Simply Sautéed Swiss Chard

Colorful rainbow chard is one of the vibrant greens we see frequently coming from Windflower Farm. One of the best ways to prepare it is simply sautéed with oil, salt & pepper, but incorporating a few other CSA items makes this especially delicious! Member Elisabeth Stuveras has modified a recipe she found on Simply Recipes to make the most of her share. She recommends it as a light lunch or dinner with scrambled eggs on the side

Simply Sautéed Swiss Chard

• CSA Swiss chard

• CSA Onion

• CSA Garlic scapes

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• CSA Eggs (scrambled and on the side)

Rinse the chard, then tear or cut the leaves away from the stalks. Cut the stalks into 1/2-inch pieces and separately cut the leaves into 1-inch wide strips.

Thinly slice garlic scapes and dice onion. Heat some olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat, then add garlic scapes, onion, and crushed red pepper. Cook until fragrant.

Add the chopped Swiss chard stalks. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Then add the chopped chard leaves, tossing with the oil & aromatics. Cook 3-4 more minutes, turning chard frequently to wilt and cook it consistently.

Summer Vegetable and Garlic Scape Catalan Paella

Garlic Scapes are one of the most fleeting, exciting crops to come from Windflower Farm every season. Member Salome Blignaut shares a recipe for using them and more!

This endlessly versatile paella, adapted from a NYT recipe by Perla Meyers circa 1989, is a great  for using any number of CSA summer vegetables: garlic scapes substitute really well for the traditional garlic, the recipe can be loaded up with onion, green onion or scallions as you please, summer squash does just as well as zucchini, and it’s fine if you don’t have bell peppers on hand. Chorizo or chicken sausage is also a wonderful addition, and it can be made spicy to taste. It’s simple to prepare and so satisfying, and makes great leftovers.

Note on paella pans: I make this recipe without a paella pan and find that it’s always great even if I can't get a soccarat. If you want to try for the traditional soccarat (crispy rice at the bottom), choose a heavy cast-iron pot or an oversized stainless steel pot (to increase the surface area the rice is cooking on). Make sure to leave the dish undisturbed during the final simmering period, and simmer at medium-low, not too low.

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp olive oil
1 small fresh green chili pepper, finely minced / or sub red pepper flakes or dash of cayenne
1 large onion, thinly sliced or use 1 bunch CSA green onions (bulbs and stalks separated)
(optional) 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
(optional) 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
2 garlic scapes, sliced into thin rounds / sub 2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves / sub dried thyme
1 medium zucchini or summer squash, trimmed and cubed (opt: if leaving out bell peppers, add another squash or zucchini)
4 large ripe tomatoes, chopped / sub a can of diced tomato
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups paella rice
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
Lemon juice for garnish
Finely minced fresh parsley for garnish

OPTIONAL ADD INS:
Sliced green onions
Sliced scallions
Chorizo or chicken sausage, sliced in rounds and pan-seared

PREPARATION

1. In a large deep, 12-inch iron pot (or skillet with lid), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chili pepper, onion and bell peppers, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the onion is lightly browned.

2. Add the garlic scapes / garlic, paprika, thyme, zucchini / summer squash, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Stir in the rice and chicken stock or bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until the rice is tender. Taste and correct the seasoning. Garnish with finely minced parsley.

4. Serve the paella hot as an accompaniment to roasted or grilled meats or as a light Sunday supper, directly from the skillet, accompanied by a well-seasoned green salad. The paella can also be served at room temperature, doused with fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of fruity olive oil.

CREDIT: The original recipe by Perla Meyers is no longer available in the New York Times Cooking section, but was featured in the NYT on July 30, 1989:
https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/30/magazine/food-skillet-skills.html

Pickled Radishes and Pickled Scapes

Thanks to the great canning workshop that Victoria from Windflower Farm led last fall, I’ve been trying to do more canning this season.  Two things I’ve learned:

1. With a little inexpensive equipment, a good recipe book, and some time, water bath canning is not that hard to do safely.

2. Even if you don’t want to go through the whole canning process, you can still make pickles!

Here are two things I pickled today.

The first is a half pint of Pickled Radishes, using a recipe from Well-Preserved.  This is a refrigerator pickle, meaning it isn’t shelf-stable, but it will keep in your fridge for a few weeks.  Basically, you slice up radishes, boil some vinegar with sugar and salt, put it in a jar, and stick it in your fridge.  Easy!  A note: to sterilize your jar, put it in a pot of water, bring to a boil, and boil it for 10 minutes.

The second is Pickled Garlic Scapes, which I was inspired to make because Ortine on Washington between Pacific and Dean was using them to garnish their Bloody Marys.  Here’s the recipe I used, combining a couple recipes from Canning for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff.  Messing with canning recipes is touchy, since you need to make sure the mixture is acidic enough to avoid botulism, but the things I changed in the recipe don’t affect acidity, so it should only make a difference in taste.  Don’t want to do the whole canning thing?  You can do basically the same as with the radishes: sterilize your jar, make the pickling liquid, stick it in the fridge, and eat it within a couple weeks.  I’m not going to include step-by-step water bath canning instructions; get yourself a book and make sure you know what you’re doing before you try it.

Pickled Garlic Scapes, adapted from Liana Krissoff and Ortine
Makes 2 pint jars

1 1/4 lbs. garlic scapes
1 c. cider vinegar (5% acidity)
1 c. white vinegar (5% acidity)
1 1/2 t. pure kosher salt
1 1/2 t. sugar
2 t. pickling spice

1. Wash your scapes, then cut them into 4 inch sections so they’ll fit in your jars.  I could usually get three sections from each scape.  Don’t include the bulb part.

2. In a nonreactive pot, combine your vinegars, 1 c. water, salt, and sugar and bring just to a boil.

3. Pack your hot jars (boil them while you prep) with the scapes, working quickly.  Split your pickling spice between the two jars, then ladle in the pickling liquid, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Use a chopstick or other tool to remove air bubbles, wipe the rim with a wet paper towel, then place a lid and a ring on the jar until finger tight.  If you’re water bath canning, process for 15 minutes.  If you’re making refrigerator pickles, let the jar cool down, then stick it in the fridge and let it cure for about a week.

Bucatini with Fresh English Peas and Garlic Scape Pesto

(From Grow Cook Eat by Willi Galloway, Sasquatch Books, 2012)

Serves 4

• 8 ounces bucatini or spaghetti

• Eight 10-inch-long garlic scapes

• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan (about 1 ounce), plus more for serving

• 1/2 cup shelled walnuts

• Zest and juice of 1/2 large lemon

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Sea salt

• 1 1/2 cups freshly shelled English peas (about 2 pounds of peas in their shells)

• Freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Do not drain.

Meanwhile, place the garlic scapes in a food processor and chop into small pieces. Add the Parmesan, walnuts, and lemon zest and juice; process into a rough paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the blade running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process until the oil is thoroughly incorporated and the pesto is fairly smooth, about 30 seconds. Season to taste with salt.

Place the peas in a colander. When the bucatini is ready, reserve 1⁄4 cup cooking water. Slowly drain the pasta into the colander and let it sit atop the peas like a cap for 1 minute.

To serve, place the bucatini, peas, and about 1/2 cup pesto in a large bowl. Add a few tablespoons reserved cooking water (this helps distribute the pesto evenly) and toss to combine. Serve immediately. Pass extra cheese and pepper at the table.

Stir-Fried Asian Greens with Broccoli & Kohlrabi

Ingredients:

1 lb. Asian greens (choy or almost any green, including kale), chopped; 2 tbs. olive oil; 2 tbs. minced garlic (or scapes); 1 bunch broccoli, cut into small spears; 1 medium kohlrabi, cut into chunks; 1 medium onion, diced.

Bring water to boil in a small steamer and add the kohlrabi. Let steam for about 3 minutes.  Add the broccoli and steam until both it and the kohlrabi are tender, 3 to 5 minutes, test with a fork.  Drain and set aside.  In a sauce pan add the olive oil, onion, and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent.  Add the broccoli, kohlrabi and chopped greens and toss.  Cook until the greens are wilted.  Consider sprinkling grated Parmesan cheese over the top or adding nuts or raisins.