Weekly Share July 2nd – 8th

Romano Beans
Napa Cabbage
Frisee or Purslane
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Red & Orange Slicing Tomatoes
Jalapeno Pepper
Candy Onion
Cilantro
Garlic

Happy 4th of July everyone. We hope you have wonderful festivities and lots of good eating. This week the tomatoes really begin and we are adding the first of peppers so you can make a little pico de gallo to usher in the Summertime. We are giving some shares wild purslane, the stuff that grows in many areas on our farm and amongst our crops. This green is widely used throughout the Middle East. The leaves and tender stems (not main stem parts) can be eaten simply dressed with salt, lemon, and olive oil or used in a multitude of ways. Please check out the recipes below and enjoy the share…..Brian and Autumn
Napa Cabbage Salad
Farfalle with Wilted Frisee and Burst Tomatoes
Salade Khorfeh – Shirazi Style Purslane Salad
Purslane and Yogurt SaladThe New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
1 lb purslane (4 cups well packed)
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
salt and white pepper
If using purslane, pull the leaves off the stem but do include the stem if very tender. Wash the purslane , then dry it. Beat the yogurt with garlic, oil, and a little salt and pepper, and mix with the leaves.
Greek-Style Green BeansBean by Bean: A Cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon
The traditional Greek recipes in which this method is rooted use as much as three quarters of a cup of olive oil — too much for me. The few tablespoons here give flavor and allow the green beans to caramelize. Pretty they are not, but with one bite that is moot. Back in my restaurant days, I once received a proposal of marriage from a guest on the basis of these green beans. Pay careful attention to the details here. Technique is all.
1 pound fresh green beans, tipped and tailed
Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 tablespoons olive oil
About 1 tablespoon medium to finely chopped garlic (5 or 6 cloves)
1 large fresh tomato, chopped (I go ahead and leave the skin on and seeds in; if you are fussier than me, remove both and use only the chopped pulp of 2 tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few dashes of cayenne
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried dill
1. Blanch the green beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Drain them well, then rinse with cold water, and drain them again.
2. Spray a large, heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet with a tight-fitting cover with oil, and set it over very low heat. Add the olive oil, scatter the garlic over it, and add the blanched green beans (in contrast to most sautés, the green beans are added when neither pan, nor oil, nor garlic, is yet hot). Scatter the tomato over the beans. Don’t stir.
3. Still keeping the heat as low as possible, cover the beans and let them just barely cook, without stirring, for about 40 minutes. I know it’s hard, but keep on not stirring; leave the heat low enough so that nothing burns. If you like, you can push a few beans back to check on the garlic at the bottom of the skillet. It should not be browning, merely cooking very, very slowly. Some of the beans will be browned on one side, which is good. If this hasn’t happened yet, cover again and cook for 10, even 15, minutes more.
4. When the beans are soft, lift the lid and stir gently. It is unlikely, but if there’s a noticeable amount of liquid in the skillet, turn the heat up and, stirring gently but constantly, evaporate the liquid off. You want soft, barely-holding-together green beans. They should be slightly shriveled-looking and browned lightly here and there, with a bit of the garlic-tomato jam sticking to them.
5. Turn off the heat. Salt and pepper the beans, sprinkle them with the cayenne and dill, stir one more time, and serve. No, no, you don’t have to thank me.
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