This week your basket contains: potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli or raab, radishes, turnips (half shares), BEET THINNINGS (full shares), green elephant garlic, BOK CHOY, and salad mix (spinach, arugula, endive, lettuce & mustard greens).RHUBARB is ready!  You can order a bunch (approx. 1 lb) for $3. We also need egg cartons (no plastic, please).  Just place them in your empty basket for us.

We’ve included a survey and plant start order form in your basket today.  Plants will be delivered with your basket in mid-May or as they are ready for planting.

PAN-SEARED SEA BASS WITH BOK CHOY AND ORIENTAL NOODLES

1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 (5 ounce) skinless sea bass fillets

1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 (14-1/2 ounce) cans Oriental broth or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil

1 (5 ounce) package curly Chinese noodles
1 small head bok choy
1 8-ounce jar straw mushrooms, drained

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat sesame oil in a large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine the flour and ginger on a plate. Dip fish into flour mixture, turning to coat lightly. Cook in hot oil for 3 minutes per side or until fish is opaque. Transfer fish to four dinner plates with raised rims. Drizzle soy sauce over fish and place plates in the oven to keep warm while preparing noodles.   Add broth and, if desired, chili oil to the same skillet. Add noodles, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and stir the noodles to separate them. Reduce heat, cover, and continue to simmer for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, cut bok choy crosswise through stems and leaves into 1/4-inch slices. Stir into noodle mixture and increase heat to high. Stir in mushrooms, if desired. Cook, uncovered, for about 2 minutes or until noodles are tender (bok choy will be crisp-tender). Using a pot holder, remove plates from oven. Spoon noodle mixture alongside fish. Serve with additional soy sauce, if desired.   Makes 4 servings.  Adapted and reprinted from Twenty-Minute Chicken Dishes by Karen A. Levin.

GREEN GARLIC GNOCCHI

5 Tbsp. butter, divided

4 green garlics, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 tsp. salt, plus more for cooking water

15 oz. whole milk ricotta

3 eggs

1/2 cup flour

In a medium frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add green garlic and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. In a large bowl, stir ricotta and break up any lumps by mashing them against the side of the bowl. Add green garlic and stir to combine. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until light and foamy. Add eggs to ricotta mixture and stir to combine. Mix in flour. You should have a loose but thick dough. Cover and chill while you prepare the cooking water. Bring a large, wide pan of water to a boil. Add enough salt to make the water taste salty (about 1 Tbsp.) and reduce heat to maintain a steady simmer. Meanwhile, turn oven to 200° and melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter is a wide baking dish in the oven. Drop small spoonfuls of chilled ricotta mixture into the water, being careful not to crowd the pan. As they cook, the gnocchi will rise to the surface of the water and they must all be able to fit in a single layer. Poach until cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to dish with melted butter. Cover dish and return to oven to keep gnocchi wamr. Repeat with remaining batches until all batter is used. Serve gnocchi as soon as possible.

Any of the greens in your basket (including turnip or beet greens and bok choy) can be added to a salad.

PEAR SALAD DRESSING

2 pears

1/4-1/2 cup white wine

2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1 shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup rice wine or sherry vinegar

fresh thyme

3/4 cup olive oil

Peel, seed and rough chop pears and braise in wine until nearly all liquid is gone.  Put cooked pears in food processor or blender.  Add remaining ingredients, except olive oil, to processor or blender and mix until nearly smooth.  Add the olive oil in a steady stream while machine is on.  Add salt and ground pepper to taste.  Warm and serve over spinach to create a wilted salad or serve room temperature over salad greens.  Add more fresh ground pepper to salad, and if desired, roasted hazelnuts chopped and/or blue, goat or feta cheese.