May 25, 2012

In Your Boxes This Week, You'll Receive:

Eggs

Rhubarb

Green Onions

Leaf Lettuce

Spinach

Radishes

Cilantro

David reports that things are "really growing" out on the farm, thanks to the May "heat wave."  Things are "getting a little dry," he said, but a few showers in the coming days should take care of that.  He's still doing a lot of planting and is really optimistic about the growing season.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

1 recipe of your favorite pie crust
4 cups diced rhubarb                                                          

1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoon flour                                                               

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                

2 teaspoons vanilla
Sugar to sprinkle over crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide pie crust in two equal batches.

Roll the dough into a round 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface, drape it over a rolling pin, and fit it into a 10-inch pie dish. Press the dough firmly into the pan and cut off any excess with the floured rolling pin. Reserve the other dough half and refrigerate.

Pour boiling water over rhubarb and let stand about 5 minutes. Drain off water. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add beaten eggs, salt and vanilla.
Blend into drained rhubarb. Fill pie crust. Cover with a top crust. Pierce holes with fork. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.  Sprinkle top with sugar while pie is still hot. 

Rustic “Chortopita”

The Meadville Market House stocks both goat and sheep's milk feta imported from Greece by Stamoolis Bros. on the Pittsburgh strip.  The domestic feta (made from cow's milk) they sell in the grocery story is just not the same thing.

You are probably familiar with “spanakopita,” the famous Greek spinach pies made with phyllo dough.  In Greece, the more typical home-made version involves a simple dough in place of phyllo and any greens (“chorta”) available at the moment—the more pungent the better. 

The dough:  In a large bowl, put 2 cups flour.  Make a “well” in the center and into the well pour3/4 cup of very cold water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Stir the well with a fork, drawing the flour in slowly until the flour and water mixture is nicely combined (adding a little flour or water as needed), then remove to a cutting board and knead the dough until it has a smooth consistency.  You may need to flour your surface lightly to keep it from sticking.  Wrap the finished ball of dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

The filling:

4-6 cups greens**—turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, chard, spinach, etc.    Wash the greens carefully and spin or pat them dry. 

1 carrot, finely diced                                                         

5 green onions, thinly sliced

2 pieces bacon (optional) diced                                           

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. Feta cheese                                                              

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. fresh dill or cilantro, minced                                    

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook a few minutes, until some of the fat renders and it just begins to crisp.  Add the onions and carrots with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds. Now add the greens.  Toss lightly, just to coat the greens with the onion mixture, and then wilt the greens for about four minutes.  Allow to cool completely, then drain off any water that has gathered in the pan.  Stir in the feta,eggs and dill or cilantro and set aside.

Lightly oil a pie dish.  Remove the dough from the fridge, cut off a third of it and set aside.  Roll the larger piece out on a lightly floured board into a thin circle, one large enough to fit into the pie dish.  Arrange the piece in the dish, just as if you were making a pie, with the edges of the dough overlapping the edges of the dish.  Press down to remove any air bubbles, then add the filling.  Roll out the other piece of dough into a “lid” for the pie; place on top of the filling and then seal the two pieces of dough together with your fingers, making a seam along the edge.  Brush the top lightly with olive oil and puncture in a few places with a sharp knife.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until the pie begins to turn golden.  Remove from the oven and let cool at least fifteen minutes before slicing.

**If using a very bitter green (like turnip greens), it’s best to mix in another less strong green like spinach.  About 50/50 is what I’d recommend.