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csa week 2

5/30/2021

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On Sunday afternoons, Dreyers Farms, Cranford, sends out an email with the upcoming week’s CSA box contents. Before I receive my share, I begin researching new recipes. My share of the box last week was rhubarb, lettuce, radishes, broccoli rabe and escarole. I also had some golden beets left from week 1.
 
With this week’s produce, including my golden beets, I found a recipe for Beets, Rhubarb and Orange Salad on epicurious.com. For the recipe you’ll also need extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, water, sugar, shallot, honey and feta cheese. 
​Rhubarb is a stalk type fruit and is very tart, therefore, it must be cooked with some sugar. For this recipe it’s boiled in sugar water until tender. The beets are roasted in a hot oven until tender.
 
The salad was very refreshing and full of different flavors. Pieces of rhubarb, beets and orange segments are mixed with the salad greens. A citrus dressing, which is both sweet and tart, is drizzled on. The Feta cheese is sprinkled on top and gives the salad a slightly salt and tangy flavor. Overall, a delicious addition to my file of appetizers.
 
I’m not a radish in a salad kind of gal, so I was very happy to find a recipe also on epicurious.com for Pork Chops with Radishes and Charred Scallions. Pork can be so bland at times and needs either a marinade (wet or dry) or strong herbs (sage) to infuse some flavor into this now very lean meat.
 
The pork chops (at least 1-inch thick) are seasoned with salt, pepper, anise seed or fennel seeds and crushed red pepper. For the recipe you’ll also need olive oil, lemon juice, finely chopped anchovy fillet and parsley leaves. The radishes and parsley leaves are tossed in a dressing made from lemon juice, anchovies and olive oil.
 
I grilled the pork chops about 8 minutes per side. After reading some of the comments left on the recipe webpage, I grilled the scallions for the last eight minutes that the pork was cooking for a nice char and grill marks.
 
What flavor! I used ground aniseed that I toasted per the recipe, but also included the red pepper flakes to draw out their flavor. The combination resulted in a nice robust taste. The addition of the vegetables on top of the pork was a nice accompaniment especially with the dressing; it helped to soften the spiciness of the radishes.  The scallions gave an overall freshness to the meal. As a side dish, I prepared smashed red potatoes.
 
Lastly or the escarole, I had a desire to prepare escarole and beans. When I was a kid, our neighbor use to prepare a large pot of soupy greens and beans. I looked over a recipe by Lidia Bastianich and one by Arthur Schwartz (Napes at Table) and decided to go with Mr. Schwartz’s as his recipe gave the option of canned cannellini beans. However, I did make some adjustments after it was done.
 
For Bean and Escarole Soup (Zuppa di Fagioli e Scarola) you’ll need dried cannellini beans (or four 19-ounce cans of cannellini) water, salt, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, 3-4 canned peeled plum tomatoes, parsley, celery and hot red pepper flakes. In lieu of using peeled plum tomatoes, I opted for a can of Jersey crush tomatoes and used approximately one cup. I also used canned cannellini beans.
 
For one pound of escarole, the recipe called for four cans of beans. I thought that was too much, therefore,  I used one can. Depending on which option of beans you go with, next it’s on to preparing the greens. The escarole is cut into one-inch-wide pieces and cooked in salted boiling water for approximately five minutes, or until tender.
 
Once the greens were cooked, I used the same pot (Dutch oven) to sauté the garlic tomatoes, celery, parsley and hot pepper. When that was done, the escarole was added and simmered for five minutes.  The soup needed to be seasoned with salt. I know I took the liberty of swapping canned peeled plum tomatoes for crushed, but there didn’t seem to be enough liquid for this to be called a soup. I added approximately one cup of water and a fresh bay leaf for additional flavor. These adjustments made for a delightful soup that I served on Saturday with some Italian bread. It made the rainy afternoon slightly better.
 
CSA Week 3 box ingredients are: Lettuce, Escarole, Spinach, Breadsmith pizza dough (Cranford, NJ) and Antonio's mozzarella (Newark, NJ)
 
The escarole and mozzarella will be used for a pizza that also includes capers and fontina cheese. For the cabbage, I’m going to make unstuffed cabbage rolls, which I haven’t made in a while. I’m uncertain as to what to make with the spinach. I opted to let my daughter have all the kale, however, next time I may take some and make kale chips. 

Bean and Escarole Soup
Zuppa di Fagioli e Scarola
Naples at Table ©1998 by Arthur Schwartz
 
Serves 8
 
1 pound cannellini beans
2-1/2 quarts water
1 teaspoon salt
1 large bunch escarole or chicory (about 1 pound)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
3 or 4 canned peeled plum tomatoes
1 large rib celery, finely minced
½ cup finely cut parsley
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
 
  1. In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or stovetop casserole, combine the beans with 10 cups of water. Add salt and bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the beans simmer gently, partially covered, for 1 hour or longer, or until fully tender. (Or use four 19-ounce cans of cannellini.)
  2. Meanwhile, wash the greens and cut into inch-wide crosswise pieces.
  3. Bring a 4- to 5-quart pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Plunge in the greens, and when the water returns to a boil, let them boil for 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.
  4. When the beans are tender, add the olive oil, the garlic, the tomatoes, chopped or crushed into the pot with your hand; the celery, parsley, and hot pepper. Simmer another 15 minutes.
  5. Add the greens and simmer another 5 minutes.
  6. Serve hot and pass a cruet of extra-virgin olive oil or hot pepper oil. It can also be served over freselle or dry-toasted bread.
 Notes:
  • I used one can of cannellini beans for 1-pound of cooked escarole. You can add more if you like.
  • I used approximately 1 cup of crushed tomatoes. Again, adjust to your liking.
  • I adjusted the seasonings by adding salt and pepper to taste and a fresh bay leaf for more flavor.
I prefer more broth so I add about a cup of water. You can add or leave out depending on your preference.
bean_and_escarole_soup.pdf
File Size: 51 kb
File Type: pdf
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​Pork Chops with Radishes and Charred Scallions
Bon Appétit Magazine, JULY 2017
The Durham Hotel, Durham, NC
 
Yield: 4 Servings
 
INGREDIENTS
 
1 tablespoon aniseed or fennel seeds
4 (1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops (about 4 pounds total), patted dry
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; plus more for grill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped rinsed salt-packed anchovy fillet
3 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1/4 cup parsley leaves with tender stems
2 bunches scallions, roots trimmed
A spice mill or mortar and pestle
 
 
PREPARATION
Toast aniseed in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let cool; coarsely grind in spice mill or with mortar and pestle. Season pork chops all over with salt and pepper; sprinkle with aniseed and red pepper flakes. Let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.
 
Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; brush grate with oil. Grill chops, moving around on grate to avoid flare-ups, until deep golden brown on both sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 140°F, 8–10 minutes. Transfer chops to a plate and let rest 10 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, anchovy, and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl to combine. Add radishes and parsley and toss to coat.
 
Toss scallions on a rimmed baking sheet with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill scallions directly on grate, turning once, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Transfer scallions to a platter, set pork chops on top, and scatter radish salad over.
pork_chops_with_radishes_and_charred_scallions.pdf
File Size: 56 kb
File Type: pdf
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​Beet, Rhubarb, and Orange Salad
By Lora Zarubin
Bon Appétit Magazine
 APRIL 2010
 
Yield: 6 Servings
 
INGREDIENTS
 
8 2- to 2 1/2-inch-diameter red or yellow beets, 4 of each color if available
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Coarse kosher salt
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1-pound trimmed rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 large oranges
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon honey
3 cups watercress sprigs
1 1/4 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese (about one 7-ounce package)
Fresh chervil leaves (optional)
 
 
PREPARATION
 
1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets on large sheet of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; sprinkle with coarse salt. Wrap beets in foil. Roast beets until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Unwrap and cool beets. Peel, then cut each into 8 wedges.
2.Bring 3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, and pinch of coarse salt to simmer in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb. Simmer over medium heat until just tender but still intact, 1 to 2 minutes (do not overcook or rhubarb will be mushy). Using slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to platter and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Beets and rhubarb can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.
3.Finely grate enough peel from 1 orange to measure 1/2 teaspoon; transfer to small bowl and reserve for dressing. Cut off peel and white pith from all oranges. Working over medium bowl to catch juice and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release orange segments into bowl; squeeze membranes to release juice into bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons orange juice to bowl with orange peel. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, honey, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil into bowl with orange peel and orange juice mixture. Season dressing with coarse salt and pepper.
4.Arrange watercress, beets, rhubarb, and orange segments on 6 plates. Sprinkle with feta and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with chervil leaves, if desired, and serve.
beet_rhubarb_and_orange_salad.pdf
File Size: 59 kb
File Type: pdf
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