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.
Spinach: Most shares are receiving a bag of our baby spinach. Tender and versatile, always delicious! For eating fresh or cooked.
Basil: Packed separately this week. It is a staple in Mediterranean cooking as well as Thai, Vietnamese, and Laotian. The herb is highly aromatic, or put another way, the oils in basil are highly volatile. Thus, it is best to add the herb near the end of the cooking process so it will retain its maximum essence and flavor. Basil should be kept in a plastic bag or kept stem-down in a glass of water with plastic over the leaves, for about a week with regular water changing. Keep your basil out of extreme cold as it could damage the fragile leaves.
Sweet Peppers: Starting to trickle in... these are multi-colored sweet peppers that add a nice variety and color to your plate. Great for snacking and cooking.
Beet Bunches: These bunched gold beets were freshly harvested and have their tops on. You can eat beet greens as well as the roots. The tops are great in salads or sauteed. Gold beets are great because you can toss them in your salads without turning everything a uniform pink. Beets are great this time of year grilled in a foil pouch with other veggies, or shaved thinly over salads.
Tomatoes: We're in a tomato boom! This week you're receiving 2 pounds of red, yellow, pink, or a combination of tomatoes. Please take one bag of tomatoes with your veggie share - please be careful at pickup as mushrooms are also packed in paper bags (but labeled with a sticker).
Fava Beans: The fact that they came up so nicely this year was a neat surprise. They're a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium and iron. Once you get them home keep them cool and eat them quick. The pale green skins can be left on or removed according to preference - to remove the skins, blanch in boiling water for one minute and then rinse in cold water. Slip off the skins before finishing by boiling or steaming until tender (approx. 2 - 5 minutes). These beans are great thrown onto a salad or just eaten plain.
Romaine: This lettuce makes a great salad or adds some crunch to a sandwich. Store it in the fridge in a large plastic tub with a piece of paper towel to absorb excess moisture and condensation. If you store wet lettuce in a produce bag, it will likely only last a couple days.
Mizuna: Mizuna is a Japanese mustard green with tender, pointy-lobed leaves and a pleasant, peppery flavor. You could substitute it, chopped, in a salad calling for arugula. It adds a nice zest to a stir-fry or saute too. Store mizuna, unwashed, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer.
Featured Recipes
Moroccan Style Fava Bean Salad with Yogurt and Crunchy Bits
This recipe was recommended by Amy Skelton, from Jamie Oliver's cookbook Jamie's Dinners. It sounds refreshing and delightful on a hot day!
4 large handfuls of shelled fava beans
2 lemons
a handful of fresh mint, leaves picked
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds, bashed
a pinch of dried chilli
a handful of stale breadcrumbs
1 1/4 cup creamy live plain yogurt (or sour cream)
Shell the beans! Blanch the beans in unsalted boiling water for a couple of minutes, giving the large ones a bit longer (you can do this in two batches) - contrary to typical boiling rules, don't add salt as it toughens the skins. Drain them then lay them flat on a tray to cool down slightly. The salad works best when the beans are eaten slightly warm. If you're making it in advance, give the beans a quick flash in the microwave just before serving.
Remove the skins from the larger beans if necessary. Place in a bowl and dress with the juice of 1 lemon and three times as much extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add more lemon juice if needed - adjust to taste. Finely slice half the mint and add it to the beans while they sit and marinate for a little while.
In a shallow pan, on medium heat, fry the chopped onion, cumin seeds, and chili in a little olive oil. Stir and cook until softened. As the onions start to color, add your breadcrumbs and mix these really well into the onions. Continue to cook until the crumbs are crispy and golden, then season them to taste and put to one side. To serve, divide the yogurt or sour cream between four plates or bowls. Give the fava beans a final toss, ad the rest of the mint, and divide between the plates on top of the yogurt. Finally, sprinkle over the warm "spiced crunchy bits". Add lemon zest for a little extra zing. Serve with grilled chicken or as an antipasto.
Basil Puree
This is a great way to use your basil. The puree is very similar to pesto without the cheese and nuts. It's thinner and lighter and a great addition to grilled zucchini, roasted pepper, or green beans.
1 small clove garlic
Sea salt
1 bunch basil
1/3 cup olive oil
Pound the garlic in a mortar with 1/4 tsp salt until smooth. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the basil leaves, and leave them for just a few seconds until they're bright green, then drain immediately. In a food processor or blender, puree the drained leaves, garlic mixture, and olive oil until smooth. Season to tast. The sauce is best used immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Beet and Mizuna Salad
This is a simple yummy salad. It calls for steaming beets, but you could boil til tender, or (my favorite), cut into 1/2 to 1" pieces and broil them. And way you make it, it will be delicious. Adapted from Epicurious.com.
1 small bunch mizuna
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
Discard course stems from mizuna, then wash greens well and dry.
Whisk together vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste, and whisk in oil until emulsified. Pour half of the vinaigrette over the beets and toss well. With the remaining vinaigrette, drizzle enough over mizuna to lightly coat, and toss well. Arrange mizuna and beets on two plates. Sprinkle walnuts on top and, if desired, add goat cheese and serve.
Fava Bean Salad with Roast Garlic Vinaigrette
For the Vinaigrette
1 head garlic, 1/2 inch cut off top to reveal cloves
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3/4 cup (2 ounces) walnuts, toasted and chopped
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the Salad
1 pound shucked fresh fava beans
2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears of corn)
1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Make the vinaigrette: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle garlic with 1 teaspoon oil. Wrap in parchment, then in foil. Bake until soft, about 30 minutes. Squeeze garlic from skins. Mash until smooth.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients with 1 tablespoon of the roasted garlic and remaining 2 teaspoons oil.
Make the salad: Prepare an ice-water bath. Cook beans in a large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to ice-water bath. Let cool completely, and remove with the slotted spoon. Cook corn in same pot for 1 minute, and drain in a colander. Peel thin shells off beans.
Toss cucumber, onion, parsley, feta, beans, and corn with the vinaigrette.
Beet Caprese
beets
tomatoes
fresh mozzarella
fresh basil
olive oil
salt & pepper
Preheat the oven to 400. Wash the beets, trim the ends and wrap them individually in foil. Bake for about an hour, or until the beets are tender (a knife should face no resistance).
Cool, peel and slice the beets.
Slice the fresh mozzarella.
Combine beets with mozzarella, basil, olive oil, salt & pepper.
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