Week one photo recap:Here is a picture of the Rib Eye on lemom and olive oil tossed arugula and pea shootsand the sassy lemon potato salad I made as a side. This was part of farm share number 1's take and everyone LOVED it.
Week two:
Week two I had more Pea Shoots, baby turnips (also called haruki turnips – if you’ve never had them, they’re mild, crunchy, small turnips you can actually eat raw; less spicy than a radish, but same idea), Bok Choy, Lettuce, Spinach, Dandelion Greens, Scallions and more radishes and arugula.
I made a delicious meal for Fathers Day. My husband loves lamb - in every form. We buy lamb chops probably the least as they are the most expensive cut but they are tasty little morsels for sure and worth the splurge. (Sam's Club has great rack of lamb which is really inexpensive comparatively that they farm on the own New Zealand Ranch. For social reasons I have a hard time felling good about shopping at Wal Mart and Sams Club but sometimes when I am feeding lots I will break down and get the lamb there and it is devine. Lamb is easy to flavor, goes well with chutney when grilled so you dont really need a sauce. There is lots of flavorful fat that pairs well with bitter vegetables or greens that cut that fatty feel in the mouth and give you a robust bite.
I rubbed lamb chops with 2 tbsp fresh chopped oregano, 2 tbsp olive oil and a 1/4 cup lemon juice and salt. I marinated the meat on the counter for about an hour so it could come to room temperature tossing it often in the marinade.
While that was doing its thing I chopped up the tops to the green turnips in 2 inch pieces along with the dandelion greens and spinach I got from the farm share. I cut the big turnips in half or quarters so all my turnips were roughly the same size. I sliced the brussel sprouts in half (not from farm share its a bit too early - we usually get them in the fall).
At 450 I placed a cast iron pan with the cut brussel sprouts tossed in olive oil and salt. Most sprouts face down so the tops could blacken and caramelize in the skillet. These cooked for 20 minutes and I occasionally toss the pan to let new parts of the sprouts make contact with the bottom of the pan and caramelize also (shake every 8 minutes or so)
I cooked the turnips on stove top high. Cut side down in olive oil. I shook the pan about every 3 minutes and when I noticed the cut sides starting to get toasty brown I turned down the pan to medium and I added a 1/4 cup of white wine to the pan to flavor the turnips and help steam them to tender. If the wine cooks off too quickly and they are still not fork tender feel free to add a few tablespoons of water to continue the steam cooking. To finish I add some butter to taste and toss.
The greens I started with three tablespoons of olive oil. I added 1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes and let them cook on low to flavor the oil. I added three cloves of chopped garlic to the oil being careful not to burn or brown the garlic as it gets bitter fast. When the oil had done its thing i put all the Greens in the pan and tossed them with a tongs to wilt. I usually ad about a 1/4 cup of water once things start going to help the greens steam. When I have added the water I put the lid on. Add salt and pepper. Sometimes I squuze lemon juice over the top too if the greens need more punch. These are done.
I grilled the lamb chops to mid rare 125 degrees on a meat thermometer. These little cuts grill fast so keep an eye on them.
My plate was greens on the bottom, two lamb chops on top of the greens with the turnips alongside a pile of roasted brussel sprouts. This was a delicious meal. My hub was happy and Ellie only complained a little that everything on the plate was bitter. I thought it was heaven.
The next day I cooked a 1/4 lb of whole wheat spaghetti. Whole wheat really holds up well to these bitter veg tables also and gives it a hearty flavor. I took the cooked pasta with 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and tossed it with my left over turnips, greens and brussel sprouts. I salted, peppered, squeeze of lemon juice and added 1/4-1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese you could also add goat cheese for a creamier sauce.
Week Three:
Are salads really recipes? I have so many greens and have been eating salads every day for lunch which is great this time of year and lets face it - everyone looks much better in a swim suit with lots of salads in their life.
My salads are easy, farm share greens, usually fruits, nuts and cheese.
Specifically blueberries and goat cheese (Donnay is heavenly and grass fed cheese so it tastes really springy and mild and herbal)and almonds or pistachios.
Strawberries and raspberries also go well with goat cheese, almonds, pistachios or walnuts. Apples pair well with spinach, arugula and heartier greens and cheeses like Parmesan chunks or a good aged cheddar. I usually use walnuts or pine nuts here. Dont forget stone fruit on salads as its really lovely also. Peaches,plums, pluots all sliced really liven up a salad.
Dressings I usually go with lemon juice and olive oil but if I am having fruit top I will add some agave or honey.
The best commercially made salad dressing that are good for you are Paul Newman or Annies salad dressings. They use the good fats. New to the market in the refrigerated section that are good and low calorie are bolthouse farms made with yogurt as the thickener or they have some fruit dressing versions also that are good with apple juice as their base. The BEST salad dressings however for Fall and Summer are Salad Girl salad dressings. They are made locally by Pam Powell and her husband Jim who I first met at the Mill City Farmers market. They are lovely people, printing customers of our at www.Printz.com and their dressings are now sold in the refrigerated section of Lunds/Byerlys/Kowalskis/Whole Foods/Co-ops. Their dressings are the best and you only need a few tablespoons per salad as they are so flavorful. Sometimes I add some flax seed oil to the dressing so I make sure to get my flax in for the day and the dressing still tastes awesome. My favorites are Blueberry Basil, Strawberry and their Curry Fig is awesome on apples. Here is a list of them Blueberry Basil, Pomegranate Pear, Curry & Fig, Crisp Apple Maple, Savory Strawberry, and Lemony Herb - they are really worth seeking out and I have turned everyone I know onto them. If you CSA with lots of lettuce these are a MUST to keep your salad like interesting and they pair great with grilled chicken or salmon on a salad too!
Here is Pam in a video that Whole Foods shot. She is so cute:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-2xcJlV4UI&feature=share also here is a link to their sites salad recipe blog with lots of great ideas
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