Ground Cherry Salsa

Thank you to CSA member Rebecca for sharing her adaption of the following Cook's Illustrated recipe! She writes, "As long as it adds up to 3 cups, you can vary the proportion of ground cherries and tomatoes."

Ground Cherry Salsa
Ingredients

1 pound ripe ground cherries, halved or smaller (about 2 cups)
½ pound Roma or cherry tomatoes, diced (about 1 cup)
1 large jalapeno, seeds removed and finely minced
½ red onion, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon salt pinch ground pepper
2 to 6 teaspoons lime juice (1 to 2 limes)
sugar to taste (up to 1 teaspoon)

Directions

Place chopped tomatoes in a colander and let drain for 30 minutes. As they drain, layer ground cherries, jalapeno, onion, garlic, and cilantro on top. Shake colander to drain off excess juice; discard juice. Transfer to a bowl and add salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons lime juice. Toss to combine, taste, and add more lime juice and sugar to taste.

This salsa can be made 2 to 3 hours in advance, but hold off adding the salt, lime juice, and sugar till just before serving.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Beans and Rice

The following recipe is adapted from Health Food Lazy People blog.

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Beans and Rice
Ingredients
4 bell peppers
3 cups cooked rice
1 half can black beans
2 ears corn, shucked and kernels cut off the cobs (or can use ¾ cup frozen)
½ onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1¾ cups crushed tomatoes 1
cup cheese (your choice, but cheddar is delicious!)
¼ cup diced jalapenos (optional)
½ cup water
seasoning

Directions
1. Cook rice and set aside.
2. Cut the tops off of the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds. They need to be softened before being stuffed, so either steam them for a few minutes or boil them for about 8 minutes. They should soft but not floppy, able to stand up by themselves and hold their shape, but not crisp.
3. In a small fry pan, sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until the onions become translucent.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked rice, sautéed onions, garlic, jalapenos, black beans, corn, seasoning, and a ½ cup of cheese. Mix well.
5. When the peppers are softened, stand them upright in a baking dish and fill them with stuffing mixture and top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese.
6. Pour a ½ cup of water in the bottom of the dish around the peppers.
7. Set the oven to 350 degrees, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown.

Yukon Gold and Baby Spinach Masala

Mmm... I hope to make this recipe tonight with the pound of spinach in today's Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA share! This recipe is courtesy of the April 1, 2009 edition of Vegetarian Times. The author writes, "Serve with steamed rice, and a sweet-and-sour chutney, such as Fresh Mango Chutney (see Fresh Mango Chutney recipe on vegetariantimes.com)."

Yukon Gold and Baby Spinach Masala
Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes (4 cups)
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (1½ cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 jalapeño chile, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 13.5-oz. can light coconut milk
1 6-oz. bag baby spinach
1½ teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon lime juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Directions
1. Steam potatoes in steamer basket set over simmering water 10 minutes, or until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 8 minutes, or until soft and golden. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño, and sauté 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Add steamed potatoes, and sauté 1 to 2 minutes, to coat with spices. Add coconut milk and ¼ cup water, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken.
3. Stir in spinach, garam masala, and ¼ cup water, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Jalapeno Sauce

I wonder what people are doing with the bounty of jalapenos from this week. I wanted to do something with them before they wilt or go bad. I've decided that the best thing is to preserve them by making a pepper sauce. This blender sauce recipe is so simple and takes 10 minutes. I can't really claim to "make it up" on my own since it's pretty obvious. The best thing is that you get the freshness of fresh peppers and the bite of vinegar without the thickeners and preservatives.

6-8 jalapenos
1 lg yellow onion
2-3 cups white vinegar to top
Salt to taste

Prep jalapenos by cutting the stems off, slicing down the center and wiping out the seeds. Cut the ends off a yellow onion and remove the paper. Roughly chop the peppers and the onion.

Take equal proportions from the chopped jalapenos and onions and add to the blender. Top with enough white vinegar to near the level of the ingredients. (The vinegar is only a carrier and having less vinegar keeps the finished sauce thicker.) After adding about 2 teaspoons of salt, blend until everything was reasonably uniform. Pour into a jar and continue to the rest of the ingredients.

I usually have about 3 cups of jalapeno sauce when I'm done. I use this sauce as a finishing on stir fries or as a condiment at the table. This separates a bit so it's good to shake before using. I've kept mine for 4-5 weeks as I'm finishing it and have never had any problem with it.

Tip: Wash hands thoroughly and vigorously including under fingernails after handling hot peppers. You'll want to wash your cutting surfaces and knife as well.