CSA Newsletter, Week 7 - July 13 and 16

8:34 AM Mandy 1 Comments

Not much news this week, beyond garlic garlic garlic. Thanks to the folks who came out this weekend and braved the 90+ temps and blazing sunny skies, the harvest was begun in earnest. More news next week, and hopefully some tomatoes by then, along with photos from the garlic party.

On the table this week:

• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Potatoes
• Kale
• Scapes
  
• Zucchini
• Basil
  
• Leeks
• Candy onions

Recipes

• 1 tsp chopped garlic, or garlic scapes
• about 20 basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons white wine or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Whirl the above ingredients together. Then toss with a couple of handfuls of chopped walnuts and one chopped candy onion.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter cut in cubes
• 1/4 cup ice-cold water
• 2 lbs thinly sliced candy onions (or other sweet onions)
  
• few sprigs of thyme
  

Use a pastry blender or a plastic scraper to cut the butter into the flour and salt, until a few large clumps remain. Pour in 3/4 of the water, and stir it in with a fork. Using scraper, continue lifting and folding the dough over onto itself until it holds together, about a minute. Add more water, a few drops at a time, if needed. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate it for an hour.

In the meantime, cook onions in a large skillet with four tablespoons of butter or olive oil (or both) and a few sprigs of thyme. Cook at least thirty minutes, until they are very soft and juicy, keeping in mind that they will still cook nearly an hour in the oven. Season well with salt. When they are cooked, cool onions for at least ten minutes in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Roll out dough on a floured surface to a fourteen-inch circle. If the dough is hard when it comes out of the fridge, let it sit on the counter for twenty minutes to soften up. Pinch together any cracks that form while rolling. Place the circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let it firm up in the refrigerator.

Spread the onions on the dough, leaving a small border all around and removing the thyme sprigs as you go. Fold the border over the onions, brush it with egg wash if desired, and cook for about 50 minutes, until the bottom of the crust is well browned. Let it cool completely on a rack. This tart tastes twice as good at room temperature, so try to be patient.

Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you!