This week’s box included: butternut squash, turnip greens, peppers, salad cucumber, okra, potatoes, lettuce, Napa cabbage, apples
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I am going to mark 2022 down as the year of the Enormous Vegetables. I don’t know about your box, but we had the world’s biggest Napa cabbage in today’s box. So big that I’m not sure how they even got it into the box … or made room for anything else although we also received a beautiful head of lettuce, a bunch of what I think are turnip greens, our first butternut squash (since I was out of town last week don’t know if you all got butternuts last week), a half dozen apples, more red potatoes and bunches of peppers. Oh, and a slicer cucumber and a small bag of okra.
That Napa cabbage may look daunting, but I remember the last Napa cabbage of spring and what I did with it. I peeled off leaves from the exterior and used those to make one of the slaw recipes from our Napa cabbage recipe list, used the next layer of leaves to make Napa Cabbage and Mushroom Lasagna, and then saved the tender interior leaves to shred and substitute for rice noodles in roll-your-own spring rolls. I like turning roll-your-own spring rolls into a do-it-yourself dinner party. I set out pie dishes of warm water at each place setting and a big stack of rice paper spring rolls, then platters of shredded vegetables (like the Napa cabbage, green onions, slivered carrots) and herb sprigs, slices of mango and poached shrimp, and let people make their own rolls. Everyone enjoys it, it’s an amazingly healthy dinner, and except for the knife work ahead of time and preparing a peanut sauce and nuoc cham, it’s relatively easy on the host.
For the okra, I’m going to make Tempura Fried Okra using this recipe from The Cook’s Warehouse. Our bag of okra isn’t a pound, but that’s ok.
And for the potatoes, I’m going to make this Sausage and New Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette, also from The Cook’s Warehouse. These cooler evenings put me in the mood for dishes with smoked sausage. And it’s a chance to use some of those bountiful peppers from today’s box.
Tempura Fried Okra
1 pound okra, whole or sliced into rounds
Buttermilk, enough to cover okra
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
Kosher salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Hot pepper vinegar, for serving
Pour a few inches of peanut oil into a heavy-bottomed pot, preferably cast iron. Heat oil to 350°, using a fry/candy thermometer to make sure the temperature stays consistent.
Meanwhile, soak the okra in enough buttermilk to completely cover and season with salt. In another bowl, stir together flour, cornstarch, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Dredge the okra in the dry mixture until well-coated.
Working in a few batches, cook the okra in the hot oil until crispy and light golden brown. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the oil at 350°. Remove the fried okra from the oil with a spider or slotted spoon and allow to drain on a wire rack over a sheet pan. While still hot, season the okra with additional kosher salt and a generous splash of hot pepper vinegar. Serve immediately.
Sausage & New Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
2 pounds red new potatoes, quartered
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into half moons
Canola oil, or other neutral oil
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
4 stalks celery, finely diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons honey
Olive oil, as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add potatoes to a large stock pot and cover with cool water. Add plenty of salt (3 to 4 tablespoons—it should taste like ocean water.) Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to keep the water simmering. Cook until potatoes are tender when poked with a sharp knife, but be careful not to overcook, or the potatoes will fall apart when mixing. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, add sausage to a large skillet with a big glug of canola oil, about 1/4 cup. (The residual oil gets used for the dressing.) Heat over medium heat until sausage is golden brown and erring on the crisp side. Remove using a spider or slotted spoon and transfer to the same bowl as the cooked potatoes. Pour the residual oil into a small mixing bowl or liquid measuring cup to be used for the vinaigrette. Add the bell peppers to the skillet and cook for a minute or so, just to soften up slightly. (They can also go into the salad raw.)
Add the bell peppers, green onions, and celery to the bowl with the potatoes.
Meanwhile, whisk the cider vinegar, whole grain mustard, and honey to the bowl with the canola oil. Add some olive oil if it seems like it needs some more fat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and gently fold until well combined.
Let the mixture sit for a few minutes. Taste and adjust flavors as needed. (It can drink up the dressing, so don’t be afraid to whisk up a little more dressing.) Serve at room temperature. It just keeps getting better as it sits!