Harmony Valley Farm: August 10, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Amaranth

No one in any CSA household should hear any other household member mutter “There’s nothing to eat” this week! We’re in the time of the season when we have more vegetables on the list than there is room in the box! This week we managed to pack 16 items in the box, with a wide variety from corn to melons to tomatoes and peppers. We also have a gorgeous summer green to greet you as you open your box. Let me introduce you to the stunning, and often underappreciated, Amaranth Greens. We struggle with the timing for growing this green, ok it’s my struggle. I really enjoy eating amaranth with sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, etc., so this week is the perfect timing to harvest it! Try this week’s featured recipe for Summer Vegetable & Amaranth Shakshuka (See Below). Shakshuka is a breakfast dish from the Middle East that features a vegetable stew of sorts that is traditionally made with a tomato base. Eggs are poached in the hot vegetable stew, making it a one-pot meal of sorts that’s very vegetable centric. This is a great breakfast or brunch item served simply with fresh bread. I also included links to two past recipe features for Summer Rice & Cheese Gratin with Zucchini & Amaranth and Black Beans with Amaranth. If you’re not familiar with Amaranth, I really hope you’ll be brave and give it a try. It really has a mild flavor and is very versatile in its use.

We’re officially in tomato season which means we have tomato recipes scattered throughout the entire Cooking With the Box article this week! Check out this Roasted Garlic Caprese Dip. This is a great “sit on the patio in the evening and sip wine” kind of recipe. You might also choose to pair some of this week’s tomatoes with cucumbers in this Thai Cucumber & Tomato Salad or make this summery meal of Burst Tomato Pappardelle with Zucchini, Sweet Corn & Pan-Fried Chicken.

If you’re looking for something unique to do with some of our staple vegetables that are frequent fliers in the CSA boxes, check out this recipe for Baked Red Lentil & Carrot Falafel with Lemon-Herb Tahini Dipping Sauce. These falafel are gluten free and vegetarian and sound excellent! Or you could use the carrots to make this sweet Pistachio Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. And as for this week’s zucchini, perhaps you want to try incorporating it into breakfast with this Zucchini Blueberry Baked Oatmeal.

I really hope you have fun brainstorming and creating magnificent meals with all of the many selections in this week’s box. As always, we encourage you to share your creations in the group, along with any recipes that are keepers!

Have a great week & Happy cooking!

Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Amaranth

by Andrea Yoder

Red Amaranth is a stunning “green” with dark, burgundy-colored leaves. Amaranth greens have become an important part of our seasonal diet because of their ability to grow in the heat of the summer when other greens, such as spinach and lettuce, do not thrive. Amaranth is adaptable to variable conditions with little impact from weather or disease. It can survive in extreme heat or drought conditions because it is able to convert twice the amount of solar energy using the same amount of water as most other plants! It is also worth mentioning that amaranth is a nutritional powerhouse. The leaves are rich in calcium, phosphorus, protein, vitamin C, carotene, iron, B vitamins, and trace elements including zinc and manganese. Compared to spinach, amaranth leaves have three times more vitamin C, calcium, and niacin! Amaranth is also known by other names including callaloo in the Caribbean and pigweed.

Amaranth is an ancient plant that was part of the diets of Aztec civilizations in Mexico up to 7,000 years ago. It was also an important staple food for the Incas of South America and the people of the Himalayan region of Asia. In these ancient cultures, amaranth was also used medicinally and in cultural rituals. It was held as a symbol of immortality and means “never-fading flower” in Greek. Amaranth has made its way around the globe as people have immigrated. Amaranth became an integral part of the cuisine in some parts of Africa and later spread more extensively around the world to the Americas, Caribbean, Brazil, India, and Asia in part facilitated by the slave trade. Thus, there are many different options for preparing amaranth depending upon the culture.

While amaranth may be eaten either raw or cooked, I think it tastes best when cooked when it is at this stage of maturity. The flavor of cooked amaranth is similar to spinach, except better! You can prepare it as you would spinach or other similar greens such as chard. The stems and leaves are both edible. Previously I had discarded the thick main stem and only used the thinner more tender stems. However, you can peel the thick stems and you’ll find the inner part of the stem is quite tender and delicious. It’s a bit of a tedious job, but if you use a small paring knife, it’s manageable and will maximize the yield. Amaranth greens may be steamed, sautéed, added to soups, stews, wilted and stir-fried and cook quickly in just a few minutes. Amaranth pairs well with so many other summer crops including onions, fresh garlic, zucchini, peppers, corn, green beans, edamame, basil, oregano, and tomatoes.

Store amaranth greens in the refrigerator in a plastic bag until you are ready to use them. Remove the twist tie and wash well in a sink of cold water before using. Shake or spin off excess water.

Summer Vegetable & Amaranth Shakshuka

Yield: 4-6 servings

Photo from Andrea Yoder

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, small dice

1 medium Italian frying or green bell pepper, small dice

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp paprika

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 cups fresh, diced tomatoes

1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels

1 bu amaranth greens

6 large eggs

Cilantro or parsley, coarsely chopped (to garnish)

Feta Cheese (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion, peppers, and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Add the paprika, smoked paprika, cumin and chili powder plus 1 tsp salt. Stir to combine and cook for about a minute, stirring frequently.
Add the fresh, diced tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine while also making sure you scrape all the spices off the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the sauce. Add the fresh corn kernels and bring the mixture to a rapid simmer.
Simmer the sauce for 8-10 minutes, stirring periodically. As the liquid from the tomatoes reduces, the vegetable sauce will start to thicken. You don’t want it to be watery, but you do want it to be saucy and remember it will continue to cook and reduce further as you finish cooking the dish.
While the vegetable sauce is simmering, prepare the amaranth greens. Wash the greens well and separate the thin stems and leaves from the main stem. Cut the leaves into thin slices. Finely chop the tender stems and, if you wish, peel the thicker stems prior to chopping. Add the amaranth to the pan and stir to combine until the greens are wilted. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
At this point, reduce the heat to low and taste the sauce. Adjust the seasoning to your liking by adding additional salt, black pepper, or spices. Once the sauce is seasoned to your liking, use a large spoon to make small wells in the sauce. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into the wells. Cover the pan and simmer for 3-8 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
Remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately, garnish with chopped cilantro and/or parsley and feta cheese if you would like.

This recipe was adapted from a similar shakshuka recipe found at www.downshiftology.com. Shakshuka is a dish originating in the Middle East and North Africa. The traditional preparation consists of tomato sauce seasoned with spices in which eggs are poached. This dish is often served for breakfast with pita bread. Of course, many cooks have used this traditional recipe concept to create their own spinoff recipes. Feel free to adapt your version of this recipe based on the vegetables you have available.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

August 10, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Amaranth

Cooking With This Week's Box

Vegetable Feature: Amaranth

Summer Vegetable & Amaranth Shakshuka

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