Tag: Roselle tea

Bok Choy

Salad Tomatoes or Sugar Belle Citrus

Orange Baby Carrots

Dried Roselle Hibiscus Loose Leaf Tea

Mustard Greens

Spring Mix

Purple Daikon Radishes

Green Tomatoes

Happy Holidays, CSA members! The final week of the Fall season is here, Week 13. As I was wrapping presents this week, it occurred to me how opening up a CSA share is kind of like receiving a gift each week. A shiny green box arrives, you unfold the flaps, and peek inside to discover what mix of colorful fruits and veggies await. Thank you for gifting yourself, or maybe even someone you care about, a CSA membership this season. We hope it felt a little bit like getting a present each week to you, too.

This week you’ll find a treat in your box that lets you enjoy one of Fall’s signature flavors into the coming months – Roselle Hibiscus Loose Leaf Tea! For a version thats perfect for the winter season try it Caribbean style, also known as Sorrel Tea. It’s ruby red-hued with a warming spiced flavor. Sorrel is a traditional drink in Jamaica and is often served up during the holidays. Try it hot on cold days, or ice it down if you prefer it as a refresher. You can even add rum or alcohol to make a cocktail. Find how to make it in the recipes below.

This week you’ll also find an Indian inspired recipe for enjoying those flavor packed mustard greens. With a consistency like a creamy thin paste, this would be ideal with rice or roti and gives you an alternative to the go-to sautés. Instead of spinach, I modified this recipe to use seasonal braising mix or collards. You can dial the heat up or down by adjusting the use of the red chile peppers.

Last but not least, dessert. When searching for holiday recipes, I came across an old civil war period recipe for green tomato cake. Similar to a coffee or spice cake, it intrigued me to find green tomatoes in it! While this week’s recipe is made for modern times, I’m excited to bake it up and imagine what it would have been like to use veggies creatively in leaner ones.

THIS WEEK’S RECIPES

Sorrel Tea

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried roselle hibiscus
• 1/2 cups fresh chopped ginger (no need to peel or grate, but do pound or smash open)
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• 2 cardamom pods (lightly crushed)
• 1 cup turbinado sugar or brown sugar (alternative sweeteners like cane syrup or honey can also be used)
• grated zest or peels from 1 small lime
• grated zest or peels & juice from 1 medium lemon
• 2 quarts of water

Instructions

1. In a large stockpot combine the roselle, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, cardamom, and sugar.
2. Cover with 2 quarts of water and stir well to combine.
3. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and add citrus zests, peels & lemon juice. Stir well.
4. Cover with a lid and steep for at least two hours or longer for a deeper flavor.
5. Strain tea over fine-meshed sieve and into a jar/pitcher of your choice. (makes 2 quarts)
6. Enjoy hot or store in fridge with a tight-fitting lid. If storing, leave room at top for shaking before serving later.

Indian Mustard Greens (Sarson Ka Saag)

Ingredients

• 2 large dried red chile peppers (optional)
• 2 bunches of collards or braising mix
• 1 bunch of mustard greens
• 2 tablespoons of ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 teaspoons garlic paste
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Place the chiles into a dry skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir until the chiles turn dark red-brown in color and give off their fragrance, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, and remove stems of chiles; shake out the seeds, and tear the flesh of the roasted chiles into pieces. Set aside.

2. Place the spinach into a saucepan over medium heat; place mustard greens into a separate saucepan. If leaves are dry, mix in 1 or 2 of tablespoons of water. If leaves are still wet, just cover the pans and simmer the greens until tender, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

3. Place greens together into the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse several times to break up the greens, then process to a paste, about 1 minute.

4. Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the cumin seeds, stirring for about 30 seconds or until the seeds sizzle and turn a darker brown color. Mix in the onion, cook and stir until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, and mix in the roasted peppers, ginger paste, garlic paste, and tomato. Mix in the pureed greens, bring to a simmer, and stir in salt and sugar to taste. If dish is too thick, mix in up to about 1/4 cup of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the greens are the desired thickness.

Recipe adapted from All Recipes

Green Tomato Cake

Ingredients

For the cake

• 4 cups green tomatoes
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 cups eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

For the cream cheese frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3 ½ cups confectioners powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

1. Grease a 9×13 baking pan. 
2. Chop 4 cups green tomatoes (no need to peel or drain!)
3. Make the batter by first mixing together the vegetable oil, sugar and eggs. In another bowl mix flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and chopped walnuts. Mix these 2 bowls together. 
4. Add in green tomatoes (and juices) and mix. 
5. Pour mixture in baking pan.
6. Bake around 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
7. Allow to cool. While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting using cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. 
8. Once the cake is cool, frost the cake. Then, slice & enjoy!

Recipe from Brooklyn Farm Girl