June 18, 2020 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Garlic Scapes!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Baby Arugula: Icebox Salad; Arugula and Nectarine Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Potato Onions or Green Scallions: Pea Vine Cream Cheese; Fresh Turnip Salad with Curry Vinaigrette; Icebox Salad

Garlic Scapes: Garlic Scape Beef Satay with Garlic Scape Peanut Sauce (see below); Grilled Naan with Garlic Scape Chutney (see below); Garlic Scape Herbed Cream Cheese

Red Oak Head Lettuce: Strawberry and Goat Cheese Fritter Salad with Poppyseed Dressing; Fresh Turnip Salad with Curry Vinaigrette; Icebox Salad

Rhubarb: Rhubarb Poppyseed Dressing; Rhubarb Yogurt Cake

Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi Custard; Kohlrabi Slaw with Cilantro, Jalapeno & Lime

Baby White Turnips: Fresh Turnip Salad with Curry Vinaigrette; Creamy Turnips Grits & Greens

Italian Parsley: Garlic Scape Herbed Cream Cheese; Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette

Lacinato Kale: White Bean and Kale Quesadillas with Creamy BBQ Dip; Kale Feta Egg Bake

Pea Vine OR Baby Rainbow Chard: Pea Vine Cream Cheese; Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette

Strawberries: Strawberry and Goat Cheese Fritter Salad with Poppyseed Dressing; Strawberry Basil Foccacia

Chef Andrea roasting A LOT of garlic in the HVF kitchen

This week I want to kick off the Cooking With the Box Article with a huge “Welcome!” to all of our Peak Season vegetable share members who are joining us for the first time this year!  If you’re totally new to HVF and are looking for ways to use all of the items in your CSA box each week, you’re in the right place!  My name is Andrea and I am both a farmer and a professionally trained chef who has worked in restaurants, but also understand what it means to balance making healthy meals at home along with all the other responsibilities life may send our way.  Each week I share ideas for ways you might use the vegetables in your box, including links to recipes.  Sometimes I link to websites and blogs, while other times I share a recipe from our archives.  The goal of this space is to inspire you to find ways to make meals you and your family enjoy while maximizing the use of the vegetables you receive each week!

Lets jump into this week’s box and take a look at the crazy, curly garlic scapes!  If you’re encountering these for the first time, take a minute to read this week’s vegetable feature information below.  I’ve included several more links to recipes and ideas for putting this unique vegetable to use.  I also have two recipes to share with you, perhaps one of these may spark your interest.  The first recipe we’re featuring this week is for Garlic Scape Beef Satay with Garlic Scape Peanut Sauce (see below).  You need to plan ahead to marinate the beef, but aside from that and preheating a grill, this recipe comes together very fast and it’s full of flavor!  In fact, Richard went back for another serving….peanut sauce is also one of his favorites.  The second recipe is for Grilled Naan with Garlic Scape Chutney (see below).  This recipe does involve making a dough, but it’s very easy and fun to make.

Kohlrabi Slaw with Cilantro, Jalapeno & Lime
Photo from feastingathome.com

Last week we featured kohlrabi, another very unique vegetable with an “out of this world” appearance.  Check out last week’s vegetable feature article to learn more about how to use this vegetable.  If you haven’t tried the Kohlrabi Custard recipe featured last week, consider trying it this week.  Several members in our Facebook Group tried it and gave it positive reviews!  In my journey through food blogs over the past week I came across this recipe for Kohlrabi Slaw with Cilantro, Jalapeno & Lime. This is a refreshing salad using lime and orange zest along with the juice to make a light, refreshing citrus dressing.

Speaking of salads, a member in our Facebook Group made a salad using Rhubarb Poppyseed Dressing which led me not only to a recipe for this dressing, but also this Strawberry and Goat Cheese Fritter Salad with Poppyseed Dressing.  Just substitute the Rhubarb Poppyseed dressing for the regular dressing in the recipe.  This is a perfect salad to make with the Red Oak lettuce in this week’s box!

Strawberry Basil Foccacia
Photo from howsweeteats.com

There’s been a lot of activity in our Facebook Group with some awesome pictures, recipes and dialogue!  Another member shared this recipe for Strawberry Basil Foccacia.  I never would have thought to use strawberries to make focaccia, but this looks delicious!  This recipe for Rhubarb Yogurt Cake was also recommended in the group and I think I’m going to have to give it a try as well!  Since it has yogurt in it maybe I can pass it off as “breakfast cake!”

This week some boxes will receive pea vine and others will receive Swiss chard.  If you get the pea vine, I invite you to join me in my obsession with Pea Vine Cream Cheese. This year’s obsession actually struck me this past Sunday and I made a double batch.  I added some fresh dill which was quite nice.  You could also add parsley, basil or cilantro if you like.  We’ve been using it on tortillas stuffed with chopped lettuce, radishes, turnips and kohlrabi.  Richard likes a little meat, so we added some cooked bacon bits as well.  My next cream cheese recipe to try is Garlic Scape Herbed Cream Cheese using the garlic scapes and Italian parsley in this week’s box.  Of course you could also use dill if you have that remaining from last week or really any other fresh herb you have access to.  Put it on your morning bagel, use it to make a wrap, or spread it on crackers for a little afternoon snack.

Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette
Photo by Christina Holmes for bonappetit.com

If you receive the Swiss chard instead of the pea vine, check out this recipe for Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette.  I love galettes because they are easy to make and I like the rustic feel of them.  This recipe calls for lots of fresh parsley along with the chard, mushrooms and fresh ricotta.  This is a good brunch item or would be good for dinner along with a salad such as this Arugula and Nectarine Salad with Yogurt Dressing.

This is our last week for the sweet little baby white turnips.   I highly recommend trying the recipe for Creamy Turnips Grits & Greens that was featured in last year’s newsletter.  Even if you aren’t a hot sauce person, make the hot sauce vinaigrette that you drizzle on just before serving.  It’s so delicious!  If you want to go with a raw concept, check out this recipe for Fresh Turnip Salad with Curry Vinaigrette.  This recipe was created by Chef Boni who worked at the farm one summer.   There’s one more salad recipe I wanted to share here this week.  Actually a member shared this recipe for Icebox Salad in the Facebook Group last week.  Growing up back in Indiana we had a less healthy version of this type of salad called “7-Layer Salad” that was a frequent flyer at church potlucks.  All we had in Indiana was shipped in iceberg lettuce, so I trust that this recipe will be much better than anything I’ve ever had from the past!  If you don’t have the radishes, sugar snap peas and cucumbers the recipe calls for, substitute chunks of kohlrabi and diced baby white turnips instead.  This recipe calls for romaine lettuce as the base.  You can use the red oak or any other head lettuce you have.  In fact, you could also mix in some of the baby arugula.  Basically, use the recipe as the base and make it work for what you have in your refrigerator!

Smashed White Bean and Kale Quesadillas
with Creamy BBQ Dip
Photo from runningtothekitchen.com

We’re getting close to the bottom of the box, and I just realized I almost missed the lacinato kale!  This is my favorite kind of kale, which is part of why it’s the first kale we’re sending your way this year.  Actually the entire kale and collard field looks beautiful right now.  Last year a member shared this recipe for Smashed White Bean and Kale Quesadillas with Creamy BBQ Dip.  Quesadillas are one of those versatile things to make using whatever vegetables are in season.  On this same blog there is a simple recipe for Kale Feta Egg Bake that you can make in individual ramekins.  If you prep the kale portion of the recipe in advance, you can bake the egg into the dish in only 12-15 minutes.  Perfect for a vegetable-centric breakfast with little time commitment!

Ok, I think that’s a wrap for this week.  Have a great week and remember, have fun cooking and never be intimidated by a vegetable!---Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Garlic Scapes

By Chef Andrea

This week we’re featuring one of the craziest, curliest vegetables we grow…Garlic Scapes!  One thing I absolutely love about vegetables is how unique they can be, and garlic scapes are definitely unique.  So lets start with the basics like “What the heck is a garlic scape?!”  There are two main types of garlic—softneck and hardneck.  We grow hardneck garlic and the way this type propagates itself in nature is by producing this scape which grows up from the center of the garlic plant.  It starts out straight, but the more it emerges it starts to form a curl.  You’ll notice a little bulb that is lighter in color at the tapered end of the scape.  This is actually called a bulbil.  If you want to do something fun, cut it open and see what it looks like on the inside.  If our garlic were growing wild in nature, these bulbils would drop down to the ground and plant themselves thereby propagating a new plant.  We’re cultivating garlic, so we plant a clove of garlic from a full sized bulb and use that as a means of growing the plant.  Since we don’t need the scape to produce another crop, we go through the field and cut them off the plant so the plant can focus its energy into producing a nice sized bulb instead of a scape.  We used to throw them on the ground, but after a market customer asked us to save some for her so she could make garlic scape pickles, we realized we were losing something valuable!  Many years ago we did an experiment and planted the bubils.  The first year they formed a single ball of garlic.  We planted that and the next year we actually got bulbs with divided cloves of garlic!

Garlic Scape Herbed Cream Cheese
Photo from farmfreshfeasts.com

Ok, so what do you do with this crazy vegetable?  Well the basic answer is “Use chopped garlic scapes anywhere you would use a clove of garlic.”  Yes, you can do that, but you can also do so many other fun things with them.  The flavor of garlic scapes is very mild in comparison to green garlic or a clove of garlic.  They are very tender, so you don’t need to peel them.  You might see a milky, white residue on the scapes which is garlic juice the plant exudes when the scape is cut.  Just give them a quick washing and they’re ready to use.  Sometimes the tapered end can get a little tough, so you might want to cut that part beyond the bulbil off.  You should keep them in the refrigerator, although if you want to put the cut end in a vase or glass of water and enjoy their beauty as a centerpiece at room temperature for a day or two until you’re ready to use them, they’ll do just fine.

There are some basic go-to ways to use garlic scapes and if you’re not sure where to start, start with one of these ideas.  Pesto—you just can’t go wrong with making garlic scape pesto.  There are many different versions you can make, so take your pick and dive in.  Check out FarmFreshFeasts.com where you’ll find 28 Recipes Using Garlic Scapes, including NINE different links to recipes for versions of garlic scape pesto!

Pickled Garlic Scapes

Pickled Garlic Scapes is another popular way to use and preserve scapes.  You’ll find a simple recipe for these in our recipe archives on our website.  You can keep a jar of these in the refrigerator for up to 8 months and use them as a condiment with tacos or anywhere you need a pungent, tangy pickle to brighten up a meal.  Using garlic scapes in dressings and dips is another easy way to capture their flavor, such as a creamy Yogurt Garlic Scape Dressing that you can drizzle over a lettuce salad or use to make a creamy kohlrabi slaw.  Garlic Scape Herbed Cream Cheese is another delicious way to use this vegetable along with any herb you have, be it dill, cilantro, parsley, basil, etc.  Put it on your morning bagel, use it to make a wrap, or spread it on crackers for a little afternoon snack.

Garlic Scape Green Gazpacho
Photo from veggieobsession.com

I pushed myself to research a little further to see what else I could find and stumbled on a couple more ideas.  Check out this article entitled “Recipes That Make the Most of Garlic Scapes” at HuffPost.com.  The author includes links to 20 interesting recipes for garlic scapes including the two recipes we’re featuring this week!  There are some other good ones highlighted in this article such as Bacon Wrapped Garlic Scapes and Garlic Scape Green Gazpacho.  I also want to mention that you can also use garlic scapes as an actual vegetable as opposed to just a seasoning.  Garlic scapes are delicious tossed or brushed with oil and grilled or roasted, then served with a little sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lemon.  I also like to cut them into bite sized pieces and cook them any way you would cook a green bean or asparagus.  They also make a flavorful base for a creamy pureed soup and are a nice addition to pasta sauce.

Ok, I’ve done my best to convey to you how awesome and versatile this vegetable can be!  We’ll only have them for a few weeks so have fun and if you can’t eat them all right now, make an extra batch of pesto and freeze it or make a jar of garlic scape pickles so you can enjoy this fresh, delicious garlic flavor in the deep of winter!

Garlic Scape Beef Satay with Garlic Scape Satay Sauce

Yield:  6 skewers

Skewers:

16-20 ounces tender cut of beef, cut into evenly sized 1-1 ½ inch cubes (eg, tenderloin, Sirloin or Sirloin Tip) 

3 garlic scapes

½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled

1 lime, juiced

½ cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems

10 mint leaves 

3 Thai basil or basil leaves (optional)

¼ cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp sesame oil

1. Cut the scapes into smaller pieces and roughly chop the ginger.  Put both in a blender or food processor and coarsely chop.  Add the lime juice, cilantro, mint and basil leaves and the soy sauce.  Blend until a paste forms.  Scrape down the sides of the blender.  With the blender running, drizzle in the sesame oil and blend until smooth.  Pour the marinade into a zipper plastic bag or a glass container and add the beef cubes.  Mix the marinade and the beef well.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
2. When ready to cook, heat the grill or a grill pan to high heat.  Thread the beef onto skewer sticks.  Grill the skewers until the beef is cooked to desired doneness.  Serve with the Garlic Scape Satay Sauce.

Garlic Scape Satay Sauce:

2 garlic scapes

¾ cup creamy peanut butter

¼ cup coconut milk or cream

1-2 Tbsp water

1 ½ Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

1 ½ tsp Tbsp fish sauce

1-2 tsp Hot sauce or chili garlic sauce, to taste

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp honey

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro

1. Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2. Cut the scapes into small pieces and place in a blender.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding more water to thin it if necessary.  Adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, lime juice, etc.  Serve at room temperature with garlic scape beef satay skewers.

Recipe adapted from www.Food52.com.

Grilled Naan with Garlic Scape Chutney

photo from feastingathome.com

Yield:  10 pieces

Dough:

5 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

3 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp sugar

½ cup plain yogurt

1 large egg

¼ cup olive oil and more for brushing

1 ½ cup water

Garlic Scape Chutney: 

¾ cup chopped garlic scapes

½ cup fresh mint, packed

½ cup roasted almonds

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp black pepper

½ jalapeño pepper (optional if you want a little kick)

1 Tbsp lime juice 

⅓ cup olive oil

1 cup melty cheese, such as mozzarella or queso fresco (optional) 

Olive oil or Melted butter for brushing

1. Make the dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt, egg and 1 ½ cups of lukewarm water and the oil.  Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a soft, sticky dough starts to clump around the hook, about 5 minutes.  If the dough seems too wet, add more flour, 1 tsp at a time. (Note, if you do not have a stand mixer, just mix by hand.)
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment and dust lightly with flour.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 10 equal pieces.  Form each piece into a ball and arrange them on the baking sheet.  Lightly brush the dough with oil, cover with plastic, and let sit 1 hour before shaping.
3. Make the chutney: Place all the chutney ingredients (garlic scapes through ⅓ cup olive oil) in a food processor and pulse until uniformly granular.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll a dough ball into a 5-inch circle.  Spread 1 Tbsp of the chutney in the center, leaving a ½-inch border.  Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of cheese over the chutney.  Gather the borders to form a pouch pinching it to seal in the filling.  Turn the pouch pinched side down and, using very light pressure, roll it into a 6-inch circle.  Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Layer rolled out naan with parchment until ready to grill.
5. Prepare a medium charcoal or gas grill fire and wipe grates with a lightly oiled paper towel.  Grill the breads in batches pinched side down, covered, until they puff up and the undersides brown lightly in places, 2 to 3 minutes.  Turn over and cook the other side, covered, until grill marks form and the breads are cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes.  Just before taking them off the grill, turn the breads pinched side down and brush lightly with butter or olive oil.  Serve warm.
6. These are best, right off the grill but leftovers can be refrigerated and saved for another time.  Just place them in a toaster or warm oven before serving.

Recipe sourced from www.feastingathome.com