Over the last few weeks I've made some great finds at our market in Norfolk and also a we bit further afield in Litchfield. It is not only great as a farmer to grow your own food but to collaborate with other local farmers/producers.
Here are a few dishes I was inspired to make with my great finds.
Boxed Goodes Sunny Dal with Chicken and Coconut Milk
The clear packaging of Boxed Goodes Sunny Dal shows the beautiful yellow and orange lentils and the aromatic seasonings that include star anise and cardamom pods. Just looking at it you know it will brighten your day. I made this dish when I was going to be working in the evening and wanted to have something ready for hungry farmer and farm kids.
Chop 1 leek or small onion and place in a heavy casserole with about 1 Tbsp ghee. Chop 2 carrots and throw them in. Cook until softened about 5 minutes. Then toss them into your slow cooker. Hypothetically you could just throw everything into the slow cooker at once and turn the thing on and leave for the day. I wasn't actually convinced that was going to work though, so I did it this way. Then add a touch more ghee and place 4 bone-in chicken thighs in the pan. Give them about 5 minutes each side until they have browned a bit. Into the pot on top of the leeks and carrots. Add a splash of dry sherry to unstick the chicken bits. Then add the entire package of the dal and stir. The package says cook with 4 - 6 cups stock, so I went with 4 cups chicken stock and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring this to a boil and pour into the crock pot. (Again I wasn't taking chances with the slow cooker - we aren't that familiar with one another yet.... also I didn't have all day, I had about 4 hours, so I wanted to know things were off to a good start before I left.) Yum! The thing about dal is that you have some flexibility. It can be soupy or thick - think split pea soup. If it is too thick, add some stock. If it is too thin? Add some cooked basmati rice or let it cook some more.
MarWin Farm Duck Sausage, Boxed Goodes Sweet Runners and Chard
I was so excited to find this farm at the Litchfield Farm Fresh Market. The sausage was just what I wanted to feed our visiting farmer friends last weekend.
First I soaked and cooked the Sweet Runner Beans according to the package directions ahead of time.
For the dish I slowly cooked a sliced onion in butter until almost carmelized. Then I added the duck sausage and cooked until brown. Then I added the beans (I only used about half and I had cooked the whole package. I put the rest into corn chowder!) and over it all some fresh thyme and chopped swiss chard and chicken stock. Let that cook until the chard is tender and melty. You could throw in some chopped tomatoes as well, etc....
Late Season Strawberry Shortcakes with Rose Geranium and Lemon Balm Biscuits
Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon strawberries - in late August! Well yes, there is a variety that is everbearing that planted in the spring produces in the late summer. From March Farm in Bethlehem. They were soo super, uber strawberry. I have to say the flavor was full and intense.
Now, some folks might not be familiar with rose geraniums but they are definitely worth getting to know. These scented geraniums bear little purple flowers - not the big red and orange common geraniums. But what you want is the fragrant leaves. You can grow these easily in pots on your porch or deck in the summer and bring them in before a cold snap. Most garden centers sell scented geraniums. Anyway, slice your strawberries and sprinkle with a spoonful full of sugar - not that the berries need sweetener but macerating the berries in the sugar brings out their juiciness. Take one or 2 nice geranium leaves and slice or tear them up and toss with the berries. Let them sit a few hours before serving.
For biscuits if you have a favorite recipe great. I think I used this one here from epicurious - Buttermilk Biscuits. Simply add a handful of chopped lemon balm to the flour. A little lemon zest would also be great. When biscuits have cooled enough to handle, slice in half, add a spoonful of berries, a dollop of whipped cream and plop on the top of the biscuit. Very festive and seasonal for a birthday brunch.
Enjoy! What are your favorite farmer's market finds?
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Go-To Dinners
Do you find yourself coming home from work wondering what to make for dinner? Or trying to drum up a supper idea in between nap time and school pick up? One good thing about the CSA is that you know you've got veg in the fridge and you've probably got a few staples in the pantry. Often at the farm we just raid the CSA cold room and improvise a stir-fry, fried rice or pasta. So here are a few of our go to dinner ideas when we're in a pinch for inspiration or short on time. The recipes below will reflect this week's harvest but substitutions are really what these recipes are all about.
Go-To Stir Fry or Saute
This week we have onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, zucchini and kale - all great for a stir-fry or saute.
Chop the onions and garlic and put them in the pan first. We use coconut oil at our house, so we pop some of that in the pan. Next come the carrots - slice and throw them in. If you want kale in the mix cut it up in small ribbons and throw it in now. Now technically I'd say stir-frying would be quick on relatively high eat and the veg are still going to be pretty crisp. So I'll back up a little bit and say that's not really what I usually do here - although that is fine, if you like it that way. I'd cover the veg at this point so the carrots and kale steam a bit. Then chop the peppers and add them in, covering again and finally the zucchini, but only when you know everything else is almost done to your liking and you've got about 5 minutes before you are ready to eat. Mushy zucchini is a little sad.
Now you can also throw in some grated ginger and season with tamari, sesame oil or your favorite Asian seasonings. Since I'm talking about quick dinners, I'm happy to admit that a short cut favorite of mine is roasted chile paste - Thai Kitchen, but any other commercial chile paste or stir-fry sauce will do.
What is your favorite ready made sauce or seasoning that you go when you need a quick little helper?
So then when the veg are all tender but not mushy, we'd serve with rice and salad. For our salad we'd toss our greens with Kazu's Japanese Ginger Dressing.
Go-To Fried Rice
Perfect for left over rice. Essentially this is the same as the above recipe but I would cut the veg into smaller pieces. When the veg have just about cooked until tender, stir in the rice and a beaten egg. Stir and cook until the egg has cooked. Add seasonings. Great with sliced fresh chilies, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce for Pasta
In a saute pan pour a glug of olive oil, add chopped onions, red peppers, garlic. Then add chopped fresh tomatoes. Season with fresh basil, red chile flakes or fresh chilies if you are so inclined. This doesn't need a whole lot of cooking - not your slow cook all day tomato sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta. Top with grated parmesan and you're all set.
No-tomato Pasta
Tired of tomatoes yet? Say it isn't so. But really if you need a break try this really simple recipe for greens and pasta. There are several recipes in this genre, but here is one from Epicurious:
Bacon and Swiss Chard Pasta. If you don't want the bacon try this with toasted walnuts! Both versions are delicious.
Go-To Stir Fry or Saute
This week we have onions, carrots, peppers, garlic, zucchini and kale - all great for a stir-fry or saute.
Chop the onions and garlic and put them in the pan first. We use coconut oil at our house, so we pop some of that in the pan. Next come the carrots - slice and throw them in. If you want kale in the mix cut it up in small ribbons and throw it in now. Now technically I'd say stir-frying would be quick on relatively high eat and the veg are still going to be pretty crisp. So I'll back up a little bit and say that's not really what I usually do here - although that is fine, if you like it that way. I'd cover the veg at this point so the carrots and kale steam a bit. Then chop the peppers and add them in, covering again and finally the zucchini, but only when you know everything else is almost done to your liking and you've got about 5 minutes before you are ready to eat. Mushy zucchini is a little sad.
Now you can also throw in some grated ginger and season with tamari, sesame oil or your favorite Asian seasonings. Since I'm talking about quick dinners, I'm happy to admit that a short cut favorite of mine is roasted chile paste - Thai Kitchen, but any other commercial chile paste or stir-fry sauce will do.
What is your favorite ready made sauce or seasoning that you go when you need a quick little helper?
So then when the veg are all tender but not mushy, we'd serve with rice and salad. For our salad we'd toss our greens with Kazu's Japanese Ginger Dressing.
Go-To Fried Rice
Perfect for left over rice. Essentially this is the same as the above recipe but I would cut the veg into smaller pieces. When the veg have just about cooked until tender, stir in the rice and a beaten egg. Stir and cook until the egg has cooked. Add seasonings. Great with sliced fresh chilies, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
Easy Fresh Tomato Sauce for Pasta
In a saute pan pour a glug of olive oil, add chopped onions, red peppers, garlic. Then add chopped fresh tomatoes. Season with fresh basil, red chile flakes or fresh chilies if you are so inclined. This doesn't need a whole lot of cooking - not your slow cook all day tomato sauce. Serve with your favorite pasta. Top with grated parmesan and you're all set.
No-tomato Pasta
Tired of tomatoes yet? Say it isn't so. But really if you need a break try this really simple recipe for greens and pasta. There are several recipes in this genre, but here is one from Epicurious:
Bacon and Swiss Chard Pasta. If you don't want the bacon try this with toasted walnuts! Both versions are delicious.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Ode to the Red Pepper and Putting Up
I love this time of year when we have abundant leeks, peppers and tomatoes. These are things that I really have no problem eating everyday. I also know that now is the time and they won't be here forever. In the past few years we have had nice long runs of red peppers and we've enjoyed them from August just about into October. But you never can tell if this is the year an early frost will take the peppers away from us. Here are a few recipes for eating now or for freezing to brighten up a winter day.
Piperonata
adapted from Darina Allen
This delicious dish can be eaten as a side dish - especially delicious with a dollop of cream added at the end - or as a kind of sauce for chicken or fish, on top of pizza, pasta...etc.
olive oil
1 small onion (leek would be fine), sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 red peppers
3 medium tomatoes
1/2 fresh chile (optional), chopped
a few fresh basil leaves
Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep pan and cook the onion on medium heat. Meanwhile halve the peppers, take out the seeds and slice cross wise. Add to onions. Cover and cook until soft, while preparing the tomatoes. Score the tomatoes on the bottom with an x and drop into a bowl or pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half to squish out the seeds and chop. If these two steps seem to fussy to you it would be fine to leave them out. But if you'd like to have a sauce with out tomato skins (that aren't very digestible, by the way) go for it. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for about another 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, the chile and fresh basil.
Roasted Red Peppers
There are a couple ways of going about roasting peppers. If you are a griller, go ahead and throw them on the grill whole until charred all around. Otherwise you can char them under the broiler in your oven or over the flame on a gas range, turning with kitchen tongs. You want to put the hot peppers in a bowl and cover right away tightly with plastic wrap. You can also throw them in a paper bag and fold over the top. What you need is to have them sit a bit in their own steaminess. This helps the skin come off easily. After about 5 minutes or later after the peppers have cooled you can peel them, rinsing them under cool water. Also cut them in half, take out the seeds and cut off the stem. Cut in strips or keep as halves. Store in the fridge covered with a little olive oil. Use right away or with in a few days or freeze.
Did you know? Peppers also freeze beautifully. Wash, seed and slice. Throw them in a bag and freeze or if you are a little bit fussy or want to take the time you can lay them on a tray lined with baking paper and stick them in the freezer first. This is a great way to freeze berries so they don't come out in one solid blob when you want to use them. When they are frozen bag them up and pop back into the freezer.
I could go on and on about freezing and canning, as I'm spending a bit of time trying to do what I can while we have the veg - tomato sauce, salsa, pesto, etc....
I have a feeling there are a bunch of csa members out there doing the same. Sounds like a great idea but I'll throw out one caveat.... what are you going to use this winter? Pickled beets might sound great now, but is that what you really want to pull out of the cupboard this winter? If yes, great! If not, savor the best of the season now and try to think of what is the most practical use of your veg.... soup is great to put up.....
Any thoughts or questions on putting up food? Is there a csa veg you still can't get your tastebuds around?
Just let me know!
Thanks and have a great week.
Tracy
Piperonata
adapted from Darina Allen
This delicious dish can be eaten as a side dish - especially delicious with a dollop of cream added at the end - or as a kind of sauce for chicken or fish, on top of pizza, pasta...etc.
olive oil
1 small onion (leek would be fine), sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 red peppers
3 medium tomatoes
1/2 fresh chile (optional), chopped
a few fresh basil leaves
Heat a glug of olive oil in a deep pan and cook the onion on medium heat. Meanwhile halve the peppers, take out the seeds and slice cross wise. Add to onions. Cover and cook until soft, while preparing the tomatoes. Score the tomatoes on the bottom with an x and drop into a bowl or pan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half to squish out the seeds and chop. If these two steps seem to fussy to you it would be fine to leave them out. But if you'd like to have a sauce with out tomato skins (that aren't very digestible, by the way) go for it. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for about another 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, the chile and fresh basil.
Roasted Red Peppers
There are a couple ways of going about roasting peppers. If you are a griller, go ahead and throw them on the grill whole until charred all around. Otherwise you can char them under the broiler in your oven or over the flame on a gas range, turning with kitchen tongs. You want to put the hot peppers in a bowl and cover right away tightly with plastic wrap. You can also throw them in a paper bag and fold over the top. What you need is to have them sit a bit in their own steaminess. This helps the skin come off easily. After about 5 minutes or later after the peppers have cooled you can peel them, rinsing them under cool water. Also cut them in half, take out the seeds and cut off the stem. Cut in strips or keep as halves. Store in the fridge covered with a little olive oil. Use right away or with in a few days or freeze.
Did you know? Peppers also freeze beautifully. Wash, seed and slice. Throw them in a bag and freeze or if you are a little bit fussy or want to take the time you can lay them on a tray lined with baking paper and stick them in the freezer first. This is a great way to freeze berries so they don't come out in one solid blob when you want to use them. When they are frozen bag them up and pop back into the freezer.
I could go on and on about freezing and canning, as I'm spending a bit of time trying to do what I can while we have the veg - tomato sauce, salsa, pesto, etc....
I have a feeling there are a bunch of csa members out there doing the same. Sounds like a great idea but I'll throw out one caveat.... what are you going to use this winter? Pickled beets might sound great now, but is that what you really want to pull out of the cupboard this winter? If yes, great! If not, savor the best of the season now and try to think of what is the most practical use of your veg.... soup is great to put up.....
Any thoughts or questions on putting up food? Is there a csa veg you still can't get your tastebuds around?
Just let me know!
Thanks and have a great week.
Tracy
Monday, August 20, 2012
Thankful
No, it isn't Thanksgiving but I am feeling very thankful for all the beautiful food coming out of the ground right now (and naturally thankful for the hard work of the crew and my magnificent husband). After being away and eating all sorts of things it is nice to be back eating our own food from our own kitchen. So here are a few things we've been eating this weekend since we've been back home.
Potato Salad with Green Beans
Here I go with another non-recipe... chop your potatoes (we're eating Yukon Golds right now but reds work well to) to whatever size you like for potato salad. Boil until just tender and when they are getting close, throw in a handful of green beans or yellow wax beans trimmed and cut in half. Meanwhile make a dressing with 2 tsps of grainy mustard, a clove of chopped garlic, a Tbsp of maple syrup and whatever herbs you have around. I might put some chopped thyme in the dressing and also put a nice good bunch of chopped parsley in with the potatoes at the end. You can use 1 part apple cider vinegar and 2 parts olive oil. Back to the spuds. Drain before they overcook and get all mushy - unless you really love that. Run under cool water. Dress and season with salt and pepper.
Spanish Rice
This is Dan's favorite. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a medium sauce pan. Finely chop 1 small onion, 1 red pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1 small tomato and cook over medium heat in the butter. Feel free to add a tsp or two of cumin and coriander. When veg have softened add 1 1/2 cups white rice and stir. Cover with about 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for about 20 minutes.
Chicken Sausage with Red Peppers, Onions and Potatoes
Pretty self explanatory here. Thinly slice one red pepper, one small onion and about two medium sized potatoes. Cook the onions and peppers in a TBSP of coconut oil. Slice your sausages (for the precooked variety we like the Applegate Chicken Sausages - any variety) and add to the pan, then the potatoes. Cover with a lid to hold in the moisture and cook on medium until the potatoes are soft. If the dish seems to be drying out a bit you can add a little water, wine or stock to make it a little saucier - or of course a bit of chopped tomatoes. Whatever herbs you like are great here, too. I like marjoram, although we don't include it in the share, as it is unfamiliar to many.
And finally we have a real recipe from our CSA members and friends Mark Scarborough and Bruce Weinstein. For more check them out at markandbruce.com.
Greens and Potato Tian
This French egg-casserole classic is actually named for the round earthenware pot it’s often baked in—although a skillet will work just as well! It’s a great way to use all the greens and potatoes we get from Chubby Bunny this time of year. Have a glass of crisp white wine at the ready!
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
4 to 6 tinned anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound stemmed and washed kale, chard, or other leafy greens (do not dry)
8 to 10 small yellow-fleshed potatoes, steamed until tender, then chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup sliced almonds or walnuts
2 tablespoons minced chives or the green part of scallions
1 1/2 tablespoons minced oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 large eggs
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Heat a large deep pot over medium heat. Swirl in the olive oil, then add the anchovy fillets and garlic. Stir until frizzled and aromatic, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the leafy greens; toss with tongs until wilted and somewhat tender, about 3 minutes for chard or 7 minutes for kale. Then keep cooking, stirring and tossing frequently to keep the garlic from burning, until all the liquid has evaporated from the pan.
4. Scrape the contents of the pan into a large bowl. Stir in the potatoes, cheese, nuts, chives or scallions, oregano, and pepper.
5. Crack the eggs into a second bowl; whisk until creamy and uniform, at least 3 minutes. Pour the whisked eggs into the bowl with the potatoes and other ingredients; stir well.
6. Coat an 11- or 12-inch nonstick skillet or round, deep baking dish with olive oil, then pour the egg mixture into the skillet or baking dish.
7. Bake until the eggs have set and even browned a bit on the top, about 45 minutes. Cool a couple of minutes before slicing into wedges to serve.
Potato Salad with Green Beans
Here I go with another non-recipe... chop your potatoes (we're eating Yukon Golds right now but reds work well to) to whatever size you like for potato salad. Boil until just tender and when they are getting close, throw in a handful of green beans or yellow wax beans trimmed and cut in half. Meanwhile make a dressing with 2 tsps of grainy mustard, a clove of chopped garlic, a Tbsp of maple syrup and whatever herbs you have around. I might put some chopped thyme in the dressing and also put a nice good bunch of chopped parsley in with the potatoes at the end. You can use 1 part apple cider vinegar and 2 parts olive oil. Back to the spuds. Drain before they overcook and get all mushy - unless you really love that. Run under cool water. Dress and season with salt and pepper.
Spanish Rice
This is Dan's favorite. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a medium sauce pan. Finely chop 1 small onion, 1 red pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1 small tomato and cook over medium heat in the butter. Feel free to add a tsp or two of cumin and coriander. When veg have softened add 1 1/2 cups white rice and stir. Cover with about 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for about 20 minutes.
Chicken Sausage with Red Peppers, Onions and Potatoes
Pretty self explanatory here. Thinly slice one red pepper, one small onion and about two medium sized potatoes. Cook the onions and peppers in a TBSP of coconut oil. Slice your sausages (for the precooked variety we like the Applegate Chicken Sausages - any variety) and add to the pan, then the potatoes. Cover with a lid to hold in the moisture and cook on medium until the potatoes are soft. If the dish seems to be drying out a bit you can add a little water, wine or stock to make it a little saucier - or of course a bit of chopped tomatoes. Whatever herbs you like are great here, too. I like marjoram, although we don't include it in the share, as it is unfamiliar to many.
And finally we have a real recipe from our CSA members and friends Mark Scarborough and Bruce Weinstein. For more check them out at markandbruce.com.
Greens and Potato Tian
This French egg-casserole classic is actually named for the round earthenware pot it’s often baked in—although a skillet will work just as well! It’s a great way to use all the greens and potatoes we get from Chubby Bunny this time of year. Have a glass of crisp white wine at the ready!
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
4 to 6 tinned anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound stemmed and washed kale, chard, or other leafy greens (do not dry)
8 to 10 small yellow-fleshed potatoes, steamed until tender, then chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup sliced almonds or walnuts
2 tablespoons minced chives or the green part of scallions
1 1/2 tablespoons minced oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 large eggs
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Heat a large deep pot over medium heat. Swirl in the olive oil, then add the anchovy fillets and garlic. Stir until frizzled and aromatic, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the leafy greens; toss with tongs until wilted and somewhat tender, about 3 minutes for chard or 7 minutes for kale. Then keep cooking, stirring and tossing frequently to keep the garlic from burning, until all the liquid has evaporated from the pan.
4. Scrape the contents of the pan into a large bowl. Stir in the potatoes, cheese, nuts, chives or scallions, oregano, and pepper.
5. Crack the eggs into a second bowl; whisk until creamy and uniform, at least 3 minutes. Pour the whisked eggs into the bowl with the potatoes and other ingredients; stir well.
6. Coat an 11- or 12-inch nonstick skillet or round, deep baking dish with olive oil, then pour the egg mixture into the skillet or baking dish.
7. Bake until the eggs have set and even browned a bit on the top, about 45 minutes. Cool a couple of minutes before slicing into wedges to serve.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
More From Our Great Members
We're off for a quick little vacation today so I'll quickly share some cool recipes and websites of fellow CSA members. Please check out Jeanette's great food blog - Jeanette's Healthy Living for all kinds of great recipes from the CSA box and beyond.
You should also meet our terrific members and cookbook authors Mark Scarborough and Bruce Weinstein. You can check out their recipes, their cookbooks and what they're up to at markandbruce.com.
Do you have recipes to share? E-mail me or comment below!
Here is another recipe from member Susan Dempsey:
New Potatoes Baked in Parchment
Time: 1 hour, plus 10 minutes’ resting
2 pounds small new potatoes, each 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 rosemary sprig
A few thyme sprigs
A few sage sprigs
1 head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes in warm water to remove dirt or sand, then drain and blot. Put them in large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, a generous amount of salt and pepper, the rosemary, thyme, sage and garlic cloves, and mix to coat.
Arrange potatoes on an 18-inch round of baking parchment. Fold the parchment over to make a half moon, then fold and crimp the rounded edge to make a package, tucking in the end. It is okay. if the package is not completely airtight. Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Parchment will puff and brown as the potatoes roast within.
Remove potatoes from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Open the package and sprinkle with parsley. Serve directly from the parchment, with a large spoon for the delicious oily juices.
Serves 4
You should also meet our terrific members and cookbook authors Mark Scarborough and Bruce Weinstein. You can check out their recipes, their cookbooks and what they're up to at markandbruce.com.
Do you have recipes to share? E-mail me or comment below!
Here is another recipe from member Susan Dempsey:
New Potatoes Baked in Parchment
Time: 1 hour, plus 10 minutes’ resting
2 pounds small new potatoes, each 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 rosemary sprig
A few thyme sprigs
A few sage sprigs
1 head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the potatoes in warm water to remove dirt or sand, then drain and blot. Put them in large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, a generous amount of salt and pepper, the rosemary, thyme, sage and garlic cloves, and mix to coat.
Arrange potatoes on an 18-inch round of baking parchment. Fold the parchment over to make a half moon, then fold and crimp the rounded edge to make a package, tucking in the end. It is okay. if the package is not completely airtight. Place it on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Parchment will puff and brown as the potatoes roast within.
Remove potatoes from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Open the package and sprinkle with parsley. Serve directly from the parchment, with a large spoon for the delicious oily juices.
Serves 4
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Member Recipes
This week I am happy to share some recipes sent in from a few members. If you have a recipe you'd like to share you can add it in the comments below or e-mail me.
Enjoy!
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Asian Ginger Sauce
from CSA members Susan Dempsey
Serves 2 ardent eggplant lovers or 4 regular people
1 large eggplant (about 1-/2 pounds), sliced into wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup peanut oil
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
Few drops rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, to taste
Few drops chile oil, optional
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Basil leaves or cilantro leaves, to taste
Pre-heat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss eggplant wedges with olive oil and salt to coat. Spread eggplant out on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once, until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the peanut oil, scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame oil, vinegar, and chile oil if using.
Toss the roasted eggplant and cherry tomatoes with the peanut oil dressing. Finish with torn basil leaves or cilantro leaves.
Giambotta
CSA member Samantha Butts writes.... I wanted to share a recipe for an Italian vegetable stew that my great-grandmother and grandmother used to make. We sort of forgot about it until my aunt found this in a magazine (Woman's Day 8/12). It incorporates SO many of the vegetables we pick up every week so it is perfect to share with the CSA members. We made it this past weekend and the entire family ate it up! My 5 year old calls it Jam Butt and says he "loves this stuff"! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did.
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 oz pepperoni, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, cut into 2 in. pieces
1/2 medium head cabbage, cut into 1 in. wedges, then halved crosswise
kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 lb tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 in. pieces
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
3 medium red potatoes
Heat 1Tbsp oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, pepperoni and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl.
Add the remaining oil to the pot and heat over medium-low heat. Add carrots, cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Top with tomatoes, then the zucchini and beans. Scatter the onion mixture over the top. Partially cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 45 to 55 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium pot, add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender. Drain and when cool enough to handle, cut into 1 1/2 in. pieces.
Fold the potatoes into the stew and cook until heated through. Drizzle with additional olive oil and serve with crusty bread.
Chilled Zucchini Soup with Purslane
from CSA member Maria Weingarten
Alain Coumont's cool vegan soup gets its creaminess from pureed zucchini, sautéed onion and garlic. It's brightened with purslane, a lemony weed that Coumont plucks from his Languedoc country garden.
. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
. 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
. 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
. 1 bay leaf
. 8 small zucchini (3 pounds), thinly sliced, plus long zucchini shavings for garnish
. Kosher salt
. 3 cups water
. 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil
. 2 cups ice
. Freshly ground pepper
. 2 cups purslane or baby arugula (or spinach)
1. In a large saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sliced zucchini, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the shredded basil.
2. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Transfer the zucchini puree to a large bowl. Stir in the ice. Refrigerate the zucchini soup for at least 3 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
3. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into shallow bowls and top with a small handful of purslane and zucchini shavings. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Make Ahead The zucchini soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
SUGGESTED PAIRING
The Grüner Veltliner grape produces crisp white wines that often have a distinctive green note, making them good partners for vegetable dishes—and ideal with this velvety zucchini soup.
Enjoy!
Roasted Eggplant Salad with Asian Ginger Sauce
from CSA members Susan Dempsey
Serves 2 ardent eggplant lovers or 4 regular people
1 large eggplant (about 1-/2 pounds), sliced into wedges
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup peanut oil
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons grated gingerroot
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
Few drops rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, to taste
Few drops chile oil, optional
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Basil leaves or cilantro leaves, to taste
Pre-heat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss eggplant wedges with olive oil and salt to coat. Spread eggplant out on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once, until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the peanut oil, scallions, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame oil, vinegar, and chile oil if using.
Toss the roasted eggplant and cherry tomatoes with the peanut oil dressing. Finish with torn basil leaves or cilantro leaves.
Giambotta
CSA member Samantha Butts writes.... I wanted to share a recipe for an Italian vegetable stew that my great-grandmother and grandmother used to make. We sort of forgot about it until my aunt found this in a magazine (Woman's Day 8/12). It incorporates SO many of the vegetables we pick up every week so it is perfect to share with the CSA members. We made it this past weekend and the entire family ate it up! My 5 year old calls it Jam Butt and says he "loves this stuff"! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did.
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 oz pepperoni, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, cut into 2 in. pieces
1/2 medium head cabbage, cut into 1 in. wedges, then halved crosswise
kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 lb tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1 in. pieces
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
3 medium red potatoes
Heat 1Tbsp oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, pepperoni and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl.
Add the remaining oil to the pot and heat over medium-low heat. Add carrots, cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Top with tomatoes, then the zucchini and beans. Scatter the onion mixture over the top. Partially cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 45 to 55 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium pot, add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender. Drain and when cool enough to handle, cut into 1 1/2 in. pieces.
Fold the potatoes into the stew and cook until heated through. Drizzle with additional olive oil and serve with crusty bread.
Chilled Zucchini Soup with Purslane
from CSA member Maria Weingarten
Alain Coumont's cool vegan soup gets its creaminess from pureed zucchini, sautéed onion and garlic. It's brightened with purslane, a lemony weed that Coumont plucks from his Languedoc country garden.
. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
. 1 small onion, thinly sliced
. 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
. 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
. 1 bay leaf
. 8 small zucchini (3 pounds), thinly sliced, plus long zucchini shavings for garnish
. Kosher salt
. 3 cups water
. 2 tablespoons finely shredded basil
. 2 cups ice
. Freshly ground pepper
. 2 cups purslane or baby arugula (or spinach)
1. In a large saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in the thyme and bay leaf and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sliced zucchini, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the shredded basil.
2. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until very smooth. Transfer the zucchini puree to a large bowl. Stir in the ice. Refrigerate the zucchini soup for at least 3 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
3. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle into shallow bowls and top with a small handful of purslane and zucchini shavings. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Make Ahead The zucchini soup can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.
SUGGESTED PAIRING
The Grüner Veltliner grape produces crisp white wines that often have a distinctive green note, making them good partners for vegetable dishes—and ideal with this velvety zucchini soup.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Healthy Cookbook Suggestions
Now this can be tricky territory. It seems that everybody and their brother has different ideas about what is healthy. I do think we can all agree that minimally processed, fresh, whole foods are the cornerstone of good nutrition. It's up to you if you add grass-fed meats, sustainably harvested fish, raw dairy, or go vegan. Then come coffee, alcohol and refined sugars all the way down to gluten and grains. Personally I'm for the first two in moderation while minimizing the sugar, cutting out gluten and also minimizing grains (the later mostly an experiment). We are continuously looking at our diets and searching for optimal nutrition. I imagine we all fit somewhere on that spectrum so this week I wanted to share a couple of cookbooks from our shelf that might pique your interest.
The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman
In a word - he gets it (and really I would almost be surprised if Mark Bittman is a stranger to of our dear members.) What qualifies as it? Well, no refined sugar, processed junk, factory produced meat etc. The focus is on high quality, fresh food with meat treated almost as a side note or accent instead of the main feature, tons of veg, whole grains and legumes.
See here for some of his recipes such as Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw, Vegetable Pancakes and Tomato Cobbler.
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
This book is on the reading list of all non-vegetarian farm apprentices. This book may appear a little radical and meat centric to some but the overall principal is actually not that different from Mark Bittman's, I'd say. The focus here is on the health aspects of traditional meats, fermented vegetables, fermented dairy products (yogurt, kefir, cultured butter), and soaked whole grains. Quality reigns supreme here as well as nutrient density - bone broths, non-homogizined and raw milk, that sort of thing. Worth checking out for sure. And this may even send you down the very interesting path to find out more about Dr. Weston Price and the Weston Price Foundation. Alas, I've lent out my copy and don't have it on hand to share recipes but you can find loads of recipes from the Nourishing Cook, a woman who is cooking all the recipes a la Julie & Julia. Here are recipes for Swiss Chard and for Green Beans with Bacon and Carmelized Onions
There are a couple other great recipes this month from Bon Appetit:
Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw
Charred Green Beans with Harissa and Almonds
The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman
In a word - he gets it (and really I would almost be surprised if Mark Bittman is a stranger to of our dear members.) What qualifies as it? Well, no refined sugar, processed junk, factory produced meat etc. The focus is on high quality, fresh food with meat treated almost as a side note or accent instead of the main feature, tons of veg, whole grains and legumes.
See here for some of his recipes such as Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw, Vegetable Pancakes and Tomato Cobbler.
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
This book is on the reading list of all non-vegetarian farm apprentices. This book may appear a little radical and meat centric to some but the overall principal is actually not that different from Mark Bittman's, I'd say. The focus here is on the health aspects of traditional meats, fermented vegetables, fermented dairy products (yogurt, kefir, cultured butter), and soaked whole grains. Quality reigns supreme here as well as nutrient density - bone broths, non-homogizined and raw milk, that sort of thing. Worth checking out for sure. And this may even send you down the very interesting path to find out more about Dr. Weston Price and the Weston Price Foundation. Alas, I've lent out my copy and don't have it on hand to share recipes but you can find loads of recipes from the Nourishing Cook, a woman who is cooking all the recipes a la Julie & Julia. Here are recipes for Swiss Chard and for Green Beans with Bacon and Carmelized Onions
There are a couple other great recipes this month from Bon Appetit:
Tuscan Kale Caesar Slaw
Charred Green Beans with Harissa and Almonds
Monday, July 16, 2012
Family Dinners
Ever since I saw this article a few weeks back in the NewYork Times - Putting the Squeeze on a Family Ritual about kids eating "meals" out of pouches, a little rant has been brewing and bubbling inside me. I am well aware that kids and food is tricky territory. Fights and feuds at the dinner table are no fun and are stressful for all of us. While our family is pretty lucky in that the kids get to see the food in the field and can understand the hard work it takes to produce it, we still have to go through the growing pains of learning the ins and outs of mealtimes. This is particularly true now with our three year old, Baxter. Our current challenge is teaching that there are no other options at supper than what is on the plate and that everyone is sitting down together and eating the same thing. Alas, we persevere and have faith that we'll get through this phase of age three.
So, I'll bite my tongue and skip the rant. I'll bet you'd probably have a pretty good idea of what I'd say about the importance of feeding your kids healthy unprocessed whole foods. Suffice it to say it isn't really my opinion that children should be fed out of pouches. Instead I'll refer you to this amazing book that is right on spot about the importance of family dinners. It's even called The Family Dinner; great ways to connect with your kids, one meal at a time. It is loaded with statistics, stories, recipes and fun games that will transform your family dinners. I want to include some of the recipes here, so I won't go into too much detail about the guts of the book. Written by Laurie David, producer of An Inconvenient Truth, as well as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Kirstin Uhrenholdt, who shares recipes and traditions from her native Denmark, this book also also contributions from Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, Dr. Harvey Karp, just to name a few. So basically, you should run out and get this book. In the meantime here are a few recipes to try out with your csa veg! Enjoy!
Cabbage and Noodles
This week's sweet onions and savoy cabbage are perfect for this recipe.
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus 1 teaspoon for tossing
2 large onions, sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 12-ounce package wide egg noodles
1 1/2 pound white cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pan drizzle the olive oil. Add the onions; sprinkle with brown sugar and salt. Slowly saute over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the onions are softened and golden with a few crunchy bits.
Meanwhile, start cooking the noodles by bringing a big pot of water to a boil. Salt to taste like the sea, add the pasta, stir well, and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and put aside.
When the onions are done, add the cabbage to the pan and saute for about 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. When the cabbage and onions are soft and happily married, add the apple cider vinegar just to keep life from getting boring.
Turn the heat back up to medium high, add the cooked noodles and stir until hot. Toss with butter and caraway seeds. Taste for seasonings.
Pea Nutty Noodles
for the peanut sauce
1 pound of your favorite shaped pasta
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup warm water
3 Tbps chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp white (rice or wine) vinegar
Garnishes: pick and choose as many as you please and as much as you want
chopped peanuts
diced cucumbers
diced apples
sliced scallions
limes, cut into quarters
sliced cabbage
Asian chili sauce
chopped fresh cilantro or mint
shredded carrots
Pick out the garnishes you want to serve with the noodles and chop, dice and slice them. Put them in little bowls.
Boil the pasta until it is done, drain and rinse in cold water.
Mix all the ingredients for the peanut sauce together in a big bowl with a big spoon. Taste the sauce, when it is perfect toss in the pasta and pour into a big pile on a big platter and serve with little dishes of garnishes around.
So, I'll bite my tongue and skip the rant. I'll bet you'd probably have a pretty good idea of what I'd say about the importance of feeding your kids healthy unprocessed whole foods. Suffice it to say it isn't really my opinion that children should be fed out of pouches. Instead I'll refer you to this amazing book that is right on spot about the importance of family dinners. It's even called The Family Dinner; great ways to connect with your kids, one meal at a time. It is loaded with statistics, stories, recipes and fun games that will transform your family dinners. I want to include some of the recipes here, so I won't go into too much detail about the guts of the book. Written by Laurie David, producer of An Inconvenient Truth, as well as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Kirstin Uhrenholdt, who shares recipes and traditions from her native Denmark, this book also also contributions from Michael Pollan, Mark Bittman, Dr. Harvey Karp, just to name a few. So basically, you should run out and get this book. In the meantime here are a few recipes to try out with your csa veg! Enjoy!
Cabbage and Noodles
This week's sweet onions and savoy cabbage are perfect for this recipe.
2 Tablespoons olive oil plus 1 teaspoon for tossing
2 large onions, sliced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 12-ounce package wide egg noodles
1 1/2 pound white cabbage, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large pan drizzle the olive oil. Add the onions; sprinkle with brown sugar and salt. Slowly saute over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the onions are softened and golden with a few crunchy bits.
Meanwhile, start cooking the noodles by bringing a big pot of water to a boil. Salt to taste like the sea, add the pasta, stir well, and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and put aside.
When the onions are done, add the cabbage to the pan and saute for about 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. When the cabbage and onions are soft and happily married, add the apple cider vinegar just to keep life from getting boring.
Turn the heat back up to medium high, add the cooked noodles and stir until hot. Toss with butter and caraway seeds. Taste for seasonings.
Pea Nutty Noodles
for the peanut sauce
1 pound of your favorite shaped pasta
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup warm water
3 Tbps chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp white (rice or wine) vinegar
Garnishes: pick and choose as many as you please and as much as you want
chopped peanuts
diced cucumbers
diced apples
sliced scallions
limes, cut into quarters
sliced cabbage
Asian chili sauce
chopped fresh cilantro or mint
shredded carrots
Pick out the garnishes you want to serve with the noodles and chop, dice and slice them. Put them in little bowls.
Boil the pasta until it is done, drain and rinse in cold water.
Mix all the ingredients for the peanut sauce together in a big bowl with a big spoon. Taste the sauce, when it is perfect toss in the pasta and pour into a big pile on a big platter and serve with little dishes of garnishes around.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Happy Birthday Muffins
If you're coming to this page from this week's CSA newsletter, you now that it is garlic harvesting time on the farm. The garlic harvest (as well as hummingbirds visiting our bee balm) means that it is Beatrice's birthday! Today she turns 7! Later this morning some of our friends will come over for a backyard circus and happy birthday muffins. So if you feel like you've been super healthy and been eating all your veg since the csa started here are some treats to enjoy from your csa share.
Morning Glory Muffins
from Food to Live By
Makes 16 muffins
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/14 sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 can drained crushed pineapple
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 large apple grated
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with papers or grease with butter.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bow. Add the pineapple, carrots, apple, raisins, coconut, nuts and mix.
3. Whisk eggs, oil and vanilla together and then add to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Spoon into muffin cups, filling them almost to the brim.
4. Bake until golden brown 30 - 40 mins.
Zucchini Blondies
from The Gardeners Community Cookbook
5 Tbsp butter, melted with 1 Tbsp water
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips
1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. Pour melted butter into a large mixing bow. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until blended.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl and stir to mix. Add the zucchini and nuts to the mix, making a stiff batter.
4. Spread batter into the pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. When cool enough to handle, slice into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Will keep, covered for 3 days at room temp.
Morning Glory Muffins
from Food to Live By
Makes 16 muffins
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/14 sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 can drained crushed pineapple
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 large apple grated
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with papers or grease with butter.
2. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bow. Add the pineapple, carrots, apple, raisins, coconut, nuts and mix.
3. Whisk eggs, oil and vanilla together and then add to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Spoon into muffin cups, filling them almost to the brim.
4. Bake until golden brown 30 - 40 mins.
Zucchini Blondies
from The Gardeners Community Cookbook
5 Tbsp butter, melted with 1 Tbsp water
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips
1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. Pour melted butter into a large mixing bow. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until blended.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl and stir to mix. Add the zucchini and nuts to the mix, making a stiff batter.
4. Spread batter into the pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. When cool enough to handle, slice into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Will keep, covered for 3 days at room temp.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Picnic Time
Though we don't usually take the 4th off - there is always lots of work to do and harvests to get in, we may cut the day a little bit short and have a picnic out by our swimming hole. But right now it is Sunday morning and the children are playing with paper dolls on my bed while I send out the week's farm news. I'm trying to stay in holiday mode here as much as I can so I'll just give you some links this week. Here are some great recipes for picnics:
Broccoli Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Romaine and Broccoli Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing
Beet and Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Penne with Grilled Zucchini and Mint
Thai Chinese Cabbage Slaw
So you have a favorite summer salad? Please share!
Enjoy,
Tracy
Broccoli Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Romaine and Broccoli Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing
Beet and Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Penne with Grilled Zucchini and Mint
Thai Chinese Cabbage Slaw
So you have a favorite summer salad? Please share!
Enjoy,
Tracy
Sunday, June 24, 2012
CSA Week #4
There's a real oddball coming in your share this week - kohlrabi! Kohlrabi is in the brassica family so think cabbage, broccoli, radish.... It's texture and taste is similar to the stem of broccoli or salad turnips. You can use the whole plant- greens and bulb. Greens can be used like or with kale and the bulb can be cooked with the greens or is also nice raw. Peel the tough outer layer of the bulb and trim off the greens and you're ready to go. Here are a few recipes ideas:
Kohlrabi and Snap Pea Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
Trim the stems off the peas and blanch. (Cook for a minute or two in boiling water until bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water. If you don't cool them off fast they will start to turn that yucky color green that usually comes to mind when you think of canned peas.)
Trim and peel kohlrabi. Set aside greens to use later with kale. Cut into thin semi-circles. If you have a mandoline for matchsticks or cuisinart with a grater blade, that would be nice also.
Combine with Peas and toss with a little rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil and mirin. Throw in some sesame seeds and cilantro to top it all off!
Kale and Kohlrabi
Trim the stalks off the kale and and kohlrabi leaves, chop and wash in a salad spinner.
Saute in olive oil, garlic, scallions. When kale is tender season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and chopped kalamata olives.
Pureed Kohlrabi and Mushrooms
- from Farmgirl Fare. Check out this website for lots on gardening, lots of recipes and general farmy stuff.
Chenopods and Coconut
Cheno what? I'm talking about the family of plants that includes, spinach, Swiss chard, amaranth, quinoa, the pesky weed pig weed and more... The greens in this family have high amounts of oxalic acid in them - I won't get into that much right now, perhaps in a different post, but basically have you ever noticed that kind of squeaky, astringent feeling in your mouth after eating lots of spinach? Well the way to mediate that is cooking these greens with dairy - every wonder why cream, butter and cheese go so well with spinach? At our house we've been playing around lately with coconut oil and coconut milk. My new favorite greens recipe is to saute your spinach, chard, etc (yes, even kale, mustard etc.) and add in about 1/3 cup coconut milk when almost tender. Yum. Melt in your mouth greens. Seriously.
There's a real oddball coming in your share this week - kohlrabi! Kohlrabi is in the brassica family so think cabbage, broccoli, radish.... It's texture and taste is similar to the stem of broccoli or salad turnips. You can use the whole plant- greens and bulb. Greens can be used like or with kale and the bulb can be cooked with the greens or is also nice raw. Peel the tough outer layer of the bulb and trim off the greens and you're ready to go. Here are a few recipes ideas:
Kohlrabi and Snap Pea Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette
Trim the stems off the peas and blanch. (Cook for a minute or two in boiling water until bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water. If you don't cool them off fast they will start to turn that yucky color green that usually comes to mind when you think of canned peas.)
Trim and peel kohlrabi. Set aside greens to use later with kale. Cut into thin semi-circles. If you have a mandoline for matchsticks or cuisinart with a grater blade, that would be nice also.
Combine with Peas and toss with a little rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil and mirin. Throw in some sesame seeds and cilantro to top it all off!
Kale and Kohlrabi
Trim the stalks off the kale and and kohlrabi leaves, chop and wash in a salad spinner.
Saute in olive oil, garlic, scallions. When kale is tender season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and chopped kalamata olives.
Pureed Kohlrabi and Mushrooms
- from Farmgirl Fare. Check out this website for lots on gardening, lots of recipes and general farmy stuff.
Chenopods and Coconut
Cheno what? I'm talking about the family of plants that includes, spinach, Swiss chard, amaranth, quinoa, the pesky weed pig weed and more... The greens in this family have high amounts of oxalic acid in them - I won't get into that much right now, perhaps in a different post, but basically have you ever noticed that kind of squeaky, astringent feeling in your mouth after eating lots of spinach? Well the way to mediate that is cooking these greens with dairy - every wonder why cream, butter and cheese go so well with spinach? At our house we've been playing around lately with coconut oil and coconut milk. My new favorite greens recipe is to saute your spinach, chard, etc (yes, even kale, mustard etc.) and add in about 1/3 cup coconut milk when almost tender. Yum. Melt in your mouth greens. Seriously.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
CSA Week #3
Greetings!
I want to recommend a few great cookbooks that are really fantastic for CSA members.
The first is Farmer John's Cookbook from Angelic Organics. We had this for sale at the barn a few years ago when it came out but wanted to mention in again for folks who missed it or are new to the CSA. Angelic Organics is one of the largest CSA farms in the country with more than 1,200 members.
This book has a ton of information about the veggies in your share as well as lots of notes from Farmer John and CSA members.
Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce is put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition and has just about all you need to know about handling your veggies - many submitted by CSA members. Tons of useful info.
Have a favorite cookbook? Please share in the comments!
Hands down my favorite recipe from the Farmer John's Cookbook:
Broiled Beet Slices with Maple-Teriyaki Sauce
6 medium beets scrubbed, trimmed
1/4 cup butter
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1Tbsp minces or pressed garlic - scapes, ok too
1 Tbsp finely chopped or grated ginger
1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
Preheat oven to 400. Place beets in a small roasting pan with a 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake beets until beets are easily pierced with a sharp knife - about 45 minutes.
Allow beets to cool slightly, then slip off skins with fingers under cold running water. Slice into 1/4 think rounds. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in maple syrup, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. When ingredients are thoroughly combined take off heat.
Place beets slices in a shallow baking pan and cover with sauce. Place under broiler for about 5-10 minutes.
One more thing for this week: Dandelion greens! We had this in the first week's share and I think a few folks were baffled. This red-ribbed variety of dandelion offers a crisp bitterness to dishes. Our favorite complement to dandelion greens is bacon!
Check out this recipe from Food and Wine: Dandelion Salad with Bacon and Mushrooms
I want to recommend a few great cookbooks that are really fantastic for CSA members.
The first is Farmer John's Cookbook from Angelic Organics. We had this for sale at the barn a few years ago when it came out but wanted to mention in again for folks who missed it or are new to the CSA. Angelic Organics is one of the largest CSA farms in the country with more than 1,200 members.
This book has a ton of information about the veggies in your share as well as lots of notes from Farmer John and CSA members.
Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce is put out by the Madison Area CSA Coalition and has just about all you need to know about handling your veggies - many submitted by CSA members. Tons of useful info.
Have a favorite cookbook? Please share in the comments!
Hands down my favorite recipe from the Farmer John's Cookbook:
Broiled Beet Slices with Maple-Teriyaki Sauce
6 medium beets scrubbed, trimmed
1/4 cup butter
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1Tbsp minces or pressed garlic - scapes, ok too
1 Tbsp finely chopped or grated ginger
1 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
Preheat oven to 400. Place beets in a small roasting pan with a 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake beets until beets are easily pierced with a sharp knife - about 45 minutes.
Allow beets to cool slightly, then slip off skins with fingers under cold running water. Slice into 1/4 think rounds. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in maple syrup, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. When ingredients are thoroughly combined take off heat.
Place beets slices in a shallow baking pan and cover with sauce. Place under broiler for about 5-10 minutes.
One more thing for this week: Dandelion greens! We had this in the first week's share and I think a few folks were baffled. This red-ribbed variety of dandelion offers a crisp bitterness to dishes. Our favorite complement to dandelion greens is bacon!
Check out this recipe from Food and Wine: Dandelion Salad with Bacon and Mushrooms
Sunday, June 10, 2012
CSA Harvest Week #2
Hi there,
Things were a bit rushed last week with getting the CSA started and all and throughout the past week I realized a long list of things I wished I had shared right at the beginning of the CSA. - Mostly about how to handle the share once you get it home. So let's start with what's in the share this week:
kale, head lettuce, radishes, garlic scapes, komatsuna, dill, swiss chard and salad mix
1) identify - In any given week there will tend to be some oddball crops like garlic scapes or komatsuna.
Garlic scapes (green curliques) are the flowering portion of the garlic plant. We trim these so the energy of the plant will go into the root/bulb instead of the flower. Lucky us, they are tasty too, especially when all of last season's garlic is long gone and we have another month or so until the fresh young garlic is harvested. You can chop these up and use just as you would fresh garlic. The flavor is a bit more mild but great for pesto, stir-fries, etc. You can also cut these into about 2 inch lengths and cook them almost like a green bean!
Komatsuna - think bok choy and use as you would any other kind of Asian greens. A nice saute comes to mind as the best use of this type of leafy green. With a little fresh grated ginger, your garlic scapes, a little soy sauce and you're there. Delish.
2) plan- Let me take a tiny minute to talk about meal planning. Sounds boring? Actually this can be a great boon for a busy family and actually gives you a tremendous amount of freedom. That sounds a little counter intuitive, does it? Well try it out and then see what you think. For example, this week you've got 3 types of cooking greens in the share. Fantastic if you are happy eating steamed greens etc. as a side at every meal (than this is not even close to enough greens for the week) but if you aren't used to that is a good idea to have a few standbys in your weekly menu. Where can you plug them in during the week? Stir-fry, as a side, in quiche or with eggs, in pasta. You'll see it is easy to fit them in just about anywhere. Honestly at this early stage in the season it isn't that hard to come up with ways to use up the share. We'll be getting more creative as the bounty increases.
3) clean and storage - You'll want to clean the lettuces well in a salad spinner before you eat them. Yes, you really really need a salad spinner. It will be your nest friend in the kitchen - almost as important as a good knife. We do wash the greens at the farm but this is to get the field dirt and heat off the greens. We don't want to handle tender greens any more than necessary before they get to our members. If you have the chance to do all the washing and storage right when you get the share it'll make the rest of the week a breeze. Also you can wash and take the tops off any root veggies - radishes, beets, carrots, etc. Keeping the greens on will dehydrate your roots and make them limp. Herbs- the best way to keep herbs is to stick them in a glass of water in the fridge with a plastic bag over the top. Wash when ready to use (especially basil!).
If there are seasoned CSA members who have their own tricks to handling the harvest please add them below in the comments.
Enjoy!
Tracy
Things were a bit rushed last week with getting the CSA started and all and throughout the past week I realized a long list of things I wished I had shared right at the beginning of the CSA. - Mostly about how to handle the share once you get it home. So let's start with what's in the share this week:
kale, head lettuce, radishes, garlic scapes, komatsuna, dill, swiss chard and salad mix
1) identify - In any given week there will tend to be some oddball crops like garlic scapes or komatsuna.
Garlic scapes (green curliques) are the flowering portion of the garlic plant. We trim these so the energy of the plant will go into the root/bulb instead of the flower. Lucky us, they are tasty too, especially when all of last season's garlic is long gone and we have another month or so until the fresh young garlic is harvested. You can chop these up and use just as you would fresh garlic. The flavor is a bit more mild but great for pesto, stir-fries, etc. You can also cut these into about 2 inch lengths and cook them almost like a green bean!
Komatsuna - think bok choy and use as you would any other kind of Asian greens. A nice saute comes to mind as the best use of this type of leafy green. With a little fresh grated ginger, your garlic scapes, a little soy sauce and you're there. Delish.
2) plan- Let me take a tiny minute to talk about meal planning. Sounds boring? Actually this can be a great boon for a busy family and actually gives you a tremendous amount of freedom. That sounds a little counter intuitive, does it? Well try it out and then see what you think. For example, this week you've got 3 types of cooking greens in the share. Fantastic if you are happy eating steamed greens etc. as a side at every meal (than this is not even close to enough greens for the week) but if you aren't used to that is a good idea to have a few standbys in your weekly menu. Where can you plug them in during the week? Stir-fry, as a side, in quiche or with eggs, in pasta. You'll see it is easy to fit them in just about anywhere. Honestly at this early stage in the season it isn't that hard to come up with ways to use up the share. We'll be getting more creative as the bounty increases.
3) clean and storage - You'll want to clean the lettuces well in a salad spinner before you eat them. Yes, you really really need a salad spinner. It will be your nest friend in the kitchen - almost as important as a good knife. We do wash the greens at the farm but this is to get the field dirt and heat off the greens. We don't want to handle tender greens any more than necessary before they get to our members. If you have the chance to do all the washing and storage right when you get the share it'll make the rest of the week a breeze. Also you can wash and take the tops off any root veggies - radishes, beets, carrots, etc. Keeping the greens on will dehydrate your roots and make them limp. Herbs- the best way to keep herbs is to stick them in a glass of water in the fridge with a plastic bag over the top. Wash when ready to use (especially basil!).
If there are seasoned CSA members who have their own tricks to handling the harvest please add them below in the comments.
Enjoy!
Tracy
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Welcome!
Hi there and welcome to our new recipe blog from Chubby Bunny Farm, sometimes affectionately called, "the bunny".
Since this is a new addition to our cyberlife there may be a few changes in the next few weeks as we play around with it a little. Basically this is the place where we tell you what's on our dinner table and how we prepare the veg that are in the weekly CSA share. So with out further adieu, let's go!
Radish, Avocado and Orange Salad
I know this isn't exactly local for us here in the Northeast but lately we really can't get enough avocados. And honestly now that we are starting to see strawberries and rhubarb coming in (sadly we don't grow rhubarb) it is just about time to say goodbye to oranges. But this is so tasty I'm including it.
1 bunch radishes, quartered
2 avocados, diced
1 - 2 oranges, sectioned and chopped
a few garlic scapes, finely chopped
a bunch of cilantro, chopped
as many chopped scallions as you like
Throw this in a bowl and toss with lime juice and olive oil, salt and pepper. Eat this by itself, with greens, as a kind of salsa on baked fish.... Delicious!
Eggs and Greens
This is a favorite dish of ours - very delicious and great for any meal of the day.
1 bunch/bag of spinach/chard/kale etc. Cooked lightly for spinach, a little bit more for chard and still more for kale.
So you're cooking greens in what ever method you prefer - steam, saute with onions or garlic, scallions or garlic scapes... you get the picture. Then crack a few eggs on top and cover until cooked. Another option is to separately poach an egg or two and pop them on top. Grate on some cheese of your choice, hot sauce, salsa, fresh herbs or whatever you like. Personally, I'm a sucker for a fantastic chutney.
As you can see the recipes posted here are not quite exact, rather ideas that can be stepping off points for your own desires. If you need a specific skill in the kitchen or precise amounts you can use a number of great website listed under the links.
Enjoy!
Tracy
Since this is a new addition to our cyberlife there may be a few changes in the next few weeks as we play around with it a little. Basically this is the place where we tell you what's on our dinner table and how we prepare the veg that are in the weekly CSA share. So with out further adieu, let's go!
Radish, Avocado and Orange Salad
I know this isn't exactly local for us here in the Northeast but lately we really can't get enough avocados. And honestly now that we are starting to see strawberries and rhubarb coming in (sadly we don't grow rhubarb) it is just about time to say goodbye to oranges. But this is so tasty I'm including it.
1 bunch radishes, quartered
2 avocados, diced
1 - 2 oranges, sectioned and chopped
a few garlic scapes, finely chopped
a bunch of cilantro, chopped
as many chopped scallions as you like
Throw this in a bowl and toss with lime juice and olive oil, salt and pepper. Eat this by itself, with greens, as a kind of salsa on baked fish.... Delicious!
Eggs and Greens
This is a favorite dish of ours - very delicious and great for any meal of the day.
1 bunch/bag of spinach/chard/kale etc. Cooked lightly for spinach, a little bit more for chard and still more for kale.
So you're cooking greens in what ever method you prefer - steam, saute with onions or garlic, scallions or garlic scapes... you get the picture. Then crack a few eggs on top and cover until cooked. Another option is to separately poach an egg or two and pop them on top. Grate on some cheese of your choice, hot sauce, salsa, fresh herbs or whatever you like. Personally, I'm a sucker for a fantastic chutney.
As you can see the recipes posted here are not quite exact, rather ideas that can be stepping off points for your own desires. If you need a specific skill in the kitchen or precise amounts you can use a number of great website listed under the links.
Enjoy!
Tracy
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