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!