Looking back at last January’s recipe zine was a good reminder that while I think we have lots of local produce year-round, January is a bit of a challenge. We may not have vine ripened tomatoes and corn on the cob, but we have citrus, and nutritious winter veggies.
Gaytan Family Farm
Leek
Red and Yellow onion
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Blueberries
RUSD Food Hub
Baker Potatoes
Pears
Poblano Peppers
Fox Farm
Pomelo
Cara Cara Oranges
Ruby Grapefruit
Bag of assorted Tangerine
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! $30/month with delivery available for $7.50/month. You benefit, your community benefits, and our partner farms and growers benefit.
Many of us eat Brussels Sprouts often. I am seeing them featured on restaurant menus. Rustik Fork, one of Riverside’s favorite organic farm to fork eateries, serves a big plate of them roasted as an appetizer. So yummy! I found a cooking method new to me from Six Seasons: a new way with vegetables by Joshua McFadden. The recipe can be served warm or at room temperature. It can be a main dish with the addition of some cooked, toasted farro.
Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Carrots, Walnuts, Cilantro, and Citrus Vinaigrette
Serves 2 to 3.
Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
¾ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
About 1/3 cup roughly chopped or sliver pickled carrots (store bought or homemade—recipe below)
½ cup walnuts, hazelnuts, or pecans, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, or substitute the leeks in your box
¼ cup Citrus Vinaigrette, recipe below
½ cup lightly packed roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ cup olive oil and the garlic and cook to toast the garlic so it’s very soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown—but not burnt—about 5 minutes. Scoop out the garlic and set it aside to prevent it from burning.
Increase the heat a bit and add the Brussels sprouts, cut side down. Season with salt and pepper and cook gently until the sprouts are tender all the way through, but not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat midway if the sprouts are getting too brown. Return the garlic to the pan, crushing it to break it up and disperse among the sprouts.
When the sprouts are cooked, pull the pan from and heat and add the pickled carrots, half the nuts, and all the scallions and toss thoroughly to mix and warm the new ingredients slightly.
Spoon the vinaigrette over the sprouts and toss again. Add half each the cilantro and parsley and toss again. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or vinaigrette so the salad is very vibrant.
Add more vinaigrette just before serving if you like, along with the rest of the nuts, cilantro and parsley. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
½ tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
¾ extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Using a rasp style grater, zest all the citrus into a bowl. Halve the fruit and squeeze all the juice into the same bowl to get 2/3 cup juice. (fish out the seeds). Whisk in the honey, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and several twists of pepper.
Taste and adjust with more honey, vinegar, and salt and pepper, if needed, to make the flavor vibrant. Whisk in the olive oil a few drops at a time or put the juice mixture into a blender or food processor and drizzle in the oil while the machine is running. Using a machine will make vinaigrette creamier and emulsified.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. This dressing is good on shaved fennel and thinly sliced celery, sautéed or grilled shrimp, or roasted beets and chopped walnuts.
This brine is easy to put together, and something you can keep on hand for sudden pickle inspirations. The recipe makes enough for about 3 pints of pickles.
Basic Vegetable Pickle Brine
From Six Seasons
Ingredients
½ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 ½ cups hot water
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Put everything in a pot or big pitcher and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Using clean canning jars, fill with your vegetable in a way that shows them off. Pour over the brine until the vegetables are completely covered and the jar is full, and screw on the cap. Refrigerate for up to two months.
Start tasting after the first day to see how the flavor and texture are developing. They are ready to eat as soon as you think they are.
For Pickled Carrots
Seasonings: 5 smashed garlic cloves, 2 dried chiles, 3 or 4 thyme sprigs, 1 tablespoon toasted coriander seeds, all seasonings rinsed.
For large carrots, peel and cut into 2 bite sticks. Arrange standing up in jar and tuck seasonings in between.
If you are unsure about Pomelos, try this salad. Pomelos are native to Southeast Asia with a milder taste than grapefruit. Many people think they are grapefruit, but no.
Pomelo Spinach Salad
From Frites and Fries. Serves 6.
Ingredients
10 ounces spinach leaves
1 pomelo, segmented with skin and pith removed
½ half red onion, sliced
1 pound medium shrimp, deveined and peeled, or ½ cup chopped pecans
Directions
Combine ingredients and serve with a creamy green salad dressing, such as cilantro or green goddess.
We also have Poblano peppers this month. They can be roasted and stuffed. The recipe for stuffed peppers is vegetarian. Also a relish recipe to add spice to your meals. This relish offers the tastiness of poblanos with some heat provided by serrano chilies. It's smoky, spicy, and a bit tart—delicious.
This recipe makes enough to fill a small jar, but you can easily double it if you'd like. It livens up everyday fish or chicken, but it's also perfect on crackers with a smear of cream cheese, for dipping corn chips into, to mix into any salad, and on crunchy bread. Additionally, it can go on top of hot dogs, steaks, hamburgers, or any type of sandwich you like. This poblano pepper relish is just so good, you'll want to put it on everything.
Poblano Pepper Relish
From theSpruceeats.com. Makes 8 servings.
Ingredients
4 average-sized poblano peppers
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (or oil of choice)
1 small white onion (finely chopped)
2 to 3 serrano chilies (finely chopped, to taste)
Fine sea salt (to taste)
Pinch granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (to taste)
Directions
Poblano peppers have a thick skin that is best removed. To do so, you can char the peppers on an open flame or an outdoor grill.
Keep a close eye on the peppers so that they don't burn. They're ready when their skin begins to darken and bubble and peels away from the pepper flesh easily. Once this happens on one side of the peppers, flip them over. The entire process can take 15 to 20 minutes or so, depending on the peppers' size.
Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool. Once you can handle them, gently peel away the darkened skin and discard it.
Remove the stem and cube the poblanos into small, even-sized pieces. You can either discard or include the seeds. Set the poblanos aside.
Heat the oil in a large pan. Once it's hot, add the onion and sauté until it is soft and translucent.
Add the serranos and cook until they soften.
Now add the poblano pepper pieces, sprinkle in a half teaspoon of fine sea salt and the pinch of sugar, and then add the vinegar.
Give the pan a good stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to really allow the flavors to come together.
Taste the relish and add more salt or vinegar if desired. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
4 cups cooked brown rice (or 4 cups of any cooked grain)
4 poblano peppers
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 15 ounce can black beans
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
3 green onions
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Cayenne, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Shredded cheese (we used a Mexican blend)
Chopped cilantro for serving (optional)
Directions
While the rice cooks, prepare the peppers: slice the poblano peppers in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Place the peppers in a baking dish skin side up. Broil on high for about 7 minutes, then flip the peppers and broil 7 minutes more.
Chop the green onions. Drain and rinse the black beans.
In a large saucepan, combine: beans, onions, salsa, corn, a handful of the shredded cheese, cumin, chili powder, and a pinch of cayenne (if you like it spicy!). Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. When the rice is finished, stir it into the filling.
Heat the filling a few minutes over medium heat until warm.
Place the pepper halves skin side down in a baking dish, and spoon the filling into each half. Top the filling with shredded cheese and broil until the cheese is melted, for about 2 minutes.
Serve warm. If desired, garnish with chopped cilantro and sour cream.