glacier grist
issue #32 • Thursday, June 18, 2009
WHAT’S NEW? FRESH ALASKAN LETTUCE AND MORE RHUBARB!
The weather has been very cooperative for our Alaskan farmers. Sun with a little rain has really given the lettuce crops a great start. We can hardly wait for what is waiting in the wings!
KEEPING THINGS FRESH
Did you know the best way to keep apples happy is to keep them cool and dark. The refrigerator works fine or the coolest part in your home. Don’t keep them on your kitchen counter. They will deteriorate much faster.
FARMER’S MARKETS AROUND ALASKA!
Are you traveling around Alaska this summer? Might you be tempted to stop in another town and look for a farmers market there? If this sounds like your ideal vacation (it’s definitely high on my list!), I have great news! I’ve just launched a website for the brand-new non-profit, the ALASKA FARMERS MARKET ASSOCIATION. Every farmers market in Alaska is listed by city, along with its location, dates, and hours of operation. www.AlaskaFarmersMarkets.org
GLACIER GRIST RECIPE INDEX [pdf file]
PLEASE RETURN YOUR BOXES! This helps keep everyone’s costs down.
ALSO VERY IMPORTANT...LOOK FOR YOUR LABEL ON YOUR BOX. It creates a bit of havoc on our end and for the customer who thinks they are missing a box. Thank you!
recipes
for glacier grist issue #32
lentils & pasta with chard & cilantro
This is a great recipe based on one from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen. I like to cook up the lentils the day before, and make extra for using in other things, but you can just cook up this amount if you like. I love the green lentils for this recipe, because they keep their shape better and look more attractive—you can often find them in the bulk section of grocery stores—but use regular brown lentils if you can’t find them.
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
2 bay leaves
celery rib, chopped, and a few chopped carrots (optional)
¼ tsp dried thyme
sea salt or kosher salt
freshly-ground pepper
1 bunch of chard, washed, leaves stripped from the stems, stems chopped into ½-inch pieces and leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large or 3 to 4 medium onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large lime, halved (optional)
½ pound small pasta (such as shells, or macaroni)
1. Simmer the lentils in 6 cups water with the bay leaves, celery, carrots, thyme and ½ teaspoon salt until very soft but not mushy, 35 minutes or so. Cover and let stand when finished. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
2. While the lentils are cooking, prepare the chard. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, then add the chopped chard stems, and cook for another 15 minutes, until the onions are golden and the stems are completely tender. Stir in the cilantro and cumin. Turn off the heat and squeeze the lime juice over the onions, if using. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. When the pasta water boils, add salt and the pasta and cook until just tender.
4. While the pasta is cooking, add the chard to the pot of lentils, bring it back to a simmer, and cook for a few minutes until the chard is tender.
5. When the pasta is done, scoop it out and add it to the lentils, and mix the onion mixture in, as well.
6. Serve, drizzling with a bit of extra olive oil if desired.
sicilian cauliflower salad
You might remember this recipe from a newsletter last year… but it’s so good! I love cauliflower with capers & lemon! It’s based on a recipe in James Peterson’s Vegetables. I can sit down and just eat a big bowl of this for lunch. If you don’t prefer the anchovies, just leave them out—the kalamata olives add a briny flavor without them.
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.
caramelized onion potato pie
[From Nancy’s favorite recipes!!] I saw this recipe being done on TV on Tyler Florence’s The Ultimate. I knew we had to make it that night: simple ingredients and not too fussy. You do need to have an oven proof skillet that you can take from the stove top into the oven. If you want a fancy presentation you can flip it onto a plate and serve it from there. But if you don’t want to do that, you can slice it in the pan and use a spatula to flip it over onto the plate. The bottom turns beautifully brown and the parchment paper helps steam the potatoes. The natural starch in the Russets helps keep the pie together.
1 large or 2 medium onions
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large Russet potatoes, washed
2-3 tablespoons butter, broken into small pieces
parchment paper or foil cut into large circle to fit sauté pan
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set a large oven proof skillet over medium heat and add 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add sliced onions and cook over medium heat for 10 -15 minutes until they are tender and brown all over.
3. Finely slice the potatoes into rounds. I used a mandolin, but a food processor with the slicing blade would work as would a sharp knife and your cutting skills . You can place the rounds in a bowl and cover with a wet towel to prevent them from turning brown while you work. Season the potatoes in the bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add the caramelized onions and toss to combine. Try not to break the potatoes.
4. You do want your pan to be clean. So if there are brown bits you can add a tablespoon of water to the pan and warm the water and simply wipe the pan out with paper towels. (If there are browned onion bits left in they might burn.)
5. Add some extra-virgin olive oil and 1 ½ tablespoons of the butter to the pan and heat over medium-low heat. Add a layer of potato rounds, carefully arranging them so they overlap. Add the rest of the onion and potatoes and make sure they lie flat. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon of the butter on top.
6. Cover the potatoes with the parchment paper and press down. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the top of the paper and rub it in. If using aluminum foil, just press the foil down.
7. Place the pan into the oven on a rack in the top third and bake for about 45 minutes.
8. When done, remove from oven and run a knife around the edge to separate from the pan. You can place a large plate on top of the sauté pan and flip, or simply serve from the pan.
rhubarb crumble
[Another Nancy recipe!] I often judge a recipe on the effort to results ratio. This is a winner. I have made it twice; once for myself, and another time to give to Arthur and Michelle Keyes, of Glacier Valley Farm, when I went to their farm for a tour last Sunday! This recipe would also be a great introduction to baking for the young chef in your family. I was inspired by a recipe from the Food Network Magazine. [Alison’s note: contact Arthur at if you, too, would like a tour of Glacier Valley Farm!]
1 cup flour (I used ½ cup regular and ½ cup whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup oats (I used rolled regular, but instant would work too)
½ cup sugar –or to taste
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup chopped walnuts
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2 lbs chopped rhubarb
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup regular flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
orange zest from 1 orange
¼ teaspoon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine in a freezer proof bowl the first 6 ingredients. Stir to fully incorporate the butter and place in the freezer to harden. About 30 minutes.
3. Toss the chopped rhubarb with remaining ingredients.
4. Place the rhubarb in a lightly greased baking dish or use a non-stick pan. I used an 8-inch square non-stick pan.
5. Scatter the crumble mixture on top.
6. Bake until gold and bubbly about 30 minutes. Served as is or with ice cream or whipped cream.
the radishes
I’ve been putting them in Meredith’s lunch, for her camp lunches this week at her preschool. She’s so hungry, running around all day, she eats them up like a champ! (Unless she’s feeding them to the sheep?)
For more recipes, visit http://www.AlisonsLunch.com, http://www.SouthAnchorageFarmersMarket.com
Happy cooking! --Alison
