CSA News: Week 5- June 16 to June 22

This Week’s Share

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Chard
• Fennel
• Garlic Scapes
• Lettuce

Recipes

Fennel Recipes

Pasta with Fennel and Chard
Adapted from Riverland Farm in Sunderland MA, www.riverlandfarm.com

Note: Sweet fennel pairs nicely with bitter greens
Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, minced
1 medium fennel bulb fronds removed and set aside, halved and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 lb spaghetti
1 bunch chard or (other cooking green), washed and chopped
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large braising pan or skillet with a cover. Add onion; sauté over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in fennel; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until fennel is tender, about 8 minutes longer. Stir in vinegar; simmer to blend flavors, 1 minute longer. Season to taste. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; return to boil. Add the chopped chard to boiling pasta and continue to cook until pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta and greens, then toss with fennel mixture and cheese. Transfer portions to warm pasta bowls. Garnish with reserved minced fennel fronds. Serve immediately with more cheese passed separately.

Fennel, Mushroom and Parmesan Cheese Salad
Adapted from The Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Sylvia Thompson

Note: You can prepare the dressing an hour or two in advance, but the salad ingredients won’t keep pristine for more than half an hour.

For Dressing:
1/3 cup mild olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons finely packed fennel leaves, finely chopped
salt & freshly ground white pepper to taste
a tiny pinch of nutmeg

For Salad:
2  fennel bulbs, sliced paper-thin
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved paper-thin
4 plump mushrooms, about 1 oz each, sliced paper-thin
freshly ground white pepper to taste

Use a fork to blend the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Taste for seasoning.  Cover and keep in a cool place. Combine the thin sliced fennel and cheese in a mixing bowl.  Beat the dressing to blend it and add 1/4 cup to the bowl.  Blend carefully with your hands – the cheese tends to sink to the bottom, and you don’t want to end up with just crumbles. Spread a handful of this mixture on 4 salad plates, filling the plates.  Heap the mushroom slices lightly over the fennel, leaving a curly border of the fennel.  Beat the dressing again and spoon 1 Tbsp. over the mushrooms on each plate.  Grind pepper over the salads and serve at once as a separate course with bread.

Chard Recipes

Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Adapted from Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman

1 bunch Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons garlic scapes, minced
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup raisins (golden raisins have a nice flavor, but any kind will do)
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the chard and cut the ribs off the leaves. Cut the ribs into 1/2 inch dice and set aside. Stack the leaves and cut them into 1/2 inch strips. Set the leaves aside separately. Heat olive oil over medium heat in large, heavy pot or large, deep skillet with a tight fitting lid. Add the garlic scapes and chard ribs and cook, uncovered, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons water, most of the lemon zest, and the raisins. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender and the water has almost evaporated, 4 to 8 minutes. If the water evaporates before the chard is tender, add an additional splash of water. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the pine nuts, and season the chard with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately garnished with remaining lemon zest.


Pasta with Fennel and Chard
(see above in Fennel Recipes)

Carrot Recipes

Carrot Broccoli Salad
Adapted from allrecipes.com

2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup coleslaw dressing (recipe below, or you can purchase at the store)

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve or refrigerate.

Basic Coleslaw Dressing:

Note: This is just a good basic dressing, but you can spice it up however you wish.
Mix it at least 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerate.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar (more or less depending on personal taste)
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon celery seed

Mix all together, preferably in a glass container. Stir and taste a few times in 24 hours of time it is sitting.

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