Recipes and Cooking Tips

By steve | June 30, 2016 | Comments Off on Recipes and Cooking Tips
In This Week’s Distribution

Our Harvest:  Zucchini, Cucumber, Spinach, Dinosaur Kale, Bok Choi, Scarlet Salad Turnips, Dandelion Greens, Lettuce, Topped Spring Onions

U-Pick: Begins with Cherry Tomatoes in July

Fruit Option: Starts in July, likely next week!
Recipes and Cooking Tips

Dandelion Greens: These leafy greens have as natural bitter and peppery flavor, can be cooked or eaten raw, and are believed to have a wide range of health benefits.
Bok choi: You have probably unknowingly enjoyed this in miso soup, stir fries and noodle dishes. Make any of those things! Also enjoy it raw in salads, use it in slaw, marinate and grill it, steam it, love it. Martha Stewart loves bok choi, and I shared some of her recipes in last week’s newsletters. Check it out it and be inspired!

Pasta Chicoria
We served this dish at our First Annual Dinner on the Farm in 2011!  Tickets for this year’s special Centennial Dinner on Sunday, September 4 will be on sale soon.

Penne pasta
Pesto
Dandelion greens
Balsamic Vinegar

Prepare penne pasta, or any other type of pasta that has some shape and depth to take on the pesto.  Braise the radicchio and dandelion greens in balsamic vinegar just long enough for them to wilt.  (The balsamic adds a hint of sweetness to the natural bitterness of these greens).  Toss the braised greens in with pasta and pesto, and serve.  *Be sure mind the greens to pasta ratio so dish does not become too bitter.


Grilled Bok Choi
adapted from marthastewart.com

Ingredients

  • bok choy split in half, and large leaves trimmed from the top
  • Kosher salt

Vinaigrette

  • Juice of 2 limes (about 1/3 cup)
  • zest of 2 limes
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
Directions:
1. Prep the bok choy: If the bok choy is dirty, soak it in a few changes of water in a salad spinner, then spin dry. Sprinkle the dried bok choy heads with the teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl, then toss with the bok choy. Let the bok choy rest in the marinade, tossing occasionally, until it is time to grill.
2. Preheat the grill: Preheat the grill, brush the grates clean, then set to medium-low heat. On a gas grill, this is easy – preheat on high for 15 minutes, then turn the burners to medium-low. For a charcoal grill, see the notes section for suggestions on how to get to medium-low heat.
3. Grill the bok choy: Remove the bok choy from the vinaigrette, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Place the bok choy over the medium low heat, starting it cut side down. Grill for six minutes, or until the bok choy has nicely browned grill marks. Flip the bok choy, then grill for another six to eight minutes, or until the bok choy is crisp-tender. (It will give just a little resistance when poked with a paring knife.) Move the grilled bok choy back to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Rest in the bowl until it is time to serve, letting the bok choy soak up the vinaigrette. Toss one last time before serving.
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