With our Spring 2012 April 29th share we made a mustard greens gratin. We combined a couple eggs, some milk, cheddar cheese, nutmeg and salt in a bowl; stirred in a heaping portion of chopped mustards, and poured it in a glass dish to bake. We cut the tops off our baby carrots, added them to some sauteed leeks, lemon zest, butter, and a bit of their green tops, finely chopped, then cooked them just super-lightly. We'd say the meal was a success. When you prepare a successful meal or dish using produce from your CSA share, we'd love to hear about it! Post your recipes, comments, suggestions, etcetera, right here!
CREAMY RADISH GREENS SOUP
ReplyDeleteThis is transcribed from a yellowed Oregonian clipping. We haven't tried it yet, but it's been hanging on the fridge for awhile. We'll be harvesting bunching onions and radish greens again this season, so if you don't make it this week there will be plenty more opportunities. If you do make it this week, please let us know how it was!
makes 2 servings.
2 tbsp butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, trimmed &' sliced 1/2" thick
1 heaping tsp minced fresh ginger
1 bunch radish greens, chopped small (trim ends but include stems)
1 medium yam or sweet potato, peeled and sliced 1/2" thick
2 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup half and half
salt to taste
Heat butter in a deep pan over medium heat. Add garlic, green onions and ginger and saute for 2 minutes. Add radish greens and yam and stir to combine. Add broth and simmer covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Put soup in a blender and process for at least 30 seconds to make sure all the stems are pureed. Return to pan, add half and half, and salt to taste. Stir to combine and serve.
SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI
ReplyDeleteAn easy gnocchi; no potato ricer! This is another recipe from an Oregonian clipping that came up in conversation the other day.
makes 4 servings.
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes
1 egg yolk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 cups flour
Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Cut in half lengthwise and place cut side down on baking dish. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool. Scrape the flesh away form skins and place in a medium mixing bowl; you should have about 2 cups. Mash or beat until smooth. Add the egg yolk, salt, and nutmeg; stir until well combined. Add 1.5 cups of the flour and stir until you have a moist dough. Place half of the dough on a well-floured surface and gently fold and knead for a minute, gradually adding some of the remaining 1/2 cup of flour until you have a workable dough that is only slightly sticky. Roll the dough into a long log that is 3/4 inch thick. Cut it into 1/2 inch piece. Roll each piece against the tine of a fork to create little ridges on one side of each piece. Place pieces on a slightly floured baking sheet and continue to knead, cut, and ridge the remaining dough.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Carefully drop the gnocchi into the water and stir gently so they do not stick to the bottom. (Make sure the water does not boil or the gnocchi may fall apart. ) After 3 minutes they should begin to float to the surface. Fish one gnocchi out of water with a slotted spoon, cut it in half and bit into it. It should be firm but light and no longer gummy in the center. If they are not done yet continue to cook for 1 more minute and test again: larger gnocchi will take up to 5 minutes to cook.
ROSE-INFUSED SUGAR
ReplyDeletemakes 1 pint.
1. To prepare scented sugar, use a clean pint jar with a tight-fitting lid. Fill the jar about 1/3 full with sugar, and scatter a small handful of very fragrant rose petals over the sugar.
2. Cover petals with sugar so the jar is 2/3 full; add another small handful of flower petals and cover with sugar to fill the jar, leaving about 1/2-inch headspace.
3. Shake the jar and place on a shelf in a cool, dark place. The sugar will be ready to use in 2 to 3 weeks and will become more flavorful with age. As the sugar is used, add more plain sugar, which will take on the fragrance in the jar.
From The Herb Companion, March 2012.
TANGY SKILLET TURNIPS AND POTATOES
ReplyDeleteserves 6.
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion sliced (about 1 cup)
4 plump garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1.5 pounds white turnips, trimmed, peeled, cut in 1-inch chunks
1.5 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp chopped fresh italian parsley
Pour 2 tbsp of the oil in a big skillet, and toss in the garlic and onion. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the onion is just beginning to color. Pile all the turnip and potato chunks in the pan, sprinkle with salt, and toss everything together well for a couple of minutes. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for about 15 minutes, occasionally turning the turnips and potatoes over as they soften and start to color. Stir together the vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Push aside the vegetables to clear a space on the skillet bottom. Pour the vinegar into the hot spot, and as it sizzles, toss and turn the vegetables to moisten them. Spread the chunks in a layer filling the pan, cover, and cook for several minutes, until they've crisped on the bottom, then toss well and spread out again. Cook, covered, tossing and spreading every 4 minutes or so, until the potatoes and turnips are tender to the bite and caramelized all over, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil, toss in the chopped parsley, and serve hot.
Adapted from Lidia's Italy, by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali.
BASIC TABOULEH
ReplyDeleteadapted from the Moosewood Cookbook first edition.
1 cup dry bulghar wheat
1.5 cups boiling water
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 cup cup fresh lemon juice (about one lemon's worth)
1 heaping tsp crushed fresh garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/4 cup olive oil
lots of finely chopped parsley. lots.
other vegetables
Combine bulghar, boiling water, and salt in a bowl. Cover and let stand 15-20 minutes, or until bulghar is chewable. Add lemon juice, garlic, oil and mint, and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate 2-3 hours. Just before serving add the vegetables and mix gently. It can be mostly bulghar or mostly parsley; your call. The traditional veggies are tomato and cucumber, but try other stuff instead, like carrot and red bell pepper.
QUICK PICKLE
ReplyDeleteWorks on anything: carrots, zucchini, onions, beets, greens, green beans, snow peas, etc. Here is a basic procedure, which lends itself to the addition of herbs and garlic. One of our faves is caraway carrots-- where we quick pickle carrot sticks this way with about a tbsp of caraway seed added to the jar before the brine is poured in.
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp salt
vegetables
a jar
First, pack your jar full of vegetables. Then, bring water, salt, and vinegar up to simmering in a small saucepan. As soon as the salt has dissolved, pour the brine over the packed veggies in the jar. The goal is to have everything covered by liquid. Place a lid on the jar, and leave it to sit out at room temperature overnight. After that, refrigerate until consumed.
EASY COLLARDS
ReplyDeleteThis is how we make 'em. Easy.
chopped collards
vegetable stock
Fill a large skillet with chopped collards, stems and all, and about an inch of vegetable stock, then cover and simmer on medium heat for 30-60 minutes. Season to taste.
ROASTED POTATOES
ReplyDeleteThis recipe works on other veggies too, like summer squash. Follow the same recipe, but adjust cooking time as needed.
potatoes, washed well with skins left on
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, or to taste
extra virgin olive oil
salt
herbs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into wedges about the size and shape of an orange slice. Crush or finely chop the garlic. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes generously with olive oil, salt, garlic, and herbs. Lay them out on a baking sheet and roast until tender and caramelized-- at least 20 minutes.
SAUTEED BURDOCK ROOT
ReplyDeleteBurdock root, washed and scraped, cut into matchsticks
sake
soy sauce
sugar
sesame oil
Crap. Kaz taught us how to do this and it was amazing, but I forget the recipe exactly. Maybe in a skillet, simmer the burdock in one part sake, two parts sugar, three parts soy sauce? That's a guess. You might just want to fiddle around with these ingredients and let us know how it goes. The burdock we've been harvesting out here is so quality that, if it's allowed to shine and carry the dish, you can't go wrong.
SPAGHETTI WITH QUICK GARLIC-TOMATO SAUCE
ReplyDeleteserves six
between 1/2 and 1 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sliced garlic
between 1 and 1.5 lbs chopped fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
1 pound spaghetti
Before starting the sauce, heat the pasta cooking water--at least 6 quarts water--to a boil. Pour 1/3 cup of the olive oil into a big skillet, and set over medium-high heat. Scatter in the sliced garlic and cook 2 minutes, until lightly colored. Pour in the chopped tomatoes; sprinkle on the salt, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, maintaining a steady boil. Drop the spaghetti into the cooking water when the tomatoes are perking along. Cook until quite al dente, lift the pasta from the pot, drain briefly, and drop it onto the sauce. Toss the spaghetti and tomatoes for a minute or two, until the pasta is perfectly cooked and dressed. Turn off the heat, scatter the basil over the pasta, and drizzle on the remaining olive oil. Toss well, and serve immediately.
Adapted from Lidia's Italy, by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali.