Recipes for 3/12/09

Organic Baby Leeks – Coke Farm, CA
An immature form of the much larger version, baby leeks will look a lot like green onions, but don’t get them confused!  While they may be used raw in salads shaved thinly, their sweetness becomes more pronounced with a little slow cooking whether it be roasting in the oven or slowly caramelizing on the stove top.  Either way you prepare these babies, they will add depth and a wonderful flavor layer to any dish!

Organic Italian Parsley – Coke Farm, CA
The quintessential herb!  From being part of a marinade to garnishing a crown roast, parsley is an all purpose green.  It spans the culinary gamut and finds a home in nearly every course.  It can be used as simply as adding to a fresh green mesclun salad along with other delicate herbs such as chervil, chives and/or tarragon for a bright change of flavor, or it can be the star of a flavorful maitre d’hotel butter alongside chives and lemon zest, that slowly melts over the top of a succulent roast or char-grilled steak.

Organic Frisee – Coke Farm, CA
The elusive and frizzy frisee is en route to us and this time I mean it!  If anything, it adds a bit of culinary suspense to everyone’s day.  Bright green with a creamy yellow heart and a nutty-peppery flavor, it is a unique sight when viewed as a complete head, but often overlooked when it is part of a mesclun salad mix.  Have you ever noticed curly, gnarly green-yellow stems in a mesclun salad mix?  That’s frisee.  And I think it’s incredibly under-appreciated.  I hope you’ll try the classic French bistro salad recipe from last week that features frisee.  You won’t be disappointed!

Organic Rapini – Coke, Farm, CA
More often known for being a bitter green, the bunches we’ve been receiving from Coke Farm have been fairly mild and mellow in flavor.  That is because of the weather.  Much like radishes and arugula, if it grows in cool weather, it will have a milder flavor versus growing during a hot spell and becoming spicy.  Nevertheless, rapini in my eyes is a tasty and interesting contrast to broccoli.  Although related, rapini is more leafy than tightly-budded like broccoli.  It may also have small clusters of buds that open into edible yellow flowers. 

Organic Celery Root – Coke Farm, CA
Gnarly in appearance but oh so sweet in flavor!  Often found in pureed soups, or roasted in the oven, celery root or celeriac as it is also known, has a mild and creamy celery flavor.  Not so much crisp and green as celery stalks, the flavor becomes sweeter and more pronounced when it is roasted.  It can be eaten raw and grated over salads.  A woman in the store once told me that her family eats it like coleslaw, grated and mixed with a mayonnaise-based dressing.  Doesn’t that sound delicious?

Organic Sorrel – Coke Farm, CA
What is sorrel you may ask?  It is a forgotten herb with long slender light green leaves that are completely edible.  They may be eaten raw in salads and is an integral player in the classic French soup, Soup aux Herbes.  It has a bright lemony flavor and is often found sautéed like spinach and served with seafood. 

Organic Rainbow Chard – Coke Farm, CA
Delicious and nutritious best sums up this broad leafy green.  I especially love it sautéed with raisins, balsamic, shallots and pine nuts then put on top of a crostini smeared with bleu cheese spread. 

Organic Fennel – Coke Farm, CA
This delicious bulb has a bright, sweet-anise flavor that is delicious in just about anything from coleslaw to salad to grilled or roasted with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.  It is the perfect spring and summer vegetable because of its light flavor and because it’s so easy to prepare.

Organic “Da Kine Ruhi” Ginger – Puna Organics, Big Island, Hawaii
When I heard that there was a fresh shipment of Hawaiian/Indian ginger just in from “Biker Dude” Johnson and friends (yes, he goes by that name!), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to introduce you to this variety.  The variety of ginger we normally carry at our store is Yellow Hawaiian Ginger also from “Biker Dude”.  This variety coming in just for you is the result of one shriveled little knob that traveled all the way from India about 10 years ago.  It is juicy, smooth and mellow, yet at the same time is very intense with a rich flavor.  Quite the treat if you ask me.  So whether you care for fresh organic Hawaiian ginger tea this weekend, or feel like breaking out the wok for a fast stir-fry, please incorporate this exotic ingredient!  And if you’d like to know more about “Biker Dude” and his ginger and fresh turmeric operation, please Biker Dude’s website by clicking here. There are wonderful stories and quirky characters on their website, and you’ll learn more about where your food is coming from and the care that is taken into producing it!

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: Beehive Cheese Company Artisan Smoked Promontory with Habanero from Uintah, UT.
Don’t let the habanero part scare you, there is just the right amount of lingering spice to tantalize your tastebuds, but it won’t scorch your tongue!

The Omnivore Basket also includes: Beehive Cheese Company Artisan Smoked Promontory with Habanero from Uintah, UT, and Canyon Meadows Ranch Ground Beef from Altamont, UT

Customers who opted for additional fruit will also receive: Organic Kumquats from Sundance Natural foods in Oceanside, CA, and Organic Minneola Tangelos from Eco-Farms in Temecula, 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.~

Sorrel ginger chicken stir-fry
For 4

1 bunch of sorrel – rinsed, dried and chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 to 2 inches of ginger – minced
1 stalk green garlic - chopped fine
3 stalks celery – chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 whole Poulet Rouge – cleaned and quartered (smaller if you’d like)
2 lbs bok choy – cleaned and quartered
¾ cup chicken stock
salt and white pepper

1.  In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, warm about 4 tablespoons olive oil and add your ginger, green garlic, sorrel and celery, sautéing quickly.  When softened, add your chicken and cook for about 5 minutes.

2.  Add the chicken stock and bok choy to the wok and continue cooking until bok choy is tender and chicken is fully cooked, about 10 minutes.  You can place a lid over your wok or skillet at this time.  Allow the chicken stock to evaporate a bit, and if it is boiling, reduce your heat to medium.  Season to taste with salt and white pepper.  A dash of rice wine vinegar is also a great addition.  Serve over steamed rice and enjoy!

Rapini with lemon and shallots
For 4-5 as a side dish

Still have some meyer lemons hanging around?  This is a great recipe to try them in!

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped shallots
1 ½ teaspoons meyer lemon zest
¼ cup meyer lemon juice
2 bunches rapini
salt and pepper

1.  In a large pot of boiling, salted water, blanch the rapini in batches until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.  Then quickly remove from the pot and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Dry, cut into 2 inch pieces and set aside.

2.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute the shallots until soft, then add the rapini and cook for about 2 minutes.  Next, add the meyer lemon juice and zest and cook until the juice has almost evaporated, stirring often.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Celery root and potato gratin
For 4-6 as a side dish

This dish can also be frozen and made with other root vegetables!

1 cup chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
1 celery root
1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup gruyere cheese – finely shredded
salt and pepper

1.  In a large pot, bring the stock and cream to a gentle simmer over medium heat. With a sharp chef’s knife, trim the ends off the celery root and remove the peel, carving with the shape of the bulb to retain the curve. Cut each bulb lengthwise into quarters.  Do the same with the russets. Add to the pot, cover and cook, turning occasionally, until the pieces are just tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

2.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the pot from the heat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the celery roots and russets to a cutting board (reserving the liquid in the pot) and let the pieces sit until cool enough to handle. Cut them into one-fourth-inch-thick slices.

3.  Layer the slices in a 10-inch gratin or other baking dish, overlapping them slightly. Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil so that it thickens a bit, then whisk in the mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture evenly over the celery root, covering it completely. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the liquid is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Frisee and apple salad with dried cherries and walnuts
For 4

If the frisee salad with bacon and poached egg isn’t your style, try this alternative using tart flavors!

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoon honey
½ cup dried tart cherries
1 large head (or 2 small heads) frisee – torn into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
1 medium pink lady apple – cored and thinly sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

1.  Whisk first 4 ingredients in a small bowl to blend.  Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in dried cherries.

2.  Toss frisee and apple slices in large bowl.  Add cherry dressing and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with walnuts and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Shopping list...

Sorrel ginger chicken stir-fry
-1 bunch of sorrel (included in SFF)
-1 1/2 to 2 inches of ginger (included in SFF)
-1 stalk green garlic
-1 bunch celery
-1 whole Poulet Rouge du Fermier
-2 lbs bok choy
-1 package Glace de Poulet Chicken stock

Rapini with lemon and shallots
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-2 medium shallots
-about 3-4 lemons
-2 bunches rapini (included in SFF)

Celery root and potato gratin
-1 package Glace de Poulet Chicken stock
-1 container Organic Valley or Winder Farms Heavy Cream
-1 celery root (included in SFF)
-1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
-1 jar Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard
-1 medium wedge Gruyere Cheese

Frisee and apple salad with dried cherries and walnuts
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 bottle J. Leblanc Cider Vinegar
-1 small shallot
-1 jar Clifford Family Farm Honey
-1 package dried cherries
-2 heads frisee (included in SFF)
-1 medium pink lady apple
-1 package walnuts