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.
Arugula: Freshly harvested, field grown arugula! An early morning message from Pete while he was out harvesting extolled the beauty of arugula, so we seized the opportunity to provide you with this green, which is delicious as a salad, garnish, or sauteed. This time of year I pretty much thrive on tomato sandwiches with mayonnaise and arugula. YUM.
Tomatoes: These are red, pink, and heirloom tomatoes. Store tomatoes at room temperature.
Strawberries: There are a few main guidelines about keeping strawberries looking and tasting their best at home: keep them in the fridge unless you intend to use them within the day; don't wash them and keep the stems on until you're ready to use them; remove any that start to look sad to keep the rest of the bunch happy. I doubt you'll need these storage tips though, as you might just want to eat them right away!
Peas: there will be shelling peas in your bag! Shelling peas are about 3-5 inches long and peas can be enjoyed right out of the pod or cooked slightly. You can actually eat the pod as well but it's a bit more fibrous. We are finding our shelling peas to be incredibly deceptive to pick. We can pick 2 pods that look the same on outside and one will have nice big round peas inside and another right beside it will have small immature peas. For years we've struggled to grow peas, but this year, we did it! Please enjoy. Half of the Lean & Green Share members will get them this week, the other half will get them next week.
Garlic Scapes: We're on a garlic exploration! You've already had "green garlic," now you're getting the scapes, the tall, curly seed stalks that a garlic plant sends up at this time of year. Garlic scapes are trimmed from the garlic plants so that the plant will put energy into fattening the garlic cloves in the ground, not making seed. Garlic scapes have a nice garlic flavor, without the bite of garlic cloves. These scapes are young and tender and they may be eaten raw or cooked. You can chop and add to stir fry recipes, pasta dishes, guacamole, salsas, and vegetable dishes.
Napa Cabbage: Napa is crisp and sweeter than regular green cabbage. It is delicious raw or cooked, and can be substituted for regular cabbage in most recipes. A head of Napa Cabbage in the fridge lends itself to a wide variety of meal options, from salads and slaws, to sandwich greens, stir fries, soup additions, and more. Nearly all of the head can be used, just not the tough center core. If your Napa sits a while in the fridge and some leaves are limp, you can refresh it with a good soak in cold water. Napa cabbage should be stored unwashed in your crisper drawer, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag.
Radicchio: A member of the Chicories family along with endive and escarole, radicchio resembles a small red lettuce. You can chop radicchio and add it to your salad for some color and extra flavor. It is also quite good brushed with olive oil before tossing on the grill. Try adding some to risotto. Keep unwashed radicchio in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer for up to a week.
Pac Choi is a member of the brassicas family along with cabbage and kale that originated in China, where it has been grown for over 1500 years. As part of the cabbage family, it packs in nutrition with high scores for vitamins A and C and calcium. Pac Choi is mild enough to be chopped up for a salad, particularly if you give it a quick wilt in a hot pan. It's also great in stir-fries and sautes and in asian soups (and other soups too). Pac Choi has a mild flavor - the leaves taste similar to Swiss chard and the stems (called ribs) are deliciously crispy and can be substituted for celery in recipes. My favorite way to cook it is to halve or quarter it lengthwise (depending on the size), brush it with olive or sunflower oil and throw it on the grill. Prepared this way, it makes an excellent and easy side. Store pac choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer.
Collard Greens are a form of kale and cabbage, with a sturdier and thicker leaf than kale or cabbage. They are probably best known in America as being part of the American South cuisine, but similar varieties are also popular in the Mediterranean, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. There are a few ways of cooking them, most commonly boiled until tender with some pork product. You can cook them slow and long or simmered in broth for 15 - 30 minutes until the texture is medium firm, like sauteed cabbage. Thinly sliced leaves can be cooked briefly, for a greener flavor and chewier texture. You can also mix them with other leaves (try your kale!) for a more complex taste. You can also blanch the leaves and use them as a wrapper (like grape leaves) or use them as a stuffing. The stalks are tough; discard and only use the leaves. Keep collards very cold. Wrap in a ventilated plastic and use fairly soon - they don't last as long as a cabbage.
Using your Share Tips: I always find it helpful to see what's in my share and think about how quickly I have to use what's in it. Unopened, the bagged greens will last a few days. I usually save those, starting with my bunched greens first. Something like the scapes can be sprinkled throughout your weekly cooking (at breakfast, in eggs; at lunch, on a salad; at dinner, cooked into your main course of veggie side). The fingerling potatoes will have a shorter shelf life, so plan to use them within 10 days. They would make a nice base for a potato salad with celery, peas, and scapes for the weekend. Fancy share members may enjoy a late week stir fry with Napa, pac choi, and cilantro. The scapes and radicchio could be grilled. The cukes will last a few days in your fridge, or try making a nice cucumber/tomato salad lightly dressed in vinegar and olive oil.
Featured Recipes
Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic Glaze
This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." It would be delicious sprinkled with some blue cheese.
1 lb Radicchio, cored and quartered
1 TB sunflower oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TB honey
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your grill to a moderately high heat. Brush the radicchio with the oil, taking care to keep the wedges in tact. Stir the honey into the vinegar and set aside. Place the radicchio wedges on the grill, cut sides down. Grill for a minute or two, then turn and brush (or drizzle) with the vinegar mixture. Cook until just starting to crisp and char around the edges, another couple of minutes. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with blue cheese, if desired.
Grilled Garlic Scapes
Garlic Scapes
1 Tbsp olive oil
⅛ tsp salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
Wind scapes into flat spirals, which you then place on your skewers while maintaining the flat shape of the spiral. The fact that garlic scapes have a natural curl make this process a little easier.
Once skewered, brush the garlic scapes with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over direct medium heat for 8-10 minutes with the lid closed as much as possible, turning once or twice, until they begin to turn golden-brown. Remove from the grill and set aside.
Collard Greens with Bacon
A classic recipe
2 bunches collard greens, stemmed
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
Working in batches, stack greens; cut crosswise into 2-inch-thick strips. Gather strips; cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water; swish to remove grit. Transfer greens to a colander using a slotted spoon; let drain. Repeat until greens are free of grit.
Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bacon; cook until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add greens; cook, stirring, until greens begin to wilt and are reduced in volume.
Raise heat to high; add vinegar. Cook, scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet, until vinegar has evaporated, about 1 minute.
Add stock; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, until greens are just tender, 12 to 14 minutes. If making ahead, refrigerate, covered; reheat over low heat.
Stuffed Collard Greens
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup spelt
1 pound collard greens
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, or 1 can (15 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Regular
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
Pulse tomatoes with juices in a food processor until chopped. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Let cool.
Stir spelt into a saucepan of salted boiling water. Reduce to a steady simmer; cook, uncovered, until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Meanwhile, add collard greens in batches to a pot of salted boiling water and cook until bright green and tender, about 3 minutes. Remove with tongs and let cool. Trim off stems and thick ribs. Reserve 12 large leaves; chop any remaining leaves.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coarsely mash beans in a bowl. Add cooked spelt, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, cheese, sage, and any chopped collards. Stir to combine. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
Working with one collard leaf at a time, arrange 1/4 cup filling in center. Fold stem end over filling. Fold in sides. Roll collard over to form a bundle, overlapping ends to seal. Transfer, seam-side down, to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Spread sauce evenly over stuffed collards. Cover with parchment, then foil; bake until sauce is bubbling and collards are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Roasted Tomato and Arugula Salad
Epicurious November 2008 by Andrew Friedman
1 cup olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 lb tomatoes, in sections lengthwise lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 cups (loosely packed) arugula
Preheat oven to 250°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In large bowl, stir together olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip tomato halves into oil, shake off excess, and arrange on baking sheet, cut sides down. Roast until skins are wrinkled and beginning to brown, about 2 hours. (Tomatoes can be roasted ahead and refrigerated, covered, up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.)
In large bowl, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, vinegar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add arugula and tomatoes and toss to coat.
Simple Roasted Kohlrabi
2-4 kohlrabi - outer skin trimmed to white bulb, and cut into 1/4 " thick strips
1 TB olive oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450. Toss kohlrabi with olive oild, salt & pepper on a baking sheet. Bake until browned 15-20 mins. Works just as well tossed with oil and placed in tin foil and placed on grill.
Napa Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Carrot Slaw
Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit July 1998
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
2.5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1.5 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
1 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 Napa Cabbage chopped
2 kohlrabi peeled and cut into matchstick size strips
1 large red or yellow bell peppers, cut into matchstick-size strips
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
4 scallions, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Whisk first 7 ingredients in small bowl to blend. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before continuing.)
If you have a food processor you can use it to grate the carrots, kohlrabi and cabbage and peppers. Otherwise hand chop and mix together in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
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