Seeing red

Berry U-Picks.

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Veggie list and veggie notes (June 16/17, 2016, week #5, green EOW)

It was hot this week, so there are a gazillion strawberries.
It was hot this week, so the radishes are spicy even though they are still small.
It was hot this week, so the arugula is spicy too.
It was hot this week, so the broccoli is exotic-looking.  You get the idea.

Strawberries, 3 quarts!
Asparagus, about 1 lb
Spinach, 1 bunch
Kale, 1 bunch
Iceberg lettuce
Salad radishes, 1 spicy bunch
Arugula, 1 spicy bunch
Garlic scapes, a handful

A few sites will get a small bag of snap peas.
A few sites will get small broccoli heads.

Next week’s box will probably contain strawberries, peas, daikon, zucchini, spinach, lettuce, garlic scapes and more.

Strawberries! – We’ve been waiting for these.
♦ Ripe strawberries are perishable.  Ripe berries should be eaten immediately, or stored in the refrigerator.  Most berries are quite clean.  If you want to clean your berries, rinse gently.  Don’t soak them, just rinse.
♦ You will receive three containers of strawberries.  Compare the containers, judge which berries are softer and more ripe, and eat those first.
♦ Please recycle your strawberry containers.  We no longer collect them for re-use.  Please don’t return them to your pick-up site.
Asparagus – This is the final delivery.  We’ve sent you almost 6 lb this season, including this week.  Now it’s time to let the plants grow and replenish their enormous underground storage roots, accumulating energy to fuel next spring’s harvests.
Green kale (bundle of dark green, frilly leaves)  – Super nutritious, this first picking of the year is great cooked or used in raw salads like the one from Local Thyme this week.
Iceberg lettuce – We grew iceberg lettuce for the first time last year, at Maggie’s urging. She’s the boss of the lettuce patch, so we generally go along with whatever she wants.  At least with lettuce.  Last year’s experiment worked out very well, so we grew another batch of iceberg this year.  Make a wedge salad and enjoy.
Salad radishes – As mentioned, the radishes are spicy because the weather has been hot.  Here are ways to temper radishes:
♦ Cook the radishes
♦ Marinate them.
♦ Slice and place in an ice-water bath.  Even a few minutes of soaking tames their heat.
Arugula – This is also spicy this week.  If you want to eat the arugula raw, chop a bit more finely than usual and mix with other greens like spinach.  You still get the arugula’s aroma and taste but diluted by the other greens.  Cooking also mellows the arugula.
Garlic scapes (curly green things) – Garlic scapes grow at the top of garlic plants.  They look like flower buds but are actually clusters of tiny bulblets.  We snap off the young scapes to direct the plants’ energy into forming garlic bulbs underground.  Use scapes as a substitute for garlic cloves.  They can be minced, mixed with olive oil, and added to stir fries or simple pasta dishes.  The scapes can be sautéed, but will not brown like garlic cloves.  Expect them to retain their crunch even when cooked, and to be milder than garlic cloves, closer in pungency to the green garlic we’ve sent.  Some of this week’s scapes are from our garlic field and some are from our friend John Hendrickson of Stone Circle Farm who grows organic garlic bulbs for our CSA.

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

Lauren Rudersdorf of The Leek & The Carrot blog plans to keep writing recipes for us. This is a coup for Tipi members!  Lauren cannot promise recipes every week so let’s enjoy her ideas when available. Lauren and husband Kyle live down the road from us and grow a similar mix of crops. That means we tend to eat in synch.

ASPARAGUS & MOZZARELLA PIZZA WITH ARUGULA PESTO
Adapted from Wisconsin from Scratch
This arugula pesto with garlic scapes is super versatile. You can use it on pasta or sandwiches, in your morning scrambled eggs or even as a spread for baked potatoes. The possibilities are endless when using pesto. This recipe will make twice as much as you need for the pizza so store the rest in your fridge for a couple weeks.

Takes 2 hours if you make the dough from scratch, 45 min if you use prepackaged pizza dough
Serves 2-4.

1 batch Simple Pizza Dough (or prepackaged pizza dough; available at the Willy Street Co-op and most grocery stores)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella (or regular shredded mozzarella if you can’t find fresh)
1/2 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Arugula Pesto:
2 cups packed arugula leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic scapes (about 2-4 depending on size)
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Prepare pizza dough according to directions below if making from scratch. Let rise while preparing pesto.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Slice mozzarella and place in a colander to allow the extra moisture to drain off. This will keep liquid from pooling on your pizza. If you use regular store-bought shredded mozzarella you can skip this step.
3. Prepare arugula pesto. Combine arugula, garlic scapes, Parmesan, walnuts, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and uniform. Slowly pour in olive oil and lemon juice while the food processor runs until mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust salt, pepper or lemon as desired.
4. Once pizza dough is risen, roll out on a floured counter into a 12-inch circle. Place dough on a pizza pan.
5. Using a spatula, spread half of the pesto onto the pizza (leaving a one-inch border around the edges). Scatter asparagus evenly over pizza. Tear mozzarella slices into pizza and place atop pizza. Sprinkle with Parmesan and red pepper flakes (if using). Bake for 18 minutes until the crust is golden brown and cheese is just beginning to brown. Serve warm!

Simple Pizza Dough:
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon yeast
2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1. Combine warm water, honey and yeast in a small bowl or measuring cup. Let sit for five minutes.
2. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Create a well in the center and pour in yeast mixture. Stir until dough begins to form, then knead until all flour is incorporated. Cover with a thin towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for 20 minutes.
3. Turn out dough onto a floured counter and knead until smooth. Drizzle bowl with olive oil and return dough to it. Cover with thin towel or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).

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SPRING SALAD WITH ROASTED STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE
A lot of people think that kale is too tough or too bitter for using in a salads. I would have to disagree. Kale, when used properly, is one of the best salad greens there is. Often I cut kale really small to use it in salads, but another great method is to massage it (directions below) and/or combine it with another lighter green like I did here. Enjoy the bright strawberries and flavors of summer!
Takes 40 minutes
Makes 6-8 servings depending on if it’s a side or meal (and how much salad you can eat in one sitting)

1 bunch kale, ribs removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 cups chopped spinach (about 1/2 pound)
1 quart strawberries, halved or quartered based on size
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette:
1 quart strawberries, halved or quartered based on size
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (or you will have a real mess on your hands) and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add 1 quart of halved and quartered strawberries. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
3. While the strawberries are roasting, prepare the kale. Remove the kale from the ribs (I just tear it right off) and place leaves in a large bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt over kale. Using your hands, massage the kale leaves while working the olive oil and salt into the leaves. Tear the leaves as you massage the kale so they are in bite-size pieces. Continue to massage for about 5 minutes until kale is a vibrant green and has broken down.
4. Remove strawberries from oven and add to a food processor (or small bowl). Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, water, sugar and mustard. Pulse until smooth and emulsified. Emulsified just means that the dressing has turned creamy and the vinegar should not be too pungent but instead well-incorporated.
5. Toss as much dressing as you desire with greens until evenly incorporated. Add second quart of strawberries, feta and pecans. Enjoy immediately!

Storage tip: If you don’t think you’ll eat all this salad at one time, keep the greens in your fridge with toppings. Store dressing separately and combine just before serving.

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LOCAL THYME RECIPES

Comforting Classics

Strawberry Frozen Custard
Chickpea and Kale Salad
Butter Braised Radishes
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Radish and Parmesan Dressing

Outside the Box Recipes

Strawberry Radish Arugula Salad
Angel Hair Pasta with Kale, Lemon and Pecans
Pickled Radishes
Iceberg Remoulade

Quick and Easy Meal

Scrambled Eggs with Three Greens, Radish and Feta