Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage is a wonderful vegetable whose versatility goes way beyond the seasonal favorite, corned beef and cabbage.  It's great cooked in soups and stews as well as raw in a wide variety of slaws and salads.  One of my personal favorites is simply steaming wedges of cabbage and serving them with plenty of butter, salt, and pepper.

Raw heads of cabbage can be stored for long periods; and cabbage pickles easily, too.  With little more than cabbage and salt, you can make a tasty sauerkraut that will keep in the fridge for about 6 months (see recipe from 4-20-12, spices optional).

Today's recipe for stuffed cabbage rolls is an old family favorite that I've modified slightly over the years.  Though there are several steps, it's not difficult.  And you'll end up with enough to serve a hungry family.  Leftovers keep well in the fridge for about 3 days, or you can freeze stuffed cabbage rolls (after cooking them) for 3-6 months.

I like to use my own, home-made Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce (see recipe from 9-24-10).  I keep quarts of it in the freezer.  But if you don't have any sauce of your own, canned tomato sauce is fine, though you may want to adjust the seasoning a bit.

For 12-16 rolls:

12-16 cabbage leaves, removed from the head*
1 t olive oil
2 small carrots, finely chopped
1/4 small onion, finely chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 C cooked rice
1 egg
1/2 t salt, or to taste
1/4 t pepper, or to taste
1-1/2 C Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce + 1/2 C water OR 2 C canned tomato sauce

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Steam the cabbage leaves with a little water in a covered pot or vegetable steamer until the leaves are pliable, but not soggy.  Remove the leaves to a colander and set aside.

3.  In a small skillet, heat the oil and saute the finely chopped carrots and onions over low heat until just barely soft.  Turn off heat and set aside.

4.  In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, cooked rice, egg, salt, pepper, and sauteed onions and carrots until well combined.  You can do this with your hands, if you like.

5.  Test the seasoning of the meat mixture by making a tiny patty with a teaspoon of filling and cooking it (on both side) in a skillet (I use the same skillet that I cooked the carrots and onions in).  Add more salt and pepper to the meat mixture if necessary.**

6.  To assemble the cabbage rolls:  Working with one wilted leaf at a time, place a few tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of the leaf.  Fold the sides of the leaf into the center, then roll up the leaf.  Place each rolled leaf in a non-reactive baking dish with a cover.***  Repeat with remaining cabbage leaves and meat mixture.

7.  If you're using a thick tomato sauce like the Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce, you may need to thin it a bit with water:  Place the tomato sauce and water in a medium bowl and whisk together until well-combined.  If you're using canned tomato sauce you probably don't need the water, but taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, or herbs, as desired.

8.  Pour 2 C tomato sauce over the cabbage rolls in the baking dish, spreading it evenly.  Cover and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 1-1/2 hrs or until the sauce is bubbling and the meat is cooked through.  Serve hot or cool and refrigerate for later use.  Re-heat before serving.

*Save the rest of the cabbage foe another use, like cole slaw.
**Feel free to add other seasonings if you like.  Hot red pepper gives this dish a spicy zing.  A little paprika is another nice addition.
***I like to use a glass baking dish or a baking dish with a glass cover so I can see what's going on inside, but any covered baking dish will do, as long as it's deep enough to hold the cabbage and the sauce snugly   If you don't have a covered baking dish, you can use any non-reactive baking dish and cover it with foil.

Friday's bounty included:

From Ranch Santa Cecilia:  Murcott tangerines;

From Jimenez Family Farms:  Broccoli, arugula, broccoli rabe, carrots, cabbage, spinach, butternut squash, and yellow onions; and

From County Line Harvest South:  Green bor kale, lettuce, baby beets, and spring onions.

By the way, fresh cabbage comes in several colors.  Here's a photo of a stunning head of red cabbage from a friend's garden.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Giardiniera

Italians make a lovely pickled vegetable mix called Giardiniera.  It usually consists of cauliflower, carrots, onions and red bell pepper.  Some recipes call for chunks of cabbage and/or pepperoncini as well, while others add enough red pepper flakes to give it a kick.  I've sometimes substituted romanesco for some of the cauliflower to great effect.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This Giardiniera can be poured into pints jars and processed in a hot water bath canner to make a shelf stable product that will keep for at least a year, or you can skip this step and store it in the fridge for up to 14 days.

It's delicious chopped and added to an antipasto salad or an Italian sub sandwich as well as on a relish plate.   Consider adding chopped Giardiniera to grilled cheese made with provolone cheese on Italian bread.

For about 3 pints:

2 T + 1 t kosher salt
4 C cauliflower florets
2 C peeled and sliced carrots
1 t black mustard seeds
1/2 t cumin seeds
1 t black peppercorns
2 C white 5% vinegar
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
5 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
1 small yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 C sugar
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t ground turmeric
1 C red bell pepper cut lengthwise into strips

1.  Add 1 t kosher salt to a large pot with 2 quarts of water (set aside 2 T kosher salt) and bring the water to a boil.

2.  Add the cauliflower florets and sliced carrots to the boiling water.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Drain and add vegetables to an ice water bath to stop cooking.  Set aside.

3.  Put the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorns in a medium saucepan and toast the spices over medium heat until fragrant.

4.  Add the vinegar, garlic, ginger, onion, sugar, red pepper, 2 T salt, and turmeric.  Add 1 C water.  Bring to a boil.

5.  Mix the red pepper strips with the blanched cauliflower and carrots.

For shelf-stable canned Giardiniera:  Pack the vegetables tightly into clean, hot pint jars.  Pour the hot brine over the vegetables.  Remove any air bubbles with a plastic knife.  Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp cloth.  Screw on the lids.  Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.  Remove from canner and allow to cool completely.  Check seals.  Allow sealed jars to sit to 2-5 days before opening.  Store any unsealed or open jars in the fridge.

For quick pickles:  In a non-reactive and heat-resistant container, pour the hot brine over the vegetables.  Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 days before using.  Store quick pickles in the fridge for up to 14 days.

Today's bounty included:

From County Line Harvest South:  Collard greens, red chard, and beets;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Space spinach, Japanese turnips, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, butternut squash, potatoes, and carrots;

From K and K Ranch:  Tangerines and navel oranges;

From Silver Lake Farms:  Assorted herbs and lemons.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Jalapeno Escabeche and The Magic of Lacto-Fermentation

If you love the pickled jalapenos that many Mexican restaurants serve as much as I do, you'll be delighted to learn just how easy it is to whip them up through the miracle of lactic acid fermentation, also known as lacto-fermentation.

Fermentation is a natural process in which microorganisms such as bacteria convert sugars or carbohydrates in food into delicious byproducts of fermentation.  Wine is grape juice fermented into alcohol.  In lacto-fermented jalapeno escabeche, carbohydrates are fermented by lactobacilli bacteria into lactic acid which gives the peppers a tart and delicious pickle-like quality.

Lactobacilli are everywhere making lacto-fermentation super easy.  All you have to do is create an environment where lactobacilli will thrive while inhibiting the growth of less desirable bacteria.  And all this takes is a little salt and removing the oxygen.

Lactobacilli prefer a slightly saltier environment than many other bacteria.  However, too much salt is not good, so be sure to use the amount of salt called for in the recipe.  Lactobacilli don't like oxygen either, so keeping your fermenting peppers submerged in the brine prevents exposure to oxygen and promotes the fermentation process.

Fermentation works best in temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees F - too warm and the peppers might lose their crunch; too cool and the fermentation process slows or comes to a stop.  I fermented my peppers on my counter for two weeks.  Now they'll keep in the fridge for six month or longer.

To make lacto-fermented jalapeno escabeche:

1.  Make a brine by dissolving 1.6 oz of kosher or pickling salt in 1 qt of filtered or non-chlorinated water.

2.  Prepare enough jalapenos, carrots, and onions to fill a clean 1 qt glass jar with a lid about 2/3 to 3/4 full.  Wash the vegetables.  Slice the onions.  Peel and slice the carrots.  And slice, halve, or leave whole the jalapenos, you're choice.

3.  Put the veggies in the jar.  Cover completely with the brine.  Weight down the veggies so they stay completely submerged.  You can do this with a small plastic bag filled with brine or a small glass jar that fits inside your larger jar, also filled with brine.

4.  Close the jar and set it on the counter for 2 weeks.  Then remove the weight and store the escabeche in the fridge.

A few fermentation tips:
Use non-reactive equipment in good condition.  Scratched and damaged equipment may harbor undesirable bacteria that could spoil your fermentation.  Glass, stoneware, and stainless steel are all good choices.  Copper, brass, and iron react with acids or salts and cause off flavors.

Don't use iodized table salt, as iodine is an anti-microbial and will likely inhibit your fermentation.

Use fresh produce.  Older veggies have tougher skins which may resist fermentation; and spoiled produce already contains undesirable bacteria that may ruin your fermentation.

Feel free to add whole spices such as peppercorns, bay leaves, or rosemary sprigs for additional flavor, but avoid ground spices as they may make the brine cloudy or result in strange color changes.

Some lacto-fermentation recipes call for the addition of a teaspoon or two of whey, which you can get by draining off of yogurt.  This is fine, but not necessary.  Your veggies will ferment with or without whey. The juice from a live-culture sauerkraut will work just as well as whey, if you want to kick-start your fermentation.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Romaine lettuce, basil, and cilantro;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Patty pan squash, cucumbers, baby swiss chard, tomatillos, fresh garbanzos, mixed peppers, and yellow corn;

From K and K Ranch:  Gala apples and Thompson grapes;

From Shear Rock Farms:  Heirloom tomatoes; and

From Weiser Family Farms:  French fingerling potatoes and shallots.

Enjoy!

Shelley

SLF CSA Grilled Vegetables

When it's too hot to heat up the kitchen, it's grilling weather at my house.  With the right equipment, you can cook just about anything on a grill.

There are clever, fish-shaped grilling baskets for whole fish, rotisseries for meats, pizza stones for pizza, and skewers for just about anything.  But the single most useful piece of grilling equipment is a grill basket, a sturdy metal pan with sloped sides and lots of small holes.  It sits right on top of the grate.  The holes are perfect for letting juices drip down but too small to lose anything else.  And the pan can get quite hot, so you can get a nice char on whatever you're grilling.  It's ideal for grilling vegetables.

Start with a mix of fresh summer vegetables, cut them into strips or chunks, toss them in a little olive oil, sprinkle them with salt, and grill them in a grill basket, stirring occasionally, like a stir-fry.  Grill them until they're done to your liking, 10-20 minutes depending on how you like them and the heat of your grill.  It's that easy.

Some vegetables take longer to cook than others.  You can deal with this by cutting denser vegetables such as carrots into thinner pieces, or you can grill each vegetable separately until it's at its perfect done-ness.  Personally, I like that some vegetables turn out a little crunchier than others, so I just mix mine all together and grill them until there's a little char on some of the vegetables.


I like a mix of color, but you can go monochromatic if you wish.  Avoid leaves, such as spinach, kale and chard, as they tend to burn long before the other veggies are done.  Herbs are lovely and can add great depth of flavor, but they burn easily too, so add them after you take the veggies off the grill, or stir them in just before you take the vegetables off the grill.  A sprinkle or two of fine balsamic vinegar is another delicious way of dressing up your grilled vegetables.

My vegetable mix uses several of the items in today's box:  green beans, Mexican squash, carrots, and candy onions.  I threw in a little red bell pepper for extra color.  For two generous servings, I used:

1/4 lb green beans
1 Mexican squash
2 carrots
1 medium onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat up the grill and grill pan.

2.  While the grill is heating, slice the vegetables and place in a bowl.

3.  Toss the veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4.  When the grill is hot, pour the veggies into the grill pan and cook, stirring occasionally until done, about 10-20 minutes.

Serve hot or room temperature.

If you have any leftovers, you can toss them into an omelet or make a grilled vegetable sandwich on a fresh ciabatta roll with a little chipotle mayo.  Yum.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Green beans, parsley, baby dill, and broccoli;

From JR Organics:  Red romaine lettuce and chard;

From Sage Mountain Farms:  Mexican squash, chantenay carrots, red russian kale, purple scallions, and yellow candy onions;

From Silver Lake Farms:  Basil seedlings;

From Sweet Tree Farms:  Yellow nectarines and donut peaches; and

From Weiser Family Farms:  Ogen melon.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Creamy Carrot Mac 'n Cheese

A long time ago, when I worked as a nutritionist, mothers would often tell me that their kids wouldn't eat vegetables.  While I knew most kids would outgrow their food fussiness, most moms wanted to know what they could do right now to get their kids to eat a balanced diet.  It was great fun devising kid-friendly recipes that incorporated the offending veggies.

Today's recipe is a delicious twist on an old classic with nutrition-packed carrots hiding in plain sight.  The mac n' cheese recipe below is pretty easy to make, but you can add cooked and mashed carrots to your favorite mac n' cheese recipe if you prefer.

Start by making the mashed carrots:

4-5 medium to large carrots
salt
water

Trim and peel the carrots.  Chop them into large chunks.  Place in a 2 qt stock pot.  Cover with water.  Add a little salt (or not).  Cover and boil for 10-15 minutes until just tender.  Drain.  Cool slightly and mash with a fork or in a food processor or with an immersion blender.  Set aside.

Next make the sauce:

2 T butter
2 T flour
1-1/2 C milk
2 C grated cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you prefer)
1 C cook and mashed carrots
salt and pepper to taste

1.  In a 1-1/2 qt saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.

2  Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes.

3.  Gradually add the milk, little by little, stirring regularly as the sauce thickens.  Bring it to barely a boil, but don't let it boil.

4.  Add the grated cheese and stir until fully melted.

5.  Add the mashed carrots and stir until combined.

6.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside while you cook the macaroni.

To assemble:

Cook 1 lb macaroni according to the directions on the package.  When done, drain well and return to the cooking pot.  Pour the carrot/cheese sauce over the hot macaroni and stir until well-coated.

You can serve the macaroni like this as a creamy side dish, but I prefer to put it in a buttered baking dish or individual ramekins, top it with buttered bread crumbs and bake it at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until the bread crumbs have browned.

I also like to use different pasta shapes.  Shells, fusilli, and farfalle all work very well in this recipe.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Young garlic, strawberries, romaine, and spinach;

From JR Organics:  Carrots, turnips, and cilantro;

From Jaime Farms:  Leeks, rainbow chard, free-range eggs, hot-house tomatoes, broccoli, and basil;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia:  Golden nugget mandarins and avocados.

And from Silver Lake Farms there were nasturtiums and cardoons!

Enjoy!


Shelley

Carrot and Spring Onion Pancakes

Most people think of pancakes as a sweet breakfast treat, but savory pancakes can be just as delicious. They're versatile, too. Not strictly relegated to breakfast, you can serve savory pancakes with a salad for a light and tasty supper; or as a side (instead of potatoes or rice) with roast chicken or beef. I like to dress up these Carrot and Spring Onion pancakes with creme fraiche and snipped herbs and top them with a thin slice of gravlax for an elegant brunch dish.

For 7-8 3-inch pancakes, use the quantities below. You can double this recipe to make approximately 15 3-inch pancakes.

2 large eggs
1/3 C flour
2 T olive oil
2 T water
1/4 t salt or to taste
pepper to taste
1/2 C grated carrots
1/2 C chopped spring onions
vegetable oil for frying

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly.

2. Stir in the flour, olive oil, water, salt and pepper until combined.

3. Stir in the grated carrots and chopped spring onions until evenly distributed.

4. Heat 1-2 T oil in a medium skillet (coat should coat the bottom of the skillet).

5. Drop large spoonfuls of batter in the hot skillet. Lightly spread each spoonful of batter to make a round pancake. Cook until the bottom is browned; flip and cook until the other side is browned. Depending on the size of your skillet, you make have to fry the pancakes in batches. Add a little extra oil, if necessary, for each batch. Serve hot.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farms: Carrots, spring onions, red sails lettuce, broccoli raab leaves, arugula, purple Italian fresh garlic and loose spinach;

From JR Organics: Red carrots and red butter lettuce;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Golden Nugget mandarins and Hass avocados;

From Jaime Farms: Cauliflower, dill, cilantro, broccoli, and leeks;

From Drake Family Farms: Chevre.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Fusilli with Italian Sausage, Zucchini, Kale and Carrots

What a special treat to get locally-made artisan sausage in today's CSA box! And this sausage is truly special. It was made just two weeks ago from a locally-raised sow bred from award-winning stock. The sausage is very fresh, and pretty lean as sausage goes. You can really taste the pork in this finely-balanced and subtly-spiced product.

This recipe uses several of the vegetables in today's box as well as the sausage to make a delicious pasta entree. You can use either the sweet Italian or the hot Italian sausage, or you can omit the sausage entirely if you prefer. You'll still end up with a flavorful dish.

1 lb Italian sausage
1-2 T olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 zucchini, washed and sliced
4-6 oz kale, washed and chopped
1 lb fusilli pasta
1/2-2/3 C pasta cooking water
1/2 C heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese, optional

1. Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into bite-sized chucks (or smaller), until done. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.

2. If necessary, heat a little more oil in the skillet. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the sliced carrots to the skillet. Turn down the heat, cover, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.

4. Add the zucchini, cover again, and cook for 3 minutes more, stirring once or twice.

5. Add the kale, cover again and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the kale just wilts. Turn off the heat.

6. Return the cooked sausage to the skillet. [You can do everything up to this point ahead of time if you wish. Cool the skillet and its contents and refrigerate until you're ready to cook the pasta.]

7. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli. Cook according to directions. [You can substitute spaghetti, linguini, fettuccini, or practically any pasta shape you prefer.]

8. Just before the pasta is done cooking, turn the heat on again under the sausage and vegetable mixture.

9. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 C of pasta water.

10. Add 1/2 C pasta cooking water and 1/2 C heavy cream to the skillet with the sausage and vegetables. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

11. Add the cooked, drained pasta, and stir to combine with the sausage and vegetable mixture. Stir constantly as the liquid begins to reduce, becomes very thick, and sticks to the pasta. Add a little more pasta water if necessary.

12. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Today's bounty included:

Sausage from Nancee Siebert's sow prepared by Fryer's Meats and distributed by Jennie Cook;

French fingerling potatoes from Weiser Family Farms;

From Sage Mountain Farm: organic siberian kale, red sails lettuce, spinach, and radishes;

From JR Organics: organic celery, chard, and red leaf lettuce;

From Jaime Farms: Cauliflower, free-range eggs, hot-house zucchini, carrots, and cilantro; and

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Navel oranges.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Creamy, Cheesy Polenta with Creamy, Cheesy Vegetable "Ragu"

Polenta, or corn meal mush, is true comfort food. It's soft and warm and a great base for many wonderful toppings, both savory and sweet. It's easy to prepare, too. You simply pour corn meal into boiling liquid and stir. You can use yellow or white meal and any level of coarseness from finely ground to extra coarse. Of course, the better and fresher the meal, the tastier your final product.

I like cooking up corn meal for breakfast, adding some butter, maple sugar, and salt to the boiling water and serving it with more butter, maple syrup, and milk.

Today's recipe is a savory rendition of polenta made with broth instead of water. But you can use water, if you don't have any broth. I've added freshly grated parmesan cheese and paired the polenta with a creamy and cheesy vegetable "ragu."

I put "ragu" in quotation marks because the Italians consider ragu to be a tomato-based meat sauce, and there's neither meat nor tomatoes in my topping. Nevertheless, it's thick and rich and loaded with tasty vegetables from today's CSA box.

You might want to make (or start) the vegetable ragu first, as it can sit while you cook up the polenta. Polenta hardens as it cools and may reach a point at which it will be difficult or impossible to turn it back into a creamy mush. However, polenta is often allowed to firm up and then cut into pieces. So you can serve it this way, if you prefer.

Creamy, Cheesy Vegetable Ragu

1 T butter or olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2-3 C broccoli florets
4 C chopped kale
1 C cream or whole evaporated milk
1-2 T sherry wine, optional
1/2 - 1 C finely grated parmesam cheese, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter or heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute, covered, until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the carrots and shiitake and continue to cook covered for 3-5 minutes, until the carrots are not quite tender.

3. Add the broccoli and kale and continue to cook covered until the broccoli and kale turn bright green and the kale has become soft, about 2-4 minutes. The vegetables should exude some moisture while cooking, but if the pan is too dry, you can add 2-4 T water or broth.

4. Add the cream and the sherry. Turn up the heat to medium. Remove the cover and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half.

5. Add the cheese and stir until the sauce is creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can reduce the sauce even more if you'd like it to be thicker. When it's the desired thickness, cover the pan and turn off the heat.

Creamy, Cheesy Polenta

1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 t salt
4 C broth of water
1 C corn meal
1 C finely grated parmesan cheese, or to taste
more salt and pepper to taste

1. Put the butter, olive oil, salt and broth or water into a medium saucepan and bring the water to a rolling boil.

2. Gently add the corn meal, stirring constantly to break up any lumps.

3. Turn the heat to low or medium-low and stir constantly until the polenta begins to thicken. Then lower the heat and cook the polenta, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes.

4. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted and combined.

5. Turn off the heat and stir in more salt, if needed, and lots of black and white pepper to taste. Although you don't have to stir constantly, stir regularly until the polenta reaches the desired thickness, such as when it holds its shape spooned onto a plate or bowl.

To assemble: Re-heat the vegetable ragu, if necessary. Spoon the polenta onto a plate and top with the vegetable ragu. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

If you'd like, you can add a sprig of rosemary to the polenta as it cooks. Take it out before serving.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Artichokes, green cabbage, green kale, turnips, purple carrots, broccoli, butter lettuce, spinach, and escarole;

From Weiser Family Farms: Parsnips, French Fingerling potatoes, and rutabagas;

From Jaime Farms: Cauliflower, celery, red beets, Persian cucumbers,carrots, zucchini, red romaine, oregano, marjoram, tomatoes, and eggs;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Zutano avocado.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Oven Roasted Winter Vegetable Hash

Making hash is a great way to used up little odds and ends in your fridge, but it can be even better when you design a combination of complementary ingredients and flavors as in this delicious roasted winter vegetable hash.

This recipe, which combines winter squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips, has a perfect balance of sweet and savory elements. Best of all, it's a cinch to make - just a little peeling, chopping, and roasting.

I like to cut the vegetables into relatively small dice - about 1/4 inch or smaller - but you can use larger dice if you prefer. You may have to roast the vegetables a little longer if you cut them into bigger pieces. I use a hot oven, about 425 degrees F, so the edges of the veggies get nice and browned and carmelized.

Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables

1/4 to 1/2 butternut or acorn squash
2-3 medium to large carrots
1-2 medium to large parsnips
1-2 small to medium potatoes
1/2 medium onion
1 pinch nutmeg
2 pinches ground sage
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Peel all the vegetables and cut into 1/4 inch dice. Put the diced veggies in a large bowl. You should have about 4-5 C of diced veggies. Compost the peels.

3. Add the olive oil to the veggies and stir to coat. Stir in the nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper.

4. Pour out the veggies onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven. Gently stir the veggies and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and lightly carmelized.

Serve this hash with poached eggs for brunch or supper, or as a side dish without eggs if you prefer. Try it on toast with melted cheese on top; or dress it up with hollandaise sauce for a special treat.

This week's box included bounty from six farms!

From Underwood Family Farms: butter lettuce, Japanese turnips, purple kale, rainbow chard, white cauliflower, candy beets, Pinkerton avocados, spinach, black kale, broccoli, and navel oranges;

From Weiser Family Farms: parsnips, celery root, Romanesco, and Russian Banana potatoes;

From Sage Mountain Farm: spicy salad greens, arugula, and baby carrots;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins;

From Drake Family Farms: Chevre;

And from urban farmer, Russell Wightman: avocados and sapote.

Plus bonus citrus from Sallie Hernandez in Eagle Rock: Meyer lemons and super juicy little oranges.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Maple Glazed Parsnips and Carrots

Parsnips are so sweet all by themselves you might think they wouldn't benefit from being glazed. But this simple and delicious recipe confirms the saying that too much of a good thing can be wonderful.

This recipe calls for a pound of parsnips and a pound of carrots, but you can cut the recipe in half or change the proportion of parsnips to carrots to suit your taste.

1 T vegetable oil
1 lb parsnips, peeled, trimmed and sliced into chunks
1 lb carrots, peeled, trimmed and sliced into chunks
1 C broth (chicken or vegetable) or water
1/2 C maple syrup
1 T rice vinegar
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
rosemary, optional

1. Heat oil in a non-reactive skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add chopped parsnips and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown slightly, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the broth, syrup and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Uncover the pan and turn up the heat a little. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is like syrup, another 8-10 minutes.

4. Stir in the butter. Season with salt and peppper to taste. Add a little snipped fresh rosemary, if you'd like, or garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Serve.

Don't throw away those carrot and parsnip peels. Put them in the compost or make a quick broth from them.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Round carrots, red and green leaf lettuce, arugula, tatsoi, black kale, candy beets, French Breakfast radishes, celery, acorn squash, and butternut squash;

From Weiser Family Farms: Rustic cooking Nantes carrots, beets, parsnips, and Romanesco cauliflower;

From Sage Mountain Farm: Collard greens, Torpedo Baby Spring onions, New England pie pumpkin, and Red Gold potatoes;

From Rancho Santa Celicia: Satsuma mandarins and limes;

And from Drake Family Farms: Chevre.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Braised Lamb with Carrots and Potatoes

Carrots, celery, and potatoes are mainstays of savory cooking, and this week's recipe uses them in a delicious braised lamb dish.

The lamb I used is local, from Tehachapi, and sustainably farmed. It was raised by Nancee Siebert, who I met through the Master Food Preserver training program. Nancee has been raising lambs since she was a little girl. The lambs are born early in the year, and Nancee starts selling them in late summer until they're gone.

I bought a whole lamb from Nancee and served the leg at Thanksgiving. It was some of the most delicious lamb I've eaten. Nancee raises her lambs with love and you can taste it. As of this blog post, Nancee still has a few lambs left, so if you're interested in one, you can contact me through Silver Lake Farms for more information.

If you don't want to use lamb in this dish, you can use beef or chicken instead. The cooking times may vary, but braise until fork tender.

Braised Lamb with Carrots and Potatoes

1 T olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
4 lamb shoulder chops
salt and pepper
2 C water or stock
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped in 6-8 pieces
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 rib celery, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 bay leaf
4-6 small potatoes, peeled
1 small celery root, peeled and chopped into 4-6 chunks
paprika

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan with a lid. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic and slightly golden.

2. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Brown them on both sides in the pan with the garlic over medium heat.

3. Add the water or stock. Scatter the chopped onion, carrots, and celery in the pan. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then turn the heat down and slowly simmer, covered, until the meat is just tender, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

4. Add the potatoes and celery root. Sprinkle them with a little paprika and continue braising until the celery root is tender, about another 30-45 minutes.

5. Do not allow all the liquid to cook off. Add a little more water or stock, if necessary. If you end up with too much liquid, uncover and reduce on a low simmer.

Don't Throw Away Those Veggie Scraps!

Waste not, want not is one of my mottos. Between the hens, the worms, and the compost, we don't have much food waste. Still, when I have the time, I like to make a vegetable broth from the peels and scraps of vegetables that I'm using for another purpose, and this braise provides just that tasty opportunty.

Be sure to scrub the vegetables well before peeling. Put all the peels and scraps in a medium saucepan. Add a bay leaf, some salt and a couple of peppercorns. Add 4 C of water and bring to a very low simmer. The secrets to a clear broth are do not stir and never let it boil. Simmer, barely bubbling, until reduced by half, about 45minutes. Cool and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Do not press the solids. Feed the remaining solids to the hens or the worms.

You can freeze this broth for use later. It's a good idea to cool it in the fridge before freezing.




This week's bounty came from four farms:

From Underwood Family Farms: White cauliflower, tatsoi, mizuna, broccoli, Celebrity tomatoes, romaine, carrots, French Breakfast radishes, celery root, and artichokes;

From Weiser family Farms: Potatoes, carrots, Watermelon radishes, rutabagas, and beets;

From Sage Mountain Farm: Spaghetti squash, green heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and collard greens; and

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins and limes.

Enjoy!

Shelley




pictured here are scraps ready for making broth, and below, the broth itself. Delicious!

Fingerling Potato Salad

Potato salad is like a blank slate. There are so many flavors that work well with potatoes, there are literally hundreds of variations on this classic dish.

Let's start with the potatoes: Fingerlings retain their shape, while Russets are inclined to break apart resulting in a creamier texture. However, you can mash the Fingerlings a little and end up with exactly the amount of potato chunky-ness you prefer. Redskins are more like Fingerlings in that they retain their shape, but they mash up well too.

I like to leave the potatoes in their jackets because it provides a little more nutrition and fiber. I also like the look of it. But if you want to peel your potatoes, I suggest doing so after you cook them. You'll find it easier to remove their papery skins. Wait until they're cool enough to handle, though.

As for additions, a classic version of potato salad includes chopped celery, chopped onion, mashed hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and of course, mayonnaise. However, you can add peppers, both sweet and/or hot, fresh English peas (in season), fresh corn kernels, grated carrots, grated zucchini, or chopped kale. And you don't have to use a mayo-based dressing. Vinaigrettes are lovely on potato salad.

Salt, pepper, and paprika are classic seasonings. But you can get adventurous and season your potato salad with cumin or curry powder. I adore smoked paprika, both sweet and hot. Lemon juice and/or grated lemon peel will add a little zing. For even more zing, try Dijon mustard, horseradish, or wasabi.

I made my potato salad today with the Fingerlings in our box, as well as sweet onion, red onion, grated carrots, chopped celery, pickle relish, and mayo. Here's my recipe, but don't hesitate to try your own variations. Potato salad is such a popular dish at my house, I'm sure I'll be postiong more variations in the future.

1 lb. Fingerling potatoes
1/2 small sweet onion, finely chopped
1-2 T finely chopped red onion
1-2 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1-2 T sweet pickle relish, or dill relish, if you prefer
4 T mayonnaise, or more to taste
salt, pepper and paprika to taste

1. Scrub the potatoes. Put in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until potatoes are just tender. The cooking time will vary with the size of the potatoes.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, place the chopped onions, celery, grated carrots and relish in a large bowl.

3. When the potatoes are done, drain them and allow them to cool. When they're cool enough to handle, remove the skins, if desired.

4. Cut the cooked and cooled potatoes into small chunks. For a slightly creamier texture, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes lightly.

5. Stir in the mayo. Add more, if desired. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

Potato salad tastes even better after a few hours of refrigeration, so it's a great make-ahead dish.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Artichokes, Cherokee tomatoes, green bell peppers, jalapenos, yellow carrots, yellow wax beans, bi-color corn, Romaine lettuce, and yellow summer squash.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Hybrid tomatoes, eggplant, sweet candy onions, zucchini, Fingerling potatoes, and melons.

From Silver Lake Farms: cilantro, arugula, and mustard microgreens, lemons, and sunflower seedlings.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Roasted Parsnips & Carrots with Ras el Hanout

If you've never had Ras el Hanout, you're missing something delicious. It's a wonderful, aromatic spice blend that's used throughout Northern Africa. Like curry powder, every version is a little different, but most have some combination of cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, chili, cumin, clove and other spices. I picked up a lovely blend from the Spice Station on Sunset Blvd. this afternoon.

We're so lucky to have the Spice Station in our neighborhood. They have an amazing selection of herbs and spices from around the world. The Spice Station also makes a huge variety of spice blends, such as Ras el Hanout, from their own recipes. Every blend I've tried has been delicious.

It's so easy to turn simple roasted vegetables into something special with a tasty and exotic spice, and that's exactly what I did this afternoon. I washed and trimmed the beautiful red carrots and parsnips from today's box, tossed them in 1T olive oil, added 1 T Ras el Hanout and a little salt. Then I tossed everything again to evenly spread the spices and I roasted them on a cookie sheet in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes, until done. My kitchen smelled divine while they were roasting, too.

By the way, if you're wondering how to prepare tatsoi, treat it just like spinach. It sautes up quickly, and it's great with a variety of Asian flavors like soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, and sesame oil. You can eat it raw, too.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Lola Rosa lettuce, tatsoi, red carrots, celery, Italian parsley, golden beets, leeks, celery root, and Navel oranges;

Pea and mustard microgreens and a little rosemary from Silver Lake Farms;

Parsnips from Weiser Family Farms;

And satsuma mandarins from Rancho Santa Cecilia.

Thank you so much to shareholders Amanda and Josh (pictured above) for helping distribute the bounty today. Also, to dear little Willow (who isn't so little any more!) for coming to help at pickup.

And Happy Birthday Rachel!!

Enjoy!

Shelley

Rutabaga Butternut Stovetop Tajine

Here's another rutabaga recipe you might enjoy. It's a wonderful Moroccan-spiced vegetable stew called a tajine. Traditionally, a tajine is a stew made in a special clay pot also called a tajine. The pot is a beautiful round baking dish with a tall conical lid. I love making slow-cooked stews in my tajine, but they bake for several hours. Here's a delicious stovetop adaptation that takes less than half the time of a traditional tajine.

Prepare the spice mixture:

1 t cumin seeds
1 t coriander seeds
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t salt

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until aromative and lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Cool, then grind in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle. Stir in cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

2-3 T olive oil
1 C chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C carrots chopped in about 3/4-inch chunks
2 ribs celery chopped in about 1/2-inch chunks
2 C rutabaga chopped in 3/4-inch cubes
2 C butternut squash chopped in 3/4-inch cubes
Peel from 1/2 orange, pith removed
2 C water
1 C canned garbanzo beans
1 t agave syrup
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet or saucepan with a lid. Add onions and garlic. Stir to coat with oil. Add spice mixture and cook until onions are translucent, but do no brown.

2. Add carrot, celery, rutabaga, and butternut squash. Stir to coat with spices.

3. Coarsely chop orange peel and add it to the pot with 2C water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down slightly and cook on a medium simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.

4. Add the garbanzo beans and agave syrup. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very tender and the liquid has cooked off enough to make a very thick sauce, about another 15-20 minutes.

5. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve over couscous or rice.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Carrot Raisin Muffins

left, SLF mustard microgreens + Mark Stambler's freshly baked CSA loaves delivered to pickup by Erik Knutzen on his bicycle.

Carrots are so naturally sweet, it's hard to believe they're good for you, too. Even simply prepared steamed carrots, glazed or mashed, can taste practically like dessert. That's probably why you find carrots included in many sweet baked goods.

I particularly like carrot muffins because they are both tasty and versatile. You can serve them up hot out of the oven with breakfast or lunch; or you can spoon a little orange glaze or spread a little cream cheese frosting on top and turn them into a relatively healthy dessert.

Another thing I like about carrot muffins is that you can add raisins or dried cranberries to the batter and/or nuts such as chopped walnuts or pecans.

Many muffin recipes instruct you to use paper or foil baking cups. While they may lend an attractive professional look to your muffins, they're really just more trash for the landfill, so I recommend greasing your muffin pan well and foregoing the extra paper.

This recipe is adapted from Elizabeth Alston's cookbook, Muffins. She suggests slathering them with honey butter while still warm. Now that sounds delicious!

Carrot Raisin Muffins

For approximately 12 regular-sized muffins:

1-1/2 C flour or 1 C all purpose flour + 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C milk
4 T (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 C grated carrots
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tin(s).

2. Mix flour(s), baking powder, spices and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in milk and melted butter. Then stir in grated carrots, raisins, and nuts.

4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and fold until just combined. Do not over-mix.

5. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until springy when touched in the center. Turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz pkg cream cheese, cold
4T (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1-1/2 to 2 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 t vanilla flavoring

Cream the butter and cream cheese together until combined. Gradually add confectioner's sugar beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Spread the frosting with a knife on cooled muffins or pipe out of a pastry bag fitted with a rosette tip.

Orange Glaze

2 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/4 C fresh-squeezed orange juice, strained
1/4 t finely grated orange rind

Combine all ingredients and whisk or stir until smooth. Spoon or drizzle over cooled muffins.

Honey Butter

Stir 2-3 T honey into 1 stci slightly softened butter. Re-chill, if desired.

This week's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: 2# broccoli, 1 fennel bulb, 1 bunch Easter radishes, 1 bunch purple carrots, 1 bunch mizuna, 2 bunches spinach, 4# navel oranges, and 1 bunch arugula.

Mustard microgreens from Silver Lake Farms.

From Weiser Family Farms : 1 medium onion and 1 # parsnips.

And from Rancho Santa Cecilia: 2 avocados and 1 # of delicious satsuma mandarins.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

Kale and cannellini beans are a great match. The creamy beans balance the mild bitterness of the kale; and the two contrasting colors - light and dark - make for a visually attractive combination. This hearty soup, based on a Tuscan soup called Ribollita, makes a delicious one-dish meal.

A little advanced planning is needed if you want to start with dried cannellini beans, but the enhanced flavor is worth the extra effort. Canned cannellini beans are a fine, time-saving alternative. Once you've prepared the beans, the soup is a cinch to make.

To start with dried beans: Place 1 C dried cannellini beans in a pot large enough to cover the beans with 3 inches of cold water. That's 3 inches over the beans. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Then drain the beans and return them to the pot. Add 5 C water, 1/2 C chopped onion, 2 whole garlic cloves (peeled), 1 bay leaf, and 1/2 T salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour, maybe a little longer. Drain the beans, but keep the cooking liquid.

For the soup:
1 T olive oil
1/2 C chopped onion
2 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 C chopped celery
1 C chopped carrots
2-3 C cooked cannellini beans
3 C cooking liquid from the cannellini beans or stock
1 C canned diced Italian tomatoes in juice
1 bay leaf
1 t dried oregano
2-3 C chopped kale
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic for about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the celery and carrots and cook for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the cannellini beans, cooking liquid or stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano and kale. Simmer partially covered, stirring occassionally, for about 30 minutes or until the soup thickens.

4. Add the cheese and stir until melted and mixed well into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a grainy bread.

I like to smash some of the cannellini beans when stirring to thicken the soup. Omnivores might like to add some crumbled Italian sausage, but it's plenty hearty without meat.

Here's what this week's harvest brought us:

Young radish and chard micro-greens from Silver Lake Farms
Satsuma mandarins and Mexican white guavas from Rancho Santa Cecilia
And from Underwood Family Farms: celery, iceberg lettuce, purple kale, white carrots, leeks, French radishes. golden beets, Japanese turnips, and butternut squash.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Celeriac Slaw

Celeriac, also know as celery root, is a vegetable we don't see very often in our CSA box. Too bad, it's delicious and quite versatile. Don't be put off by it's homely look. It has a wonderful celery flavor and a texture that's fine cooked or raw.

A little bit of preparation is all that's required to discover its many uses. First, cut away the small celery-like stalks and leaves. You can save them for another use. They add nice flavoring to soups and stews. Or you can throw them into the compost pile or feed them to the chickens. My girls love anything that's green and leafy.

Next, remove the tough outer skin of the root. I find it's easiest to cut the root into quarters and then peel with a knife. Now you're ready to make any number of tasty treats. Try a smooth and creamy soup by chopping the root, boiling it in water or broth until soft and pureeing it until smooth. Add a little onion and/or potato to the boiling mix for a little more complexity of flavor and finish it off with a little cream.

Celeriac is great roasted, too. Cut the trimmed and peeled root into wedges, toss with a little olive oil and roast in the oven until tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.

One of my favorite ways to eat celeriac is in this crunchy slaw. You can double this recipe if you like.

3 C trimmed, peeled and grated celeriac
1 C trimmed, peeled and grated carrot
2 T finely minced onion (or more to taste)
1/4 C chopped parsley
1/3 C mayonnaise
3-4 T rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 t sugar or agave syrup (optional)
1-2 t prepared hoseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, toss together the grated celeriac, carrots, onion and parsley.

2. In a separate small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sugar and horseradish until well combined.

3. Pour the dressing over the slaw. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

You can serve this slaw immmediately, but it's better if it's allowed to chilled for a couple of hours.

Here's what we had in our box today:

Meyer lemons from shareholder Celia - thank you Celia!!

Silver Lake Farms microgreens: arugula, mustard (pictured above) and pea shoots

Golden or candy cane beets and Russian banana potatoes from Weiser Family Farms

Bacon avocados from Rancho Santa Cecilia

From Underwood: 1 # broccoli, 1 head cauliflower, 1 bunch green kale, 1 green cabbage, 1 red leaf lettuce, bunch carrots, 2 # Navel oranges, celeriac, and celery.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Silver Lake Farms CSA Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a delicious and nutritious grain with a slightly nutty flavor. By itself, it's a great side dish. However, you can toss it with all kinds of vegetables to make fabulous salads. This week's CSA box has just what you need to make a super tasty quinoa salad.

Start with 4-5 C of cooked quinoa, fluffed and cooled. Cook the quinoa according to the directions of the package. Like rice, quinoa approximately doubles in size when cooked.

Then take:
1 C peeled and thinly sliced carrots
3/4 C thinly sliced celery
1/2 C chopped onion
2 C chopped kale or chard

You can add these ingredients raw to the quinoa, but I like to cook them briefly, both to soften them and to bring out their flavors. To cook: Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion first, cook for 1 minute. Then add the remaining ingredients. Stir to coat them with the oil. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper, if desired. Then cover and cook until they reach the desired softness, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the quinoa and stir to combine. Then make the dressing:

1/2 C olive oil
1/3 C rice vinegar
juice of 1 satsuma tangerine
1/4 C finely chopped fresh parsley (or any combination of herbs that you like)
2 T finely sliced green onion
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the dressing ingredients briskly until well-combined. You should have about 1 C of dressing. Pour as much dressing as desired over the quinoa and toss to coat. Unused dressing will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. I like to add mashed roasted shallot (or garlic) to this dressing. It deepens the flavor of the dressing. Sometimes, I add a pinch of sugar or 1/4 t agave syrup to cut the sharpness.

Enjoy!

Shelley

And here's what was in our box this afternoon:

bunch red beets or butternut squash
bunch carrots or delicata squash
Napa cabbage or rhubarb
white cauliflower or tuffy acorn squash
butter lettuce or bunch chard
1# broccoli or 1# onions
celery or cilantro + parsley
2 leeks or 1# parsnips
bunch purple kale or bunch dill
SLF mustard and radish microgreens
Russian banana spuds
1# satsuma mandarins
2 black Hass avocados

Full Moon Chicken Salad

I've been making this chicken salad since graduate school. My roommate loved this recipe and insisted I make it at least once a month - sometimes more often. She dubbed it Full Moon Chicken Salad and the name stuck. Even though the full moon is nearly two weeks away, you can enjoy it now or during phase of the moon.

It's a great blueprint recipe. You can add or omit ingredients. Vegetarians can replace the chicken with grilled tofu, or skip it altogether. I use avocado and tangerine, especially in winter when they're in season. In summer, I add thinly sliced red bell pepper. Feel free to be creative. Thin, julienned pickled ginger gives the salad a nice tang. Thinly sliced or shredded red cabbage is another attractive addition.

Here's the basic recipe:

5-6 C finely sliced Napa Cabbage
2 C grated carrots
1 C thinly sliced green onion
1/2 C loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/2 coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
1 C tangerine segments (or supremes with the membranes removed)
1 large avocado, not overly ripe, diced**
2 C chopped or sliced grilled chicken breast
1 finely sliced serrano chili, or less to taste (optional)

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Then make the dressing.

**To dice an avocado: Cut it in half lengthwise. Remove (and compost) the pit. Holding one half in your hand peel side down, score the flesh lengthwise and crosswise being careful to cut to the peel, but not through the peel. Then scoop out the flesh and separate the dice. Compost the skin. Repeat with the other half.

Dressing:
1/2 C rice vinegar
2-4 T sesame oil (or half sesame oil and half canola oil)
2 T soy sauce
1-2 T honey or agave syrup
1 T fresh finely grated ginger
1/2 t black pepper
2-3 T sesame seeds

Whisk together all the ingredients (except sesame seeds) until well combined. Pour over the salad and toss until well coated. Season with a little salt if desired. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and toss to mix in.

This week's CSA box included: iceberg lettuce, turnips, green kale, green or purple cauliflower, leeks, broccoli, arugula, mizuna, beets, Meyer lemons, avocados and tangerines.

Here's a bonus recipe from Rachel at Silver Lake Farms. She shared this with me when I picked up my veggies this afternoon. It sounds delicious.

Rachel's Kale and Cauliflower Salad

Wash and dry the cauliflower. Remove (and compost) the leaves. Break into florets and thinly slice the florets with a mandoline.

Wash and dry the kale. Remove (and compost) the tough stems. Chop finely.

Toss the cauliflower and kale together with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Rachel didn't give me the proportions, but you can probably figure them out. Just use whatever amounts seem good to you.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Green Chile Pork Stew

I picked up my CSA box yesterday along with my pork package from Silver Lake Farms' pig share program. This week's box had just about everything I needed to make a fabulous green chile pork stew!

I cut my stewing pork (about 3 lbs) into about 1-inch chunks and browned them in a little olive oil. While they were browning, I chopped some onion, carrots, parsnips, celery, and 1 clove of garlic. I sauteed the veggies and garlic in a big stew pot, using a little more oil. Then I added the browned pork, a large can of green chile sauce, a can of water, a bay leaf, a little salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. I simmered this stew on very low heat, covered for the first hour and partially covered for the second hour.

When the meat was barely tender, I added big chunks of potatoes and finished cooking until the meat was completely tender (another 30-45 minutes). I'm taking this stew to a holiday pot-luck this evening.

I like to make my own green chile sauce from scratch, fire-roasting green anaheim chiles (plus 1-2 serranos for heat), then peeling, pureeing, and cooking the anaheims with the serranos, garlic, cumin, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a little epazote, too. This sauce freezes well. But I didn't have any home-made sauce, so I used a can. Either way, it's a hearty and delicious meal.

Enjoy!

Shelley