Farmers' Market Box 11-10-16

This weeks local produce and featured farms:
Japanese Cucumbers – Kong Thao Farm
Escarole Endive – Coleman Family Farm
Italian Parsley – Be Wise Ranch
Romaine Lettuce – Black Sheep Produce
Valencia Oranges – Polito Family Farm
Baby Parsnips – Weiser Family Farm
Shinko Asian Pears – Ken’s Top Notch Produce
Early Wonderful Pomegranates – Ken’s Top Notch Produce
Spaghetti Squash – Be Wise Ranch
Zucchini – Black Sheep Produce
Organic Juicing Bag:
Gala Apples – Coke Farms
Carrots – Cal Organics
Celery – Lakeside Organic Gardens
Red Beets – Lakeside Organic Gardens
Valencia Oranges – Eco Farms
Farmer’s Choice:
Asparagus – Life’s A Choke Farm
Honey Dates – Dates by DaVall
Thai Shallots – Kong Thao Farm
Feature:
Blue Farro – Kandarian Organci Farm
Check out our YouTube Video highlighting all the produce in this weeks FMB:

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Below is a great video for you to try out with the Catch of the Day!

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Click the links above & search for products on our website with recipes attached
Below are some great recipes for you to try out with the produce from your box/bag. Let us know on our Facebook Page or through twitter if you tried any of them with the hastag #SpecialtyProduceFMB!
Juice Recipes
Courtesy of Drew Canole of Fitlife.tv
Delicious Beet
1 red beet
1 gala Apple
1 cucumber
Sweet Oranges
2 Valencia Oranges
1 stack of celery
1 roman lettuce
Super Carrots
1 carrot
2 stalks of celery
1 gala apple
Specialty Produce Recipe Suggestions
courtesy of Diane Phillips (Cucina Divina)
Spaghetti Squash with Zucchini Carbonara
Serves 4 to 6
One spaghetti squash cut in half lengthwise, and seeded
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
One ½ inch piece pancetta, finely diced
2 medium zucchini cut into fine dice
3 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment or silicone. Brush the cut side of the squash with olive oil and place cut side down on the baking sheet.
2. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until tender.
3. While the squash is cooking, in a large skillet, heat the remaining oil, and saute the pancetta, until crispy.
4. Add the zucchini, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the zucchini is softened. In bowl, whisk together the yolks, eggs, and ½ the cheese.
5. When the squash is done, remove from the oven, turn the squash to the cut side, using a fork, pull out the spaghetti strands, and put into a large bowl, add the egg mixture and the zucchini, and toss to coat the spaghetti.
6. Serve the ‘pasta’ garnished with additional grated cheese.
Stracchiatella alla Nonna
Serves 4 to 6
Italian chicken soup for the soul.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 head escarole, washed, spun dry and cut into ½-inch ribbons
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 large eggs
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Salt and pepper
1. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil, and saute the garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Add the escarole and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Add the broth, and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes. While the soup is boiling, whisk together the eggs, cheese, salt and pepper.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the boiling soup, stirring to break up any large pieces of egg. Serve the soup hot.
BLT Salad
Serves 4 to 6
One head romaine lettuce, washed, spun dry and chopped into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained
2 tablespoons parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup croutons
1. Put the romaine into a salad. Bowl.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the mayonnaise, tomatoes, parsley, and lemon juice. Process until smooth.
3. Spoon the dressing over the romaine, add the bacon and croutons, and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Cook’s note: The dressing can be made a few days ahead of time, and makes as great spread for sandwiches.
Poached Asian Pears
Serves 4

2 Asian pears, cored, and cut into quarters
2 cups Sweet wine like Moscato di Asti
½ cup sugar
2 star anise
1. Put the pears, wine, sugar and star anise into a Dutch oven, bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pears are tender.
2. Remove the pears, and anise from the pot, discarding the anise.
3. Boil down the poaching liquid until it is syrupy, this may take about 20 minutes.
4. Serve the pears drizzled with the poaching liquid, and garnish with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream.
Maple Glazed Parsnips
Serves 4
One bunch parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch lengths
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with silicone, aluminum foil, or parchment.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oil, maple syrup, thyme, salt and pepper.
3. Spread the parsnips onto the baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until the parsnips are golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle with some extra salt before serving.
Poppy’s Cukes and Dip
Serves 2
My granddaughter Poppy makes her own dip for cukes when she comes home from school, this is a great snack.
1 Japanese cucumber, scrubbed, and cut into ¼-inch rounds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Mirin
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Mirin, rice vinegar and honey. Serve as a dipping sauce for cucumbers, and peeled parsnips.
Roasted Asian Pear and Romaine Salad
Serves 4
One head Romaine lettuce, washed, spun dry and cut into 1-inch ribbons
2 Asian pears, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
Raw sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup pear nectar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
½ cup pomegranate arils
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with silicone, aluminum or parchment. Dip the cut sides of the pears into the raw sugar, and lay on the baking sheet, bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the pears have turned golden brown. Remove from the baking sheet and cool.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, pear nectar, rice vinegar, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put the romaine into a bowl, and toss with the dressing. Plate the salad, top with some of the pear slices, and sprinkle with the pomegranates.
Valencia Orange Bundt Cake
Makes one 10-inch bundt
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and coat the inside of a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, and zest.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
4. Mix the sour cream and juice together, add with the flour, baking soda and salt, and beat until the mixture comes together and is smooth.
5. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in to the center comes out clean.
6. Transfer the cake pan to a rack and allow to cool for EXACTLY 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
7. Pour the lemony icing over the cake when the cake is cooled.
8. The cake keeps at room temperature for up to 5 days, freezes for about 2 months.
Parsley Pesto
Makes about 2 cups
2 garlic cloves
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup Italian pine nuts, or Marcona almonds
1/2 cup firmly packed Italian parsley
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for storage
1. In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic, red pepper, Parmigiano, nuts, and parsley.
2. Process on and off to break up the ingredients.
3. With the machine running, add the oil. If you would like a “saucy” pesto, add up to 1/2 cup of oil, otherwise, add 1/3 cup. The pesto will be a paste, and you can add more oil to it if you need it.
4. The pesto can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator covered with a thin layer of olive oil for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 2 months.
5. The pesto doesn’t freeze rock hard, so you can take spoonfuls and use them as needed.
Farmers Choice:
Orange Date Nut Bread
Makes one loaf
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the bottom of 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Combine sugar and butter in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
3. Add sour cream, orange juice, orange zest and eggs; continue beating until well mixed.
4. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda; beat at low speed until well mixed. Gently stir in dates and pecans.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.
Bacon Wrapped Parmigiano Stuffed Dates
Serves 8 to 10
With Thanksgiving around the corner, these are a terrific make-ahead snack for the big day. Keep them in the freezer during the holidays for unexpected company.
12 strips bacon, cut in half crosswise
24 pitted dates
1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, chopped
1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it has rendered some fat and begins to turn translucent; don’t let it brown at all, it should still be pliable. Remove from the pan and drain thoroughly on paper towels.
2. Make a slit in each date and stuff with a small piece of cheese. Wrap the date in a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick if needed.
3. Place the wrapped dates in a baking dish. Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 36 hours or freeze for 2 months.
4. Preheat the oven to 375° F and bake the dates until the bacon is crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, drain the dates on paper towels, and set on a platter for serving. Thin shreds of any leftover Parmesan would make an awesome garnish.

Roasted Asparagus and Thai Shallot Pasta
Serves 4 to 6
One pound penne pasta, cooked 3 minutes short of al dente saving some warm pasta water
One bunch asparagus, tough ends removed, and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 Thai shallots, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese plus more for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment, or silicone. In a bowl, toss together the asparagus, shallots, oil, salt and pepper.
2. Roast the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes until just tender.
3. When the vegetables are ready, toss with the drained pasta, ¼ cup cream and the cheese, adding more cream (or pasta water) to achieve a creamy sauce.
4. Taste the pasta for seasoning and adjust, using salt or pepper if needed. Serve the pasta garnished with additional cheese.
Feature:
Notes on Blue Tinged Farro
Basic Cooking Instructions:
• Rinse & drain. Add 3 cups water or stock for every cup of Farro.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat & simmer 30-40 minutes.
• For more tender grain, keep cooking, checking every 5-10 minutes.
• Need it faster? Overnight soaking reduces cooking time to about 20 minutes
• (and may increase the availability of nutrients).
• Make ahead & keep refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.
*1 cup dry farro yields 2-2 1/2 cups cooked whole grain.
*Cooked farro stores well and retains its texture up to one
week in the refrigerator and 6 months in the freezer.
Farro Salad
Serves 6
2 cups blue tinged farro
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 zucchini, finely diced
½ cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup Japanese cucumber, finely diced
1 Valencia orange, peel and pith removed, cut into segments, and chopped
½ cup pomegranate arils
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil
¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1.
In a 4 to 6 quart saucepan, put the farro into the broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool.
2. When the farro is cooled, add the zucchini, onion, cucumber, orange, and pomegranate.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the juice, vinegar, mustard, oil and parsley. Pour over the salad and Toss to blend. Serve at room temperature.
Recipes Provided By:
Diane Phillips www.dianephillips.com and www.cucinadivina.blogspot.com
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