Wednesday, August 28, 2024

August 29, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Leeks

 

What's In The Box

Leeks: Leeks are the more sophisticated, subtle cousin in the allium family. They are best cooked at lower temperatures and using methods such as braising, sautéing, or poaching. They are not high in natural sugars, so they do not caramelize like an onion. When cooked with one of the above methods, leeks will become fragrant and smooth.

Italian Garlic: When roasting potatoes or other root vegetables, toss in a few whole cloves of garlic. As the vegetables cook the garlic will infuse flavor into the other vegetables.

Red Onions: Finely minced red onions add color and flavor to fresh tomato salsas and salads. Red onions are also a great onion to use for caramelizing!

Green and/or Italian Zucchini: Incorporate zucchini into lasagna. One option is to use larger zucchini to make “lasagna” noodles by cutting lengthwise into thin sheets. Alternatively, add shredded zucchini to the cheese portion of traditional lasagna.

Orange Carrots: Carrots are considered to be an “aromatic” vegetable and often provide the background flavor and sweetness in recipes. Carrots function in this manner when added to tomato sauce, while also adding some sweetness to balance the acidity.

Sweet Peppers: This week your box will include one or more of the following peppers: Green Bells, Orange Ukraine, Orange Italian Frying Peppers, and/or Red Italian Frying Peppers. Orange Ukraine peppers are similar to bell peppers, but with a more pointed tip. They have a thick wall, making them great for stuffing. Orange & Red Italian Frying peppers are long, slender peppers. They are a great pepper to eat raw or roasted.

Sunorange Tomatoes: Sunorange tomatoes differ from other varieties in flavor, sweetness, and texture. They tend to be more sweet and flavorful while also maintaining some acidity that helps to heighten the flavor.  Enjoy them raw, roasted or added to sauces.

Variety of Large Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a more delicate, perishable crop, so give them some attention once you get them home. Remove them from the bag we packed them in and spread them out on a plate or platter and store them at room temperature. Check on them daily and prioritize eating any that are ripe and ready to go as well as any that may start forming a spot or an area that may deteriorate more quickly. If you can’t eat all the ripe tomatoes when they are ready, toss them in a bag and freeze them. 

Green and/or Silver Cucumbers or Sugar Cube or French Orange Melons:   This week your box will contain either cucumbers or one of our smaller varieties of cantaloupe. Use either to make a refreshing salad or turn them into agua fresca!

Green Beans: We thought last week might be our final picking of green beans, but we were able to go back for one more time and pick some nice beans again this week! Sadly, this is our final crop and most likely our final delivery of green beans for the season.

Sweet Corn: This week there are only a few ears of corn in your box, but they are a variety (Montauk) that produces sizeable ears! While we can’t explain the “why,” the kernels on the tip of the ears did not fill out fully. However, if you peel away the entire husk you’ll see that most of kernels on the remainder of the year did fill out. So the moral of this story is to not make any quick assessments just by feeling or looking at the end of the corn. Open the package fully so you don’t miss out on some delicious corn!

Red Seedless Watermelon or Sweet Sarah Melons:  Watermelons are ripe when picked, so we suggest you store it in the refrigerator and eat it within a few days of receiving it. Sweet Sarah is a variety of cantaloupe that we find to be sweet and delicious. While all the melons are ripe when picked, some may benefit from a few days on the counter to fully ripen. If you notice your cantaloupe has a bit of a greenish background on the skin, especially around the stem end, give it a few more days to ripen before indulging.

Baby Arugula: Baby greens are back! After a mid-summer hiatus, our first crop of baby arugula is ready and it is spicy! Eaten on its own, arugula can be sharp and pungent. When it shines brightest is when it is paired with other ingredients that are sweet, fatty, or acidic. This is why it’s a great base for salads topped with fruit, cheese, nuts and/or any combination thereof!

Gold Potatoes: This is a new variety for us this year, called Satina. It has gold skin with gold, waxy flesh. It’s an excellent choice for roasting, adding to soups, stews and chowders, or for use in potato salad. Store the potatoes in the paper bag we delivered them in to protect them from exposure to the sun which will cause them to turn green.




Vegetable Feature: Leeks

Leeks after the dirt was hilled up.
We continue our journey through the season with yet another selection from the allium family. This week leeks are the selection we’ll be enjoying from the allium family! We plant them from seed in the greenhouse in late February. We then transplant them in the field early in the season, just after we transplant all of our storage onions. They need more time to grow than onions, which we harvested about 6 weeks ago. We typically wait until later in the fall to harvest them. In fact, leeks can take some frost, but once the temperatures start to get into the twenty’s we risk damaging them. This year however, we decided shake it up a bit and move up the harvest so we can enjoy them with some of the late summer vegetables!

It’s important to understand how leeks are grown as it directly affects how you prep them for use in your own kitchen.  Leeks have a long white shank that turns to more of a bluish green color as you reach the top of the leek.  Throughout the growing process, dirt is hilled up on the leeks to cover the shank and block sunlight which keeps it white.  As a result of this process, dirt may get between the many thin layers of the shank, which is the portion of the leek most often used.

Preparation & Usage
While you need to take care to carefully clean the entire leek, the upper portion may have a bit more dirt between the layers and may need a little more attention. I find it easiest to wash the exterior of the leek and then slice them. Place the chopped leeks in a sink of clean, cold water and swish them around to remove any dirt. Remove the leeks from the water and place in a colander to drain. If there isn’t much dirt between the layers, you may also just place the sliced leeks in a colander and rinse them.

If you’ve never cooked with leeks, it’s important to note that leeks are not “just another onion.”  While the flavor profiles are similar for all alliums, each one has its own distinct characteristics and qualities that set them apart.  Leeks are much different than the chives and ramps we delivered early in the season or the Sierra Blanca white Spanish onions we delivered in early summer.   Leeks are more mild and subtle in flavor.  They are best cooked using more gentle methods such as braising, lightly sautéing or cooking them into soups, sauces and broths.  When cooked using these more gentle methods, the texture of leeks becomes silky and tender.  Leeks have fewer sugars than onions, so they do not caramelize in the same way as an onion.  When you are sautéing leeks, do so at a low to medium temperature just until they are soft.  Do not try to brown them.

Leeks pair well with many late summer and fall vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, celeriac, and other root vegetables such as parsnips and carrots.  They are often incorporated into cream soups, gratins and egg dishes such as quiche.  A traditional use for leeks is to make Leek & Potato Soup, of which there are many variations.  Many recipes utilizing leeks also include complementary ingredients such as white wine, lemon, cream, cheese, apples, walnuts, chicken, bacon, fish and fresh herbs to name just a few ingredients.

Storage Tips
Leeks will keep for several weeks if stored in the refrigerator, loosely wrapped in plastic. We hope you enjoy this delicate allium and appreciate the subtle way it adds flavor to your meals this week!

Potato, Corn, and Leek Chowder

Yield: 6 servings
Photo from www.myrecipes.com
2 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped leeks ½ cup finely chopped celery (see note) ½ cup finely chopped sweet pepper 2 cups whole milk 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 cups fresh corn kernels 2 pounds gold potatoes, cubed 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste ¼- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  1. Heat butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add leek, celery, and sweet pepper; sauté for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.
  2. Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to make a smooth slurry. Slowly add milk mixture to pan, stirring constantly. Whisk in the broth, then add corn, potatoes, salt and freshly ground black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking by adding additional salt and /or black pepper as needed.
  3. Just before serving, stir in fresh parsley.
Notes from Chef Andrea:
  • The purpose of celery in this recipe is to function as an aromatic and provide a nice background flavor. I seldom have celery in my refrigerator, so in place of celery I usually just use carrots or celery root.
  • If you want to enhance the corn-y flavor of this chowder, keep the corn cobs after you have cut the kernels off and add them to the pot along with the broth. While the chowder is simmering, the corn flavor from the cobs will infuse into the liquid and enhance the overall flavor. Just before serving, extract the corn cobs and discard them.
Recipe sourced from www.myrecipes.com

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Wednesday, August 21, 2024

August 22, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Tomatoes

 


What's In The Box

Italian Garlic: Check out the link below for the Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad. This recipe is the definition of simple summer goodness and utilizes raw garlic. You may also use garlic in sauces to infuse a more subtle garlic essence, see recipe below.


Yellow Onions: This week’s onion variety is called “Calibra.” This is a sweet Spanish type of onion, which gives it a nice balance of natural sweetness and pungency. Use it raw in salads or thinly sliced on sandwiches or use them to make caramelized onions!


Green and/or Italian Zucchini: Check out this week’s recipe suggestions for preserving zucchini by turning it into pickles or relish. These condiments are a great addition to burgers, brats, and charcuterie platters!


Orange Carrots: Don’t be afraid to incorporate carrots into every meal of the day, including breakfast! Check out this week’s recipe suggestions which incorporate carrots into meatballs, salads, bread, and oatmeal!


Red Prairie or Red Thumb Fingerling or Gold Satina Potatoes: We are almost ready to dig our entire potato crop, possibly within the next week! This week your box will contain one of these selections. The Red Prairie and Gold Satina potatoes are waxy varieties best suited for roasting, boiling, or pan-frying. The Fingerling potatoes are more of a dry, starchy potato that is best when pan-fried, fried, or roasted.


Green Bell Peppers: Use this week’s bell peppers to make a salad paired with other vegetables from the box or check out the recipe below for a creative way to make a bell pepper omelet using rings of the pepper as a form in which to make the omelet!  


Sunorange or Red Grape Tomatoes: Wash in cold water, then drain in a colander or pat dry. Enjoy these sweet tomatoes roasted with salt, pepper, dried herbs, and olive oil.


Variety of Large Tomatoes: After a slow start to tomato season, the tsunami wave of tomatoes is starting to come in! What a harvest we had earlier this week with over 4,000 pounds picked on Monday and Tuesday…and that wasn’t even all of them! You have a 5-pound bag of tomatoes in your box this week. When you get them home, remove them from the paper bag and set them out on a plate(s) at room temperature so they may continue to ripen. Check on them daily, looking for the potential of any bad spots starting to form and/or noticing the changes in ripeness. Prioritize the most ripe to eat within a day or so for best flavor and highest yields.


Cucumbers, Silver and/or Green:   Cucumbers are a natural, classic pairing for tomatoes as well as other fruit in salads and salsas. Check out this week’s recipe suggestions for some cool ways to use cucumbers in this manner!


Green Beans: This is most likely our final week of harvesting green beans. Use them in an Easy Summer Vegetable Soup OR prep and freeze the vegetables for this recipe now and tuck it away in your freezer and make the soup during the winter when you are tired of eating storage root vegetables and sweet potatoes!


Amaranth Greens: This week’s cooking green is the beautiful Amaranth! This green thrives in the heat of summer and is dense with nutrients! If you don’t care for it, you may leave it in the swap box at your site, however if you like spinach, chard or other mild cooked greens, I would encourage you to give it a try and get the full advantage of the nutrients into your body!


Sweet Corn: We are nearing the end of sweet corn season, but we’re not done picking yet!! This week’s harvest was very light, but we wanted to include it anyway! Cook the corn on the cob, cool it and cut the kernels off the cob. Incorporate the corn into salsas, salads, soup, or fritters! Or if you are adventurous, check out the recipe inspiration below for some ideas about how you may use sweet corn in baked goods and dessert!


Beets: You will receive one pound of either baby red, gold and/or chioggia beets or medium sized gold beets. Roasting enhances the innate sweetness of the beet, turning it into candy! One method is to peel the beets first and cut into similar sized pieces. Toss with oil, salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice, then roast until tender!


BONUS: Melons or Cauliflower or Green Savoy Cabbage

We are finally seeing more melons ripening, but not yet enough for all boxes. While we’re still very much in the midst of summer, fall vegetables are starting to come in as well! This week we are starting to harvest some of our fall cauliflower and cabbage. Your box will contain one of these bonus item as supply allows.


Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

Garlic Scented Tomato Salad

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Green Beans Simmered with Caramelized Onions

Tomato, Pancetta & Caramelized Onion Risotto

Caramelized Zucchini Pasta

Small Batch Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles

Small Batch Zucchini Relish

Easy Indian Carrot Salad and Slaws with 5 Variations

Wholesome Carrot Cake Bread

Baked Carrot Chocolate Oatmeal

Chicken Carrot Meatballs

Cucumber & Green Pepper Salad

Bell Pepper Omelet

Easy & Fresh Mango Cucumber Salsa

Cucumber Apple Salsa

Easy Peach Cucumber Salsa

HVF Summer Farmer Skillet

Easy Summer Vegetable Soup

Spicy Amaranth with Zucchini & Black-Eyed Peas

Amaranth & Sweet Corn Stewed in Coconut Milk

Healthy Blueberry Crisp with Sweet Corn

Fresh Sweet Corn Pound Cake


Vegetable Feature: Tomatoes

Tomatoes are actually a fruit, referred to by some as a vegetable-fruit. Technicalities aside, tomatoes are a very diverse crop and are represented by a wide range of sizes from less than 1 ounce to as much as several pounds per tomato! They are also diverse in colors ranging from white to red to green. They may be either a modern hybrid or a traditional heirloom. Growing tomatoes in our valley can be a challenge, especially in wet years.  Thus, over the years we have worked to carefully select a lineup of tomato varieties that are delicious, interesting and attractive while also offering genetics with greater disease resistance and yields!  It's a challenge to find a variety that meets all of our criteria, but we are fortunate to have found some that fit the bill and do pretty well in our valley.  Here's a little glimpse of some of the categories we have.

Red Slicers:  This is one of the most common tomatoes, an old standby.  The varieties we grow have a nice balance of sweetness and acidity.  As far as texture goes, they are fleshy enough to hold up on a sandwich, yet still with enough moisture and acidity to create a pleasant eating experience.  These tomatoes are kind of an all-purpose tomato that is excellent on sandwiches, in salads, used for salsa or cooked into a sauce.



Golden Slicers:  Our golden varieties have been chosen specifically because they are good yielders, but also because they have a deep orange color, consistent sizing and a bit of sweetness.  In general they have more flavor than many gold varieties which are known to be lower in acid.  These are similar in use and texture to a red slicer tomato and add a beautiful contrast to a tomato plate.



Japanese Pink:  The Japanese certainly know how to do tomatoes.  This is another all-purpose tomato that has a nice balance of acidity and a discernible sweetness and is our top vote for “all-around” tomato.  It’s a bit softer than a red or gold slicer, yet still able to hold up nicely on a sandwich.  The reason the pink tomatoes are pink is because the skin is transparent allowing you to see the true color of the flesh.  Peel a piece off and hold it up to the light…you can see for yourself!


Heritage Heirloom Tomatoes
Heritage Heirlooms:  These varieties are improved heirlooms, offering the flavor of an heirloom but also with the characteristics of a hybrid that are important to ensure we have a crop!  These varieties have greater disease resistance and stronger yields. 

Some of our main varieties are pictured here and include a French marmande type called Marsalato.  This bright red tomato has fluted edges and a more flat appearance.  It is a beautiful tomato to eat raw, but it is also very flavorful when cooked.  We also enjoy a few varieties that have more of the "Striped German" appearance, bright gold with some red blushing.  We have three different varieties this year that fall into this category.  All three are quite beautiful and yield heavy, sizeable fruit that has red coloring through to the center.  These varieties have excellent sweet tomato flavor and are best for raw eating.  Lastly, we have a few varieties that fall into the "Purple" or "Black" tomato category.  These dark mahogany colored tomatoes usually still have some green on their shoulders even when fully ripe.  They have moist, juicy flesh that is more mild flavored.  

Red Grape Tomatoes:  This is a standard pop-in-your mouth tomato, but our main variety is one called "Valentine."  We were actually part of the grower trials to evaluate different versions of this tomato as it was being developed before it was released for sale!  We think this variety is superior for a variety of reasons.  First, it has higher lycopene levels, an important antioxidant.  This is also what contributes to its bright, red color.  This is also a noticeably more flavorful grape tomato, which is what we're looking for!


Sunorange Tomatoes: Those who know the sungold tomato appreciate it as one of the sweetest, most flavorful tomatoes on the market.  The downside of a sungold is its thin skin which makes it prone to splitting.  We grow a variety very similar to sungold named sunorange, except that it has a thicker skin.  This is a flavorful tomato that is very sweet.  It is excellent when roasted, added to pasta or used to make a sauce.




Roma Tomatoes:  Often described as a plum or paste tomato, romas are most often used for making sauce, salsa and preserving.  The reason they are used for sauce and such is because they are a fleshier tomato so you get more bang for your buck and less water.  This makes a nice sauce without spending more than a day in the kitchen.





Preparation & Usage
Tomatoes are delicious eaten both raw and cooked. Variety can be a factor in deciding which tomatoes are better eaten raw versus those whose flavor and characteristics may be enhanced with cooking. Some varieties are more “fleshy,” meaning there is more flesh and less juice. These tomatoes are often better choices for cooking down to make sauce and soup as they result in a thicker finished product. If you’re serving tomatoes raw, aesthetics may come into play as well.

Tomatoes are also a popular selection to preserve for use year round and there are a variety of ways you can preserve them.  You could do something such as tomato jam or make salsa and can it.  Of course you can also can tomato juice, diced tomatoes or make tomato sauce and can or freeze that as well.  I often don’t have a lot of time during tomato season for complicated preservation, so I tend to go the route of either freezing tomatoes whole or freezing tomato puree.  If you want to freeze tomatoes whole, simply wash them and cut out the core.  Pop them into a freezer bag and put them in the freezer.  When you thaw them, they will collapse and be juicy, but that makes them perfect for using in soups, chili, sauces, etc.  You can choose to either pull the skins off before you use them or I usually just blend them into the sauce.  For my quick method frozen sauce, I just chop up any extra tomatoes I have, skins and all, and cook them down on the stovetop in a wide pan.  Once they have cooked down, I cool them and puree them in the blender.  Pour the puree into freezer bags and lay them flat to freeze into “pillows.”  In the winter, when I have more time, I pull out the puree and turn it into spaghetti sauce, etc.

Storage Tips
The ideal storage temperature for tomatoes is about 50-55°F. If held at temperatures less than this for extended periods of time, tomatoes will suffer chill injury that affects the texture of the skin and flesh as well as robbing the tomato of its flavor. You may receive some tomatoes that are still a little on the green side. It’s best to ripen these on your kitchen counter at room temperature and eat them or preserve them as soon as they are ready. We do not recommend storing tomatoes in the refrigerator for more than a few days at most.

Cultural & Historical Background
Tomatoes may be considered a staple food in many American’s diets.  From a culinary perspective, tomatoes are used all around the world.  They are a New World (South America) crop thought to have been spread to Old World Europe by Spanish explorers.  They have since made their way all around the world and are included in the cuisine of many cultures including Mediterranean, Spanish, Italian, French, South American, Central American, Asian and American cultures.

Growing Information
Especially in a wet year, we can see disease set in early which causes the vines to die before the fruit is fully ripe.  Thus, we mostly plant more disease resistant hybrids and ‘heritage’ tomatoes which have some heirloom genetics in them, but also carry some modern hybrid characteristics which make them more attractive to our growing situation.

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 and makes it easier to pick the tomatoes and keep them clean.

Additional Fun Facts 
I’m not sure anyone really knows how many varieties of tomatoes there are across the world, but I do know that one seed company, Tomato Growers, offers over 500 varieties in their catalog!


Turkish Shepard's Salad

Photo from Yasmin's book,
Ripe Figs
In the intro to this recipe, Yasmin writes:

“Variations of this crisp and refreshing salad appear across Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern kitchens, where they are an essential accompaniment to most meals. When you are cutting vegetables, the aim is to have an equal ratio of tomato to cucumber, so let that be your guide more than the quantities given below. Also, be sure to cut the tomatoes and cucumber into same-size pieces for uniformity of texture. And be generous with the lemon juice in the dressing—this is supposed to be sharp!"
And a note on sumac…. If you are not familiar with this ingredient, you may be able to source it from your local spice store (e.g. Penzey’s Spices) or in the bulk spice section at your local food co-op. Sumac is dark red in color and has a mild, slightly tangy flavor. It’s a really nice accompaniment to fruity flavors such as the tomatoes in this salad, sliced oranges, lemon, etc. If you can find it, give it a try!
Yield: 4 as a side dish
1 pound of cucumbers 4 medium tomatoes 1 green bell pepper or Italian frying pepper ¼ of a red or yellow onion Large handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp lemon juice, or to taste Sumac (optional) Salt and black pepper, to taste
  1. Slice the cucumbers in half and use a small spoon to scoop out and discard the watery seeds. Chop the cucumbers into 1-inch chunks.
  2. Quarter the tomatoes, scoop their seeds out, and slice them into pieces that are roughly the same size as the cucumbers.
  3. Chop the green pepper and onion into slightly smaller pieces than the other vegetables (around ½ inch), then place all the vegetables in a large bowl.
  4. Dress the salad with the chopped parsley, oil, lemon juice, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste; this is supposed to be sharp, so add more lemon juice if necessary, and top with a good sprinkle of sumac if you have any around.
Recipe sourced from Yasmin Khan’s book, Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories form Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus.
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Wednesday, August 14, 2024

August 15, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Poblano Peppers

 


What's In The Box

Poblano Peppers: This pepper is dark green in color with wide shoulders and a pointed tip. Poblano peppers have a moderate level of heat. They are flavorful peppers, especially when roasted. Read more about poblano peppers and how to use them in this week’s vegetable feature article.


Sun Orange or Red Grape or Chocolate Sprinkles Tomatoes: These little tomatoes make a great grab-n-go snack, but you can also incorporate them into recipes for appetizers and main dishes. Check out this week’s recipe suggestions for a few ways to put them to use!


Variety of Large Tomatoes: Remove your tomatoes from the paper bag they are packed in and lay them out at room temperature. Assess each one for their degree of ripeness and keep your eye on them from day to day as they finish ripening.


Green Tomatillos: Remove and discard the inedible outer husk. The fruit inside of the husk is entirely usable, no need to peel, remove seeds, etc. You will notice the tomatillo may feel a little tacky on the skin, which is normal. Just wash before you use them.


Italian Garlic: Store at room temperature until you are ready to use it. When cooking garlic, be careful not to over caramelize (aka burn) it or the flavor will be bitter.


Red and/or Yellow Onions: We are working diligently to get our onions and shallots topped and crated this week, so they are tucked away safely when the next summer heat wave comes through! Store your onions at room temperature until ready for use. Incorporate them into cooked dishes, raw salads, or add them to sandwiches!

 

Broccoli: What do you do with less than a pound of broccoli? Add it to a stir-fry, blanch it and add it as a component to a simple grain bowl for a quick lunch, combine it with fresh tomatoes to make a simple pasta dish, or incorporate it into a quiche, casserole, or hot dish!


Green or Italian Zucchini: There are other ways, aside from freezing shredded zucchini, to preserve zucchini. Consider making dehydrated zucchini chips! Either use them as a snack or add them to soups and stews in the winter.


Orange Carrots: If you are a meal-prepper, consider shredding all of your carrots and stage them in your refrigerator. Use them to add moisture, flavor, and all-around goodness to recipes!


Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes: The beauty of a fingerling potato is its long, slender shape. The flesh on this potato is more dry and starchy. It’s a good candidate for pan-frying and sauteing. Cut in half, lengthwise, and cook with a shimmer of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Part way through cooking, cover the pan and use a combination method of indirect heat to steam and tenderize the potatoes while also crisping up the cut side!


Melons or Cucumbers: We still aren’t seeing very large harvest numbers coming out of the melon field, but the ones we have trialed have been quite tasty! Your box this week will contain either a melon variety, or some of our green and/or silver slicer cucumbers. More of both coming soon!


Edamame: Edamame is a type of soybean intended for fresh eating, not processing as for tofu or oil. It is easiest to remove the beans from the pod (which is inedible) AFTER they are cooked. Check out our blog post from a previous year for more information and guidance.


Rainbow Chard: While many don’t think to pair chard with poblano peppers, it’s actually quite good! In this week’s Cooking With the Box information, we share a tasty recipe from a previous year that makes use of both rainbow chard and poblano peppers.


Green Beans: We are nearing the end of green bean season, with just one more planting coming in after this! If you are interested in purchasing a larger quantity, check out next week’s Produce Plus options!


Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents

How To Roast Poblano Peppers

25 Poblano Pepper Recipes

Creamy Roasted Poblano Pasta

Chile Relleno White Mac & Cheese

Spaghetti Verde (Spicy spaghetti with tomatillos, poblano peppers and jalapeños!)

Prime Rib Sandwich with Garlic Mayo & Roasted Poblano Peppers

Homemade Southwest Style Pizza with Corn, Chorizo & Poblanos

Fried Poblano Pepper Rings

Roasted Poblano Cilantro Sauce

Chicken & Poblano Chowder

Corn & Poblano Lasagna (with Zucchini) 

Creamy Chicken & Greens with Roasted Poblano (Includes Rainbow Chard

Cheeseburger Pie with Roasted Poblanos and Corn

Vegetable Enchiladas with Tomatillo Cream Sauce

Caramelized Poblano & Onion Dip

Roasted Poblano, Onion & Jack Quesadilla

Thai-Inspired Zucchini & Tofu Curry

Savory Tomato Clafoutis

Baked Feta with Cherry Tomatoes

Zucchini & Tomato Casserole

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan with Zucchini & Goat Cheese

Lemon Zucchini Pasta with Fresh Basil

Broccoli Pasta Salad with Pecorino and Mint

Best Thai Red Curry with Eggplant & Tofu

Moussaka (Greek eggplant & beef casserole) 

Skillet Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Crispy Smashed Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic Parmesan Aioli

Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn

Crispy Zucchini Chips

10 Unexpected Ways to Use Shredded Carrots


Vegetable Feature: Poblano Peppers

Poblano peppers are a standout pepper when it comes to hot peppers for one simple reason—Flavor!  Some peppers are just hot, and then there are a few that balance their heat with flavor making the whole eating experience more enjoyable.  Poblano peppers are dark green with wide shoulders and a pointy bottom.  They have a thinner wall than bell peppers, but thick enough that they hold up to roasting very well.  In fact, roasting is the process that amplifies and develops the flavor of a poblano.  As I mentioned, poblanos are a hot pepper with a mild to medium level of heat.

Preparation & Usage
Poblano peppers may be eaten raw, sauteed, grilled, or roasted.  Roasting peppers is very easy and can be done over a direct, open flame or in the oven.  If you have a gas stovetop, roast the poblanos directly on your burners over a high flame.  If you have a small rack, you can put that over the burner.  The other direct flame method is to roast them on a grill.  If you want to use an oven, it’s best to roast them under a broiler.  Roast until most of the skin is blackened.  You’ll have to turn them periodically to blacken all sides evenly.  Stay close and don’t walk away because sometimes this happens quickly, especially under a broiler.  Once the skin is charred, put the peppers in a covered bowl or a paper bag so they can steam and cool slightly for about 10 minutes.  Once cool enough to handle, use the back of a knife to scrape away the skin.  Remove the stem and scrape away all the seeds from the inside of the pepper.  Now you’re ready to add roasted poblano peppers to whatever dish you’re preparing!

While the shape of poblano peppers makes them a good candidate for stuffing with a filling, there are many other ways to use them.  They pair well with summer & fall vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet corn, sweet peppers, potatoes, zucchini, winter squash, sweet potatoes and dried beans.  They also pair well with cream, cheese, sour cream and dairy in general which is a nice complement to their heat.  Creamy poblano sauce can be used to make potato gratin, pasta dishes, or as a sauce to top off enchiladas or grilled chicken or beef.  If you don’t have a recipe in mind already, I would recommend you take a look at the recipes we’ve included in past newsletters.  Many of the recipes in this list have received excellent member feedback!

Storage Tips
The appropriate storage temperature for peppers is 45-50°F, which is warmer than your home refrigerator should be. Peppers may get chill injury if stored for prolonged periods of time in temperatures less than 45-50°F. Thus, it’s better to store them at room temperature. If they start to get a little soft, they are still good and should be used soon. They may also turn red in color, which is simply a sign that they are continuing to ripen. Store peppers in a paper bag and avoid extra moisture that can cause spoiling.


Message from Andrea

Hello Everyone! 

This week’s vegetable feature is one of my favorite summer vegetables, Poblano Peppers! I love the flavor poblano peppers impart on dishes and there are many ways to utilize them beyond the typical Chile Relleno. I do not have a specific feature recipe for you this week, but rather an extended list of recipe suggestions in hopes that you’ll find something that appeals to you. In the list of suggestions I included a few of the most popular recipes from past CSA seasons. This recipe for Creamy Chicken & Greens with Roasted Poblano which is a great way to utilize this week’s rainbow chard. This recipe for Cheeseburger Pie with Roasted Poblanos and Corn is another tasty hit. And lastly, while this recipe for Vegetable Enchiladas with Tomatillo Cream Sauce is a little more of a labor investment, it’s totally worth the time it takes to make it and it incorporates a lot of the vegetables from this week’s box! 

Have fun cooking and eating through this week’s box and I’ll see you back next week!
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Wednesday, August 7, 2024

August 8, 2024 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Tomatillos

 


What's In The Box

Italian Garlic: A bit of garlic adds flavor to any summer tomato dish, raw or cooked. Add it to fresh salsa, bruschetta, or use it in a marinade for meat or vegetables to put on the grill!

Monastrell Red Onions: Monastrell is the name of a red wine grape that yields a dark red wine; hence the name was found fitting for this similarly dark red onion! Enjoy thin slices of red onion in summer salads & sandwiches. This onion also has natural sugars that caramelize when grilled or slowly sautéed!

Broccoli: Broccoli is one of those staple vegetables that pairs well with many different vegetables throughout the season. Check out this week’s recipe suggestions for a few ways to use broccoli with this week’s selection of midsummer vegetables.

Green and/or Italian Zucchini and/or Scallopini Squash:  If you want to tuck away some summer vegetables to use during the winter months, zucchini is an easy one to freeze raw. If you’re going to use it in baked goods, shred it and freeze it in 1 cup portions, or whatever quantity works for your favorite baked good recipe. You can also dice it and add it to vegetable soup or stews during the winter months.

Orange Carrots: Carrots are a great companion to zucchini in baked goods, adding sweetness as well as moisture.

Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes: This week’s potato variety was a new one we trialed. Fingerling potatoes are typically more long and slender in shape. This variety has red skin with pinkish-white flesh. It is more of a starchy potato with flesh that is more on the dry side, which makes it a good candidate for roasting and/or pan-frying. It also acts as a sponge for butter or olive oil!

Green Bell Peppers: Add thin slices of green bell peppers to sandwiches in lieu of lettuce. Thick slices of raw bell peppers are also a great snack eaten with your favorite dip!

Serrano Pepper: This week’s hot pepper is a new one for us. There is one serrano pepper in your box. It resembles a jalapeño pepper, although it is a bit more slender and longer than a jalapeño. As for the heat level, our crew members tell us they are a bit more spicy than jalapeños. Use this week’s serrano pepper to make a tasty tomatillo salsa!

Green Beans: Try something new with this week’s green beans, check out the recipe in this week’s suggestions for Oven-Fried Crispy Green Beans or Batter-Fried Green Beans!

Small Tomatoes: We’re finally starting to see more tomatoes ripening and we had enough for a full pint in every box! You will receive one of three varieties including Sun Orange, Red Grape, or Chocolate Sprinkles.

Variety of Tomatoes: The first of our assorted varieties of larger tomatoes are also starting to ripen. This week’s bag is just a little taste of more to come very soon! Store tomatoes at room temperature and monitor for ripeness.

Cilantro:  We included cilantro in this week’s box as it is a natural pairing with tomatillos in salsa as well as other tomatillo preparations!

Tomatillos: This is the green fruit with an outer husk. The outer husk should be removed and discarded as it is not edible. Read more about this selection in our vegetable feature article this week.

Sweet Corn: Remember to keep sweet corn cold and eat it within a few days to preserve sweetness. There’s more value to sweet corn than just the kernels of corn! Did you know the corn silks can be used to make tea and the cobs, once the corn is cut off, are a great addition to vegetable or meat stock! 

Edamame: There is a one-pound portion of edamame in your box this week. Edamame is a fresh soybean. The pod that holds the beans is not edible and should be discarded. It is easiest to shell the beans AFTER they are cooked. Check out last year’s feature article about edamame on our blog for more information.

Green and/or Silver Slicer Cucumbers or Melon: Cucumbers are back on the harvest list as our second planting is starting to produce! We are also just starting to pick the first melons. Your box will contain either cucumbers or a melon. If you receive a melon, it will either be Sun Jewel (bright yellow rind with crispy white flesh), Sweet Sarah Cantaloupe, or Sugar Cube (personal sized cantaloupe type).

Recipe Suggestions & Inspiration For This Week’s Box Contents
Vegetable Enchiladas with Tomatillo Cream Sauce
Roasted Tomatillo & Chickpea Curry
Pork Chile Verde (Pork with Tomatillo Sauce) 
Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad
Beef Stir-Fry with Broccoli & Edamame
Grilled Corn & Broccoli Salad
Sheet Pan Lemon Pepper Chicken with Broccoli & Tomatoes
Morning Glory Zucchini Carrot Muffins
Zucchini Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Gluten-Free Zucchini & Carrot Breakfast Cookies
Spiced Zucchini Carrot Bread
Edamame: Cooking & Prep Instructions
Edamame & Sea Salt
Roasted Edamame
Wasabi Roasted Edamame
Fried Rice with Edamame & Corn
Cucumber & Tomato Salad
Cucumber & Edamame Salad with Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette
Garlic-Scented Tomato Salad
Garlic Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Pan-Fried Fingerling Potatoes with Bacon
Cheesy Zucchini & Bell Pepper Pasta Bake
Easy Cheesy Green Pepper Dip
Grilled Zucchini & Corn Salad


Vegetable Feature: Tomatillos

Tomatillos are typically used as a vegetable, but technically they are a fruit.  The fruit is hidden inside a husk that looks like a paper lantern.  You know the tomatillo is ready to pick when it fills the husk nearly completely.

Preparation & Usage
Tomatillos may be eaten raw or cooked and have a mild, tangy flavor that is slightly fruity. When raw, tomatillos are firm with a dense flesh. Once cooked, tomatillos soften and break apart becoming more like sauce. They contain pectin which is a natural thickener. The outer husk is not edible, so this needs to be removed before you use them. The fruit inside might feel a little sticky, which is normal. Just give them a quick rinse and you’re ready to go.

One of the most familiar ways to use tomatillos is in making salsa!  Tomatillo salsa may be prepared with all raw vegetables which will give you a fresh, chunky salsa.  The alternative is to cook the tomatillos in a little water before blending the softened, cooked tomatillos with the other salsa ingredients.  If you cook the tomatillos first, you’ll get a more smooth salsa.   Roasting tomatillos along with the other salsa ingredients such as onions, garlic, peppers and even limes cut in half will further develop the flavors of these ingredients giving you yet another version of tomatillo salsa.  Tomatillo salsa is delicious when simply served as a snack or appetizer along with tortilla chips, but it can also be used to top off tacos, quesadillas, make enchiladas, or served alongside your morning eggs or stirred into a bowl of black beans and/or rice.

Salsa is not the only use for tomatillos.  There are many other interesting ways to take advantage of their unique tang and natural pectin.  The tanginess of tomatillos pairs very well with pork and can make a delicious stew which is thickened by the tomatillo.  They can also be used to make sauces for chicken and bean dishes, blend them into guacamole, or incorporate them into soups, salads or even dessert!

Storage Tips
Tomatillos are best stored at room temperature until ready for use. They are also very easy to preserve for use in the off-season. One option is to make salsa now and either can or freeze it. Alternatively, you can freeze tomatillos whole and raw. Simply remove the outer husk, wash and dry the fruit. Put them in a freezer bag and pop them into the freezer. They don’t retain their firm texture after freezing, so don’t be surprised if they are soft when you thaw them.

Growing Information
Tomatillos grow on plants that are similar to a tomato plant, but they are usually larger and have more of a wild, jungle-like appearance.  Their main stem is thick and sometimes resembles a small tree trunk! The plants can grow to be over seven feet tall, so we put stakes in between and tie the plants to them progressively as they grow in order to keep the plant upright and the fruit off the ground.  Tomatillos grow from pretty little yellow blossoms which are a favorite food source for bumble bees and other pollinator creatures.


Chilaquiles Verdes 

Yield:  4 servings

This traditional Mexican recipe is a resourceful way to use extra tortillas from the day before, such that nothing goes to waste! Chilaquiles may be served at any meal of the day. Many people enjoy Chilaquiles for breakfast with fried eggs, which was the way I was introduced to them this past winter when I visited Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. We were offered chilaquiles every morning for breakfast. When I asked our crew members if they eat chilaquiles for breakfast, a few said “sometimes,” but most said they prefer it for their afternoon or evening meal served with beans or some sort of meat. It is important to add the sauce to the fried tortillas just before serving so the tortillas still have texture and are not soggy.
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1-3 serrano or jalapeño pepper(s) (see note)
½ medium onion
Water, As needed
½ cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp lime juice 
1 tsp salt
12 corn tortillas
4 Tbsp vegetable oil, for frying

For Serving:
Cotija cheese
Chopped cilantro
Diced Onions
Sour Cream or Mexican crema
Fried Eggs, Beans, Meat of your choosing
  1. In a medium pot, add the tomatillos, jalapeño or serrano pepper, onion, and enough water to completely cover them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes or until the tomatillos are soft.
  2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatillos, pepper, and onion to a blender. Add the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and salt and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt as needed.
  3. Stack the corn tortillas on top of each other and cut them into eighths to create small triangle wedges. Line a large plate with paper towels and set aside.
  4. Working in batches, heat 2 Tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
  5. Add half of the tortillas and fry for 8 minutes, stirring every minutes or so, until they are crispy. Transfer them to the lined plate to drain and repeat the frying process with the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil and tortilla wedges.
  6. After the second batch of tortillas is finished, add all of the fried tortillas back to the pan and pour the salsa verde on top.  Gently toss together to coat. 
  7. Serve immediately and garnish with cotija cheese, cilantro, onions, and/or sour cream. 

Note from Andrea:  The original recipe called for 3 jalapeño peppers. The original recipe also recommended removing all the seeds, which helps to decrease the heat. Three jalapeños or serrano peppers is too much heat for my liking, so I recommend you adjust the amount of hot pepper in this recipe to your preference.  Both our jalapeño and serrano peppers have a fair amount of heat this year, so I would recommend starting with just one pepper. You can always add more if you want more spice, but you can’t take the heat out if it’s too much!  

Recipe borrowed from Isabel Orozco-Moore from her blog, isabeleats.com. If you are interested in more Mexican recipes, check out her site. She has a lot of really great recipes featuring a lot of the vegetables we have in season right now!
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