Recipes for 5/28/09

Organic Sweet Baby Broccoli – Coke Farm, CA
Tender and delicious, this sweet bunch is great to eat raw straight out of the bag or is also delicious added towards the last minutes of a pasta dish just to warm through.  I love it when there’s still a little snap to it.  The sweetness is enhanced with a little squeeze of lemon juice.  For a fast side dish, try quickly steaming or sautéing, season and add a squeeze of lemon just before serving.

Organic Green Scallions – Coke Farm, CA
Grown for its mild flavor and barely-there bulb, scallions are used in a variety of dishes but are mostly used as an accent flavor.  In my research for a recipe that showcased its delicate flavor, I came across a page on davidlebovitz.com where he puts his spin on a classic Korean banchan called pajeon*.  It is essentially a thin pancake with scallions cooked right into it that is delicious dipped into a soy sauce-rice vinegar-sesame oil sauce.  It’s really not as daunting as it sounds.  If you can make pancakes, then you can make pajeon!
(*If you’ve ever dined in a Korean restaurant where they dish out little plates of food that normally accompany what you would order, those are called banchan and can range from the familiar, such as kimchi, to the exotic, such as dollamul.)

Organic Green Chard – Coke Farm, CA
Chard, in all its glorious leafy-green goodness has jumped back into the SFF bags!  Not only is it extremely healthy to eat, but it’s also a very economical vegetable in the sense that all of the parts can be used.  Don’t throw the stalk away!  It can be cooked the same way asparagus can, (peel if you want to).  In fact many European cooks, especially in Provence and the Ligurian coast of Italy, cook the stems by steaming or boiling until tender and serve it with a hollandaise sauce! 

Organic Fava Beans – Coke Farm, CA
One of our favorite customers came by the other week and told us that her young son loved to eat favas the moment she shelled them!  You could probably guess that I was surprised beyond belief, especially since favas aren’t exactly what I think of as a kid-friendly snack.  Nevertheless, whether it was the cute-looking bean itself or its wonderfully delicious flavor, I can’t help but think, “That kid’s got taste!”

Local and Organically Grown Arugula – Bell Organic Gardens, UT
Also known as rocket, arugula is an aromatic and sometimes slightly bitter salad green.  Much like radishes, the more heat arugula is exposed to while it is growing, the stronger and more peppery the flavor becomes.  But don’t let that deter you!  Arugula has a wonderful flavor that can stand up to whatever gutsy vinaigrettes your heart desires to concoct!  And if it’s still too much for you, mix it with another salad green like spinach or crunchy romaine.

Conventional All Blue Potatoes – Weiser Family Farm, CA
More than just a blue potato, this variety is currently being studied for the naturally occurring blue pigment both in the flesh and especially on the skin of the potato, so don’t peel it!  It’s said that the same antioxidant-rich properties of the blue in the blueberry is also found in the all blue potato.  But it’s not all science with this vibrant spud, the flavor has been described as bold, rich, earthy, and nutty, with a fluffy texture that’s great for baking and mashing.  The all blue potato will keep its color even when cooked so you know how fun those mashed potatoes will look on the dinner table! 

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: Drake Family Farms Fresh Goat’s Milk Yogurt (West Jordan, Utah)

The Omnivore Basket also includes: Drake Family Farms Fresh Goat’s Milk Yogurt (West Jordan, Utah) and Creminelli Tradizionale Sausage (Springville, UT)

Customers who opted for additional fruit will also receive:  Burkart Farms White “Sunlit Snow” Peaches (Dinuba, 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.~

Pajeon: Korean Pancake
Makes 1-9 inch pancake

Much like frittata or an omelette, there are many variations on this recipe.  Don’t stop with the scallions, try adding other vegetables, or maybe even protein such as shrimp!

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ice-cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large or extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 bunch of scallions
a spoonful of soy sauce
vegetable oil, for frying

1.  Stir together the flour, water and salt until just mixed.

2.  Chop the green parts of the scallions into 3-inch lengths. Reserve the white parts for another use.

3.  Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a 9 or 10-inch skillet, preferably non-stick, until hot. Fry the scallions until they’re completely cooked through and soft. Add a touch of soy sauce to the pan when they’re almost done to season the scallions.

4.  If using other ingredients, any vegetables, kimchi, prawns or what have you, add them now, then toss a few times to heat them through.

5.  Pour the pancake batter over the scallions (and other stuff in the pan), spreading the batter, and cook a few minutes until the bottom is nice and brown underneath. Lift the edge to peek.

6.  Pour the beaten egg on top then swirl the pan to even out the egg a bit, still keeping it pretty uneven. Cook until the egg is just beginning to firm near the edges.

7.  Using a wide spatula, flip the pancake and cook for another minute or two until the egg is set and preferably crispy at the edges. (I tend it cook it pretty well, although I like hard-cooked fried eggs, which I know ain’t “gourmet”, so use your judgment.)

8.  Slide pancake onto a cutting board, then cool to room temperature. Cut into six or eight wedges, and serve with dipping sauce made by mixing 3 parts soy sauce with 1-2 parts rice vinegar and a few drops of sesame oil. A bit of chile oil can also be added.

Penne with sausage, chard and artichokes
Serves 4

12oz penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ lb sausage, removed from casing
9oz artichoke hearts
1 bunch chard, stems and leaves separated, cleaned and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¾ cup parmigiano reggiano, grated plus more for serving
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1.  Set a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking sausage into pieces, until cooked through and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

2.  Add remaining oil, chard stems, artichoke hearts, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until chard stems soften slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chard leaves and cook, stirring, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

3.  Add pasta to boiling water; cook until 2 minutes short of al dente. Add sun-dried tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta; return to pot.

4.  Pour half of reserved pasta water into a small bowl. Add tomato paste and whisk to combine. Add tomato paste mixture, sausage mixture, Parmesan, basil, and red pepper flakes to pasta in pot. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.

Arugula pesto

4oz Arugula, stems removed
¼ teaspoons salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
pepper to taste

1.  Place Arugula in a blender and add the oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, pepper and optional pine nuts and puree until the mixture looks thick.  There might be a small amount of oil on the surface, but don’t panic, it will naturally try to separate.  Use immediately or keep in a jar with a tight fitting lid, or in a bowl with plastic wrap coming into direct contact with the pesto to prevent oxidization.  It will keep for at most 5 days refrigerated.  Stir the pesto to incorporate if it becomes separated.  Delicious over freshly cooked pasta or toss with boiled and chilled potatoes for a refreshing potato salad!

Rosemary roasted blue potatoes
Serves 4
This will look stunning on your Sunday supper table!

1 pound small blue potatoes, washed whole, then cut into quarters
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon salt

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, combine the olive oil, minced garlic and chopped rosemary.  Drizzle the seasoned oil over the potatoes and toss to coat.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and season with salt.

3.  Roast until tender, checking after initial 20 minutes.  Delicious when served alongside a whole roasted chicken!

Shopping list...

Pajeon: Korean pancake
-1 package King Arthur Organic All-Purpose Flour
-1/2 dozen Clifford Family Farm Eggs
-1 bunch scallions (included in SFF)
-1 bottle soy sauce (we currently do not stock this in our store, but Oriental Food Market on 667 South and 700 East has it as well as other Korean specialties)

Penne with sausage, chard and artichokes
-1 package Rustichella D’Abruzzo Penne Pasta
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 package Creminelli Tradizionale Sausage (included in the Omnivore bags)
-1 package Sevillo Roasted Artichoke Hearts
-1 bunch chard (included in SFF)
-1 head garlic
-1 package Jacobs Farm Sundried Tomatoes
-1 container Mutti Tomato Paste
-1 small wedge Parmigiano Reggiano
-1 package fresh basil
-1 container Arlo’s Crushed Pequin Chiles

Arugula pesto
-4oz Arugula (included in SFF)
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 package Pine Nuts from Asia

Rosemary roasted blue potatoes
-1lb All Blue Potatoes (included in SFF)
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 head garlic
-1 bunch organic Coke Farm rosemary