This week you will see the following in your CSA:
- Tricolor Beans
- Green Cabbage
- Cantaloupe melon
- Cucumbers- nonconformers
- Red Butterhead Lettuce- Aquaponics from Organic Aqua Farm
- Scallions, bunched
- Shishito Peppers
- Muraski Sweet Potatoes
- Tomato Slicers- NSOF
We hope you enjoy the following recipes, including some of our own twists on classic favorites. Check back for more!
Vegetarian BLT- Beans, Lettuce, and Tomato with avocado spread
Ingredients
For the “bacon” beans:
- Apprx 1/2 lb of Tricolor beans, patted dry and ends trimmed.
- Olive oil- enough to coat beans.
- pinch of garlic salt
- 1 tsp instant coffee or wet coffee grounds
- 2 tsp of brown sugar
- 1 tsp of water
- Pinch of Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
For the avocado spread
- One avocado
- Juice of halt a lemon
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- One tomato, sliced to desired thickness
- Butterhead Lettuce, patted dry and torn
- A few slices of your favorite bread, toasted
Directions
- Make your spread- scoop out avocado into a bowl and add lemon juice and olive oil. Mash and whip with a fork into a smooth consistency Add salt and pepper to taste, cover and chill until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 425. Toss trimmed beans with olive oil, enough to coat but not oversaturate, and salt. Roast beans for 12-14 minutes, until tender and crisp, close to caramelized. Do not overcook.
- While beans are roasting, prepare to “baconize” them. Whisk together water, coffee and sugar. Place in a sauté pan and cook over low heat until mixture begins to bubble and caramelize. Begin to stir when mixture begins to caramelize, being careful to not burn. Add water as needed; the consistency should be that it slowly drips off your spoon.
- Once your beans are done, put in a bowl and toss with the coffee/sugar mixture to coat. Add course black pepper and toss once more.
- Assemble the sandwich: Spread avocado spread on one side of both pieces of the toast. Place the beans on top of one slice- the spread should help keep beans in place. Stack with tomato and lettuce, and top with other slice of toast. Cut diagonally across the beans, and Enjoy!
For those who interested in our pork share bacon- try a BBLT! Our bacon can be ordered online here.
Tricolor Bean Salad-Food Network Vegetarian (adapted for fresh)
- One pint of tricolor beans, ends trimmed and discarded, beans sliced in thirds
- 2 bunches scallions, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno, minced and seeded
- 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 limes
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Hot sauce
- Salt
Directions
- Blanche the beans. Bring a pot of SALTED water to a rolling boil. Assemble a ice water bath in a big bowl. Toss beans in boiling water for 3 minutes or until al dente. Using a slotted spoon of mesh strainer, remove beans and place into an ice bath. This will ensure they stop cooking; by shocking them you keep the brightness and crispness of the beans.
- In a large bowl add beans, scallions, red and green peppers, jalapenos, and tomatoes. Toss to combine. In small bowl whisk together juice of limes, garlic, olive oil, cayenne, chili powder, a dash of hot sauce and salt. Pour over bean mixture and toss to combine. Top with cilantro and serve.
Grilled Melon and Cheese sandwich
Grilled cheese and melon? Sounds out there, right? Well if you aren’t married to the idea, you can’t- a-loupe. So commit and give it a try anyway. You won’t regret it, but you will want napkins.
Ingredients
- Cantaloupe, seeded, and sliced with rind removed. Sliced fairly thin
- Your favorite bread, slightly toasted ( you will finishing toasting as you make the sandwich)
- A few slices of good, mild melting cheese, such as mozzarella, Oaxaca, or brie
- Basil Pesto (homemade or store bought in a pinch)
- Olive Oil
- White ends of scallions, minced garlic, ginger, sliced red onion, or any combination of those.
- Lemon slices
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Marinate your melon slices. Mix together alliums (garlic, onion, etc) with olive oil and lemons, and rub down your melon slices. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and prepare a grill to medium hot. You can also get a pan or cast iron hot on low heat
- Remove cantaloupe from marinade (you can discard marinade), and grill each side until slight lightly charred, careful to not burn. Remove from heat and place in a oven safe oiled pan.
- Roast cantaloupe for 5-8 minutes.
- Make your sandwich- spread basil pesto on side of toast, and place melon slices on top. Top with sliced cheese and cook on of two ways:
- Place the toast slice topped with the ingredients in the oven at a low broil. Broil until cheese melts, paying close attention; burning is easy to do at this setting. Pull from oven and top with other slice of toast.
- OR Assemble the sandwich, and toast on a medium-hot sauce pan, flipping halfway through, until cheese has melted. (This is the traditional grilled cheese method, but the “flip” will be more difficult. Consider yourself warned!)
- Cut in diagonal slices and serve.
Note- Make it vegan by omitting cheese. Serve grilled cantaloupe of toast with a basil/olive oil spread. Basil and cantaloupe are a great combo!