The Perfect Storm(s)
Storm #3 of this week has come and gone, and this evening we await more to come. We are wondering when Mama Nature will end this strike! This summer couldn't be any different than the last; looking back at our newsletters from this time last year, we were all complaining about how hot and dry it was.In spite of all the flood warnings, the rains have been much more of a blessing than a curse. We haven't had to worry about watering our fields much (especially our garlic, which we had to water last year!). Sadly, some plantings of things have washed out and certain plots on the farm aren't looking too good. But we are happy to be done with the bulk of our planting for the summer and enjoy it while the rain waters it all in. Tomatoes, basil, peppers, and eggplants all got in the ground this past week, and some of our zucchini was seeded out in the field! We'll see in a while how they will cope with all this wet and cold weather.
Summer CSA continues! We hope week one of our big CSA was satisfactory; please let us know how it went! We missed some of you this past week and we hope to see you at the markets this time if we didn't. We've got a big list of veggies this week, so there will be a lot to look forward to!
On the table this week:
- Arugula
- Salad Mix
- Spinach
- Head Lettuce
- Stinging Nettles
- Garlic
- Mint
- Asparagus
- Radishes
- Asian Greens/Bok Choi (it will be one or the other!)
- Cilantro
- Dill
Yep, we have a big line-up this week! This week is a big one for head lettuces, which have sized up and grown really large in our greenhouses....I would even venture to say that some of them are the size of car tires! To get your hands on some of our biggest, brightest, and most beautiful heads of lettuce, go to the produce section at any of the New-Pi Co-ops to catch a glimpse (or even a bite) of our gorgeous New Red Fire lettuces.
Here's a few tips for you on how to keep your head lettuce good for longer! You may notice that when we package the head lettuce for you, the outermost leaves MAY look brownish and unappetizing. We leave them on there as a sort of "protective guard" against other items packed in with it to preserve the best, innermost leaves of the lettuce head until your mealtime; then you can just peel those leaves off, and serve/eat the good stuff. You may also notice we leave a chunk of the root stalk on the lettuce head! If leaves ever look wilty at all, place the lettuce head in a bowl, pitcher, or whichever container you like full of water, submerging only the root stalk. A container full of ice works, too. In a bit the lettuce will perk up and look full and beautiful again! Placing the lettuce in a cool place (refrigerator/freezer) with the root stalk in contact of ice also maintains its freshness and aesthetic beauty.
Stay dry, and we'll see you soon at market!
Recipes
Dill Mousseline Sauce (www.saveur.com)
MAKES 2 CUPS
This recipe came to us from David Lesh of the Gustavus Inn in Glacier Bay, Alaska, about 50 miles west of Juneau. It's "an updated version of the blender hollandaise my mom used to whip up for vegetables," he told us. Those who should avoid uncooked eggs—which includes infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone with immune-system disorders—should pass on this thick, buttery sauce; Egg-Caper Sauce is a fine alternative.
- 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup hot melted butter
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1. Whip cream in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Set aside.
2. Combine egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender or food processor; process until well mixed, then, while blending, slowly pour in butter and continue blending until thick.
3. Transfer to a saucepan and fold in whipped cream. Stir in dill and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over simmering water or very low heat. Serve with Poached Salmon or other poached meaty fish.
Stir-Fry Bok Choy in Thai Garlic Sauce (Vegan-friendly recipe) (thaifood.about.com)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: SERVES 4 as a Side Dish
Ingredients:
- 4-5 "heads" of baby bok choy (OR 2 heads of large bok choy)
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil or other vegetable oil
- STIR-FRY SAUCE:
- 2 Tbsp. oyster-flavored sauce (Vegetarians/Vegans: substitute vegetarian oyster-flavored sauce OR vegetarian stir-fry sauce)
- 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (Vegetarians/vegans: substitute 2 Tbsp. Thai Golden Mountain Sauce OR 1.5 Tbsp. soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp. sweet Thai chili sauce (available in most supermarkets)
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
- 7-8 cloves garlic, minced
Preparation:
- Rinse the bok choy and cut off the bottom stem part at the base of each head. Separate into individual leaves. If the white sections of these leaves are very wide or large, you can slice them in half lengthwise, or into thirds. Tip: If stir-frying larger bok choy, slice off the green leaf tips. Add the thicker white sections to the wok first, then throw in the leaves at the end (these will cook very fast).
- Mix all the stir-fry sauce ingredients together in a bowl or cup. Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high to high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add oil and swirl around.
- Now add the bok choy plus 2-3 Tbsp. stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, or until pan/wok starts to become dry.
- Now add another 2-3 Tbsp. sauce and continue stir-frying another 2-3 minutes, or until the bok choy is bright green and the white stems are softened but still crunchy.
- Taste-test the bok choy with the sauce. Add more sugar if too sour for your taste, or more lime juice if too salty. Also, fresh minced chili or dried chili can be added if you prefer it spicier. If you prefer more sauce, add a little more, as desired.
- To serve, lift out the bok choy and place on a serving platter or
in a serving bowl, then pour the sauce (from the bottom of the wok or
pan) over. Serve immediately with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice. ENJOY!
Stir-Fry Sauce Tip: Keep extra stir-fry sauce (in a covered jar or container) in your refrigerator for up to 1 month. This sauce is excellent with many different kinds of stir-fried vegetables, as well as with chicken, tofu or wheat gluten, pork, and seafood. Enjoy!
Radish and Avocado Sandwich (www.marthastewart.com)
Ingredients
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Coarse salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Sliced avocado
- Whole-grain bread
- Finely grated lemon zest
Directions
- Toss radishes with oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Repeat with avocado, and mash onto bread. Pile on radish mixture, and sprinkle with lemon zest. Drizzle with oil.
********************************
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!
0 comments:
Post a Comment