glacier grist

issue #33 • Thursday, July 02, 2009

WHAT’S NEW? ALASKAN ENGLISH CUCUMBERS AND MORE!
We all know how short and intense Alaskan summers are. Well get ready for the bounty! For the most part, the weather has been cooperating. Unfortunately, the Valley experienced some hail and cold night temperatures which killed a lot of the zucchini plants. That is why we are not sure if we will have any for the boxes this coming week.
On a more positive note, the strawberries are starting to bear fruit. Not enough of a harvest for the boxes, but check out your farmer’s market. There should be a few there.

KEEPING THINGS FRESH
The Alaskan grown English cucumbers are in their natural, wax-free state. These farm-fresh cucumbers dehydrate faster because they are not covered in wax, so get them into the refrigerator right away. Store your unwashed cucumbers in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin. Keep cucumbers away from apples and citrus because those fruits give off ethylene gas that accelerates deterioration.

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]

NEW WAX BOXES!! We are VERY excited to start using our new wax boxes. It will be even more important to return them. PLEASE RETURN YOUR BOXES! This helps keep everyone’s costs down. I like to bring a bunch of my shopping bags and just empty my box contents into the bags. Granted, sometimes I don’t have the time to do that, but when I do I feel like a real smarty pants.

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 #33

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cucumber salad with peanut-jalepeno dressing

This salad is loosely based on one in Deborah Madision’s Local Flavors, but I use peanut butter instead of her roasted peanut oil for a creamier dressing. Although this salad has slightly Asian flavors, it tastes great as a side or first course to most things.

2 large cucumbers
1 bunch scallions
1 jalepeno chile, stemmed, seeded with a spoon, and finely diced
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
1-2 tablespoons light 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, especially if you used crunchy peanut butter)

1. Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and cut into long strips, or remove long thin strips of cucumber with a vegetable peeler. Thinly slice the scallions on the diagonal, making them long and thin.
2. Combine the cucumbers and scallions in a bowl.
3. Combine the jalepeno chiles, lime zest, juice, soy sauce, sugar, and peanut butter in another bowl, whisking to make it smooth. You may want to microwave the peanut butter in a separate dish for a minute to make it easier to stir.
4. Toss the vegetables with the dressing, then top with optional mint and peanuts. Serve immediately.

braised hearty greens

With the first Alaskan hearty greens of the season, you’ll be surprised by the sweetness of our local greens, especially if you make them this way—first boiled in salted water until they are tender, then braised with onions on low heat.
When the rainy weather hits, I love to cook up these greens to eat on garlic-rubbed toast or on mashed potatoes (see recipes, below), or with beans or lentils on toast. These greens freeze quite well—you can freeze them after the boiling in salted water step, or after they are completely done.

4 bunches collards or kale, long stems removed and leaves cut into 1” ribbons
sea salt or kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 onions, chopped fairly fine
4-6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Plunge the greens into a large pot of boiling salted water, and cook until tender. This could take as long as 10 minutes, but could be much shorter, depending on the age or toughness of the greens. Start tasting after 5 minutes, and cook until tender. (This boiling in salted water removes any bitterness.) Reserve one cup of the cooking water.
2. Drain the greens in a colander.
3. Heat the olive oil and sauté the onions with a teaspoon of salt until lightly browned. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for another couple of minutes. Add the greens and the reserved cooking water (or use a cup of vegetable broth or bean-cooking liquid). Cook for 15 to 30 minutes on low heat, until they are lovely, soft and sweet, and taste again for salt. They can really use a lot of salt, so don’t be shy about adding it until it tastes nice and seasoned.
… on toast
Serve these greens on 100% whole wheat sourdough toast that has been scrubbed with a raw garlic clove and drizzled with olive oil. You can also add cooked beans (white, kidney, pinto, or whatever you feel like cooking) to the greens and put them on toast. Or you can layer beans on the toast, then top with the greens and a drizzle of oil.

… on mashed potatoes
You probably already have your own way to make mashed potatoes! But in case you don’t, here are some options.

2 - 3 pounds russet potatoes
heated milk OR reserved cooking liquid
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper
extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
freshly-grated nutmeg (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

1. Peel the potatoes, or just scrub them well, then chop them into 1-inch chunks. Put them in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and add 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until they are tender (about 20 minutes). Scoop the potatoes out (or strain them), but if you’re not going to use milk, MAKE SURE TO RESERVE THE COOKING LIQUID!
2. Return the potatoes to the pan and mash them, using hot milk or some of the reserved cooking liquid to thin and loosen the mixture as needed. When fairly smooth and creamy (with a few lumps remaining), add salt and pepper to taste.  You can add olive oil or butter if you want!

cauliflower with parsley pesto

This is a fun way to eat cauliflower—and if you buy prepared pesto, it’s even easier than this recipe!

1 large head cauliflower
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)
parsley pesto (recipe below)

1. Make the pesto, or just use prepared.
2. With a sharp paring knife, cut through the cauliflower stems and pull the florets apart. Cut each floret into a bite-sized pieces.  Steam them in a steamer basket over boiling water until the florets are tender but still a little firm when pierced with a knife, 5 minutes or so. Remove to a bowl.
3. Toss the cauliflower with pesto to your liking, and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese if you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

parsley pesto
This recipe makes more than you’ll need for the recipe, so freeze the extra in ziplock bags!

2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
4 cups packed parsley leaves
½ cup pine nuts
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

1. In a food processor, chop the garlic with the salt.
2. Add the parsley leaves and pine nuts, and turn on the motor, beginning to grind the parsley. It’s OK if all the leaves aren’t incorporated yet.
3. While the motor is running, pour in the olive oil gradually. Let the blade run for a while to puree the mixture. It won’t be very smooth, but it’s hard to get the parsley pesto smooth, anyway—the leaves are very tough, and it’s almost impossible to get the blender to get it smooth. 
4. Taste for salt, and add more as needed.
5. Use what you’d like for tonight’s dinner, then scoop the rest into a freezer ziplock bag and freeze flat.

crushed radishes

[a recipe from Nancy!]
When we traveled to San Francisco’s Japan Town decades ago, we went into a bookstore packed with beautiful ceramics, fabrics, and luckily for me, cookbooks.  Asian Food Feasts by Sigrid M. Shepard is a treasure trove of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian and Middle Eastern cookery. Simple and different, the sauce is a great balance of sweet and salty and goes well with the spiciness of the radishes.

20 radishes, washed, trimmed, leaving a few leaves at the top (I figure 5 radishes per person)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
½ Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon mild honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt (optional)

1. Crack each radish with a sharp blow from the bottom of a heavy glass or ceramic cup. Use only crisp radishes or they will not crack well. Sprinkle with salt and chill for 15 minutes.
2. Mix the remaining ingredients well. Pour over radishes just before serving.  Mix well and serve at once. A good snack or dinner salad.

chilled leek and potato soup: Vichyssoise

[a recipe from Nancy]
To say I love soup is an understatement.  This is a basic chilled leek and potato soup taken from Julia Child’s The Way to Cook. You’ll notice there is no chicken broth. The French often believe that vegetable soups should be made with water so the true flavor of the vegetables shine through.

4 cups sliced leeks-the white part and a bit of the tender green
4 cups diced russet potatoes
6 to 7 cups water
1 ½ to 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
½ cup or more sour cream, heavy cream or crème fraiche, optional
1 Tablespoon minced chives or garlic green tops

1. Bring the leeks, potatoes, and water to the boil in the saucepan.  Salt lightly, cover partially, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Taste, and correct seasoning.
2. Puree the soup through a vegetable mill or in a blender.
3. After chilling the soup, you may wish to stir in a little more cream. Taste and correct seasoning.
4. Top each serving with ½ teaspoon of the chives or garlic green tops.

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