glacier grist
Issue #15 • Thursday, January 15, 2009
21 January 2009 box contents
from Alaska’s Glacier Valley Farm and VanderWeele Farm:
Alaskan red cabbage | Alaskan onions | Alaskan Yukon Gold potatoes | Alaskan carrots
from Outside:
certified organic rainbow chard | certified organic butternut squash | certified organic cauliflower | certified organic cherry tomatoes | certified organic Braeburn apples | certified organic cara-cara oranges
NEW EAGLE RIVER PICKUP SPOT!
For those of you who have signed up to pick up your CSA boxes at Mile 5.2 Greenhouses, your pickup location will change to our new Eagle River site: Ri-Generation Nutrition Health Foods, at 12812 Old Glenn Highway, #A3. It’s been too cold this winter to have lots of people in and out of the greenhouse.
NEW PICKUP LOCATIONS!
We’re excited to offer four new pick-up locations in the New Year! You can choose to pick up your boxes at Aurora Waldorf School, at 3250 Baxter Road, from 2pm-6pm on Wednesdays, Winterberry Charter School, at 508 West 2nd Avenue (2nd & E Street) from noon-6pm on Wednesdays, Ri-Generation Nutrition Health Foods in Eagle River, at 12812 Old Glenn Highway, #A3, from noon-6pm on Wednesdays, and the ConocoPhillips Building (please note: for employees only), Pioneer Natural Resources, 700 G Street, Suite 600, from noon-5pm on Wednesdays.
If you’re signed up to pick up your box at a different location, but would like to switch to any of these sites (keep in mind, the ConocoPhillips building is a secure building--so only employees of that building can sign up there), just send me an email at and I’ll change your selection.
PLEASE RETURN YOUR BOXES!
For more recipes, check out my Alison’s Lunch blog, or the South Anchorage Farmers Market website. And check out our
new glacier grist recipe index!
Cheers! And happy cooking! --Alison
recipes
for glacier grist Issue #15
chard with potatoes and sage on pasta
This recipe is based on one in Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small onions
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
10 sage leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1-2 bunches chard
2 cups very finely diced potatoes, about ¾ pound
½ to ¾ pound spaghetti (whole wheat is nice here)
freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss diced potatoes in a tablespoon of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Roast until brown and crispy—15 or 20 minutes, or longer, as needed.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
3. While the water is heating, mince the onions. Cut the chard leaves away from the stems, and wash and chop the leaves coarsely. Cut the stems of the chard into ¼-inch slices.
4. Sauté the onions and chard stems in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat until the onions are starting to brown. Add garlic and sage and sauté a bit more. Add the chard leaves and sauté until the chard is nice and tender, adding water as necessary to prevent scorching.
5. When the water boils, add salt to the water and cook the pasta to your liking, then drain it and add to the chard mixture. When the potatoes are done, toss them in with the pasta and chard.
6. Season with pepper and salt to taste, and you can serve Parmesan cheese at the table if you like!
easy winter squash soup with sage
This recipe is based on one from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
The Easy Vegetable Stock
squash seeds and pulp
1 large onion
3 large carrots
3 celery ribs
8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 bay leaves
sea salt or kosher salt
1. Scrub the vegetables and chop them roughly into 1-inch chunks. Toss them in a soup pot with 1 teaspoon salt, and add 10 cups of water.
2. Bring everything to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain.
The Soup
2 ½ pounds butternut squash (or other winter squash)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves (or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 onions, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon dried thyme (or ½ teaspoon fresh)
¼ cup chopped parsley
sea salt or kosher salt
freshly-ground pepper
8-10 cups easy vegetable stock (recipe above), other vegetable stock, or even water
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds (use the seeds and pulp in the stock, above.) Brush the cut and scooped surfaces with oil (or spray with olive oil from a spray can), stuff the cavities with the garlic, and place them cut sides down on a baking sheet. Bake until tender when pressed with a finger. If you’re roasting butternuts, this may take an hour or so, but for a smaller type of squash, start checking after 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add the onions, sage, thyme and parsley. Cook over medium heat until the onions have begun to brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Scoop the squash flesh into the pot along with any juices that have accumulated in the pan. Peel the garlic and add it to the pot along with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes. If the soup becomes too thick, add water to thin it out. Taste for salt.
3. If you want the soup to be very smooth, puree it in a blender.
sicilian cauliflower salad
I love cauliflower with capers & lemon! It’s based on a recipe in James Peterson’s Vegetables
½ cup kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 anchovy filets (optional), rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 small bunch flat-leaved parsley, leaves chopped
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small florets
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
2. While the water heats, make the sauce. Chop the olives and combine them in a big bowl with the capers, garlic, anchovies and parsley. Add the olive oil and lemon juice.
3. When the water boils, add a couple of tablespoons of salt to the pot. Cook the cauliflower florets in the pot for about 4 or 5 minutes, just until tender (taste often!). Drain (don’t rinse), and toss the cauliflower into the bowl with the sauce.
4. Taste the salad and add more salt, lemon, oil, and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
red cabbage with berries & balsamic
This is the purple-est recipe I know, especially if you use Alaskan blueberries! (I’m guessing you might have a few frozen away?) In addition to being super-purple, it’s really yummy! It also tastes even better the day after you make it, so it makes fantastic leftovers. This recipe is based on one from Mollie Katzen’s latest and greatest: Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large or 2 medium onions
8-10 cups red cabbage, cut into approximately 1-inch squares
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (or to taste)
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1 to 2 cups blueberries (fresh or unsweetened frozen)
freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the cabbage and stir well.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the vinegars, and cover the pan. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Turn the heat down to low, then stir in the salt and dried cranberries. Cover and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cabbage is very tender. If the cabbage dries out and starts to stick, add a few tablespoons of water.
4. Stir in the blueberries, then taste to see if more salt is needed. Add black pepper to taste, and more red wine vinegar and/or balsamic vinegar. Don’t go too overboard on the sweet & sour, though—I still like to be able to enjoy the cabbage taste! Serve hot or warm.
