Cultivating Sustainability

When my husband and I were living in New York City, I had the opportunity to complete the community rotation of my dietetic internship at an organization called FoodChange, which is now part of Food Bank for New York City. During my rotation I taught low-income women how to cook using farm fresh ingredients from local farmers’ markets. The program, now called CookShop, “gives low-income children, adults and teens the knowledge and tools to adopt and enjoy a healthy diet on a limited budget.” This recipe is adapted from Brown Rice & Tomato Salad.

Serve warm or cold, for dinner or lunch.

(* Indicates PVF produce and ** indicates Star Hollow Farm produce. For more information about what we are doing with our PVF CSA share, click here.))

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup short-grain, brown rice
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 6 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), cut into 1/2 inch pieces*
• 2 large cucumbers, chopped*
• 1-2 cups chopped fresh herbs (such as cilantro, dill and basil)*
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil. Mix in rice and salt and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender and water is absorbed, about 50 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk vinegar and sugar together in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Set aside.
3. When rice is done, toss with dressing, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, onions and pepper.

Finely sliced cabbage, chopped dill, cucumber and feta make a delicate side salad. Serve this with your favorite burger or sandwich. (*Indicates Potomac Vegetable Farm (PVF) produce. For more information about what we are doing with our PVF CSA share, click here.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small cabbage, finely sliced*
• 1/4 cup dill, chopped*
• 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced*
• 1-2 scallions, chopped*
• 1 small head of lettuce, torn into pieces*
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine cabbage through lettuce in a large bowl.
2. Toss with 1-2 tbsp lemon garlic vinaigrette.

This a very simple, yet delicious summer salad. (*Indicates Potomac Vegetable Farm (PVF) produce. For more information about what we are doing with our PVF CSA share, click here.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of red leaf or romaine lettuce*
• 3 green onions (also called scallions)*
• 3 tbsp dill, chopped*
• 1/4 cup sweet peas (shells removed)*
• 1-2 tbsp lime vinaigrette

DIRECTIONS

1. Using a salad spinner, rinse and spin the lettuce and tear into bit sized pieces.
2. Chop the scallions and dill.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

This is a simple, Eastern European inspired potato salad that tastes delicious warm or room-temperature. It’s a great recipe for the spring to use up cold-storage root vegetables, such as parsnips and carrots, and new spring crops, such as fingerling potatoes, leeks, garlic greens, and fresh herbs. (*Indicates CSA and farmers’ market produce.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes*, washed and scrubbed well, cut into 1/4″ slices leaving skins on
• 3 parsnips*, chopped
• 4 carrots*, sliced (yellow, orange, red or purple, or a mixture)
• 3 small leeks* (white parts only)
• 2 garlic greens*, chopped (white and green parts)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs (such as dill and chives)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Combine potatoes through olive oil in a 9X13″ baking dish. Bake at 425 F for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and potatoes are golden brown.
3. Toss with herbs through salt.
4. Serve warm or at room-temperature.

Spring is here! While most CSA subscribers in the region do not start receiving their weekly bounty until the beginning of June, Star Hollow Farm started this weekend. As a Star Hollow Farm CSA member, every Wednesday from the beginning of April through end of December I will be able to order a weekly CSA harvest box and additional a la carte items (produce and dairy).

Here’s what was in my April 3, 2010 harvest box:

Baby Mizuna (a variety of Japanese mustard, usually served raw in salad mix)

Claytonia (aka miner’s lettuce that grows wild in California, usually served raw in a salad)

Mixed Carrots (yellow, orange and purple varieties)

Parsnips

Onions

Bibb Lettuce

Romaine Lettuce

Fingerling Potatoes

Granny Smith, Golden Delicious & Honey Crisp Apples

I also ordered:

Tuscarora Mesclun

Garlic Greens

Chives

Dill

This recipe from Gourmet was my favorite side of the night.  It was simple, fresh, and satisfying.  I will definitely be bringing this to summer picnics next year.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped dill
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 cup orzo
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta (6 ounces)

Preparation

Toss together oil, tomatoes, dill, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large serving bowl. Let stand at least ten minutes

Meanwhile, cook orzo in a pasta pott of boiling salted water (1 1/2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water) until al dente

Drain orzo and toss with tomato mixture. Add feta and toss again.

This recipe comes straight from Gourmet.  I was skeptical at first, but it is actually a light, creamy soup that made a nice starter.  I added a bit more lemon juice than it called for because I thought it needed some brightening.  This would probably be very refreshing in the summer, though I don’t think it will enter my heavy rotation.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock, or 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth plus 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup medium-or long-grain white rice
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 scallion green, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill

Instructions

Simmer stock and rice in a heavy medium saucepan, covered, until rice is very tender, about 30 minutes. Purée mixture in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids). Whisk eggs together in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot stock mixture. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soup registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Strain soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Stir in lemon juice, then quick-chill in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cold. Stir in scallion, dill, and salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe was inspired by Wigilia – a Polish Christmas Eve Celebration. As a kid my mom would prepare some type of simple white fish dish. I put together this recipe the first year I celebrated Wigilia away from my mom. The recipe is simple, but delicious and uses several seasonal vegetables available in a autumn/winter CSA.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 3 organic carrots, cut into 2 inch julienne strips
• 3 small, organic turnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch julienne strips
• 4 medium filets of tilapia or flounder
• Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Combine wine through salt, mix well and set aside.
3. In a large 13X9″ baking dish toss sauce and julienned vegetables.
4. Roast vegetables in oven for 20 minutes – stirring every 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides of each filet of fish. Gently lay the fish filets on top of the roasted vegetables. Slightly cover the filets with some of the roasted vegetables.
6. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Flip the fish filets and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the fish are flaky and firm to the touch.

This is a variation of Polish Barszcz and Russian Cabbage Borscht soup. For a soup, half the potato and cabbage. Recipe adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook.

*Indicates a CSA vegetable.

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced*
• 2-3 medium beets, peeled and diced*
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced*
• 1/2 head cabbage, chopped (about 3-4 cups)*
• 1/4 cup or more chopped dill
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 to 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes pureed in a blender
• Kosher salt
• Pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Place potatoes, beets, water, and stock in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender (20-30 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large stock pot over medium. Add onion, caraway seeds. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent (8-10 min.).
3. Add celery, carrots and cabbage, plus 2 cups of the cooking liquid from the potatoes and beets. Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender (another 8-10 min.).
4. Add the remaining ingredients (including all the potato and beet liquid), cover and simmer for a least 15 min. more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve hot with sour cream.

This is an extremely versatile vegetable pot pie recipe adapted from a wonderful cookbook that my sister bought for me a few years ago: Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates – Festival Meals for Holidays and Special Occasions. Don’t be fooled by the title of this cookbook – I use it for every day occasions, not just holidays and special occasions. The recipes are creative and unique. Definitely a must have in my kitchen.

Back to the recipe…I’ve made this several times with a variety of different vegetables. It’s a fabulous recipe for using those odds and ends from your CSA share. The recipe below includes what I used this time, but I’ve also used butternut squash instead of the sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, green beans, kale and collard greens, and leeks. If you’re going to do some substituting, I recommend following the havarti cheese sauce and pastry recipes, but improvising on the other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

Filling

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of radishes (about 5-8 medium), washed well and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1-2 cups vegetable stock
• 3 small to medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1/2 large head of broccoli, separated into small heads (about 1/2 inch wide)
• 2 1/2 cups mushrooms, washed and sliced (about 1 small container)
• 1/4 cup chopped FRESH flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped FRESH dill

Havarti Cheese Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup unbleached white flour
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 1/2 cups grated dilled havarti cheese (about 6-8 oz)
• salt and pepper to taste

Pastry

• 1 3/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup ice water

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large soup pot, warm the oil. Add the onions, bay leaves and radishes and saute for about 10 minutes on medium heat, until the onions are soft. Stir in the potatoes, sweet potatoes, salt and cup of vegetable stock. Cover and bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli and continue to simmer for 5 minutes more. Stir in the mushrooms, parsley, and dill and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the mushrooms and until all the vegetables are just barely tender.
3. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Cover the vegetables, remove from heat, and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
5. In a saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Whisk in the stock and cook on medium heat, whisking often, until the sauce thickens and simmers gently. Whisk in the cheese until melted and stir the sauce into the pot of cooked vegetables. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. Pour the filling into a 9x13x2 inch baking pan or a 10 inch round deep-dish pie plate and set aside.
6. Prepare the pastry. Mix together the flour and rosemary in a large bowl. Rapidly work the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles a coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture a tablespoon at a time, and lightly mix in. Push the dampened dough into the center of the bowl and form a ball.
7. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to fit your baking dish. Completely cover the top or arrange cut-out designs on top of the filling. If you totally cover the pie with pastry, cut a few slits in the top. That way steam can escape during baking for a crisper crust. Gaps between cut-out designs will make good “vents” too.
8. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbly. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.