Springtime in Southern California! The weather is ever changing, hot to cool, and even rain this year. We have a big mix of veggies this season, so find a new way to serve one of them and enjoy!
Coronet Corner Grove
Gwen Avocados (near the end of the limited season for this exceptionally creamy Hass-style variety)
Mandelos (the incredible Cocktail Grapefruit--developed at UC Riverside--for simple eating or jams, marmalades and syrups)
Kumquats
Gaytan Family Farm
Asparagus
Onion Bags
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Zucchini
RFC Add-In
Tangelos
Uncommon Good
Beets
Fox Farm
Kale
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.
Roasted asparagus and tomatoes covered in melted parmesan and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.
Balsamic Parmesan Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes
From closetcooking.com. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan), grated
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons basil, sliced
Directions
Toss the asparagus and tomatoes in the oil, salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle on the parmesan and roast in a preheated 400F/200C oven until they start to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes, mixing half way through.
Meanwhile, simmer the balsamic vinegar until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
Serve the asparagus and tomatoes warm drizzled with the balsamic vinegar and garnished with the fresh basil.
Another idea for asparagus from David Tanis.
Steamed Asparagus with Pistachios and Brown Butter
NY Times. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds medium asparagus, tough ends snapped off
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped sage, plus 12 whole sage leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup toasted pistachios, crushed
Directions
Put a large wide skillet on the stove. Add about 1 inch water, salt it well, cover the skillet, and place over high heat. When water comes to a rapid boil, add asparagus in one layer, cover, and cook for 2 minutes, or just until barely done.
Drain asparagus and keep warm loosely wrapped in a kitchen towel.
Return skillet to stovetop over high heat. Add butter and swirl pan, then add chopped sage and sage leaves.
When butter gets foamy, lightly browned and nutty-smelling, a minute or two, stir in lemon juice and zest and turn the heat to low.
Put cooked asparagus back in pan and season with salt and pepper. Shake pan gently to coat with butter sauce. Using tongs, transfer asparagus to a large warmed platter. Spoon remaining sauce over asparagus, sprinkle with pistachios and serve.
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Poached Egg
From Gather Journal. Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 large bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
3 Tbsp lemon juice
5 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
freshly grated Parmigiano for sprinkling
POACHED EGGS
3tsp lemon juice
4eggs
Directions
Using a vegetable peeler, finely shave the asparagus spears lengthwise into thin strips. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Fill a large saucepan with 3 to 4 inches of water. Add three teaspoons lemon juice and bring to a gentle simmer. Crack an egg into a small cup. Using a spoon, gently swirl the simmering water and slide the eggs in. Repeat with remaining eggs. Keep the water at a mellow simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the whites have set but the yolk remains soft and runny.
Meanwhile, quickly toss the asparagus with the lemon dressing and divide between four plates. Transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to nest on the asparagus. Sprinkle with Parmigiano, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.
I think a frittata makes such a lovely supper, with a salad or some veggies to go with. This recipe calls for cooking onions a long time, but remember you can caramelize onions to perfection in a slow cooker, and this recipe would come together in a minutes.
Baked Onion-Walnut Fritatta
Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman The Art of Vegetarian Cooking. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
Melted Onions
1 pound onions, either chopped or thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions
In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat and then add the onions and cook, stirring, until they soften, about five minutes or so. Then add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, the thyme and the minced garlic. Turn the heat to low and cover. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the onions are very soft and lightly colored but not browned.
Frittata
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 eggs, large
½ cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add the olive oil to a large skillet, ideally cast iron, brushing the sides with the oil. Then place the pan in the hot oven for five minutes.
While the pan is heating up, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk in the yogurt. Then stir in the melted onions (above), the walnuts and the parsley.
Remove the skillet from the oven and pour in the egg mixture. It should sizzle. Return the skillet to the oven and bake until puffed and lightly colored, about 30 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Ever since I discovered that beets can be eaten, not only raw, but peel-on, I’ve been eating them A LOT more often. I’ve always been a fan of their great earthy and sweet taste, but found that they were way too complicated to prepare, so I often just opted to pass. I mean let’s face it, these things take forever to cook, so it doesn’t make much sense cooking only one or two…
All I have to do is brush them under running water, cut off both ends and slice, grate, chop, or matchstick them and voilà, they’re good and ready to go. How awesome is that. Now I can enjoy them almost every day as part of my various salads. You have to agree that they are simply gorgeous and add so much life and color! Not to mention great taste, great crunch, and amazing nutritional value!
If you love beets, and want to eat them without the baking time, try this salad. The textures and flavors are interesting and different.
Raw Beet, Orange and Carrot Salad
Serves 2.
Ingredients
3-4 cups mixed lettuce
2 small beets
2 carrots
2 oranges
¼ cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
¼ cup dried cranberries
For the dressing
¼ cup juice from above oranges
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp dried cranberries
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp unpasteurized honey
Instructions
In a small pan, toast your sunflower seeds over low-medium heat.
Brush beets and carrots under running water and remove both ends.
Cut beets into thin matchsticks and grate carrots. Set aside
Cut both oranges into segments, (cut ends off, then cut off peel. Cut toward center of orange to create segments without peel) working over a bowl, in order not lose any of the juice. When you’ve got all your segmentss done, make sure to squeeze all the juice out of the membrane that’s left behind. You will need all the precious juice that you can get to make the dressing. You should be able to get about ¼ cup out of both oranges. If you can’t get this much, you could use a good natural orange juice, if you have, or even lemon juice.
Transfer that juice to your mini blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients for the dressing and blend until smooth.
Arrange lettuces at the bottom of your plate. Top with grated carrots, beet matchsticks and orange segments. Add sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.
Pour dressing overtop the salad when you are ready to eat.
If you have more veggies than you can eat, make pickles! This is an easy brine recipe you can keep on hand to slice vegetables into whenever you have a surplus. These pickle well: green beans, snap peas, carrot sticks, radishes, asparagus, red onion. I pickle red onion separately as they are so useful to add to Mexican food, sandwiches, or?
Refrigerator Pickle Brine
from The Homemade Kitchen by Chernila.
Ingredients
Brine:
2 cups warm water
1 ½ tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ cups cider vinegar, raw or pasteurized
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
Directions
Combine the water, sea salt and honey in a quart jar. Stir to dissolve the salt and honey. Add the vinegar and mustard. Cover, shake to combine, and refrigerate indefinitely.
To make pickles, stuff a clean jar with vegetables, herbs and spices. Top with brine so it covers the produce. Fasten a piece of cheesecloth or thin fabric to the top with a rubber band. Leave the jar out on the counter for about 8 hours. Then replace the cloth with the jar lid and refrigerate. The pickles will be ready the next day, but they will get even better with age.
Everyone needs a little soup in their life. This one is quick, except for cutting the veggies, because it relies on canned beans. The veggies add flavor, as does the cheese on top.
Easy Tuscan Bean Soup
From Wanderlustkitchen.com. Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 yellow summer squash, diced
4 cloves, pressed
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon rosemary
1 quart broth, chicken or vegetable
2 14-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz canned diced tomatoes, no salt added
3 cups chopped kale, ribs removed or spinach instead
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 6 quart or larger Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, and squash. Saute for 4 minutes.
Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and rosemary. Cook 30 seconds.
Stir in the broth, beans, and tomatoes. Bring the contents to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and add the chopped kale. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender* to partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks of beans vegetables for texture.
Add the salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve topped with Parmesan or Dubliner cheese and a side of crusty bread.
Try this kumquat dessert. They will be gone in the blink of an eye!
Kumquat Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake
Ingredients
12 3/4 ounces (3 cups, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1/2 cup) unrefined coconut oil
Coupons
4 ounces cream cheese
8 3/4 ounces (1 1/4 cups) vanilla sugar (or granulated sugar)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3 eggs, room temperature*
6 3/8 ounces (3/4 cup) low fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 1/4 ounces (1 1/2 cups) chopped kumquats
confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
8 1/4 ounces (1 cup) heavy cream
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar (or granulated sugar)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease a 10-15 cup bundt pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a bowl and handheld electric mixer), cream together the coconut oil, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla bean until light and fluffy. Wiping down the bowl and beater as needed, beat in the eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated.
Whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
With mixer on lowest speed, mix in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by 1/2 of the liquids, mixing each addition in until mostly incorporated and continuing in this manner until all has been added. Add chopped kumquats and fold in by hand just until all ingredients are evenly combined.
Transfer batter to bundt pan, making sure to fill to all corners and edges, and smoothing out top lightly with a spatula. Firmly rap pan on counter a few times to ensure batter settles into pan evenly.
Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted all the way into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 30 minutes, and then flip onto wire rack to cool completely.
Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with vanilla bean whipped cream and candied kumquats, if desired. Cake is best at room temperature, but for longer shelf life, keep refrigerated.
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream. Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla bean in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a bowl using a handheld electric mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until cream holds peaks.