Polenta Bowl with Garlicky Summer Squash & Kale

Stone-Ground Cornmeal1 cup Nash’s corn meal
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter or oil

In a 3-quart saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and gradually stir in corn meal. Reduce heat, stirring continually until mixture is thick and smooth. Blend in butter or oil, stirring with a metal spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

2-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium summer squash, cut into thin rounds
1 (14.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 bunch Nash’s Red Kale, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
Fried eggs for serving
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute. Add the garlic, summer squash and chickpeas. Cook, occasionally stirring, until the summer squash and chickpeas are golden brown and the mixture is fragrant, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the veggies from the pan to a large bowl. Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining oil. Toss in the kale and cook, stirring often, until the kale is bright green and beginning to brown up a bit, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, add the squash and chickpea mixture back to the pan and keep on very low heat.

While the veggies cook, fry a few eggs in some olive oil until the whites are set and the yokes are still slightly runny.

Divide the cooked polenta between bowls. Top each bowl with with the veggie mixture, fried eggs, salt and pepper, pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, and extra Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from dishingupthedirt.com.

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Peter Rabbit’s Birthday Soup

Bulk carrots

What does Peter Rabbit like best in the whole wide world?

Serves 8 to 10

2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken or veggie stock or water (or a combination)
1½ tsp. salt
1 medium potato, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 to 2 small cloves garlic, crushed
⅓ cup chopped cashews
3 to 4 Tbsp. (about ½ stick) butter
¾ cup sour cream
½ to 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
Toasted nuts and extra sour cream (optional)

In a large saucepan, bring the carrots, chicken stock, salt, and potato to a boil. Cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft. Let cool. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and cashews in the butter until the onions turn translucent.

Puree everything together in a blender until the soup is smooth. Return the puree to a pan or double boiler, and whisk in the sour cream. Heat very slowly and season with the thyme. Garnish with the toasted nuts and more sour cream, if desired.

Our thanks to Maureen Cooney, The Bluff Country Co-op Cookbook, as it appears in Bounty from the Box: The CSA Farm Cookbook, by Mi Ae Lipe.

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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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Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash Salad

Green Zucchini

Gadzukes! It’s time for zukes!

1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
3 zucchini (about 1 ½ lbs.)
2 yellow squash (about 3/4 lb.)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Combine vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until sugar dissolves. Trim ends of zucchini and squash; cut into thin ribbons with harp-shaped peeler. Add to vinegar mixture. Cover and chill 2 hours or overnight.

Bring a small pan of water to a boil; add garlic. Remove with a slotted spoon after 1 minute. Rinse under cold water; set aside. Add basil to boiling water; immediately remove and rinse under cold water. Reserve 1 tablespoon of cooking liquid. Transfer garlic and basil to a food processor, and add lemon juice, olive oil, reserved water, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth.

Drain squash, and divide among 4 plates. Top with cubed mozzarella, and drizzle with basil oil.

We thank Health.com for this recipe.

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Raw Cucumber Tomato Salad

cucumber slices

Are you as cool as this?

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 Tbsp. dill
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cups coarsely chopped or sliced cucumber
½ cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
2 Tbsp. pine nuts or walnuts, toasted

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add parsley, dill, onions, cucumber, and tomatoes; toss gently. Sprinkle with nuts. Enjoy!

Original recipe by Virginia Newman

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Raw Beet Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

These bullsblood beets combine a sweet, red root with intensely deep-maroon leaves and vibrant, merlot-colored stems.

It’s easy to make a fresh crunchy salad with a lot of flavor!

1 lb. beets
1 minced shallot
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup sour cream
Lemon juice to taste
Chopped dill

Grate the beets. Combine shallot, Dijon mustard, sour cream, lemon juice and dill in bowl and whisk together with a fork until smooth. Combine with beets. Chill in the fridge for about a half hour to blend the flavors. Use leftover dill to garnish the salad.

Recipe adapted from cooking.nytimes.com.

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Tomato & Carrot Salad

This is an easy-to-prepare fresh salad that combines what Nash’s carrots and a favorite summer fruit, tomatoes, for a deliciously satisfying summer salad. No cooking required!

Carrots bunched

They’re BAAAACK! It’s CARROT TIME!

3 cups mixed ripe large or cherry tomatoes
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely shredded or grated
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seed
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Chop the large tomatoes and halve the cherry ones into a large serving bowl. Add the carrots, spring onions, chili and pumpkin seeds, and toss together.

Mix the extra virgin olive oil with the balsamic, a pinch of salt and a good grinding of black pepper. Pour over the veggie mixture and toss together.

Recipe adapted from bbcgoodfood.com.

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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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Kia’s One Pot Buttery Beets & Pasta

After a day of summer camp and sprinklers, my kids needed some nutritious refueling. I had some fresh beets with greens on hand, which inspired this quick, one pot dish for dinner. Colorful beets are high in phytonutrient pigments, and rich in antioxidants. They’re also high in folate and a B vitamin important for a healthy heart and for normal tissue growth. Hooray for beets!

2-4 beets with greens
6-8 ounces pasta
Baby dill (or cilantro or basil)
Butter

Prep your veggies
Scrub beets clean, then chop into 1/2 inch slices (no need to peel!).

Rinse the beet greens and thinly slice them, stems and all.

Mince up a few big pinches of baby dill, or more if desired.

Cook everything in one pot
Get a medium pot of water boiling, and add the beets.

After 3-5 minutes, add the pasta to the beets, and note cooking time (my spaghetti package said 3-4 minutes). After 2 minutes, add the beet greens and dill. Stir pot occasionally.

When pasta has cooked, pour the whole pot through a fine meshed strainer so you don’t loose the greens and herbs. Transfer the pasta and veggies back into your cooking pot, but remove from heat.

Add two or three tablespoons of butter, more the better! Stir everything together and season with salt and pepper. You can also add cheese if desired, but we skipped it and the kids still devoured their dinner. Sweet, nutritious beets for the win!

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Sweet Cherry Feta Quinoa

We have been partnering with PDQ Farm in Zillah, WA, for over 10 years, and this is another example of how our Store supports Washington State organic farmers and their high-quality products. We picked up their beautiful Bing cherries on Wednesday, so they are fresh and delicious.

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 mustard
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.

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