July 11, 2019 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Salad Cabbage!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Green Top Purple Cipollini Onions: Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill (see below); Cilantro Lime Slaw (see below); One-Pan Baked Brie & Beet Greens Frittata; Roasted & Charred Broccoli with Peanuts; Green Beans and Cucumbers with Miso Dressing

Green and/or Italian Zucchini: 31 Best Zucchini Recipes of All Times; Spaghetti with Zucchini;  Grilled Cheese with Zucchini, Basil & Gruyere

Broccoli: 27 Broccoli Recipes You’ll Want to Make Tonight; Broccoli and Ricotta Toasts with Hot Honey; Roasted & Charred Broccoli with Peanuts

Fennel: Fennel Honey Cake; Sausage Fennel & Gruyere Miniature Egg Stratas

Green Top Beets: Roasted Carrots & Beets with Carrot Top Pesto; 15 Creative Ways to Use Beet Greens; One-Pan Baked Brie & Beet Greens Frittata; Red Lentil Soup with Beet Greens

Green and/or Yellow Beans: Green Beans and Cucumbers with Miso Dressing; Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic

Green Top Carrots: Roasted Carrots & Beets with Carrot Top Pesto; Cilantro Lime Slaw (see below)

Sweetheart or Tiara Salad Cabbage: Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill (see below); Cilantro Lime Slaw (see below)

Cucumbers: Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill (see below); Green Beans and Cucumbers with Miso Dressing; Mexican Cucumber Snack of Pepinos con Chile y Limon

Fresh Italian Garlic: Cilantro Lime Slaw (see below); Roasted Carrots & Beets with Carrot Top Pesto; One-Pan Baked Brie & Beet Greens Frittata; Red Lentil Soup with Beet Greens; Spaghetti with Zucchini; Green Beans and Cucumbers with Miso Dressing; Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic

This week we’re packing CSA Box #10!  That means we’re already a third of the way through the season.  Next week we’re going to be doing a farm update for the “Weed Em’ and Reap” main newsletter article.  Folks, despite the challenges we have had with recurring rain showers, the vegetables are growing and we have a lot of exciting things coming up very soon (such as new potatoes and tomatoes)!  We’re also on the brink of garlic harvest and it won’t be long before we’ll start onion harvest.  Stay tuned for more crop and farm updates next week!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I guess we’d better get back to this week’s box!  This week we’re featuring Sweetheart and Tiara salad cabbage.  Now that we’re finished with head lettuce and salad mix, we need to start making more salads with other vegetables.  I have two simple, delicious recipes for you this week.  If you favor vinegar based slaws and dressings, you’ll like this simple Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill (see below).  This slaw holds up for about a week in the fridge as it continues to marinate and just get better each day!  This is a tasty slaw to eat with burgers, grilled chicken, grilled cheese, simple deli-meat sandwiches, etc.  If you favor creamy slaws, you may prefer this Cilantro Lime Slaw (see below).  This is a super-simple and very flavorful slaw that can stand alone or it’s also great on or with fish tacos.  I found this recipe at gimmesomeoven.com.  The author, Ali, featured this slaw along with her recipe for Life-Changing Crispy Baked Fish Tacos (see below).  I love fish tacos, but dislike frying fish.  When this recipe showed up in my inbox last week, I had to try it.  Did it change my life?  Well, with regard to fish tacos…Yes!  The breading for the fish is simple and delicious.  Once you get the fish breaded it bakes in just 10 minutes.  I also like it because the fish isn’t greasy and soggy so it actually reheats well, which is a bonus for having a plan for lunch the next day if you have leftovers.  Top off the tacos with the Cilantro Lime Slaw as well as other toppings of your choice and this makes for a delicious meal.

Roasted Carrots & Beets with
Carrot Top Pesto
Photo from DishingUpTheDirt.com

This week we have some fresh, new flavors in the box, including green top carrots!  These early season carrots are tender, mild and sweet.  You don’t really need to do much to them for them to be delicious, in fact simple is probably better.  This recipe for Roasted Carrots & Beets with Carrot Top Pesto is a good option for using both the carrots and beets in this week’s box AND it incorporates the carrot tops as well!  Yes, carrot tops are edible and make a delicious pesto.  If you want to make this dish go further or serve as a main dish, combine the vegetables and pesto with hot pasta or rice.  This recipe doesn’t use the beet tops, but don’t throw them away!  They are delicious and full of nutrients!  Here’s a collection of 15 Creative Ways to Use Beet Greens.  There are some really delicious recipes in this list including One-Pan Baked Brie & Beet Greens Frittata and Red Lentil Soup with Beet Greens.

Our next crop of broccoli is ready for harvest this week and cauliflower may end up in some boxes as well.  While I often just eat steamed broccoli with butter, broccoli can be used in so many different ways.  If you’re at a loss as to what to do with broccoli this week, check out this article featuring 27 Broccoli Recipes You’ll Want to Make Tonight.  There are some delicious ideas in this collection including Broccoli and Ricotta Toasts with Hot Honey and Roasted & Charred Broccoli with Peanuts (note, this recipe uses the stems as well!).

Grilled Cheese with Zucchini, Basil & Gruyere
Photo from food52.com

I’m not quite sure how this happened, but I seem to be into finding collections of recipes this week.  Earlier this week I came across this article for Food 52’s 31 Best Zucchini Recipes of All Times.  I will be referring to this collection as the summer unfolds, but for this week I have my eye on this simple recipe for Spaghetti with Zucchini as well as Grilled Cheese with Zucchini, Basil & Gruyere.

Last week our featured vegetable was fennel.  Check out last week’s blog post which included 25 recipes utilizing fennel.  This week I want to try this Fennel Honey Cake and these Sausage Fennel & Gruyere Miniature Egg Stratas.  The stratas can serve as a breakfast, brunch or dinner option and they reheat well for breakfast or a snack the next day.  Cake—well you can eat that any time you want to!

Green Beans and Cucumbers with Miso Dressing
Photo from BonAppetit.com

I love this simple preparation of Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic to highlight the fresh taste of the first beans of the year and fresh garlic.  You can adjust the recipe to the amount of beans you have available.  I also found this recipe for Green Beans and Cucumbers with Miso Dressing.  This is another simple recipe that would make for a simple meal if served with steamed rice and broiled or grilled fish.

Lastly, if you have a few cucumbers left over, enjoy them as a refreshing snack, prepared Mexican style.  Check out this simple concept for Mexican Cucumber Snack of Pepinos con Chile y Limon, or rather, Cucumbers with Chile and Lime.  This is what summer is all about—fresh vegetables, simple meals, full flavors.  Slow down and take the time to taste the flavors in this week’s box.  Have a great week and I’ll see you back here next week!—Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Salad Cabbage

By Andrea Yoder

Sweetheart Cabbage

We plant most of our cabbage for harvest in the fall as cabbage thrives and tastes better when it is grown in more cool temperatures.  However, we reserve a little spot in our spring planting schedule to plant this unique class of cabbage called “salad cabbage.”  This year we have two varieties of salad cabbage, Tiara and Sweetheart.  Tiara is a round cabbage and sweetheart cabbage forms a pointy head.  Both are smaller varieties typically only weighing about 1¼ to 2 pounds on average.   These varieties are intended to be grown as an early-season cabbage and are known as “salad cabbage” because the leaves are tender enough to be eaten raw in salads.  Another reason we grow this variety for summer harvest is that it gives us another option for a “salad green” during early summer when lettuce is more difficult to grow.

There are a lot of different ways you can prepare salad cabbage.  I recommend slicing it thinly or shredding it for use in vegetable slaws or other raw salads.  You may use the leaves as a wrap in place of tortillas or bread.  If you choose to cook it, I’d recommend a quick cooking method such as stir-frying or grilling and be careful not to overcook it!   Two of my favorite recipes from past years include Simplest Cabbage Slaw and Thai-Style Slaw with (or without) Chicken.

Store salad cabbage loosely wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.  Lightly rinse the outer leaves before using.  If you don’t use the entire cabbage for one preparation, wrap the remaining portion of cabbage and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.  While salad cabbage can vary in size, an average cabbage typically yields 5-7 cups when shredded.

Cilantro Lime Slaw

Yield: 4-6 servings

1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (or a 50/50 blend)
½ cup tightly-packed fresh cilantro
¼ cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp freshly-cracked black pepper
3 green onions (just the green parts)
2 cloves garlic 
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and cored (optional)
7 cups green salad cabbage, shredded
1 cup carrot, shredded

1. Combine the Greek yogurt and/or sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, black pepper, green onions, garlic and jalapeño (if using) in a blender or food processor*.  Pulse briefly a few times until the mixture is combined.
2. Place the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large mixing bowl.  Drizzle the sauce on top of the vegetables, then toss until the mixture is evenly combined.  Season to your liking with extra salt, pepper and/or lime juice if needed.
3. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

*Skip the blender:  If you would like to skip the blender/food processor step, you’re also welcome to make this cole slaw dressing recipe entirely by hand.  Just finely chop the cilantro, jalapeño (if using), green onions and garlic, and whisk them all together with the other dressing ingredients until combined.

Recipe sourced & adapted from gimmesomeoven.com.  This recipe is delicious prepared on its own as a slaw to accompany grilled meat, summer cookouts with burgers and brats, etc.  It is also very delicious when served as part of the set up for Life-Changing Crispy Baked Fish Tacos, also from gimmesomeoven.com. See the recipe to follow.

Life-Changing Crispy Baked Fish Tacos

Yield: 12 Tacos

Chipotle Crema:

½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or mayo)
1 tsp chipotle chile adobo sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
¼ tsp fine sea salt

Breaded Fish:

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp fine sea salt

½ tsp freshly-cracked black pepper

1 egg, whisked

1 ½ pounds firm fish, such as cod, halibut or salmon, cut into 1-inch pieces

To Assemble The Tacos:

12 corn or flour tortillas, warmed

1 batch Cilantro Lime Slaw

Optional toppings: diced fresh avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, crumbled queso fresco, sliced radishes, sliced red onions, etc.

1. To Make The Chipotle Crema: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Stir to combine.  Set aside until ready to use.
2. To Make The Fish: Heat oven to 375°F.  Spread the panko out in an even layer on a medium baking sheet.  Bake for 5-7 minutes, giving the pan a gentle shake halfway through, until the panko is toasted and golden brown.  (Keep a close eye on the panko so that it does not burn.)  Transfer the panko to a medium bowl, and dust off the baking sheet for future use.
3. Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper to the bowl with the panko, then whisk the mixture until combined.
4. Now, set up an assembly line with the (1) fish, (2) whisked egg, (3) panko mixture and (4) parchment-covered baking sheet.  Using your right hand, dip a piece of fish in the egg so that it is coated on all sides.  Then, using your left hand, transfer the fish to the panko mixture and gently press it on so that the fish is coated on all sides.  Using your left hand, transfer the fish to the baking sheet.  Then repeat the process with the remaining fish.
5. Bake the fish for 10 minutes, or until it is cooked through and opaque and flakes easily with a fork.  
6. To Assemble The Tacos: Fill a tortilla with a few spoonfuls of the slaw, followed by the fish, and any desired toppings.  Drizzle with the chipotle crema and serve immediately.

Notes:  If you have fish leftover from your Fish Taco night, it does reheat well in either a toaster oven or a preheated oven.

Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill

Yield: 6 servings

4 cups green salad cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded  

1 medium cucumber, quartered, seeded and sliced thinly (about 2 cups)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

⅓ cup white wine vinegar

2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 tsp sugar

¼ cup cold water

1. Toss the cabbage, cucumber, onion and dill together in a large bowl.  Don’t be freaked out by how big the salad looks; it settles as it marinates.  
2. Whisk the vinegar, salt, and sugar together in a small bowl until the salt and sugar dissolve.  Stir in the water.  Pour the liquid over the salad, and let it marinate in the refrigerator, tossing the cabbage occasionally.  After 1 hour, it should be a bit wilted and crunchy; at 2 hours, the flavor is even better.

Note:  This salad keeps, covered, in the fridge for a week. The best part is, the cabbage stays crispy!

Recipe adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, by Deb Perelman