Cooking With This Week's Box:
This Week’s Summary of Recipes
and the Vegetables They Utilize:
Zucchini or Yellow Summer
Squash: Zucchini Grinders
White Spanish Onions: Western Omelet Quesadillas; Golden Beet Risotto with Crumbled Ricotta
Salata and Sautéed Beet Greens (See
Below); Cauliflower, Broccoli & Pepita Salad
Missouri Garlic: Sweet Corn Panzanella; Zucchini Grinders
Sunorange Tomatoes: Sweet Corn Panzanella
Carrots: Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Broccoli: Cauliflower, Broccoli & Pepita Salad
Cauliflower: Cauliflower, Broccoli & Pepita Salad
Italian Frying Peppers and/or
Green Bell Peppers: Western Omelet Quesadillas
Jalapeno Peppers: Cauliflower, Broccoli & Pepita Salad
Sun Jewel Melons: Slice and serve!
Sweet Corn: Sweet Corn Panzanella
Green Top
Golden Beets: Golden Beet
Risotto with Crumbled Ricotta Salata and Sautéed Beet Greens (See Below)
Happy August! We’ve
got a beautiful box for you this week including a bit more sweet corn and
tomatoes. We’ve just started picking our
larger varieties, so we’re hoping to have more to send your way next week. Lets start this week’s cooking with the featured
vegetable, beautiful green top golden beets.
Gold beets are the beet variety most likely to be embraced by all—both
those who love beets and those who are still learning to like them. This week we’ll use the beets and their tops
to make Golden Beet Risotto with
Crumbled Ricotta Salata and Sautéed Beet Greens
(See Below). Risotto takes a
little time to make, but it’s really pretty simple and the end result is
elegant. Serve it with a glass of white
wine and you’re set.
 |
| Creamy Pineapple & Cucumber Smoothie, photo from Minimalist Baker |
Our cucumbers in the second planting are approaching their
peak production this week. We’ve had a
great run on cucumbers and zucchini this year, but there are so many ways to
use these vegetables that we consider them to be summer staples. This week I’m going to use cucumbers to make
some refreshing summer smoothies. I like
this recipe for Creamy Pineapple & Cucumber Smoothie as a breakfast smoothie. I also want to
try this recipe for a Savory Cucumber Smoothie which is based on the concept of a Middle Eastern yogurt drink. This recipe has dill, basil and mint which
are excellent herbs to pair with cucumbers.
This drink is also finished with club soda, so it’s a little thinner
than a smoothie and will make for a great afternoon refresher. As for the zucchini and summer squash in this
week’s box, I’m going to take the suggestion from one of our members who posted
this recipe for Zucchini Grinders. In her household the kids refer to these as “Pizza Subs.” Sauteed zucchini is piled into a sub roll and
topped with diced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Wrap the sandwiches in foil and pop them in
the oven. What a great idea!
This recipe for Sweet Corn Panzanella popped into my inbox this week from Love and Lemons blog. I love this version of panzanella featuring
this week’s sweet corn, sunorange tomatoes and fresh basil. This salad can serve as a main dish
dinner. Finish off the meal with slices
of sun jewel melon and that’s what we call a simple summer meal.
This week I want to try the Cauliflower, Broccoli & Pepita Salad from Alexandracooks.com. It looks pretty
simple. You chop the cauliflower and
broccoli in a food processor, toss it with onions, minced jalapeno, sesame
seeds, dates or other dried fruit and a light vinaigrette. Top it off with toasted pepitas. She says you can make it a day in advance and
it travels well, so this will likely be served for dinner one night with a
piece of grilled fish or steak. Leftovers
will be packed for lunches.
 |
| Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Picture from Eat Yourself Skinny |
I’ve been on a western omelet kick lately since I’ve had
green bell peppers and the delicious white Spanish onions on my counter. This week I’m going to make Western Omelet Quesadillas for our breakfast item as long as the peppers
last!
This week’s carrots will be used to make Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars.
These will make a great snack or may be breakfast for one of those days
when we’re short on time in the morning.
I might even put some in the freezer for back-up to pull out on a week
when I don’t have much time for baking or cooking and need a healthy
option.
I think we’ve worked our way through this week’s box with a
nice mix of some items to serve for dinner, a few ways to incorporate your CSA
vegetables into breakfast and a few ideas to serve as snacks or light meals on
the go. Start pulling out your favorite
pepper, tomato and corn recipes. We’ll
have more of these summer vegetables coming soon! Have a great week!
—Chef Andrea
Featured Vegetable: Green Top Beets
 |
| Chioggia, gold, and red beets at our market stand. |
Both the beet root as well as the green tops are edible and
both are very nutritious. Beet greens
are generally eaten cooked, but may also be chopped finely and enjoyed in their
raw form. When cooking them, treat
them like chard and lightly saute them or steam them until wilted and
tender. You can substitute beet greens
in any recipe that calls for chard. Beet
greens can also be blended into smoothies.
Beets are usually cooked, but may be eaten raw. Thinly sliced or grated beets are a nice
addition to salads and slaws. As for
cooking, beets are generally either boiled or steamed on the stove top or
roasted in the oven. The cooking time
will vary depending upon the size of the beet.
The general recommendation is to cook beets with their skins on and the
root tail intact. For red beets in
particular, this minimizes the leaching of the water-soluble color compounds from
the beet. Once the beets are cooked,
cool them so you can handle them and the peel should be easy to remove. You know a beet is fully cooked when the beet
easily slides off a skewer, fork or cake tester stuck into the middle of the
beet.
Red beets do contain a water-soluble nutrient called
anthocyanin. This is an antioxidant that
also gives red beets their color. It
will stain your hands (temporarily) and the color will bleed onto other
ingredients if you’re using them in a salad, soup, or otherwise. Golden beets and chioggia beets don’t lose
their color or bleed color onto other ingredients. If you are looking to preserve the beautiful
candy-striped interior of a chioggia beet, it is best to roast them.
Once cooked, beets may be used in salads or just simply
reheated with a pat of butter and some salt.
You can also blend beets into hummus or make a delicious white bean & beet dip to eat with
vegetables, crackers or use it as a spread for pizza or flat bread. Beets pair well with a lot of other
ingredients including vegetables such as fennel, celery, carrots, red onions,
shallots, arugula and other salad greens as well as other root vegetables. They also go well with fruits including
apples, oranges, lemons, pears, avocadoes and pomegranates. Additionally, beets pair nicely with goat
cheese, feta cheese, blue cheese, butter, nuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin
seeds to name just a few ingredients.
It is best to store beets in the refrigerator. If you get beets with the green tops still
on, remove the tops and store them separately in a plastic bag. Try to use them within 5-7 days. Store the beets in a plastic bag in the
crisper drawer. They will last longer
than the greens.
Golden Beet Risotto with Crumbled Ricotta Salata and Sautéed Beet Greens
Yield: 4 servings as a main course
 |
| Photo from Summer Tomato |
2 medium golden beets, trimmed, peeled, and cut into ¼-inch dice
6 cups chicken stock or broth
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
⅔ cup diced white onion
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
Kosher or fine sea salt, to taste
1 cup dry white wine
Sautéed Beet Greens (see below)
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 oz ricotta salata cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a 2-qt saucepan, combine the beets and stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the beets until tender yet still quite firm when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes (They should be slightly underdone, as they will finish cooking in the risotto.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beets to a bowl and set aside. Adjust the heat so the stock barely simmers.
- In a heavy 4-qt saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of the butter and then add the oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and 1 tsp salt and stir until the grains are well coated with the butter and oil, about 1 minute. Add the wine and let it come to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until most of the wine is absorbed.
- Add the beets and 2 cups of the stock to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the rice has almost completely absorbed the liquid. Adjust the heat so the risotto is kept at a slow simmer. Repeat, adding 1 cup of the liquid at a time, stirring until it is almost fully absorbed before adding more. Reserve ¼ cup of the liquid for adding at the end.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sautéed greens as directed and keep warm.
- After about 18 minutes, the rice will be plump, creamy, and cooked through but still slightly chewy and the beets will be tender when pierced with a fork. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup stock. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp butter, the Parmesan cheese, and about half of the ricotta salata, and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the risotto into warmed shallow bowls. Mound a portion of the beet greens on top. Garnish with the remaining ricotta salata and serve immediately.
Sautéed Beet Greens
Yield: 2 servings on its own
1 bunch beets, with green tops attached
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Kosher or fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Trim off the greens, leaving 1 inch of the stem attached to each root. Reserve the roots for another use. Stack the leaves, then cut the stack in half lengthwise through the center vein. Chop the greens crosswise into large pieces, about 2 inches wide. Rinse the greens in several changes of cold water until they are clean and the water is clear. Dry them in a salad spinner or blot dry with paper towels.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat and swirl to coat the pan bottom. Add the garlic and sauté until soft but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the greens and toss with tongs until wilted but still crisp-tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season lightly with salt and pepper, and then give the greens a final toss in the pan. Serve immediately.
This recipe comes from Diane Morgan’s cookbook entitled Roots.
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