mmm.... farm share
Last year, I think I threw out my whole farm share, except for two or three meals worth. So far this year, I've only thrown out half a kohlrabi and some cucumber that I'd forgotten about. I am getting sick of green, leafy vegetables, though.
This week's attempt to disguise the kale/collard greens/beet greens was the most successful yet, although it was also the least promising recipe. The beet and green risotto (mostly this recipe) was delicious, and very pretty. I've also tried pasta, dal and chard pie, but except for the chard pie, those mostly seemed like nice dishes that were ruined by the presence of the greenery. Does anyone know when leafy green season finishes? Or have any good recipes to disguise them? I'm also hoping cabbage season finishes soon, although the spring rolls and peanutty coleslaw were good.
The only vegetable I've completely given up on is cucumber. I gave my share to another housemate last week. I think the problem is that they're generally eaten raw, which makes them harder to disguise. I could make tzatziki, but I wouldn't have anything to put it on. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
The only vegetable I've completely given up on is cucumber. I gave my share to another housemate last week. I think the problem is that they're generally eaten raw, which makes them harder to disguise. I could make tzatziki, but I wouldn't have anything to put it on. Does anyone have any other suggestions?
I finished cooking all my veges yesterday, just in time for another load to arrive tomorrow. Looking for recipes that use as many of them as possible has been a good procrastination technique. Maybe I'll try looking for cucumber ones again now...
posted by Lucy @ 9:50 PM
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comments
11 Comments:
Funny, I was just swearing at myself under my breath for not buying more cucumbers at farmers' market last week. Here's a trick I learned from my mother-in-law: soak cucumber slices in salted water overnight. I make sandwiches (cheese, mustard) with 'em the next day. Yummy.
But do they still taste like cucumber after soaking? I don't think I made it clear that I hate the taste. I've been thinking of your kids as I almost gag when I come across a piece in whatever salad I was trying to hide them in.
My cucumber-loving housemate is away this week, so if you want some more, you're welcome to them. They're locally grown and pesticide-free. :)
Tzatziki can go on anything! You can use it as a salad dressing for your other greens, or on some pita bread with store-bought hummus, or of course as a heat-cutter if you make any kind of spicy dish.
Phantom's suggestion of (effectively) pickling the cucumbers seems like a good one, to disguise the flavor. You could try brining them in vinegar with dill, too.
There's a yummy recipe for polenta with goat cheese and chard that I've made a couple of times that might effectively mask the flavor (especially if you use a peppered or herbed goat cheese).
Unfortunately, I also hate pickles. And I can only eat small quantities of tzatziki before the cucumber taste gets overwhelming. Maybe I'll try using at least one cucumber, though.
Thanks for the polenta recipe!
My mom used to make this salad that had cukes, onions and sour cream....
I eat them on sadwiches with cream cheese and whole grain bread.
There's a great cookbook called "Simply in Season" that has recipes-by-ingredient organized seasonally. I'm finding it helpful - and yummy. Also always good for abundant veggies are Brown’s “Tassajara Cooking” and Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone."
I guess I should at least try a cucumber sandwich, before giving up on them entirely...
Sara, thanks for the cookbook suggestions! I've been jealous of my housemate's ability to make up yummy-looking meals without a recipe, so the Tassajara Cooking one looks particularly interesting. I actually got Simply in Season for my Dad a couple of xmases ago, but I'd forgotten about it completely; maybe I should get my own copy.
I abhor cucumbers and won't even attempt to eat them. So you're far better than I am here - yay for you!
OMG - I LOVE cukes! I can eat them straight. I highly suggest trying them on a hummus sandwich with some roasted red bell peppers.
My grandfather always sliced them super duper thin and soaked them in vinegar (and water?) overnight. mmmmmm......
Leafy green season should be over soon. I get a CSA share too(4th year) and once it gets hot in July they stop growing. Tomatos should be coming in soon.
We use Alton Brown(from Good Eats) advice to pair leefy greens with strong flavors. Lemon juice, blue cheese, sausage and bacon pair really well with it too, not sure if you'd use meat subsitutes?
Kale is also awesome in soup, but soup in the summer sucks. We freeze ours sometimes(blanch in boiling water first) then get it out in the winter for soup.
I'm glad you enjoyed the risotto!
The greens you described all have strong earthy flavors, so it's hard to work around them. I'd recommend blanching them, tucking some in the freezer and using them for hearty fall and winter soups - esp lentil and more hearty mushroom ones. There's a great recipe in Molly O'Neill's New York Cookbook for a lentil soup with spinach. A tender kale or beet green makes a great substitute.
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