Your Riverside Food Co-op Board is very thankful for our members, and our crop box subscribers. We have moved forward in some big ways this year with a logo redesign, the creation of yard signs, signing up members. We are approaching 250, and hope to have 500 by the end of 2020. We need your help to make this store happen.
Sage Mountain Farm
Russet Potatoes
Medjool dates
Gaytan Family Farm
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Celery
Onion - red/yellow
Spinach
Fox Farm
Basil
Gold Beets
Eggplant
Pomegranate
Corona Farm
Tomato
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.
I am sharing a recipe that makes cauliflower a festive holiday-worthy dish.
Alon Shaya’s Whole Roasted Cauliflower and Whipped Goat Cheese
From Food 52. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, whole, stem trimmed and leaves removed
2 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for serving
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 bay leaf
1 pinch Coarse sea salt (for serving)
Whipped Goat Cheese
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
3 ounces cream cheese
3 ounces feta cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for serving
Directions
Heat oven to 475° F. Bring wine, oil, salt, lemon juice, butter, red pepper flakes, sugar, bay leaf, and 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot.
Carefully lower in cauliflower, reduce heat, and simmer, turning occasionally, until a knife easily inserts into center, 15 to 20 minutes.
Using 2 slotted spoons or a mesh strainer or spider, transfer cauliflower to a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, draining well.
Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until brown all over, 30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer cauliflower to a plate. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with whipped goat cheese (recipe below).
Whipped Goat Cheese
Blend goat cheese, cream cheese, feta, cream, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until smooth; season with sea salt.
Transfer whipped goat cheese to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
Note: Whipped goat cheese can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill in the refrigerator.
We have eggplant for the first time this year. A delightful way to enjoy eggplant, and it makes both a good appetizer or a healthy snack to eat lightly after the big meal.
Silky Sweet and Sour Eggplant Caponata
From Food 52. Serves 8.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, cut lengthwise and chopped
Kosher salt
1 large OR 2 medium eggplant, skinned and cubed
1 cup pitted green olives, sliced lengthwise in half
2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional)
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
5 whole peeled tomatoes (from a 14-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium/high heat. Add the celery, onion and a small pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the celery and onions are completely soft and caramelized. Transfer it all with a slotted spoon to a heat-safe bowl and set aside.
Return the saute pan to the stove. Add the eggplant to the saute pan and sprinkle it with a small pinch of salt. Do not stir the eggplant until the bottom layer browns slightly. Then stir and let the eggplant soften and caramelize all over. Transfer the eggplant to the same bowl as the onion and celery.
Return the saute pan to the stove again, adding the olives, pine nuts, capers, red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Saute for a few minutes until pine nuts are golden brown and aromas from the olives and capers are released. Immediately add in the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar. Stir, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden or slotted spoon and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Pour the contents of the saute pan into the bowl with the onions, celery and eggplant. Mix all the ingredients well, let cool slightly and serve with toasted slices of baguette with or without fresh ricotta cheese.
One of my very favorite ways to eat eggplant is on a sandwich. This one is perfect!
Balsamic-Roasted Eggplant and Arugula Sandwiches
From Food 52. Serves 4.
Ingredients
4 Japanese or baby eggplants
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 baguettes or 4 ciabatta rollsSalted or unsalted butter, softened
1 bunch arugula
Directions
Preheat oven to 425° F. Slice eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick strips and lay strips on an oiled or parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheet.Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil in a dish. Brush vinegar-oil mixture across top of each slice of eggplant. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper over the top. Roast for about 10 minutes. Turn slices over, brush with oil mixture, season with salt and pepper, and roast for another 8 minutes or so. Cool.
Cut baguettes lengthwise in half and spread each half generously with the softened butter.
Place eggplant slices on the bread and top with arugula leaves. Close sandwiches and serve.
Red Beet Hummus is one of my favorites, so could not resist trying this golden beet hummus. Healthy, easy but roasting the beets takes a little time, and if you are vegan, leave out the cream fraiche. These would work just fine in the red beet hummus recipe I have shared a number of times.
Golden Beet Hummus
From Food 52. Makes 2 cups.
Ingredients
2 pounds yellow beets
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces almonds
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
5 tablespoons creme fraiche
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the beets and cut them into quarters. Toss them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Spread the beets on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Bake the beets for about an hour or longer, until they are soft, turning them frequently. If the beets turn brown at the end of baking, cover them with foil. I bake mine on a convection bake setting.
Roast the almonds for about 10 minutes in the same oven.
Grind the roasted almonds and garlic in a food processor. Do not overdo this. Add the cooled beets with the oil that has accumulated on the bottom of the pan to the food processor. Grind into a puree, add the Creme Fráiche and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Your box has dates too. Of course they can be eaten out of hand, but here is another appetizer if you are feeling fancy.
Prosciutto Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
From Food 52. Allow 2 dates per serving.
Ingredients
8 Medjool dates
2 ounces goat cheese, preferably Bucheron or Cana de Cabra
8 Basil leaves
4 strips Serrano ham or Prosciutto, cut in half
Directions
Cut a slit lengthwise in the dates to remove the pit and stuff with goat cheese. Make sure to close them as much as possible.
Wrap a basil leaf around the stuffed date and wrap a half strip of prosciutto around that.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5-10 minutes, just until the fat on the prosciutto starts to render and brown and the cheese melts.