October 1 - 6

In the box:

Gala apples - M, Lunches
Arugula - T
Napa cabbage - M
Carrots - Sa
Green beans - Su
Red Russian kale - W
Leeks - M
Lettuce - Sa
Purslane - Su
Sweet peppers - Sa, M, T
Summer squash - W
Dry-farmed tomatoes - Sa, T, W, Th

In the house:

Pac Choi - Su
dill - Su

Grocery List:
Garbanzo beans

feta
caraway seeds
orzo
shrimp

Menu:
Saturday: Meat and Salad and Bread
Sunday: Potato Salad, Green Beans,
Monday: Bread and Sweet and Sour Beef Cabbage Soup
Tuesday: Greek Orzo Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Wednesday: Squash Pasta
Thursday: Roasted Prawns with Romesco Sauce

Recipes:

Debbie's Potato Salad with Mei Qing Choi, Purslane and Dill
This is a variation on the salad I made last week, and I'm including it just to show you how easy it is to play with and modify recipes to suit the ingredients you have (I know we're not getting the choi, purslane or dill this week, but again, if you're like me, sometimes your veggies last more than one week. We ARE getting celery, cucumbers and basil though, so see below how you could change the recipe to use these instead). I highlighted the differences in purple.

4 medium-sized potatoes (red or yellow, doesn't matter)
4 stems of mei qing choi, with leaves
Several stems of purslane
2-3 tbsp. finely minced fresh dill fronds
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed and/or finely minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. olive oil
finely diced red onion (optional)
kalamata olives
feta cheese

Put washed whole potatoes, with skins, in a pot; cover with cold water, add some salt, bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium and cover/boil 15 - 18 minutes or so, until they pierce easily with a sharp knife.

While potatoes are boiling, wash any dirt away from choi leaves, and chop into small dice (like you would celery for tuna salad, say). Chop up the darker green leaves too.Pinch off purslane leaf clusters and/or chop coarsely, until you have a small pile - maybe a cupful or more, and mince your dill (or basil).

Combine vinegar, garlic, salt, sugar, oil and dill and whisk together.

Drain potatoes when done (save the water for soup-stock making, along with that bag of veggie trimmings in your freezer I told you about earlier), and when cool enough to handle (but still warm!), slice as carefully as you can (to keep the skins intact; do the best you can - sometimes it works better than others but don't worry about it, it still tastes good!), and then dice the slices. Toss warm* diced potatoes into a bowl with choi, purslane, optional red onion and olives. Crumble in some feta cheese. Re-whisk the dressing and pour over the warm potatoes and veggies. Stir well to mix, then refrigerate until completely cooled.

*the dressing seems to be absorbed better when the potatoes are warm.

SWEET and SOUR BEEF CABBAGE SOUP
Serves 6
This wholesome sweet and sour soup combines beef, caraway seeds, sweet paprika and cabbage - ingredients that star in a number of German dishes. It is particularly nice with a crusty rye bread. For an even heartier soup add potatoes along with the cabbage. I am not a meat eater, but this is a comforting, delicious soup on a cold evening; the flavors are amazing! Remember to use only organic, grass-fed meat!

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. organic, grass-fed ground beef
1 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 1/2 C sweet peppers and onions, chopped
1 medium apple, diced
6 C broth
1 1/2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. sweet paprika
3 C coarsely chopped Napa cabbage
1-2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat ( any large pot will work). Add beef, caraway seeds, and thyme and cook, stirring and breaking up the beef with a spoon, until mostly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onion-pepper mix and apple; cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes more.


2. Stir in the broth, honey, tomatoes, and paprika and adjust the heat so the mixture gently boils. Cook for about 8-10 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the cabbage and cook until barely tender, 3-4 minutes more. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste.

GREEK ORZO STUFFED SWEET PEPPERS
Serves 4
This basic recipe will work with just about any filling. Try substituting different types of cheese, herbs, or beans.

4 sweet peppers
1/2 C whole-wheat orzo
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 mediums onion, chopped
6 ounces arugula, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
3/4 C crumbled feta cheese
1/4 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (or 1/2 C fresh tomatoes), chopped
1 tbsp. red-wine or sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp. sea salt

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Halve the peppers lengthwise through the stems, leaving the stems attached. Remove the seeds and the white membranous veins. Place peppers cut-side down in in a large baking pan and roast for about 7 minutes, or until just barely soft (you want the peppers to still be firm, but somewhat pliable). Let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until just tender, about 8-10 minutes, or according to package. Drain and rinse with cold water
4. Mash the garbanzos into a chunky paste with a fork, leaving some whole.
5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the arugula and oregano and cook until the arugula is wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, chickpeas (garbanzos), 1/2 C of the feta cheese, the tomatoes, vinegar, and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Divide the filling among the peppers and sprinkle each with the remaining feta cheese.

Stephanie's Secret Squash Creamy Pasta Sauce

Puree 2 zucchini [or any other summer squash] and half an onion to a slightly runny paste-like consistency.

Sautee the other half of the onion, finely diced, with 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic in 2 tbsp. of butter until garlic is brown and onions are translucent. If you like, add a handful of coarsely chopped basil.

Add a couple of handfuls of small fresh mushrooms, whole - you can also add some coarsely chopped peppers, squash, kale, etc. [all of which we have this week!]. Stir in the zucchini-onion puree and let it come to a simmer.

Sprinkle in red pepper (to taste-depending on how hot you like it).

Add 2 cups of whole milk, stir to mix and let come back to a simmer.

In a small cup, pour 1/4 cup of milk and add 2-3 tbsp. of cornstarch. Mix well. Gradually stir this into the simmering sauce by pouring from the cup while straining out any lumps with a fork.

After sauce thickens, add your favorite cooked pasta and toss. Sprinkle the top with chopped tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/oven-roasted-prawns-with-romesco-sauce-recipe/index.html

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.

September 16-22

In the box:

Gala apples - lunches Asian stir-fry mix - R Dill - M Green beans - T Red Russian kale - W Leeks - M, T Lettuce - Sa Padron peppers - R Sweet peppers - Sa, T Radishes Spinach - T Dry-farmed tomatoes (3 lbs!) - M, T

In the house:
potatoes - T
leeks - M, T
carrots - Sa
summer squash - Su
scallions - R
heirloom tomatoes - Sa

Menu:
Friday: Baked Fish with Dill, Green Beans, Rice
Saturday: Steak Salad
Sunday: Raita and Dhal
Monday: Tomato Soup with Cheese Dill Scones
Tuesday: Rasedar, Saag Gosht, Naan
Wednesday: Pasta with Greens and Feta
Thursday: Veggie Broth
Thursday Dinner: Steamed Asian Greens with Eggrolls and scallion pancakes

Other cooking tasks:
Make vegetable broth with leftover veggies to freeze or can.

Groceries:
Lamb shoulder or leg
ginger
feta
sesame oil
mangos

Recipes:

Deb's quick zucchini 'raita' or tsatziki

zucchini
red onion (white or yellow will do too)
plain yogurt
seasoned rice vinegar
salt

Grate a medium zucchini into a bowl. Coarsely grate in about a tbsp. of fresh onion. Splash in a little rice vinegar, and stir in a heaping spoonful or two of plain yogurt and a pinch of salt. Serve in small bowls rather than on plates as it is a touch soupy. But it tastes good! Serve it nice and cold.

Indian Dhal with Pita (the essential vegetarian cookbook, p. 141)

Cheddar and Dill Scones http://simplyhealthyfam.blogspot.com/2011/04/mini-cheddar-dill-saffron-scones-and.html

Potage aux tomates
from Denise Lapierre

"My sister, member Nicole Pullman, insisted that I send in this recipe of mine. I've been picking up her share every week for her, and with the recent bounty of beautiful tomatoes, thought other shareholders might like to try this recipe for tomato soup."

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
5 tbsp. cold pressed olive oil
4 tbsp. flour
4 C soy milk
4 C chopped tomatoes
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
few tbsp. chopped thyme (optional)

Sauté onion and garlic in the oil until translucent, then sprinkle the flour over the mixture, stir in, and let that cook for a couple of minutes. Add soy milk and let cook a few minutes more, until it thickens a little. Then add the chopped tomatoes, salt and sugar, and optional thyme. Let that cook until the tomatoes are well done, then put mixture in a blender and puree, and voila! A succulent "potage aux tomates."

Rasedar (Savoring India p. 95)

Saag Gosht (Savoring India p. 113)

Pasta with Greens and Feta

6 tbsp. olive oil
4 C chopped onion
7-8 cups (packed) bitter greens (kale, chard, spinach or any combination thereof), coarsely chopped
3/4 - 1 lb. pasta (penne, shells)
1/2 - 3/4 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
pepper, salt and parmesan cheese to taste

Steamed Asian Greens with Sweet and Spicy Sesame Dressing
1 - 2 lbs. combination of Asian greens (can include bok choy, and while broccolini is not an Asian green, it would be delicious included here too, as would the cabbage)
3 tbsp. tamari or Bragg's Amino Acid
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. honey or raw agave nectar
1-2 tsp. dark sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or mashed
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, finely chopped (if you can find Thai chilis or any of the other hot red peppers, they add a nice bit of color as well as heat)
1 tsp. sesame seeds

Steam the greens for about 5 minutes or until they are tender. In a small bowl, combine the other ingredients. Combine the greens with the dressing, and toss well. Garnish with additional sesame seeds. Serve right away or this is delicious chilled as well.

Some people find the taste of mizuna similar to arugula, so here is a recipe where you could easily use one or the other.