This week your basket contains: GREEN ELEPHANT GARLIC, potatoes, turnips, radishes, lettuce mix, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, and purple sprouting broccoli or cauliflower.

Thank you to everyone who has let us know their renewal plans for the coming year.  If you have not returned your renewal for to us yet, please do so this week.  Deposits and/or full payments are not due until May 15^th (but are welcome now as well!)

Green elephant garlic is a mild version of the bulb garlic that will develop over the next couple of months.  You can use it any way you would regular garlic or a leek (you can make a killer potato leek soup with green garlic).  With the spinach and/or arugula in your basket this week this recipe is perfect.

SPINACH, GREEN GARLIC AND MUSHROOM PIE

¾ Lb spinach and/or other greens

1 cup sliced green garlic

2 Tbs olive oil

2 eggs

1 Lb ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups chopped onion

½ Lb oyster (or other) mushrooms

2 Tbs vermouth

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a dough as you would for pizza crust.  Chop the spinach coarsely.  In a heavy pan, sauté the garlic in 1 Tbs of olive oil until limp.  Add the spinach with some salt and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilted and the water it releases is boiled off.  Remove from heat and toss with the lemon juice.  Beat one egg into the ricotta along with the parmesan cheese and mix with the cooked spinach mixture.  In another pan, sauté the onion in the remaining olive oil until it begins to brown.  Add mushroom and continue cooking until they begin to brown.  Add salt, pepper and vermouth and stir until the vermouth evaporates.  Lightly oil a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Roll out the dough to about 15×20 inches and place on cookie sheet.  Spread the Ricotta and spinach mixture onto the dough leaving approx. 3 inches around the edges and cover the cooked mushrooms over the spinach.  Pull the edges of the dough over the filling and fold together.  Beat the remaining egg with a spoonful of oil and brush onto the dough.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes.  When it is fully cooked, allow it to cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges for serving.

PASTA WITH ARUGULA AND GOAT CHEESE SAUCE

1 bunch of fresh arugula
4 springs fresh parsley
1 8 ounce container low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
S and P to taste
1 pound fusilli noodles
Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish

Before preparing sauce, fill a large pot with water, and bring the water to a boil. Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley. Dry thoroughly. Trim and chop both the arugula and the parsley. Place the arugula and the parsley in a food processor. Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four serving dishes. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some cheese to each dish. Serve immediately. From A Complete Menu Cookbook for All Occasions by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette

With the abundance of radish this week, this is the perfect recipe.  You could also use the turnips and their greens.

RADISH TOP SOUP

4 Tbsp butter

1 cup chopped onions or leek

8 cups loose packed radish leaves

2 cups diced peeled potatoes

6 cups water or stock

salt

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

Fresh ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan, add onions or leeks and cook until golden, approx. 5 minutes.  Stir in radish tops and cover pan.  Cook over low heat until wilted, 8-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook potatoes until soft in stock along with 1 tsp. salt.  Combine with radish tops and cook, covered, for 5 minutes to mingle flavors.  Puree finely in food processor or food mill.  Add heavy cream if desired.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot or cold.  Note: less butter can be used and cream is unnecessary.  We add whole radishes to the potatoes for more radish flavor.  Serves 4-6.  Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash.

RHUBARB is ready! We can send you enough for a pie (approx.. 1 Lb.) for only $3.  Email your order now!