ITEMS
Herb Start
Asparagus
Spinach
Rhubarb
Dozen Eggs
Goat / Lentil burger
PRODUCERS
Three Hearts Farm - Bozeman
Lowdown Farm - Moiese
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Happy Eggs - Manhattan
Farm 51 - Bozeman / MMFEC - Ronan
Tahini-Coated Spring Vegetable Salad
Adapted from Kate Kavanaugh via Melissa Clark. Makes ~4 servings.
2 Tbs tahini
Zest and juice of 1 lime, or to taste
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs cold water
1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more as needed
~2 C fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
1 1/4 C rhubarb (~ 1 stalk), thinly sliced
1 1/2 C fresh asparagus, use a vegetable peeler to get very thin strips
3/4 C hakurei or other small sweet turnips, thinly sliced into rounds or half-moons
3/4 C radishes, thinly sliced into rounds or half-moons
4 C salad greens: spinach, arugula, lettuce, or whatever you like
1/3 C mint, packed and coarsely chopped
1/2 C basil, packed and chopped
Substitutes: Cucumber, carrots, or snap peas would all be great substitutes for whatever you don't have or don't like. Use other fresh, tender herbs if mint and basil are not available.
In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lime zest and juice, olive oil, cold water and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt until smooth. Taste and season with more salt, if needed. Then, in a large bowl, toss together strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, turnips, and radishes. Add just enough dressing to coat, then taste for salt and adjust as needed.. Add the greens, mint, and basil to the bowl and toss gently, adding more dressing or seasoning to taste.
Notes for Those Who Got Goat Meat:
Goat is very lean, which makes it a healthier meat option, but also less forgiving. I recommend cooking ground goat until just cooked through, not more. The flavor is a bit gamier than grass-fed beef, similar in many ways to lamb. With this in mind, I suggest using it in dishes that feature bold spices. Many cuisines around the world celebrate goat meat: start there for inspiration! Mediterranean Kebabs, Southeast Asian Curries, Indian Keema or Jamaican Picadillo, Spicy Italian Sausage, Mexican Chorizo...
Homemade Hot Italian Sausage
1 lb ground meat - use goat, beef, or any ground meat you like
2 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more or less to taste
1 Tbs mild paprika
2-3 garlic cloves, minced - sub 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Optional: Use dried thyme or oregano in place of or in addition to the fennel. A small splash of wine or wine vinegar (any flavor) is not uncommon in Italian sausage either.
In a large bowl, dissolve salt and baking soda in 2 1/2 Tbs water. Add the ground meat and fold gently to combine; let stand for 10 minutes. Add remaining seasonings to the bowl and smear meat and seasonings together with a rubber spatula until well combined and tacky, 10-15 seconds. Cover and refrigerate sausage for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 day. Gently shape into patties and cook in a pan with oil or butter (see below).
Hot Italian Sausage with Rhubarb & Cooking Greens
Serves 4-6. Adapted from NYTimes Cooking. Originally calls for links, but I think patties will work fine.
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil or butter
1 lb hot Italian sausage (recipe above)
1 shallot or 1/4 of an onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 C rhubarb, thinly sliced
1 lb cooking greens like spinach, chard, and/or kale
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil/butter. Gently shape chilled sausage into patties. [Smaller patties will cook faster, but also dry out faster. Large patties will hold moisture better, but take longer to cook through.] Sear in the pan 2-3 minutes per side, or until nicely browned on the outside and just cooked through. Transfer cooked patties to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add shallots and reduce heat to medium. Cook until tender, ~5 minutes. Stir in mustard seeds and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add rhubarb and greens, a handful at a time, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until the greens wilt and become tender, just a few minutes for spinach, longer for chard or kale. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve sausages on a bed of greens and rhubarb.
Additional Recipe Suggestions
Last time we had ground goat in deliveries was a few years ago. Farm 51 owner Jennifer Boyer shared her recipe for Moroccan Goat Kofta. It's delicious!
Keema Aloo and Jamaican Picadillo are both good, easy options for beef or goat.
This website has LOTS of goat meat recipes to explore. They range from very simple to pretty complex, but if you're interested in exploring this is a good place to start
Here's some basic info and recipes for cooking asparagus. We only see it locally for 1-2 weeks each year!
Rhubarb is great in baked goods of all kinds - you can't go wrong with the tart/sweet combo. Because these recipes are so abundant, I like to share more savory recipes in case you're not into baking. Here's another good salad recipe, with links to even more recipes...
Caring for your herb plants - In case you need a little guidance or refresher.