Sunday, August 2, 2009

Week Nine

This week everyone has potatoes, cucumbers, kale, a big bunch of sweet basil, lime basil and parsley. Full shares also received pattypan squash, beans, and a container of a mix of heirloom cherry tomatoes. Because there weren't many melons and eggplant, these went to partial shares - fulls will get these the next time we harvest. Partial shares also received three full size heirloom tomatoes instead of the mix of cherries.

I know shares have been heavy on the greens this year, and I hope you aren't all sick to death of kale! I planted too much, but there are a lot of great ways to use it. Here is a link to a simple recipe for kale and potato hash - www.eatingwell.com/recipes/kale_potato_hash.html
if you don't have shallots just substitute onions.

The lemon basil is excellent in a vinaigrette, but it also makes an amazing pesto when mixed with regular basil, and parsley. In a food processor combine 2 cups (packed) basil leaves (lime and sweet), 1 cup parsley leaves, 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts (toasting the nuts for a few minutes in a dry pan on the stove top gives them a great flavor), 3-4 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Process into a paste, and slowly add 1/2 olive oil while the mixer is running. Pesto is wonderful on fish, chicken, in pastas, on bread, with your tomatoes... I love pesto in pretty much anything. My friend Jen makes a fried egg and pesto sandwich for breakfast, which is just an egg between two slices of toast smeared with pesto. I haven't tried yet but sounds like the tastiest breakfast sandwich ever.

For those of you who have eggplant this week, you might try slicing it, salting the slices lightly and letting them sit for a few minutes, brushing them with olive oil and tossing them on the grill with some pesto on top.

2 comments:

Rachel K. said...

Here's a vinaigrette recipe that's good with potatoes and green beans:

1/2 cup veg. or olive oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. sugar (I used honey)
1/2 c. loosely packed fresh parsley leaves and stems, chopped

I cubed and roasted about 2 lasagna pans worth of potatoes (tossing them with olive oil, pepper, and salt). I boiled a bunch of green beans in salted water for about 5 minutes, then drained, cooled slightly, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Mix the beans with the potatoes, then add the vinaigrette and mix again. The above recipe was actually more than enough vinaigrette, so make less if needed, or save the extra for salads.

Xaparro said...

Two good recipes for kale are colcannon (kale and mashed potatoes - so simple you don't need a recipe but here's info on wikipedia) and the Portuguese soup: Caldo Verde (in which you chiffonade the kale).