Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Birch Point CSA Week 5

In Your Share This Week: Starting to turn this Spring Ship Toward Summer!


Broccoli OR New Potatoes (whichever you don't get this week you'll get next week)- the very first potatoes of the season, or early broccoli. We leave the greens on broccoli because they're delicious (cook any way you'd do kale, and/or toss in with the broccoli head), but they do transpire moisture away from the head, leading to rubbery broccoli. If you won't use it in the next few days, remove the leaves before storing.
Kohlrabi--click though here for a huffpost series called "WTF, CSA?" starting with Kohlrabi :) And yes you CAN use the greens- cook them just like kale.
Beet greens OR mustard greens- or mix the two and make a spectacular sag paneer--you'll notice in this recipe from Saveur, the author specifically mentions that "sag" just means greens, and you CAN use any greens you have on hand for sag paneer. Go on, be adventurous :) Beet greens: super nutritious!
Lettuce- more beautiful reds, greens, butterhead/bibb, or romaines
Cilantro- perhaps tossed at the last minute into a spicy stirfry of kohlrabi, scallions, peas, and broccoli? Or perhaps you have a garlic scape and a few pine nuts or sunflower seeds hanging around the back of your fridge? try cilantro-garlic scape pesto: Yum!
Scallions- so delicious, so versatile, and please DO use the entire thing, greens and whites. All is tender.
Peas- snow or snap-- may be coming to an end :(  It's been a good pea run, but BEANS are almost ready to take over next week!

Announcements

1. Heart of Summer shares start THIS WEEK.  All Heart of Summer members should have gotten a reminder email- here's another one ;)  See you Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday!
2. Wednesday and Saturday shares- PLEASE remember your boxes--  bring back your empty box each week when you pick up your full one. If everyone remembers their boxes, it helps us keep costs and hassle down, AND helps keep your veggies happier than in a plastic bag (the fate of box-hoarders, if we run out of boxes).
3. Reminder: Dilly Bean canning workshop from ISLAND, here at Birch Point: Tuesday Aug. 4, 6-8:30 pm. Details and registration here. CSA members and general public welcome.

Recipes: 

Save these! and/or bookmark the blog entries, because you'll see a lot of these items again, and next time you'll be even more prepared.

Cilantro Pesto
Take a basil pesto recipe (for example, the one below). Swap out basil for cilantro. Voila.  Hint: you can make pesto out of ANY herb, and many green leafy veggies, too. Anything you enjoy the flavor of will make a delightful pesto. Try basil, cilantro, dill (one of my faves), parsley, sorrel, kale, chives, etc.
2 c. herbs/greens of your choice
1/2 c. toasted nuts/seeds (I like a combo of pine nuts and walnuts and/or sunflower seeds)
2 fat garlic cloves or 1-2 garlic scapes
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice or verjus.
 dash salt and pepper.
Whiz everything in the cuisinart or blender. Adjust salt, add optional heat (ground cayenne, fresh or dried hot pepper), whiz again, taste. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for a week or so, or freeze for up to several months.

An amazing-sounding kohlrabi soup I found on the abovementioned huffpost kohlrabi article:
http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2011/09/sholeh-maash-persian-green-mung-bean.html
Sholeh Maash - Persian Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Hearty Soup
Ingredients:
Serves 6

1 1/2  cups green mung beans, rinse 2-3 times
1/2 cup rice, rinse well
3-4 medium-size kohlrabi, peel and cut into small cubes, leave one cubed kohlrabi for the topping
1 large bunch of fresh tareh or scallions (green parts only), washed and chopped
1 small bunch of fresh tarragon, stems removed and chopped
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, diced
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
1/3 teaspoon red pepper *optional
1/3 teaspoon cumin *optional
Oil

Method:
  1. Place the beans and the rice in a large pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
  2. Add the small pieces of kohlrabi, salt, pepper, cover and cook for 45 minutes on low heat.
  3. Periodically check to see if you need to add more water to the soup.
  4. Add the chopped vegetables, taste and adjust the seasoning, add more hot water if needed and let it simmer for another 15 minutes for the flavors to blend in.
  5. In the meantime, fry the sliced onions in 3-4 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil in a skillet until golden brown. Add the turmeric powder and the minced garlic to the oil, stir and saute further for another five minutes.
  6. Add a large tablespoon of the fried onion to the soup and gently mix well.
  7. Lightly fry the cubed kohlrabi in 2-3 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil until soft and golden on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt, turmeric, cumin and red pepper and stir well.
To serve ladle the soup into a soup bowl, top with the fried onions and kohlrabi. Serve hot with bread and yogurt.

Enjoy!

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