Lots of onion and cucumber ideas this week and coincidentally two recipes with lentils–good year-round in my opinion. And I included another Italian-style vegetable ragout in which the vegetables get soft and tender and sweet–kind of the Italian version of a stir-fry and equally delicious and useful when it comes to using various CSA treasures lurking in your crisper. And that beautiful garlic is being put to use in almost every recipe this week. Pick up some cilantro this week if you want to make a couple of the recipes, the red lentil dish and the cucumber, ginger sesame salad. Enjoy!

Summer Squash with Lentils, Parsley and Bacon
Spiced Red Lentils with Cucumber Yogurt
Summer Vegetable Ragout
Cucumber Salad with Garlic and Ginger
Fennel Notes
Grilled or Roasted Sweet Onions
Onion Sauce for Steak (or anything else)
Carrot Cake Pancakes (link)

Summer Squash with Lentils, Parsley and Bacon

This is so good! Lentils get overlooked a bit in the summer but I especially love salads with small green lentils in the summer. You can make them ahead of time and then have a robust, room temperature dish for whenever you need it.

1 cup small French green lentils or other small lentils that keep their shape when cooked
Splash of olive oil
1 Walla Walla Sweet, diced
4 cups summer squash, cut into small chunks –for zucchini I quarter them lengthwise and then cut them into 1/3-inch chunks (more or less depending on how much you need/want to use)
4 slices bacon, diced
2 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar or a combination (or more to taste)
2 small-ish garlic cloves, crushed and then minced
3 (or more) tablespoons good olive oil
Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
¼ cup chopped parsley

Cook the lentils until tender, about 15-20 minutes (this will vary depending on the kind of lentil you have). You want them to be tender but keep their shape so check frequently.

Drain them and immediately toss them with the vinegar, garlic and olive oil. Set aside.

In the largest skillet you have, heat a splash of olive oil over high heat and add the bacon and onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. You want the onion softened and bacon rendered but not crisp. Remove the onions and bacon from skillet and add to lentils.

Add another splash of olive oil and the summer squash and a few generous pinches of salt. Cook the squash over high heat for about 7-8 minutes until browned and beginning to soften.

Add the warm squash to the lentils along with the chopped parsley and the additional olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or vinegar.

Summer Vegetable Ragout

I wrote a spring version of this Italian-esque approach to vegetables earlier this season. Sweet onions, carrots, beans, squash, fennel or eggplant, kale and garlic all keep good company here. Again, it’s more of a technique than a recipe. The important thing is to cook them gently for quite a while and that all the vegetables are cut more less the same size. This is not an al dente dish and trust me it’s better that way.

Olive oil
1 medium or ½ a large sweet onion, diced
2 carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and diced
½ lb green beans, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch pieces
1 bulb fennel, any fibrous outer layers removed and trimmed and diced or
1 eggplant, diced (no need to peel or salt and drain)
1-2 summer squash, diced
1 bunch kale, leaves only, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or minced and then mashed with some coarse salt with the side of a chef’s knife until you get a coarse paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Handful of chopped basil
More good olive oil for drizzling

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the largest skillet you have over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and a couple pinches of salt. Toss and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the green beans, kale, fennel or eggplant and summer squash and a little more salt and a splash of water and cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring fairly frequently. If things start sticking add a little water. Keep cooking and stirring. A little browning is fine but try to avoid.

When all the vegetables are tender add the mashed garlic and the basil and stir well and cook for another minute or two until the garlic is fragrant. Adjust for salt and add pepper.

Serve with a generous drizzle of the best olive oil you have. With a fried or poached or hardboiled egg and a good slice of bread this is dinner.

Spiced Red Lentils with Cucumber Yogurt
–adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Yes, two lentil recipes this week. This may seem like a cool-weather dish but I made a red lentil curry last week with the rest of my homemade green curry paste (from last week’s recipe packet) and loved it in this heat. We ate it barely warm with a generous dollop of cool cucumber yogurt topping and it was delish.

1 cup red lentils
1 small bunch cilantro (stems and roots and all if possible)
½ or ¼ (if it’s a huge one) Walla Walla, roughly chopped
2 1/2 inches ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 mild-ish green chili (like serrano or jalapeno), seeds removed
1½ tsp black mustard seeds
4 tbsp sunflower oil
1½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 ¾ cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt

¾ cup Greek yogurt
1 cup finely diced cucumber
1½ tbsp olive oil

3 tablespoons butter
1½ tbsp lime juice
Reserved chopped cilantro leaves

Cut the cilantro bunch somewhere around the center to get a leafy top half and a stem/root bottom half. If you don’t have a bunch with roots just use all the stems for this part. Roughly chop the leaves. Put the stem half in the bowl of a food processor (reserve the leafy half), add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli – all roughly broken – and pulse a few times to chop up without turning into a paste.

Put the mustard seeds in a heavy-based pot and place over medium heat. When they begin to pop, add the onion/cilantro mix and sunflower oil, stir and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add the spices and continue cooking and stirring for five minutes longer. Now add the lentils and 1 ½ cups water, the tomatoes and a couple of pinches of salt. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are fully cooked.

Before serving, whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, oil and some salt. Stir into the lentils the butter, lime juice and chopped cilantro, taste and season generously with salt. Divide into bowls, spoon yogurt on top. You can serve this over rice if you’d like or enjoy as is.

Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger

Another salad inspired by Yotam Ottlenghi and his wonderful book Plenty.

This salad is fresh, nutty and delicious and good with most anything this time of year. It needs a little marinating time so start the dressing right away if you have other things to prepare.

If you don’t have a mortar and pestle chop the garlic and ginger as finely as you can and then mash it a bit with some salt on your cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife.

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
½ cup of onion, very thinly sliced
1 ½ inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (see headnote)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled, and chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 large or 3 medium cucumbers, washed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Whisk in the oils. Add the sliced onion, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and for as long as 4 hours.

Now either mash the ginger with some salt in a mortar and pestle until it breaks down a bit and then add the garlic and mash a bit more until it’s a rough paste or put the ginger, salt and garlic on a cutting board and smash with the side of a chef’s knife until well-smashed. Scrape the contents from the board or mortar into the bowl with the onion and dressing. Stir to combine.

Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise, place them cut-side down on the cutting board, and slice at an angle into ¼ inch slices. Add the cucumber, sesame seeds, and cilantro to the bowl and stir to combine. Let sit ten minutes, then pour off some of the liquid that has accumulated. Stir, season again with salt if desired, and serve.

Fennel Notes

Add very thinly sliced fennel to a green salad with thinly sliced cucumber and thinly sliced onion. Make a lemony dressing and/or add some chopped capers or olives and a few croutons and some shaved Parmesan and have yourself a lovely salad.

Add some ¼-inch fennel slices to the pan of onions below and grill/roast them too.

Dice and sauté fennel in olive oil until browning and al dente. Then toss with some cooked faro, lots of chopped parsley or mint or a combination, plenty of lemon juice, olive oil and minced garlic and salt and pepper.

Grilled or Roasted Sweet Onions

I eat half of these standing at the stove before they ever make it to the table.

Preheat the oven to 425 or light a grill.

Wash and remove the outermost layer of 2 Walla Walla Sweets. Cut them on “the equator” into ½-inch slices/rings. Toss the onions gently with olive oil and sea salt and spread on a sheet pan or in a grill pan. Roast or grill, turning once, until charred around the edges and tender—about 20 minutes. The time can very greatly based on your stove/grill and how big your sheet pan is.

Serve as is as a side or on sandwiches or burgers. You can also drizzle with a touch of balsamic or sherry vinegar. You can also chop them up and add them to salads of any kind.

Onion Sauce for Steak (or anything else)

Wash and remove outermost layer of 2 Walla Walla Sweets, cut in half and slice into thin half-rounds
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Cook the onions with a couple pinches of salt over medium heat in a large skillet and bit of olive oil until very soft and beginning to brown. You’ll want to stir regularly. It could take 20 minutes or so to get to this stage. Then add the mustard and cream and pepper and stir well and cook for a few more minutes. Serve with any kind of grilled or seared beef or pork.

Carrot Cake Pancakes

If per chance you find yourself with some time in the morning and if you want to make something fun for anyone–old or young–these Carrot Cake Pancakes are fun and decadent seeming.

The chickpea and greens recipe might sound plain but it’s a lovely and complex dish especially when made with home-cooked chickpeas. And the Bruschetta with grilled peaches and basil is so simple and rather impressive looking and tasting. I make dinner of it these days. Happy cooking!

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Grilled Peaches and Basil
Summer Vegetable Curry (Greens Beans or Eggplant, Carrots, etc.)
Chickpeas with Greens
Chard Stem Gratin
Cucumber and Onion Salad
Summer Squash “Butter” with Herbs
Roasted Torpedo Onions with Bay and Thyme

Bruschetta with Fresh Goat Cheese, Basil and Grilled Peaches

Peaches and basil are a great combination and it’s simple, gorgeous and delicious.

Serves 5 as a side/starter

5 good crusty slices of bread, toasted or grilled
3-4 ounces fresh goat’s cheese (or fresh ricotta or some other mild, spreadable cheese)
Handful of whole basil leaves
1-2 large peaches, washed but not peeled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Good olive oil
A little balsamic vinegar

Set your oven to broil or turn on/light your grill. Slice the unpeeled peaches into 1/4-inch thick slices, working your way around the peach vertically. Spread the peach slices on a cookie sheet and broil for about 5minutes until browning in a few spots. You don’t want them to fall apart or burn so watch closely. Alternatively grill on foil on a grill.

Cut your slices of toasted bread in halves or thirds. Spread generously with goat cheese and cover cheese with slices of grilled peaches. Salt and pepper the bruschetta at this point and drizzle with a little good olive oil. Then top with the basil leaves and a very light drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Curry
–adapted from 101cookbooks.com

This is similar to my standard green curry and if you by chance made the green curry paste last week and have some leftover it would be perfect here. Otherwise use a store bought version (Thai and True is a good local brand). This recipe is a great way to use the small-ish quantity of beans or eggplant in this week’s share.

1 14-ounce can coconut milk (full fat preferably but lite will work)
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons green curry paste depending on your taste and desired heat level
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 small potatoes, washed and sliced 1/2-inch thick (optional)
1/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds or 1-2 Japanese eggplants, cut into ½-inch dice
2 carrots, halved lengthwise if thick and sliced thinly into half-rounds
1 summer squash, trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice or ¼-inch half rounds
8 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch cubed
1 lime, halved or quartered
small handful of basil leaves, torn

Spoon a few tablespoons of thick coconut cream from the top of the coconut milk, place it in a large pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.

Add the onion and saute until it softens a bit, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and salt, and cook for another minute or two. Have a taste, and decide if you want to adjust the flavor – adding more curry paste or salt if needed.

Add the rest of the coconut milk to the pot along with the potatoes (if using) and carrots, cover, and simmer until they are just starting to get tender – about 10 minutes. At this point add the beans or eggplant, squash and tofu. Let simmer for a about 6 more minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the basil and remove from the heat.

Serve with a squeeze of lime juice and enjoy as is or over rice or rice noodles.

Chickpeas with Greens
–Adapted (slightly) from The River Cafe Cook Book via racheleats.com

This is so delicious with some good bread and cheese for a simple supper.

serves 6

2 bunches chard (you can halve the recipe if you have a half share or supplement with any other braising greens you have to have the equivalent of 2 bunches), stems removed and saved for another purpose (like the squash stem gratin-below
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 torpedo onion or other onion, finely diced
2 medium carrots, diced finely
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 dried chilli, crumbled or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a small fresh Serrano, minced
250 ml / 8 fl oz white wine
1 medium tomato, diced (optional but very good)
3 cups cooked chickpeas
a generous handful of chopped parsley
the juice of half a lemon
more extra good olive oil to serve

In a large pan of well-salted fast boiling water, blanch the greens briefly. Drain them and then once they are cool enough to handle, chop them coarsely and set aside.

Warm the oil in a large heavy skillet, add the onion, carrot and a pinch of salt and cook them slowly for 15 minutes or until they are tender. Season with a little more salt, pepper and the crumbled chilli or red pepper flakes.

Add the wine to the pan and allow it to bubble away until it has almost completely reduced. Add the tomato, greens and chickpeas, stir and cook, stirring every couple of minutes for 10 minutes.

Add 3/4 of the chopped parsley and the lemon juice to the pan, stir, turn off the heat and allow the pan to sit for 10 minutes.

Transfer to a large platter or serving dish, sprinkle with the remaining parsley and a little more extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Chard Stem Gratin

I collect my chard stems in a bag in the fridge if the dish I’m making only takes advantage of the leaves. I usually either dice the stems and add them to soups or sauces but have also made a gratin when I have enough of them. It’s worth the effort and will make you think twice about composting them (which I have been known to do). If you’re shy on the quantity you can round it out with thinly sliced carrots or thickly sliced summer squash.

Chop half an onion. Cut 2 bunches worth of chard stems into 2-inch lengths and sauté both in olive oil for a few minutes with a few pinches of salt. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover the pan and braise them for about 10 minutes until the stems were tender.

For the béchamel:

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of flour, whisk and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot milk and 1 cup of hot vegetable or chicken broth, (feel free to heat up together) and several pinches of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in the hot liquid and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Add a bit of grated/ground nutmeg and handful of grated sharp cheddar or Parmesan or other hard cheese. If there is any liquid left in the chard pan, drain it off and add it to the béchamel as well.

Then I added about 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg to the bechamel and grated some sharp cheddar. Oh and I added the liquid left in the chard pan to the bechamel.

Put the chard stems and carrots (and/or squash – if using) in a small-ish casserole dish, cover them with bechamel, sprinkle over some bread crumbs if you have some and a bit more grated cheese. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes until nice and bubbly, finish under the broiler. Serve with the below cucumber and onion salad for a simple supper.

Cucumber and Onion Salad

Halve the recipe if you have a half-share and feel free to substitute basil for the dill for a different but equally good salad.

2 cucumbers, scrubbed and peeled if the skin is tough, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 Torpedo onion or quarter of a sweet onion if you have it and have run out of Torpedos, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped (or basil—see headnote)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
Sea salt and ground pepper

In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, onion, dill, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.

Summer Squash “Butter” with Herbs
–inspired by Amanda&Merril.com

Whenever you have a lot of squash this is the prefect thing to do. Grated fine, it cooks down quickly, turning into a sweet and savory side dish or spread. Spread it on toast in place of actual butter or add a thick layer in a sandwich with salted tomatoes or soft cheese. You can use it as a pizza topping or a pasta sauce or a side dish.

About 4-5 medium zucchini or any kind of summer squash (feel free to use less or add extra — cooking times will vary)
1/4 cup olive oil or butter (I prefer butter in this one)
½ a medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, mint, basil or parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice or drizzle of vinegar

Coarsely grate the squash on the large holes of a box grater. Squash is really the easiest thing to grate so it won’t take much time at all.

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil/butter. Sauté onion for about 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the squash and a few generous pinches of salt and toss and cook and stir over medium to medium-high heat until the zucchini reaches a spreadable consistency, about 15 minutes. If you scorch the bottom, turn the burner down a bit but don’t worry about the browned areas. They will add flavor and be sure to scrape them up and reincorporate. Just before the end of the cooking time add the herbs and incorporate well. Cook another minute or two, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and a little lemon juice—you don’t need much but just a little brightens it up nicely.

Roasted Torpedo onions
–adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli

I wish I would have come across this recipe when you were getting more of these in your share but I’m still including it, if per chance you have collected a few more or can acquire a few more Torpedo onions or other similarly sized onions this week. It’s a lovely recipe.

4 Torpedo onions
8 bay leaves, plus about 10 more for the pan
16 sprigs of fresh thyme
olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350F

Cut the green tops off the onions. Slice the onions in half, length wise.

Generously rub the onions with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Slip a bay leaf and two sprigs of thyme, into each onion.

Place the extra bay leaves on the bottom of an oven pan just large enough to hold the onions. Place onions on top, and pour in about a half-cup water and the wine. Drizzle onions with a bit more olive oil, cover with tin foil and put the pan in the oven.

Keep checking about every 20 minutes, to make sure there is still some liquid in the bottom of the pan. If needed add a bit more wine and/or water. Baste the onions every so often, and take the tin foil off after about 45 minutes.

The onions should take about an hour and a half to cook, and should be nicely browned at the edges.

Serve hot, or room temp.

The difference between fresh cilantro from a farm, root and stems on and cilantro from a grocery store is noteworthy. A) you get the roots which is wonderful because they are delicious and used in many Thai and Vietnamese dishes (and maybe other, Indian, etc?), see the homemade Green Curry Paste below, B) the cilantro will stay fresh much longer—you’re not likely to get a slimy mess for weeks by which time it will be long gone, and C) the flavor is just better, fresher and more vibrant. And the cilantro inspired many of the recipes in this week’s packet.

Roasted Summer Squash with Parsley (or Cilantro) Garlic Dressing
Rice Noodles with Vietnamese-inspired Cilantro Dressing (and carrots and turnips)
Thai Green Curry (with home made Curry Paste) with Turnips and Carrots
Black Beans with Cilantro and Walla Walla Sweets and Lime
Beet Cilantro and Avocado Salad
Onion Rings (link)
Tzatziki
Summery Carrot Soup with Cilantro Cream

Roasted Summer Squash with Parsley (or Cilantro) Garlic Dressing

I typically make this with parsley but cilantro is a good substitute.

However many summer squash you want to use, washed, trimmed and cut into ¾-inch dice or chunks
Olive oil for toasting
½ cup parsley or cilantro, finely chopped (see headnote)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ – 1/3 cup good olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the diced squash with a bit of olive oil and salt and spread it on a sheet pan, preferably in one layer. Roast, turning occasionally until browning around the edges and tender about 20 minutes. You can also broil the squash to speed things up a bit but watch it carefully as it can quickly burn.

Mix together the parsley or cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss the squash with the dressing. Let rest for 15 minutes if you can before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Rice Noodle and Fresh Herb Salad with Vietnamese-inspired Dressing
–adapted from Tea&Cookies

This is a very herb-heavy variation on my favorite Asian noodle salad. I could eat this every week all summer long. I wrote lots of variations into this recipe so you can make it throughout the year with different herbs and vegetables. For this week’s share I would just cilantro for the herb (if you have basil or mint then by all means add some but just cilantro will be good too), carrots (grated), cucumber (finely chopped) and turnips (grated) and some diced Walla Walla Sweets.

Dressing:

This is a Vietnamese-inspired dressing, tart with lime juice and salty with fish sauce and a bit of spice from chili paste. You don’t have to use this dressing, you can make your own (a simple soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil will do the trick), but this is a good starting point. You can adapt as you like. And this makes enough to keep a jar around in the fridge for your next batch of cold noodles (it will last at least a week).

½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup fish sauce
½ cup rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely minced and then mashed with some salt with the side of a chef’s knife
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sambal oelek chili sauce (or less if you’re sensitive to spice) or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a Serrano chili, minced (seeds and all if you like spice)

Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl or shake in jar, until smooth. Taste and add more sugar or lime juice, as desired (you may also like sesame oil or soy sauce in this dressing, play around and find your favorite mix).

Noodles:

You can use different noodles. I use rice noodles, but you can use Japanese soba noodles made from buckwheat, thin somen noodes, or thinner rice noodles. The rice noodles hold up really well over time and soak up the dressing, the soba noodles add their own nutty flavor. Experiment and see what you like best. I use 8 ounces of noodles typically for four people.

Herbs:

I add 3-4 cups of herbs in varying ratios when I have that much on hand this time of year. I love the trio of basil (Thai especially but regular Genovese works well too) mint and cilantro, Green onions are a lovely addition too. I leave the basil and mint leaves whole (just picked off their stems) and very roughly chop the cilantro since I’m too lazy to pick off the leaves. Cilantro stems are tender so you can just chop off the bottom few inches of the bunch and use the rest.

Cilantro
Mint
Basil
Chives—can throw a bunch of chives in if you have them on hand (especially if you are missing green onions)
Green onion—sliced thin on a diagonal, I use two or three per batch of noodles or chunk of diced Walla Walla

Vegetables:

There is a wide range of vegetables you can use, some listed below. The one trick I rely on is to use a mandoline to slice the harder vegetables into matchsticks, which works well with the noodles and allows the flavor of the dressing to permeate.

Pick the combination that appeals to you.

Cucumber—adds a refreshing crunch, slice with mandolin (or finely chop with a knife)
Zucchini—I use this when I have no cucumber, or need to use up my squash
Carrots—more crunch, definitely use a mandoline (or grater, if you don’t have one)
Hakurei Turnips, peeled and julienned or grated
Radish—gives a nice peppery kick, refreshing crunch, nice color
Green beans—blanch these for 3 minutes, slice thinly
Peas—shelled or in their pods, also slice thin
Corn—I toss in fresh corn cut off the cob
Tomatoes—cherry tomatoes or larger ones cut into dice

Pick two to four vegetables you think would taste good together and add them to your cold noodles. Remember to slice them thin, if they are sliceable, so they don’t drop out of the mix and fall to the bottom.

Instructions:

Cook 8 ounces of noodles according to directions, rinse with cold water and set aside. Can be cooked ahead. Then toss the cold noodles with the herbs and vegetables to mix (you may want to use a knife or scissors to cut the noodles into smaller pieces for ease of mixing and eating). Add dressing and toss again. You might want to add the dressing shortly before serving, or be prepared to taste and add more dressing later. The noodles and vegetables have a way of sucking up the flavor.

Thai Green Curry (with home made Curry Paste) with Turnips and Carrots
–adapted from multicuriosity.com

There’s good store bought green curry paste to be found in town (Thai and True) but homemade is still a notch above and with your beautiful cilantro this week you might give it a go.

This makes quite a bit of curry paste so feel free to save some for another meal. It keeps in the fridge for several days and freezes well.

In a food processor combine:

1 stalk lemongrass (trimmed of the outer, fibrous layers and roughly chopped),
1 or 2 hot chili peppers (jalapenos or serranos),
1/4 cup minced onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-inch chunk peeled ginger
1 1/2 cups cilantro stems and leaves and roots (washed and roughly chopped. Make sure you get the dirt out of the stems where they come out of the root—dirt tends to get stuck in there)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3 Tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce or a combination
2 Tablespoons lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoons brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons coconut milk or water (enough to blend ingredients together)

Process everything until it forms a paste—it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth.

2 carrots, scrubbed and thinly sliced
3 turnips, scrubbed and diced
Remainder of the can of coconut milk
Water

Sauté paste in 2 tablespoons sunflower, coconut or sesame oil over medium high for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the carrots and turnips.

Stir and cook 3-5 minutes then add 1 1/2 cups coconut milk—more or less what you’ll have left in the can or 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth and about 1 cup of water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer another 5 minutes or so until the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. It may well need salt. Serve with Jasmine or Basmati or other long grain rice.

You can also make the paste in advance and store it in the fridge for up to a week before using it.

Black Beans with Cilantro and Walla Walla Sweets and Lime

This is a fresh, lovely combination for a summer supper. If you have any cherry tomatoes ripe in your garden, cut those in half and toss them in too. Quantities are completely up to you. Use what you want, taste and adjust. It’s great with pretty much an ratio.

Black beans (home-cooked or canned-rinsed if canned)
Cilantro leaves and stems, washed and roughly chopped
Diced or thinly sliced Walla Walla Sweets
Lime juice and a little lime zest if you want (a little goes a long way)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil
A little ground cumin and cayenne if you’d like

Toss everything together. Taste, adjust seasoning, enjoy.

Beet, Cilantro and Avocado Salad

When I get a bunch of beets, as you know, I almost always roast the whole batch and then have the pleasure of having roasted beets on hand to use however I want. So, I highly recommend roasting all at once while you’re doing something else in the kitchen since they do take some time.

3 medium beets, roasted and peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 avocado, diced (optional)
2 slices of good, crusty bread, toasted and cut into bite-sized squares (optional- but makes it nice and hearty)
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and stems and finely minced roots
2 tablespoons finely diced Walla Walla sweet
2-3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Juice of half a lemon or about 1 ½ tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
2-3 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Onion Rings

Onion rings are not something I typically make but when one of my favorite food bloggers, David Lebovitz, writes about onion rings I pay attention. So, here is his recipe (adapted from Hooters☺) in case you want to make some this week with the gorgeous Walla Walla Sweets. 

And here’s an onion tart recipe from Edible Portland which will use up a good amount of your onions this week.

Tzatziki

This cool, creamy Greek side/spread/dip is one of my all time favorite foods. I pile it on toasted bread and I add it to pita or regular sandwiches. I eat it with boiled potatoes or thinly sliced grilled beef or salmon.

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeds scooped out and fairly finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt or plain whole milk yogurt strained in cheese cloth for 2-3 hours to remove the whey and make it dense and richer (you can skip this step too but it will be a bit runnier but still delicious)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped dill (for an inauthentic substitute add chopped parsley, chives or basil—it will still be delicious)
1 tablespoon white wine, cider or champagne vinegar (or lemon juice)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Scooping out the cucumber’s seeds may seem silly but you want to remove as much moisture as possible for this dish and keep the firm, fleshed part.

Mix all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill for at least an hour if you can. It keeps well for about 3 days and gets a bit stronger (from the garlic) as it sits.

Summery Carrot Soup with Cilantro Cream

I don’t make many soups in the summer but the carrots are so gorgeous that I’m inspired.

3-4 carrots, scrubbed and chopped
1 cup diced Walla Walla Sweet
4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Finely chopped cilantro
Greek yogurt or crème fraiche or sour cream
Lemon juice

Sauté the onion in some olive oil or butter—carrots like butter a lot—for 5 minutes or so and then add the carrots and the broth. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the carrots are very tender. Now you can use an immersion blender or regular blender or food processor to process to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. If the soup tastes very sweet stir in some lemon juice or vinegar at this point. And if it’s too thick thin it a bit with more broth or water.

Stir together the yogurt or crème fraiche, cilantro, lemon juice and some more salt and maybe a little olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. You want it to be nice and bright.

Serve soup with a generous dollop of the cilantro cream.

Summer is here! The colors in your share are getting brighter and more varied. Lots of quick and salad or salad-like recipes again this week as it’s going to be hot. Enjoy!

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad
Carrot and Seed Salad
Simple Zucchini Sauté
Torpedo Onion Notes
Torpedo Onion and Potato Frittata
Green Salad with Torpedo Onions and Dill Buttermilk Dressing
Chard Pesto
Braised Chard

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad
–adapted from 101cookbooks.com

A beautiful and delicious combination.

Serves 6 as a side

1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions

More olive oil for cooking
3 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick at an angle
3 cups cooked white beans (home-cooked or canned)
generous 1/4 cup chopped dill
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and onions in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil and let them cook in a single layer (if you can)- they’ll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned, probably about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans are well heated through.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Carrot and Seed Salad
–inspired by Breakfast Lunch Tea by Rose Carrarini

Serves 6 as a side

I’ve included versions of this salad before but usually with other herbs. Dill and carrots get along so well though that I’m including the “dill” version this week.

With a simple frittata, like the Torpedo onion an potato one below, this makes a lovely dinner.

1 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 generous pinches of kosher salt
6 medium carrots, grated
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped dill

Dressing:

3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus possibly more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons honey or sugar
about 3 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil (I used a good olive oil)

Preheat oven to 350.

Toss the sunflower seeds with the tablespoon of oil and several pinches of salt and roast on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes, turning frequently, until they are crisp and golden. Set aside to cool.

Place the grated carrots in a serving bowl. To make the dressing whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper and oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots and mix well. Sprinkle with the dill and the seeds, mix again, and adjust seasoning and serve.

Simple Zucchini Sauté

I either make this when the first zucchini arrive each summer. This is not really a recipe, just a technique that I never tire of.

3-4 zucchini/summer squash (however many you have/want to use
Olive oil
Salt
Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Wash the zucchini and trim the ends. Cut them into ¼-inch rounds at an angle. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat in the largest skillet you have (you don’t want to crowd them too much as they’ll steam instead of browning if you do). Add the zucchini and couple of pinches of salt. Toss them around in the hot oil a bit and then let them cook on high heat for just a few minutes and then turn the heat down to medium-high or a bit lower. You want to get a good bit of browning right away. Continue cooking and gently flipping/stirring occasionally until they’re nice and tender. Adjust seasoning with salt, drizzle with a little more good olive oil if you’d like and enjoy. A good grating of Parmesan would not be amiss here either.

Torpedo Onion Notes & Torpedo Onions Roasted under Salt

This delicious crisp sweet onions are from Southern Italy and are also called Tropea Onions (after the town in Calabria where they originate). They are wonderful grilled simply with olive oil and salt. They are also delicious made into an onion jam, cooked slowly and then finished with a little balsamic or sherry vinegar. They would also be delicious on a burger or any sandwich or salad.

I found this fun blog post and cooking technique while brushing up on these wonderful onions. I haven’t tried this method but it sounds wonderful.

Torpedo Onion and Potato Frittata

As usual, please adjust the ingredient quantities to your liking as this can easily be scaled up or down and you can change the ratio–more onion/potato per egg or vice versa.

Coupled with the Carrot and Seed Salad above this would make a lovely dinner.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (or more) Torpedo onions, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced into thin half-rounds
3 medium potatoes, well-scrubbed (no need to peel) and cut into small (1/2-inch) chunks or dice
6-8 eggs (or whatever you have or want to use)
some crumbled feta (optional)
Salt, pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick (if it’s heatproof and can go in the oven). Add the onions and potatoes and a few generous pinches of salt and sauté them over med-high heat, stirring often so as not to burn, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 10 minutes.

Set your oven to broil.

Lightly whisk the eggs until they’re just broken up—no need to get them frothy or really well mixed. Add a few more pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper. Add the feta, if using. Pour eggs over the potatoes and onions and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. When the eggs are beginning to set take the pan off the heat and set under the broiler until the eggs are cooked and slightly puffed and golden.

Let sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving. It will come out of the pan much more easily that way and is more flavorful. Serve with a slice of good, crusty bread and salad.

Green Salad with Torpedo Onions and Dill Buttermilk Dressing

This is a simple, fresh salad with the sweet, juicy onions and the tangy dressing.

However much lettuce you want/need to use, well washed and dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
½ Torpedo onion (or 1 whole one if you like onion!), very thinly sliced and soaked in ice water for 10 minutes

Dressing:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt
Good squeeze of lemon juice or splash of white wine or champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ clove garlic, finely minced or mashed
Freshly ground pepper

Drain the onion and pat dry and put in a large salad bowl with the lettuces.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and toss the salad with some of it. Add more as needed and adjust seasoning. You’ll likely have leftover dressing.

Chard Pesto

Give chard leaves a quick blanch and make a savory treat you’ll want to spread on/dress everything or just eat by the spoonful.

It’s a very adaptable recipe. It will be wonderful, loosened a bit with warm water, tossed with boiled or roasted potatoes and/or carrots in this week’s share. I also use the pesto, stirred in to scrambled eggs or a savory bread pudding, as a sandwich spread, on quesadillas, as a dressing for pasta of course or for rice salads (be sure to loosen it with about 1/3 cup of hot pasta cooking water before tossing it with pasta). You can spread it on fish or meet before grilling or baking. You can mix it with goat cheese for a lovely little crostini.

Like many of my recipes, the quantity of ingredients can be adapted to your taste and what you have on hand. This pesto keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days so feel free to make a bigger batch if you have everything on hand.

1 large bunch chard, well washed and stems removed and saved for another purpose (you can add them to the onion and potato frittata above for instance)
1-2 small cloves garlic
1 good-sized handful of hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts or pine nuts (either raw or toasted—but cooled first if you toast)
2 oz of hard, aged cheese such as Parmesan or Asiago Stella
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice (not too much as it can easily overwhelm the delicate chard flavor)

Roughly chop the chard leaves. Bring a large pat of salted water to a boil. Add chard and cook for a 2 minutes. Drain, let cool and squeeze out all the water with your hands. Place cheese and nuts in food processor and process until finely chopped, add chard and garlic and salt & pepper, process until well integrated. Drizzle in the oil and periodically check for consistency and flavor. Add a little lemon juice, to taste. Adjust for salt – it takes a good amount of salt!

Braised Chard

This is a bit of an atypical way to cook chard since you cook it for a quite a long time. It is well worth it though—silky and rich.

Wash a large bunch of chard. Separate the leaves from the stems and reserve stems for another use. Cut the leaves into 1-2 inch ribbons. Slice 2 Torpedo onions into thin half-rounds and begin stewing them in some olive oil in a good-sized pot or pan. When the onion has softened a bit add the chard, season with salt and pepper, cover and stew, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes. You can add garlic, bacon, or lemon zest but just by itself it is sweet and wonderful.

I’ve used this as a pizza topping with some feta, as a pasta sauce or just a side to whatever else I made for dinner. Also wonderful with eggs.