Apricots

In preparation for the large pile of apricots you're receiving this week, I'm going to post a link to the USU extension publication on preserving apricots.  I could gather up lots of different recipes for you, but honestly, the only thing it was missing is freezer jam (see below).  I did, however, add my favorite apricot dessert after the freezer jam -- Apricots and mascarpone.  Dead easy and looks professional.

http://extension.usu.edu/energyconsumer/files/uploads/Preserving%20apricots.pdf


Freezer Jam
For freezer jam, you're going to need a couple of packages of pectin (CERTO, SureJell, etc).  I always have to look around at the grocery, but they're usually on the top shelf in the baking aisle or near Jello products).  You will need to follow the directions on the pectin package as opposed to this, as each is different, but your ratios should be something along the lines of the following:

3 cups mashed apricots (roughly 2 lbs)
6 cups of sugar
2 packages of pectin
water to dissolve the pectin, probably less than a cup

To prep the apricots for mashing, you'll want to wash them, peel them, and take out the pits.  Dipping them whole into boiling water for a couple of minutes will help the skin slide right off.


Fantastically Fancy Apricot Dessert
This is an elegant dessert option, but takes almost no effort to make when served cold.  It can be served raw or quickly baked.  You'll want a couple of apricots per person, some mascarpone cheese, some honey, and maybe a dash of cinnamon or powdered ginger.  Wash and halve the apricots and arrange on a baking dish with some butter in the bottom to prevent sticking (if you're serving hot) or a serving plate (if uncooked).  [If serving hot, baste them with a little warmed honey and bake them at 400 for 10-15 minutes until soft(er) and starting to caramelize.]  Put a dollop of mascarpone in the center of each apricot half, drizzle everything lightly with honey, and add a dash of spice if you'd like (or slivered toasted almonds).

Side note:  This makes a great pairing with an apricot wheat / hefeweizen beer as a dessert course.  It would also go well with a bit of ginger muddled with soda water for those who don't partake.

Getting more bang from your box

Some of you may be old hands at using vegetables to their fullest in your kitchen.  Some of you may not have seen carrot leaves before this season of CSA and farmer's market shopping.  I keep finding new ways that I'm underutilizing the veggies that I bring home, and most of what I don't eat is fed to my chickens and turned into eggs!  Here is a short list of tips and tactics to get more bang from your box (and for several items you might not have seen yet but that you might have brought home from the market).

* Compost it.  If you don't already have a compost bin or don't have room, but you do have a flower or garden patch, try burying your veggie scraps in strips between your plants.  Bury a little, then move over six inches and bury the next batch.  Your soil will improve.

* Soup stock it.  The bottoms of lettuce, peels of carrots, ends of bok choy, wilted but not liquified spinach leaves, outsides of onions, and general leftovers from chopping things up have a lot of flavor and nutrients in them.  Save them in a bag in the freezer until you have several big handfuls, then boil them for half an hour or so in water to cover.  Strain it, salt it, and freeze it in baggies, and you'll have flavorful stock that beats a bouillon cube any day.

* Drink the broth.  Any time you've blanched or steamed a veggie, a significant portion of the nutrients have gone into the water.  Drink that as a clear soup, or use it to start a soup stock (see above), so that you're not losing all those healthy bits.  At the very least, let it cool and water your houseplants.  (This is one of my guiltier items -- I always get lazy and just drain the veggies so I can eat them.)

* Eat the tops.  Beet greens are a lot like chard -- be sure to cut them off before storing the beets, and you can simmer, sauté, or turn a soup red.  Carrot greens are remarkably tasty and hold up well to all kinds of treatment -- soup additions, mixed into a stir fry, or tempura battered and deep fried.  Onion tops are just as edible as leeks and scallions, though they get a little sunburned and thick late in the season.

* Freeze it.  Squishy or bruised fruit isn't a pleasure to snack on, but it eats all the same because it is just very ripe.  Freeze apricots and berries that arrive too ripe and put them into muffins or smoothies later.

Do you have any tips or ideas?  Post them in the comments!

Sunchoke recipe

I bet you're all cursing the dirt that the sunchokes grew in about now.  Try floating them in a sink full of warm water, bang them around a little bit, drain the water, rinse down the bulk of the dirt, and start again.  The dirt will fall away pretty quickly with a change of the water.  Then give them a thorough scrubbing and rinse.

Here is the sunchoke gratin I threw together last night, using the spinach, the young garlic, and the beef from the share as well.

1 lb ground beef
half an onion, diced
several young garlic, chopped
3-4 smallish potatoes, unpeeled, 1/4" slices
a double handfull of sunchokes, unpeeled, 1/4" slices
a double handfull of spinach, shredded
about a pint of Mexican crema (you could use 1/2&1/2, milk, sour cream, or whatever sounds tasty with your spice combo)
cheese to top

1. Set the oven to 350 and oil a casserole dish.
2. Brown the beef with the onion and garlic, spiced to your taste.  I used a greek mix that I like a lot, but you could use salt, pepper, paprika, more garlic, herbs -- basically however you'd like to theme your gratin.
3. Make a layer of potatoes and chokes.  Then add a layer of the beef, then some spinach, then some crema, then repeat.  Salt and spice to taste as you go.  I finished with potatoes/chokes, and topped with cheese. 
4. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for about 45 minutes.
5. Uncover and cook another 15-30 minutes.  Your cheese should be brown and your potatoes soft.

Enjoy!
Dusty

Sunchokes, aka Jerusalem Artichokes

These are probably the least common of the vegetables in our share this week.  Sunchokes are the starchy tuber of a sunflower relative, with a taste between an artichoke and a potato, and a texture between a water chestnut and a potato.  They can be eaten raw or cooked, peeled or unpeeled.  These guys are pretty dirty because they were just dug up on Saturday, so give them a good scrubbing in a sink full of water before doing anything else with them.  Store them in a cool, dry place, or in the vegetable drawer of your fridge wrapped in paper towels and plastic.  They should keep for 2-3 weeks.

My go-to way of preparing a root vegetable that I'm unfamiliar with?  Roasting with other root vegetables.  And we have parsnips in the share this week as well.  Chop them up into a casserole dish, throw in a quartered onion, some chopped celery, maybe a beet, sweet potato, or carrots, then drizzle with plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper, and herbs of your choice.  Add a cup or so of stock (or water or beer), cover in foil, and roast @325 until everything is soft and slightly caramelized (between 1 and 2 hours, depending on how much is in your dish).

Sliced sunchokes can be used to make a gratin (just substitute the chokes for the potatoes in your favorite recipe).  The spinach and chard we received this week would go great in this.  You can also deepfry the slices to make sunchoke chips.

Lightly (15 minutes) boiled sunchokes, pureed, can be added to a soup as a thickener.  Or make a variation on potato soup using your sunchokes.  Or mash them with potatoes, carrots, or parsnips to make an interesting variation on mashed potatoes.

If in doubt on recipes, go to the web!
About.com has the best synopsis of the roots I found, but if you come across something truly fantastic please share it via the comments.

A word of warning:  Some people don't process the starch in this tuber, inulin, all that well.  If you haven't eaten sunchokes before, don't overdo it with your first meal.  You could get a gassy bellyache.

Real Food: what to do with the bugs, dirt and other residue

Photo Courtesy of Men's Journal

Hello There...

 As you read through the list, there are some things we won't need to worry about with our sustainably grown produce. However, it is a great guide for the bugs, dirt, and other organic residue.

How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables


•Start by keeping your kitchen countertops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.
•Always wash your hands before preparing meals and handling fruits and vegetables.
•Keep fresh greens, fruits and vegetables away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
•Choose healthy looking, ripe fruits and vegetables when you shop. Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy produce.
•Wait until just before you eat or prepare your fruits and vegetables to wash them. Fruits and vegetables have natural coatings that keep moisture inside, and washing them will make them spoil sooner.
•Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed.
•Wash all parts of your fruits and vegetables, even if you don't plan on eating them. Bacteria can live on the rind of an orange or the skin of a cucumber, for example. Though you may peel them away and toss them in the trash, the bacteria can be transferred from the outside of the fruit or vegetable to the knife you use to cut them, and then onto the parts you will be eating.
•Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don't use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals. These chemicals will leave a residue of their own on your produce.
•Commercial sprays and washes sold for cleaning vegetables really aren't any better than cleaning thoroughly with plain water, so don't waste your money on them.
•Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush (buy direct) while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.
•Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.
•Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Remember that the fruits and vegetables you buy may look clean when you pick them out at the grocery store, but you can't see bacteria or chemicals. Your fruits and vegetables still need to be washed before you eat them or serve them to guests or family members. This is especially important for produce and greens that are eaten raw.

Thank you About.com for this posting. Comments? Please email me at produce@zoegarden.com.

Jessica

Simple Ways To Use Your Share

Photo Courtesy of Terry Walters

There are so many advantages to investing your time and money into a CSA. I am sure each of you have a particular reason that resonates most with you. However, there is something very different when you are given particular items instead of picking out what you would like for that week from the market. Combine that with any time constraints and all of a sudden a fridge full of fresh produce is hard to transform into something satisfying. What I try to remember when I am in the middle of my week is that with fresh sustainably grown produce the simpler the better.

So…how can the food we receive in our shares translate to a simple, delicious breakfast, lunch or even food you would eat on a road trip? Here are some ideas.


Dressings and Dips

They are able to complement any fresh green or lightly sautéed green. Combine that with legumes or grains that you have prepared in larger portions, and you have a quick, satisfying meal.

Simple Dressings: Both of these recipes for dressings are from Clean Food by Terry Walters. Compare the ingredients and notice how with only one or two ingredients, such as a different fruit juice, you can have a new dressing.

Apricot Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
Juice of 2 Meyer lemons
1⁄4 cup apricot juice
1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon maple mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt


Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, minced
1⁄3 cup pomegranate juice
1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon zesty honey mustard
Sea salt

Simple Dips: There are so many recipes for dips, but here are a few ideas from Clean Food. Try dipping your radishes, peas or I am even going to try to julienne my baby kohlrabi to create a dish reminscent of cole slaw.

Lemony Artichoke Dip

Green Goddess Dip

Satisfying Breakfast Ideas

photo courtesy of Progressive Pioneer

Green Smoothies: Progressive Pioneer is a wonderful blog to get great ideas forsimple yet delicious recipes. For a variation to this recipe try blending any variety of frozen or fresh fruit with some beet greens, green amaranth leaf, or Buttercrunch lettuce. If you are using fresh fruit you may want to add ice cubes or frozen plain yogurt to achieve the consistency of a smoothie.

Salad for breakfast? Although I do not initially crave it, a fresh salad has always kept me satisfied throughout the morning. Experiment with different greens for your salads. Try beet greens (which are a little sweeter), cranberries, sunflower seeds and a little oil and vinegar. Or mix in a bit of your dandelion greens with some of the Buttercrunch lettuce. Adding any type of legume, nut, seed, or hard boiled egg makes it a little more filling.

Photo Courtesy of The Star

Sautéing for breakfast? In Clean Food by Terry Walters she has a delicious recipe “Bok Choy and Chickpeas with Cashews”. Try using any of the greens we recieve in our share as a substitute for the Bok Choy.

Food On-The-Go

Whether it is a road trip or lunch here are some alternatives to soup, salads and sandwiches.

photo courtesy of Simple Organic

Sushi: If you need something quick and portable for lunch why not put together a sushi roll with some shingiku or finely chopped scapes? Also, instead of sushi rice try using quinoa for extra protein and nutrients.

Summer Rolls: Follow the link for a vegetarian recipe for summer rolls. Terry Walters also has delicious ideas for fresh rolls in her book like "Summer Rolls with Lemon Basil Pesto" or "Pad Thai Summer Rolls with Tamarind Dipping Sauce". My favorite part about her recipes is that her sauces do not use sugar.

Wraps: Create a delicious wrap by spreading cream cheese or any dip onto a tortilla and then adding any combo of fresh lettuce, herbs, greens, and any other favorites you have like  green apple slices, meat, peppers, julienned carrots, etc.

Email me at produce@zoegarden.com with how you use your share when you don't have a lot of time.

Wishing you a quick, nourishing meal when you need one,
 
Jessica
 
What was with all of the mention of Clean Food? Not an intentional plug because there are so many books on the market for cooking with fresh ingredients, but Terry Walters has crafted a book that is rooted in seasonal recipes that offer options without sugar, eggs, dairy, wheat or meat, but are flexible enough to include those items if you choose.

Shallot Scapes, Garlic Scapes and Fennel Fronds

ABOVE: The Deliberate Agrarian had this great picture of garlic scapes.

After looking at the produce we were given this week the scapes and fennel are the items I was least familiar with. Therefore, I have included some ways to use them this week as well as a couple ways to preserve the items.

Shallot and Garlic Scapes

A Cooking Life and Big Oven are both blogs that have great examples of how to prepare the scapes while they are fresh.  A Cooking Life details how to grill the garlic scapes much as you would grill asparagus. Big Oven gives a recipe for a frittata with scapes. The links will guide you directly to the recipes.

Now, how to preserve all of the extra.

ABOVE: The Deliberate Agrarian gives a great account of how they pickled their garlic scapes.

Pickling Scapes: The following excerpt is from The Deliberate Agrarian.

The recipe we use for making pickled scapes is the Dilly Beans recipe found in the Ball Blue Book. Marlene’s copy of this book is missing the cover, the pages are food-stained, and she has written notes all through. That gives you an idea of how much she uses the book.

Here is the Dilly Beans recipe:

2 pounds green beans

1/4 cup canning salt

2-1/2 cups vinegar

2-1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

4 cloves garlic, divided

4 heads dill, divided

Trim ends off green beans. Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Pack beans lengthwise into hot jars, leaving 1/4” headspace. Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic, and 1 head dill to each pint. Ladle hot liquid over beans, leaving ¼” headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints and quarts 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Yield: about four pints.

We modified the recipe a bit. For example, we left out the garlic cloves. And since our dill is not yet ready to use, we put a tsp of dill seed in each pint jar.

ABOVE:  Garlic Scape Pesto from the blog In The Kitchen And On The Road With Dorie. 

GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTO
In The Kitchen And On The Road With Dorie


Makes about 1 cup

10 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.

If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juciest.

Fennel

ABOVE: Penne with Fennel Pesto from the blog Recipe Interrupted

Penne with Fennel Pesto
Recipe Interrupted

Makes 4 servings, plus leftover pesto

Preparation time: 30 minutes

1/3 cup pistachios, toasted
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 ounce (about ½ cup) freshly grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups fennel fronds (usually from 2 fennel bulbs)
optional: 4-5 mint leaves, torn
about ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup frozen peas


1.Put the pistachios, garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times to grind slightly.

2.Add fennel and mint, if using, to the food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is reduced to a paste and has a spreadable, but not greasy consistency. Taste and add salt if necessary. Squeeze in a little bit of lemon juice to taste.

3.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and cook the pasta until al dente.

4.While the pasta is cooking, set up a colander in the sink and put the frozen peas in it. (If you have fresh peas, by all means use them. You can add them to the boiling water in the last few minutes of cooking the pasta.)

5.When the pasta is done, drain the pasta in the colander. Return the pasta, along with the peas, into the pot. Stir in the pesto until pasta is lightly coated and flavorful. Squeeze in a little lemon juice, to taste.

6.Serve hot or at room temperature.


Fennel Infused OilFrom the blog Chowhound

To make the oil, faintly warm olive oil with fennel fronds, a cut up lemon, a pinch of chili flakes, and crushed whole garlic cloves. Let it meld together for an hour or so, then strain. Season with salt and pepper, use as a drizzle on the cooked fish as well as on the onion/fennel bed you roast the fish on. Keep the rest in the fridge to use again.

Please let me know what you think of these recipes. Don't forget that you can freeze the pesto for meals in later months. I think I will try the fennel pesto with penne since I'll be able to use up the rest of the mint from last week's share.

Here is to a satisfying meal on a cold, blustery night.

Jessica

Watercress: Don't throw out those stems and flowers

I called David to ask about the yellow leaves on the bottom of the watercress stems.  He said they're yellow because the top leaves block the sunlight.  You can remove the yellow leaves, but keep ALL of the stems.  They're actually the tastiest part - and very nutritious.  Most restaurants also ask for the watercress flowers because it provides a pretty addition to a salad.  So make sure you use those tasty bites too : )

Bag Dried Herbs

If you  can't use all your herbs fresh, don't worry.  You can dry them easily at home.  Here's a quick method for drying herbs in a paper bag, taken from budget101.com

Bag Drying Herbs

Wash herbs by swishing the branches through cold water, holding by stem ends. Shake off excess water and lay on towels until moisture has evaporated (1 to 3 hours). Wet herbs will mold while drying.

Bundle 6 to 8 stem ends together and secure with string or rubber band. Enclose branches upside down in a large paper bag. Gather the bag around the stems and tie. Using a pencil or knife, punch about 10 holes all around the bag for air circulation. Label and date each bag. Suspend in an airy place for two to three weeks. Herbs will be crispy when dry. The bag protects herbs from dust and other pollutants during the drying process.