Balsamic Glazed Cipollini Onions

From Proud Italian Cook, prouditaliancook.blogspot.com

When you roast these with balsamic, it becomes a rich, syrupy glaze that flavors and caramelizes the entire onion The taste is phenomenal!!

Cipolini onions are flat and saucer shaped with a thin, paper like skin, just remove the skin and trim the ends. Place them in a hot oven around 400 degree’s, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh thyme and a good balsamic vinegar, roast them till tender and caramelized, if the glaze seems to be cooking down to fast, just lower the oven to 350.

Buon Appetito!!

On The Farm- August 23

Each Wednesday and Saturday, I am stunned by the baskets, bags, jugs, and hand held bouquets of flowers members harvest from the field. The clippers are always in demand and each grouping of flowers is unique- a small cluster of dry flowers followed by a mass of wispy wild flowers.

Most days I walk by the flowers without turning my head, or my eyes look at the flowers while I think of all I have to do to keep the vegetables coming in.  But the past week I have spent some time tending the flower garden, weeding paths and reaching in and around the stalks and buds. The soil is moist and laden with rich compost. The prolific calendula has more dry brown buds then new blooms, but the rudbeckia are just entering their prime and the tithonia haven’t even started to blossom.  The flower garden is the first place I have found on the farm where deer browse past the intended crop and nip the weeds instead.  There are sweet scents and musky scents and color after color. 

I think I will always consider myself a vegetable farmer, but I am glad for the chance to step away from crop production into the quiet and beauty of the flower garden.  The flowers may not always turn my head, but the bouquets you pick, and your pleasure in doing so are an even greater happiness for me.

Black Beans & Beat Greens

Black Beans & Beat Greens

(Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as a side)

Ingredients:
1 (28oz) can of black beans (or make them from dry and they’ll taste even better)
1 bunch of beet greens, cleaned
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you’re not concerned with keeping it vegetarian)
Salt & Pepper
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Instructions:
Rinse the beans thoroughly and heat in a small pot on medium.
Separate the beet leaves from their stalks. Trim any woody ends off the bottoms of the stalks and chop into roughly 1/2 inch pieces. Roll the leaves into a cigar and cut into roughly 1 inch strips.

 Mince the garlic.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium. Add in the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until it begins sizzing. Add in the stock and cook another 30 seconds.

Turn the heat to medium high and add in the beet green stalks. Cook about 5 minutes until liquid is reduced and stalks are tender.

Add in the leaves and vinegar. Cook, stirring, about 2-3 minutes until the leaves are wilted but retain their color. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Drain the beans if necessary and add them, warm, to the pot. Mix to combine all ingredients. Remove from heat and serve warm as a side or with crusty bread.

Pork & Tomatillo Stew

Pork & Tomatillo Stew

From Food & Wine,  October 2007 via Chris Poggi

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 3-inch chunks

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large celery ribs, finely diced

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 Anaheim chile, seeded and finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons mild chile powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Pinch of dried oregano2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

1 cup 1/2-inch-diced carrots

Two 6-ounce russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 pound tomatillos—husked, rinsed and cut into 1-inch dice

Hot sauce

Chopped cilantro, for garnish 

In a medium casserole or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until browned on 2 sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add the celery and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the diced chile, garlic, chile powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and tomatillos, cover and simmer over low heat until the pork is cooked through, about 25 minutes.Transfer the pork to a plate and shred with two forks. Meanwhile, simmer the stew over moderate heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir the shredded pork into the stew and season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Ladle the stew into bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with a few tortilla chips. Make Ahead ,The stew can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently.

Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato Sauce

Stuffed Zucchini in Tomato Sauce (aka Koussa Mahshi Bi Banadoura)

 from Arabesque by Claudia Roden via farm member Stephanie Aeder

2 pounds small zucchini (or Patty Pan Squash)

 For the filling:

5 ounces lean ground lamb (I have substituted beef and it is equally good)

1/4 cup short grain or risotto rice

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

(I have added homemade harissa to this for those who like things spicier)

 For the sauce:

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

3 garlic cloves crushed

2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and chopped (From my experience there is no need to peel)

salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste (not really necessary)

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar

1 to 1 1/2 lemons

1 teaspoon crushed dried mint (can also use fresh)

Wash the zucchini, slice off the stem. With a long apple corer, make a hole at the stem  end of each vegetable and scoop out the flesh being careful not to break the skin, or break through the other end, which must remain closed.  (I have been successful using a melon baller for this purpose.)  You need to clean out all of the flesh while keeping the shell intact.

Put the filling ingredients together in a bowl and knead well by hand until thoroughly blended.  Fill each zucchini, packing in the filling to within 1/2 inch of the end to allow for the expansion of the rice.

For the sauce, fry the onion the sunflower oil until golden.  Use a pan that will hold the zucchini in one or two layers.  Add the garlic and stir until the aroma rises, then add the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper and stir in the tomato paste (if you are using), sugar, and juice of half a lemon.

Place the stuffed zucchini side by side in one or two years in the sauce.  Add water, if necessary to cover them and simmer very gently, with the lid on, over low heat, for about 45 minutes or until the zucchini are soft.  (Just as an FYI, I have never found it necessary to add water.)

Carefully lift the zucchini out of the plan and place on a serving dish.  Stir the mint and the juice of the remaining lemon into the sauce and continue cooking for a moment or two, then pour over the zucchini.

On The Farm- August 16th

Two full days of gentle rain were welcome on the farm. This has been a season of polar extremes, of wet weeks and dry weeks. The past month has been dry, pulling moisture from weeding hands and releasing dust as tools cultivate rows of crops. We have had some lucky snatches of water in the last few weeks, short and hard storms that quenched crops and allowed for growth, but that left the soil looking dry within the day. So I am grateful for the rain, that went for days instead of minutes, that soaked the land and soaked the land again. It feels as if our reserves have been replenished, a safety net installed.

While the sky drizzles, work on the farm does not stop, it shifts. The plants drink and we move under shelter and revisit projects laid aside for a rainy day. The garlic we harvested a month ago has been hanging and drying, unattended as the stalks go from green to brown.  Onions have been curing in the green house, standing on screens, drying and developing their full flavor. But both of these crops need to be handled before we eat them. Stalks and steams are snipped off, roots trimmed, outer skins peeled away to leave a cleaner bulb. Garlic is sorted into seed stock to plant for next year and eating stock that we can begin enjoying this week.  This work, started in our haven of rain, will continue in fits and starts, when it rains, during distributions, or when friends and family come to lend a hand.    

Fennel Frond Pesto

Fennel Frond Pesto
From The Garden Harold, Greenmoore Gardens CSA
1 small fennel bulb with lots of bushy fronds
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons pine nuts or sliced or slivered
almonds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
 
Chop off fennel fronds and coarsely chop enough to
measure 1 cup (discard the rest of the fronds, save
the fennel for later use, and of course eat the fennel
bulb itself, it’s great to dip into the pesto). Put the
chopped fronds in a food processor or blender. Add
the garlic, nuts, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous
pinch of pepper to the food processor and process
until finely chopped. Add 4 tablespoons of the oil
and cheese continue to process until the mixture
looks like pesto. Season with more salt to taste.
Makes 3/4 cup

Zucchini and Chickpeas

Zucchini and Chickpeas
adapted from Mediterranean Vegetables by Clifford Wright

2 T olive oil
1 pound young zucchinis, trimmed and sliced about ½ inch thick
16 oz can chickpeas, drained
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
S & P to taste
2 T finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the zucchini, chickpeas, garlic, salt and pepper until the zucchini are slightly soft, about 20 minutes. Toss with the parsley and serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings

On The Farm- August 9th

I could easily and happily go for days on the farm without seeing another human. Me and the plants, them growing, me tending. Me and the early morning sounds of bugs and birds. The steadiness of work, my own silence and consistency.  Alone on the farm is home for me, comfort.

But this week many people have passed through the field. Six hands quickly tucked fall brassicas into the soil, a day’s work for me accomplished in a few hours.  The calm and quiet of the lone farmer was replaced with laughter and merriment.  Three generations of women shared stories while they worked. A totally new energy settled down on the farm, one of vibrancy, lightness, and efficiency. Add your own presence to the farm while you pick flowers and appreciate the land this week.

Purslane Recipes

Cucumber-purslane-yogurt salad
From Steve Johnson, http://www.starchefs.com/SJohnson/recipe05.html
5 large Cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into quarter-round slices
1/4 pound Purslane, large stems removed, washed and drained well
2 tablespoons each, Fresh chopped mint, cilantro and chervil
4 cups Whole milk yogurt
1/4 cup Virgin olive oil
3 cloves Garlic, puréed with the blade of a knife
2 teaspoon ground Coriander
 kosher Salt and ground Black Pepper
Place the cucumber, purslane and herbs into a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the yogurt, olive oil and garlic, coriander and season to taste with salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the vegetables and mix well. Add a pinch of ground black pepper. Taste the dressed cucumber-purslane salad for seasoning, adding a little more salt if needed. Serve chilled.

Potato-Purslane Salad
From Kim O’Donnell, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/
Ingredients:
3 medium waxy potatoes, such as Yukon golds or fingerlings, sliced into chunks, about ½ inch thick
salt to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons); alternatively use red wine vinegar
About 1 cup purslane, thoroughly washed, torn or chopped (stems are tangier than leaves, taste first to see if you like)
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced (alternatively, use a few chopped scallions)
Other options:
½ cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced, into half moon shapes
1 large tomato, roughly chopped
½ cup fresh herbs – mint, parsley, chervil – whatever suits you
Method:
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add salt and potatoes. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and then pour into a serving bowl, spreading even to cover bottom surface.
Combine olive oil and lemon juice in a small dish, whisking until well emulsified, then pour over potatoes.
In a layered fashion, add purslane, onion, plus any additional ingredients. With a wooden spoon, stir to combine, and taste for salt.
Makes enough for 2 or 3 as a side dish.

Spicy Mexican purslane and tomatillo potato stew
From http://oneblockdiet.sunset.com, Inspired by a recipe from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen.
1 lb. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
3 large serrano chiles
1 white onion, cut into thick slices
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/3  cup cilantro sprigs, plus chopped cilantro for garnish
About 3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. small Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
1 1/2 cups small purslane sprigs
1. Broil tomatillos, serranos, onion, and garlic, turning as needed, until blackened. Peel the garlic, peel and stem the chiles, then purée all the broiled vegetables in a food processor with 1/2 cup water, cilantro sprigs, and salt.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo mixture and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, then simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes; stir every so often.
3. Stir in purslane and cook a few minutes until wilted. Add chopped cilantro and more salt if you like.