Every week we'll send you snapshots of veggies in your share. You can always find more recipes and storage info on our
blog and
website.
Mesclun: Mustard, kale, arugula, mizuna, and shoots for this week's mesclun! All greens are pre-washed and ready to eat. Unopened, this bag will last for at least a week or 10 days. Opened, it will start to deteriorate after a few days.
Basil: A popular herb for Italian dishes, basil is sensitive to water and cold. Your basil is INSIDEyour bag of mesclun! Try making a yummy basil dressing for your salad.
Cilantro: A member of the carrot family and related to parsley, cilantro is the leaves and stems of the coriander plant (the seeds of the same plant are the spice known as coriander). Cilantro has a very pungent odor and is widely used in Mexican, Caribbean and Asian cooking. The leaves and stems can be chopped and added to salads, soups and sauces, and can garnish many meals. I toss cilantro into any Mexican dish I am making, and love it in summer when I have tomatoes to make salsa. If you can't use all your cilantro just yet and wish to save it for a future dish, you can freeze it. Wash and gently dry your cilantro with paper towels. Then either put sprigs loosely in a plastic bag and freeze them. Or lightly chop cilantro, measure by the tablespoon into ice trays, fill remaining space in ice tray with water, and then after cubes are frozen, store in a plastic bag. You can take one out and thaw anytime you need to use it.
European Cucumber: These long, skinny cukes taste like a burst of summer. Ideally they like to be kept at about 50 degrees or they may go soft in a couple days. But you can keep them bagged and toss them in the crisper drawer; they'll keep a few days longer than that.
Tatsoi is a dark green Asian salad green that has a spoon like shape, a pleasant and sweet aroma flavor like a mild mustard flavor, similar to bok choi. Tatsoi is generally eaten raw or sauteed, but may be added to soups at the end of the cooking period. Store tatsoi in a plastic bag or container and use within several days.
Lean & Green share members are receiving some of our
black garlic. Perhaps you've seen it in the store and thought it looked too funky (and pricy) to try. This is a great opportunity! Black garlic is garlic that is "caramelized" - or browned - using a slow cooking process. It's sweet and a little tangy. We recommend keeping it in the refrigerator, but much like regular garlic, I prefer to keep mine on the counter. Try eating it as it is (peel off the skin and pop the clove directly in your mouth!) or spread it on a piece of bread. You can also use it as you would roasted garlic, as a rub on chicken or fish before roasting or mix it into dressings. If you have a favorite way to use it, please
share!
Chard: Chard is a dark leafy green with ruffled leaves and stems that may be brightly colored crimson red, orange, yellow. It's actually related to the beet, whose greens can be used like hard. Try chard on its own or in quiches and omeletes. Young and tender leaves and stems can be tossed into salads. Store wrapped loosely in plastic in the refrigerator; it will last several days. To prepare it, wash it well and tear or chop the leaves. If the stems are very thick, strip the leaves from them before proceeding so you can cook the stems a couple minutes longer. Steam, braise, and saute chard. Cook the stems longer than the leaves by starting them a minute or two earlier. Try chard in crecipes that call for beet or turnip greens or spinach.
Broccoli raab: Store broccoli raab in your refrigerator crisper unwashed, either wrapped in a wet towel or in a plastic bag. It will keep two or three days. For longer storage, blanch and freeze.
Fingerling Potatoes: The beautiful potatoes in your share this week are a mix of Laratte and Amarosa (red) fingerlings. Fingerling potatoes are a family of heritage potatoes that naturally grow much smaller than conventional potatoes. They tend to be elongated and slightly knobbly, making them very finger-like in shape. The unusual-looking, flavorful potatoes can be used just like regular potatoes in an assortment of roasted, broiled, baked, grilled, or boiled dishes. Store in a paper bag in a cool, dry place. No need to peel, just scrub clean before cooking.
Pete's Frozen Vegetables just really need a quick warm up when using. Thaw out in the fridge or on the counter or if you are in a rush submerge in warm water bath until usable. Add to dishes near the end for a quick warm up and to add flavor. Frozen peppers and rhubarb come right from the field, washed, chopped and frozen. The Roasted Reds are washed, trimmed, roasted and frozen.
Featured Recipes
Black Garlic Vinaigrette
makes about 3/4 cup
5 to 6 cloves black garlic
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until very smooth.
Celeriac Salad with Parmesan, walnuts, and parsley
An elegant no-cook starter or special light lunch packed with crunch and earthy flavours.
juice 1 lemon
½ celeriac, peeled, and cut into sixths
2 celery sticks from the inner bunch, plus celery leaves
small pack parsley, leaves picked
handful walnut halves, toasted
50g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), shaved into ribbons
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
For the dressing
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together with 1 tbsp water and some seasoning, and set aside. Tip the lemon juice into a bowl. Use a swivel blade peeler to shave thin ribbons of celeriac into the lemon juice and toss to coat.
Thinly slice the celery sticks on an angle, but keep the leaves. Toss all the ingredients, except the Parmesan, with the celeriac and season with sea salt and a little pepper. Pile the salad onto 4 plates and top with the Parmesan shavings. Drizzle with the dressing and extra olive oil before serving.
Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese
Lemon and Parmesan cheese season this simple, tasty recipe for Swiss chard on your stovetop! This basic greens recipe would also work well with your bok choi or any other leafy green.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste (optional)
Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.
Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble
You can't go wrong with a crumble to enjoy your rhubarb and strawberries! If you don't have hazelnuts feel free to substitute walnuts or skip the nuts altogether.
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
Large pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup husked hazelnuts, toasted , coarsely chopped
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (or skip if you don't have)
1 pound strawberries, hulled, halved (about 4 cups)
12 ounces rhubarb (preferably bright red), ends trimmed, stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
Combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Rub in with fingertips until mixture sticks together in clumps. Mix in oats and nuts. (This step can be done 1 day ahead; cover and chill).
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 11 x 7 x 2- inch glass baking dish. Place 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend well. Add strawberries and rhubarb to sugar in bowl; toss to coat well. Scrape fruit filling into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle oat topping evenly over filling.
Bake crumble until filling bubbles thickly and topping is crisp, about 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm crumble into bowls.
Cilantro Potato Salad
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. Serves 5-6.
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds potatoes, cooked and halved (unpeeled)
1/3 cup finely minced onions
In a bowl, stir together mayonnaise with cilantro, garlic, salt and 7 turns black pepper. Add potatoes and onions and toss to combine thoroughly; cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.
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