Currently viewing the tag: "mint"
Photo by Camilla M. Mann
cooked organic tricolor quinoa (1 C uncooked)
2 Persian cucumbers
3 kumato brown tomatoes
2 C fresh chopped Italian parsley
1/2 C fresh chopped mint
2 fresh chopped scallions
olive oil
freshly ground pink Himalaya salt
freshly ground rainbow peppercorns
juice from 1 yuzu*
1/4 C chopped pecans
I cooked the quinoa according to the package directions, then let it cool. Then I added the cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. And tossed it with the remaining ingredients till it was glossy. I served it on a fresh chard leaf, garnished with fresh mint sprigs.
A few kitchen notes…
Quinoa is a crunchy, high-protein grain from South America. The Incas held the crop to be sacred, referring to quinoa as chisaya mama or ‘mother of all grains’. During the European conquest of South America, the Spanish colonists scorned quinoa as ‘food for Indians’; the conquistadores actually forbade quinoa cultivation for a time and the Incas were forced to cultivate wheat in its place.
*Yuzu is an East Asian sour citrus fruit, looking a bit like a small, bumpy grapefruit. I happened across from bottled yuzu juice in an Asian market and decided to use it instead of lemon juice. Feel free to use whatever citrus you have on hand.
It’s time for your weekly CSA pick up! Here’s what you can expect in your box this week…
Grande:
- leeks
- French Breakfast radish
- lettuce
- kale
- chard
- parsley
- mustard greens
- spinach
- Meyer lemons
- mint
- strawberries
- onions
- shallots
Chica:
- leeks
- French Breakfast radish
- lettuce
- kale
- spinach
- Meyer lemons
- mint
- strawberries
- onions
- shallots
Goods:
- Monterey Say Salt Company sea salt with Herbes de Provençe – the herbs are all from Carmel Valley, salt from Monterey Bay
- handmade goat milk soap from Belle Tree Farm in Carmel Valley
Click to read about eating a rainbow. This week’s box contains lots of colors. If you need some inspiration, check out these recipes.
RED + GREEN
Strawberry-Mint-Feta Skewer. Photo by Camilla M. Mann
BLUE + YELLOW
- Blueberry Lemonade. Photo by Camilla M. Mann
GREEN + YELLOW
‘Badly formed’ Dumplings with Ricotta and Chard
This is so simple, it almost doesn’t deserve the title of a recipe. Almost. It’s also so delicious, you shouldn’t pass up the chance to make it, especially since you’ll have two of the three ingredients in your box from Fogline Farm.
strawberries + mint leaf + a cube of feta cheese
Photo by Camilla M. Mann
Serve this delicious spring dip with pita chips or chopped veggies.
2 T butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3–4 garlic cloves or 1 stalk of fresh garlic, finely chopped
A good handful of mint, finely chopped, plus a sprig
3 1/3 C fresh or frozen peas
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few chives
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the shallots or onion and saute for 15–20 minutes, until very soft. Add the garlic and saute for a couple more minutes, then set aside.
In a separate saucepan, cook the peas with a sprig of mint in enough lightly salted boiling water to cover them by 2–3cm, until tender. Drain, add to the onion mix and set aside.
Using a food processor, blender or a stick bender, blitz the peas with the onion, garlic, chopped mint and a twist of pepper, adding just a little water, to obtain a coarse pure.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve scattered with chopped chives, if you like.
Adapted from rivercottage.net
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 pounds mixed firm-ripe heirloom or other tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- Salt and cracked black pepper
Preparation
- 1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil. Rinse and core tomatoes and slice 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Arrange in layers in an airtight container or on a serving dish, drizzling vinegar mixture and sprinkling mint, basil, salt, and pepper evenly over each layer.
- 2. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Sunset
JUNE 2005
Local, seasonal seafood from the Monterey Bay, co-delivered to our delivery sites Tuesdays by our partner Local Catch Monterey Bay!
