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.
Red Leaf Lettuce: These heads of red leaf lettuce are beautiful! Crisp and tender, perfect for an easy dinner on a hot night. We wash them but I recommend a more thorough wash when you're ready to eat the lettuce as grit can get stuck in the heads.
Tomatoes: These are red, pink, and heirloom tomatoes. Store tomatoes at room temperature. We had planned on members getting 1 pound of tomatoes, but then we entered the heat wave and our tomatoes exploded! So each member is receiving two pounds - TWO BAGS! Please take two bags of tomatoes with your veggie share!
Fennel is crunchy and slightly sweet with the flavor of anise. It is delicious and slightly sweet served raw but is just as often served cooked on its own or in other dishes. Though most often associated with Italian cooking, it has an uncanny ability to blend with other flavors adding a light and fresh note. It is delightful in many dishes, and in soups and stews and sauces. Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which closely superimposed stalks are arranged. The stalks are topped with feathery green leaves near which flowers grow and produce fennel seeds. The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are all edible. To prepare, trim off the fronds and stalks and reserve them for garnish or seasoning. Cut off the hard bottom and slice vertically or into quarters. Or cut the bulb in half lengthwise, cut out the core, and cut into strips. Add it raw to salads or try some thinly sliced fennel on your sandwich. Top thinly sliced fennel with plain yogurt and mint leaves. Or braise, roast or saute' it. It is done when tender enough to pierce easily with a skewer.
Peas: Yellow bag members will receive either peas or beans! Lean & Green share members who did not get peas last week will receive them this week. These are shelling peas. There will be snap peas and shelling beans going out this week. You will get one or the other in your bag. How to tell the difference? The snap peas are a little flatter, the shells glossy, and the outline of the peas inside are usually clear to see. These peas are delightful to eat pod and all. The pods are less fibrous than shelling pea pods and are a nice crunchy fresh addition to salads and sautés. The shelling peas are great too, and actually you can eat those pods. They are just more fibrous. Shelling peas have the bonus of bigger peas, and these are as fresh as they come.
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.
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.
Rhubarb: The last week for this limited time crop! Please enjoy in the next few days, and peel before using - I've been enjoying strawberry rhubarb crisp for the past couple of days, with a slice of aged cheddar, cold, right from the fridge!
Celery: This is super fresh celery, not like what you'd get from California! You can use the whole plant - leaves, too. Wrap unwashed celery tightly in a plastic bag and store in the coldest part of your refrigerator. To maintain really crisp celery, store as you would basil or parsley. That is, place it upright in a glass of water in your fridge and cover loosely with a plastic bag.
Featured Recipes
Honey and Lemon Dressing
It's amazing what a little bit of honey does to this basic salad dressing!
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon good honey
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Mix everything together in a bowl and season to taste.
Tomato Fennel Salad
Here's a great recipe using your fennel.
1 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes
1 small fennel bulb
2 tbsp good olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Core the tomatoes and cut into wedges. Remove the top of the fennel (save some fronds for garnish) and slice the bulb very thinly crosswise with a knife or on a mandoline.
Toss the tomatoes and fennel in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, season to taste, and serve.
Grilled Napa Cabbage with Chinese Mustard Glaze
Feel free to reduce the amount of mustard if you don't like things too spicy. If you don't have scallions feel free to leave out.
3 tablespoons hot Chinese mustard
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon finely grated garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 small heads napa cabbage (about 2 pounds total)
1 large bunch scallions, roots trimmed (if scallions are thick, cut them in half lengthwise)
Heat grill to high. Mix together mustard, agave nectar, 1 teaspoon oil, the garlic, and basil. Cut cabbage lengthwise into quarters, leaving core intact. Brush cabbage and scallions with remaining 2 teaspoons oil.
Grill cabbage, flat side down, 3 minutes. Flip, and continue to grill until charred. Remove from grill. Add scallions to grill, and cook until partially charred, flipping halfway through cooking, about 2 minutes total.
Brush cabbage and scallions on all sides with mustard glaze. Cut scallions lengthwise into thirds. Arrange cabbage on a platter, and top with scallions.
Napa Cabbage Salad with Peanuts and Ginger
This recipe from Martha Stewart is a great way to use your napa cabbage.
2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch long), peeled and grated
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 medium napa cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper (seeds and ribs removed), thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh, cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, ginger, and oils until dressing is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, bell pepper, cilantro, and peanuts. Add dressing to taste, and toss to combine. Serve.
Comments