Spicy Salad Greens with Pomelo and Blueberries

Pomelo is among the largest citrus fruits. Its thick, pithy rind covers a juicy center that resembles a grapefruit. The membranes of the pomelo tend to be quite tough, so slicing the sections into supremes is a great way to enjoy this sweet and aromatic fruit.

Making supremes is easy with a fruit as large as the pomelo. Peel off the rind and as much of the pith as possible. Then slice each section just inside of the membranes on both sides. The beautifully trimmed sections, free of tough membranes, will come right out. You can cut supremes from any citrus fruit, but the bugger the fruit, the easier it is, so have fun practicing with the pomelo.



Today's recipe is a refreshing salad of spicy greens, such as arugula and mizuna, with pomelo supremes and blueberries. I like to squeeze the juice remaining in the membranes after I cut out the supremes and use it to flavor the vinaigrette for the salad.

I added some greens from my own garden to the arugula from today's CSA box. You can use whatever mix of flavorful greens you prefer. You can even add some parsley if you'd like. Just be sure to wash the greens thoroughly and dry them well.

For 2 generous servings:

3-4 C loosely packed washed and dried greens
1 pomelo, cut into supremes
1 C blueberries, washed and dried
1 T thinly sliced red onion
2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
1-2 T juice squeezed from pomelo membranes, optional
1-2 T rice or cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
crushed, toasted nuts, such as almonds or pistachios for garnish, optional

1. In a large bowl, toss the greens, pomelo supremes, blueberries, and red onion.

2. In a small bowl or a cup, combine the olive oil, juice, and vinegar and whisk with a fork or small whisk until combined.

3. Drizzle about half the dressing over the salad. Toss to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Toss again to distribute. Taste and add a little more dressing if desired.

Avocado slices would be a lovely addition to this salad, as would grilled shrimp.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Green cabbage, round carrots, arugula, romaine, bok choy, mizuna, rainbow chard, green kale, pomelo, and blueberries;

From Weiser Family Farms: Rutabagas and Nantes carrots;

From Jaime Farms: Celery, hot house zucchini, brown onions, cauliflower, Italian parsley, baby dill, free range eggs, and hot house tomatoes; and

From Rancho Santa Celicia: Satsuma mandarins and navel oranges.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Reconnecting with CSA

I'm all bundled up in my husband's giant bright red alpine weather coat, jeans filthy from this morning's job, wet from the rain. Merry Elkins, whom I haven't seen in nearly a decade (since my PR days) discovers the CSA pick-up point and asks "what's this?". OMG! It's YOU! Small world... I think Merry's joining the CSA. Cool! Funny how paths cross in life...

Later, Jodi shows me pictures of a gorgeous salad she'd made at her brother's last month. The salad was tossed with arugula flowers. She'd sent the pics to her pal, Alice Waters, who understands the beauty in such things. Alice is coming to LA on Saturday for a book-signing BTW. She is signing copies of her new book "In the Green Kitchen" at Lost & Found.

Here's what Farmer John had for us at the Beachwood Canyon pick-up today: (Thank you for taking all those bags of soil away!) You rock!

oranges (yay!)
arugula (strip the stems of leaves, flowers are edible too)
curly mustard greens (pictured above)
radishes
russian kale
green chard (see previous post for recipe)
chamomile (dry the flowers in a paper bag)
butter lettuce (peeps are loving this!)
red and golden beets
baby bok choy
wild celery
turnips (try steaming them)

Here's a recipe from Lauren at Nuttri-Savvy.

Hi Tara,
Hope the info. I sent was helpful (Calcium, Magnesium, Vit D for healthy bones). My husband - an 'intuitive chef' came up with this recipe and it's healthy & green:

Mizuna & Chard saute
(Serves 6)

1 bunch of mizuna
1 bunch of green chard
1 young garlic clove minced
1.5 TBS olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 medium turnip shredded

In a large pot saute young garlic in 1 TBS olive oil, add mizuna and chard and cook until just tender. In a processor, shred turnip. Add cider and a half TBS of olive oil. Plate mizuna and chard with shredded turnip mixture on top. Enjoy a healthy, delicious serving of leafy greens.

Nutritional info: cal 70, fat 3.5g, sodium 350mg. carb 7g, fiber 3g, protein 3g

Sincerely,

Lauren O'Connor, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian


Thank you Lauren,

Tara

What's in the box?

Pick up #2 - Silverlake

Before listing this week's veggies, let me tell you about some exciting things happening at the farm.

First, Jessi arrived! I met her at beautiful Windrose Farm near Paso Robles. This young lady's a dynamo. She's from Maine originally and after graduating in Environmental Studies and Dance at Oberlin College she has spent the past six months working on organic farms up and down the coast of California. Jessi's staying with us for a month to help us get through the transition from flowers to vegetables. Afterwards, she's going to Costa Rica to study permaculture design. Go Jessi! But you better come back soon!

Another exciting thing: I'm finally getting a weekly recipe blog together, calling on experts like Shelley Marks to contribute on a regular basis. I'm hoping Shelley will teach some cooking classes for us soon, too. More news on that later...

Here's what Shelley sent in today:

It's that time of year when spicy winter greens are at full ripeness and peak flavor. One of the best and easiest things to do with them is make a very simple salad that highlights the delightful flavors of these greens. Here's a very easy salad that you can enjoy tonight:

Spicy Winter Greens Salad

1/2 bunch mizuna
1 bunch arugula
1/4 or 1/2 bunch of chicoria
2-3 teaspoons fine olive oil
1-2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Rinse the greens well by swishing them gently in a bowl in your kitchen sink filled with enough water to cover the greens. You can do this a couple of times (recycle the water) to make sure the greens are clean of any dirt or grit.

Spin greens dry in a salad spinner or use whatever method you prefer for drying.

Tear the greens into bite sized pieces, pulling leaves off any woody or hard stalks. Throw the stalks in the compost.

Pour 2-3 teaspoons of your best olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons of white balsamic vinegar over the greens. Add more to taste, but use a light touch. These greens are best lightly dressed.

Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Toss until the greens are very lightly coated with oil and vinegar.

This simple salad will serve four people as a side dish.

Turn this salad into something more substantial by topping with a poached or fried egg. The yolk should be at least a little soft, or softer to taste. Carnivores can add some crumbled bacon, too.

Tip: If the greens have become a little limp, add a cup or two of ice cubes to the final water bath and allow the greens to sit in the super cold water for 3-5 minutes before draining.

Thank you Shelley!!

Here's what Farmer John had for us this week:

chicoria (Italian dandelion)
mizuna
cilantro
broccoli
carrots
tat soi
baby bok choy
arugula
chard mix
fresh garlic
nettles