Recipe: Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

by Lynsey McGarry
 

A crowd pleaser for this upcoming holiday weekend! 

This salsa is the perfect replacement or compliment to your traditional tomato based salsas.  It could be served with chips, spread over enchiladas, or tucked into a burrito. The sky's the limit!

 

Recipe

Ingredients: 1/2 pound tomatillos husked, rinsed, and quartered 1/4 small yellow onion 1/2 serrano pepper (or jalapeno)* 1-2 garlic cloves 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped 1-2 limes juiced Salt / pepper to taste *optional

 

Instructions: 1.     Remove the external husk from the tomatillos, rinse, roughly chop, and spread evenly on a roasting pan. Try to maintain a similar size across the tomatillos to ensure even cooking.  Roast in the oven for ~20 minutes or until soft and charred to your liking. 2.     Add cooled, roasted tomatillos to the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Immersion blenders also work well! 3.     Blend until you reach your desired salsa consistency (chunky vs smooth), and add any additional desired flavor adjustments (e.g. more lime/salt/spice). Store salsa in the fridge (up to ~1 week), or freeze in an air tight container (up to 3-4 months).      Tips & Tricks: Zucchini! Storage: ·  To make the bounty of zucchini last the longest this season, ensure you're keeping them dry when storing, with the stems on, and in a well ventilated paper or plastic bag in your refrigerator.  ·  You may also blanch and freeze sliced/chopped zucchini for future casseroles or pasta dishes. ·  Freezing whole zucchini is another option, but due to their high water content they are typically much softer after thawing and thus would be more ideal for inclusion in winter soups. Use it before you lose it:  ·  Bake zucchini bread and freeze individual loaves or slices until you're ready to enjoy. Best when wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in airtight containers.  ·  For a more savory, brunch friendly treat, try a zucchini and ricotta galette or zucchini/rice/cheese gratin to really wow your friends/family this long weekend!  ·  Zoodles are a great substitute for conventional wheat pastas in many tomato based recipes. ·  Shredded/grated zucchini also make great fritters; add other shredded vegetables (carrots, potatoes, or even corn) as desired.  ·  Soup is another practical option for storage in the freezer, or eaten in these last few moments of summer as a more creative take on traditional gazpacho.

Recipe: Quick and Easy Summer Caponata

 

by Judy Bloom
 

Caponata is a Sicilian version of ratatouille. It’s a flavorful sweet-sour take on eggplant stew. Caponata can be used as part of an antipasto plate, atop thin slices of a toasted baguette like bruschetta, or mixed with small pasta like orzo to create an instant pasta salad. 

Most recipes call for roasting or slow cooking the eggplant and other veggies. I prefer using a pressure cooker, or multi cooker. It makes the preparation a snap, and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. The mixture will thicken slightly upon standing, and the flavors will continue to develop with time, so make this dish ahead and enjoy it for the next day or two, if it lasts that long. Caponata is best served at room temperature.
 

Recipe

4-6 servings Ingredients: 1 large sweet onion, coarsely chopped 2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2” cubes 1- 2 summer squash, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1/2” chunks 1 pepper (green, red or yellow pepper), cut into 1/2” pieces 1 stalk of celery, sliced on the diagonal, or 1/4 C celery leaves and stems 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved  3T tomato paste 1/4 C raisins 2T capers, drained 3T oil cured pitted olives 1t cinnamon Salt and pepper   2T Olive oil 2T Balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to taste    2T coarsely chopped basil leaves 2T pignolia nuts (optional)   Directions:    1.  Heat 1T olive oil in multi cooker. Sauté onions until soft. 2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. 3. Add eggplant, squash, peppers  and celery, and cook until just softened.  4. Add tomatoes to veggies along with tomato paste, raisins, capers and olives.  5. Sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper. 6. Check the level of liquid in cooker. There should be at least 1/2” liquid from cooked veggies. Add additional water if needed. 7. Lock pressure cooker lid and bring up to pressure. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. 8. Allow pressure to release naturally. 9. Stir in 1T Balsamic vinegar and remaining 1T olive oil. 10. Add salt and pepper to taste and additional Balsamic, if needed to make flavors pop. 11. Garnish with shredded basil and pignolias, if using.

Recipe: Corn, Tomato, and Summer Squash Salad

 

by Judy Bloom

My mother was born on a small farm in Rensselaer County, NY. Corn and tomatoes are part of my DNA. Throw in some roasted summer squash, and I’m back to my roots.

Recently I’ve taken to sautéing corn kernels in a cast iron skillet with a bit of olive oil to bring out more of the sweetness. Roasted tomatoes and summer squash, fresh herbs and a simple citrus vinaigrette complete the dish. I use a toaster oven for roasting to keep the kitchen cooler during the dog days of summer.

 

Recipe

4 servings Ingredients: Salad: 2 ears of corn, remove kernels with a serrated knife. Remember to scrape the milk from cob! 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 2 small summer squash, cut into 1/2” cubes, approximately 1 1/2 C Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 1 seriously large handful of minced mixed herbs (parsley, celery leaves, chives) Feta or goat cheese (optional) Simple Citrus Vinaigrette: 1/4 C freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (zest before juicing and reserve for later) 1/3 C fruity olive oil S&P to taste

 

Directions:   1. Heat cast iron skillet and add 1T olive oil. 2. Add corn kernels and sauté quickly until corn appears charred, and the aroma is irresistible. 3. Heat oven to 400º. 4. Combine tomatoes and squash with 2T olive oil, salt and pepper. 5. Place on a roasting pan with sufficient space around veggies. 6. Roast veggies until lightly browned, and fork tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. 7. Remove from the oven, and add to a large bowl with corn. 8. Allow to cool slightly. 9. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients, add dressing and zest to still warm veggies. Mix together well.  9. Add herbs when completely cool. 10. Add some feta or other goat cheese, if using. Tips & Tricks: What to do with SUYO LONG, that unusual green question mark in our boxes this week? Suyo Long is also known as Japanese or Chinese Cucumber. Despite it's off-putting prickles, it's  quite a versatile vegetable. It's sweet and "burpless" and can be eaten raw or cooked. Try slicing it thinly, after peeling,  and marinate slices in a combination of toasted sesame oil, tamari, lemon juice, and rice wine vinegar. Finish off with black sesame seeds and minced cilantro or chives.

Recipe: Steamed Eggplant Dip (Babaganoush)

by Judy Bloom

The surprise in this week’s delivery was white eggplant. It was much too delicate to fry and smother in tomato sauce and melted cheese. And with temperatures outside in the high 80’s, the thought of using my oven was not enticing. So why not steam the beauty and finish it off as babaganoush? Unlike the traditional method of roasting or charing the eggplant on the stove, this result is not smokey. It’s a bit lighter and full of flavor from from the fresh garlic, scallions, herbs, tahini, and lemon juice.

 

Recipe

Ingredients White eggplant, 1 1/2 lbs., peeled and cut into 1” cubes 2-4 cloves of garlic (fresh garlic is a bit more mellow, so I used 4) A healthy handful (1/2 cup or so) roughly chopped celery leaves, parsley or a combo of both 1 T garlic chives, roughly chopped 2 scallions, roughly chopped white and light green parts 1/2 C tahini 1/2 C fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons, depending on size and juiciness) Directions  1.     Bring 2 C water to boil in the bottom of your steamer. 2.     Place eggplant cubes in steamer basket and set over boiling water. 3.     Cover pan and steam for about 6-8 minutes, or until eggplant is fork tender. 4.     Make sure that the water doesn’t boil out. 5.     Allow eggplant to cool slightly and then transfer to food processor.  6.     Pulse once or twice and then add herbs, chives, and scallions. Pulse until mostly smooth. 7.     Add tahini and lemon juice and continue processing until light and smooth. 8.     Transfer to serving dish, finish with crushed Aleppo peppers. 9.     Serve warm or at room temperature with sliced carrots, radishes, olives, or pita chips.

Did You Know?

It’s often said that there are male and female eggplants. That’s because eggplants are among the vegetables (really fruits)  that contain both male and female flower parts on the same plant and can therefore cross-pollinate. That means both kinds of eggplants can develop on the same plant. One has a rounded dimpled area at the blossom end, and the other has a more indented dimple. The indented dimple eggplants have more seeds and are less meaty than their rounded dimple siblings. With fewer seeds, the rounded end eggplants tend to be less bitter. So, it’s not about the difference between the sexes, it’s all about the difference in the dimples.

Recipe: Lemon Cucumber Salad

 

by Lynsey McGarry 

While they might not look like the traditional hunter green, elongated cucumbers we received in other boxes, the lemon cucumber is identical in flavor profile.  The "lemon" in the name comes from the external color, with nary a hint of citrus flavor inside.  

This simple recipe makes use of the lemon cukes we received this week in our boxes, with some alternative ingredient suggestions that may save you a trip to the store.  There are also some helpful tips included for saving the currants from this week's fruit share for future baked goods.

 

Recipe

Serves 2 as a side. Ingredients: 4-6 lemon cucumbers 1 small red onion 2 gloves garlic 1 bunch Mint 1 bunch Dill Dressing: 1 lemon juiced (+zest if desired) 1 cup plain yogurt 1 Tbsp honey 1 tsp cumin seed (ground or crushed) 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 1 dash chili powder 1 dash sumac

Instructions: 1.     Scrub off any external bumps from the lemon cucumbers, slice in half crosswise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds (to reduce watering down the dressing). Thinly slice lemon cucumbers and red onion and put in bowl for mixing.  Mince garlic, dill, and mint; combine with cucumbers in the same bowl. 2.     Measure and add dressing ingredients right on top of the vegetables and stir well to combine. 3.     Lightly salt and pepper to taste; add red pepper flakes for a kick.  Store any extra in a container in the fridge (up to ~4 days). **If you don't have yogurt on hand, labneh, sour cream, and cream cheese all work very well.  Similarly, agave or maple syrup can be used instead of honey.  This would also be great with traditional English/Persian cucumbers in future weeks. Tips and Tricks:  Currants are only available for a few short weeks of summer, so for those that received a fruit share this week, but don't know when they'll be able to use those ripe delights, don't forget you can freeze them for later!  Their bright, tart flavor would be a great addition to fall's apple pie season, tucked inside a berry tart/galette, or whipped up into a quick fruit jam. Instructions: 1.     Delicately de-stem and rinse currants under cool water to remove dirt and debris; spread out on a towel to dry. 2.     Once the currants are fully dry, measure them into freezer ziploc bags; 1-2 cup increments are typical in baked dishes.  3.     Remove the air from the bags, label them with the measurement amount, and place them in the freezer in a single layer until frozen solid. Then stack any way you like.

Tips: Not sure what to do this week with all those leaves? Look no further!

·  Celery leaves or Carrot greens can be a milder substitute for basil in your traditional pesto recipe or the herbed vinaigrette dressing/spread from a few weeks ago.  Blending both basil and celery/carrot tops together in your pesto can not only mellow out the bolder flavor that Italian Basil or Thai Basil offer, but help stretch your average recipe to double the quantity quickly without compromising flavor.

·  Lavender, while delightful on a bedside table in a cup of water, or hung for drying, its leaves and flowers can also be great in shortbread cookies, steeped in a simple syrup, ice cream, or lemon olive oil cake.  

·  Lemon balm leaves can be steeped in a pot of warm/lightly simmering water for a refreshing tea.  Drink tea warm, or keep a pitcher in your fridge (~1 week) for a cool afternoon refreshment.  For a more exciting twist, add a few sprigs of lavender to the tea as it steeps, a splash of maple syrup to taste, or in your next home cocktail blend.

·  Kale, Swiss chard, Collard greens can all be blanched (for 1-3mins in simmering water, followed by ice bath, & drained) or sautéed in bulk and frozen for use on another day.  This works best when thinly chopped, cooked, and laid on a cookie sheet during the freezing process (to prevent clumping and accelerate freezing).  Once frozen, these can be stored in a tightly sealed bag or tupperware for ~4months.  Add to wintery risottos or soups, a breakfast frittata, or sauté with garlic & onion as a side to your chosen protein.

Recipe: Cold Soba Noodle Salad

 

by Lynsey McGarry

This is the noodle you need for those unbearably balmy summer days when you may actually melt if you so much as looked at the stove. Veggie packed, and versatile enough to accommodate even the pickiest eaters, these noodles are filling on their own or as a more vibrant topping to an otherwise simple bed of salad greens.

Recipe

Serves 2 as a main; serves 4 as a side Ingredients: ~10oz soba noodles (*any long spaghetti noodle will do) 2 Yellow Squash or Zucchini (grated) 2 carrots (grated) 1 bunch sugar snap peas (thinly sliced) 1 cucumber (thinly sliced) Sauce/Dressing: 1 lime juiced (+zest if desired) 5 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil 1 splash fish sauce (*optional) 2 tsp honey (or agave / maple syrup) 1 Tbsp nut butter (*optional) 1-2 tsp pasta water 1 shallot (minced) 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (*optional) 3 cloves fresh garlic (minced) Garnish: Torn Basil or mint leaves Sliced scallions Crushed peanuts or hazelnuts (if desired) More red pepper flakes

 

Instructions: 1.     Grate yellow squash and carrots (with cheese grater or food processor + attachment), and slice sugar snap peas. Set vegetables aside in serving bowl. 2.     Cook pasta according to packaged instructions, setting aside some pasta water for sauce. Drain noodles and set on top of grated vegetables for ~5-10 minutes; heat from the pasta noodles will lightly cook the vegetables. If you prefer the vegetables to be more cooked, you can lightly sauté in a pan prior to mixing with the noodles, but this is likely unnecessary. 3.     Whisk the sauce ingredients together, in no particular order, and dress the noodles after they’ve had a chance to heat the vegetables sufficiently. 4.     If eating right away, top with the thinly slice cucumber and your selected garnishes.  If preferred cold, store in a container in the fridge (up to ~4 days).