CSA News: Week 12- August 16 to August 22

This Week’s Share

Share Notes

• Potatoes: This week’s share includes vibrant red Sangre potatoes. Try leaving the skins on for a colorful addition to your next potato dish.

• Tomatoes: Slicing tomatoes start in Family Shares this week, with more to come for all in the next several weeks.

Join us for our Potato Harvest Party & French Fry Feast This Saturday

Saturday August, 20th 10am-2pm
13615 NW Howell Park Rd. (use this, not our mailing address)
Portland, OR 97231

Join us for our annual potato harvest work party and French fry feast. This is a very kid friendly event, so bring the family and friends and a potluck dish to share. Join us anytime during the event, even just for lunch! SIO will be frying up fresh fries all afternoon.

Schedule of Events

• 10-12:30 spuds harvest
• 12:30-1pm farm tour
• 1pm-2pm potluck lunch & french fry feast

Recipes

Carrot Recipes

Carrot, Potato & Chard Curry with Rice Pilau
From http://hungryvegan.blogspot.com/

Note: Start the Pilau off first, that way both it and the curry will be ready to eat at the same time.

For the curry:
3 medium red potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups chard, coarsely chopped
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes

Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan, and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 4-6 minutes, until crisp-tender. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add potatoes, carrots, sugar, cumin, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and Swiss chard. Cover and simmer for 4-6 minutes or until Swiss chard is tender-crisp. Serves 4.

For the Pilau:
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1 tablespoon butter/margarine/coconut oil
4 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, bruised
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 cups hot water

Wash the rice well and leave to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain well. Heat the Earth Balance in a heavy saucepan, and fry the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods, and cumin seeds, for 1 minute. Add turmeric and rice, and stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add salt and hot water, bring quickly to a boil, then turn heat very low. Cover with a well-fitting lid and cook for 20-25 minutes without lifting lid or stirring. Uncover at end of cooking time to allow steam to escape for about 3 minutes. Remove whole spices, lightly fluff rice, and serve hot with vegetable curry. Serves 4.

Carrot Spoon Bread
Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

2 cups milk
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup lightly packed grated sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 pinch dried tarragon
4 eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter a 2-quart soufflé or 9×13-inch baking dish. Combine the milk, carrots, onion, garlic, cornmeal, butter, salt, and pepper to taste in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, Then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the mixture is thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the cheese and tarragon. Let cool until just warm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Stir in the egg yolks until well blended. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the whites into the cornmeal mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites with a rubber spatula. Pour into the prepared dish. Place the dish in the oven and lower the temperature to 375˚F. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the center is barely set. Serve immediately.

Chard Recipes

Seared Swiss Chard
Submitted by Member Mike Battista (by Rachel Ray; www.foodnetwork.com)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion (yellow or red), thinly sliced
10 to 12 cups red chard, trimmed and coarsely chopped
Grated nutmeg, to your taste
Coarse salt and pepper
2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar

Make sure your greens are very dry before preparing recipe. You could wash and chop them when you get them home so that way they are ready for you to cook up even quicker. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and toss 2 minutes, then add chard in bunches and keep it moving as it wilts up a bit – you are just searing it up. The greens should remain crisp and crunchy. Wilting them all and searing them up should take no more than 3 to 4 minutes. Season the greens with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste. Douse the pan with a little vinegar and remove from heat. Toss to cook off vinegar and serve the greens hot.

Carrot, Potato & Chard Curry
(see above in Carrot Recipes)

Cucumber Recipe

Chicken Souvlaki Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

For the Chicken Souvlaki Marinade:
3/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

For the Tzatziki Sauce (cucumber sauce):
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced small or shredded
1 cups plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon red wine or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Gyros:
4 large pita bread rounds
1/2 head of lettuce, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, halved and sliced
1 cucumber, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup pepperoncini
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinaigrette, juice from 1/2 lemon, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour marinade over the chicken, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Toss the diced cucumber with kosher salt, and allow to sit at least 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt, sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with garlic, dill, and Greek seasoning. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any excess water; stir into sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove chicken from marinade and place on prepared grill. Discard remaining marinade. Cook chicken until juices run clear, about 8 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from heat, and allow to sit about 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips.

Place pita rounds on the grill, and cook for about 2 minutes, until warm, turning frequently to avoid burning.

Arrange warmed pita, sliced chicken, lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumber, olives, and pepperoncini on a serving platter. Serve tzatziki sauce and feta cheese in separate bowls on the side. Stuff pita pockets with chicken and toppings to serve.

Potato Recipes

Potato Stir-Fry with Mint and Cilantro
From Fine Cooking in Season

2 pounds red potatoes, peeled (if desired) and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
24 curry leaves (optional)
1 small whole dried red chile
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno (seeds and ribs removed if you prefer a milder flavor), finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
2/3 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon (1 to 2 tablespoons)

Put the cubed potatoes in a medium bowl, cover with cool water, and set aside. Heat the canola oil and the mustard seeds in a large wok or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the mustard seeds start to sizzle and pop, 1 to 2 minutes (use a splatter screen if you have one, so the seeds don’t pop out of the pan). Add the curry leaves (if using), chilie, coriander, cumin seeds, and turmeric, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cumin browns and the curry leaves are crisp, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Drain the potatoes and add them to the pan along with the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan every 12 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low if the potatoes seem to be burning.

Add the salt and cayenne (if using) and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the mint, cilantro, and lemon juice, cover the pan, and let the potatoes sit off the heat for 10 minutes. Scrape up the browned bits and stir them into the potatoes. Taste, add more salt if needed, and serve.

Carrot, Potato & Chard Curry
(see above in Carrot Recipes)

Summer Squash Recipes

Squash Cakes
Adapted from Herbs Love Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions & Zucchini by Ruth Bass

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh basil (oregano, dill, chives) minced
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups grated summer squash
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon butter

In a medium-size bowl, combine the cilantro, basil (or other herb), parsley, and garlic. Stir in the grated squash, cheeses, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet and add half of the butter. Dollop tablespoons of squash batter into the skillet an cook over medium heat until golden. Flip to cook the other side. Add oil and butter as needed to prevent sticking. Finished cakes may be kept warm in the oven.

Spicy Squash with Cilantro
From Herbs Love Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions & Zucchini by Ruth Bass

1 1/2 pounds summer squash
1 tomato
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup green chili peppers, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup pitted black olives, chopped
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Scrub the summer squash and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Drop the tomato into the boiling water for about 20 seconds, remove and rinse with cold water, and peel. Cut crosswise, remove some of the seeds, and dice. In a large, deep skillet or saucepan, combine the summer squash, tomato, onion, cilantro, parsley, garlic, chili peppers, wine and water. Mix well and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Stir in the olives and cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Continue stirring over low heat until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Tomato Recipe

Spicy Squash with Cilantro
(see above in Summer Squash recipes)