This Week’s Share
Share Notes
- Summer Squash: Enjoy the true taste of summer with the season’s first summer squash. Use your first zucchini and/or patty pan squash in a simple vegetable sauté, as a pizza topping, or in a delicious soup.
Recipes
Beet Recipe
Cilantro-Lime Beet Salad with Cotija
Adapted from http://iheartkale.blogspot.com
Note: Cotija is a hard, salty, crumbly Mexican cheese that can be found in the cheese section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, try ricotta salata.
4-6 beets (save tops for using in something else)
1 small red onion, sliced into thin half-moons
3 limes
1/4 cup packed chopped cilantro (plus some extra for garnish)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces cotija cheese, cubed
Scrub the beets and place in a large saucepan with plenty of water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 45 minutes to an hour, until beets are very tender when poked with a knife. Drain and cool.
Meanwhile, place the onions in a bowl with the juice of 2 of the limes and a few shakes of salt. Marinate while you boil the beets and make the dressing–they’ll be less harsh and slightly pickled when you’re ready to add them.
When the beets have cooled down, peel them and chop into 1-inch cubes. To make the dressing, combine the zest and juice of the remaining lime, olive oil, cilantro, cayenne and salt in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth green mixture. Toss the beets with the dressing and top with the pickled onions (and their juice), cotija and some extra cilantro for garnish.
Fava Bean Recipes
Fava Bean and Herb Soup with Fried Pita Bread
Adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison
3 cups vegetable stock or light chicken stock
2 cups shelled fava beans (about 2½ pounds pods)
5 very slender leeks, white parts plus and inch of the greens, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small summer squash (zucchini or patty pan), thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons slivered mint leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pita bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
Blanch the shelled fava beans in boiling water for 1 minute. Heat the stock, and add leeks, onion and garlic and bring to a boil. While the stock is heating up peel the blanched favas. Once the stock is boiling lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. If needed, continue peeling favas during this 10 minutes. Add the peeled favas and sliced zucchini to the stock, simmer for 10 minutes more, then stir in the herbs. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Turn off the heat and allow the soup to rest so that the herbs can infuse the broth. Meanwhile, cut or tear the pita bread into small pieces and fry in the olive oil over medium-high heat until crisp and golden. Serve the soup with several pieces of bread floating in each bowl.
Grilled Bruschetta with Fava Bean Puree and Pecorino
Adapted from Eating Local by Janet Fletcher
2 to 2 ½ pounds fresh fava beans (to yield 2 cups shelled, unpeeled beans)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 large clove garlic, minced
9 fresh basil leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices Italian country bread, about ½ inch thick and 3 inches long
Aged sheep’s milk cheese (such as pecorino, toscana, Manchego, or ricotta salata)
Prepare a moderate charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium. Remove the fava beans from their pods. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add the fava beans to the boiling water and boil for 1 ½ minutes, or a little longer if the beans are large. Drain in a sieve or colander, then transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking. When the beans are cool, drain them again. To peel them, pierce the skin with your fingernail; inner bean should slip out easily.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Put the peeled favas, the sautéed garlic, and all the oil left in the skillet, 3 of the basil leaves, and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small food processor. Pulse until nearly, but not completely smooth; leave the spread slightly coarse. Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt and pepper to taste.
Grill the bread on both sides directly over the coals or gas flame until golden brown. Top each toast with some of the fava spread, dividing evenly. Drizzle with some olive oil. Shave or grate some cheese over each toast. Garnish with a basil leaf. Serve immediately.
Kale Recipe
Lulu Wilson Kale Salad
From Lulu Wilson Restaurant in Aspen, CO
Note: The chef that provided this recipe recommends using a very sharp knife when cutting the kale. A dull knife will crush the kale and make the salad soggy
1 bunch kale
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts, not toasted
Using a very sharp knife, cut away the kale leaves’ though center stems. Roll the leaves like a cigar and cut them into very fines slices, about 1/8th– inch wide. Put the kale and olive oil into a bowl and toss by hand. Add the lemon juice and toss again. Add the currants, Parmesan, and pine nuts and toss by hand until the mixture is soft. Taste and adjust quantities if needed. Serve on a cold plate
Summer Squash Recipes
Summer Squash Pizza with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
From www.foodandwine.com
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 garlic clove, minced
All-purpose flour, for dusting
6 ounces pizza dough (recipe below for making your own or purchase pre-made at Hot Lips, New Seasons, Trader Joes, etc.)
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup shredded part-skim-milk mozzarella
1 teaspoon chopped summer savory
1/4 pound summer squash, thinly sliced on a mandoline
2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts
Preheat the oven to 500°. Preheat a pizza stone. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the minced garlic and let stand. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to form a 12-inch round, 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the round to a lightly floured pizza stone.
Leaving a 1/2-inch border of dough, brush the round with the garlic oil and sprinkle with crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper. Scatter the onion slices over the round; top with the mozzarella and savory. Arrange the squash slices on top in a single layer, overlapping them slightly. Dot with the crumbled goat cheese.
Slide the pizza onto the hot stone and bake for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is crisp and the squash is slightly browned. Transfer the pizza to a work surface. Sprinkle with the walnuts and drizzle with olive oil. Cut into wedges and serve.
The Best Pizza Dough
From www.foodandwine.com
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water (110° F)
2 cups unbleached bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a bowl, combine the yeast, 1/4 cup lukewarm water and 1/4 cup flour in a small bowl. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Add the remaining 1-3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons luke warm water, olive oil and salt. Mix the dough thoroughly. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic and a bit tacky to the touch, 7 to 8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to cover with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place (75° F) until double in volume, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Alternately, you can let this dough rise in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, bring the dough to room temperature and proceed.
Fava Bean and Herb Soup with Fried Pita Bread
(recipe above in Fava Bean Recipes)