Farmers’ Market Box February 24th, 2022

This week’s local produce and featured farms:

• Blue Lake Beans – Tamai Family Farms
• Japanese Sweet Potatoes – Fresno Evergreen
• Rainbow Chard – Dacquisto Farms
• Navel Oranges – Polito Family Farms
• Baby Parsnips – Black Sheep Produce
• Chioggia Beets – JR Organics
• Red Russian Kale – Milliken Farms
• Yellow Carrots – Dacquisto Farms
• Baby Fennel – Black Sheep Produce

Farmer’s Choice

• Kishu Tangerines – Rancho Del Sol
• Purple Snow Peas – Black Sheep Produce

Farmers’ Market Box Recipes:

Sausage Minestrone

Serves 6 to 8
To keep this vegetarian, omit the sausage and increase the oil to 1/4 cup.
 
1 1/2 pounds bulk sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped sage
3 yellow carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 bunch baby parsnips, quartered
1 bunch rainbow chard, tough stems removed, and cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
One 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
One 14.5-ounce can small white beans, or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 pound blue lake green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Rind from Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped (optional)
2 cups cooked orzo or other small pasta
Salt and pepper

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the sausage, breaking up large pieces, until the sausage is no longer pink.
2. Add the oil to the pot, and saute the onion, sage, carrots, parsnips, and chard, until the onion is translucent, and the chard is wilted.
3. Add the tomatoes and red wine, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes to concentrate the flavor.
4. Add the broth, beans, and Parmigiano rind if using.
5. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Add the orzo and season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve the soup with a drizzle of olive oil.

Roasted Baby Parsnips

Serves 4
 
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bunch baby parsnips, tops removed, peeled, quartered lengthways

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, parchment or silicone.
2. In a bowl, mix together the honey, oil, paprika, coriander and cumin.  Add the parsnips and toss to coat.
3. Spread out the parsnips onto the baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, turn and roast another 5 to 10 minutes, until the parsnips are golden and tender. 

Yellow Carrot Cake

Serves 6 to 8
 
1 1/3 cups canola oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
Grated zest of 1 orange
3 cups grated yellow carrots
1 cup chopped Navel orange segments
1/4 cup navel orange juice
1/2 cup chopped nuts of your choice (pecans, macadamia nuts)
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan, or 2 9-inch round pans, with nonstick cooking spray. Or line 24 muffin cups with baking liners.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the carrots, oranges, juice, and nuts, stirring until blended. Add the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
3. Place the pan on a rack and let cool completely. Spread the top of the cake with the cream cheese frosting.
4. Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
   • Bake cupcakes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs sticking to it, 15 to 17 minutes.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 6 cups, enough to frost two 9-inch layers, one 13 x 9-inch cake, or 48 cupcakes
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine
5 cups confectioners’ sugar
Grated zest of one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Orange juice as needed

1. Using an electric mixer beat together the cream cheese and butter in a medium-size bowl. Add the confectioners’ sugar and zest, vanilla and beat until the mixture is of spreadable consistency.
2. If the frosting is too thick, beat in some juice, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
3. Do-Ahead: At this point, you can cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. I recommend you soften it at room temperature after it’s been refrigerated, so it’s easy to spread.

Swiss Chard and Artichoke Dip

Serves 6
 
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 cup finely chopped red torpedo onions
1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
One 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup shredded imported Swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
One round loaf unsliced sourdough bread

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, heat the oil, saute the garlic, zest and shallots until the shallots are softened.
3. Add the Swiss chard, and saute until the chard is wilted.
4. Add the artichokes, and lemon juice, and saute until the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
5. Cool the mixture.
6. In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, and cheeses. Add the Swiss chard mixture and stir to blend.
7. Cut the top off the bread, and cut out the interior of the loaf, leaving 3/4-inch of bread.  Pour the Swiss chard mixture into the bread, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 40 minutes until the dip is bubbling. Serve the dip with crudités, pita chips and crackers.

Bruschetta with Kale and Buratta

Serves 6
For the Bruschetta
1 baguette, sliced 1/2-inch thick
Olive oil
 
1.      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with silicone, aluminum foil or parchment.
2.      Lay the slices onto the baking sheet and brush with oil.
3.      Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until crunchy.

For the Kale
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch red Russian kale, tough stems removed, and leaves cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
1/4 to 1/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Salt and pepper

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil, swirl the garlic and red pepper in the oil for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
2. Add the kale, and saute until it begins to wilt, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, cook another 5 minutes until the kale is tender. Season with salt and pepper.

To Assemble

Bruschetta
Sautéed Kale
2 balls buratta, sliced
Fleur de Sel

1. Spread some of the kale onto the bruschetta.
2. Top with a bit of the buratta, and sprinkle with the fleur de sel. Serve warm.

Crudites with Blue Caesar Dip

Serves 6
 
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek style yogurt
1 1/2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese or your favorite blue cheese

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hour to allow the flavors to blend. Serve with crudites.

Crudites

Baby parsnips tops removed, cut into matchsticks
Yellow Carrots, scraped, and cut into matchsticks
Blue Lake Green Beans, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, and drained into an ice bath
Baby Fennel, wispy ends removed, and cut into matchsticks
Purple snow peas, ends trimmed

Chiogga Beet and Navel Orange Salad

Serves 4
 
One bunch beets, tops trimmed, and scrubbed
One mixed lettuce, cleaned, and spun dry
1 buratta (buratta is a fresh mozzarella with a creamy center—you can substitute fresh mozzarella if you can’t find buratta—it’s available at Specialty Produce and Mona Lisa)
2 navel oranges, segmented
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh oranges juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons aged Balsamic vinegar
6 large leaves basil, finely sliced
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the beets on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until tender. (They will show no resistance when pierced with the end of a sharp paring knife)
2. Remove the beets from the oven, allow to cool, and peel the beets.
3. Arrange the lettuce on 6 salad plates. Thinly slice the beets and arrange over the arugula.
4. Thinly slice the buratta and arrange 3 pieces over the beets. 
5. Arrange the orange slices around the outside of each plate.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, juice, sugar, Balsamic vinegar, and basil. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper and drizzle over the salad.

Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Miso Maple Butter

Serves 4
 
1 pound Japanese sweet potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Few drops Tabasco or Frank’s hot sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, a prick the potatoes with the sharp point of a paring knife in several places.  Roast for 50 to 60 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the butter, miso, and maple syrup. Taste for seasoning and add Tabasco or additional maple syrup.
3. When the potatoes are soft, remove from the oven, place on a plate, split in half, drizzle with the miso maple butter, and serve.

Green Bean Salad

Serves 4
 
1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed
4 ounces crumbled feta
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves stripped and roughly chopped (up to 4 sprigs; oregano is great too)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil, add the beans, and bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, drain and plunge into an ice bath.  Drain thoroughly and put into a salad bowl.
2. Add the feta, onion, and marjoram to the bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the beans with the dressing and serve at room temperature.

Chicken with Purple Snow Peas

Serves 4 to 6
 
For the marinade

1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon oil
2 chicken breasts (12 ounces) (sliced into strips)

1. Mix the cornstarch, light soy sauce, and oil in a bowl for the marinade. And add toss in the chicken. Set aside.

1/3 cup chicken stock (or water)
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 pound snow peas (trimmed and washed)
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon light soy
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
Fresh ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Steamed rice for serving

1. Mix 1/3 cup of hot water or chicken stock with cornstarch into a slurry and set aside. If you like more sauce for the rice, increase your hot water/stock and add more salt or soy sauce to taste.
2. Heat the wok over high heat until smoking, add a tablespoon of oil to coat the wok and spread the chicken around evenly. Let the chicken sear for about 60 seconds until browned on one side.
3. Add the minced garlic and snow peas. Add the rice wine around the rim of the wok to deglaze the pan.
4. Working quickly, add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine, about 15 seconds.
5. Add the slurry to the wok. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Serve with steamed rice.

Panna Cotta with Tangerine Syrup

1. In a saucepan, bring the prosecco, honey, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, tangerines, and peels to a boil.
2. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the liquid is syrupy, and the tangerines are tender. Strain the liquid, and cool completely.
3. Serve over ice cream, cake, or panna cotta.

Vanilla Panna Cotta
 
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
1 cup sour cream

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let stand for 5 minutes. In a 3-quart saucepan, warm the cream with the sugar, salt, and vanilla over medium-high heat. Do not let it boil.
2. Stir in the gelatin until thoroughly dissolved. Take the cream off the heat and cool about 5 minutes.
3. Put the sour cream in a medium bowl. Gently whisk in the warm cream a little at a time until smooth. Fill 4 ounce ramekins three-quarters full of the cream. Chill 4 to 24 hours. Serve with the tangerine syrup.

@Diane Phillips Diane Phillips Blog: Cucina Divina
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