Recipes for 2/18/10

Organic Atwood Navels – Olson Organic Farm Lindsay, CA
A personal favorite, I can eat Atwoods all day long.  I especially love them slightly chilled and eaten straight.  Sweet, delicious and juicy, it’s the perfect snack to have around when afternoon sluggishness strikes!

Organic White Cauliflower – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
It was so good we had to get it in again this week.  I’ve also included a unique recipe this week that teaches you how to make cauliflower “couscous.” I promise it’s not the least bit daunting and I’m more than certain that you will have a fun time going through the steps.  I know I always do!  Its subtle, nutty flavor compliments the corresponding vegetarian curry recipe.

Organic Artichokes – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
There’s nothing quite like a whole, steamed or roasted artichoke dipped in herb butter.  If you’ve never tried the roasting method, I think you’ll be in for a delectable surprise.  All you need to do is preheat your oven to 425 degrees, trim about 1½ inches off the tip of the artichoke as well as remove the stem.  Loosen up the leaves a bit, then with a vegetable knife, cut an “x” into the middle of the choke, all the way down to the base.  Then, squeeze lemon juice over the cut areas and allow to drip down to the bottom.  Smash a clove of garlic and stuff the center with it.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season to taste, then wrap in aluminum foil and bake for about 1½ hours or until tender.  Enjoy!  But don’t forget to remove the choke!  Get this going while you’re getting dinner ready and by the time it’s done, you’ll have the perfect starter to your meal.  Don’t stop at just the garlic and olive oil.  Let your imagination run wild and experiment with different herbs and aromatics!

Organic Bunched Carrots – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
No longer just for veg or chicken stock, horses and rabbits – carrots have a unique flavor all their own.  One of the more interesting carrot preparations is a carrot mashed potato.  If you usually boil potatoes for mash, throw in carrots that are cut the same size and mash them together (use a 2:1 ratio, of potatoes to carrots).  What’s the end result like, you ask?  Unique with a hint of sweetness from the carrot, not to mention cool looking orange mashed potatoes that will have your kids scratching their heads.  This interesting mash compliments just about everything you can think of from fish to poultry to red meats.

Organic Butternut Squash – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
This winter staple is so incredibly versatile.  It’s delicious when pureed into soup with a splash of cream, roasted mashed and turned into ravioli filling that’s then tossed with brown butter and sage, added to stews, substituted for pumpkin in a pie, roasted in half stuffed with rice and ground beef, and even simply microwaved with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar.  The sky is the limit when it comes to this hard, winter squash.

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: Rockhill Creamery Zwitser Gouda (Richmond, UT)

The Omnivore Basket also includes: Rockhill Creamery Zwitser Gouda (Richmond, UT) and Creminelli Tradizionale Sausage (Springville, UT)

The Omnivore PLUS Basket also includes: Rockhill Creamery Zwitser Gouda (Richmond, UT) and Canyon Meadows Ranch Ribeye Steak (Altamont, UT)

Customers who opted for additional fruit will be receiving: Cunningham Organic Farm Cocktail Grapefruit (Fallbrook, 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.~

Crepes suzette with fresh atwood navels and honey
serves 4

Crepes:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 ¾ cups whole milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons orange liqueur of your choice (*optional)
pinch salt

1. Combine all ingredients into a blender and mix until well-blended. You may also combine them by hand. If combining by hand, work the flour slowly into the liquid ingredients. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes. This gives the batter the opportunity to rest and fully come together.
2. Once batter has been refrigerated, you are ready to make the crepes. Place a non-stick 10” sauté or crepe pan on a medium-hot burner. Once hot, brush with a little oil or butter. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan. Remove pan from the heat. Swirl pan around until batter coats the bottom. Some batter will roll up to the sides; you will get a thin, crisp edge.
3. Return pan to burner. When the edge turns light brown-the crepe itself will become golden brown- flip the crepe. Cook the other side for about 15 seconds until done.  Repeat the procedure (buttering as necessary in between crepes). Stack crepes between sheets of waxed paper until ready to use. You will need 12 crepes for this recipe. When you are ready to serve the dessert, make the sauce.

Orange sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup honey
juice of 2 oranges
zest from 1 orange (zest before you juice)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the tangerine juice, lemon juice, honey, zest, and liqueur. Stirring constantly, reduce sauce to 1/3 cup.
2. Very carefully add each crepe to the pan-one at a time-and coat it in the sauce.  Fold each one in quarters, and arrange three on each plate, repeating until each crepe has been dipped and plated. Enjoy warm right away, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.  Especially delicious with warm, extra sauce drizzled over the ice cream.

*Adults only: If you wish to flambé the sauce, reserve two tablespoons and add three more of brandy. Stir together and remove the pan from the heat. Ignite with a match and pour the flaming sauce over the crepes. You should only ignite the sauce using a metal pan; do not use a non-stick pan. Please exercise due caution and remove all flammable materials (dishcloths, etc) from the work area.

Curried cauliflower couscous
serves 4-6 as a side dish

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons mild curry powder
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and diced small
1 yukon gold potato, diced small
1 zucchini, diced small
1 cup water
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced very thin on a mandoline
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large head cauliflower

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in large saucepan. Add curry powder and garlic; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes until garlic is golden.
2. Add bell pepper, potato and zucchini and cook for about 3 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and add 1 cup water.  Bring heat down to medium-low and simmer until potato is tender or liquid is almost evaporated.  When vegetables are tender, remove from heat and gently stir in the shaved fennel.
3. Meanwhile, trim and core cauliflower; cut into equal pieces. Place in food processor fitted with metal blade. Process using on/off pulsing action until cauliflower is in small uniform pieces about the size of cooked couscous*. Do not purée.
4. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Add cauliflower; cook and stir 5 minutes or until golden and cooked crisp-tender. Do not overcook.  Season and serve with the vegetable curry.

*If you do not have a food processor, this cut can be achieved by using the small holes on a box grater.  Quarter the cauliflower and grate like a block of cheese.  You can use the stems as well, no need to throw it out since they will all be the same size and will cook evenly.

Sicilian stuffed and roasted artichokes
serves 4 as a side dish

2 large artichokes, trimmed and cooked
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped fine
4 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine
6 anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon capers, roughly chopped
¼ cup black olives, roughly chopped
parmigiano reggiano, grated fine

1. Trim artichokes by snipping off the tips with the thorns with a scissor.  Cut the stem at the base and make a deep “x” slit into the base.  Sit in a deep saucepan with 2-3 inches salted water and juice of 1 lemon.  Bring to a boil then drop down to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender.  Remove from the water and allow to drain and cool.
2. When cool enough to handle, cut the artichoke in half, lengthwise.  Scoop out the choke with a spoon and set the halves aside.  Continue this process with remaining artichokes.
3. In large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat until it begins to bubble.  Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the breadcrumbs, anchovies, capers, olives and parsley, folding everything in gently.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place artichokes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper – season lightly if desired (for some people, the salt content in the anchovies and parmigiano combined would suffice).  Over fill all the artichokes with the bread crumb mixture.  Finely grate a little parmigiano reggiano over the tops and bake until everything is warmed through, about 15-20 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Butternut squash casserole
serves 8-10

3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in ¼ inch thick slices (roughly 6 cups)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus a little more for the pan
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, trimmed, peeled and chopped, about 3 cups
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
2 ½ teaspoons minced fresh thyme
2 cups fresh spinach, packed
½ cup bread crumbs, toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup pecans, toasted
2 cups coarsely grated Fat Tuesday Aggiano, roughly 6 ounces

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking dish or 4-quart casserole.  Place 3 quarts water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the squash to the water, return to a boil, and cook for 6 minutes. The squash will turn a deeper orange. Drain it and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in the stockpot and add the oil. Add the onions and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent and limp, about 8 minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Add the warm squash, spinach, the buttermilk, eggs, thyme, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, 1/8 cup pecans and 1 1/3 cups cheese. Blend with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients are well combined.
3. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds and 2/3 cup cheese. Bake 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

*This is for the bacon lovers out there – instead of using 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, render 4 slices bacon until crispy.  Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside.  Continue with the recipe as written.  Chop up the bacon and add at the end with the pecans and the cheese.

Shopping list...

Crepes suzette with fresh atwood navels and honey

-1 package King Arthur All Purpose Flour
-1 package Plugra Unsalted Butter
-1 half gallon container Winder Dairy Whole Milk
-1 half dozen package Clifford Family Farm Eggs
-1 package Woodstock Farms Pure Cane Sugar
-1 bottle Grand Marnier (we regret that we do not carry this item)
-1-8 ounce jar Clifford Family Farm Wildflower Bench Honey
-2 atwood navel oranges (1 pound included in HALF shares and 2 pounds included in FULL shares)
-1 lemon

Curried cauliflower couscous

-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-1 bottle Frontier label, Curry Powder
-1 bulb garlic
-1 red or green bell pepper
-1 yukon gold potato
-1 zucchini
-1 fennel bulb
-1 bottle J. Leblanc Cider Vinegar
-1 large head cauliflower (1 included in HALF shares and 2 included in FULL shares)

Sicilian stuffed and roasted artichokes

-4 medium artichokes (2 included in HALF shares and 4 included in FULL shares)
-1 lemon
-1 package Ian’s Panko Breadcrumbs
-1 package Plugra Unsalted Butter
-1 bulb garlic
-1 small onion
-1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
-1 jar Scalia Anchovy Filets
-1 teaspoon capers
-¼ cup black olives
-1 small wedge parmigiano reggiano

Butternut squash casserole

-3 pounds butternut squash (about 3lb in HALF shares and about 6lb in FULL shares)
-1 package Plugra Unsalted Butter or 1 package Black Pig Meat Co. Bacon
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-2 large yellow onions
-1 container buttermilk (we regret that we do not currently carry this item)
-1 half dozen package Clifford Family Farm Eggs
-1 bunch fresh tyme
-1 package fresh spinach
-1 package Ian’s Panko Breadcrumbs
-1 small package pecans
-6 ounces Fat Tuesday Aggiano