"Come on Autumn!" Friday menu for September 30

We're willing some cooler Autumn weather yet saying goodbye to Summer with our selections today - come enjoy!

Lunch
Specials:
~ Gnocchi in a pink vodka sauce
~ Challah bread with sides

Soups:
~ Last gasp of summer tomato-corn
~ Roasted cold poblano and almond courtesy of Chef Armando

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Roasted Carrot
~ Curried Waldorf

Sandwiches:
~ Kielbasa with sauerkraut
~ Butternut squash and black bean burrito
~ Turkey with leek and mushrooms
~ Tuna with roasted peppers and tomatoes

Desserts:
~ Coconut and almond slice (v)
~ Apple crisp
~ Apple with honey
~ Homemade walnut baklava
~ Chiffon cake with seasonal frosting

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

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Dinner
Entrees:
~ Chicken with green olives and dried plums with polenta
~ Autumn butternut squash risotto (catch Chef Rachel doing a live demo making this tonight!)

Selections vary daily by availability

Well wishes and lunch menu for the rest of the week

We do have available a lovely roasted carrot salad, apple crisp and some sliced apple with honey to wish L'Shana Tova to our Jewish friends on Rosh Hashanah!

Here is some of what we'll have available this week to round out the lunch menu:

Lunch
Specials:
~ Baked Ravioli Parmesan (today)
~ Gnocchi in a pink vodka sauce (tomorrow and Friday)

Soups:
~ Last gasp of Summer corn with tomato
~ Kickoff to Autumn butternut ginger
~ Lentil soup

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Roasted Carrot
~ Curried waldorf
~ Three bean salad with greens
~ Couscous with greens

Sandwiches:
~ Grilled veggie with feta wrap
~ Balsamic-roasted tomato on grilled cheddar
~ Turkey on ciabatta
~ Tuna with roasted peppers and tomatoes

Desserts:
~ Love bar with nuts
~ Coconut and almond slice (v)
~ Harvest cupcakes (see the Facebook page here for a GORGEOUS photo!)
~ Apple crisp
~ Chiffon cake with maple pecan frosting

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

Selections vary daily by availability

Today's Lunch and Fabulous Friday Menu for Sep 23

Selections are subject to change based on availability but here are some of the items we could have today and for dinner tomorrow!

Lunch
Specials:
~ Pudgy pepper: open faced stuffed pepper filled with beef and rice on foccacia topped with sauce and cheese
~ Grilled cheddar basalmic tomatoes on slicing bread
~ Grilled sausage with peppers and onions
~ Ravioli in our own homemade tomato sauce

Soup:
~ Tortellini and Vegetable
~ Roasted Eggplant (v)

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Sesame snow peas (v)
~ Cucumber mint in sour cream
~ Cherry tomato (v)
~ Israeli couscous (v)

Sandwiches:
~ Turkey with caramelized onions on ciabatta
~ Grilled vegetable wrap with feta
~ Hot dog with caramelized onions

Desserts:
~ Love bar
~ Chocolate chip cookie
~ Oatmeal cookie
~ Pumpkin sunflower loaf
~ Rice pudding
~ Chocolate cake with maple pecan frosting
~ Pumpkin muffin/cupcake

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

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Dinner
Entrees:
~ Baked tilapia in lemon herb butter, orzo medley and stuffed tomato - $9
~ Vegetable lasagna, green salad w balsamic dressing, garlic bread- $8

Upgrade your green salad to one of our specialty salads for only $1 more!

Seasonal greens recipes

Chef Rachel did a demo at the Highland Park farmers market on Friday. She made the recipes below. Hope you try them yourself at home.

POLENTA TART WITH SEASONAL GREENS AND CHERRY TOMATOES

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup instant polenta

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves garlic. minced

1 medium onion, diced small

6 cups season greens- chard, spinach, kale or a mixture

2 cups cherry tomatoes, preferably varied colors

salt and pepper to taste

Bring stock to boil, add polenta, whisk until smooth. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add parmesan and black pepper. Oil a 9x12 baking dish, smooth polenta out in layer in pan. Let rest. Pre heat oven to 400.

Heat oil, sauté garlic and onions until translucent, add greens, cook until greens wilt, season to taste. Spread evenly over polenta. Dot tart with cherry tomatoes. Bake for 20 minutes.

(optional toppings: crumbled bacon, goat cheese, sautéed mushrooms, poached eggs)

GREEN GOODNESS SOUP

3 TBSP olive oil

3 green cardamom pods

3 cloves garlic minced

1 inch piece ginger, grated

1 large onion, diced

3 stalks celery

1 bunch scallions

1 bunch swiss chard, cut in 1 inch squares, include stems

½ cup Arborio rice

juice of 1 lemon

64 oz vegetable or chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

In stock pot, heat oil, add cardamom pods toast lightly, add garlic, ginger and onion cook until translucent. Add rice, stir to coat in oil. Add celery, scallions and chard, stir briefly and cover with stock. Bring to boil and lower to simmer for 20 minutes. Puree using blender, immersion blender or food processor. Be careful while pureeing the hot liquid. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Other green or white veggies can be added to the pot. Leeks, lettuce, kale, potato, peas spinach, etc are all welcome. When your CSA overwhelms you with greens, this soup will make them disappear from the fridge and a smile appear on your face.

Friday Menu for Sept 16

Lunch
Specials:
~ Baba ganoush platter with olives, crostini, veggies (v)
~ Baked tomato stuffed with chard, kale, breadcrumbs and cheese and a slice of Erbazzone - chard-filled pie topped with cheese

Soup:
~ Roasted eggplant (v)

Salads:
~ Better World Salad (v)
~ Pasta salad (v)
~ Roasted corn and barley with honey dressing

Sandwiches:
~ Grilled cheddar with basalmic roasted tomatoes on wheat
~ Turkey and pesto
~ Grilled veggie wrap with feta

Desserts:
~ Love bar
~ Coconut chocolate cake
~ Chiffon cake enrobed in ganache

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea

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Dinner
Entrees:
~ Indian grilled eggplant with a sweet-with-heat ginger honey glaze, jasmine rice and curried beans

~ Stuffed pepper served with green salad and crostini topped with pesto

Weekly Menu for Sept 13-16

There's a lot we have to offer this week - selections vary daily but listed below is what you could find to tickle your taste buds!
Keep an eye out -> here on our Facebook page <- for the "in the know" daily selections.

Specials:
~ Macaroni and cheese
~ Chicken salad platter
~ Baba ganoush
~ Baked tomato stuffed with chard, kale, breadcrumbs and cheese
~ Erbazzone - chard-filled pie topped with cheese

Soup:
~ Potato Leek
~ Roasted eggplant with yogurt and mint
~ Vegetable and tortellini

Salads:
~ Better World Salad
~ Beet with dijon vinaigrette
~ Roasted corn and barley with honey dressing

Sandwiches:
~ Corned beef on wheat/rye bread with mustard *special price* $2.75h /$5w
~ Eggplant falafel wrap with yogurt tahini
~ Applegate Farms organic hot dog

Dessert:
~ Cupcakes
~ Coconut chocolate cake
~ Lots of cakes and cupcakes

Drinks:
~ Hot and iced coffee and tea
~ Watermelon agua fresca

Supporter Spotlight - Dr. Pickle

According to Joey, Dr Pickle’s energetic and personable representative at the Highland Park Farmers Market on Fridays, “We’re a third generation old school pickle company, traditional New York style pickles. Sometimes even people in New York itself can’t get them there the way we still make them. We use the old recipe.”

Pictured: Joey, Master Conqueror of All that is Good and Pickled

Based out of Paterson NJ, the company is featured at many street fairs and farmers markets in the tri-state area, but A Better World Café has good reason for having a soft spot for them (aside from the interesting history of pickling on their website, that is). They’re regularly generous in donating many a delicious pickled treat that we can include in the dishes for to our customers, whether it be that gorgeous green spear that we can supply with one of our sandwiches or some of their amazing olives that we can tuck on the side of a Mediterranean platter.Not only is does our resident Dr Pickle donate to our cause, he also likes what we have to offer him as well. According to Joey, “First of all, I like to eat more natural food, so the rawer it is, the more I like it. [The Better World Salad] tastes great. I love salad but I only love a good one and the salad that she makes is phenomenal, it’s the best I’ve ever had. It’s better than the ones I make at home.”

We appreciate that glowing endorsement and thank you from the bottom of our hearts (and our stomachs) for your support!

Cooking Demonstration with Chef Rachel

Would you like to learn how to make something tasty with greens?

If so, come visit Chef Rachel next Friday, September 16 from 11:30-2pm for a cooking demonstration actually held outside at the Highland Park Farmers Market.

When she inevitably gets you salivating and since it's happening at lunchtime, the Better World Cafe will still be open to make sure you don't leave hungry!

Friday Menu Sept 9

Lunch
Appetizer:
~ Grilled corn with ancho butter

Entrees:
~ Organic chicken quarter with a side of macaroni and cheese
~ Parmesan stuffed eggplant with side garlic bread

Soup:
~ Potato Leek

Salads:
~ Better World Salad
~ Beet with dijon vinaigrette
~ Grilled peach on greens

Sandwiches:
~ Eggplant falafel with yogurt tahini
~ Applegate Farms organic hot dog
~ Turkey with pesto

Dessert:
~ Chocolate chiffon cake with orange glaze
~ Walnut fudge brownie
~ Peach shortbread squares

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Dinner
Entrees:
~ Corned beef and oven braised cabbage
~ Vegetable lasagna prepared with organic noodles roasted zucchini, eggplant, carrot and tomato topped with a bechamel sauce

Special Dessert:
~ Chocolate cheesecake

Selections vary daily based on availability

Menu for week of Sep 6-9

Here's just some of the selection that we have to offer this week - keep an eye out at Facebook and/or Twitter for last-minute additions to tickle your tastebuds!

Lunch Specials:
~ Pasta carbonara
~ Roasted vegetable quiche

Sandwiches:
~ Grilled Mediterranean veggie wrap with feta cheese
~ Applegate Farms organic hot dog

Salads:
~ Better World Salad
~ Grilled peach on greens

Dessert:
~ Orange dreamsicle cake
~ Walnut fudge brownie

Selections vary daily based on availability

Menu for Friday, Sept 2

Lunch Specials
~ Stuffed eggplant parmesan with garlic bread
~ Broccoli and cheese quiche

Soups
~ Carrot ginger

Salads
~ A Better World Cafe (v)
~ Cherry tomatoes over arugula with sherry vinagrette
~ Roasted peach

Sandwiches
~ Turkey with pickled onions and mayo
~ Heirloom tomato with goat cheese on foccacia
~ Eggplant falafel wrap with yogurt tahini

Desserts
~ Peach upside-down cake
~ Light chiffon cake with pastry cream
~ Brownies

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Dinner Specials
~ Pasta carbonara with turkey bacon, cheesy sauce, tomatoes and greens
~ Grilled Mediterranean vegetable platter
~ Nachos with veggies and black beans

All the news that's fit to blog

Hope everyone is doing well post-Irene! Come on in today for tasty lunch selections such as stuffed eggplant, quiche, gorgeous heirloom tomato with goat cheese on foccacia and peach upside down cake (psst, there's also some watermelon agua fresca to drink that is to DIE for)

Friday's lunch and dinner menu will be up tomorrow morning and will be posted to Facebook and Twitter as well. As usual, any last-minute additions or announcements can be found on our Facebook page if you click here.

Important Upcoming Holiday Announcement
*A Better World Cafe will not be open this Monday, Sept 5, in observance of Labor Day.*