Local Food Recipes

Below are sample recipes that can be adapted to feature food that is locally available in Southwestern Colorado. Choose to substitute one or more of the items listed in the local ingredient notes for each recipe. Don’t expect to have all of the local ingredients – just use what you have. Sometimes the recipe may call for canned tomatoes, beans, applesauce, etc., but it is intended that a local ingredient be substituted for those (Click here for chart of volume and weight of cans). Many of the recipes are for 50+ servings, so you may have to scale them to your needs.

You can find more recipes from sources like New School Cuisine: Nutritious and Seasonal Recipes for School Cooks by School Cooks (PDF | 8 MB) (any recipe listed below with a page number is in this resource, so you can download once) and Cooking Matters Recipe Finder.  Also see the CDPHE’s Recipe Ideas with CO Produce

Need help finding local food? See our Finding Local Food page.

Main dishes:

• Cheesy Kale Bake (pg 138) – Local ingredients: Onions, Kale.
• Gardener’s Pie (pg 158) – Local ingredients: Onions, carrots, corn kernels, green beans, eggs.
• Hearty Beef & Vegetable Stew (pg 162) – Local ingredients: Beef top round, carrots, green beans, onions, tomatoes & choice of potatoes, rutabaga, turnips.
• Hearty Egg Burritos – Local ingredients: Bell pepper, black beans (dry), eggs. 
• Mac & Trees (pg 114) – Local ingredients: Broccoli.
• Dishes with Meatballs (pg 166) – Local ingredients: Ground beef, kale/chard/spinach, eggs.
  • Kitchen Sink Pasta Sauce (pg 76) – Local ingredients: Onions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, & choice of celery, beets, carrots, zucchini, summer squash, green beans, peas.
  • Spaghetti Squash Bake (pg 90) – Local ingredients: Spaghetti squash, onions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs.
  • Zucchini Parmesan (pg 98) – Local ingredients: Zucchini, onions, garlic, tomatoes (sauce).
• Swiss Chard Frittata (pg 178) – Local ingredients: Bacon, swiss chard/kale/spinach, onions, eggs.
• Winter Vegetable Soup with Noodles (pg 56) – Local ingredients: Kale/collard greens/swiss chard, carrots, onions, butternut squash, turnips.

Side dishes:

• Apple Coleslaw – Local ingredients: Cabbage, apples, carrots.
• Carrot, Parsnip, & Beet Salad – Local ingredients: Carrots, parsnips, beets, honey.
• Delicata Smiles (pg 68) – Local ingredients: Delicata squash
• Mashed potatoes – Local ingredients: Potatoes
• Gingered Cabbage Salad (pg 38) – Local ingredients: Cabbage, apples, honey, mustard, garlic.
• Purple Vegetable Pancakes – Local ingredients: Zucchini, beet, carrot, onions, kale/chard/beet greens.
• Roasted Root Vegetable Hash (pg 84) – Local ingredients: Beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, & choice of turnips, rutabaga, parsnips.
• Salsa – Local ingredients: Tomatoes, onions, herbs.
• Stir-Fry Vegetables – Local ingredients: Choice of broccoli, carrots, onions, cabbage, zucchini, snow peas, etc.

Grains:

• Carrot & Quinoa Muffins (pg 108) – Local ingredients: Quinoa, eggs, carrots.
• Whole-Grain Cornbread (pg 132) – Local ingredients: Whole-grain cornmeal, eggs.

Snacks & Activities:

• Black Bean Brownies – Local ingredients: Black beans, eggs.
• Green Monster Pops (pg 70) – Local ingredients: Spinach, kale.
• Kale Chips (pg 72) – Local ingredients: Kale

No Cook Recipes & Activities (perfect for the classroom!):

• Apple Coleslaw – Local ingredients: Cabbage, apples, carrots.
• Cucumber Stacks – with activity plan! Local ingredients: Cucumbers, sweet peppers, carrots, bread.
• Fresh Summer Salsa – with activity plan! Local ingredients: Tomatoes, onions, cilantro, sweet peppers, tortilla chips.
• Green Smoothies – with activity plan! Local ingredients: Swiss chard (or other green), honey.
• Veggie Dippers – vegetables either whole (cherry tomatoes, snow peas, etc.) or cut into shapes (sticks, rounds, crescents) and paired with healthy dips like hummus or yogurt dip. Local ingredients: Kohlrabi, radishes, broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snow peas (almost any vegetable that can be eaten raw).

Recipes to freeze for later (also see our Storing Excess Bounty page):

• Applesauce – Local ingredients: Apples, honey.
• Kitchen Sink Pasta Sauce (pg 76) – Local ingredients: Onions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, & choice of celery, beets, carrots, zucchini, summer squash, green beans, peas.
• Salsa – Local ingredients: Tomatoes, onions, herbs.