Categories
Food by Letter Uncategorized

Food by Letter – Z is for Ziti

Spice up your pasta Rotini with some Ziti! Ziti is a popular tube-shaped pasta, originally named for the word zita, which means bride. Traditionally, ziti is the classic pasta served at weddings as the zita aka bride’s pasta.

 

In Campania and other southern regions of Italy, these tasty tubes of pasta are traditionally broken by hand, right before cooking. We can’t help but ask...if other smaller forms of pasta are available, why do Italians bother to break it up? Like many traditions, it’s all about history and family.

Ziti is actually an ancient style of pasta, born in the days when there were not so many sizes to choose from and no cooking pots to fit long pasta in! In addition to weddings, ziti was and are also served when celebrating a holiday or family occasion. In the past, it was customary for the women of the family to gather together and perform the ritual of  ‘breaking’ the pasta. This tradition still happens today!

FBL Recipes

 

 

 

Ahhh, the cooking pasta-bilities! Ziti goes well with fresh, light sauces like olive oil or a simple fresh tomato sauce. It’s also a great add-on to baked casserole dishes. Popular casserole dishes that contain ziti are called pasta al forno, or oven-baked pasta. Try your hand at a yummy pasta al forno dish below that’s perfect for the season.

Root Vegetables Pasta Gratin adapted from Share the Pasta

Root veggies are all over this time of year, time to enjoy them! Prepare this dish in advance and bake day-of or prep and cook in one day. Our Root Vegetable Pasta Gratin recipe pairs pasta with warm winter flavors and vegetables for a dish that is as comforting as it is healthy (trust us, it’s pasta-tively amazing).

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 lbs mixed autumn veggies, diced (think butternut squash, parsnips, carrots, rutabaga)
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 4 oz ziti
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds, optional
  • 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped 
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 2 cups skim milk
  • Several grates of nutmeg
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped 

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place the vegetables on a sheet pan and toss with vegetable oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast until softened but still firm and starting to brown, about 25 minutes.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to package directions to al dente. Drain and reserve.
  3. While the vegetables and pasta are cooking, heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter, garlic, and mustard seeds, if using, and cook until the garlic is aromatic, 30 seconds. Whisking constantly, stir in the flour taking care the flour doesn’t brown. Continue to cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. It will thicken as it gets hot. Whisk constantly, any lumps will smooth out. Cook for 5 – 7 minutes, mixture will bubble and thicken and when it no longer changes in consistency, it’s done. 
  4. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, Dijon and Parmigiano. Fold in the vegetables and pasta. 
  5. Spread into a 9” x 13” pan. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. (This can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated or frozen.) Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Garnish with parsley.
Categories
Food by Letter Uncategorized

Food by Letter – Y is for Yam

Yam

What did the Sweet Potato say when it gained consciousness?

I think therefore I Yam.

Let’s cover the basics of this yam-azing starch. Yams are root vegetables, they are similar to sweet potatoes and related to lilies and grasses. There are about 600 species of yams found around the world, and most of them are native to the tropics. People started to cultivate yams (instead of digging up wild ones) as long as 10,000 years ago in both Africa and Asia. Today, the annual world production of yams is over 30 million tons, 95% of the world's yam crop is harvested in West Africa.

In the tropics, yams can grow to huge sizes, and in the Pacific Islands yams are referred to as 2 man, 4 man, or 6 man yams, depending on how many men it takes to lift them. Some have been recorded up to 600 pounds and 6 feet in length!

No matter how big they are, these tubers are highly nutritious. Chock full of fibers, minerals, and vitamins, yams are a healthy addition to any diet. Keep reading for a few of the top health highlights:

  • Yams may improve your brain function. They are rich in diosgenin, a special compound known for improving neuron growth and overall brain health. Diosgenin has contributed to enhanced memory and learning skills in scientific studies.
  • Yams play a major role in controlling your cholesterol levels. In a recent study, women who consumed 18 ounces of yams a day over 30 days saw a decrease in their cholesterol levels.
  • Yams are rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants and able to combat a number of long-term health conditions connected to chronic inflammation like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

FBL Recipes

 

 

 

Yams are an extremely adaptable ingredient and can be cooked in many different ways. To showcase this root veggie’s versatility we have a sweet recipe and a savory recipe for you to enjoy.

Savory: Baked Yam Fries with Spicy Hummus from Sincerely Tori. These are made with yams and baked to crispy perfection! The spicy hummus dipping sauce complements the sweetness of the potatoes. The perfect sweet, spicy, salty snack.

Ingredients

  • 4 yams (large, or sweet potatoes, washed)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups garbanzo beans (cooked, rinsed)
  • 1 tbsp Tahini
  • 2 cloves garlic (peeled)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

To Make the Fries:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking tray with foil.
  2. Chop potatoes into matchsticks and toss with olive oil and seasoning in a large bowl, spread out in an even layer on a tray, and bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and toss a little bit, then return to the oven and bake for 15 to 25 more minutes until crispy. Remove from the oven and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

To Make the Spicy Hummus:

  1. Combine all the ingredients for hummus in a small food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.

Sweet: Healthy Candied Yams from My Whole Food Life, try out this delicious healthy alternative to the holiday standard.

Ingredients

  • 1 yam (cubed)
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400. 
  2. Slice the yam into 1-inch cubes. 
  3. Throw them in a pot of boiling water for about 5-7 minutes until they are slightly underdone.
  4. Transfer the yams to a greased baking pan. (For this recipe I used an 8x8 glass dish.) 
  5. In a measuring cup, mix the orange juice, 1T maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 
  6. Pour the mixture over the yams. 
  7. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. 
  8. For the last 2 minutes of cooking, pull the dish out and brush with the last tablespoon of maple syrup.  
  9. Enjoy!
Categories
Uncategorized

Food for February. You donate. We match.

Today marks the start of our annual fundraiser, Food for February, that will run in-store and online the entire month of December. Donations will go to Bend’s Family Kitchen, Sisters Kiwanis & Sisters Family Kitchen, and Meals on Wheels of Central Oregon, enabling their food budgets to go further by buying food at wholesale cost, to feed our hungry neighbors.

February is one of the hardest hitting months for hungry families in Central Oregon. Money is tight after the holidays, donations dwindle, and food pantries are depleted. That’s why Food for February was created in 2011.

Since then, the program has raised over $345,000 for hungry families in Central Oregon, including $159,000 in matching funds from Newport Avenue Market and Oliver Lemon’s. This can’t happen without shopper generosity, and for that we thank you!

Come in to any of our stores December 1-31 and let your cashier know how much you’d like to donate. Or include it with your order at Newport Ave. Market’s online store . We’ll match your donation dollar-for-dollar up to $30,000. Talk about making your money count! You can write your name on a plate, and we’ll proudly display it within our stores.

Please donate when you shop with us this December. Everyone deserves a meal, thanks for helping make that happen during this holiday and throughout 2022.

Merry Christmas and here’s to a less hungry New Year,

Lauren G. D. Redman, Leader of the Pack (vrrrooom!)
and all of our Newport Avenue Market and Oliver Lemon’s Families