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.
Greens: This week, yellow and purple bag shares are receiving mesclun. Orange bags are receiving either mesclun or spinach. Green shares are receiving either spinach or braising mix (it won't have lettuce in it).
Garlic: We've harvested all our garlic for the season! This garlic is slightly cured - meaning it's had some time to dry out and cure, but hasn't cured completely. If you store it in the fridge, you'll need to use it a little sooner. You can also store it on your kitchen counter, where it's likely to be drier and will help the curing process along. Fresh garlic will have a stronger, more pungent fragrance. Whichever way you choose to store it is fine.
Bunched Carrots: Bunched carrots are a tasty snack, and we're closing in on the last of them for the season! I had to do some product testing so I can verify these carrots are delicious. They're freshly harvested and washed. We're sending them with the greens on; more adventurous cooks will appreciate the opportunity for creativity with the carrot greens, which are totally edible! You can cook them/ saute them as you would any other green, but they are more bitter than most greens. They also make a nice pesto or addition to a fresh greens salad. You may also choose to just cut them off and compost them. We decided to leave them on for this week because only too soon, we'll be harvesting our carrots for storage, which means we have to trim off the greens out of necessity. It seems too soon to lose this nice pop of summer with the greens. Store carrots in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer for the longest shelf life. Here are some ideas for using carrots: eat carrots raw, add them to yogurt with mint for an Indian raita, grate them and add into banana and other quick breads or muffins, add to stir fries and fried rice dishes, make them into a soup, or turn them into pickles.
Leeks: Leeks are a member of the allium family, a type of onion. For cooking, use just the white and light green parts. A bit of investigation reveals that the light green color extends farther up the stalk on the interior of the leek. Thus, to prepare the leek, cut off the dark green sections leaf by leaf, working your way towards the center of the stalk. To clean the leek, cut it lengthwise from just above the root end all the way up through the top, making sure to keep the root end in tact. Turn the leek a quarter turn, then repeat. You'll end up with four long sections of leek still joined together at the root. Now, swish the leek around in a tub or bowl of cold water, keeping the root end higher than the stem, so that the dirt flows out the "top" of the leek. Once thoroughly rinsed, cut the leek for your recipe as desired. To store, loosely wrap unwashed leeks in a plastic bag and keep in your crisper drawer.
Poblano Peppers: Poblano peppers are nice when stuffed or charred over the grill (or, in a pinch, over a burner of a gas oven). They get a nice blackening that you scrape off before using - try sauteing with other peppers for some enchiladas. Poblanos can be hot, or they can be mild. The spiciness varies from pepper to pepper. Red poblanos in particular tend to be spicier, but these are a nice deep green. They're good for stuffing or for mixing in with other peppers. Peppers don't like extreme cold, so store in a paper bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge.
Celery: Not your conventional grocery store celery!
Fennel (half shares): crunchy and slightly sweet with the flavor of anise, fennel is delicious 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 soups and stews and sauces and is particularly at home with tomato sauce dishes. Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which closely superimposed stalks are arranged. To prepare, 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. I love a good fennel with tomatoes over pasta. Cook down the fennel and onions and then add in the tomatoes. It becomes sort of this gooey dish full of flavor. There are lots of recipes out there; try experimenting with the heavenly taste of fennel and tomatoes!
Tomatoes: After an up and down last couple of weeks of tomato harvest, this week we have a bunch of tomatoes so we're sending out two pounds!
Featured Recipes
Spicy Eggplant and Green Bean Curry
If you have coconut milk and some curry paste, here's a classic you can whip up quickly.
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon choppped peeled fresh ginger
1 eggplant, peeled, cut into 1 x 2 pieces
8 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon lime zest
1 teaspoon thai green curry paste
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped*
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped*
*The herbs are a nice addition but don't make or break the dish...
In large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 4 tablespoons oil. Add garlic and ginger, stirring 30 seconds.
Add eggplant and green beans. cook until almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Cover and cook until completely tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to bowl. In same skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil, lime peel, and curry paste; stir 15 seconds. Add coconut milk; bring to boil, whisking until smooth.
Return vegetables to skillet; saute until sauce thickens enough to coat vegetables, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Toss in onions, cilantro, and mint.
Chile Rellenos Poblanos
I’ve taken some liberties with this recipe and taken away the number of peppers, tomatoes, etc. that the official recipe calls for. Your tomato sizes and pepper sizes will all vary, so adjust the proportions according to your peppers. These are some large chiles so they will change your proportions.
Sauce:
Red tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chiles:
1 - 1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon dried oregano
Poblano chiles, charred, seeded, and deveined *see Cook's Note
1 - 3 egg whites, at room temperature
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying
Sauce: Put the tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender. Blend until smooth. In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Chile rellenos: Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Cut a slit through 1 side of the charred chiles and fill each chile with 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture. Close with toothpicks to hold the filling in place. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and continue to beat for about 1 minute.
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour in enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.) Dredge the filled chiles in flour until fully covered. Shake off any excess flour, then dip the chiles into the egg mixture, until well coated. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
Arrange the chiles on a serving platter, spoon the sauce on top and serve.
Cook's Note
To char the chiles (or any fresh chile): Put the chiles over a gas flame or underneath the broiler and cook until they are blackened on all sides. Enclose them in a plastic bag and let stand for 10 minutes to steam, which will make them easier to peel. Peel, stem, and seed the chiles. Once peeled, the chiles may be chopped, sliced or stuffed.
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.
Tomato Fennel Salad
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.
Green Beans and Tomatoes with Garlic, Cumin, and Ginger
Serves 4
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1 piece ginger (about 1 inch long), peeled, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup mild-flavored vegetable oil
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 whole dried red chile pepper (optional)
2 to 4 fresh tomatoes, stems removed, peeled, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds green beans, cut in half (about 8 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup of the stock in a blender or a food processor; process until a smooth paste forms.
2. Place a large wok (or pot) over medium heat. When the wok is hot, add the ground cumin and toast it just until it is fragrant. (This will take only a few seconds -be very careful not to overtoast it, as it can burn quickly). Immediately scrape the cumin onto a small dish and set aside.
3. Quickly wipe the wok with a damp cloth or paper towel to remove any remaining spice. Return the wok to the heat; add the oil, let it heat up for about 20 seconds and then add the whole cumin seeds. After 5 seconds, add the dried chile pepper. After another 25 seconds (30 seconds total for the seeds, with or without the chile), add the ginger-garlic paste. Cook and stir the ingredients for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and coriander. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
4. Add the green beans, salt, and the remaining stock. Stir the ingredients until they come to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low.
Comments