Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 16: Caponata

Caponata 

Caponata 

By:  Kurt Flehinger

Caponata is a flavorful sweet/salty/sour Italian equivalent to ratatouille.  And, it enables you to use so many of the vegetables in this week’s CSA box.   You can use this as a topping for fish or chicken, as a pasta sauce or as an appetizer on good crusty bread.  

The Ingredients

1 lb. eggplant (any variety), cut into roughly 1/2 - 1 inch pieces

1 large bell pepper (any color), cut into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces

1 small onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 lb. tomatoes, roughly chopped

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt

1/2 chopped olives (Castelvetrano or Kalamata)

1 tbsp. capers

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

2 tsp. sugar

fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add eggplant, bell pepper, onion and tomatoes into a large bowl.  Add 2 tbsp. olive oil and a large pinch of salt and stir vegetables coat evenly.
3. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the vegetables evenly over the pan.
4. Roast for 40 minutes (until vegetables are caramelized at the edges).
5. Transfer the roasted vegetables back into the bowl.
6. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil, the olives, capers, parsley, sugar, another large pinch of salt and a healthy grinding of fresh black pepper, and toss to combine thoroughly.
7. With either a fork or a potato masher, mash the vegetables until the eggplant is creamy but the other vegetables are still chunky.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning
9. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
10. Drizzle with a little fresh olive oil before serving.

This is a great dish for a party since you can make it the day before.  The flavors only get better the longer it sits.  Also, feel free to substitute zucchini or celery among the roasted vegetables.

Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 15: Zucchini and Turkey Meatballs

Zucchini and Turkey Meatballs

By:  Kurt Flehinger

Adding Zucchini to a traditional meatball adds moisture and, particularly for parents whose kids don’t want to eat their vegetables, a sneaky way to get them in the diet.  

The Ingredients

1 medium zucchini (roughly 8 oz.)

1 pound ground turkey

1 medium red onion

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs or textured vegetable protein

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg 

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 c. chopped parsley (for garnish)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

2 c. chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 tsp. salt 

fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grate zucchini and 1/2 of the red onion on the large holes of a box grater into a large bowl.
3. Crush or mince garlic clove and add to bowl.
4. Add the spices and mix all of the ingredients well.
5. Add the ground turkey and breadcrumbs (or textured vegetable protein) and mix just until combined.  Don’t over mix or meatballs will become tough.
6. Place bowl in refrigerator for thirty minutes to firm up.
7. Lightly grease a baking sheet.  With wet hands, form the meat mixture into meatballs that are each 2-3 tbsp.  Drizzle the meatballs with a little olive oil.
8. Roast for 15-20 minutes.  Remove the baking pan halfway through roasting and turn the meatballs.
9. While the meatballs are roasting you can prepare the gravy.
10. Mince the remaining 1/2 red onion.
11. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in large skillet over medium heat.
12. Add minced onions and cook until translucent.
13. Sprinkle flour over the onions and cook just until flour begins to tan, approximately 2 minutes.
14. Slowly add the stock and cook until the gravy thickens.
15. Remove the cooked meatballs to a serving dish and pour gravy over them.  Sprinkle with parsley.

In addition to this being a great way to add vegetables to your diet, using the textured vegetable protein instead of breadcrumbs adds an additional 14 grams of protein to the meal.

Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 14: Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho

Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho

By:  Kurt Flehinger

This is a great way to use the peak season items in our CSA boxes.  The super sweet tomatoes, shishito peppers, jalapeños and onion make for a great summer soup.  I added a cup of watermelon for just a touch of extra sweetness.  This is a great recipe to experiment with what you have around the kitchen.

The Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes 

1 cucumber, peeled

1 cup watermelon cubes

1 small white or red onion

1 large garlic clove 

4-5 shishito peppers, seeded and deveined

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and deveined

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Roughly cut all of the vegetables into similar sized chunks.

2. Place all of the cut vegetables into a blender.  Blend at high speed for a couple of minutes until completely smooth.  Scrape down the bowl half way through if necessary.  Do this in batches if your vegetables won’t all fit in your blender.

3. Turn the blender down to low speed and add a large pinch of salt and the vinegar and allow to blend for a moment.  Then slowly stream the olive oil into the blender.  The soup will become slightly glossy and will thicken like salad dressing.  

4. Strain the soup to remove and remaining solids.

5. Transfer the strained soup to a pitcher and refrigerate for 4 hours or until cold.  

6. Check and adjust the seasonings before serving.

7. Serve in bowls or glasses and garnish with a few drops of olive oil and a few chopped tomatoes, peppers or cucumber.

This is the perfect summer soup to use peak season produce.  Add extra or different peppers if you prefer a spicier soup or use more watermelon if you like it sweeter.  

Cream of the Crop Recipe Week 13: Okra with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Okra with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

by Miriam Meir

 

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef or ground lamb
2 eggs
2 slices good bread, soaked in water, squeezed dry, and crumbled
1 zucchini, peeled and finely shredded
1 yellow summer squash, peeled and finely shredded
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
Olive oil
1 large can diced tomatoes
4–5 fresh tomatoes, puréed in a food processor
About 1 lb okra, preferably small pods, trimmed (see tip)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Additional salt, to taste
Optional: fresh parsley or thyme (in the sauce and in the meatballs)

White basmati rice, for serving

Step 1.
Combine half of the chopped onion with the ground beef or lamb. Add the eggs, soaked and squeezed bread, zucchini, summer squash, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and turmeric. Mix well and set aside.

Step 2.
Heat a little olive oil in a large pot. Add the remaining chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Add the canned tomatoes and puréed fresh tomatoes and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Step 3.
Meanwhile, trim the okra carefully (see tip). Add it to the tomato sauce and season with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Step 4.
Once the sauce is hot, form the meat mixture into balls about the size of tennis balls and carefully drop them into the sauce. Cook on medium-low for about 20 minutes without disturbing, until the meatballs are cooked through and the okra is tender.

Serve with white rice.

Tip:

Cut off the tip of the okra stem just above the fine line separating the cap from the body of the pod, taking care not to cut into or expose the inside of the okra. Keeping the pods intact prevents them from becoming slimy.