Cooking With This Week's Box
Monastrell Red Onions: Cucumber Tomato Salad; Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn
Italian Garlic: Garlic Scented Tomato Salad (see below); Spiced Braised Lentils & Tomatoes with Toasted Coconut (see below); Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn
Green and Silver Slicer Cucumbers: Cucumber Tomato Salad; Sushi Salad with Brown Rice, Edamame, Nori and Miso Dressing; Cucumber Indian Raita; Jalapeno-Cucumber Fizz Mocktail
Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes: Bombay Potatoes; The Best Pan-Roasted Potatoes
Chocolate Sprinkles, Valentine Red Grape or SunOrange Tomatoes: Cucumber Tomato Salad
Mixed Variety of Tomatoes: Garlic Scented Tomato Salad (see below); Spiced Braised Lentils & Tomatoes with Toasted Coconut (see below)
Green and/or Italian Zucchini: Zucchini Cream Pie; Savory Italian Zucchini Pie
Jalapeno Pepper: Bombay Potatoes; Authentic Mexican Pickled Carrots; Spicy Jalapeno Gimlets; Jalapeno-Cucumber Fizz Mocktail; Grilled Salmon with Spicy Melon Salsa
Edamame: Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn; Sushi Salad with Brown Rice, Edamame, Nori and Miso Dressing
Green Bell Peppers: Cucumber Tomato Salad; Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn
Orange Carrots: Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn; Authentic Mexican Pickled Carrots
 |
| Cucumber Tomato Salad photo from dinneratthezoo.com |
This week we’re talking tomatoes! August is definitely characterized by two of summer’s possibly most favored favored vegetables—Tomatoes and Sweet Corn! While there are many different ways you can use tomatoes, I have two simple, tasty recipes to share with you this week. Both of these are featured in Food52’s cookbook, Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore. The first recipe is Garlic Scented Tomato Salad (see below) that originated with Marcella Hazan, an Italian-born food writer and recipe creator. This recipe is so simple that when I read it I was like “Ok, drizzle vinegar on tomatoes with oil and basil, what’s the big deal?” Well, I don’t know but something magical must happen when you steep crushed garlic cloves in red wine vinegar with salt and drizzle the seasoned vinegar over fresh, juicy tomatoes and basil. This salad is seriously delicious. The second recipe was created by food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark. Her recipe for Spiced Braised Lentils & Tomatoes with Toasted Coconut (see below) is so fragrant and delicious. Aside from the time it takes to simmer the lentils, it really doesn’t take much time to bring this dish together. Whatever you do, don’t skip the simple step of toasting coconut with mustard seeds. This is a key component to the dish along with that last pat of butter you put on top of the hot lentils. Before we move on from the topic of tomatoes, lets talk about that little pint of tomatoes in this week’s box. This week I want to use them to make this simple Cucumber Tomato Salad featuring the small tomatoes in your box along with cucumbers, red onion, green bell peppers and fresh herbs. So simple, but perfect for this week’s box!
 |
| Sweet Corn Scramble photo from spinachtiger.com |
This week’s sweet corn variety is Awesome (as in that is really the name as well as the adjective we can use to describe the flavor!). I’ve never put sweet corn in my scrambled eggs before, but I started doing it last week and it is so delicious! Here’s a basic recipe for Sweet Corn Scramble, but feel free to improvise by adding sautéed onion, garlic, green bell peppers and/or fresh herbs. I also like to stir in a few dollops of cream cheese just as the egg starts to set up. Richard likes a little browned, crumbled breakfast sausage in his sweet corn scramble as well. The other thing I like to make every year when edamame and sweet corn overlap is Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn. Fried rice is a great way to pack a lot of vegetables into one pan. You can vary the vegetables depending on what you have available, but this version includes garlic, onion, corn, edamame and carrots. Before we move on from edamame, I thought I’d highlight this recipe for Sushi Salad with Brown Rice, Edamame, Nori and Miso Dressing that was featured in a past newsletter. It’s simple, refreshing and nourishing!
The zucchini challenge continues! Why didn’t I think of pie before? Sweet, savory, or both—we have options! If you want to go the sweet route, try this Zucchini Cream Pie. If you want to go with more of a main dish option, try this recipe for Savory Italian Zucchini Pie.
 |
| Bombay Potatoes photo from myfoodstory.com |
I am no expert on Indian food, but I think I can handle this recipe for Bombay Potatoes which should work great with this week’s Red Thumb fingerlings. This is a spicy dish and the recipe calls for a green chile, for which this week’s jalapeno will work perfectly. Serve these spicy potatoes with a cooling Cucumber Indian Raita. If you don’t use this week’s potatoes for Bombay Potatoes, then consider using them to make The Best Pan-Roasted Potatoes! I tried this recipe last year and these simple potatoes are excellent! The only thing you need aside from oil, potatoes and salt is a little patience. Aside from that, follow the recipe!
Looking for something spicy to enjoy on the side of tacos, rice & beans, sandwiches, etc? Why not use this week’s carrots and jalapenos to make Authentic Mexican Pickled Carrots? While we’re talking spicy, check out this recipe for Spicy Jalapeno Gimlets! Using jalapenos to make a cocktail has never crossed my mind before, but this might be fun to try. If you’re interested in a non-alcoholic drink option, you could also try this recipe for Jalapeno-Cucumber Fizz Mocktail.
We’re down to nearly the bottom of the box. What about the melon?! One option is to use melon in more of a savory way such as in this recipe for Grilled Salmon with Spicy Melon Salsa. The other recipe I would like to try is Melon Ice Cream. You don’t have to have an ice cream maker for this recipe, so anyone can make it!
Ok, that’s a wrap for this week. I think Richard’s going to pull the trigger on picking watermelons this weekend, so we’ll have to make some room in next week’s box for a sweet, juicy seedless watermelon! Our preliminary taste tests have been quite tasty and we’re excited to share them with you! Have a great week and I’ll see you next time!—Chef Andrea
Vegetable Feature: Tomatoes
By Chef Andrea
While technically a fruit, tomatoes are likely one of the most well-known “vegetables.” They find their way into so many different uses ranging from condiments such as ketchup, salsa and chili sauce to salads, soups, sauces and as a base flavor in meat dishes, stocks and more. One sentence is not enough room to describe the vast array of ways tomatoes can be used, so even if you aren’t a tomato lover, I’m sure there are a few ways you can put these to use in your kitchen!
There are literally hundreds of varieties of tomatoes, so deciding which ones to plant can be pretty overwhelming! Over the years we’ve trialed many different varieties of tomatoes, which are not exactly the easiest crop to grow in our valley. One of the most important characteristics we look for is disease resistance. If we have a wet year, leaf disease can be a very big problem and if the plant dies due to disease, it doesn’t matter how good the tomato may have been—we’ll never be able to harvest them! We use a stake-and-tie method for our tomatoes where we weave twine around the main stem and vines as the plants grow in order to keep the tomato plant upright and the fruit off the ground. It’s a pretty labor intensive system, but it helps the foliage dry out faster to help with disease prevention.
 |
| Tomato field before the tomatoes ripened |
The next important characteristic we look for is flavor. We look for varieties that have a good balance of acidity and sweetness as well as good tomato flavor. If you’re wondering what “good tomato flavor” is, consider those tomatoes you get on sandwiches and salads in the middle of winter that are shipped in from the other side of the country. Those tomatoes are bred to withstand shipping, but if you really evaluate their flavor you’ll find they really don’t have any flavor! So yes, we look for tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes! Many people are drawn to heirloom tomato varieties, however many of the heirlooms we’ve trialed just don’t have the disease resistance we need. We do appreciate the flavor of many heirlooms, so we’ve sought out improved heirloom varieties as well as more disease resistant hybrids that feature the heirloom flavor with more modern hybrid characteristics which make them more appropriate for our growing situation.
It’s important to store tomatoes properly and keep a watchful eye on them. If they are a little on the green side and need time to fully ripen, it’s best to store them at room temperature. Check them daily and, if you see any spots or other signs of deterioration, eat them sooner than later taking care to remove the affected area of the tomato. Once fully ripe, it’s best to eat them or store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them. The flavor of a tomato will be at its best eaten at room temperature. While a day or two in a cold environment will likely not impact the tomato, longer storage in the refrigerator at temperatures less than 45-50°F may negatively impact both flavor and texture.
 |
| Young tomato plants staked and tied to prevent disease |
Aside from eating them fresh, there are many ways to preserve tomatoes for later use. One of the easiest things you can do is freeze them in their raw state. Just wash them, remove the stem, then either freeze them whole, diced, or pureed. If you freeze them with the skin on, the skin will separate from the flesh of the tomato once thawed. You can either remove the skin at that time, or puree the skin and the flesh in a blender so you capture all the nutritive value of the tomato. You can also turn tomatoes into tomato sauce or salsa and can them. These are just a few of the many suggestions for preserving tomatoes.
This year we have two very nice crops of tomatoes, perhaps the best we’ve seen in recent years. In the information that follows we’ve included some pictures and descriptions of the tomatoes we’ll be picking this year. We hope you’ll use this as a resource to help you identify which tomatoes you receive in your share and to understand their different attributes.
Keep your fingers crossed that we have a plentiful tomato harvest this year, and if we do, get ready as we’ll fit as many in your box as we can! If you’re interested in tackling a larger tomato preservation project, watch for our Produce Plus offer for 25# boxes of Roma tomatoes which will be coming very soon! Do the work now to preserve the summer’s bounty and you’ll reap the benefits this winter!
Keep your fingers crossed that we have a plentiful tomato harvest this year, and if we do, get ready as we’ll fit as many in your box as we can! If you’re interested in tackling a larger tomato preservation project, watch for our Produce Plus offer for 25# boxes of Roma tomatoes which will be coming very soon! Do the work now to preserve the summer’s bounty and you’ll reap the benefits this winter!
SunOrange: If you know and love the Sungold tomato, you just might love this one even more! SunOrange is an improved sungold featuring an intense, sweet, fruity flavor that is really unlike any other tomato we’ve tasted. This variety has been bred to have a little thicker skin so it doesn’t crack and split as easily. You’ll find it is hard to stop eating SunOrange tomatoes, but if you can practice some restraint, use them either fresh or cook them. Their flavor and sweetness intensifies when cooked, especially when roasted.
Chocolate Sprinkles: This is a large tear-dropped shaped grape tomato with dark red skin that has green stripes. You know they are ripe when the red color deepens. We like this variety because it is sweet, flavorful and juicy.
Valentine Red Grape: This tomato “marries the best of wild-type tomato genetics with flavorful high-performing strains.” It was actually bred for its high lycopene content which is a powerful antioxidant that gives this tomato its intense red color. We actually participated in trialing this tomato before seed was available commercially and were impressed by its sweet flavor, intense color and disease resistance.
Romas: Roma tomatoes are also referred to as “plum” or “paste” tomatoes. This type of tomato is more fleshy and less juicy which makes them a good choice for making sauce or other preparations where you’ll be cooking them. They are also good for fresh use in salsas and salads.
Black Velvet: The seed catalog describes this tomato as “sleek rosy-mahogany colored fruit with a sweet and tangy flavor.” You’ll notice this tomato has green shoulders (meaning green on the stem end of the tomato). Even when fully ripe, this green coloring will remain, so use the lower portion of the tomato as an indicator of ripeness. As it ripens it will turn more of that rosy-mahogany color. The other thing to note about this tomato is that it is very fleshy and will always feel more firm to the touch, even when fully ripe. So squeezing this tomato is not a good indicator of ripeness. This is an excellent tomato to use in salads and on sandwiches. It has excellent flavor and texture, but is not quite as juicy which means it won’t make the bread on your sandwich soggy!
Marmalade Orange: We selected this variety for its deep golden color and excellent flavor. Orange tomatoes often have less acidity which can sometimes mean they have a bland flavor. This variety has been developed to have good flavor and sweetness. While you can cook this tomato, it’s also an excellent choice for using raw in salads, sandwiches, etc.
Japanese Pink: We’ve long been a fan of Japanese pink tomatoes which have a reputation for being juicy, flavorful tomatoes. If you want to do a little experiment, carefully remove a piece of the skin from one of these tomatoes and hold it up to the light. You’ll see the skin is actually transparent, which means the color of this tomato is the actual color of the flesh. Now do the same thing with a red tomato. You’ll find the skin on a red tomato has pigment, but if you look at the flesh color in many cases it will look similar to the pink tomato. Red tomatoes look red because of the pigments in the skin! Just a little fun science observation. This is best used for fresh eating, but may also be cooked.
Marsalato: We trialed this tomato for the first time last year and it has quickly become one of our favorites! It is a “Marmande-type” tomato. Marmande is a region in France, and this type of tomato descends from a French heirloom variety. We love this tomato for several reasons. First, it has a beautiful color and attractive ruffled shape. The other reason we like this tomato is for its excellent flavor, sweetness and smooth texture that is both more firm and juicy at the same time. This is our top choice for a tomato to use for sliced tomato salads such as a Caprese Salad. This tomato is also an excellent choice for using to make sauce because of its texture and flavor.
Cherokee Carbon: This is a trial variety this year. It caught our eye both because it has a unique appearance, but also because this variety was developed by crossing two of the tastiest heirlooms, Cherokee Purple and Carbon. The seed catalog says “….this tomato provides for the greatest tomato sandwich you have ever had.”
Red Slicers: We have several different varieties in both our first and second plantings that fall into this category. These tomatoes offer a nice balance of acidity, sweetness and flavor making them versatile in their use. They are tasty eaten raw, but may also be used in cooking.
Spiced Braised Lentils & Tomatoes with Toasted Coconut
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced OR 1 medium onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp good-quality Madras curry powder
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups green or brown lentils
12 oz ripe, juicy tomatoes, chopped (2 medium) OR 2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained
1 ¾ tsp salt, plus additional to taste
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut flakes
1 ½ Tbsp black or brown mustard seeds
Salty butter, for serving
Plain whole milk yogurt, for serving (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
- Melt the unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the scallions or onions, garlic and curry powder. Cook until the mixture is golden and soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and lentils and cook until slightly caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 ¾ tsp salt. Add enough water to cover the mixture by ½ inch. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 40 minutes. If the lentils begin to look dry while cooking, add more water as needed.
- In a small, dry skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut flakes, mustard seeds, and a large pinch of salt until the coconut is golden, about 3 minutes.
- To serve, spoon the lentils into individual bowls. Drop about 2 tsp salted butter into each dish. Top with yogurt, cilantro, and the coconut mixture. Serve immediately.
This recipe was created by Melissa Clark and was featured in FOOD52’s book Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore.
Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad
“Steeping alliums in vinegar is a good trick for improving any salad dressing, but here is one variation you shouldn’t miss when tomatoes are in season. Of this stripped down salad, Marcella Hazan wrote on her Facebook page in 2012, ‘It has the potential to eclipse every other experience of tomatoes you may have had.’”
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
4 to 5 garlic cloves
1 to 2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 pounds round or plum tomatoes
12 basil leaves
Olive oil, for serving
- Peel and smash garlic cloves. Steep them with 1 to 2 teaspoons salt and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar in a bowl for at least 20 minutes.
- Slice tomatoes with a serrated knife, skinning them beforehand if you wish. Spread them in a deep serving platter.
- Just before serving, tear the basil leaves and scatter them on the tomatoes. Holding back the garlic, pour the vinegar over the tomatoes and dress with good, fruity olive oil. Taste and correct, if needed, with additional salt and vinegar.
This recipe is Kristen Miglore’s adaptation of Marcella Hazan’s original recipe, as featured in FOOD52’s book Genius Recipes.
No comments:
Post a Comment