Monday, July 25, 2011

Recipe: Risotto Primavera

So, "primavera" means spring, but when I got my CSA share this week I immediately thought of this recipe.  So for me, it's gonna be Summer Risotto.  And people: do not fear the risotto!  It is surprisingly easy to make risotto.  I can make risotto while bouncing a toddler on my hip and watching "Jeopardy!" and I am a complete kitchen spazz.  Therefore, you can make risotto.  You do not have to babysit the risotto.  Just stir it frequently and don't let it go completely dry and you will be fine.  The end.

from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

  • 5 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1/2 whole Large Onion Finely Diced
  • 3 whole Carrots, Peeled And Finely Diced
  • 1/2 cup Cauliflower Pieces
  • 1/2 cup Broccoli Pieces
  • 1 whole Yellow Squash or Zucchini, Finely Diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (additional)
  • 1 Tablespoon Butter (additional)
  • 1-1/2 cup Arborio Rice
  • 1-1/2 cup Dry White Wine
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (additional), More To Taste
  • 4 whole Green Onions, Thinly Sliced
  • 1/2 cup Frozen Peas
  • 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese
  • 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Fresh Dill, For Garnish
  • Optional Vegetables To Substitute For Any Of The Above: Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper, Zucchini, Asparagus Pieces

Preparation Instructions

Pour chicken broth into a small saucepan. Heat to a simmer.
In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add diced onions and diced carrots. Stir and cook for a minute or two. Add cauliflower and cook for a minute. Add broccoli and cook for 30 seconds. Add squash and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in salt and stir. Remove from pan and put on a plate. Set aside.
Add 1 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the same pan. Heat over medium-low heat. Add rice and stir, cooking for 1 minute. Add half the wine and 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Stir and cook until liquid is absorbed. Over the next 30 to 45 minutes, add 1 cup of simmering broth at a time, stirring and cooking until each addition of broth has absorbed. Add other half of wine and cook until absorbed. Add green onions and peas, stirring to combine. Taste to make sure rice is the right texture; add another helping of broth if rice has too much bite to it. Check salt content and add more salt if necessary.
Once rice is cooked, remove from heat. Stir in goat cheese, Parmesan, and vegetables until all goat cheese is combined.
Serve on a plate with a sprig of dill.

Recipe: Paula Deen's Down Home Coleslaw

It's summer.  You have cabbage and carrots.  Time for some coleslaw, y'all!

recipe from pauladeen.com

1   1 1/2 lbs head of cabbage, quartered, cored, and shredded
2   carrots, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh chives
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, carrots, parsley and chives. 
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add to the cabbage mixture and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. Let coleslaw stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe: Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts

Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts
(pretty much stolen from smitten kitchen)

FYI, this is also a good place to use some of your fresh herbs from this week's box.  Dill would be a yummy addition here, as would tarragon, chives or oregano.
 
Serves 6

1 small cabbage
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 apples (any crisp, tasty eating variety: Granny Smith, Braeburn, Fuji)
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Tear off and discard the tough outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut it in half and cut out its core. Slice the halves crosswise into a fine chiffonade.
Toast the walnuts in the oven for 8 minutes. While they are still warm, first rub them in a clean dishtowel to remove some of the skins, then chop or coarsely crumble them.
To prepare the dressing, mix the vinegar with the lemon juice, some salt, and a generous amount of pepper.
Whisk in the olive oil and then the creme fraiche or cream. Taste and adjust the acid and salt as desired.
Quarter, peel, and core the apples. Slice the quarters lengthwise fairly thin and cut these slices lengthwise into a julienne. Toss the cabbage, apples, and walnuts (and blue cheese, if you’re using it) with the dressing and an extra pinch of salt. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, taste again, adjust the seasoning as needed, and serve.

In this week's CSA box

Cabbage
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Herbs
Wax beans
Carrots
Onions
Cooking greens (kale, chard)

This past week's crazy-high temperatures haven't done the salad greens any favors, which is why you're not seeing them this week.  Meanwhile, the tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini are LOVING this weather, so we'll start seeing tomatoes soon.  Salad greens may be back later in the season.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Show us your dinner: PIE!


CSA member Luke Evens made strawberry-rhubarb pie!

Early July- A few words from the farm

In this weeks box:
Salad mix
Cooking green : Boc Choi, Kale or Mustard greens
Cucumber
Snap Peas
Garlic Scapes
Herbs: Dill, Basil, or Cilantro and Mint

Greetings to all,
We had a wonderful 4th of July here on the farm and we hope you did, too. It was full of family and great food and some of my awesome cousins even volunteered to do some weed pulling to help out. Clearly I am blessed with family who supports what we are trying to do and it means so much to me.

Full season is just beginning here, about 3-4 weeks later this year than last, but we are getting the first of the cukes and in another week or so there will be zucchini. Peppers, Tomatoes, and Melons are coming- the plants look strong and are growing and flowering, but due to how cold it stayed for such a long time this spring, they will be a few more weeks. In the meantime, we'll irrigate and coax the cool season crops that you have been seeing all along in your box to extend their season.

Best wishes on enjoying your summer and thanks for all the flexibility for the 4th of July drop-offs.

Recipe: Cucumber and Snap Pea Salad

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp white wine vinegar, and 1 tbsp dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper, Add two cucumbers or so, peeled and thinly sliced, and a cup or two of sliced snap peas, ends trimmed and strings removed. Toss to combine. Stir in a small bunch of torn mint leaves, about 3/4 cup, just before serving.