In this week’s CSA we will providing the following produce for members! We hope you enjoy-
- Celery
- Red Cabbage
- Sweet Corn
- Purple Kohlrabi
- Parsley
- Red Leaf Lettuce
- Cubanelle Peppers
- Tricolor Potatoes
- Mixed Summer Squash
- Turmeric
WEEK 6 FEATURED ITEM: CUBANELLE PEPPERS
The cubanelle pepper, aka the “Cuban pepper” or “Italian frying pepper”, is a very mild pepper commonly used for cooking. Because of its low Scoville rating (the rating used for spiciness of peppers), it is often considered a sweet pepper, and adds a great crunch in salads, on sandwiches, nachos, and pizza. The flesh of the pepper is thinner than that of a bell pepper, something to keep in mind when preparing as the peppers will cook much quicker.
Chorizo stuffed Cubanelle Peppers- Cosmopolitan Cornbread
Ingredients
- 4 or 5 large cubanelle peppers
- 1 lb chorizo sausage, bulk
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- dash of hot paprika
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Tb sriracha
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the chorizo and onion in a skillet over medium heat until the onion is tender and the chorizo is cooked.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, hot paprika, cumin garlic and sriracha. Remove from the heat.
- Cut the peppers in half the long way, and remove the seeds and pith from the insides.
- Arrange the peppers in a 9×13 baking pan.
- Spoon the meat mixture into the peppers.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the peppers are cooked to desired doneness.
Frog Song suggestions- For smaller peppers, spoon ingredients into halved peppers. For a vegetarian option, substitute rice for chorizo.
Frog Song Mirepoix and Holy Trinity
Mirepoix and the Creole/ Cajun version, the Holy Trinity, are the flavor base in many soups, stocks, and traditional French dishes, as well as gumbo, jambalaya and more, respectively. Our take this week uses cubanelle peppers for the Trinity.
- Traditional Mirepoix- Dice onions, carrots, and celery at a ratio of 2:1:1. Sauté on low temp with butter, oil, or a combination until the vegetables sweat and are translucent, careful to not brown or burn.
- Holy Trinity- Substitute carrots with cubanelle peppers and prepare in the same manner.
Celery and Pea Salad- Adapted from Frank Stitt’s Southern Table
Ingredients
- 2 Celery stalks, cut lengthwise in half and sliced 1/4 think, leaves reserved for garnish
- 1 cup of drained and rinsed chickpeas
- 1 roasted bell peppers, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 2 ounces of shiitake mushrooms caps, sauteed and set aside
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar
- Fresh cracked pepper
Directions
Combine celery, chickpeas, roasted pepper, mushrooms, red onion, and zest in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Toss with olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Garnish with celery greens.
Turmeric Thai Iced Tea My Source Life
Ingredients
6 black tea bags (or 3 Tablespoons looseleaf tea)
- 3-4 cardamom pods, crushed
- 4-5 whole cloves
- 2-3 star anise
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and thinly sliced or grated (or 4 teaspoon dry)
- 3 Tablespoons whole cane sugar (or granulated sweetener of your choice)
- 1 cup coconut milk (canned, full fat)
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup- (substitute Cane Sugar Syrup!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Cheesecloth, String
Directions
Roughly grind up all of the ingredients in a spice grinder, including the star anise and cardamom seeds (they are shown whole in the picture). Then in the center of a square or rectangular layered piece of cheesecloth (so small ingredients don’t come out), place black tea, cardamom, cloves, star anise, and black pepper. Gather the corner to the center and tie into a bundle with the string. Cut off any excess cheesecloth from the top.
In a small saucepan, add 3 cups of water. Add the tea bundle, stirring to saturate. Add the grated or sliced turmeric , and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cover the saucepan, and steep for 10 minutes.
After steeping, remove the tea bundle and the turmeric, strain if needed, and add the whole cane sugar, stirring until dissolved. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours.
In a separate container, mix coconut milk, vanilla and maple syrup (cane syrup).
After tea has chilled, fill tall glasses with ice.
Fill the glasses about 3/4 full with tea. Top with the coconut milk mixture. Serve!
