Here is a link to many ways to use your cucumbers.
Sunday, July 26, 2020
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
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.
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.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Saturday, May 16, 2020
CSA weekly update
I am thinking about using the blog for the weekly update. I will still send an email each week mostly as a reminder to pickup your veggies with a general list of what is in your bag. A more detailed description will be posted here. This will allow me to write the updates ahead of time instead of trying to do it Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. Maybe maybe not.
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