Every week we'll send you snapshots of veggies in your share. You can always find more recipes and storage info on our
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Sweet Corn: How delicious is this sweet corn?! We are really spoiled this year with an absolutely stellar crop of sweet corn. Last week we had a few extra ears leftover so I cooked up a handful for our crew lunch on Thursday - it was fun to see the different ways our crew members enjoy fresh corn! I was particularly fascinated with some of our Mexican crew who cut the corn off the cob and mix it with mayonnaise. There are different methods of cooking sweet corn on the cob. I prefer the boil method (remove husks and silk, cook in salted boiling water that just barely covers the corn, just a couple of quick minutes is all it takes) but you can try grilling it in the husk or steaming it.
Beans: Please give these a little rinse before using! We don't wash them before we send them out to you as they can deteriorate quickly so you may find some dirt on them. It's a little inevitable as they come from the field to the bag! Don't let them sit in water.
Mustard Greens: At the recent Craftsbury Library book sale, I came across the cookbook Vegetarian Planet, which seemed to have some different recipes that I thought would be great for the newsletter. As I've been reading through it, I've been noting info to share, including this blurb about mustard greens: "Sliced thin, mustard greens stand up in stir-fried dishes against strong flavors such as ginger, sesame oil, and vinegar. Mustard greens have a pungency similar to that of horseradish, a relative. Unlike arugula, mustard does not lose pungency when cooked." I found that helpful on both the arugula and mustard greens fronts! I'll be sharing some tips and recipes from this cookbook over the next few weeks. There are some really different and yummy recipes I think you'll enjoy.
Tomatoes: We're still full-on with our greenhouse tomatoes! You have a mix of tomatoes this week - pink, red, heirloom (the funky colored, dark colored, oddly shaped tomatoes), and yellow varieties. Try a simple tomato salad with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime to accompany your dinner. You're receiving about a pound of tomatoes.
Cauliflower: you'll find a full head of cauliflower or a couple of smaller heads of the white variety. You can eat the whole head - any of the small leaves attached to the vegetable are delicate and cook quickly, and the stalk can be thinly sliced and served raw with a dish of sea salt for an appetizer. Cauliflower can be enjoyed steamed, sauteed, roasted, or raw. I prefer it drizzled with olive oil and roasted - tossed with blue cheese is even better! Two notes about your cauliflower: you may find some yellowing on the top. It's merely a sunburn - it's totally okay! The other note is that it may be a little dirty. We don't wash the cauliflower as that makes it deteriorate quickly. Just give it a good spritz or rinse before you prepare it.
Radicchio : A member of the Chicories family along with endive and escarole, radicchio resembles a small red lettuce. Like all the members of this family, the leaves have some bitterness. 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.
Peppers: Everyday Standard and Lean & Green shares receive mixed sweet bell peppers while Large and Fancy/Localvore shares receive Carmen peppers. These sweet peppers (which may be yellow or red) 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.
Featured Recipes
Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium onion, sliced
4 sprigs thyme
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 425°. Toss cauliflower florets on a large rimmed baking sheet with onion, thyme, garlic, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan, toss to combine, and roast until cauliflower is tender, 10-12 minutes longer.
Oven Ratatouille
This recipe looks long. But really, it's just a lot of instruction about properly roasting the various vegetables in this dish. The roasting sweetens and concentrates the flavors of them all. This is a very healthy, very tasty dish. From Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without.
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large globe eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into ¾-inch cubes (peeling unnecessary if the skin is tight and smooth)
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes (or 1 smallish heirloom or beefsteak)
6 medium-sized garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 large bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 medium zucchini (7 to 8 inches long), cut into 1-inch cubes
1½ teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
½ teaspoon each crumbled dried thyme and rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional: Small amounts of fresh herbs (basil, marjoram or oregano, rosemary, thyme, and/or parsley)
Pitted chopped olives
Arrange an oven rack in the topmost position, and another in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 1 small and 2 large baking trays with foil, and coast the foil generously with the olive oil.
Place the eggplant on one of the large trays, and toss to coat with oil. Then push it to one side, keeping it in a single layer. Arrange the tomatoes on the other half of the tray, rolling them around so they get coated with oil. Wrap the garlic cloves (still in their skins) and a half teaspoon of water tightly in a piece of foil, and place this on the corner of the same tray.
Place the whole bell peppers on the small tray.
Spread the onions and the zucchini pieces on opposite ends of the remaining large tray, and toss to coat with the oil.
Place the eggplant tray on the middle shelf of the oven, and put the small sheet with the peppers on the upper rack. After 10 minutes, use tongs to turn everything over. Repeat this turning process after another 10 minutes or so. Gently squeeze the garlic to see if it is soft. If it is, remove it from the oven; if not, continue roasting.
Place the onion-zucchini tray on the middle shelf next to the one with the eggplant, and continue roasting all for another 10 minutes. Turn the peppers and tomatoes one more time, and toss the eggplant, onions, and zucchini to help them brown evenly. Sprinkle the eggplant, onions, and zucchini evenly with the dried herbs. Once again, squeeze the garlic to see if it is soft. If so, remove it from the oven; if not, continue roasting. Roast a final 10 minutes, or until the vegetables become deep golden brown and very tender.
Transfer the eggplant, onion, and zucchini to a large bowl. Let the peppers, tomatoes, and garlic sit for a few minutes, or until comfortable to handle. Peel the peppers, then chop the tomatoes and peeled peppers roughly into 1-inch pieces and add to the eggplant mixture. Slip the roasted garlic cloves from their skins, mash with a fork, and add to the eggplant mixture.
Toss until well combined. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled – plain or topped with a sprinkling of freshly chopped herbs and/or olives.
Zucchini Pakoras with Scallion Raita
Raita
1 c. plain whole, low-fat or nonfat yogurt
4 scallions, both white and green parts, minced
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Pakoras
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 c. chickpea flour (found in many whole food stores, Middle Eastern markets, Indian food stores, and food co-ops - or where gluten free flours are available)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Large pinch cayenne (optional)
1/2 c. plain whole, low-fat, or nonfat yogurt
About 1 c. peanut, canola, or corn oil (you want a neutral oil)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 med zucchini, cut into 1/4 in diagonal slices
Make the raita - combine the yogurt, scallions, sugar, and salt. Stir well. Store up to 24 hours in a covered container in the fridge.
In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin and mustard seeds, shaking the pan, until the mustard seeds turn gray. In a bowl, combine the chickpea flour, the toasted cumin and mustard seeds, the salt, the pepper, and the cayenne. Add the yogurt and 1/3 c. water and stir well. The batter should be about the consistency of yogurt; if it seems too thick, stir in more water. (The batter can be prepared to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours.)
Heat a large skillet with 1 in of oil over medium-high heat. Add the baking soda to the batter and stir well. Drop a tiny bit of batter into the oil - if it fizzes immediately, the oil is ready. Dip one slice of zucchini in the batter to coat it evenly and place it carefully in the hot oil. Continue with more slices until the skillet is full but not crowded. Turn the pakoras over after a minute or so and cook them on the other side for another minute. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Continue this process until all the zucchini is fried.
Serve the pakoras right away with the raita.
Variation: For a fun and filling meal, sandwich a thin slice of mozzarella cheese between two slices of zucchini then coat the zucchini sandwich with batter and fry it.
Crumbled Zucchini
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 slices sandwich bread, lightly toasted, then chopped finely (crusts included)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini or 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2 in thick pieces
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
Over medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet. Add bread crumbs and half the garlic. Pan fry 2-3 mins or until crumbs become gold brown and crunchy. Transfer to plate.
Heat remaining olive oil in same skillet over medium-high heat; add zucchini. Saute 2-3 mins, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown. Add remaining garlic and cook another minute. Add bread crumbs and season with s&p. Toss and serve immediately.
Variation: Make this a dinner by adding cooked pasta, like penne, to the skillet once the zucchini is cooked.
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. Mark also suggests using the grilled radicchio in the Mediterranean Slaw recipe below. Serves 4.
1 pound 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.
Risotto con radicchio
Serves: 4‑6
1 head radicchio plus extra greens if desired
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
6‑7 cups vegetable broth
1 cup dry white wine (or red is great with the radicchio)
1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan
Wash and slice the radicchio thinly. And greens if using.
In a large non stick pan cook the onions in 3 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil until they're translucent being careful not to brown them. Add the radicchio and cook them for about 10 to 15 minutes or until they are reduced to less than half their original volume. Mixing often. Add the rice and mix well for 2 or 3 minutes so that the moisture from the radicchio is absorbed into the rice. Add the wine and continue mixing until it is absorbed.
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