CSA News: Week 18- September 27 to October 3

This Week’s Share

Recipes

Beet Recipes

Beet Chutney
From Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

4 medium red beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped Serrano peppers
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Roast the beets in the oven with the olive oil and a splash of water, seasoned with salt and covered tightly. When they are cooked through, after 30 minutes to an hour, cool and peel them and cut them into 1/8-inch dice. Combine the beets with vinegar, serrano pepper, peanut oil, salt and pepper, cilantro, red wine vinegar, lime juice, and cayenne. Taste and adjust for salt, vinegar and spiciness. Goes well with Indian-style braised chicken or lamb.

Beet-Green Pasta
Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

Note: Beet greens cooked this way can also be served as a side dish, without the pasta. For a slightly more piquant dish, add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of cayenne.

1/4 cup currants
1 to 2 bunches beet greens
1 small bunch fresh mint (about 1 ounce)
1 onion (red or white)
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 pound dried Fedelini pasta (or other thin cut pasta)
Salt and pepper

Cover the currants with boiling water, let them soak for 15 minutes, and drain them. While they are soaking, wash the beet green, strip the leave from the stems, and cut the leaves into chiffonade. Chop the stems into 2-inch lengths. Stem the mint (use a smooth-leaved variety if possible, wash the leaves, and chop them into a chiffonade. Put on a pot of salted water for the pasta. Peel the onion and garlic and chop them both fine. Saute them with the bay leaf over medium heat in 1/4 cup of the olive oil for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the beet leaves and stems and the currants and cook 5 minutes more, covered. Meanwhile, when the water has come to a boil, add the mint leaves. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss well with the sauce, moistening it with a ladle of the pasta water and the rest of the olive oil. Serve immediately. Serves 2 to 3.

Napa Cabbage Recipes

Spring Rolls with Napa Cabbage and Tofu
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

2 slices ginger, plus 1 tablespoon minced
Salt
4 cups thinly shredded Napa cabbage
1 bunch scallions, including 3 inches of greens, sliced
1 cup grated carrot
1 10-ounce package extra-firm tofu, finely diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
12 egg roll wrappers
12 cilantro sprigs
Peanut oil for frying

Heat 2 quarts water with sliced ginger and 1 tablespoon salt. When it boils, add the cabbage, scallions, and carrots and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. (The water won’t return to a boil.) Drain the vegetables, rinse them with cold water, then wrap them in a clean towel and squeeze several times until dry. Combine them with the tofu, minced ginger, and garlic. Sprinkle with sesame oil, sugar, vinegar, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Toss well and taste the mixture to be sure it’s seasoned sufficiently. Lay one egg roll wrapper on the counter at a diagonal, with a corner facing you. Heap 3 tablespoons of the filling crosswise, near the base. Lay a cilantro spring on top. Fold up the lower corner, fold in the outer corners, then wrap. Repeat, using the rest of the filling. Place the egg rolls on a plate and cover with wax paper, then with plastic until ready to cook. For frying, heat 1/2 inch peanut oil in a medium skillet until hot enough to quickly sizzle a corner of an egg roll. Add two egg rolls and fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn and fry the second side, then remove to paper toweling to drain. Continue frying the rest. For baking, preheat oven to 400˚F and then preheat a baking sheet in the heated oven. When ready to cook, remove the hot baking sheet and brush lightly with oil. Place the egg rolls on the baking sheet and brush each roll with more oil. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until crispy and lightly browned. Serve hot with mustard sauce (recipe below) or other Asian style dipping sauce of your choice.

Hot Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons dry mustard
3 tablespoons water

Mix together both ingredients. Enjoy as a dipping sauce.

Tomato-Cabbage Soup
From Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman

Note: For a vegetarian variation omit the sausage, substitute a neutral-tasting vegetable broth and add 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked chickpeas when you add the broth to the tomatoes to make this main course soup.

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from its casings and crumbled (pork, chicken or turkey sausage all work well)
1 small head Napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 1/2 to 4 cups diced fresh tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the sausage and sauté until completely browned, about 10 minutes, breaking up the sausage with a spoon or spatula as you stir. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels. If the soup pot is mostly dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the cabbage and onion and sauté until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, and cumin. Return the sausage to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, until the cabbage is completely tender and the flavors are well blended. Taste and season with salt, black pepper, and white pepper, being especially generous with the peppers. Serve hot.

Eggplant Recipe

Sweet and Sour Eggplant
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1 pound eggplant
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely diced (red or white)
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup thinly sliced or crumbled feta or ricotta salata

Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch rounds, then into 1/2-inch strips. Sprinkle with salt and let stand 30 minutes or longer to draw out bitterness if desired. Rinse and pat dry if you salt. Heat 2 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. When a haze forms over the oil, add the eggplant and sauté, stirring frequently, until browned all over, about 12 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet, add the onion, and sauté over medium heat until beginning to color. (The amount of onion will be small of the skillet, but you’ll need the surface area to quickly evaporate the vinegar in the next step.) Add the tomatoes, vinegar, and honey, raise the heat, and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until the vinegar is evaporated. Add the mint and eggplant and mix gently. Let cool, fold in cheese, and serve.

Tomato Recipes

15-Minute Tomato Sauce
http://chezpim.com/cook/fifteen-minutes

Check out this recipe for quick, fresh, delicious (and not too watery) tomato sauce. Step by step directions with photos really help make this one a snap if you are a novice tomato saucer.

Sweet and Sour Eggplant
(see above in Eggplant Recipes)