Harmony Valley Farm: CSA

Hello and welcome to August! We’ve had a very cool week, which means some things are ripening a bit more slowly. Nonetheless, we have a lot of delicious summer vegetables in this week’s box! Lets start with eggplant, this week’s featured vegetable! In recent years I’ve really come to like and enjoy eggplant much more than when I was first introduced to it. Last winter, before COVID-19 took over the world, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Italy. I enjoyed eggplant with several different meals, but one dish in particular lingered in my memory. We were heading to Rome after visiting the island of Sicily and had spent the night traveling on a ferry. The boat was delayed coming into dock in Salerno on the Amalfi coast and by the time we got off it was lunch time and we hadn’t had breakfast. We were starving and our first mission was to find a place to eat lunch. We managed to find a place to park and from there went to the closest restaurant which happened to be a cafeteria, which I must say is much nicer than cafeteria style restaurants in the US! We figured it must be good though because it seemed that this is where the working class locals were going for lunch. We each got a slice of pizza and some vegetable sides including a marinated eggplant served at room temperature. It was so simple, but so delicious and thus, I’ve attempted to recreate the recipe for you here. In this recipe for Salerno-Style Grilled Eggplant (see below), the eggplant is grilled, then you slide the pieces into a marinade that you essentially make by putting all the ingredients on the plate/bowl you’ll serve it in. When the hot eggplant hits the oil laced with garlic, onions and parsley, the flavors and scents start to unfold. Yes, the eggplant soaks up the olive oil, which adds richness to this otherwise very mild, lean vegetable. I like to eat this with grilled bread a slice of simple pizza or a simple pasta dish. You can also use this same application for grilled zucchini. The other recipe this week is for Chocolate Eggplant Torte (see below). That’s right—eggplant in a baked dessert! I had to try it and I must admit—it’s quite good! In this application, you take full advantage of the silky, smooth texture of the eggplant to add body and texture to the cake. This recipe is vegan and gluten free. It is a bit more dense and fudgy in texture, which is quite delicious. Give it a try and see what you think!

Egyptian Spinach

Before we go too much further into the box I want to talk about this week’s bunched green Egyptian Spinach. This is a unique green that grows best during the heat of the summer. It is rich in nutrients and is most often eaten cooked. It contains a soluble fiber that gives it a viscous texture when cooked and it’s so delicious! If you’d like to learn more about this vegetable, I encourage you to read the Vegetable Feature article we published in our newsletter back in 2013. My top recommendation for using this vegetable is to make Egyptian Spinach Soup. This soup is simple, but it is so delicious. It’s also such a nourishing soup I guarantee you will feel so good after you eat it!

We’re into our second planting of zucchini right now and this week I’m inspired to talk about Zoodles! That’s right, zucchini noodles. Don’t think you have to have a spiralizer to make these, although if you do you can certainly use it! Visit this blog post at LoveandLemons.com where you can learn about other tools and ways you can make your own Zoodles. You’ll also find a list of recipes using zoodles including this vegetarian recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Lemon “Ricotta.” This recipe includes a vegan “ricotta” that is made from nuts and seeds and the dish gets a splash of color and flavor from grape tomatoes. It’s a simple, light and refreshing alternative to pasta salad!

I decided I need to get more creative with using cucumbers before the season is over and to help achieve that I found this article for 50+ Cool As A Cucumber Recipes! This collection has some traditional, common versions of cucumber recipes, but it also has a lot of really off-the-beaten path ways to enjoy cucumbers including a Cucumber Lime Lavender Spritzer, Hoisin Glazed Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumbers, and Bahn Mi Pizza featuring quick-pickled cucumbers, radish and carrots served on top of a cheesy pizza with all the flavors of a traditional Bahn Mi Sandwich! There is also a recipe for Tuna Quinoa Toss which is a nice one-bowl, complete protein lunch option.

Creamy Garlic and Onion Spaghetti
photo by *~Lissa~* for allrecipes.com

While onions go in so many dishes as a background flavor, you can also use them as a main feature item as well! Check out this recipe for Creamy Garlic & Onion Spaghetti. You could easily add chicken, shrimp and/or broccoli to this recipe as a variation as well. Jalapenos are seldom the star of the show either, but they can be! Check out this recipe for Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce or try Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs. This recipe makes quite a lot so you might want to cut it in half.

If you missed last week’s Sweet Corn Vegetable Feature I’d encourage you to go check it out. We featured two recipes featuring sweet corn last week. The first was for Sweet Corn Pancakes, which are served with maple syrup. The second is for a Grilled Corn & Kale Salad which I think is quite tasty! After we published the recipe I realized cilantro would also be a good flavor to add to this salad. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?! Give it a try!

While Richard always prefers mayonnaise based vegetable salads, I want to try this Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans. This salad has a red wine vinaigrette with fresh herbs as the dressing and includes green beans and tomatoes. Very fitting for this time of year!

Fried Eggs in Green Pepper Rings
photo from reluctantentertainer.com

I typically keep it simple when I prepare green beans, and this recipe for Green Beans with Sesame Sauce appears to be quite simple, yet flavorful! Speaking of simple, we have one simple, humble green bell pepper in this week’s boxes. If you don’t know what to do with one pepper, consider eating it for breakfast! Try these Fried Eggs in Green Pepper Rings or Potato and Bell Pepper Breakfast Hash.

The broccoli continues, although it tapered off a bit this week. I don’t make casseroles very often, but why not make a good old broccoli casserole this week! I found two interesting recipes, the first is a Healthy Broccoli Casserole that also has a base of mushrooms. The second one is a One-Pan Wild Rice and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole.

Last, but not least, the melons and tomatoes are finally starting to ripen and you’ll likely receive one or the other in your box this week. This week we’re picking Sun Jewel melons which are a unique, early season Korean melon with sweet, crispy white flesh. If you’re looking for something interesting to do with this melon, try Chef Tory’s recipe for Cucumber and Melon Salad with Feta Cheese. Chef Tory has several restaurants in Madison, Wisconsin. We participated in a dinner last year sponsored by The Isthums for a video series they produced entitled “Food for Thought.” Click the link for the recipe and you’ll also find the video! Trust me, this salad is so delicious!

Ok, we’ve reached the bottom of the box. Whoa, that was a haul! Get ready though, we have a lot more coming up for the next few boxes including edamame, cantaloupe, watermelons, more sweet corn and purple beans! Have a great week!—Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Flashy, Silky, Classy--That's Eggplant

By Chef Andrea

Listada Eggplant

We didn’t eat a lot of eggplant where I grew up in central Indiana. In fact, the first time I ate eggplant might have been when I was in culinary school. As beautiful and eye-catching as it was, I have to admit I was a bit intimidated by it because it was unlike any other vegetable I had ever seen. Eggplant is a unique crop in a class all its own, but I also think it may be one of the most beautiful crops we grow! Over the years I’ve learned to appreciate eggplant, its characteristics and the traditional ways eggplant shows up in cuisines all around the world.

Eggplant grows on plants that are several feet tall. There are many varieties of eggplant ranging in size from small round ones the size of a golf ball to large globe eggplant weighing over a pound. They come in a variety of colors ranging from various shades of purple to black, green, white and orange. We have narrowed our line-up of eggplant to four including Lilac Bride, Purple Dancer, Listada and the traditional Black eggplant. Please refer to our previous blog post which includes pictures and profiles of each eggplant and highlights the characteristics of each in further detail. Each variety is best for different uses, so it’s helpful to visualize which variety you have before you decide how you want to use it.

Black Eggplant

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and must be cooked. Many resources will tell you to salt eggplant before cooking it to remove bitterness. While some older varieties were bitter, the new varieties we grow have been selected because they are not bitter, thus you can skip the salting step for that reason. You may still choose to salt eggplant to soften the flesh so it doesn’t absorb too much oil. Most of our varieties of eggplant have skin that is tender enough to eat, thus depending upon how you are using it, you do not always need to peel them either.

Eggplant has a soft, silky texture when cooked, which is one of its most unique attributes. While its flavor is very mild, the texture is what allows it to absorb other flavors. When you cut into eggplant, you might even describe its raw texture as being kind of “spongy,” and in many ways it is kind of like a flavor sponge! When pairing eggplant with other ingredients in dishes, make sure you’re using good quality ingredients. For example if a recipe calls for olive oil, make sure you use a good olive oil as the eggplant will absorb that flavor. Eggplant is often paired with other summer vegetables including tomatoes, onions, garlic and peppers. It also goes well with flavorful olive oil, tahini, herbs such as basil and parsley and spices including cumin, coriander, sumac, and cinnamon. Depending on the part of the world a recipe is coming from, you’ll also find eggplant served with dairy products including yogurt, cheese (feta, Parmesan and mozzarella), and cream and fruits including lemons and pomegranate.

Eggplant & Chickpea Patties, HVF Newsletter
July 28-29, 2017

When cooking eggplant, you definitely want to cook it to the soft and tender point. This is not a vegetable that you want to be “al dente” or to have any “crunch” left in it. Soft and smooshy is good, but you can have soft, tender eggplant that also holds its shape. Some varieties will do this better than others. Eggplant may be grilled, fried, sautéed, baked, steamed, stewed and roasted. In addition to the classic dishes mentioned above, I was surprised to learn that eggplant can also be used in baking! I was so intrigued I had to give it a try, but it also makes sense so why not?! Eggplant functions in ways similar to applesauce or bananas in baked goods by adding moisture and a silky, smooth texture.

Eggplant does not store terribly well, so it is best to use it soon after getting it. It is best stored at a temperature of about 45-50°F, but your home refrigerator should be colder than this which can cause chill injury. Thus, we recommend storing your eggplant on the kitchen counter and use it within 2-4 days. If it does start to get a little soft, don’t worry, just cook it. It will get soft with cooking anyway!

Chocolate Eggplant Torte

Yield: 6 servings or 12 cupcakes

1 eggplant, approximately 1 pound

1 cup 70% dark chocolate chips

1 banana

⅓ cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup good quality raw cacao powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup almond flour

Coconut oil, for greasing pan

Optional Ingredients for Garnishing

Dark chocolate

Sliced almonds

Powdered Sugar

Grease a loaf pan and line with a sheet of parchment paper or prepare a muffin tin with paper liners.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet, then slice the eggplant lengthwise. Place on the cookie sheet, cut side down. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the eggplant is cooked through and very soft. Remove the eggplant and cool enough to handle. Scrape the flesh away from the skin and puree it in a food processor or blender. You will need 1 cup of eggplant puree. If you have extra, reserve it for another use.
Melt chocolate chips over boiling water in a double boiler.
Once the chocolate is melted, add to a food processor or blender along with the eggplant puree, banana, maple syrup and vanilla. Puree until smooth. The mixture will look like a thick pudding at this point.
In a large mixing bowl, sift the cacao powder, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Add the almond flour and salt. Stir to combine the dry ingredients, then add the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. The batter will be pretty thick at this point.
Spread the batter into the greased loaf pan or portion the batter into muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes (if using a loaf pan), or 25 minutes if making cupcakes.
Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the pan, then grasp the parchment paper lining and use it to transfer the cake to a plate. If you are making cupcakes, carefully remove the cupcakes in their paper liners and allow to fully cool on a cooling rack.
Once fully cooled, garnish to your liking. You may dust the cake/cupcakes with powdered sugar or you may choose to melt some additional chocolate to drizzle on top along with sliced almonds. Serve at room temperature and store any extras in the refrigerator.

This recipe was adapted from FreshPlanetFlavor.com.

Salerno-Style Marinated Grilled Eggplant

Yield: 3-4 servings (as an appetizer or side dish)

3 Tbsp sunflower oil or other neutral oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound eggplant

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp finely minced garlic

1 Tbsp finely minced onion

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes

Flaky salt (such as Maldon), for serving (optional)

Prepare the eggplant by slicing it in either direction (your choice), ¼ to ½ inch thick. Lay the slices out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush sunflower oil on the eggplant. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then turn all the slices over. Repeat on the other side. Set aside for 10-15 minutes
Preheat a grill to medium heat. Alternatively, you may use a grill pan on the stovetop.
While you are preheating the grill, prepare the marinade. Select a serving plate or flat, shallow bowl that is 10-11 inches in diameter. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil on the plate, then add the red wine vinegar by drizzling it on top of the oil.
Next, sprinkle the minced garlic & onions, chopped parsley and red pepper flakes over the surface of the oil. Set aside in a location near where you will be cooking the eggplant.
When the grill is ready, add the slices of eggplant. Grill for several minutes on the first side, or until there are nice grill marks and the eggplant is starting to soften. Turn all the pieces over and repeat on the other side. Be careful to monitor the heat. You need it hot enough to get good grill marks, but you don’t want the eggplant to cook too quickly. Once you have nice grill marks on both sides, test a piece to see if it’s fully cooked (tender and soft). If it is not, move the slices of eggplant to a cooler part of the grill and continue to cook for a few more minutes or until it is tender. Alternatively, you can transfer the slices to a cookie sheet and bake them in a 350°F oven until they are tender (5-15 minutes depending on the degree of doneness and thickness of the slices).
When the eggplant is fully cooked, transfer the slices, while still hot, to the platter containing the oil mixture. Slide the pieces of eggplant into the seasoned oil so that the oil, garlic, etc is on the top and bottom of each piece. Allow the eggplant to cool in the oil to room temperature. If desired, or if it needs to be seasoned a little more to your liking, sprinkle with additional salt prior to serving.
Serve at room temperature along with crusty bread if you wish. After all, you need something to sop up the extra olive oil!

Recipe developed by Andrea Yoder.

Variation: This recipe is also applicable to zucchini. If you prefer, you could use a mix of zucchini and eggplant.

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

July 30, 2020 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Sweet Corn!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Sierra Blanca Onions: Beer Battered Onion Rings; Chopped Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad; One-Pan Chicken with Potatoes & Tarragon

Missouri Garlic: Roasted Garlic Butter; Chinese “Dry-Fried” Green Beans; Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Herbed Yogurt

Green and/or Italian Zucchini: Grilled Corn Kale Salad (see below); Crustless Quiche with Summer Vegetables; Summertime Beer-Battered Fried Zucchini with Honey Mustard Ranch Dipping Sauce

Green and Silver Slicer Cucumbers (included in some boxes this week): Chopped Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad; Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts

Green Beans: Chinese “Dry-Fried” Green Beans

Green Curly Kale: Grilled Corn Kale Salad (see below); Vegetarian Kale Taco Salad

Red Prairie or Gold Carola Potatoes: Crispy Smashed Potatoeswith Herbed Yogurt; One-Pan Chicken with Potatoes & Tarragon

Sweet Corn: Sweet Corn Pancakes (see below); Grilled Corn Kale Salad (see below); Cornbread with Fresh Sweet Corn

Sunorange, Chocolate Sprinkles or Red Grape Tomatoes: Chopped Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad; Tomato Basil Scrambled Eggs

Tomatillos: Grilled Tomatillo & Pineapple Salsa; Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Chili

Cauliflower OR Broccoli: Chicken Broccoli Quesadilla; Grilled Cauliflower Hummus Sandwich; Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Pizza

Orange Carrots: Ranch Fun Dip; Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Pizza

Black Eggplant (included in some boxes this week): Eggplant & Chickpea Patties; Baked Eggplant Parmesan Penne

This week’s box is full of summer! Rays of sunshine all soaked up and transformed into deliciousness by these beautiful vegetables! Lets dive in and get cooking…and eating! We’re talking sweet corn in this week’s vegetable feature, and what is summer without sweet corn! Sweet corn is one of those vegetables you just can’t rush. Even though we want a crop to be ready by a certain harvest date, it just doesn’t work that way. Every crop matures on its own time and there’s nothing we can do except wait for the point of perfection and pick it! This means sometimes we have a lot and sometimes we have a little. Regardless of how much you have, there are so many ways to use sweet corn that go beyond just corn on the cob. You know I love to start the day off with vegetables in my breakfast, so why not kick off your morning with Sweet Corn Pancakes (see below)! Top them off with some fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup and I guarantee you’ll have a good day. If you’re looking to stay in the category of savory, consider this week’s other featured recipe for Grilled Corn and Kale Salad (see below). Summer is the time to get creative with making and enjoying non-lettuce based vegetable salads. This Grilled Corn and Kale Salad is a substantial salad that can serve as a meal all its own. Massaged kale with grilled zucchini, corn and slices of fresh onions piled high. If there’s room in your bowl, feel free to add some avocado, grilled chicken or poached fish as well!

Vegetarian Kale Taco Salad
photo from thealmondeater.com

Before we move on to other topics, I have a few more summer salad options to mention. If the Grilled Corn and Kale Salad isn’t on your list for this week, you might want to use the kale to make this Vegetarian Kale Taco Salad. I also want to mention this Chopped Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad. This is a simple salad, but if you use good ingredients you don’t need to do much to make it delicious! Add parsley from your herb garden, dress it with a simple basic vinaigrette of honey, Dijon mustard and lemon juice or vinegar. Eat it just as it is, or serve it spooned over grilled bread for bruschetta or with hummus and pita chips. I also have my eye on this Thai Cucumber Salad with Peanuts. The thing I like about salads with Thai influence is how they utilize fresh, simple and clean ingredient combinations.

Did you notice how beautiful the dark, shiny beans are this week? If you aren’t afraid of a little spice, try these Chinese “Dry-Fried”Green Beans. This utilizes a stir-fry method from the Szechuan region of China where the food is spicy and flavorful! On the other end of the spectrum, did you notice the brilliant white Sierra Blanca onions! So beautiful, mild, tasty, and perfect for Beer Battered Onion Rings! I know, we just talked about healthy kale salads and now I’m suggesting deep fried food? Yes, at least once a summer we need to put a pot of oil on the stove and make fresh onion rings. While you’re at it, you might as well make some Summertime Beer-Battered Fried Zucchini with Honey Mustard Ranch Dipping Sauce as well!

One-Pan Chicken with Potatoes & Tarragon
photo from alexandracooks.com

We are so grateful for this year’s potato crop! This really is the time to indulge in potatoes, when they are fresh and so delicious. I still think it’s wise to keep the preparations simple, such as Andrea Bemis’ recipe for Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Herbed Yogurt. We featured her recipe in a previous newsletter. This recipe actually employs a combo cooking method. First you boil the potatoes, then smash them and roast them so they get crispy. Then you serve them with a creamy yogurt based sauce laced with fresh parsley, dill, lemon and garlic. Of course you could just boil them and slather them with some homemade Roasted Garlic Butter! I also found this recipe for One-Pan Chicken with Potatoes & Tarragon. You could substitute chervil from your herb garden in place of the tarragon, or really any other fresh herb of your choosing. In this recipe, you roast the potatoes alongside the chicken which has a marinade made of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise—so odd I have to try it!

I like quiche any time of the year, so this recipe for Crustless Quiche with Summer Vegetables caught my eye. I also like recipes that are intended to be versatile, as this one is. Use whatever summer vegetables are speaking to you. Potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, or peppers are all great selections. We’ll have many more tomatoes yet to come, but even if you only have a few you can still make Tomato Basil Scrambled Eggs for breakfast!

Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Chili
photo from recipewisdom.com

We weren’t sure we’d be able to harvest tomatillos again this week, but the plants pulled through for us and we have enough to send another pound your way this week! This was our featured vegetable last week, so if you didn’t have a chance to read the feature article, check out our blog and you’ll find twelve delicious recipes using tomatillos! This week I want to try this Grilled Tomatillo & Pineapple Salsa. You could just eat it with chips, or serve it over grilled fish or chicken. Of course, you could also make this tasty Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Chili and serve it with Cornbread with Fresh Sweet Corn!

Quesadillas are on our dinner rotation pretty frequently, mainly because they are quick and easy to make and you can put nearly anything in them. So, lets give these Chicken Broccoli Quesadillas a try! I also want to try this Grilled Cauliflower Hummus Sandwich. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten cauliflower on a sandwich, but why not? While we’re trying new things, I’ll also mention this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower and Carrot Pizza. That’s right, cauliflower and carrots on pizza!

Ranch Fun Dip
photo by Kristin Miglore for food52.com

So, over the weekend I watched the most recent Genius Recipe video on Food52.com. It caught my eye because it was described as a recipe that will get you eating more vegetables. Ok, I need to know how this recipe will do that and I have to admit, this is a pretty genius idea. In fact, I wish I had come up with it myself! So the original idea behind this concept was to create a healthy snack that could travel well without having to be refrigerated. Vegetables and dip is a great snack, but most dip options need to be refrigerated. That’s where the genius part of this recipe comes in—this dip is totally dry and shelf stable! Remember Fun Dip candy where you dip the stick into candy powder? That was the inspiration for this concept. All the flavor is packed into a dry mix that you dip fresh vegetables in. The vegetables need to have a little water on them which will make the dry seasoning mix stick to them! The recipe on Food52.com is for Ranch Fun Dip, but feel free to get creative and make up your own flavor combinations and pair them with any vegetables you want to starting with this week’s fresh carrots!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan Penne

We’re nearly at the bottom of the box, but before we finish we need to talk about the glossy, elegant black eggplant. I was taking a look at our recipe archives and wanted to mention a few delicious recipes from the past featuring eggplant. The first is Eggplant & Chickpea Patties. These are so tasty and make a great main dish item for a vegetarian dinner. The second is for Baked Eggplant Parmesan Penne, which was a hit in previous years even amongst the crowd of individuals who are a hard sell when it comes to eggplant!

Ok, that’s a wrap for this week. Next week we’ll likely have some delicious sun jewel melons for you and hopefully a few peppers and more tomatoes…and corn! Enjoy the last week of July and I’ll see you back here next week for more summer recipes!---Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Sweet Corn

By Chef Andrea

Summer isn’t summer without sweet corn and we work really hard to grow the sweetest, best tasting corn we can! Sweet corn is not always the easiest crop to grow. Variety selection is a big part of the picture and there’s also the issue of pest control because, unfortunately, we are not the only creatures who like to eat sweet corn in the summer! If you’re interested in learning more about what it takes to grow sweet corn, I’d encourage you to read the article we published on our blog last year entitled “The Journey of Sweet Corn: From Seed to Table.”

Icing corn after harvest

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!!! When you get your sweet corn home, please put it directly into the refrigerator and keep it there until you’re ready to cook it. 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.

Corn cut from the husk after cooking

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 the cob or cutting it off the cob before cooking. Often people will choose to cook corn on the cob and 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 when I cut the kernels off the cob. This way the kernels will fall into the bowl instead of all over the cutting board.

photo by Marcus Nilson for epicurious.com

Once corn is cooked you have many options for how to use it. 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 or a blueberry sweet corn crumble! A little fresh corn can really brighten up any dish with its sweetness, color and tender texture. If you need a little help finding recipes or ideas, check out this article from Epicurious that includes 79 recipes using corn!

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 Broth or stock. Corn cob broth can be used when making risotto, poaching fish or chicken, or as the base for sauces and soups. There are many ways you can do this, but here are a couple versions to get you started.

Corn Stock by Martha Stewart

Corn Stock by Saveur Magazine

I also learned that corn silk has health benefits and can be made into tea using either fresh or dried silks! If you’re interested in learning more about these health benefits or how to make corn silk tea, here are a few articles to consult: www.stylecraze.com/articles/health-benefits-of-corn-silk-tea and www.healthline.com/nutrition/corn-silk#bottom-line.

Lastly, I want to mention that sweet corn is very easy to freeze so you can savor it during the winter. I recommend cooking it on the cob and then removing the kernels after cooking. Simply put it in a freezer bag and pop it into the freezer. It’s that easy! Use the corn cobs to make corn stock and you can freeze that as well!

Grilled Corn & Kale Salad

Yield: 2-3 servings

4 cups green curly or lacinato kale, torn into bite-sized pieces (½ bunch)

1 Tbsp olive oil (for massaging the kale)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil (for grilled vegetables)

1 medium zucchini

½ of a medium white or red onion, thinly sliced

2 ears fresh corn, husked

½ cup grape tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 avocado, diced (optional)

½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

Dressing:

3 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup lime juice

2 cloves garlic

¼ to ½ of a jalapeño, seeds removed

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp cumin

Salt and black pepper, to taste

First, preheat your grill or prepare a grill pan if you’re using the stovetop.
While the grill is preheating, prepare the kale. Strip the leaves off the main stem and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Using your hands, massage the kale to ensure all pieces are thoroughly and lightly coated with oil. Set aside.
Make the dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients in a blender and pulse until everything is combined. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour about half the dressing over the kale and toss to combine.
Prepare the zucchini and corn for grilling. Slice zucchini into ¼ inch slices. Brush each side with a little vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the ears of corn with vegetable oil as well, and season with salt and pepper. Lay both vegetables on the grill and grill for 5-7 minutes on each side, or as needed to get nice grill marks and cook the vegetables until tender. Remove from grill and set aside to cool slightly.
Once the vegetables are cooled enough to handle, cut the zucchini into small diced pieces. Using a paring knife, cut the corn kernels off the cob of corn. Add both zucchini and corn kernels to the kale along with the onion and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Add more dressing as needed to nicely coat all the vegetables. You may choose not to use all the dressing.
Allow the salad to rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. This salad is durable enough to be made in advance and served the next day, in fact the flavors and texture are actually a bit improved! Top each portion with toasted pumpkin seeds and avocado if desired.

This recipe was adapted slightly from an original recipe published on www.thealmondeater.com. This is a great “make in advance” salad to take with you on a picnic or pack for a portable lunch!

Sweet Corn Pancakes

Yield: About 9-10 4-inch pancakes

2 Tbsp butter, plus additional for the pan or griddle

1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from 1-2 ears of corn)

⅛ tsp salt

1 large egg

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp sugar

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup cornmeal (finely ground)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle pan over medium heat. Add the corn and saute for 4-5 minutes, until it begins to brown ever-so-slightly. Season with salt and transfer to another bowl to cool slightly. Wipe out the skillet so you can use it to make the pancakes.
Lightly beat the egg in a large mixing bowl, then whisk in buttermilk, vanilla and sugar. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir dry ingredients into the egg and buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined but still a little lumpy in appearance. Fold in the sweet corn.
Reheat your skillet or griddle pan over medium heat. Brush the pan with butter and ladle ¼ cup batter at a time, keeping pancakes spaced so they don’t run together. When the pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around the edges, flip them over and cook them until golden brown on the other side. If they seem to be cooking too quickly (dark on the outside, but still raw in the center), turn the heat down slightly for the next batch. Brush the pan with butter in between each patch and continue until all the batter is gone. If you aren’t serving and eating them right out of the pan, place the cooked pancakes on a baking rack on a sheet tray and hold them in the oven turned on to low (150-180°F) until you’re ready to serve them.
Serve warm with butter, fresh fruit and warm maple syrup.

Recipe sourced from www.smittenkitchen.com, with slight adaptations made by Chef Andrea.

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

July 23, 2020 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Tomatillos!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Desert Sunrise Purple Cipollini Onions or Sierra Blanca Onions: Zucchini-Corn Fritters; One Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry; Easy Grilled Onions; Spicy Cucumber Salsa; Corn, Chard and Ricotta Galette

Fresh Porcelain Garlic: Zucchini-Corn Fritters; One Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry; New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter; Amaranth and Corn Stewed in Coconut Milk

Green and/or Italian Zucchini: Zucchini-Corn Fritters; Pizza Bianca

Green and/or Silver Slicer Cucumbers: Roasted Cucumbers with Onions and Fresh Herbs; Spicy Cucumber Salsa

Green & Yellow Beans: Green Bean Crisps; Amaranth and Corn Stewed in Coconut Milk; One Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry

Rainbow Chard or Amaranth: Corn, Chard and Ricotta Galette; Amaranth and Corn Stewed in Coconut Milk

New Potatoes: One Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry; New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter

Sweet Corn: Zucchini-Corn Fritters; Corn, Chard and Ricotta Galette; Amaranth and Corn Stewed in Coconut Milk

Tomatillos: Mexican Eggs In Purgatory (see below); Pork & Tomatillo Stew (see below)

Small Tomatoes OR Black Eggplant OR Broccoli OR Cauliflower: One Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry

Fennel: Pizza Bianca; Fennel Upside Down Cake

Jalapeno Pepper: Spicy Cucumber Salsa; Corn, Chard and Ricotta Galette

Spicy Pork & Tomatillo Stew on the cover of
Food & Wine Magazine, October 2007

This week we’re just starting to harvest some of the mid-summer vegetables including corn, tomatoes, eggplant and tomatillos! Tomatillos are our featured item for the week and I have quite a few recipes to share with you! One of the nice things about tomatillos is that they have a relatively long harvest window, especially because we do two plantings. So this week’s portion is one to get you started, but we hope to include tomatillos in more boxes throughout the summer and early fall so keep these recipes handy and refer back to them in future weeks. First of all, if you haven’t read this week’s vegetable feature article, please do so (see below). In that article I mention 14 more recipes and include links to all of them. In addition to these suggestions, we’re also featuring two tasty recipes. The first is for Mexican Eggs In Purgatory (see below). This is a twist on a traditional Southern Italian dish, Eggs in Purgatory, that has a tomato base and uses red pepper flakes to add heat. This version uses tomatillos as the base for the sauce and the heat comes from either jalapeno or poblano peppers. This dish is delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner! The other recipe is one that is very familiar to me and I’ve been making for over ten years. If you’ve read this article in past seasons you may remember me mentioning this Pork & Tomatillo Stew (see below), although I don’t think we’ve ever featured it in the newsletter! This is a simple, yet tasty stew and the tomatillos add richness and thicken the broth. I first made this for our crew when I was the summer farm chef back in 2007 and saw this recipe featured on the cover of Food & Wine magazine in October 2007. I still have that issue of the magazine and am still making this stew! In fact, every year I intentionally freeze some tomatillos so I can make this recipe during the winter months.

Zucchini-Corn Fritter, photo from foodnetwork.com

We just started harvesting our second crop of zucchini, so there are a couple pounds in this week’s box, and just in time to overlap with the first sweet corn of the season! There will be more corn coming in the near future, but for this week these few ears will provide just enough corn to make these Zucchini-Corn Fritters! The other recipe I’d like to mention utilizing zucchini this week is this simple recipe for Pizza Bianca. This is more of a white pizza built off of slices of fresh fennel and thinly sliced zucchini. This is the final week of fennel, so if you want to try something a bit more unusual, you could also use the fennel to make this Fennel Upside Down Cake!

Corn, Chard and Ricotta Galette, photo from finecooking.com

Lets go back to sweet corn for a moment. I know everyone’s anxious for corn on the cob, dripping with butter. Unless there are only two people in your household, this may not be the week for corn on the cob. We’ll get there, but this first planting is just starting to mature so the harvest is a little light right now. The fun thing about fresh sweet corn though is that a little bit added into a recipe can make everything so much tastier! If you don’t go for the zucchini-corn fritters mentioned above, consider trying this Corn, Chard and Ricotta Galette. If you receive the amaranth instead of chard this week, you could substitute the amaranth for chard in the galette recipe or you could make Amaranth and Corn Stewed in Coconut Milk. This is a recipe from a past newsletter that also includes green beans. Corn, amaranth and green beans are a tasty vegetable combo!

Green Bean Crisps
photo from ohsodelicioso.com

We’re happy to have another hearty harvest of beans for this week! We’re just finishing harvesting our second planting and the third one already has little beans set on. I’m not sure if they’ll be ready to pick next week, but we have our fingers crossed! If you’re looking for something healthy to snack on this week, try these Green Bean Crisps! The other recipe I want to mention with green beans in mind is this One Pot Vegetable Thai Red Curry. This has become part of my frequently referenced summer recipes because it’s very versatile and you can use any summer vegetables you have available. I often use potatoes, green beans and eggplant, but you could also include zucchini, sweet peppers and carrots. As long as the volume of vegetables matches what the recipe calls for, you can use pretty much anything you have.

If you missed last week’s vegetable feature article about New Potatoes, go check it out and read more about why we think new potatoes are unique and different from any other potatoes we’ll deliver this year! You’ll also find three tasty recipes that highlight new potatoes, or you might want to try my favorite way to eat new potatoes, New Potatoes with Garlic & Butter.

Easy Grilled Onions, photo from slenderkitchen.com

We’re almost ready to start bringing in more onions. The tops are starting to die down and we’re making space in the greenhouse so we can dry them. We’re finished with scallions and moving on to our next fresh onion selections, the beautiful Desert Sunrise Purple Cipollini Onions and Sierra Blanca White Onions. Both are more mild and sweet onion varieties and are good ones for grilling and roasting. Check out this recipe for Easy Grilled Onions.

Did you know you can cook cucumbers? If you want to give this a try, consider making Roasted Cucumbers with Onions and Fresh Herbs. If you want to stick with eating cucumbers raw, then consider making this Spicy Cucumber Salsa. This is a nice, fresh alternative to a traditional tomato salsa and is excellent on fish tacos, grilled fish or chicken, or just eat it with tortilla chips. It’s also very pretty made with the purple cippollini onions!

Spicy Cucumber Salsa, photo from thesmallthingsblog.com

That concludes this week’s box contents. We’re hoping to dig the first of our green top carrots next week and we’re crossing our fingers that the next variety of sweet corn will be ready to pick! We should also see more tomatoes ripening and hopefully we’ll see more eggplant sizing up. Richard brought in the cutest little Lilac Bride Eggplant that was only about four inches long! It obviously needs a little more time. We’re also keeping our eye on the peppers and hoping we’ll be able to start harvesting green bell peppers within the next week or two. Our second planting of cucumbers will be kicking in here pretty soon and lets not forget about melons! The early Sun Jewel melons will likely be the first and unless they surprise us, we will likely start harvesting them in about 10-14 days. Have fun cooking this week’s vegetables and I’ll see you back here next week!---Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Tomatillos

By Chef Andrea

The view looking down the row of our "Tomatillo Jungle!"

Tomatillos…what are they?! Tomatillos are one of those confusing vegetables that are actually a fruit although most often used in more vegetable fashion. Tomatillos are classified as a nightshade, which means they are a relative to tomatoes. However, they are not just a green tomato. They are a completely different fruit. They are actually in the same family with ground cherries, both of which are characterized by their papery lantern-like husks that surround the fruit. Tomatillos grow on plants that are similar to tomato plants, 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! The plants can grow to over seven feet tall, so we put stakes in between the plants and tie them up progressively with string to keep the plants upright and the fruit off the ground. You know a tomatillo is ready to pick when it fills its husk completely and may even start to split the bottom of the husk. While most tomatillos are green, we also grow two varieties that turn purple when fully ripe! These typically take longer to mature, so we won’t be harvesting these for awhile. Hopefully we’ll be able to send these your way later in summer or early fall.

Green tomatillos (in the bowl) and
Purple tomatillos (on the board)

So what do you do with them? Lets talk storage first. In the home setting, I recommend you just store your tomatillos at room temperature, either in a paper bag or just on the counter. They’ll store like this for a week or more! Before you use them, you do need to peel away the papery husk and you’ll find the fruit inside may be a little sticky. Once you remove the husk and stem, the remainder of the tomatillo is completely edible, no need for further peeling and don’t even try to remove the seeds.

Tomatillos have a tangy, fruity flavor and you’ll find purple tomatillos to be more sweet than green ones typically. Tomatillos may be eaten either raw or cooked. One of the most familiar ways to use tomatillos is in making salsa, salsa verde that is! Tomatillo salsa may be prepared with all raw vegetables which will give you a fresh, chunky salsa. The alternative is to cook the tomatillos on the stovetop with a little water before blending the softened, cooked tomatillos with the other salsa ingredients. If you cook the tomatillos, you’ll get a more smooth, thick salsa due to the natural pectin in tomatillos. Salsa verde is a good place to start if you’ve never worked with tomatillos before. You can eat it with chips, use it to jazz up scrambled eggs, put it on tacos, or use it as a base ingredient in other preparations. The natural pectin in tomatillos does lend itself favorably to being used as a thickener for enchilada sauce, soups, stews, chili etc.

Purple Tomatillo Salsa!
Cooked (bowl on left) and Fresh (bowl on right)

Tomatillos are very easy to preserve for use in the off-season. One option is to make salsa now and either can or freeze it. If you don’t have time to make salsa or just want to have tomatillos available in the off-season for other uses, 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. If you are using them to make a cooked salsa, soup, etc, the texture issue isn’t an issue.

Vegetable Enchilads with Tomatillo-Cream Sauce

Ok, so lets talk recipes! My top two favorite things to make with tomatillos are Spicy Pork and Tomatillo Stew (see below) and Vegetable Enchiladas with Tomatillo-Cream Sauce. I’ve been making the Spicy Pork and Tomatillo Stew (see below) since 2007 and I know I must’ve mentioned it in past blog articles but it looks like I’ve never shared the recipe in a newsletter! I first made this stew for our farm crew back in 2007. In fact, it was on the cover of Food & Wine magazine in October 2007 and I still have that issue of the magazine hanging out in the magazine rack near the kitchen in the office! The cover is faded and tattered, but it was a good issue and I still reference it periodically. My notes for this recipe are in the margin indicating I multiplied the recipe times five to feed the crew! This is a good stew to make in early fall when the weather starts to change and the chill sets in. I also like to freeze tomatillos and pull them out in the middle of winter to make a pot of this stew. My second favorite recipe for Vegetable Enchiladas with Tomatillo-Cream Sauce was featured back in 2018. This is a great recipe to make all summer and you can vary the vegetable ingredients depending on what you have available. Ok, I lied. I have a third favorite recipe.

Roasted Tomatillo and Chickpea Curry

Back in 2017 I uncovered this recipe for Roasted Tomatillo and Chickpea Curry. This is a bit of a non-traditional way to use tomatillos, which is exactly why I tried the recipe and it was delicious!

So, if you’re not sure where to start, I’d encourage you to consider a simple batch of salsa verde or reference the recipes in this week’s newsletter as well as the other two I mentioned that are on our website in our recipe archives. Beyond these suggestions, I’ve compiled a list of 12 more recipes that are in my queue to make, hopefully this year! If you try them first, be sure to post the results and your commentary on the recipe in our Facebook group…especially the Tomatillo Strawberry Pie! Have fun and enjoy this unique vegetable/fruit selection!

Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Pie

Green Tomatillo Shahshuka

Tomatillo Pizza with Cilantro Pesto

Chicken Verde Mac And Cheese

Roasted Tomatillo and Black Bean Chili

Spicy Chili Verde with White Beans

Summer Tomatillo Salad

Cucumber Tomatillo Gazpacho

Grilled Tomatillo & Pineapple Salsa

Roasted Potato & Tomatillo Soup with Cilantro Pesto

Tomatillo and Strawberry Pie

Avocado CucumberSalsa Verde

Mexican Eggs in Purgatory

Yield: 4 portions (2 eggs each)

1 pound tomatillos, husked

1 poblano or jalapeño pepper, stemmed and seeded (if you wish)

1 ½ cups chopped cilantro leaves and stems, plus ¼-½ cup for serving

1 medium onion or 3 scallions, coarsely chopped, plus ½ cup for serving

¾ cup chicken broth

3 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (or as needed)

1 garlic clove, minced

8 large eggs

2 Tbsp grated Cojita or crumbled feta cheese, plus more for serving

2-3 ounces shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Lime wedges, for serving

Corn Tortillas, for serving

1. Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat source.

2. In a blender, add the husked tomatillos, poblano or jalapeño pepper, chopped cilantro, onion, ½ tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper and chicken broth. Puree until smooth.

3. In a large, shallow ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon over high heat until brown and slightly crispy. If the bacon is lean, you may want to add the olive oil. Once the bacon is cooked, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant. Carefully add the tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat until the sauce is thickened and dull green, about 10-12 minutes.

4. Using the back of a spoon, make 8 depressions in the tomatillo sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully crack the eggs into the depressions. Sprinkle the eggs and tomatillo sauce with the 2 tablespoons of Cotija cheese and the shredded Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese. Broil the dish until the egg whites are set but the egg yolks are still runny, about 3-4 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and garnish with more Cotija cheese, chopped onion and cilantro. Serve right away with warm corn tortillas and lime wedges.

Chef Notes:

The tomatillo sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring the sauce to room temperature before adding the eggs.

If you are serving less than four people, you can use a smaller ovenproof skillet and only half the sauce to cook four eggs instead of eight. Reserve the second half of the sauce for a second meal.

Variation: If you want to add more vegetables to this dish, consider adding small diced potatoes and fresh corn kernels cut from 1-2 ears of corn. Cook the potatoes and corn in the saute pan in a bit of oil before you cook the bacon. Remove the potatoes and corn, cook the bacon and then add the vegetables back to the pan along with the tomatillo sauce.

This recipe was adapted slightly from Grace Parisi’s recipe featured at foodandwine.com

photo from Food & Wine magazine, October 2007

Spicy Pork and Tomatillo Stew

Yield: 4 servings

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 ½ pounds boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 large celery ribs, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 Anaheim or poblano chile, seeded and finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp mild chile powder

1 Tbsp ground cumin

Pinch of dried oregano

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup ½ –inch diced carrots

Two 6-ounce potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut into 1-inch dice

Hot Sauce, for serving

Chopped Cilantro, for garnish

Corn Tortilla Chips, for serving

1. In a medium casserole or Dutch oven, heat the oil. Season the pork with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until browned on 2 sides, about 2 minutes per side.

2. Add the celery and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the diced chile, garlic, chile powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and tomatillos, cover and simmer over low heat until the pork is cooked through and tender, about 30-40 minutes.

3. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Ladle the stew into bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with a few tortilla chips.

Recipe adapted slightly from Food & Wine magazine, October 2007