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April 16th, 2010
In your boxes this week:
Potatoes
Maple Syrup
Egg Noodles
Eggs
Eggs
Red-Russian Kale
Baby Lettuces
Baby Spinach
Baby Spinach
Arugula
The wild swings in temperature have David worried—his fruit trees in particular are blooming way ahead of schedule, which means a late frost (and have they really predicted snow for this weekend?) could devastate his crop. That said, many of the spring crops are also ahead of schedule, which is good news for your quickly-filling produce boxes. We’re seeing the first kale of the season already, for instance: chop it coarsely and sauté it in a very hot pan with a little olive oil and garlic for about three minutes, then splash in a little white wine and sauté another minute or two before seasoning with salt and pepper and serving.
About Arugula
Arugula is a tangy mustard green, also known as Rocket, Rucola, Mediterranean Salad, or Roquette in Europe, also as Gharghir by people in the Middle East. Arugula is now popular as a gourmet salad green. It is very low in calories and is high in vitamins A and C. Its slightly bitter flavor contrasts nicely with sweeter elements in salads and soups. Toss it with a little sea salt and some excellent olive oil for a simple salad.
The wild swings in temperature have David worried—his fruit trees in particular are blooming way ahead of schedule, which means a late frost (and have they really predicted snow for this weekend?) could devastate his crop. That said, many of the spring crops are also ahead of schedule, which is good news for your quickly-filling produce boxes. We’re seeing the first kale of the season already, for instance: chop it coarsely and sauté it in a very hot pan with a little olive oil and garlic for about three minutes, then splash in a little white wine and sauté another minute or two before seasoning with salt and pepper and serving.
About Arugula
Arugula is a tangy mustard green, also known as Rocket, Rucola, Mediterranean Salad, or Roquette in Europe, also as Gharghir by people in the Middle East. Arugula is now popular as a gourmet salad green. It is very low in calories and is high in vitamins A and C. Its slightly bitter flavor contrasts nicely with sweeter elements in salads and soups. Toss it with a little sea salt and some excellent olive oil for a simple salad.
Arugula Pesto
Stir this into a soup or toss with freshly buttered pasta.
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
1-1/2 cups packed arugula, chopped
1-1/2 cups packed arugula, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Puree the garlic, arugula, and nuts together in a bowl, food processor fitted with a steel blade, or blender. Blend in the oil and cheese, forming a paste.
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Puree the garlic, arugula, and nuts together in a bowl, food processor fitted with a steel blade, or blender. Blend in the oil and cheese, forming a paste.
It’s salad season….
Caper Vinaigrette
One clove minced garlic
1 T fresh parsley
2 T lemon juice
2 T rice vinegar
2 T capers, drained
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
Combine in blender until very thoroughly mixed. Makes a tart, acidic dressing. Increasing the amount of olive oil used will change the balance. Chill and serve. Good with raw veggies. Use sparingly on baby lettuces (which will sag if over-dressed) and tame the acidity by adding a little cheese (like feta) to your salad.
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
Combine in blender until very thoroughly mixed. Makes a tart, acidic dressing. Increasing the amount of olive oil used will change the balance. Chill and serve. Good with raw veggies. Use sparingly on baby lettuces (which will sag if over-dressed) and tame the acidity by adding a little cheese (like feta) to your salad.
Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp cold water
6-8 tsp, olive oil
1/4 tsp each of salt and black pepper
Optional: 1/4 - 1/2 tsp herbs such as dill or basil
Warm vinegar and honey in a pan over medium heat until honey dissolves in vinegar. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well.
Fettucine with Levant-style Tomato Sauce, Spinach, and Manouri
In Italy, salsa pomodoro is typically redolent of fresh basil and garlic; in Greece, the tomato sauces frequently come bearing a more Asiatic hint of cinnamon and parsley, as does the sauce described below. Manouri cheese is sold at the Meadville Market House—you can substitute the Italian Ricotta salata if you cannot find Manouri.
1 pound fettucine
Optional: 1/4 - 1/2 tsp herbs such as dill or basil
Warm vinegar and honey in a pan over medium heat until honey dissolves in vinegar. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well.
Fettucine with Levant-style Tomato Sauce, Spinach, and Manouri
In Italy, salsa pomodoro is typically redolent of fresh basil and garlic; in Greece, the tomato sauces frequently come bearing a more Asiatic hint of cinnamon and parsley, as does the sauce described below. Manouri cheese is sold at the Meadville Market House—you can substitute the Italian Ricotta salata if you cannot find Manouri.
1 pound fettucine
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
6 cups fresh spinach, carefully rinsed
6 cups fresh spinach, carefully rinsed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large cloves garlic Italian parsley
Manouri cheese Salt, Pepper, and Sugar
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high. While the pan is heating, thinly slice one of the garlic cloves. Add a good drizzle of olive oil to the pan along with the garlic and sauté for about thirty seconds, then add the spinach and immediately toss so the garlic doesn’t burn. Continue tossing the spinach until it is all wilted (probably less than one minute), season with salt and pepper, and then remove the spinach from the pan and set aside.
Add a little more olive oil to the pan. Smash the remaining clove of garlic and add it to the olive oil, mashing the garlic with the back of a spoon and allowing it to flavor the oil for about one minute. Then add the can of tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes as you add them. Bring the tomatoes to a quick simmer and allow to reduce for about ten minutes, then reduce the heat to very low, add the cinnamon, a small handful of minced parsley, and season with a teaspoon of sugar and some salt and pepper to taste. Drain off any excess water from the wilted spinach, then add the spinach to the sauce and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettucine until al dente. Drain the fettucine and then add it directly into the pan with the sauce: toss well to combine. Grate the Manouri generously over each portion (it will crumble as much as it will grate, but don’t worry about that) and garnish with a little extra minced parsley.
2 large cloves garlic Italian parsley
Manouri cheese Salt, Pepper, and Sugar
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high. While the pan is heating, thinly slice one of the garlic cloves. Add a good drizzle of olive oil to the pan along with the garlic and sauté for about thirty seconds, then add the spinach and immediately toss so the garlic doesn’t burn. Continue tossing the spinach until it is all wilted (probably less than one minute), season with salt and pepper, and then remove the spinach from the pan and set aside.
Add a little more olive oil to the pan. Smash the remaining clove of garlic and add it to the olive oil, mashing the garlic with the back of a spoon and allowing it to flavor the oil for about one minute. Then add the can of tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes as you add them. Bring the tomatoes to a quick simmer and allow to reduce for about ten minutes, then reduce the heat to very low, add the cinnamon, a small handful of minced parsley, and season with a teaspoon of sugar and some salt and pepper to taste. Drain off any excess water from the wilted spinach, then add the spinach to the sauce and stir to combine.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettucine until al dente. Drain the fettucine and then add it directly into the pan with the sauce: toss well to combine. Grate the Manouri generously over each portion (it will crumble as much as it will grate, but don’t worry about that) and garnish with a little extra minced parsley.
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