The Family Farm Box

Simplicity requires finesse, a lesson I learned from my best friend’s ex boyfriend’s Chinese father about stir frying. In collaborating on vegetable stir fry, I was ready to throw everything into a hot wok, when he stopped me, organizing everything into neat categories designed to make the most of the vegetables, creating the perfect balance of crunchy and tender. First come the aromatics: ginger, onion, garlic quickly flashed in smoking hot vegetable oil until fragrant, then the most firm vegetables, such as celery and carrots, stirred quickly to sear. Next the medium-firm veggies, like peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, snow peas, and last, the tender greens like spinach, bok choy and cabbage. At last, a quick toss in a seasoned liquid. With this blueprint, you can adapt to any farm box delivery or cooler drawer, and even add in protein like browned tofu, shrimp or chicken.

Brown the tofu well, then pull out of the pan before adding the vegetables.

Farm Box Stir Fry with Organic Super Firm Tofu and Brown Rice

Serves 6

For the stir fry sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 pinch red chile flakes

For the stir fry:

1/2 pound of super-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes

vegetable oil

1-inch knob ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup green onion, minced

1 cup firm vegetables, such as Maui onion, carrots, celery, chard stems

1 cup semi-firm vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms

1 cup soft vegetables like spinach, chard leaves, bok choy, cilantro, cabbage

Mix the stir fry sauce, and use half to marinate the tofu cubes for 30 minutes. Drain the tofu, reserving the sauce, and pat the tofu with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Heat a wok or large skillet until very hot, then add vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the tofu and brown until golden, then remove from the pan onto a paper towel to drain.

Add additional oil if needed, and cook the ginger, garlic and onion, stirring very quickly to prevent burning. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the firm vegetables, continuing to stir. Cook the firm vegetables for about a minute, until they turn brightly colored and start to sweat, then add the semi-firm vegetables. Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute. Add the remaining vegetables and cook for another minute, stirring to combine, then add the stir fry sauce and the tofu. Stir to completely coat the tofu and vegetables, then serve.

Asian flavors are in my top five favorite; sensual, balanced, clean and simple. I’ve never trained in Asian cookery, although I’ve devored cookbooks, dined in high and low establishments and even stalked a few chefs, all in the name of research. Ginger and soy, scallion and chile all make my way into dishes, which are only authentic by honest desire. I can only hope that my American asthetic can properly respect the ancient dishes they are fashioned after. This dish is a riff on a recipe I found in Food and Wine, and it can be endlessly changed with the seasons of the farm box. The key is to cook the base of the stew and let it hang out in the refrigerator for a night or two, then braise the vegetables (Napa cabbage, carrots, radish, or like I used, bok choy and celery) separately, or even pop some pickled summer vegetables on top.

Korean Beef Stew with Soy Braised Bok Choy and Celery

Serves 6

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 pounds boneless short ribs, cut into 3-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 medium onions, quartered through the core

6 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 large jalapeños—halved, seeded and sliced 1/2 inch thick

1-inch section of ginger, skin removed and cut into 6 rounds

1/4 cup soy sauce, plus a splash for braising the vegetables

1/4 cup organic sugar

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 quart beef stock or low-sodium broth

4 baby bok choy bunches, cored and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 bunch of celery, trimmed, celery leaves retained, stalks cut into 1-inch sections

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Steamed brown rice, and toasted sesame oil for serving

In an 8-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper and sear the pieces over moderately high heat until richly browned all over, working in batches. Remove the meat from the Dutch oven and pour out most of the fat, leaving only a tablespoon in the pot. Add the onion, garlic, jalapenos and ginger, and sauté until the vegetables soften. Add the soy sauce, sugar, wine and stock and stir. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the meat back into the pot. Reduce to a simmer and place the lid on the Dutch oven. Cook for 2 hours, until the meat is very tender and pulls apart with a fork. Cool and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Remove the meat from the refrigerator and skim the chilled fat off of the top. Heat over low heat until warmed through. In a large skillet, heat enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the celery and bok choy. Sear the vegetables very quickly, about 2 minutes, until they are a vibrant green, then pour a dash of soy sauce over them. Cook until the soy sauce has coated the vegetables, and then add them into the beef stew. Put the cornstarch in a bowl and whisk in a 1/2 cup of cooking liquid, then whisk it into the stew, cover and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Spoon steamed rice into bowls. Ladle the stew over and around the rice. Top with the reserved celery leaves, a drizzle of sesame oil, an

These cold, and short, winter nights call for homey, rustic, and quick dinners. This pasta has several make-ahead components that come together in a snap. Flavorful roasted broccoli, Romanesco cauliflower and butternut squash can be prepped in advance, if you like, then tossed along with the pesto (make that up to 3 days ahead), pasta water and pasta when you’re ready to serve.

Whole Wheat Fusilli with Roasted Broccoli, Romanesco Cauliflower and Butternut Squash with Red Pepper Pistachio Pesto

Serves 4-6

1/2 cup of roasted red peppers, either from a jar or roasted over a gas flame, skin, stem and seeds removed

1/2 cup of shelled, roasted, low or no salt, pistachios

1 packed cup of basil or parsley

Olive oil, sea salt & pepper

1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets, using part of the stems as well

1 cup of Romanesco cauliflower (or cauliflower if Romanesco is not available), cut into bite-sized florets

1 cup of butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes

5 cups of uncooked whole wheat fusilli pasta, preferably organic

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings.

In the bowl of a food processor, blend the roasted pepper, pistachios and herbs with enough olive oil to form a “paste.” Season with salt and pepper and hold in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Heat oven to 375 degrees, and place broccoli, cauliflower and squash on 3 separate baking sheets. Drizzle with enough olive oil to coat the vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender and caramelized, the broccoli will take about 10 minutes, the cauliflower will take about 15-17 minutes and the squash will take 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and hold until ready to serve pasta or store in fridge for up to 2 days to reheat later.

Fill a large stock pot with water and a handful of sea salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. When water is at a rolling boil, add pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, until slightly firm to bite (al dente.) Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain. Return the pasta back into the pot, and add the hot vegetables (if you have cooled them, reheat them in the oven), the pesto and enough pasta water to make the pesto form a thick sauce to coat the pasta and vegetables. Add Parmesan cheese and serve.

I borrowed this beef stew recipe from Jacques Pepin, as I loved its simplicity and deep flavor. It’s so adaptable to whatever root vegetables that you get in your farm box, and the white turnips were particulary nice.

Beef in Red Wine with Root Vegetables

2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch pieces

olive oil, salt & pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 tablespoon flour

1 bottle of red wine

2 bay leaves

1 sprig fresh thyme 

4 cups of seasonal root vegetables, such as baby onions, carrots, parsnips, kohlrabi, potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon of organic sugar

Lemon juice

Chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 350°. Heat olive oil in a cast-iron pot enamel pot (Dutch oven.) Arrange the meat in one layer in the pot, and season it with salt and pepper. Cook on top of the stove over high heat for about 8 minutes, browning the meat on all sides.

Add onions and garlic to the pan. Cook over moderate heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 tablespoon of flour. Mix in well so that the flour doesn’t form lumps. Stir in 1 bottle of red wine. Add 2 bay leaves, a sprig of fresh thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir well and cover.

Place the pot in the oven and continue to cook for about 1 1/2 hours; the meat should be soft and tender and the liquid reduced, rich and flavorful. The recipe can be prepared to this point up to a day ahead. Cool the stew, cover and put into the refrigerator.

 In a sauté pan or skillet, heat olive oil. Add root vegetables to the pan and sauté until browned and softened. Add water, sugar, salt and pepper, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, until vegetables are fork tender. Stir the vegetables and a small handful of parsley into the stew, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, taste for seasoning and serve.