Ingredients
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1 lime, juiced
1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
salt to taste
Directions
Place avocado in a serving bowl and mix with lime juice. Add mango, onion, jalepeno, cilantro, and salt; toss until evenly combined.
Honey Cilantro Wings with Red Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients
Canola oil, for frying
2 lb. chicken wings, split at the joint, wingtips removed and discarded, room temperature
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp. lime juice
4 Tbsp. honey, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 cups shredded red cabbage
2 cups freshly chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tsp. grated garlic
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
Ingredients
Pour enough oil into a deep large pot to reach 4 inches high, then heat oil to 350°. Rinse and dry chicken and season with salt and pepper, then toss with cornstarch. Shake off excess cornstarch and transfer to a large bowl.
Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. When oil has come to temperature, add chicken in batches using a slotted spoon. (Do not overcrowd the pot or the oil temperature will drop.) Fry chicken until golden and crispy, 10 minutes. Continue cooking chicken in batches, making sure temperature remains at 350°, then drain chicken on cooling rack and set aside.
Meanwhile, while chicken is frying, whisk together lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey and sesame oil in a large mixing bowl and season with salt. Toss together with cabbage, and cilantro, then transfer slaw to a large serving platter with chicken.
In a small bowl, mix together garlic, ginger, remaining 3 tablespoons honey and soy sauce. Microwave 2 minutes, then drizzle all over chicken and use remaining sauce for dipping.
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Creamy Coconut Swiss Chard
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 small dried hot red chile, such as chile de arbol, stemmed and crumbled
1 bunch, stems removed and diced, and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
½ cup light coconut milk
Coarse salt
Juice from 1 lime
Directions
Heat oil and cook onion and spices:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, chard stems, garlic, ginger, and chile and cook until tender and fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add chard, coconut milk, and water:
Add chard leaves, coconut milk, and 2 tablespoons water.
Cover and cook:
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add lime juice. Season with salt.
Cumin-Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 pounds sweet potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions
Position racks in top third and lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Stir sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 teaspoon coriander and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl until the sweet potatoes are evenly coated. Spread in an even layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets.
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Roast for 25 minutes. Turn the sweet potatoes gently and rotate the pans; continue roasting until crisp and golden brown, about 10 more minutes.
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Addelyn Evans, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Meanwhile, whisk 2 teaspoons lime zest, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl until combined. Pour the lime juice mixture over the sweet potatoes; gently toss to coat.
Oca: The Vibrant Andean Superfood You Need to Try
Looking to diversify your vegetable garden and dinner table? Oca, a vibrant and nutrient-rich tuber, offers a unique alternative to potatoes and yams. Cultivated over centuries and a staple in the Andean region, oca is a colorful, delicious option that brings both history and flavor to your plate.
There are more than one hundred varieties of this smallish, knobby tuber, sometimes referred to as the "lost crop of the Incas." While it is not known specifically how long oca has been cultivated, it is likely one of the oldest Andean crops. It can be grown at elevations up to 13,000 feet, much higher than potatoes, making it an important crop for high Andean peoples. Fun fact: In parts of South America, oca is often dried and left in the sun for a few days, a process that enhances its sweetness!
Introduced to Europe and New Zealand in the 1800s, the vegetable was adopted as a favorite and is still popular today, called “New Zealand Yams,” despite not being related to yams at all.
While still uncommon in North America, the root vegetable is gaining appeal, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Although oca was cultivated in tropical high mountain ranges of South America, the cool, mild climate and late frost make it relatively easy to grow in Oregon. In fact, oca is a close cousin to our native oxalis, or wood sorrel, which blankets the ground of forests in our region.
Sustainability and Growing Benefits
Oca is a resilient and low-maintenance crop, thriving in diverse conditions with minimal input. Unlike potatoes, which require significant pest control and soil management, oca naturally resists pests and diseases. It also improves soil health by enhancing biodiversity, making it a sustainable choice for organic farming. Its ability to grow in challenging environments makes it an ideal crop for regenerative agriculture.
Cascade Organic started growing oca many years ago at our experimental urban farm, testing varieties best suited for our region. We now contract with our organic partner, Farmer Brown, at Mustard Seed Farm in St. Paul to grow our oca.
Cooking with Oca
Starchier than a carrot but crisper than a potato, oca can be eaten either raw or cooked. When eaten fresh, the flavor is tangy and lemony. Cooked oca has a sweet, nutty taste while still maintaining some of its tang. It might just remind you of vinegar on a french fry or sour cream on a baked potato. Boiled, roasted, fried, added to soups and stews—basically any way that you would cook a potato is a good way to cook oca. Oca is an ideal winter vegetable that is best harvested after the frost, usually in late December, and stores well to be enjoyed throughout the coldest months.
Nutritionally, oca is a good replacement for potatoes, being both lower in calories and richer in nutrients. It contains oxalic acid, which helps in binding calcium and improving bone health. Oca is also rich in vitamin C, iron, and potassium.
Try These Yummy Oca Recipes!
Roasted Oca with Garlic and Herbs
Ingredients:
1 lb oca, washed and halved
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Toss oca with olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes until golden and tender.
Serve hot as a delicious side dish.
Tangy Oca Salad
Ingredients:
1 lb raw oca, thinly sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions:
In a large bowl, toss the sliced oca with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Let sit for 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve fresh.
If you're ready to move past the potato and try this root crop from the Andes, give these recipes a go and discover the unique flavors of oca!
Simmered Kabocha
Ingredients
1 kabocha squash
2 1/2 cups dashi or chicken stock
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
Instructions
Wash the kabocha and discard the seeds. Do not peel the kabocha.
Cut kabocha into 1 ½ inch squares.
Place the kabocha (ideally in a single layer) into a big saucepan. Combine the dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and salt, and pour into the saucepan.
Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes (until the kabocha is tender but not mushy).
Serve warm or at room temperature as a side dish.
Oven-Baked Japanese Spare Ribs
Ingredients
1 rack pork ribs
5 cloves garlic
1/2 ginger root (minced ginger or ginger paste would work fine, too!)
4 stalks green onion
3 tbsp sake (white wine as an alternative)
3 tbsp mirin (If you don't have mirin at home, just add one more tbsp of sugar.)
2 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
Cut ribs apart in individual pieces (If there's a thin membrane on the back side of your ribs, carefully remove it by sliding a knife under it and peel it off). Set aside.
In a ziplock bag, mix together the sauce ingredients.
Chop green onions, slice the ginger, and smash garlic cloves. Add them into the sauce mix.
Add the ribs into the sauce mix, close the bag, and massage them.
Put the bag in the fridge and leave it for four hours or overnight
Preheat the oven at 375F.
Once preheated, on a baking sheet, line the aluminum foil, and place ribs evenly. Pour some marinade on top.
Bake them for 15 minutes. Flip them and bake for another 15 minutes.
Stir-Fried Tatsoi
Ingredients
1 bunch tatsoi
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Instructions
Rinse the leaves, but do not dry them. The excess water will lightly steam the greens.
Warm the sesame oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
When the pan is hot and the sesame oil is fragrant, add the garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the still-wet tatsoi and fish sauce, and stir to combine.
Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until tatsoi stems are tender and leaves are wilted, about 1–2 minutes.
Soy Ginger Black Cod
Ingredients
2-6 oz Black Cod portions
Marinade
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 green onions; diced
2 cloves garlic; minced/grated
1 1/2 tbsp ginger, diced
1/8 tsp black pepper
Directions
In a medium bowl, add all the marinade ingredients, stir/whisk until combined.
Once the marinade is blended, pour over the fleshy side of the black cod portions.
After coated, flip the fish, skin side up.
The fish should be resting in a thick puddle of marinade.
Cover and place in the refrigerator; allow to marinate at minimum 6 hours, but preferably 24 hours.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425°F.
Bake for 16-20 or until the internal temperature is 145°F; the flesh will have browned and begin to separate.
If desired, flip the fish, skin side down and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until it has reached the desired coloring.
Serve and enjoy.
Wild Mushroom Burgers
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces sliced wild mushrooms
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Burger Patties
Swiss cheese
hamburger buns (brioche or potato buns recommended)
Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, mustard
Instructions
Prepare the mushroom topping: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions. Sauté until tender and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and Worcestershire and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
Cook the burgers: Heat a cast iron skillet or grill over medium-high heat. Cook the patties for 3-5 minutes per side. During the last minute of cooking, top each patty with a slice of Swiss cheese and cover to melt.
Toast the buns: Brush the cut sides of the buns lightly with butter or oil. Toast cut-side down in a skillet or on the grill until lightly browned.
Assemble the burgers: Place the patties on the bottom buns. Top generously with the sautéed mushrooms and onions. Add any other desired toppings. Cover with the top bun.
Serve the mushroom Swiss burgers immediately while hot. Enjoy!