September 2, 2011

In your boxes this week, you'll find lots more eggplant (as well as peppers, heirloom tomatoes, and other things that help ring in harvest season). The eggplants will be coming on strong for several more weeks. In case you're running out of ideas, see below for a handful of good eggplant recipes.

Though a member of the deadly nightshade family (as are tomatoes), eggplants are healthier than you might think. Here's what WH Foods has to say:

Health Benefits

In addition to featuring a host of vitamins and minerals, eggplant also contains important phytonutrients, many which have antioxidant activity. Phytonutrients contained in eggplant include phenolic compounds, such caffeic and chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids, such as nasunin.

Brain Food

Research on eggplant has focused on an anthocyanin phytonutrient found in eggplant skin called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage. In animal studies, nasunin has been found to protect the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes. Cell membranes are almost entirely composed of lipids and are responsible for protecting the cell from free radicals, letting nutrients in and wastes out, and receiving instructions from messenger molecules that tell the cell which activities it should perform.

Recipes:

Spaghetti with Eggplant, Sausage and Fresh Tomato “Bolognese”

1 lb. spaghetti

1 medium eggplant

¾ lb. Italian sausage

3 or 4 large tomatoes

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

1 small carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

Remove the stem top from the eggplant, then slice the eggplant lengthwise into ½ slices. Salt each slice and place the slices in a colander to drain for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut the stem and hard core from each tomato and plunge them into the boiling water for one minute; then remove from the water to cool. The peels will now come off easily. Coarsely dice the peeled tomatoes and set aside.

Brown the eggplant: Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and then add 1 T. olive oil. Rinse and dry each eggplant slice then add them two at a time (being careful not to overcrowd the pan) and cook until they are lightly browned. Add a little more oil, then turn and brown the other side; remove to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. When eggplant is cool, cut slice the cooked eggplant into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the skillet again with a little more olive oil, then add the onions, carrot and celery with a dash of salt and pepper; sauté 5 minutes. Add the sausage and toss until browned. Add the diced tomatoes and the cinnamon with another dash of salt and pepper, and then cook until the sauce begins to reduce, but remains rather thick (about ten minutes). Add the eggplant to the sauce and reduce heat to low. Cook the spaghetti to al dente and toss with the sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan and some minced parsley.

Spaghetti Rigate with Roasted Peppers, Eggplants, Capers and Pecorino

Spaghetti “rigate” has little ridges to hang on to the sauce—it’s easy to find with the other pastas.

1 pound spaghetti rigate

3 cloves garlic, smashed

3 red or green bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed

1 large eggplant

4 oz. Pecorino cheese, cut into small dice (you may substitute Asiago or Romano)

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 T. capers, well-rinsed

Italian parsley

2 Tomatoes, chopped

½ cup dry white wine

Remove the top from the eggplant and cut into bite-sized cubes. Toss with a generous amount of salt and allow to drain while you roast the peppers. Using the flame of a gas burner or a charcoal grill (or your oven’s broiler, if need be), roast the peppers until the skins are blackened and cracked. Set each roasted pepper aside to cool inside a plastic bag; when cool, run the peppers under cold water and the blackened skins will pull off easily. Cut the roasted peppers into large pieces and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Rinse the eggplant of its salt and then dry the eggplant with a kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture. In a deep skillet, heat 4 T. of olive oil over high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the cubes of eggplant to the pan and toss well to coat with the oil. Let the eggplant sit, resisting the urge to mess with it, until one surface gets very nicely browned; then toss and repeat until all the eggplant pieces have good color and are quite soft (you may need to add a touch more olive oil if they begin to get too dry). Season the eggplant with a bit of salt and pepper and then set the eggplant aside. Reduce the skillet’s heat to medium, then add another drizzle of olive oil to the pan along with the garlic cloves. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, tossing constantly, being very careful not to brown or burn the garlic, then add the chopped tomato immediately to stop it from cooking. Season the tomatoes generously with salt and pepper, then add the white wine, capers, eggplant, and roasted peppers and reduce heat to low; allow the sauce to simmer very slowly while you cook the pasta.

When the pasta is just beginning to get al dente, drain it and then add the spaghetti right into the skillet with the sauce. Toss in the diced Pecorino along with a handful of chopped Italian parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Turn off the heat and toss very well to combine. Serve immediately (before the cheese has a chance to melt everything together).

Batinjan Raheb

A Lebanese Eggplant and Tomato Salad, adapted from the wonderful cookbook, Arabesque.

2 medium eggplants

Juice of ½ lemon

3 garlic cloves, crushed

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Large handful fresh parsley

4 sprigs of mint, chopped

1 small onion, finely sliced

2 large tomatoes, unpeeled, diced

Handful of fresh pomegranate seeds (beautiful, but also optional)

Prick the eggplants in a few places with a pointed knive to prevent them from exploding. Turn them slowly over the flame of the gas burner or a hot grill, until the skin is charred all over (this gives them a distinctively smoky flavor) and they feel very soft when you press them. Alternatively, place them on a sheet of foil on an oven tray and roast them in the hottest preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, until the skins are wrinkled and very soft.

When cool enough to handle, peel the eggplants and drop them into a strainer or colander. Press out as much of the water and juices as possible. Still in the colander, chop the flesh with a pointed knife, then mash it with a fork or wooden spoon, letting the juices escape through the holes.

Mix the eggplant puree with the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped parsley and mint. Spread the mixture on a large, flat serving plate. Sprinkle all over with the sliced onion, diced tomatoes, and pomegranate seeds, if using.

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

From Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors

1.5 pounds potatoes

2 large peppers

Olive oil

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1 cup cilantro leaves

3 garlic cloves

½ tsp. ground cumin

2 onions, cut into eighths

2 or 3 large eggplants, quartered lengthwise

3 tomatoes, diced

1.5 cups cook chickpeas (one 15-oz. can, rinsed)

Preheat the broiler. Bring six cups of water to a boil and add 1 tsp. salt. Slice the potatoes lengthwise about ½ inch thick, boil them for 5 minutes, and drain. Halve the peppers lengthwise, press to flatten them, then brush with a little oil. Broil, cut side down, on a baking sheet until blistered. Stack them on top of one another and set aside to steam. When cool, remove the skins and cut the pieces in half. Set the oven to 350 degrees.

Coarsely chop the basil, cilantro, & garlic, then puree in a small food processor with 3 T. olive oil, the cumin, and ½ tsp. salt.

Toss all the vegetables with 1 tsp. salt, some ground pepper, and the herb mixture. Using your hands, rub the herb mixture into the vegetables, especially the eggplant, then add the chickpeas and toss once more. Transfer everything to an earthenware or Pyrex gratin dish. Rinse out the herb container with ½ cup water and pour it over all. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until tender, about 1.5 hours. Remove the foil, brush the exposed vegetables with the juices, and back 20 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

August 26, 2011

In your boxes this week, you’ll find:

3 lbs of heirloom tomatoes

Basil

Cantaloupe

Zucchini

Green peppers

Eggplant

Tomato season is officially here. David estimates he’s picked close to one thousand pounds in the past two days and we’ll be receiving a good share of that bounty. The San Marzano paste tomatoes are still mostly green, so those of you interested in picking tomatoes for canning will need to be patient for another few weeks. In the meantime, enjoy all the heirloom varieties.

Coming soon in your boxes, you’ll find edamame, carrots, and a portion of what David calls a “bumper crop” of red raspberries.

Caramelized Onion, Fresh Tomato Sauce

This sauce is an exercise in contrasts, balancing the sweetness of the caramelized onions and the front-of-the-tongue heat of the cracked pepper .

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes, peeled, pulp removed, then diced 1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 T. olive oil 1 T. butter

Fresh basail

Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of sugar Cracked red pepper

Method:

Heat the pan over medium, then add the olive oil and butter. When the butter begins to bubble, add the onions and a pinch each of salt, pepper, and sugar. Toss to blend with the fats, then reduce the heat to medium low and let the onions cook slowly without disturbing them. When one side of the onions begins to turn golden (5-10 minutes), you may then toss them. Continue leaving them alone, and then tossing them, until all the onions are golden in color and nicely wilted. Add the diced tomatoes on top of the onions, then scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any bits that might have stuck on. Add a good pinch of sea salt and several grinds of black pepper, and cook on very low heat for 10 minutes, or until about a half of the liquid has cooked away. Turn off the heat and add a pinch or two of cracked red pepper, one last pinch of sugar, and a small handful of thinly cut fresh basil.

Toss immediately with spaghetti or another pasta and garnish with an additional drizzle of good olive oil and some crumbled Feta or Ricotta salata cheese.

Rancho Malario Salsa

Most of the home-style taquerias in Texas serve a cooked salsa that can be eaten warm or at room temperature. We can the stuff and then eat it all winter long.

Rancho Malario was the semi-affectionate name we gave to our little house (with a mosquito-infested yard) on Harvard St. in Houston.

Ingredients:

10 ripe tomatoes, cored

5 whole cloves garlic

2-4 whole Serrano or jalapeno peppers

1 small onion, finely minced

1/4 can chipotle peppers in "adobo" or two dried chipotles

3-4 other dried chilies: Pasadillo, Ancho, etc. (optional)

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt, ground cumin & lemon juice

Method:

Boil water in a large pot. Plunge cored tomatoes into boiling water for about one minute, just until the skins begin to crack and separate from the flesh. Remove from water, strain, and peel off the skins. Once you've removed the tomatoes, plunge into the boiling water the whole jalapenos and garlic cloves (in addition to any dried chilies you are using, so they can be reconstituted) and any dried chiles. Boil for 3-4 minutes, until things begin to soften, then remove to a colander and trim stems from peppers. In a food processor or blender, grind chilies, blanched peppers, garlic, cilantro, and 1 tsp salt into a fine paste (note: be careful not to breathe in the fumes that will emanate from the blender, unless you happen to like mustard gas). Remove to a large saucepan. Doing two or three peeled tomatoes at a time, process tomatoes in a blender until just broken up, but not to a full puree. Add these processed tomatoes to the chile mixture in the saucepan. Toss in the minced onion and 1 tsp. ground cumin and bring to a simmer. Let the salsa reduce a little while, then serve hot.

August 19, 2011

NU-WAY FARM CSA
News from the Farm this Week:
August 19th, 2011

This Week You'll Receive the Following:

Heirloom tomatoes
Eggplant
Basil
Beets
Peaches
Peppers
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Broccoli

Penne with Eggplant, Roasted Tomatoes, Basil & Fresh Mozzarella

This dish chatters about summer—it is best with the beautifully ripe local tomatoes we’re receiving this week. Don’t be freaked out by the anchovies, which will melt into this dish and add an almost smoky component that is essential.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
Olive oil
4 medium tomatoes, cored and sliced in half at the equator
4 anchovies
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tsp. capers
1 small onion, minced
Salt & Pepper
1/3 pound ball of fresh mozzarella, diced into ¼ inch cubes
2 T. basil, thinly sliced

Method:
Lightly salt eggplant rounds and toss in a colander; let drain for 20 minutes. Rinse momentarily and dry well with a towel, then chop into ½ inch pieces. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomato halves in a bowl with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and a little salt & pepper. Place tomato halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool so you can peel off the skins. Drain off any liquid and reserve it in a measuring cup. Chop tomatoes coarsely.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Cook one pound of penne according to directions. Meanwhile, heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant pieces and sauté until eggplants are lightly browned on all sides (this means not stirring them too often; add a little more olive oil if the pan gets too dry), about 8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and add a bit more olive oil to the pan, then sauté onions with a pinch of sugar for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add anchovies and stir, mashing them with a wooden spoon into a paste. Add garlic and capers and sauté an additional two minutes. Reduce heat to low and add roasted tomatoes and any reserved tomato liquid along with the eggplant.

Add cooked penne to the skillet and toss to combine ingredients. Right before serving, toss in the cubed mozzarella and basil.



Imam Bayilde

[pictured above....from the island of Serifos]
This famous Levantine dish was originally created for an Ottoman Imam who commanded his chef to make him a delicious eggplant dish. When the Imam tasted what he came up with, he fainted (the title of the dish translates as “the Imam fainted”), either because it was so delicious or because he found out how much olive oil it contained. Slow-cooking at its best and very healthy.

Ingredients:

One large eggplant
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
One large tomato, thinly sliced at the equator
½ cup simple tomato sauce
1 T. tomato paste
Cinnamon
Flat-leaf parsley, minced
Salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and salt them generously; allow to drain in a collander.

Meanwhile sauté onion, green pepper, and garlic together over medium high heat with a pinch of salt and pepper. Let them wilt completely and begin to brown, then add 1/2 cup of tomato sauce (or four crushed tomatoes), a pinch of cinnamon, and a handful of minced parsley. Cook for two minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool.

Rinse the eggplants and pat them dry, then fry them flesh-side down in a hot pan with a generous amount of olive oil until the flesh is quite brown. Then turn and saute on the skin side until the eggplant begins to soften when you press on it with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the cooked eggplant to a baking dish. Place the eggplants flesh side up. Top with the tomato/pepper mixture. Then lay the fresh tomato and lay slices over the top.

Dilute the tablespoon of tomato paste in one cup of water and pour around the eggplants. Bake at 400 degrees for thirty minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake another 30 minutes, until the eggplants are very soft. Serve hot or at room temperature with good crusty bread


Instant Tomato-Ricotta ‘Soup” with Capers
From Melissa Clark

2 fat ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cubed
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1.5 T. fresh chopped basil
Large pinch coarse sea salt (fleur de sel is a good choice)
2 teaspoons capers.
1/2 cup top-quality ricotta, lightly broken into clumps

In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, oil, basil and salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Gently scatter ricotta on top. (Do not stir in.) Garnish with capers, and serve.

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.

May 13, 2011

In your boxes this week, you'll receive some of the following:

Rhubarb
Spinach
Eggs
Arugula
Lettuce
Radishes
Parsley
Spring Garlic Shoots
Carrots

David is encouraged by the recent weather and things are really taking off in the fields: radishes, green onions, lettuce, zucchini, turnips, peas, and potatoes are all in the pipeline. And all the fruit trees, according to our farmer, are finally in riotous bloom.

Spring Garlic

Use spring garlic as you would chives, but expect quite a bit more punch. It is a great addition to marinades, vinaigrettes, and salads. For a very simple fresh tomato sauce, finely dice a whole tomato and toss with three tablespoons minced spring garlic, one tablespoon of very good olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

May 6, 2011

In Your Boxes This Week:

Rhubarb

Ramps

Spinach

Lettuce

Radishes

Watercress

David says things are beginning to make a turn toward the better out on the farm, thanks to some warmer temperatures and some occasional sunshine. The fingerling potatoes are coming up, as are the spring onions and peas. Thanks to all his soil conditioning and drainage work, his fields are putting up with all the recent precipitation fairly well (many farmers' fields are absolutely swamped).

What on earth is Rhubarb?
for more see http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/

Rhubarb is a plant name for the many different species of Rheum, growing in the wild in the mountains of the Western and North-western provinces of China and in the adjoining Tibetan territory and in cultivation in much of Europe and the United States. According to Webster's dictionary – the word derives from the Middle English rubarbe, from Middle French reubarbe, from Medieval Latin reubarbarum, alteration of rha barbarum, literally, barbarian rhubarb, 15th century. Strangely a “rhubarb” can also refer to a heated dispute or controversy.
More pertinent to CSA purposes, rhubarb is a vegetable with a unique taste that makes it a favorite in many pies and desserts. It originated in Asia over 2,000 years ago. It was initially cultivated for its medicinal qualities, and it was not until the 18th century that rhubarb was grown for culinary purposes in Britain and America. Rhubarb is often commonly mistaken to be a fruit but rhubarb is actually a close relative of garden sorrel, and is therefore a member of the vegetable family. Rhubarb is rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Rhubarb is a perennial plant which forms large fleshy rhizomes and large leaves with long, thick (and tasty) petioles (stalks). Rhubarb stalks are commonly found in supermarkets, fresh rhubarb is prized by gourmet cooks. Some folks say the finest quality rhubarb is grown in Michigan, Ontario, Canada, and other northern states in the United States. But local legends** suggest that the best rhubarb in the world is grown near Fredonia, Pennylvania.

The leaves can grow up to a foot or more in width and length and the plant may grow to a height of several feet. The blade or green leaves of the plant are the part that is poisonous. They contain high concentrations of oxalic acid crystals which can cause serious problems when eaten. These crystals can cause the tongue and throat to swell, preventing breathing. The edible petioles (stalks) are up to 18 inches long, 1 to 2 inches in diameter, generally somewhat hemispherical in cross section. These petioles are cut and used in pies, jams, jellies, sauces and juice. Rhubarb rhizomes and the crown persist for many years. The roots are also taken up and bedded in cellars or houses in winter, forcing growth in darkness to produce etiolated leaf-stems, which are much prized.

**highly suspect

Rhubarb, Onion & Raisin Chutney

from Gourmet Magazine

1 1/2 pounds onions, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch slices
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup hot water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 pound rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3 cups)

In a large saucepan cook the onions in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened. While the onions are cooking, in a bowl combine the raisins, 1/2 cup hot water, the vinegar, the cloves, and the sugar, let the mixture stand for 15 minutes, and stir it into the onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring, top it with the rhubarb (do not stir in the rhubarb), and cook the mixture, covered, at a slow boil for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture, cook it, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until the rhubarb is just tender, and season the chutney with salt and pepper. The chutney may be made 1 week in advance and kept in an airtight container and chilled. Serve the chutney warm or at room temperature.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

1 recipe of your favorite pie crust
4 cups diced rhubarb
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoons 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.