In Your Box This Week

Small Box

Spinach 1 bu
Fava Beans  1.25 lb
Romaine Lettuce  1 hd
Garlic Scapes  1 bu
Broccoli, medium head
Cherries  3/4 lb from PDQ Farm, Zillah, WA
Baby Dill  1 bu

Standard Box

Spinach 2 bu
Fava Beans  1.25 lb
Red Butter Lettuce  1 hd
Garlic Scapes  1 bu
Broccoli, large head
Cherries  3/4 lb from PDQ Farm, Zillah, WA
Baby Dill  1 bu
Rainbow Chard  1 bu

Fava Beans

The biggest complaint we hear about fava beans is that they are time-consuming to prepare. This may be true, but there’s no bean that can equal its buttery taste.

If the beans are very young, the whole bean can be chopped up and used, pods and all. Otherwise you need to shuck them. There is a whitish skin around the bean itself, which can be eaten or discarded.

Sauté shucked beans with peas and mushrooms, or with shrimp and thyme for a delicious and elegant summer supper. Toss them into soups, stir-fries or pasta. Roast them with garlic, olive oil and salt to taste, or use them raw, whole or chopped into salads. Puree favas with sautéed cut up garlic scapes for an alternative green base to pizza or pasta. Boil and mash them, and spread the paste on crostini.

Shucking favas

Remove the beans from the pod. To remove the second skin, make a small slit with a knife along the edge of the bean to pop the bean out.

You can also blanch them for 1-3 minutes, then submerge them in ice cold water. Squeeze them out from their skins and use as directed in any recipe of your choice. Check our Recipe Blog for some good ones.

Broccoli pesto? Definitely!

3 full cups broccoli florets
4 cloves garlic
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup parsley
2/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Broccoli plant

Blanch broccoli in boiling water until fork-tender, then immediately plunge into ice water. Once the broccoli is cold, remove it from the ice water and drain on paper towels. Squeeze the excess water from the broccoli before adding it to the pesto.

Add all the garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, walnuts and parsley to the food processor and pulse until chunky. Add the dry broccoli florets and pulse until the mixture is completely combined. It should look like very dry pesto at this point. Add the olive oil and process until completely creamy. Season with salt and pepper and mix again.

We thank Nourish Restaurant in Sequim for this delicious recipe.

Cherries

Cherries, which are members of the same family as peaches, plums, apricots, and almonds, are often regarded as a dessert fruit for use in pies or jams.

But they have a healthy side too, because they are rich in powerful antioxidants and many other health-promoting compounds.

Bing cherries contain quercetin, which is among the most potent of antioxidants. They also contain fiber, vitamin C, carotenoids, and anthocyanins, each of which may help play a role in cancer prevention.

Cherries have been known to help reduce inflammation caused by gout and arthritis. They also contain natural melatonin, a powerful antioxidant and free radical scavenger that helps “cool down” excess inflammation and associated oxidative stress. It also plays a vital role in sleep and bodily regeneration.

Sweet Cherry Feta Quinoa

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup peach or apricot jam
1/4 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. Dijon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted, quartered
1 cup shucked fava beans, outer membrane removed, and steamed to al dente
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

For the dressing, place the jam, vinegar, olive oil, Dijon, salt, and water in a small jar. Screw on the lid and shake until thoroughly blended and emulsified.

Rinse the quinoa and drain well. Bring 1 1/4 cups water and the quinoa to a boil in a large pot, cover, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook 10-12 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is just tender but still a little firm. Once cooked, remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, and then drizzle about 1/2 of the vinaigrette over the quinoa and toss to coat. Allow to cool.

Add the cherries, favas, celery, onion, herbs, and feta to the quinoa. Toss to combine and refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted almonds and drizzle with additional vinaigrette.

We thank fountainavenuekitchen.com for this delicious recipe.

In the Standard Box:

Diana Fava Beans   1 qt
Leeks   3
Brussels Sprouts   1.75 lb
Alaska Bloom Potatoes   3 lb
Fresh Herb Bundle   1 bu
Red Chard   1 bu
Rainbow Carrots   3 lb
Golden Beets   2 lb
Lacinato Kale   1 bu
Pears from Booth Canyon Farm   1.5 lb

In the Small Box:

Broccoli   2 lb
Leeks   2
Brussels Sprouts   1 lb
Alaska Bloom Potatoes   2 lb
Red Chard   1 bu
Rainbow Carrots   2 lb
Lacinato Kale   1 bu

Delicious soups & stews to warm you for the holidays and throughout winter!

Dried Fava Bean Soup with Mint and Chiles

1 pound dry Diana fava beans, rinsed
8 cups vegetable broth or water
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 large white onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
6 medium dried guajillo or pasilla chiles, stemmed & seeded
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Make sure fava beans are clean and free of dirt or small pebbles that may have slipped through the cleaning process. Place in large soup pot and cover with broth. Simmer over medium-low heat, partially covered, until very tender, about an hour. Beans should start to fall apart at this point.

While beans are simmering, roast garlic in heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until there are black spots all over, and cloves have softened, about 15 minutes. Cool, remove skins, chop fine and set aside.

Place onion slices in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet, about 4-inches under hot broiler for 4-5 minutes on each side, until soft and deeply browned. Cool and finely chop. Use same pan under hot broiler to roast tomatoes until blackened on one side, six minutes or so. Flip, and roast the other side, another 6 minutes. Cool, then peel and chop, saving all the juices.

Add garlic, onion, and tomatoes to the fava beans and simmer until beans are consistency of a coarse puree, 15-30 minutes.

While soup is simmering, cut chiles into confetti-shaped flecks using scissors or sharp knife. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Add chiles and stir for a minute, then remove from heat. Add vinegar, 3 tablespoons water, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside and let stand for at least 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.

Just before serving, add enough water to bring soup to consistency of a medium-thick bean soup. Let soup come back to a simmer, remove from heat, then stir in mint, cilantro, and another teaspoon of salt, or to taste. Serve with a dollop of chile mixture, sprinkled with cheese. Serves 8 to 10.

We thank www.101cookbooks.com for this recipe.

Pear Potato Soup

3 oz. chopped bacon (optional)
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 bulb fennel, cored and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped, or 1.5 tsp. dried
4 pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 lb. potatoes, cubed
4 cups veggie or chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled, for garnish (optional)

Fry bacon in large soup pot until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel. Reserve 1 Tbsp. fat.

Melt butter with fat over medium heat. If you choose not to use the bacon, add a Tbsp. high-heat vegetable oil to the butter. Add shallots and fennel and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pears and potatoes and cover with broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and carefully blend with immersion blender or in batches in standing blender. Return to pot to heat and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with crisp bacon and cheese.

We thank PCC Taste, Holiday 2016, for this recipe. Check it out at pccnaturalmarkets.com/holiday.

Kale and Chickpea Tomato Stew

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 16-oz. can organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried
1 14.5-oz. can organic diced tomatoes
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup shredded vegetarian Parmesan
2 cups chopped kale (about 4 ounces)
Parsley, for topping
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and let cook until tender and fragrant. Add garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.

Next, pour in chick peas and let cook one to two minutes. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and parmesan. Bring to a boil then add in chopped kale. Stir, reduce heat, and let cook until the kale is wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and parmesan.

We thank naturallyella.com for this recipe.

In the Small Box:

Red Kale   1 bu
Italian Parsley   1 bu
Green Cabbage   1 hd
Brussels Sprouts   1.5 lb
Cylinder/Golden Beets   2.5 lb
Baby Dill   1 bu

In the Standard Box:

Rolled Oats   2lb
Red Kale   1 bu
Italian Parsley   1 bu
White Turnips   1 bu
Brussels Sprouts   1.5 lb
Spinach   1 bu
Cylinder Beets   2 lb
Apples   1.5 lb
Green Cabbage   1 hd

More about Brussels Sprouts

It’s rumored that William and Kate (the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) ate Brussels sprouts on their honeymoon in the Seychelles. Brussels are a rich source of folic acid and that aids fertility. Guess it worked!

Brussels sprouts are a very healthy food, even if fertility is not your goal. They have lots of vitamin C, four times that of an orange, and also high levels of vitamins A and K, plus good dietary fiber. They are well known to fight cancer, especially colon and stomach cancers, and they are rich in potassium and calcium.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onion

1.5 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cleaned
3 slices bacon
1 Tsp. high-heat oil
1 small onion
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp. thyme leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice

Cut the sprouts in half and steam until tender-crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Drain.

Cook bacon in skillet, stirring constantly, until brown, but not crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel, and cut into pieces. Pour out all but a teaspoon of bacon fat from skillet. Add oil and bring to medium heat. Cook onion, thyme springs, salt and pepper until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. Remove herb springs, sprinkle in thyme leaves, bacon, and lemon juice. Toss and serve.

You can substitute savory or caraway for thyme. Brussels sprouts are very versatile!

Pickled Beets

Pickled beets keep in the refrigerator several weeks but may disappear long before! They will add a festive flair to a holiday salad or as an appetizer with cottage or hard cheeses.

2 pounds beets, red or golden
1.5 cups thinly sliced onions
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. mustard seed
1/2 tsp. whole allspice
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
1.5 sticks cinnamon, broken
1/2 tsp. salt

Scrub the beets with a vegetable brush and trim off the ends. Cut into bite-sized pieces, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Lift out the beets and drain.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the beets and heat through. Remove the cinnamon sticks, and let the beets sit in the vinegar solution until cool. Store in the refrigerator.

— FairShare CSA Coalition, From Asparagus to Zucchini, as appears in Bounty from the Box: The CSA Farm Cookbook, by Mi Ae Lipe.