What a treat to get celery this week, leaves and all. A simple chopped salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, celery leaves and some sweet onion and a little feta or fresh mozzarella would be delicious. Dress it with plenty of red wine vinegar and good olive oil. And by all means try the braised cucumber dish, a German classic, with all our beautiful cucumbers this week. Happy cooking!

Broiled Eggplant and Tomato Rounds with Basil and Parmesan
Fennel and Onion Salad (with Fish?)
Celery and Chickpea Salad
Pasta with Chickpeas, Celery and Rosemary
Summer Squash “Butter” with Herbs
Pesto
Rigatoni with Pesto and Browned Zucchini
Cucumber Salad with Peanuts and Sesame
Schmorgurken (German Braised Cucumbers)

Broiled Eggplant and Tomato Rounds with Basil and Parmesan

There are many variations on this theme, most use mozzarella or another gooey cheese. I made these when I had just one medium-sized globe eggplant to use. It comes together quickly and is good hot and at room temperature. You could use Japanese eggplants here as well but cut them lengthwise into slabs rather than into rounds to give yourself more surface for the tomatoes and basil and just cut the tomato in batons rather than rounds to more or less fit the eggplant.

Serves 4

1 medium globe eggplant (or Japanese–see headnote)
2-3 medium-large slicing tomatoes
1/2 cup basil leaves (save a few to garnish)
Salt
Olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Turn on the broiler

Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the rounds, sprinkled with salt over high heat until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes for the first a bit less for the second side. Put the browned rounds on a baking sheet.

Top each round with a few basil leaves, then a slice of tomato, a sprinkle of salt and drizzle of olive oil.  Set the pan under the broiler and broil until the tomatoes have softened and are bubbling a little. Remove from the oven and divide the Parmesan between all the rounds. Return to the broiler for another minute or two until melted and browning. Garnish with chopped basil and serve.

Fennel and Onion Salad (with Fish?)

This salad is a perfect accompaniment to some very simply grilled or pan-fried fish of your choosing. Scale the recipe according to how much fennel you have.

Serves 3-4

1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and sliced as thinly as you can
1/2 torpedo onion (if you have some leftover from last week) or other onion, sliced as thinly as you can
2 ounces feta
2 teaspoons capers (optional), chopped up a bit
1/3 cup fennel fronds, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Good olive oil
Salt and pepper

Put the sliced vegetables in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and optional capers. Taste and adjust seasoning remembering that the feta will add saltiness. Add feta and fennel fronds gently toss and taste again.

Celery and Chickpea Salad

Heidi Swanson, the author of the incomparable 101cookbooks blog, comes up with the loveliest combinations. I love her cooking philosophy and her intuition around flavors and textures.  This is, in true Heidi style, simple, a bit surprising and delicious–not to mention a nutritious dish. You can skip the Parmesan and add a few more nuts and raisins to make it vegan.

Serves 4-6

8 celery stalks, any strings removed (I just made this with the celery from the share and didn’t remove any strings), cut into thin slices (1/4-inch or so)
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and membranes removed if you don’t want much heat)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, more to taste
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan (see headnote for alternative)
1 1/2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, heated (home-cooked is best if you have them)
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted until nice and dark
Salt
½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley or a combination
1/2 cup celery leaves, chopped

Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan in a small bowl. In a large bowl toss the heated beans with the olive-Parmesan mixture. When well combined, add the celery, raisins, herbs and almonds. Mix again and taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. This salad does not hold very well. It loses its crunch and brightness. You can prep everything ahead of time but dress and toss it right before serving.

Pasta with Chickpeas, Celery and Rosemary

This is delicious, fast (if you have cooked chickpeas on hand or if you use canned), easy and nutritious. The rosemary, garlic, celery, carrot and hot pepper combine for a surprisingly rich flavor base. The shape of the pasta is important so if you can find little tubes (tubetti or ditalini) use those. If not, small elbow macaroni can work.

Serves 4-6

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (or 2-3 shallots, thinly sliced)
2-3 stalks celery, trimmed and finely chopped
2 carrots, scrubbed but not peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped (about 1 ½ teaspoons chopped)
1 quart cooked chickpeas or 2 14-oz. cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained but cooking liquid reserved if home-cooked
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or combination vegetable broth and chickpea cooking liquid
5 ounces (1 generous cup) Tubetti or Ditalini, sometimes also called Short Salad Macaroni (Barilla and DeCecco brands both have these. I’ve seen them at Safeway and Fred Meyer) or other small pasta. 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped celery leaves

Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and celery and sauté just until tender, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes.  Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the chickpeas and the broth and chickpea cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and add the pasta and cook until pasta is tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in the celery leaves and drizzle with some good olive oil.

**Note: you can remove a portion of the chickpeas with some liquid (before you add the pasta) and blend it and return to the pot, for a thicker, creamier dish. It’s lovely either way.

Summer Squash “Butter” with Herbs

Whenever you have a lot of squash this is the prefect thing to do. Grated, 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  tomatoes and/or soft cheese. You can use it as a pizza topping or a pasta sauce too.

Serves 4 as a side, 2 as more of main with an egg or a hearty salad, etc.

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. If you feel like it you can sprinkle the pile of grated squash with a little salt and let it sit while you sauté the onions. Even in just a couple of minutes it will release a bit of liquid. Before adding the grated squash to the pan you can then squeeze handfuls of the squash over a sink to release some extra liquid which will speed up the cooking a bit. But don’t worry if you don’t–it will be just fine.

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil/butter. Sauté the 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 squash is nice and soft and almost spreadable, 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.

Rigatoni with Pesto and Browned Zucchini

I like a high vegetable to pasta ratio so use about 3/4 lb of pasta here but by all means make the full pound and cook more squash or vary the ratio. You could also toss use rice or another grain instead of pasta or just dress the browned zucchini with the pesto for a rich side dish.

3/4 lb rigatoni or penne or fusilli pasta
4 medium zucchini or other summers squash, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half moons
Olive oil
Sea salt
1/2 cup pesto (see below)
Grated Parmesan

Saute squash in some olive oil in a heavy skillet until browned and tender.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Scoop out and reserve 1/3 cup, or more, hot cooking water right before you drain the pasta.

Put the pesto in a serving dish and thin with about 2-3 tablespoons pasta cooking water. Toss in the pasta and sautéed squash. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning and serve with grated Parmesan.

Pesto

I used to be a purist about pesto and I’m not anymore. I use almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts since I rarely have pine nuts. I use aged, Asiago Stella (an aged Asiago available at Pastaworks and City Market) because it’s much cheaper than Parmesan and still very good. I also use the food processor. And you can scale this up or down very easily. It keeps well in the fridge, topped off with a thin layer of good olive oil, for about a week.

And you can put it on so many things—use it as a sandwich spread; stir it into deviled eggs or a frittata thin it out for a salad dressing . . . . A classic Genovese dish is pasta, boiled potatoes (diced small and cooked right with the pasta) and sauced with pesto. Remember to save a little bit of hot, starchy pasta cooking water to thin the pesto just a bit before tossing with the pasta. You can easily thin too much so start with just a couple of tablespoons of cooking water.

3-4 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
2 smallish cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 cup almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or pine nuts
About 2 ounces of Parmesan or aged Asiago (Asiago Stella available at Pastaworks/City Market)
1/3 cup of good-tasting extra virgin olive oil (or more)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

If you have a mortar and pestle, a strong arm and some time, by all means make the pesto by hand. I almost always now make it in a food processor and it’s very good that way too.

Put the nuts and cheese in the processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the basil, garlic and salt and process until well chopped. Then slowly add the oil. Don’t over process. Adjust for salt and oil. Then store in the fridge until ready to use.

Cucumber Salad with Peanuts and Sesame

This slightly unusual combination of ingredients and flavors is crunchy, cool, sweet/tart and rather addictive.

Serves 2-3

1 large cucumber, halved, seeds removed and thinly sliced or diced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (Remove the seeds for a milder salad.)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
1 lime, zest and juice
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds (regular are just fine—the black ones look great but the flavor is very similar)
2 tablespoons salted and roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
1/3 cup roasted, flaked coconut (optional)
Fresh basil, chopped

Place the cucumber slices or dice and hot pepper in a large bowl and toss to mix. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and honey. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the cucumbers and toss until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to deepen. Before serving add the sesame seeds, toasted coconut (if using) peanuts, and herbs and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.

Schmorgurken (German Braised Cucumbers)

I include this favorite of mine again this year, unusual as it is to cook cucumbers here in the US. There are many variations of this dish in Germany and I grew up with this simple, sweet and sour vegetarian one. Often ground beef or small meat balls are added to the mix and sometimes also tomato. The quantities are squishy for this recipe, confirmed by my mother when I called her about the recipe. Just scale up or down to taste and depending on what you have.

Serves 4

Olive oil
2 large or 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed with a teaspoon
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon white wine or cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and lots of freshly ground pepper
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Cooked rice for serving

Put your rice on to cook—we grew up eating this over long grain white rice but you could by all means use brown as well.

Cut the halved cucumbers into ½-inch half-rounds. In a large, heavy skillet sauté the cucumber slices in a bit of olive oil over medium to medium-high heat, stirring frequently. They will release quite a bit of liquid, which is great. It will add to the sauce. When they are translucent and softening (about 10 minutes) add the sour cream, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes more until the cucumbers are completely tender and the sauce has thickened a little. Add the dill, taste and adjust for salt and pepper and serve hot over rice.

Well it’s going to be hot again This is a good share for minimal stove time. Tropea onions, aioli and thick slices of tomato and a bit of lettuce. . . summer on a plate! Cucumber, melon, sweet onion and dill. . .a cool pureed zucchini soup. Happy eating and stay cool!

Cucumber, Tropea Onion, Cantaloupe Salad
Zucchini and Basil Soup
Lemony Carrot Salad with Cilantro and Toasted Seeds
Tomato Sandwiches
Frikeh Salad with Cilantro and Cucumbers
Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon
Sweet, Sour and Hot Eggplant

Cucumber, Tropea Onion, Cantaloupe Salad

This is a delicious combination of two fruits in the same family.

Serves 4

2 small-medium cucumbers, washed and peeled if the skin is tough, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 Tropea onion, thinly sliced
2 cups cantaloupe or honey dew melon, sliced
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped (or basil—see headnote)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons rice, champagne or white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large bowl toss together all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.

Zucchini and Basil Soup
–adapted from Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome

Four ingredients is all you need and you likely have them all in mid-summer. Simple, creamy (but with no cream) and satisfying. This soup is best, or definitely prettiest, made with green zucchini varieties. For the version above I used two green zucchini and one yellow patty pan squash.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 green zucchini (see headnote–you can use other summer squash varieties too but it might not be as pretty and green), sliced thinly
Salt
Water
1 1/2 -2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
Juice of 1 lemon
Good olive oil, for serving (optional)

Heat the olive oil in pot or large saute pan and add the onion. Saute for 10 minutes over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the zucchini and several generous pinches of salt and cook for 12-15 minutes until soft. Add water to about 3/4 inch above the zucchini. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.  Let the mixture cool to just above room temperature.

Puree the soup in a blender, food processor or immersion blender. Add the basil and puree again and stir in the lemon juice just before serving. The basil can turn the soup a bit bitter if it sits for too long. Taste and adjust with salt and/or lemon juice. Serve at room temperature or cold with a drizzle of good olive oil.

Lemony Carrot Salad with Cilantro and Toasted Seeds

You can add cooked white beans to this salad for a more robust version. Make a little extra dressing if you’re doing so. This makes quite a bit of salad. Feel free to halve the recipe.

With a simple frittata and a piece of good bread, this makes a lovely dinner.

Serves 6-8 as a side

1 cup sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds) (this may seem like a lot but use it all if you can–it really makes the dish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 generous pinches of sea salt
6 medium carrots, grated
2-3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus possibly more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
about 3 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Toss the sunflower seeds with a teaspoon or two 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 cilantro and the seeds, mix again, and adjust seasoning and serve.

Tomato Sandwiches

You don’t need a recipe for these but maybe a reminder of just how wonderful tomato sandwiches are.

Aioli
Sliced Tropea onions
Thick slices of tomato
Salt
Lettuce
Sharp cheddar (optional)
Favorite bread, toasted or not

Or, the Caprese version

Fresh mozzarella
Basil
Sliced tomatoes
Good olive oil
Salt and a little drizzle of red wine vinegar
Good, crusty bread

Or, open faced, with roasted tomatoes and a soft boiled egg broken over the top and sprinkled with cilantro and plenty of sea salt and black pepper.

Frikeh Salad with Cucumbers, Coriander and Lemon

It’s hard not to be effusive about this salad. The smokiness of the frikeh (roasted/scorched green wheat–a Middle Eastern specialty) paired with the cold crunch of the cucumber and the lemony dressing and plenty of fresh herbs is just plain a winner.

If you can get your hands on some frikeh make this. Ayers Creek Farm sells it in the summer at the Hillsdale Farmers Market in Portland, Oregon. The salad would be good with farro, wheat berries or even barley so give it a try even if you don’t have frikeh. If you are using a different grain add 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (pimenton) to the dressing.

While I typically use cilantro; mint, basil, parsley and oregano and even dill would all be good and you can try combinations of herbs as well. You can also vary the vegetables to use what you have on hand. And this salad is just as good (or better) the next day.

Serves 4-6

 3 cups cooked frikeh (see below) (about generous 2 cups uncooked) or other grain (see headnote)
1 large or 2 smaller cucumbers, cut into small dice (I did not deseed and the salad did not get watery but if you have particularly juicy cucumbers and the salad is going to sit for a while you might deseed them and then proceed)
1 sweet red pepper, deseeded and diced (optional)–could substitute a diced tomato this time around
1/2 a Tropea onion, thinly sliced or a chunk of sweet onion, diced
1/2 cup or more chopped cilantro, parsley or a combination of mint, oregano, dill. . .. (see headnote). If you don’t have cilantro or parsley use only a couple of tablespoons of the other herbs not the full 1/2 cup.
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet for about 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and a shade darker

Dressing:
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (or more if you want it creamier)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium – large clove garlic, minced and mashed a little
Juice of 1 lemon or more (about 2 1/2 tablespoons worth of juice)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the frikeh in a sieve under running water for a minute or two. Put in a pot and cover generously with fresh water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt (you’ll likely need more) and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook partially covered for about 40 minutes or until tender. The grain should still have a little bite to it. Drain and put in a large salad bowl or on a platter.

Add the vegetables to the frikeh but reserve the herbs until the frikeh is just warm so it doesn’t wilt the herbs.

Pound the toasted coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle until well broken up but no need to grind finely.

Mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add the dressing, herbs and coriander seeds to the frikeh and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, acid, etc.

Summer Squash with Tomatoes, Basil and Lemon

This is a favorite summer squash dish. The addition of the lemon juice is critical. And a fried or poached egg makes this a complete meal for me, one I could eat daily all summer long.

Serves 4

3-4 medium squash, well washed and cut into thick batons, homemade French-fry sized
1 cup diced onion
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 medium to large tomatoes, roughly chopped
Generous handful of basil leaves, roughly torn
Salt and pepper
½ a lemon

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the onion and squash and cook, pretty much undisturbed for 6-8 minutes over medium to medium-high heat until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, the basil, salt and pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Stir and then partially cover and let simmer for 10 -12 minutes until the squash is very tender. Adjust seasoning and serve with good crusty bread to soak up the juices.

Sweet, Sour and Hot Eggplant

My favorite way to serve this quick Chinese-inspired dish is over short grain brown rice but any rice is excellent. It’s a rich-tasting dish though actually fairly light in preparation.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
2 medium eggplant (or several smaller ones—any kind of eggplant will work in this dish—the long slender Japanese ones, more common Italian, globe ones, . . .), skin on, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 Jalapenos, minced, with seeds if you like heat, discard seeds if you’d like it milder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
3-4 tablespoons Thai basil, basil, cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.

In a large skillet or wok heat the oil and sauté onions and pepper (if using) over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes until they soften. Add red pepper flakes (or minced hot pepper) and eggplant and cook until it softens and browns a bit, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. A few minutes before the eggplant is done add the minced garlic and stir well. Then add the sauce and stir well to mix and coat veggies. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes until sauce thickens and veggies are tender. Stir in the herbs, saving out a few for garnish if you’d like. Serve hot over rice with herbs.

You might pick up some dill and mint this week as I call for both several times. And make the yellow bean salad if you can–it’s one of my favorite new creations, and so beautiful to boot!

Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger
Sautéed Eggplant and Walla Walla Sweets with Yogurt Herb Sauce
Yellow/Green Bean Salad with Sweet Onions, Parsley and Toasted Almonds
Coconut Rice with Corn, Versions I & II
Lentils, Roasted Beets, Walnuts
Savory Summer Squash Pancakes

Cucumber Salad with Smashed Garlic and Ginger
–inspired by Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

This salad is fresh, and strongly flavored from the garlic and ginger. 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 them a bit with some salt on your cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil, peanut 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 garlic cloves, peeled, and chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 medium – large cucumbers, washed
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar,  until the sugar is mostly dissolved.  Whisk in the oils. 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 dressing.  Stir to combine. Add the sliced onion, and toss to coat.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes and for as long as 4 hours.

Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise, place them cut-side down on the cutting board, and slice at an angle into ¼ inch slices. Put the cucumber, sesame seeds, and cilantro in serving dish/salad bowl and stir in the dressing.  Let sit a few minutes to develop the flavors. Taste and adjust with salt.

Sauteed Eggplant and Walla Walla Sweets with Yogurt Herb Sauce

1 eggplant manages to stretch quite a way in this simple preparation and you can adjust the ratio of onions to eggplant to whatever you have/want to use.

Serves 4

1 bell or Japanese eggplant, diced
1 Walla Walla Sweet, including any greens possibly still attached, cut into large dice
Olive oil
Salt
½ cup Greek or whole milk plain yogurt or a combination of the two
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley chopped
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed into a rough paste with some salt on a cutting board, with the side of a chef’s knife
Squeeze of lemon juice
Drizzle of olive oil

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the largest skillet you have. Add the onions and eggplant and toss well. Sprinkle with salt. Cook over high heat, stirring often until the vegetables soften and begin to brown. Don’t be shy with the heat. You can cook them more or less long—the longer you go the sweeter and softer the vegetables get.

In a small bowl mix the yogurt with herbs, garlic, lemon juice and a splash of oil. Serve the eggplant and onions warm (preferably not hot) with plenty of the yogurt sauce.

Yellow/Green Bean Salad with Sweet Onions, Parsley and Toasted Almonds

This salad is a mix of sweet, sour, crunchy and chewy and is beautiful! You can substitute other nuts or toasted seeds but include something crunchy–it’s key for the success of this salad.

Serves 4

1/2 lb yellow, green or purple string beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
1 small Walla Walla Sweet, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons salt-packed capers (or brined), rinsed well and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest from one lemon, finely grated on a micro-plane
1/2 cup almonds, roughly chopped

In a medium bowl, toss together mint, onion, lemon juice and salt and pepper; let sit until onion softens, about 10 minutes. Add parsley, capers, oil and zest, and toss until evenly combined.

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 4 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water. Pat dry and cut into 1-1/2 -2-inch pieces.

Put the almonds with touch of olive oil in a small skillet and toast over medium high heat until a shade darker and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.

Add the beans and almonds to the onions and stir well. Serve right away.

Coconut Rice with Corn, Versions I & II

This is a great was to turn a couple of ears of corn into a meal. This dish was loosely inspired by one in Bryant Terry’s book Afro Vegan. I have changed it substantially and give two different versions here: one quicker one with white rice made in a rice cooker and one with brown rice on the stove top that takes a bit longer. Both are delicious and good either warm or at room temperature. It’s a great picnic/potluck dish.

Serves 4

Version I (with brown rice)

1 cup short grain brown rice
3/4 cup full fat coconut milk (half of the typical 14 oz can)
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Kernels from 2-3 ears of corn, cut off the cob with a sharp knife
1 green onion (scallion), thinly sliced
1/3 – 1/2 cup loosely packed basil (Thai basil if you have it–it grows like a weed) or cilantro or 2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno or serrano (optional)
Squeeze of lime juice (optional)

Version II (with white rice)

1 cup long grain white rice, such as Jasmine
3/4 cup full fat coconut milk (half of the typical 14 oz can)
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Kernels from 2-3 ears of corn, cut off the cob with a sharp knife
1 green onion (scallion), thinly sliced
1/3 – 1/2 cup loosely packed basil (Thai basil if you have it–it grows like a weed) or cilantro or 2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno or serrano (optional)
Squeeze of lime juice (optional)

Version I

Put the rice in a sauce pan and add the coconut milk, shredded coconut (if using), water and salt. Bring the rice to a boil and turn down, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until almost tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. At this point add the corn kernels. You can either gently stir them into the rice or leave them in a layer on top. Cover the pan and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so until the rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed. If it’s too dry and not tender add a bit more water.

When the rice and corn are tender stir in the scallion, hot pepper and taste for salt. If you’re going to serve it right away stir in the basil (or other herbs) too. If you’re making it in advance wait until just before serving to stir in the herbs. Add a squeeze of lime juice if you’d like. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Version II

Put the white rice, coconut milk, water and salt in a rice cooker. Turn it on. I set a timer for 10 minutes and at which point I add the corn. Rice cookers vary in their cooking time/technique but what you’re aiming for is to add the rice about 3-5 minutes before the cooker shuts off. If you miss this window (as I sometimes do) you can just add the corn once the cooker has turned off but is still on the “keeping warm” setting and the heat of the rice will steam it just fine. If you do the latter, stir the corn in quickly and cover the cooker again and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  Either way, once the rice and corn are cooked stir in the green onion, hot pepper (if using), and herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature with a squeeze of lime juice if you’d like.

Lentils, Roasted Beets, Walnuts

You can substitute cooked barley or farro for the lentils.

4 beets, roasted cooled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds (roast at 400 degrees tightly covered with a splash of water until tender)—or boil them if you don’t want to turn on your oven and/or have less time
2 cups French green lentils (or other smaller variety that holds its shape well)
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 quarts veggie bouillon broth, stock or chicken stock or water
½ a small onion, very thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup) (if your sweet onions have any greens attached you could use them in this dish
½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Vinaigrette
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons red vinegar if using orange zest/juice or 1 tablespoon if using lemon
1 clove garlic minced or mashed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar with a lid and shake well. Keeps well for a week or a bit more.

Combine lentils, garlic, cinnamon stick, and stock or water and bring to a simmer and cook for 30- 40 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. Drain the lentils (reserving liquid for a soup if you want) and discard bay, cinnamon stick and garlic cloves. Put lentils in a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Toss lentils with onion and about two thirds of the dressing. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss beat slices with remainder of vinaigrette.

Serve beets on lentils and topped with the toasted walnuts.

Savory Summer Squash Pancakes

These come together quickly and don’t be put off by grating the zucchini onto a dishtowel and wringing out the liquid. It’s easy and even fun to do and makes the fritters so much better and only takes a few minutes. And I happen to love savory breakfasts and do have any leftovers for breakfast the next day.

Yields about 18 4-inch pancakes

3 medium zucchini or any kind of summer squash
1 ¼  teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or mint
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill (optional)
2 tablespoons finely diced onion or thinly sliced scallion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 ounces feta cheese, coarsely chopped or crumbled (or grated sharp cheddar or other cooking cheese)
2 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
Olive or sunflower oil
½ cup Greek yogurt and more dill for topping (optional, but excellent!)

Grate the zucchini/squash on the large holes of a grater onto a clean kitchen towel.  Sprinkle half salt over the zucchini and mix in with your hands a bit and let rest while you prepare the batter. In a medium bowl, combine mint, dill, if using, onion, garlic, and pepper.  Stir in the egg and flour and mix until well combined.

Wrap the zucchini in the towel and wring as much liquid out of it as possible, discarding the liquid.  Add the zucchini to the egg/herb mixture and combine well. Finally stir in the feta or other chess. Taste for salt and add a bit more if needed or wait to taste a cooked one if you prefer. They may well need more salt to bring everything together.

Add a scant tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Spoon about 3 tablespoons (about a ¼ cup) of batter into the pan. Depending on the size of your pan you should be able to fry about 3-5 at once.  Flatten them a bit with the back of a spatula and cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes.

Transfer the fritters to plates and garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt seasoned with salt and more chopped mint and/or dill.

* NOTE: We’re actually getting 1 or 2 large green onions in our share this week. I had assumed that we were getting the small ones, in large bunches, so adapt the recipes below to what you have. They will work just fine but you won’t have enough onions for the Black Pepper Tofu unless you grab another bunch at the market/store–which would be well worth it!

It’s not going to be so hot this week. Hurray! And we’re getting green onions—one of my very favorite items. I put them in most any salad or slaw, I often make Korean-style green onion pancakes as noted in week 2 (https://www.sauvieislandorganics.com/recipe/recipes-for-csa-week-2-4/) with them and this week Chard and Green Onion pancakes might be a nice variation.

The first cucumbers of the year will be wonderful in a simple salad of lettuce, some thinly sliced green onion and some grated carrot. Dress with a lemony vinaigrette or use rice vinegar and a little lime juice instead. Some toasted seeds or nuts are never amiss!

Green Curry with Summer Squash and Eggplant
New Potatoes and Indian-spiced Green Onions
Raita
Black Pepper Tofu with Scallions
Chard, Herb-roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Scallion Mint Vinaigrette
Carrot, Harissa and Feta Salad
Summer Squash Frittata

Thai Green Curry with Eggplant and Summer Squash

A quick curry, similar to ones you’ve seen here before but eggplant is a classic and very good ingredient so this is a good thing to do with the smaller quantity of eggplant you have this week. The curry is even better if you have kaffir lime leaves–Whole Foods and New Seasons and many Asian grocery stores typically have them. They freeze perfectly so if you see some but plenty and freeze for future curries. But don’t worry if you don’t have any.

Serves 4 (generously)

1-2 medium Japanese eggplants, halved and sliced into half rounds or diced
2 cups summer squash, cut into large dice or half-round slices
3-4 kaffir lime leaves (optional–see headnote)
1 – 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 heaping teaspoons (or to taste) green curry paste (Thai & True is a great local Oregon brand)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2-3 teaspoons fish sauce (can omit to make it vegetarian/vegan)
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably but light will work too)
3 tablespoons basil, packed and roughly chopped
Salt to taste
Juice of half a lemon or lime (optional but good especially if you don’t have kaffir lime leaves)
White or brown cooked Jasmine or other long grain rice

Heat wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of coconut milk (use the thickest, part usually at the top of the can) and bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic and ginger and fry it for about 3-4 minutes until it’s fragrant. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk plus ½ can’s worth of water, lime leaves, if using, soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and add the beans, eggplant and/or squash, if using, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the basil and cook for another minute or two. Adjust seasoning with a bit of salt or more soy sauce and/or fish sauce or salt if needed and finish with a generous squeeze of lime or lemon juice, if using. Serve hot over rice.

New Potatoes and Indian-spiced Green Onions

A lovely combination and the lemon juice ties it all together. You can play with the spices here and add turmeric, omit the chili flakes, add nigella seeds, etc. Have fun with it! And if you only have ground cumin and coriander you can substitute that with no problem though I love the crunch of the whole seeds.

Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main with an egg or some such

1 ½ lb potatoes, scrubbed (no need to peel)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 bunch green onions (scallions), washed, trimmed and cut into about 2-inch lengths, greens and all
Salt
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
Juice of 1 lemon

Put the potatoes in a sauce pan and cover with water. Salt the water with about 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and then simmer until tender. If you have potatoes of varying size check them regularly and remove the smaller ones first as they get tender. Drain and roughly chop when cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or peanut or coconut oil) in a large skillet. Add the green onions and a few pinches of salt and cook over high heat until the onions begin to brown and blister a bit, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spices and stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the spices are fragrant and toasted. Be careful not to burn the spices.

Put the potatoes in a serving dish. Top with the spiced onions, the lemon juice and remaining oil. Toss well and taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Raita

Raita is a cool yogurt and cucumber dish that’s used as a dip, topping, or sauce in Middle Eastern and Indian foods. It’s versatile, delicious and easy to make. You could spoon some of this over the potatoes and spiced green onions (above).

Yields about 1 1/4 cups

1 medium or 2 smallish cucumbers (you want about 2 cups grated cucumber)
½-2/3 cup of plain whole-milk yogurt or Greek yogurt
Juice 1 lemon
A little minced green onion
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of ground cumin and ground coriander
Salt

Cut the cucumber(s) in half lengthwise (no need to peel). Scoop the seeds out with a spoon and then grate the cucumbers on the large holes of a box grater. You want small pieces so if they come out long, chop them a bit with a knife when you’re done. Squeeze some of the liquid out with your hands and place in a bowl. Sprinkle a little coarse salt on the garlic and mash with the side of a chef’s knife until you have a paste. Add this and all the remaining ingredients to the cucumbers. Gently mix and let stand for a few minutes so the flavors can come together.

You can serve this as a dip for pita (or other) chips. Serve it over rice with some steamed broccoli on the side. Serve it with roasted beets or with any Indian-inspired food.

Black Pepper Tofu with Green Onions
–adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

This dish takes some work but if you like strongly flavored spicy food it’s definitely worth it. Ottolenghi calls for three different kinds of soy sauce. I’ve made it with just plain old sauce and it was just fine. I now have the sweet soy sauce (kecap manis) and it does add something but really don’t worry about purchasing all three kinds.

Serves 4

1 3/4 lbs firm tofu
Vegetable oil for frying
Cornstarch to dust the tofu
4 tablespoons butter
½ bunch green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced (the green parts to be used later in the dish)
3 Serrano chiles (deseeded unless you want it really hot), finely chopped
10 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
3 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tbsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns (use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder)
6 more whole green onions, and the tops from the ones used earlier, cut into 1 1/4-inch segments

Start with the tofu. Pour enough oil into a large frying pan or wok to come 1/4 inch up the sides and heat. Cut the tofu into large cubes, about 1 x 1 inch. Toss them in some cornstarch and shake off the excess, then add to the hot oil. (You’ll need to fry the tofu pieces in a few batches so they don’t stew in the pan.) Fry, turning them around as you go, until they are golden all over and have a thin crust. As they are cooked, transfer them onto paper towels.

Remove the oil and any sediment from the pan, then put the butter inside and melt it. Add the greens onions (white/light green parts) chilies, garlic and ginger. Sauté on low to medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have turned shiny and are totally soft. Next, add the soy sauces and sugar and stir, then add the crushed black pepper.

Add the tofu to warm it up in the sauce for about a minute. Finally, stir in the green onions and cook for another 2 minutues. Serve hot, with steamed rice.

Chard, Herb-roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Scallion Mint Vinaigrette

This is the loveliest platter of food—blanched chard and roasted chicken are dressed with the same, lemony, minty, green onion vinaigrette. You can also roast the potatoes and cook the chard and use perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs (cover eggs generously with cold water, bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit in hot water for 8-9 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water) instead of chicken or you could use canned Oregon Albacore. The dressing is really what ties all together.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons sage, finely chopped
2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 large bone-in chicken breast half, preferably at room temperature (use eggs or Tuna instead—see headnote or use chicken legs or roast a whole chicken–it will just take a bit longer)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 medium to large potatoes, well scrubbed and cut into thumb-sized chunks
1/3 cup water
1 large bunch chard, well washed and stems separated from leaves

Dressing
2 green onions, thinly sliced (greens and all)
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
6 tablespoons good olive oil (use the best you have)
8 sprigs mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix the chopped rosemary, sage and salt with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Dry the chicken breast well. Use about half the herb mixture to cover the chicken on all sides, using your hands to thoroughly cover.  Place chicken in an 8” x 13” baking dish.

Toss the potatoes with the remaining herb mixture and arrange the potatoes around the chicken. Add the 1/3 cup water and roast for 35 – 45 minutes. You can test the chicken by carefully cutting into the thickest part of the breast and checking for any pink flesh.

Meanwhile, stir together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning for salt. It should be quite tart so don’t be shy with the lemon juice.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (use about 1 tablespoon of salt for 3 quarts of water). Chop the chard stems into 1-inch pieces. Pile the chard leaves on top of each other and cut the leaves lengthwise once or twice (depending on how big the leaves are) and then cross-wise four or five times.

Add just the chard stems to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, then add the chard leaves and cook for another 2 minutes. Drain well and press out as much moisture as you can against the side of the colander. Return the chard and stems to the pan and cover to keep warm.

When the chicken is done carve the breast into slices. You might need to use your hands to carefully loosen the bottom of the slices from the breastbone. Arrange the chicken on a large platter with the potatoes and the chard and drizzle the chard and chicken generously with the shallot vinaigrette. You can certainly dress the potatoes too, if you have plenty of dressing.

Carrot, Harissa and Feta Salad
–adapted from smittenkitchen.com

This salad is addictive. And if you don’t have harissa in your pantry it will likely be a worthwhile addition (or you can make it yourself). It’s a wonderful addition to dressing and rubs and soups, etc.

Serves 4

about 1 pound carrots, scrubbed, trimmed and grated on the large holes of a box grater
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds or about half as much, ground (I used seeds but ground them first)
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds or about half as much, ground (I used the seed but ground them first, again)
1-2 teaspoons harissa (harissa varies widely in spice level; adjust yours to taste)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons mint, chopped
2 ounces feta, crumbled

In a small sauté pan, cook the garlic, caraway, cumin, and harissa in the oil until fragrant, about one to two minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Pour over the carrots and mix. Add the herbs and mix. Leave to infuse for an hour and add the feta before eating.

Summer Squash Frittata

Whether you have just one zucchini/summer squash or three or four, they make a delicious frittata. And if you have lots of people to feed or want to stretch the eggs you have you can always add ½ cup -3/4 cup (or more) milk or even water to the egg mixture. Or if have you have a slice or two of bread lying around you can tear it into bit and add it to stretch the eggs and make it more hearty. The herbs are wonderful but you can skip in a pinch.

Serves 3 as an entrée 5-6 as a side.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2-4 summer squash (see headnote), cut in half lengthwise and then thinly sliced cross-wise
2-3 tablespoons or more basil, parsley, oregano, etc. chopped
6-8 eggs (or whatever you have or want to use–see headnote)
Grated hard cheese or your choice or feta or goat cheese (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 squash and a few generous pinches of salt and over med-high heat, stirring occasionally so as not to burn, until the squash is just tender and a bit browned.

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 and the herbs. Pour eggs over the vegetables and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the eggs, if using. 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 the frittata sit for at least 5 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/or a salad.

It’s going to be too hot, again (!) this week.

There are no dedicated lettuce recipes this week but revisit the “lettuce management” post from last week for plenty of ideas. Stay cool and enjoy the produce that our hard working, resilient farmers grew for us!

Kale and Carrot Slaw with Garlic Lime Dressing
Beet Notes
Beet Sandwiches
Aioli
Fennel Pilaf with Toasted Cumin and Golden Raisins
Farro Salad with Carrots, Fennel and Dill (or Fennel Fronds)
Zucchini in the Frying Pan

Kale and Carrot Slaw with Garlic Lime Dressing

This is another very adaptable slaw. You can change the ratio of vegetables to suit your needs.

Serves 6

1 small to medium bunch kale, tough stems removed (I leave the ribs in), washed, dried and very thinly sliced
2 cups sorrel (optional), washed, dried and thinly sliced (I happen to have sorrel in my garden so toss it in with many salads)
3 small to medium carrots, scrubbed well and grated on large holes of box grater
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced or 1 small shallot or small piece of onion of any kind, thinly sliced
1 sweet pepper, washed and seeded and thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped (parsley and/or mint would be good too)

Dressing:
1 large clove garlic, minced and then mashed with a bit of coarse salt on the cutting board with the side of a chefs knife to create a coarse paste (skip this step if you’re in a hurry)
Juice of 1 lime or 1 1/2 tablespoons white, cider or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 a small jalapeño, minced (deseeded if you want less heat)
1/3 cup or more good olive oil
1/3 – 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds (about 10 minutes at 350 degrees)

Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss dressing with salad and mix well to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Beet Notes

Roasting beets is great but it’s too hot to do so this week. Here are a couple of alternatives.

Boiled

Scrub and trim the beets, halve or quarter if they are large. Put them in a saucepan covered with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender when pierced with the tip of knife. When cool enough to handle, peel and toss with vinegar (see above) if you’re likely to use them in salads.

Grated and Marinated

Raw beets are delicious and particularly so when grated and marinated in a dressing of minced and mashed garlic, lemon juice (or vinegar), salt and olive oil. Grating beets can make a big mess–the red juice splattering all over the place and potentially staining things. Use the grating blade on the food processor to contain the mess or set your box grater in the sink and grate them that way. Then, all they need is a soak in lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, salt and olive oil, 20 minutes will do it but longer is fine too. Then you can toss a cup of them into any green salad, add a bit of crumbled feta and maybe a few handfuls of toasted, coarse breadcrumbs and you have a perfect salad.

You can also mix them with grated carrots and marinate the whole thing and then stir in lots of parsley leaves for a wonderfully refreshing side/salad.

You can mix the grated marinated beets into Greek yogurt for a sort of (very pink) beat tzatziki and serve that with lamb burgers or dolloped on plain, cooked chickpeas.

Beet Sandwiches

I’ve been eating beet sandwiches lately, sometimes with sliced hardboiled egg and homemade mayonnaise or aioli and sometimes with goat cheese and sometimes with kimchi and cheddar.

Toast some good, crusty bread. Spread a thick layer of aioli or mayonnaise doctored with mashed garlic and salt (or mash up some fresh goat cheese with some minced green garlic or garlic scapes) on the bread. Layer sliced, boiled beets on top and sprinkle with sea salt. Add slices of barely hard-boiled eggs (cover eggs with cold water, bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit, covered for 8-9 minutes) and sprinkle with salt. Top with sprigs of cilantro or lightly dressed arugula and sliced green onion or pickled onion. Top with another slice of bread or eat open faced.

AioliI make aioli starting in the spring when asparagus and snap peas show up. I love dipping the veggies in aioli and making egg salad with aioli or spreading it thickly on toast and topping with whatever else I have on hand, until the tomatoes arrive and then it’s tomatoes and cucumbers . . . and then green beans and artichokes get dipped in it. I sometimes add lots of chopped basil or chives or parsley and tarragon. I thin it out to make salad dressings top halves of hard-boiled eggs with it for a fake deviled egg.

2 egg yolks (preferably organic)
2-5 cloves  garlic (start with the smaller amount of you’re uncertain and it does get stronger as it sits)
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard (optional)
Lemon juice (1/2 to a whole lemon’s worth depending on your taste and size of lemon) or white wine or champagne vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup good-tasting olive oil (not too bitter or strong or the aioli will have a bitter taste)
1/2-3/4 cup neutral oil like sunflower oil

Mash garlic to a paste with salt (either in mortar and pestle or with a knife ). Put garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Add the egg yolks, mustard (if using) and 2-3 teaspoons of lemon juice and some pepper. Whisk well. Then start adding the olive oil drip by drip or in a very thin stream at first. You’ll need to incorporate about 1/4 cup of oil like this before you can safely speed things up. This is the most important step in ensuring that it properly emulsifies and doesn’t break. Incorporate the rest of the olive oil and neutral tasting oil (it can get too bitter if you use just olive oil, though this is a non-traditional approach but one I like) and adjust seasoning with more lemon and/or salt. The more oil you incorporate the thicker it gets, however, at some point it can’t hold any more oil and can break.

You can also make it in a food processor and you will end up with a sightly stiffer/denser texture–also good just a little different. For the food processor version follow the process above but just feed the oil through the feeder tube while the machine is running.

Aioli keeps in the fridge for about 4 days and it does get a bit stronger as it sits.

Fennel Pilaf with Toasted Cumin and Golden Raisins
–adapted from Culinate.com from the Megan Scott collection 

I adapted the original recipe to use much more fennel, added some fresh garlic and topped it with lemony Greek yogurt. I’m a bit of a fennel skeptic and just loved this dish. I also don’t typically love raisins in my savory food but this dish has a mellow sweetness that’s just lovely.

Serves 4 as a main, topped with Greek Yogurt sauce or 6 as a side

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed of any fibrous exterior layers, diced; fronds removed and a few reserved
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup long-grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
¼ cup golden raisins
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
½ teaspoon salt (unnecessary if your stock is salty)

For serving:
About 1/3 – ½ cup Greek yogurt (whole milk) into which you stirred just a little lemon zest, about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a bit of salt and a glug of olive oil.
A couple tablespoons chopped fennel fronds

In a large skillet for which you have a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the cumin seeds and the rice and mix well to coat the rice with oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and browning. Then add the raisins and broth or water and salt, if your stock isn’t very salty. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, fluff the rice with a fork. Top with Greek yogurt and fennel fronds, if you’d like.

Farro Salad with Carrots, Fennel and Dill (or Fennel Fronds)

This is a substantial yet fairly light grain salad. Carrots and dill and/or fennel are a classic combination and with the addition of plenty of lemon juice and green onions and it’s a beautiful and fresh dish that keeps well–good for potlucks and picnics. You can substitute most any grain here and quinoa would work well too and be quicker cooking.

1 cup farro, hulled or pearled (pearled cooks more quickly but I prefer just hulled—more of a whole grain)
2 cups carrots, cut on the bias into ¼-inch slices
1 fennel bulb, trimmed of any fibrous outer layers and diced/roughly chopped
3 tablespoons dill, chopped and/or fennel fronds (you can by all means use both if you have dill and just double the quantity of herbs)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 greens onions, thinly sliced (optional)
3-4 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted (optional but very good)
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (or more to taste or red wine vinegar)
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the farro in a sauce pan with 3 cups water and ¾ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, until the faro is tender—some kernels will break open which is just fine. This will take about 45 minutes if it’s hulled faro and a bit less for pearled. Test occasionally for doneness. When tender, drain well and put in a bowl and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile, sauté the carrots and fennel in ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat with a few pinches of salt until tender and caramelizing a bit—about 10 minutes.

Add the carrots and fennl to the farro and all the remaining ingredients. Stir well and adjust seasoning.

Zucchini in the Frying Pan

This is the quintessential cook-with-what-you-have dish my mother makes (and has made for 40 years) all summer long and I never, never tire of it. She is not shy with the heat and lets the summer squash (of any kind) get nice and brown and soft. It’s not a beautiful dish but it is sweet and wonderful. It’s a perfect way to work through a lot of squash and it’s just as good at room temperature or for breakfast with an egg.

Summer squash, cut into ¼-1/3-inch thin slices
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly grated Parmesan, optional

The most important thing is to have a large skillet so that you don’t crowd the squash too much. My mother wasn’t always able to do this (the big burner was being taken up by something else, etc. ) and if the squash steam for a bit and then eventually brown once some of the liquid that’s released cooks off, that’s fine too. It will just be a bit softer but still delicious.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil (don’t skimp on the oil) in a large, heavy skillet. When hot add the sliced squash and a few pinches of salt. Cook over medium-high to high heat stirring on and off until the squash is browning and soft. Taste and add salt if needed–it takes a bit.

Serve sprinkled with Parmesan if you’d like.

It’s going to be too hot to do much cooking, again (!) this week, in my house at least. So most of the recipes in this week’s post are for room temperature dishes. Pick up a bunch of dill and mint and a few tomatoes and a sweet onion if you’re at a market this week. They’ll be put to good use in the salads below. And if you’re having a hard time staying on top of all the gorgeous lettuce check out the “lettuce management” post below.

Fava Beans with Parsley Oil
Fava Bean and New Potato Pasta “Risotto”
Tabbouleh
Sweet Onion and Parsley Salad
Cabbage and Kale Slaw with Dill
Broccoli with Mustard and Cumin Seeds
Lettuce Management: Storage, Salad Additions & Dressings

Fava Beans with Parsley Oil

I made this dish with favas that were on the bigger side and the bright parsley oil enlivened the sweet, starchy beans. You can certainly omit the bacon and just add a little more olive oil to the pan. And if you have a handful of basil leaves by all means add them or substitute basil for parsley if that’s all you have.

Serves 4 as a side

2 1/2 cups fava beans, shelled, blanched and peeled (see below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 slices bacon, cut into small dice (optional, see headnote)
1/2 bunch parsley (add a handful of basil leaves if you’d like or sub basil for parsley)
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 teaspoons lemon juice or red wine vinegar
Salt

Shell the fava beans and drop them in a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pinch the skin off each individual bean.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the onion and bacon, if using, and saute for 3 minutes or so until the onion is soft and the bacon has rendered. Add the fava beans and about 1/2 cup water and a few pinches of salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

Meanwhile remove any tough stems from the parsley–there’s no need to pick off each leaf as the smaller stems are just fine to keep. Process the parsley in a food processor with the oil and some salt and finally the lemon juice or vinegar. If you’re doing it by hand finely chop the parsley and put it in a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust with salt and or lemon/vinegar. The sauce should be quite thin.

Fava Bean and New Potato Pasta “Risotto”

I heavily adapted this dish from Dorie Greenspan’s wonderful book Around my French Table a few years ago with cauliflower and then I made it with Brussels sprouts and bacon and then with winter squash and sage. I remembered the technique when I had 25 minutes to get dinner on the table and I had fava beans and new potatoes (and basil). It was fantastic.

And finally, as cookbook author Dorie Greenspan notes, “this is risotto” the way that finely sliced apples are carpaccio, which means not at all. . .” but the technique is just enough reminiscent of risotto that I appreciate the reference and continue to use it. My version might not be recognizable to Dorie but it’s a keeper in our household

1 – 11/2 cups shelled blanched fava beans (shell and cook in salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes, drain, run under cold water and pinch of skin from each bean)
½ onion, diced
1 – 1 1/2 cups scrubbed, diced new potatoes
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 1/3 cup tubetti (or ditalini or other small pasta)
4 cups flavorful vegetable broth or chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or other hard, grating cheese (Asiago Stella is a good, cheaper alternative)
Salt
Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped basil or parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, potatoes and a few pinches of salt and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often. You may need to reduce the heat a bit. Now add the broth or stock and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stirring well and then simmer for about 10 minutes uncovered. Now add the blanched, shelled fava beans, and cook for another 3-4 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. At this point add the cream and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Cook uncovered for about 3 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Stir in the Parmesan and the basil and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Tabbouleh
–adapted from Davidlebovitz.com

This is by far my favorite version of this classic Levantine Arab Salad. It’s mostly herbs with just a little bulgur. With the freshest of herbs and a good sharp knife you have everything you need for this classic dish. I realize we don’t have tomatoes yet in our share but local ones are already available in many farmers markets so pick some up if you can.

Serves 6-8

3 tablespoons bulgur
3 medium firm ripe tomatoes, cut into small dice
2 green onions, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1 large punch parsley, most of the stalks discarded, leaves washed and dried
2 cups mint leaves (no stems), washed and dried
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
About 4-5 tablespoons olive oil

Put the bulgur in small bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and steam for 10 minutes. Drain well and put in a large salad bowl. Stir it with a fork to help it fluff up.

Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl and set aside while you prepare the herbs.

Using a very sharp knife, grab as much of the parsley and mint as you can handle in a bunch, and slice them very thinly, to end up with nice, fluffy slender strips.

Add the tomatoes to the bulgur as well as the spring onions and herbs. Season with the cinnamon, allspice and pepper. Add salt to taste. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately.

Sweet Onion and Parsley Salad

This is so refreshing a delicious.

2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
1 small to medium Walla Walla Sweet, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups lightly packed parsley leaves
¼ cup salt-packed capers (or brined), rinsed and drained
¼ cup best olive oil you have
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest from one lemon, finely grated on a micro-plane
Grilled crusty bread, to serve

In a medium bowl, toss together mint, onion, lemon juice and salt and pepper; let sit until onion softens, about 10 minutes. Add parsley, capers, oil and zest, and toss until evenly combined. Serve immediately with grilled or toasted bread.

Cabbage and Kale Slaw with Dill

As is often the case, this is more simple technique than real recipe. It easily scales up and down and you can change the ratio of kale to cabbage so use however much you want. The below quantities are just suggestions. If you’re like me you have cabbage leftover from last week and this is a great use for it, combined with this week’s kale.

Serves 6  or more (it keeps well)

½ small green or red cabbage, core removed and sliced as thinly as you can
1 small bunch kale, well washed, ribs or tough stems removed and sliced as thinly as you can into ribbons
1 carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater (optional)
1 small hot pepper, deseeded and minced (or keep the seeds if you like it hotter)
2 tablespoons minced onion or shallot
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup toasted, salted sunflower seeds (toast on a sheet pan in a 300 degree oven tossed with just a little oil and sprinkled with salt until nice and golden brown and toasty smelling about 10-15 minutes) (optional)

Dressing:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard (or more)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon (or more vinegar, to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put all the vegetables and herbs in a big bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients mix well with the veggies. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Broccoli with Mustard and Cumin Seeds

This dish is loosely inspired by Kumi Rao of Ruchikala. Kumi cooks spectacular Indian Fusion food. I was MC’ing a cooking demo she did of a classic Indian vegetable dish that inspired this, much simplified version. Chopping the vegetables small and cooking over fairly high heat to brown the vegetables is what sets this dish apart.  My son proclaimed this the best broccoli he’s ever had. . . he does love Indian spices/food . . . You could make a meal of this by serving it over rice or lentils and topping it with some yogurt or an egg.

Serves 4

2-3 tablespoons coconut, peanut or olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 cups broccoli, finely chopped (or other vegetables, see headnote)
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon toasted, crushed coriander seeds (optional)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or part of a fresh, minced hot pepper (quantity to taste)
Salt
1/2 up cilantro, chopped
Whole milk plain or Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Heat the oil in the largest skillet you have over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often until browning. Add the garlic and the spices and cook for another minute or two or until the mustard seeds starting making popping sounds and the spices are fragrant. Add a bit more oil if it looks dry. Add the vegetables and a few good pinches of salt. Stir well and cook, over fairly high heat, stirring often until the vegetables are tender. You can cover the pan to speed things up a bit, just check often to make sure you’re not burning the spices. When the vegetables are tender stir in the fresh cilantro. Taste and season with salt, more hot pepper, etc.

Lettuce Management: Storage, Salad Additions & Dressings

Staying on top of lettuce takes a little work. It’s completely worth it but here are a few tricks/methods I employ to keep things interesting on the salad front . .  and keep those beautiful heads from going slimy and brown.

Washing and storing:

If you’re having a hard time staying on top of the lettuce, wash enough for two big salads soon after you pick up your share. My preferred way to store the washed lettuce is rolled up in clean, dishtowels. This is actually my preferred drying technique and it stores well that way, or a couple of days. You can put the rolled up lettuce-filled towels in a plastic bag and store in the fridge.

Crunchy additions:

Keep sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds, and/or walnuts or hazelnuts on hand. Pumpkin seeds take just a few minutes to toast in a dry skillet and sunflower seeds toast best in a 300 degree oven with some salt and olive oil. Walnuts and hazelnuts toast well in an oven—no salt or oil needed—as well. And they all add so much to salads.

If you have a slice or two of nice crusty bread that needs using you can toast it and then tear it into little pieces and add it your salad for a little chew and heft.

Pickled additions:

I keep a jar of thinly sliced onions or shallots covered in red wine vinegar in the fridge at all times. A few slices of these pickled onions brightens up salads and many other dish too.

Onions in red wine vinegar–a bright addition to salads.

I sometimes chop up some kimchi and add it to salads, especially ones that include cooked beans.

Fruity additions:

Add chopped sweet cherries, strawberries or blueberries to your green salads. If you have a little goat cheese or feta, that would be a good combo as well.

Dressing variations:

The classic vinaigrette I make is about 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar (red wine, cider, sherry), 3 tablespoons good olive oil; sea salt, freshly ground pepper and if I’m feeling fancy 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard and a little minced shallot or garlic and some minced thyme or tarragon. You’ll want to scale this up for larger salads and change the ratio to suit your taste. I don’t ever measure as you can easily adjust as you go and no two salads are every the same size. Make about triple this amount and keep it in a jar in the fridge.

Add a couple of teaspoons of heavy cream, mayonnaise (homemade or store bought) or Greek yogurt to a classic vinaigrette (above) for a slightly creamier dressing. Dress your lettuce with this, add ½ cup of toasted sunflower seeds and some thinly sliced onions for a robust salad.

Add ground cumin, lime or lemon zest and some red pepper flakes to a typical vinaigrette or the creamy version above. This is particularly good for slaws and black bean salads.

Add a couple of tablespoons of smashed avocado to your dressing. Lime or lemon juice and some minced garlic is a good combination for this variation.

It’s going to be too hot to do much cooking in my house this week so most of the recipes this week don’t need much stove time. Cook early in the day if you can! If you didn’t make the Green Curry Broccoli last week you might make it this week. It’s light, quick and delicious and just right for the weather.

Use the beautiful escarole like you would lettuce (as in the fava bean salad below) and be sure to dress with a strongly flavored vinaigrette. It likes plenty of vinegar or citrus juice, toasted nuts, robust cheeses. If you’re up for turning on your stove this week despite the heat the white bean and escarole soup, below, is delicious and will feed you for several days.

Fava Bean Notes
Fava Bean, Mint and Escarole Salad
White Bean and Escarole Soup
Broccoli, Egg, Tarragon and Toasted Seed Salad
Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad
Okonomiyaki (Cabbage Pancakes)
Quick Sauerkraut
Bok Choi Stir-fry over Rice

Fava Bean Notes

I was going to test a fava bean soup this weekend but it seemed too hot for soups so I made the below salad instead and have already made it twice.

For the soup I was going to make, simply sauté an onion, then add 2 cups parboiled and peeled (technique noted in the salad below) fava beans and 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Puree the soup and stir in some grated Parmesan, a little lemon juice and garnish with a few mint leaves.

Fava Bean, Mint and Escarole Salad
–adapted from Tender by Nigel Slater

This is to me a perfect salad. You can skip the shelling peas and just use favas (use a few more) but it’s worth picking up some peas as we’re at the height of their short season.

Serves 4 as side, 2 as more of main dish

1 ½ cups shelled fava beans (removed from their big, squishy pods)
1 ½ cups shelled peas (optional or use a bit more fava beans)
3 small slices good, crusty bread
A little olive oil
4 cups washed, dried escarole torn into bite-sized pieces
Handful of mint leaves
2-3 ounces aged pecorino or Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler into thin shavings

Dressing:
Juice of one lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
About 4 tablespoons of the best olive oil you have
About 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Add the shelled fava beans and cook for about 4 minutes (if they’re really small cook for more like 2 minutes). Remove them with a slotted spoon and run under cold water. Add the peas, if using, to the water and cook those for about 3 minutes and then drain and rinse under cold water as well. Shell the individual fava beans by pinching off the white-ish skin around each bean.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Toast the slices of bread and tear them into small bits and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.

Now toss the lettuce and mint with the dressing, then add the peas and beans and the cheese and the bits of bread and toss again.

White Bean and Escarole Soup

This makes a lovely bowl of soup. You could make it heartier if you served the soup over a garlicky slice of toasted bread. Of course you could add bacon or sausage or any kind of leftover meat but I like the simplicity of the white beans and escarole, just finished with good olive oil and black pepper. If you have cooked white beans on hand this comes together in 30 minutes, tops.  And this is even better the next day.
If you don’t have cooked beans on hand and don’t have time to soak them you can use the oven method where you bring the dry beans to a boil on the stove top (with a carrot, some celery, garlic and bay leaves) and then put it in the oven at 275 degrees for about 2 hours until tender and creamy. Then you remove the veggies and bay leaf and proceeded with the recipe.

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano or sage, finely chopped
6-7 cloves garlic, mashed and roughly chopped
3 -4 cups white beans, cooked and drained (cooking liquid reserved)
1 head escarole (about 1 lb), torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
4-5 cups liquid–I use a combination of bean cooking liquid and vegetable broth but you can use water or chicken stock too
Good olive oil for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for a few more minutes. Add the beans, liquid and escarole and bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the escarole is tender. You can serve as is or remove a few cups of the soup and then return to the pot, for a creamier texture. Adjust seasoning with salt. Serve, not too hot, drizzled with good oil and plenty of black pepper.

Broccoli, Egg, Tarragon and Toasted Seed Salad

This is a substantial salad and perfect for a hot night. Scale this up or down to suit your needs/number of eaters.

Broccoli, wash, peel the stems and chop both stems and florets into large bite-sized pieces
2-4 hardcooked eggs (depending on how many people you’re feeding)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or dill or basil or cilantro)
¼ cup toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Dressing:
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Juice of 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Steam or boil the broccoli in lightly salted water until tender but still bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool and drain very well, if you boiled it. Cook the eggs by covering generously with cold water and bringing to a boil. When the water boils turn off the heat and lest rest, covered in the hot water, for 9 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Arrange the broccoli on a platter. Peel the eggs and roughly chop and scatter over broccoli. Scatter over seeds and herbs and drizzle over the dressing. Toss gently and taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lemon juice, etc.

Garlicky Sesame-cured Broccoli Salad
–adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite by Melissa Clark

I don’t love raw broccoli but this is one of the exceptions. And since this salad rests/marinates for an hour before eating it softens up a bit too. This is a perfect side dish but you could cook a pot of rice and have yourself a delightful supper.

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
about 2 pounds broccoli (two largish heads), cut into bite-size florets, stems peeled and sliced thinly
1/2 cup good olive oil (sounds like a lot but it works/is needed)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Pinch or two red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add the broccoli and toss to combine.

Heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking in a skillet. Add the garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Pour the mixture over the broccoli and mix well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or chilled, up to 48 hours. Taste and adjust with more salt and/or vinegar. Add the sesame seeds and serve.

Okonomiyaki (Cabbage Pancakes)

This may be the most “winning” cabbage dish I make. Everyone loves these. Traditionally Okonomiyaki include minced dried shrimp which I omit since I don’t typically stock dried shrimp. You can make several very large pancakes, the size of the pan, and cut them in wedges or do as I typically do, and make them more typically pancake-sized.

And the sauce! It is nothing more than mayonnaise, Sriracha (or chili sauce of your choice) and soy sauce and it improves everything it touches.

Makes 14-16 pancakes

4 eggs
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 – 11/2 teaspoon sea salt (it takes a lot of salt—taste the first pancake you make and add more salt to the remaining batter if they’re a little blah tasting)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
about 5 cups cabbage, very finely sliced (you can also pulse wedges in the food processor briefly but you don’t want it too fine or the batter will get watery and not be as good)
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (greens and all) or 1/4 of an onion, minced
Sunflower, coconut or peanut oil for frying
1-2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Sauce:
Scant ½ cup mayonnaise (store bought is just fine)
Scant 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha or other chili sauce (or less if you don’t like much heat)

Whisk the first set of ingredients together for your sauce. Set aside while you make the pancakes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt. Gradually add the flour until incorporated. Fold in cabbage, scallions and greens, if using.

Warm a couple glugs of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until glistening. Ladle the batter into the skillet as you would for regular old pancakes. I usually make them about the size of saucer. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Keep pancakes covered in a warm oven as you make the rest. Scatter sesame seeds on top of pancakes and serve with dipping sauce.

Quick Sauerkraut with Napa or Regular Cabbage

I call this quick because when made with Napa cabbage you really can start eating it after a day or two. By all means let it ferment for 4-5 and then refrigerate but since the Napa cabbage is so tender it’s delicious very soon after starting. It’s the same technique as for regular cabbage so use either kind. I made it with last week’s Napa cabbage.

Yields about 1 quart sauerkraut

1 small Napa cabbage (ore regular green cabbage), halved or quartered (if large) and cut crosswise into thin strips (about 6-7 cups)
2 medium carrots, grated (optional)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
1 generous tablespoons sea salt

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together well. Work the salt into the cabbage and carrots, if using, with clean hands. Pack the vegetables into a clean quart or half-gallon jar and press down with your hand or a wooden spoon. The released liquid should come up to cover the vegetables. You can weigh the vegetables down with something heavy inside a zip top bag (rocks, beans, etc.) so the vegetables stay submerged in liquid. Sometimes I don’t bother doing this since the vegetables stay down well.

Put the jar on the counter and cover it with a dish towel, but not with a tight fitting lid. Push the vegetables down after 12 hours or so. It will start bubbling after about 24 hours and you can taste it and/or eat it at any point going forward. I usually leave it on the counter for 3 days and then refrigerate, which slows the fermentation and keep ist indefinitely. It should have a pleasant tang and sweetness to it.

Add it to sandwiches, serve it with meats or just bread and cheese as a snack.

Bok Choi Stir-fry over Rice

This is a delicious way to prepare bok choi. And the sauce works beautifully for any other quick vegetable stir fries as well. The Sichuan peppercorns are pretty key here–it’s worth getting a jar of them and they keep well. They’re more floral and flavorful than black pepper though you could use 1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper corns in a pinch here.

Serves 3-ish

1 large head bok choi, stalks separated and washed and stems and leaves cut into 1-inch or so ribbons/slices
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 scant tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed a bit (see headnote)
2 whole star anise
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 ½ tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine (Mirin) or dry sherry
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Steamed rice

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt lightly.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic, ginger, star anise and crushed pepper corns and sauté for a minute or two until very fragrant and just starting to brown, stirring often. Add the remainder of the ingredients except the bok choi and rice and bring to a simmer and cook for about 4-5 minutes at a simmer. Scrape all of the sauce out of the sauce pan and transfer to a wok or large skillet though discard the star anise.

Drop the bok choi into the boiling water and cook for about 3-5 minutes—taste after 2 minutes. The length of time will depend on the size of your pot/amount of water and strength of burner. Drain the bok choi and add it to the sauce in the skillet. Cook over high heat for just 1 minute or so to combine well. Serve hot over rice.

You have big, beautiful heads of Napa cabbage this week and if you’ve ever pondered making kimchi this might be the time. You can make a small batch and halve the recipe below if you’d like. You can also simply saute the cabbage with a bit of new garlic and ginger and finish with a little soy sauce for a quick side dish.

Green Curry with Broccoli
Napa Cabbage and Fennel Slaw with Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Napa Cabbage with Hot Bacon Dressing
Kimchi
“Dinner” Salad with Romaine, Hardboiled Eggs and New Potatoes
Farcous (Savory Chard and Parsley Pancakes)
Italian Parsley sauce aka Salsa Verde I & II

Green Curry with Broccoli

This is the simplest of curries. Just a few ingredients and the broccoli and garlic shine. I love to make this dish in the spring when new garlic is in the CSA share.

You can certainly add chunks of firm tofu or chicken to the curry if you’d like. Do so towards the end, just to warm through (the chicken would need to be already cooked).

Serves 4

About 3-4 cups broccoli florets and chopped stems
4 cloves young garlic, thinly sliced
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
2 – 4 teaspoons green curry paste depending on desired heat level  (Thai and True is my favorite and a local product)
1 2/3 cup water (1 can’s worth of water)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Basil (optional)

Rice (for serving)

Everyone’s taste varies so experiment with the amount of curry paste. 2 teaspoons gives the dish a mild to medium kick and 3 is about medium.

Add the curry paste and ¾ teaspoon of salt to a large soup pot along with about ¼ cup of the thickest part of the coconut milk and the garlic. Coconut milk is often partially solidified at room temperature and you want to use the thickest (or solid) part for this early stage though if it’s all uniform, which it sometimes is, just use 1/4 cup and call it good. Over medium heat cook the curry paste and garlic in that small amount of coconut milk for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk and one can’s worth of water and bring the curry to a simmer. Add the broccoli and cook for about 4-5 minutes until its tender but still bright green. If you have basil, add a handful of whole leaves at this point. Taste the curry and season with additional salt if needed. Finish with the juice of the lime and serve hot, over rice.

Napa Cabbage and Fennel Slaw with Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Napa cabbage makes wonderful slaw. It’s sweet, tender and a nice foil for most any herbs, spices, other veggies and dressing-types. This one uses lots of items from your share—fennel, parsley, radishes (if you have any leftover from last week—which I do). Use any seed or nut you have on hand. A quick toasting in the oven lends lots of flavor and crunch. I tend to toast 2 cups worth of sunflower seeds at a time to have on hand for just such salads.

You can also scale this up or down, as needed for your number of eaters, appetite size, etc.

Serves 4

4-5 cups Napa cabbage, thinly sliced (cut the cabbage in half or quarters, lengthwise and then slice thinly crosswise.)
1 head fennel (or more), trimmed, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced
5 radishes, cut into match sticks
2 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds
½ Serrano chile, minced (optional)
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds (tossed with a little olive oil and salt and roasted at 350 for about 12-15 minutes until deep golden

Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons or so olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Toss the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over salad and toss well. Taste adjust seasoning with more lemon/vinegar and/or salt, if needed.

Napa Cabbage with Hot Bacon Dressing
–adapted from Food52 by Amanda Hesser

This is delicious and one of my favorite ways to eat Napa cabbage. Trust that the sauce will come together. The egg works wonders.

Serves 4 to 6

1 small-ish Napa cabbage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (you’ll need 6 to 8 cups)
4 thick slices bacon, cut into 1/ 4-inch strips
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

Place the cabbage in a large salad bowl or on a platter. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until fat is rendered and the bacon browned. Remove the bacon and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat (approximate, don’t measure) from the pan.

Set the pan over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and water and bring to a boil. Season with the salt. Gradually–and very slowly– whisk this mixture into the egg–you don’t want the egg to curdle.

Sprinkle the bacon on the cabbage, then pour 3/4 of the dressing over the cabbage and toss to mix. Add more dressing as desired. I think it’s good with plenty of dressing. Serve with a big green salad, some roasted potatoes and a cold beer, if you’re so inclined.

Kimchi
–adapted from Tigressinapickle.com

There are entire books on this wonderful Korean condiment and it can be made with many different kinds of vegetables, spices and aromatics. Here is a fairly classic, basic version that uses the traditional Napa cabbage. I sometimes halve this recipe which works well too.

Kimchi-making does not have to be exact. It’s best to taste as you go. Here are the approximate ratios that I have found work best for me.

• 1 part root vegetable(s) for every 5 parts cabbage. I use carrots, but turnips, daikon, radishes and the “honorary root” kohlrabi also work well.
• for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots I add the following:
  1 bunch green onions/scallions – white and green parts
  1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons dried chile pepper (korean pepper is the most common of course, but i have found aleppo pepper to be a perfect substitute. If either are hard to find for you, mix hungarian (sweet) paprika two to 1 with cayenne and you’ll approximate the level of heat.)
  2 large cloves garlic
  1 1/2 tablespoons grated ginger
  1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup sea salt per quart of water for brine. (I use coarse sea salt, if yours is fine, it should be a scant 1/4 cup). note on water: chlorinated water can inhibit fermentation. It’s best to use spring or distilled water. Approximately 3 quarts of brine are needed for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots.

Equipment:

• for every 5 pounds of cabbage and roots you will need a 1 gallon container (or 2 half gallons/4 quarts) for the fermentation process. I use a 1 gallon jar.
• you’ll also need a few large bowls or containers to soak the vegetables overnight.

This is the basic technique:

• clean and core cabbage, chop into approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Clean roots (Carrots, daikon, etc.) and slice very thin. I like to use a mandoline for this.
• make brine by combining salt and water. I make it in 1/2 gallon jars, shaking the jar until the salt dissolves.
• soak the cabbage and roots overnight in brine. Fill the containers with cabbage and roots and press down. Add some brine, cover with a plate and press down some more. add more brine as needed to submerge completely. Keep plate on top overnight and let it sit out at room temperature. After 8-12 hours drain the cabbage & roots, reserving most of the brine.
• chop up all of the aromatics and add sugar, mix together. combine this mixture with the drained cabbage and roots. If you are doing a large batch it is better to break it up into a few bowls to evenly combine.
• fill your fermentation containers with the mixture. Do not pack it too high or too tight, 3/4 full is perfect. add some of the leftover brine to cover completely. You will not need all of the brine.
• if you are using a crock with weights, place the weights on top of the mixture to submerge. If you are using glass jars, I use the plastic bag method–fill a ziploc bag with extra brine and seal it. Use this to weigh down the vegetables so they stay submerged. It’s good to check the kimchi once a day and give it a little stir with a wooden spoon to push any pieces that might have escaped to the top back in.
• ideally the fermentation container will be in a moderately warm environment, low 70′s is perfect. At that temperature it will take approximately 5-6 days to complete fermentation. I’ve definitely made batches in cooler weather and they were just fine but took a bit longer.
• taste! don’t be afraid to taste everyday! 2 or 3 days into it you will notice the bite of raw vegetable has dissipated. A day or two after, when you remove the weight, you’ll smell the sweetest, most delicious smell. then you’ll know your nearing the end of the fermentation process. It’s really up to you and your taste buds to decide on when it is ‘done’. Note: if something has gone wrong there is usually no question, your nose will know. It will smell bad. But this has never happened to me, and if you make sure your utensils, vessels and hands are clean it shouldn’t happen to you either.
• transfer to storage jars and store in the fridge for up to a year or even more. Technically speaking the fermentation process is still happening only at a much slower rate due to the lower temperature in your refrigerator.

“Dinner” Salad with Romaine, Hardboiled Eggs and New Potatoes

I love to add various cooked things to lettuce-based salads, in this case boiled eggs and new potatoes. You can add leftover chicken or bacon, a la Cobb Salad if you’d like.

Serves 4, depending on whatever else you’re serving

8 cups romaine, washed, dried and chopped into bite-sized pieces
2-3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and boiled until just tender and then cut into small-ish dice
2-3 hardboiled eggs (I cover eggs w/ cold water, bring to a boil, turn off heat and let sit covered for 9-10 minutes, then drain and cover with cold water), roughly chopped
½ cup parsley leaves
¼ cup thinly sliced red (or other) onion or 2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 head fennel (or more), trimmed, halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced

Vinaigrette
Juice of 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the salad ingredients in a large bowl or platter. Whisk the dressing ingredients until well mixed and pour over salad. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Farcous (Savory Chard and Parsley Pancakes)
–adapted from Around my French Table by Dorie Greenspan

These are an absolute cinch to make if you have a food processor. It takes 5 minutes to make the batter and a bit longer to fry them but they are so addictive. These are made all over Southwest France and I’m sure with variations of herbs and greens, but most typically they are made with chard, parsley and chives.

They also keep and freeze well and make great snacks. You can also experiment with different flours and combinations of flours if you’d like. Half whole wheat flour works well and I imagine spelt flour would too as would gluten free blends.

This recipe makes a lot of pancakes so you can cut it in half or make the whole thing and just leave some of the batter for the next day.

Scant 2 cups whole milk
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (see heanote)
3 eggs
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
½- 3/4 cup parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chives, chopped (optional)
1 bunch Swiss chard leaves, washed, shaken dry and center rib and stems removed (can save for other use)
Salt (these need a lot of salt! Start with 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt. Taste the first pancake (or the batter) and add more if they’re bland. They really need salt to lift up the flavors of the herbs and greens)
Freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil or olive oil for pan-frying
For optional topping: a little salt, lemon zest and juice stirred into plain Greek or whole milk yogurt or just plain yogurt.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and place a baking sheet in the oven.

Put milk, flour, eggs, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender. Mix until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the chard leaves to the batter (little by little if you don’t have a lot of space) and blend, but don’t over blend. The mixture does not need to be homogenous and is better with a bit of variation in size of the chard leaf pieces.

You can make these pancakes large, like crepes (and use a crepe pan if you have one) or smaller, like regular pancakes. Pour about 1 tablespoon of oil into your pan (less if it’s a crepe/non-stick pan) and heat over medium-high heat. Add the batter to the pan for whatever size pancakes you’re making and cook until for a few minutes until the edges begin to brown and curl. Flip them over and cook them for a couple more minutes until evenly browned. Place in warm oven while you make the remainder of the pancakes.

These are wonderful with a dollop of yogurt (especially Greek yogurt) to which you can add a bit of lemon zest and little lemon juice. Make a green salad and you have a lovely dinner.

Italian Parsley sauce aka Salsa Verde

This is a versatile, zippy Italian sauce. I often just make it with parsley, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, oil and salt but the addition of capers and little onion makes it even more fun. Some versions include a couple of anchovies so by all means use them if you have them. And some include a hard boiled egg, the yolk mashed and combined with the other ingredients and the white, finely chopped and stirred in at the end.

You don’t need to use a food processor and I actually prefer the slightly rougher texture of it when all is chopped by hand but I often use the processor.

1 medium bunch parsley, well washed and stems removed (but don’t bother picking all the leaves off the remaining stems)
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
1 small shallot or chunk of onion, finely diced (optional)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional) and chopped up a bit
2 small garlic cloves, minced
½ cup good olive oil, or more
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Either finely chop everything and zest the lemon (if using) and mix well or combine all the ingredients except the oil in the food processor and pulse until fairly uniformly and finely chopped. You don’t want to end up with a puree so don’t overdo it. Drizzle in the olive oil and pulse a couple more times. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, lemon juice or vinegar if needed.

Salsa Verde—Suggestions for using it:

• Drizzle generously over roasted veggies (very good with roasted cauliflower)
• Use as a spread for sandwiches
• Dress hardboiled eggs, canned Oregon Albacore and boiled potatoes
• Use as a dressing for a pasta or rice salad
• Dress white beans with it or stir it into a white bean puree for a delicious spread
• Stir a few tablespoons into a soup when serving.
• Delicious with sautéed shrimp or other seafood or beef

What to do the day(s) before the next share arrives when you have a random assortment of things that need eating? I just reduced my bok choy (leaves), chard (leaves) and a bunch of parsley, basil and cilantro (not from the share) to an ice cube tray worth of intense green goodness. I used this idea from Food52.com but didn’t blanch the herbs and used garlic scapes instead of garlic cloves and of course my greens were different. I have yet to use these nuggets of green in fried rice, as the author suggests, or any other way. I’ll report once I do but imagine it will be good.

Pestos are another good idea for greens and herbs that need using.

I also tend to make slaws—I just made a fennel and Hakurei turnip and scallion one to go with fish tacos. I’ll share that recipe when we have fennel and turnips again.

And fritters/savory pancakes are also an excellent catch all for produce in most any combination.

Beet Notes
Simple Green Salad
Mustard Greens Frittata
Red Lentil Dhal with Mustard Greens
Kale and Mustard Green Salad with Peanut Dressing
Fancy Braised Greens
Broccoli and Chicken (or White Bean) Quesadillas

Beet Notes

The beets this time of year are so tender and sweet. I typically cook them all at once and with the heat this week I will certainly be boiling them rather than baking—won’t heat the house up as much and is quicker. Scrub them but don’t peel, put in a saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-35 minutes, depending on size of beets. When you can easily pierce them with the tip of a knife remove from heat, drain, let cool and then peel. I typically then cut them into wedges or large dice and dress them lightly with red wine or sherry vinegar and a little salt. Then you’ll have them on hand to add to salads, sandwiches or eat just as is. The massive greens this week would work well in the Fancy Braised Greens, below, turning them into a lush dish that will enhance any meal.

Simple Green Salad

Especially in the spring when the lettuces are buttery soft and tender I eat large quantities of this kind of salad–a simple vinaigrette, maybe a sliced scallion and little crumbled cheese and mounds of fresh lettuces.

Serves 2-4 depending what else is being served and how much you love salad

8 cups Butterhead lettuce, washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 scallion (from last week?), trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese, optional
Vinaigrette
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 small sprig fresh thyme, minced, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 – 4 tablespoons good olive oil

Put the salad ingredients in a bowl. Shake the dressing ingredients in a tightly sealed jar. Dress the salad with most, if not all of dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

Mustard Greens Frittata

I often add all sorts of thing to my frittatas–cleaning out the crisper, using up leftover herbs, etc. This frittata is notable for its simplicity. You can omit the cheese too and it will be lighter and the greens even more distinct. Both ways are delicious and the fresh, slightly bitter and peppery note of the mustard greens is prominent–which I love.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or chopped
1 large bunch mustard greens, washed, trimmed of any ratty stems and leaves cut in half lengthwise and then crosswise into thin strips
Salt
5-6 eggs (or more if you want to feed more or have a higher ratio of egg to greens)
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice–a bit of crumbled fresh goat cheese is delicious here too

Heat 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 garlic and mustard greens and a few pinches of salt to pan and toss well and sauté for just 2-3 minutes until the greens are wilted.

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 generous pinches of salt. Pour eggs over the vegetables and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Top with cheese, if using. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. When the eggs begin to set around the edge take the pan off the heat and set under the broiler (uncovered) 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. Enjoy warm or at room temperature

Red Lentil Dhal with Mustard Greens

This is a good, fairy quick, weeknight dish that also freezes well so make extra and save yourself some time/work. And it’s even better the next day so double the recipe if you’d like. And if you haven’t cooked with red lentils before now might be the time. They are quicker cooking than any other lentils and are delicately flavored. You can find them in most stores and often in the bulk bins.

This recipe makes a fairly thin dhal and it does thicken a bit as it cools. Feel free to reduce the amount of stock by a bit or increase the amount of lentils a little if you want a thicker dhal.

1 ½ tablespoons coconut, peanut or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (optional)
1 cup red lentils
3 cups vegetable stock (this makes a fairly thin dhal–see headnote)
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably)
1 bunch mustard greens or beet greens, well washed and roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Greek yogurt mixed with minced garlic and a bit of salt (optional but delicious)
Rice for serving (optional)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes until softened but not brown. Add the spices and stir well and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the lentils, broth and coconut milk. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until everything is tender.  Add the mustard greens and cook for another 5 minutes or so until tender but still bright. Adjust seasoning –if your broth was well seasoned it may not need much more. Finish with the lemon juice and top with a good dollop of Greek yogurt mixed with some minced garlic and sea salt.

Kale and Mustard Green Salad with Peanut Dressing
–inspired by Food52.com

This is a hearty salad. It keeps pretty well thanks to the sturdier greens.

Serves 4, generously

1/2 bunch kale, well washed and any tough stems trimmed and then cut as thinly as you can
1/2 bunch mustard greens
1-2 medium carrots, grated on the large holes of a box grater (optional—but pretty and a nice sweet addition)
¾ cup fresh mint, chopped
3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Peanut/Sesame Dressing:
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoons tahini (optional—I like the combination very much though)
2-3 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
2 cloves new garlic, minced
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt
¼ -1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes (or more if you want a bit more heat) or 1/2 a jalapeño minced

Toss the chopped greens, mint and the peanuts together in a large bowl.

Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Loosen with a little more hot water if too thick but be sure not to make it too runny or the salad will be watery.

Pour two-thirds of the dressing over the salad and toss well, making sure you’re really covering the kale well. You might want to use your hands–messy but fun and effective. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Fancy Braised Greens
-loosely inspired by Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

You can mix and match most any kind of leafy green here but it will be particularly good for the beet greens and kale this week. If you have any kind of wine open, use the suggested amount. If you don’t use broth or water mixed with 2 teaspoons of vinegar. This dish is even better the next day. You can also mix these greens with pasta or cook them down a bit more with borlotti or white beans.

The sweetness of the browned onions and the tang of the capers and wine is what sets these greens apart.

Serves 4-6

3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches greens (beet greens, kale, mustard), washed and cut into 1-inch ribbons
2 teaspoons fresh or died thyme
1 cup dry wine (see headnote) or water or vegetable broth–if you don’t have wine add 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar to the broth/water
1/2 cup broth or water
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped up a bit, especially if they’re big
Salt and pepper (go easy on the salt as the capers will add salt too)

Heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot. Add the onions and thyme and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, over medium to medium-high heat until browned. Add the wine or broth/vinegar and stir well and scrape up any bits of caramelized onion. Simmer for a few minutes covered. Add the greens and the additional broth/water and cook covered for about 7 minutes. Add the capers and simmer another minute or two. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Finish with the remaining olive oil.

Broccoli and Chicken Quesadillas

This is hardly a recipe but it’s such a tasty combination and template for a quick dinner. Skip the meat if you don’t have it or use other leftover meats or use white beans instead. In the ones in the photos I used broccoli stems as I had used the florets for something else.

Serves 3-4

8 corn tortillas
About 2 – 2 1/2 cups cooked broccoli, stems and florets, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
About 1 cup grated sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice (or slightly more)
About 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped up well (or white beans)
Hot sauce of choice (optional)
Olive oil

Mix the broccoli with the garlic and a little salt. Spread a thin layer of cheese on one tortilla, top with broccoli, chicken (or beans) and hot sauce, if using, and top with another tortilla. Panfry over medium high heat in a bit of olive oil on both sides until the cheese is melted the tortillas are browning in spots and everything is heated through. Cut into wedges and serve hot with more hot sauce if you’d like.

A quick note about shopping and pantry stocking: My hope is that with a well stocked pantry/fridge/freezer and a weekly CSA share, trips to the store can be a bit less frequent and when you do go you’re mostly restocking. Everyone has a different routine and style but in case you’ll be using my weekly recipes and tend to shop on weekends before my recipes post I thought I’d list a few of my favorite things you’ll see in the recipes quite often.

• Herbs—you’ll be getting quite a few in the share throughout the season but I have a prolific herb garden and use them abundantly in cooking and buy additional ones, like cilantro, almost weekly. Others you’ll see often in the recipes are parsley, mint, and basil.
• Scallions—you have them this week but I tend to buy more of those often too.
• Whole milk Greek or regular plain yogurt—for quick toppings, dressings, sauces, etc.
• Eggs, milk, sharp cheddar and Assiago Stella (what I call poor man’s Parmesan)
• A variety of noodles and pastas—soba, rice, regular durum wheat.
• Quinoa, rice(s), farro, red lentils, small French green lentils, all kinds of dry beans (black, pinto, white, chickpeas)
• Bacon and sausages (in the freezer) to have at the ready to use as flavoring in dishes. Also in the freezer; chicken stock, salmon.
• Raw sunflower and pumpkinseeds, various nuts

Turnip Notes
Bok Choy Fried Rice with Coconut Milk and Peanuts
Scallion Pancakes
Butter Lettuce Salad with Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Spring Quinoa Salad with Fennel, Scallions and Mustard Lemon Vinaigrette
Chard Tart

Turnip Notes

The turnips are so tender and sweet you really don’t need to cook them but I do suggest you add them to the bok choy fried rice, below. The turnip tops are also tender and bright green and are delicious in many preparations. You can simply sauté them in a little olive oil and maybe some minced garlic and have them as a side. You could chop them up finely and add them to the scallion pancakes (below). You could add them to the chard tart or to the fried rice. So many choices!

Bok Choy Fried Rice with Coconut Milk and Peanuts
–loosely inspired by Food Matters by Mark Bittman

This is a great way to use up leftover or previously frozen rice and whatever veggies you have on hand. You don’t want to use freshly cooked rice as it will be too sticky so cook a pot of rice in the morning and then let it sit out all day and it will be perfect for fried rice in the evening.

You can easily add chicken or beef cut fairly small. If you’re going to add meat, stir-fry the veggies first, then remove from pan, add meat and stir fry until cooked. Add veggies back in as well as rice, garlic, etc. and proceed with recipe. The addition of coconut milk is a bit unusual here but I think it’s a nice touch.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons coconut, vegetable or olive oil, divided
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 turnips, scrubbed and diced fairly small (or several carrots, diced or thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3-4 medium cloves)
1 medium head bok choy, trimmed, well washed, leaves and stems cut in half lengthwise and then into thin strips crosswise (about 4-5 cups sliced)
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 cups cooked long-grain white or brown rice, day-old (freshly cooked rice is much too sticky)
2-3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup coconut milk
2-3 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoons soy sauce or Tamari
1-2 serrano chilis seeded and minced (or ¼ tsp chili flakes)
Salt
1/3 cup chopped, roasted peanuts (wonderful but can do with out in a pinch)
½ cup chopped basil or cilantro or mint (wonderful but can do with out in a pinch)

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in the largest skillet or wok you have over high heat. Add the scallions, ginger, garlic and turnips and cook, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minute until fragrant. Add the bok choy and cook for a few more minutes. The bok choy will give off some liquid and you want to keep the burner up as high as it goes to evaporate that quickly. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and the rice, breaking up the chunks (with your fingers is easiest) as you go. Mix the rice in well and cook for a minute or two then make a well in its center and pour in the egg; scramble it a bit then incorporate it into the rice.

Add the coconut milk and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has boiled off or been absorbed, a couple of minutes or so. Add the fish and soy sauce, and the minced chilies. Turn off the heat and serve, topped with the herbs and peanuts. Taste and add salt if needed.

Scallion Pancakes

When I have a beautiful bunch of scallions this is one of my favorite things to make. Substitute a gluten free flour/binder if you’d like. And feel free to toss a bunch of finely chopped turnip tops into the batter.

Yields about 18 4-inch pancakes

1 large bunch scallions, washed and trimmed of roots
1 bunch turnips tops (optional, see Turnip Notes, above and headnote)
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Oil for pan-frying

Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic or 1 stalk green garlic, minced

Cut the scallions tops/greens into 1-2-inch lengths and cut the white part into thin rounds. In a large bowl whisk the eggs with the flour, water and salt. Add the scallions/onions and mix well. Taste for salt. It may need more. The batter should be fairly runny, a bit thinner than regular pancake batter.

Stir together all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Lightly cover the bottom of a large, heavy skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot fry the pancakes, either in typical pancake size or large, to fit the pan. If doing the latter you’ll cut them into wedges to serve. I tend to make small ones. Fry for about 3 minutes per side or until golden. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Toasted Sunflower Seeds

This is a very simple salad that shows off the beautiful tender greens this time of year. Feel free to add some very thinly sliced fennel or anything else you’d like.

Serves 4

1/3 -1/2 cup basil cut into thin strips (chiffonade) or parsley or 2 tablespoons chives
1 small-ish head butter lettuce, washed, dried and torn
1/3 cup (or more) toasted sunflower seeds *

Dressing:
2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk plain yogurt or just a bit more olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
2-3 cloves new garlic, minced, sprinkled with coarse salt and then mashed into a paste with the side of a chef’s knife on your cutting board
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
A bit more salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper

Put the basil or other herbs, lettuce and seeds in a salad bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss dressing with salad and taste and adjust with more salt and/or pepper and/or vinegar.

*To toast sunflower seeds preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with a just a little olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Toast seeds, stirring once or twice as the seeds on the side of the pan will toast more quickly, until deep golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Cool on sheet and then store in a tightly sealed container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Spring Quinoa Salad with Herbs

This is a good “dinner” salad on a warm night especially if you add beans or cheese or seeds/nuts.  It’s great for lunch at work or as part of any potluck or picnic. And it’s a loose recipe so taste and adjust as you go and vary to suit your taste. This makes quite a bit of salad so feel free to cut the recipe in half. I tend to load mine up with herbs—mint, parsley, cilantro, chives and thyme. The more the better I think.

Serves 4-6 depending on what else is served

1 1/2 cups quinoa
3-4 Hakurei turnips, washed, trimmed and diced quite small (or a handful of radishes)
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced (optinal)
2 small-medium fennel bulbs, trimmed (tops reserved), finely diced or thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup loosely packed fennel fronds, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro, etc.)
Salt and pepper
1 cup cooked beans/chickpeas (optional)

Dressing:
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 stalk green garlic or 2 garlic cloves, minced
Grated zest of a lemon
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 -1/2 cup good olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put the quinoa in a fine meshed sieve and rinse it under cold, running water for a minute. Quinoa has a natural coating (saponin) which is a bit bitter and the rinsing removes it. Put the rinsed quinoa in a pan and add 1 1/2 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring it to a boil then cover and turn down to a simmer. Cook, for about 15 – 18 minutes until the quinoa is tender and all the water has been absorbed. Let sit, covered, while you prepare the vegetables.

In a large bowl mix chopped vegetables and herbs. In a small bowl whisk mustard, garlic, zest and vinegar until smooth. Slowly add oil while whisking until the mixture is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. This dressing needs to be salty and tart. The quinoa will absorb a lot. You’ll be surprised how much vinegar and salt you need especially if you don’t eat it right away.

Toss the cooked quinoa with the vegetables and herbs and drizzle on the most of the dressing and adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Add more dressing if needed.

Chard Tart

If you’ve been put off by tarts and finicky dough that crumbles and breaks, try this. It makes you look really accomplished and fancy and is delicious. And if you’re really short on time you could even skip the crust and just bake the custard and veggies in a cake pan or cast iron pan until slightly puffed and cooked through.

Serves 6 (makes great leftovers)

Preheat the oven to 425ºF

1 recipe Tart Dough (recipe follows)
1 large bunch of chard, leaves only, roughly chopped (reserve stems to sauté with onions to start a stir fry, sauce, etc.)
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
3 tablsespoons freshly grated Parmesan (or Gruyère or just plain old cheddar if that’s what you have)
A few pinches of ground nutmeg (optional)

Heat the butter in a wide skillet; add the onion and cook it over medium heat until it is translucent and soft.  Add the garlic, and the chard leaves by handfuls, if necessary, until they all fit.  Sprinkle in a large pinch of salt.  Turn the leaves over repeatedly so that they are all exposed to the heat of the pan, and cook until they are tender, 5 minutes or more.

Make the custard.  Beat the eggs; then stir in the milk, lemon peel (if using), grated Parmesan, and a few scrapings of nutmeg. Stir in the chard and onion mixture. Taste and season with salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell and bake until the top is golden and firm, about 40 minutes.

Tart Dough
–Adapted from David Lebovitz

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
(or ¾ cup apf and ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour)
4 1/2 ounces, about 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2-3 tablespoons cold water

Make the dough by mixing the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and use your hands, or a pastry blender, to break in the butter until the mixture has a crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.

Mix the egg with 2 tablespoons of the water. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beaten egg mixture, stirring the mixture until the dough holds together. If it’s not coming together easily, add the additional tablespoon of ice water.

Gather the dough into a ball and roll the dough on a lightly floured surface, adding additional flour only as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the counter.

Once the dough is large enough so that it will cover the bottom of a 10-inch tart pan and go up the sides, roll the dough around the rolling-pin then unroll it over the tart pan. “Dock” the bottom of the pastry firmly with your fingertips a few times, pressing in to make indentations. (I occasionally forget to do this with no ill effect so don’t sweat it if you forget.) If you don’t have a tart pan you can use a 9 or 10-inch pie pan too. The recipe for the dough is pretty generous so will fit a pie pan too.