HAM! and leftovers...

BEFORE the glaze

I cooked a picnic ham from my share of the pig.  This ham is very different than commercial  ham. For one, it is not pastel pink. And it does not have that silvery glisten you often see. With no salty after-taste, it is, in the words of my guests, more 'porky', yet definitely cured.
This was an 8 pound bone-in picnic ham. Even with my two sons, daughter-in-law, and three guests there are tons of leftovers. The mildness of the cure allows more possibilities in using the ham. This week it will be a traditional use of leftover ham- lentil soup as well as a version of Spaghetti Carbonara.
Here's the original menu:

Glazed Baked Ham

Mashed Potatoes with Scallions

Roasted Green Beans

salad

Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I made the mashed potatoes the day before, without the scallions and trimmed and washed the green beans. While the roast was resting, I put the potatoes in a 350 degree oven (adding a bit more milk), covered, to heat along with the beans that were tossed with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. I stirred the scallions into the potatoes just before I served them.

Glazed Baked Ham

1 8 to 10 pound ham (preferably bone-in picnic)

1 large onion

1 Tablespoon dry mustard, such as Colman’s

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup stone ground mustard

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1. Peel and slice the onion. Carefully slice off the skin from the ham, leaving the fat. Set the skin aside.

2. Combine the dry mustard and black pepper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

3. Put the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar and marmalade in a saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. 

4. Score the fat on the ham by making diagonal slashes from top to bottom. Turn it and score from the other direction to make a diamond pattern.

5. Place the sliced onion in a baking pan (if you have a deep enough one with a cover, that’s great—otherwise you can cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil). Place the ham, with the bone pointing up, on top of the onion. 

6. Rub the dry mustard and pepper mixture all over the ham. Cover tightly (with lid or aluminum foil) and bake 2 to 3 hours, until the internal thermometer registers 140 degrees (use a meat thermometer or instant read thermometer). 

7. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees.Remove the ham from the oven. . Either drain off any liquid in the pan, or place the ham in a clean baking pan and generously brush with glaze. Bake 25 minutes, until the glaze is browned. Remove from the oven, and let rest 20 minutes.

8. Meanwhile, add about 1 cup of the drained liquid to the remaining glaze. Cook over medium heat to thicken slightly.

9. Slice the ham and serve with the sauce.

Leftover Ham Lentil Soup

A perfect lunch with a grilled cheese sandwich

LUNCH!

1 ham bone from a picnic ham

1/4 cup pieces of ham fat, drippings from 2 slices of bacon, or 2 Tablespoons oil

1 large onion

2 carrots

2 stalks of celery

1/4 small head of white cabbage

2 cloves garlic

1 pound dry lentils

8 cups water

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup diced ham

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill

salt and pepper

1. Carefully sort through the lentils, picking out any that are discolored or wrinkled. Rinse them in cold water.

2. Dice the onion, carrot, cabbage and celery. (If you want to have more texture, you can slice the cabbage into thin strips). Finely mince the garlic.

3. If using ham fat, place in a large, heavy skillet and cook over very low heat until all of the fat has rendered. Remove any cracklings. If using bacon fat or oil, heat in the skillet. 

4. Add the vegetables and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions and celery are translucent. 

5. Place the ham bone in a large soup pot and add the lentils, vegetables, water and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours, until the lentils are soft.

6. Add the dill and ham and cook another 10 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Other ideas for leftover ham: add to Red Beans and Rice, use in Fried Rice or Jambalaya, add cubes to Macaroni and Cheese, toss cubes with vinegar and fresh rosemary and serve cold with hot crusty bread, put into 'twice-baked potatoes' along with some steamed broccoli and cheddar-- the possibilities are endless!

Bourbon Brined Chops, Sesame Noodles and Mou Shu Pork!

Patty of Springdell Farm

Another week gone with my pork share! With the incredibly lean chops I made Maple Glazed Pork Chops and Bourbon Brined Chops. I  also made Sesame Noodles with Pork and Mou Shu Pork with Cantonese Pancakes.
The Sesame Noodles and Mou Shu are recipes that are very adaptable. Add broccoli, beans, bok choy or whatever you have about to the Sesame Noodles. The key is to slice them very thinly and keep them crisp. Mou Shu is also versatile- don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. If you don't have black mushrooms, use fresh shitake mushrooms. If you don't have bean sprouts, use bok choy or cabbage or even green beans.

Bourbon Brined Pork Chops with Bourbon Glaze

For the brine:
3 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
one cup bourbon
4 thick pork chops
1. Combine the water, salt and brown sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let cool to lukewarm and add the bourbon. Add the chops and let brine in the refrigerator for 6 to 24 hours.
2. To cook chops, remove them from the brine and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy skillet and brown the chops until golden – about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet and place in oven for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
For the glaze:
1 small onion or 2 shallots
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup maple syrup
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Finely dice the onion or shallots and finely mince the garlic. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the onion. Saute over low heat until translucent. Turn the heat to high and cook until the onion begins to brown.
2. Add the bourbon, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove all the browned bits. Reduce the heat and add the maple syrup. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
3. Pour over the chops and serve.

Mou Shu Pork

Mandarin Pancakes (below)
Hoisin Sauce
1- 1/2 pound boneless pork
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
6 large dried black mushrooms
2 scallions
2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon soy sauce (light or dark)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup chicken broth or water

1. Prepare the Mandarin Pancakes, below.
2. Shred pork into slivers. Toss with cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, sugar and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Soak the mushrooms in hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse in water and drain again. Remove and discard the stems and cut the caps into thin slices. Cut green onions into 2 inch pieces. Mix water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
4. Heat a wok or large skillet until 1 or 2 drops of water bubble and skitter when sprinkled into the wok. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Mix egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and dash of white pepper; pour into wok. Rotate the wok to coat the bottom with egg. Fry the egg until firm, turning once, about 10 seconds. Remove the egg from the wok; cut into thin strips.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry until brown. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened, about 10 seconds. Add green onions and egg strips. Cook and stir 30 seconds.
6. To serve, each person takes a pancake and spreads it with hoisin sauce, then spoons about 1/4 cup pork mixture into center. Fold two opposite sides over filling, overlapping edges about 1/2-inch in center. Fold one unfolded edge over folded sides to form a pocket.
Mandarin Pancakes:
2 –1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
sesame oil as needed

1. Mix the flour and water with a fork until dough holds together. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Shape the dough into an 8-inch roll (like the ‘snakes’ you used to make with playdoh). Cut the roll into eight 1” slices. Cut each slice into halves. Cover the pieces of dough with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.
2. Shape each of 2 pieces of dough into a ball. Flatten slightly and then roll each ball of dough into a 4” circle on a lightly floured surface. Brush the top of one circle with sesame oil; top with remaining circle. Roll each double circle into a 7-inch circle, sprinkling the surface with flour sparingly, as needed. Repeat with remaining pieces.
3. Heat an ungreased skillet over medium heat until warm. Cook one circle at a time, turning frequently, until the pancake is blistered with air pockets, turns slightly translucent and feels dry. Do not overcook the pancake or it will become brittle. Carefully separate the 2 pancakes. Repeat each step with remaining circles.

Szechwan Noodles with Sesame Sauce

1/2 cup (or more) water
1/2 cup smooth sesame tahini
2 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound fettuccini
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large pork chop
1 red bell pepper
1 large carrot
2 to 3 scallions
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Peel and mince the garlic and chop the peanuts. Slice the pork into thin slivers. Cut the bell pepper and carrot into matchstick slices. Finely chop the scallions.
2. Mix 1/2 cup of water, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, chili-garlic sauce and minced garlic in medium bowl to blend well (sauce will be thick). Set aside.
3. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to the bite, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss the noodles with one tablespoon of oil in a large bowl.
4. Saute the pork strips in the remaining tablespoon of oil until no longer pink.
5. Add the bell pepper, carrot and pork to the noodles. Toss with enough peanut sauce to coat. Sprinkle with scallions, peanuts and sesame seeds.

Next week: What I did with a huge ham steak!

I HAVE A THIRD OF A PIG!!!

It's true!!!
Back in September I told Fred Monahan at Stone Gardens Farm that I was interested in a pork share. A friend and I had split a share of beef last year-- the difference in taste is amazing. And I have the satisfaction of knowing that the cow had a good life, somewhat spoiled by Fred and Stacia's kids. So, Fred found a piglet to raise, and it's here.
A meat share comes fully fabricated- so if you are thinking I have a carcass hanging in my garage, not so much. What I have is a freezer full of chops, roasts, sausage, hocks, feet, back fat, neck bones, etceteras. Today we pick up the cured products: hams and ham steaks and bacon.
So, while I wait for the spring harvest (despite the hills of snow on my patio, I'm convinced that spring will come) I can share what I'm doing with all this pork. Eating my way through a third of a pig.....

I opened up a package of pork chops first....

Menu A:

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

Braised Broccoli Rabe

Onion Smashed Potatoes

Menu B:

Bourbon Brined Pork Chops with Bourbon Sauce

Cauliflower and Carrot Bake

Corn Fritters

Menu C:

Sesame Noodles with Pork

Stir Fried Broccoli

Maple Glazed Pork Chops

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season the chops (at least 1-1/2" thick) with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a heavy, oven-proof skillet and add 1 to 2 tablespoons oil. Brown the chops quickly on both sides. Pour enough apple juice (or better yet, apple cider) into the pan- enough to come halfway up the chops. Cover tightly and place in the oven. Bake 30 minutes.
3. Combine 1/2 cup pure maple syrup with 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce and 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (this quantity is enough for 4 chops). Remove the chops from the oven, uncover and pour the glaze over them. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the glaze is thick and shiny.

Onion Smashed Potatoes

1. Dice an onion and mince 2 scallions. Wash 4 baking potatoes and cut into eighths. Place in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a deep skillet. Add the onion and cook over low heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. 
3. Add the drained potatoes and 2 heaping tablespoons of sour cream. Mash with a potato masher for a minute or so, and then add 1/2 cup milk. Continue to mash until soft, but not smooth.  
4. Serve garnished with the scallions.

Coming soon...Bourbon Brined Pork Chops and Corn Fritters

Winter Squash- is it sweet? is it savory?

Winter squashes are really versatile -- as versatile as their cousins 'summer squash'. Zucchini can be savory or sweet (zucchini bread, muffins, cake...). And so can just about any winter squash. The most popular winter squash recipes are for pumpkin pie and butternut squash soup. Yum to both!  But I wanted to try some other recipes and ways to enjoy them--- but first, to the Turban Squash.
Turban Squash. A delightfully exotic and decorative vegetable! I actually didn't want to cut into it for about a week just because I enjoyed looking at it. But I am, at the end of the day, a chef, and had to cook it. Try to cook it.
I'd never prepared or cooked a turban squash before. It was hard! I don't mean difficult, I mean hard. It was nearly impossible to cut into. I tried a heavy cleaver- nope. Slender cleaver- nope. Variety of chef knives-nope. Nada. Nein. Non. Not happening. I thought about going into the garage for the circular saw, but dismissed that thought for sanitary reasons. I needed to soften it.. So I pierced the skin with a sharp paring knife, put it on a baking sheet and put it in a 350 degree oven to bake. I checked it at 30 minutes to see if it was soft enough to cut- not yet. And again at 45 minutes. And at 75. It ended up taking 90 minutes to get soft enough for me to even cut it in half! Even then it wasn't cooked through. I scraped out the seeds and put it back in the pan, cut side down with some water because it was getting a bit browned and I didn't want the flesh to dry out. Thirty minutes later it was done. Phew.

Here's a funny thing- about halfway through its roasting period, my house smelled like I was baking cookies! It had a really nice, mildly sweet aroma. It's flavor is a cross between pumpkin and butternut squash. Sweeter than acorn squash. Some of it I'm freezing, some I ate just mashed with a bit of Irish butter and salt, and some is going into lasagna for dinner tonight. This recipe is not at all traditional, but highlights the subtle sweetness of the squash while pairing it with the acerbity of sauteed endive (also part of my winter share).

Winter Squash and Escarole Lasagna

This dish is chock-full of veggies. I’d start with a classic antipasti platter of Italian meats, cheeses, olives and bread, and finish with a simple salad with a lemony dressing.

For the Bechamel Sauce:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup cooked winter squash
1 fat clove garlic, mashed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the Escarole filling:
1 onion
1 bunch escarole
2 Tablespoons canola oil, or other vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
For the lasagna:
6 sheets ‘no-boil’ lasagna sheets
8 ounces mozzarella cheese

To make the Bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir to blend well. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Mash the squash and stir into the milk mixture with the garlic. Cook until thickened (the consistency of whipped cream) and add the Parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Keep on a very low heat while cooking the escarole.
To make the escarole filling: Separate the escarole leaves and wash well in several changes of water. Cut into 2-inch chunks. Peel and slice the onion. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion. Cook until just beginning to wilt, and add half the escarole. Stir and cook until beginning to wilt, and then add the remaining escarole. When it begins to wilt, add the water and oregano and turn the heat onto medium-high. Cook until the water begins to evaporate. Season with balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.
To assemble the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a 9x13-inch pan with about 1/4 cup of the béchamel. Top with 3 of the lasagna noodles. Spread all the escarole over the noodles and sprinkle half the mozzarella over the escarole. Top with the remaining noodles. Spread the béchamel/squash mixture over the noodles, making sure to coat all the edges. Top with the remaining mozzarella. Place in the oven and bake about 25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

More winter veggie recipes to come! 

AUTUMN SHARE!

This week I picked up my first autumn share, took it out of the three bags it took to bring it home, and put it on the butcher block island. Do you believe how much food is there?? It could be daunting- okay, it is a little daunting. But remember these late-harvest vegetables last longer in a cool environment, so they don't have to be prepared, frozen, pickled or eaten right away. Phew!
The share includes a pumpkin and a turban squash, 4 heads of escarole, sweet potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, kohlrabi, broccoli and a big bag of Asian Mix lettuce. So, where's it all gonna go? Here are some of my plans:

I. Chili Rellenos

Mexican Brown Rice

Salad with Asian Mix, Escarole, Radishes and Tomatoes

II. Ginger Braised Kohlrabi

Eggplant and Escarole Curry

Dal

III. Braised Stuffed Escarole

Chicken Cacciatore

Linguini or Fettucini

IV. Braised Pork Chops with Apple Cider Sauce

Radish Chips

White Beans with Garlic and Thyme

V. Picante Pasta Casserole with Broccoli and Tomatoes

Sauteed Escarole

I can't put all these recipes on this little blog, but here are a few:

Kohlrabi Braised with Ginger

I had never had kohlrabi before some landed in my box at the farm. Since then I’ve sautéed them, pickled them, pureed them and put them in tons of dishes. This is one of the first dishes I made with them.

2 Tablespoons oil 

1 Tablespoon (about a 1-inch piece) fresh ginger

1 clove fresh garlic (large)

1/2 jalapeno

1/2 Tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

4 to 6 small kohlrabi with greens (about 1 pound)

1 cup water, or as needed

1/2 bunch scallions

1. Peel the ginger and grate it with a zester or mince it. Peel the garlic and mince it. Carefully scoop out the seeds and veins from the jalapeno (you might want to wear gloves to protect your skin) and chop it. Peel the kohlrabi (I use a vegetable peeler) and cut into 3/4-inch strips. Finely chop the leaves. Trim the scallions and slice thinly on the diagonal.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeno pepper, and stir about 30 seconds. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt, and then mix in the kohlrabi and leaves. Cook about 5 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add the water, cover the pan, and bring to a simmer. Cook until the kohlrabi is tender and most of the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle the scallions on top, and serve.

Braised Stuffed Escarole

1 or 2 heads of escarole

1 clove of garlic

1 cup kalamata olives

2 Tablespoons raisins (preferably golden raisins)

1/3 cup pine nuts or almonds

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

olive oil, as needed

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Trim the escarole, but keep it whole. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the escarole. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes, until wilted, but still holding its shape. Drain and gently pat out the extra water.

3. While the escarole are cooking, peel and mince the garlic. Pit the olives, if needed, and coarsely chop. If using almonds, coarsely chop. Grate the cheese. Combine the garlic, olives, raisins, nuts and 1/4 cup of the grated cheese in a bowl and set aside reserving the remaining cheese.

4. Open up the cooled escarole and spoon the cheese mixture into the very center. Close up the heads to complete enclose the filling. 

5. Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a large, heavy ovenproof skillet. Add the escarole ‘rolls’ and cook on all sides, turning them when they just begin to turn color. 

6. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

Have a wonderful week!!! I can't wait to eat my way through this share. If you want recipes for any of the dishes in the menus, just ask (in the comment section).

Cheers!

Turnips?? Rutabagas?? Swedes??

Growing up in a large Irish-American family, turnips to me meant that big yellow, waxy bulb that you can't cut without a cleaver. They'd turn up at the holidays--Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas-- prepared by my Grandma Brown. Simply boiled, mashed, and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. None of us really seemed to like the turnips (and in those days the gathering was large-- with just my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins we were over 20 at the table(s)). But we all had a dollop of turnips on our plates, to make Grandma happy.
I now know that what we called turnips are really rutabagas-- called 'swedes' in the UK-- a winter root vegetable that is best boiled and mashed. Not so yummy raw. The turnips I get in my CSA share are white and purple, the density of potatoes (as opposed to rocks), and have a distinctive peppery taste. Young specimens can be enjoyed raw. You can treat them a bit like potatoes-- keeping in mind that they do bring their own distinctive flavor to however you are preparing them. I've become quite fond of the turnip -- I liked the recipe for Scalloped Turnips with Apples so much, I had seconds last night. It's a perfect fall dish, warm and creamy, marrying the root vegetable with local apples.

Scalloped Turnips with Apples

1 large or 2 medium white turnips

1 large apple

1 small onion

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 to 1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the turnips and the apple. Cut them into thin slices. Peel the onion and slice thinly. 

Place half of the turnips in a single layer in the bottom of a gratin or baking dish. Sprinkle half the apples and half the onions over the turnips. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with 1 Tablespoon of butter and sprinkle one Tablespoon of flour over all. Repeat with remaining turnips, apple, onion, butter and flour. 

Pour enough milk over all to come halfway up the vegetables. Cover tightly (use aluminum foil if the baking dish does not have a tight lid) and bake 30 minutes.

Remove cover, return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes, until the turnips are tender and the milk has thickened slightly. Serve hot.

What To Do With TURNIPS

1. Eat them raw: Young fresh turnip is crisp and refreshing with a mild spicy flavor, much like radishes but milder. Julienne it and add it to salad or coleslaw, or as a crisp contrast in chicken salad 

2. Roast them: Either alone or with other root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Cut the vegetables into similar sizes and preheat the oven to 375. Toss with melted butter or olive oil and season with salt and pepper (for fancier seasonings there are recipes in the book). Bake for 30 minutes to an hour, depending upon the size of the vegetables, until tender.

3. Braise them: Cut them into cubes and sauté with onions in butter or oil until just changing color. Cover with chicken or vegetable stock and maybe a little white wine and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. You can then remove the turnips and turn the heat on high to boil the sauce to reduce it. Serve the turnips with the sauce.

4. Boil them: for large turnips, peel and dice and place in a pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes or longer, until tender. Drain. Serve cubed, dressed with butter and salt and pepper, or mash with butter.

5. Pressure cook them: Peel and cut into 1-inch thick slices. Cover with 1 cup of water and cook for 3 minutes.

6. Microwave them: Peel and cut into wedges. For each medium turnip add 1/2 tablespoon of water and cook, covered, on high, for 3 minutes.

7. Fry them: Cut into 1/2” strips, and fry in 1-inch of water until crisp, turning often. Serve with ketchup, or mayonnaise mixed with horseradish.

HOW TO STORE TURNIPS:  Do not wash. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 4 months.

Enjoy!!

A Plethora of Peppers

In May I planted a variety of peppers in my little courtyard garden... Thai Poinsettia, habanero, jalapeno and anaheims. I've really enjoyed having them, as well as fresh herbs- some from pots included in my CSA share, some perennials, and some I planted. It's been great to pad out in the morning and grab some basil and a pepper to add to scrambled eggs, or shred and sprinkle over a bagel and cream cheese. Now we're getting ready for the first frost, and it's time for me to pick what's there and think about pulling them out for the winter.
So I went out in the cool of the morning and picked everything there. Here's a picture of this morning's harvest. I couldn't bring myself to pull up the plants just yet--flowers on the pepper plants promised more peppers in the cool, sunny days to come. While I was out there, I also picked a bowlful of green grape tomatoes.
But... now I have a plate-full of really spicy peppers to use!! Here's the plan:
Spicy Pepper Sherry, simple as can be. In a few weeks I'll have a condiment to sprinkle on veggies, maybe brighten up a soup or some rice or a baked potato. Use in stir fries and other Asian dishes.
Green Tomato Salsa. Using the the unripe grape tomatoes, some corn from this week's share, basil, oregano, chilies, and adding garlic, lime juice, and a little cumin and olive oil.
Chiles Rellenos. Dinner! This recipe will use the eggs from my farm share this week, leftover Corn Milk Tortillas from last week and the above mentioned Green Tomato Salsa.

Spicy Pepper Sherry

Using the garlic and ginger will definitely give this an Asian flare. If you want it to be more versatile, leave out the ginger.

1 bottle sherry (I'm using Fino, 'cause that's what I have, but any sherry will do)

5 jalapeno peppers

2 cloves garlic (optional)

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled (optional)

Make sure the peppers are super clean. Peel the garlic and ginger. Pour out 1 cup of sherry from the bottle and push the peppers, garlic and ginger into them (cut them if you must, but try not to). Top off with as much of the sherry you removed as fits. Cap and store in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Wash the sherry bottle with hot soapy water and pour the strained sherry back into the bottle. Use in soups, stews, stir fries, sauces for chicken wings or ribs.

Green Tomato Salsa

You don't have to use grape tomatoes. If substituting regular sized green tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces before measuring.

2 cups green grape tomatoes

1 ear corn

1 or 2 jalapeno peppers

1 clove garlic

1 Tablespoon fresh basil or cilantro

2 Tablespoons fresh chives OR 1 scallion

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cut the kernels off the corn cob. Cut off the stems of the peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and veins from the peppers. Peel the garlic. 

Place the tomatoes, peppers, corn and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until minced. 

Store in the refrigerator.

Chile Rellenos

If using fresh peppers, charring them first is important. You can use canned, peeled peppers in the winter. 

6 Anaheim or Cubanelle (aka 'Italian Frying") peppers

8 ounces cheddar cheese

1/4 cup flour

2 eggs

oil for frying

1. Char and peel the peppers: Inside-- if you have a gas stove, turn a burner on high (turn on the vent) and place the whole peppers right on the flame. Turn as the outsides blacken. When they are all charred, place in a paper or plastic bag and let steam. When cool, rub off the charred skin by running them under cold water. OR place under a broiler until charred, place in a bag and rub off the skin. Outside-- place directly on coals or over a high flame on the grill. Turn as the skins turn black. Follow the directions for steaming and removing skin, above.

2. Cut a small slit, lengthwise, near the top of each pepper at the stem end, about 1-inch long. 

3. Cut the cheese into pieces that will fit into the peppers, estimating the length and width of each pepper (better to be a bit smaller than large when doing this estimation). Carefully ease the cheese into the pepper through the slit.

4. Separate the eggs. Whip the egg whites to a soft peak (this takes me about 2 minutes by hand with a wire whisk). Fold in 2 Tablespoons of flour and the egg yolks.

5. Dredge the peppers in flour.

6. Heat 1-inch of oil in a heavy skillet. When a drop of batter fluffs up immediately, place one pepper into the batter. With a large spoon turn it around until coated by the batter and carefully place in the hot pepper. Repeat with remaining peppers (you probably can't fit them all into your skillet, so do it in batches). When the batter puffs up and is golden, turn over and continue to cook until both sides are lightly browned. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

7. Serve with salsa and sour cream. Good side dishes are rice, refried beans, and/or tortillas.

My share this week included broccoli, lettuce, eggs, corn, turnips and collard greens. Here's where everything went:

Giant chef salad with hard cooked eggs, lettuce, and some broccoli

London broil with Brazilian Greens and sweet potato (from last week's share)

Beef burritos using leftover london broil, lettuce, tomatoes, green tomato salsa

Chile rellenos with green tomato salsa and corn milk tortillas from last week

Oven Fried chicken, Herb baked corn on the cob, steamed broccoli

Have a great week!!