We are caught in the transition of crops, and the weather, which has been hot, then cool, then hot again is making it harder this year.
At the crop box pick up this month, we will feature local food products for sale by our members. We will have honey for sure, and I hope jams too.
Gaytan Family Farm
Cabbage
Celery
Green Beans
Corn
Leeks
Cantaloupe
Green Leaf Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Fox Farm
Avocados
Fuyu Persimmons
RS Farms
Cucumbers
Not a member yet? Why not? Click here to join the co-op at $100 for full membership. Be a member and a co-owner, bringing the power of economic independence to Riverside. Members can subscribe to our crop box too! $27/month with delivery available for $7.50/month. You benefit, your community benefits, and our partner farms and growers benefit.
If we get another hot spell, here is a simple recipe for a freshingly different iced tea.
Iced Honey Tea Au Lait
From the Styer’s Garden Café barista.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon black tea
6 oz. milk
Vanilla syrup
Honey
Directions
Steep 1 teaspoon of black tea for 3 minutes in 6 ounces of hot water. Stir in 1 pump of vanilla syrup and 1 tablespoon honey. Pour tea mixture over ice and top off with 6 oz. cold milk. Finish with a drizzle of honey.
I have shared some interesting dips with you, if you pick up your crop box. This is one I look forward to sharing soon.
Kabocha Pumpkin Dip with Maple, Yogurt, and Harissa
From Dips & Spreads by Dawn Yanagihara. Makes 2½ cups.
Ingredients
One 2-lb [910-g] kabocha pumpkin
2 large garlic cloves, unpeeled, woody ends trimmed
4 Tbsp [60 ml] extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup [80 g] plain whole-milk yogurt
2 Tbsp tahini
1 1/2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, preferably grade B, plus more as needed
1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp harissa, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp salted roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Preheat the oven to 375°F [190°C].
Directions
Halve the pumpkin and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut each half into four evenly sized wedges and put in a 9-by-13-in [23-by-33-cm] baking dish. Drop the garlic into the dish, drizzle everything with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil, and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Toss to coat. Roast, flipping the pumpkin wedges after about 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the thickest piece of pumpkin meets no resistance, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in the baking dish.
Using a spoon, scoop the flesh from the pumpkin wedges, leaving only the skin behind, and put in a food processor. Remove the garlic cloves from the baking dish, peel, and add to the food processor, along with the yogurt, tahini, maple syrup, lemon juice, harissa, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Process to a smooth, thick purée, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the machine running, stream in the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and continue to process until the mixture is as smooth as it can be, about 1 minute, scraping down the bowl as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, maple syrup, and harissa, if needed.
Transfer the dip to a wide, shallow bowl for serving. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Use the back of a spoon to swirl the surface of the dip. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds, drizzle with olive oil, and serve. Pair with seeded crackers, pita chips, or toasted baguette slices. Dip can be refrigerated without garnish for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature, stir to recombine, and garnish before serving.
We have cabbage again. Will this be the year to try to make sauerkraut? It is quite a simple and fun project. I like it best with about 1/3 of the jar being carrots. Here is a link to a video that explains it simply and thoroughly. Grab a sharp knife, and go for it!
I like to make Dilly Beans this time of year. I don’t make big batches, and don’t usually do a water bath canning process. I store them in the refrigerator.
Dilly Beans
From Cooks.com
Ingredients
In each quart jar place: beans lengthwise
1 hot pepper or 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic
1 head of dill or 1/2 tsp. dill seeds
Boil together:
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
1/4 cup salt (canning)
Directions
Pour boiling solution over beans in jar leaving 1/4 inch space on top. Put lids on and seal. No processing needed. I store in refrigerator. Make sure when cool they are sealed. Let stand for 2 or 3 weeks and taste.
This recipe from Spain really shows off green beans. Only four ingredients, and quick to make.
Penelope Casa’s Garlic Green Beans (Judias Verdes con Ajo)
From Food 52. Serves 4.
Ingredients
¾ pound fresh green beans
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
Coarse salt
Directions
Snap off the tops of the beans. Melt the butter in a skillet, add the beans, and cook them over a medium to medium-high flame, stirring, until they begin to brown.
Lower the flame, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until the beans are the desired tenderness, stirring occasionally.
Mix in the crushed garlic, sprinkle with salt, and serve immediately.
Sheet Pan Roast Chicken with Cabbage
From Food 52. Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon neutral oil, for greasing
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup melted coconut oil or olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or other)
1 tablespoon Sriracha, optional
8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 head cabbage, 2 to 3 lbs.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Pour a teaspoon of neutral oil over a rimmed sheet pan. Rub to coat.
In a small bowl, stir together the sesame oil, coconut oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sriracha, if using. Place chicken in a large bowl. Season all over with salt and pepper. Pour ¼ cup of the prepared mixture over the chicken and let marinate while the oven preheats. (Chicken can marinate longer, too, but try, if time permits, to bring it to room temperature before cooking—the coconut oil will solidify in the fridge and look clumpy, which is fine.)
Cut the cabbage in half through the core. Cut again through each core and repeat this process until you are left with many wedges, no greater than 1-inch wide. Place the wedges in a large bowl, season all over with salt and pepper, and toss with the remaining dressing.
Place chicken on prepared sheet pan spreading it out evenly. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and nestle cabbage wedges all around the pieces, tucking it under if necessary—it will feel like a lot of cabbage. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes more or until chicken is golden and cooked through. Remove pan from oven, transfer chicken to a platter to rest. Return cabbage to the oven to roast for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until juices have reduced and edges of cabbage wedges are caramelized.
Fuyu persimmons are one of my favorite fruits. I like to just slice and eat them, but here is another way to savor. Great with grilled cheese.
Pickled Fuyu Persimmons
From Food 52. Makes 1 16oz jar.
Ingredients
2 firm, smooth Fuyu persimmons (Hachiya persimmons will not work for this)
1 cup apple cider or rice vinegar (or a combination of the two)
1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 big pinches of red pepper flakes
Directions
Cut the ends off the persimmons, peel, and slice into disks (I got 4 to 5 disks out of each persimmon). Quarter each disk. Pack the slices in a clean 16-ounce mason jar with a lid.
Prepare the brine: Bring all other ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepan, then remove from heat.
Pour the brine over the persimmons, screw on the lid, and put it in the refrigerator. They'll be ready to eat after a day, but will be great (and will intensify in vinegary-ness) for a week or longer.
Autumn Salad with Persimmons and Walnuts
From Food 52. Serves 2.
Ingredients
For the dressing
1 tablespoon apple cider
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the salad
1 Fuyu variety persimmon
3 cups baby or wild arugula leaves or combination of greens
½ cup toasted walnut halves
2 ounces aged gouda cheese (aged at least 12 months)
Directions
Combine ingredients for dressing.
Wash and dry arugula; toss arugula and walnuts with dressing. Arrange on two plates.
Slice persimmon as you would an apple; arrange slices on plates.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave cheese over salad plates.