Farmer’s Market Box January 9th, 2025

This week’s local produce and featured farms:

• Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes – Girl & Dug Farms
• Purple French Beans – JR Organics
• Broccolini – JR Organics
• Purple Sweet Potatoes – Her Produce
• White Carrots –Weiser Family Farms
• Daisy Tangerines – Murray Family Farms
• Calamondin Limes
• Artesia Radish –Weiser Family Farms
• Spring Onions – Schaner Farms
• Valencia Oranges – Polito Family Farms
• Green Kale – Fresno Evergreen Farms

Farmer’s Market Box Recipes

Artesia Radish Butter

Makes about 1 ½ cups
This is a riff on the French breakfast radish, the butter keeps in the fridge for about 5 days, and is great on toast (think avocado toast) crackers or baguette slices

1/2-pound round Artesia radishes, trimmed, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, completely softened
1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper
About 24 thinly sliced rye toast points, toasted slices of French bread, water crackers, 2-inch celery sticks, endive leaves, or romaine heart halves

1. Put the radishes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into very fine dice, four or five 3-second pulses.
2. Transfer the contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out the excess liquid.
3. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of the butter.
4. With a rubber spatula, cream the radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass.
5. Transfer the mixture to a 2-cup ramekin or bowl, sprinkle the salt and pepper over the top, and serve immediately. (The butter will keep, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Remove it from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to let it soften. Sprinkle the salt and freshly ground pepper over the radish butter before serving.)

Asian Pickled Vegetables

Makes about 1 quart

One bunch Artesia radishes, trimmed and cut into julienne
One bunch white carrots, tops removed, and trimmed, cut into julienne
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Few drops of Sriracha (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro or Italian parsley

1. In a bowl, combine the ingredients, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Drain the marinade and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Serve on sandwiches, or with Asian main courses.

White Carrot Muffins

Makes 12

¼ cup sliced almonds 
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
3 whole eggs 
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 
1 ¼ cups grated white carrots 

1. Place the almonds in a single layer in a pie pan and place in oven. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the nuts until lightly toasted, approximately 20 minutes while the oven heats. Meanwhile, coat 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and process for 5 seconds.
3. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture and white carrots, and fold with a spatula until all the flour is moistened, there will be some lumps.
4. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups using a portion scoop. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the toasted almonds.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached.
6. Remove them from the tin to a cooling rack, and cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm.
7. Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Roasted Smashed Purple Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6

One-pound purple sweet potatoes scrubbed
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves
Salt and pepper
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prick the potatoes with the sharp tip of a knife in a few places and roast for 40 to 50 minutes until tender.
2. Line a baking sheet with silicone or aluminum foil.
3. In a bowl, mix together the oil, thyme, sage, salt and pepper.  Pour half the mixture onto the baking sheet.
4. Take the warm potatoes, and transfer to the baking sheet. Using an oven mitt, press down on the potatoes to flatten them.
5. Pour the remaining oil over the potatoes and roast for 20 minutes until the potatoes begin to get crispy.
6. Sprinkle the cheese on each potato and roast another 15 minutes until the cheese is melting and serve hot.

Miso Maple Purple Sweet Potatoes

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons white miso paste 
1/4 cup maple syrup 
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1-pound purple sweet potatoes, scrubbed, and quartered
½ cup finely chopped spring onions, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking sheet with silicone, parchment, or aluminum foil.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the miso, syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, and oil. Add the sweet potatoes and toss to coat.
3. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet, roast for 30 minutes, turn, and roast another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are crispy, and glazed. Serve garnished with the chopped Negi onions.

Pasta with Baby Broccoli

Serves 4 to 6

1 bunch broccolini, trimmed, and chopped
½ pound shaped pasta, such as orecchiette, farfalle, penne, or rigatoni, cooked 2 minutes short of al dente and saving some of the hot pasta water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper

1. Bring 8 quarts of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp/tender. Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and add the pasta to the boiling salted water.
2. While the pasta is boiling, heat the oil in a large skillet, sauté the pepper and garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant, add the broccoli and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing in the garlic oil.
3. When the pasta is ready, drain, and reserve some of the hot pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat the pasta. Add ½ cup of the cheese, and about 1/3 cup hot pasta water to make a creamy sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with the remaining cheese.

Sesame Ginger Shrimp with Broccolini

Serves 4

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 bunch broccolini, washed, and chopped
¼ cup Sesame seeds, for garnish 
¼ cup thinly sliced spring onion for garnish

1. Peel and grate 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger into a small bowl. Whisk in 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce and 2 tablespoons sesame oil.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch or larger skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are just barely pink.  Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the Broccolini to the skillet and sauté until bright green and almost tender, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the pan. Pour in the sesame-ginger sauce and simmer until the Broccolini is crisp-tender and the shrimp is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped spring onion if desired.

Purple Bean Salad

Serves 4
Cook’s Note:  if you boil the beans for more than 3 minutes, their vibrant color will be muted.  You just need about 1 minute in the boiling water to retain their color.  

½ pound purple French beans, ends trimmed
½ cup finely chopped spring onion
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large garlic clove (or 2 small), smashed or roughly chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring 4-quarts of salted water to a boil.  Add the beans and let them blanche for 1 minute.  Drain thoroughly and put into a salad bowl. 
2. Add the onion to the beans.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Toss the beans with the dressing and serve at room temperature. 

Pickled Purple Beans

Makes 1 pint
Make sure to drain the beans after 36 hours, otherwise the acid will “cook” the beans, and they will lose their color.  

½ pound purple French beans
1teaspoon coriander seeds
1teaspoon mustard seeds
¼teaspoon black peppercorns
3sprigs fresh dill
1bay leaf
½ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup water
1tablespoon brown sugar
1teaspoon fine sea salt
1large garlic clove, quartered

1. Rinse green beans and break off stem ends. Put them into a pint jar, standing them up and squeezing as many into the jar as you can. There should be ½ inch of head space in the jar, so you may have to trim down some of the beans.
2. Once you’ve cut them down to fit, take them out of the jar and sterilize the jar in a boiling water bath for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a jar grip, carefully remove the jar from the water and tip out all water.
3. Place coriander seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns and bay leaf in jar and fill with beans, standing them up in the jar. Push dill sprigs down into the jar.
4. In a small saucepan, combine the vinegars, water, sugar, salt and garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer 2 minutes. Pour into jar with the beans. The beans should be covered but there should still be ¼ to ½ inch head space. Push garlic down into the jar. Seal jar and allow to cool, then refrigerate for up to 2 months. For best results wait 2 days before eating.

Cara Cara Caprese Salad

Serves 4

4 Cara Cara oranges, peel and pith removed, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 fresh mozzarella balls, sliced 1/2-inch thick, or 4 burrata, sliced
1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Arrange the orange slices alternately with the mozzarella slices and basil on a serving platter. 
2. Mound the tomatoes int the center.   
3. Drizzle the oil over the oranges, tomatoes and cheese, and drizzle the vinegar over the oil. 
4. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Serve at room temperature. (Mozzarella doesn’t bloom till it’s been at room temperature for at least 1 hour).

Kale and Sausage Brunch Strata

Serves 6

6 teaspoons olive oil
1-pound fresh hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup finely chopped spring onion
salt and black pepper
1 bunch kale, tough stems removed, and finely chopped 
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
4 ounces diced fontina cheese
8 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream or milk
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat the inside of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break it up, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the baking dish, spreading it in an even layer.
3. Add 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Add the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to take on color, about 4 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the baking dish and arrange evenly on top of the sausage. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add kale, season it with salt and pepper, and cook, occasionally tossing with tongs until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the baking dish and arrange evenly on top of the onions. Top with the tomatoes and fontina.
5. Whisk together the eggs and cream in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.
6. Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the baking dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until the eggs are just set in the middle, 35 to 45 minutes.
7. Allow the strata to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Roasted Salmon with Cara Cara Salsa Verde

Serves 4 to 6

For the Salsa
1/4 cup minced spring onion
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 Cara Cara orange, peel and pith removed, and cut into segments, then chopped
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

For the Salmon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Cara Cara orange juice
2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 1/2 pounds salmon filet

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pour the oil, juice, and Old Bay into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
3. Arrange the salmon in the pan and turn to coat in the oil mixture.
4. Roast for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until the fish reaches 155 degrees on an instant read meat thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving garnished with some of the Salsa Verde.

Slow Cooker Tangerine Pudding Cake

Serves 6

2 cups tangerine segments
4 large eggs, separated
grated zest of one orange or tangerine
1/3 cup orange juice
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 2/3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Coat the insert of a 5 to 7-quart slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread the tangerine segments over the bottom of the slow cooker. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and set aside. In another mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and blend in the zest, juice, butter, and milk. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and salt and add to egg yolk mixture beating until smooth and fold into the reserved egg whites. Transfer the batter to the prepared slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 2 ½ hours.

Seared Shrimp with Tangerine Beurre Blanc

Serves 4

For the Beurre Blanc
4 tangerines
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Salt and pepper

1. Zest 1 teaspoon of tangerine peel, and squeeze ½ cup of juice. Remove the peel from the remaining tangerines. Chop the segments to measure 1/2 cup, and reserve 1 cup of whole segments.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the juice, wine, shallot, and vinegar to a boil, and let the mixture reduce to about 1 tablespoon.
3. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter at a time. You may wish to lift the pan from time to time to cool the sauce.
4. Add another tablespoon of butter before the previous piece has completely melted until you have used all the butter. Stir in the chopped fruit segments and season with salt and pepper.
5. If you wish, you may add some of the whole segments upon serving.

Cook’s Note:  This is a delicious sauce to serve with any kind of grilled or roasted seafood. You can also substitute your favorite citrus here, grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime all work well here.

For the Shrimp

2 pounds U15 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and blotted dry
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives for garnish

1. Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet, over medium high heat, when the foam subsides in the pan, and the butter is hot, add the shrimp, and cook without moving them for 11/2 to 2 minutes.
3. Turn the shrimp and cook another 2 minutes until the shrimp just turn pink on each side.
4. Spoon some of the beurre Blanc onto the plate, and top with the shrimp, sprinkling with a few chopped chives for garnish.

Pistachio Lime Bars

Makes about nine 2-inch squares

For the Crust
1 cup flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small bits

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat the inside of a 9-inch square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is grainy.  
3. Press the crust into the pan and bake for 20 minutes.  

For the Filling

2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup Calamondin lime juice
1/3 cup shelled pistachios
confectioner's sugar for garnish

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, baking powder, flour and lime juice.  
2. Pour over the hot crust and sprinkle the top evenly with pistachios.  
3. Bake another 20 minutes, until the filling is set.  
4. Remove from the oven and immediately cut the bars into squares.  Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, and cool completely.  The bars will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  Serve at room temperature.  

Lime Pie Parfaits

Makes 6

For the Parfaits
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup heavy cream
12 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed Calamondin lime juice 

1. Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the butter until thoroughly blended. I like to do this with my fingers. Set aside.
2. Whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.
3. Add the cream cheese beating until smooth, then fold in the sweetened condensed milk and lime juice until smooth and creamy.
4. Put 2 tablespoons of the crumbs at the bottom of each of 6 parfait jars or glasses.
5. Top with about 1/4 cup of the key lime mixture. Add 2 more tablespoons of crumbs, topped with another 1/4 cup of lime mixture.
6. Cover and chill the parfaits for at least 2 hours or overnight.

For the Topping
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar
Calamondin lime zest

1. Whip the cream with confectioner’s sugar to top the parfaits before serving. Garnish with lime zest.

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