December 16 - 23, 2011

In the box:

Apples
Green cabbage - F
Carrots - T, W
Romanesco cauliflower - T
Collards or kale - T
Parsnips - F
Radicchio - R
Daikon radish - W
Tatsoi - W

In the house:

Shredded Cabbage (Green and Red) - mix into tuna for sandwiches

Grocery List:
Tofu

pineapple juice

coconut milk

ginger

ricotta cheese

Menu:
Friday: Salmon, Mashed Parsnips, leftover carrot slaw

Saturday: Baked Chicken, Green Beans (Frozen), Pasta with Tomatoes and cheese

Sunday: McCormick & Kuleto's (San Francisco)

Monday: Beans, Rice, mixed veggies

Tuesday: Veggie Pasta with Green Smoothies

Wednesday: Daikon Carrot Tatsoi Tofu Stir Fry 

Thursday: radicchio raviolis, make kluski

Friday: Cabbage Parathas, Chicken Tikka Masala

Recipes:

From http://www.vegfamily.com/whole-family/kale.htm:

Pasta with Vegetables and Pine Nuts
This is a lovely light dinner full of colorful vegetables that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. The leftovers are great for lunch the next day.

1 pound penne pasta, cooked and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large carrot, sliced (1/4 inch)
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup chopped kale
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 tablespoons minced fresh
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

While pasta is cooking, place 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet with garlic, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale. Stir gently and cover pan. Steam 10 to 15 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender. Add a little water if necessary to prevent vegetables from scorching. Drain pasta and place in large bowl. Add cooked vegetables, pine nuts, basil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Toss gently.

Makes 8 servings

Creamy Greens Smoothie
This smoothie surprises everyone because it tastes so good. You really don't taste the kale at all. This is an excellent snack while breastfeeding because the greens help to increase milk production. Use nutritional yeast flakes fortified with vitamin B12.

1 cup pineapple-coconut juice
1 banana, sliced and frozen
2 to 3 kale leaves
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes (optional)

Place ingredients in blender and puree until smooth.

Makes 1 to 2 servings

Note: 1/2 cup pineapple juice and 1/2 cup light coconut milk can be substituted for pineapple-coconut juice.

Recipes adapted from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook copyright © 2005 and Simply Natural Baby Food copyright © 2003 by Cathe Olson.

From http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/radicchio.html:

RAVIOLI WITH RADICCHIO FILLING

1 lb radicchio, chopped
5 ounces grated parmigiano
3 oz ricotta or cream cheese
2 oz bacon, cut in small pieces
1 big handful pinenuts
1 shallot, chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
1 pack Asian dumpling wrappers (or home-made dough, if you really feel like spending a couple extra hours in the kitchen)

Sautee bacon and shallot in oil for a few minutes. Add radicchio, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Let it cool down and mix in ricotta, parmigiano and pinenuts. Stuff the dumpling wrappers with a small amount of radicchio mixture, sealing the edges with your wet fingers. Cook for about 5 minutesi n boiling salted water with 1 tsp oil, drain and season with your favorite sauce (tomato sauce, mushroom sauce, or just browned butter and sage).

http://palakkadcooking.blogspot.com/2011/11/cabbage-paratha.html

October 29 - November 3, 2011

In the box:

Gala apples
cilantro - W
Beets - M
Bok choi - W
Broccolini - W
Green beans - R
Red Russian kale -T
Leeks - W
Lettuce - Su
Radishes
Rutabagas (with their fresh green tops) - M
Summer squash - W


In the house:


potatoes - T, R
peppers - R
carrots - S, 

Groceries:
ginger, 
stew beef


Menu:


Sunday: Make veggie broth, Baked Chicken Salad,


Monday: Beef Root Vegetable Stew (in the Crock Pot, prepare ingredients Sunday night)


Tuesday:  Loaded Baked Potatoes, Kale Chips


Wednesday: broccolini, bok choi, zucchini, tofu stir fry


Thursday: Green Bean Potato Curry


Recipes:
Beef and root vegetable stew
from member Mary Lyn Azar

Since we got a number of root vegetables last week, I thought I'd share a recipe I've been using a lot this winter. This comes from my sister-in-law's method of cooking potatoes, carrots, onions, and stew beef but I've expanded it to include whatever made sense from that week's box.  This week, I took the rutabagas, beets (both peeled and cut into chunks), half the carrots (washed well and cut into 1/2 inch segments), and two of the green garlics (cut in half lengthwise and sliced up to where the leaves split off).  All of that goes into an oven safe pot with a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, salt, and pepper and is tossed.  Then I put about a pound and a half of stew beef on the top, drizzle on a bit more oil and a little more salt and pepper and put it in the oven at 350 (beef still on top).  When the beef browns, I flip it, when it's browned on the other side I give the whole pot a good stir and then stir it every 15-20 minutes until it is done (vegetables are easy to pierce with a fork, roughly 1 1/2 hours total cooking time).  Over the winter I've also used winter squash, potatoes, and parsnips.  When I don't have green garlic I do half an onion and several cloves of garlic.  The recipe is really flexible and I use it with whatever I have available.

GREEN BEAN and POTATO CURRY
Recipe from the Live Earth Farms Recipe Database This is a simple curry to be served with rice, pickles, and chutney if so desired. [we served it with brown basmati rice]

2 medium potatoes (about 1/2 lb.), cut into 3/4 inch dice
1/2 tsp. turmeric 
3 tbsp. oil of choice
15 basil leaves
1 C very finely chopped leeks, mostly the white part (I also use the tender green part)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. finely chopped ginger
3 green chilis cut into fine rings [I used the padrone peppers in our share, but I sauteed them separate and added as a garnish to mix in to the adult dishes, so the majority of the dish was kid-friendly]
3/4 lbs. green beans, cut on a diagonal at 1/4" intervals
4 tsp. curry powder (or to taste)
1 can coconut milk
1 stick cinnamon
1 1/4 - 1/2 tsp.sea salt
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice [oops...forgot this step - it was still good!]

1. In a medium pot, combine the potatoes, enough water to cover them well, and 1/4 tsp. turmeric. Bring to a boil. Cover partially, turn the heat down a bit, and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, but still hold their shape well. Drain.
2.Put the oil in a large saute pan or frying pan, and set over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, ginger, garlic, and green peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the basil leaves. Add the green beans and saute for another minute. Add in the curry powder and stir at once. 
3. Pour in the coconut milk, 1C water, the remaining tumeric, the cinnamon stick, salt, and potatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover and cook about 15 minutes, or until the beans are just tender. (I like my beans on the crunchy side, so I don't cook them for the whole 15 minutes).
4. Add the lime juice and stir in.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve. 

Green Bean and Potato Curry was a Hit!

GREEN BEAN and POTATO CURRY
Recipe from the Live Earth Farms Recipe Database This is a simple curry to be served with rice, pickles, and chutney if so desired. [we served it with brown basmati rice]

2 medium potatoes (about 1/2 lb.), cut into 3/4 inch dice
1/2 tsp. turmeric 
3 tbsp. oil of choice
15 basil leaves
1 C very finely chopped leeks, mostly the white part (I also use the tender green part)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. finely chopped ginger
3 green chilis cut into fine rings [I used the padrone peppers in our share, but I sauteed them separate and added as a garnish to mix in to the adult dishes, so the majority of the dish was kid-friendly]
3/4 lbs. green beans, cut on a diagonal at 1/4" intervals
4 tsp. curry powder (or to taste)
1 can coconut milk
1 stick cinnamon
1 1/4 - 1/2 tsp.sea salt
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice [oops...forgot this step - it was still good!]

1. In a medium pot, combine the potatoes, enough water to cover them well, and 1/4 tsp. turmeric. Bring to a boil. Cover partially, turn the heat down a bit, and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, but still hold their shape well. Drain.
2.Put the oil in a large saute pan or frying pan, and set over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, ginger, garlic, and green peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the basil leaves. Add the green beans and saute for another minute. Add in the curry powder and stir at once. 
3. Pour in the coconut milk, 1C water, the remaining tumeric, the cinnamon stick, salt, and potatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover and cook about 15 minutes, or until the beans are just tender. (I like my beans on the crunchy side, so I don't cook them for the whole 15 minutes).
4. Add the lime juice and stir in.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve. This is delicious over brown basmati rice served with a spinach salad on the side.

July 30 - Aug 5, 2011

In the box:

Arugula - M,
Beets - R
Green beans - T
Leeks - T
Lettuce - R, lunches
basil - T
Potatoes - T
Purslane - W
Red radishes - sandwiches?, salad?
Spinach - M, R
Padrone Peppers - S, T, W
Strawberries - lunches

In the fridge:

tons of peaches and plums - R
carrots - S
spinach - S, M
grape tomatoes - M
ginger - T

Menu:

Sunday: Veggie Pizza
Monday: Arugula Bread, Spinach Tomato Quiche
Tuesday: Green Bean and Potato Curry
Wednesday: Mexican Purslane Tacos with shredded chicken
Thursday: Beet Salad with Plums and Goat Cheese
Friday: leftover Vegetable Lasagna or Leftover from Freezer

Grocery List:

milk
bananas
limes
Goat Cheese
white wine vinegar
walnut oil
tortillas

If on sale:
coconut milk

Plan of Execution:
This is a new feature to help me get through the week since RJ starts swim lessons Monday at 4:40 pm and by the time I get him dried and dressed afterward, we will be home too late to prepare most dinners!
Sunday Afternoon - Make pizza dough in breadmaker, prepare quiche, wash and spin all greens
Sunday Dinner prep - make pizza, mince arugula
Monday Afternoon before gymnastics - bake Arugula bread in breadmaker
Tuesday Morning after run/playground or during naptime - Make Curry & Rice
Tuesday during Dinner - Roast Beets and Bake Chicken
Wednesday Morning after run/playground or during naptime - Shred Chicken, prepare taco filling
Thursday naptime - Make Veggie Lasagna with any leftovers from the week.
Thursday Dinner Prep - Cut Plums and Beets and prepare salad dressing
Friday - reheat lasagna or leftovers from freezer (depending on what's available)

Recipes:

Arugula Bread 

GREEN BEAN and POTATO CURRY
This is a simple curry to be served with rice, pickles, and chutney if so desired.

2 medium potatoes (about 1/2 lb.), cut into 3/4 inch dice
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3 tbsp. oil of choice
15 basil leaves
1 C very finely chopped leeks, mostly the white part (I also use the tender green part)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. finely chopped ginger
3 green chilis cut into fine rings (I used the peppers from the box - delicious!)
3/4 lbs. green beans, cut on a diagonal at 1/4" intervals
4 tsp. curry powder (or to taste)
1 can coconut milk
1 stick cinnamon
1 1/4 - 1/2 tsp.sea salt
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1. In a medium pot, combine the potatoes, enough water to cover them well, and 1/4 tsp. turmeric. Bring to a boil. Cover partially, turn the heat down a bit, and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, but still hold their shape well. Drain.
2.Put the oil in a large saute pan or frying pan, and set over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, ginger, garlic, and green peppers. Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the basil leaves. Add the green beans and saute for another minute. Add in the curry powder and stir at once.
3. Pour in the coconut milk, 1C water, the remaining tumeric, the cinnamon stick, salt, and potatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, cover and cook about 15 minutes, or until the beans are just tender. (I like my beans on the crunchy side, so I don't cook them for the whole 15 minutes).
4. Add the lime juice and stir in.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and serve. This is delicious over brown basmati rice served with a spinach salad on the side.

Mexican Purslane Stuffing
Submitted by member Cindy Riley (found on the Prairieland CSA website, but the source is Texas A&M University’s “Aggie Horticulture Network”) Anyone have any idea why it’s called ‘stuffing?’
serves 4

1 to 1½ lbs. purslane
1 tbsp. vegetable oil [Cindy used olive oil]
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic (1 clove)
1 sm. onion, finely chopped
1 medium-size ripe tomato, chopped [Cindy says she substituted sun-dried tomatoes]
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, finely chopped, or freshly cracked black pepper, according to taste [perfect opportunity for using the hot peppers in this week’s share!]
2 to 3 tsp. soy sauce (okay, maybe only in Texas is soy sauce 'Mexican!')
1 egg, beaten

1. Set aside a few raw sprigs of purslane for garnish. Steam or blanch the rest until tender-crisp (three to five minutes). Drain thoroughly, transfer to a plate covered with several layers of paper towels and blot dry.

2. In a large pan, sauté garlic and onion in vegetable oil until soft. Add tomato and chile (or black pepper) and sauté until the mixture becomes sauce-like. Season with soy sauce. Add the purslane and sauté until mixture is warm and the flavors marry.

3. When ready to serve, add the beaten egg to the warm mixture in the pan and mix gently. The egg will bind the mixture loosely but should not harden into scrambled eggs. Garnish individual servings with reserved purslane sprigs. Can be eaten as is, or in tortillas or pita bread.

Beet Salad with Plums and Goat Cheese

Adult Food: Braised Fennel and Chicken with Kale

Lance and I enjoyed this a lot, the kids ate okay, but not great.  Rice might be a good addition to soak up the sauce.


BRAISED FENNEL and TOFU with KALE
2 tbsp. organic plain yogurt (can substitute coconut milk) [I used yogurt]
2 tbsp. plus 1/4 C water
1/2 C raw organic sugar
2 tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp. ground fennel seeds
1 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp. turmeric
1 fennel bulb, cut into small chunks
1 C tofu cubes, approx 1/2-inch cubes) (can substitute cooked chicken or omit entirely) [I used chicken]
1/4 C vegetable stock
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 bunch kale or Asian greens or spinach [I used kale]
Sea salt

1. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt or coconut milk, 2 tbsp. water, and sugar. Set aside.
2. Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the fennel seeds, coriander, and turmeric and saute for 1-2 minutes more. Add the fennel and saute for an additional 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the tofu or cooked chicken, remaining water, stock, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10-12 minutes. Add the greens and stir to combine the ingredients. Cover the pan again and continue to cook until the fennel and greens are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the reserved yogurt mixture. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thoroughly heated through, about 5 minutes. Arrange on a serving platter or on individual plates. Season to taste with sea salt.

I love to serve this with the following mint-coconut sauce:

Mint-Coconut Sauce
2 tbsp. ghee or coconut oil
1 tbsp. chickpea flour (or flour of choice)
2 tbsp. mild curry powder
1 1/2 C coconut milk
3 tbsp. yogurt
10-20 fresh mint leaves, torn into small pieces [I used basil since I had it as per the variations below]
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt

Heat the ghee or oil in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and stir with a wire whisk to form a paste. Cook for about 2 minutes more.
2. Whisking continuously, slowly pour in the coconut milk. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to thicken into a creamy consistency. Remove frot the heat.
3.Whisk in the yogurt and mint leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Variations: You can use soy milk instead of the yogurt and basil leaves instead of the mint, and can add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

These recipes come from an Ayuvedic cookbook called EAT TASTE and HEAL by Thomas Yarema, MD, Daniel Rhoda, and Chef Johnny Brannigan-a great book, full of luscious recipes and Ayurvedic guidance.

May 21 - 27, 2011

From the CSA box:

Arugula - M
Red beets - R
Broccolini - F
Carrots - Su & W
Cauliflower - Su & W
Green garlic - R
Cooking greens (either Chard, or Red Russian or Lacinato kale) - T
Lettuce - Su,
Mustard greens - T
Bunching onions (scallions) - Su, M
Watercress (Santa Cruz Aquaponics) - W
Strawberries - probably will be devoured immediately
Radishes - Su

Menu:

Saturday - Pizza (Cooking Day off)
Sunday - Steak salad
Monday - Pasta Arugula
Tuesday - Saag Paneer or Aloo with leftover Chicken Curry
Wednesday -
Co-op Snack - carrots and hummus
Co-op Lunch - Cauliflower waffles with fruit'
Dinner - Watercress Artichoke Quiche
Thursday - Honey Ginger Beets and Mashed Potatoes
Friday - Barefoot contessa broccoli with salmon and orzo

Grocery List:

milk

flour 

powdered sugar

lemon (2)

ginger powder

fresh ginger root

goat cheese

romano cheese

Recipes (from Live Earth Farms Database):

Pasta Arugula

from Rosemary Webb

1/2 to 1 bunch of chopped arugula (one inch sizes) 3/4 pound of pasta (I used tiny shells) Juice of one half lemon 2 tablespoons of dry white wine 2 cloves of finely minced garlic 3 teaspoons of olive oil 1/8 to 1/4 cup of chicken broth or other mild broth Cook pasta and toss with raw arugula, while the pasta is cooking place the rest of the ingredients in a glass bowl and heat for 1 minute in the microwave. toss everything at once. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.


Saagmodified from "Classic Indian Cooking" by Julie Sahni with comments from Ursula

You can use various greens: spinach, mustard, kale, collard, beet greens (fresh or frozen).

2 lbs greens, fresh or frozen
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp. red pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp. ginger powder
3/4 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 tsp. garam masala
ghee, butter or oil

Chop the fresh greens coarsely. Heat a large shallow pan over medium-high heat. Ursula suggests spraying with oil or butter-flavor spray (the original recipe calls for quite a lot of ghee). Add the cumin seeds and stir them until they turn dark (10 seconds or so) then add the garlic and chili/red pepper. Add the greens a bunch at a time as they get limp. Add the ginger powder and salt, stir well. Add 1 1/4 C boiling water, reduce heat and cook for about 20 minutes, then uncover to cook off any excess water. At the end stir in the garam masala and turn off the heat. The original recipe also called for potatoes, but Ursula left these out. Instead she bought paneer cheese from an Indian food store and served that with the saag (for saag paneer) and says it was great, but that the flavor of the saag on its own was great too.

Honey Ginger Beets and Mashed Potatoes (add beans to potatoes for protein)

Cook the beets. Cut stems to 1" from root, scrub. Cut up potatoes and boil (also about 20 minutes). Wash and thinly slice green garlic (1 stalk per person), and sauté in butter and olive oil, with a pinch of salt, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, also for same 20 minutes or so until soft and golden. When beets are done, slip off and discard peel and slice 'em. In a skillet, melt some butter, grate in some fresh ginger root, add a goodly sploosh (maybe two) of orange juice, a big spoonful of honey and a pinch or two of salt. Simmer a bit, add sliced beets and continue to simmer until sauce reduces some and gets slightly syrupy. Now drain and mash your potatoes (I like to use buttermilk, but make 'em however you like). To serve: on each plate top mashed potatoes with a heap of caramelized garlic, side with some beautiful beets. Yum!

Recipes for later:

Chicken, Wild Rice And Pecan Salad In Romaine Spears adapted from Bon Apetit

3 Cups chicken broth
4 oz. wild rice
1 pound cooked chicken
1 bunch arugula -- chopped
1/4 cup green onions -- chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup walnuts or pecans -- toasted and chopped
1 large or 2 small heads romaine lettuce, or 3 cups baby lettuce greens

For chicken - roasted chicken, skinned, boned, meat cut into 1/-inch pieces Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until just tender, about 50 minutes. Drain well.

Transfer the rice to a large bowl. Mix in chicken, arugula and green onions. Mix soy sauce, vinegar and oil in small bowl. Pour over salad and mix to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Mix nuts into salad. Place salad in center of platter. Reserve outer romaine leaves for another use. Arrange inner leaves on platter around salad.

Great recipe for if I had a pressure cooker:
http://spicingyourlife.blogspot.com/2011/04/cauliflower-peas-pulao-recipe.html

May 14 - 20, 2011

From the CSA:

Broccolini - x

Carrots - x
Cauliflower - x
Fava beans - x
Green garlic - x
Kale (Red Russian or Lacinato) x
Lettuce (romaine or bibb) x
Bunching onions (scallions) x
Fresh "green" onions (red or yellow) x
Oyster mushrooms - x
Sugar snap peas - x
Watercress - x

Menu:

Saturday - Salad with Lettuce, Sugar Snap Peas, beans, Scallions, sunflower seeds, etc.

Sunday - Split pea Soup with Ham from freezer & Bread

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Easy-Split-Pea-Soup-1919

Monday - Crock pot Cauliflower Chili

Tuesday - Broccoli Pasta with Garlic-Lemon Breadcrumbs

Wednesday -

Snack - Fava Bean hummus with veggies/pita

Lunch - Watercress Egg Salad Sandwiches, sugar snap peas

Dinner - Meat Curry with Kale

Thursday - Baked Salmon in Green Garlic Puree

Friday - Scallion Pancakes with carrots and chicken

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/appetizer-starter-recipes/Scallion-Pancakes

All recipes below from Live Earth Farm website

Crock Pot Cheesy White Cauliflower Chili
Another recipe submission by member Lauren Thompson, who says, “I don't know if we are going to be getting any more cauliflower, but I hope so, because I want to make this again. This is a nice recipe for using up a whole head of cauliflower in one go. It's also the first crock pot recipe that I've made that people finished up the whole crock over the course of a day, which is saying a lot for our small family. I wouldn't call this gourmet, more homey, but it is solidly good eats. A nice filing meal made in crock pot that uses fresh ingredients instead of ‘cream of x’ soup!”

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 onions finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black peppercorns
1 can (14 to 19 oz) white kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 C dried white kidney beans, cooked and drained
3 C vegetable stock
3 C cauliflower florets, cooked for 4 minutes in salted boiling water and drained
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 green bell pepper, minced
2 C shredded Monterey jack cheese
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and softened
1 can chopped mild green chilies
finely chopped green onions (optional, for garnish)
finely chopped cilantro (optional, for garnish)

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin seeds, oregano, chili powder, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware. Add beans and stock and stir to combine.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours, until hot and bubbling.

3. Stir in cauliflower, jalapeno pepper, green pepper, Monterey jack cheese, and cream cheese and chilies, if using. Cover and cook on high for 25 to 30 minutes, until the green peppers are softened and cauliflower is heated through. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired with chopped green onions and cilantro.

If you prefer thicker chili, mash some or all of the beans or puree in a food processor before adding to the recipe.


Debbie's Broccoli Pasta with garlic-lemon breadcrumbs, Bon-Appetit-style

What you'll use from the box:
Broccolini
Green garlic
Carrot (optional)
Oyster mushrooms (optional)

Also you'll want:
Meyer lemon (zest, and juice)
Olive oil
Butter
Sea salt
Pasta of some sort (Fettucini, Linguine, Capellini, Spaghetti; any would be fine)
Fresh Parmesan or Romano, or similar hard-grating cheese
Bread crumbs (see below for how to make your own)
Fresh parsley (optional, for breadcrumbs)

to make the garlic-lemon breadcrumbs
To make breadcrumbs, tear fresh or day-old (but not dried out) bread into pieces and pulse in a food processor. Finely mince up about 1 to 2 tbsp. of green garlic. Cut zest from lemon (i.e. the yellow part of the skin only) and finely mince up 1 to 2 tsp. Mince up some optional parsley. In a small skillet or saucepan, melt some butter and olive oil together (don't skimp!). Add garlic and lemon zest and simmer a moment or two, then add breadcrumbs and toss/stir to mix with the fat/garlic/zest, then cook until they begin to crisp and brown, stirring in optional parsley near the end. Remove from heat and set aside.

to make the pasta
Cut broccolini into small floret tidbits (i.e. quarter the florets if they are bigger, leave 'em whole if they are small, and cut stalks into inch-ish or smaller segments if they are long). Slice up all the white and light-to-medium green of a large green garlic stalk (use two if small). Be sure to check for dirt between the leaves, just like you would with leeks.

Optional carrots: if you want to add color, scrub or peel a carrot, slice it lengthwise, then crosswise on the diagonal into thin half-moons. (You can leave it out and this will be just fine.)

Optional mushrooms: chop some into tidbits. (Ditto)

Bring well-salted water to a boil; cook pasta about 2 minutes less than package directions. Scoop out a cupful of the cloudy, starchy pasta water and save before draining pasta.

While pasta is cooking, start sauteeing the green garlic in olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat (make sure this pan is big enough to hold all the ingredients, including the pasta). Add broccolini (and mushrooms and/or carrots, if using), sprinkle with a little additional salt (optional) and continue to saute for a few minutes, adding pasta water in splashes and maybe covering for a minute or two so the steam from the water hitting the pan will begin to cook the vegetables.



Drain the pasta, transfer it to the pan with the veggies, and toss everything together with tongs, adding more of the reserved pasta water and juice from half a Meyer lemon. Keep cooking, tossing, etc. until the pasta is al dente and veggies are just barely tender, and everything has that light, unctuous coating formed by the emulsification of the olive oil and starchy pasta water. Remove from heat, grate in a generous amount of cheese and toss some more to incorporate (it will melt quickly and become part of the sauce). Plate the pasta and top with garlicy-lemon bread crumbs.



Hummus from Fresh Fava Beans
Debbie's version

I am modifying my favorite hummus recipe from Jane Brody's Good Food Book. What I've always loved about this version of hummus is that the onion and garlic are sauteed first, making them sweet instead of sharp. This will be a gorgeous emerald green color!

1 large onion, minced (perfect use of the big fresh onions we're getting!)
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced (substitute 1 stalk green garlic, white and light green parts)
oil for sauteeing
2 C cooked and peeled fresh fava beans (or if you don't have enough favas to make 2 cups, substitute garbanzo beans for some portion)
juice from 1 lemon (about 1/2 C)
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 C tahini
additional flavorful olive oil (optional)

Saute onion and garlic in oil until translucent and soft. In a blender or food processor, puree the favas with the onion and garlic, lemon juice, soy, and tahini. Add a couple blorps of flavorful olive oil at the end to incorporate, or serve with flavorful olive oil drizzled on top. Use as a veggie dip, or with pita, or however you like to use hummus!

Watercress Egg- salad sandwich spread

Ingredients

The main ingredients are ½ cup watercress, chopped finely and 2 hardboiled eggs. The other ingredients are:

2 Tbsp chives or minced onion

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

Salt and pepperPreparation

1)The hardboiled eggs are mashed with a fork and mixed with watercress and chives.

2)Moisten with mayonnaise then season gently with salt and pepper.

Optional: One can add a teaspoon of horseradish to make this spread extra wonderful

Jiten's standard meat curry using fresh ingredients
from member Alicia Woodrow, who says, “as new members, your veggies exceed expectations. My husband Jitendra (Jiten for short) is from Maharashtra, India. We used the fresh garlic and fresh onions in a standard curry recipe where we usually use the mature versions. This was sooooo good. It was spectacular. This was not a restaurant curry where they cook the bejeepers out of the veggies in a quart of oil and throw in a handful of garam masala. This is more of a home-style recipe where you can taste the ingredients. Here is that recipe, with quantities adjusted for fresh garlic and onions from the farm.”

Ingredients:
whole spices and oil
¼ C oil
2 sticks cinnamon
8 whole cloves
6 cardamom pods (black cardamom is very good, but regular pale cardamom is good too)

wet ingredients
1 C of LEF fresh garlic, chopped. Use white and green, or all green. Don't use the top part of the leaf that has sand under it (Or 3 tbsp. chopped up regular dry/cured garlic) [note from Debbie: the green garlic is getting pretty mature now; the cloves are fairly fully formed. The garlic is still less strong-flavored than regular dry-cured garlic, so you could easily use one to two heads worth of peeled cloves in this recipe, I think]
3 C fresh onions, chopped
3 - 4 tbsp. ginger, finely chopped

powdered spices
1 tbsp. turmeric
1 ½ tsp. powdered chilies

final ingredients
28 oz. can of (organic) tomatoes
2 ½ lbs. meat, cut up for curry
3 C water

Directions:
1. Fry the whole spices gently in the oil until they puff up slightly.

2. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Fry gently until they are very soft, approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Add small amounts of water as needed to prevent burning.

3. Add the powdered spices and fry for two minutes more.

4. Increase heat to high, and add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are hot.

5. Add the meat, get it hot also, then fry it for 6 minutes.

6. Boil the 3 C of water separately, then add it to the curry. Simmer everything very gently until the meat is cooked.

Notes:

A. This can be made with no meat. Just pour over hard-boiled egg halves for egg curry.
B. Good choices for meat are organic chicken thighs, whole organic chicken, skinned and "cut for curry,” lamb pieces without fat, beef pieces. [note from Debbie: even better than 'organic' try to get your meat from pasture-raised animals. Read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and you'll know why I say this.]

C. If desired, if using the lamb or beef, after frying the spices you can brown the meat in the oil. Set the meat aside until time to add to the curry in step 5 and cook as directed.

D. Serve with rice or naan or bread.



Baked Salmon in green garlic puree
created by member Lisa Bautista!

Lisa says, “I took a (smaller) stalk of green garlic and cut it into 1" pieces, half a preserved lemon* (I didn't rinse it off because I wanted the salt) and about 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper. I blended it all with enough olive oil to make a paste. I placed a salmon fillet on a piece of foil, slathered it with the green garlic goo, wrapped it up and baked until done. Yummy!

*If share members don't have preserved lemons, they could use the juice and pulp from a lemon with about 1/2 tsp. of salt as a substitution.”

Future -

Penne with Oyster Mushrooms in Garlic and Lemon Cream Sauce
serves 4 to 6
[it's an old typed card from my recipe file; source was a caterer I assisted in preparing a big fundraising meal for a nonprofit decades ago. I've forgotten the caterer's name, alas.]

8 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 lbs. fresh oyster mushrooms, stems trimmed, tops wiped clean as needed [obviously you'll need to either scale down the recipe, or be satisfied with less mushrooms in the overall recipe, which would not be the end of the world]
4 tbsp. minced or pressed garlic
3 C heavy cream [don't use ultra-pasteurized! Yuck!]
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 C tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced [I just use canned chopped tomatoes when fresh tomatoes are out of season]
1 lb. penne rigate
¾ C grated asiago cheese

Greens-n-Beans

a bunch of greens (whatever you have on hand: kale, chard, dandelion, beet), cleaned and coarsely chopped
2 heads of green garlic, chopped
2 tsp. olive oil
1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated in a little water and then chopped
1 1/2 C cooked fava beans (see last week’s newsletter), or a can of small white beans
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
Salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to taste

Sauté the garlic in oil until soft. Add greens and stir-fry until just wilted. Add the tomatoes (and their liquid) and simmer until the greens are cooked. Add beans, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and salt/pepper. Simmer a minute or two to warm up the beans and meld the flavors. Serve in bowls with some cheese sprinkled on top.