Week 2
Delivering to PR and DL July 7th, and to Dilworth and Fargo July 10th
Anne’s Cell phone 218-252-5858
During WWII, M.F.K. Fisher wrote of food rationing, "When the wolf is at the door one should invite him in and have him for dinner." I wonder if she meant, “Set out another plate” or “Fire up the grill.”
In your veggie boxes this coming week:
Head lettuces
Mesclun with purple vetch, orange nasturtium, yellow pac choi or blue borage flowers
Easter eggs radishes
Spinach
Baby bunching onions
Bag o’ baby beet and turnip greens
Eggs
Mint herbs
Please bring back last week’s veggie box!
Every morning, just before daybreak, a black bird caws loudly outside our bedroom window. He wakes me, and songbirds begin the first movement of their daily symphony. If I drift back to sleep, a woodpecker with a steel beak percussions on the metal roof of our firewood/storage shed. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat.
I hear the snort of the doe urging her twin fawns to take quick bites of young bluestem in the front lawn. They slip into the nearby woods, their spots blending with the mottled morning light.
Cars and trucks whoosh by on the road, people on their way to work or play. I drive the mile to the garden and listen for the big rainbirds rhythmically breaking jets of water gushing from the big blue hose into crop circle rain. The brassica leaves reach up to receive beads of light-enlivened water that drip onto the once-thirsty soil.
The chickens scratch and cackle, peck at their tin feeders for freshly ground oats and barley. They jump up to snatch sweet clover leaves from tall, stiff stems, flap their wings and land with some dignity. Irregular, hard, gray pieces of oyster shells become gizzard grit and calcium for stronger shells. They notice the morning and me.
The breeze picks up, wind at the tops of the trees. The sounds blend into the day, but when I try, I can hear each separately, like a mother listening for the sound of her child on a Ferris wheel.
Stuffed Cabbage Yields 6 rolls
6 large outer Chinese cabbage leaves trimmed of thick bottom stem
1 T. butter
½ cup minced onion
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small carrot, diced
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup ricotta cheese (1/2 lb)
½ tart apple, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons raisins or craisins
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Slide trimmed cabbage leaves into the boiling water and simmer about 1 minute. Remove from water and cool. Make sure the cabbage is cooked well enough so the leaves will not break when rolled, but not so well done that they disintegrate.
2. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Saute for about 10 minutes, then add sunflower seeds. Season with salt and pepper. When vegetables are tender, remove from heat.
3. Place ricotta in a bowl. Add sautéed veggies, apple, raisins, lemon juice and soy sauce. Mix filling well.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
5. Place 3 to 4 Tablespoons filling near the base of each cabbage leaf. Roll firmly, folding in the sides. Arrange rolls in an oblong baking pan. Pour Cashew-Ginger Sauce over them, cover and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
Cashew-Ginger Sauce:
2 cups toasted cashews
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon honey or sugar
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
cayenne to taste
Puree everything together in a food processor or blender. Yields 2 ½ cups. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator.
Asian Coleslaw from Dr. Andrew Weir’s newsletter 4 Servings
Cabbage is chock full of nutrients including vitamin C and indoles, important cancer-fighting compounds. In addition, red cabbage also contains anthocyanins, the purple pigment with strong antioxidant activity commonly found in blueberries. In the winter months, cabbage is an abundant nutritional resource when other fresh produce is either expensive or unavailable. This recipe calls for a lot of salt, but it is used in this dish to soften the cabbage. Then it is thoroughly rinsed off so the recipe doesn't provide too much sodium. This coleslaw is colorful and makes a delightful accompaniment to any meat, fish or vegetarian main dish. The garnish of minced scallions and toasted sesame seeds brings out the flavor of the slaw and adds additional crunch.
Ingredients:
1 medium head cabbage (Chinese, green or red)
1 ½ tablespoons sea salt
2 medium carrots
2 Tablespoons cup minced scallions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Dressing:
1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
3 teaspoons dark-roasted sesame oil
Directions
1. Discard the outer leaves of cabbage. Slice thinly or shred in a food processor. Layer the cabbage in a large bowl with the sea salt. Toss to distribute salt evenly and let sit for 1 hour to soften.
2. Scrub carrots. Cut or grate into thin shreds.
3. Drain cabbage and rinse well in several changes of cold water to remove excess salt. Taste the cabbage; if it is still too salty, rinse it again.
4. Add carrots to the cabbage and mix well.
5. Whisk the rice vinegar, brown sugar and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
6. Pour the dressing over the cabbage, mix well and chill. Garnish with minced scallions and toasted sesame seeds before serving.
Lettuce (Escarole) Soup 2 servings
Perfect for mid-July, when CSA lettuce heads are big, and it’s the day before the next CSA delivery, and you want something other than a salad. Escarole is a bitter European green related to endive.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 head escarole or lettuce
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional), or add leftover pasta, rice or tofu.
Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the reduced-sodium vegetable broth to a boil.
2. Wash the lettuce and shake dry. Coarsely chop and add to the broth.
3. Remove from the heat. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve in soup bowls garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.
