Recipes for 2/4/10

Conventionally Grown Purple Potatoes – Weiser Family Farm Tehachapi, CA
The presence of anthocyanins in produce make for some show-stopping vegetables.  These potatoes are no exception to the rule with their purplish hue that penetrates throughout the spud.  These are great to serve at a dinner party and will be sure to wow guests – first with their exotic look and then with their incredibly nutty, delicious flavor!

Organic Atwood Navels – Olsen Organic Farm Lindsay, CA
The navel orange we all want more of!  Its bright citrus flavor and perfect snacking size is perfect for beating the midday funk we all encounter on a daily basis.  They are also seedless which makes eating them that much easier!  Add them to your next spinach or arugula salad along with some fennel for a light and refreshing lunch or light supper.

Organic Italian Parsley – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
Quite the underappreciated herb in this country, Argentineans are to parsley and chimichurri as Italians are to basil and pesto.  No longer will pluches of parsley be brushed aside nonchalantly on dinner plates!  This flat leaf and more flavorful parsley is finally taking center stage in one this week’s SFF recipes. 

Organic Green Cabbage – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
Another underappreciated vegetable, cabbage can be quite delicious when prepared correctly.  Too many a time, it is overcooked and “stinky” to the point where many shun it altogether.  But when prepared correctly, cabbage should still have a bit of a bite to it, much like a blanched haricots vert does.  If you’ll be adding it to soups or stews, add it towards the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time and see if there’s a difference.

Organic Rapini – Coke Farm San Bautista, CA
Slightly bitter in flavor, this member of the brassica family holds up well to bold flavors like crushed chile flakes, anchovies and black olives.  All those together actually sounds like a great side dish to pair with a Mediterranean inspired pork or beef roast that’s been marinated in garlic, oregano, black pepper and extra virgin olive oil.  Hungry yet?  That sounds like a good Sunday supper to me!

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: 1 dozen Clifford Family Farm Fresh Eggs (Provo, UT)

The Omnivore Basket also includes: 1 dozen Clifford Family Farm Fresh Eggs (Provo, UT) and Morgan Valley Ground Lamb (Delta, UT)

The Omnivore PLUS Basket also includes: 1 dozen Clifford Family Farm Fresh Eggs (Provo, UT) and Canyon Meadows Ranch Flat Iron Steak (Altamont, UT)

Customers who opted for additional fruit will be receiving: Organic Rucker Homestead Orlando Tangelos (Thermal, 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.~

Traditional chimichurri sauce
makes ¾ cup of marinade

¼ cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1. In a food processor, combine the parsley, vinegar, garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper. Process until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and pour the olive oil over the mixture. Let stand for at least 20 minutes.
*Chimichurri can be made and refrigerated overnight but must be brought to room temperature before serving.
**This would be great to serve for game day, Sunday!  For Omnivore subscribers, roll your ground lamb into bite sized meatballs and marinate them in the chimichurri for at least an hour – salt lightly and roast in a 375 degree oven until juices run clear, about 10-15 minutes.
**For Omnivore PLUS subscribers, your flat irons are screaming for this stuff too!  Marinate in chimichurri sauce for at least an hour, grill or broil until a good medium rare to medium (about 2 minutes per side for med rare and 3 ½ minutes per side for medium – rest for 5 minutes before slicing).  Stuff in toasted hoagies along with gooey Provolone and tomato.

Green cabbage slaw
makes 4 cups

½ head green cabbage, finely shredded
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place cabbage and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, oil and honey and pour over the cabbage. Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

Purple potato salad
makes 4-6 servings

2 lb purple potatoes, quartered lengthwise
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
pinch of red pepper flakes
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
½ cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons sour cream
¼ cup fresh horseradish, grated fine
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 dill or sweet pickles, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine the potatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender but not mushy, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the onion and cook until almost tender, about 1 more minute. Drain, discarding the garlic. Let the potatoes cool.
2. Whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons vinegar, the sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise, sour cream and horseradish. Add the celery and pickles, then gently fold in the potatoes and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Atwood navel orange salad with red onions, kalamata olives, and feta
serves about 6-10

8 Atwood navel oranges
1 red onion
¾ cup pitted kalamata olives
¾ cup feta cheese, crumbled
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced preserved lemon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

1. Zest two of the atwoods with a microplane and set aside.
2. Cutting out the flesh of the oranges is the most complicated part of this recipe, and it’s not all that hard. Put an orange on a cutting board and slice off both ends. Then, stand the orange on one end and cut down, slicing the peel and pith away from the orange and exposing the flesh. Do this all the way around; some of the flesh will come away with the peel, but that can’t be helped. Now slice the orange flesh into 1-inch rounds, and the rounds into quartered chunks. Put the orange chunks in a big bowl.
3. Shave the red onion with a mandoline, or slice it in half-moons as thinly as you can. Cut the olives in half. Add those and everything else, including the orange zest, to the bowl, and toss gently. Be generous with the salt and pepper; even though the olives and feta are salty, you’ll still need more salt to balance the sweetness of the oranges.
4. Let the salad sit at room temperature for an hour, tossing gently every quarter-hour or so, to let the flavors meld. Serve sprinkled with more crumbled feta, if you like.

Italian parsley and walnut pesto with pasta
serves 6

½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup packed fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup vegetable stock
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon plain unseasoned breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
16 ounces penne rigate

1. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process walnuts, oil, parsley, broth, garlic, bread crumbs, and salt until smooth.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid, then drain pasta in colander.
3. Place pasta in a large serving bowl and add the parsley-walnut pesto and reserved cooking liquid. Toss well to combine and serve at once.

*Delicious served with grilled chicken or turkey breast!

Shopping list...

Traditional chimichurri sauce

-1 bunch Italian parsley (1 bunch included in ALL SFF shares)
-1 bottle Aceto Vino Red Wine Vinegar
-1 bulb garlic
-1 bunch fresh oregano leaves
-1 package LHF Crushed Chile Flakes
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest

Green cabbage slaw

-1 head green cabbage (1 included in HALF shares and 2 included in FULL shares)
-1 small red onion
-1 bottle J. Leblanc Cider Vinegar
-1 half pint sized LHF Fresh Squeezed Organic Valencia Orange Juice
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-1 jar Clifford Family Farm Honey
-1 bunch fresh cilantro

Purple potato salad

-2 lb purple potatoes (2lb included in HALF shares and 4lb included in FULL shares)
-1 bulb garlic
-1 package LHF Crushed Chile Flakes
-1 bottle J. Leblanc Cider Vinegar
-1 red onion
-1 package Woodstock Farms Cane Sugar
-1 package Delouis Fils Mayonnaise
-1 container Organic Valley Sour Cream
-1/2 lb fresh horseradish
-1 bunch celery
-1 jar Rick’s Picks Spears of Influence or Bee ‘n’ Beez
-1 bunch fresh dill
-1 bunch fresh Italian parsley (1 bunch included in ALL SFF shares)

Atwood navel orange salad with red onions, kalamata olives and feta

-8 Atwood navel oranges (4 included in HALF shares and 8 included in FULL shares)
-1 red onion
-¾ cup pitted kalamata olives
-¾ cup feta cheese
-1 lemon
-1 jar Les Moulins Mahjoub Natural Preserved Lemon
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-1 bunch fresh Italian parsley (1 bunch included in ALL SFF shares)

Italian parsley and walnut pesto with pasta

-1 small package Walnuts
-1 bottle California Olive Ranch Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2008 Harvest
-1 bunch fresh Italian parsley (1 bunch included in ALL SFF shares)
-1 container Veggie Glace Gold
-1 bulb garlic
-1 package Ian’s Panko Breadcrumbs
-1 package Rustichella D’abruzzo Penne Rigate pasta