Randy Rabney recipes

Here are two recipes from Randy Rabney of The Conscious Plate (www.TheConsciousPlate.com) that should come in handy for this week's share. Randy is also a fellow Maplewood CSA member!

Sautéed Greens and Beans with Scallions and Garlic

This simple recipe is packed with flavor and also offers incredible health benefits. Enjoy it as a side dish or with some whole grains as a main course.

With any of these ingredients please feel free to adjust the amounts to your taste

1 bunch of any variety of kale or chard or greens of your choice, washed and chopped or shredded into bite size pieces

2-3 large scallions, more if thinner, chopped (use all of the white and as much green as you like)

2 large cloves, more if smaller, pressed

1 can of chick peas or white beans drained

Extra Virgin Olive oil to Sauté

Sea Salt and fresh pepper to taste

Crushed Red pepper or hot sauce to taste (optional)

Heat some oil in a sauté pan. When the oil is hot, add the scallions and let them begin to soften, then add the garlic and stir until the garlic is golden brown. Stir in the beans and then the greens. Cook until the greens are wilted and desired tenderness. Season with salt and pepper.

Arugula, Beet, Feta and Walnut Salad

I love the combination of flavors and textures in this salad. It’s so simple to prepare and is great alone or with some grilled grass fed steak or wild salmon, it’s even a nice side dish for an omelet as a dinner option. You can play with the amounts of each ingredient to create the salad that you like.

Wild baby arugula or the best that you can find (watercress works well here too)

*2-3 beets, steamed or roasted, cut into bite size pieces

Feta cheese, either cut into bite sized pieces or crumbled

Walnuts cut into pieces

Roasted walnut oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

**Saba (optional)

Balsamic Vinegar

Sea Salt to taste

Combine the 1^st 4 ingredients in a bowl large enough to comfortably hold everything with room to toss. When you dress the salad, you want to use a ratio of basically 3:1 oil to vinegar (so 3 times as much the oil as the vinegar). Drizzle equal parts walnut and olive oil over the salad. If using saba, drizzle about 1 teaspoon full. Then drizzle the balsamic using the same amount whether you use the saba or not. Toss with tongs. Add sea salt to taste, toss again.

* Beets are easily roasted by rinsing them off and wrapping them in foil. Place them on a baking sheet in a preheated 450 oven. Depending upon size, they take about 1 hour. Poke it with a knife and if there isn’t resistance, it’s done. Remove them from the oven and carefully open the foil, don’t get burned by the steams. Run them under cold water and the skins will come right off. Then they are ready to eat.

**saba is a sweet syrup that is made from the same grapes as balsamic vinegar but it is not fermented. The juice is slowly cooked down for 2-3 days and the result is incredible. If you can find it, I highly recommend trying it.

Copyright 2009© THE CONSCIOUS PLATE. All rights reserved.
Tel. (646)734-9077 :: Email: Randy@TheConsciousPlate.com

Week 4 - June 29th

Today's share includes (for a full share):

Cippolini onions

Scallions
Beets
Orange carrots
Mixed colored carrots
Swiss Chard
Collard Greens
1 head each of
Red romaine lettuce
Oakleaf lettuce
Green leaf lettuce

I know I recently saw a recipe calling for beets (beets are not my favorite, I'll admit) and went searching on Cooking Light's website. I receive this magazine every month and thought I may have seen the recipe there. Not sure if this is what I remember, but it sure is perfect for this week! Here is a risotto recipe that calls for beets and swiss chard! Also, if you have some leftover ginger from doing Asian stir fries the last couple of weeks, use the rest here! Serve with a salad and you are good to go!

Beet Risotto with Greens, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts

Before you sauté the onion, toast the walnuts in the Dutch oven until they're fragrant. Cooking the beets along with the rice renders a beautiful burgundy color.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• -- 2 teaspoons olive oil
• -- 1 cup chopped onion
• -- 1 cup Arborio rice
• -- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• -- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• -- 1/2 cup dry white wine
• -- 3 cups finely chopped peeled beets
• -- 1/2 cup water
• -- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• -- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
• -- 6 cups finely sliced Swiss chard
• -- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
• -- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add rice, ginger, and rosemary; saute 1 minute. Add wine; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.

Add beets, water, salt, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until beets are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in chard; cook 5 minutes. Add cheese, stirring until blended. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon walnuts.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

412 (30% from fat)

Fat:

13.7g (sat 4.9g,mono 4g,poly 3.6g)

Protein:

14.1g

Carbohydrate:

57.5g

Fiber:

4.1g

Cholesterol:

14mg

Iron:

2.1mg

Sodium:

611mg

Calcium:

92mg

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2002

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

Here is another arugula idea! My friend and fellow CSA member Aileen loves this Barefoot Contessa recipe - we are going to try it this weekend!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 lemons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

Herbs

I was excited to see the selection of mixed herbs at the CSA yesterday! I got two of my favorites - cilantro and dill. I put cilantro in guacamole, tortilla soup and also top any enchilada with heaping amounts!

As for the dill, I instantly knew I wanted to make these salmon burgers! My friend Nikki gave me this recipe and it is fantastic...dinner tonight!

Salmon Burgers

Mix together in a bowl:

1T. soy sauce (I used reduced sodium)
1t. sesame oil
1 egg white
¼ c. diced green onion

Add:
1 lb. salmon, diced into small pieces (I ask the fish monger to skin it and make sure there aren’t any bones in it)

Add:
¾ c. panko

Shape into 4-5 patties and coat in extra panko and sauté in olive oil until done. Serve with yogurt-dill sauce.

Yogurt Dill Sauce (You can buy this at Whole Foods if you are short on time.)

1 small container of 0% fat Greek yogurt
Maybe ½ t. hot sauce (or to taste)
Juice from ½ lemon
1-2 T. sour cream (optional)
Maybe ¼ c. chopped fresh dill (eyeball it)

Enjoy!

June 22 - Week 3

My husband will be beyond excited that the arugula in this week's share has brought this recipe to the dinner table this week! This is his favorite salad (and perhaps favorite summer dinner?)

Pesto Chicken Salad (Nordstrom Friends and Family Cookbook)

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 c pesto

¼ c pine nuts, toasted

¼ c oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes cut into ¼ in. wide strips

½ c golden raisins

¼ c kalamata olives, pitted and slivered

1 ½ c firmly packed arugula leaves, stemmed

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill, or preheat a gas grill on high.

Cut the chicken breasts in half and trim away any cartilage and fat. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Place the chicken directly over the fire. Cover the grill and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken 90 degrees to create attractive cross-hatching and cook for 2 min. longer. Flip the chicken breasts over and continue grilling until tender and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, let cool slightly, and then cut into ½ inch cubes.

In a bow, toss the chicken with the pesto, pine nuts, tomatoes, raisins and olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange a bed of arugula leaves on each salad plate and spoon some of the chicken salad in the center. Serve immediately.

Cook’s Note: This salad taste much better if you allow the chicken to char slightly – not burnt, yet a little black.

Spicy Greens

Looking for something simple but yummy for all those spicy greens? Check this out from Rachael Ray:

Ingredients

• 1 bunch arugula, cleaned, trimmed and chopped
• 1 head radicchio, chopped
• 2 cups chopped escarole, 1/2 head
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, cracked
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Arrange greens on a large platter. Heat oil and garlic in a small pan over moderate heat. Simmer garlic in oil to infuse the flavor. Remove the garlic from the oil and transfer it to a small bowl. Wipe the pan and return to heat. Add balsamic vinegar. Raise heat to high and reduce vinegar by 1/2, 30 seconds. Stream oil into saucepan and whisk to combine with vinegar. Drizzle dressing over the salad and season the greens with salt and pepper.

Week 2 - June 15

I took a picture of the list because I wasn't sure I would remember the names of some of today's greens! This week we received:

Spinach

Red & green bok choy

Tat soi

Turnips

Lettuce

Spicy Greens

Fun Choy

Just to get us started have a look at this recipe and info for tat soi.

Also, re the turnips...I LOVE turnips and have always had them at Thanksgiving - prepared boiled and mashed with butter and salt - yum! The quantity we received probably won't make up a huge batch if prepared this way, but I found this really interesting recipe for Asian pot roast that calls for turnips. Sounds yummy!

Lastly, I am determined to find a recipe I love that uses bok choy. Not so excited by the bok choy and broccoli I posted last week. It was ok but certainly not something I would rush to prepare again. This recipe for Roast Salmon with Thai Red Curry and Bok Choy sounds FABULOUS! Can't wait to try it this week!

Hope these recipes help you out with this week's share!

Garlic scapes

Click here for more info on garlic scapes and for a recipe for garlic scape pesto that came recommended to me. Planning on some fresh pasta with garlic scape pesto for dinner next week. Don't forget that Whole Foods in Maplewood has fresh pasta...also the Farmer's Market in Summit usually does as well!

Bok Choy dilemma

I will admit up front that I have never cooked with Bok Choy before...so here goes.

I found this recipe on Martha Stewart's website and plan to make it for lunch. Bok choy did not fit into my dinner plans this week and I have some broccoli I need to use, so this recipe fits the bill!

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 to 6.

• 1 pound bok choy
• 1 pound broccoli
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut white stalks from bok choy; slice stems into 1-inch pieces. Coarsely chop green leaves.
2. Peel stalks from broccoli; slice 1/4 inch thick. Cut florets into bite-size pieces.
3. In a large skillet, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Add bok choy stalks and broccoli; cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until broccoli is bright green, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover; cook on high heat until water evaporates, 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Add bok choy leaves, oil, and garlic. Cook, tossing often, until garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes. Add ginger and soy sauce; stir to combine.

Week 1 - June 8th

Yay! Now I can blog about what this blog is really about - our experience with a CSA! Today was our first pick up day and I was so glad that we had visited the farm so that I could tell the kids that all the veggies had been picked "at that farm where we had breakfast!" Not only were these veggies fresh from our farm, the were picked at 11 AM this morning!

On the list for today's pick up: chives, lettuce, spinach, bok choy, garlic scapes, radicchio, and green garlic. I am happy to report that most of the spinach as well as a third of the green garlic is gone. Absolutely delish - warmed the garlic in olive oil, added the spinach until wilted and then seasoned with a bit of salt, pepper and lemon. Perfect as a side with salmon...

Here is another favorite recipe using spinach:

Ziti with Spinach, Cherry Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Sauce (Cooking Light September 2008)

• 4 ounces uncooked ziti
• 1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 tablespoons half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup fresh spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, crushed red pepper, and minced garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in half-and-half and Gorgonzola cheese; cook 2 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in spinach and pasta; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts, tossing occasionally.

As soon as I saw the radicchio, one recipe came to mind. My husband Steve will be very thankful that I need to use some radicchio this week! One of our favorite lasagna recipes ever was given to us by my friend, Jenn, from our days in Zurich, Switzerland. She brought this lasagna over right after we had our second baby. I knew from the first bite that I had to have the recipe! Jenn took cooking classes in Tuscany and was taught the recipe by two little old Italian ladies. She watched what they did and wrote down the directions and amounts. Have you had a lasagna that contains radicchio and rosemary? If not, make this and enjoy the flavors!

Jenn’s Tuscan Lasagna (Zurich 2006)

• fresh lasagna or pre-cooked dry lasagna
• 1 pound sausage (or ground beef - I use ground beef)
• 1 large head of radicchio, shredded
• 2 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
• 2 T finely chopped garlic
• 2 T finely chopped red onion
• 2 T finely chopped fresh rosemary
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper to taste
• ½ c dry white wine
• 1 ½ c crushed tomatoes
• 1 full recipe béchamel sauce*
• 1 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil

Béchamel Sauce: 1/2 c butter, 3/4 c flour, 33 oz milk -- cook flour in butter and slowly add milk whisking until smooth and thick, season with fresh nutmeg

Braise the radicchio with crushed garlic, balsamic vinegar (a splash or 2), 2 T olive oil and about ¾ c water until wilted and pretty soft. Drain and set aside.

Heat 4 T oil, chopped garlic, rosemary and onion and sauté over medium heat. Add the meat and cook breaking it up with a spoon. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste.

Cook for 10 min. more and add white wine to deglaze. When the wine reduces,
add the tomatoes and cook for 15 min. and set aside.

In a greased pan, layer lasagna, then meat sauce (not a real heavy layer), radicchio, béchamel and sprinkle with a third of the cheese. Repeat 3 times ending with the top layer of meat, radicchio and béchamel and cheese that
should be the thickest

Bake 30-45 min. at 400°F (first 20 min. covered).
Enjoy!

Hope that helps you enjoy this week's share just a little bit more!