glacier grist

Issue #2 • Sunday, September 21, 2008

24 September 2008 box contents:
new purple potatoes | new peanut potatoes | celery |  cucumber | carrots | onions | green cabbage | broccoli | green leaf lettuce

On the farm
We’ve all noticed the snow on the mountains! Let’s keep our fingers crossed for mild weather and no frost!

Alison’s Lunch
Have you enjoyed reading my farmers’ market newsletters? If you like the recipes there, and on www.SouthAnchorageFarmersMarket.com, you may be interested in checking out my brand-new website, www.AlisonsLunch.com! When the market ends in October, I’ll stop posting on the farmers’ market site, but I’ll be loading recipes and stories on Alison’s Lunch all winter. You can even sign up for an email newsletter!

recipes

for glacier grist Issue #2

Print Recipes

pasta with loads of broccoli, green olives and pine nuts

This recipe is based on one from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen. A meal on its own!

2 large onions, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil + more for the pasta
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¾ cup pitted green olives, sliced or roughly chopped
1/3 cup fresh oregano, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in your hands
6 canned anchovies, rinsed and blotted dry on a paper towel (optional)
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds broccoli, cut into small florets, stems peeled and diced
½ pound whole wheat penne, spirals, or shells
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted in a dry skillet
hunk of Parmesan cheese for the table (optional)

1. Saute the onions in the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When they are golden brown, after 20-30 minutes, add the garlic, anchovies, olives, and optional oregano, and turn the heat to low. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, then throw in the broccoli florets and stems and cook just until they’re tender, about 5 minutes. Scoop them out and add them to the pan with the onions along with a little of the cooking water.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water. When it’s done, drain it into a colander, then return to the pot and toss it with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Divide among heated pasta bowls and cover with the vegetables. Sprinkle with pine nuts, and pass the cheese at the table for those who wish it.

bubble & squeak, deconstructed

“Bubble & squeak” is a British dish made of mashed potatoes and cabbage, fried in a skillet until browned.  Here’s my version, using different cooking methods for each of the two components, to bring out the best qualities of each vegetable.

The cabbage part of the recipe is based on a galette filling recipe in Deborah Madison’s

.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4-8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried dill
6-8 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
¼ cup chopped parsley
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garlic-roasted potatoes (recipe follows)

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Then add the mushrooms (if using), garlic, and herbs and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the cabbage, another ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup water. Cover and cook slowly until the cabbage is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, turning it occasionally. Add more liquid as necessary. When tender, uncover and raise the heat to evaporate some excess moisture, but it’s OK if it’s a little soupy.
3. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside garlic-roasted potatoes!
 
garlic-roasted potatoes

2 pounds waxy potatoes (such as peanut, Butterball, Yukon Gold, or Purple Viking)
garlic oil (recipe follows, in Step 1.)
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Make garlic oil: Mash or mince 3 or 4 garlic cloves and cover with ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Let steep for 30 minutes if you have time. Strain out the garlic and store the oil in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces. Toss them in a bowl with a few spoonfuls of garlic oil, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt and toss well.
3. Lightly oil a large baking dish or sheet pan, and transfer the potatoes onto it, making sure that a cut side of each potato is touching the pan. (The side touching the pan will brown nicely). Roast the potatoes until tender and browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Scrape and toss the potatoes after 25 minutes or so to get more than one side browned.

carrot dip with sunflower seeds and cumin on celery sticks

This recipe is based on one in Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook. It’s fantastic on bread or crackers, but I love it best scooped up with celery sticks!

1 pound carrots
¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds (if you have salted roasted seeds, just use less salt)
2 – 3 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
1 -2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice

1. Toast the seeds in a skillet over medium heat until golden-brown.
2. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add a little salt.
3. Slice the carrots.  I do this in the food processor—just cut the stem ends off the carrots and shoot them through the feed tube, pushing with the little pusher cup, small end first.
4. Boil the carrots until soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander when done.
5. Meanwhile, when the sunflower seeds are toasted, peel the garlic and toss it in the food processor to mince. Then add the sunflower seeds and process into fine crumbs. Then add the cumin, salt, lemon juice, and carrots, and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor as you go.
6. Taste for salt and adjust the lemon. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).

potato and onion salad with smoked salmon

Purple potatoes are colorful, and peanut potatoes are perfect, sliced lengthwise, but you can use any waxy potato for this salad, based on one in Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets.

1 ½ pounds purple or peanut potatoes (or other waxy variety)
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large onion, or 2 small onions, sliced thinly into rounds
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 green olives, pitted and halved (you can use black kalamata olives if that’s all you have, but the green are very pretty)
6 ounces smoked salmon, flaked, or 2 tablespoons rinsed & drained capers
8 cups green or red lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces

1. Cover the potatoes with cold salted water and bring to a boil. While they are cooking, toss the onion with the vinegar, sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt and let sit for a few minutes. Then add the oil, olives, and fish (or capers).
2. When the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them, then cut into bite-sized pieces. While still hot, add them to the bowl along with the lettuce. Turn gently with a rubber scraper. Taste for salt and season with pepper.

cucumber salad with peanut-jalepeno dressing

Loosely based on one in Deborah Madision’s Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets, this salad has Asian-inspired flavors, but it tastes great with most things.

2 large cucumbers, seeded and sliced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalepeno chile, stemmed, seeded with a spoon, and finely diced
Grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce (I like Nama Shoyu—you can get it at Natural Pantry)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/3 cup natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
10 or so mint leaves, chopped finely (optional, but very tasty if you have it)
¼ cup roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

1. Combine the cucumbers and scallions in a bowl.
2. Combine the jalepeno chiles, lime zest, juice, soy sauce, sugar, and peanut butter in another bowl, whisking to make it smooth.
3. Toss the vegetables with the dressing, then top with optional mint and peanuts. Serve immediately.


For more recipes, and photos of these recipes, see AlisonsLunch.com and SouthAnchorageFarmersMarket.com. 
Cheers! And happy cooking!  —Alison

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comments

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