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Category: Recipes

  • Basil Pesto

    Summer is in full swing and we have lots of basil, that means it’s time to make some pesto.

    Making it couldn’t be easier. You just need a few ingredients and most of them are pretty much optional. Don’t like garlic? Leave it out. Don’t have any nuts? OK it will be delicious without them. Want it vegan? Leave out the cheese or use a vegan option. Have extra herbs like mint or tarragon or any other soft herb? Add them! It will make it more interesting.

    This recipe is for a fairly small batch. You can easily scale this up if you have more basil or other herbs. I gave a span of amounts in the recipe, so start with the small amount and taste and add more as needed.

    Start by grabbing your bunch of basil.

    • This bunch is about 4 cups loosely packed basil, like I said, scale this up or down as needed and taste!
    • 2 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiana (optional)
    • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts (optional)
    • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    You’ll notice I didn’t add salt or pepper. I used Parmigiana cheese and it was plenty salty. Taste and see if you need salt or not.

    Strip the basil leaves off the stem. The soft stem on the top are ok to leave.

    Combine basil, garlic, nuts, lemon, and the cheese in a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the oil and purée until smooth. Taste and add more salt, lemon or oil if needed.

    This made a little more than a cup which was plenty for a pound of pasta.  If you have any leftover you can put it in a Ziplock bag or ice cube tray and freeze it for winter or add it to any salad, roasted or grilled vegetables or any grain dish. Pesto makes everything better.

    I didn’t freeze my leftover pesto. I slathered on a few sandwiches.

    Yay summer. Have a great week. I’ll see you at pickup.

    Mo

  • Leeks

    This week we are getting leeks in our share, they are one of my favorite alliums to eat and cook. Leeks are mild and tender and beautifully compliment just about any vegetable or protein you want to pair them with. The taste is distinct and the texture meltingly tender. We usually see leeks in the Fall or Winter CSA shares where soups and braising techniques are seasonally popular. What a treat it is to have them now, in July!

    If you are new to leeks, or really any vegetable, I suggest preparing them simply to showcase their most basic taste and texture. See how to clean your leeks here then maybe try grilling them whole like this? You could serve your grilled leeks with a simple dressing or just olive oil and salt and pepper.

    If you don’t want to grill or even have a grill maybe cut them into coins

    and sauté them in a little olive oil and or butter. I like to use both. I added some zucchini but you could certainly just have sautéed leeks as a lovely stand alone side dish.

    Herbs would be nice added here at the end of cooking. I have some pesto I think I’ll add to this and have it with salmon tonight for dinner. Here is a photo with the pesto. It was really a nice addition, yum.

    Have a great week. See you at pickup.

    Mo

     

     

  • Green Shakshuka

    Shakshuka generally is a creamy saucy tomato dish made with tomatoes, cream, herbs and spices. This green shakshuka uses lots and lots of greens and herbs. I used nut milk because that is all I had and it wasn’t very creamy but had a nice mild rich flavor. This is one of those dishes that is endlessly adaptable to use whatever you happen to have and customize it to your personal taste.

    Here is the recipe I very loosely followed with my changes in parentheses.

    Green Shakshuka

    • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 large onion chopped (I didn’t have an onion!)
    • 3 large cloves garlic crushed
    • 1 1/2 pounds mixed greens (I used 2 bunches of collards. ANY greens will work here), stems removed and roughly chopped.
    • 1/4 cup vegetable stock (I used water)
    • 1 cup packed mixed fresh herbs finely chopped (I used parsley and chives. Basil, cilantro, tarragon, a little mint, any soft herb would work. Feel free to mix and match what you like.)
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño, (I didn’t have a jalapeno. I would have added it if I did)
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1/2 to 3/4 cup half-and-half, cream, yogurt or nut or oat milk depending on how creamy or saucy you like it.  (I used cashew milk)
    • 8 large eggs (I used 4 for two of us and had leftover shakshuka)

    Heat a skillet to medium heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 more minute or so. Add the chopped greens and water or broth and cook that for a few minutes until it wilts.

    Add the herbs you are using and cream or milk and cook that for a few more minutes until it all sort of collapses and melds together.

    Make some dents in the greens, add the eggs then cover the dish and cook that over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

    The cream or milk does two things, 1. it steams the eggs so they cook evenly and 2. makes the dish luscious and rich. Serve it with crusty bread, pita or potatoes.

    ….or maybe tortillas for breakfast tacos

    Have a great week. I’ll see you at pickup.

    Mo

     

     

  • Couscous Vegetable Salad with Honey Mint Vinaigrette

    It has been years since I made couscous. Quinoa and farro have been my go-to grains for years and the other day I saw some couscous on the shelf at the store and thought, hello old friend.

    Look how the fluffy light grains cling to the vegetables, much lighter and less chew than quinoa and farro.

    The honey lemon mint vinaigrette is so good. After I made this salad I immediately made a double batch of the vinaigrette while everything was out so I can dress all my vegetables with it, cooked or raw, this week.  You should double the recipe if you try this, you’ll want extra.

    The dressing is super easy.

    Lemon Mint Honey Vinaigrette

    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
    • 2 tablespoons honey
    • 1-2 tablespoons mustard. I used a grainy mustard, you can use that or dijon
    • salt and pepper

    Put everything in a small food processor and blend until it is smooth. Taste for more mustard or salt and pepper.

    For the salad I used;

    • 1 cup of couscous soaked in 1 cup of hot water (package directions)
    • 1 cucumber
    • 1 zucchini
    • 1 fennel
    • optional; a handful of almonds and at the last minute I added some cherries and some feta cheese, as always, use what you like and what you have.

    Slice the vegetables very thinly with a mandolin or with a vegetable peeler.

    Add everything into a bowl mixing, tossing, gently but really well and enjoy!

    Summer is here finally. It’s time for salads for dinner.

    Have a great week and I’ll see you at pickup.

    Mo

     

     

     

     

  • Spring Onions vs Scallions

    We grow loads of different onions here at Red Wagon. Check out this post to get an idea just how many. One type of onion not in that post, that you’ll be getting week is Spring Onions.

    Spring onions often get confused with scallions or green onions. Scallions and green onions are the same. Spring onions are different, they are on the bottom in this photo, scallions are on top.

    Spring onions are onions harvested very young once they start to develop bulbs.  The whole plant, bulb and green stalks are very tender. Scallions have a longer white shaft and won’t bulb and will get tough if left in the ground to grow too long. Spring onions if left to grow will get bigger round bulbs and basically grow into a common onion.

    The whole plant of any allium/onion is usable. In older plants the green part might be tough and you might not want to eat that part raw, but you could use tough onion greens in stocks or braises or chopped in soups or stews. I made a pesto out of my spring onion greens. I followed  this recipe. and subbed the onion greens for the scapes.

    Spring onions are tender and delicious. Add them raw into salads or sandwiches. If you are roasting some vegetables add some spring onions. I roasted my spring onions and I added the fennel we got this week too. This will be a great addition to a grain salad or Buddha bowl or just add a vinaigrette and you have a really nice side dish.

    Have a great week.

    Mo

     

     

     

     

  • Mushroom Broccoli “Scampi”

    This is a vegetarian version of classic shrimp scampi. I used delicious mushrooms from Hazel Dell and sprouting broccoli to stand in for shrimp but stuck with the familiar-wine, butter, garlic sauce. (CSA members can add a mushroom share to their subscriptions.)

    I added sprouting broccoli because all the shrimp scampi recipes called for a pound to a pound and a half of shrimp and I only had a half a pound of mushrooms so I added about 1 pound of broccoli. You could use all mushrooms, asparagus or kohlrabi here too, adjust the amounts called for with what you like and what you have.

    This was a really fast meal to pull together. It was done faster than I could boil water and cook pasta.

    Mushroom Broccoli ‘Scampi’ generously adapted from a NYT recipe, my changes are in parentheses

    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    1 shallot, thinly sliced (didn’t use)
    1½ pounds cremini or button mushrooms (I used 1/2 pound of mixed lions main and shitake mushrooms and about a pound of sprouting broccoli)
    4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used garlic scapes)
    ½ cup dry white wine (I always use vermouth in recipes calling for white wine, its shelf stable and neutral, unlike lots of white wine)
    ½ cup vegetable stock or water (I used stock)
    Pepper and salt
    ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
    ½ cup parsley leaves (I used spinach more like 2 cups)
    3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice

    Heat a large skillet over medium melt the butter and oil, then add the garlic, stirring until softened slightly, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are soft but still plump, 3 to 5 minutes.

    Add the broccoli and wine and stock or water.

    Let that cook for 3-5 minutes and add the spinach or parsley. You don’t want to cook the spinach or parsley too much, just wilt it. Then add the lemon juice a little at a time, taste before you add more, you don’t want it too lemony, taste for salt too.

    Add the red pepper if you are using it. You can eat this with any grain or bread or pasta.

    We ate it with pasta. I used 1/2 pound of pasta for the above amounts and it would feed 4 people IMO. The leftovers make a delicious pasta salad.

    Lots of vegetable options this week. Summer is here!

    Mo

  • Easy Grilled Bok Choy

    Olive oil, salt and pepper is my go to method for cooking most vegetables. Sometimes I grill, sometimes I sauté or blanch or broil.  Today I grilled.

    Easy as 1-2-3. Takes about 10 minutes.

    Coat vegetables in olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Often times I add oil or butter with either garlic or onions in a separate pan for a simple sauce to finish the dish. I had some green garlic so I added that today.

    Grill on a medium hot grill for 4 or 5 minutes each side. The green garlic and butter ‘sauce’ is in the little pan on the upper left.

    Yum. That char on the edges is so good with the garlic butter and crunchy bok choy.

    This is a great side dish for just about anything you are having. I really like this with grain or rice bowls or just some grilled fish. It’s so versatile. I love bok choy! Hope you are enjoying yours!

     

     

     

     

  • Rhubarb Custard Pie

    This is a very easy delicious pie to make that keeps well for a day or two in the refrigerator and is a tasty way to use the rhubarb you will be getting in your CSA share this week.

    You can use a store bought pie crust or make your own, or honestly leave the pie crust out and have a custard rhubarb dessert that you could scoop into bowls.

    Rhubarb Custard Pie Ingredients.

    Preheat oven to 350F

    • 1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell
    • 3 cups (about one pound) rhubarb cut into 1 inch pieces
    • 3 eggs
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 T flour
    • 1/2 teas salt
    • 2 T butter
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 cup milk, half and half or cream depending how rich you want it. I used 1/2 and 1/2 this time. I have never used all cream.

    Beat eggs, sugar, salt, flour, and vanilla in a bowl then add milk or cream or 1/2 and 1/2, whatever you are using.  Put Rhubarb on the pie shell and dot with butter, then pour custard over it.  Bake 1 hr 15min in a pre-heated 350F oven until the center of the pie is just set and doesn’t jiggle. It will continue to cook when you take it out a little so a little under done is ok.

    Here is my pie in the oven baked about 1/2 through. The edges are just starting to set.

    The rhubarb floats to the top but is snuggled in the custard. A lovely pie IMO.

    Rhubarb season is fleeting so have some fun with it while it’s here.

    Have a great week.

    Mo

  • Garlic Chives vs Onion Chives

    Every week we try to provide an herb choice with your CSA share. I think that herbs are an easy way to elevate a so-so dish to a ‘wow’ dish, so I really love that herbs are included in our CSA shares.

    This week two of the herb choices are garlic chives and the more common onion chives.

    In the photo below garlic chives are on the left. They are larger and have flat leaves and taste mildly of garlic and onions. The onion chives are on the right and are tube shaped and hollow and have a mild onion flavor and are very tender.

    Garlic chives can be eaten raw but also hold up to cooking and are very similar in texture to leeks when they are cooked-kind of melting into a dish. Onion chives are almost always used fresh and raw and are bright and have a slight ‘snap’ when you bite them.

    Lots of Asian dishes use garlic chives, they are great tossed last minute in soups or any sauteed meat, egg or vegetable dish.

    I grilled some asparagus the other day and heated up some butter with garlic chives while the asparagus was cooking.

    This simple side dish was totally the star of our meal.

    If you haven’t tried garlic chives maybe grab some this week and give them a try and let us know how you like them.

    Have a great week and I’ll see you at pickup.

    Mo

     

  • Swap Kohlrabi for Artichoke Hearts

    I saw an intriguing kohlrabi article in Food52. It said, ‘When kohlrabi is boiled whole and then peeled, the flesh of the vegetable somewhat resembles artichoke hearts, both in flavor and texture.”

    I had never heard of this analogy so of course I had to try it, and you know what? Boiled Kohlrabi does indeed have a similar taste and texture to that of artichoke hearts!

    I made the recipe referenced in the article, except I didn’t boil the kohlrabi whole. My kohlrabi were really big so I halved or quartered them which was super easy to do, then I boiled them. When you boil them you peel them after they are cooked (all the way through) instead of trying to peel them before cooking or cutting them. Because my kohlrabi were so big, the biggest trick with these is to cook them so they are soft all the way through, it took about 40 minutes.

    Here are some photos. Boil the kohlrabi until it is completely cooked through.

    It becomes sort of translucent when it is thoroughly cooked. Drain it and cut it into bite size pieces.

    I did make the marinaded kohlrabi in the recipe I posted at the beginning of this post. I only made half the amount of marinade it called for.

    I also made this spinach ‘artichoke’ dip a couple times over the Christmas holidays. It was a huge HUGE hit at both gatherings. I simply swapped the kohlrabi for artichoke hearts and kale for the spinach (that’s what I had). I made this dip last night, doubling the amount of artichoke hearts called for with lots of chopped boiled kohlrabi. Easy peasy and so good.

    I had some extra boiled kohlrabi so we just at it like we would artichoke hearts, dipped in lemon butter.

    This might be my new favorite vegetable to play with. I want to try it in a creamy pasta like ceci de pepe sauce.

    Well Friends, another year is in the bag. You are all so great and supportive of all we do, thank you so much.

    I hope to see next year. Until then, be well and happy.

    With gratitude.

    Mo