CSA Week 1

Apricots
Red Cherries
Garlic Scapes - pesto
Head Lettuce - salad
Beets - beet salad, or spring beet soup, or vinegret salat
Spinach - salad, crustless spinach quiche
Clover Sprouts - salad
Lacianato Kale - massaged kale salad
Shelling Peas
Fuji Apples
Fava Beans
Mint - quinoa salad, mint yogurt sauce for kabobs
Spring Onions - use like green onions
Rhubarb - rhubarb streusel muffins
Asian cucumbers - Salad

Garlic Scape Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes (or use half scapes and half herbs such as basil, dill, and chevril)
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
A few generous grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. In a small, dry pan set over very low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring or tossing occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
2. Combine the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you've defrosted it.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/the-crisper-whisperer-what-to-do-with-garlic-scapes-recipe.html

Thick, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Melt butter, then allow to cool to warm room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 325. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Combine both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low speed to combine. Add cooled butter, adjust speed to medium and beat for 2 full minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl, add vanilla and whole egg and beat for one minute, then add egg yolk. Beat for one final minute; the mixture should resemble pale brown buttercream at this point.
4. Add flour, baking soda and salt, and blend on low speed just until no white streaks of flour remain. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula.
5. Form dough into balls 2 inches across (about 1 1/2 Tbsp) and place on the prepared baking sheets a couple of inches apart. Bake 11 to 14 minutes, until edges are slightly crisp and the centers are set. Let cool on the baking sheets. Makes about 20 cookies. Will keep at room temperature for 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Source: PCC Taste magazine, May 2015

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

3 cups sliced strawberries
3 cups sliced rhubarb
1 1/2 white sugar
1/4 cup instant tapioca
1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
2 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a pie dish onto a baking sheet.
2. Mix the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, tapioca, and lemon juice in a bowl, and let stand for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Fit a pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish; pour the filling into the bottom crust. Scatter pieces of butter over the filling, and place the top crust onto the pie. Press the edges together and crimp to form a seal. Cut several slits into the top crust with a sharp knife.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 40-55 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes

Try #1 - June 10, 2015
Nathan is the pie-maker in our family, and I've been waiting to eat this pie again after he made it last year.  We used strawberries and rhubarb from our garden, and Nathan made a delicious pie crust.  It baked for about 45 minutes.  Unfortunately it didn't set very well and was very soupy... but it was also very delicious so it didn't really bother me.  Maybe baking it a little longer would help?  Also, he didn't let the filling stand for 15 minutes before putting it in the oven, so not sure if that would make a difference.  But, I love the simplicity of this recipe, and love that we could use strawberries and rhubarb from our backyard!  Strawberry Rhubarb pie is now an annual tradition!

Split Pea and Mint Croquettes with Minted Yogurt

2 cups yellow split peas
3 garlic cloves
2 onions, 1 cut into quarters and 1 very finely chopped or grated
Olive oil
Large bunch of fresh mint, chopped, or 1 Tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
3 oz hard sheep's cheese, such as manchego or pecorino, grated
1 egg
1 red chili, deseeded and chopped (optional)
Salt and black pepper
Flour, for dusting

For the sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
Large bunch of fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1. Put the split peas in a pan with the garlic, quartered onion, a good splash of olive oil, and 3 cups water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the split peas disintegrate into a puree with a bit of texture, not smooth (about 20-25 minutes). You can add more water if it is too dry, and more olive oil to taste. Leave to cool. You can do this stage the day before.
2. Mix the cold puree with the finely chopped onion, chopped mint, breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, chili, salt, and pepper. Mix well and shape into croquettes. Dust in flour and fry in hot olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
3. To make the sauce, mix the yogurt, mint, and garlic in a food processor with just enough water to give the consistency you want, usually in the region of 1/2 cup.

Source: Fresh from the Garden, by Sarah Raven

Try #1 - June 8, 2015
These were good; similar to my chickpea fritters.  I used green split peas, and it seemed like it took longer than the suggested 20-25 minutes to really get them soft - like closer to 45 minutes to an hour.  Nathan, Abby, and I liked them... they weren't really a hit with the other kiddos.  Oh well.