Guest Post from Megan Wicks:
Happy July, East Nashville friends!
This week, my market shopping included a CSA box from Delvin Farms and (again) milk fromHatcher’s Dairy. I’m always impressed with the folks at the market and their cheerful demeanor despite the heat or, in the case of this week, the rain. Here’s what was in my box this week:
This week, my market shopping included a CSA box from Delvin Farms and (again) milk fromHatcher’s Dairy. I’m always impressed with the folks at the market and their cheerful demeanor despite the heat or, in the case of this week, the rain. Here’s what was in my box this week:
Medium green cabbage
Cucumbers
One gorgeous zucchini
Green bell peppers
Kale
Eggplant
Corn
Potatoes
Gorgeous tomatoes – some slicing, golden, and either roma or plum (I’m not excellent at differentiating tomatoes – I should ask)
My husband’s favorite part of the cache this week is definitely the cantaloupe – he is a huge fan of summer fruit, and Delvin has provided him with some beautiful specimens this summer. He’s been known to just scoop the seeds out of half a melon and sit down to the rest with a spoon!
Corn might be among the easiest to prepare. If you want to keep it on the cob, you have several options:
•The most common would be to boil it. I think the trick is to add a teaspoon or two of sugar to a few quarts of water (whatever size pot fits the number of ears you’re preparing. Remove the husk and all the corn silk from the ears (twisting your hand around the ears briskly can help with removing the silk). Bring to a boil for no more than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before removing the corn.
•To grill your corn, you can carefully peel back the husks (not removing – it will just look like you turned the husk inside out) and remove the silk from the ear. Once the silk is removed, pull the husks gently back up around the kernels. Some people soak the husks for a few minutes in water, but I usually skip that step. Place the ears on the top rack of your grill for 15 to 20 minutes. You can let them cook like you do burgers, steaks, or whatever else you like to grill. The husks will char, and the corn will be perfectly cooked. Careful though – they need time to cool before you can remove the husks!
•Microwaving is another option when it comes to corn on the cob. If you’re like me, and you’re the only one in the family who likes corn (no, I do not know how this is possible), this is an ideal way to quickly prepare an ear of corn for just yourself. It also comes in handy when preparing corn for yourself at the workplace. Peel back the husks and remove the silk as you would in the instructions above for grilling. Pull the husk gently back into place, and place the ear of corn in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. It will steam inside the husk and come out perfectly tender. This is another preparation where you might want to wait a minute or two before removing the husk – otherwise, you risk a steam burn.
For the tomatoes, when the batches start getting larger, I start putting up tomato sauce. Everyone in our little family likes tomato sauce, and I’m the only one who likes them any other way. (They’re delicious roasted, on sandwiches, in caprese salad or orzo pasta salad . . . I could go on and on!) Perhaps in an upcoming post, I will.
However, I’m going to give you a quick versions of tomato sauce today. Personally, I usually blanche the tomatoes to remove the skin, but when my husband and I were dating, he taught me that you can just core the tomato or remove the stem area, and put the whole thing in the blender for a must faster puree. While the puree is processing, sauté a minced clove of garlic and a finely chopped small onion in olive oil until fragrant in a sauce pan or a pot. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Once you’ve pureed the amount of tomatoes you need (keep in mind that you’re going to lose about a third of the volume of the puree), transfer the puree to the pot on the stove. Stir gently to incorporate the garlic and onion. At this point, you can add fresh or dried herbs to taste. I like oregano, rosemary, and basil. The hubs likes to add dill. There are ready made “Italian seasoning” herb mixes at most grocery stores if that’s easier for you. Salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer until the puree reduces to the thickness you prefer. This will create a very smooth sauce that can be used on pasta or as a pizza sauce. When using it for pasta, I like to dress it up with slice mushrooms, dices squash and zucchini, and/or some chopped fresh spinach. Experiment with different veggies in your pasta, and find out what you like!
However, I’m going to give you a quick versions of tomato sauce today. Personally, I usually blanche the tomatoes to remove the skin, but when my husband and I were dating, he taught me that you can just core the tomato or remove the stem area, and put the whole thing in the blender for a must faster puree. While the puree is processing, sauté a minced clove of garlic and a finely chopped small onion in olive oil until fragrant in a sauce pan or a pot. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Once you’ve pureed the amount of tomatoes you need (keep in mind that you’re going to lose about a third of the volume of the puree), transfer the puree to the pot on the stove. Stir gently to incorporate the garlic and onion. At this point, you can add fresh or dried herbs to taste. I like oregano, rosemary, and basil. The hubs likes to add dill. There are ready made “Italian seasoning” herb mixes at most grocery stores if that’s easier for you. Salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer until the puree reduces to the thickness you prefer. This will create a very smooth sauce that can be used on pasta or as a pizza sauce. When using it for pasta, I like to dress it up with slice mushrooms, dices squash and zucchini, and/or some chopped fresh spinach. Experiment with different veggies in your pasta, and find out what you like!
No comments:
Post a Comment