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  • Couscous with Kohlrabi and Chermoula Dressing

     

    Couscous with Kohlrabi and Chermoula Dressing

    Borrowed from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to cooking farm-fresh seasonal produce.

     

    1-2 tsp minced garlic

    2 Tbs. minced cilantro

    2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley

    1 tsp. paprika

    ½ tsp. cumin

    salt

    3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

    3 Tbs. olive oil

    2-3 cooked couscous, cooled to warm temperature

    2 cups peeled, diced kohlrabi

    ½ cup diced radishes and/or spring turnips

    16 kalamata or oil-cured black olives

    ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

     

    Mixe garlic, cilantro, parsley, paprika, cumin and alt to taste. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil. toss this mixture with couscous. Bring to room temperature. Gently toss with kohlrabi, radishes/turnips, and olives. Sprinkle with feta. Serves 6.

  • Chilled Indian-Spiced Tomato Soup with Crabmeat

    yield: Makes 8 first-course servings

    This soup can be pureed by pressing it through a strainer or a food mill. It can also be pureed in a blender and then strained.

    Ingredients

    Spice mix

    • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
    • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
    • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
    • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
    • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

    Soup

    • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 4 stalks chopped celery
    • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion or shallot
    • 1 cup chopped carrots
    • 1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger (from about 3-inch-long piece)
    • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1 pound bell peppers, chopped
    • 1 3/4 cups chopped fresh fennel bulb
    • 3 pounds tomatoes, diced (about 8 cups)
    • 5 1/4 cups vegetable broth
    • 2 teaspoons (about) hot pepper sauce
    • 1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over
    • Thinly sliced radishes (optional)
    • Chopped fresh chives (optional)

    Preparation
    For spice mix:
    Toast all ingredients in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until spices darken slightly in color and start to pop, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Cool in skillet. Transfer to spice mill and grind finely.
    For soup:
    Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion/shallots, and carrots. Sauté until vegetables soften slightly, about 8 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add bell peppers and fennel. Stir 2 minutes to coat. Add tomatoes; cook until tomatoes soften and break down, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add broth and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until all vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Add ground spice mix; return soup to boil. Remove from heat; cover and steep 20 minutes.
    Place coarse sieve over large bowl. Working with 2 cups at a time, strain soup into bowl, pressing liquid and most of solids through sieve. Season soup to taste with hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate soup until cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
    Ladle soup into 8 shallow bowls. Divide crabmeat among bowls. Garnish with radish slices and chives.

  • Too many veggies? What can a geek do?

    Being the web guy for Valley Flora has it's benefits. Each week brings cucumbers, radishes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, squash and any number of odd but tasty items that pile up -- hey a geek can only eat so many vegetables between pizza and espresso!

     Oh I grill and salad to my hearts content but each Wednesday yet more produce comes and I'm still left over with whatever I didn't get around to gnoshing on the previous week. Fresh food is wonderful but what's worse is watching it slowly wilt into mush so I hit on a simple solution: Vinaigrette Slury

     I have a big covered stainless steel bowl in my fridge filled with vinegar, olive oil, chopped up garlic, some basil, cilantro, black pepper, a bit of marjoram, some jalapeno or crushed red pepper and Dijon mustard -- a classic vinaigrette but heavy on the vinegar (I use a combo of red wine and apple cider vinegar). As the Valley Flora Veg get a little on the squishy side I just chop them up and throw them in the bowl. Cucumbers, tomatoes & onions do especially good in this bath, but squashes, and even spinach will soak up the goodness for quite a while without turning to yuk.

     So whatever I'm making, I just grab out some of that pickled veg and add it. For fresh salads it's great as a bit of spice and vinegar, it's freaking awesome on hot bagels with creme cheese and even better as a crunch on a taco or as a side to a nice bit of lamb. Best part is, it doesn't go bad!

     

    So don't despair if your veg are going soft -- just open up a vinegar spa in your fridge and let them soak

     

    BTW: Lee's Bees Honey just went live with a bunch of Oregon honey just south at Cape Blanco so check out the new site.  Still working on it but I think it's going to be pretty cool.

     

    -Zachary the VF web geek

     

  • Cabbage Kimchee (Korean Pickles)

    Ingredients:
    1 head red cabbage, cut into 2" pieces
    A few radishes, cut into half moons
    5 c water
    2 Tbs. sea salt
    2 Tbs. ginger, minced
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 green onion, chopped
    1/2 tsp cayenne
     
    Instructions:

    • In a large bowl combine water, 1.5 Tbs. salt, cabbage & radishes. Set aside on counter for 12 hours.
    • Remove cabbage & radish from soaking liquid and combine with ginger, garlic, onions, cayenne & 1/2 tsp. salt.
    • Put into a jar or crock. Pour soaking liquid over vegetables up to 1 inch from the top.
    • Cover loosely with a clean cloth and set aside on the counter for 3-7 days.
    • Enjoy plain as or as a condiment with other foods.

    From "Healing with Whole Foods," Pitchford 2002.
     
     
     

  • Zesty South of the Border Salad

    1 bunch hakurei turnips, cut into matchsticks
    1 bunch radishes, cut into matchsticks
    A few chives, diced
    Handful of mizuna, chopped
    Juice of 1 lime
    Salt to taste
     
    Toss all the veggies together with the lime. Salt to taste.
     

  • Pea Salad with Radishes and Feta Cheese
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
    • 2 cups fresh shelled peas (from about 2 pounds peas in pods) or 1/2 pound frozen petite peas
    • 1/2 bunch radishes, trimmed, halved, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces)

    Heat small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and toast until aromatic and slightly darker, about 2 minutes. Cool; grind finely in spice mill. Whisk lime juice, honey, and cumin in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil; stir in dill. Season dressing with salt and pepper. 
    Cook peas in pot of boiling salted water until almost tender, about 5 minutes for fresh (or about 2 minutes for frozen). Drain; rinse under cold water, then drain well. Transfer to large bowl. Add radishes, feta, and dressing; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Divide salad among bowls. Serve.

  • Sauteed Radishes and Arugula
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 2 tsp. olive oil
    • 1 bunch radishes, greens discarded and radishes halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1 bunches arugula, coarse stems discarded and cut into 2-inch lengths

    Heat butter with oil in an 8-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté radishes with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, 6 minutes. Add water and cook, covered, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes, then cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated, 1 to 4 minutes. Add arugula and sauté, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute.
    Adapted from epicurious.com

  • Couscous and radish salad

    Makes 4 servings
     
    1 1/4 c. water
    1 c. couscous
    2 c. radishes, quartered
    1/2 c. parsley
    1/3 c. mint
    1/2 tsp lemon rind, grated
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/8 tsp pepper
    2 Tbsp olive oil
    1 clove garlic, crushed
    2 Tbsp. green onion, thinly sliced
     
    1.  Bring water to a boil in saucepan;  stir in couscous.  Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 10 minutes;  fluff with a fork and set aside.
    2. Mince radishes by hand or in a food processor.  Place in a large bowl.  Mince parsley and mint.  Add to radishes and stir in couscous.
    3.  Whisk together lemon rind, salt, pepper, lemon juice, oil and garlic.  Add to couscous mixture, toss.  Top with green onions.

  • Easy Baked Radishes

    Makes 4 Servings
    1/2 lb. radishes, trimmed and halved
    1 Tbsp  honey
    1 Tbsp. butter
    1 tsp. cinnamon
     
    1.  Steam radishes 5 minutes
    2.  Drain and arrange in a shallow baking dish.
    3.  Combine honey, butter, and cinnamon in a small saucepan.  Warm and stir until butter is melted.
    4.  Pour over radishes.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until tender, about 30 minutes.

  • Ode to Kohlrabi

    apple of turnip
    pear of radish
    your purple globe snaps
    with seeking sun fingers
    -zachary