Local Box Meal Plan: Nov. 9-13

It’s the return of the corn! I didn’t think it would happen so late in the season, but I’m not complaining.

This week from Greenling, we’re getting corn from Home Sweet Farm, tangerines from Orange Blossom Farms, acorn squash from Massey Farm, gala apples from Top of Texas, red new potatoes from Naegelin, watermelon radishes from Ringer Farm, bok choy from Acadian Family Farm, grapefruit from G&S Groves, scallions from Lundgren Farm, yellow beans from Animal Farm, cilantro from My Father’s Farm, and (perhaps) mustard greens.

So I’m making:

Side Dishes:

• Radish salad with cilantro
• Bok choy slaw with Gala apples
• Jalapeno corn bread (since I still have a ton of serranos left from last week!)
• Garlicky yellow beans with scallions
• Balsamic-glazed chick peas with mustard greens

Dinners:

• Roasted acorn squash hollowed out and served with sesame chicken tenders in the middle
• Southwest corn and potato soup (which would also use the leftover serranos)

I’ll eat the tangerines and grapefruit as they are throughout the week for breakfast and snacks.

Corn Saute with Tomato and Fried Okra

[Printable Recipe]

What a way to use as many items from our Greenling box as possible! We’ve been getting okra and squash for the last few weeks, and we got garlic last week. Fresh corn and really ripe tomatoes have been abundant for a few weeks now too, so this was the perfect dish to use all of that beautiful produce. I served this with simple grilled chicken, but this side dish was really the star of the meal.

It makes at least 4 servings for hungry people, so we had plenty of leftovers.

From Epicurious

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (1/4 c. was plenty)
• 12 large okra pods, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• Kernels from 3 ears of corn (~2 c.)
• 3 summer squash, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 12-ounce bag cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

• In a small bowl, toss the sliced okra lightly in the cornmeal to coat.
• Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shake off the excess cornmeal with a slotted spoon, then add the breaded okra to the skillet and saute until coating is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned okra to paper towels to drain; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wipe out the skillet.
• Lower the heat to medium and heat the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in the same skillet. Add corn, squash, and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, then cover and cook until squash is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Mix in okra, cilantro, and green onions. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.

Verdict:
I couldn’t stop eating this. There were so many flavors and textures going — the brightness of the cilantro, the pungent acidity of the okra, the sweetness of the corn. And the colors were beautiful!

However, the cornmeal breading didn’t stay on the okra at all. I think I could’ve skipped that step and just browned the okra with the squash. However, if you want a true fried okra feel to the dish, I’d dredge it in egg before coating with cornmeal to ensure that the breading sticks.

Grilled Pizzas

Grilled pizzas are the closest you’re going to get to a wood stove at home, so it’s surprising that more people don’t grill their pizzas. Bobby Flay recently did an entire episode on grilled pizzas, and it’s no wonder — there are so many different combinations of things to put on there.

My husband likes to stay conservative with his, whereas I like to pile on the veggies. When the tomatoes are really ripe, we’ll forgo sauce and just use tomato slices. It turns out a bit more like flatbread than a normal pizza this way.

For the dough, I use the same recipe I blogged here. It’s quick and has a good texture for grilling (gets a bit crispier, rather than chewy). When you roll it out, brush canola oil on one side and put the pizza oiled-side down on a medium-hot grill. While it’s cooking, brush canola oil on the other side and flip the pizza after ~5 minutes of cooking. Add your toppings to the cooked side (which is now facing up) and cook for ~3 minutes on that side.

As you can see, I pile mine up with whatever veggies I can get. I used tomatoes and peppers from our Greenling delivery, plus criminis and red onions from the Pearl farmers market and mozzerella, olives and cilantro from the grocery store.

My husband went a bit simpler with his: sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, a few red onions here and there, and mozzerella.

What do you put on your pizza? Are you more like me and throw on everything you can, or are more like my husband and use more discretion in your topping selections?

Mango Salsa

Mango salsa is refreshing, spicy, and perfect for summertime. I like eating it with grilled fish, alongside burgers, or just plain with some salty blue corn chips.

From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 mango, chopped (click here for tips on how to cut up a mango. I actually used 2 mangos to balance out my overexuberance with the jalapeno.)
• 1/4 c. cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, finely minced (I used some of the ribs and seeds for extra spice. My mouth was on fire. I wouldn’t recommend this for the faint-of-heart.)
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 small red onion or the entire bulb of a red spring onion, finely chopped
• Plenty of kosher salt and pepper
• 1 cucumber, peeled and diced (I omitted this because I didn’t have any cukes in the house.)

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss. Adjust seasonings to taste. Let the flavors marinate for an hour or so before serving.

Verdict:
Yummy! So fresh and a deliciously light accompaniment to our bison burgers. Remember that when cutting up spicy peppers like jalapenos, you might want to wear rubber gloves. It’s no fun when you forget that you chopped up a pepper hours earlier (even after multiple handwashings!) and you rub your eyes. Ow.

Potage Saint-Germain

My husband cooks, so I shouldn’t complain. He cooks well, in fact – and the French pea soup he made for dinner last night using Local Box lettuce was no exception.

But I must confess, I was biting my tongue. We are so loaded with vegetables from Greenling right now that I have to pack our crisper drawers to get them to close. The kohlrabi, the green garlic, and the green onions have been booted to regular shelves, since they seem to stay crisp, even out of the drawers. But my dearest went to the grocery store for this recipe. He bought frozen peas, leeks, and fresh mint. Could we really not have substituted green onions for the leeks? Cilantro for the mint?

The soup turned out great, but I think I’ll test my theory. I love the French potage style of soup, so I want to try one with what we already have on hand. Lettuce, cilantro, green onions… what else? Maybe a garnish of microgreens? I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m *definitely* not complaining.

What have you eaten from your Local Box so far this week?

Local Box Lookout, week of 03.30.2009

Here’s the forecast for next week’s Local Box:

• green lettuce
• green garlic
• collard greens
• purple kohlrabi
• strawberries
• spinach
• Swiss chard
• spring leeks
• microgreens
• cilantro

Remember, you can still order next week’s Local Box through today (and possibly later, depending on your zip code). Enter your zip code at www.greenling.com to get started!

A Sea of Cilantro

It’s been a lot of cilantro, hasn’t it? My compost heap has joined my family in reaping the benefits on more than one occasion.

It looks like we’re in for a respite from cilantro this week, but if you’re like me, you’ve still got plenty. We’ll be eating some tonight, in fact, in a pesto I made today.

My parents started making basil pesto when I was a kid, and in my book, their pesto is still the best. Since their recipe evolved from one in the Moosewood Cookbook, I turned to the Moosewood Collective when I wanted a recipe for cilantro pesto. This one, from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home, is a winner. The lemon and chile are key, and the almonds suit the cilantro flavor nicely. This recipe would multiply well. Goodness knows you don’t have a shortage of cilantro.

Cilantro Pesto

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

1/3 cup whole almonds

1 small fresh chile, or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Whiz everything but the oil in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, drizzle in the oil and season.

Use within a week, or freeze in ice-cube trays, then store frozen in bags or containers. Thaw gently so as not to scare off the flighty flavors. Our favorite way is to set a cube or two in a glass dish over simmering water. (The microwave will steal far too much flavor.) Better yet, remember to take dinner pesto out of the freezer in the morning.

Local Box Lookout, week of 03.16.2009

Here’s what to expect in next week’s Local Box. Haven’t ordered one yet? There’s still time. You can still order next week’s Local Box through Saturday and later, depending on your zip code. Click here to check it out!

• Chioggia beets
• spinach
• cilantro
• green shallots
• kale
• cabbage
• strawberries
• oranges
• Swiss chard
• crimini mushrooms
• herbs

Local Box, 03.11.2009

STRAWBERRIES!!! Just-picked, local, and delivered to my door. Does it get any better than this? Makes all the cilantro seem worth it But back to those strawberries: If you haven’t snarfed them all already, I recommend letting them come up to room temperature before you eat them. Their flavor is excellent, but dulled by cold. (Want to read more on Texas strawberries? Click here.)

Also in the Local Box this week, we’ve got plenty of greens and a rogue avocado and grapefruit, too. It’s going to be a tasty week of local eating!

How do you plan to eat out of the Local Box this week?

Local Box Lookout, week of 03.09.2009

Here’s what to expect in next week’s Local Box:

• baby carrots
• red-leaf lettuce
• cilantro
• green shallots
• kale
• collards
• strawberries
• grapefruit
• baby arugula
• yellow onions
• herbs
• avocado

If you haven’t already, you can still order next week’s Local Box through Saturday and later, depending on your zip code. Click here to check it out!