Beet, Carrot, and Apple Slaw

A delicious, light taste of warmer weather with seasonal fruits and vegetables.  Serve it plain or over greens.

Ingredients:

1 golden or chiogga beet (red beets will die the whole slaw red); peeled and julienned
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1/2 apple (such as gala), julienned
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
salt and pepper to taste
spinach or similar green, washed and torn into pieces (optional)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Method:

1. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a non reactive bowl.  Whisk to dissolve sugar.

2.  Add julienned vegetables to dressing and allow to sit at room temperature (the longer they marinate, the tastier, but they absorb plenty of flavor in 20 minutes or so).

3.  Serve as is, or, if you prefer as a salad, drain and reserve the extra dressing.  Slowly whisk in olive oil to form an emulsified vinaigrette.  Season greens with salt and pepper and dress in the dressing.  Serve topped with slaw.  

Green Lemonade and Green Smoothie Goodness

These are three recipes I make on a regular basis and really love! I have the vegetable juice every morning however the smoothies are a great alternative. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Green Lemonade

-1/2 head of celery
-1/2 cucumber
-1 handful to 3 cups of spinach (any greens will work)
-1 lemon, rind removed
-1 green apple (optional)

Although there are many different types of juicers, this order will work well for all of them to get the most juice out of your vegetables.

First juice the spinach, followed by a few stalks of celery. Then add in the lemon, and cucumber, using celery in between to help things continue to move through the juicer. Finally add in the apple and drink up!

Green Smoothie (Fruity)

-1 to 3 cups greens (spinach is the most mild and makes the smoothie silky)
-1 banana
-1 fresh mango - diced
-1/2 cup water - more or less for desired thickness

Place the greens in the blender first along with the water and then add the banana and mango on top. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Green Superfood Smoothie

This recipe is adapted from Raw Model and is so addictively delicious!

-2 cups milk of choice (raw dairy, almond, hemp, coconut etc) I prefer almond or hemp here
-2-3 cups of greens - spinach, kale, watercress, mizuna
-1-3 tbsp bee pollen - local if you can find it!
-1 - 2 tbsp raw honey - to taste depending on how bitter the greens are

Blend greens, milk and honey until smooth then add in Bee pollen and blend lightly.  Enjoy!

Cabbage and Apple Casserole

This recipe was submitted by CSA shareholder Jamie, from Wilmington, DE, from one of her favorite cookbooks - The Vegetarian Cookbook, edited Nicola Graimes and published in June of 2007.

Cabbage and Apple Casserole
Ingredients

1½ pounds red or green cabbage

3 onions, chopped

2 fennel bulbs, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons caraway seeds

3 large tart eating apples or 1 large cooking apple (Jamie prefers granny smith apples)

1¼ cups plain yogurt

1 tablespoon creamed horseradish

salt and pepper

crusty rye bread to serve

Directions

1. Preheat Oven to 300 degrees.

2. Shred cabbage, discard tough stalks. Mix with onions, fennel and caraway seeds in a large bowl Peel core and chop the apples and add to cabbage mix. Transfer to a casserole dish and set aside.

3. Mix the yogurt with the creamed horseradish. Stir the yogurt and horseradish mixture into the casserole, season with salt and pepper and tightly cover.

4. Bake for 1½ hours, stirring once or twice during cooking.

5. Serve with rye bread.

Green Smoothies

Green smoothies made by Harlem CSA Shareholders!

CSA Shareholder Meryl presented a demo on Green Smoothies to fellow CSA shareholders in Harlem, NY during pick-up last week. She writes, "Green smoothies are super easy to make, and quick to clean up after. Preparing a pitcher of green smoothie takes less than five minutes, including cleaning. And they're a great way to use up all the produce in your share. While fresh is always best, green smoothies will keep in cool temperatures for up to three days." Click here for an article on the health benefits of green smoothies.

Green Smoothies
Savory Option #1 (Meryl's favorite!):
5 leaves kale or 2 handfuls of spinach
½ bunch cilantro
½ avocado
½ red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 medium tomatoes
½ lime-juiced
Salt to taste
2 cups of water

Sweet Option #1:
½ bunch romaine lettuce or 5 leaves chard
1 mango
1 sweet apple (no Granny Smith for this)
1 banana
2 cups of water or 1½ cups water and 4 ice cubes

Sweet Option #2:
½ bunch Romaine or red leaf lettuce
1 cup strawberries
2 bananas
2 cups of water or 1½ cups water and 4 ice cubes

Sweet Option #3:
6 leaves kale
4 ripe pears or sweet apples
½ bunch mint
2 cups of water or 1½ cups water and 4 ice cubes

Directions for all:
Cut up all ingredients into small pieces (lettuce can be ripped). Add all to blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Recipes yield about 1 quart of smoothie.

Mulligatawny

This recipe comes from Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé, originally published in 1971. Lappé writes that this dish is “delicious and easy to make—the longer it cooks, the better it tastes.”

Mulligatawny
Makes 2 quarts

Ingredients
3 to 4 tablespoons margarine
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 small- to medium-sized turnip or parsnip, grated
2 apples, cored and chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons parsley
5 cups water
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
salt or vegetable seasoning powder to taste

Directions
Heat margarine in a large pot and sauté onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Add carrot, celery, green pepper, turnip, apple, curry powder, tomato paste, parsley, and water and cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Purée beans in a blender until smooth and add to soup pot, with more water if the soup is too thick. Taste for salt and spices. Heat through and serve or continue to simmer, the longer the better.

Bourbon Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole with a Pecan Crust

This recipe comes from the November 2010 edition of Fine Cooking. The author writes,
“This dish is nothing like the marshmallow-topped Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole of old. Sautéed apples, a crunchy pecan crust, and spicy mashed sweet potatoes make for a sophisticated update.”

Bourbon Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole with a Pecan Crust
Serves 8

Ingredients
3 to 3¼ pounds sweet potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
4 ounces toasted and very finely chopped pecans (about 1 cup)
1⅓ cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
8 ¼-inch-thick slices fresh ginger, unpeeled and crushed
2 whole star anise
1 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons bourbon
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1¾ pounds apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced

Directions
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake them on the sheet until completely tender when pierced with a fork, 55 to 60 minutes. Let rest until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Discard the sweet potato skins and put the flesh in a medium mixing bowl. With a potato masher, work the sweet potatoes until they’re well mashed (they don’t have to be perfectly smooth). Set aside.
2. Now prepare the crumb topping. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and combine with the pecans, breadcrumbs, parsley, and two big pinches of salt in a small bowl. Set aside
3. Combine heavy cream, ginger, star anise, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a full boil (watch carefully so that it doesn’t boil over) and remove from the heat immediately. Let steep for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a liquid measuring cup, pressing down on the solids with a spatula to extract all of the liquid. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the bourbon, the vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
4. In a skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, season with ¼ teaspoon salt, and toss well. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, 8 to 9 minutes. Lower the heat if the apples are getting too dark, but not so much that they soften without browning. Turn off the heat, carefully add the remaining 2 teaspoons bourbon and stir until it evaporates, a few seconds. Pour in ⅓ cup of the infused cream and stir until the apples have absorbed most of it, a few more seconds. Set the pan aside and let the apples cool for about 15 minutes, turning them occasionally to release steam.
5. Butter a shallow 9x13-inch baking dish. Add the remaining cream to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt. Arrange the apples across the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the sweet potato mixture over the apples in an even layer. Top with the pecan-crumb mixture. Bake the casserole at 375 degrees until the crumb topping is dark brown (it will be browner around the edges) and the casserole is heated through, about 25 minutes.

Arugula and Carrot with Pumpkin Dressing

I think the stars of this show are the amazing baby arugula that we got last week and, yum, puree of pumpkin. One of the fun things, ahem challenges, of a CSA are working with things that stretch you. This salad came about when I realized that I needed to use up a large bag of arugula and several root vegetables. My wife had a can of pumpkin puree open to make some cupcakes. After going back and forth a bit I ended up with this perfect salad for a crisp autumn day.

Dressing
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Salad
1 large handful of fresh young peppery arugula
1 medium sized carrot (about 4 inches)
Optional: 1/4 small apple and 1/4 red bell pepper
Pumpkin seeds for crunch. Can substitute home made croutons.

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve immediately. The carrots we had happened to be purple carrots so I had a wonderful and unexpected contrast of colors. Other contrast are the sweetness of the dressing with the pepperiness of the arugula and the textures of velvet pumpkin and crisp arugula and crunch of carrots.

Sweet-n-Spicy Latkes

Another delicious-looking recipe submitted by a Harlem CSA shareholder! Thank you to Meadow for sharing the following recipe. Meadow suggests serving this with applesauce or sour cream.

Sweet-n-Spicy Latkes
Ingredients
2 cups potatoes, peeled, shredded, and squeezed through a cheesecloth to remove excess water
2 daikon radishes, peeled and shredded
2 apples, peeled, shredded and squeezed through a cheesecloth to remove excess water
1 small-medium white onion, finely chopped
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg, beaten
¼ to ½ cup cornmeal and/or flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
salt and pepper

Directions
Heat pan coated with ¼-inch of oil. Mix shredded potato, apple, daikon, onion and egg together in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add to potato mixture. Form into patties and fry about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Place on paper towel-lined plate to cool. Season with salt and pepper. Eat while hot and crispy!

Harlem Seeds Candied Apples

Candied Apples prepared by Harlem CSA members!

The Friday before Halloween, Harlem CSA members picked up their shares—as well as some tasty, healthy treated prepared with Lancaster Farm Fresh ingredients! The following recipe is just one of the many treats sampled, courtesy of CSA shareholder Rosalind.

Harlem Seeds Candied Apples
Ingredients
1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil
10 small- to medium-sized apples
½ lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark agave syrup
1 to 1½ tsp. cinnamon
shredded coconut (optional)
sliced almonds (optional)
granola (optional)
extra agave syrup (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 to 425 degrees. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil, covering the bottom of the pan so that the apples won’t stick. Slice the apples into ⅛-inch-thick slices. (If you want to slice the apples thicker, that’s fine, but try to keep all slices a standard size so that they’ll roast evenly.) Put the apples on the pan, spreading them out evenly. Squeeze the lemon juice on top, to both prevent browning and to add a little flavor. Spread the vanilla extract, cinnamon and agave syrup over the apples and toss. (Use your judgment; if you think the apples need more of any ingredient, add it.) Put in the oven for about 25 minutes, checking halfway through and turning the apples with a spatula. Roasting brings out the sweetness in fruits and vegetables, and you’ll know that the apples are done when you begin to smell them. Take them out when they’re not yet mushy but you can put a toothpick through them; you don’t want them falling apart. Let cool. Then recruit helpers to choose their sprinkles: coconut, almonds, granola or agave. Note: If you need to make this recipe fast, up the oven temperature to 450 to 475 degrees or put the apples under the broiler.

Apple Barley Pilaf

This recipe is adapted from this week's Local Harvest newsletter (http://www.localharvest.org/newsletter/20101021/). Program director Erin Barrett credits Cynthia Chiles from Chiles Peach Orchard, VA for this "savory new way to get our apple fix." Enjoy!

Apple Barley Pilaf
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup uncooked barley
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 large Fuji, Golden Delicious, or York apples, cored and finely chopped

Directions
In a large skillet with a tight fitting lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and barley; cook, stirring until golden. Add broth, raisins, and thyme to barley mixture. Heat to boil; reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 40 to 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Fold apples and parsley into barley mixture; cook 5 more minutes. Taste for salt, and serve.

Best Ever Apple Pie

Best Ever Apple Pie
(Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker, originally published in 1931)

Crust
Cut 6 tablespoons of butter into a cup of flour, then add grated lemon peel (to taste), 1 heaping tablespoon of sugar, a dash of salt, and 1 egg yolk (put aside egg white). Mix together and add cold water, frisking it in with a fork, until the dough just sticks together. Put it in a plastic bag and refrigerate so it gets all cold.

Filling
Peel and slice apples into a bowl. Add the juice of 3 lemons, 1 grated lemon peel, and a ½ cup of brown sugar. Let sit for 1 hour. Pour off the majority of the liquid into a separate bowl, and add a 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the apple mixture.

Directions
1) Roll out the dough on a floured board, slide it into a pie pan, and brush the whole thing with the raw egg whites.
2) Put it into a pre-heated 450° oven for about 10 minutes, or less—just to harden the egg white and make a non-porous surface for all the juicy apples, but don't brown the crust too much!
3) Turn the oven down to 300° or 350° and let crust cool a bit. Lay the apple mixture in the pie crust in a pleasing way (!) and top with tiny pats of butter here and there and about 2 tbsp of brown sugar.
4) Bake until the apples are a bit soft and the crust is browned but not burned—I cover it with aluminum foil at a certain point because the crust starts to burn before the apples are soft.
5) Meanwhile, put the reserved apple mixture liquid into a small saucepan. Add 1 and a ½ (or so) tablespoons cornstarch and stir slowly over a low flame until the sauce starts to thicken, then pour it over the pie. If it gets too thick, just add a little bit of water or lemon juice. Be careful when adding the cornstarch to the liquid mixture—if you add too quickly without stirring the liquid will clump up into balls.
6) Serve and enjoy!

Baked Apples

This is my absolute favorite fall dessert—enjoy!

Baked Apples
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 sweet-tart apples
brown sugar
cinnamon
raisins

Directions
Place cored apples in a glass baking dish. Fill hollowed centers with packed brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon. Fill baking dish with water—water should cover the bottom half of the apples. Bake in a 350° oven until apples have reached desired softness.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Harvest Apples

Another fall favorite, adapted from MyRecipes.com, September 2004.

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Harvest Apples
Serves 6

Ingredients
4 to 5 baked apples
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 pork tenderloin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
½ cup white wine, apple juice, or apple cider
1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Season tenderloin with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Cook onion in skillet 5 minutes. Turn heat to high, and add wine, juice, or cider; cook about 2 minutes, scraping bottom of skillet. Stir in cream or milk, mustard, and rosemary.
3. Pour cream mixture over tenderloin, and bake at 350°, basting occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155°. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. (The pork will continue to cook.) Slice into 1/2- to 3/4-inch slices, and serve with baked apples and mustard cream sauce.