glacier grist

Issue #20 • Wednesday, March 04, 2009

11 March 2009 box contents

from Alaska’s Glacier Valley Farm and VanderWeele Farm:
Alaskan Yukon Gold potatoes | Alaskan carrots | Alaskan red cabbage | Alaskan onions

from Outside:
certified organic cauliflower | certified organic radishes | certified organic chard | certified organic cucumbers | certified organic Fuji apples | certified organic navel oranges | certified organic pears


BOX LIMITS
Because we have to pre-order our Outside produce ahead of time, each week we set a limit for the number of boxes available. We’re excited to grow with you, so if we hit our limit one week, we’ll set the limit higher the following week! But if we hit the limit for the boxes in a week, you won’t be able to order for that week—so try and get your orders in early!

SATISFACTION GUARANTEED!
Please let us know if you aren’t happy with anything in your box, and we’ll make it up to you in your next box.

THE PLAN FOR APRIL
We are opening up ordering for April!  We are trying an experiment in the greenhouse this year and if it works we will have some early Alaska Grown veggies for the CSA boxes. We’re really excited about the possibilities, and we’ll keep you posted!

ALASKAN ONIONS
Despite our best efforts to tell the good from the bad, sometimes an onion turns up rotten in the CSA boxes. Why is this? Arthur explains: “Onions are one of the newer crops we are producing here in Alaska, and we still have a lot to learn. Growing them is easy; the hard part is perfecting the curing process: getting the outer layer of the onion dry enough to protect the inner onion. In warmer climates, onions are cured in the field before they are stored. Here in Alaska, farmers are trying to figure out how to cure onions indoors, without the benefit of a longer, hotter growing season. We donʼt have the process perfected but we are well on our way.”

So--should we quit putting Alaskan onions in the box because of the risk of a rotten one ending up in the boxes? We decided to put extra onions in your boxes, so in case you get a bad one, you’ll still have plenty. You’re part of the process of Alaskan farmers learning how to cure onions!

NEW PICKUP LOCATIONS!
We’re excited about our several new pickup locations since the new year. 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 #20

Print Recipes

colorful cabbage & carrot salad with creamy peanut & lime dressing

I invented this recipe while on vacation, to use the cabbage & carrots that are as ubiquitous in Costa Rica as they are here in Alaska! (They are definitely not as sweet as Alaskan ones, though!)
salad

1 small head red cabbage (or a combination of red and green cabbage, or just green cabbage) quartered, cored, and shredded finely; about 6 cups
3 large carrots, peeled if the skins are bitter, and grated
1 red pepper, diced finely (optional)
3-6 scallions, finely sliced, or ½ small onion, minced (optional)

dressing

¾ cup natural peanut butter
1 bunch cilantro, chopped (you can include some of the stems if you chop them very well) (optional—don’t go out of your way to buy the cilantro, but if you have it, great)
3-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or lemon juice, in a pinch)
2 small cloves garlic, minced
2 jalepeno peppers, halved, seeds removed with a spoon, then minced
¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt (you’ll have to adjust the salt, depending on whether your peanut butter is salted or not)
freshly ground black pepper

optional garnish

toasted, salted peanuts, chopped coarsely

1. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, red pepper and scallions
2. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and stir to combine. Add warm water as needed to make a smooth, pourable consistency. Toss some of the dressing with the salad until everything is nicely coated. You probably won’t need all the dressing. Eat right away, or let stand for 15 minutes, or up to a couple of hours before serving.
3. Taste for salt and lime juice before serving.  Top with chopped nuts just before serving, if you like an additional crunch.
4. This salad will keep pretty well until the next day—but I try only to mix up enough to eat right away. Then I mix up more the next day.

Indian-spiced cauliflower with potatoes and peas

Make sure to do your mise en place for this recipe—get your little spice mix and your ginger and chiles all ready before you get started frying things up, otherwise things are likely to burn while you’re measuring the spices. This recipe is very loosely based on one in Neelam Batra’s amazing compendium: 1,000 Indian Recipes. Serve it with basmati rice if you like.

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1-inch florets
3 medium potatoes, cut into ¾-inch dice
1 cup shelled fresh or frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 fresh green jalapeno chiles, halved, seeded with a spoon, and minced coarsely (use fewer chiles if you don’t like spicy things)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons peeled minced ginger
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ cup water
½ teaspoon garam masala

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the cauliflower. Boil until just tender, 4 minutes or longer. Scoop the cauliflower out of the water with a slotted spoon or strainer and set aside.
2. Add the potatoes to the boiling water and cook until just tender, 15 minutes or so. Scoop the potatoes out and, if the peas are still frozen, dunk them into the hot water for just a few seconds, until they are thawed. Drain the water off.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and cook the green chiles, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the cumin and ginger. Quickly add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt, then mix in the potatoes and cauliflower, and add about ¼ cup of water. Cover the pan, bring to a simmer, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary to keep things from sticking. When the potatoes are completely soft and tender, add the peas and heat through. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

chard sautéed with its stems

This recipe is really easy—a very basic side dish, but yummy! 

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1-2 bunches chard
sea salt or kosher salt
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Wash the chard and cut the stems off each leaf. Holding the stems in a bundle, cut them into ½-inch slices. Slice the leaves into 1-inch wide ribbons, Drain the leaves, but don’t dry them.
2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Add onion and ½ teaspoon of salt, sauté for a minute or two until starting to soften, then add the chard stems. Cook until stems are tender and onion is cooked. How long this takes will depend on the age of the chard. If the pan is drying out before the stems are tender, just add a bit of water to steam them and finish cooking them.
3. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic, and when garlic is fragrant (after a minute or two), add the wet greens. Cover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until greens completely wilt, but are still bright green, about 5 minutes. Uncover and season to taste with salt. Cook over high heat until some of the liquid evaporates, and greens are completely tender.

cold sesame noodles with cucumbers & radishes

I love this recipe because it’s so full-flavored—it’s not like a lot of pasta salads, which can be pretty bland. The sauce is great: vibrant and bright green from the cilantro, and you can use the leftover sauce (you’ll have some) as a dip for other veggies. This recipe is based on one from Peter Berley’s Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.

The noodles are creamy and luscious with the sesame dressing, while the cucumbers and radishes are a crisp and crunchy contrast. You can add carrots if you like, to add another splash of color to this salad. It’s gorgeous, delicious, and healthy, too!

½ pound spaghetti (I prefer whole wheat)
sea salt or kosher salt
1 cup roasted tahini (sesame paste)
1 bunch cilantro, including 2 inches of the stems at the top, chopped coarsely
¼ cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I like Nama Shoyu best—find it at Natural Pantry)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar (I like to use brown rice vinegar)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon peeled ginger root, sliced very thinly across the grain
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper plus more to taste
1/3 cup water plus more as needed
1-3 cucumbers (peeled if the skins are thick, but no need to peel if English cucumbers), halved, seeded with a spoon, and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 bunch radishes, sliced into thin rounds
6 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
optional: 4 to 6 peeled and grated carrots
optional garnish: 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt to the water, add the noodles, and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse under cold running water until they stop steaming. Let them continue to drain.
2. In a blender, combine the tahini, cilantro, maple syrup, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, cayenne, and water, and puree. Add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a creamy, smooth, pourable sauce. Add more cayenne to taste, if desired.
3. To serve, sauce the noodles to taste in a bowl and top with the vegetables. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve at room temperature.

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