This week’s box included: Okra, Cucumbers (salad + Kirby), bell pepper, sweet potatoe, delicata squash, kale, tomato, green beans
This week’s surprise was a giant sweet potato. If you were a subscriber last year you probably remember when each week brought bigger and bigger sweet potatoes. They got to be as big as footballs. I meant to weigh some of those, but looks as if we will have a banner year for sweet potatoes again and so this time I really weigh them to see just how big a sweet potato can grow. If you need inspiration for what to do with what is no doubt the first of many, we have dozens of sweet potato recipes at grassfedcow.com.
Our box also had kale, one bell pepper, one tomato, two Kirby cucumbers and two slicers, two delicata squash, a bag of beans and a bag of okra.
I’m in the mood for pesto but I’m going to make mine with kale I’ll use the pesto recipe from Pasta with Kale Pesto and then I’m either going to use it to season scrambled eggs or a frittata. I got this idea from Alisa Barry of Bella Cucina Foods.
You need:
8 to 10 eggs
1/4 cup kale pesto
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
Some olive oil
Whisk together the eggs, pesto, Parmesan and salt. Now – scrambled eggs? Heat a skillet and add the oil, turn the heat to low and pour in the egg mixture. Cook until the eggs are the consistency you prefer.
OR …. a frittata? heat the oven to 350 degrees, add that olive oil to an overproof skillet and pour in the eggs. Sprinkle with an extra tablespoon of Parmesan and bake 20 minutes or so until cooked all the way through.
With that one tomato, I’m going to try this Tomato Vinaigrette recipe from Emily Nunn of The Department of Salad. She adapted the recipe from “Williams-Sonoma Cooking at Home.” I’ve still got two red onions from past boxes, so I’ll put part of one to good use here.
Tomato Vinaigrette
Makes about 2 cups
From Emily: “I peel my tomatoes by spearing them with a fork and holding them over the flame of my stove, turning frequently until the skin just blackens and blisters; it will slip right off. To seed them, cut them in half crosswise, then poke your finger into each little seed compartment and flip out the seeds. This doesn’t have to be perfect, and it’s also okay if you cook your tomato a tiny bit in the peeling process. No stressing!”
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, minced
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Add all the ingredients to a large jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake it up. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let this dressing sit for an hour or so if you can before using. Let it come to room temp before using it after refrigerating it—otherwise it will be gloppy.
And finally, a different salad – this one with okra because I still have some of last week’s box of cherry tomatoes. It’s a recipe from the Washington Post.
Warm Okra and Tomato Salad
1 pound okra, sliced lengthwise
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
5 slices thick-cut bacon (about 5 ounces), cooked and coarsely crumbled
1/2 cup raw pecan halves
1 shallot, finely grated or minced
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Warm bread, for serving (optional)
Roast the okra: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
In a large, ovenproof skillet or pan, toss the okra with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper and arrange in a single layer as best you can. Transfer to the oven and roast 15 minutes, or until the okra is just starting to turn brown in spots.
While okra is roasting, make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl whisk together the shallot, lemon zest and juice, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly add the 1/2 cup oil, whisking constantly until emulsified.
Remove the okra from the oven, add three-quarters of the vinaigrette, toss to coat and again spread the okra in a single layer in the pan. Add the tomatoes, cheese, bacon and pecans and dot with the rest of the dressing. Return the pan to the oven and roast an additional 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes just start to shrivel.
Serve family-style, with warm bread, if desired.