Apple Chips

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Rinse off 2 apples (we recommend Honeycrisp) and dry. Cut in half crosswise and using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds and core. Using a mandolin on the second-to-thinnest setting, carefully slice apples into rounds, or cut very thin with a knife.

Place on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Flip over and bake an additional 30 minutes or until apple slices are dried out but not brown. Let cool and enjoy!

We thank thissillygirlskitchen.com for this recipe.

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Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

Carrots1 pound carrots, coarsely grated (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 to 4 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch of salt
About 1/2 teaspoon harissa (Northwest African chili paste), 1 tablespoon minced green chilies, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days to allow the flavors to meld and permeate the carrots. Served chilled or at room temperature.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Stuffed and Baked Sweet Onions

Walla Walla onions

Walla Walla onions, oh so sweet!

2 green bell peppers
2 medium sweet onions
6 small tomatoes or 1 large, chopped
1 Tbsp. capers
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp. dried
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Thyme sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bell peppers on foil-lined baking sheet and, with oven door partially open, broil 5 inches from heat, turning, for 5 minutes until skins blister. Remove and let cool. Place in paper bag, close it, and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel, seed, and chop. Set aside.

Cut thin slice from bottom of each onion, forming a base. Cut about 1/3 off top, remove centers, leaving 1/2″ thick shells. Reserve top and centers for other dishes.

Stir together peppers, tomatoes, capers, basil, thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into onion shells. Place in baking dish and bake, covered, for 50 minutes, until onion is quite soft but not collapsing. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

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Tokyo Turnip Salad

Hakurei, or Tokyo, turnips are a mild, juicy variety of turnip. You can eat the tender roots of this plant as well as the delicious greens. Tokyo turnips are tender, slightly spicy and taste like a cross between a radish and a turnip. Any root vegetable like turnips or carrots will store better if you remove the leaves from the roots. Store both greens and turnip roots in a moist towel, cloth bag or plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

Try Tokyo turnips raw in salads, or thinly sliced on crudite plates or with crackers and cheese. You can also cook them in vegetable or miso soups, or steam or stir fry them – they’re quite versatile! Note that they do not need to be cooked for long. They are also delicious marinated or pickled in vinegar and salt. The greens are slightly spicy, tender and delicious, and can be prepared just as other greens.

1 bunch turnips, scrubbed, trimmed & sliced in 1/4″ rounds
1/2 cup rice or white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
water to cover
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Combine the vinegar and salt in a shallow bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved. Submerge the turnip slices and add more vinegar, if necessary, to cover. Allow to stand 15 minutes. Remove the turnips from the liquid, add toasted sesame seeds and toss. Serve over noodles or rice or alongside another dish.

We thank our good friends and fellow farmers Paul Muller and Dru Rivers of Full Belly Farm in the Capay Valley in northern California, for this info and recipe.

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Fava Beans with Red Onion and Mint

Fava beans in the pod2.5 lb fresh fava beans, pods and membranes removed (makes about 3 cups)
1 tsp. plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 medium red onions, chopped
Fine sea salt
Generous handful of mint, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Cook fava beans with 1 teaspoon oil in boiling unsalted water until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, then drain.

Cook onions in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring, until just crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add beans and cook until just heated through, then season with sea salt and pepper. Toss in mint. Serve immediately.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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French-Style Ratatouille

basil in a basket

Imagine the scent of fresh basil.

1 large eggplant
1 medium yellow onion
2 small bell peppers
3 medium zucchini
2 large tomatoes
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
2 whole sprigs thyme
1/4 cup loosely packed basil, sliced into ribbons
Extra basil for garnishing
Salt and pepper

Chop eggplant into bite-sized cubes. Transfer to a strainer set over a bowl and toss with teaspoon salt. Let sit awhile.

Dice onions and roughly chop peppers, zucchinis, and tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Mince garlic. Vegetables will be cooked in batches, so keep each in a separate bowl.

Warm a teaspoon olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and generous pinch salt. Sauté until onions have softened and are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add peppers and continue cooking until soft, another 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean bowl.

Add another teaspoon of oil to pot and sauté zucchini with generous pinch of salt until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add to onions and peppers.

Rinse eggplant under running water and squeeze cubes gently to remove as much moisture as possible. Warm two teaspoons oil in pan and sauté until softened and beginning to turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Add to other vegetables.

During cooking, a brown glaze will gradually build in the pan. Dissolve glaze between batches by pouring 1/4 cup water or red wine into pan and scraping up glaze. Pour deglazing liquid into veggie bowl.

Warm another teaspoon olive oil and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. As tomato juices begin to bubble, scrape up brown glaze.

Add all vegetables back into pan and stir until evenly mixed. Bring to a simmer, then turn down to low. Stir occasionally for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours. Longer cooking time will break vegetables down into a silky stew.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs and stir in basil. Sprinkle extra basil and a glug of good olive oil over each bowl as you serve.

Ratatouille is often better the second day, and it can be eaten cold, room temperature, or warm.

We thank thekitchn.com for this recipe.

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Sauteed Greens and Sweet Onion with Paprika

This recipe comes with a glowing recommendation from Elizabeth, one of our CSA members. She used a sweet paprika along with the greens and a Walla Walla-variety onion from her CSA box.

Walla Walla onions

Walla Walla onions, oh so sweet!

8 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium Walla Walla onion
1 teaspoon paprika
Kosher salt
12 cups thinly sliced collard green leaves (from about 3 small or 2 large bunches) or other sauteeing greens, such as kale
3 tablespoons coconut vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook onion, stirring often, until translucent and starting to brown around the edges, 5–8 minutes. Stir in paprika; season with salt. Add collard greens a handful at a time, stirring to wilt after each addition before adding more; cook until all greens are wilted but still somewhat firm, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Taste and add more salt if needed.

We thank BonAppetit.com for this recipe.

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Quick and Easy Chard Sauté

rainbow chardSeparate the stems of one bunch chard from the leaves. Cut the leaves into thin strips and set aside. Thinly slice the stems.

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Stir in 2 cloves sliced garlic, a pinch red pepper flakes, and chard stems, and cook for 3 minutes until the flavor of the garlic mellows and the stems begin to soften. Stir in the shredded chard leaves, cover, and cook 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir, recover, and continue cooking until the chard is tender. Toss with 1 tsp. lemon juice to serve.

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Sauteed Asparagus with Spinach

Bunches of spinach in a Nash box

Green things are on their way back! It’s spinach time!

1 tbsp olive oil or Nash’s camelina oil
1 bunch asparagus, ends removed and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp. water
3 cups packed spinach
1/8 tsp. marjoram
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/4 of a lemon, juiced
Salt
Pepper

In a medium skilled over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add asparagus and top with a little salt. Mix well to evenly coat asparagus with oil. Add water, spinach, and remaining ingredients, mix well. Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes.

Remove lid, mix and re-cover. Cook the sautéed asparagus with spinach another 3-5 minutes, or until asparagus is to your liking (firm or soft). Once done, remove from heat, plate and serve hot.

We thank lemonandolives.com for this recipe.

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Braised Spring Carrots and Leeks with Tarragon

Bunch carrots

They’re BACK! Bunched carrots are coming out of the greenhouse and into your tummy!

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. carrots, peeled, halved or quartered lengthwise if thick, then cut in 2-inch lengths
½ cup water
Salt to taste
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan or lidded skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently until just about tender, about three minutes. Do not allow leeks to color. Add garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add carrots, water and salt to taste, and lower heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until carrots are tender when pierced with a knife. Stir in lemon juice and tarragon. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot, or at room temperature. Sprinkle with additional fresh tarragon just before serving.

We thank cooking.nytimes.com for this recipe.

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