Steelhead Trout With Radish & Fennel Salad

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.

Cucumber & Fennel Sandwiches With Goat Cheese

Maybe it was Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, or the upcoming Olympic games in London, or maybe it was simply the arrival of cucumbers in my box this week...but I had to indulge in a teatime sandwich recipe.  This zesty, light sandwich is certainly for raised pinkies, but it's not too dainty for the average picnic. You can substitute cream cheese if you prefer, but the goat cheese gives an added zing with the fresh fennel and cucumber.

Ingredients: Eight slices of freshly baked Soft Wheat Sandwich Bread (or your favorite from Niedlov's if you don't have time to bake) Seedless cucumber, sliced thinly on a mandolin slicer or with a sharp knife 1 fennel bulb* 1-2 Tbs chopped fennel leaf 4 oz plain goat cheese 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1/2 lemon, juiced Freshly cracked black pepper Sea salt

Method: Mix the goat cheese, garlic, lemon juice, chopped fennel leaf, and some black pepper together in a bowl. Spread the cheese mixture onto the fresh bread, then layer cucumber slices and fennel.  Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  This is heavenly with a hot cup of pure Assam tea with a splash of milk.

*To slice the fennel bulb thinly, cut the bottom root stem from the bulb, and begin slicing from the bottom, working your way to the stems. This creates rings of fennel that are easier to bite into, and they have a nice appearance when layered on the sandwich.

Soft Wheat Sandwich Bread

Cucumbers and basil are here, and before you know it we will have juicy heirloom tomatoes to stack into our picnics and sandwiches.  So before we get too far into the season I thought I would make sure you have a good sandwich bread recipe. And this is the easiest bread recipe I have ever seen.  It seems to be foolproof, since everyone in my family (including my 4-year-old) has managed to bake a decent loaf with this one.  So if you were thinking, "Hey, I'd like to try baking a fresh loaf of bread sometime," then now is the time.  The original recipe came from a friend in Poltava, Ukraine.  She said it's a traditional village loaf, and the first bread she baked as a child.  I'm giving you an edited version that uses oil instead of butter, and I don't use an egg wash over the crust before it bakes.  If you want a shiny crust, you can brush a whisked egg over the top before you bake.

Ingredients:  5 cups or 700gr wheat flour* 2 tsp salt 1/4 cup canola or olive oil, plus extra for oiling pans 2 tsp dried yeast** 1 Tbs local raw honey 450 ml warm water (about 115 degrees)

Method: Pour the yeast, honey, and 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl or glass jug. Mix together gently and let rest until the yeast becomes frothy and puffs up. Weigh or measure flour and salt into a large bowl and mix with a fork. Add the oil and stir with a fork until it is fairly evenly distributed. Add the yeast & honey mixture, plus the rest of the water to the flour and gently mix together with a wooden spoon until the flour is all wet and begins to form a ball. You can knead this bread pretty much any way that you like, as long as you don't knead it too much.  Over-kneading will make the bread tough.  Not enough, and it might be too crumbly for a sandwich.  My favorite way is to knead it in the bowl, adding flour if it gets too sticky.  I grab the edges and fold and press them into the center.  About 60 times is usually enough to have a smooth, evenly textured dough. In another large bowl, drizzle some oil (enough to generously coat the bowl).  Turn the dough into the bowl, then flip over so both sides of the dough are coated in oil.  Cover with a cotton (not terrycloth) towel, and place in the oven with the light on and the door shut.  Do not turn on heat. Leave until the dough doubles in size (1-2 hours). Meanwhile, generously oil two glass loaf pans. When the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured board.  divide the dough into two parts.  Knead each ball about 20-30 times, then stretch or roll it into a loaf shape.  Place the dough in the oiled pans then return them to the oven with the light on.  Leave to rise for about 30 minutes, or until they have filled the pans and begin to rise above the edges a bit.  Turn the oven on to 400 degrees F. and set the timer for 30 minutes.

It may take 5 minutes more or less, depending on your oven, the weather, or how brown you like your loaf. It will be done when it sounds hollow when you tap on the top of the loaf.

Remove the loaves from the pans immediately and place on a cooling rack to rest for at least 20 minutes.

*Rise times will vary depending on the type of flour that you use.  White flour rises faster, soft bronze whole wheat will take a little longer, and hard red whole wheat will be the heaviest and will not rise as well as the softer grains.  You may want to get a variety of flours and try blending to your taste. **I use Saf-Instant yeast (purchased on Amazon.com). It's great and keeps well in the freezer, wrapped in a ziplock bag.  I am not a professional baker, but I have read that the quality of your yeast can make a big difference.

Spring Veggie Burgers

You might think veggie burgers are just for people who don't eat meat.  That is, until you try these.  These freshly made garden burgers are rich in protein, fiber, and nutrients, and extremely satisfying.  They store well in the freezer and can be quickly warmed up in a toaster oven, skillet, or microwave. This recipe makes 2-3 dozen burgers, depending on size.

Ingredients:

1 large beet root, grated 1 large kohlrabi bulb, peeled 1 leek 1 onion 3 carrots 8 oz wild mushrooms, whichever you like best 6 garlic cloves, peeled 1 bunch beet greens, chard or kale, finely chopped 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 1 cup nuts or seeds, ground (walnuts, pecans or pumpkin seeds work well) 3 eggs 1 cup red lentils (dry) 1 cup quinoa (dry) 3-4 slices of bread, toasted until completely dry, then ground in a blender or food processor. (Can substitute about 1/2 cup rice and almond flour and omit breadcrumbs if gluten-free) Juice from 1-2 lemons 1/2 cup canola oil 1 Tbs fennel seeds 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Cook lentils and quinoa according to packet directions.  (I like to use Rapunzel vegetable bouillon with sea salt and herbs to season the quinoa) The lentils are best if they are slightly under-done for this recipe. Let cool. Make breadcrumbs. This is another step, but it's pretty easy and there is no comparison between fresh and store-bought.  (You can make breadcrumbs in advance and freeze larger batches.) Chop all vegetables as small as possible, or use a food processor or grater.  If you like a softer texture to your burgers you can place the chopped or grated beet, kohlrabi, leek, carrots, and mushrooms in a skillet or pan with a little oil and a dash of salt and saute until the vegetables soften. Let cool. If you don't cook the veggies first, the texture is nicely varied and the veggies will stand out a little more.

Put all ingredients, except eggs, in a large bowl and mix with your hands to combine ingredients well.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Add eggs and mix well. You may need to add more flour if it is too wet.  It should be just dry enough to form into soft patties.

I usually use my hands to form the mixture.  If we are in a hurry, I fry the burgers with a little oil on medium-low heat for several minutes on each side.  Otherwise, you can bake them on a lightly oiled baking sheet for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Serve on a toasted bun with Lemon Tarragon Aioli and arugula, or try it with Auntie's Guacamole, or smother it with caramelized onions and melted Cumberland or Coppinger cheese.

Extra burgers can be frozen. Carefully place them in gallon sized freezer bags in one or two layers (with waxed paper between layers). Make sure to keep them flat at all times, and freeze on a shelf.

Napa Farmhouse Salad With Sesame Dressing

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.