Recipes for 9/11/09

Organic Frisee – Coke Farm, San Bautista, CA
More than just a member of the bitter greens family.  When mixed with delicate greens like butter lettuce and mache, frisee adds interest to salads by way of texture while its mildly bitter flavor cuts through the richness of buttery greens.  Preparing frisee is also a snap.  Just rinse the whole head, dry thoroughly and hand-tear into bite sized pieces!

Organic Red Butter Lettuce – Coke Farm, San Bautista, CA
A delicious, buttery salad green that surprisingly holds up to cooking!  Unlike other varieties, butter lettuce can be cooked with great results.  It took a while for me to remember, but a side dish I use to prepare in a restaurant I used to work in consisted of peas and carrots that were blanched then gently sautéed in a little butter.  I then added a handful of butter lettuce “ribbons” that wilted with the residual heat.  The end result was tender vegetables and velvety, buttery lettuce ribbons that were very reminiscent of papardelle!  We served this side dish with pork, but it would also go well with other roasts and even fish!

Organic Leeks – Coke Farm, San Bautista, CA
Leeks have a mild flavor and can be used interchangeably with onions.  Just be sure to clean it well once you cut it in half since sometimes dirt gets trapped in the inner layers.  Although it looks like a large scallion, the flavor is what sets it apart.  Some have even said that the flavor of leeks is a mix of a mild onion and a cucumber.  Not just for cooking, leeks are also wonderful raw and add a great flavor and crunch to salads.

Organic Green Kale – Coke Farm, San Bautista, CA
I could go into the major health benefits of kale all day, but one of my favorite things about kale is its mild flavor that allows it to take on heavier flavors such as curry. I also love how well bacon or pancetta can enhance its flavor.  Then again, I have a strong belief that just about any dish that begins with pork product is almost always a great thing!

Organic White Onions – Coke Farm, San Bautista, CA
With higher moisture content, white onions are a bit sweeter than the bold yellow Spanish varieties.  White onions can be used interchangeably with yellow onions when cooking, but they are also delicious eaten raw on a hamburger or in salads.  If onions make you cry like a baby, here’s a trick that I use when I come across an especially astringent onion: cut in half, trim and toss in the freezer for 5-10 minutes, then slice away!  If the stinging persists, leave it in the freezer a little longer and try again.

Organic Cauliflower – Coke Farm, San Bautista, CA
This is another delicious and “good for you” vegetable that’s great either raw or cooked.  And just like its cousin broccoli, is uber delicious when steamed then draped in a velvety cheese sauce.  Its texture makes it a great substitute for potatoes, and when it’s mashed, it makes a wonderful side dish for seafood or poultry!

Organic Watermelon Radishes - Coke Farm, San Bautista, CA
One of the things I love about radishes is the variety of colors and different intensities of flavor - and I’ve never found one that I don’t like! Watermelon radishes have two surprises for you. The first is that the flavor gets hotter toward the outside and sweeter toward the center. To discover the second surprise, cut one open and find out how this great little root vegetable got its name!

The Vegetarian Basket also includes: Rockhill Creamery’s Farmhouse Gouda (Richmond, UT)

The Omnivore Basket also includes: Rockhill Creamery’s Farmhouse Gouda (Richmond, UT) and Fresh Ground Lamb from Morgan Valley Lamb (Delta, UT)

Customers who opted for additional fruit will also receive: Allred Orchard Peaches (Payson, UT)

~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.~

Frisee with butter lettuce, watermelon radishes, and sweet onions
Serves 4-6

For the dressing:
¼ cup Straus Creamery Yogurt
¼ cup Delouis Fils Fresh Mayonnaise
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 TBS fresh chives, minced
1/8 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the salad:
1 head frisee, trimmed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 head butter lettuce, torn
½ pound watermelon radishes, sliced thinly
½ white onion, sliced thinly
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated

1. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until ready to use.
2. In a large bowl, toss together frisee, butter lettuce, radishes, white onion, and carrots. Add dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Leeks and soft polenta
Serves 4

3 TBS Plugra Unsalted Butter
½ pound leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
2 ¼ cups (or more) water
2 cups More Than Gourmet Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup Moretti Polenta
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Melt 2 TBS butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, stir to coat. Cover and cook until leeks soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 2 ¼ cups water, broth, and bay leaf.
2. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture is thick and creamy, stirring often and thinning with more water if necessary, about 35 minutes.
3. Remove pan from heat. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1 TBS butter and Parmigiano Reggiano. Season polenta to taste with salt and pepper.

*If you have leftovers, form them into squares, fry and crisp in a little butter over medium heat and top with camembert, provolone, teleme, or another delicious cheese of your choosing, then broil until the cheese is runny.

Kale “chips”

4 cups cleaned kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 TBS LHF Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp J. Leblanc Cider Vinegar
¼-½ tsp sea salt, or to taste

1. Place a rack on the lowest shelf of your oven. Preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Spread kale out on a sturdy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and cider vinegar. Toss to coat completely.
3. Place on the lowest rack of the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and stir well.
5. Bake another 8-12 minutes or until kale is crispy. It should be just lightly browned and crispy to the touch. If kale still bends, rather than crackles, when you touch it, return it to the oven. You may need to turn down the heat if it’s getting too brown but isn’t yet crispy.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt.

Roasted Cauliflower
Serves 4

½ head of cauliflower
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely minced
Lemon juice from ½ lemon
2-3 TBS LHF Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer in an oven-proof baking dish. Toss in the garlic. Squeeze lemon juice over cauliflower and drizzle each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Place baking dish in oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown. Test with a fork for desired doneness. Fork tines should easily pierce the cauliflower. Remove from oven and sprinkle generously with Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.

Shopping lists...

Frisee with butter lettuce, watermelon radishes, and white onion
-1 container Straus Creamery Yogurt
-1 container Delouis Fils Fresh Mayonnaise
-1 lemon
-1 package fresh chives
-1 package Woodstock Farms sugar
-1 head frisee (included in SFF)
-1 head butter lettuce (included in SFF)
-½ pound watermelon radishes (included in SFF)
-1 white onion (included in SFF)
-1 medium carrot

Leeks and soft polenta
-1 package Plugra Unsalted Butter
-½ pound leeks (included in SFF)
-1 package More Than Gourmet Chicken or Vegetable Stock Concentrate
-1 package fresh bay leaf
-1 package Moretti Polenta
-1 small wedge Parmigiano Reggiano

Kale “chips”
-1 bunch kale (included in SFF)
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 bottle J. Leblanc Cider Vinegar

Roasted cauliflower
-½ head cauliflower (included in SFF)
-1 bulb garlic
-1 lemon
-1 bottle Liberty Heights Fresh label Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest
-1 small wedge Parmigiano Reggiano