Happy Easter!
This Weeks Share Includes: Rainbow Chard, Scallions, Strawberries, Purple Daikon Radish, Napa Cabbage, Snow Peas, Fingerling Sweet Potatoes and Romaine Lettuce.
Rainbow Chard- Rainbow chard, to much surprise isn’t an actual varietal of chard, but simply a mix of white-stemmed Swiss chard, red chard, and golden chard. When those three power players come together, they pack in a lot of flavor. As a result, rainbow chard has the intense mineral edge of Swiss chard the earthy sweetness of red chard, and the wonderfully mild nutty flavor of golden chard- The Spruce.Com. The most popular way to cook it and keep the beautiful rainbow color is to saute or braise it. Make sure to cook the stems first (about 3 to 5 minutes) giving them a head start before you add the more tender leafy green so they will finish at the same time, roughly 8-10 minutes total cook time.
Snow Peas- First of the season! The crispy, crunchy, snow pea belongs to a variety called Mangetout, which classifies them as having an edible pod. Snow peas have thinner walls without “parchment”, a fibrous layer found in the inner pod of other varieties of peas and they are noticeably flatter compared to the sugar snap pea, also in the mangetout variety. They are a delicious addition to any stir fry or to snack on raw.
Purple Daikon Radish- These radishes have a beautiful almost ty-dye arrangement of purple on the outside to a fleshy white inside, and because the weather has been pretty mild they aren’t packing to much heat. They are the perfect substitute for croutons in your “healthy” salad, or, what i’ve recently discovered, a great addition on tacos for its spice and CRUNCH!
Green Onion/Scallion- The most immature of all the onions but try to take them seriously. These guys have chemicals that can be real disease fighters. Eating onions daily can increase circulation and even lower your blood pressure. Enjoy them now, they grow up fast and are a rare item in our csa shares. I took some home to use in my Devilish Eggs recipe just in time for Easter.
Napa Cabbage- Could be considered the King of cabbage because of its global presence. Although its been cultivated in its native home of China since the 14th Century you can now find it abundantly in both hemispheres. It’s much sweeter in taste and delicate in texture than the typical green cabbage which makes it great for eating raw. Here are 9 great ideas to get you eating more napa cabbage- FOOD52.com
Fingerling Carolina Ruby Sweet Potatoes- No need to peel, just give them a good wash and prepare them as you would any other sweet potato. They are especially tasty roasted.
Romaine Lettuce- Romaine grows very well here on our farm so we hope you enjoy eating it as much as we enjoy growing it. Unlike most variety of lettuce it is tolerant of heat, and more nutritious than iceberg lettuce. It’s large and sturdy dark green leaves make it the ideal lettuce to throw on the grill for a spring BBQ, just add a little blue cheese and bacon, Bon Appetit.
Strawberries- Mixture of two varieties, one variety has a dark red color when ripe while the other is more of a pale pink color.
Just In Time For Easter….
“The Greatest” Deviled Eggs from Bon Appetit
I made a few tweaks to this recipe. I substituted the celery for a purple daikon radish (any radish will do) and instead of parsley I used fennel frond.
- Kosher salt
- 8 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons very finely chopped celery or purple daikon radish
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped drained pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons very finely chopped scallion
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons very finely chopped parsley(or fennel frond), plus more for serving
- 2 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco),
- Freshly ground black pepper
RECIPE PREPARATION
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add eggs. Bring water to a simmer and cook eggs 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water; let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel.
This would be an appropriate time for me to mention the difference in cooking techniques for different types of eggs…The longer the eggs sit the more the membrane beneath the shell separates from the shell, making peeling easier. The egg whites also becomes less dense allowing the yolk to move around thus becoming uncentered. Hmmm it all makes sense now, so, If you bought your eggs from a grocery store follow the directions above because truth be told they are probably at least 3-4 weeks old. If they are fresh off the farm or you personally know the chickens they came from 😉 follow these instructions for HARD BOILED FARM FRESH EGGS... steaming them is your best bet.
Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, celery (radish), relish, scallion, mustard, and 2 dashes hot sauce in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Halve eggs lengthwise. Scoop yolks into mayonnaise mixture and place whites on a plate. Gently mash yolks into dressing; season with salt and pepper. Using 2 forks, fill egg halves with yolk mixture.
Top eggs with pepper and some fennel fronds, dill or pretty much any green herb you have.
P.S. If you have extra filling, save it and add it toast or an english muffin for a great breakfast
Stay tuned for Next Week’s Share,
Peace, Love & Good, Clean FOOD! -Shani