Recipe of the Week #1

After two years of subscribing to a Community Supported Agriculture farm and growing our own food, Sarah and I have created many recipes using the fruits and vegetables we accumulate throughout the year. Last week we received the first of our summer shares and I thought it would be helpful to share these recipes in weekly installments. The recipes in these post will be vegetarian and of our creation. Since I tend to change the quantities of ingredients in cookbooks to meet our preferences, I will list the the items then add the amount we use in parentheses in the instructions.

Recipe #1: Spring Empanadas

I fell in love with empanadas while traveling in South America. These savory pies were reminiscent of the Cornish pasties I grew up eating in Montana, but were filled with a greater variety of ingredients. For this recipe, we chose rich, earthy ingredients that are available in the spring.

Ingredients:
Pizza Crust (we use New Seasons's pre-made variety - one package makes three large empanadas)
Shredded Jarlsberg cheese
Chopped kale, chard, spinach, or other greens
Chickpeas, squished with a potato masher
Diced shallots
Sliced shitake mushrooms
olive oil
thyme

Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. In a non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat (I used 1 tablespoon). Add sliced mushrooms (2 cups) and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add shallots (1 large bulb) and kale (3 large leaves) and cook another 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas (1 can) and cook mixture until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with desired amounts of thyme, salt, and pepper and set mixture aside.
Divide dough into equal portions that are large enough to form into 6-inch circles. Dust with flour to prevent sticking to cutting board. Place enough filling mixture to cover one half of the circle with an inch-tall mound, leaving 1/2 inch of the edge exposed. Add desired amount of cheese and apply a small amount of water to the edge of the dough for sealing. Fold over dough and press the edges together with the bottom of a fork to make half-moon shapes. Pierce the top several times with a fork and place into oven. Decrease heat to 375 degrees and cook 20 minutes or until golden brown.