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!

Shares for 9/4/2012

The shares for this week include:

lettuce

arugula

broccoli

carrots

kale

scallions

cucumbers

zucchini

okra

eggplant

peppers

tomato

herb (sage)

 

Have a nice week!

RECIPE: Hot Fuzz (A more wholesome take on peach crisp)

Yield: One 9-inch crisp

Cook Time: 20 minutes

 

    INGREDIENTS

Topping

4 slices whole-wheat bread

1 cup whole-wheat panko

¼ cup turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch kosher salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


Filling

6 medium peaches--halved, pitted and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.

2. Make the topping: In a food processor, add the bread and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a medium bowl and stir in the panko, turbinado sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the melted butter, stir to moisten the crumbs and set aside.

3. Make the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice and vanilla extract.

4. Spoon the peach filling into a 9-inch round or square baking dish and cover with an even layer of the crisp topping. Bake until the peaches are tender and look juicy around the edges of the baking dish, and the topping is golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Portuguese Green Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches collard greens, center stems cut away, leaves thinly sliced

1 pound fully cooked spicy sausage (such as linguiça, andouille, or hot links), cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

5 3/4 cups low-salt chicken broth

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, diced

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft and golden, about 5 minutes.  Add collard greens and sauté until wilted, about 4 minutes.  Add sausage and sauté 5 minutes.  Add broth and potatoes. Simmer soup uncovered until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Transfer 2 cups soup (without sausage) to a food processor or a blender. Blend until smooth; return to pot of soup and bring to simmer. Mix in crushed red pepper.  Season with salt and black pepper.

RECIPE: French Peasant Beets

4 to 6 beets with greens (I like a mixture of golden and red beets)

1 bunch Swiss chard, rinsed and dried

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons white wine (Muscadet is my preference)

1/2 pound Bucheron (at room temperature), cut into 4 wedges (this is a French goat cheese available at most markets)

Crusty peasant-style bread (warmed in the oven)

1. Scrub and peel the beets. Remove the greens, wash and dry them, and chop coarsely. Set the greens aside in a large prep bowl. Slice the beets into 1/4-inch rounds.

2. Remove the ribs from the Swiss chard and coarsely chop the ribs. Toss the leaves and ribs into the bowl with the beet greens.

3. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and sauté the shallot over medium heat until softened.

4.  Add the beet rounds to the shallot-butter mixture. Toss in a pinch of salt and crack some pepper over the beets. Reduce the heat and sauté the beets, turning to ensure even cooking, until the beets are beginning to glaze and become tender, about 15 minutes.

5. Add the beet greens, chard, and chard ribs and sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the wine and cover. Cook until the greens are wilted, adding 2 tablespoons water if necessary. Allow the liquid to be mostly absorbed into the greens. Adjust the seasonings.

6. Scoop the greens and beets into a shallow bowl. Serve with a generous wedge of Bucheron and some crusty bread. Crack a little bit of pepper over the entire dish.