Monday, July 18, 2011

Latest taste treats

July 15, 2011

UnitedHarvest

CSA Recipes and Food Preparation Support



IDEAS TO USE EVERY LAST LEAF OF HEAVENLY BASIL!

My favorite way to use BASIL is in a pesto to mix with pasta, to spread on a veggie sandwich, or to use as a dip, but it by no means ends there, that is just the beginning!

Here's a quick tip: tear several leaves of basil and place in a small bowl covered with extra virgin olive oil, sliced cherry tomatoes and sea salt. Marinade them for an entire day to heighten the flavor. Prepare your favorite pasta and pour entire contents of the bowl over warm, cooked pasta and stir gently. Sprinkle with sliced Kalamata olives and grated cheese if desired.

Anne Morgan from Lakes & Valley CSA in Park Rapids, Minnesota loves to use basil this way:

BASIL--Zucchini Pasta Salad

3/4 lb. orzo
4 medium zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups fresh basil, any variety
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, if desired

Cook orzo in water or seasoned stock. Drain and cool. Grate zucchini in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes and squeeze dry. In food processor, blend fresh basil with garlic, oregano, olive oil, and lemon juice. Mix everything together with cheese, if desired and chill.


Pesto that lead to a marriage proposal!

Keith Dix and Bev Lacey of Blue Heron Farm in Virginia have been living happily ever after since 2004, and some say the marriage proposal was due to Bev's FABULOUS pesto!

2 c. firmly packed fresh basil
3/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all but the olive oil in a blender or food processor. With machine running, add the oil slowly in a stream. Freeze in ice cube trays. When frozen, remove cubes and store in freezer bags. Pop a few right into hot marinara sauce to kick it up a notch!


Thai Chicken with Basil

1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1--by--2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 red onion, cut into thin slices
3 fresh red chiles, seeds and ribs removed, cut into thin slices, or 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups lightly packed Thai basil leaves (any variety works well)
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar.In a large nonstick frying pan or a wok, heat the oil over moderately high heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer.Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add it to the hot pan. Cook until almost done, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add the marinade and cook 30 seconds longer. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the basil. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 cup basil. (A favorite adapted from www.foodandwine.com)

Marinated cucumber salad---when you have an abundance of cucumbers

I cannot keep this in the house!!



4 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 c. thinly sliced onion

2 garlic cloves thinly sliced

½ c. maple syrup or rice syrup

1 c. apple cider vinegar

4 T chopped fresh dill

Freshly ground black pepper



Place cucumbers and onion in a bowl. Combine garlic, syrup, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook one minute, stirring. Pour over cucumber mixture and marinade for two hours, stirring occasionally. Drain cucumbers and sprinkle with dill and pepper to taste. Mix well and chill.





Lemon Collards

(simple and delicious!)



1 bunch collard greens, washed and cleaned

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 dash tamari sauce

the juice of one freshly squeezed lemon



Tightly roll bunch of collards. Slice into thin strips. In a skillet, heat olive oil. Toss in collards and cook on high heat until wilted. Add tamari and lemon juice. Serve immediately.



Nancy Vail

Center for Agro-ecology & Sustainable Food Systems

UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden







Nicoise salad (might have posted this in another newsletter....great with lots of green beans!)



8 cups of green beans, cleaned with stems removed

8 small red potatoes, quartered

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of sliced kalamata olives

a handful of fresh herbs like flat-leaf parsley, basil, oregano, mint

1 cup white wine vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil



Steam beans for five minutes in a medium saucepan and then immerse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain. Gently boil potatoes until soft. Drain. Combine all ingredients in a salad bowl and mix.





Citrus-Infused Zucchini Salad



salad:

3 cups julienne-cut zucchini

1-1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)

10 Kalamata olives, sliced

3 tablespoons of finely chopped chives

3 tablespoons of finely chopped basil



Toss all salad ingredients in a bowl.



Citrus vinaigrette:

4 tablespoons of fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons of maple syrup

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper



Combine all vinaigrette ingredients and blend. Add vinaigrette to salad and toss well. Chill until ready to serve.



When you need to serve a new and different dish at a picnic and when your supply of zucchini is at its maximum, this salad is the perfect choice!





pasta and greens



1 lb. of your favorite pasta, prepared and ready to eat

2 pounds of Swiss Chard, Kale, collards or other hearty greens, stem ends discarded and washed well but not dried

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper



In a large pan heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add greens, reduce heat, cover and cook about 5 minutes or until leaves are wilted. Season with salt and pepper.



Mediterranean Stew

Take full advantage of fresh herbs! They add a life energy to our dishes like nothing else!



1 onion sliced

6 garlic cloves, pressed

6 large portabella mushrooms sliced

5 colorful bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1 large zucchini, sliced

3 ripe medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup red wine

3 cups of chick peas, rinsed well

2 cups of pitted kalamata olives

5 tablespoons of a mixture of chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper



Put the onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms and zucchini in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add tomatoes, red wine, and chick peas, mixing well. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until the vegetables and tender crisp. Remove lid and cook on medium high, stirring occasionally. Stir in olives and herbs. Serve immediately.







Green Beans and Garlic



2 lbs. of green beans

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

sea salt and freshly ground pepper



Steam beans for five minutes and then immerse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain. In a frying pan warm olive oil. Add beans; stir to coat. Add garlic. Stir and toss for one minute. Remove from heat and season with sea salt and pepper.





southwestern sauté



12 ears of corn

½ c. olive oil

2 large zucchini and/or yellow squash, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 red peppers, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 T. chili powder

½ t. cayenne pepper

½ t. oregano



Steam, cool and remove corn kernels from cobs. Heat olive oil in large frying pan. Add onions and sauté until soft. Then add zucchini and peppers. When vegetables are crisp and tender add corn, garlic, spices and herbs. Serve immediately.



Greens with the Magic Three



1 bunch of collards, kale or broccoli

1/4 cup mirin

tamari (natural soy sauce) to taste

toasted sesame seed oil



Wash and chop vegetables. Cook in mirin, although more can be used for taste. Sprinkle with tamari to taste. Cook until just tender, remove from heat and sprinkle and toss with sesame oil.



Amie Hamlin

Hamlet Organic Garden

Long Island, NY



Cucumber-tomato salad



3 large juicy tomatoes chopped

2 cold cucumbers, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

10 kalamata olives, sliced

½ cup chopped red onion

1 cup of chic peas

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. balsamic vinegar

1 T fresh oregano, chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper



Combine all ingredients in a chilled bowl. Stir carefully.



PRESERVING THE HARVEST



CUCUMBER RELISH



2 quarts cucumbers, chopped

2 cups chopped green peppers

2 cups of chopped red peppers

1 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

1/2 cup pickling salt

2 quarts water

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1 quart white vinegar

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon mustard seed

2 teaspoon allspice



Combine cucumbers, peppers, and onions. Sprinkle with turmeric. Dissolve salt in 2 quarts of water. Pour over vegetables and let stand 3 to 4 hours. Drain. Cover vegetables with cold water and let stand 1 hour. Drain thoroughly. Combine sugar and vinegar in a large stainless steel saucepan. Tie cinnamon sticks, mustard seed, and allspice in a cheesecloth bag. Add to vinegar mixture and bring to a boil. Pour over veggies. Cover and let stand overnight in a cool place. Remove spice bag. Bring mixture to a boil. Fill pint jars and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes.



Jolinda Hamilton

Hamilton Farms

Clinton, Arkansas