July 5 weekly menu | summer table

Farm Fresh

dill, fava beans, garlic, gourmet greens, lettuce, potatoes, spinach, turnips

What’s for Dinner?

This is what happens when your kids leave town without you…holidays become just another day, and you forget it’s the Fourth of July!  At least this is what happened to me, until it was nearly upon me, and I knew there should be some celebrating going on.  Oh well, for us, the festive holiday meal will happen a few days late, but not a veggie short!  It’ll be chock full of tried-and-true Independence Day food traditions, and surely some red, white, and blue.  Lots of other reasons to celebrate as well, beginning with my first fava bean delivery – yahoo!  Four pounds to be exact…they’ll grace a few dinner tables this week for sure.  Thank you Sauvie Island Organics, for this basket-full of goodness.

Friday – grilled pizza fest

spinach and chive pizza (Deb Perlman, Smitten Kitchen)
gourmet greens salad

Saturday – burger night, fava style

fava bean burgers (Katherine Deumling, SIO Blog Wk. 6 2013)

Sunday – 4^th of July, cont.

watermelon

all-american potato salad (Deb Perleman, Smitten Kitchen)
red, white & blueberry salad (Aviva Goldfarb, pbs.org)
grilled brats

flag cake (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style)

Monday – finger-licking goodness

grilled fava beans (101 Cookbooks)
garlic roasted potatoes (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties!)
grilled salmon with dill

Tuesday – tantalizing turnips

japanese turnips with miso (Katherine Deumling, SIO Blog Wk. 6 2013)
grilled teriyaki beef kabobs
rice

Wednesday –  more favas?!?

fava bean bruschetta (Katherine Deumling, SIO Blog Wk. 6 2013)
simple greek salad (Epicurious)

Thursday –  berry bliss

wheat berry salad with dill and mozzarella (Mark Bittman)
baguette

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Friday –   grilled pizza fest

spinach and chive pizza (Deb Perlman, Smitten Kitchen)
gourmet greens salad

Super fun, interactive, and delicious way to use those veggies – Pizza Night!  Let this prior post be your inspiration and step-by-step instructional for pizza making. Friday is the perfect night for this, not only as an end-of-the-week celebration, but because I can literally pick and choose veggies off my table to top the pizzas!  The inspiration for this week’s pizza came from the Lovely’s Fifty Fifty spring menu –  a delicious-looking spinach, green garlic, fromage blanc, & chive pizza.  Deb Perlman at The Smitten Kitchen posted a recipe for ramp pizza that I think could be similar, as she suggests spinach and something “onion-y”.  Chives (which are overtaking my herb pot!), our fresh garlic…?  I’ll skip all the convoluted parts and use canned sauce and pre-shredded mozzarella.  If I feel fancy, maybe an option of fromage blanc also – that just sounds too good!  I’ll add a simple salad with my gorgeous gourmet greeens, just sprinkled with some baslamic vinegar, olive oil, s&p.

Other farm-fresh pizza combinations:

winter squash and wild mushroom 
potato and rosemary 
leek, crimini mushroom, and prosciutto
portabella mushroom & roasted red pepper
shitake mushroom
leek, sundried tomato, and goat cheese
caramelized leek, mushroom and Italian sausage pizza
pizza with kale raab, leeks, and olives 
pizza with fennel sausage, braising greens and rosemary
dandelion greens, Italian sausage, and fontina cheese pizza
grilled pizza with kale, mushroom, & sausage
shaved asparagus & parmesan pizza
leek, chard, & corn flatbread
kale, sundried tomato, & feta pizza
pizza with green garlic & arugula
pizza bianca with goat cheese & chard
roasted beet pizza

Saturday – burger night, fava style

fava bean burgers (Katherine Deumling, SIO Blog Wk. 6 2013)

I look for any excuse for a good veggie burger.  Chez Marie from the frozen section is my usual go-to, but I’ll also try my hand at any delicious and do-able sounding recipe.  The one this week posted on the SIO blog, originally created by Yotam Ottolenghi, looks to be a dandy!  It uses a bunch of our spinach, potatoes, and fava beans from this week’s gold mine of veggies. I’m going to simplify it even further, using just one pan – first to lighly saute the spinach; next to blanch the favas (makes removing the skins on each bean a breeze); and then, in the same water, to boil the potatoes.  I’ll add the rest of the ingredients to the same pan, (including the now wilted spinach) and mash them all up with a potato masher.  Shape them into whatever size patties you want – larger ones if you want more of a traditional burger size, possibly on a bun.  I’ll make them smaller, and put them into pitas with the lemony yogurt sauce and some chopped lettuce greens (any will be great!).  I’m even toying with the idea of throwing these burgers on a lightly oiled grill & skipping the frying.  Either way, they’re sure to be ultra fresh, flavorful, and summery.

Sunday – 4^th of July, cont.

watermelon

all-american potato salad (Deb Perleman, Smitten Kitchen)
red, white & blueberry salad (Aviva Goldfarb, pbs.org)
grilled brats

flag cake (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Family Style)

If you, like me, happened to miss the opportunity for your own 4th of July food-fest, here’s our chance!  I’ve got the German in-laws coming to town, so I can’t miss the opportunity to give this mustardy, pickley potato salad (+ brats!) a shot. When I do make potato salad, I nearly always go for the lighter, vinaigrette-dressed versions.  These are also easier to travel with, not worrying about any mayo, etc.  However, this (post) 4th, I’m going for the classic.  Deb Perleman drew me in with her description; the photo of the American flag across a nostalgic-looking barn didn’t hurt.  When I was really sold, actually, was when I read “8 dill pickles spears”.  Whatever potatoes you have will be great – once those mounds of pickles, and a whole host of other yummy ingredients (including our fresh dill) are added, it all becomes a chunky, crunchy, mish-mash of traditional potato salad goodness.  I’ll redeem myself just a bit with this light, healthy, and perfect-for-the-4th-or-any-time green salad.  The OR berries are coming full force, so I’ll just have fun perusing the farmer’s market for whatever red(ish) and blue(ish) berries catch my eye.  Use pine nuts, hazelnuts, whatever nuts, and a favorite fresh farmer’s cheese.  Toss the brats on the barby (I’ll be stopping by Olympic Provisions for some of their house-made…), set out a mustard sampling, and no one will notice the 4th has actually come and gone. Especially when this famous Ina cake graces the dessert table!  And this time it won’t be my somewhat lame November attempt to replicate this classic.  (Election day 2012 – my carrots, inspired me to monkey with Ina’s recipe.  The taste was yummy; the visual not-so-much, with my frozen berries and preserved jam oozing and bleeding across the top…)  It’ll be the real deal – a mouth-watering combination of butter/sour cream cake, topped with the most delicious cream cheese frosting.  And, this time, our fresh and juicy northwest berries will grace the top, in a most memorable (and tasty) rendition of our stars and stripes.

Monday –  finger-licking goodness

grilled fava beans (101 Cookbooks)
garlic roasted potatoes (Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties!)
grilled salmon with dill

This is a favorite veggie memory..my first ever delivery of fava beans.  I really had no idea what they were, or what possibly to do with them.  What I did know was that there were a lot, many pounds, staring me in the face.  I threw them in my car, en route to visit friends in Central OR, having read that one of the best and easiest fava bean preparations is simply to slather them with olive oil and salt, and throw them on the grill.  Luckily, my friends didn’t laugh at me (well, maybe just a bit), we did just as instructed, and really couldn’t believe the result.  I’m glad I delved in, as I’ve now come to really anticipate this annual treat.  This 101 Cookbooks is a great tutorial on grilled favas (not that there’s much tutorial needed…) but I would go a step further, agreeing with Katherine Deumling’s SIO blog info, that once they are grilled so they’re perfectly charred and blistered on both sides (which ensures they are steamed on the inside) there is no need to remove that skin surrounding each bean.  Just throw the huge platter of grilled favas on a giant platter, and let people go to town shelling their own, getting all of the oil, salt, and any other herbs and seasonings, all over their fingers. Obviously, an exception to the “no licking your fingers” rule is essential here! Try some crushed red pepper and fresh chopped mint mixed in after grilling – really, you’ll never turn away from fava beans again!  In my house, this could truly turn into a main meal, the platter of grilled favas and some grilled bread.  However, if  more of a full-meal-deal is called for, some simple garlic roasted potatoes and a piece of grilled salmon would fit the bill nicely.  Sprinkle the salmon with some of our fresh garlic and dill for the easiest of northwest delicacies.

Tuesday – tantalizing turnips

japanese turnips with miso (Katherine Deumling, SIO Blog Wk. 6 2013)
grilled teriyaki beef kabobs
rice

Yes, receiving three pounds of turnips can be a bit intimidating (deflating?). Even I think, “I’ve done turnips every-which-way…more?!?”.  But, yes indeed, there always seems to be another intriguing, untried idea out there. This one, with miso butter and some spinach, looks downright delicious and weeknight simple.  With some pre-made teriyaki beef kebobs (featured this week at New Seasons), and maybe some Bob’s Red Mill sweet brown rice, the turnips take on a wonderfully fresh, summer spin, that I think won’t make anyone turn their nose up at turnips.

Wednesday – more favas?!?

fava bean bruschetta (Katherine Deumling, SIO Blog Wk. 6 2013)
simple greek salad (Epicurious)

The beautiful photograph of this platter of bruschetta with fava beans, ricotta, lemon, garlic, onion, & just a little bacon made me immediately think “summer dinner”.  And any way I can use more of those fabulous favas, I’m in.  I’ll probably add a very simple greek salad with one of my heads of lettuce as a side.  Grilled chicken & red onion kebabs would be another great choice to go with this bruschetta.  Sadly, this could be the end of my favas this week.

Thursday –  berry bliss

wheat berry salad with dill and mozzarella (Mark Bittman)
baguette

Wheat berries are the true whole grain – they are the whole wheat kernel, before any amount of processing takes place. Packed with fiber, protein, and iron, wheat berries have a subtle nutty, earthy flavor and a nice chewy bite. They take a while to cook (inactive, boiling time – check package for directions), but are so worth it and make a great main dish!  Either boil them ahead of time, having them at-the-ready in the fridge, or substitute another favorite grain.   After the boiling time, this salad is a snap to put together, and perfect for an at-home or take-away picnic.  The salty, fresh mozzarella and the sweet dill will combine deliciously with nearly any veggie, so if you don’t have zucchini yet, make another favorite farm fresh choice.  You just can’t go wrong.

“What the Kale?!?”

Don’t panic and get out the compost bin if all of the sudden you have a giant veggie delivery coming your way, and you still have a fridge full.  Here are a few suggestions for preserving the bounty!  (Soups and stews freeze wonderfully in those gallon zip lock freezer bags.)

• fava bean dip (Simply Recipes); add goat cheese when ready to use
  
• spinach pesto (Real Simple)