This Week’s Share
- Carrots
- Celery
- Chard
- Eggplant, last one
- Garlic
- Lettuce
- Onions, Copra yellow storage
- Peppers, Green & Sweet
- Winter Squash, Delicata
Recipes
Chard Recipes
At pick-up last week there was much excitement about the return of leafy greens. We had our first frost out here on the island this week and the touch of frost bring the sugars out in the chard, kale and collards that you will be seeing in the share till December. They are wonderfully versatile and incredibly nutritious. This week you will get Chard and it could be the last since it is the least hardy of the greens. You can substitute almost any greens in these recipes.
Eggs and Greens Frittata – not just for the breakfast set…
Don’t underestimate the delicious simplicity of egg and greens.
Preheat oven to 300˚F. Slice one whole onion and caramelize slowly while you prepare the rest. In a separate pan (preferable cast iron), sauté chopped chard with minced garlic and salt. You can sauté in olive oil or butter, or a little bacon grease! When soft add one chopped tomato. Continue to sauté till tomato is broken up and juices start to dry up. Whisk 6-8 eggs with cracked black pepper and a little cream (or milk) and pour into pan with greens. Pour egg mixture into greens, top with caramelized onions and transfer to a hot oven. Bake for about 20-30 minutes till cooked through.
Fettuccini with Swiss Chard, Currants, Walnuts and Brown Butter
Adapted from Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville
1/2 lb unsalted butter – Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. As butter simmers the solids will separate out and sink and the clear fats will begin to turn a lovely amber color. Pour off the clear part that will be on top into a cup and save for later in the recipe. This takes about 8 minutes
3 tbs, dried currants
1 bunch chard cleaned and roughly chopped
1 tbs. olive oil
1 cup thinly onion
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 lb. fettuccini
1/3 cup crushed walnuts, toasted
Grated parmesan cheese
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook fettuccini. Plump the currants in 1/4 cup of hot water and set aside. Sauté onions in olive oil with salt and pepper for 5 minutes, add garlic and chard, and sauté for 4-5 minutes more till chard is just barely wilted.
Toss hot pasta with chard mixture (the heat from the pasta will finish cooking the chard). Add drained currants, walnuts and brown butter. Season with more pepper and salt to taste and top with freshly grated cheese.
Delicata Squash Recipes
Simple Baked Squash
You can eat the tender skins on these squash.
Preheat oven to 400˚F
3-4 Delicata squash, halved lengthwise with seeds and fibers removed
Butter or Olive oil
Salt or a little brown sugar
Brush cut side with oil or butter and place squash cut side down on baking sheet or casserole dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes until you can pierce with a fork. Flip up and sprinkle with brown sugar or salt.
Variations on a Theme…
Stuffed Delicata
Turn squash cut side up and fill with sautéed ground Lamb or Pork. Season the meat with onions, garlic, celery and carrots and a pinch of curry powder and sauté all together before filling squash to bake. Fill squash and bake for 30-40 minutes till squash is soft. Or make a vegetarian stuffing:
2/3 cup raisins and/or dried currants
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup wild (or regular) rice
1 tbs. olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 clove garlic minced
2 cups chopped chard or other greens
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbs. toasted pine nuts or other nuts of your choice
Cook the Rice and set aside. Soak dried fruits in hot water to plump up. Meanwhile Sauté onions till soft, then add garlic and celery, chard and salt. After 5 minutes add wine and simmer till the pan is dry. Toss the rice with sautéed mixture and season with salt and pepper. Fill squash and bake 30-40 minutes.
Celery Recipes
The hearty bunch of celery you will get this week is perfect for your classic ‘Ants on a log’ or generous enough to try something more…I think that either of these dishes would be a great side dish to baked Salmon or a juicy Pork Chop… Both of these recipes are adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Braised Celery
1 head of celery
1 onion, cut into 8 pieces
1 carrot, thinly sliced
A selection of fresh or dried herbs including: bay leaves, thyme, 1/2 tsp peppercorns, a pinch of celery seeds
3 tbs. Butter
Salt
Remove the leafy ends of the celery (but save for larger garnish). Cut all the ribs into 3- to 4- inch lengths. Put the onion, carrot, aromatics, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tbs. of the butter, and 3 cups of water in a wide skillet. Bring to boil and add the celery, cover and lower to a simmer. Simmer until tender enough to be pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Arrange celery on a plate and leave behind the liquid. Boil until 1/2 a cup remains and whisk in the remaining butter to make a sauce. Pour it over the celery and garnish with chopped celery leaves.
Gratinéed Celery
Put the braised celery and its sauce in a casserole dish and dust with grated Parmesan, Jack, or Gruyere, or any other cheese that will melt well. Broil until the cheese melts and serve right away!
Pepper Recipes
Well, this has not been the best summer for riping peppers. The cool spring, cool summer and an average fall (we can still hope for one last warm blast) means that there will be more crisp greens in the share and less reds and yellows than we had hoped for. This week you will get both green peppers and one sweet pepper, either a Gypsy pepper, which is a bell-ish shape or a Nardello which looks like a large beefed up cayenne. It is NOT a cayenne. It is sweet and totally delicious.
Bell Peppers and Sardines with Balsamic Vinegar
Adapted from Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka
2 large peppers & 1 sweet pepper
4 whole small sardines packed in oil , split and boned or left whole, your preference, reserve 4 tsp. of the oil
1 tbs. dry thyme or oregano
4 tsps. Balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Core, peppers and remove seeds and ribs, slice into 1/2 inch strips. Lightly steam for 5 minutes and remove to drain. Gently mix peppers with cleaned sardines. Whisk together reserved sardine oil, balsamic, garlic, herbs, and black pepper and drizzle over pepper mix. Serve room temperature. This recipe would be great with tuna as well for those not in love with sardines, just make sure you get tuna packed in oil.
Onions and Green Peppers
Adapted From The Joy of Cooking
Serve it with grilled steak or chicken
2 onions, sliced into thin rounds
3-4 green peppers coarsely chopped with skins and membranes removed
Melt in a large skillet butter, ham fat (ahhh the Joy) or olive oil.
Sauté onions and peppers for 10 minutes
Add 1/2 cup white wine
And continue simmering until dry
Season with Sslt and pepper and serve hot.
Garlic Popping
Week one of garlic popping was very successful with a handful of folks joining us to help us reach our goal of 29,000 garlic cloves. There are still two more Fridays- October 17 & October 24 to come and help. Join our crew anytime from 9-12 or 1-4 on those Fridays. Again all you need to bring is a warmly dressed self.