Contents of this week’s box: celery, hakurai turnip, tomato, cucumber, green onions, broccoli, yellow squash, kohlrabi, radishes, zucchini, lettuce mix, cabbage, bok choy.
Cauliflower three weeks in a row? Is it possible? Two weeks of celery though is a bit much in this household. Local celery is so much sharper (some would say more flavorful) than commodity celery, but it’s honestly not my favorite thing to eat. One big bunch of celery is great, but two? I did discover that I like a bit of celery if I’m juicing, combined with a little lemon. And I’ll dice some up and freeze it. Won’t work if you want chopped celery in your seafood salad, but it’s just fine for stews and soups. Anywhere it’s going to be cooked.
I’m glad one more head of cauliflower showed up because I realize I wanted to do something with cauliflower rice. This is a recipe from Martha Stewart. I’m making this one because we have those sugar snap peas in our box today. At least, I think they’re sugar snap peas. They were definitely sweet – the peas were delicious – but the pods of the few I nibbled on were a little tough, so not quite “eat out of hand” but cut into 1/4-inch slices on the diagonal, they’ll be perfect in this dish in place of the frozen peas. And use some green onion instead of a yellow onion. (I’ve also been known to cut the cauliflower into rough florets and throw it in the food processor and pulse quickly to make tiny pieces when I just wasn’t in the mood to slice, slice, slice.)
Pulse cauliflower florets in 2 batches a food processor until finely chopped, but not pureed, about 6 quick pulses (4 cups chopped cauliflower).
Heat a large cast iron pan or wok over high until very hot, about 2 minutes (a sprinkle of water should evaporate immediately). Add 2 teaspoons oil and swirl to coat. Beat together eggs, 2 teaspoons water, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add egg mixture to pan and cook, pushing eggs toward center of pan to form large, soft curds, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
Add 2 tablespoons oil, carrots, and onion to pan; cook 2 to 3 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add garlic, ginger, and sambal oelek; cook stirring until fragrant, 1 minute. Add cauliflower; cook stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until just barely tender, 2 minutes. Remove from pan to a large bowl; add back eggs. Stir in peas and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
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And given that it is raining cabbage as much as it’s raining cauliflower these days, here’s an idea from Alexandracooks.com (one of my favorite recipe sources) for using both cabbage and kale (or chard). She adapted it from “Food 52 Vegan” by Gena Hamshaw. Almost seems like a waste to chop that pretty Savoy cabbage into pieces but … I was in South Carolina for the weekend and picked up “The Twenty Bag” for Harleston Towles. So now I have a South Carolina cabbage to go with my Georgia cabbage. The only thing they seem to be ahead of us with was their sweet onions. There were two huge onions in that bag. Can’t wait until the Riverview onions start arriving.
I love grains and greens with sweet dried fruit like raisins (or dates or even dried cranberries). Hope you’ll enjoy this, too.
Her notes about the recipe: So many vegetables could work here: cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, parsnips, carrots, squash, etc. If you are using kale and cabbage, slice the leaves relatively finely or at least try to make the vegetables you are roasting together be uniform in size so that they cook evenly. Freekeh is not something I’ve cooked with many times, but I happened to have a bag of it on hand, and I think I’ll be buying it more often. It cooks quickly and has a nice, chewy texture — it reminds me of bulgur. Freekeh is harvested when it’s young or “green” then roasted, which gives it a slightly smoky, nutty flavor. Use any grain in place of the freekeh: farro, wheat berry, quinoa, bulgur, etc. I’ve used both currants and golden raisins, but chopped dates would be nice, too — anything to add a touch of sweetness. Nuts would be a nice addition here.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the vegetables with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until browned and crispy. Set aside.
Meanwhile, combine the broth and freekeh in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, until the freekeh is tender and has absorbed most of the broth. Fluff with a fork, then let it cool a bit.
Put the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the lemon juice, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until well blended.
In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables, freekeh, currants, and zest. Drizzle with most of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste. Add more dressing if necessary and adjust seasoning as necessary. Just before serving, stir in the herbs. Save any remaining dressing for tomorrow, when you make the salad again.