Bok Choy
Rainbow Carrots
Sweet Red Kale
Parsley
Snow Peas
Spring Mix
Farmer’s Favorite Radish Mix
Murasaki Sweet Potatoes
Salad Tomatoes
It’s week 2 of the winter season, and it’s off to a wet and stormy start. We beat out the lightning and heavy winds today for our weekly team lunch together. Farm lunch is a tradition started by Amy & John during the farm’s earliest days, and it continues on all these years later, every week, rain or shine. Back in the packing shed after lunch, the team hunkered down in the storm and prepped sweet potatoes, trimmed turmeric, and started packing CSA boxes for the week.
In this week’s share, parsley and snow peas make their debut! CSA members will be the only customers receiving snow peas this week, with all the current inventory going in member shares rather than out to markets. Since CSA members buy a share of the harvest in advance, we make every effort to ensure you receive priority access to crops come harvest time. We hope you enjoy these first snow peas of the season!
Snow peas are flat, thin-skinned with an edible pod. They’re tender and sweet. You can eat them raw or cook them up in a snap. Toss them in a skillet or wok, steam or sauté – it doesn’t take much to bring out their flavor. Just don’t overcook them so they keep their crunch!
This week’s recipes inspired by the items in your share include 1) a tabouleh where parsley is the star ingredient 2) a spicy beef stir-fry with snow peas, bok choy and any other veggies you’d like to add and 3) baked Murasakis with miso tahini butter.
Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup fine #1 bulgur
- 3 bunches fresh parsley, finely chopped (about 3 packed cups)
- 2 firm tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the bulgur. Let the grains soak up the dressing until they are plump and most of the moisture is absorbed for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the parsley, tomatoes, green onions, and mint to one side of the large bowl with the bulgur, but don’t mix yet.
- When the bulgur is plump, and the lemon-olive oil mixture is mostly absorbed, stir everything together until well combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.
Recipe supplied by Feel Good Foodie
Beef Stir-fry with Bok Choy & Snow Peas
Ingredients
For the beef and marinade:
- 12 ounces flank steak(sliced ⅛-inch/3mm thick into 2-3 inch/6-7cm pieces)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon water
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For the rest of the dish:
- 4 cups bok choy(cut into 1×3-inch (2.5×7.5cm) pieces, washed and drained)
- ¾ cup shiitake, oyster or beech mushrooms, washed and drained
- ¾ cup sugar snap peas or snow peas (washed and drained)
- ½ cup warm water (or beef stock or chicken stock)
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (or mushroom-flavored dark soy sauce if you have it)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil, divided)
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
- Mix together the beef with the marinade ingredients (cornstarch, oil, water, and baking soda) until well-coated. Set aside for at least 30 minutes (or overnight, if making ahead).
- Next, prepare your veggies—we’re using bok choy, mushrooms, and snap peas, but you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
- Now prepare the sauce mixture. In a small bowl, mix the warm water (or stock), sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar.
- Heat your wok over high heat until it’s lightly smoking. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the perimeter to coat. Add the beef, and use your metal wok spatula to spread the beef in one even layer. Sear for 30 seconds. Turn the beef to sear the other side for another 30 seconds. At this point, the beef should be about 80% done. Turn off the heat and remove the beef from the wok.
- Next, with the heat back on high, add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the ginger. Cook for 10 seconds, and add the garlic. After 5 seconds, add the mushrooms and stir fry for another 15 seconds, giving them a good sear. Add the Shaoxing wine.
- Next, add the snap peas and the bok choy, and stir-fry on the highest heat for another 20 seconds, until the bok choy begins to wilt. Stir in the prepared sauce mixture and add the beef back to the wok. Gather everything in the center of the wok.
- When everything comes back up to a simmer and the sides of the wok begin to super-heat, stir-fry everything in a circular motion so the beef and vegetables hit the sides of the wok.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry in the center of the wok while stirring. The sauce will immediately thicken, so work fast to stir everything together for another 20 seconds to coat everything in the sauce. (There should not be any standing sauce—it should be clinging to the beef and vegetables.) Serve!
Recipe sourced from The Woks of Life
Baked Murasaki Sweet Potatoes with Miso Tahini Butter
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Murasaki sweet potatoes
Miso Tahini Butter
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white miso, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons good-quality tahini
- 1/2 of a medium lime, zested
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, plus more to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- A few pinches of red pepper flakes
For serving
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- Flaky sea salt
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- Lime zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
- Lightly slash or prick the sweet potatoes several times with a sharp knife to allow for even ventilation. Place the potatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, or directly on the oven rack. Bake for 75 minutes for medium-sized potatoes (60 minutes for small Japanese sweet potatoes; 85-90 minutes for large ones). Turn off the oven and keep the potatoes in the oven, with the door closed for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the Miso Tahini Butter. Add the softened vegan butter to a medium bowl, along with the tahini, miso paste, lime zest, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, agave, and red pepper flakes. Use a fork or whisk and mash until the mixture is very smooth. Taste for seasonings, and add the additional miso for more umami, lime juice for acidity, or sesame oil for toasted nutty flavor, as needed. If the butter is more on the melty side rather than creamed, pop it in the fridge for 20ish minutes until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Once the sweet potatoes are done, slice them open and spread the miso butter tahini on top. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and a pinch or two of flaky sea salt. Top with fresh cilantro leaves. Zest a bit of lime on top before serving. If desired, sprinkle some vegan furikake or gomasio on top before serving.
Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life
