See the post below for Recipes, and scroll down to the next post for the Share Photo, Share List and news from the farm.
A wide range of dishes this week and pick up some dill and basil if you can and some lemongrass if you’d like to make the homemade green curry paste that uses your whole bunch of cilantro, roots and all. You can also substitute lime or lemon zest for the lemon grass. Enjoy!
Green Curry with Summer Squash and Homemade Green Curry Paste
Summer Squash Sauté with Cream and Tarragon
Sweet Onion and Kale Galette or Pizza
Fennel Pilaf with Toasted Cumin and Golden Raisins
Beet, Cilantro, Avocado (and Bread) Salad
Cucumber and Sweet Onion Salad
Green Curry with Summer Squash and Homemade Green Curry Paste
The beautiful bunch of cilantro, roots and all, is perfect for a batch of homemade green curry, which, if you have a food processor does not take long to make. The batch of curry paste will make more than you need for the soup so feel free to use it as a part of a dressing or marinade or make another curry.
Curry paste:
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1-2 Serrano chilies deseeded (or seeds kept in if you like it spicier) and roughly chopped (I sometimes use 1/3 -1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes if I don’t have any fresh chilies)
1½ lemongrass stalks, outer layer and tough ends removed, chopped (can omit and use more lime zest which is what I sometimes do)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 shallot-sized chunk of onion, peeled and chopped
½ tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, finely ground
Grated zest and juice of half a lime or more if you don’t have lemon grass (see above)
2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
1 bunch cilantro, stalks, roots and all, washed and shaken dry
3-4 medium zucchini or other summer squash like yellow crookneck or patty pan, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 a medium onion (sweet or regular yellow onion), thinly sliced
4 small potatoes (new potatoes if possible), scrubbed and cut into small dice (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (or more) homemade green curry paste, above (or use 2 teaspoons of a store bought variety such as Thai and True or Mae Ploy)
1 can full fat coconut milk
2 cups veggie bouillon broth (or other veggie or chicken stock)
Salt
Squeeze of lime juice to taste (optional)
A bit more chopped cilantro, optional
Cooked white or brown, long grain rice
Start by making the curry paste. Put all the paste ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor and blend to a paste.
Put a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add about 3-4 tablespoons of the solid part of the coconut milk that makes up about the top fourth of the can, to the hot pan. Add the green curry paste and whisk it into the coconut milk. Fry this mixture for a couple of minutes until it becomes fragrant.
Add the sliced onion and fry for a few minutes until it softens. Add the squash and potatoes, if using, several generous pinches of salt and cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic, the remainder of the coconut milk and the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add most of the basil (reserving some for a garnish) and cook for another minute or two. Adjust seasoning and add a squeeze of lime juice, if using.
Serve hot over rice and garnished with more cilantro if you’d like.
Summer Squash Sauté with Cream and Tarragon
I learned this simple technique from a friend and it’s a lovely way to vary my more basic “zucchini in the frying pan” routine. It’s particularly good with tarragon if you have some but basil is a good substitute.
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil though butter is very good here and how my friend insisted it is done
3 medium zucchini or other summer squash, washed, trimmed and cut into ¼-1/3 inch rounds or half-rounds if larger or something similar
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped or 1 tablespoon or more thinly sliced basil
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and the squash and a few pinches of salt and stir well to coat. Sauté, turning occasionally to ensure evening browning until tender and nicely browned. Add the cream and herbs and a few grinds of pepper. Cook for another minute or two to let the cream thicken and the flavors marry. Taste and adjust seasoning.
This dish will not be beautiful and the squash will be quite soft—don’t let that put you off as the taste will make up for the humble looks.
Sweet Onion and Kale Galette or Pizza
Onions (or leeks) and kale make for a wonderful combination. You can serve this is a side dish or fry an egg in one side of the pan (or poach one) and call it dinner. Or you can spread it on buttery crust and bake a savory galette or spread it on pizza dough and sprinkle with a little Parmesan and have yourself a lovely, hearty pizza. I think it’s particularly good on Grand Central Bakery’s whole wheat pizza crust. A good, spicy pork sausage crumbled onto the pizza or galette is a wonderful adaptation.
1 large bunch kale, well washed, trimmed and cut into thin ribbons and stems finely chopped
1 large or two smaller onions, thinly sliced into half rounds
1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 – 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Gruyere or sharp cheddar (if you’re making a galette or pizza)
In a large skillet heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir well and sauté for about 7-8 minutes. Add a bit of salt, the red pepper flakes (if using) and the kale, stir well and cook, covered for about 10-15 minutes until all is tender. Stir occasionally and make sure things aren’t browning or drying out. Turn down the heat and/or add a little water if that’s the case. Taste and adjust seasoning.
For a Galette pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup Greek or whole milk plain yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
To make the pastry dough, combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or pulse a few times in the food processor, until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces too. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and drizzle mixture over flour and butter and using a fork, quickly stir it to combine. The mixture will turn into lumps, which you want to quickly pat into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread kale and leek mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the vegetables, crimping the dough slightly as you go. Evenly distribute the grated cheese over the greens.
Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
For a pizza:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F with a pizza stone on the bottom wrack of the oven if you have one.
Roll or stretch out the pizza dough (1 14-oz ball, more or less, is what you want) and brush a little good olive oil on the dough. Evenly spread the kale and leek mixture over the dough and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until the crust is browning and the topping bubbling.
Fennel Pilaf with Toasted Cumin and Golden Raisins
–adapted from Culinate.com from the Megan Scott collection
I adapted the original recipe to use much more fennel, added some garlic and topped it with lemony Greek yogurt. I’m a bit of a fennel skeptic and just loved this dish. I also don’t typically love raisins in my savory food but this dish has a mellow sweetness that’s just lovely.
Serves 4 as a main, topped with Greek Yogurt sauce or 6 as a side
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed of any fibrous exterior layers, diced; fronds removed and a few reserved
1 onion, diced
4 cloves fresh/new garlic, minced or 2 regular, mature cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup long-grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
¼ cup golden raisins
2 cups veggie bouillon broth, chicken or vegetable stock or water
½ teaspoon salt (unnecessary if your stock is salty)
For serving:
About 1/3 – ½ cup Greek yogurt (whole milk) into which you stirred just a little lemon zest, about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, a bit of salt and a glug of olive oil.
A couple tablespoons chopped fennel fronds (optional)
In a large skillet for which you have a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the cumin seeds and the rice and mix well to coat the rice with oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and browning. Then add the raisins and broth or water and salt, if your stock isn’t very salty. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.
To serve, fluff the rice with a fork. Top with Greek yogurt and fennel fronds, if you’d like.
Beet, Cilantro, Avocado (and Bread) Salad
When I get a bunch of beets I often roast the whole batch and then have the pleasure of having roasted beets on hand to use, however, I want.
I also have a habit of toasting a slice of good, crusty bread and tearing it into bits and adding it warm to salads–often just for me, for lunch, but it’s such an easy trick to add a little heft to salads. It also changes the texture and temperature just enough to make it interesting. Feel free to omit the bread though, if you’d like.
And you can also omit the lettuce here (since you don’t have any this week) and add some thinly sliced fennel instead and use a bit less dressing.
3 medium beets, roasted and peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 avocado, diced
2 slices of good, crusty bread, toasted and cut or torn into bite-sized pieces (optional- but makes it nice hearty)
4 cups or more lettuce, washed, dried and torn
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and stems and finely minced roots, if they’re attached
2 tablespoons finely diced Walla Walla sweet
2 ounces feta or fresh goat cheese
Juice of half a lemon or about 1 ½ tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar or more to taste
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Toss everything but the cheese and beets together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently add the cheese and beets and just barely mix so the beets don’t bleed onto everything.
Cucumber and Sweet Onion Salad
Sweet, fresh and crisp–a lovely salad that you can easily halve as this makes quite a lot. You can also add other herbs you have/like.
This makes a lovely side to salmon.
Serves 4-6 as a side
2 cucumbers, scrubbed and peeled if the skin is tough, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 Torpedo or small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh dill, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, onion, dill, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.