From Bob:

Dried Herbs

When I got today’s share home and went to store the marjoram, I realized that I never used last week’s savory.  I also still had some dill left over (two weeks in the fridge and it’s still great – gotta love dill!) that I wanted to use too.  For the life of me I couldn’t come up with a recipe that would use all three with the other ingredients on hand so I thought I should try drying herbs for the first time.  I turned to one of my favorite kitchen reference books, Herbs & Spices: The Cook’s Reference, for help.  In one of the tips it mentioned using the microwave to dry which I had never thought of.  Rinse the herbs well, dry them on some paper towels and lay them on a dry paper towel in as close to a single layer as possible.  Sure enough, it worked really well.  The book called for 2.5 minutes but I found I needed more like 3.5 for my bunches, probably because I didn’t try them too well after rinsing.  Let them cool and further dry out on the counter for an hour or so before removing the leaves from the stems.  I bagged and tagged them and now have some CSA flavor that I can turn to at any time, regardless of what is fresh that week.  If you’re finding yourself with leftover fresh herbs you should definitely give it a shot!

CSA Week 4 Share

From Shana:

From Bob:

I had some leftover steak that I needed to cook up tonight and today’s fresh broccoli was just the perfect side dish.  The steak was from the newly re-opened butcher on Park Ave, the Caldwell Market Place, which you should definitely check out if you haven’t already – Chris, the owner, is very friendly and everything is superb.  Since I had the grill on anyway, I figured why not cook the broccoli on there without having to turn on the stove or oven too.  If the steak and broccoli isn’t enough – you could also sautee some of your greens with some nutmeg, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil until they wilt and are a fraction of their original volume.  Here’s how I cooked the broccoli:

• 1 head of broccoli (florets cut into bite size pieces; stalks into thin rounds)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli and remaining ingredients to coat.
2. Fold a large piece of foil in half to create a double layer.  Form the foil into a packet large enough to hold the broccoli.
3. Start the broccoli over indirect heat while your steak is cooking.  Move over direct heat when you remove the steak from the heat and cook over direct heat while the steak rests.
4. Remove from the heat, plate and pour the collected juices on top of the broccoli.

CSA Week 3 Share

From Shana:

Garlic Scapes & Spinach

 

Kohlrabi

From Bob:

I thought peas would be one of the easier CSA veggies to meal plan for, but I did find myself struggling a little bit last week.  My hesitation was this: with a half share I didn’t have a ton of peas once they were shelled, I didn’t want to stretch them with frozen but I still wanted to showcase their freshness and flavor.  Throwing them blindly into another dish and hiding them was the last thing I wanted to do.  So, I decided to try something new.  I bought a sliced panella loaf from Calandra’s and made a batch of homemade ricotta (it’s so, so much easier than you think – trust me, try it, and you’ll never go back to store bought – don’t be afraid to substitute low fat milk for the whole).  While I toasted the bread, I quickly blanched my peas and then smashed them with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs (the dill from your CSA share would be good – mint was good too).  I topped the toasted bread with a smear of my ricotta then topped with the smashed pea mixture.  Simple, fresh and delicious.

CSA Week 1 Share

Well, the 2016 CSA is under way!  The lack of recent rain may have limited Farmer John’s offering this week but we still have plenty to be thankful for.  Here are a few suggestions to help get you started.  If you have suggestions, recipes or tips of your own, we would love to hear them!

From Shana:

What are sunchokes?  Wikipedia says: The tubers are sometimes used as a substitute for potatoes: they have a similar consistency, and in their raw form have a similar texture, but a sweeter, nuttier flavor; raw and sliced thinly, they are fit for a salad.

I think they are surprisingly yummy- mild flavor but different texture than a potato. Here is a link to a great recipe with sunchokes if you don’t mind all the steps involved- the end result is really yummy and a regular in my house!

From Bob:

One of my favorite ways to stretch a salad into a full meal is to throw together a quick cornbread.  I added some of today’s garlic chives and also some Bee My Honey buckwheat honey for a real Caldwell CSA twist.  If you have cornmeal in the pantry, I do think it tastes better to make the dry mix from scratch but realistically after a long day of work, I won’t judge if you turn to a box mix like I did tonight.

• 1 1/2 c cornbread mix (I use Jiffy, can’t beat the price)
• 1/3 c milk
• 1 egg
• 10-12 garlic chives
• 1 tbsp buckwheat honey (or substitute your favorite wildflower honey)
• 1 tbsp dried jalapenos, optional (let sit in milk if using to partially reconstitute)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a measuring cup, pour milk (add dried jalapenos if using), crack egg and add honey.  In a separate mixing bowl, pour cornbread mix.
3. Combine liquid ingredients into the dry.  Using kitchen shears (or chop separately), cut the garlic chives into the mixture, looking for about 1/2″ pieces.  Mix well using a spatula, being sure to get dry clumps of mix on the bottom of the bowl and to fully incorporate the egg.
4. Grease your preferred baking pan and then pour in the batter.  Smooth for an even layer.
5. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  For a 9×9 pan, about 12-15 minutes, for a 8×8 pan, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Serve warm with a pat of butter.   (Even better: top with softened butter mixed with either a dash of honey or some leftover chive)