Lots of good recipes this week! - Debbie

I guess we need at least one red cabbage recipe here, but remember there are other good ones on the recipe page of the website.

Red Cabbage Slaw
from Taqueria Gila Monster Restaurant
makes 3 – 4 quarts

1 head red cabbage
1 lb. carrots
1 bunch cilantro
1/3 C freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 C apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. ancho chili powder

Quarter and core red cabbage. Slice thinly by hand or in a food processor. Peel and grate carrots. Chop cilantro. Toss all ingredients. Let stand one hour before serving. Toss again. Serve as a garnish for tacos, as a side dish for sandwiches, or as a picnic salad.

The following recipe was recommended to me last year by fellow CSA member Sue Burnham. I've made it and it's easy and delicious, and since we've been getting lots of peppers, it seemed like the ideal candidate for the newsletter!

Pepper Sauce
excerpted from Enchanted Broccoli Forest

6 medium-sized peppers, assorted colors
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried thyme
3 cloves garlic
freshly ground black pepper and crushed red pepper, to taste
1 - 2 tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 C tomatoes (optional)

Remove stems, seeds and inner membranes (ribs) from peppers then cut into long strips. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven. Add peppers, salt and herbs and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes until just barely tender. Add garlic, cook 5 more minutes. Stir in ground black and crushed dried red peppers and vinegar to taste. Serve over pasta or rice, or room temperature over thick slices of sourdough bread!

Preparation tip: if serving over pasta, start pasta water boiling as you begin the sauce – it cooks up pretty quickly.

I liked the sound of this one since we're getting lemons this week!

Chard stuffed with lemon rice
(from an undated SJ Merc. clipping)
serves 8 as a side dish

Salt
8 large chard leaves, stems cut away at the bottom
1 C arborio rice
1 large egg yolk
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. lemon juice
(preparation tip: remember to zest the lemon before you juice it!! – Debbie)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
16 large sage leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tsp. salt and the chard leaves. Cook just until chard is tender, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer chard to a clean kitchen towel. Lay chard flat and blot dry. Cool completely. Add rice to pot with boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes (water will not be all absorbed). While rice is cooking, whisk egg yolk, cheese, lemon zest and juice together in a small bowl. When rice is tender, drain and return to pot. Stir in egg mixture until rice is evenly coated. Add 1 tbsp. butter, stir to melt/distribute, and add salt to taste. Cool rice mixture for several minutes. Place 1/3 C rice mixture in center of each chard leaf. Fold edges over to seal and make neat bundles. Heat remaining 3 tbsp. butter and sage in a large skillet over medium heat. When sage leaves are lightly crisped, use a fork to transfer them to a small plate. Add chard bundles to empty pan, seam side down, and sauté, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer chard bundles to a serving platter, and garnish with fried sage leaves. Serve immediately.