Tomato and Beans

Beans and Tomatoes, does it say summer any better?  Just like our strawberries, tomatoes any other time of year or any other place, just never taste the same. I may be partial to our produce because I see the care and dedication that each and every farmer puts into all the crops, but I have decided their taste is the best as well.  Tomatoes and green beans are tasty hot or cold.  So much so, the same recipe can be used as a salad with a marinate or heated just to warm which allows the feta to create a slight sweetness.

When you're in the pick-your-own fields this week, stop for a moment of gratitude for all the dedication that goes into the fields during the hot days of summer.

Cooking, Serving It! Bean and Tomato Salad 1 lb. green beans (steamed or boiled) 1 cup cherry tomatoes 1/2 small red onion ½ cup black beans (optional) Feta cheese Dressing 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon assorted herbs – rosemary, oregano, basil Salt/pepper Make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Cut green beans into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Dice red onion and halve cherry tomatoes. Place in a bowl and gently toss in dressing. Serving cold: Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to marinate. When ready to serve, add feta and lightly toss. Serving warm: Sprinkle feta on top, bake in a 350F oven for approximately 20 minutes until warm and feta begins to get soft.

Freezing It! Green beans can be frozen very easily.  Blanch 2-3 minutes, toss in ice water, drain, pat dry and freeze. There are some who say no blanching needed.  I blanch my vegetables for preservation as it stops the enzymes from changing the produce’s texture.  If I’m particularly lazy and time is at a minimum, I will some times not blanch.  There are some veggies that difference is minimal.  Green beans are one of them.  Especially if you’re going to be putting them in soups, casseroles and only freezing them for the short term.

Storing It!                         Fresh green beans store great in plastic bags or reusable container in the crisper bin for a up to 7 days after picking.

Week #9 - Everything Veggies

During the busy summer at the farm, more often my own recipes lack diversity as spending time at the farm is priority.  As I look in my fridge planning on just what would be quickest, a simple quickie salad seems best.  As much as our lettuce is spectacular, that kind of salad would need to be a bit heftier if is the main course.  A basic recipe that can be changed up depending on what is in my share that week is quick, easy and nutritious.  The recipe was originally in the Boston Globe many years ago.  I’ve tweaked and changed but want to give credit where credit is due.

Cooking, Serving  It! Any vegetable that can be grated works great in this recipe! Change it each time. Salt and pepper, to taste ½ small head any type cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded 1 large carrot, grated 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into small cubes 6 radishes, thinly sliced ¼ cup chopped fresh herb – cilantro, parsley, basil etc. 1/8 cup dried fruit – cranberries, raisins, blueberries etc. ¼ cup seeds or nuts – walnuts, sunflower, pumpkin etc. Use whatever you have on hand. Beets, celeriac, bok choy, kohlrabi etc. DRESSING Juice of 1 lime Juice of 1 orange 2 tablespoon vinegar Pinch of sugar or a bit of honey Salt and pepper, to taste ½ cup olive oil In a small bowl, whisk together the lime and orange juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like. Toss dressing into salad.  Top with seeds or nuts.

Week #8 - Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard

Have you heard? Swiss chard is the new kale! Looking at nutritional data, it packs a powerhouse of goodness.  Don’t throw your kale away just yet.  It is still a close second.  As far as people pleaser, I think chard has a bit user friendly flavor which may make it a bit more versatile.

Swiss chard chopped and added to fettuccine Alfredo. Yum.  Ghee, chopped chard and garlic is always a perfect side dish.  Swiss chard makes a great quiche with Appleton Farms’ eggs.

You still may see me with my kale fan t-shirt on.  I’m not giving it up just yet, but Swiss chard is in the house!

Cooking, Serving It! Swiss Chard and Lentils 1 bunch Swiss chard 1 cup lentils ¼ Red Bell Pepper ¼ Yellow Bell Pepper ¼ onion 1 tsp stone ground mustard (or Dijon if you choose) 3 Tablespoons of your favorite smoky sweet barbecue sauce ¼ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon honey Simmer lentils in water for 12 minutes until soft, but not mushy. Drain and chill in cold water. Slice the firm rib out of each chard leaf by cutting a V shape from about an inch from the edge of the leaf down along either side of the stem to remove. (these can be sautéed separately and added at the end to reduce waste) Lay each leaf on top of the other and then roll up and use a sharp knife to slice into strips about ¼ inch thin. Prepare an ice bath by adding a cup or so of ice into a quart of water so that the chard can be immersed. In a large pot, bring water to boil and blanch chard for 30 seconds – 1 minute. Remove greens from water and place into ice bath and chill quickly. Drain and remove excess water by patting dry. Slice peppers into thin strips and combine mustard, bbq sauce, honey and blended oil to create dressing. Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss together.

Freezing  It! Blanch 30 seconds and immediately bath in ice water.  Lay flat, pat dry and freeze in a zip bag or vacuum seal.  Add to soups, stews, even hide in meatballs!

Dehydrating  It!              Chard can be dehydrated as chips or powdered.  Using a dehydrator or oven, dehydrate at 95-100F for approx. 12 hours or until crisp.  If using oven, use lowest setting possible for a shorter amount of time, watching for desired crispness.

Storing It!                         Fresh Swiss chard can be store in crisper in bin keeping greens damp.  Swiss chard can be wrapped with a dampened paper towel in a plastic bag to keep fresher longer.

Week #7 - Butter

Cooking, Serving It! Appleton Farms Butter 2 pints Appleton Farms Heavy Cream Salt (optional) Use whatever appliance you have, hand beater, immersion blender, or high speed blender.  Beat cream until it forms whipped cream; wipe down sides of bowl; continue beating (or blending) you’ll see the buttermilk separate from the cream.  It will look like curds.  Drain.  Under cool water, rinse the curd like mixture gently, forming a solid mixture of butter as it is rinsed. Place in a container and refrigerate.  Save buttermilk for making bread or pancakes! Ghee Ghee is clarified butter which has the milk solids removed which makes a perfect oil for sautéing. Place butter in pan over medium heat.  Simmer until it foams for a second time.  After second foam rises to top, you’ll see the milk fats brown a bit sinking to bottom.  Drain through a butter cloth.

Freezing  It!                       Storing butter in the freezer keeps your fresh, grass fed butter longer.  Store it in reusable sandwich sized containers.  I score the butter into stick sized so I can just break one of when needed and thaw.

Storing It! Fresh butter can be store on the counter for short periods of time. Air is the enemy causing rancidity.  I recommend a French butter bell which stores the butter in water upside down.  The water disburses the air away from the butter making a seal. In the heat of the summer, I do store in refrigerator for longer shelf life.

Week #6 - Eggplant

Say eggplant, usually think eggplant Parmesan.  In my house, we love to use various veggies as ‘burgers’.  We will slice, season and grill just as one would with a burger. Hummus is a big visitor in the summer.  It’s easy to make from scratch and portable.  Whether going to the Thursday night Castle Concerts or just finding a picnic table somewhere for a snack, hummus is usually in our basket.

Eggplant doesn’t have to be only for Parmesan, it can be Baba Ganoush.  I like to call it Eggplant Hummus!!  The basic recipe is similar to hummus and just like hummus, one can add or remove herbs, seasonings and other vegetables.  Use your wildest imagination!!

Cooking, Serving It! Baba Ganoush 2 medium eggplants 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 3 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup tablespoons tahini ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt (or to taste) Preheat the oven to 375F Pierce each eggplant a few times, and then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner, broiler or grill.  As the skin blackens a bit, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. This step can be skipped omitting the smoky flavor. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft and fork enters skin easily. Remove from oven and let cool. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth. Season with additional salt and lemon juice or other fresh herbs of your choice. Drizzle with olive oil on top. Serve with pita chips.

Week #5 - Eat Your Greens

Eat your greens!

Carrot greens are the tops of the carrots that normally get fed to chickens and horses! No chickens or horses, then you probably toss them.

Waste not, want not. Years ago I set out to use every part of vegetables that I could. Carrot greens were one of those items that had some in a quandary.

Below are some things that I currently do with carrot greens. I have no chickens or horses J

Rinse, pat dry, freeze. Great to add when making chicken or vegetable broth.


Use in smoothies/juicing. They are a powerhouse of nutrients.


Substitute ½ - 2/3 carrot tops for basil in pesto.


Using the tender tops, chop and add to salads.


Make ‘green paste’ – see recipe below

Cooking, Serving It! Green Paste Various discarded greens from vegetables, rinsed. (ex- Alisa Onion greens, beet tops, carrot tops, fennel fronds, etc.) Olive oil Using various greens and vegetables. Place in food processor. Drizzle olive oil until well blended. Freeze in ice cube trays or in zip lock bags flattened. When needed a bit of flavor in soups and sauces, just break some off or toss in a cube!

Week #4 - Scapes

Scapes!!

I picked up my share this week and got 20 scapes.  Now what!

Garlic scapes are the flower stalk of the garlic plant.  They are harvested in a timely fashion so the pungent flavor of the garlic stays concentrated in the bulb.  Green in color, these long thin stalks do have a wonderful garlic flavor. 

Most of our members understand they can pulverize in a food processor for pesto, or freeze in zip bag flat for storing the winter.  When needing a bit of garlic flavor, all one has to do is break a piece off from the bag in freezer. 

As you’ll see below, there are many ways to utilize that twisty looking stalk.  If you have more ideas for me, catch me in the store or in the barn!!

Sandy

Cooking, Serving  It! Grilled Scapes Rub a light coating of oil covering the scapes.  Toss on grill in a veggie pan or directly on grate.  Grill a minute of two on each side.  Serve as an addition to other grilled vegetables. Scape Butter Place 2 sticks of butter, 1/8 cup coarsely chopped scapes into a food processor or blender.  Blend until well incorporated, scrape sides when needed. Serve on pasta, vegetables on fresh hot rolls. Scapes may be added into any stir fry as well.  Used in place of garlic when making pesto. Add it to your favorite hummus recipe.

Freezing  It!                     Scapes freeze very well.  They can be finely, coarsely chopped or cut into slices a couple inches long for sautéing.  Place in a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible.  Store and use as needed.

Dehydrating  It!              Scapes dehydrate wonderfully. Coarsely chop and spread on dehydrator sheet.  Dehydrate 125 for 10-12 hours or until they are dried.  Remove and place in plastic bag or mason jar to equalize moisture pockets 6-8 hours.  To equalize a dehydrated product further confirms that all the pieces are equally dry. Store in pieces or place in blender and blend into powder. Use in place of garlic powder; add to soups and sauces; eggs; chicken or anywhere else you would normally use garlic powder.

Storing It!                         Store in veggie bin of the refrigerator or placed in a paper bag.  Scapes will keep well for at least a couple weeks.  Use a few weeks of CSA shares and process them all together!