Sometimes, simple is best!

If you grabbed the Napa cabbage last week but are puzzled what to do with it, this post is for you.  Yes, Napa cabbage is different than a traditional American garden cabbage, so it calls for a different dressing if you want to eat it raw.  I never use it for cole slaw, personally.  I just chop it up finely on a cutting board, toss with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a handful of peanuts.  That's the simplest, crunchiest use for it.  If you have some lovely fresh cilantro on hand, chop up a few tablespoons and add it, as well.

I'd be remiss if I didn't add some beet recipes, given the bounty of this unusual veggie that inspires passionate views.  Either you love beets, or you hate them.  There's no in-between!  If you haven't learned to love them yet try one or both of these suggestions:

Take your beets, trim off any spots, but don't peel.  Cut into quarters or eighths, depending on size.  Cover with water and boil (turn heat low once it comes to a boil), for about an hour. When they are done, let them cool enough to handle.  Peel them at this time. Then slice or julienne (cut into matchsticks), whichever you prefer.  Two sauces to try (from the Jane Brody cookbook):

Mustard sauce: beat with a whisk:  2T lemon juice, 2T Dijon mustard, 1T cider vinegar, 1T oil, 1 tsp sugar. Season with some fresh dill, fresh parsley, and cracked black pepper a salt to taste.  About 1 T of each herb if it's fresh, or about 1 tsp if it's dried.  Top the beets with enough sauce to your taste.  Refrigerate for at least an hour. This is enough sauce for about a pound of cooked beets.  

Horseradish sauce: beat with a whisk:  1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 T drained bottled horseradish, 1/4 tsp caraway seed, salt to taste.  Top the cooked beets with enough sauce to your taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.  This is a larger portion of sauce, enough for a couple pounds of cooked beets.
 


 

Answer to your prayers, Nick.  Here's one of my favorite kohlrabi recipes from Jane Brody's book.
Sorry I don't have a nice picture to go with it, like your cabbage recipe.  It doesn't look pretty, but it tastes great!

  

 

If you're tired of cole slaw, sauerkraut or borscht...

I really enjoy working through CSA problems in the kitchen.  One of my constants is what to do with an abundance of certain vegetables.  If you're fortunate enough to catch me during pick-up, you may here me muttering to myself !

I've been searching for a good cabbage recipe for a few years.  I recently came across this recipe for roasted cabbage: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-roasted-cabbage-with-bacon-recipes-from-the-kitchn-105338

Roasted in the oven, the cabbage takes on the delicious braised flavor of Brussels sprouts that I've come to love.  Vegetarians can omit the bacon without significant loss, although you might want to increase the olive oil amount.  As the author suggests, I served it over pasta.  I didn't try to get the girls to eat it, but to my surprise Hannah preferred this to the alternate veggie dish I made.  Score!

When the cabbages start piling up, I'd encourage folks to give this recipe a try.  Now if only I kind find something to do with all those kohlrabi...

Cucumber Soup and Zucchini Bread on the Menu!

It's Thursday, and I always get excited to receive a new veggie delivery from our Norwich Farms CSA.  I must confess, though, that I still have cucumbers, squash and cabbage left from last week, and I suspect that others are experiencing the same thing. So, here are two recipes using cucucmbers and squash.  Both are found in my favorite classic cookbook--Jane Brody's Good Food Book, originally published in 1985.  You can still find used copies for $2-3+shipping, at Barnes & Noble's website, or at a used book sale at a local library. It's my main recipe source over the years because the ingredient lists contain less butter, sugar, and white flour than recipes in other classic cookbooks.

As an alternative, the simplest and yummiest way to prepare zucchini that I have found is to slice it thinly, and add it to a skillet with a tablespoon or two of hot olive oil (depends on the size of your skillet and the size of your squash), turning several times until it browns lightly.  Season with salt, pepper, a bit of your favorite vinegar, lemon or lime juice, or a packet of True Lemon or True Lime. You can also sprinkle on grated parmesan or romano cheese after you remove it from the heat.  I know a lot of restaurants put a coating of egg and bread crumbs on zucchini before frying it, but to me, the plainer method of cooking allows the flavor of the squash to shine through.  

Good evening Norwood CSA members!

Found the perfect recipe for those who still have some of the bounty from last week. It's a shaved vegetable salad that includes green beans, fennel, cucumber, zucchini, and radish. Only the green beans are cooked (very briefly) and the rest of the veggies are sliced as thin as you can get them, so they absorb the marinade well. As with the recipe last week, I put this in a sealed container and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving.  I used a very sharp paring knife, but you could prepare with a mandoline or food processor.   This can be a nice hot-weather side dish, or toss it with pasta, garlic and tomato sauce (see picture).  I found the recipe in the Sonoma Diet Cookbook, as the base for a slice of grilled salmon.  You could top it with chicken, as well.

Sweet Piccalilli Relish—A Favorite of Many Cultures

This is a version of what some call “bread-and-butter” pickles. My grandmother, the daughter of Slovak immigrants, used to “put up” Mason jars of this kind of sweet relish made from garden-fresh cucumbers—for a taste of the garden all winter long!  I recently learned that immigrants from Scandinavian countries have their dill-spiced versions, and those from the Caribbean islands add many of their unique traditional spices to a similar concoction.  The British have used the term “piccalilli” for eons, but I think it’s a different type of relish derived from hot Indian peppers.

Here at the Norwood CSA, cucumbers and peppers should be plentiful through the fall.  Since you can only eat so many of them sliced up in salads, this is a way to expand your cucumber repertoire! The relish is a great topping for turkey burgers and chicken or veggie patties.  After putting it together, leave it in the refrigerator for a day so the flavors intensify.  It keeps well for at least a week in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator. 

Fresh Vegetable Ingredients

• 16 oz small cucumbers, sliced thin in food processor. Don’t peel. Just trim off the ends.  It’s easiest if you use those that are small enough to fit in the feed tube of  the machine.
• 1 large red bell pepper, shredded in food processor. 
• 1 medium white onion, quartered and sliced thin in food processor (or use peeled tiny white onions).
• large clove of garlic, peeled and smashed, and a handful of small cauliflower heads
• 2 T kosher salt

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 c. white or cider vinegar
• 1 c. white or brown sugar (you can substitute stevia or reduce sugar, if desired)
• ½ T mustard seed
• ½ t celery seed
• ½ t turmeric
• handful of whole cloves (remove before serving), or a pinch of ground cloves 

Preparation:

Put sliced/shredded veggies in big bowl and cover with a tray of ice cubes and a cup of water.  Sprinkle with 2T kosher salt.  Cover with lid or plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator.  After 3 hours, remove veggies, and drain out water and ice. You can rinse in cold water if you want to remove the salt, as well. 

You can make the dressing either in the microwave or on the stovetop. 

Microwave:  Put all the dressing ingredients in a large, microwave-safe dish and cook uncovered for 6 minutes.  Stir. Add veggies, cover, and cook for 12 minutes more.

Stovetop:  Put all the dressing ingredients in a medium-sized pot, bring to a boil, then boil for 5 minutes.  Add veggies, stir, and re-heat the pot to just below boiling. 

Stir the heated veggies and dressing well, then chill for several hours before serving.