Author: Judi

Week 6! The good stuff continues to roll in! Have you seen the photo of the potato plants in bloom on the Stoneledge Farm web site? They’re gorgeous!

Among the goodies this week are eggplants. This easy recipe for eggplant balls is versatile. The eggplant balls can also be made into patties and eaten like burgers.

EGGPLANT BALLS
3 TBS olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups cubed eggplant, with peel

1 TBS water

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
1. Preheat The oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet.
2. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and saute the garlic until lightly browned. Don’t overcook the garlic or it will become bitter!
3. Sir in the eggplant and water. Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet. Allow the eggplant to steam until soft, about 20 minutes. Place the eggplant in a large bowl and allow it to cool slightly.
4. Mix the cheese, parsley, eggs, and bread crumbs into the eggplant. Stir with a wooden spoon or your hands (I always use my hands to do this) until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the mixture can be rolled into balls. Add more bread crumbs as needed to make the mixture workable.
5. Refrigerate the mixture for 15 minutes, then roll into balls or form into patties.
6. Place the eggplant balls on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

HELPFUL HINT: If you aren’t concerned about calories, these balls can be deep fried and served with marinara sauce on the side for a great appetizer.

Hope you enjoy this recipe – it’s so good! Have a delicious week.
Best,
Judi

July 6, 2015

Well, we’ve certainly made up for any missing rain from June! It’s been wet and some days have even been cool. The good news is that we’re still getting lovely greens and other great vegetables.

This recipe will utilize both spinach and scallions, and you can throw any of the other vegetables in if you so desire. The more the merrier!

Scallions are also known as green onions, and many parts of the US have never heard of “scallions”.  I was the Corporate Manager of Food Service for Allied Stores in the eighties. I wrote a menu for a chain of stores in Minnesota. On the menu was a hero sandwich with layered meats, cheeses, and scallions. I called it The Italian Scallion. It caused an uproar in Minnesota! One store manager called me and asked, “What the heck is that ingredient and where am I supposed to get it?” These are the same people who thought that French fries with an omelet are a hilarious concept. Those crazy jokers in the Midwest!

 

So, back to the recipe, which is a great one to make ahead, freeze and bake whenever you’re ready to serve. You don’t even have to defrost it!

BREAKFAST (OR ANYTIME) PACKAGES OF GOODNESS

3 scallions, trimmed, sliced
1 (16-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, defrosted (entirely optional)
12 ounces cooked breakfast sausages (about 16 sausage links), cut into 3/4″ pieces (any kind of sausages will do, as will no sausages at all. Tofu is great, too)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 (packed) cups spinach
6 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (optional)

1. Cut 12 (12×16″) pieces of heavy-duty foil. Layer 2 pieces of foil on top of each other to create 6 stacks. Line top pieces of foil with parchment paper cut to the same size.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

3. Toss scallions, potatoes, sausage, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Divide the mixture among the prepared packages, arranging it in the center of each piece of parchment. Bring the edges of the foil together to enclose each package, then crimp to seal them closed.

4. Place packages side by side on baking sheets and cook about 15 minutes. Carefully remove 1 package from the oven and check if ingredients are steaming hot. If necessary, return the package to the oven.

5. Transfer the packages with tongs to a flat surface and carefully open them (they will be full of hot steam). Top each package with spinach, then crack 1 egg into the center of each and season with salt and pepper. Reseal, return to the oven, and cook until the egg whites are opaque but the yolks are still runny, about 4 to 5 minutes.

6. Carefully remove the packages from the oven, open, and sprinkle with cheddar, if using. Serve immediately.

HELPFUL HINT: Packages can be assembled and chilled for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. For refrigerated packages, bake for 15 minutes. For frozen packages packages, no need to defrost. Just bake them for 30 minutes.

Cooks’ Note: These can also be made on a grill, a grill pan or a skillet.

Enjoy, and have a delicious week!

Best,

Judi

June 30, 2015

Here we are at the end of June. Today there will be a leap second, an adjustment made to compensate for the earth’s erratic rotation. Don’t bother to reset your clocks – it’s just one second.

We are closing in on the end of this season’s lettuce I know it doesn’t seem that way but, trust me, lettuce is going to end soon. What we will be getting lots of is summer squash. They are very productive plants, and they yield delicious fruit. Before you give up salad entirely for the season, try this delicious one made with quinoa, summer squash and walnuts.

 

SALAD OF QUINOA, SUMMER SQUASH AND WALNUTS

1/2 cup red or other quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh sieve and drained
2 tsp kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1 lb assorted summer squash
2 TBS finely grated Parmesan plus additional 1/4 cup shaved with a peeler
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS Sherry vinegar
6 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 4 cups water to a boil. Season with salt, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is tender but not mushy, about 12-15 minutes. Drain and return the quinoa to the hot saucepan. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Uncover; fluff with a fork and let cool.

2. Cut the squash into 1/8″-thick slices, some lengthwise and some crosswise. Transfer the slices to a large bowl, season with 2 teaspoons salt, and toss to coat. Let sit until slightly wilted, about 15 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Pat dry with paper towels.
3. Whisk the grated Parmesan, lemon zest, juice, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Combine the squash, quinoa, parsley, walnuts, and basil in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and toss to coat. Garnish with shaved Parmesan.
HELPFUL HINT: You can use any vinegar you like in place of the sherry vinegar, and you can add any greens you like to this salad.

I hope you enjoy it and the beautiful weather. Have a delicious week!
Best,
Judi

 

June 23, 2015

Welcome to Week 3!

It’s definitely summer. High heat and humidity are exhausting! So, a nice simple recipe for dinner is a boon.

Some of us are starting to get tired of endless salads, so this week’s share, which includes summer squash and beets, is a welcome upgrade.

This recipe for Italian squash torta is easy to make and will feed the whole family.

ITALIAN SQUASH TORTA
4 TBS butter
1 1/2 lbs yellow or green summer squash or zucchini, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced or chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt (I like to use kosher salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (If your pantry doesn’t contain anything by that name, make your own, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme and basil)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Heat the butter in a large skillet and sauté the squash, onion and garlic until tender and lightly browned.

2. Sprinkle the seasonings over the squash while it is cooking. Don’t add the salt until the end, or it will get watery.

3. Put the squash mixture in a greased 10-inch quiche pan.

4. Stir in the cheese and parsley.

5. Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl; whisk in the mustard. Pour the egg mixture over the squash; stir in gently.

6. Bake at 375º for 25 minutes, until the egg is set and the top is lightly browned. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

 

HELPFUL HINT: Variations include substituting sour cream or yogurt for the heavy cream, and adding mushrooms, peperoni, prosciutto or genoa salami. You can even add some of this week’s beets.

Stay as cool as possible, drink lots of water, and enjoy!

Have a delicious week.

Best,

Judi

 

 

WEEK 2

June 16, 2015

Welcome to Week 2!

This week we are getting garlic scapes. For those of you who may be new to the CSA and may not know what they are, I can tell you that they are a wonderful Springtime gift. Garlic scapes are the part of the garlic that sticks up out of the ground in the spring. That’s the part that forms a flower if allowed to continue growing. But, allowing the scape to flower will prevent the bulb from growing underground, as the flower will use all the food stored in the bulb to produce the next generation. So, the scape is cut off in order to allow the bulb to grow. Lucky us!

Garlic scapes are quite delicious, and they keep in the refrigerator for a very long time. You could just use them as you’d use regular garlic – in salads and sandwiches or mixed with cream cheese. But, there’s much more that can be done with them. Here’s a recipe for Okonomiyaki with garlic scapes and cabbage. Okonomiyaki means “whatever you like cooked,” so you can use almost anything in addition to the scapes in this recipe. The Swiss chard and Chinese cabbage in this week’s share would be great.

Another good name for this recipe would be Japanese Pancakes with Everything.
OKONOMIYAKI WITH GARLIC SCAPES AND CABBAGE

**********************************************************************
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 Tbs. ketchup
2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
4 thinly sliced garlic scapes
Pinch of salt
5 eggs
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup flour
Olive oil, butter, or peanut oil for frying
1/2 lime

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, and ketchup. Adjust the amounts in the mixture until it tastes good to you. It’s kind of a spicy Russian dressing.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil or butter in a large frying pan. Stir in the cabbage and scapes and saute with a big pinch of salt for a few minutes, until the vegetables just start to soften. Remove from the heat and set the vegetables aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Stir in the cooked vegetables.
4.Heat more butter or oil over medium-high heat. You don’t need a clean pan – use the one you used to saute the scapes and cabbage.
5. Drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and squash them flat as they cook. Cook for a couple of minutes, until brown, then flip and cook until the second side is brown (just another minute).
6. Transfer cooked pancakes to a plate.
7. Squeeze the lime all over the okonomiyaki. Serve them with the pink sauce for dipping or spreading. You can also sprinkle them with chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro or sesame seeds.
HELPFUL HINT: If you are sauteing something in oil, putting the food into the oil in the pan too early will result in greasy soggy food. Heat the pan, and test it with a drop of water. if you drop the cold water into the pan and it “dances” around, the pan is hot enough. Add the oil and watch until the surface appears wavy (just a matter of seconds) and then add your food.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Have a delicious week!
Best,
Judi