Don’t Be Befuddled By Beets

Member Chris Phillips is here to help with beets as well! Get inspired with the below -

Our fall shares will include beets. Novelist Tom Robbins calls beets “the most intense of vegetables.” Perhaps because many of us don’t eat beets all that often, we don’t have a go-to approach for getting them on the dinner table or in the salad bowl. Beets can be confounding. 

I suggest simply roasting them. The Kitchn has a simple guide to wrapping beets in foil and roasting them. If you’re not afraid of a little beet “blood” (it is almost Halloween after all), you could just thinly slice your beets and toss them in a salad or use them as dippers for hummus.

Don’t throw away the green tops of your beets. You can cook down beet greens as you would kale. I like to eat sauteed beet greens on top of toast with some ricotta. 
I can’t resist leaving you with a bit more of Tom Robbins on beets: “The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fossilized . . .” I love that even as we slide past the peak of vegetable season in the northeast, these rubies are waiting for us.

Let Your Leeks Take Center Stage

Member Chris Phillips is here to help answer the question “what to do with all these leeks?”-

I have a bad habit: I’m a leek collector. I buy them or find them in my CSA box and I don’t use them up right away. I dream of spending a quiet hour making potato leek soup, but I never quite find them time. I wonder if I can carmelize leeks and blend them into cream cheese to make a great dip or spread but I never do that either.

Instead my lonely leeks sit idle at the bottom of the crisper drawer until my husband reminds me to use it or lose it. Leeks do keep well in the crisper, but this time why not make the leeks the very first think you use from this week’s CSA basket?

Try Molly O’Neil’s super straightforward recipe for braised leeks. I find this recipe to be a revelation. Wait till you smell the leeks braised in wine! Leeks are usually character actors, so it feels adventurous to put them on center stage at least one every autumn. 

If we’re lucky enough to still find some tomatoes in our CSA baskets or at the market this week, you might also like this recipe for Cod With Leeks and Tomatoes from Martha Stewart’s old Everyday Food recipe. I’ve made this tens of times and it’s one of my favorite fish dishes - great for a work-from-home weeknight or elegant enough for an autumnal outdoor socially distant dinner with neighbors.

Spicy Sichuan Eggplant & Ginger-Garlic Tatsoi Stir-fry

Members Erica and Faisal bring us this delicious stir fry combination, full of CSA goodness! These two recipes can be prepared together or separately for a great vegetarian meal.

Spicy Sichuan Eggplant

What to do with too many eggplants? What if you have more than one kind on hand—Chinese, Japanese, or Italian globe? How do you cut the bitterness without smothering them with cheese? This Sichuan-inspired dish solves it all! Adapted to be friendly for all - vegan, paleo, gluten free, etc. 

Based on an authentic dish developed by Chinese cooking expert, Fuchsia Dunlop, this recipe’s savory, spicy-sweet garlic sauce brings out the best in eggplant. Chinese or Japanese eggplants are preferable since they’re less bitter and thick-skinned than Italian (making them easier to stir fry and more palatable with a light Asian sauce), but absolutely any eggplant or combination of eggplant varieties will work for this recipe. If you aren’t into spicy, just omit the chili pepper and/or pepper flakes and you’re good to go! 

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil divided

• 2-3 eggplants, cut into wedges 

• 2 cloves garlic finely minced

• 1 red chile pepper finely minced

• 1/2 inch fresh ginger peeled and finely minced

• 1 green onion/scallion chopped

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos

• 1-2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar 

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

SUBSTITUTIONS 

• Use coconut aminos if you need this dish to be soy and wheat free.

• If you don’t have access to Chinese black vinegar, substitute ume plum vinegar or a blend of ume plum vinegar and a touch of young, tart balsamic to mimic the malty flavor of Chinese black vinegar.

• Sugar offsets the vinegar’s acidity if using traditional soy sauce or tamari but is optional. You’ll probably want to omit it if using coconut aminos, which are naturally sweeter than soy sauce and tamari. 

HOW TO MAKE IT 

1. PREP. Wash and slice eggplant into roughly 3-inch wedges. Slice the scallions. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger. Combine soy sauce/coconut aminos, vinegar and sugar (if using) in a small bowl and set aside.  

2. COOK. In a wok or frying pan, over med-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan. When pan is hot, add eggplant in a single layer. Cook 2 minutes and flip over each piece so they cook evenly. Cook another 2-3 minutes, flipping occasionally. The eggplant should have changed in color, the skin wrinkled and the flesh soft.

3. Push eggplant to the side in the pan or wok, then add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add garlic, red chile peppers, ginger and green onion. Stir these aromatics until they become fragrant. Combine aromatics with eggplant and stir fry for one minute.

4. Add soy sauce/amionos and vinegar mixture and stir to combine all. 

5. Serve immediately or keep warm while finishing a side dish like the Asian-inspired tatsoi recipe  we’ll be posting next. Recommended over rice or noodles. Garnish with chopped scallions, fresh basil and/or cilantro and enjoy! 

Ginger-Garlic Tatsoi Stir-fry

How do you get tatsoi to taste good? If the strong flavor of these Asian greens isn’t your favorite or you just don’t know what the heck to do with it, this simple stir-fry will make tatsoi palatable for just about anyone. Pairs perfectly with our previously posted Spicy Chinese Eggplant and can be served over rice or noodles. Adapted to be friendly for all - vegan, paleo, gluten free, etc.

While many might use Hoisin sauce for a recipe like this, we’re using coconut aminos to keep common allergens like soy and wheat out of the mix for those with sensitivities. That said, if you love Hoisin sauce and don’t have any issues with soy, feel free to use a dab of that instead of coconut aminos. 

If you plan to pair this with the Spicy Eggplant recipe we posted previously, make the eggplant first, do the prep work for the greens while the eggplant is cooking, and have the rice or noodles ready in advance so you can plate your meal as soon as the greens are done. If you’ve washed and chopped the tatsoi ahead of time and have the other ingredients handy, this super-easy side dish will come together in a flash. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch Tatsoi

• 3 scallions

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 bunch basil 

• 1 small piece of ginger

• 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos  

HOW TO MAKE IT

PREP

If you’re serving over rice, wash and dry the tatsoi while the rice cooks. Cut the tatsoi into bite-sized pieces. Slice the scallions. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Peel and mince the ginger. Pick the basil leaves off the stems and roughly chop.

COOK

1. In a large pan or wok, heat some oil on med-high until hot. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

2. Stir in the tatsoi and half the scallions. Cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened, then drizzle with the coconut aminos. Stir until greens are evenly coated with the sauce and aromatics. Remove from heat.

3. Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with the basil and remaining scallions. Spoon some sauce from the pan over each serving for an elegant finish. Enjoy!

Fast & Fresh CSA Salsa

Much like pesto, salsa is a super versatile way to use CSA veggies! Members Nicole & Bruce shared their method for an easy and delicious salsa. All quantities are to-taste, so experiment and taste as you go!

CSA Salsa

1. Roast halved tomatoes, a few onions and a pepper. Broil for the last few minutes.

2. Blend with cilantro, salt, lime juice and chipotles in adobo to your desired chunkiness. Taste and season or add other flavors here.

3. Serve with chips, or whatever else you eat with salsa!

Anything Goes Risotto

Member Shannon Abbot brings us a flexible & forgiving risotto method, perfect “anything goes” recipe for anything that might show-up in the CSA box!   Requires less work than a traditional risotto, but is just as delicious. There’e even an option at the end for stuffing peppers with risotto, a perfect idea as we transition from late summer vegetables into cooler fall weather!

Late Summer Harvest, No-Fuss Risotto

Vegetarian (Vegan option), Side Dish or Entrée

*Adapted from the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook, by Audrey Alsterberg and Wands Urbanowicz.

Ingredients

·       3 tbsp Olive Oil

·       1 Large Onion, diced

·       6 garlic cloves

·       ½ tsp red chili flakes (or more, if you like it hot)

·       2 tsp salt (optional)

·       1 tbsp chili powder (optional)

·       2-4 tbsp dried herbs of choice (paprika, thyme and oregano are nice options)

·       2 large peppers, diced

·       1 chili pepper or jalapeño, diced (optional)

·       4 medium tomatoes or 8-10 small tomatoes, roughly chopped

·       1 ¼ cup arborio rice

·       3 cups vegetable stock, warmed

·       ½ lb. green beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths

·       1 bunch fresh herbs and/or spinach

·       1 cup aged Parmesan cheese (easily omitted for vegan option)

Instructions

1.     Heat olive oil in large pot or skillet, sauté onion until translucent.  Add garlic, chili flakes, garlic and salt, and sauté until soft but not browned.

2.     Add spices, herbs, peppers and tomatoes.  Cover and reduce heat to low, 10 min.  Stir in the arborio rice and stir well.

3.     Add the warmed stock to pan, cover and cook on low for 30 min., until all the liquid has been absorbed.

4.     Meanwhile, steam or blanch the green beans.  (HINT – you can also throw in asparagus, broccoli, etc.  Just give a quick blanch first).

5.     Stir blanched veggies and fresh herbs into the rice mixture.  Season with salt and pepper, stir in cheese if using.  Serve along side your favorite protein, or with a big green leafy salad, or just straight out of the pot.

Go all Out

The Rebar Cookbook recommends stuffing the completed risotto into hollowed-out sweet peppers, top with more cheese (e.g., feta), and baking until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and serve with corn on the cob and chili-lime butter.