What to do with slightly wilted lettuce, and other stuff

The beginning of the growing season is both exciting and challenging, from a culinary perspective. Great fresh things are coming from the garden, sometimes faster than you can actually cook and eat them!
Lettuce is a great example. It grows in abundance early in the season, and is not fresh and crispy for very long.
So, what to do with the slightly wilted lettuce?
Hopefully you've stored it well. But if it is looking a bit worse for wear, try sauteeing it or braising it.
Sauteeing simply means cooking it at a high heat for a brief amount of time. Braising is a 'combination' cooking method, which means it is cooked by a dry method first, then a wet method. Think pot roast (seared in oil then simmered in a liquid) or any kind of stew (including chili!). Cooking lettuce that is not-yet-garbage-but-not-showcase-material is a good way to enjoy the product.
You can change the character or personality of the dish with the kind of fat you use or the cooking liquid, or the herbs you choose. I've included some samples below.
Tonight for dinner we had braised lettuce with Cajun Baked Tofu and BBQ dipping sauce and baked potatoes. Instead of tofu, chicken could be substituted.

Cajun Baked Tofu

Substitute chicken breasts or thighs and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

1 package firm tofu
1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
Cooking oil spray
BBQ sauce (optional)
1. Place the tofu on a plate and place another plate on top of the tofu. Place something heavy on the plate (such as canned goods) as a weight. Let stand 10 minutes to press out excess water.
2. Whisk together the Cajun seasoning, canola oil and soy sauce in a large shallow bowl or glass pie pan. Cut the tofu into 3 large slabs, and then cut each slab on the diagonal into 6 triangles. Place the tofu triangles in the marinade and turn them over to coat all sides. Let marinate 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Place the tofu triangles on a baking sheet. Bake 15- 20  minutes until crisp. Serve with barbeque sauce, if desired.
Leftover Sandwich: Toast a whole wheat hamburger roll. Slice 1/2 a tomato and a radish. Sandwich the tofu, radish and tomato in the roll, sprinkled with a bit of kosher salt.

Cheers!

Ever SO Much Lettuce: Beyond the Salad

The weather in southern Connecticut this summer so far promises an awesome growing season- a perfect mix of cool, wet nights and warm sunny days. This is a big difference from last year's rain, rain and more rain~~ I'm looking forward to this season!

I'm late in starting this blog. Blame it on end-of-the-school-year melancholy. Or procrastination. Maybe both. But I will be posting recipes and ideas of what I do with my CSA share from this point on.

The first of my CSA shares from Stone Garden Farm included leaf lettuce, baby bok choy and Asian mix (aka more lettuce), as well as radishes, Hakurei turnips ('salad turnips'), small pots of herbs, scallions, kohlrabi and garlic scapes. Fred and Stacia Monahan, the owners and farmers at Stone Garden, also raise chickens, pork, beef and sell fresh eggs. The share often includes a dozen of the best fresh eggs (if you've never had a truly fresh egg, you have no idea how 'eggy' really fresh eggs taste!)

Back to what has been in my box. Hmmm. . .I like salad- I do. Future blogs will include some fun and easy salad dressing recipes. But as much as I like a good salad, I also tend to get cantankerous if I have to eat the same thing every day. So what to do with all that lettuce?

First things first- how to store the veggies.

Leaf lettuce will last much longer in the fridge if it is washed, dried and stored in toweling. Separate the lettuce leaves and swish in a bowl of cold water. Spin dry in a salad spinner and lay out on layers of paper towels or a clean tea towel and roll up. Place in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator and the leaves will stay crisp for several days.

If the tops are left on the turnips, radishes or kohlrabi, cut them off and store them separately from the bulbs (otherwise the greens sort of suck the life out of the vegetable and they lose their crispness quickly).

Once you've taken steps to make sure that your vegetables are stored correctly, you can figure out what to do with them. I have been in an Asian mood lately, so here are some of the ways I've cooked the veggies.

Asian Egg Pancakes with Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup flour

2/3 cup cold water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg (optional)

bunch of scallions (reserve one for the dipping sauce)

bunch of radishes

oil as needed

Wash and trim the scallions and radishes and cut into very, very thin slivers (technically a julienne cut- but don't skimp on time and effort here- good knife cuts will really elevate this dish).

Whisk together the flour, water, salt and egg (if you are using it). Fold in the scallions and radishes. Heat a nonstick or cast iron skillet until very hot. Add enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Drop the batter into the oil in large tablespoons. Lower the heat slightly and cook until crisp on the bottom. Carefully turn over and cook until the other side is browned and crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and keep warm while you repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with the dipping sauce

Dipping Sauce: combine 1/4 cup each of soy sauce and rice vinegar with 2 teaspoons sesame oil, the remaining scallion-minced, a minced clove of garlic and a big pinch of red pepper flakes.

Tofu and Noodles with Peanut Sauce

1 package extra firm tofu

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 bunch baby bok choy

2 cloves garlic

2 large salad turnips or 1 medium cucumber

2 Tablespoons peanut butter

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 Tablespoons rice vinegar

5 ounces dry pasta or 2 cups cooked pasta (like spaghetti or linguini)

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and saute the tofu cubes until they begin to crisp. Set aside.

Wash and trim the bok choy and cut into strips. Mince the garlic. Trim the salad turnips and cut into strips (if using the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into thin slices).

Blend together the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic. Combine the vegetables, tofu and pasta and pour the sauce over. Serve at room temperature.

Yummy, easy, and everything can be done in advance~~ just heat the pancakes in a low oven (about 300 degrees) for a few minutes before serving.

Cheers!