Using your share: CSA Week 16

Asian Beef

Marinate Flatiron Steak in the following mixture in a large gallon size ziplock bag:
4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 chopped piece of ginger
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
½ cup of soy sauce
¼ cup Mirin rice wine vinegar
Add Sriracha to taste
Grill Beef for 8-12 minutes or until cooked to your desired temperature

Sesame Garlic Broccoli

Sauté chopped broccoli in ½ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of peanut oil
Add:
2 chopped cloves of garlic into the broccoli and cook until lightly browned
1 teaspoon of honey
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds

Sesame Oil Boy Choy

Chop of ends of boy choy
Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 glove of chopped garlicGrill boy choy in a grill pan for 5 minutes or until lightly browned

Enjoying Your CSA Share: Week 14

Here are two of my favorite recipes to appreciate our bountiful harvests of summer squash and zucchini:

Summer Squash Panzanella!

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of ciabatta, baguette, or other good quality crusty bread (Kim and Jake’s Cakes is amazing for the gluten free substitution), cut into 1 in. thick slices
• 2 – 3 medium summer squash, zucchini, and/or patty pan squash, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices ***Pro-Tip – cut patty pan width wise to highlight scalloped edges***
• 6 slim grilling onions
• 1 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes or cubed slicing tomatoes

For Vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prepare grill for medium heat. Brush both sides of squash, onions and bread lightly with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender and brown, about 4 minutes per side for peppers and squash and 3 minutes per side for onion. Grill bread until lightly browned.

Tear or cut bread and vegetables into 1 in. cubes and add both to large bowl. Add cherry tomatoes and toss lightly.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients together. Add to bowl with bread and vegetables, and toss. Let rest for 15-30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup vegetable or coconut oil
• 2 cups packed grated zucchini, I left the skin on
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl, just till blended. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat eggs and sugar until fluffy. Add in oil and vanilla, beat again till well combined and oil doesn’t separate after sitting for a few minutes.
3. Blend egg mixture to flour mixture. Beat till blended but don’t over beat. It’ll be the consistency of thick brownie batter.
4. Fold in zucchini and chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into 2 greased or sprayed loaf pans.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree over for 50-60 minutes. Test for doneness using a toothpick.
7. Let cool for 20 minutes in pan before removing to rack to cool completely.
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

Farm Stand Opening!

Come visit us and see your veggies being grown at the Plowshares Community Farm Stand!

We’ll have:
Plowshares Produce
Western Slope Fruits (this week: Peaches!)
Plowshares Pork
Grassfed Beef and Lamb from Boulder Lamb
Pick-Your-Own Flowers
And Lots More!

Open Daily from 10 am – 6 pm

8040 Oxford Rd, between Niwot Rd and Airport Rd on the Diagonal

A Note About Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi may be the most outrageous looking vegetable in any CSA. Looks like something that might have gone extinct with the dinosaurs. European in origin, kohlrabi has the texture of radish or hakuri and sweetness of jicama, with a hint of broccoli. The most important thing to know about kohlrabi is that it must be peeled, and by far, the easiest way to prepare is to slice thinly and sprinkle with salt, as a refreshing “chip”. Enjoyed raw, sliced up into a salad or slaw. The greens are similar or collards or broccoli rabe, and can be sautéed along with this week’s braising bunch. If you feel like turning the oven on in this summer heat, roast alongside the turnips for a sweet and creamy side.

Or, ask you farmer for her favorite preparation this afternoon at CSA pick up!

What Do I Do With All This Food??! : Essential Tips for CSA Food Storage

Hi folks, apologies for radio silence on our end! We often get questions about how best to store greens and roots, and our CSA shares are only going to expand with abundance in the upcoming weeks. A few minutes on Wednesday night will make that CSA produce accessible for the quick weeknight grab. Here’s how to load up, but not overwhelm your refrigerator.

First order of business: Sort your haul.

• Alliums (onions, garlic) and potatoes into the pantry or other dark and cool environment. Cut off tops if onions and garlic still have them attached.
• Salad greens, hand to the prep cook. (Kidding, see below)
• Bunched greens (kale, chard, broccoli)
• Roots (beets, carrots) – cut off the tops and send to the refrigerator.
• Herbs (mint, basil) – depends, see below.
• Savory fruits (tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants) – depends, see below.
• Sweet fruits (peaches, apricots) – paper bag to deter fruit flies, on the counter.

Lettuce and other Salads

• Wash and spin your greens. We wash everything in potable water at the farm, but if you want to absolutely ensure that there are no bugs or dirt left, give ’em a rinse! We recommend filling a large bowl with cold water and submerging the greens. Wait a minute to let them rehydrate and let the dirt and sand settle to the bottom, and then spin them in a salad spinner. Spinning is a great job for kids, and dry greens help keep deterioration at bay.
• Store in ‘fridge in plastic or other reusable type bag, and tie with a twist tie to prevent greens from going limp.
• Or, use a container, either that other salad greens have come in (if you purchase “Organic Girl” salads or similar, those work great) or some sort of stackable and see-through container to organize your CSA haul.

Bunched Greens, i.e. Kale, Chard, and including Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts)

• Chop ’em, strip ’em or otherwise prepare them for accessibility.
• Strip the Kale off its stalk and rip or chop into small pieces so that its ready to be added to, well, practically anything. I use bunched greens interchangeably and add handfuls to pastas, stir fries, eggs, or just a bit of garlic and oil/butter for a quick side.
• Wash and store like you would Salad Greens, see above.

Herbs

• Basil – leave in plastic bag on the counter
• All others, refrigerate! If you get herbs in bunches, you can submerge the bottoms in a glass with an inch of water, like flowers in a vase.

Roots

• Cut off the tops of carrots and compost, or give to the farmer at CSA pick up to bring back to the piggies.
• Cut off tops of beets and turnips, use greens as you would any other bunched green.

Savory Fruits

• Tomatoes and eggplant, store on the counter in a paper bag to deter fruit flies. Refrigeration makes these fruits go mealy and mushy.
• Squash, peppers, cucumbers, refrigerate

Sweet Fruits

• Most fruits, with the exception of cherries and grapes, don’t mind hanging out on the counter. The crisper drawer can make peaches and pears become mealy, so don’t refrigerate unless they are beginning to turn overripe.
• If you’re having trouble going through your fruit, chop (de-pit) and freeze for quick smoothies later, or chop (de-pit) and cook for a yogurt and granola helper, or meat chutney (applesauce and pork chops, anyone?)

Lastly, Ask Your Farmer for any tips about cooking, storage, or any fun facts about the produce you’re receiving. Food adventures (and misadventures) can create fantastic stories and experiences, and we love to give and receive feedback about CSA shares.

Enjoy!

Using Your CSA Share : Week 6

We have beets!  These spring baby beets are so tender, they are excellent raw. That is a wonderful thing since it has been so hot I have not wanted to turn my stove on all week.  If you prefer cooked beets, you could boil or steam these little guys for about 20 minutes.  Roasting beets can take a long time in the oven, I suggest waiting until fall to do that.  Beets store very well in a plastic bag in the fridge, just be sure to cut off the greens about ½ inch up the stem.  Leaving a little bit of the stem intact will also help keep the juices in when you cook the the root.  Beets are pretty cool because you get two veggies in one.  Use the beet greens in any way you would use spinach.

Raw Beet and Herb Salad

about 4 handfuls of mixed greens

1 bunch beet roots- thinly sliced

goat cheese (optional)

1 clove garlic – finely minced or smashed into a paste

10 leaves basil- minced + extra for garnish

3 Tablespoons tarragon – stems removed and minced + extra for garnish

¼ cup olive or walnut oil

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

salt and pepper

To make the dressing whisk the smashed garlic, minced basil, minced tarragon, oil, balsamic, and dijon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a bowl coat the greens with about ½ of the dressing.  Top with the sliced beets and goat cheese and drizzle the rest of the dressing over top.  Garnish with extra herbs.

Using Your Share: CSA Week 5

Peas, Garlic Scapes with Lemon and Basil

• 5-6 garlic scapes – cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 small basket of peas- strings removed
• ½ organic lemon – zest and juice
• olive oil
• about 10 basil leaves- cut into thin ribbons
• salt and pepper to taste
• cold running water or a bowl of ice water

Stringing peas can be tedious, however it is absolutely worthwhile, as it  makes peas more enjoyable to get rid of the fibrous vein.  If you have children, this is a great job for little hands.  Just pinch off the blossom end of the pea and pull the string the length of the pea, the string should come off easily.

1. Start a pot of water boiling and get your steam basket ready to go.

2. Get a medium sized bowl of ice water prepared.

3. In your steam basket, first add the garlic scapes and let steam for about 2 minutes.  Then add the peas to the steam basket and steam for an additional 2 minutes.  Set a timer for this step. Overcooked peas will lose their snap and you will be sad eating your overcooked peas.

4. When the peas are finished cooking they should be a vibrant green.  After steaming, the goal is to immediately stop the peas from cooking any further.  To do this,  place them in a bath of cold ice water or alternatively, run very cold water over them for several minutes.

5. Once the garlic scapes and peas have cooled completely you may want to pat them dry with a kitchen towel before dressing.

6. Place peas and scapes in a dry bowl, drizzle with olive oil, add zest and juice of ½  lemon, basil ribbons, salt and pepper to taste.  Mix it all together and enjoy.

This dish will keep well for a day or two in the fridge, It should also travel well to take to a picnic.

Using Your Share: CSA Week 4

This week we have beautiful curly garlic scapes.  Garlic scapes are a flowering shoot of the garlic plant that are harvested for only a few short weeks in late May-mid June.  They have a mildly sweet garlicky flavor.  You can use them raw in a pesto or bruschetta, cut them up and throw them into a stir fry, pickle them, grill them, fry them.

This garlic scape pesto can be kept in the fridge and use to perk up many dishes over the next few days.  Try drizzling on eggs, spreading on toast, use as a base for salad dressing, stirring a spoonful into pasta, potatoes, or rice.

5-6 garlic scapes

¼ cup pine nuts, walnuts or almonds

¼ cup olive oil

parmesan cheese (optional)

season with salt and pepper

With a hand blender, small food processor, or blender  – Simply puree all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using Your Share: CSA Week 3

A note on Broccoli Rabe (aka Raab or Rapini). 

Broccoli Rabe is a brassica, it is a relative of broccoli, mustard, and its closest botanical relative, the turnip.  Broccoli Rabe and Broccolini are frequently mistaken as the same vegetable.  Broccolini, a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, has a sweeter taste.  Broccoli Rabe has fewer florets than broccolini,  it looks leafier and, tastes a little spicy or peppery like a turnip.   Raw broccoli rabe is bitter.  As a result it is usually cooked. It is most frequently used in Chinese and Italian cuisine. I it especially good sautéed, stir fried, steamed or boiled. Try it sautéed with garlic, oil and lemon. Or in a pasta dish. Or topped over polenta.  If your broccoli rabe sits in the fridge a little bit too long and begins to wilt, refresh it with a cold water bath for about 20 minutes. Or simply put the stem side down in a glass of cold water, like a bouquet of flowers.

For the pizza dough, I like to use Jim Lachey’s recipe for No Knead Pizza Dough, but feel free to use whatever pizza dough suits your dietary needs.

I have had some catastrophic failures while grilling pizza.  I learned that quickly grilling the dough on both sides before adding toppings is an important step.  It is also great to have the pizza toppings ready to go when the pizza dough comes off the grill.

Grilled Broccoli Rabe Pizza with Smoked Mozz and Olives

1 pizza dough

1 bunch broccoli rabe

1 whole green shallot – finely minced

olive oil

¼-½ lb grated smoked mozzarella (depending on how cheesy you like your pizza)

¼ c your favorite olive  (I used Castelvetrano)

1 clove garlic cut in half

wood chunks (optional)

a few basil leaves

red pepper flakes  (optional)

1. Get your grill nice and hot.
2. On a dinner plate place the broccoli rabe, minced green shallot – drizzle with oil, and toss to distribute oil and green shallot over broccoli rabe.

3. Roll out pizza dough on a floured surface to be about ½ thick.

4. Have your cheese grated and your olives sliced and ready to go and set aside.

5. If you desire a smokey flavor, a little handful of wood chunks to the grill.

6. Once your grill is nice and hot, turn your grill down to low/med and grill broccoli rabe until tender and slightly charred. Turning every minute or so depending on your grill. Remove from grill and set aside with your cheese and olives.  Note that for grilling veggies, it is really helpful to have a vegetable grill pan with slots or holes. This makes it so you don’t have to worry about loosing long skinny pieces between your grill rack.

7. Now you will do a quick grill on your pizza dough, about 20 seconds on each side.  Grilling time will vary depending on how hot your grill is. I use a flat cookie sheet to take the pizza dough to the grill. You can use also the cookie sheet like a big spatula to position and move the dough.

8. Return partially cooked pizza dough to the cookie sheet.

9. Start topping your pizza. Brush on a layer of olive oil, and rub cut garlic clove over the entire surface. Discard garlic clove when finished rubbing.  Top with cheese, broccoli rabe, and olives.

10. Return pizza to grill to finish cooking, about 3-4 minutes depending on how hot your grill is. You’ll want to make sure the bottom of your pizza doesn’t burn before the cheese melts.
11. Finish pizza with a few fresh basil leaves and red pepper flakes.

Using Your Share: CSA Week 2

Strawberry Carrot Rhubarb Radish Spring Salad

I was out at the farm yesterday. As my CSA bag was being filled with veggies by our fabulous, hardworking farmers, I immediately knew I wanted to make this super springy salad when I got home.  The power greens mix is exquisite and, I can’t get enough of it.  This salad will help revive you from the long cold winter.  The sweetness of the strawberries, the sourness of the rhubarb, the freshness of the mint, the spiciness of the radishes will all balance each other in this salad.

When selecting your rhubarb, make sure you choose a small tender stalk.  Larger stalks can be too fibrous.

Recipe adapted from “New Persian Kitchen” – Louisa Shafia

Ingredients:

• 4 handfuls of power greens
• 1 inch of the bottom of a green shallot.  Save the unused portion of the green shallot for other use.
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 1 rhubarb stalk
• 4-5 turnips or radishes
• 1 carrot
• 7-8 strawberries
• pistachios
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions:

Slice the strawberries. Then slice the turnips thinly.  With a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot and rhubarb into ribbons. Set aside.

With the side of you knife or with a mortar and pestle smash the green shallot and a pinch of coarse salt into a smooth paste. Once smooth, add one tablespoon of vinegar and two tablespoons of the oil to the shallot paste.

Put power greens and mint into a mixing bowl and toss with the green shallot vinaigrette. Salt and pepper to taste  Move the dressed greens and mint to serving dish.

In the same bowl that you used to mix the greens add rhubarb, turnips, carrot, strawberries, 1 tablespoon vinegar and one tablespoon oil, toss.  Move to serving the dish on top of the greens.  Garnish with pistachios and serve immediately.

Note: Save the turnip/radish greens, they are wonderful and you don’t want to waste them. You could use them with the greens in this salad. I will be using them together with the broccoli raab.