Hi Everyone,
We thought it would be good to share some cooking instructions for the items in this week’s boxes. We love to experiment with different recipes and methods of preparation. It is our hope that you feel good about what you receive in your box each week; and that it is part of your healthy and fun culinary adventures. We recommend washing all produce just before use, always.
• Red Scallions – These are excellent for cooking in most any recipe you would use onions in, they have a pungency that provides a bold flavor that mellows when cooked but maybe too strong to eat raw.
• Chives with Blossoms – A true seasonal delight. The blossoms and the entire chive are edible and are great in salads as well as cooked or used as a sandwich topper or mixed in a spread.
• Snow Pea Shoots – Not only great raw but also a wonderful item to gently saute for just a moment or two, or add to a soup just before serving.
• Cilantro – A nice aromatic herb, both the leaves and stems are edible and delectable. While cilantro is a traditional favorite mixed in salsa, it is also very nice in a salad or chopped and added as an entrée topper.
• Red Spinach – The color is striking and the flavor is impressive. Great raw or cooked or even mixed in a smoothie.
• Curly Green Kale Greens – We like to remove most of the stem and then chop the leaves into ribbons and cook. Some folks leave much of the stem and chop it up and cook with the leaves. The recipe on our website for callaloo greens is excellent when made with curly green kale greens. https://countryvalleyfarm.com/recipes/
• Asparagus – We have found that roasting asparagus produces a complex texture that we prefer to steaming. We use a little olive oil, a hearty shake of black pepper, a touch of salt, and a bit of lemon juice and roast in the oven at 425 F until the edges start to change color but before they char. It is also great in soup.
• We love soups and are not stuck on any one recipe. We make big pots of soup and then store leftovers in containers, sometimes putting some in the freezer for another week and some in the refrigerator to eat throughout the week. You can use all or any of the ingredients in this week’s box to make a nice mid-Spring Michigan soup. Wash and chop the scallions, spinach, kale, and asparagus add a bit of oil of your choice, some beans (garbanzos or a white bean like cannellini or navy are especially nice in Spring soups), a touch of salt and pepper, add the chopped veggies to the pot, add water, cover and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the chopped chives,
cilantro and snow pea shoots, remove from the heat and leave the pot covered for about 30-60 minutes. Adjust the recipe as you see fit and make whatever size pot of soup fits your desire. Enjoy!
Warm Regards,
Adam and the Country Valley Farm Team
Visit us on Instagram @countryvalleyfarm and see pictures from the farm.