July 15th, 2011

This Week You'll Receive Some of the Following:

Eggs

Blueberries

Baby beets w/ greens

Zucchini

8-ball Squash

Lettuce

Swiss chard

Big bags of Basil

David reported, with slight humor in his voice, that he’s having his “worst year ever….again.” It’s very dry on the farm—there hasn’t been a single good rain in July—making it impossible for new seeds to germinate and for existing plants to continue on the path to ripeness. But he’s optimistic that things will turn around this year, as they usually do, and he’ll have a prodigious harvest. There’s certainly a lot in the pipeline: sweet corn, peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes are all on the verge of producing, and David is ready to begin planting fall crops as soon as there’s enough moisture in the soil.

Walnut, Lemon & Romano Pesto

Walnuts are much cheaper than pine nuts—and healthier. This pesto freezes well too. I fill ice cube trays with it, then transfer the frozen cubes to freezer bags so I can use it a little at a time as needed.

6 cups basil leaves

1 cup lightly toasted walnuts

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup grated Romano cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Fit a food processor with a sharp blade. Add the garlic and walnuts with a pinch of salt and pulse just until the nuts are broken up. Then add the basil leaves and the grated lemon rind along with two tablespoons of the olive oil. Run the processor on low for about a minute, so most of the basil leaves are broken down. Then add the cheese and continue running the processor while you drizzle in olive oil slowly. Add enough oil (up to a whole cup) so that the mixture begins to lift from the sides of the bowl while the blade is spinning and you’ve achieved a thick, uniform consistency. Finally, add the lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt a pepper. Pulse a few times to combine, then transfer to a bowl. Use immediately, refrigerate (to avoid discoloration, put pesto in a jar and cover with a thin layer of olive oil), or freeze.

Shrimp with Zucchini, Basil, Tomato and Feta

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined

14 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes

2 cups zucchini, cut into bit-sized pieces

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups basil leaves

4 oz. Feta cheese

1 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

½ cup dry white wine

Coarse salt and Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a deep, oven-proof skillet set over medium heat; when the oil is hot, add the zucchini along with some salt and pepper. Toss well, then allow the zucchini to sit still until one side of the squash begins to obtain a bit of color. Turn the zucchini and continue allowing to brown on the other side for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about one minute; then add the white wine and cook another minute or two while you crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add them, along with their juices, to the zucchini. Shred the basil leaves coarsely and add to the tomatoes along with a generous pinch of salt, pepper, and the crushed red pepper. Bring to a slow simmer and allow to cook for five minutes over low heat. Add the shrimp to the tomato mixture, then top with crumbled feta and transfer to the oven. Bake for fifteen minutes, or just until the shrimp are opaque and firm. Garnish with an extra drizzle of good olive oil before serving with an ample supply of toasted, crusty bread.

Roasted Baby Beets and Beet Green Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts

1 bunch baby beets with greens

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup Walnuts

3 oz. goat cheese

Red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Separate the baby beets from the bunch and trim of any roots. Rinse the stems and leaves well in a large bowl of water, then separate the leaves and set them aside. Coarsely chop the fibrous stems.

Cut the baby beets in half and place them along with the chopped stems on a square of aluminum foil; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Then seal in the foil securely and place into the oven. Roast for thirty minutes.

When the beets have roasted, remove from the foil to cool. Then assemble the rest of the salad: first, toss the raw beet leaves in a drizzle of olive oil along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange in a neat mound on a plate. Toast the walnuts slightly, then toss them with a pinch of salt; scatter them atop the dressed greens along with the roasted beets and stems. Break the goat cheese into small pieces atop the salad. To finish, sprinkle the composed salad with a little red wine vinegar (no more than one teaspoon) and a touch more olive oil. Serve immediately.

July 7, 2011

In Your Boxes This Week You'll Find Some of the Following:

Zucchini
Basil
Swiss chard
Lettuce
Peas
Blueberries
Potatoes


About Swiss chard

Swiss chard is a type of beet that is grown for its large leaf stalks and leaves. It produces no enlarged fleshy roots. It is low in calories and minerals and a good source of vitamins A and C. Chard leaves are best prepared like spinach or beet greens - cooking with only the water that clings to them following washing. A bit of garlic or nutmeg and butter enhances the flavor of chard leaves. Chard stems have a delicate flavor much like asparagus and are prepared in a similar way. Stems should be stripped of leaves, cut into conveniently sized pieces, and gently steamed in salted water until tender. Cooked and chilled stems are very good with salad dressing or mayonnaise. Leaves and stems may also be cooked together.

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Garlic & Vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Red-wine vinegar

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until just beginning to be fragrant, less than one minute. Add Swiss chard and sauté until soft, but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Dress with a splash of simple red wine vinegar right before serving.


Penne with Swiss Chard, Almonds, and Sundried Tomatoes

1 pound penne
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard, rinsed and cut into thin strips
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 T. sliced almonds, lightly toasted
3 T. olive oil, plus more for garnish
Grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a deep skillet, then add the garlic and saute until fragrant (about one minute). Add the sun-dried tomatoes and about 3 T. of the pasta water; then add the chard and cover the pot. Cook about three minutes, just until the chard begins to wilt. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper. Add the drained penne directly to the pot with the chard and tomatoes and toss until well combined. Toss in a generous amount of Parmesan cheese and an extra drizzle of good olive oil; garnish with toasted almonds and then serve immediately.





It’s zucchini season (I’m sure you’ve noticed)! Here are two good Greek preparations, both featuring mint (which is a classic pairing with squash in the Aegean): 

Kolokithakia Matista
This preparation is popular along the Aegean islands:
Samos, Chios and Mytiline

4 small potatoes
2-3 zucchini or yellow squash
4-6 T. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped fresh mint
1 small can whole peeled tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, smashed
Salt and pepper

In a non-stick skillet large enough to hold all the vegetables, heat 2 T. of the oil. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the oil. Sprinkle them with a little salt, one of the garlic cloves, and 2 T. of the mint. Cover the skillet and cook over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes.

Next, break up the tomatoes in your hands and spread half the tomatoes over the potatoes. Add another sprinkle of mint, another clove of the garlic, and a sprinkling of salt. Layer the zucchini next, again sprinkling with mint, salt and pepper, and the remaining clove of garlic and the remaining tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, cover the skillet, and cook over very low heat until the vegetables are soft and the flavors have melded together, 20-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kolokithokeftedes
Greek Zucchini Fritters

2 zucchini, coarsely grated
1 red onion, very finely chopped
2 T. fresh mint, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon basil, thinly sliced
All-purpose flour
Salt & Pepper
Oil for frying

Salt the grated zucchini generously and put in a fine sieve. Place a bowl or pan of water on top of the zucchini to weight it down. Drain for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove them from the sieve and squeeze out any remaining excess moisture by hand.

Combine zucchini, onion, basil, mint, one tsp. each salt and pepper, 1/2 cup flour, and 2 T. cold water. Stir. The finished batter should be rather thick (it should stand up when heaped on a spoon). Add more water or flour to achieve that (the initial measurements here are only basic guidelines; it will all depend on how much liquid your zucchini expel).

Heat a quarter inch canola, peanut, or olive oil in a non-stick pan. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the zucchini batter into the hot oil, pressing them down slightly to form small patties about three inches in diameter. Fry until lightly browned on each side. Remove to a paper towel and continue frying until all the zucchini mixture is gone. Serve hot or at room temperature with some squeezes of fresh lemon or some tzatziki.