Frisee
Spinach
Radishes
Garlic Scapes
New Potatoes
Mesclun Salad Mix
Dill
Week two of the CSA is still filled with lots of salad options; but we also have included spinach, new potatoes, and delicious radishes for some potential warm dishes as well. We absolutely love frisee and the crop looks wonderful this week. We have included a few salad recipes as that is how it really shines; but it can also be cooked or even added to your salad mix, if a bitter green salad is too much for your palate. The hyper seasonal crop this week is garlic scapes, normally we have them for 3 weeks each May and we look forward to their arrival. A longish scape will be equivalent to 1-2 cloves of garlic. You can mash them, mince them, or use in bigger pieces for some garlic punch. The scape would eventually become the flower bud on each garlic plant. By pulling them out when they are young, more energy is put into growing the bulb, making for larger garlic in the end. At this immature stage the scape is tender with a little crunch and has a superb garlic flavor without a ton of heat. They will store in a plastic bag for at least 3 weeks, so don’t feel rushed to use them all. They can be pickled using the brine for a basic dilly bean recipe, and after a six week wait make an amazing addition to any pickle plate. Other options for the scapes are making garlic butter (blend the scapes, mix with softened butter and a little salt, then using wax paper make the butter into a log roll, wrap in plastic wrap, freeze, and use as needed.) or garlic scape pesto. Feel free to use them as a substitute for garlic in recipes, just add more volume than recipe requires, as the scapes are definitely more subtle than a clove of garlic. Check out the recipes below and enjoy the share…..Brian and Autumn
Creamy Garlic Scape & Dill Dressing
Frisée Salad with Poached Eggs and Bacon
Borani-e Esfenaj (Spinach and Yogurt Salad) the New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
This refreshing Iranian salad has a pure and delicate flavor.
½ pound spinach
½ cup thick-strained Greek-style yogurt
1 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
juice of ¼ lemon
Wash the spinach and remove the stems only if they are thick and hard. Drain the leaves and put them in a large pan. Cover and set over low heat until the leaves crumple into a soft mass. They steam in the water that clings to them in a very few minutes. Drain, and when cool enough, squeeze out the excess water with your hands. Chop with a sharp knife and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Spanish TortillaThe Natural Cook by Tom Hunt
New potatoes fried until soft and savory and seasoned with paprika combine in this classic tortilla. Serve as a generous lunch with a salad of peppery green leaves and a handful of the sweetest cherry tomatoes. Serves 4
350g new potatoes, washed
A splash of olive oil
A pinch of sweet paprika
Salt and black pepper
2 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped (Can use Garlic Scapes)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Cut any large potatoes in half so all the pieces are roughly the same size. Bring to the boil in a saucepan of salted water, then reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until just soft. Check by pushing a knife into a potato – if it goes in without too much resistance, they are ready. Be careful not to let them get too soft, otherwise they will fall apart during frying.
2 Drain and cool, then dry, cut into cubes and fry in a good glug of the oil over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Keep turning to ensure a good all-round, golden, crisp skin. When ready, sprinkle with paprika and salt and set aside.
3 Slowly saute the onions for 15-20 minutes in light olive oil until they are very soft. Add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes. Add the onions to the potatoes and allow the whole lot to cool. Now add the eggs and mix, crushing the potatoes a little as you do so. Season with salt and pepper. Now taste a little of the mixture and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
4 Heat a deep 15-20cm frying pan with a good splash of the oil. When it begins to smoke, pour in the egg mixture: be careful as it may spit. Shake the pan from side to side with the handle so it doesn’t stick.
5 Reduce the heat to its lowest and cook for 4-5 minutes. Put your finger in the middle and feel how far through the egg is cooked. When it is cooked halfway through, it is ready to turn. Have a large plate ready to tip the tortilla on to. Using a tea towel and being careful of your hands and arms with the hot oil – and working over the sink in case of any spills – flip on to the plate.
6 Return the pan to the heat. Scrape off any bits that may have stuck and add a little more oil. When it’s hot, slide the tortilla back into the pan, raw-side down. Shake from side to side again to make sure it isn’t stuck. Using a wooden spoon, tuck the rough edges underneath to make them rounded, then cook for a further 5 minutes. Slide on to a plate and allow to cool. Serve at room temperature.