RECIPE: Sage and Honey Cornbread

A great recipe if like me you have lots of leftover sage...

 

1 cup cornmeal (preferably whole grain, medium grind)

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage plus 12 whole fresh sage leaves

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup honey

1 large egg 

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat heavy 10-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) in oven 10 minutes.

Whisk first 4 ingredients and 2 teaspoons chopped sage in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, honey, and egg in medium bowl to blend.

Remove skillet from oven; add 1/2 cup butter. Swirl until butter is melted. Pour all except 2 tablespoons butter into egg mixture. Add whole sage leaves to butter in skillet; toss to coat. Arrange leaves over bottom of skillet, spacing apart.

Add egg mixture to cornmeal mixture; stir until just combined (do not overmix; batter will be wet and runny). Pour batter over sage leaves in skillet. Bake until browned around edges and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Cool in skillet 10 minutes. Invert onto platter. If necessary, reposition sage leaves atop cornbread.

RECIPE: Fennel and Pear Salad

Ingredients:

-          2 fennel bulbs

-          2 unripe pears

-          Parmesan cheese

-          Dressing (see options below)

Trim and quarter 2 fennel bulbs; cut 2 unripe pears in half.  Use a mandoline to thinly slice everything; put in a large bowl.  Toss with dressing and add shaved Parmesan cheese.

Dressing options:

-          Option 1: Combine in a jar

o       1 cup olive oil

o       1/3 cup sherry vinegar or wine vinegar

o       1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

o       Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cover the jar and shake vigorously.  Use as needed and store in the refrigerator.

-          Option 2: Combine in a jar

o       ½ cup olive oil

o       3 tablespoons lemon juice

o       2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

-          Option 2: Use your own homemade dressing

-          Option 4: Use a store bought oil based dressing

Shares for 11/6/2012

We hope everyone stayed dry and safe last week.  See this week's shares below:

beets

leeks

lettuce

onions

carrots

broccoli

parsley

tomatoes

peppers

potato

squash

RECIPE: Pear Parsley Salad Dressing Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pear, cored and chopped (not peeled)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a blender, process pear, olive oil and water on high until smooth
2. Blend in parsley, garlic and salt
3. Serve over tossed greens

RECIPE: Cauliflower-Leek Kugel with Almond-Herb Crust

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 8 cups cauliflower florets (from 2 medium heads of cauliflower)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cups coarsely chopped leeks (white and pale green parts; from 3 large)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted matzo meal
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup almonds, toasted, chopped

Preparation

Cook cauliflower in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; transfer to large bowl and mash coarsely with potato masher.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add leek mixture to cauliflower. Mix in matzo meal. Beat eggs, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon dill, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend; stir into cauliflower mixture.

Brush 11x7-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. Spread cauliflower mixture evenly in prepared dish. Mix almonds, remaining 7 tablespoons parsley, 7 tablespoons dill, and 2 tablespoons oil in medium bowl to blend. Sprinkle evenly over kugel. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake kugel uncovered until set in center and beginning to brown on top, about 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

RECIPE: Incredibly Easy and Delicious Baked Beets

This couldn't be easier...

Ingredients:
Beets (as many as you want to make)
Olive Oil

Cut the greens and about a 1/4 inch off each beet (just enough so it can stand flat on that end). Place each beet on its own square of foil cut-end down (the foil should be big enough to pinch around the beet and completely wrap it in foil). Begin to pinch the foil around the foil but don't completely close it.

Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over each beet and into the foil pouch. Now pinch the foil completely closed. Place the foil wrapped beets directly on the rack of a 400 degree oven and cook for about 45 minutes. You may want to place a baking sheet one rack below the beets in case of a little run-off.

These beets are now PERFECT for chopping into a salad with some goat cheese! YUM!

RECIPE: Raw Beet and Parsley Salad

2 medium beets without greens
1 Cup flat leaf parsley leaves
salt, or to taste
sugar, or to taste
black pepper, to taste
extra-virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Peel beets and julienne (1/16 inch). Toss beets with parsley, salt, sugar, and pepper in a serving bowl until sugar is dissolved. Add oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle vinegar on salad and toss again. Serve immediately.

RECIPE: Question - What do I do with all that parsley?

Answer: Put it in scrambled eggs.  Just chop it up and make scrambled eggs all weekend with cheese and tons of chopped parsley, and it's great.

RECIPE: Baked Leek and Sweet Potato Gratin

Serves 8

Sautéed leeks add a milder, sweeter flavor than onions to this hearty sweet potato dish that can be served with a salad as a light main course.

• 3 medium leeks, white and light green parts chopped (6 cups)
• 1 ½ Tbs. olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
• 3 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary, divided
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (2 lb.), peeled and cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices
• ⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3 Tbs. Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbs. finely grated Romano cheese, optional

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat 10-inch round pan with cooking spray.

2. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, garlic, and 1 1/2 Tbs. rosemary; sauté 8 minutes, or until softened. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Arrange one-third sweet potato slices over bottom of prepared pan, overlapping slightly. Spread half of leek mixture on top. Arrange another one-third sweet potato slices over leeks; top with remaining leeks, followed by remaining sweet potatoes. Drizzle broth over dish. Cover pan with foil, and bake 35 minutes.

4. Stir together breadcrumbs, remaining 1 1/2 tsp. oil, remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. rosemary, and Romano cheese, if desired, in small bowl. Remove foil from gratin, and sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned and crisp. Let gratin cool slightly before cutting into 8 wedges and serving.

RECIPE: How to caramelize onions

Here's an idea for what to do with leftover onions...

1. Peel the onions and slice in half down the pole.

2. Slice crossways into thin slices.

3. Heat enough olive oil in a pan over medium heat to coat the amount of onions you are going to cook.

4. Add the onions, toss them in the oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

5. You can cook them over medium heat in the beginning as they release liquid. Stir them intermittently.

6. As they have given off most of their liquid, you need to reduce the heat to low/very low and stir more frequently.

7. Be patient and wait for them to develop a golden brown or even deeper brown color. You can taste occasionally to see if they have developed the amount of sweetness and caramelization you like.

8. If they are sticking and you are getting a lot of brown bits stuck to the pan you can deglaze with a bit of water, wine or vinegar, but I did not need to do this.

9. When they are done to your liking, portion and freeze for up to 2 months. You can portion in baggies or any other freezer safe container but another good idea is to portion into muffin tins and freeze, then put all your muffin size portions in a big ziploc bag. The quantity will be dramatically less than what you started with.

The overall idea is to cook them slowly over low heat - you are NOT trying to brown them quickly or stir fry them.

RECIPE: Vegetable Stock Recipe

Making vegetable stock is quick compared with making stock from poultry or beef bones, but it's no less flavorful. Vegetable stock only needs to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to extract the maximum flavor from vegetables. In fact, quality can actually start to diminish beyond a certain point if the vegetables are simmered for too long.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

·                        1 gallon cold water

·                        1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

·                        1 medium leek (white and green parts), rinsed and chopped

·                        1 medium rib celery, chopped

·                        1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

·                        ½ medium turnip, chopped

·                        3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

·                        2 Tbsp vegetable oil

·                        -------- For Sachet: (see note) --------

·                        1 bay leaf

·                        ½ tsp dried thyme

·                        3-4 fresh parsley stems

·                        3-4 whole black peppercorns

·                        1 whole clove

Preparation:

1.              Make a sachet d'epices by tying the thyme, peppercorns, clove, parsley stems and bay leaf into a piece of cheesecloth.

2.              In a heavy-bottomed stock pot or soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.

3.              Lower the heat, add all the vegetables and sweat, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are softened and slightly translucent. Don't brown the vegetables, though.

4.              Add the water and the sachet, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

5.              Strain, cool and refrigerate.

Makes 1 gallon of stock.

This week's shares

Shares for this week include the following:

fennel

red cabbage

celery

spinach

carrots

red onion

parsley

winter squash

tomatoes

more to come...

RECIPE: Apple Chips

Ingredients:
2 apples, sliced crosswise 1/8-inch thick, seeds removed

Directions:
Heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange apple slices on two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Flip, then continue baking until crisp, about 1 hour more. Remove and let cool completely. Chips keep, stored in an airtight container, 1 week.

RECIPE: Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze

Makes 6 servings.

2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef's knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.

2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.

3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.

RECIPE: Chickpea, Carrot & Parsley Salad

Ingredients:

19-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups of cooked chickpeas)

1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, very coarsely chopped

1 cup loosely packed shredded carrot (from about 1 large carrot)

1/2 cup sliced radishes (about 6 medium)

1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (about 4)

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. ground coriander

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese or toasted pine nuts (optional)

Cayenne pepper (optional)

 

Put 1/2 cup of the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and mash them into a coarse paste with a potato masher or large wooden spoon. Toss in the remaining chickpeas along with the parsley, carrot, radishes, and scallions. Stir to combine. 

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, coriander, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Continue whisking while adding the olive oil in a slow stream. Pour over the salad and toss gently. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. (Add cayenne pepper to taste if you want a spicier salad.) Top with the feta or pine nuts, if using, and serve immediately.

Shares for 10/2/2012

The shares for this week include the following:

onions

carrots

beets

leeks

cabbage

winter squash

potatoes

tomatoes

lettuce

radish

 

 

RECIPE: What to do with Homemade Bread Crumbs

[a tip from Ann] 

Everytime you have some leftover good bread, slice and lightly toast the leftovers in your toaster, oven or toaster oven. Real cooks recommend removing the crusts; I don't bother. (Honestly, I don't even toast it first. I just grind up the old bread.)

Pulse in food processor until the bread becomes crumbs. I store them in a ziploc bag in my freezer. These have many uses: you can saute them in a pan with a little oil and add any seasonings of your choice such as garlic, herbs, or a bit of grated cheese. Use them to top roasted vegetables (broccoli, asparagus), sauteed greens in garlic, gratins, or pasta dishes (especially good when made with garlic and parmesan and used to top pasta with pesto). You can also use them for coating meat or fish for sauteing or frying.

Being a midwestern cheapskate I had stored up bags of these in the freezer and they were driving my husband crazy. Once we knew we were moving this summer I started trying to use everything up and started putting bread crumbs on everything and now we are out! They taste great and the little bit of crunchy texture is a great complement to so many dishes.

RECIPE: Zucchini Bread

A delicious option for leftover zucchini...

Ingredients:

    1 ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour

    ½ teaspoon salt

    ½  teaspoon baking soda

    ½ teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

    1 egg

    1/3 cup expeller pressed canola oil

    1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

    2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

    ¾ cup sugar or honey

    2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    1 cup grated zucchini

    1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease 8-inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, oil, applesauce, yogurt, sugaror honey and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until well combined. Fold in zucchini and optional walnuts then transfer batter to prepared pan and bake until risen, deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes then remove bread from pan and continue cooling on rack.

RECIPE: Miso-Carrot-Sesame Dressing:

Great flavor even on a simply salad... 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup white miso

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup (packed) finely grated peeled carrot

2 tablespoons finely grated peeled ginger

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

4 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons honey

 

Preparation:

Place all ingredients plus 1/4 cup water in a resealable container. Cover and shake vigorously until well combined. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

Shares for 9/25/2012

Shares for this week include the following:

onions

scallions

escarole

spinach

lettuce

celery

parsley

tomatoes

winter squash

potatoes

 

See you at pickup!

RECIPE: Pear Butter

4 pounds Bartlett pears (unpeeled), cored, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 orange slices

1 lemon slice

4 whole cloves

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Pinch of salt

 

Combine pears, wine and lemon juice in heavy large saucepan. Cover and simmer until pears are soft, pushing unsubmerged pears into liquid occasionally, about 25 minutes. Force through food mill or coarse sieve to remove pear peel. Transfer to processor and puree.

Return puree to heavy large sauce-pan. Add remaining ingredients. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and boil gently until mixture thickens and mounds slightly on spoon stirring often, about 50 minutes.

Discard fruit slices, cloves, vanilla and cinnamon. Spoon butter into hot canning jar, filling only to 1/4 inch form top. Immediately wipe rim, using towel dipped into hot water. Place lid on jar; seal tightly. Repeat with remaining jars.

Arrange jars in large pot. Add boiling water to pot so that at least 1 inch of water covers tops of jars. Cover pot and boil rapidly 15 minutes. Remove jars from pot. Cool to room temperature. Press center of each lid. If lid stays down, jar is sealed. (If lid pops up, store butter in refrigerator.) Store in cool dry place up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.

RECIPE: Sweet Corn Soup

A great fall dish - especially if you're trying to use up fresh corn!

Ingredients:

Soup:

¼             lb. butter

2              cups minced white onion

2              cloves minced garlic

1              jalapeño, seeded and diced

1              Tbsp. ground cumin

8              cups fresh corn (cut off the cob)

¼             cup chopped cilantro leaves

3              qt. vegetable stock (see Note) or water

2              cups heavy cream

~              Juice of one lime

~              Salt and pepper to taste

 

Garnishes:

½             lime, cut into 8 wedges

~              Cilantro leaves

~              Fresh corn kernels

~              Diced red radishes

~              Finely diced jalapeño chiles

Steps:

In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat and sweat the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and cumin until tender and translucent. Add the corn and cilantro and continue cooking until tender. Add the vegetable stock or water and simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Using an immersion blender (or an ordinary blender, being careful not to spray hot soup everywhere), purée the soup and then strain it through a fine-meshed sieve. Add the lime juice to the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish each cup or bowl of soup with a squeeze of lime juice, a cilantro leaf, a teaspoon of corn kernels, and a pinch each of diced red radish and jalapeño.

 

Note:

To make an easy vegetable stock, combine a couple of carrots, a celery stalk, half an onion, the corn cobs from the cut corn, and a handful of cilantro stems in a large stock pot with 3 1/2 quarts of water. Simmer, partially covered, for 1 to 2 hours. Strain.

RECIPE: Escarole Salad

2 anchovies packed in oil, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ red onion minced

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

4 cups bite-sized pieces escarole

 

Blend first 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth.

With blender on a low speed, add olive oil in a gentle stream and blend until completely emulsified.

Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss dressing with escarole and serve immediately.

Shares for 9/18/2012

Shares for this week include:

Zucchini
Fennel
Lettuce
Spinach
Corn
Peppers
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots

Enjoy!

RECIPE: Beef and Corn Tacos With Garlicky Roasted Peppers

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 25m

Total Time: 25m

Ingredients

·                                 2 bell peppers, each cut into 8 pieces

·                                 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

·                                 2 tablespoons olive oil

·                                 kosher salt and black pepper

·                                 1 small onion, chopped

·                                 1 pound ground beef chuck

·                                 1 cup frozen corn

·                                 2 teaspoons ground ancho chili powder or standard chili powder

·                                 8 corn tortillas, warmed

·                                 cut-up avocado, grated Cheddar, salsa, and lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bell peppers and garlic with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Roast until tender, 12 to 14 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef, corn, and chili powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned, 6 to 8 minutes more.

3. Divide the beef mixture among the tortillas and top with the avocado, Cheddar, salsa, and cilantro. Serve with the bell peppers and lime wedges.


Nutritional Information

Calories 437; Fat 22g; Sat Fat 6g; Cholesterol 67mg; Sodium 491mg; Protein 25g; Carbohydrate 36g; Sugar 4g; Fiber 6g; Iron 3mg; Calcium 82mg

RECIPE: Thai Curry Vegetables

Thai Curry Vegetables

Yield 4 servings

Time 1 hour

Ingredients

One 13.5-ounce can coconut milk (do not shake can)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar
6 tablespoons Thai green curry paste, like Thai Taste, Maesri, and Thai Kitchen, none of which have shrimp or fish paste
1/2 cup diced (1/2 inch) onion
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) red bell pepper
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) zucchini or other summer squash
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) peeled sweet potato
2/3 cup sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) Asian eggplant
1 lime
8 large basil leaves, cut into thin chiffonade

Method

·                                 1. Open the can of coconut milk without shaking it. Spoon 6 tablespoons of the coconut cream from the top of the can into a medium saucepan. Pour remaining contents of can into a medium bowl, and mix well. In a medium bowl, combine vegetable stock, soy sauce, and palm or brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

·                                 2. Place saucepan of coconut cream over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Add curry paste and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until very fragrant, about 3 minutes; adjust heat as needed to prevent burning. Add onion, red pepper, zucchini, sweet potato, bamboo shoots, green beans, and eggplant. Stir until vegetables are hot, 2-3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

·                                 3. Add the soy sauce mixture and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice to taste; you may use the juice of an entire lime. Stir and mix well. Add up to 1/4 cup water if the curry seems too thick.

·                                 4. To serve, place the curry in a warm serving bowl and garnish with the basil chiffonade. If desired, serve over jasmine rice.

RECIPE: Peach Butter

    Yield: 6 pints (48 Servings)
    Prep: 5 mins 
    Cook: 60 mins
    Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients
    15 pounds peaches (pitted and quartered)
    3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
    2 teaspoons ground ginger
    1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
    1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions

    Working in batches, toss the peaches in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.

    Pour peach puree into a heavy-bottomed stock pot, and stir in spices. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 60 minutes or until thickened into a fine paste.

    Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, pour into pint-sized mason jars and refrigerate or can using the water bath method.

You can preserve this peach butter any of three ways:

Freezing: Once prepared and cooled down to room temperature, spoon the peach butter into resealable plastic freezer bags, BPA-free plastic freezer jars, or even glass mason jars (given enough head room to allow for expansion). Freezing retains more nutrients than canning, but is less cost-effective over time.

Fermentation: To ferment peach butter, cool it down to at least 100 F, stir in fresh whey or a packaged vegetable starter culture (find it here) and place it into a fermentation crock (find it here). Ferment for 3 to 5 days at room temperature and store in the refrigerator for up to 8 weeks after which it will begin to lose flavor. Fermentation of fruit butters can actually increase the content of vitamins and food enzymes, but it will create a sourer flavor. It also will take up a lot of room in your fridge.

Canning: To can the peach butter, pour it into canning jars, seal and process in a water bath. Time in the water bath will vary according to your altitude, so use a good book like the Ball Book of Canning to give you guidance. Canning results in the greatest loss of heat-sensitive vitamins; however properly canned foods like this peach butter are good for several years.

RECIPE: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos

5 fresh serrano chiles

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons coarse salt

 

Preheat broiler.

For tomatillos, remove husks and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness. If using canned tomatillos, drain and measure out 2 cups. Broil chiles, garlic, and fresh tomatillos (do not broil canned) on rack of a broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.

Peel garlic and pull off tops of chiles. Purée all ingredients in a blender.

RECIPE: Carrot Ribbon Salad

2 bunches of carrots

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

1 minced and deveined Serrano chile

1 lemon zested and juiced

1C chopped cilantro

1C toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

 

Wash carrots well. Make wide ribbons using a vegetable peeler.

Heat skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Add salt. Sauté carrots for 20 seconds. Add chiles, lemon zest and pepitas. Remove from heat and add 1Tbs lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice if needed.

Shares for 9/11/2012

Shares for this week include:

Red cabbage

Beets

Lettuce

Cilantro

Spinach

Corn

Broccoli

Hot peppers

Sweet peppers

Tomatillos

Tomatoes

Potatoes

 

Have a nice week!