Recipes for 6/4/09

Organic Gold Chard – Coke Farm, CA
A member of the honorable cruciferous family, chard tends to thrive best during the summer months in the garden.  It has an earthy-sweet flavor reminiscent of beets and spinach.  The leafy portion can be used like spinach, but you would need to cook it a little longer since it is a little tougher.  It’s a great leafy green because not only is it economical but it’s also packed with great vitamins, fiber and minerals.  If you won’t be using your chard right away, give it a quick rinse and wrap in paper towel and store in your crisper to keep it from getting dehydrated.  But should your chard begin to wilt on you, cut off about an inch of the stem and dunk first in lukewarm water for about a minute or until it becomes the same temperature, then submerge into ice water to shock.  This method has always worked for me not just with chard, but also escarole (don’t cut the base, leave whole), frisee (leave whole also) and even kale.

Organic Escarole – Coke Farm, CA
Delicious, slightly bitter and crisp when eaten fresh, it’s a great salad enhancer but it doesn’t stop there.  Escarole is very versatile and can be quickly sauteed and wilted with fresh lemon juice for a zesty side dish, it plays a major role in comforting soups with sausage in the cooler months, and makes a super delicious braised green.  Health-wise, it’s a great source of folic acid, fiber, vitamins K and A.  Regarding its wealth of vitamin A, it tops even spinach!  Store like you would chards and kales. 

Organic Spinach – Coke Farm, CA
Spinach is a very lovely green.  It’s incredibly good for you, but also incredibly delicious.  It headlines many spring/summer salads but I love it sauteed until wilted with a little garlic and olive oil.  Growing up, my dad would prepare it in a way that I still cannot recreate, but crave every now and then.  From what he’s instructed me, he would blanch it in boiling water until wilted, dry well, and toss simply with sesame oil and seasonings.  Of the many times I’ve tried, it still doesn’t taste as good as he’s always done it.  But I still love spinach just the same!

Organic Purple Cherokee Tomatoes – Coke Farm, CA
You’ve waited, you probably knew it was coming, and now it’s here!  The delicious, and well-loved purple Cherokee tomato is quite probably our customer’s favorite next to the large and voluptuous red brandywine variety.  I will never be able to put into words exactly how I feel about this tomato.  All I know is that it is gorgeous and I love to eat it.  Juicy and tart with a hint of sweetness, the purple Cherokee has a wonderful flavor that is well rounded and is best enjoyed eaten fresh in salads, with good olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper (mozzarella and basil optional).  Little known fact about the heirloom tomatoes that are popping up everywhere these days: these are the tomatoes our grandparents and great-grandparents ate.  The perfectly neat, round and red varieties, while familiar to most people these days, are actually hybrids bred to look perfectly round and red.  If you ask me, the curves on an heirloom are a lot more attractive!  One very crucial tip to storing tomatoes: DO NOT REFRIGERATE THEM UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.  I cannot stress this enough, as it destroys the flavor and integrity of the heirloom.  Instead, let it sit at room temperature until you are ready to eat it.

Organic Strawberries – Coke Farm, CA
Delightful, bright, decadent.  However you describe them, they are definitely “berry” delicious!  If you haven’t yet tried these berries, you will be in for a surprise.  Instead of just being sweet, these berries have a wonderful all-around flavor!  One taste and you’ll see what I’m talking about!

Organically Grown Green Garlic – Bell Organic Gardens, Draper, UT
Milder in flavor than its dried counterpart, green garlic is also easier to use.  Forget the individually wrapped cloves, you can slice right down the middle of the bulbs and chop to your heart’s content!  But don’t stop at the bulb alone, the few inches of the stem above the bulb can also be used to cook with.  Use it like you would regular garlic for a milder garlic flavor.  But unlike its dried and cured cousin, green garlic needs to be refrigerated.

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: Beehive Cheese Co. Artisan Full Moon Cheddar-Unpasteurized (Uintah, UT)

The Omnivore Basket also includes: Beehive Cheese Co. Artisan Full Moon Cheddar-Unpasteurized (Uintah, UT) and Morgan Valley Ground Lamb (Delta, UT)

Customers who opted for additional fruit will also receive: Organic Black Beaut Plums (Homegrown Organics, Central Valley, CA) and Organic Blueberries (Hirahara Farms, 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.~

Chard and tomato frittata

1lb or 1 large bunch chard
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 egg whites
2 whole eggs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium tomato, sliced

1.  Chop the chard. In a skillet, sauté the garlic and onions in 1 tablespoon of the oil.
2.  Add the chard, cover and lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain if juicy.
3.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in the chard.
4.  Coat the bottom of a skillet with the remaining oil and return to medium heat.
5.  When hot, pour egg mixture and arrange tomato slices on top.
6.  Cover and cook until the edges are firm and the bottom is golden and beginning to brown. Turn frittata over and cook for about 5 more minutes until eggs are cooked.  Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Escarole and raisin salad

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound escarole, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
s/p

1. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper. Let these ingredients sit for 10 minutes. Then, drizzle in the olive oil in a steady stream, constantly whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
2. Combine the raisins and escarole in a large bowl. Toss the salad with a little of the dressing at a time, tasting it as you go, until the escarole is coasted with the vinaigrette but not drenched.

Green garlic and spinach soup
Serves 4

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ to ¾ lb. green garlic, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
1 qt. vegetable or chicken broth
8 to 10 oz. baby spinach leaves
1 Tbsp. crème fraîche
s/p

1.  Warm the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the green garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until it is soft and translucent. Also, as the garlic cooks, you should notice that its scent changes from raw and sharp to sweeter and more mellow; that’s what you’re after.
2.  When the garlic is ready, add the stock, raise the heat a bit, and bring it to a boil. Then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and continue to cook for about 15 minutes.
3.  Add the spinach, and immediately turn off the stove. Let it sit for 5 minutes – not too long, or the spinach will lose its color – and then, working in batches, purée the mixture in a blender. (Remember never to fill the blender more than a quarter or a third full, because the hot liquid will expand when you turn on the motor.) The soup should be a rich shade of green and very smooth.
4.  Return the soup to the pot, and place it over low heat to rewarm gently. Add 1 Tbsp. crème fraîche and another pinch or two of salt. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Serve warm or hot, with a drizzle of olive oil or a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like.

Shopping list...

Chard and tomato frittata
-1lb or 1 large bunch chard (included in SFF)
-1 head garlic
-1 medium onion
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 dozen Clifford Family Farm Eggs
-1 package fresh basil
-1 medium tomato

Escarole and raisin salad
-1 bottle Vinaigre de Banyuls
-1 lemon for juice
-1 container Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard
-1 medium shallot
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 head escarole (included inSFF)
-1 package Royal Raisin Mix or Organic Sunview Red Raisins

Green garlic and spinach soup
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 package Plugra Unsalted Butter
-½ lb green garlic (included in SFF)
-1 container More Than Gourmet Glace de Poulet Gold
-1 container spinach
-1 container Bellwether Farms Crème Fraiche