Cucumber Salad with Blueberries & Basil

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Ingredients:
1 Asian seedless cucumber
1 banana pepper
1 fennel bulb
20 basil leaves
1 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon dried whole fennel seed
2 oz goat cheese (optional)
Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs Lucini dark cherry balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare the dressing by mixing the garlic, oil, vinegars and seasonings together. Thinly slice the cucumber, banana pepper, fennel bulb and basil leaves.  Toss in a bowl with the blueberries and fennel seed.  Add the dressing and goat cheese (if desired) just before serving.

Steelhead Trout With Radish & Fennel Salad

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I won't lie.  I saw a beautiful photograph of a bacon and radish crudo on the St. John's Restaurant facebook page, and thought to myself..."I should go there and eat that".  The next best thing, though, is to make something that looks as beautiful with the little treasures in our CSA share. I tried a few flavor combinations with the salad, but this one was the winner.  So glad we had some fresh basil this week!

Salad: 1 fennel bulb, finely diced 2-3 Tbs chopped fennel leaf 6 radishes, finely diced 10 basil leaves, thinly sliced 1/2 lemon, juiced 2 Tbs Lucini Dark Cherry Balsamico 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sea Salt Freshly ground black pepper Mix ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Fish: 4 portions of Steelhead Trout, skins and bones removed Dry the fish with a paper towel, thin sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides On Medium-high heat, melt a little oil or butter in a skillet.  Gently place the fish in the pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, (less or more depending on the thickness of the fish and how well done you like it.) Remove fish from pan and let rest on a warm plate.

Add 3-4 minced garlic cloves to the pan, plus 1 cup of dry white wine.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the alcohol burns off.  Salt to taste.

Pasta: Cook 4 portions of angel-hair pasta according to packet directions and drain. Drag each portion of cooked pasta through the garlic and wine sauce before plating.

Napa Farmhouse Salad With Sesame Dressing

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This was my end-of-the-week salad, inspired by a lunch made for me once by CSA member Beth Capecchi.  Her's was an Asian salad with chicken, cabbage and ramen noodles.  It was delicious.  I didn't have ramen noodles for this one, but I did have a lot of crispy vegetables.  Nearly everything in this week's box can go in a salad, so you can pick and choose which ingredients to add or omit. If you are vegetarian, you can use extra Shiitake mushrooms or tofu for protein. This makes a large salad for 6-8 people, but if you have leftovers they will still be tasty the next day. Also, if sesame is not your favorite flavor, check out The Basics Of Vinaigrette recipe and create your own signature dressing!

Ingredients: 1 Head of Napa cabbage, sliced thinly Beet greens, sliced thinly 3 Green onions, sliced 2 Carrots, julienned 3-5 Radishes, sliced 6-8 Shiitake mushroom caps, sliced thinly 3 Beets (any color) cut into sticks and cooked to your taste. (I sauteed mine in oil with salt, then added a splash of white balsamic vinegar, some water, covered the pan and let them steam until they were tender.) 1 lb boneless chicken, cooked and shredded Thin style fried rice noodles for garnish (optional)

Sesame Dressing: 3/4 cup cold-pressed extra virgin sesame oil 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1/4-1/3 cup rice vinegar Juice from one lemon 4-6 garlic cloves, minced A 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated. 1 Tbs local honey Sea salt to taste

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, making sure the cooked chicken and beets have cooled first.  Whisk together Sesame Dressing ingredients until they partially emulsify.  Then pour the dressing over the salad and toss until it is coated.

 

The Basics of Vinaigrette

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I have recently returned from camping on the beach with my family. Though we slept in tents and ate what we could fit in a couple of coolers, we managed to enjoy some yummy fresh vegetables.  It was a nice contrast to the modern primitive experience preferred by my children, which is a solid diet of anything that can be held over a fire with a stick.  Probably the most notable meal this week was a giant salad dressed with fresh vinaigrette.  Something magical happens when you get the right balance of oil, vinegar and a few other tasty ingredients. We  had a mixture of canola oil, lemons, dark cherry balsamic vinegar, loads of fresh garlic, salt and pepper in our "beach camping" vinaigrette. What you can create, however, is truly up to what flavors you prefer. There is nothing new about salad, but your dressing can be fresh and creative with each meal.

Here are the basics and a few suggestions:

Oil and Acid: If you ever wondered why you had to study ratios and proportions in school, the answer is to be able to make a really nice vinaigrette!  Three parts oil, one part acid.  That's the magical ratio.  Though your taste might prefer a little more acid on certain foods, it's a good place to start.  You can explore different flavors in the types of oils you choose, like olive, grapeseed, avocaco, etc.  Whole Foods has a simple guide to oils that might be helpful: https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/guides/oils.php

Vinegar and citrus fruits like lemons and limes are obvious acids to balance the oils in your dressing.  But you can also use wine, beer, fruit juices, fresh tomato, or combine vinegar with the others for more complex flavor.  "Vinegar" is a generic term, but there are hundreds of aged, infused, flavored and specialty vinegars that are delicious.

Aromatics: Although the oils and vinegar's you choose can dominate the flavor of your dressing, the use of aromatic vegetables and fruits can also shape the overtones of your creation.  Any type of onion, fresh herbs, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, fennel, ginger root, celery, root vegetables (like beets and carrots), or fruits and berries can be used cooked or raw.  If they are processed in a blender you can create a more even texture and the flavors will infuse more evenly into the oil and vinegar or juices. If you choose to mince or chop the aromatics, you will have nice bursts of flavor.

Seasonings: Salt and pepper will obviously do the trick, but a well-stocked spice cabinet will put on a show.  It is possible to create a "muddy" dressing where there are too many flavors, but the use of flavorful spices are important in rounding out a good vinaigrette.  A teaspoon of mustard (whole grain French, Dijon, or English) is a staple in many vinaigrette's. Also, a dash of spicy paprika or cayenne is nice.  But there is no need to stop there. Dried spices and herbs can take you around the world in terms of flavor, and are easy to collect and store.

Mixing and blending: My favorite method is to shake the ingredients in a jar with a lid.  It's low-tech and easy to clean, while extras can stay in the jar for later.  Depending on the desired consistency of your dressing, however, you may want to use a food processor or blender, or perhaps just a whisk and bowl.

 

Caramelized Onions

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As I continue with the pre-season preparations, I thought I would share one of my favorite staples for the table.  Caramelizing onions is simple, but does require a bit of patience.  A large pan of onions can take up to an hour to finish.  Once you have a supply of these sticky-sweet gems however, you can make dressings, pasta sauces, relishes, or just eat them by the spoonful. The longer you cook them, the more natural sugars emerge from the onions. So you can cook them for 7-10 minutes, or until they just begin to brown, and they will retain most of the nutrition.  If you cook them until they are completely soft & brown they will obviously be more like desert. One medium sized onion will provide one serving as a side or relish, so adjust the quantity to your needs.

Ingredients: 4 medium yellow or sweet onions 1/4 cup canola oil (or butter plus a little oil if you are feeling decadent) A pinch of salt A splash of white balsamic vinegar (optional)

Method: Remove the root and top ends of the onions, then peel. Cut in half lengthwise. With cut side down, slice into thin strips or wedges.  Add oil and onions to a heavy-bottomed skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, on medium-low heat.  I use a simmer burner so it will be less likely to get too hot and scorch the onions. Add the salt once the onions begin to soften slightly.  Cook gently until the onions brown, or until done to your desired taste.  Add a splash of white balsamic vinegar and cook for one minute more.  Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes.  Serve warm or chilled.