Taste of Salem: Swiss Chard Lasagna, Camembert and Strawberry-Rhubarb Tartlets and Maple Yogurt Shooters

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Salem Farmers Market participated in this year's Taste of Salem. We needed to make tasting-sized portions to serve hundreds. We selected three recipes to showcase several products from the Market, including dairy and eggs from Brookford Farm, Swiss chard from Arrowhead farm, Boggy Meadow's Rosemary Jack Cheese, sweet Italian sausage from Hurd Farm, Debbie D's Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam and Karley's Just Bee-Cause Honey.

Swiss Chard Lasagna

We were asked to make gluten-free options. We used gluten-free pasta and gluten-free bechamel sauce. The homemade ricotta from raw buttermilk, milk and cream was amazing. I imagined just spreading it on toast. The only special equipment you need is cheesecloth, which you can buy at the grocery store, Christmas Tree Shop, etc.

If you plan to use homemade ricotta (it's soooo easy), save the whey for the béchamel sauce. Then make the filling. Save the pasta for last for the freshest pasta possible. Replace with regular pasta or flour.

If you’re not making homemade pasta, substitute with about 1 lb lasagna sheets and parboil to soften. Fresh pasta does not require pre-cooking.

What you need:

• 2 tbs+ extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb Italian sweet sausage, casings removed, meat crumbled into small pieces (Hurd Farm)
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips (Arrowhead Farm)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 tbs unsalted butter
• 1/3 c all-purpose {gluten-free} flour
• 2 c leftover whey from homemade ricotta (or milk)
• Fresh gluten-free pasta lasagna sheets (sub with parboiled lasagna noodles)
• 2 c homemade ricotta   made from Brookford Farm's milk, buttermilk and cream)
• 2 eggs (from Brookford Farm)
• 1 c shredded rosemary jack cheese (from Boggy Meadows)
• Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

What you do:

• Heat oven to 375˚.
• In lg sauté pan heat oil.
• Add sausage and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 min.
• Reserve drippings and transfer sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Add onion – and extra evoo if needed – to pan drippings in pan.
• Cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 4 min.
• Add chard, and cook 1 to 2 min.
• Add garlic and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook 1-2 more min.
• Transfer to a colander to drain.
• Make béchamel sauce by melting butter in med saucepan over medium heat.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in flour and cook for about 1 min.
• Whisk in milk, a little at a time, until incorporated.
• Bring to boil, stirring often, then reduce heat to low.
• Simmer, stirring gently and often, until thickened and creamy, about 10 min.
• Remove from heat.
• In lg bowl add ricotta and egg.
• Prepare baking dish.
• In lg bowl, combine ricotta and chard for easier spooning.
• Spoon enough béchamel to cover bottom of pan.
• Top with one third of lasagna noodles.
• Top with one-half of ricotta mixture and sausage.
• Top with enough béchamel to cover.
• Repeat process ending with béchamel.
• Sprinkle with rosemary jack cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake 30 min.
• Remove foil and continue baking about 15 min, until top becomes slightly golden.
• Cool slightly.

Camembert and Strawberry-Rhubarb Tartlets

Brookfard Farm has a wonderful wheatberry-based pastry flour that results in a crumbly-textured crust, reminiscent of shortbread. Using mini-muffin pans and liners, I used a shape cutter to make 36 flat rounds of dough as the base. Adding rosemary to the crust adds a nice, savory flavor.

pastry crust dapted from epicurious.com

What you need:

• 6 and 3 tbs unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 c and 1 1/2 tablespoons Brookford Farm pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 tbs ice water
• 2 tsp chopped rosemary, if desired
• Debbie D's Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
• Brookford Farm's Camembert cheese
• Karley's Just Bee-Cause honey

What you do:

• Place flour and salt in food processor and process until mixed.
• Add 6 tbs butter cubes to the flour and process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Add remaining butter and pulse until mixture resembles the size of peas.
• Add a sm amt of ice water and pulse; continue until mixture holds together, adding sm amts of water as needed.
• Form into two balls.
• Place each in plastic wrap and knead until mixture holds together.
• Wrap and flatten into disc.
• Refrigerate at least 30 min.
• Roll on floured surface to desired thickness.
• Heat oven to 400˚.
• Prepare mini muffin pan.
• Cut with shape cutter or press marble-sized ball of dough into pan.
• Top center with a sm dollop of jam.
• Top with sliver of Camembert cheese.
• Bake for 8 min.
• Cool slighly and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
• Drizzle with honey.

Maple Yogurt Shooters

Coupling Brookford Farm's yogurt, regular or low-fat, with Anderson's Mini-Maples maple syrup is a win-win. This was put together in five minutes. Served from a mason jar dispenser into mini shooter-cups sprinkled with crushed maple-glazed pecans, also from Anderson's Mini-Maples. I turned the leftovers into ice cream.

Individual serving:

What you need:

• 6 oz Brookford Farm yogurt
• 3 tsp Anderson's Mini-Maples maple syrup
• 2-3 crushed Anderson's Mini-Maples maple-glazed pecans

What you do:

• Add first two ingredients into blender or use immersion blender.
• Blend.
• Pour into serving glass and sprinkle with crushed pecans.