Cooking With This Week's Box:
This Week’s Summary of Recipes
and the Vegetables They Utilize:
Zucchini: Zucchini Butter
Cucumbers: Turkey-Cucumber Roll-Ups; Melon Cucumber Agua Fresca
White Spanish Onions: Slow Cooker Jalapeño Pineapple Pork; Veggie Pot Pie
Carrots: Sheet Pan Korean Chicken and Vegetables; Veggie Pot Pie; One-Pot
Vegetable Thai Red Curry (See Below)
Broccoli: Sheet Pan Korean Chicken and Vegetables; One-Pot
Vegetable Thai Red Curry (See Below)
Cauliflower: Veggie Pot Pie; One-Pot
Vegetable Thai Red Curry (See Below)
Italian Frying Peppers and/or
Green Bell Peppers: Slow Cooker Jalapeño Pineapple Pork
Jalapeño Pepper: Slow Cooker Jalapeño Pineapple Pork
Eggplant: Julia Child’s Eggplant Pizzas (see
below); One-Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry
(See Below)
Sun Jewel Melons: Melon Cucumber Agua Fresca
Sweet Corn: Sweet Corn Risotto; Amaranth & Corn Sautè
New Potatoes: Veggie Pot Pie; One-Pot
Vegetable Thai Red Curry (See Below)
Green or Yellow Beans: Veggie Pot Pie; One-Pot
Vegetable Thai Red Curry (See Below)
Here we go…summer bounty is upon us and the box is bursting
at the seams! Our CSA Facebook Group has
been awesome this past week! If you are
a CSA member and haven’t joined the group, we encourage you to do so. Check your weekly email for more
information. A lot of great ideas were
posted in the group this week, including this recipe for Julia Child’s Eggplant
Pizzas (see below) which was very timely for this week’s focus on Eggplant
as our featured vegetable of the week.
This “pizza” concept makes use of the eggplant as the base to carry a
delicious, and simple, tomato and cheese topping. You should know, this recipe is endorsed by
one of our CSA kids who, at age 7, prepared this recipe herself! Come on adults, you can do this.
Our other featured recipe in this week’s newsletter is a super simple recipe for a One-Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry (See Below). I love this recipe because it’s very adaptable to the season. I made it last winter with sweet potatoes and root vegetables and have been anxiously waiting to make the summer version of this recipe using eggplant. I’ve adapted the recipe to guide you in being creative with how you make this. Basically, make sure you have 5 cups of vegetables and feel free to vary the combination to your liking. This week I made it using eggplant, carrots, potatoes and cauliflower. It goes together really fast and, served with rice, is a complete meal on its own. It also reheats well, so you have something to take for lunch the next day!
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| Sheet Pan Korean Chicken and Vegetables Photo from dinnerthendessert.com |
This recipe for Veggie Pot Pie was recommended by another member
in our Facebook group and I’d have to agree that it’s a great way to put a lot
of vegetables to use in one fell, hearty swoop!
This recipe includes potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, carrots and
onions. Make your own pie crust or buy
some premade crust. Once you’ve prepared
the filling, just pour it in the pie crust, put the top layer on and bake
it. Pretty simple and it’s described as “A mouthwatering-good vegetable pot pie.”
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| Zucchini Butter, Photo from thekitchn.com |
Sweet Corn?! We just have a little bit this week, but it’s
the perfect amount to kick off sweet corn season and just enough to make this
delicious Sweet Corn Risotto that is great on its own or you can garnish it with a simple little tomato,
garlic, basil combo. If you still have
the red amaranth from last week’s box, you could use the corn to make this
simple Amaranth & Corn Sautè. It calls for edamame, which just isn’t quite
ready yet. Don’t worry, you can easily
substitute yellow or green beans or zucchini and it will be delicious.
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| Turkey-Cucumber Roll-Ups Photo from weelicious.com |
What’s left? A few potatoes, a
little bit of onion and a touch of zucchini?
A few beans still hanging out in the refrigerator? Take whatever is left and chop it up finely. Sautè it with some chopped bacon and then put
it in a container in the refrigerator.
This will be the base for a quick breakfast burrito. Just reheat some of the bacon-vegetable
mixture in a small skillet. Add two
beaten eggs, a little salt, pepper, a touch of cheese and some fresh basil if
you have it. Scramble the mixture until the eggs are cooked through. Warm a flour tortilla on the stove top or in
the oven and spread some sour cream on it.
Put the scramble mixture in the tortilla, wrap it up and enjoy your
simple, hearty breakfast!
Ok friends, that’s a wrap. I
hope you enjoy this week’s meals and get ready for more summer bounty to flood
your kitchens next week. We are looking
forward to purple beans, poblano peppers, edamame, Sweet Sarah Melons, purple
tomatillos and more corn! –Chef Andrea
Vegetable Feature: Eggplant- Flashy, yet humble
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| Pair of Listada Eggplants growing in our fields |
Eggplant is one of the most beautiful crops we grow. The plants grow several feet tall and, in
their peak, are loaded with beautiful glossy fruit hanging heavy on the
plant. There are many varieties of
eggplant ranging in size from small round eggplant the size of a golf ball to
large globe eggplant weighing over a pound.
They come in a variety of colors ranging from various shades of purple
to black, green, lavender, white and orange.
We have narrowed our lineup of eggplant to our four favorite varieties
including Lilac Bride, Purple Dancer, Listada and the traditional Black
eggplant. Please refer to our previous
blog post which includes pictures and profiles of each eggplant and highlights
the characteristics of each in further detail. Each variety is best for different uses, so
it’s helpful to visualize which variety you have before you decide how you want
to use it.
Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and must be
cooked. Many resources will tell you to
salt eggplant before cooking it to remove bitterness. While some older varieties were bitter, the
new varieties we grow have been selected because they are not bitter, thus you
can skip the salting step for that reason.
You may still choose to salt eggplant to soften the flesh so it doesn’t
absorb too much oil. Most of our
varieties of eggplant have skin that is tender enough to eat, thus you do not
need to peel them.
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| Baba ganoush, photo from Tori Avey |
While eggplant is
thought to have originated in the area around India and Pakistan, it has now
been spread around the world. Since
eggplant is part of so many cultures, there are a lot of ways you can use
eggplant in your cooking. It is often
incorporated into curry and stir-fry dishes in Indian, Thai, and Chinese cuisine. Sicilians are famous for eggplant caponata
while Middle Eastern dishes include baba ganoush. The French put their mark on eggplant with
the traditional Provencal dish, ratatouille. Eggplant has a mild flavor and soft texture
when cooked, which is what makes it unique.
While it isn’t a predominant flavor, it has a texture such that it is
able to absorb other flavors and pairs well with other vegetables including
tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, potatoes and chickpeas. It also goes well with flavorful olive oil,
tahini, herbs such as basil and parsley and spices including cumin, coriander,
sumac, and cinnamon. It also goes well
with dairy products including yogurt, cheese (feta, Parmesan and mozzarella),
and cream and fruits including lemons and pomegranate.
Eggplant does not store terribly well, so it is best to use
it soon after getting it. It is best
stored at a temperature of about 45-50°F, but your home refrigerator should be
colder than this. Thus, we recommend
storing your eggplant on the kitchen counter and use it within 2-4 days.
One-Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry
Yield: 4 servings
5 cups seasonal vegetables** (eg 1 ½ cups eggplant, 1 cup
carrots, 1 cup new potatoes, 1 ½ cups cauliflower florets)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
½ tsp salt
3-4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
2-inches fresh ginger, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
4 ounces red curry paste
1 can (13.5 fl oz) coconut milk
1 ¼ cup water
2 Tbsp tamari
½ Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp lime juice (or rice wine vinegar), plus more to taste
Fresh basil, for serving
Cooked brown rice, for serving
1. Prepare
the vegetables: Cut vegetables into ½-¾-inch
dice or into bite-sized pieces. You’ll
want to group the vegetables according to how much cooking time they’ll
need. Harder vegetables such as carrots,
potatoes, and other root crops will need a longer cooking time. Some vegetables, such as eggplant, peppers,
green beans, zucchini, and broccoli will need a moderate amount of cooking time
while greens such as spinach and kale may need less time. You’ll need to use your best judgement with
the vegetables you choose to use.
2. In a large pot, warm the oil
over medium heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt and cook for 3 minutes,
until translucent. Next add the garlic, ginger and any more dense
vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, etc. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Add the curry paste, coconut milk and water then
bring to a boil. Stir in any vegetables requiring a moderate cooking time. Reduce to a simmer then cover and cook for
about 7-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. If you are using any quick-cooking
vegetables, add them now.
4. Stir in the tamari, maple syrup,
and lime juice (or rice wine vinegar). Taste and adjust the seasoning with
salt, tamari or lime juice to your liking.
Serve over warm rice with fresh basil and enjoy!
**SUGGESTIONS FOR
SEASONAL VARIATIONS:
Summer: Eggplant, Carrots, New Potatoes, Peppers,
Zucchini, Broccoli, Green Beans, Corn
Fall: Sweet peppers, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes,
Kale, Carrots, Cauliflower, Romanesco, Delicata or Butternut Squash
Winter: Carrots, Winter Squash, Sweet Potatoes,
Turnips, Rutabaga, Celeriac, Sunchokes
Spring: Asparagus, Ramps, Mushrooms, Spinach, Baby
White Turnips
**This recipe is Chef Andrea’s adaptation of a recipe
originally featured on the blog, Making Thyme For Health**
Julia Child's Eggplant Pizza
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| Photo from KalynsKitchen.com |
For Pizzas:
1 black or purple
dancer eggplant, about 8 oz
1 Tbsp salt, for
drawing water out of eggplant
2 Tbsp olive oil,
for brushing eggplant before roasting
2 tsp dried Italian
seasoning, for sprinkling on eggplant before roasting
10 large basil
leaves, cut in chiffonade strips (optional)
⅓ cup freshly
grated Parmesan
⅓ cup finely grated
low-fat mozzarella blend
Hot red pepper
flakes for sprinkling finished pizza (optional)
For Sauce:
2 to 3 tsp
extra-virgin olive oil
3 large garlic
cloves, very finely chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can
good quality petite diced tomatoes with liquid (or use 2 cups peeled and diced
fresh tomatoes)
½ tsp dried Italian
seasoning blend
¼ tsp dried oregano
| 1. |
Cut off both ends
of the eggplant; then cut it into ¾ inch thick slices (trying to make them
the same thickness!) Put the eggplant pieces on a double layer of paper
towels and sprinkle both sides generously with salt. Let the eggplant sit
with the salt on it for about 30 minutes to draw out the liquid. After the
eggplant sets for 15 minutes, turn on the oven to 375°F.
|
2.
|
While the
eggplant sets, make the sauce. Heat 2-3 tsp olive oil (depending on your pan)
and saute the finely chopped garlic just until it becomes fragrant. (Don't
let it brown.) Add the petite diced tomatoes, dried Italian seasoning, and
dried oregano and let the sauce cook at a low simmer until it's thickened,
breaking up the tomatoes with a fork as it cooks. (Add water as needed, a few
tablespoons at a time as the sauce cooks, keeping it hot by simmering at very
low heat until it's needed for the eggplant slices.)
|
3.
|
After 30 minutes,
wipe the eggplant dry with paper towels (this also removes most of the salt.)
Spray a roasting sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray, lay eggplant slices
on, brush the tops of the eggplant with olive oil, and sprinkle with dried
Italian seasoning. Roast the eggplant about 25 minutes (but "not so long
that the slices become mushy and lose their shape" as Julia says.)
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4.
|
While the
eggplant roasts, thinly slice the fresh basil leaves (if using) and combined
freshly grated Parmesan and low-fat mozzarella blend. After 25 minutes or
when eggplant pieces are done, remove eggplant from the oven and turn oven
setting to broil. Spread a few tablespoons of sauce on the top of each
eggplant slice, sprinkle with thin basil slices (if using) and top with a
generous amount of cheese. Put pizzas under the broiler until the cheese is melted
and slightly browned, 4-7 minutes. Serve
hot, with red pepper flakes to sprinkle on pizza if desired.
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