Thai Green Chicken Curry 10/15/2011
Thai food is one of my favorite types of food in this world. Their culture really knows how to mix flavors and ingredients. This is a recipe for using up lots of hot peppers and ping tung eggplants. It takes a bit of work to make the curry, but the recipe makes lots and you can save it for other recipes. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Peanut or Corn oil 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (I also substitute leftover pork roast or tofu or use your favorite seafood.) 2 kaffir lime leaves, coarsely torn (I skip this, hard to find) 1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped (asian market in Portsmouth always carries this, and you can grow it in your garden!) 1 cup canned coconut milk 16 baby eggplants, halved or 8 ping tung eggplants 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce Fresh Thai basil sprigs to garnish For the green curry paste: 16 fresh chili peppers (pick mild or super spicy ones, I love it spicy) 2 shallots, sliced 4 kaffir lime leaves 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root or galangal 1 tsp grated lime rind 5 black peppercorns 1 Tbsp sugar salt 2 Tbsp peanut or corn oil First make the curry paste. Seed the chiles if you like and coarsely chop. Place all the paste ingredients, except the oil, in a mortar and pound with a pestle. Alternatively, process in a food processor. Gradually blend in the oil. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil in a preheated wok or large, heavy-bottom skillet. Add 2 Tbsp of the curry paste and stir-fry briefly until all the aromas are released. Add the chicken, lime leaves, and lemongrass and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until the meat is starting to color. Add the coconut milk and eggplants and let simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the fish sauce and serve at once, garnished with Thai basil sprigs and lime leaves. Add Comment Watermelon Radishes 09/26/2011
 Watermelon Radish The Watermelon Radish is one of the super fun vegetables I looked forward to growing all season. This typically fall grown radish is not spicy, it has a mild sweet flavor and a surprising pink center. I found some great recipes to share with on the best ways to use it. Check out this website, TasteSpotting, for some extra fancy recipes or see below for an easy one that has been tested by my friend and recommends it. Watermelon Radish – Apple Salad over Baby GreensOriginal link Here: Get Well Grounded Ingredients:
Tomatillos, The Mexican Tomato 08/22/2011
 I love tomatillos. I planted extra this year, because I love them so much. They are so full of flavor and easy to use. Throw them into any tomato sauce for a richer flavor, and also any Mexican dish or chili. They are available for pick your own in the back field across from the hoop house. Below is my favorite recipe! Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Roasting the tomatillos first gives this salsa an irresistible depth of flavor and smooth texture. Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet: 1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed Broil until darkened and softened on one side, about 4 minutes; turn the tomatillos over and broil on the other side 5-6 minutes more. Let cool completely. Place the roasted tomatillos (and any juice that has accumulated around them) in a blender or food processor along with: 3 fresh hot green chili peppers (such as serrano, or jalepeno), seeded and chopped 1 small clove garlic, minced (optional) Coarsely puree, leaving the mixture a little chunky. Remove to a medium bowl, and stir in: 1/4 cup water 1 small white onion, finely chopped, rinsed and drained 3 to 4 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro 1 tsp salt 3/4 tsp sugar To thin salsa to a medium consistency, add: Up to a 1/4 cup of water Let the salsa stand for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to develop. Compliments of Joy of Cooking cookbook Contributions From the Share Members 08/14/2011
 Picture of 1/2 of the Stuber's share this week and some pick your own! Beautiful!! Here are some recipe's given to me by the share members this week. I LOVE hearing about what is made with all the food and how it's shared. This first recipe is Zucchini Apple PIe. I have had a slice of this pie, and I can verify that it really does taste like apple pie!! Zucchini Apple Pie Toss together: 4 cups of sliced zucchini, cooked until tender crisp (big zucchini's work too) 2 Tbsp lemon juice dash of salt Mix in a Bowl: 1 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar dash of nutmeg 3 Tbsp flour Add the zucchini and mix well. It will be runny, but that's okay. Dump the filling into a 9-inch pie crust and dot with butter. Add the top crust and bake at 400 F, 40 minutes or until golden brown. Next is Mila's Gazpacho. She made this just so she could have a tomato and cucumber free zone in her house, or at least until the next share pick up. I was told she quadrupled this recipe for her family. Mila's Gazpacho 5 Tomatoes 1 Cucumber 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup vinegar ( I use rice vinegar, but other kinds will also work) 1 roasted bell pepper - red if possible (Roast pepper on gas stove or grill until skin is all black. Place in zip lock bag and sweat for 5 minutes. Remove backened skin by rubbing pepper in the bag. If a little skin is left on pepper, thats OK. Remove stem and seeds.) salt and pepper to tast 2 cloves of garlic Puree everything in a blender. Serve chilled. Top with croutons or toasted bread crumbs. The Word on the Street is: Cucumber 07/28/2011
 This seems to be the year of the cucumber. We have lot and lots of cucumbers this year. And yes, I realize that maybe our namesake Gerkin is helping them grow. One of my favorite and easy cucumber recipes is refrigerator pickles. They say once you make them, the pickles will stay fresh for up to 3 months in your fridge, but I haven't found that out yet. They usually don't last a week in our house. Refrigerator Pickles 2 cups distilled white vinegar 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup kosher or pickling salt 8-10 medium cucumbers, sliced 1/8” thick 1 large white onion, thinly sliced 2 - 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced into 1/8” strips 2 Tbsp dill seed 1 tsp mustard seed 1 tsp whole peppercorns 1/2 tsp celery seed Prepare 1 half-gallon or 2 quart canning jars and lids Whisk together the vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl to dissolve sugar. Set aside. Layer the cucumbers, peppers, onions, garlic and spices in the jar(s). Pour in the vinegar mixture. It will not cover the vegetables at first but will as they release liquid as they cure. Cap the jar(s) tightly and put in the refrigerator for 1 week, turning the jar upside down and shaking a bit once a day to keep the ingredients mixed. Serve after 1 week or continue to store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Adapted from The Gardeners’ Community Cookbook If you are more adventurous, try canning some!!! Garlic-Dill Pickles Makes ~ 5 quarts. 2 ½ lbs. of cucumbers Fresh dill heads Garlic cloves Hot red peppers 1 cup pickling salt 4 cups cider vinegar Wash cucumbers thoroughly. Pack into hot jars, leaving about ½ inch headspace. Add 2 heads fresh dill, garlic (as many cloves as you like!), and 1-2 peppers. In medium saucepan, combine pickling salt, cider vinegar, and 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil. Pour boiling mixture over cucumbers, leaving ½ inch headspace. Adjust lids, process 20 minutes in boiling water bath. Submitted by Cheryl Rowell, from Better Homes and Gardens Canning: taken from Willow Pond CSA recipe website. Another great way to eat cucumbers on a hot day: Ingredients
Kohlrabi 07/07/2011
 Purple Kohlrabi Kohlrabi is a 2 part German word for cabbage and turnips, and it is a vegetable crossed between the two. It is so easy to grow, but is weird looking, so most people don't take to it too well. I say give it a try! It can be served raw or cooked. The easiest way is to grate it right into your salad, just like you would shredded carrots. Another great way is to cut it into cubes and dip into soy sauce and sesame seeds. One of my favorite cooked recipes is Kohlrabi and Chicken Stew. It's probably better eaten in the fall or winter. There will be another batch of kohlrabi grown for the fall, if you would like to wait until the cooler weather to try it. Kohlrabi and Chicken Stew This is delicious served on top of butter-coated barley, couscous, or rice. 3-4lb chicken 2lb kohlrabi 3/4 carrots 4 Tb butter 4 cups sliced onions 1 cup peeled and seeded, and chopped tomatoes 2 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp corriander 1 Qt chicken broth or water 4 sprigs of parsley Wash chicken, dry, remove fat, and cut into serving pieces. Peel and trim kohlrabis, separating the leaves from the flesh. Leave kohlrabies whole if small; cut into 1 inch chunks if large. Wash and derib the leaves, then cut into 1/4 inch strips. (You'll need 2-3 cups of julienned leaves.) Peel the carrots, and slice diagonally into 1/2 inch-thick pieces. In a large saucepan, heat the butter and saute the onions, tomatoes, salt, and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken, tomatoes, salt, and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth or water and parsley. Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the kohlrabies, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the carrots, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Finally, add the kohlrabi leaves and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until all the vegetables are completely tender. Add chunked vegetables, like squash, or zucchini. Recipe from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash Sausage and Portuguese Kale Soup 06/16/2011
 Portuguese Kale This is another one of my favorite recipes. I searched high and low for the seeds for this particular green, Beira Tronchuda or Portuguese Kale. It's actually a loose headed cabbage. What's great about this particular kale is that it retains it's shape and thickness after it's been cooked, unlike other kales. It's the very reason for this famous and traditional recipe. Sausage and Portuguese Kale Soup 1/2 pound bulk sausage (I have also used links) Brown in soup pot and remove meat. 1 cup onion, green onion, or chives(chopped) garlic scapes to taste (minced; optional) Saute in reserved sausage fat until soft. Return sausage to soup pot. 4 cups chicken or veggie broth 1 cup potatoes (diced) salt and pepper to taste Add, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are soft, 10-15 min. 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk 1-3 cups portuguese kale or any other green you would like; spinach, dandelion, watercress, etc... (chopped) parsley to taste Add and cook until tender. Garnish each bowl with freshly grated Parmesean cheese. Adapted from Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert Bok Choy with Gingery Butter 06/06/2011
 This is an easy and yummy recipe for Bok Choy from Farmer John's Cookbook by Farmer John Peterson and Angelic Organics. 2 medium choy, sliced crosswise into 1-inch strips 6 Tblsp butter 2 Tblsp soy sauce or tamari 1 Tblsp grated or finely chopped fresh ginger 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tblsp finely chopped fresh cilantro salt pepper 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the choy; cook until the choy is tender but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the choy in a colander and immediately run under cold water. Drain well. 2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and choy; cook, stirring constantly, until the choy is well coated and heated through. 3. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Scallion Recipes 05/23/2011
Willow Pond CSA has an awesome recipe page for all the usual suspect vegetables in our area. If you are at a loss for what to prepare with some of your in season vegetables, this is a great place to look for ideas. We are having Scallion Fried Rice for dinner tonight in our house. Check out all the rest of them here. Favorite Spring Salad 05/01/2011
 Every spring I look forward to eating this salad! It's fresh mixed greens, with goat cheese, maybe some walnuts, a dash of salt/pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and vinaigrette (and sometimes tamari sauce). It is so simple, but it screams the start of spring for me. I should have some fresh arugula ready soon too to add a spicy twist. | AuthorAudrey Gerkin, is a gardener gone wild, after teaching in special education and raising 3 beautiful girls, ages 5 - 10, she has found a new calling in farming. ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll |
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