ITEMS
Lacinato Kale
Asparagus
Garlic Scapes
Parsley Bunch
Dozen Eggs
Not So Spicy Chocolate Bar
PRODUCERS
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Terra Greens Produce - Manhattan
Foothill Farm - St. Ignatius
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
TerraWorks - Springhill
Camino Spice - Livingston
All our recipes today are adapted from the cookbook Local Dirt by Andrea Bemis. They're rustic, farm-focused meals that aligned well with what we have available this week. About garlic scapes: these are the flowering stalks of garlic plants. They are removed before the flowers form to promote bulb growth. The whole thing is edible, with a mild garlic flavor. Use anywhere you'd use garlic cloves. 1 scape is roughly equal to 1 clove.
Green Eggs (& Ham)
1 Tbs oil or butter, for cooking
~1/4 of an onion, sliced thin - or use the white/light green parts of 3-4 scallions, or a few leeks
1/2 C diced ham, bacon, sausage (optional)
2 garlic scapes, chopped small
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes - use more or less to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and roughly chopped (sub any kind of kale, chard, or collards)
4 eggs
Chimichurri Sauce (see other side for recipe!)
Preheat oven to 350 F. On the stovetop, heat a cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) on medium-high heat. Add the oil or butter, and when it's hot, add the onion and cook for 7-10 minutes, until they're translucent. Turn heat down if they begin to burn. Add meat, if using, and cook through, ~5 more minutes. Add garlic scapes, pepper flakes, and pinch each of salt and pepper, and stir constantly for ~1 minute, until fragrant. Add the kale, working in batches, stirring until it wilts.
Turn off the heat and make 3-4 indentations in the kale. Crack the eggs into the indentations and put the pan in the oven. Bake 5-7 minutes, or until whites are set and yolks are still soft. [If you don't like baked eggs, cook them however you like them - scrambled, soft boiled, etc. and combine with the kale mixture, skipping the oven altogether.]
Serve drizzled with chimichurri sauce. Or, a bit of chopped fresh herbs, if you like.
Spring Vegetable Stew
I know it seems too hot for stew right now. Hear me out, though...this is light and flavorful, and it pairs well with a fresh salad, toasted sourdough, and a crisp white wine. Sounds pretty delightful to me! It's an adaptable recipe, so substitute to your tastes. Serves ~4.
2 Tbs oil or butter, for cooking
1/2 an onion, chopped - sub shallots, or white/light green parts of scallions or leeks
~8 oz mushrooms, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced to ~1 inch pieces
[You can add up to a lb of other vegetables, or even leftover shredded pork or chicken. Try parsnips, salad turnips, radishes, spring peas, etc. Play around with it, and use what you have.]
2-3 garlic scapes
~3 C white beans (cannellini, navy, or even chickpeas), either cook them ahead of time or use canned to save time
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-in lengths
a handful or two chopped kale leaves
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme or ~2 tsp fresh
1/2 C dry white wine
5-6 C vegetable or chicken broth
Chimichurri sauce (see below)
Optional Garnishes: grated parmesan or other hard cheese, minced parsley or other fresh herbs
In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil or butter and sauté the onions for about 3 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook for ~3 minutes. Add carrots, scapes, and any other veggies or meats you're using and season with a good pinch of salt and pepper, plus the thyme. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the pan, until it's mostly evaporated.
Add 5 cups of broth and the beans and bring to a simmer. If it's too thick, add another cup of broth. Add the asparagus and chopped kale for the final few minutes of cooking and serve while asparagus is still crisp-tender. Garnish with the chimichurri sauce, grated cheese, or other fresh herbs.
Chimichurri Sauce
1 C parsley, rinsed and dried
3 Tbs red wine vinegar
2-3 garlic scapes, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil, or other neutral tasting oil that you like
Process everything in a food processor, or the closest thing you have, until well-integrated. How finely you chop everything is up to you. Taste and adjust as needed.
Additional Recipes & Suggestions
Scapes and parsley would work well in this Green Goddess Dressing, perfect for eating up salad greens.
Here are some notes for making kale salads in general, plus a recipe for Spicy Kale Salad - a favorite of mine for a fresh summer meal.
Tuscan Kale Salad - if you can't access this recipe and want it, email me and I'll send you a copy!
If you missed it last time, here's an asparagus quiche recipe with hashbrown crust
And here again is Megan Ulrichs' recipe for Herbalicious Quiche with Greens