Where’s the Salad Mix & Lettuce?

By Andrea Yoder

This week’s article was prompted by inquiries from several CSA members expressing that they would like to have more salad greens in the weekly vegetable shares. Valid request and we know our salad mix in particular is enjoyed by many for its convenience as well as its place as a staple component of many meals.  Well, you too may be wondering why we aren’t sending more salad mix, spinach, lettuce, etc. your way, thus we thought it would be appropriate to share the full story with you this week!  

First, a little history for you. Richard, being the pioneer of organic farming in the Midwest that he is, was a key part of the picture of introducing mixed baby greens to this part of the country. He visited growers on the west coast where he saw them growing baby greens and lettuces to make salad mix (also known as mesclun mix). He brought the concept back to the Midwest and spent many years refining our production system. Fast forward 30 plus years and salad mix/Mesclun mix is grown extensively across the country on much larger scale than our operation.  It’s easily available year-round on grocery store shelves, so if they can do it, why can’t we?  

Salad Lettuce Varieties in the Field

Well, it is possible to grow salad greens and head lettuce over the course of the entire growing season, and that was our plan at one time. We used to plant these crops weekly from early April into late September or early October. We invested in a mechanical cutter to harvest with so we could scale up production. And then after several years we realized, it’s just not worth it to grow salad greens or lettuce in the heat of the summer.  You see, lettuce, baby arugula, spinach, etc. actually grow best in the cool of the spring and fall. In fact, they thrive during these parts of the season, producing flavorful products with rich colors that just look healthy and vibrant. During the heat of the summer though, these delicate plants are stressed. They take on an “old” appearance early in their life and they are often bitter and/or have off flavors. The summer months are also intense times for weed pressure and we found, in some locations, that the weeds grew faster than the product! We’d lose the crop to a bed of purslane, and it felt very defeating.  One day we stopped banging our head against the wall long enough to ask ourselves “Why are we trying to force these vegetables to grow during the time of the year when they are stressed and struggling?”  There were other factors at play as well. Baby greens and salad mix in particular are very labor-intensive products.  During the middle of the summer, we have so many other things to do that, from a business perspective, are much more profitable. So we made the decision to change our planting plans to only include 4-6 plantings of baby greens, lettuce, etc. in the spring.  again in the fall while taking the middle of the growing season off.  We also decided to limit our head lettuce crops to early in the spring and mid-late fall. Head lettuce can quickly melt down in the heat of the summer sun, or it may decide it’s done with its life cycle and shoot up a seed stock.  Plus, it just doesn’t taste good in the heat of the summer!  The flavor is much more balanced and desirable when grown in cool weather.

So, what does that leave us eating when there is no lettuce or salad greens to use for salads during the summer? This is how we learned to appreciate how we can use other vegetables that do thrive during the heat of the summer to build delicious and nutritious salads to enjoy as a side or as a main entrée. This is my challenge to all of you, to embrace the practice of eating seasonally even when it comes to salad greens and lettuce. I know this is probably where some of you may sign off and say “I don’t think so Andrea.  A green salad is a green salad…no substituting.”  And that’s ok.  For those of you who are still with me, there are a lot of great salad options awaiting you!

Roasted Beet & Kale Salad with Maple 
Candied Nuts

Still staying in the realm of leafy greens, there are actually some really great options in the class of summer greens.  Some of the greens we enjoy during the summer include kale, chard, baby bok choi and cabbage. One of the things I actually really like about these vegetables is that they are more durable and can be tossed with dressing or vinaigrette in advance, without getting too soggy.  This makes them great options for taking on road trips, picnics or just taking them for your lunch on a regular workday. You can enjoy these salad creations as a side dish, or easily turn them into a main dish by adding a protein of your choosing such as beans, tofu, cooked chicken, grilled steak or fish.  Plus, in the heat of the summer entrée salads are a cool alternative to heating up the oven or stovetop to make dinner! At the conclusion of this article, I will include a few of my favorite recipes in this category from past newsletters and hopefully there will be a few that appeal to you as well.

Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad

The other types of vegetable salads we can enjoy may be built out of the bounty of summer vegetables we have available to us, such as cucumbers, zucchini, beets, peppers, carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, green beans and even melons and watermelon! Really, the possibilities are endless! There are so many creative ways to use these vegetables in different salads. You may choose to make a salad with vegetables only, such as a creamy cucumber salad with slices of fresh onions or a tomato salad with garlic and herbs. Of course, you can bulk it up with the addition of pasta, cooked grains such as quinoa, wild rice, farro or couscous. Fresh feta or mozzarella cheese, f. h herbs, flavorful vinegars and oils, toasted nuts and seeds, croutons, fruit such as peaches, grapes, cherries, or apples……are you starting to see how vast and wide the potential is here?!

So, I’ll leave you with the challenge of seeing what fun and delicious ways you can fill the void created by salad greens this summer.  And when fall rolls around and we include beautiful head lettuce and those colorful, delicate baby greens in our boxes once again, know that they are in the height of their glory, thriving in the season that fits their style best. Have fun, get creative, and don’t forget to share your summer vegetable salad creations with all of us in our Facebook Group!

Here are a few of my favorite summer vegetable salads from past CSA seasons:

Roasted Beet & Kale Salad with Maple Candied Nuts

Bok Choi Salad with Sesame Almond Crunch 

Red Cabbage Slaw with Maple Mustard Dressing 

Summer Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad (with Cabbage) 

Carrot Parsley Salad 

Swiss Chard Salad with Lemon, Parmesan and Breadcrumbs 

Grilled Corn and Kale Salad 

Summer Succotash Salad with Orzo 

Corn & Tomato Salad with Torn Croutons 

Grilled Eggplant & Quinoa Salad with Dates & Almonds 

Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad 

Red Pepper, Lentil & Tomato Salad

July 27, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Sweet Corn

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Sweet Corn:  

Coconut Corn Salad
Photo from www.101cookbooks.com

Summer Carrot & Grilled Corn Salad (See Below)

Coconut Corn Salad 

Broccoli:  

Grilled Corn & Broccoli Salad 

Cheesy Roasted Broccoli & Potatoes 

Green Top Orange Carrots:  

Chickpea and Carrot Salad with Carrot Top Dressing 

Carrot Top White Bean Dip 

Fennel:  

Farmer’s Market Vegetable Soup 

Potato Bacon Fennel Soup

White Cauliflower:     

24 Creative Ways to Cook With Cauliflower 

Cauliflower Fudge Brownie
Photo from www.greensmoothiegourmet.com

Cauliflower Fudge Brownie 

Cauliflower Crust Breakfast Pizza 

Cauliflower Crust Hot Pockets 

Green Curly Kale:  

Roasted Cauliflower & Kale Salad 

Grilled Corn & Kale Salad 

Red New Potatoes:  

Frittata with New Potatoes and Summer Vegetables 

New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter 

Green Bell Pepper:  

Breakfast Potatoes with Peppers and Onions 

Breakfast Potatoes with Peppers and Onions
Photo from www.barefeetinthekitchen.com

Purple or White Scallions:  

Scallion Pancakes with Zucchini 

Roasted Carrots with Scallion Vinaigrette 

Sierra Blanca Onions:  

Fennel & Sweet Onion Pizza with Green Olives 

Beer-Battered Onion Rings 

Italian Garlic:  

Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken

Almost Instant Red Curry Beef & Garlic Noodles with Broccoli

Green and/or Italian Zucchini and/or Scallopini Squash:  

30+ Mouthwatering Zucchini Recipes! 

Zucchini Lasagna 

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with Dried Cherries 

Green Beans:  

Green Bean Salad with Peaches 

30-Minute Sesame Chicken & Green Bean Stir Fry 

Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken
Photo from www.halfbakedharvest.com

Get ready, the peak of summer vegetables is upon us as we say good-bye to July and welcome August! This week we’re featuring sweet corn, an iconic summer vegetable for all of us in the Midwest.  While corn-on-the cob slathered in butter, salt and pepper is the poster child of summer eating, there are many other ways to enjoy fresh sweet corn! This week’s featured recipe is very simple, but very flavorful.  When you start with good ingredients, it doesn’t take much to create something tasty such as this week’s Summer Carrot & Grilled Corn Salad (See Below).  This is a recipe borrowed from a cookbook written by my friend, Sarah Britton. You can enjoy this basic salad as more of a side dish or turn it into a meal itself by adding in some black beans and serving it over a cooked grain, such as rice or quinoa. If you prefer to use your corn to make a one-pan dinner, check out this scrumptious recipe for Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Chicken.  On the lighter side, pair sweet corn with this week’s green curly kale in this tasty Grilled Corn & Kale Salad that we featured in one of our newsletters several years ago.

This week’s main article is all about the beauty of using summer vegetables to make a wide variety of salads, in the absence of lettuce which we don’t grow during the heat of the summer.  So I thought it would be appropriate to offer a few suggestions such as this Green Bean Salad with Peaches or Roasted Cauliflower & Kale Salad.

Since we mentioned cauliflower, now would be a good time to bring your attention to this article entitled “24 Creative Ways to Cook With Cauliflower”.  This collection does include some interesting recipes such as Cauliflower Fudge Brownie or Cauliflower Crust Breakfast Pizza.  You know I like to incorporate vegetables into breakfast whenever possible! 

Zucchini Pizza
Photo from www.feastingathome.com

The last thing I want to highlight this week is the pile of zucchini in this week’s box! Zucchini is a fun vegetable as it challenges you to get more and more creative each week of the summer!  Don’t worry, I’m here to help and this week I’m going to point you in the direction of this article for 30+ Mouthwatering Zucchini Recipes!.  Two of my favorite recipes from this collection include Zucchini Lasagna, where slices of zucchini take the place of lasagna noodles, and this decadent recipe for Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins with Dried Cherries.  Dried cherries?!  What a great way to kick up the chocolate zucchini muffin act!

Alright friends, I’m signing off for another week, but before I go, melons are just around the corner along with the first crop of edamame!  Tomatoes, eggplant, and more peppers will be gracing your tables very soon, along with some fresh shelling beans, magenta Amaranth greens and spicy jalapeño peppers! So much good summer cooking is yet to come! Have a great week.

—Chef Andrea 

Vegetable Feature: Sweet Corn

by Andrea Yoder

Pheromone trap by Sweet Corn field

Corn on the cob, slathered in butter, a mix of corn juice and butter running down your chin…. now that’s summer! Growing sweet corn can be a challenge, but we’re up for a challenge and every year we set out to grow the best sweet corn possible!  Achieving great tasting sweet corn starts with selecting appropriate varieties for the time of the season and ones that grow well in our region. The downside of tasty corn is that we are not the only creatures who like to eat it! Pest control is a never-ending battle and every year we employ multiple methods to keep your sweet corn safe from raccoons, deer, birds, and corn earworms. We have a cannon in the field that fires (noise only, no projectile objects) periodically to scare the birds as well as a laser to deter birds from entering the field. Additionally, we have reflective streamers, scare-eye balloons, some hawk and owl decoys and repurposed Tyvek spray coveralls to create some frightening scarecrows to keep the birds away. Thankfully, these methods have been working well thus far. We also have a tall fence around the crop to keep deer and raccoons out of the field, but raccoons are tricky and usually can find a way to go under the fence. Thus, we also have a low electric tape around the perimeter of the field to discourage their entry. 

There is one other pest we need to talk about that is not deterred by flashy decoys, fences, or electric tapes. Corn earworms are moth larvae that hatch from eggs that are laid on the silks of the corn ears. When they hatch, they spend a few days on the silks before they eat their way down into the ear of the corn. To combat the earworms, we use an organic approved Bt spray, a naturally occurring bacteria that is toxic to the earworms. We only spray when necessary, so we monitor the flight of the moth larvae to determine when it will be most effective to spray the Bt. Richard follows the UW Extension pest monitoring bulletins which help to monitor corn earworm activity across the state. We also put a pheromone trap in our cornfield that attracts the moths when they are ready to start laying eggs. When we have moths in the traps, we know it is time to spray the corn. With the right timing, the newly hatched earworms eat the Bt we’ve applied to the corn silk and die before they can damage the sweet kernels inside.  This year, however, has been a bit tricky with regards to timing our spray applications. Our local UW pest monitoring site in Coon Valley, Wisconsin still hasn’t reported any earworm moth activity, but we caught two moths in our pheromone trap which was the catalyst for us to spray.  We thought we had the timing right, but then Rafael found corn earworms in the corn last weekend! The worms that infiltrated our crop were hatched ahead of the moths that we caught. It’s very early for corn earworms, perhaps the result of climate change and a very warm summer?  

We’ll continue to do our best to monitor and spray if and when needed, but there is a chance you’ll find a worm or two in your corn.  If you do, should you throw away the entire ear? I really hope not! The earworm usually only affects the tip of the cob, so if you simply cut the top few inches off you can enjoy the remaining 80-90% of the corn. If you don’t want to risk seeing a worm, you can cut the tips off the corn before you even remove the husks.  If they are there, you’ll never even know!  And…. thank you for your understanding.

Manuel and Silvestre icing the Sweet Corn!

Sweet corn is a crop you can’t rush, it’s ready when it’s ready and you just have to do your best to determine when it’s at its optimal maturity.  Sometimes you’ll have a lot and sometimes there will only be a small amount to pick.  Regardless of the quantity, I want to encourage you to think about ways you might enjoy and use corn that go beyond the classic Corn on the Cob. Before we jump into preparation, I need to mention one very important thing about sweet corn that you need to remember.  Keep It Cold!!!  If refrigerator space is an issue, remove the husk and put the ears of corn in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Keeping sweet corn cold is important for maintaining the sugar content. Time and warm temperatures will cause sugars to convert to starch which will negatively impact both flavor and texture.

Sweet Corn Pancakes

As for using corn, you may choose to cook it in the husk or without the husk and you also have the option of cooking it on or off the cob. Often people will choose to cook corn on the cob in its husk if they’re cooking it on a grill or open fire.  If you do this, you should soak the ears of corn in their husks for a bit before putting them on the grill, otherwise the husks will dry out and burn more quickly. If you choose to remove the husks first, you have several options for cooking the corn if left on the cob. You can roast it in the oven or place it directly on the grill. You can also boil ears of corn in salted water. Once cooked, you can either eat it directly off the cob or cut the kernels off the cob using a paring knife. Whether cooked or raw, cutting kernels off the cob can sometimes get a little messy. I like to prop my ear of corn up on end in a shallow bowl or in a pan when I cut the kernels off the cob. This way the kernels will fall into the bowl instead of all over the cutting board. 

Once corn is cooked you can incorporate it into pasta dishes, risotto, vegetable salads, soup, chowder, quesadillas, tacos, and salsa! You can also use fresh corn kernels in cornbread, muffins, waffles, pancakes or even to make desserts such as ice cream and cake. A little fresh corn can really brighten up any dish with its sweetness, color, and tender texture. 

We always focus on the kernels of corn, but if you really want to maximize each ear of corn, we really should look at how to use the entire ear! For starters, don’t discard the cobs!  Corn cobs have a lot of flavor and can be used to make a flavorful Corn cob Stock, which may be used when making risotto, poaching fish or chicken, or as the base for sauces and soups.   

Lastly, sweet corn is a great vegetable to squirrel away for use in the winter. While it may be canned, we usually freeze our corn. Aside from a little time, it’s very easy to preserve corn by freezing it.  It simply needs to be briefly cooked and then cut the kernels off the ear, bag them and pop them in the freezer! I you are interested in purchasing a larger quantity of sweet corn this year as a “produce plus” option, please email csa@harmonyvalleyfarm.com and we’ll put you on “the list.”  As mentioned earlier, it’s sometimes hard to predict the timing of when sweet corn is ready to be picked.  There will likely be a week when we have more sweet corn ready for harvest than we have room in the CSA boxes!  This will be the week we contact you to let you know the sweet corn is available and it’s go-time!  Enjoy!

Summer Carrot & Grilled Corn Salad

Yield:  2 to 3

2 large ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed

1-2 Tbsp coconut oil or ghee, melted

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime

½ fresh jalapeño, or other chile 

1 tsp honey or maple syrup

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp cold-pressed olive oil

3-4 medium carrots, sliced into thin rounds or shredded

3-4 spring onions, sliced thinly into rounds

1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Smoked sea salt (optional)

1. Heat your outdoor grill or a cast-iron grill pan until hot. 
2. Brush the corn with the melted oil, and grill until the corn is tender and slightly charred, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Slice the kernels off the cobs and put them into a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime zest and juice, a minced chile, honey, salt, cumin, and olive oil.
4. Add the carrots, spring onions, and cilantro to the bowl containing the corn. Pour the dressing over, toss to combine, and let the flavors soak in for at least 10 minutes. Season with smoked sea salt, or salt of your choosing, and serve.

This recipe was borrowed from Sarah Britton’s book My New Roots. In the introduction to this recipe, she suggests the following: “To make this more of a meal, toss in some black beans and serve it all over a cooked grain like quinoa or brown rice.”

July 20, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Egyptian Spinach

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Egyptian Spinach:

Egyptian Spinach Soup (See Below)

Stewed Egyptian Spinach with North African Spices (See Below)

Desert Sunrise Cipollini Onions:  

Roasted Cipollini Onion Crostini 

Caramelized Cipollini Onions and Mushrooms with Pasta and Thyme-Cashew Parmesan 

Caramelized Cipollini Onions and Mushrooms
Photo from www.sharonpalmer.com

Green Scallions:  

Ginger Scallion Sauce 

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles 

Fresh Italian Garlic:  

31 Reasons Garlic, Ginger and Scallions are the Holy Flavor Trinity 

One-Pot Garlic, Chicken Alfredo 

Ginger Garlic Teriyaki Sauce 

Zucchini and/or Scallopini Squash:  

Zucchini Smoothie (That Tastes Like a Chocolate Milkshake!) 

Skillet Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini & Orzo 

Zucchini Smoothie
Photo from www.loveandlemons.com

Green and Silver Slicer Cucumbers:  

Chilled Cucumber Soup with Shrimp 

Chilled Beet Soup with Buttermilk, Cucumbers & Dill 

Green or Yellow Beans:  

Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic 

Balsamic Olive Oil Braised Green Beans 

Vegan Green Bean Casserole 

Broccoli or White Cauliflower:  

Broccoli Beef Soba Bowl 

Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Almonds, Herbs & Cherries 

Green Top Orange Carrots:  

Honey Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry with Broccoli & Carrots 

Flank Steak with Carrot Top Salsa Verde 

Broccoli Beef Soba Bowl
Photo from www.themodernproper.com

New Potatoes:  

Cauliflower Potato Red Lentil Curry 

Grilled Potatoes with Creamy Dill Sauce 

Creamy Potato Fennel Bake 

Sweetheart or Tiana or Red Cabbage:  

Lebanese Cabbage Salad 

Grilled Cabbage Salad with Sesame Chicken 

Dill:  

New Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Dill 

Baked Carrot Fritters with Dilly Yogurt Sauce 

Green Top Chioggia Beets:  

Chioggia Beet Carpaccio 

Roasted Beet Risotto 

This week we’re excited to share a unique summer green with you, Egyptian Spinach!  We don’t grow this vegetable every year, but if you’ve been with us over the past decade, you may remember receiving it from time to time.  Every time we grow it, I make this traditional Egyptian Spinach Soup (See Below).  If you are looking for a place to start with this vegetable, try this soup. It is so delicious and every time I eat it, I feel so invigorated!  I also included a recipe for Stewed Egyptian Spinach with North African Spices (See Below). This is a recipe that was recommended to us by a CSA member the last time we grew Egyptian Spinach. It’s a very simple recipe, but tasty and adaptable.

Our second crop of zucchini is almost ready to start harvesting. I wanted to find some different ways to use zucchini beyond the usual zucchini bread, muffins, etc.  In my search I came across this unique use of freezing raw chunks of zucchini and using them in place of frozen banana to make a Zucchini Smoothie (That Tastes Like a Chocolate Milkshake!).  I tried it out and it’s actually pretty good!  So if you have more zucchini than you can use right now, cut it into chunks and freeze it so you can use it later in the year!  I also found this delicious recipe for Skillet Garlic Butter Chicken with Zucchini & Orzo.  I’m excited to try this one and I think it’s going to be a keeper, as well as one the whole family will like!

Creamy Potato Fennel Bake
Photo from www.adventuresincooking.com

We are having what appears to be a great onion year!  This year may go down in CSA history as “the year of the scallions.”  We’re almost finished with them, but honestly, I’ve still been finding plenty of ways to use them.  This week I was reminded of my Chinese chef instructor from culinary school who always emphasized the importance of garlic and scallions as the basis for many Chinese dishes. If you’re looking for a different use for this week’s scallions, consider making this Ginger Scallion Sauce.  You can store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and use it to season noodles, rice, chicken, etc. The article about this recipe includes other suggestions for how to use this sauce.

This is our second week of harvesting fresh, new potatoes. I have a few tasty recipes to share with you that utilize other vegetables in the box. This Cauliflower Potato Red Lentil Curry is a simple recipe that will make tasty leftovers.  You could also toss those tasty potatoes on the grill and follow this recipe for Grilled Potatoes with Creamy Dill Sauce.  Or, if you have some fennel in your refrigerator from last week consider making this Creamy Potato Fennel Bake!

Alright, the harvest wagons are coming in so it’s time for me to sign off.  Before I do, I’ll mention a few new vegetables coming in very soon.  Is anyone ready for fresh sweet corn or tomatoes? How about melons? The peppers and eggplant also have fruit set on, so it won’t be long before we’re deep into summer vegetable bounty!  Have a great week!—Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Egyptian Spinach

by Andrea Yoder

Egyptian spinach, also known as Molokhia, jute mallow, or Jew’s mallow, is a fast-growing leafy green that is best suited to the heat of the summer. Despite its name, Egyptian spinach is actually in a different vegetable family than the spinach you are most familiar with.  Egyptian spinach is a member of the mallow family, along with okra, cotton, and cacao. It is a highly nutritious ancient green thought to have originated in Egypt before spreading to other parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and eastern Mediterranean areas. It is often referred to as “the food of the kings” as legend tells the story of an Egyptian king who ate this green in soup to recover from illness. Egyptian spinach is now a common vegetable eaten regularly in the aforementioned areas surrounding the Middle East where it may be purchased fresh, frozen, and dried. An Egyptian spinach plant can grow to be about 4 to 6 feet tall and can get extremely bushy. Its long, lance shaped leaves resemble mint and can be harvested multiple times throughout the season.

Egyptian spinach contains a soluble fiber that gives it a viscous texture, similar to that found in okra.  You’ll notice this fiber when you cut into the leaves and stems.  The viscosity of this green is more apparent when used raw in salads but is hardly noticeable when the green is cooked or used in soups where it functions as a thickener.

Egyptian spinach is most often used in a traditional soup that contains a chicken broth base along with coriander, cumin, and garlic. I found several different versions of this soup, each with their own variations. Since I’ve never been to Egypt or have had a chance to eat authentic Egyptian Spinach soup, I had to settle for doing my best to adapt the recipes I found to a recipe we can make in the U.S.  Egyptian spinach may also be steamed, stewed, or boiled and dressed with a sauce or dressing as simple as a little bit of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. When preparing this green, separate the leaves from the stems. The upper portion of the stem is tender and can be cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked. The lower portion of the stem is more tough and fibrous and should be discarded. While this green can be eaten raw, we think it is best when cooked in soups, curries, etc.

I mentioned earlier that Egyptian Spinach is a very nutritious green, boasting as much as 4-5 times greater nutrient levels than regular spinach. It is high in beta carotene and other B vitamins, calcium, Vitamins C & E, Potassium, Iron and of course, fiber. It is thought to boost the immune system to fight off illness but may also have significant impact on the health of our skin to prevent acne, reduce dryness and feed it with anti-aging nutrients. It is also thought to contribute to soft, healthy hair and some believe it may even reduce graying! 

Store Egyptian spinach in a warmer part of the refrigerator and use it within a few days of receiving it. If you’re not going to use it right away, freeze it for use later in the winter when your immune system needs a boost!

Egyptian Spinach Soup

Serves 4

8 cups water

2 chicken legs 

2 chicken thighs

1 medium onion, diced and divided in half

½ tsp cumin, ground 

1 tsp plus ½ tsp coriander, ground

1 bunch Egyptian Spinach, leaves and stems separated

1 Tbsp sunflower oil

4-6 cloves garlic, crushed

Salt, to taste

Ground Black Pepper, to taste

1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Cilantro, roughly chopped (optional)

2 cups cooked rice

1. Heat water and chicken legs and thighs in a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat so the liquid continues to simmer. Simmer for about 1 hour, then remove the chicken pieces from the broth and set aside to cool. Skim the surface of the broth to remove any impurities or excess oil. You should have about 5 cups of broth now.  If not, add enough water to get 5 cups total.  When the chicken is cooled, pull the cooked chicken off the bone, cut into bite-sized pieces, and set aside.
2. Add half of the onion, ½ tsp cumin and 1 tsp coriander to the broth and return the soup to a simmer.  Cut the tender portions of Egyptian spinach stems into bite-sized pieces and add to broth. Roughly chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces and stir into the hot liquid. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. While the soup is simmering, it’s time to prepare the “tasha.” This is an important part of the soup and is what makes this soup unique and tasty. In a small sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic. Stir and cook over medium heat until the garlic is nicely browned and smells toasty. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in ½ tsp ground coriander. Carefully add the tasha to the soup. You should hear a “tsssh” sound when you do so. This means you did it right—congratulations!
4. Continue to cook the soup for about 10 more minutes. Just before serving taste a spoonful and add salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve the hot soup with cooked rice. Some versions of the recipe put the rice in a bowl and ladle the soup on top. In other versions, the rice and soup are served in separate bowls and combined together bite by bite.  Either way you choose to do this, it’s important for each diner to garnish the soup with a squeeze of lemon, the remaining diced onion (optional) and cilantro (optional).

This recipe was written by Chef Andrea and is based on researching different traditional recipes and their variations. 

Stewed Egyptian Spinach with North African Spices

Yield:  4-5 servings

Spice Blend:

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

½ tsp ground chili pepper

1 tsp coriander seeds

Egyptian Spinach:

3-5 tsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 tomato, chopped or ½ cup tomato sauce

1 ½ cups water

1 jalapeno, minced

¼ cup cilantro, rinsed and chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp spice mixture, plus more to taste

1 bunch fresh Egyptian spinach

1. Prepare spice mix:  Mix all ingredients and place them in a warm cast-iron. Heat it on a low temperature and continuously stir, roughly until fragrant. Remove from the stove immediately.  This process will take about 2 minutes. Blend the mixture using a spice grinder.
2. Prepare the Egyptian spinach by removing the leaves from the main stem. Roughly chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces and set aside. You should have 2 ¾-3 cups of greens.
3. Heat 3 tsp oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Stir and sauté over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned.
4. Add chopped fresh tomato or tomato sauce and ½ cup of water. Cover and simmer for about three minutes. Add jalapeno, cilantro, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp spice mixture, and stir to combine. Add the Egyptian spinach and an additional 1 cup of water.  Cover and continue to simmer until the spinach is softened.  Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking with additional spice mix and salt as needed. Serve hot with steamed rice or other grains or flatbread such as naan or pita bread.

Note from Chef Andrea:  This recipe was recommended to us by a CSA member several years ago who tried it and really liked it! It was originally published in Edible Alaska. When I prepared this recipe, I added one pound of browned ground beef and an additional ½-3/4 cup of tomato sauce to the pan when I added the Egyptian spinach and served it over rice as a main dish. I also think it would be tasty with diced zucchini and/or peppers added to the mixture. Play around with it and adapt it to your liking!

July 13, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring New Potatoes

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Scallion Beef Stir-Fry
Photo from www.thewoksoflife.com

Red Norland New Potatoes:  

Lemon & Garlic New Potatoes (See Below)

Creamed Potatoes with Green Beans (See Below)

Purple and White Scallions:  

Pork and Chinese Scallion Stir-Fry

Scallion Beef Stir-Fry

Fresh Italian Garlic:  

Garlic Herb White Bean Dip

Honey Garlic Cauliflower 

Garlicky Dipping Oil 

Zucchini and/or Scallopini Squash:  

Grilled Salami & Cheese with Pesto 

Zucchini Pizza Casserole 

Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Photo from www.tasteofhome.com

Zucchini Chickpea Quinoa Salad 

Green and/or Silver Slicer Cucumbers:  

Cucumber Orzo Salad with Lemon & Basil 

Cucumber Sorbet 

Snow Peas:  

Sweet Garlicky Glazed Snow Peas

Sautéed Bok Choi with Snow Peas 

Cucumber Sorbet
Photo from www.thelittleepicurean.com

Green and Yellow Beans:

Saucy Stovetop Thai Green Beans 

Green Bean Casserole with Walnut Bacon Crumble 

Broccoli:  

Broccoli Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Broccoli Shrimp Stir-Fry 

Green Top Orange Carrots:  

Vegan Carrot Top Soup

Green Top Carrot Soup with Basil & Fennel 

Fennel:  

Vegan Carrot Top Soup
Photo from www.justinesnacks.com

Fennel Vegetable Feature Article 

Pasta with Golden Fennel 

White Cauliflower:  

Grilled Cauliflower 

Pesto-Roasted Cauliflower 

Baby Bok Choi:  

Asian Chicken and Bok Choi Salad 

Bok Choi Salad with Sesame Almond Crunch 

This is a great time of year for eating and cooking! Well, I guess I can find reason to make that statement at about any point in the growing season! But there is something about the first freshly dug potatoes paired with fresh green beans and tender early carrots, they are just so dang delicious! This week we’re featuring the humble potato, because this week’s potatoes are different than any other potatoes we’ll deliver later in the season.  In my opinion, new potatoes should be prepared in a very simple manner.  Thus, this week’s recipes are pretty simple and straightforward, however these simple recipes really allow the unique, fresh flavor of the new potatoes to come through.  The first recipe for Lemon & Garlic New Potatoes (See Below) makes use of some of this week’s fresh garlic. The second recipe for Creamed Potatoes with Green Beans (See Below) is a simple way to bring fresh green beans and potatoes together.

I have to admit that typically I do not get very excited about spring planted broccoli and cauliflower because I prefer the flavor of these vegetables in the cool of the fall.  However, the broccoli and cauliflower we’ve been harvesting has been quite nice and tastes great!  I included a link to this Broccoli Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing which would make a great picnic or potluck dish.  If you prefer cooked broccoli, then try this Broccoli Shrimp Stir-Fry.  As for the cauliflower, I have to admit I’ve never tried Grilled Cauliflower, but it is grilling season so why not?!  I am a fan of roasted cauliflower though, which is why this recipe for Pesto-Roasted Cauliflower caught my attention.

The other exciting piece of news I wanted to share with you this week is that our 2023 garlic harvest was officially completed last Saturday! It is a quite nice crop and we hope you enjoy the fresh garlic we’ve included this week.  Use it to make this Garlic Herb White Bean Dip or pair it with this week’s cauliflower for Honey Garlic Cauliflower.  Of course, you can never go wrong by making Garlicky Dipping Oil!  Use this flavorful oil to pour over boiled new potatoes or use it to dip fresh bread into.

While the tomatoes are not quite ready, it won’t be long until they are ripe for the picking.  We’re also looking forward to harvesting our first early melons very soon!  Our onion crop is looking quite nice, so once we are finished with scallions we’ll have more delicious varieties to share with you!  And this year we grew a crop of Egyptian Spinach, a unique summer green that is packed with valuable nutrients and tastes so delicious when used in a traditional soup. All that to say, have a great week and I’ll see you back in one week for more delicious meal inspirations!

---Chef Andrea 

Vegetable Feature: New Potatoes

by Andrea Yoder

Even though we’ve featured potatoes in past newsletters over the years, we continue to draw attention to “New Potatoes” every year because we don’t want you to miss out on how special they truly are!  There is a short period of time early in the summer when we first start harvesting our potato crop that we have the opportunity to eat “New Potatoes.”  New potatoes are not a variety or a color of a potato, but rather a term used to describe potatoes that are harvested off of a plant that still has green leaves on it.  While they still have the potential to grow, we sacrifice on yield and some size to be able to start harvesting this earliest variety.  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 just this week from plants with green vines. Freshly dug new potatoes have a flavor and texture unlike other potatoes throughout the season. If you want to truly know what a potato tastes like, eat a new potato! New potatoes have a fresh, pure potato flavor and their skin is tender and delicate. When you cut them, you’ll notice they are very crispy and sometimes a little brittle because they have retained all their juiciness!  Once cooked, the flesh is moist, creamy, and smooth with a distinctive flavor that’s hard to describe.  Trust me, when you taste it, you’ll know what I mean!  

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 to preserve the integrity of their skins as much as possible, but we encourage you to handle them with care as well.  Wash them just before use and give them just a gentle scrub if needed. There is no need to peel them as the skins are so thin and really delicious, so my recommendation is to just skip that step.

I encourage you to slow down and really savor the flavor of these new potatoes as these first few weeks will be 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!  Honestly, most often I simply boil or roast them with fresh garlic and top them off with butter, salt, pepper, and sometimes fresh herbs.

In general, 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. Unfortunately, most home settings do not have the luxury of having multiple refrigerators along with the option to run them at different temperatures. Thus, for potatoes intended for long term storage we generally recommend storing them in a cool, dry location outside of the refrigerator where they will not be exposed to light which can cause 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, because new potatoes are so fresh and we have not allowed them to set their skins, they will not store as well and are best eaten within one week. Additionally, this is probably the one time that we would recommend that you put your potatoes in the refrigerator!

Creamed Potatoes with Green Beans

Photo from www.thespruceeats.com

Yield:  4 servings

1 ½ pounds new potatoes

1 pound fresh green and/or yellow beans

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups cream or milk

1 to 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Wash potatoes gently, do not peel. If the potatoes are small, you may keep them whole, otherwise cut them into halves or quarters so all of the pieces are similarly sized.  
2. Trim the green/yellow beans and cut into 1–2-inch lengths.
3. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and 1 tsp of salt; bring to a boil.  Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low; cook for 8 minutes.
4. Add the prepared green beans to the potatoes and continue cooking for 9 to 12 minutes longer, or until both the potatoes and green beans are tender.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the cream sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
6. When the foaming subsides, add the flour. Cook the roux for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Gradually whisk the cream or milk into the roux. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
8. Add chopped parsley, if desired.
9. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, as needed.
10. Once cooked, drain the water off of the potatoes and green beans and transfer the vegetables to a serving dish. 
11. Pour the sauce over the green beans and potatoes and stir gently to coat the vegetables.
12. Serve hot and enjoy!

Recipe borrowed from www.thespruceeats.com.

Lemon & Garlic New Potatoes

Photo from www.tasteofhome.com

Yield:  4 servings

1 pound new potatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1. Gently wash potatoes, leaving the skin on. If they are small, you may leave them whole. If they are larger, cut them in halves or quarters so all pieces are similarly sized. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Add water to cover along with a generous amount of salt, similar to how you would salt water to cook pasta.  Place the pan on the stove over medium to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook, covered, until tender, 10-15 minutes; drain in a colander.
2. Using the same pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté briefly until it softens. Add the potatoes and cook until browned, 4-6 minutes. 
3. Remove the potatoes from the heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese and lemon juice and season with black pepper and additional salt to taste. Serve warm.

Recipe borrowed from www.tasteofhome.com.