Fall Session: Week 8 Boxletter

 

Week 8 Box Contents

• Hand Grown Greens Fava Bean Shoots
• Red Onions
• Red or Green Cabbage
• Braising Mix
• Daikon Radish
• Carrots
• Ama Rosa and/or Purple Majesty Potatoes
• Garlic
• Wheatberries
• Popcorn
• Winter Squash (Full Share Only)
• Collards or Radicchio (Full Share Only)

*as always this list may change a bit once we get out in the fields to harvest

Recipes

The last box of our Fall session!  We have a lot of great little things this week.  We reached out to our neighbors at Steel Wheel Farm for the daikon and potatoes.  More wheatberries from the farm, just a reminder that these cook up like many other grains and do take about 40-50 minutes to cook al dente.  This week also brings you a little challenge from the farm.  David grew a small crop of popcorn and we were very excited about it, however…             We have had little luck in popping it well.  I have tried to take it off the cob and got a bit of popped corn, but not much, though it smelled amazing. So we turn to you, our trusty members, to bring out all of your popcorn cookery genius and let us know the best way to cook these little cobs. Shoot us an email with your successes (or failures if you’d rather).  It may just be that the kernels need to dry out a bit more, but when googling cooking popcorn cobs all I ever found was microwave recipes and I just couldn’t bring myself to go down that road.  

-Liz

 

Sesame Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Meatballs

Essentially, banh mi in a noodle bowl.  How can you go wrong? This may be a bit more labor intensive than some, but I promise it is well worth it.  This is my dinner as soon as I get my hands on those daikon!

quick pickle

1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup coconut sugar (or natural cane sugar)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt

3 carrots, sliced into thin ribbons (a vegetable peeler works great for this)

3 daikon radishes, sliced into thin ribbons

 

sriracha mayo

1 cup mayo of your choice

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tbsp sriracha + more (or less) to taste

 

meatballs

1 pound ground pork

1 lemongrass stalk, smashed with a rolling pin then minced

2 scallions, minced (white and pale green parts only)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoon minced cilantro

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons sriracha

Oil for frying the meatballs

 

noodles

1/2 pound soba noodles (or whole wheat noodles)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

one 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup minced cilantro for serving

 

Prepare the quick pickled veggies. In a large bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and salt. Add the sliced veggies and soak in the mixture for 1 hour. (you can keep them marinating at room temperature.)

Make the sriracha mayo.  Whisk all ingredients in a bowl together.

Place the ground pork in the freezer while you prepare the lemongrass/veggie mixture. In the bowl of a food processor add the minced lemongrass, scallions, garlic, cilantro, fish sauce and sriracha. Add the chilled pork and pulse to blend. Shape into small meatballs (I got about 22) and place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover and place them in the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes.

While the meatballs are chilling heat a large pot of lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain.

In a large bowl combine the maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced ginger, garlic and olive oil. Add the drained pasta to the mixture and toss to coat.

Heat the oil for the meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, brown on all sides until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.

To serve divide noodles between bowls and top with meatballs, pickled veggies, cilantro and a drizzle of the sriracha mayo.

From “Dishing up the Dirt”

 

Pomegranate Kraut

 I made this for the first time a few years ago as a cranberry sauce replacement at thanksgiving.  It sounds kind of weird, I know, but it’s a great refreshing addition to a lot of those rich meals we eat this time of year.  Plus it’s super healthy and downright delicious!

 

1-1/4 lbs cabbage, finely shredded

1 Tablespoon sea salt

1/2 red onion, cut into thin slivers

3 – 4 sprigs fresh dill, chopped

1/2 cup  pomegranate seeds

Place the shredded cabbage in a large stainless, glass, or ceramic bowl. Add salt and massage cabbage for about 10 minutes to help release the natural liquid from the cabbage.

Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Place the cabbage and pomegranate mixture into a wide-mouth, quart-size mason jar 1/3 at a time. Pressing down on the mixture as you go to release any juices.  The mixture should reach the shoulder of the jar. (Don’t over-pack, as more liquid will be released from the cabbage in the next 24-hours.) If after 24 hours there is any veggie not submerged in liquid add filtered water to cover.

If you have a fancy fermentation lid, use it here.  If not, place a clean dishtowel over the lid and secure with a rubber band.

Allow to ferment at room temperature for 5-10 days or more in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight. Check every few days and taste as you go until it is to the level of fermentation that you like best.

Once done, place a lid on the jar and place in the fridge.  It will keep for months in the fridge.

 

 

Red Onion Jam

One of my favorite things to make and add to things like grilled cheese and burgers, or use as a sauce for pork or poultry.  It may take longer than an hour depending on how juicy the onions are.  Feel free to omit the wine, it adds great flavor but isn’t entirely necessary. 

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds red onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

 

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until softened and just translucent, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in wine, sugar, thyme, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat low, and let simmer until liquid thickens and becomes syrupy, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer onion jam to a bowl and let cool, then serve or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, letting onion jam return to room temperature before using.