Bubble and Squeak

We don't post our old standbys often enough. This is one, that's simple, filling, and doesn't need any meat or side dishes. Bubble and squeak is just fried potatoes and cabbage. I'll often add onions or garlic, and maybe sausage if we have it around. Tonight we used up some grated beets we had, so it was nearly red flannel hash. It's good winter food, but we get potatoes and cabbage through much of the late summer and early fall from the CSA, so we'll make it almost any time. This is probably the first week we got both this year.

Hail damage!

Note from the farm this week:

CROP UPDATE
We had a severe thunderstorm on July 23rd that included large hail. We had hail as large as 1", and know that it damaged the tomato, scallions, beets, summer squash and early watermelon crops, and destroyed completely the remaining chard and summer lettuce. We are still assessing the damage and will keep members apprised via the "This Week Page" on our website. This is the first time we have had damaging hail in our 17-year history! But never fear; we're still open for business!

So, no more lettuce, but we got:

• Cabbage
• Garlic
• Onions
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Summer Squash
• Tomatoes
• Grape Tomatoes

Everything looked pretty good, but the zucchini (above) was a bit pockmarked from the hail.

Another view of this blog

Salad fixins

The lettuce isn't as good these days, but we have nice grape tomatoes to go with it now. First potatoes this week, too; maybe we'll make potato salad.

• Basil
• Garlic
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Summer Squash
• Grape Tomatoes
• Tomatoes

Stuffed Cabbage

This is a good, hearty meal. We agreed that a higher rice/meat ratio in the fillng would be good. I might leave out the raisins next time, but they were fine. We had about ⅔ head of cabbage to use up, so they were slightly overstuffed. I used 2 fresh tomatoes and a 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes for the sauce, and left out the sugar, and cooked it in a 325°F oven instead of on the stovetop. That worked fine, except for the fact that it was a 90° day today, so the oven wasn't ideal. This may be a better winter/fall dish.

Friday Night Stuffed Cabbage

Friday night dinner meant stuffed cabbage, challah, and chicken when artist Brenda Miller was growing up in New York. Her mother, Florence, who came to America in 1932 from Moldavia, "made the whole house smell like cabbage," Brenda remembers. "We ate this as an appetizer, with plenty of challah to sop up the juice."

1 Savoy Cabbage
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon raw white rice
6 fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
¾ cup raisins
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Cut cabbage across the base and separate the leaves. Any leaves that are not large enough to roll should be chopped.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Blanch the cabbage leaves until they are soft. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running water. Drain and pat dry. Lay the leaves flat on a cutting board and cut out any thick ends, in the shape of a small triangle, at the bottom of the leaves.

In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, egg, salt, pepper, half the lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the chopped onion and the raw rice.

In a nonreactive large pot, combine the remaining chopped onion and the chopped cabbage.

Place 1 tablespoon meat mixture on the lower third of a cabbage leaf. Fold the base of the leaf over the meat mixture and then fold each side toward the center. Roll to form a cylinder. Place each cylinder on the onion and cabbage in the pot as you finish it.

Pour the tomatoes, tomato sauce, raisins, remaining lemon juice, the sugar, oregano and paprika over the cabbage rolls. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, over low heat for about 2 hours, to get all the flavors mingled.

Serves 4 to 6.

From Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook

Tomatoes have arrived!

Only a few small tomatoes, but they are delicious. No basil, unfortunately, to go with them and our homemade mozzarella.

• Beets
• Chard
• Cucumbers
• Green Garlic
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Parsley
• Peppers
• Summer Squash
• Tomatoes

banana vanilla popsicles

Inspired by a recipe from Locopops, in Durham NC, where our friend Sara used to work. However, they make theirs classier.

One box instant vanilla pudding (see what I mean about classier?)
1.25 cups milk
3/4 cup cream
one ripe banana, mushed
about 1/2 cup crushed vanilla wafers

Make the instant pudding with the cream and milk, beating for about a minute and a half, then adding the banana and beating for another half minute. Add the vanilla wafers and just beat enough to mix them in evenly. Put into popsicle forms and freeze (it's super lumpy, so do this fast, and use something like chopsticks to help get air bubbles out).

Next time I might use a banana and a half, and more vanilla wafers. The vanilla pudding is a shortcut--we should be making this with heavy cream and some vanilla and sugar. The problem I have is that our popsicles almost always come out too grainy--with large ice crystals. For cream ones, instant pudding helps a lot. For juice ones, I haven't found a solution. I think the problem is that they freeze slowly--the lovely Locopops ones don't have this problem at all and I think they must be frozen in a colder freezer. I have yet to stoop to the point of taking the popsicle mold to work to make them in the -80, though.

Pasta with homemade pesto, sauteed tomatoes, and homemade mozzarella

Today I made pesto with basil from the csa (no garlic yet--we get our first garlic of the year Sunday!). For dinner, I made gemelli pasta, sauteed some grape tomato halves in butter (also our last non-farm tomatoes for the summer!!), and tossed the tomatoes, pesto, cream, and little chunks of homemade mozzarella with the pasta. Served with grilled french bread with olive oil, and very tasty.

Homemade mozzarella? Stay tuned.....

Chard and Beet Green Pie

We've had good and bad experiences with recipes from Mark Bittman. He is responsible for us making both No-Knead Bread and Banana Goulash. This is a pretty easy biscuit-style crust for a vegetable pie, but it didn't work as smoothly as I had expected. There wasn't nearly enough dough for both a top and bottom crust that size, so I made another half batch quickly to finish the top, and the bottom was too thin to be substantial. I would either double it or leave out the bottom crust entirely. And 8 chard leaves wouldn't make much of a pie, unless he uses chard that's a whole lot more substantial than what we get. I used over a pound of combined beet greens and chard. A little less would be OK, but not a lot less. Like his previous cookbook, The Best Recipes in the World, this one seems rushed, like the recipes haven't been fully tested. This recipe is definitely close to something good and easy, but needs a little work.

Kale or Chard Pie
2 tbl. butter
About 8 large kale or chard leaves, thinly sliced [I used much more]
1 medium onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped mixed herbs, like parsley, thyme, chervil, and chives
6 eggs
1 cup whole-milk yogurt or sour cream
3 tbl. mayonnaise
½ tsp. baking powder
1¼ cups all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the butter in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. A minute later, add the kale and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are quite tender, about 10 minutes; do not brown. Remove from the heat, add the herbs, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

Meanwhile, hard-cook 3 of the eggs, then shell and coarsely chop. Add to the cooked kale mixture and let cool while you make the batter.

Combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, and remaining eggs. Add the baking powder and flour and mix until smooth. Lightly butter a 9×12-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Spread half the batter over the bottom, then top with the kale filling; smear the remaining batter over the kale, using your fingers or a rubber spatula to make sure there are no gaps in what will form the pie's top crust.

Bake for 45 minutes; it will be shiny and golden brown. Let the pie cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing it into as many squares or rectangles as you like. Eat warm or at room temperature.

From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman

Stuffed Zucchini, Turkish Style

This leaves us with only one zucchini to use before we get more on Sunday. This has been a standard for me for a long time. The herbs and cheeses are flexible, I will often swap out the dill and swiss cheese.

I've always wondered: how Turkish is this?

Stuffed Zucchini, Turkish Style

4 medium zucchini (about 7" long), halved lengthwise
3 tbs. butter
¾ cup finely minced onion
3 smallish cloves crushed garlic
3 beaten eggs
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¾ cup grated Swiss cheese
2 tbs. freshly chopped parsley
1 tbs. fresh, chopped dill (or ¾ tsp. dried dill weed)
1½ tbs. flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika for the top

Scoop out the insides of the zucchini to leave a half-inch rim. Chop the innards into little bits and cook in butter with onions, garlic, salt (a few shakes) and pepper until onions are soft. Combine with flour, cheeses, herbs and beaten eggs. Correct salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini cavities and dust the tops with paprika.

Bake at 375ºF for 30 min. or until the filling solidifies. Serve with a fresh tomato salad.

From the original Moosewood Cookbook

Green-wrapped Flavor Bundles

Filling
1/2 pound boneless lean port or lean ground pork
1 T. tamarind pulp, dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water
3 T. peanut or vegetable oil
1/2 c. chopped shallots
3 T. minced garlic
2 T. palm or brown sugar
1 or 2 T. fish sauce
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt, to taste
1 T. minced ginger
2 T. dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped

Wrapping and topping
about 30 pieces Thai-style pickled cabbage, or Bibb or other tender leaf lettuce leaves
1 stalk lemongrass
2 T. minced ginger
2 to 3 scallions, trimmed and minced
1/2 c. chopped coriander leaves and stems

If not using ground pork, cut the port into small cubes and then mince to even consistency. Set aside. Place a sieve over a bowl and press the dissolved tamarind through the sieve; discard the pulp. Set the tamarind juice aside.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil and, when it is hot, add the shallots and garlic. Stir-fry until golden, then add the pork and stir-fry until it has all changed color, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar, the tamarind juice, the fish sauce, and salt and cook until the liquids have almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and peanuts and stir-fry for another minute. The mixture should be the consistency of paste and somewhat salty tasting. Adjust seasonings if you wish. Remove from the wok and let cool. You will have about 1.5 cups filling. (Can be made ahead and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

To make a flavor package, put a leaf of pickled cabbage or lettuce on the palm of one hand, then scoop up a scant tablespoon of the filling and place it on the leaf. Sprinkle on a pinch of minced lemongrass, a little ginger, a pinch of scallions, and another of coriander. Fold the leaf over to make a bundle, or leave it open, like a filled cup, and place on a platter. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and greens. Or instead, serve these roll-your-own style. Makes about 2 dozen.

from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Alford and Duguid


I often include dry-roasted grated coconut (not the sweetened kind!) and sometimes tiny lime wedges as additional toppings. Served tonight with lettuce-wrapped salmon (including a leaf of Asian basil in the wrapping of each), and leftover Javanese sambal, from Sunday's dinner that included sweet chili grilled chicken.

Zucchini-Crusted Pizza

This is good way to use zucchini, and pretty tasty. The crust wasn't as crispy as I had hoped, I baked it around 20 minutes, I would let it go longer next time.

Zucchini-Crusted Pizza

A normal pizza on top, with a beautiful, substantial-yet-tender crust: golden, with flecks of green and a slight crunch.

The Crust:
31⁄2 cups grated zucchini
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup flour
1⁄2 cup grated mozzarella
1⁄2 cup grated parmesan
1 Tbs. fresh basil leaves, minced (or 1⁄2 tsp dried)
salt and pepper

Salt the zucchini lightly and let it sit for 15 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

Combine all crust ingredients and spread into an oiled 9x13-inch pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the surface is dry and firm. Brush the top with oil and broil it, under moderate heat for 5 minutes.

Pile all of your favorite pizza toppings on (tomato sauce, olives, sauteed mushrooms, strips of peppers, lots of cheese - etc.) and heat the whole mess in a 350ºF oven for about 25 minutes. Serve hot, cut into squares, with a big tossed salad.

From the original Moosewood Cookbook

Bread and Butter Pickles

This was our first try at real, canned pickles. I've been a fan of making quick pickles for a while, and made a big batch of bread & butter pickles each of the last couple summers, but I always had a big jar of them that ended up taking up too much space in the fridge and hanging around too long. Since we started canning jams recently, I thought I'd try making some pickles to put up as well. The cucumbers and onions were all from our weekly CSA share.

We canned four pint jars, and had about ½ a pint left to refrigerate, which we tried today. They're pretty good, and crunchy - I had been afraid that they might not hold up as well to cooking, but they seemed fine.

Bread-and-Butter Pickles
about five 1-pint jars

Wash, then slice ⅛ inch from the ends of:
2½ pounds pickling cucumbers
Cut crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices. Peel, then cut the same way:
1 pound 2- to 2½-inch onions, preferably red
Combine the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl along with:
3 tbl. salt
Mix well to dissolve the salt. Cover with a clean wet towel, then top with 2 inches of ice. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Discard the ice; drain the vegetables, rinse, and drain again. Combine in a 4-quart or larger saucepan:
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 tbl. mustard seeds
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
¾ tsp. celery seeds
¾ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ tsp. ground cloves
Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cook uncovered until the syrup boils. Add the vegetables, stir to mix, and continue to heat until the syrup just begins to boil. Using a slotted spoon, pack the hot slices into hot pint jars and then add the hot syrup. Leave ½-inch headspace and process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

From The Joy of Cooking: All about Canning and Preserving

Beets, etc.

This week:

• Basil
• Beets
• Cabbage
• Chard
• Cilantro
• Cucumbers
• Dill
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Summer Squash

The first beets are exciting. Time to make cold beet borscht.

The zucchinis are getting big enough to stuff, and we've got enough cucumbers to make pickles.

The farm has started a recipe blog. We haven't made anything from it yet, but it looks interesting. The recipes are different than those in the weekly newsletter.

Waffles (or: Joy of Cooking 1, Alton Brown 0)

We decided that waffles would make a great Saturday morning vessel for our Five Fruits Sauce, uh, Jam. I am the primary waffle maker (probably; instigator, definitely) and I reached for our Joy when Kels asked why I always use that recipe. Why not try another one? Why not indeed. So he reached for Alton Brown and found his. Look, it's much simpler! And indeed it was. What we learned: there is a reason that they come out so fabulously when you go to the trouble to separate the eggs, and beat, then fold in, the egg whites. We have a Villaware Belgian waffle maker, and the Alton Brown ones did not rise enough. Overdone on the bottom, deflated and doughy on top, these were not keepers. Tasty with the jam, though....

Summer vegetable stir-fry with couscous

I made something resembling this recipe tonight. It's a good use for lots of vegetables - in our case zucchini, broccoli, carrots, onion and garlic scapes. I would add a little more spice next time, maybe garam masala and red pepper flakes.

Five Fruits Jam Cockaigne

I have been wanting to make this for almost a year (I just missed these fruits in season last year when I re-discovered the recipe). I also went through a phase of wanting to make it when I was in grad school, but never got the chance during joint summer fruit/field season. This week we got gooseberries, red currants, sweet cherries, and red raspberries all at the farmer's market. We missed strawberries (were hoping for one week of overlap between currants/gooseberries and strawberries, but it was not to be) and had to end up using California ones from the grocery. The Joy recipe suggests you can put up strawberries first, then finish the jam when the other fruits are in season. A good idea.

The recipe is from the Joy of Cooking, where I originally found it, but we used the updated Joy All About Canning and Preserving version, which meets the new USDA standards.

Five Fruits Jam Cockaigne
About nine 1/2 pint jars

Stem, hull, or pit as necessary,
placing each fruit in its own bowl:
1 pound strawberries
1.5 pounds red currants
1 pound sweet cherries
1 pound gooseberries
1 pound red raspberries

Put strawberries in one pan,
currants and cherries in
another, and gooseberries
and raspberries in a third pan.
Lightly crush all but the
goosberries and raspberries.

Measure: 7 cups sugar

Mix 1 cup of the sugar with the strawberries and 3 cups of sugar with the fruits in each of the remaning pans. Bring each jam to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook to the jelling point.

Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Combine the jams before ladling into hot jars. Leave 1/4 inch headspace, and process for 10 minutes.


Last week we made strawberry rhubarb jam (with pectin) and went too far past the jelling point. It is yummy but seriously verging on hard. Gun shy, we undershot here. Sometimes it is hard to tell how jelled jam is when it's still hot, and we really thought it was ok, based on the foaming subsiding, and the cold plate test, and I think Kels was measuring temperature too. Anyway, we made sauce, and we canned it before we realized (rats). Also, I wonder if we shouldn't have crushed more, or cut things up some. Many gooseberries were still whole, and cherries and strawberries could have been cut up, for a more even texture. Lastly, I wish it were a little less sweet--possibly crushing the gooseberries would help with this, but I wonder if we couldn't add some pectin and cut down on the sugar? We were slightly under on gooseberries but slightly over on red currant proportions, so I thought they would cancel out and leave us with the right tart/sweet balance. And, as always, the recipes never make the amount we think they will (thought this wasn't as hilarious as our canning a single jar of jam, as in a prior escapade!).

Why we haven't really been posting lately

This is really for Susan (our loyal reader).
Before:
And the view that greeted you when you walked in the front door:
During--Gabby helping:
After (well, close enough for now):
No after picture of the stairway, because it doesn't merit one yet.