This week’s box included: Lacinato (dinosaur) kale, head lettuce, spring onions, leeks, tomatoes, summer squash, cucumber, beets with tops, celery, cauliflower (or Napa cabbage), spring mix.
Cauliflower for us this week! Lacinato kale! Beets! More celery! Leeks! More lettuce! Enough yellow squash for a meal!
I’m thinking Cauliflower “Shrimp” Cocktail, Kale Tabouli, Grated Raw Beet Salad, and Stir-Fried Beef and Celery – all from Riverview’s recipes archives.
Apparently leeks rarely make an appearance in our boxes. This is one of those vegetables where sand/dirt can be trapped in the leaves. Someone’s already trimmed the leeks for us – just go ahead and slice what’s left and put the chopped leeks in a big bowl of water. Swish around, then let the dirt settle and gently lift the leek pieces out of the water, leaving the dirt behind in the bottom of the bowl. You can use them in most ways you would use onions. I plan to saute mine in butter and season with salt and pepper. Done.
But I’ve also been in the mood for some new ideas, so here are three recipes – one for that yellow squash, one for that cucumber and one for a grain bowl.
Herbed Summer Squash Pasta Bake
From smittenkitchen.com. Can be made ahead and frozen.
8 ounces pasta, any shape you like
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large or 5 skinny scallions, sliced thin and white/pale green parts and dark green tops in separate piles
Pinches of red pepper flakes, to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk, ideally whole but low-fat will also work
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 tablespoon finely chopped mixed herbs of your choice
Salt and more pepper to taste
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, divided
4 ounces mozzarella, cut into small cubes
Cook the pasta: If you’ve got an oven-save 3-quart deep skillet or braising pan, use it here and you’ll only need one pot for the whole recipe. Otherwise, bring an medium/large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes before perfect doneness. Drain and set aside.
Heat oven: To 400 degrees.
Prepare the squash: Heat a large skillet or the pot you just used to cook your pasta to high heat. Once hot, add olive oil, and let it heat until almost smoking. Add sliced squash, season it with salt and pepper flakes and let it sear underneath, unmoved, until golden brown. Continue to saute until browned and somewhat wilted, about 10 minutes, trying to get some color on each layer before moving squash around. Transfer to a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over bowl. Add more salt or pepper if needed.
Make the sauce: Reheat the same pot over medium heat. Melt butter in bottom of pan. Add scallion white and pale green parts and garlic and let sizzle for 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until all has been dampened and absorbed. Add milk, a very small splash at a time, stirring the whole time with a spoon. Make sure each splash has been fully mixed into the butter/flour/onion/garlic mixture, scraping from the bottom of the pan and all around, before adding the next splash. Repeat until all milk has been added, then add lemon zest, salt and pepper to taste. Let mixture simmer together for 2 minutes, stirring frequently; the sauce will thicken. Remove pan from heat and stir in half of chopped parsley, all of mixed herbs and reserved scallion greens. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Assemble dish: Off the heat, add drained pasta, summer squash, 1/2 cup grated parmesan and all of the mozzarella to the pot, stirring to combine. If pan is ovenproof, you can bake your final dish in it. If not, transfer mixture to a 2 to 3 quart ovenproof casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.
Bake: For 25 to 30 minutes, until edges of pasta are golden brown and irresistible. Sprinkle with reserved parsley and serve hot. Reheat as needed.
To freeze: Let dish fully cool to room temperature, then transfer, wrapped well, to the freezer. Let defrost in fridge for a day before rewarming in oven. If I have time, I like to rewarm at a lowish head (300 to 325 degrees) with the foil on, then finish it for the last 10 minutes or so at a higher heat without the foil to restore some crisp.
Cucumber-Ricotta Sandwiches
Adapted from the New York Times. AThey suggest making your own ricotta – which is probably not in the cards for me so I will use some really good cream cheese or queso fresco. I’m finding sometimes cucumbers are bitter – so before you make this, cut a bit of peel and taste it. If it’s bitter, peel the cucumber before slicing.
Cucumber, thinly sliced
Salt and black pepper
1 serrano chile, very thinly sliced (or minced, with seeds, if preferred)
12 large basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 large lime)
1 tablespoon chopped dill
2 teaspoons chopped mint leaves
1 teaspoon thinly sliced chives
1 to 2 cups soft, rich ricotta, drained or cream cheese
2 ciabatta rolls, split lengthwise, lightly toasted (or a baguette split lengthwise or slices of toasted sourdough)
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Put cucumbers in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, then toss. Add chile, basil, lime juice, dill, mint and chives. Toss well.
Spread ricotta or cream cheese generously over toast. Spoon cucumber mixture over ricotta on each toast. Garnish with cilantro springs.
Green Goddess Grain Bowl
Adapted from the Washington Post.
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, plus more to taste
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 medium ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
2 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 teaspoon agave nectar
2 cups cooked grains, such as quinoa, barley or brown rice, warmed
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw or roasted
Wash and dry the kale, and strip it from its stems. Coarsely chop the leaves and thinly slice the stems, keeping them separate.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the green onion, kale stems and salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the kale leaves, beans and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Cook, stirring, until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Taste, and season with more salt, if needed.
In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, the scallions, mayonnaise, sriracha and agave.
Divide the warmed grains among four bowls, and top with the bean mixture, avocado dressing and sunflower seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature.