July 18, 2019 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring New Potatoes!

Cooking With This Week's Box

New Potatoes: New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter (see below);  Pesto Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans (see below)

Purple Cipollini Onions OR Green Scallions: Carrot Top Pesto Pasta; Slow-Cooker Korean BBQ Beef; Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill; Cilantro Lime Slaw; Cauliflower, Chickpea and Chard Curry

Sweetheart or Tiara Cabbage: 7 Easy Stir-Fry Recipes; Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill; Cilantro Lime Slaw

Green and/or Italian Zucchini: Carrot Top Pesto Pasta; Zucchini “Meat”balls; Fabulous Zucchini Grinders; 7 Easy Stir-Fry Recipes

Broccoli: 7 Easy Stir-Fry Recipes

Cauliflower: 7 Easy Stir-Fry Recipes; Cauliflower, Chickpea and Chard Curry

Cucumbers: Baked Cucumber Chips; Stir-Fried Cucumbers; Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill

Fresh Italian Garlic: New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter (see below); Pesto Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans (see below); Carrot Top Pesto; Carrot Top Pesto Pasta; Zucchini “Meat”balls; Fabulous Zucchini Grinders; Slow-Cooker Korean BBQ Beef; Cilantro Lime Slaw

Green Top Carrots: Carrot Top Pesto; Carrot Top Pesto Pasta; 7 Easy Stir-Fry Recipes; Cilantro Lime Slaw; Cauliflower, Chickpea and Chard Curry

Green and/or Yellow Beans: Pesto Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans (see below); 7 Easy Stir-Fry Recipes

Rainbow or Red Chard: Cauliflower, Chickpea and Chard Curry; Warm Chard Salad with Bacon Dressing & Roasted Chicken

Carrot Top Pesto Pasta
photo from HealthyNibblesAndBits.com

We started off this week with an exciting afternoon harvest of the first potatoes of the season!  As Alvaro said at the end of the day, “Everything was just perfect for the harvest and the potatoes look beautiful!”  Alvaro is right and new potatoes are definitely something special as far as we’re concerned.  So my recommendation for using the potatoes this week is to just keep it simple.  I am sharing my recipe for New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter (see below), which is a simple farmer’s way of eating freshly dug potatoes.  Sometimes this is the main focus of our meal along with steamed green beans, slices of salted cucumbers, and roasted beets. Despite Richard’s desire to have meat at every meal, sometimes there just isn’t room on the table for meat when there are so many fresh vegetables to cook!  I also like eating these simple New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter for breakfast with scrambled or fried eggs and we sometimes have them for dinner with a grilled pork chop or steak.  Really, you can eat them at any time of the day.  The other recipe we’re featuring today is for Pesto Roasted Potatoes & Green Beans (see below).  Nothing beats freshly dug potatoes and fresh green beans, so why not pair them together in this simple twist on roasted vegetables.  This recipe calls for pesto, which you can easily make in your own kitchen using either Italian basil or Carrot Top Pesto using the carrot tops on the bunched carrots this week!  You likely have enough carrot tops to actually make a double recipe of carrot top pesto, which you might as well do as long as you’re making a mess!  Use the extra pesto to make Carrot Top Pesto Pasta.  This is a light pasta dish featuring angel hair pasta tossed with the pesto as well as roasted carrots, sautéed onions and zucchini.

Zucchini "Meat"balls
photo from SkinnyTaste.com

Zucchini is one of those vegetables that is always abundant in summer, but it’s also such a versatile vegetable that you can use it in so many different preparations.  This recipe for Fabulous Zucchini Grinders was recommended by one of our members in our Facebook Group.  This is a tasty hot vegetarian sandwich featuring sautéed zucchini.  Another member recommended this recipe for Zucchini “Meat”balls!  This is another vegetarian recipe that actually doesn’t have any meat in it but rather uses zucchini as the main ingredient!  What great ideas—thank you for sharing!

Actually, there have been a lot of great ideas and posts in our Facebook group over the past week.  One member did an awesome post sharing a whole list of stir-fry sauce recipes.  One of the links she referenced was to this post that features 7 Easy Stir-Fry Recipes.  The author of this recipe provides 7 different stir-fry sauce recipes along with a basic recipe to guide you in making a stir-fry using 4-6 cups of vegetables and 1 pound of meat (if you choose to do so).  You choose your sauce recipe, seasonal vegetables and meat of your choosing and turn it into stir-fry using her simple methods.  This week’s box has several different vegetable selections that can be used to make a great stir-fry including onions, cabbage, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cumbers, carrots, and green beans—ok, well nearly the entire box could be used to make stir-fry!  The other cool thing about this recipe is the author recommends making these stir-fry sauces in advance and putting them in the freezer.  When you need a quick dinner option, the sauce is made and you just have to chop whatever seasonal vegetables you have available and assemble the stir-fry.  If you set aside some time to make the sauces in advance, you might as well cook a big pot of rice as well.  Cooked rice freezes really well and then it will just need to be reheated on your quick stir-fry night.

Stir Fried Cucumbers, photo from KoreanBapsang.com

Did you know you can cook cucumbers?  Yes, you can bake, roast, saute and stir-fry them!  I’ve never tried Baked Cucumber Chips, but now that I found this recipe I’m going to have to try it!  The author gives several different variations you can try for seasoning the chips.  I also want to try this Korean recipe for Stir-Fried Cucumbers.  This recipe calls for one pound of cucumbers that are stir-fried with garlic, onion and simply seasoned with sesame.  This would be a great accompaniment to Slow-Cooker Korean BBQ Beef.  

This is our last week for salad cabbage.  If you missed out on last week’s vegetable feature about salad cabbage, check it out.  I also shared two simple cabbage slaw recipes including Vinegar Slaw with Cucumbers and Dill and Cilantro Lime Slaw.  The cilantro lime slaw is part of a recipe for Crispy Baked Fish Tacos that are awesome!  Both slaw recipes are simple AND delicious—you can’t go wrong with either.

Warm Chard Salad with Bacon
Dressing & Roasted Chicken,
photo from FiveAndSpice.wordpress.com

Wow, we’ve talked about a lot of food already and we still have a few more items to discuss!  If you don’t use your cauliflower in stir-fry this week, try this recipe for Cauliflower, Chickpea and Chard Curry.  I love curry dishes like this because you assemble and simmer everything in one pot, they use a lot of vegetables, and leftovers always taste good.  It seems my meals this week are all paired with rice or a similar grain in most cases (eg stir-fry, slow cooker Korean beef, etc).  So, start off your week with one big batch and save yourself the trouble of cooking rice, quinoa or other grains multiple days.  If you don’t use your chard to make this curry recipe, consider using it in this Warm Chard Salad with Bacon Dressing & Roasted Chicken.  This is a main dish salad topped with pecans, dried cherries and roasted chicken.

Ok friends, that brings us to the absolute bottom of another CSA box.  Have a great week and enjoy this summer bounty!

Vegetable Feature: New Potatoes

By Andrea Yoder

Potatoes are a vegetable everyone’s familiar with, but not all are created equally and this week’s potatoes are, in our opinion, very special.  There is a short period of time early in the summer when we have the opportunity to eat “New Potatoes”.  New potatoes are not a variety, but rather a term used to describe potatoes that are harvested off of a plant that still has green leaves on it.  Our usual practice is to mow down the potato vines about a week in advance of harvest.  In the week between mowing down the vines and actually harvesting the potatoes, changes take place in the plant that help to set the skins and make them easier to handle without damaging the skin.  It also gives them a more durable skin to protect the flesh and make them better for storage.  These potatoes were dug Monday afternoon of this week off of green vines.  Freshly dug new potatoes have a flavor and texture unlike other potatoes throughout the season.  It is a fresh, pure potato flavor and the skin is tender and delicate.  Once cooked, the flesh is moist, creamy and smooth.  Simply delicious!

The new potatoes in your box this week are a variety called Red Norland.  They are an early red-skinned potato with creamy white flesh.  They need to be handled with care so as not to disturb the skin and expose the flesh.  We’ve given them the “white glove treatment” through the harvest and washing processes, but we encourage you to handle them with care as well.  Wash them before use and just give them a gentle scrub if needed.

Potato digger unearthing new potatoes

Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark place, but not in the refrigerator.  We store our potatoes in a warmer cooler at about 48-50°F which is most ideal.  If potatoes are stored in colder temperatures (such as your home refrigerator), the starches will convert to sugars which is not what we want in a potato.  So in a home setting, it’s best to store them in a cool, dry location outside of the refrigerator where they will not be exposed to light.  Light causes the potatoes to turn green and bitter.  If the potatoes have set their skins, in general they will store for a few weeks at room temperature in a brown paper bag (never in a plastic bag).  However, this week’s new potatoes will not store as well and are best eaten within one week. 

Some potatoes are classified as “waxy” while others are classified as “starchy,” or possibly a mix of the two classifications which we label “all-purpose.”  These classifications are assigned based on the type of starch that comprises the flesh of the potato.  Waxy potatoes are generally more moist and hold together better.  They are best used for roasting, boiling or steaming, and are a good choice for soups and potato salad.  I do not recommend mashing them because they usually become sticky and pasty.  Starchy potatoes tend to be more dry and fluffy.  This is a variety of potato appropriate for mashing as well as for making roasted potatoes, pan frying, etc.  Starchy potatoes are also useful in soups, but they’ll likely fall apart which is actually good for thickening.  As we progress throughout the season, make sure you read the “What’s In the Box” portion of the newsletter each week as we’ll give you information about the specific potato varieties as we deliver them.

I encourage you to slow down and really savor the flavor of these new potatoes as this is the only time during the season you’ll be able to have this taste experience of freshly dug potatoes.  You really don’t need to do much to them and, in fact, I’d encourage you to do as little as possible!  They are excellent simply boiled or steamed with a little butter, salt and pepper.  This week, simple and minimal is best.  Enjoy!

Pesto Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

Yield:  8 servings

photo from BelleOfTheKitchen.com

2 pounds new potatoes, washed and quartered 

8 ounces fresh green beans, washed and trimmed 

¼  cup prepared pesto* 

2 tsp fresh minced garlic 

Salt and black pepper to taste 

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with oil and set aside. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, green beans, pesto, and salt and pepper. Mix carefully making sure all of the vegetables are well coated. Spread the potatoes and green beans out onto the prepared baking sheet. 
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, stirring the mixture once halfway through cooking. Once the vegetables are tender, remove from the oven and enjoy!

*Chef Andrea note:  You can make a traditional basil pesto using fresh basil from the choice box and/or from your own herb garden.  You could also make carrot top pesto to make good use of the carrot tops in this week’s box!

Recipe borrowed from belleofthekitchen.com.

New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter

Yield:  2-4 servings

1 pound fresh new potatoes

1 Tbsp salt, plus more to taste

3-4 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp chopped garlic

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Cut potatoes into approximate 1 ½ inch chunks.  If the potatoes are small you can leave them whole. Place potatoes in a saucepot and add cold water, enough to cover the potatoes by 1-2 inches.  Season the water with 1 Tbsp of salt and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Once the potatoes come to a boil, reduce the heat a bit to maintain a rapid simmer.  Simmer for 10-12 minutes.  Test a potato by piercing it with a knife to see if it is tender and cooked through.
3. Once the potatoes are tender, drain off the water and put the potatoes in a bowl.  Cover to keep them warm and then set aside.
4. Next, return the pan to the stovetop over medium heat.  Add butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and continue to simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until the garlic is softened and fragrant, but not browning.
5. Remove the butter from the heat.  Put the potatoes on a serving platter or directly on your plate.  Gently smash each potato with the back of a fork just to break into the skin.  Spoon the garlic butter over the potatoes and season generously with freshly ground pepper and more salt to taste.

Recipe by Chef Andrea