Mind Your Peas & Eggs

Highlighting some of our CSA foods this week with two simple preparations. Wednesday’s dinner was risotto with sugar snap peas, pea greens, garlic scapes and cilantro, while my lunch salad featured our farm’s mixed greens and eggs. Pretty sure I eventually ate the mesclun greens, but honestly, the eggs stole the show!

Pea Risotto with Garlic Scapes and Cilantro

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 rounded cup Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 garlic scape, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, chopped crosswise into 1/2″ pieces
• 6 cups uncooked pea greens, steamed and chopped
• 1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 tsps butter (optional)
• salt and pepper

1. Combine the broth and water in a 2 qt saucepan; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and keep on a back burner.
2. Heat the oil in a 4 or 6qt saucepan and cook onion 3 minutes over med-high heat. Add rice and stir until well-coated and starts to make a slight crackly sound, about 1-2 minutes. Add wine; stir continuously until wine almost evaporates. Stir in the garlic scape.
3. Bring the broth back to a low simmer and add one ladle-full at a time to the risotto pot, stirring continuously.  Once the addition of broth is absorbed by the rice, add the next ladle-full (you will continue this process for 18-20 minutes). Around minute 15, add the snap peas. Around minute 18, add the pea greens. When the rice is nice and al dente, but creamy, add the cilantro.
4. Finish the risotto by adding the butter and stirring vigorously for one minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Hard Boiled Egg

1. Place the number of eggs you want into a dry saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Just cover with cold water.
2. Bring the water to a boil then immediately remove from heat and cover with a lid.
3. Let the eggs sit 13 minutes. Drain the hot water then run eggs under cold water until they are cool enough to handle, 3-5 minutes. Peel immediately.

The Marriage of Strawberry and Rhubarb

The CSA strawberries were delicious straight from the carton; but the super-tart rhubarb needed some partnering. Hence the age-old combo of strawberry & rhubarb. Here are photos of the crumble I prepared, and the recipe, adapted from Annabel Karmel’s Superfoods.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

• 2 large stalks rhubarb, diced
• 4 cups strawberries, quartered
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup + 1 Tbsp flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans and almonds
• Vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 375. Add rhubarb and strawberries to a 2 qt baking dish; toss with sugar, 1 Tbsp flour and lemon juice.
2. Combine the following in a mixing bowl for the topping: 1 cup flour, salt, baking powder, brown sugar, lemon zest, butter and olive oil; stir until lumps form.
3. Scatter the topping over the fruit, then sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and nuts are golden brown. Top with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Summertime, and the Eatin’ is Easy

CSA season begins in Brooklyn! Our bounty comes from Garden of Eve farm in Riverhead, Long Island. The first pick-up did not disappoint! Here’s what’s growing this third week of June (top photo, clockwise from right):

• Cilantro
• Pea Greens
• Kale
• Strawberries
• Sugar Snap Peas
• Mesclun Greens
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Rhubarb
• Garlic Scapes

Eve’s beautiful lavender is adorning our bar. Muddled lavender flowers and gin are on the horizon!

Stay tuned for recipes…