Author Archives for familyfarmbox

About familyfarmbox

I'm a California chef who has never met a veggie she didn't like.

Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, and Mint

Who wouldn’t want to go from zero to 30 minutes to the dinner table in a one-pot dish? Plus heap a healthy dose of protein, fiber, essential nutrients and knock-out flavor on top? This summer meal is a perfect weekday choice that uses the freshest of the farm box.

Shrimp and Toasted Quinoa with Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes and Mint

Serves 6

Olive oil, to coat the pan

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

3 cups medium-diced zucchini

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp

Salt and pepper

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups of homemade vegetable stock, homemade shrimp stock or homemade chicken stock (or substitute low-sodium prepared vegetable or chicken stock)

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tablespoon of fresh mint, chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat through, then the shallots and garlic, stirring until slightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the zucchini, tomatoes and shrimp, then saute for about 2 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly brown and shrimp begins to curl. Season mixture with salt and pepper and remove from the pan.

Add additional olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the skillet, then add the quinoa and toast while shaking the pan until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock, season, stir, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook the quinoa until it is tender but still chewy, and a white, spiral-like germ surrounds each grain, about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep covered for another 5 minutes to steam, then fluff with a fork.

Gently stir the shrimp and vegetable mixture in with the quinoa, along with the lemon juice, zest and mint. Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve warm or at room temperature.

Summer Succotash with White Corn, Red Maui Onion, Yellow Wax Beans, Summer Squash, Navel Oranges

Always a hit during the warm weather months, I’ll serve this Summer Succotash along with grilled chicken or fish that has been simply seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Summer Succotash

Serves 6

1 tablespoon butter

1 red onion, diced

2 cups green or yellow beans, stem trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups zucchini, sunburst squash or yellow crookneck squash, cut into a 1/2-inch dice

4 white corn cobbs

1/2 cup homemade or low-sodium chicken stock

zest and juice from one orange

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper

Heat over medium-high heat a large skillet and melt the butter. Add the onion and beans to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until slightly softened and browned, about 1 minute. Add the squash and corn, and cook for another minute. Pour in the chicken stock, orange zest and juice, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for another 3 minutes, until liquid has reduced and vegetables are still crisp, but tender. Stir in the basil, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Broccoli

My favorite elective in high school was horticulture. I was the captain of my motley crew of agronomists, consisting of the “stoners” of my class who were hoping for an easy way to skate through their senior year. I, however, took my role seriously. Clipboard in hand, I would peruse the crops, assign tasks and take notes. Occasionally, I would encounter a sneakily planted pot seed, and “weeding” took on a whole different meaning. But we had fun, and sometimes I granted permission for a scraggly marijuana plant to grow, if only to see our teacher, Mr Kinsella, blow his top.

Most of all, I loved watching the broccoli plants grow. They would tower over the rest of the rows of vegetables, stalks sweet and tender. I loved the simplicity of their survival: plant, water, flourish. How could something so easy be so delicious? I hope that you’ll find this frittata as effortless and rewarding.

Broccoli, Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Frittata

Serves 4

2 cups of broccoli florets

8 eggs (or 4 whole eggs and 6 egg whites)

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper

Heat broiler. Fill a small sauce pan with water and a few pinches of salt, then bring to a boil. Prepare a bowl with ice and water. Put the broccoli in the boiling water and blanch until vivid green, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in the ice bath until chilled. Drain well.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk until whites and yolks are well combined. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Heat a 10-inch nonstick, stovetop-to-oven (one without a plastic handle that may melt in the broiler) skillet over medium heat, and melt the butter in the pan. Add the shallots and thyme and cook them until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes and heat through, about a minute, then add eggs. Distribute the vegetable mixture evenly through the egg mix, then let eggs set, about 1 minute. Using a flexible silicone spatula, lift the edges of the set eggs, allowing the uncooked eggs to run beneath them, and cook for another minute. Sprinkle the goat cheese evenly on top of the eggs.

Place the skillet under the broiler and continue to cook eggs until they are set, fluffy, golden, and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes. Remove the frittata from the oven, cool slightly and cut into wedges for serving.

Green Cabbage, Zucchini, Rainbow Chard, Maui Onion and Cilantro

I must need a vacation, because in every farm box I’m discovering sunny Mexico. Only a few weeks ago, I turned cauliflower, broccoli and collard greens into tasty little soft tacos, throwing the veggies into a skillet with some onion and garlic, and cooking them until they were tender but crisp. I spiced the mixture up with a minced chipotle pepper and the adobo sauce that they are packed in the can with, toasty cumin and black beans. Then I tucked them into my favorite Trader Joe’s tortilla, which combines wheat flour and stone ground cornmeal, giving them a pillow-soft texture with a nice chew. I topped them off with a little sour cream I infused with lime zest and juice, then I ate them before I could even take a picture!

My giant jar of cumin and favorite salsa verde for enchiladas.

I have been so enamored with Mexican flavors lately that my friend, Suzy, who works for a spice distributor, gave me a giant container of cumin. It shouldn’t take me long to use it, since every couple of weeks, I make Farm Box Veggie Enchiladas, filling them with vegetables that I’ve sautéed with cumin, coriander and my (up to this point) secret sauce. I’d love to tell you that I tired over a batch of homemade roasted tomatillo salsa, but there’s no need to when I can throw these super-delicious enchiladas together on the fly.

You can use all sorts of vegetables in this dish, from firm carrots or radishes, to quicker cooking greens. The key is to add the veggies to the saute pan in different stages, hard varieties go in first, soft varieties are quickly cooked at the end. You’ll also want to use a good quality cheese, such as a fontina and aged cheddar blend, and great tortillas that are kissed on an open flame until slightly charred.

Farm Box Veggie Enchiladas

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

6 cups of assorted seasonal vegetables, diced

Salt and pepper

1 16-ounce jar tomatillo salsa

2 cups grated cheese

1/2 cup toasted pepitas

12 corn tortillas

Sour cream, lime crema (sour cream mixed with lime zest and lime juice) or avocado slices

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin and coriander, cooking until golden brown. Add vegetables, in stages if needed, first cooking the firm vegetables, then adding the softer vegetables. Cook until slightly softened but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. Cool the vegetable mixture to room temperature, then add in 1/2 of the tomatillo salsa, 1 cup of cheese and pepitas. Stir to combine.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a casserole dish (11″ x 7″) with two tablespoons of tomatillo salsa spread around the bottom. Turn on a gas burner, and place a tortilla on the open flame. Cook until slightly charred, about 30 seconds, then flip over, using tongs, and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add 3-4 heaping tablespoons of the vegetable mixture to the center of the tortilla, wrap the sides around the mixture, then place in the casserole dish, seam side down. Continue to toast and fill the tortillas, nestling them closely in the dish until all are filled and folded. You may have additional mixture left over, which can be sprinkled on top of the tortillas. Pour the remaining tomatillo salsa over the top and sprinkle the remaining cheese.

Put the enchiladas in the oven and bake until cheese is melted, browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly, then cut and serve. You could top the enchiladas with sour cream, lime crema or avocado slices if you wish!

Valencia Oranges

I love the idea of peeling an orange and eating the segments right out of my hand, but it never seems to satisfy me as a go-to fruit. But an orange mixed up with the right set of ingredients, now that is another story. With the Valencia oranges packed in the farm box this week, I muddled up a terrific and tasty sangria, with a punch of citrus and cinnamon, as a perfect accompaniment to a batch of Farm Box Veggie Enchiladas.

Triple Citrus Sangria

Makes a pitcher that serves 2 – 4 thirsty people

4-5 large Valencia navel oranges, cut into 2-inch chunks, skin left on

2 lemons, cut into 2-inch chunks, skin left on

1 lime, cut into 2-inch chunks, skin left on

¼ cup sugar

1 750 bottle of good quality red wine (I like to use a rioja or nebiola)

1 cup of good quality brandy

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 cinnamon stick

In a large pitcher, crush the citrus fruit with the sugar, using a muddler or wooden spoon. Add the wine, brandy, cinnamon and cinnamon stick, and mix well. Chill for 30 minutes and serve over a few ice cubes.

Kolhrabi and Greens

Rotiserrie Chicken Shepard’s Pie with Kolhrabi Mash and Greens

Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock (use homemade or low-sodium, organic)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups shredded, cooked rotiserrie chicken

1 cup organic, frozen peas

For the kohlrabi mash and greens

1 head kohlrabi, peeled (I just cut the skin away with a chef’s knife) and cut into 2-inch cubes

3 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups chopped greens, such as beet greens, kohlrabi greens, chard, kale or spinach, washed and spun dry

Kosher salt and coarse-ground pepper

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until softened, then add parsley, thyme and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then add wine, stirring and scraping all brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, and cook until wine is reduced by half and slightly syrupy. Add stock and cream and stir to combine, then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking until cream is reduced, and sauce coats a spoon. Stir in chicken and peas, then remove from pan and place in an 11 x 7 casserole dish.

Make the kohlrabi mash:

Put the kohlrabi into a large pot, cover with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then uncover and reduce to a simmer. Cook kohlrabi for about 30 minutes, until slightly tender. Add the potatoes in with the kohlrabi, return to a boil, then simmer, cooking until both the potatoes and kohlrabi are tender and translucent. Drain kohlrabi and potatoes well in a colander. In the same pot, melt butter and slightly heat milk and cream. Put kohlrabi and potatoes back into the pot, and mash with a potato masher until smooth, mixing in with the butter, milk and cream. Adjust consistency with additional warmed half and half, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add olive oil to the pan. Put greens into the pan, and stir until wilted. Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, and cook greens until soft, from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the type of greens. Season with salt and pepper. Fold cooked greens into the kohlrabi mash.

Heat an oven to 375 degrees. Spread the kolhrabi mash on top of the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in oven until cheese is browned and chicken mixture is bubbling, then cool slightly and serve.

Farm Box Day

Summer came to our house today with 80 degree weather and a box full of sunshine: yellow wax beans (which last summer were the star of my favorite Farm Box Veggie Enchiladas), golden summer squash, colorful kohlrabi, and jewel-toned rainbow chard. There’s a “toy” section in the farm box, with adorable cucumbers that are no more than 4 inches long, darling and sweet-tender carrots, and corn cobs no larger than the baby corn that Tom Hanks nibbled on in the movie Big. Rosy beets with vibrant green toppers, a magenta Maui onion, crimson strawberries and vivid orange golden nugget oranges completed the invitation to summer.

My plan for the bounty? To make my first Summer Succotash of the season, with a combination of the yellow beans, squash, red onion, fresh corn and basil, perhaps a little orange zest and juice. I’ll serve that in my Family Farm Box Meals with an Herb Roasted Chicken, which could also accompany a Red Beet, Red Cabbage and Red Lentil Salad. I’ m planning a Cider Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Kohlrabi Mash and Wilted Greens and my favorite seasonal Summer Minestrone Soup, this week with an accomodation to make it gluten-free with rice-based rigatoni. My friends and I loved a Three Citrus Sangria last week that I made with my Glen Ivy Farms navel oranges. This week I’ll make it with golden nugget oranges. As I progress through my box of summer, I can’t wait to share recipes and ideas. If you have some amazing ways you are transforming your farm box, I would love to hear from you!

Radishes

Shortly after meeting the man who would become my husband, we went for a skiing holiday in Colorado. Staying with friends in a cabin, we all had dinner duty. Felipe and I, still as awkward in the kitchen as we were in the intimacy department, shopped in the unflattering flourescent lights of the nearby convenience market, and let’s just say that the slope’s powder was much fresher than the local produce. We danced around a menu that would impress but still be made in our cabin’s tiny kitchen. Felipe found some promising trout and packaged, sliced almonds. I spotted the green tops of some firm, vibrant radishes above the bags of pre-washed lettuces, and grabbed a waxed lemon. Our first collaborative meal was born.

I’d love to say that it turned out perfect, but there were some burnt almonds, torn trout’s skin, brown butter turned black. Yet the simplicity of the radish salad, with the greens torn and dressed, the roots sliced thin, a crank of black pepper, a smatter of salt, a shot of fresh lemon, rescued the tortured fish. Twelve years later, we share the kitchen as adeptly as Argentinian tango dancers, making it hard to believe that I once felt embarrassed about things like taking my shoes off at airport security, horrified that my new boyfriend would see my bright orange ski socks. Making this tilapia and radish salad reminded me of those shy, bumbling early days and the grace of a perfect match.

Crispy Lemon Tilapia with Brown Butter Dressed Radish Salad

Serves 4

4 tilapia fillets

Olive oil, salt and pepper, as needed

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 garlic clove, finely grated

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot, minced

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch fresh radishes, leaves washed, dried and torn into bite-sized pieces, bulbs trimmed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons toasted almonds

Using a mandolin will guarantee your radish slices are paper-thin.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat the tilapia fillets with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. In a flat dish, mix together bread crumbs, lemon zest, garlic and parsley. Stir to combine, then dredge fish in the breadcrumb mixture, thoroughly coating. Place fish on the baking sheet and into the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes, checking for doneness when fish is opaque and firm to the touch.

Prepare the brown butter dressing. Using a small skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. When butter solids turn light brown, add the shallots, then cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until dressing is thick and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Gently toss the dressing with the sliced radishes, greens and almonds. Arrange on a plate, then top with the tilapia. Serve and devour.

Strawberries

When Kristen Wiig announced that she was retiring from Saturday Night Live, I was bummed to hear that I’d never again enjoy the hilarious, neurotic and attention-seeking Penelope, one character that Wiig plays so well. I relate to her “topper” antics, not that I’d consider myself a competitive person, but in the cooking world, sometimes chefs get a little one uppish.

When I found out my friend’s husband, who loves strawberry pie, hits Marie Calendar’s for one of their abundantly-stacked, red-gel glazed marvels when the craving arises, I wanted to top that. For his birthday, I made an easy strawberry lemon tart with a zingy, buttery shortbread crust so punched up with flavor he’d never miss MC’s. This one is for you, Penelope.

Strawberry Lemon Shortbread Tart

Makes two 8-inch tarts

For the shortbread

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use organic white whole-wheat flour)

2/3 cup sugar (again, organic works fine here)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon finely-grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into cubes and chilled

For the tart filling

1 pint strawberries, tops removed, cut into slices

2 tablespoons of good-quality strawberry jam, mixed with one teaspoon of lemon juice

8 ounces of prepared lemon curd (found in the jam section of specialty markets)

Make the shortbread: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Blend the first 5 ingredients in a food processor. Add butter; cut in using on/off turns until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball (dough will be crumbly); divide in half. Press 1 dough half onto bottom of each of two 8-inch-diameter pie or tart pans. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake shortbread until cooked through and lightly golden, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes. Gently toss the cut strawberries with the jam and lemon juice mixture. Divide the lemon curd onto both shortbread tarts, then arrange glazed strawberries on top in an even layer. Slice tarts with a very sharp knife and serve with whipped cream if you like.

With easy tips like using a food processor (make sure your butter is extra cold) and jarred lemon curd, this tart comes together effortlessy.

Farm Box Day

Such a gorgeous day to open up the farm box, which included a collection of vegetables perfect for a Summer Minestrone soup. I immediately got them prepped for the pot, dicing a crunchy Maui onion, nipping the ends of crisp green beans, and cubing tender, golden sunburst squash. Ribs of rainbow chard sautéed in the mixture, along with their curly ribbon-cut leaves. In went fennel seeds that I crushed in a mortar, dried oregano and thyme, a can of organic tomatoes and homemade chicken stock. I left it bubbling away on the stove top, making my house smell like a walk through Tuscany. White beans, pasta, a splash of olive oil and a zip of fresh basil will finish it off.

As my daughter and her friend blew bubbles and squirted water guns in the backyard, I started preparing Farm Box Meals for a few families. In addition to the summer minestrone, I’ll deliver Grilled Thai Chicken, utilizing a leafy bunch of cilantro, and Asian Red Cabbage, Radish and Peanut Slaw. I’m jazzing up Crunchy Lemon Tilapia with a zingy Radish and Greens Salad Dressed with Brown Butter. I’ll also prepare my favorite Farm Box Veggie Enchiladas with the remaining rainbow chard and the giant Maui onion. As for the picture-perfect blueberries and strawberries, I’ll make breakfast parfaits with yogurt and granola.

The Memorial weekend promises good food and lots of fun. Enjoy your family and your farm box!

Summer Minestrone Soup

Serves 6

Olive oil

1 onion (or use half of the sweet Maui from the farm box)

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

4 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

4 cups of summer vegetables, such as summer squash, chard, green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

1 bay leaf

1 15-ounce can organic diced tomatoes in their juice

8 cups of homemade or good quality prepared chicken or vegetable stock

1 can white or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons of chopped basil

2 cups prepared pasta, such as penne or fusilli

Grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil

Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over high heat, then add olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the 4 cups of summer vegetables, and cook while occasionally stirring, until vegetables start to wilt, about 10 minutes. Add dried herbs, salt and pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and stock, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender. Add beans and basil cook until heated through. Portion prepared pasta into individual bowls, then add soup. Top with grated cheese and olive oil just before serving.

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