Cooking With This Week's Box
Italian Garlic: One-Pot Vegetable Curry; Quick, 10-Minute Pickled Jalapenos; Spaghetti Squash and Leek Skillet Gratin; White Turnip Salad with Miso Ginger Vinaigrette
Salad Mix: Tossed Salad with Greek Vinaigrette
Red Batavia or Iceberg Head
Lettuce: Tossed Salad with Greek Vinaigrette; Creamy Roasted Sweet Pepper Dressing
Jalapeno Peppers: Quick, 10-Minute Pickled Jalapenos
Cauliflower: One-Pot Vegetable Curry
Broccoli Romanesco: One-Pot Vegetable Curry
Sweet Peppers: One-Pot Vegetable Curry; Creamy Roasted Sweet Pepper Dressing; Spaghetti Squash and Leek Skillet Gratin
Baby White Turnips: White Turnip Salad with Miso Ginger Vinaigrette; Creamy Turnip Grits and Greens
Black Nebula Carrots: Roasted Purple Carrot Soup with Curried
Lentils (see below); Carrot and Parsley
Salad (see below)
Red & Yellow Onions: Roasted Purple Carrot Soup with Curried
Lentils (see below); Carrot and Parsley
Salad (see below); One-Pot Vegetable Curry
Spaghetti Squash: Spaghetti Squash and Leek Skillet Gratin
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| Black Nebula Carrots |
The second recipe is for a very simple Carrot and Parsley Salad (see below). I’ve made this before with orange carrots,
but I have to say it is quite striking with the black nebula carrots. When you look at the recipe you might think,
“there’s not much happening in this salad.”
I thought the same thing the first time I made it. I can’t explain it, but the simplicity of
this salad is what makes it so delicious.
Of course that is assuming you have delicious carrots and fresh
parsley! Serve this as a side dish with
a sandwich, roasted or grilled meat, fish, etc.
Leftovers are also good for a few days.
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| One-Pot Vegetable Curry |
This week we’re finishing off the last of our jicama. Use it to make this light, creamy Jicama Apple Slaw that we featured in our newsletter several years ago, or check out last week’s vegetable feature article and the recipe for Baked Jicama Chips. When the jicama is gone, we’ll finish off the
packing by substituting potatoes.
Use them to make this One-Pot Vegetable Curry. I love this recipe because you can vary the
ingredients depending on what you have available. In addition to a little potato, I’d recommend
including either broccoli Romanesco and/or cauliflower along with sweet
peppers!
We’re in the midst of salad season and have a lot of options to choose
from with salad greens this week. I want
to try this version of a creamy Greek vinaigrette. The creaminess comes from including Greek
yogurt. Use it to make a Tossed Salad with Greek Vinaigrette. You can choose what to put in/on the
salad. My recommendation is to use
either the head lettuce or salad mix as the base of the salad. Top it off with slices of sweet peppers,
thinly sliced red onions, olives, and feta cheese. Before we’re finished with sweet peppers,
make this recipe for Creamy Roasted Sweet Pepper Dressing. This would be another good dressing to use on
salads this week!
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| Squash & Poblano Quesadilla with Pickled Jaoapenos and Chipotle Creama |
A few weeks ago I made pickled jalapenos to go along with this tasty
recipe for Squash & Poblano Quesadilla with Pickled Jalapenos and Chipotle Crema. I had some left and pulled them out earlier
this week to use some on our breakfast burritos. I forgot how much I like pickled jalapenos,
but now that I’m reminded I want to make another little jar. Even two jalapenos makes a decent amount
since you don’t need much to get the flavor!
This time I want to try this recipe for Quick, 10-Minute Pickled Jalapenos.
I’m going to wrap up this week’s chat with a few of my favorites from
past newsletters. Every year I make this Spaghetti Squash and Leek Skillet Gratin. If you have a few leeks still hanging out in
your refrigerator, put them to use in this simple yet hearty gratin. I like this recipe because it’s another one
of those transition recipes featuring sweet peppers as the last of the summer
veg paired with leeks and spaghetti squash representing fall. My other two favorites will make use of the
baby white turnips. If you want to use
them in a cooked dish, consider this recipe for Creamy Turnip Grits and Greens that we featured earlier this year. The
finishing touch on this dish that brings it altogether is the hot sauce
vinaigrette at the very end. Don’t skip
this step—it’s what brings it altogether!
Lastly, I wrote this recipe for White Turnip Salad with Miso Ginger Vinaigrette several years ago and I still like to make it.
It’s simple, fresh, light and flavorful.
Ok, that wraps up this week’s box.
Before I go I’d like to thank everyone who came to our Harvest Party
last weekend. Even though the crowd was
small, we all had a good time and I had a lot of fun making the 20 Vegetable
Harvest Chili! Several of you asked for
the recipe. I need a little time to
scale down my adaptation to a reasonable batch size. In the meantime, here’s the original recipe
for Chili Con Carne that I fashioned my recipe off of. It’s a recipe I used as a basis to make chili
for the crew when I was cooking as the Seasonal Farm Chef back in 2007! Have a great week!—Chef Andrea
Vegetable Feature: Black Nebula Carrots
By Chef Andrea
We have a fun vegetable to feature this week—Black Nebula Carrots! They are such a dark purple color they really do look almost black! This is the first year we’ve grown this variety. Many purple carrots are disappointing because the purple color is only on the skin and once peeled, the purple is gone and you basically have a yellow or orange carrot. When we saw this variety, we were enticed because it was touted to have really good color. Little did we know we had stumbled on a really fun and interesting carrot!
While black carrots are new to us, they are actually the original type of carrot first recorded and thought to have originated in the middle East, specifically Afghanistan. Orange carrots are actually a newer carrot that is the result of horticulturists’ efforts to hybridize older varieties. The original carrots were actually purple/black and yellow. When I first saw this carrot come off the wash line, I have to admit my first thought was “oohh, these are not so beautiful.” We’re accustomed to seeing more refined carrots with uniform shapes, smoother skin, etc. This carrot has a different look that I would describe as being similar to how I would describe an old turtle. This carrot looks ancient and weathered. These carrots are less refined with some odd twists and bumps that make every carrot unique. They also have more root hairs that grow in clumps and don’t come off with washing, giving them kind of a crusty, old look. As I started working with this carrot though, I came to realize its natural beauty and I couldn’t help but think that it also contains an ancient wisdom that will benefit all of us.
There are some things you should understand about this carrot before you use it. For starters, I’d recommend you peel it. This isn’t my typical line, but I do think the finished carrot product benefits from peeling first. You’ll notice the color permeates throughout, right down to the core! The deep, rich color comes from a group of plant compounds called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins give fruits and vegetables purple, blue and dark red colors and are found in foods such as beets and blueberries. They are powerful plant compounds that benefit our bodies in a variety of ways. They help prevent cancer, are cardio-protective, anti-inflammatory, and may even benefit our neurological health. The previous sentence doesn’t do justice to the health benefits we reap from eating anthocyanins, which is why it’s so important to include a variety of plants in your diet! The color compounds in these carrots are so rich, some people actually use them as a natural dye for textiles, Easter eggs, etc. Yes, they will stain your hands, possibly your cutting board, and your clothes. I can tell you that the discoloration on your hands will go away in a day or two, especially if you hand wash a few dishes. The stain on my cutting board also faded quickly.
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| Salgam, photo from thespruceeats.com |
You can eat these carrots both raw and cooked. The purple coloring will spread to other ingredients, just as when making things with red beets. They are delicious roasted, but will also retain their color nicely when stir-fried, boiled and steamed. They also make a beautiful and nutrient dense juice. I didn’t try this myself, but I found several references that say adding an acidic ingredient to the juice, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, will turn the juice bright pink! There are a few traditional preparations from the Middle East that utilize black carrots. The first is called Carrot Kanji. This is a fermented black carrot juice drink that is part of northern Indian culture. It also includes mustard powder and chili powder with the purpose of keeping the body warm in the winter. In Turkey they make Salgam which is another fermented vegetable drink.
As I’m still learning how to use and appreciate this carrot, I decided to start with some simple preparations that would highlight the innate beauty of this unique carrot. So this week’s featured recipes include one simple soup and a salad. Don’t be fooled by their simplicity, they really have a lot of delicious flavor in them and you just feel good knowing you are giving your body such a powerhouse of nutrients! Let me know how you use your carrots and have fun!
Carrot Parsley Salad
Yield: 3-4 cups
4 cups peeled and shredded purple
or orange carrots (1-1.25#)
or orange carrots (1-1.25#)
1 cup chopped parsley
1 medium red onion, small diced
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 to 4 Tbsp cold pressed flax oil or extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
3 Tbsp toasted unhulled sesame seeds, optional
- Place shredded carrots in a medium bowl and add the parsley and onion.
- In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, oil and ¼ tsp salt. Whisk to combine and then pour the dressing over the vegetables.
- Mix well and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Take a little taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking with additional salt, lemon juice and/or apple cider vinegar. If using, stir in the toasted sesame seeds.
- The salad tastes best when served immediately, but any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.
Recipe adapted from Amy Chaplins’ book: At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen.
Roasted Purple Carrot Soup with Curried Lentils
Yield: 3-4 servings as a main or 4-6 servings as a side dish
SOUP:
1.25# purple carrots (3-4 carrots), peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp coconut oil or vegetable oil (divided)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 medium onion, small dice
2-4 cups water or vegetable stock
1 to 1 ⅔ cups coconut milk
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
LENTILS:
1 Tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp minced fresh Korean chili or ¼ tsp dried cayenne pepper
¾ cup brown or green lentils
1 ½-2 ½ cups water
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Cilantro, chopped, for serving
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the carrot pieces in a medium bowl, drizzle with 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil or vegetable oil and sprinkle in 1 tsp salt. Toss to combine and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast the carrots for 30-40 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking. You want the carrots to be tender and just starting to get crispy. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside.
- While the carrots are roasting, prepare the remainder of the soup and the lentils. In a medium saucepot, melt 2 tsp coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add ginger and onion and saute until the onions are translucent. Add 2 cups water or vegetable stock and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Cover to keep it warm.
- To prepare the lentils, first melt 1 Tbsp oil in a small saucepot. When the oil is hot, add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and fresh or dried chili. Stir to combine and cook briefly until the spices are aromatic.
- Stir in the lentils along with 1 ½ cups water. Bring the lentils to a simmer, then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes. You may need to add additional water and cook the lentils for an additional 10-20 minutes. You want them to be soft and tender with just a small amount of liquid remaining in the pan. As they start to soften, stir in ½ tsp salt. Once finished, remove from heat and keep warm.
- Now it’s time to assemble the soup. Put the roasted carrots in a blender along with the gingered coconut milk mixture. Blend until well combined and very smooth. Taste a little bit. At this point you will likely need to add more liquid to get the soup to the consistency you desire. You can add either more coconut milk, water, or stock. If you add coconut milk the soup will be a little more rich and sweet. Adjust the seasoning to your liking with salt and freshly ground black pepper as well.
- Return the soup to the pan and bring it to an appropriate serving temperature.
- Ladle the soup into a bowl and top with the curried lentils and fresh cilantro.
Recipe adapted from www.nourishdeliciously.com.
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