Article: Chefs Court Farmers for Best Ingredients

Interesting article in the NYTimes.

“…Once, farmers begged top chefs to give their produce a whirl. But with carrots, corn and tomatoes being accorded the fanatical attention once reserved for foie gras and truffles, chefs now come knocking…”

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Farmers Market Salad with Aged Gouda and Roasted Portabellas

Here is a recipe for using mizuna.

yield: Makes 8 servings
active time: 15 min
total time: 40 min

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pounds sliced portabella mushrooms
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 10 cups mixed spicy greens such as mustard, arugula, tatsoi, mizuna, and watercress
• 1 cup coarsely grated aged Gouda cheese

preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Toss mushrooms with 3 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl. Roast in 1 layer in a 4-sided sheet pan, turning once, until golden-brown and tender, about 15 minutes. Cool mushrooms.

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 5 tablespoons oil in a bowl until combined. Toss mushrooms, greens, and cheese with enough dressing to coat.

Cooks’ note: Mushrooms can be roasted 4 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Recipe source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Farmers-Market-Salad-with-Aged-Gouda-and-Roasted-Portabellas-354521#ixzz0qUHbLDES

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Use your radishes, mizuna and scapes in one dish!

Through the Fulton Market CSA we received various fresh vegetables from our farmer this week including; radishes, scapes and mizuna.  You can use all three in this EASY recipe!

Soba Noodle Salad with Mizuna

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Mizuna leaves, washed, stemmed, and chopped
• 2 carrots, cut into diagonal slices
• 4 thinly sliced scallions, and/or you could add scapes
• ½ cup of thinly sliced radishes
• 2 cups of cooked Soba noodles
• 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

Combine Mizuna, carrots, scallions and noodles in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine garlic, ginger, oil, and soy sauce.  Whisk together and pour over noodles. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!! Serves 3.

Recipe and photo credit: http://www.danispies.com/archives/salads/soba_noodle_salad_w_mizuna.php

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Event this Saturday – Centennial Bee-Day Party

Saturday, June 12 | 11 am-6 pm
Free Admission!

Join Brooklyn Botanic Garden to celebrate the Garden’s 100th birthday! They’re having a bee-inspired birthday party for all ages with honey tastings, lectures, presentations, tours, and live music throughout the Garden. Tease your beehive into shape for an old-school concert with a cappella kings The Persuasions and the legendary soul singer Maxine Brown, performing with Brooklyn honeys The Sweet Divines.

For the full schedule of events, visit bbg.org/beeday.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
900 Washington Avenue
718-623-7200
www.bbg.org

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Radish-hater turns to Radish-lover

The sharp flavor of radishes can be too much for many people, but these two recipes will turn any radish-hater into a radish-lover.   I’m including two recipes, the first one is very simple and the second one is also simple, just a few extra ingredients which will give the sandwich a different flavor.

Union Square farmer's market

Simple:

Quick finger sandwich/snack: Thinly slice the radishes. Slice small rounds of the baguette (about ½ inch thick). Butter the baguette slices. Cover with radish slices. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

TIP: Place radishes in medium bowl of ice water and chill at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours

Still quick, just with a few more ingredients:

Layered radish finger sandwich

Yield: Makes 12 finger sandwiches. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
• 2 scallions, minced fine
• 12 very thin slices of whole-wheat bread
• 2 cups thinly sliced radishes

In a small bowl cream the butter and stir in the anchovy paste, the scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread one side of each of 3 slices of the bread with some of the scallion butter and top the buttered side of one of the slices with an overlapping layer of the radishes. Top the radishes with another slice of the buttered bread, buttered side down, and butter the top of the slice. Top the butter with an overlapping layer of the radishes and top the radishes with the remaining slice of the buttered bread, buttered side down. Press the sandwich together gently, trim the crusts, and cut the sandwich lengthwise into thirds. Make sandwiches with the remaining bread, butter, and radishes in the same manner. The sandwiches may be made 2 hours in advance and kept wrapped in plastic and chilled.

Layered radish finger sandwich recipe credit:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Layered-Radish-Finger-Sandwiches-11791#ixzz0qNEk7wN4

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Soup, Salad or Side? Japanese turnip recipes

Below you will find recipes to prepare japanese turnips either as a soup, salad or side. These recipes use other vegetables that are in season or included in your CSA pickup. Enjoy!

Soup: Japanese Turnips with Miso

yield: Makes 4 servings
active time: 15 min
total time: 30 min
Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons white miso
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
• 3 pounds small (1 1/2-to 2-inch) Japanese turnips with greens
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 4-6 garlic scapes (From the CSA!)

Stir together miso and 2 tablespoon butter.

Discard turnip stems and coarsely chop leaves. Halve turnips (leave whole if tiny) and put in a 12-inch heavy skillet along with water, mirin, remaining tablespoon butter, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil, covered, 10 minutes.

Add greens by handfuls, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more as volume in skillet reduces. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Stir in miso butter and cook 1 minute.

Add 1-2 garlic scape on top

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Japanese-Turnips-with-Miso-354957#ixzz0qMg2fBdw

Salad:

Ingredients:

• fresh lettuces and/or mixed greens (from the CSA!)
• 1 Japanese turnip
• 1/2 of a tart apple, Granny Smith
• 1/4 cup of  pecans
• homemade dressing

To make the dressing you can combine equal parts of olive oil and lemon. Try adding a little bit of honey, apple vinegar, or mustard for a different flavor.

Dress the greens (from the CSA!).
Skins on, trim the ends of the  japanese turnip. Dice or julienne the turnip and apple. Add both to the greens. Add the pecans.

Side: Sauteed Japanese Turnips with
Spring Garlic and Onion

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cloves of spring garlic (from the CSA!), minced
• 1/2 cup onion, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 small bunch Japanese turnips, approx 1 cup thinly sliced

Directions:

Saute onion in olive oil until translucent.  Add garlic and saute until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute.  Add turnips.  Continue cooking until turnips, onions, and garlic are all soft.

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First pick up – Fulton Market CSA

The Fulton Market CSA connects New Yorkers who live and work in Battery Park, The Financial District, and The South Street Seaport area with fresh vegetables, fruits and other goods (eggs, milk, cheese, honey and meat) directly from upstate New York farmers.

This Wednesday, June 9th, is the first pick up for vegetables.

What’s on the menu?  We will most likely get:

•      Lettuces
•      Spring Garlic
•      Mixed Greens
•      Radishes
•      Japanese Turnips
•      Garlic scapes

Recipes to follow!

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