Community Supported Agriculture

 This week most of the items in your box can be eaten raw or with little preparation. The snap and snow peas don’t ever make it to the pan at my house. They are always eaten raw as a snack, but they are also great sauteed with a little garlic or blanched or steamed slightly keeping their crisp snap. Both snow and snap peas are eaten whole, no need to shell them as you did the english  peas from the week before.

You should have received two avocados - one on the ripe side - the Bacon variety - and one that still needs about a week to ripen - the Haas variety. The avocados are grown at our home ranch. If you are not familiar with the Bacon avocado variety you will be now. They are a more frost tolerant type of avocado that can be grown in warm micro climates on the Central Coast.They are a creamy,nutty, thin skinned variety that is equally delicious as the Haas variety and are green when ripe. Haas are the standard commercial variety that is mainly grown in southern California. They can also be grown here but more risky because they are very susceptible to frost.

I would make a red leaf salad with avocados and sauteed shallots, adding the meyer lemon juice and some nice sea salt…

Be sure to eat your beet greens too - they are in the same family as chard and more tender. I like to eat the greens with the beets together.

Enjoy this weeks harvest!

Jamie Collins

Gold Beets can be boiled or baked

Baked Beets Unlike other cooking methods, there is no need to scrub the beets with water, because the water would cause the beets to steam. So simply clean off any dirt with a paper towel, if desired. Trim the roots and stems to 1/2″, but there’s no need to cut the beets farther than that. You can also add the carrots to your roast if desired.

Place the beets in an oven-proof baking dish and cover (foil works fine). Bake at 400 degrees for one hour, or until tender. (Depending on the size of the beets, you may have to cook them a little longer.)

Remove from oven and let cool. Then simply slip the skins and root off with your fingers. You can leave the tail on if you’re eating the beets whole, or take it off.

Beets can be chopped, sliced or diced and dressed with a vinegar of your choice, added to a salad with goat cheese or feta cheese. Add the shredded carrots to the red leaf lettuce and top with the beets and cheese for a fabulous salad.

Braised Artichokes with Carrots, Peas, and Fava Beans

taken from www.saveur.com

SERVES 4
This vibrant dish combines the best vegetables of spring.

9 raw artichoke hearts, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar
Salt
2 lbs. fresh fava beans, shelled
1 1⁄2 cups fresh shelled or frozen peas
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

1. Place artichokes, carrots, garlic, oil, lemon juice, sugar, and 1 cup water in a large skillet. Season to taste with salt, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until artichokes are tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add favas and blanch until skins can be easily removed, about 2 minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water, then slip off and discard skins.

3. Add favas and peas to artichokes, increase heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until most of cooking liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, season with salt, and serve.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #17

You can also saute shallots and add steamed fava beans for a delicious simple side dish.

Meyer Lemons are a very sweet, low acid lemon great for a salad dressing or for just about anything.