JAG (Cape Verdean Rice and Beans)

By Nuala 

We ate this almost every night growing up. My nana says my mom cooks rice “like a cape verdean woman!” haha. I hope I do too. Can you?

In a medium-large pot sauté onions in a few tbs of oil

Add some minced (finely chopped) garlic

Add chunky sliced tomatoes

Add a chicken bullon cube, and a few shakes of parika

Add 1 can of beans (I like red beans or lima/butter beans but add whatever)

Add 3 cups of water

Add 1 ½ cups cup of rice ( a little over that… like 1 ¾) parboiled Golden Canilla Rice (enriched long grain)

Once it boils, turn the heat down low and cover the pot

It’s finished when the water is evaporated (usually takes about 15-20 min)

ROOT VEGETABLE TART

By Sulaiha Schwartz

Pastry Ingredients:
• 1-1/4 cups of flour
• 1 stick of butter
• Pinch of salt
• 3-5 tablespoons of ice cold water

Instructions:
o Chop butter into 16 pieces
o In a mixing bowl rub together butter, flour and salt until you have small pea-sized pieces
o In the center of the mixture, create an indentation, or “well”.
o Put a tablespoon of cold water in the middle and push the flour mixture into the center with your fingers.
o Repeat this until the mixture starts to stick together. It usually takes an average of 4 tablespoons of water. The dough should not be too sticky, but just wet enough that it comes together and you can form it into a disc shape.
o Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 onions (or 12 mini pearl onions)
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 2-3 large carrots
• 2 medium turnips
• 2 medium-large sweet potatoes
• 2 -1/2 cups of vegetable broth (or other broth/stock of your choice)
• 2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
o Peel garlic and keep cloves whole.
o Peel and chop* all of the vegetables into 1-1/2 inch cubes.
*If you are using pearl onions, keep whole.
o Put all of the ingredients in a pot and add broth.
o Cover pot and bring to a boil.
o After 10 minutes reduce to a simmer and cook until all of the vegetables are tender (but not mushy! they will cook more in the oven)
o Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
o Add salt and pepper to taste.

*Make sure to check on the veggies as they are cooking. You don’t want them to have too much liquid at the end, but you may have to add more broth if it all cooks off before the veggies are tender.

o Fill a glass, baking dish with the mixture leaving an inch of room at the top.

o Roll out the dough into a thin rectangle to cover the top of the baking dish. It should be slightly bigger than the dish so that you can push the sides down into it.

o With a knife, cut several slits in the top of the pastry to create vents for the heat to escape while it is in the oven.

o Brush with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown.

o Remove from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

I really like to serve it with a spoonful of sour cream, or some crumbled goat cheese on top to offset the sweetness of the veggies. Also, a simple arugula salad with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper compliments it well. You can try mixing up the recipe, too—add/substitute different root vegetables, like potatoes, parsnips, or beets! BEETS– you can’t beat em!