Our Boxes this week are full of gorgeous summer produce from our hard working local growers. We are also especially happy to introduce local sweet corn to this weeks line up.

 

 

Fresh Picks Family Box

 

 

We expect the following in our Fresh Picks Single Box:

Item/ Farm

Cauliflower/ Harmony Valley  Viroqua, WI (For Singles & Veg/Fruits on Saturday, the 21st:  cauliflower is from Foxy Salinas, CA)

Chile Verde Burritos with Cauliflower & Black Beans: This recipe comes to you straight from the farm! Place 1 tomato, 2 jalapenos, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and two cups of water in a small pot and bring to boil. Cover, then simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer the ingredients to a blender and puree. Cut your cauliflower into florets, brush with olive oil,  season with 1 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder and roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes.  Heat your tortillas directly over your flame until warmed through.  Spoon on the cauliflower florets, cooked black beans (cooked in a pot with sliced onions, 1/2 cup cilantro, salt and pepper, covered for one hour if dried; 30 minutes if from a can). Top with the fresh salsa and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro leaves.

Carrots/ Harmony Valley  Viroqua, WI

Carrot Raisin Muffins: Elena from The Kid’s Table shares one of her favorite recipes for carrots with us! Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Grease your muffin tins with melted mutter or spray or line with paper liners.Whisk together 1 egg, 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of canola oil. Whisk in a tablespoon each of baking soda and cinnamon. Stir in 1/2 cup each of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. Gently fold in 2 coarsely grated carrots and 1/4 cup raisins. Spoon the batter into the muffins cups and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the muffins are spongy and a cake tester comes out clean. Smear a dollop of cream cheese frosting (mix together  4 oz room temperature cream cheese, 4 tablespoons unsalted room temperature butter, 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, then whisk in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract until frosting is smooth and creamy) on the tops of your muffins. Enjoy for breakfast or as dessert!

Spring Onions/ Hill & Valley  Viroqua, WI

Grilled Onions: Simple but DElicious! Brush your onions with olive oil and place right on a hot grill rack. Grill on all sides until the onions have beautiful grill marks. Use these onions chopped in your Cauliflower burrito recipe or chopped finely in the salsa, diced in a salad, or place them whole as a side for grilled steak, chicken, or fish.

Collards/ Keewaydin  Viola, WI

Creamy Collard Dip: Adapted from another one of Elena’s recipes from The Kid’s Table, we use collards in place of the chard.  Saute 4 cloves of minced garlic and 1 small, finely chopped onion in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add chopped collards (without stems) and stir together. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the leaves are bright green. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of Greek yogurt. Once the greens have cooled, add them to the yogurt and cheese mixture. Stir in the juice of half a lemon and season with fresh black pepper.  Once combined, use veggie sticks or warm pits to dip in!

Cilantro/ Hill & Valley  Viroqua, WI

Salsa Fresca: This relish can work as a dip or as a topping for tacos, grilled chicken or whitefish. It’s as versatile as it is easy to make. Combine 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, 1/4 cup of grilled onions (see recipe above for Grilled Onions), 1 diced tomato, 1 chopped tomato, 1 finely diced jalapeno pepper (or another hot pepper), and 1/4 cup of grilled corn kernels. Splash with fresh lime juice. Mix together with a spoon. Let the salsa marinate for at least 30 minutes, though the longer it marinates, the stronger the flavor will be.  You can also piree the mixture in a blender for a smoother texture, but chunky works well too. The grill flavors from the grilled onions and corn makes this salsa special from the rest.

Tomato/ Halbrook  Galatia, IL

Farmer Bruschetta:  Chop up 1 tomato, 1 small onion, 1/4 cup of purslane, and 2 garlic cloves. Place the veggies in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil.  Spoon the mixture onto toasted baguette slices . Feel free to top with shredded basil leaves.

Purslane/ Harmony Valley  Viroqua, WI

Curried Purslane: Native to India and Persia, this plant is often thought of as a weed. Separate the leaves from the thick, red stems and saute in a spiced curry dish. Start with a tablespoon olive oil, and saute 1 chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 diced carrots, and 1/2 cup of separated cauliflower florets.  Add 2 tablespoons red curry and about 1 cup of stirred or shaken coconut milk.  Stir the pot, then bring to a simmer. Add in 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, cover the pot and let the veggies simmer for about 20 minutes over medium-low heat. Add in your purslane. Serve over a bed of cooked rice and garnish with another helping of chopped cilantro.

Corn/ Ioeger Farm IL

Grilled Cobs:  Husks on and over a medium flame, grill your ears of corn, turning on all sides for about 20 minutes. Once the kernels are tender, smear with a light layer of butter, a splash of lime juice, and a sprinkle of caynne pepper.

 

We expect all the above listed item plus the following in our Fresh Picks Double Box:

Crimini Mushrooms/ River Valley Ranch  Burlington, WI

Crimini & Feta Omelet: Slice your mushrooms and saute over medium heat in 1 tablespoon melted butter. Add in 1 clove of minced garlic and stir together.  Add 1 tablespoon olive oil before pouring 3 beaten eggs into the pan. Let the eggs settle, sprinkle the mushrooms with crumbled feta cheese, then fold once side over to form an omelet. Lower the flame and continue to cook until it is cooked through.  Serve with a side pf greens tossed in lemon juice.

Garlic Scapes/ Sunnyside Produce  Wilton, WI

Use your scapes as you would regular garlic.  Chop them up and add to pastas, quinoa dishes, vegetable stir fry’s, salads, and even in dips, soups or stews.

 

We expect all the above listed items plus the following in our Fresh Picks Family Boxes:

Pickling Cucumbers/ Keewaydin  Viola, WI

1-2-3 Pickle For Free: Easiest way to make homemade pickles? Simply reserve the juices from your last pickle jar and use to pickle your new cucumbers. Slice them how you want- for sandwiches, slice into rounds, for sausages and hotdogs slice long-ways, and for snacking leave whole.  No pickle juice? No worries! Combine 1 tablespoons sea salt or pickling salt , 1 cup cider vinegar, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup dill leaves, 1 whole garlic clove, and 3 black peppercorns. Soak your cucumbers in this juice and voila! Pickles! We recommend letting them marinate for at least two days, but we also recommend trying them as the time goes by to test their flavor. Enjoy!

Napa Cabbage/ Keewaydin  Viola, WI

Sauteed Cabbage: Gently saute chopped cabbage in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Season with fresh black pepper.

Kohlrabi/ Harmony Valley  Viroqua, WI

Shredded Kohlrabi Slaw: Shred your kohlrabi and mix together with shredded apples, carrots and minced garlic. Toss in 1/4 cup of dressing ( 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper).  Top with fresh, chopped cilantro.

 

 

We expect the following in our Fresh Picks Fruit Boxes:

Seen here: Red Currants from Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, WI available in our Fresh Picks Mini Box and full size Fruit Box.

 

Item/ Farm                     Full Quantity/ Mini Quantity/ VegFruit Quantity

Blueberries/ Mick Klug, MI       2 pints/ 1 pint/ 1 pint

Store your berries in a shallow container and rinse just before you plan to eat them.

Apricots/ Calfruit, CA         Tues Boxes: 12 apricots/ 6 apricots/ 3 apricots

Wed-Sat Boxes: 12 apricots/ 3 apricots/ 3 apricots

Apricots may be stored on the counter top, but only for a short while. Best to keep them in your refrigerator where they will keep for about a week.

Plums/ Mick Klug, MI       Tues Boxes: 2 pounds/ None/ 1 pound

Wed-Sat Boxes:  2pounds/ None/ None

You may keep your plums at room temperature until fully ripened, then transfer to the refrigerator. Keep them in the crisper drawer and they should   keep for about a week.

Pineapple/ Dole               1pineapple/ 1 pineapple/ None

Store the pineapple in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat it, stand it upright, and remove the peel with a knife. Cut off the core and slice into rounds. Store your pineapple rounds in a  container for easy access and enjoyment.

Red Currants/ Harmony Valley         1 batch/ 1 batch/ None

Best to keep your currents in the refrigerator. Don’t  wait to eat these guys!

Nectarines/ Mick Klug, MI                    Tues Boxes: 6 nectarines/ 4 nectarines/ None

Wed-Sat Boxes: 8 nectarines/ 8 nectarines/ 4 nectarines

Nectarines can be in room temperature until fully ripened.  Transfer to your refrigerator for longer storage.