RECIPE: Pico de Gallo

Difficulty Level: super easy

An all around great condiment that can be used as a dip for chips or tortillas, added to more diced tomatoes to create a salsa, mixed in with scrambled eggs, tossed on top of a piece of grilled meat or fish, etc.

Ingredients

equal parts diced:

white onion
cilantro (stems can be used too)
tomato (remove seeds first for a less soupy pico)
salt and lime juice to taste
diced, seeded jalepeno (for some heat, optional)

Mix!  Adjust seasonings to your personal preferences.

RECIPE: Muhammara Dipping Sauce

Difficulty Level: Easy

 

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper 
flakes or 1 small red chile

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup whole-grain bread crumbs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
, plus more to serve
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup tomato paste

2 to 3 roasted red peppers

1/2 to 1 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

to serve: torn basil

Using a hand blender or a conventional blender, puree the chile flakes, cumin, most of the walnuts, bread crumbs, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, and red peppers to a smooth, even consistency. Mix in the warm water in increments to achieve an easily spreadable consistency similar to a thick yogurt. If you¹re going to use it for dipping, you might want to leave it a touch thicker. Stir in the salt and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve topped with torn basil, the remaining walnuts, and a thick thread of olive oil.

RECIPE: Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

• 6 ears of sweet yellow corn, unhusked
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 1 cup finely grated Manchego cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest

Manchego cheese is sold at better supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 450°. Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. Discard cobs.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and sauté until heated through and light-golden in spots, 3-5 minutes. Add butter; stir until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer corn to a large wide bowl or deep platter; sprinkle jalapeño and crushed red pepper flakes over. Squeeze lime wedges over; sprinkle with cheese, chives, and lime zest.

RECIPE: Eggplant and Tomato Curry

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds (can substitute yellow)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 onion, sliced

4 Japanese (long and thin) eggplants, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped fine

1 teaspoon coriander

14 ounces canned diced tomatoes, with juice (I peeled our plum tomatoes)

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and heat about 30 seconds, until they pop.

2. Add the sliced onions, and stir occasionally over medium high heat until they are deep brown in spots (this will take a while, but makes a big difference to the taste and they won't burn if you are careful). 

3. Add the eggplant and fry until the skin is turning brown and the flesh just starts to soften. You may have to add a little more oil.

4. Add the chile, coriander, garam masala, tomatoes, and salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium low and cook until the eggplant is soft. Add a little water if it is getting too dry but it will be more solid than watery.

5. Serve with white rice. Optional: spicy Indian lime pickle, and plain full-fat Greek yogurt.

 

Submitted by Sarah Marder

RECIPE: Southern California Style Egg Bake

Difficulty Level: Intermediate 

Note: This is a medium difficulty recipe, but only because it takes a whole bunch of ingredients - but it uses several recent CSA ingredients, and I think you could easily throw in a few more -- the tomatoes, squash, and okra would all be fine to add in, or even corn instead of posole -- just don't leave out the lime, that is key! :) This makes for a fabulous hearty brunch.

Ingredients
·        1 TB oil
·        2 red onions
·        1-2 jalapenos or other small spicy peppers
·        2 red  or other sweet peppers
·        2 ears corn
·        1 TB cumin
·        1 TB dried, powdered chile de arbol
·        1 TB salt
·        1 12 oz can Mexican style spicy tomato sauce
·        1 16 oz can pozole
·        6 eggs (or 2 eggs per diner)
·        1 cup shredded cojita cheese
·        2 limes
·        2 avocados
·        2 cups fage or other greek yogurt

·        Finely chop the onions and peppers

·        Cut corn off the cobs
·        Slice Limes

Preparation

·        Heat oil in the skillet, and add onions, then peppers, with about half the salt, stirring and allowing vegetables to carmelize

·        When onions and peppers are softened, sweep veggies to the side of the skillet, and toast cumin and chile de arbol in the skillet, then mix in with onions and peppers and add corn
·        Stir for a few minutes, then add the Mexican tomato sauce
·        Stir everything together and allow to cook down
·        When close to ready to serve, squeeze limes over the mixture, taste for seasoning and add salt or cumin if needed
·        Crack the eggs over the top of the sauce, trying to place them evenly
·        Sprinkle cojita cheese over the top, place slices of avocado between eggs, and then sprinkle cilantro over everything, cover for a few minutes or until eggs are just cooked, and then serve with big dollops of fage

Submitted by Adrienne Mishkin

RECIPE: Pickled Pepper Hot Condiment

Difficulty level: Easy

Note: All I did was chop up my hot or medium peppers (while wearing disposable gloves!), cleaning out 3/4 of the seeds, then put them in a clean jar, and add in this: 

2 cups white vinegar

1 tb kosher salt

1 tb zatarains spice mix (or if you prefer, this can be skipped or replaced with another seasoning mix)

Add vinegar, salt, and spice mix to a boil, poured over peppers, close the jar, cool to room temp then refrigerate.

Put a little bit of the chopped peppers and/or the juice into sauces or with the onion and garlic at the beginning of a sautee and it gives a very nice tangy heat.

 

Submitted by Adrienne Mishkin

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: 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.

RECIPE: Tomato Salad with Chile and Lime

Ingredients:

2 pounds tomatoes

1 large mild green chile, such as poblano

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

About 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:

1. Core and halve tomatoes. Remove seeds (either scoop them out with a spoon or hold a half in your hand and squeeze out the seeds) and cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Put tomatoes in a large bowl.

2. Remove stem and seeds from chile. Finely chop chile and add to tomatoes. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, and mustard until emulsified.

4. Drizzle dressing over tomatoes and chiles and toss gently to combine. Serve at room temperature.