With all this rain, vegetables have been happy- but so have the weeds! Farmers have been busy keeping their fields clean, and we hope that the quality of the veggies coming off the farm reflects that hard work. On some of these hotter days, farmers make a point of coming early to the farm, taking a mid-day break, and then resuming their work in the late afternoon or early evening.
Here are a few recipes this week that involve some of the vegetables you might be seeing this week, or in the coming weeks!
Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (I used the garlic scapes in our food share.)
- 1/2 small red onion
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard, centers and ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (Didn’t have any so used vegetable broth.)
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used more like a 1/2 cup with the amount of S.C. we rec’d in share.)
Melt butter and olive oil together in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion and cook till fragrant – about 30 seconds (little longer using the scapes). Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften. Stir in the chard leaves and cook until wilted. Finally stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.
CARROT TOP PESTO
- – 1 clove of garlic
- – 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- – Carrot tops from a large bunch of carrots
- – 1/4 cup basil leaves
- – 4 green onions
- – 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- – 3 Tbsp olive oil
- – Salt and Pepper to taste
1. To blanch the carrot tops: remove thick stem pieces. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water in it. Once boiling, add the carrot tops to the pot. Stir occasionally, cooking for about 3 minutes or until bright green and tender. Immediately remove from the pot, drain the hot water, and add the carrot tops to the ice cube bowl to stop the cooking process.
2. Drain the carrot tops, wring out excess liquid, and spread them on a plate to dry while you do the remaining recipe prep.
3. Add all of the ingredients from garlic through walnuts to the food processor. Blend until a chunky paste forms with small bits of carrot tops. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to stop frequently to scrape down the sides. Add the olive oil a tablespoon at a time until combined. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.
4. To use as a pasta sauce, cook your pasta in salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot. Add the reserved cooking water and carrot top pesto, stir to combine, and cook over low heat until warmed. Serve right away.
5. Otherwise, once cooled to room temperature, store the pesto in the fridge in an airtight container for several days. The bright green color may fade to a slightly darker green, and this is totally normal.
This is how it works (https://yupitsvegan.com/carrot-top-pesto/)
Thank you for sharing your recipies!