Recipes for 7/2/09

Organic Dill – Coke Farm, CA
With frilly fronds and a delicate flavor, dill is used to accent a variety of dishes such as gravlax, borscht, other soups and salads.  A nice piece of smoked salmon is a lot more conventional these days than a big bowl of borscht, but nevertheless dill can be a lot more than what I’ve just mentioned here.  For instance, if you plan on serving steamed or sautéed carrots as a side dish for dinner, toss in a tablespoon or two of chopped, fresh dill and taste how it enhances the sweetness of the carrots.  Picking off a few dill fronds and adding them to a fresh green salad instantly perks it up.  Of course, the flavors jump out even more when you add tarragon, chervil and parsley to the mix.  Just pick off tiny bite-sized pieces of the herbs and add them last to your salad – you’ll be in for a refreshing treat!

Organic Lacinato Kale – Coke Farm, CA
Dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, black cabbage or cavolo nero – whatever you want to call it, lacinato sure is delicious.  When the leaves are still young and tender, you can add it raw to salads for an earthy-sweet, fresh flavor.  Larger leaves are delicious simply prepared by sautéing with a little olive oil and onion, then adding some stock or even water and braising slowly until tender.  Very flavorful and almost meaty, lacinato is rich with vitamins and minerals.

Organic Bi-color Corn – Coke Farm, CA
As buttery as yellow corn and as sweet as white corn, these bi-colored ears have got it all.  Great flavor and beautiful to look at, there’s nothing quite like the taste of grilled corn.  I have very fond memories of my dad breaking out the grill during summertime and grilling corn alongside flank steak.  The random charred kernels with their distinctive ashy-burnt flavor, amidst the rows of juicy sweet kernels that once bitten into, released the flood gates of super sweet juices that make a run for your chin.  Those are summers with my family that I hold dear in my heart.

Organic Zucchini – Coke Farm, CA
Whether you bake, sauté or grill them, zucchini is one of the quintessential summer vegetables.  It’s the most widely-known of the summer squash family and makes an excellent substitution for spaghetti.  One of the specials that I ran at a restaurant I use to work at was seared scallops on top of zucchini “spaghetti” with a citrus-chive vinaigrette.  The citrus-chive vinaigrette brightened up the zucchini strands.  Don’t stop there though - zucchini “spaghetti” would also be great tossed with pesto or even a quick marinara!  Chill the dish down and you’re in for a cool “pasta” salad!  All the great taste without all the carbs...there is such a thing as a big guiltless bowl of spaghetti after all!

Organic Yukon Gold Potatoes – Coke Farm, CA
Buttery tasting yet waxy flesh makes this one of the most coveted potatoes out there today.  They are extremely versatile and make great chips, gaufrettes, dauphinois, home fries, and my favorite, mashed.  As mashed potatoes, I think they are velvety and super luxurious once hot cream steeped in herbs and garlic are folded into it.  Because they are pretty waxy spuds, they hold up their shape when added to soups and stews.

Organic Roma Tomatoes – Coke Farm, CA
Once thought of as poisonous because of its relation to the nightshade family, tomatoes only gained popularity in the U.S. during the 1900’s.  For its small size, the Roma is relatively meaty with few seeds which make them great for canning when the growing season is almost over.  They are also the main ingredient in pico de gallo salsas.  Tomatoes have such a wonderful flavor, I don’t think there is a wrong way to prepare them.  Just remember that if you do decide to dish up a fresh tomato salad with mozzarella or basil or whatever you like to toss in there, be sure to only make enough to consume the day of.  There’s nothing worse (at least to me!) than a day old, mealy tomato salad that’s been “cooked” by a vinaigrette!

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: Smoked Habanero Promontory Cheddar from Beehive Cheese Co. (Uintah, UT)

The Omnivore Basket also includes: Smoked Habanero Promontory Cheddar from Beehive Cheese Co. (Uintah, UT) and Canyon Meadows Flat Iron Steak (Altamont, UT)

Customers who opted for additional fruit will also receive: Organic Coke Farm Strawberries (San Bautista, CA) and Organic Twin Girls Farm Donut 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.~

Dill butter
This is great to have on hand as a spread on dinner rolls, or something to add at the last minute to cooked carrots and potatoes for extra flavor.  The olive oil allows this spread to...well, spread!

½ lb unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked white pepper (if desired)

1.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wire whisk until completely blended.  Place in a container with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Lacinato kale pesto
Sometimes you just have to hold your breath and give things a try.  In this case, I’m glad I did! 

1 large bunch cavolo nero leaves, stems removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 garlic cloves peeled
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups grated parmigiano-reggiano

1.  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavolo nero and 2 cloves of garlic. Cook until bright green, about 3-4 minutes.

2.  Drain and transfer both the cavolo nero and the garlic to a food processor. Pulse into a rough purée.

3.  Pour in 1/4 cup of the olive oil and pulse into pesto. Add the remaining two garlic cloves with 1 tsp sea salt. Add to the food processor, along with the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil and the parmigiano-reggiano. Pulse again one or two more times. Adjust seasoning.

Grilled corn with garlic-dill butter

1/3 cup of butter, softened
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 fresh ears of corn, with husks

1.  Stir together the first 3 ingredients, cover and chill for 8 hours.

2.  With husks on, grill corn, uncovered, on a lightly greased grill over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the corn is tender, turning occasionally.  Allow corn to cool off before peeling back husks and removing the silk.  Serve warm with the garlic-dill butter and enjoy!

Zucchini “spaghetti” with citrus chive vinaigrette
Serves 2-3 as a side dish

2 medium sized zucchini
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
2 oranges, juice squeezed
1 lemon, juice squeezed
6 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped fine
salt and white pepper to taste

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season heavily with salt.

2.  Using the julienne attachment on your mandoline, carefully slice zucchini 1/16 inch thick, making sure not to slice into the center where the seeds are – otherwise the strands will fall apart during the blanching process.

3.  Blanch the zucchini strands until pliable, about one minute. Remove from the pot and shock into a large bowl of ice water. Strain and pat dry. Set aside.

4.  Place the citrus juice and zest in a small sauce pan and reduce to half the amount of juice.  Remove from the pot into a medium bowl and cool down quickly over a bowl of ice water.  Once cool, season with a pinch of salt and white pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Once all the olive oil has been added, gently fold in the chives.  Check the seasoning again then toss with zucchini strands to coat, using only what you need. 

*This is great served with seared scallops or grilled chicken.

Fresh tomato salsa
A recipe adapted from the man that fed my hunger for the culinary arts: Rick Bayless is well known for his love of Mexican cuisine. If it wasn’t for that day when I was 8 and watching him on public access television, I don’t know where I’d be!

1 garlic clove, peeled
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (I like 2 serranos or 1 jalapeño), stemmed and halved
1 pound red, ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup (loosely packed) roughly chopped cilantro
1 large green onion, roots and wilted outer leaves removed, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt to taste

1. Hand chop all ingredients into small ½ inch pieces and combine in a medium bowl.  Season and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before eating.  Enjoy!

Shopping list...

Dill butter
-1 package Plugra unsalted butter
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 bunch organic fresh dill (included in SFF)

Lacinato kale pesto
-1 bunch lacinato kale (included in SFF)
-1 head garlic
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 1/2 cups grated parmigiano-reggiano or 1 large chunk

Grilled corn with garlic-dill butter
-1 package Plugra unsalted butter
-1 bunch organic fresh dill (included in SFF)
-1 head garlic
-4 ears fresh corn (4 included in full SFF, 2 included in half SFF)

Zucchini “spaghetti” with citrus-chive vinaigrette
-2 medium sized zucchini (included in SFF)
-1 lemon
-2 oranges
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 package fresh chives

Fresh tomato salsa
-1 head garlic
-2 serrano chilies or 1 jalapeno
-1 lb roma tomatoes (included in SFF)
-1 bunch organic fresh cilantro
-1 bunch organic fresh green onion
-1 lime