and onion powder.
In a large pan warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering and a piece of grated potato sizzles on contact. Spread the potatoes over the skillet in an even layer and press them down with a spatula. Let them cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes.
Stir again, press them down again, and cook for another 2 minutes. Repeat in 2-minute intervals, flipping in sections once they’re crispy enough to do so, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy, about 4 to 8 more minutes. Meanwhile, line a plate with a couple of layers of paper towels to absorb excess oil, and set it near the stove.
Transfer the hash browns to the lined plate and let them drain for a minute.
Season to taste with additional salt, if necessary, and serve hot.
Truss Tomato and Zucchini Tart
This colourful tomato and zucchini tart is sure to be the centre of the conversation and is perfect for taking to an event.
- 4 x whole truss tomatoes
- 500g zucchini
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup feta
- handful fresh basil leaves, to serve
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 – 2 sheets shortcrust pastry
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Place the minced garlic, finely chopped basil, and olive oil in a food processer and blend into a flavoured oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the zucchinis into slices and truss tomatoes into slices. Place on a layer of paper towels to soak up any excess moisture and set aside.
Press pastry into a large tart tin and brush lightly with basil-garlic oil. Sprinkle on all of the parmesan cheese.
Starting on the outside edge, layer the zucchini and tomato slices alternately in a circular pattern - Be sure to tightly layer them against each other as they will shrink once baked. Try to leave the bigger slices for the outside and small slices for the inner circles. Continue until the entire tart shell is filled.
Brush vegetables generously with basil-garlic oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 200°C for 30-45 minutes, or until the tomatoes and zucchini are soft and lightly caramelised.
Sprinkle with crumbled feta and fresh basil, and serve warm or at room temperature.
If you would like to check out the latest produce selection, click here to visit the Seasonal FarmBOX product page and be sure to secure your Thursday delivery if you haven't already.