Week 1

GARLIC SCAPES
Sometimes called dragon tails, gourmet garlic scapes are a delicious early summer treat! Cutting them from the garlic plant helps produce a larger, more abundant garlic bulb later in the summer.


WHAT PART TO EAT: The whole garlic scape is edible, but we recommend cutting off the pointed tip because it has a tough, chewy texture.

HOW TO PREPARE: Cooked or raw, use garlic scapes the same way you use garlic cloves to add fresh garlic flavor to your favorite recipe. Add sliced scapes to a stir fry, cook them in your pasta sauce and on pizza, great in guacamole and fresh salsa, chop and add to softened cream cheese, toss in salads, and an excellent addition to soup stock. You can even eat them by themselves! (see recipe below)

RECIPE: ROASTED GARLIC SCAPES

Put garlic scapes in a lightly oiled roasting pan, top with salt or soy sauce. Put the loaded and covered pan in a hot (425 °F) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until they are beginning to turn brown. serve as a side or main dish. Tastes like roasted garlic but creamier.

SOURCE: http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/garlic-scapes.html


GREENS GALORE
It is early summer, so we are giving you lots of greens. But don’t worry, your tomatoes, potatoes and green beans are looking healthy and are on their way to producing a stellar crop. Here are some tips on cooking your greens…


MUSTARDS & TURNIPS… are spicy and delicious when steamed or sautéed with a bit of salt or soy sauce, butter or olive oil, vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon.

CHARD… has a delicate leaf like the mustard greens have, but is not spicy at all! Cook chard the same as mustards, or chop them up and cook for 5 minutes in your lentil soup.

KALE… is similar to collard greens. It is a great cooking green but will need a couple minutes more than mustards to cook fully. Kale is hearty and full of nutrients! We also recommend eating a raw kale salad.



CILANTRO
EXPERIMENT WITH CILANTRO
Fine Cooking Magazine

- Garnish tomato-, carrot- or coconut-milk-based soups with chopped fresh cilantro.
- Serve iced tea or freshly squeezed juice with a splash of lime juice and sprigs of cilantro.
- Make a flavorful dip from chopped tomato, cilantro, cucumber, green chiles, and plain yogurt.
- Try making pesto using cilantro in place of basil.
- Rub chicken or fish with chopped cilantro, ginger, and black pepper before grilling.
- Sprinkle chopped cilantro and chopped cashews or slivered almonds over cooked rice or
couscous.
- Add cilantro to your favorite gazpacho or salsa recipe.
- add it to any beans or soup, stems included, then remove as you would a bay leaf

CILANTRO PESTO
Like a traditional basil pesto, this sauce can be mixed with pasta, stirred into soup for a lively accent or spread over grilled fish or chicken.

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup salted roasted nuts
1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
7 tbsp. vegetable oil

Combine first 5 ingredients in processor. Blend until nuts are finely chopped. Add 6 tablespoons oil and process until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)

Source:  http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/cilantro.html