Geauga Family Farms CSA – Week Six

Summer CSA – Week Six

In this week’s share, we received two bunches of pickling cucumbers, one large sweet onion, a small bag of both red and brown potatoes, a small box of raspberries, a pint of gorgeous multicolored cherry and grape tomatoes, a zucchini, a yellow squash, a pint of really lovely blueberries, a tomato, three beets with their greens on, and a head of leafy green lettuce (not pictured).  I am super happy about this week’s bounty.  We picked up an extra bunch of pickling cukes because some weirdo didn’t want them.  Since we were out of town on pick-up day again this week, Zak’s mom picked up the CSA and kept the leafy lettuce.  There is huge variety in the share and, as promised, the share sizes have been increasing throughout the season.  I am particularly excited about the appearance of beets and berries in this week’s share, since Zak and I are both huuuuuge beet fans and berries will make a welcome snack for me at work.

I used up basically everything from last week with the exception of the cabbage and one head of lettuce.  I decided against adding eggs as an extra because we were going to be out of town for four days.  The bread and butter pickles I posted last week were made from the pickling cucumbers we received in week four.  I’ve really enjoyed having them around to snack on.  I also used them, as well as an onion and some redskins from week four, in my barbecue pulled pork sandwich.  The seared albacore tuna and kohlrabi coleslaw made use of onion, yellow squash, and zucchini from the CSA.  Though I should be used to it by now, I’m always surprised by how of a difference the fresh produce makes in any dish I make.  The zucchini grilled cheese I made had a double dose of CSA zucchini in both the bread and the sandwich itself.  Both the bread and filling were extra sweet and delicious due to the fresh zucchini.  I absolutely loved the savory zucchini bread and will probably ask Zak to make it again in the near future.

I’m still percolating on ideas for this week.  I’m sure much of the fruit will be used up by mixing it with plain Greek yogurt and granola or oatmeal.  I think I’m going to make a simple onion soup from the sweet onion, since it will be easy to throw in the slow cooker while I’m at work and won’t heat up the house too much (yup, I bought a new slow cooker and am kind of obsessed).  I would love to roast up some of the gem-like grape and cherry tomatoes and toss them with some pasta, but we’ll see how the weather is.  I’m also interested in making a borscht.  I still haven’t made a dish with Israeli couscous and vegetables, so I’m hoping to get to that.  I will certainly be making some cucumbers with the pickling cucumbers (probably dill this time).

Vacation!

Vacation!

Zak, Roo Bear and I are off to beautiful Higgins Lake, Michigan to have a relaxing long weekend at our family cabin.  We’ll be returning Monday night, so I’ll be back to posting regularly by Tuesday.  Enjoy your weekend!

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich

Slow cookers don’t get enough loving in the summer.  I think it’s because people tend to associate them with stews, roasts, and other heavy fare.  I know I’m guilty of it.  However, slow cookers are great when it’s just too frickin’ hot to turn on the oven, light up the stove, or stand around a grill for more than ten seconds.  You plug them in before work, pick a setting, and when you get home, your house hasn’t heated up a degree and you have a delicious dinner ready.  These pulled pork sandwiches are also very summer appropriate.

This sauce is an amalgamation of traditional and Carolina-style barbecue sauce.  I used a bit of the classic ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, but included a healthy amount of apple cider vinegar for its sharp tang.  I really enjoyed it – so much that I ate it for dinner and two consecutive lunches without getting tired of it.  It makes for excellent leftovers and would definitely feed a crowd.  The homemade bread and butter pickles and onions really tied everything together, but I’m sure it would be pretty darn delicious with your store-bought pickles of choice.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich

1 4 lb. pork butt or shoulder

1/4 cup ketchup

1 chipotle in adobo sauce

3 tbs. brown sugar

1 tbs. molasses

2 tsp. ground yellow mustard

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbs. whole black peppercorns

2-3 cups water

3-4 small redskin potatoes

1 medium onion, quartered

Hamburger buns

Homemade bread and butter pickles (including the onions)

Mix together all ingredients, excepting pork, through the peppercorns.  Be sure to smash the chipotle well with a fork.  Add water and stir to combine.

Place potatoes, onions, and pork in a 5 qt. slow cooker and pour sauce over.  Let marinate overnight.

Cook, covered, about 10-12 hours on low.  Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks.  Raise heat of slow cooker to high and let simmer about 45 minutes until reduced by about a quarter.  Taste sauce for seasonings and adjust as necesary.  Return pork to the slow cooker and let heat through, about 15 minutes.

Serve pulled pork with some potatoes and onions that have been cooking with the pork, hamburger buns, and bread and butter pickles.

Zucchini Grilled Cheese

This delicious grilled cheese sandwich gets a double-dose of zucchini – first, as a part of the fluffy, delicious, bread on which the sandwich is assembled.  This isn’t your traditional cake-like, sweet zucchini bread.  Rather, it is a delicious white bread with thin slices of zucchini baked on top and loads of yummy zucchini flavor baked in.  Second, it gets tender, deliciously sweet balsamic flavored zucchini slices.  It was absolutely divine, as well as a great way to use up the bounty of squash we received in our CSA.

Zucchini Grilled Cheese

Zucchini Grilled Cheese:

2 1″ thick slices zucchini bread (see below)

1 tbs. olive oil

1/2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (1/8″)

2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 tbs. butter, divided

5 slices smoked gouda, sliced 1/8″ thick

Heat olive oil in a 10″ cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add zucchini and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides, flipping occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.

Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar.  Reduce heat and simmer until mostly evaporated.

Meanwhile, butter both sides of the bread with just a bit of butter.  Place half of cheese on one side of the bread.  Top with balsamic zucchini.  Place another layer of cheese on the remaining slice of bread.

Melt remaining butter in a non-stick pan.  Place each slice of bread, cheese side up, in the pan.  Cook 4-5 minutes until very light golden brown.  Carefully use a spatula to assemble sandwich.  Continue cooking another 2-3 minutes per side until cheese is melted and bread is deep golden brown.

Zucchini Bread:

1/4 cup 1% milk

1 cup shredded zucchini, drained of excess liquid

2 tbs. olive oil

3 cups bread flour

1 tbs. granulated sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tbs. gluten

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. active dry yeast, proofed

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup zucchini, thinly sliced

Place all ingredients in the bread pan of a bread machine.  Set cycle to dough and let knead through cycle.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200º and then turn off.

Once dough ball forms, remove and place in a greased bread pan.  Let rise in warmed oven about an hour.

Remove from oven and preheat oven to 350º.

Brush bread with eggs.  Layer with zucchini.

Place bread back in the oven and bake for thirty minutes.

Let rest at least 15 minutes.

Seared Albacore Tuna with Kohlrabi Coleslaw

It’s been pretty darn hot the last several days here in Cleveland.  I couldn’t even bring myself to fire up the grill.  Instead, I decided to quickly pan-sear these beautiful albacore tuna steaks and pair them with a light, cold, and refreshing kohlrabi coleslaw.  Kohlrabi is the perfect coleslaw ingredient – it tastes very much like cabbage, though slightly sweeter and more subdued, with a crunchy texture reminiscent of an apple.  It’s flavors are clean and paired very well with the sweet onion, yellow squash, and zucchini used in this simple, healthy coleslaw.  I used wasabi-soy almonds for some texture, but any nut would be equally delicious, I’m sure.  The rich flavor of the tuna was the perfect pairing to this fresh summer coleslaw.  Overall, it made for a really lovely dinner, though I’m sure the coleslaw would be a welcome addition at any summer pot luck or picnic.

Seared Albacore Tuna with Kohlrabi Coleslaw

Seared Albacore Tuna:

2 1/2 lb. albacore tuna steaks

1 tbs. whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

1 tsp. sesame seeds

1 tbs. canola oil

Splash of low sodium soy sauce

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Whisk together canola oil and low sodium soy sauce.  Let fish marinate about an hour.  Remove from marinade, reserving marinade.  Coat tuna with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt.

Drizzle reserved marinade into a 10″ cast iron skillet.  Heat over high heat until pan is very, very hot.  Add fish and cook 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked to taste.

Sesame-Soy Kohlrabi Coleslaw:

2 bulbs kohlrabi, peeled and grated or shredded in a food processor

1/4 large sweet onion, peeled and grated or shredded in a food processor

1/2 small yellow squash, grated or shredded in a food processor

1/4 small zuchhini, grated or shredded in a food processor

2 scallions, dark and light green parts only

Freshly cracked black pepper

2 tbs. rice wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbs. sesame oil

1 tbs. canola oil

1/2 cup wasabi-soy almonds

Combine kohlrabi, onion, yellow squash, zucchini, and scallions.

In a food processor, add freshly cracked black pepper, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce.  With food processor running, add sesame oil and canola oil and blend until well combined.

Add dressing to vegetables and toss well to coat.  Let sit, refrigerated, at least an hour to allow flavors to meld.  Top with wasabi-soy almonds just before serving.