This Week’s Share
- Basil
- Beans
- Braising Mix
- Carrots
- Corn
- Garlic
- Lettuce
- Onions, Copra
- Summer Squash
- Sweet Peppers
- Tomatoes
On Rotation
Share Notes
- Corn: Surprise! The last planting of Silver Queen sweet corn that had previously blown over made a miraculous recovery and not only stood back up, but has produced a bountiful last distribution of corn. Enjoy this sweet treat one last time.
- Peppers: This week sweet peppers will be starting on rotation. We are growing two varieties this season, Gypsy and Joelene. Gypsy peppers are a thick-walled sweet pepper ranging in color from yellow to orange to red depending on maturity and are well suited to Oregon growing conditions. Joelene is a red Italian variety and is a long and narrow sweet pepper. It is new this season from local seed producer Wild Garden Seed from Gathering Together Farm in Philomath, OR.
Recipes
Bean Recipes
Fresh Corn and Green Bean Salad
Adapted from www.recipezaar.com
4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off after cooking
1/2 pound beans (green bean or dragon’s tongue both work)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Prepare corn by removing husks and silk. In a large soup pot bring water to boil and add corn. Add additional water if needed to make sure the cobs are fully submersed. Cook for 3-5 minutes until corn is just tender. Remove corn and set aside to cool. In the same water, add the beans and cook for two to three minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain beans and shock with cold water to stop the cooking. Strip the kernels of corn off the cob with a knife into a bowl. In a large bowl whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Add in the onions, corn, beans and parsley. Toss the salad together until it is fully mixed and coated with the dressing. Cover and chill for up to four hours before serving.
Risotto with Summer Beans, Tomatoes, Peppers and Basil
Adapted from Field of Greens by Anne Somerville
7 cups vegetable stock*
salt
1/2 pound beans (all one kind or using a mix of the green and dragon’s tongue is great)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium-sized yellow onion, diced
pepper
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a generous pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1 tablespoon of hot water (optional)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 yellow or red sweet pepper, diced, about 1 cup
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 pound tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese
Pour stock* into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, and reduce it to 6 cups. Keep the stock warm over very low heat. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drop beans into the boiling water for 2-4 minutes or until tender; scoop from the water with a strainer and rinse under cool water. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet and add the onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few pinches of pepper. Saute over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until it begins to soften, then add garlic and sauté for another minute or two. (If you are using saffron, add it now.) Add the rice and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Begin adding stock a cup at a time, allowing rice to absorb each cup of stock completely before adding more. Continue to stir. When the rice has absorbed 3 cups of stock, add the peppers and sherry. Continue to stir and add stock until you have used 5 to 5 1/2 cups. As you stir in the last cup of stock, add the beans, tomatoes, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. At this point the risotto should be ready to serve-the grains of rice will be a little toothy and the risotto will be saucy. Serve immediately in warm bowls and pass the Parmesan.
*Anne Somerville suggests making and using a Tomato-Mushroom stock for the risotto and the recipe for that is included below.
Tomato-Mushroom Stock for Risotto
2 quarts cold water
1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 leek top, sliced and washed
8 garlic cloves, in their skin, crushed with the side of a knife blade
1 teaspoon salt
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
2 medium-sized carrots, sliced
1 large unpeeled potato, sliced
1/4 pound white mushroom, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped (or 1 28-ounce can tomatoes with juice)
6 parsley sprigs, coarsely chopped
6 thyme sprigs
3 fresh sage leaves
2 fresh marjoram or oregano sprigs
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
Pour 1/2 cup water into a stock pot and add the onion, leek top, garlic, and salt. Give them a stir, then cover the pot and cook the vegetables gently over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and over with the remaining water. Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Pour the stock through a strainer, press as much liquid as you can from vegetables, and discard them. Use immediately or cool and refrigerate or freeze. The stock will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator and indefinitely in the freezer. Makes about 7 cups.
Braising Mix Recipe
Colorful Braised Greens
From the New Entry Sustainable Farm Project at Tufts University
1 tbsp olive oil
2-3 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1 ear fresh corn, kernels cut off
1/2-3/4 cup braising liquid (wine, water, broth)
1/2 lbs braising mix
2-3 tomatoes, diced (with some liquid drained)
Heat the oil over in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion. Cook 3 minutes. Add the braising mix, corn and 1/2 c. liquid. Cover the pan and cook just until the greens start to wilt, adding more liquid if necessary. Add the tomatoes, toss. Serve immediately.
Corn Recipes
Fresh Corn and Bean Salad
(see above in Bean Recipes)
Colorful Braised Greens
(See above in Braising Mix Recipes)
Eggplant Recipe
Indian Eggplant Salad
Adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen
1 eggplant (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 ½ cups minced onion
¾ teaspoon salt
cayenne pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons lemon juice
water, as needed
½ cup yogurt (optional)
Cut the eggplant into small (1/2-inch) cubes. In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter. Add all the seeds (mustard, sesame, cumin) to the butter. Turn the heat to medium, and cook the seeds by themselves for a few moments, stirring constantly. (This head-start helps to bring out their flavors.) Soon the seeds will start popping from the heat. When the seeds begin to pop, add the garlic, onion, salt, and cayenne. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes- until the onions soften. Add the eggplant, and stir well. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. After about 5 minutes, stir again, and add lemon juice. Cover, and keep cooking (stirring intermittently) until the eggplant is cooked. (Add water, ¼ cup at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.) Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and chill completely. Stir in optional yogurt (or not) after it is cold.
Tomato Recipes
Summer Risotto
(see above in Bean Recipes)
Tomato-Mushroom Stock for Risotto
(see above in Bean Recipes)
Colorful Braised Greens
(see above in Braising Mix Recipes)