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: A booming spinach crop this week led to a 6 am switcharoo to spinach for this week's greens!
Chioggia Beets: An Italian variety, chioggias have alternating white and pink rings of color on the inside. The outside is lighter and more pinkish than traditional red beets. They are smooth and mild tasting. To prevent chioggias from bleeding their color, roast them whole then slice crosswise to show off the beautiful rings. Roasted this way, they make a stunning addition to a salad. Roast and store cooked chioggia beets separately from your red beets to prevent the chioggias from being dyed red.
Tomatillos: A tomatillo is a Mexican fruit similar to a tomato that remains firm and green when ripe. Tomatillos grow inside lantern-shaped paper husks, which must be removed. Wash the tomatillos well to remove the sticky substance that keeps the husks in place. Because they are acidic, tomatillos are rarely used raw. Roast them to rid them of excess liquid and soften their texture. Roasted with some fresh chiles, they can be turned into a quick salsa in the blender. Tomatillos exude a lot of liquid and seeds as they roast. Scrape all the flavorful juices into the blender. Store tomatillos in their husks in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Carmen Pepper: These sweet peppers (which may be green, red, or multicolored) are a delight! The Carmen is an Italian pepper named for its bull's horn shape ('corno di toro'). These are wonderful roasted. You can freeze them whole or in slices if needed.
Eggplant: You may notice some similarities between last week's share and this week's. That's because this is the last week of our eggplants! We harvested every last one of them...
Lunchbox Peppers: These "mini" bell peppers might look hot but they're actually quite mild! Lunchbox refers to the assortment of colors - yellow, orange, and red - that you might get. All are sweet. Try stuffing them, making a relish, or adding some pizzazz to whatever dish you're making!
Featured Recipes
Roasted Eggplant and Mushrooms with Dill Sauce
1 lb mushrooms (depending on size; portobella, crimini, or oyster are best)
1 lb eggplant, skin removed, cubed
1/4 c. butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. broth (vegetable or meat)
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 c. freshly chopped dill
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a large cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Toss in the eggplant and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a few more minutes. Toss in the garlic and cayenne pepper and cook for about 1 minute.
Move the pan into the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Remove and toss. Cook for another 5 minutes if necessary.
Return pan to stove. Stir in wine and cook until all liquid has almost dissipated. Stir in broth, cream, and dill. Season if necessary. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over your favorite pasta or rice. Garnish with green onions.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
1 pint tomatillo (your shares have 1 pound)
Small onion, minced
1/2 c minced cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Hot pepper to taste, either red pepper flakes or fresh minced chile pepper
Half carmen pepper, optional, to taste
Rinse the tomatillos and roast in their jackets @ 450 for 10 or 15 minutes. They should brown but not burst open. Cool to handle & peel off the husks. Fork mash the tomatillos in a bowl then mix in all other ingredients. Taste for salt & spice.
You can also pulse all together in a food processor.
Use this salsa with any Mexican dish, enchiladas, tacos, huevos rancheros, beans & rice, etc. Also great with grilled fish, etc.
Quinoa Stuffed Carmen Peppers
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 pound ground beef (optional)
1 1/2 c quinoa, prepared (optional)
2 c cheese, 1/2 reserved for top
Carmen peppers, halved and seeded
Sour cream
Cilantro
Scallions
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange Carmen peppers in a large casserole dish. Saute onions for 3 - 5 minutes until they soften and turn translucent. Add jalapeno and saute for another 3 0 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
If using ground beef, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a tsp of oil. Place ground beef in the pan (sprinkle with any seasoning) and stir frequently, browning and breaking apart all pieces. This should take 7 - 10 minutes.
In large bowl, combine quinoa, beef, and cheese. Stuff peppers with quinoa mix and top with extra cheese. Cover with foil, bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Remove foil for last 10 minutes of baking.
Sprinkle with cilantro and scallions, serve with sour cream and tomatillo salsa.
Braised Fennel and Potatoes
In this dish the potatoes are perked up with fennel. The fennel becomes very tender and lends loads of moisture to the dish. Gourmet February 2006.
1 large fennel bulb with fronds
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices (2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb potatoes
1/2 cup water
Quarter bulb lengthwise and core, then cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cook fennel, onion, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.Meanwhile, cut potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Add potatoes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to fennel mixture and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Add water and cook, covered, stirring once, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.
Italian Cauliflower
This is best when the cauliflower is just tender, not mushy. Put a couple of sausages on the grill and toss a salad. There's dinner. Serves 4.
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
3 TB oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 TB vinegar
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes
minced Italian flat parsley
Heat oil in a wide deep skillet and saute onion until translucent. Add cauliflower and a couple tablespoons of water. Continue cooking and stirring often. When cauliflower and onion begin to brown a bit, add the vinegar. Cover and cook until vinegar cooks off. Stir in tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, pepper flakes, and parsley. Simmer covered until cauliflower is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.
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