Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup If you lived in or near Bennington, Vermont in the mid-2000s, you might remember a tiny little breakfast/lunch place on Main Street called Izabella’s Eatery. Known for their small, seasonally based menu, they were only around for about a decade, but their food was beyond delicious! Everything on the menu was locally grown and sourced from within a 100-mile tri-state radius. The ambiance was decidedly cool, the music always good, and they made it a point to use their wall space as a revolving gallery for local artists. They had a wonderful selection of teas and a state-of-the-art espresso machine that made the very best lattes and cappuccinos. They also had a fantastic baker who concocted some of the most delightful pastries around. It was always a delicious experience to visit and we were all sad when they closed. It was one of our favorite places, and we are lucky enough to know one of the previous owners. We asked if she still had her recipes and could help us with a recipe for our recently harvested butternut squash. Imagine our delight when she said, “yes, of course!” She searched her Izabella’s recipe binders and found this amazing Butternut Squash Soup to share with our blog readers! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup with Fontina Basil Croutons 1 large or 2 small butternut squash (3-4 lbs total) 1 tbsp vegetable oil 2 cups chopped leeks (white part only) 1 minced shallot 1 tbsp minced/or microplane-grated fresh ginger 1 tsp salt ¼ tsp black or white pepper 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and chopped into small chunks 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth  1 tsp fresh local honey ¼ tsp nutmeg  1 tsp chopped fresh thyme ¼ cup heavy cream Butternut Squash Roast the Squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a lightly oiled roasting pan or baking dish. Add ¼ cup of water to the pan and roast for about 45 minutes to an hour until the squash is tender when pricked with a fork. Remove from oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Scoop out the seeds and peel the squash. Place the cooked squash in a medium bowl and mash coarsely. Set aside. This can be done the day before preparing the soup. Prepare the Soup: In a 12-quart stock pot, heat oil at medium-high heat until sizzling hot. Add leeks, shallot, ginger, salt and pepper, and sauté until the leeks are soft and begin to turn slightly golden brown. Add the pears and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the mashed squash, broth, thyme, and honey. Bring to a slow, rolling boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Puree in small batches in a blender or Cuisinart, holding the lid firmly in place. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the cream and nutmeg. Serve warm. Pairs delightfully with Fontina & Basil Croutons  Fontina & Basil Croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice a fresh baguette into 8-10 ½” slices and rub each with a little olive oil and a bit of minced garlic. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the baguette slices on the tray. Bake for about 5 minutes, turning the slices midway through until toasty but not browned (you don’t them too crunchy). Grate ½ cup of fontina cheese or buy shredded fontina from the market. Add to a small bowl with 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil and a dash of crushed red pepper. Top each toasted baguette slice with a bit of the cheese and basil mixture and return to the oven. Bake for about 4 minutes until the cheese is melty and slightly bubbly. Remove from oven and top each bowl of soup while the croutons are still warm. 

Thanksgiving Turkey with Fresh Herbs One of the highlights of our family’s holiday dinners is always the big roasted turkey on the table. And our favorite way to prepare it is with fresh herbs grown from our Bentley Seed Holiday Essential Grow Stix Kit! There’s nothing better than a fresh herby do-it-yourself rub to bring out the flavor of a holiday bird! My daughters love helping in the kitchen, so this quick and easy recipe is the perfect way to add a little bit of their love into the meal. What a delicious way to “wow” your family this Holiday Season! Sage From Holiday Essentials Grow Stix Kit Ingredients: 1.) 1 (14-16 lb.) Turkey 2.) ¼ cup Olive Oil + 3 Tbsp reserved 3.) 3 Tsp Salt 4.) 1 Tsp Pepper 5.) 4 Tsp Fresh Thyme 6.) 4 Tsp Fresh Rosemary 7.) 4 Tsp Fresh Sage 8.) 4 Tsp Fresh Parsley 9.) 4 Tsp Minced Garlic 10.) 4 Tsp Minced Onion 11.) 1 Tbsp Dry White Wine 12.) Dash of Worcestershire & dash of Balsamic Vinegar Directions: 1.) Preheat oven to 325°F. 2.) Finely chop fresh herbs and add to a small bowl with salt & pepper. Add ¼ cup olive oil, minced onion and garlic, wine, Worcestershire and balsamic. Stir together until well mixed.   3.) Let mix marinate for several hours (or overnight if possible) for flavors to combine beautifully. 4.) Place turkey in a roasting pan. 5.) Season the turkey’s inner cavity with salt and pepper. 6.) Slip fingers between the skin and meat on the breast and legs to lift the skin and spread the herb mix under the skin from the front to the back of the turkey. You can rub some in the cavity for added flavor if desired. 7.) Using reserved olive oil, brush the outside of the turkey, and rub with any remaining rub mixture, or simply dust with salt and pepper, maybe a sprinkle of garlic powder. 8.) Place turkey in oven and roast until the thickest part reads between 165-170 degrees F, about 3 hrs. 9.) Once cooked, place turkey on a platter and cover loosely with foil and let rest for 30 minutes. 10.) Slice and sprinkle with decorative sprigs of fresh herbs from your Bentley Windowsill Herb Garden and present to the table!

One of our favorite parts of the holiday season is baking and sharing cookies, especially if we can incorporate some little part of our gardens into our baking sessions. Because we love the buttery richness of shortbread and because they are super easy to make, this year, we chose to update one of our favorite shortbread recipes with the addition of herbs from our windowsill herb pots. We also created a new savory shortbread cracker recipe that we know will be a big hit at our holiday parties all through the season. Or just a really yummy snack for those of us celebrating remotely again this year.  We used sage, rosemary and thyme herbs which you can grow from our Holiday Essential Grow-Stix Kits. But use any combination or favorites for your recipes. We have a number of herb combination packs or single packets so you can create your own combinations. Make one or both and let us know how you liked them! We love the lemony goodness of this cookie. The perfect sweetness balanced with the fragrant addition of fresh in the decorative tops make it simply the best cookie for the holidays and any other occasion throughout the year. Lemon Herb Shorties Rosemary, Thyme, and Sage Lemon Herb Shorties Ingredients Christmas Cookie Cutters in dough Decorating the cookies with herbs Fresh out of the oven! So many fun ways to decorate with herbs Fun and festive cookies! Herb cookies We love the lemony goodness of this cookie. The perfect sweetness balanced with the fragrant addition of fresh in the decorative tops makes it simply the best for the holidays and any other occasion throughout the year. Ingredients: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened to room temperature 1 cup superfine or powdered sugar 1 egg 1tsp vanilla 2 tsp lemon zest (1 lemon) 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 8 or 9 sprigs of your choice assorted herbs (for the holiday version of this recipe we’re choosing rosemary, thyme and sage) 1 egg white ½ tsp water Steps: Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Blend the butter and sugar in a large bowl with either a hand or a standing mixer. Add the egg, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and mix until creamy. Slowly blend in the flour and stir until a smooth dough is formed. Mold into a round or square log and wrap snugly in plastic. Chill for an hour or overnight. Meanwhile, remove the thyme, rosemary leaves from their stalks into separate bowls, add another small bowl of sage leaves to your prep station. Here’s a quick and easy tutorial for removing them from their stems. Preheat the oven to 375°. And line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper or favorite silicone baking mats. Turn dough out onto a lightly flour-dusted surface and roll out to about ¼” thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters of choice. Transfer to baking sheets and whisk together egg white and water just until blended.  Brush tops with a light sheen of egg white/water mix. Sprinkle or strategically place your herb leaves on the cookie tops and gently press into place. If you want to get fancy, you can sprinkle a little pinch of coarse or sanding sugar on each cookie for a bit of sparkle. Bake for about 15-17 minutes (checking frequently toward the end) until the edges are golden brown. Thyme Rosemary Sage Parsley Savory Herb Shortbread Crackers Our savory take on a favorite shortbread cookie, these crackers are going to become a sure favorite! Use any combination of herbs that suits your fancy. We chose a nice combination of parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano for a super herby flavor. Ingredients: ·   1 cup packed with grated good Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ·   2 cups all-purpose flour ·   3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves ·   1/2 tsp garlic salt ·   1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed ·   24 sprigs of parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano ·   2-3 tbsp coarsely crushed pink peppercorns (depending on taste) ·   1 tsp flaked sea salt Steps: Preheat the oven to 350° and position the rack in the center. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper of favorite silicone baking mats. Pulse cheese in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour, thyme and garlic salt. Season with a pinch or two of black pepper. Pulse again a few times to combine. Add cubed butter through the tube while pulsing until all is combined. The dough will be a bit crumbly but that is fine. Transfer the dough to the pan(s) and press over the flat surface of the bottom. Smooth the top with a glass or a small roller. Score the surface into 24 squares or rectangles and arrange or sprinkle herbs onto each square/rectangle. Gently press the herbs into the dough and dust with pink peppercorns and sea salt. You may need to score the surface one more time to ensure the crackers break evenly and easily. Bake until the top is just a tad golden brown for about 25 minutes. Immediately cut your squares/rectangles with a sharp knife while hot. Turn off the heat and return the pan to the oven to cool completely. For a crispier crunch, leave the pan in the oven overnight. Store crackers in an airtight container at room temp.

Herby Christmas Side Dishes including Sweet Turnip Galette and Easy Herb Roasted Carrots.

Lucinda’s Herby Citrus Grilled Vegetables Lucinda’s Herby Citrus Grilled Vegetables •¼ cup olive oil•2 tablespoons orange blossom honey•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice•Zest of one lemon•2 garlic cloves, minced•1 tablespoon chopped oregano•2 tablespoons chopped parsley•1 teaspoon chopped thyme•½ teaspoon salt•¼ teaspoon ground black pepper•2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise•2 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise•3 peppers, (2 sweet, 1 mild-hot) sliced lengthwise•1 eggplant, sliced•1 sweet onion, thickly sliced Steps:1. Whisk together olive oil, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, parsley, thyme, salt & pepper in a medium bowl.2. Toss sliced veggies with honey mixture until fully coated. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.3. Preheat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until as tender as desired. As soon as my long-time friend Lucinda shared this recipe with me, I knew I would love it. Herbs, citrus, and honey marinade- it just sounds like a summer-grilling winner. I had so much fun preparing it with my kids—they are 10 & 12 now so any job I can delegate to them I will! 10-year-old Tristan trimmed the thyme, the two kinds of parsley (Italian and Curled, because why not?) and oregano. We have an herb garden, and I was so happy I had all the herb ingredients on hand. It was sprinkling out, so rinsing off the herbs was a breeze! I chopped the herbs and the veggies while 12-year-old Rowan juiced the lemon. I was very careful not to touch my eyes after chopping the jalapeno we choose to use for our hot pepper. Lucinda recommends milder poblanos for hot peppers and I can see why after eating our result! Rowan whisked the herbs, oil, lemon, honey and garlic minced garlic together. Almost forgot the garlic, I feel like that is something I regularly do. I don’t know why, it’s so fun to use the garlic press. I highly recommend the Williams Sonoma Stainless-Steel Garlic Press! It’s so heavy duty and a cinch to clean. The whole family has been cooking a lot together since the pandemic and it’s been a very wonderful bonding experience for us. Gardening and eating what you grow has been such a simple way to find normalcy and calm during the past 18 months. We tossed our veggies and marinade together and placed them into the refrigerator for about an hour. Then my husband time took over with the grilling. As the onions came off the grill I started popping them like candy. They were so very sweet in the summery-est of ways. The honey was such a good call in the marinade, plus using the jalapeno as our hot pepper actually somehow infused a bit of heat to all the veggies, so they had this amazing honey sweet citrus spicy flavor. It was such a great taste, move over Bobby Flay! They kids loved it, I loved it and even my picky-eater husband loved it.We will be using this recipe again very soon—it’s the perfect go-to marinade on everything from veggies to chicken, pork or fish for all your summer grilling! Its super versatile too—simply switch up the veggies and herbs with whatever is in ready to harvest in the garden.  You might also want to try it on some grilled peaches and/or nectarines (minus the garlic of course!). Serve them with a scoop of ice cream for a new favorite summer dessert! Italian Parsley Thyme, Parsley, and Oregano Herby Citrus Marinade Sliced Vegetables Grilling Vegetables HERBY CITRUS GRILLED VEGETABLES