This Week’s Share
- Bok choi, Joi Choi
- Garlic
- Lettuce
- Onions, Copra
- Spinach
- Sweet Peppers
- Turnips, Hakurei
- Winter Squash, Delicata
Share Notes
- Bok Choi: The return of cool weather crops is upon us, and with that we welcome back bok choi. This week in your share you will receive two beautiful heads of the variety joi choi. Make sure to wash the leaves thoroughly to rid of any remaining aphids. With weather permitting, you can look forward to seeing another distribution before the season’s end.
- Spinach: As you enjoy your spinach in a salad or sandwich this week you may notice its slightly sweeter flavor. As the weather gets colder spinach tends to sweeten in flavor, just one of the many delights of the fall season.
Recipes
Turnip Recipes
Quick Asian Salad or Stir-Fry
Note: This combination of ingredients can be served either chopped fresh and coated with an Asian dressing or it can be lightly stir-fried and served with rice.
1 head joi choi, chopped (keep leaves and stems separate)
4-6 hakurei turnips, cut into quarter or eighths depending on the size
1 cup spinach
2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon peanut oil or other vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (toasted are better)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
For the salad combine the tamari, sesame oil, peanut oil, rice wine vinegar, sesame seeds, garlic and ginger in small bowl or salad dressing jar and stir or shake vigorously until well combined. Let stand. Meanwhile prepare the joi choi, turnips and spinach and place in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing to the salad and toss until well coated. Let stand for several minutes for flavor to absorb, then enjoy.
For stir-fry prepare the vegetables and have all other ingredients at hand. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat, adding the sesame and peanut oil. Add the chopped joi choi stems and turnips to the pan and quickly sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes. When pan is very hot add the tamari and vinegar tossing quickly for 1 minute. Then add the joi choi greens and continue tossing for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat when stems and turnips are just tender and greens are wilted. Add the spinach if desired. Serve over rice.
Quick-Pickled Baby Turnips
From The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich
1 pound hakurei turnips (half your bunch this week), trimmed at the top and bottom
2 teaspoons pickling salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 fresh red jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, or 1 tablespoon minced pimiento
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups rice vinegar or white vinegar
Score each turnip several times at top and bottom. Put the turnips into a bowl. Dissolve the salt in the water, and pour the brine over the turnips. Let them stand for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain the turnips well, then return them to the bowl with the minced pepper, and toss well. Combine the sugar and vinegar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour the liquid over the turnips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate and the turnips for two days, after which they will be ready to eat. Well covered and refrigerated, they will keep for several months.
Sweet Pepper Recipes
Red Pepper Quiche
From Herbs Love Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions and Zucchini by Ruth Bass
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
8 slices bacon
6 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely shredded (1 1/2 cups)
9-inch unbaked pie shell (recipe of your choice or store bought)
3 eggs
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon minced fresh chervil, parsley or tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Dash of cayenne
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and gently sauté the chopped pepper until soft but not browned. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp (or between double layers of paper towels for 5 minutes, change the towels and cook another 2 minutes if the bacon isn’t crisp). Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle the shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and red pepper evenly over the pie shell. Beat the eggs, cream, and milk until frothy. Add the chives, chervil/parsley/tarragon, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne, and whisk well. Pour into pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes or until the quiche is firm and browned. Serve in warm wedges.
Red Pepper and Garlic Spread
From Herbs Love Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions and Zucchini by Ruth Bass
3 red sweet peppers, roasted and peeled
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pitted and chopped black olives
6 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 tablespoons capers
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Roast the peppers under the broiler until they are partly charred; place in a plastic bag for 10 minutes to loosen skin. Then peel and dice them. Next, start by adding the olive oil to a blender/food processor, and then add the peppers, olives, garlic, capers, parsley, and lemon juice into the blender/food processor and process for a short time. The mixture should be coarse, not pureed. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Winter Squash Recipe
Nut-stuffed Delicata Squash
Recipe from Sunset (October 2008)
Note: This is a great vegetarian dish on a cold day, hearty enough to please even an omnivores appetite.
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/3 cup chopped pine nuts
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
About 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, eggs, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Stir in nut mixture. Divide stuffing among squash halves, sprinkle with more Parmesan, and bake until tender when pierced with a fork and tops are browning, about 45 minutes.
FIT Spotlight: Melissa
Melissa moved to Portland in 2005 and started working in local area restaurants. She soon noticed that many of the chefs used local and seasonal food in their kitchens and found that inspiring. After working last season as an intern at Gaining Ground Farm Melissa still wanted to work another season. She learned about SIO and the FIT program and knew it was the farm for her. Organization, structure, efficieny, established farming systems and beautiful produce were all things Melissa wanted experience with, and knew SIO had that to offer. Now that we are nearing the end of the season Melissa feels she has gained a better overall understanding of how to run a farm, but is also interested in learning the skills necessary for raising animals. Out at the farm she enjoys transplanting into a fresh soft bed, but her favorite activity is harvesting bunches of chard because, “they are so beautiful and colorful and they make a ‘zing’ sound when you chop the end off.”