This week’s box included: heirloom tomatoes, green (and purple) beans, Kirby pickling cucumbers, Swiss chard, potatoes, garlic, sweet corn, yellow squash, zucchini, butterleaf lettuce, onion. You can see a photo that can help with identification on our Facebook page or check out our weekly video on Instagram.
NOTE: We don’t spray our sweet corn with any pesticides, even those that are certified “ok” for use within the organic code. As a result, we fight the corn ear worm. Thankfully, their incursions into the corn ear are mostly limited to the tip of the ear, leaving the rest of the delicious cob for you to enjoy. Lop off any damage on the tip before storing. Do it before you shuck the ear and you may never encounter the worm.
Need storage instructions? Visit our fruit & veggie home pages. Click on the pic and a new page opens with storage instructions and a list of recipes curated by Conne over the years.
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Summer solstice is upon us Friday and here in Virginia-Highland, we will celebrate with the first corn of the summer. And the first garlic. Thank you, Riverview.
If you’re new to organic corn, expect you may find a worm or two. I chop off the top of the cob before I even think about storing the ears because that’s where I find a cornworm if I find one at all. My three ears are in the refrigerator, tops trimmed, still with their husks, and Friday I’ll be putting them on the grill (after pulling back the husks a bit to make sure there’s no other protein riding along) in their husks. Love the flavor the husks add.
And the beautiful green and purple beans will go into a raw salad (last week’s beans were so amazing) so they keep their bright color along with cucumbers, thinly sliced onion and steamed potatoes. The purple beans are beautiful but they don’t hold their color when cooked so when they’re young and tender like these, we just eat them raw. The beans that don’t go into the salad will get dunked into homemade ranch dressing as a deskside snack.
At our pickup location we keep a “share” box for folks to contribute whatever is in their box that they just can’t/won’t use up. This week I found lots of cucumbers in there, but then by the time all the boxes had been picked up, the extra cucumbers were gone. If you, like that person who passed on the cucumbers, need inspiration for what has been a recurring gift each week, consider the Cold Peanut Noodle Salad with Cucumbers from Riverview’s cucumber page. Except for folks with peanut allergies, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love peanut noodles, and if peanuts are an issue – use cashew or almond butter instead.
Because we’re heading into a season of tomato bounty – there are two new tomato recipes (below) and then I’ll speak of tomatoes no more. Both from Hetty Lui McKinnon, author of “To Vegetables, With Love.”
And I heard from another subscriber that she just doesn’t know what to do with that bunch of Swiss chard. I, for one, am thrilled to see it appear several times this year. A welcome change from our usual round of turnip and mustard greens. We have about two dozen Swiss chard recipes at grassfedcow.com and down below is one more, a recipe for Braised Chard with Gnocchi. It was Melissa Clark’s recipes that introduced me to shelf stable gnocchi and gnocchi from the refrigerated case at the grocery store – a product I had never even considered. But I find that there are times when you just want something delicious and more convenient than making your own gnocchi. If that’s you, try this recipe.
Tomato and Bread Soup – to serve cold or hot
McKinnon’s note about this recipe: “It is hard to describe how alive this soup feels. When using such sparse ingredients, there is nowhere to hide. The vivacity of this soup fervently reflects the integrity of the ingredients used. It tastes of vines ripened by the sun, grassy, musky, and earthy. It offers the essence of tomatoes, without the astringency. The soup is inspired by a Spanish tomato and bread soup called salmorejo, which typically features sherry vinegar, and is served topped with boiled egg and ham. I developed this recipe to be eaten cold, however when I served it, my son requested for it to be heated up. Hence, we have a soup that can be served at both temperatures. There are optional toppings of bread croutons, feta or other soft, salty cheese, or tahini.”
I’ll substitute about 1/4 of that sweet onion in the box for the green onions the recipe calls for. Love that this takes maybe 5 minutes to make and then just needs to sit in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 green onions, sliced, plus more for topping
1/2 pound stale bread, torn into small chunks (gluten free is fine)
1 tablespoon apple cider or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional toppings: bread croutons, tahini. crumbled feta, ricotta, goats cheese
Place the tomatoes, garlic, scallions, bread, vinegar and 1 cup water into a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth and silky. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until incorporated. Add the salt and give it a quick blitz to combine. Check the texture is loose and pourable. If it is too thick, blend in a touch more water.
For cold: transfer the soup to a container, cover and chill until it’s cold, about 30 minutes. The soup can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for several days. You can also serve immediately by adding ice cubes.
For hot: pour the soup into a large pot and gently heat on medium heat until it is warmed through. You can also heat up individual bowls in the microwave.
Basil and Tomato Fried Rice
4 eggs
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
Neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 to 2 bird’s-eye chiles (or other hot chiles), deseeded and finely chopped (or substitute dried red pepper flakes)
2 pounds firm, ripe large or cherry tomatoes, cut into 3/4-inch wedges if using large tomatoes
5 to 6 cups cooked leftover rice, preferably jasmine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
In a bowl, whisk the eggs with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Heat a large wok or 12-inch well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, then pour in the beaten egg. Cook for 15 to 30 seconds, allowing the bottom to set slightly, before stirring and turning until just set. Break up the egg slightly, then remove from the wok and set aside.
Heat the wok over high. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, along with the onions, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and bird’s-eye chiles and stir for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Next, add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing every now and then, until the tomatoes are softened. (Reduce heat to medium-high if it starts getting too smoky or the garlic begins to scorch.)
Add the rice, soy sauce and half the basil, and season with 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt, to taste. Reduce heat to medium-high and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, allowing the rice to soak up the tomato juices. As the liquid cooks off, the rice will char (though less so if using a nonstick pan) and develop some smoky flavors.
Add the egg and remaining basil and toss for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and check seasonings, adding some black pepper and more salt if needed. Serve immediately.
One-Pot Braised Chard With Gnocchi, Peas and Leeks
Adapted from Melissa Clark in the New York Times
Her note about the recipe: “Adding a package of prepared potato gnocchi to a pot of braised greens turns a side dish into a vibrant one-pot meal fit for weeknights. The chard stems, leeks and peas are nubby and colorful next to the pillowy gnocchi, while a combination of butter and white wine makes the sauce rich and tangy. For extra creaminess, serve this with dollops of fresh ricotta stirred in at the last minute. Or skip the ricotta for a lighter meal.”
I’m skipping the peas although that’s one freezer item many people keep on hand. And I’m substituting a Riverview sweet onion for the leeks.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 leeks, white and light green parts, sliced thinly into half-moons
Swiss chard, stems thinly sliced and leaves coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
Kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 pound potato gnocchi (fresh, frozen or shelf-stable all work)
2 cups peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup torn parsley leaves and tender stems, for serving
Grated Parmesan, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving
Fresh ricotta, for serving (optional)
Red-pepper flakes, for serving (optional)
In a 5- or 6-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and chard stems, and cook until tender and lightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme and a large pinch of salt and black pepper, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add wine, scraping up the brown bits at bottom of pot, and let the wine reduce by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour in stock and ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer.
Stir in gnocchi and chard leaves. Cook, partly covered, for 15 minutes, until the chard is soft. Add peas and tarragon, and continue to cook, partly covered, until gnocchi are cooked through, another 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
To serve, top with parsley, a generous shower of Parmesan and a big squeeze of lemon. If you like, you can also add a dollop of ricotta and some red-pepper flakes.