In Your Share (Week of Oct 8th, 2018)

Time for beautiful and tasty fall cauliflower!! Regular white cauliflower is good stuff, but the purple and orange heads are even more beautiful and nutritious because they contain elevated levels of anthocyanin and beta carotene respectively. Then there is the green fractal romanesco which we love growing – and eating – just because it is so cool looking : )

You’ll find recipes for the cauliflower and everything else in your share, at Cook With What You Have. If you’re a CSA member, you will find your password in your most recent email. Enjoy 24/7 access to recipe inspiration!

This week your share may include…

  • Carrots: Yum!!
  • Cauliflower: All the different varieties can be eaten raw or cooked just like regular white cauliflower. I usually roast florets or steaks in cast iron or under the broiler. Simple Italian flavors like olive oil, garlic & red pepper flakes work well or try it with asian spices like soy sauce, ginger and siriachi. No matter what you do, make sure and let the cauli cook long enough to get carmelized on the edges! This recipe is from one of my favorite Sellwood restaurants – Gino’s Cauliflower Pasta. Or try this Cauliflower Cake recipe that one of our shareholders recommended from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi. Or try these variations on the popular East Indian Aloo Gobi.
  • Escarole: Yay – the winter chicory season has started! This Italian variety has slightly bitter leaves that form a dense head. It can be used in salad or sautéed. Many cultures, including the Italians, cook beans & greens together. It is one of my favorite combos and you could use your Roma Tomatoes (and Rapini) in this recipe: Zuppa di Scarola e Fagioli.
  • Italian Rapini Greens: aka Sessantina Grossa these are another traditional Italian green that is traditionally cooked but since the flavor is quite mild, I often put them in salad.
  • Kohlrabi: I usually eat these raw – just peel them and cut into bite sized chunks or make wedges for dipping into humus or your favorite sauce. They can also be roasted or sautéed or mashed with potatoes or grated into fritters/latkes/okonamiyaki.
  • Jimmy Nardello Peppers: This is definitely one of my favorite peppers – the fruit is beautiful red, thin skinned, early ripening and so sweet!! I first heard about these when I was visiting a farm in Pennsylvania at least 15 years ago. It took almost a decade for me to find the seed and start growing them. It is a traditional Italian frying pepper and this particular variety is named for the grandson of the man who brought it from Basilicata, Italy to Connecticut in the 1880’s. In addition to great flavor, I love that it is in the Slow Food Ark of Taste and has such a great story. More info about the people and the pepper can be found here.
  • Kale: This cool fall weather is great for greens!
  • Anaheim & Poblano Peppers: These are slightly spicier and way more interesting than your average green pepper : ) Try this creative variation on the classic Chile Relleno  They are traditional in chile rellenos, but there are lots of other ways to use them. Once they are roasted I often make sauce – coarsely chopped or in the food processor. Try this one with pumpkin seeds or make green harissa.
  • Tomatoes: These roma tomatoes will make a nice addition to pasta or bruschetta or the Zuppa di Scarola e Fagioli. Tomato season is definitely winding down. Hopefully we’ll have green tomatoes next week then we’ll have to wait until next summer for more. Hope you have enjoyed all the interesting and flavorful varieties this season : )
  • Winter Squash: What is the easiest way to cook this cute little single serving size Gill’s Golden Pippin? Just cut in half, lay cut side down on a baking sheet coated with a little olive oil and roast in the oven at 350 until tender. Once they are cooked you can drizzle with with a variety of oils, herbs, nuts and spices. This article has some creative ideas for roasted squash…

 

Coming Soon… The Winter CSA!!