This week’s box included: lettuce, sweet potato, potato, bell peppers, okra, green beans, salad cucumber, kirby cucumbers, butternut squash, cubanelle peppers.
The return of lettuce, just in time for overnight temperatures to drop to the 50s next week. And in our box, two butternut squash. These aren’t as hefty as in years past, but perhaps that’s coming in October or November. And I’m saving my sweet potato, hoping there’ll be another next week so I can make this Sweet Potato Cottage Pie.
Haven’t tried the peppers yet to see if any are hot, but no matter the heat level, they’re going into pimento cheese, inspired by the recipe Suzanne and Annie shared two weeks ago.
For some reason I am all about green beans and garlic today. Green beans from this week’s box, garlic from past boxes. Stop reading now if you don’t need any ideas for these two ingredients.
Have we talked about blistered green beans before? I hope not, because I’ve got a recipe to share. It’s from Alexandra Stafford of alexandracooks.com. You do have a head of garlic left over from a week or so ago? Love her very clear direction on how to make sure this is seasoned the way you’d like and how to get blistered but not burnt beans.
Blistered Green Beans
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you are sensitive to heat)
1 tablespoon capers
1 lb. green beans, stemmed
kosher salt to taste
In a small skillet, place 2 tablespoons of the oil, the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes (start with a quarter teaspoon if you are sensitive to heat), and capers. Turn the heat to low and let the oil slowly infuse.
Meanwhile, toss the green beans on the prepared sheet pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and kosher salt to taste.
Taste a green bean raw — it should taste nicely seasoned. Transfer pan to broiler and cook 2 minutes. Check. If the beans aren’t beginning to char, return for another 1 to 2 minutes. If they are charring, toss, and return to the broiler for another 2 minutes.
Check again. Remove from oven if the beans are blistered to your liking, otherwise, cook for another minute or so. (Note: When my broiler has preheated sufficiently, my beans consistently blister in 5 minutes, with one toss halfway through. Every oven is different, however, so be vigilant!)
Transfer blistered green beans to a serving platter.
Meanwhile, your olive oil should be gently shimmering with the garlic, capers, and pepper flakes. Turn the heat up to medium or high and keep a close watch. Stir occasionally and as soon as you see the garlic beginning to brown at the edges and crisp up, remove the pan from the burner and pour the oil over the beans. Gently toss. Taste. Season with more salt if desired. Serve immediately.
Ramen With Charred Scallions, Green Beans and Chile Oil
This one is more involved …. and requires some green onions you may have to pick up at a farmers market. It’s from the New York Times.
It includes a recipe for chile oil, but if you don’t want to go to that trouble, just substitute your favorite store-bought Sichuan chile oil.
For the Chile Oil:
2 tablespoons red-pepper flakes (see Tip at end)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the Noodles:
Kosher salt
4 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles, seasoning packs discarded
2 bunches scallions (10 to 12 scallions), white and green parts separated and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
Your green beans, trimmed and halved diagonally
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
White pepper
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
Prepare the chile oil: Add the red-pepper flakes and salt to a heatproof bowl. Place the oil, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan, and heat over medium until it bubbles, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and very carefully pour the hot oil over the red-pepper flakes. Add the sesame seeds and sesame oil, and stir well. Set aside while you make the rest of the dish. (Chile oil can be stored in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to a month and indefinitely in the refrigerator.)
Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ramen and cook according to package instructions, about 3 minutes, until the noodles are just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again.
Slice the white parts of your scallions lengthwise, in half or quarters, depending on thickness, to make cooking faster.
Heat a wok or large (12-inch), deep skillet on high. When smoking hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, toss in the green beans and season with salt. Cook, tossing the beans, for 2 to 3 minutes, until charred. Remove the beans from the wok, and set aside.
Heat the same wok or skillet over high, and when smoking, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, along with the scallions (white and green parts) and the ginger. Allow the scallions and ginger to sizzle for 20 to 30 seconds, to release their aromas, then stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the scallions have a nice scorch.
Add the green beans and noodles back to the pan, along with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the chile oil (reserve some for serving), and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine, just until the noodles are heated through. To serve, divide the noodles into bowls, top with toasted sesame seeds and more chile oil.
Tip
If you want to add a tingly heat to your ramen, you can add 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns and/or 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red-pepper flakes) to the bowl with the red-pepper flakes when preparing the oil.