This Week’s Share
Share Notes
- Broccoli: Autumn is here, crisp cool weather is back, and with it comes fresh and flavorful fall broccoli.
- Corn: Alas, it is time that we say goodbye to sweet corn. Enjoy the bounty in your share this week, for its the last of the season. For longer storage try cutting it off the cob, blanching in salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain, and freeze in freezer bags/containers for later use.
Recipes
Chard Recipe
Braised Chard with Chickpeas
From Eating Local by Janet Fletcher
Note: This recipe begins with soaking the dried chickpeas overnight, so start that the evening before you intend to make the dish.
¾ cup dried chickpeas
1 quart water
2-ounce chunk linguica or Spanish-style chorizo
½ small yellow onion
1 bay leaf
1 rosemary sprig, 4 inches long
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small dried red chile, torn in half
2 quarts coarsely chopped chard leaves, ribs removed (reserve chard ribs for another use in desired)
Kosher or sea salt
Put the chickpeas in a medium bowl, add water to cover generously, and soak overnight. Drain and rinse, then place in a medium pot with 1 quart water. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat, skimming any foam. Add the sausage, onion, bay leaf, and rosemary, cover, and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the chickpeas are tender, 1 to 1½ hours. Let the chickpeas cool in the cooking liquid. When cool, drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid and the sausage; discard the onion, bay leaf, and rosemary sprig. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over moderately low heat. Add the garlic and chile and sauté for about 1 minute to release garlic fragrance. Add the chard and season with salt. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes to coast the chard with oil and wilt it slightly. Add the chickpeas and ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Cut the sausage into 4 slices and add them to the skillet as well. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chard is tender, about 20 minutes. Taste for salt. Just before serving, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Divide evenly among 4 plates or bowls, making sure every diner gets a piece of sausage.
Corn Recipes
Fresh Corncakes
From Serving Up the Harvest by Andera Chesman
6 ears corn, husked
Milk
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow stone-ground cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons canola oil
Pure maple syrup, warmed
Grate the corn into a large bowl using a box grater. Transfer to a glass measure; you should have about 1 1/3 cups. Add enough milk to make 2 cups. Stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and oil. Stir well to combine. Preheat oven to 200˚F. Place four to six plates in the oven to keep warm, if desired. Spray a well seasoned cast iron griddle or non-stick fry pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour the batter on to the griddle to make 4-inch pancakes. Cook until bubbles appear on the top of the pancakes and the bottoms are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook on the second side until golden, about 1 minute longer. Keep the pancakes warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter. Serve at once, passing the maple syrup at the table.
Corn Risotto
From Serving up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman
1 cup water
Fresh corn, from 3 ears corn
3 ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cup Arborio rice
1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the kernels from two ears of corn, cover and cook until quite tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Pour into a blender and puree. Return the corn puree to the saucepan and add the chicken broth, wine, sugar, and turmeric. Heat to boiling, the reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice, red pepper, and shallots and sauté until the rice looks dry, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of the corn-broth mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding more the mixture, 1 cup at a time, cooking and stirring after each addition. The liquid should be mostly absorbed before you add the next cup. When all the broth has been added, remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining corn and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let heat through for about 1 minute. Serve immediately.
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
(see below in Pepper Recipes)
Eggplant Recipe
Sweet and Sour Eggplant
Adapted from What’s Cooking Vegetarian by Jenny Stacey
2 large eggplants
6 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, cut into 8
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 peppers, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2/3 cup vegetable stock
4 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili flakes
Salt and pepper
Fresh cilantro sprigs, to garnish
Using a sharp knife, cut the eggplants into cubes. Put them in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water and drain well. This process removes all the bitter juices from the eggplants. Pat dry thoroughly dry with absorbent towels. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sauté the eggplant cubes, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and stock, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and chili flakes, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Garnish the eggplant with fresh cilantro sprigs and serve.
Fennel Recipe
Braised Chicken Thighs with Caramelized Fennel
From The New York Times, www.nytimes.com
2 fennel bulbs
1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
6 boneless chicken thighs (about 1¼ pounds)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Pernod
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Trim fennel bulbs, and set aside fronds. In a blender or food processor, pulse about ½ cup fronds, garlic, lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon salt until finely chopped. Add 1/3 cup oil and puree. Halve fennel bulbs lengthwise. Slice thinly with a mandoline or very sharp knife. Season chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown chicken until skin is crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in pan. Stir fennel seeds into skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add sliced fennel and onion, seasoning with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add Pernod, and scrape up any browned bits in the bottom of the skillet; cook until liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Lay chicken on top of the fennel-onion mixture. Pour 3 tablespoons water into the pan. Cover skillet and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until chicken is just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve chicken and vegetables topped wit generous dollops of the fennel frond puree. Yields 4 serving.
Pepper Recipes
Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert
4 sweet peppers
1 tablespoon oil
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped (or 2 cups canned whole tomatoes, drained and chopped)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
2 fresh corn, cut from the cob
1½ cups cooked black beans
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Pre-heat oven to 350˚F. Cut the top ½-inch off the top of the peppers and discard seeds. Steam whole peppers in 1 inch boiling water until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove pepper from water and set aside. In a large frying pan heat 1 tablespoon oil sauté onions and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, oregano, cumin, salt and the bay leaf and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the corn and beans and simmer for 10 minutes. Place pepper in an oven-proof dish so that they stand upright, cut end up if needed. Stuff peppers with vegetable mixture. Any extra filling can be placed in dish next to peppers. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Roasted Red Pepper and Cilantro Butter
From Herbs Love Tomatoes, Pepper, Onions & Zucchini by Ruth Bass
Note: This butter with a twist on corn on the cob, bread, cracker, pasta, or just a base for a vegetable sauté.
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
½ cup roasted sweet peppers
2 tablespoons hot mustard
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a food processor or blender cream the butter and gradually add the roasted peppers through the top while it is running. When the butter is rosy red stop the machine and scrape the sides. Add the mustard and cilantro, process until mixed, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.