Sorrel Pesto

I love the vibrant lemony flavor of fresh sorrel.  It grows well in Southern California.  My plants stay green and thick all year.  The easiest way to use sorrel is in a salad.  Tear up some sorrel, arugula, and lettuce for a bright and spicy salad mix.  A classic sorrel dish is cream of sorrel soup.  However, my favorite sorrel recipe is sorrel pesto.

Sorrel pesto is a cinch to mix up and has myriad uses.  It's wonderful as a sauce for grilled shrimp, salmon, or chicken.  It's a great garnish for boiled, sliced potatoes.  And you can toss it with hot pasta and mild goat cheese to make a delicious and creamy entree or side dish.  I particularly like using orecchiette or shells, but you can use shape you wish.




4 C loosely packed sorrel (about 12-14 medium leaves)
1/2 small shallot
scant 1/4 C toasted walnuts
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t salt, or to taste

1.  Wash the sorrel leaves well.  Remove the stems and chop the leaves coarsely.  Measure 4 C chopped leaves.  Set aside.

2.  In a food processor with the motor running, drop the 1/2 shallot and walnuts into the work bowl through the feed tube.  Process until finely chopped.

3.  Scrape the corners of the work bowl to loosen any nut mixture that's stuck there.  Add the sorrel leaves and process using an on-off technique until chopped.

4.  Then, working quickly with the motor running, add 1/4 C olive oil through the feed tube and process until a green paste forms.  Add a little more oil if desired.

5.  Add salt and process for 1-2 seconds to mix.

If you don't have a food processor, you can make this pesto with a mortar and pestle.  It's just a little more labor, but well worth the effort.

Today's bounty included:

From Weiser Family Farms:  French baker potatoes;

From Jaime Farms:  Radishes, golden beets, green scallions, free-range eggs, hot-house peppers, dill, basil, Tuscan kale, and mint;

From JR Organics:  Sugar snap peas and sorrel;

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Red sails lettuce, spinach, strawberries, and mustard.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Sauerkraut

Today's recipe has been several weeks in the making. Sauerkraut is cabbage fermented in brine made with salt and cabbage's own juices. Fermentation is a natural process that results from encouraging desirable bacteria to grow in foods.

Sauerkraut is made by encouraging the growth of naturally occurring lactic acid-producing bacteria. The bacteria consume the sugars in cabbage and produce lactic acid which causes delicious changes in taste, texture, and appearance.

These bacteria are anaerobic, which means they prefer an environment free of oxygen, so it's important to keep the chopped or shredded cabbage submerged during the fermentation. Strands of shredded cabbage exposed to air are good vehicles for introducing undesirable bacteria into the mix resulting in a product with off flavors.

Sauerkraut can be made in many different types of containers. Ceramic crocks are traditional. However, a large glass jar, such as a two-quart, wide-mouth canning jar allows you to observe the changes in the cabbage over time. Food grade plastic or an unchipped, enamel-lined pan will work as well. What's important is that you can weight down the cabbage so that it stays submerged.

I've been using an airlock lacto-fermentation kit made by Le Parfait which is available at the Farmer's Kitchen near the Hollywood Farmer's Market.

Today's recipe comes from Chef Ernest Miller at the Farmer's Kitchen. It's a basic sauerkraut recipe that's flavored with rich caraway, spicy mustard, and sweet celery seeds. Of course, you can use whatever seasonings you like, or none at all. Just be sure to start with the freshest cabbage and use a scale to measure the cabbage and the salt.

For a 3 liter or 3 quart vessel, use the quantities below. For a 1.5 liter or 2 quart container, cut these quantities in half:

3 lbs shredded or thinly sliced cabbage
1 oz canning, pickling, kosher, or sea salt (do not use iodized table salt for fermented products)
2 t caraway seeds
2 t yellow mustard seeds
1 t celery seeds

You may need a little extra brine which can be made by bringing 1 oz of salt and 1 qt of water to a boil.

1. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage. Rinse the head under cold running water and drain.

2. Cut the cabbage in quarters and remove the cores. Shred or slice the cabbage thinly.

3. Put the shredded cabbage in a large mixing bowl and toss with the salt and spices using clean hands.

4. Pack the cabbage firmly into your clean jar or other fermenting vessel until the salt draws the juices from the cabbage.

5. Place a clean weight on top of the cabbage to force the water out of the cabbage and keep it submerged in its own brine. You can use a clean jar filled with brine or a plastic Ziploc bag filled with brine as a weight. Just be sure that all the cabbage is submerged. If the cabbage hasn't exuded enough liquid to cover itself, then add enough brine to cover the cabbage.

6. Cover the jar and twist on the airlock. Add a little brine to the airlock. Keep at a temperature of 70-80 degrees F for 2-4 weeks until fully fermented. Kraut stored at 60-65 degrees F might take a little longer. Kraut stored at temperature below 60 degrees F may not ferment.

It's normal for the sauerkraut to produce some bubbles during fermentation. 

Today's bounty included:
From Weiser Family Farms: Russian Banana potatoes; 
From Jaime Farms: Cabbage, celery, radishes, hot-house zucchini, free range eggs, hot-house red peppers, romaine, cilantro, and parsley;
From Sage Mountain Farm: Scallions, green onions, spinach, spicy greens mix, and rainbow chard; From JR Organics: Baby carrots abd Red Russian kale.

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

Beet, Mandarin and Feta Salad with Nasturtiums

Today's recipe uses several items from this week's bounty to compose an attractive and delicious salad. Make a little for a side dish, or make a lot for a main course salad.

Use the quantites below for two generous side dish servings:

1 C roasted beets, peeled and cubed

To roast beets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Trim off greens (save for another use). Wash and dry the beets. Wrap in foil (optional). Roast in the oven until a fork or skewer can easily pierce the beet. Cool to room temperature.

2/3 C crumbled feta cheese
2 nugget mandarins, peeled, trimmed of pith
1/4 C nasturtiums, stemmed and torn into pieces
1/2 - 1 t olive oil
1/2 t balsamic vinegar, or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the roasted and cubed beets in a bowl with the crumbled feta.

2. Pull the mandarin sections apart and cut in half or cut the peeled mandarin sections into supremes. [See the recipe for March 16, 2012 on how to cut citrus supremes.] Add to the bowl with the beets and cheese.

3. Add the torn nasturtiums. Toss the salad.

4. Add a small amount of olive oil and balsamic and toss again.

5. Serve by spooning out onto a a salad leaf or two, such as a red butter letuce leaf or a few large leaves from the salad mix. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, if desired.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm: Blue Scotch kale, salad mix, Shiraz beets, green purple Italian garlic, and spring onions;

From JR Organics: Golden chard, mustard greens, and red butter lettuce;

From Weiser Family Farms: Rutabaga;

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

From Jaime Farms: Brown onions, mixed bell peppers, free range eggs.

And assorted herbs and nasturtiums from Silver Lake Farms.

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

Crunchy Kale Chips

I never met a salty snack I didn't like and kale chips are no exception. However, unlike many deep-fried salty snacks that have little nutrional value, kale chips are loaded with fat-soluble vitamins A and K, and the small amount of oil used in this recipe actually makes it easier to absorb these vitamins.

Making kale chips is simple. Wash and dry a bunch of fresh and sturdy kale leaves. Remove the stems. Break into bite-sized pieces. Toss with oil. Add salt and pepper, if desired, as well as any other flavorings. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until crispy.

Some recipes call for baking the kale in a hot (400 degree F) oven. However, I find it's much easier to control the doneness of the chips in a moderate temperature oven. It will take a little longer, though. If you have a food dehydrator, you can skip the oven altogether and simply dehydrate the chips. I think you get the best product using a dehydrator, but the oven works just fine if you don't have a dehydrator.

Kale chips are addictingly delicious and since they are rather delicate, they don't do particularly well as dippers. However, they're wonderful crumbled onto salads or fresh-popped popcorn. And keep in mind, they can get soggy, so use them quickly or store them in a air-tight container.

1 bunch kale
1 T olive oil
1 t salt, or to taste
pepper to taste
flavorings to taste (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 325-350 degrees F.

2. Wash and dry the kale. Remove the stems and break into bite-sized pieces. You should have 6-8 C of loosely packed kale leaves. Place in a large bowl.

3. Drizzle the oil over the kale and toss gently until the oil is well-distributed. Add the salt and any other flavorings you prefer. Toss well to distribute evenly.

4. Spread kale in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 20-30 minutes.

5. Remove from baking sheet and serve.

It's best to avoid any liquid flavorings that are not oil-based. However, once you coat the kale with the oil, you can add a small amount of liquid such as a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice, or a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Be sure to toss well to distribute the flavorings evenly.

If you want to get a little fancy, you can try Master Food Preserver, Amy Goldman's recipe: Blend 1 C cashews, 1/2 bell pepper, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1/2 C nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss this mixture with the kale and dehydrate or dry in the oven.

Today's bounty included:

From Massa Organics: CA-grown organic brown rice;

From Sage Mountain Farm: Red sails lettuce, shiraz beets, red Russian kale, and green onions;

From Underwood Family Farms: Japanese turnips, Easter radishes, bok choy, fennel, Zutano avocado, purple kale, Romesco cauliflower, broccoli, yellow carrots, and romaine lettuce;

From Weiser Family Farms: Red thumbs potatoes;

From Jaime Farms: cabbage, red onions, brown onions, hot-house red bell peppers, hot-house zucchini, cilantro, dill, free-range eggs, and hot-house Better Boy tomatoes;

From Rancho Santa Celicia: navel oranges.

Enjoy!

Shelley

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