Recipes for 1/28/10

Organic Sweet Baby Broccoli – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
A customer favorite, it’s hard to keep the shelves stocked when this is plentiful!  Tender, sweet, and delicious, it’s quick to prepare – that is, if you even decide to cook it at all.  This isn’t exactly a juvenile version of the more common broccoli, but rather, a different variety altogether.  Delicious raw dipped in hummus, or prepared using this week’s recipe, you’ll swoon over this delicious bunch!

Organic Celery Root – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
Gnarly looking on the outside, but beautifully flavored on the inside.  Celery root, or celeriac as it is also called, is another versatile vegetable.  Peel it and grate it for remoulade, peel and cube to roast in a hot oven until meltingly tender, puree with stock for soup or mash with potatoes for a spin on the classic.  Peeling will be tricky at first, especially getting around the jumble of knots on the bottom.  Trim the top and bottom off so it has something solid to sit on as you carve down the sides, working your way from one side to the other.  And remember, a very sharp knife is your friend!  It will help you cut through its tough exterior so make sure you run your blade down a honing steel first.

Organic Escarole – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
This is one scruffy head that I confess I hesitated with at first.  And at the time, I couldn’t quite understand it myself because I love all radicchio, Belgian endive, and other bitter greens, but there was just something about escarole that made me nervous.  Fast forward to today and I’m so glad I got over it!  It’s actually the mildest tasting member of the chicory family, and on top of that, it’s got a great crunch to it.  This is another item in this week’s bag that can be eaten both raw and cooked.  My favorite way to prepare it is to add it to chicken soup, 5 minutes before you take it off the heat to serve.

Organic Baby White Turnips – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
These baby white turnips fit in perfectly with our other versatile vegetables!  Delicious, tender and sweet when sliced thinly and added to salads, or creamy delicious when blanched, seared and accented by subtle flavors.  Don’t forget to keep those tops you just trimmed off!  Give them a good rinse, wrap in a damp paper towel, and add them to your next pot of soup or stir fry because those leaves are just as tasty as their bulb counterpart.

Organic Kiwi Fruit – California Sierra Fruit, CA
One of the more interesting looking fruits we currently have in stock, kiwis are soft, juicy and ever so unique in flavor and appearance.  Its unique features are a beautiful contribution to fruit platters or fruit salad.  While you most definitely can eat it as is after its fuzzy coat is shed, I’ve come across a most interesting recipe in which kiwi is the understudy to the roma tomato - check it out in this week’s kiwi salsa recipe.

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed (Uintah, UT)

The Omnivore Basket also includes: Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed (Uintah, UT) and Morgan Valley Lamb Stew (Delta, UT)

The Omnivore PLUS Basket also includes: Beehive Cheese Co. Barely Buzzed (Uintah, UT) and Morgan Valley Lamb Shoulder Chop* (Delta, UT)
*We normally do not offer the same cut 2 weeks in a row but a fresh shipment of beef won’t be available until later this week. You can expect a great cut of Grass Fed Local Beef next week!

Customers who opted for additional fruit will be receiving: Organic Sunrise Farms Honey Tangerines (Escondido, CA)

~Organic certification is provided by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). CCOF has been helping to create and maintain extremely high standards in organic farming since 1973.~

Kiwi salsa
makes about 1 ½ cups
-Ddelicious on fish or chicken dishes. Using this for chicken or fish tacos would be divine!

3-4 ripe kiwis, peeled and carefully chopped (don’t squish them)
¼ cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
½ avocado, peeled and chopped
1 heaping tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh jalapeno peppers (seeds removed before chopping)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the kiwi, pomegranate seeds, avocado, green onion and olive oil in a medium sized bowl.  Starting with a half teaspoon of chopped jalapeno at a time, gently fold it in and add more depending on your desired level of heat.  Add cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sweet baby broccoli with lemon, pine nuts and parmigiano reggiano
serves 4

2 bunches sweet baby broccoli (if you are going to wash it, make sure it is thoroughly dried)
3-5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper to taste
zest of half a lemon
juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
2 tablespoons fresh basil, julienned

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli with the olive oil and coat well.  Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste and toss again to coat evenly. 
3. Spread out on to a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 20 minutes or until crisp tender and some of the florets have are browned.
4. Once it’s out of the oven, zest lemon right over the still hot broccoli and follow with the juice.  Add the pine nuts, parmigiano reggiano and basil and toss gently to combine.  Enjoy immediately!

Celery root puree (with optional black truffle butter*)
serves 6

2 large bulbs, celery root, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 ¾ lb Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
4oz black truffle butter*
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Cover celery root and potatoes with cold salted water by 2 inches in a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot, then simmer, covered, until celery root is very tender, about 15 minutes.
2. While vegetables are simmering, bring cream, truffle butter*, salt, and pepper just to a simmer, stirring until butter is melted.
3. Drain vegetables in a colander and transfer to a food processor. Add hot cream mixture in a steady stream, pulsing until smooth. (Alternatively, mash vegetables with hot cream mixture using a potato masher.)

*Another way to do this is with black truffle oil.  Follow the instructions but use unsalted butter instead.  Then just before serving, fold in about 1 teaspoon black truffle oil into the puree and serve immediately.

Fettucine with escarole and brie
serves 4

¾ lb fettucine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta or bacon, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 head escarole cut into 1 inch ribbons
salt and pepper to taste
½ lb wedge of brie, rind removed, cut into small chunks with a knife dipped into hot water after before ever slice

1. In a large pot of generously salted boiling water, cook the pasta until just al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the escarole, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, just until wilted.
3. Add the pasta to the skillet along with 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water. Cut the Brie into 1-inch pieces and add to the skillet. Cook the pasta over moderate heat, tossing, until the Brie is melted and the sauce is thick and creamy, about 4 minutes; add more of the pasta cooking water if the sauce is dry. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve immediately.

Baby turnips with honey mustard dressing
serves 2

1 bunch turnips, greens removed and reserved for later use
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1 tablespoon mint, chiffonade*
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

1. Place turnips in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat under the pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the turnips are just tender.
2. While turnips are cooking, combine vinegar, honey, and mustard in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk briefly until smooth and set aside.
3. Drain turnips thoroughly in a colander. In a small sauté pan, heat olive oil.  Add turnips and sauté until lightly golden. Add vinegar-honey mixture and stir until well coated and the glaze begins to bubble in the pan.
4. Add fresh herbs, toss together and serve.

*Chiffonade – A French knife cut in which broad leaves are plucked from the stem, stacked on top of one another, rolled into a tight log and cut into thin strips.  Chiffon is the French word for “rag.”

Shopping list...

Kiwi salsa

-3-4 ripe kiwis (1lb included in HALF shares and 2lb included in FULL shares)
-1 package pomegranate seeds (WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE THIS ITEM IN STOCK)
-1 Hass Avocado
-1 bunch green onions
-1 fresh jalapeno
-1 bunch fresh cilantro
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest

Sweet baby broccoli with lemon, pine nuts and parmigiano reggiano

-2 bunches Sweet Baby Broccoli (1 included in HALF shares and 2 included in FULL shares)
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-1 bulb garlic
-1 lemon
-1 package pine nuts from Asia
-1 small wedge Parmigiano Reggiano
-1 bunch fresh Basil

Celery root puree (with optional black truffle butter*)

-2 large bulbs celery root (1 included in HALF shares and 2 included in FULL shares)
-1 ¾ lb Yukon gold potatoes
-1 container Winder Dairy Heavy Whipping Cream
-1 package D’Artagnan Black Truffle Butter or 1 small bottle Selezione Tartufi Black Truffle Oil

Fettucine with escarole and brie

-1 package Cucina Fresca Fresh Fettucine
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-2 ounces pancetta or bacon
-1 bulb garlic
-1 shallot
-1 head escarole (1 head included in HALF shares and 2 heads included in FULL shares)
-½ lb wedge of brie

Baby turnips with honey mustard dressing

-1 bunch turnips (1 included in HALF shares and 2 included in FULL shares)
-1 bottle J. Leblanc Cider Vinegar
-1 jar Clifford Wildflower Bench Honey
-1 jar Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
-1 bunch fresh Spearmint