Currently viewing the tag: "leeks"
Photo by Camilla M. Mann
Gazpacho is a chilled tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the Andalusia, the southern region of Spain. It is also consumed in neighboring Portugal where it is called gaspacho. It’s the perfect canvas to showcase the green garlic in our boxes this week. Sorry I don’t have any measurements for this recipe; I just used what I had and adjusted for taste as I went. Experiment!
tomatoes
cucumbers
green garlic
garlic
green leeks
olive oil
cumin
paprika
ancho chili powder
splash of red wine
sun-dried tomatoes
crème fraîche
fresh peas
In a large sauce pan, sauté sliced green garlic, leeks, and minced garlic in a splash of olive oil. When they begin to soften and brown, add a splash of red wine and season with ground spices. Simmer till completely softened.
Then, in batches, blend the garlic mixture with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers. Let cool completely.
Serve with a few sliced sun-dried tomatoes, crème fraîche, and fresh peas.
Photo by Camilla M. Mann
Today your CSA boxes most likely contain the following:
Grandes: Sweet peas, cilantro, chard, cauliflower, romaine, leeks, fava beans, strawberries, broccoli
Chica: broccoli, green garlic, cilantro, cauliflower, strawberries
Goods include real, organic local honey!
A few things you should know about about local honey:
From letitbeehoney.com
- The medicinal benefits of honey & pollen & beeswax have been recognized since the time of the Greeks.
- Local honey can provide relief from seasonable allergies. Consider the logic: the bees are collecting nectar from the very plants that are making you sneeze and sniffle, and so with honey you can ingest minute amounts of the very allergen that is troubling you.
- A tablespoon of local honey each day can relieve the symptoms of pollen related allergies.
- Include local honey in your daily diet throughout the year & you may never need to take antihistamines for pollen allergies again. Begin one month before your allergy problems generally start by eating one teaspoon of honey each day and continue until allergy season is over.
Consider the following:
- 75% of honey sold in US grocery technically isn’t honey. Food Safety News
- A third or more of all the honey consumed in the U.S. is likely to have been smuggled in from China and may be tainted with illegal antibiotics and heavy metals. A Food Safety News investigation has documented that millions of pounds of honey banned as unsafe in dozens of countries are being imported and sold here in record quantities. Grist.org
A note about our Co-op offerings:
Sadly, all of our small flocks in Carmel Valley have recently taken a hit from predators in the area, so egg production will be down slightly for a while, so we won’t be able to have eggs every week. We’ll do our best to find other sources, and the producers are adding chicks to their flocks to increase production – but it takes a few months before the chicks are big enough to lay eggs! Thanks for your patience!
Colleen recently sent out an email with a listing of beef and lamb that’s for sale – it comes from Paicines Ranch, in Paicines, and is grass fed and grass-finished! It’s USDA organic. The beef will be offered again in the store in June.
In Local News:
- Join your fellow CSA subscribers for a potluck, this Thursday, at the MIIS community garden. Don’t forget to pack your own reusable cups, plates and utensils! Local Catch + WE Coop. Potluck Garden Concert, Thursday, May 24, 2012, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. I might bring some strawberry rhubarb crisp, with freshly harvested garden rhubarb. What are you bringing?
- Otter 501′s theatrical run in Monterey and Santa Cruz has been extended at least through Thursday of next week 5/31! The documentary is currently playing at Central Coast Cinemas- Osio Plaza.
From Melissa and Colleen
Broccoli slaw is a great use for an abundance of brassicas, and makes a nice side dish!
Ingredients:
2 T guava jelly
1 swig balsamic vinegar
1 large swig white vinegar
1 swig olive oil
1 T sesame oil
2 T chili flakes
1 pinch sea salt
½ t freshly ground pepper
1 leek, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
1” ginger, peeled and diced
1/8 C chopped mint leaves
1/8 C fresh lemon juice
8 broccoli crowns
½ red cabbage, chopped
Directions:
Place first 13 ingredients in a sealed jar and shake well. Chop florets off broccoli crowns, and slice florets and stems into long slivers. Chop cabbage into slivers. Toss dressing with broccoli and cabbage. Enjoy!
Original recipe by Melissa Schuette
½ head cauliflower
2 crowns of broccoli
1 leek
½ bunch of kale
2T olive oil
Roughly chop all of the vegetables. Bring ½ inch water to a boil in a large sauté pan or wok. Add cauliflower, steam with lid on the pan for 1 minute. Add broccoli, steam all for 2 more minutes (until broccoli is bright green). Add kale, steam for one more minute. Drain excess water, add olive oil and chopped leek. Saute all for a couple of minutes. Enjoy as a side dish!
Source: Colleen Logan
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarse, fresh bread crumbs (from a French baguette)
- 2 tablespoons extra‐virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely sliced leek, white and pale green parts only
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4 large artichokes
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. When oven is preheated, spread the bread crumbs on a baking tray and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool and then transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the leek. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until the leeks begin to wilt. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool. When cool, add the contents of the skillet to the bread crumbs. Stir in the parmesan, lemon zest, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set the stuffing aside at room temperature.
Cut off the stems of the artichokes and discard or save for another use. Cut off the top third of each artichoke leaf and discard. Gently spread the leaves outward from the center of each artichoke to partially open it like a flower. Remove the pointed leaves and hairy choke from the center with a small spoon and discard. Spoon some of the stuffing into the center of each artichoke, adding stuffing between the leaves as well. Transfer the artichokes to a deep glass or ceramic baking pan, and top each vegetable with a knob of butter. Add enough hot water to come 1/2 inch up the sides of the artichokes. Don’t add too much water or the stuffing will get soggy. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or a sheet of aluminum foil.
Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the artichokes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife or skewer, about 40 minutes. Remove the lid or foil, and continue cooking until the stuffing is golden, 5 to 10 minutes more. Carefully remove the artichokes from the pan with tongs or a slotted spatula, and serve hot or warm.
adapted from Earthbound Farms Cookbook
Local, seasonal seafood from the Monterey Bay, co-delivered to our delivery sites Tuesdays by our partner Local Catch Monterey Bay!
