JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 18 – OCTOBER 6, 2020

OCTOBER 6, 2020

Hi Everyone,

The harvest continues to roll in, and the weather is constantly changing. Fall is fascinating!

This week, I have a great cauliflower recipe for you (it works with broccoli too). It’s a Chinese-style sticky and sweet cauliflower with sesame dish. It’s a great way to get your kids to eat those cole vegetables.

CHINESE CAULIFLOWER WITH SESAME

1 small cauliflower, chopped

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 TBS minced garlic

1 ½ tsp toasted sesame oil

½ tsp powdered ginger

1 1/2 TBS cornstarch or arrowroot

1/4 cup water

sesame seeds and scallions, for garnish

  1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Grease a baking pan or line it with parchment.
  2. Cut the cauliflower into florets, then slice so one side of each floret is flat. Arrange the slices in a single layer in the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack.
  3. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, the sweetener, vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. While waiting, stir together the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch dissolves completely. When it boils, slowly whisk this mixture into the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring more frequently once it returns to a boil. Cook until it thickens. You can also make the sauce ahead of time if you like. It will continue to thicken in the refrigerator.
  4. Turn the cauliflower florets and bake for 10 additional minutes. If you like, you can now move the pan to the top rack and broil for 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Pour the sauce over the florets. Sprinkle sesame seeds and optional scallions on top, and serve.

This is great with a side of rice and a green salad.

Enjoy, and have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 1 – JUNE 9, 2020

June 9, 2020

Welcome everyone to the first week of the 2020 CSA season.  It’s bizarre, but it’s alive! Stoneledge Farm has mobilized and worked very hard to give us a positive and safe experience. They have prepackaged our shares and instituted safety measures to protect us.

This week we highlight sage, described by some as the most important herb of the spring.

CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH BROWN BUTTER AND SAGE

1 large cauliflower

1 TBS. extra-virgin olive oil

2 TBS unsalted butter, cut into dice-sized pieces

6 sage leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 TBS lemon juice

1 TBS lemon zest

Salt and pepper

 

Remove the leaves from the cauliflower. Cut it crosswise into thick steaks (about 1 inch thick)

 

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

Cook the cauliflower steaks, turning every 3 minutes until they are browned on both sides and fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

Add the butter, sage, and garlic to the skillet.

Tilt the pan toward you so that the butter runs to one side of the pan.

Use a large spoon to baste the steaks with butter.

Cook, while continuing to baste until the butter is no longer bubbling, smells nutty, and is starting to brown, about 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the cauliflower steaks to plates and spoon the sauce over them. Garnish with the lemon zest.

HELPFUL HINT: If you’re trying to squeeze lemon juice out of a fresh lemon, first roll it on your counter while pressing down on it, or microwave for one minute. Both methods will produce more juice.

So that’s it. The new 2020 CSA season is in full swing.

Enjoy the vegetables and have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

 

JUDI’S RECIPES – WEEK 18 – OCTOBER 1, 2019

OCTOBER 1, 2019

Hi everybody!

Welcome to Fall, although you wouldn’t know it by the weather, which is about to heat up again. Still, those wonderful cool weather vegetables are arriving, and they are both versatile and delicious.

Today’s recipe is a yummy cauliflower dish, featuring parmesan cheese and capers, those delicious tiny pickled peppers.

 

CAULIFLOWER WITH CAPERS AND PARMESAN

 

 

1  head of cauliflower
  • 5 TBS extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 oz. grated  Parmesan cheese
  • 2 TBS capers, drained and divided
  • 1 lemon

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Set a rack in the lowest position of your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the cauliflower on a cutting board and snap off the green outer leaves. Use a knife to shave off the end of the stem, which will give you a flat surface for the cauliflower to stand up.

2. Starting from one end, cut the entire head of cauliflower into half-inch slices, letting the pieces fall off. The pieces connected to the root will remain in slabs.

3. Transfer the cauliflower to a sheet pan and drizzle with it with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then toss with your hands to make sure all the pieces are evenly coated, and then arrange them so their flat surfaces are on the pan.

4. Roast the cauliflower on the bottom rack until the pieces  are brown around the edges with deeply browned undersides, approximately 25–30 minutes.

5. While the cauliflower is roasting, that’s the time to grate the parmesan cheese on the largest side of a box grater. Reserve about half the grated cheese for garnishing.

6. Coarsely chop 1 TBS of capers, then toss all of the capers in a small bowl with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the capers.

7. When the cauliflower is browned on the first side, remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a work surface. Using a spatula, turn the pieces over. Sprinkle the grated parmean that has not been set aside for garnish over the cauliflower.

8. Return the cauliflower to the oven and continue to roast it until the other side is browned and the parmesan is fragrant and browned,  about 10 to 12 minutes.

9. Let it cool a few minutes, then transfer the cauliflower to a plate  and drizzle lemon-caper dressing over it. Season it with a bit more salt and pepper, then top with the reserved parmesan.

 

NOTE: This dish, like all roasted vegetable dishes, is good hot or cold.

Enjoy.

And have a delicious week!

Best, Judi

 

Week #20 Note from Farmer Update — How to freeze Cauliflower

Dear CSA Members, 
Below is your update for tomorrow.  We had to exchange the Lacinato Kale for extra Cauliflower this because the Cauliflower harvest was so abundant!  Once the cauliflower is ready it all has to be harvested or it will go bad.  We are very excited to share this bounty with our CSA members!  Enjoy!
Want to Freeze Cauliflower?  Below are directions!

-Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil.  In a large bowl, fill with half ice and water.

-Cut up the veggies while you wait for the water to boil.  Carefully, add in vegetables and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, only until they’re slightly cooked through and tender.

-To test, remove a piece with a slotted spoon, dip it into the ice bath to cool quickly, then eat it.  If the test is good then scoop out vegetables quickly and immediately move to the ice bath.

-Keep the vegetables in the ice bath just until they’ve cooled, about 20 to 30 seconds.  Remove vegetables, drain in a colander, and set aside until ready to freeze.

Best,
Candice

 

Week #20 — Note from the Farmer — Cauliflower Soup Recipe, Boc Choy recipes, more

Dear CSA Member,

As the season slowly winds down we have had member request for winter coffee shares. If you are interested in ordering coffee for the winter months you can order directly from the marketplace. The coffee is freshly roasted and will keep for the winter stored in a cool dry area.

Other items are available through the marketplace as well such as vegetables & fruit in bulk. (Collard Greens, Lacinato Kale, Red Russian Kale, Curly Kale and weekly apples) These items are great for freezing!
Don’t forget your Honey, Maple Syrup, and Seed Oils! These items are also available through the online marketplace. Order soon as quantities are limited this time of year.

To Order Click Here

This week in your share you will be receiving Boc Choy! A little taste of spring! (as we head into fall) This is just one of the few items that we seed and plant again for the fall. This crop like the mustard, mizuna and arugula do well in cooler temperatures. They will not grow well in the heat of summer. You will also be receiving the first fall harvest of Cauliflower! We hope you enjoy!
I have added some helpful cooking tips and recipes below. One recipe is from a CSA member!

Cauliflower Soup
Judi Katz-Schwartz, Yoo Mi Thompson

Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion (6 ounces), sliced thin
• 1 head very fresh cauliflower, about 1-1/2 pounds
• Salt, to taste
• 5 1/2 cups hot water, divided
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1 Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan. Saute the onion in the olive oil over low heat without letting it brown for 15 minutes. This is called “sweating”.
2 Add the cauliflower, salt to taste, and 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat slightly, cover the pot tightly and stew the cauliflower for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Then add another 4 1/2 cups hot water, bring to a low simmer and cook uncovered for another 20 minutes.
3 Purée the soup in a blender (you’ll have to work in batches) to a very smooth, creamy consistency. Let the soup stand for 20 minutes. It will thicken slightly.
4 Thin the soup with 1/2 cup hot water. Reheat the soup. Serve hot, drizzled with a thin stream of extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

Bok Choy- Bok Choy is great sautéed, steamed or even eaten raw.
Try this Apple Box Choy Salad A great fall Bok Choy recipe.

Ancho Peppers- This week you will also be getting Ancho Peppers. Ancho peppers are a mildly hot pepper. They add a little spice to your dish and are great in chili.

Enjoy!
-Candice for Everyone at Stoneledge Farm

What’s in the Bag? Week 20

Veggies

Butternut winter squash-1
Cauliflower-1 head
Turnips-2
Lettuce-2 heads
Broccoli-1
Radish-1 bunch
Potatoes-2 pounds
Garlic-2 heads
Kohlrabi -1 bunch (fall planting — it’s sweet and delicious!)
Sage-1 bunch
Carrots-1 pound
Jalapenos (hot peppers) – help yourself!

Half shares — odd and even

Odd gets broccoli
Even gets butternut squash.

Fruit Share

One bag with Empire apples, Jonagold apples, Bosc pears

Mushroom Share

Shiitake