Shishito Pepper Pickles

 These recipes can be used for other vegetables.

Pickled Shishito Peppers

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cups water

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 tablespoons honey or sugar

2 tablespoons coriander seeds or pickling spices

1 pound shishito peppers, sliced crosswise into rings

1 green onion, sliced 

 

Boil two 8-ounce mason jars in boiling water to cleanse them. Let them air dry completely.

In a saucepan over high heat, bring the vinegar, water, garlic, peppercorns, salt, honey or sugar and coriander seeds to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and boil for 5-8 minutes.

Take the brine off of the heat and add in the shishitos and green onion. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes, then spoon the mixture into the clean jars, seal the jars and let them cool to room temperature. (The lids will pop as they cool, which will mean that they are sealed properly).

Once the peppers have cooled, place them in the refrigerator. Let the peppers sit for a week or so to let the flavors meld. Serve on sandwiches, on a cheese platter or spice up a salad. 

 

 

Easy Quick Pickled Shishito Peppers

Serve with black beans, tacos, chili, salads, or spice up your hummus.

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb shishito peppers sliced thin
• 1-2 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions

• Grab a pint jar and add 1 tsp salt to it.
• Add sliced peppers, garlic, vinegar and water. Add another tsp of salt.
• Add enough water to cover the peppers. Close the lid and shake it like you mean it.
• Place in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Notes

If your peppers are hot, you are going to want to wear gloves. Shishito peppers are generally mild but others may not be. Pickling is versatile. Throw anything in the jar: sugar (if you like it sweeter) garlic, herbs, spices, onions, etc… Use any kind of pepper: jalapeño, banana, serrano, habanero, etc… To tangy for your taste? Add less vinegar and more water next time. 

How To Pickle Shishito Peppers

The steps for pickling shishitos are simple and can be used to pickle a variety of foods. Use these steps to try pickling cucumbers, other peppers or any other crunchy veggies from the garden!

Ingredients:

• 20 Shishito Peppers
• 1 cup Water
• 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 2 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns
• 1 tsp Mustard Seed
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
  

 Instructions

• Sterilize the jar by boiling for 10 minutes.
• Clean the peppers under cold water.
• Slice the shishito peppers into 1/4 inch thick rounds, discarding the stems.
• Fill the jar with sliced peppers, leaving 1/2 inch of room at the top.
• Combine the remaining ingredients (brine) in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.
• Once a rolling boil is reached, remove brine from heat.
• Carefully pour the hot brine over the peppers into the glass jar. Use a ladle if your pan is not pour-friendly.
• Seal the jars and shake to combine all the ingredients.
• Store in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 weeks once opened.

Notes

This brine recipe can be used to pickle other vegetables, such as jalapenos, cucumbers or any other stiff veggies from the garden.

Chinese Pink Celery

 Small, leafy, and aromatic, Chinese celery grows in a rosette stemming from the base of its roots. Fragrant, this ancient Asian vegetable-herb has hollow, thin crispy stems and delicate wispy leaves. Rarely eaten raw, its flavor is pungent and slightly peppery. Cooking sweetens and tames its taste, while softening its texture. 

Pungent and peppery, Chinese celery tastes similar to regular celery, only much stronger - it is rarely eaten raw. Toss in stir-fries, fried rice dishes or vegetable sautés. Pair with ham, lamb, chicken, turkey or game entrées. To store, place in a perforated plastic bag; refrigerate. Do not wash until ready to use. To clean, rinse quickly under water. Gently shake off excess water; pat dry.

Barese Chard

 Barese Swiss chard is chard bred to grow and look like bok choy. If you’re a gardener know that flea beetles love bok choy. Holes in produce does not bother us, but the holes don’t settle as well with everyone else. So, what’s nice about Barese is that bugs don’t like Swiss chard. We can grow something very similar to bok choy, but not have to worry about flea beetles.

The leaves taste like bok choy and the stems like Swiss chard. As for cooking, you can cook it any way you would Swiss chard or bok choy.

Barese Chard Stir Fry

Do not have some of these ingredients, no problem just use what you have in the frig. No noodles, use rice or other grain.

• 1 carrot, cut on the bias
• 1 portobello mushroom, sliced
• 1 bunch mini broccoli, including leaves, cut into large pieces
• 1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise and then in 1/2 inch pieces
• 6 garlic scapes, cut into 1 inch pieces, or garlic clove
  
• 4 scallion, white ends cut on the bias – reserve and chop greens to top the finished stir fry
• Handful of snow peas
• 1 head barese Swiss chard, rough chopped
• 4 leaves from a large Napa cabbage, rough chopped
• 2-4 Tablespoons canola or peanut oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp Sambal Eolek (chili paste)
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 heaping tsp grated ginger
• 1 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 package soba noodles

Directions

1. Cook soba noodles according to directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare all vegetables.
3. Mix together soy sauce through grated ginger. Taste and adjust to your liking. Stir in corn starch making sure there are no lumps. Set aside.
4. Heat a wok or large stock pot over high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons oil and swirl to coat wok/pan.
5. Add carrot and stir fry for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and stir fry for another minute. Add broccoli, zucchini, garlic scapes, and scallions. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add peas, barese Swiss chard, and Napa cabbage. Stir fry until greens wilt. Add oil at any point when pan gets dry.
6. Add soy sauce mixture and stir fry until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
7. Place soba noodles in a bowl and spoon vegetable stir fry on top. Finish with scallions.
   

Barese Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Filling

 This filling can go into ravioli but it can also be used a number of other ways. Spread it on some bread and make an amazing grilled sandwich. Toss it with hot penne pasta for a tasty dinner. Warm it in a small ramekin dish to make a savory dip for crispy crostini.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup potato, cooked and rough smashed
• 1 cup barese Swiss chard, blanched, water squeezed out, and chopped
• 1/2 cup Spanish chorizo, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoon onion, minced
• 1 Tablespoon parsley, minced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add onion and saute for a couple minutes until softened. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add parsley, chorizo, Swiss chard, and potato. Cook through. Set aside to cool.
3. Once cooled completely, stir in goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
4. At this point, you can stuff your ravioli, make your grilled sandwich, or whatever you plan to do with the filling and enjoy!

 

Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scapes
Scapes grow from hardneck garlic bulbs, and farmers trim them because they draw energy away from the forming bulbs. They taste sweet, like a chive or scallion with a milder but familiar garlicky zing. Finely sliced, scapes can be used just the same as garlic cloves: sautéed with vegetables, puréed into pesto and hummus, roasted with meats and vegetables.
To store and prep your scapes:
• Scapes couldn't be more low-maintenance. They rarely have a speck of dirt on them, and they will keep for weeks (months!) tucked in a bag in your vegetable drawer.
• Before using them, cut off the stringy, fibrous tip from the flower end, and trim off the very bottom of the stem.
More ideas for cooking your scapes:
• Use scapes just as you would garlic, finely chopped (though not necessarily minced as you typically would with garlic) and sautéed in butter or olive oil. Make a summery sauté with scapes, zucchini, onions, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes -- any of your favorite summer vegetables. Top pizza with sautéed scapes and the garlicky olive oil you sautéed them in.
• Add scapes to your scrambled eggs: finely chop one garlic scape; sauté over low heat in butter until slightly tender and scrape out of the pan; scramble two eggs in the pan with more butter if needed; add scapes back, plus a pinch of salt, and a small handful of grated cheese; season with lots of pepper and serve with toast.
• Purée the scapes raw and add to hummus, pesto, aioli, and mayonnaise.
• When scapes are steamed until tender, their resemblance to green beans is striking. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil or butter. Lightly stir frying is also nice.
• Cut them into 6-inch lengths, and pickle them with spices (mustard seeds, peppercorns, fennel seed, cumin) and a vinegar-salt-sugar mix.
• Just as you would chives or scallions, finely chop scapes and bake them into savory biscuits, muffins, or scones.
• Scapes can be grilled but be careful: they quickly turn from brown and caramelized to burnt and inedible. Trim the ends of the scapes as described above. Toss scapes with olive oil and salt, and grill over high heat -- no more than 4 minutes total.
• Finally, because scapes are milder than garlic, they can be chopped and added raw to any salad or slaw.

From another source:

There's nothing better than returning from the farmers market to transform a bunch of garlic scapes into tempura-battered appetizer—complete with a sidecar of garlic aioli. This time of year, bags filled with the serpentine stems can be found everywhere at farmers' markets, and unlike many of the fleeting jewels of summer, garlic scapes are a bargain. 

Garlic scapes grow from hardneck garlic bulbs, and farmers trim them because they draw energy away from the forming bulbs. They taste sweet, like a chive or scallion, with a more mild—but familiar—garlicky zing. Finely sliced, scapes can be used just the same as garlic cloves, such as sautéed with vegetables, puréed into pesto and hummus, or roasted with meats and vegetables.

They also can be lightly battered and fried, which tempers their pungency, giving them almost a green bean quality, both in taste and texture. When fried, moreover, scapes become more than just a flavor enhancement—they can be the main show, too. A one-pound bag of scapes, trimmed into six-inch lengths and fried in small batches, will definitely feed a crowd.

How to Store Garlic Scapes

Scapes couldn't be more low-maintenance. They rarely have a speck of dirt on them, and they will keep for weeks (even months!) tucked in a bag in your vegetable drawer. Before using them, cut off the stringy, fibrous tip from the flower end, and trim off the very bottom of the stem.

How to Use Garlic Scapes

Use scapes just as you would garlic, finely chopped (though not necessarily minced as you typically would with garlic) and sautéed in butter or olive oil. Make a summary sauté with scapes, zucchini, onions, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes—any of your favorite summer vegetables. Come Friday night, why not top a pizza with sautéed scapes and the garlicky olive oil that you sautéed them in?

 

You can also treat garlic scapes as you would chives or scallions—finely chop them and use as a garnish, or fold them into the batter for savory biscuits, muffins, or scones, or even whisk them into an egg scramble. 

Purée the scapes raw and add to hummus, pesto, aioli, and mayonnaise. When scapes are steamed until tender, their resemblance to green beans is striking. Season with salt, pepper, and olive oil or butter.

Because garlic scapes have a relatively short season, one of the best ways to preserve their beauty is by trimming them and pickling them with spices (mustard seeds, peppercorns, fennel seed, cumin) and a vinegar-salt-sugar mix.

 

Tokyo Bekana

 Tokyo Bekana is a loose-headed, lightweight cabbage that is often mistaken for lettuce due to its similarities in flavor and appearance. The large leaves have a frilly consistency with ruffled edges and are green with prominent white veins spanning across the surface. Connected to the leaves, the narrow white stems are smooth, crunchy, and juicy, widening at the base. Tokyo Bekana is crisp and tender with a mild, sweet, and spinach-like flavor with mild pepper nuances.

 Tokyo Bekana cabbage is best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as sautéing, steaming, and stir-frying. The frilly green is mild, lacking in traditional cabbage flavors, and can be shredded and tossed into green salads, mixed into pasta dishes for added crispness, braised as a side dish, or sliced and added to soups. Tokyo Bekana cabbage can also be lightly stir-fried and mixed with cooked vegetables and meat, used as a lettuce wrap, or pickled into a sweet and spicy condiment. 

 

Chinese Greens

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 6-10 cups washed, stemmed and chopped bulky greens (cabbage, bok choy, or Chinese cabbage, spinach, beet greens, Tokyo Bekana)
• 1/4 cup Chinese rice wine
• 1 tablespoon vinegar or fresh lemon juice (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sugar or honey (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce or tamari soy sauce

Directions

Heat the oil in a wok and add the garlic and ginger root.  Sauté very briefly.  Add the greens and toss to coat with oil.  Add the rice wine, vinegar or lemon juice, honey or sugar, fish sauce, and a splash of water.  Delicate greens (spinach and beet greens) will take about 1 minute.  Sauté bulky greens (cabbage, bok choy, Chinese cabbage) 5-10 minutes, or until tender.  If you use tamari soy sauce instead of fish sauce, add it just before serving.

Source: New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant

 

Provencal Tokyo Bekana

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
• 3 (3-by 1-inch) strips orange zest
• 3 pounds bok choy or Tokyo Bekana (2 to 3 heads), cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
• 1 pound tomatoes (3 medium), chopped
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté garlic with thyme, bay leaf, and zest until garlic is pale golden and mixture is very fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add Tokyo Bekana, tomatoes, olives, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until Tokyo Bekana is crisp-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Discard bay leaf and stir in parsley.

Source: Gourmet

Cucumber Recipe Link

Here is a link to many ways to use your cucumbers.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/healthy-cucumber-recipes/?_cmp=healthy&_ebid=healthy5212020&_mid=346501&ehid=f0f4b9036c727d44fedb4ad83d54b10bb6e8dee8&os_ehash=f0f4b9036c727d44fedb4ad83d54b10bb6e8dee8

Upland Cress

In season  upland cress is similar in appearance to its better-known cousin, watercress, but boasts a deeper pungency that would be a shame to miss. A member of the mustard family, upland cress packs a sharp, peppery heat more akin in flavor to horseradish than the tea sandwich staple.
Below the Mason Dixon line, upland cress is known as “creasy greens” or “creasies,” and when stewed with ham hocks, is as loved a dish as black-eyed peas or cornbread. Traditionally gathered by foragers in the Appalachian Mountains who started looking out for the hearty winter leaves while there was still snow on the ground, the leaves were believed to have medicinal benefits and used in many folk recipes to help heal wounds. Those claims may not be entirely far-fetched as the cress is indeed rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and calcium.
For the simplest preparation, use upland cress the same way you would watercress. Left raw, the leaves can be chopped and mixed into a salad, tucked into a sandwich, or strewn over broiled fish as a garnish. Use a food processor to blend a handful of upland cress with a cup of Greek yogurt and a garlic clove or two for a lively accompaniment to grilled meats. Below are two recipes that showcase upland cress at its finest!
Upland cress is best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as steaming, boiling, or sautéing. When used fresh, the leaves can be tossed into salads, layered in sandwiches and wraps, mixed into pasta, or plated as a garnish. When cooked, the leaves are commonly mixed into soups, blended into sauces, or lightly sautéed and served alongside cooked meats. Upland cress can be used both raw and cooked similarly to greens such as kale. Upland cress pairs well with meats such as fish, poultry, ham, and smoked turkey, avocado, apples, cucumbers, onions, garlic, and Greek yogurt. The leaves will keep up to one week when wrapped in damp paper towels, placed in a sealed container, and stored in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

Upland Cress Pesto
    1 bunch Upland Cress
    2 tablespoons pinenuts
    grated pecorino
    sea salt and ground white pepper
    sunflower oil, or any other neutral flavoured oil
Place the cress into a processor with a drizzle of oil and pulse until roughly chopped. Add in the pinenuts and pulse again until they have are roughly chopped.
Add a heaped tablespoon of grated pecorino and another good drizzle of oil and pulse again until a paste forms – you don’t want a smooth mixture so be careful as your process.
Spoon the pesto into a bowl and taste, adjust with salt and pepper and add more grated pecorino and olive oil to form a thick slurry.


Beet and Upland Cress Salad
    1 cup upland cress
    2 cups salad mix
    2 meiumd steamed beets, sliced
    ⅛ cup dried cranberries
    ⅛ cup chopped pecans
    ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
    Balsamic vinaigrette
Lay down a bed of washed and dried cress and salad mix. Top with listed ingredients.
Dress with balsamic vinaigrette. To make some: Whisk together equal parts Balsamic Vinegar & Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional to add some fresh minced garlic. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in your fridge for around 1 week.

Cress Sauce
Spoon this sauce over salmon, over cold chicken or ham, or hard boiled eggs

1 bunch cress
1/2 cup mayonnaise ( or yogurt)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
Remove any tough stems from the cress.
Place everything in a blender or processor. Whirl until smooth. Add salt and pepper as desired.