What’s in this week’s box?

Veggies:

Eggplant

Scallions

Baby Cabbages

Cherry Tomatoes

Field Tomatoes

Corn

 

Fruit:

Apples

 

Storage, handling and general cooking tips…

Apples

Hard to believe, since we’re at the height of summer, that apple season is already beginning! Fall is creeping up on us and soon the kiddos will be heading back to school. Our early summer apples are in, and you guys are getting the cream of the crop. Jersey Macs and Paula Reds are wonderful early fall eating apples, sweet, tart, and juicy.

Storage and Handling

Apples should be kept uncovered or in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Warm temperatures will cause apples to lose their crispness and flavor, so if they are kept out of the refrigerator, make sure it is in a cool, ventilated place far from direct sunlight. To prevent cut apples from turning brown, sprinkle with lemon juice or soak them in a bowl of ½ cup water and 2 tbsp lemon juice.

Cabbage

Storage– Cabbage is cleverly self-packaged. Just stick dry, unwashed cabbage in the refrigerator, preferably in the vegetable bin. The outer leaves may eventually get floppy or yellowish, but you can remove and discard them to reveal fresh inner leaves. Cabbage can keep for more than a month. Once it’s cut, seal it in a plastic bag and continue to refrigerate it; it will keep for several weeks.

Cabbage will lose freshness rapidly once the head is chopped, so plan on using it within a day. If you only need half a head, place the remaining half in a plastic bag and shake a few drops of water onto the cut side. Close the bag and refrigerate. The cut half should last another few days if it was fairly fresh when you cut it.

To freeze cabbage: Cut into coarse shreds and blanch for 2 minutes in boiling water. Remove, drain, and chill. Pack into airtight containers and freeze up to one year. Once thawed, frozen cabbage will only work well in cooked applications. Cooked cabbage may be refrigerated in a covered container for up to four days.

Handling­ Rinse the cabbage under cold running water just before use. You’ll need a big, sharp knife and plenty of elbow room. Peel away a few of the outer leaves, then cut the cabbage in half through the stem end. Lay it flat and quarter it, again through the stem end. Then balance each section upright and slice away the triangular core that is exposed at the base. From there you can chop, sliver, or grate the quarters.

 

Scallions

• Store in a jar filled with inch or two of water. Stand scallions in jar, cover whole thing with a plastic bag and keep in fridge-last about a week.

How to use scallions:

Top off a soup, Use in fried rice, Add scallions to salad, Make scallions pancakes, Grill them whole!

 

Eggplant

 Storage- Eggplant prefers to be kept at about 50 degrees F, which is warmer than most refrigerators and cooler than most kitchen counters. Wrap unwashed eggplant in a towel (not in plastic) to absorb any moistrue and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Used within a week, it should still be fresh and mild.

 

Handling- Rinse eggplant in cool water and cut off the stem. Many people like to peel, salt, and drain their eggplant to draw out any bitter flavor; however, bitterness develops only in eggplant that has been stored for a while, so with farm fresh specimens this is generally not necessary. Many recipes call for salting in order to make the vegetable less watery and more absorbent– much like draining tofu. Salting is not an essential step, but it can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish and is well worth the extra effort.

 Eggplant’s thick skin can be difficult to cut. Do so carefully with a sharp knife. The shape of an eggplant determines how it is best prepared. Slice a straight, narrow eggplant into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut a rounded, bulbous eggplant into cubes for stews and stir-fries.

 

Corn

Corn is quintessential Americana, synonymous with BBQs, Summertime, and Grilling. There isn’t a red-checkered tablecloth on a picnic table that won’t see a bowl of these steaming ears. Sweet corn is not only tasty it also contains fiber, protein, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and phosphorous. Fun fact: there is one silk for every kernel of corn, on average there are 800 kernels in 16 rows on each ear of corn. Here at Applecrest we grow about 5 acres of corn, which at the height of the season will remove about 40 tons of carbon dioxide from the air, talk about goin’ green!

Storage and Handling 

Corn can be stored in its husk up to four days in the refrigerator but it will be at its sweetest the closer it is to the day it was picked. Corn can also be frozen. Boil your ears of corn for 4-6 minutes, cool in an ice bath, cut kernels off the cob, store in air tight container (bag or tupperware works), and stick in freezer. You’ll thank yourself on a cold February night, when you can taste these sun kissed kernels alongside your meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Cook tips

Corn can be grilled, boiled, or roasted. Easily eaten directly off the cob, added to a salad, or frozen for later use.

Tomatoes

The sun-loving tomato’s arrival could mean only one thing—Summer is definitely here! This delectable, heart healthy summer fruit, beyond being a palate pleaser is fantastic in so many ways. Tomatoes can be eaten raw, stewed, sun dried, in soup, as a snack, with balsamic vinegar and fresh mozzarella, chopped into salsa, on sandwiches and burgers. The possibilities are endless.

FYI-Tomato paste will remove chlorine from hair, especially if you have blond hair and the recent heat wave has turned you into a pool diving mermaid and your locks are now greenish.

Did you know that tomatoes are thought to originate in Peru where their Aztec name “xitomatl’ means “plump thing with a navel”.

Storage

Tomatoes bruise easily, so handle them with care. Wash and dry your tomatoes before storing. Unless you’re planning to store your tomatoes for over a week, a windowsill, counter-top or bowl, stem side down, works fine. If you know you won’t use them in the next few days, then lower temperatures (a cool entryway) will help to preserve the fruit. Contrary to our common practice in the US, storing in a refrigerator is not otherwise recommended, as the cooler temperatures can reduce flavor and cause mushiness and mealyness. Your fresh-picked tomatoes will last longer on the kitchen counter than store-bought ones anyways, which are probably a few days old when you get them.

Recipes of the Week!

Take a fancy foodie picture with your Applecrest fruit and veggies? Let us know and post it on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter with #applecrest !

• Cabbage Apple Slaw with Curry Yogurt dressing
• Grilled Tomato and Scallion Salad
• Eggplant with Ginger and Scallions
• Stir Fried Quinoa with Eggplant and Cabbage
• Rice Stuffed Tomatoes
• Simple Bruschetta
• Oatmeal Brown Sugar Baked Apples

Cabbage and Apple Slaw with Curried Yogurt Dressing

From The Caregivers Table

Serves 6

This bright crunchy slaw is packed with fiber, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Both refreshing and hydrating it goes together in a snap and holds up well in the fridge for a several days.

1 small green cabbage, shredded [about 6 cups ]

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 small carrots, shredded
2 apples – shredded or diced
3 scallions, minced
½ cup raisins
½ cup walnuts, toasted

Dressing:
1 cup plain Greek style yogurt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Prepare vegetables, apple and scallion as directed and place into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl add yogurt cider vinegar, honey, salt, pepper and oil, whisking until well combined. Pour about half of the dressing over the veggies and toss until they are well coated. Add in raisins and toasted walnuts and toss again. Add more dressing if desired.

 

Grilled Tomato and Scallion Salad

Adapted Food and Wine

Stir-Fried Quinoa with Eggplant and Cabbage

From My Gourmet Connection

Ingredients:

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the eggplant cubes in a bowl, drizzle with a small amount of vegetable oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 8 to 12 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Thoroughly rinse the quinoa with cold water in a fine mesh strainer. Place the quinoa and broth in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 12 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil, fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a large skillet or wok heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked through. Stir into the cooked quinoa.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and increase the heat to high. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Quickly stir in the sriracha, then add the cabbage. Stir-fry until the cabbage is crisp-tender, another 2 minutes.

Add a little more oil to the pan if needed, then add the quinoa-egg mixture. Continue to stir-fry for another minute. Add the soy sauce, toss to combine, then add the eggplant and cilantro. Mix well, drizzle with a little additional sesame oil and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

From Smitten Kitchen

“Serves 6 as a side and 3 as a main. You can do this, which is the way it is done in Rome: Peel and cube a few Yukon gold potatoes, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange them in the baking dish around the tomatoes and bake them simultaneously. This not only keeps the tomatoes upright, it provides a delicious accompaniment. “

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse or Kosher salt
6 medium-to-large (mine were 3 inches across, averaged 8 1/4 ounces in weight) tomatoes
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 medium or 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
9 tablespoons arborio or another short-grained starchy rice
Few tablespoons chopped parsley, oregano or slivered basil (or mix thereof)
Handful breadcrumbs, if using (unless using gluten-free breadcrumbs, this will of course negate the dish’s gluten-free status)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat an ovenproof baking dish with olive oil.

Prepare tomatoes: Cut the tops off the tomatoes and scoop out tomato juices, seeds and flesh into a non-reactive (i.e. just about anything but aluminum) bowl. I like to use a grapefruit knife to make the first cuts, then a spoon to remove the rest, but you can use anything you have around, being careful not to pierce the bottom of the tomatoes. Salt the cavities of the tomatoes and turn them upside down on a plate to drain.

Prepare reserve: Run scooped-out tomato flesh and juices through a food mill or pulse in a blender until coarsely pureed. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil, heating it too. Once hot, add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking them together for 2 minutes, or until onion begins to soften. Add rice and cook them together for about 3 minutes, or until rice toasts a little. Add tomato puree and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt, then cover skillet with a lid, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is par-cooked. Adjust seasoning if needed.

[If using the potatoes, as mentioned in the Notes up top, prepare them while the rice simmers.]

Reassemble tomatoes: Stir fresh herbs into tomato-rice mixture. Arrange tomatoes right-side-up in baking pan then spoon mixture into tomatoes, filling them just 7/8 of the way to leave room for the rice to finish expanding. Coat with breadcrumbs that you can drizzle lightly with olive oil, if using, or you can replace the tomato lid on each (though, do not spend 10 minutes trying to match them back up, as I did last summer. It’s pointless.)

Bake: Uncovered for 30 minutes, until tomato walls are soft and the rice inside has finished cooking. Serve hot. Repeat again tomorrow.

 

Simple Bruschetta

From Pioneer Woman Cooks

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
• 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
• 16 whole Basil Leaves (chiffonade)
• Salt And Pepper To Taste (don’t Oversalt!)
• 1 whole Baguette
• 8 Tablespoons Butter

Preparation

In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown (it can be golden.) Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Add tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss to combine, then taste and add more basil if needed, and more salt if needed (don’t oversalt, though!) Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two if you have the time.

Cut the baguette into diagonal slices to allow for the most surface area possible. Melt half the butter in a large skillet and grill half the bread on both sides, making sure they’re nice and buttery. Cook till golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the other half of the butter and the other half of the bread.

To serve, give the tomato mixture a final stir, the spoon generously over the slices of bread. Serve on a big platter as a first course or appetizer.

 

Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Baked Apples

From The Kitchn

Serves 4, easily multiplied for larger crowds

4 apples
1/4 cup brown sugar (dark or light)
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch cloves
1 tablespoon butter, divided in four
1 cup hot water

Optional extras: orange zest, lemon zest, grated ginger, candied ginger, raisins or other dried fruit, chopped nuts, cream cheese, mascarpone, peanut butter, nutella
To serve: ice cream, crème fraîche, whipped cream, coconut whipped cream

Pre-heat oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower-middle position.

Remove the core of the apples, cutting to within a half inch of the bottom of the apple and creating a well roughly 3/4-inch wide. This is easy to do with an apple corer, but can also be done with a melon baller, grapefruit spoon, or a paring knife.

Mix the brown sugar, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and any extras in a bowl. Divide this mixture between the apples, packing the wells firmly.

Arrange the apples in a baking dish (like an 8×8 Pyrex dish), and top each one with a pat of butter. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes and remove foil. Continue baking uncovered until the apples are soft and the brown sugar has melted into a syrup, an additional 20 to 30 minutes. You can test the apples by poking a paring knife through the oatmeal mixture and into the interior of the apple; it should slide into the apple easily with no resistance. The skin on the apples will also become wrinkled and soft by the end of cooking.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream, crème fraîche, or whipped cream. Leftovers will keep for up to a week and can be reheated in the microwave or eaten cold.

 

As a reminder, part of the fun of being a member of a CSA is collaborating with your community, so always feel free to post cooking suggestions or feedback on recipes that we post, or favorite recipes of your own that you’d like to share.