glacier grist
issue #34 • Thursday, July 09, 2009
WHAT’S NEW? ALASKAN STRAWBERRIES ARE COMING!
We want to make sure your Alaskan strawberries arrive intact and as close to perfect condition as we can. But, Glacier Valley will be selling them at the South Anchorage Farmer’s Market this Saturday and hope to include them in the box for July 22nd (keep checking the website). If you have not had the opportunity to taste them, you must! They are full of flavor and very fragrant, with that strawberry aroma you almost never see in the supermarket. He sells out fast, so get their early.
MEET YOUR ALASKAN FARMERS: MAT-SU FARM TOUR!
On Friday, July 24th, from 8am to 5pm, you can take part in a incredible opportunity to meet your Alaskan farmers and see their farms (vegetables, fruits and dairy!) on all varieties and scales: large-scale produce farming, a small family farm, a large organic farm, a U-Pick farm, and even the Matanuska Creamery! You’ll drive by Palmer’s farmers’ market, the Friday Fling, and the Plant Materials Center. You’ll even get to eat an all-Alaska GROWN catered lunch in a beautiful garden setting, and take home an Alaska GROWN t-shirt. Cost of the tour is $45 for adults and $35 for children 12 & under. Please email to register, and to get more information about the tour.
KEEPING THINGS FRESH
Unseasonably warm weather has gotten us Alaskans all in a dither. When I get my box on Wednesdays I bring it directly home (no, I don’t leave it in my car all afternoon) and take everything out of the box and let is air dry or use a towel to wipe off excess moisture before I store them. I do wash my lettuce right away and spin it dry, drain off the excess water, and then leave the lettuce in the drain basket inside of the outside basket, cover it with the cover and place it in the fridge. It will keep a very long time that way. If you don’t have a fancy salad spinner, you could wash it, and then wrap it in damp paper towels and place in an open zipper lock bag. I also hear good things about those “green bags.”
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!! Our first week of using the new wax boxes couldn’t have been better timed. The warm weather helped keep things as fresh as possible given the temperatures. It is now 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! PICK UP DAY IS...WEDNESDAY! It creates a bit of havoc on our end and for the customer who thinks they are missing a box. Thank you!
A NEW ADDITION!
Nancy has been on our Glacier Valley CSA team as our customer service contact, updating our website, and has also helped grow our young CSA by representing us at events and assisting in our marketing efforts. Starting with this issue, she’ll also be contributing to Glacier Grist, offering her ideas and recipes. Nancy is a creative home cook, previous owner of a specialty food business (Summit Spice & Tea Co.), and enthusiastic CSA supporter.
recipes
for glacier grist issue #34
tortilla de patata ( Spanish potato and onion omelet)
This can be a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner omelet. It depends on whether you mind onions in the morning. It’s a classic Spanish dish that is very tasty cold too, so you can take a slice for a picnic or a quick lunch.
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large Russet potatoes, peeled & sliced into 1/8 rounds
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup finely sliced (or chopped) onions
4 eggs
1. In a heavy 10-12 inch skillet, heat 1 cup of olive oil over heat until hot, but not smoking. Add potatoes, salt, and stir to cover with the olive oil. Cook until the potatoes are lightly brown. You want them to cook in the olive oil and not turn crispy.
2. Add onions and reduce the heat and cook 10 minutes or until the potatoes and onions are tender.
3. Drain the potatoes and onions in a colander and drain of excess oil. (I do save the olive oil and use it for other things.) Let cool for 5 minutes.
4. Beat the eggs with the other teaspoon of salt until frothy.
5. Gently stir in the potatoes and onions.
6. Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive in your pan. Pour in omelet mixture, spread it out and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes.
7. Shake the pan periodically. You don’t want it to stick because you need to flip it. Cook until the sides look firm.
8. You can either flip it with a spatula and sometimes I do it in sections. Or, sometimes I will flip it onto a plate and then slide the uncooked side gently back into the skillet.
9. Cook for another 3 minutes or longer to gently brown the other side.
10. When serving, drizzle a good imported Spanish olive oil on top (optional). My absolute favorite is Columela Extra Virgin Olive Oil made from Picual olives.
sweet and sour cucumbers
This recipe is from my mom, and I remember her making it frequently. I have seen many complicated versions of it, but often simplicity is best.
1 or 2 English cucumbers
½ cup boiled water
½ cup vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
1 small onion, sliced thinly, optional
chile pepper flakes to taste(optional)
1. Wash and slice the cucumbers into thin rounds.
2. In a bowl that is large enough to hold the sliced cucumbers, pour in the ½ cup boiled water, ½ cup vinegar and the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Mix to dissolve and let cool.
3. Add your sliced cucumbers. You can also add a thinly sliced onion and/or chile pepper flakes.
4. Serve well chilled.
orange and radish salad
This is a recipe I did out of necessity. I had, what I thought, an odd selection of ingredients. It turns out that combining oranges and radishes is popular in Egypt. A little more research on the internet and I came upon a recipe from Chef Jessica Harris. Here is my version:
1 bunch of radishes, sliced
1-2 oranges, peeled and cut into sections
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of ground cinnamon and ground cumin
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and the cinnamon and cumin together in a bowl that will hold the radishes and oranges. Add the radishes and oranges and gently toss.
apple salad
I like to have apples around for snacking, but I make this mix for breakfasts. I will even put it on greens for the morning.
1 Fuji apple, chopped (I have used all kinds)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest from one orange
1 orange chopped
¼ cup chopped walnuts (you can use your favorite nut)
2 tablespoons minced mint leaves
yoghurt (optional)
1. Place the chopped apple in a bowl that is large enough to hold all the ingredients and pour the lemon juice over the apples to prevent them from browning.
2. Put all the other ingredients in the bowl and toss gently.
A nice option is just before serving to mix with vanilla yoghurt. I don’t like to do this ahead of time because the yoghurt will break down and turn a little watery.
bok choy with garlic
I like this recipe from Asian Food Feasts by Sigrid Shepard and use it often. It lets the ingredients shine on their own merit. Not time consuming either, this whips up in a snap.
bok choy (the amount doesn’t really matter), chopped into 1 inch pieces, keep tops separated from bottom parts
1 tablespoon peanut oil or olive oil
garlic (to taste), diced
1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce (to taste)
1. In a sauté pan or skillet, heat your oil gently the diced garlic.
2. Add the bottom parts of the bok choy and these take just a little more time to cook. About 2 minutes.
3. Add the rest of the bok choy and sauté one minute more.
4. Add the oyster sauce. Be careful not to add too much sauce (it’s salty!)
I like to have this as a side dish or over rice or noodles.
rainbow chard and chickpeas
This is from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Gourmet Cookbook by Ruth Reichl. It spans a wide range of cultures and cuisines. This is a nice to do when the rainbow chard is young and tender. If you have chard that is a little larger, feel free to remove the center ribs and tougher stems. Or just cook those parts longer.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly diced
2 small tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch dice
2 cups rinsed canned chickpeas
1 bunch rainbow chard (about 1 lb) coarsely chopped
if young and tender. Or center ribs and stems removed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened.
3. Add tomatoes and chickpeas and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
4. Add rainbow chard, cover, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
For more recipes, visit http://www.AlisonsLunch.com, http://www.SouthAnchorageFarmersMarket.com
Happy cooking! --Nancy & Alison
