Sunday, September 25, 2011

September 23 - 29

In the box:

Gala apples
Basil - Sa, W
Napa cabbage - M
Carrots - Sa
Green beans
Red Russian kale - W
Lettuce - Sa
Pac choi - T
Sweet peppers - Sa, canning
tomatillos - Sa
potatoes - Sa
Summer squash + - R
Dry-farmed tomatoes +

In the house:
Dill - R
peppers - T
padrone peppers
heirloom tomatoes - Sa

Grocery List:

Bleu Cheese
Bacon
Chinese Egg Noodles
Garlic
Shallots
Kuzu or Arrowroot
Shitake Mushrooms
Organic Shortening
Organic Cream
Wine
Limes
Cocoa

Menu

Friday: Leftovers
Saturday:
Bruchetta
Salad (lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, carrots)
Scalloped Potatoes with Tomatillo Sauce
Smoked Meat
Birthday Cake and Ice Cream
Sunday: Leftovers from Saturday, canning peppers, drying tomatoes
Monday: Warm Napa Cabbage with Bacon and Bleu Cheese, Dilled Salmon
Tuesday: Noodle Soup
Wednesday: Fusilli with Basil and Kale
Thursday: Stuffed Tex-Mex Squash
       Co-op: Apple, Carrot, Peanut Butter Waffles, Cheddar Dill Scones, Steamed Green Beans

Recipes

Warm Napa Cabbage with Bacon, Blue Cheese and Apple
from Franklin Cafe, in Boston (adapted for farm goodies)
serves 4

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
5 thick applewood-smoked bacon slices (about 5 oz.), chopped
One 1 ½ lb. head of Napa cabbage, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced (about 12 C)
One 8-oz. head of radicchio
1 large tart apple (or a couple small farm ones), peeled, coarsely grated
1 C (4 oz.) crumbled Maytag blue cheese [I like Cowgirl Creamery blue cheese - it's more local!]
Thinly sliced fresh sage leaves

Whisk Dijon mustard and vinegar in small bowl for dressing. Heat vegetable oil in heavy large pot. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Add Napa cabbage and radicchio [or collards or kale], stir until wilted, about 1 minute [yeah, I know I said above not to stir-fry collards, but this is a little different... here, you're just wilting it, and you want that 'bitter' flavor in this case, like that which you'd get from radicchio]. Transfer cabbage mixture to large bowl. Add mustard dressing, apple, and cheese to bowl and toss. Sprinkle with thinly sliced sage and serve.

Mei Qing Noodle Soup
from the website for Abundant Harvest Organics, a CSA in Central California
Serves 2-3 (May be doubled)

1 qt. chicken or veggie stock
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. sherry
6 dried wood ear or shitake mushrooms
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C onion, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3-1/2 lb. Chinese egg noodles
2 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 C cooked chicken
1 Mei Qing Choi, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, julienned [use the sweet yellow Hungarian peppers]

Combine stock, soy sauce sherry, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and onions in a large saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper [if you use packaged stock, check saltiness before adding more; you might not need more, since you're already adding soy sauce]. Simmer for 25 minutes. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add noodles, cook until just barely tender, drain. Toss noodles with sesame oil and keep warm. Add chicken, mei qing, and sweet pepper to broth. Simmer another 6-8 minutes. Place a nest of noodles in each bowl, ladle broth and vegetables over nest and serve hot. Chinese chili paste may be served on the side as a condiment. 

FUSILLI with BASIL AND KALE
Serves 4
This fun-shaped pasta with long spiraling curls makes a festive dish. Dotted with vegetables and tossed in garlicky sauce, Roman-style, this recipe is a real attention-grabber.

1 lb. fusilli
2 tsp. olive oil
7-8 cloves garlic, minced
2-4 shallots, minced
sea salt
1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes
1 C vegetable stock
1 bunch kale, finely diced
2 tsp. kuzu or arrowroot, dissolved in 1 tbsp. cold water
12-18 basil leaves, minced

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and add the fusilli. Cook until just tender to the bite, about 8-10 minutes.
2. While the fusilli is cooking, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add the shallots, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until the shallots are translucent. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and season lightly with salt. Add the stock and simmer until the tomatoes are soft, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Add the kale and coolk until the kale is wilted and turns a deep green, about 8 minutes. Stir in the thickener until a thin sauce forms, about 3 minutes.
4. Drain the fusilli, do not rinse. Add the fusilli and sauce to the pasta cooking pot and stir until the fusilli is well-coated with the sauce. Gently fold in the basil. Transfer to a pasta bowl and serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves.


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