Farmers' Market Box 12-28-16

This weeks local produce and featured farms:
Granny Smith Apples – Fair Hill Apple Farm
Rainbow Chard – Black Sheep Produce
Sonoran Garlic – Milliken Family Farm
Oro Blanco Grapefruit – Ken’s Top Notch Produce
Lavender – Terra Madre Gardens
Red Leaf Lettuce – Be Wise Ranch
Macadamia Nuts – Russell Family Farm
Red Onion – JF Organics
Yellow Onion – JF Organics
Navel Oranges – Black Sheep Produce
French Heirloom Potatoes – Weiser Family Farm
Baby Gold Beets – Weiser Family Farm
Juicing Bag:
Carrots – Cal-Organic
Celery – Deardorff Farm
Green Kale – Deardorff Farm
Valencia Oranges – Eco Farms
Red Beets – Lakeside Organic Gardens
Farmer’s Choice:
Tarocco Blood Oranges – Murray Family Farm
Shinko Asian Pears – Ken’s Top Notch Produce
Watermelon Radishes – Coastal Farms
Feature:
Blue Farro – Kandarian Organic Farm

Check out our YouTube Video highlighting all the produce in this weeks FMB:

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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
Sweet Greens
Handful of green kale
1 orange
1 stalks of celery
Spicy Beets
1 red beet
2stalks of celery
1/2 in of ginger
Sunrise
1 orange
1 carrot
1 cucumber
Specialty Produce Recipe Suggestions
courtesy of Diane Phillips (Cucina Divina)
Oro Blanco Cocktail
Serves 2
3 ounces vodka
1/4 cup Oro Blanco Grapefruit juice
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce pomegranate juice
Mint leaves for garnish
1. In a cocktail shaker, combine all the ingredients with crushed ice, and shake vigorously. Serve chilled in a martini glass.
Oro Blanco Cosmo
Serves 12
2 1/4 cups vodka
1 1/2 cups Cointreau or Triple Sec
1 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup fresh Oro Blanco juice
Crushed ice
1. In a pitcher, combine the vodka, Cointreau or Triple Sec, cranberry juice and Oro Blanco juice. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
2. Fill an 8-ounce glass with crushed ice, and pour in the mixture. Serve immediately.
3. Variation: For the virgin Cosmo, you will need 1 liter of sparkling water, 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice, 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail and 1/2 cup Oro Blanco juice.
4. Combine the juices, and refrigerate. When ready to serve, fill a tumbler with crushed ice, fill the glass 1/2 full with the juices, and top off with sparkling water.
Roasted Pork with Estonian Sauerkraut
Serves 6
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
One 3 pound pork loin roast
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter
One red onion, thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
One 28.5 ounce jar fresh sauerkraut
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup apple cider
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make a paste of the salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and brown sugar. Rub all over the roast.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat, and brown the pork on all sides. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven, add the butter, when the butter is melted, turn the heat to medium high and sauté the onion until it begins to soften.
3. Add the apples, sautéing until they begin to soften.
4. Add the sauerkraut and brown sugar, and cook until the sauerkraut and vegetables begin to caramelize.
5. Add the cider, and the pork back to the Dutch oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, turning once during the cooking time.
6. Remove the pork from the Dutch oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
7. Simmer the sauerkraut mixture on the stove top until the liquid in the pan is almost absorbed. Serve the pork sliced on a bed of the sauerkraut mixture.
Italian Wedding Soup
Serves 6
For the Meatballs:
1/2 cup fresh bread torn into pieces (crusts removed if tough)
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or turkey
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 large egg
Extra virgin olive oil for frying
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the bread and milk. When the milk has absorbed into the bead, add the chicken, onion, garlic, zest, Parmigiano and egg. For the mixture into a small balls (about the size of a ping pong ball) using a portion scoop. Refrigerate for 1 hour before frying. (you can start the soup at this point)
2. In a large skillet, pour in 1/4-inch extra virgin olive oil, and bring to medium high heat. Fry the meat balls in batches, until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove from the oil and drain on paper toweling.
For the Soup:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
One bunch rainbow chard, tough stems removed, and cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Chopped rinds from Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional but oh so good)
Salt and pepper
1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat, saute the onion, carrots celery, and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add the chard, and cook until the chard begins to wilt.
2. Add the broth and rinds, and bring to a boil.
3. Add the meatballs at this point.
4. Simmer for 45 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Potatoes Boulangerie
Serves 4
In times gone by, the French housewife would cook these potatoes underneath a roast cooking on the open fire. The drippings from the roast would flavor the potatoes. Today bacon is a great substitute.
4 strips of thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
One onion, thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound French potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandoline
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable, chicken or beef broth (if you are serving with chicken use chicken broth, etc.)
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large ovenproof skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme, sautéing for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions begin to turn translucent.
3. Add the potatoes, and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the broth.
5. Cover and bake for 15 minutes, uncover and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked, and golden brown. Remove from the oven, discard the bay leaf, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Orange Crème Brulee
Serves 6
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 1/2 tsp. firmly packed, finely grated orange zest
1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract
8 large egg yolks
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Fill a teakettle with water and bring to a boil. Put a dishtowel on the bottom of a roasting pan, and arrange six to 8 4-ounce ramekins in the pan. The towel will prevent the ramekins from moving around in the pan.
2. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, add the juice, orange zest and vanilla, cover, and let sit for about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl lightly whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and salt just to combine. Set aside.
4. With an instant-read or a candy thermometer, check the temperature of the cream; it should be no higher than 165°F. (If it is, let cool to 165°F before proceeding.)
5. Lightly whisk about 1/4 cup of the cream into the yolk mixture and stir for about 30 seconds; this tempers the yolks. Then gently whisk in the remaining cream, stirring to blend. Use a light hand–you don’t want to make the mixture frothy or the baked custards will have a foamy-looking surface.
6. Set a fine sieve over an 8 cup Pyrex measuring cup or a heatproof bowl with a spout. Pour the custard base through the sieve to strain out any solids.
7. Divide the custard base evenly among the ramekins in the baking pan.
8. There should be a little more than an inch of custard in each ramekin; it should not come all the way to the rim. With the baking pan on the rack in the oven, slowly pour hot water into the baking pan (don’t get any water in the ramekins) until the water comes about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins.
9. Cover the ramekins with a sheet of aluminum and bake the custards until the edges are set about 1/3 inch in from the sides of the ramekins and the center is slightly jiggly (like Jell-O), 40 to 55 minutes.
10. To test for doneness, reach into the oven with tongs and give one of the ramekins a gentle shake or nudge. If the custard responds with a wavelike motion rather than a slight jiggle, it’s not firm enough; bake for another 5 minutes and check again. (If you’re not sure about the doneness, stick an instant-read thermometer into the center of a custard-don’t worry about making a hole; you’ll cover it with sugar later-it should register 150° to 155°F.) The custards should not brown or rise.
11. Carefully remove the baking pan from the oven and take the ramekins out of the water bath using silicone tipped tongs or a slotted spatula. Let the ramekins cool on a rack at room temperature for 30 minutes and then transfer, uncovered, to the refrigerator to cool completely. Once the custards are refrigerator-cold, wrap each ramekin with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days before proceeding.
12. Just before serving, remove the ramekins from the fridge and set them on a work surface.
13. Working with one custard at a time, sprinkle 1/2 to 1 tsp. of the remaining sugar over each one-the more sugar, the thicker the crust. You may need to tilt and tap the ramekin to even out the layer of sugar. Wipe any sugar off the rim of the ramekin. Hold the torch flame 2 to 3 inches from the top of the custard and slowly glide it back and forth over the surface until the sugar melts and turns a deep golden brown. Allow the sugar to cool and harden for a few minutes, and then serve immediately, before the sugar softens and gets sticky.
14. Cook’s Note: Although you can broil the brulee, it really is easier and you have more control when you use a torch. And as Julia Child said, everyone needs a torch in their kitchen.
Orange Meringue Pie
One pre-baked Pastry crust
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
3 cups fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1. Into a 4-quart saucepan stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in zest, 1 1/2 cups orange juice, and lemon juice.
2. Cook mixture over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove pan from heat and add butter, whisking constantly until melted.
4. Add remaining orange juice and eggs and simmer, stirring constantly, 2 minutes, or until smooth and thickened.
5. Strain filling through a sieve into a bowl and pour into shell. Cool pie completely.
6. Cook’s Note: Why strain through a sieve? If your custard has a bit of ‘scrambled egg’ in it, you want to strain that out before pouring it into the pie crust. Sometimes scrambled eggs happen, and this is a chef’s trick to make sure no one knows but you.
For meringue:
4 large egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites on low speed until frothy.
3. Add cream of tartar and increase speed, beating until whites hold soft peaks.
4. Gradually beat in sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed until meringue holds stiff and glossy peaks.
5. Spread meringue on top of the cooled filling, covering filling completely, and bake pie in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until meringue is golden. Chill pie 3 hours, or until set.
Lavender Rubbed Lamb Racks
Serves 4
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dry or fresh lavender flowers, plus sprigs, for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lamb racks
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lavender, rosemary, mint, oil, salt and pepper.
3. Cut slits into the fatty sides of the lamb racks and rub the herb mixture over the lamb racks. Let the racks sit at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting.
4. Put the racks into a roasting pan, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until they reach 130 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer. (medium rare)
5. Allow the lamb to rest for 5 minutes, then slice into chops and serve garnished with lavender flowers.
Lavender Shortbread
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on cookies
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh lavender
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line a baking sheet with parchment, aluminum foil, or silicone.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and salt until thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the all-purpose and cake flours. Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between each addition. Add the lavender and mix to just combine.
4. Roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
5. Cut the dough into 2 x 1-inch bars and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the cookies until just golden at the edges, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with granulated sugar. Let cool completely before serving.
Golden Beet Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
Serves 4
One bunch golden beets, tops removed, and scrubbed
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
One heat red leaf lettuce, washed spun dry and chopped
2 Navel oranges, peel and pith removed, and segmented
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, Feta, or blue cheese for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the beets onto a baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes (small to medium beets) or 60 minutes for large beets.
2. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins, thinly slice them, and put into a bowl.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Onion, juice, vinegar, honey, mustard and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour some of the dressing over the beets in the bowl, and toss to coat.
4. Put the lettuce into a bowl, and toss with the remaining dressing.
5. Plate the salad, top each portion with beets, some orange segments and garnish with crumbled goat cheese.
MamaD’s Black and White Chocolate Chippers
Makes 18 cookies
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
One 12-ounce bag white chocolate chips
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with a silicone liner, aluminum foil, or parchment paper.
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the cocoa, flour, baking soda, chips, and nuts beating until just blended. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
3. With a small scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop mounds of dough onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart–I like to use a portion scoop.
4. Wet your hands and press down on the cookies to flatten them just a little. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The tops will look set, but the cookies will be very soft.
5. Remove from the oven, let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to racks to cool completely.
Farmers Choice:
Arugula Asian Pear Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Serves 4
For the Dressing:
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
For the Salad:
3 small or 2 large Asian pears (24 ounces total), peeled, halved lengthwise, cored and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick half-moons
9 ounces baby arugula or arugula salad mix
1/3 cup blue cheese, such as Maytag, in small crumbles
6 strips cooked crisp bacon, chopped
3/4 cup blue cheese dressing
To assemble the salad, place the pear slices, arugula, blue cheese, bacon and 3/4 cup of dressing in a large bowl and stir to coat the leaves evenly. Serve on chilled plates.
Ricotta with Blood Oranges
Serves 4 as an appetizer
1/4 cup skinned, toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced using the white and light-green parts
Leaves from 1 sprig mint, thinly sliced
Finely grated zest from 2 blood oranges
2 blood oranges, peel and pith removed, separated into segments
1 cup whole milk ricotta
Aged balsamic vinegar, for serving
Coarse sea salt, for serving
Toasted baguette slices for serving
1. In a bowl, combine the hazelnuts, oil, scallion, mint and zest, tossing to coat.
2. Put the ricotta in a serving bowl, top with the hazelnut mixture, and segmented oranges. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve with toasted baguette slices.

Asian Pear, Radish and Blood Orange Salad
Serves 4
One bunch arugula, washed and spun dry
2 Asian pears, peeled, cored and cut into julienne
2 watermelon radishes, cut into julienne
3 blood oranges, peel and pith removed, separated into segments
1/4 cup blood orange juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
Salt and pepper
1. Put the arugula, pears, radish and oranges into a salad bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, honey and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing, and plate the salad.
Feature:
Farro Pilaf with Cranberries
Serves 6
Farro is an ancient grain used by the Roman legions as they conquered the world. It is NOT spelt, or emmer wheat, it is Farro. It makes a terrific side dish or salad, as well as a breakfast porridge. Farro freezes well after being cooked, so cook it all and save in 2 cups packages in your freezer to toss into soups, or to put together a pilaf for dinner.
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups farro
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped Swiss chard leaves (sub in spinach or beet greens if desires)
1 cup dried cranberries
1. Bring the broth to a boil, add the farro and cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain the farro reserving a bit of the cooking liquid and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter, saute the onion, and celery for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chard, and saute until the chard begins to wilt.
3. Add the farro and cranberries, and heat through. If the pilaf appears dry, add a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid, or water, and simmer until the pilaf is cooked through. Serve as a bed for grilled vegetables, meats, or seafood.
Farro with Swiss Chard
Serves 8
For the Farro
About 2 tablespoons salt
1 cup semi-pearled farro, wheat berries, or pearled barley
1. Do-Ahead: Up to 5 days before serving, make the farro.
2. In a 6-quart pot bring about 4 quarts of water and the 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil.
3. Drop in the farro.
4. Simmer 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender yet still somewhat firm to the bite (the grain will open up a bit in cooking).
5. Drain and set aside. Cooked farro can be covered and refrigerated up to 5 days ahead.
For the Greens
1/4 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for sautéing and oiling the baking dish
5 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch, Swiss chard, spinach, collards, mustard greens, beet greens, or sturdy lettuces washed,
stripped from their ribs and finely chopped
1/3 to 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1. To make the greens, generously film the bottom of a large, deep Dutch oven with the olive oil and heat over medium high. Add the garlic, pepper flakes. Sauté them for 45 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add the broth, and then the greens in handfuls as room becomes available in the pot.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook the greens for 20 minutes or until they are tender.
4. Check occasionally to make sure the greens are not burning, adding more liquid if needed. Sturdier greens like kale may take 5 to 10 minutes longer.
5. Taste the greens for seasoning. Set them aside until you’re ready to mix them with the farro. Drain the greens before using.
6. Do-Ahead: The cooked greens can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days.
To Finish
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
Grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon, plus more to taste
1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the bay leaves and the onion, and continue to cook until the onions have softened and begin to turn golden, lowering heat if necessary to make certain not to burn the glaze on the bottom of the pan. Generously season with pepper.
2. When the onions are tender, stir in the cooked farro, the pine nuts, raisins, and lemon zest until well combined. Gently fold in the drained greens making sure they are equally distributed. If the pieces of greens are too large, chop them into finer pieces before adding to the farro.
3. Warm the mixture to serving temperature, and remove the bay leaf before serving.
Recipes Provided By:
Diane Phillips www.dianephillips.com and www.cucinadivina.blogspot.com
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