Friday, July 22, 2011

CSA Newsletter 07.22.11

What an impressive heat wave this has been! Hope y’all have been able to stay cool. It’s salad weather for sure, and what veggie is more refreshing than the delicately sweet kohlrabi. Have you ever eaten this alien like veggie? It’s from the cabbage family and was a European favorite before broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus upstaged the mild vegetable with their pungent flavors. Kohlrabi’s German name, meaning cabbage turnip, comes from the western part of the country where Charlemagne aka Karl des Grosses, Emperor of Roman Empire 800 AD, ordered the brassica to be grown. Commonly served in Indian cuisine, it also gained popularity in North Africa and China. Kohlrabi is common in the southern US, but only recently has it gained momentum in our area. It has many nutritional attributes; very high in fiber, low calories, and 245 grams of potassium per half cup. We usually eat them raw, peeled and sliced, or added to a salad. Try it cooked too!

In your box this week:
-Red Norland Potatoes
-Head Lettuce
-Kohlrabi
-Red Stem Turnips
-Summer Squash
-Topped Salad Turnips

Kohlrabi & Squash Empanadas
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated
2 medium kohlrabies, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large summer squash, cut into small cubes
2 large scallions, both white and green parts, finely cut
1 radish, minced (optional)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 box of pre-made pie crust or one batch homemade
1 egg
In a medium skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger to brown.
Add kohlrabi cubes, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Toss well and cook 3 or 4 minutes until kohlrabi are softening a bit. Add squash cubes and continue to cook for 4 more minutes. Add scallions, radish, nutmeg and another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for one minute before removing from heat. Set mixture to this side to cool.

Roll out dough to be a little thinner than pie crust typically is. If you are using pre-made crust from the store, run your rolling pin over it once or twice. Using a cereal bowl or large circular cookie cutter, cut out 6 inch-ish circles from the dough. It should yield about 15, give or take depending on your cutter and dough thickness.

Pre-heat oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Prepare egg wash by beating egg with a teaspoon of water and set to the side along with a small bowl of water.
To make the empanadas, spoon one tablespoon of kohlrabi and squash mixture into the center of a circle of dough. (It’s better to have less filling than too much or the empanadas won’t hold together. Feel out the right ratio that allows you to close off the dough without any filling popping out.) Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it around the outside edge of the dough. Fold dough over the filling to create a half circle. Press down edges. Carefully pick up the dough pocket and pinch edges (see photo) to seal them tightly. A fork can also be used to crimp the edges if you want a less tedious method.

Repeat above process to finish all the empanadas, laying them on the lined cookie sheet when done. With a fork, prick the tops once and brush with egg wash. Bake for 8 minutes and turn over. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes until deep golden brown and flaky. Best served straight from the oven.

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." — Julia Child


~Matt and Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew

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