God made rainy days so gardeners could get the housework done.
- Author Unknown
The Snow Peas and Sugar Snap peas are both edible pod peas (no shelling!). They are generally stringless and only need to be trimmed at the ends to eat. They are great fresh and uncooked or thrown in a salad. The radicchio seems to have stumped some shareholders, but I have heard some great cooking ideas from others.
- Prepare the head as you would any greens for a boil and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the water. The baking soda seems to mellow the flavor nicely.
- Stuff the large leaves the same as Grape leaves are used in Greek cuisine.
- You can try the greens mixed in with your salad (use sparingly!).
- Try the Chard recipe in this newsletter, substituting radicchio for the chard.
Remember to recycle you share bags!
Sesame Snow Peas
Gourmet September 1996
- 1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and strings discarded
- 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
- 1 scallion, sliced thinly on diagonal
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted lightly
Cut snow peas on diagonal into long thin slices. Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. In a saucepan of boiling salted water blanch snow peas 15 seconds and drain in a colander. Immediately transfer snow peas to ice water to stop cooking and drain well. In a bowl toss snow peas with oil, scallion, sesame seeds, and salt to taste.
Mint Tisane otherwise known as Fresh Mint Tea
Clean several sprigs of mint. Put into a teapot or a large glass measuring cup. Pour just-boiled water over mint, let steep 3 or so minutes, drain through small tea strainer. Drink hot or chill first. Options: you can add honey or sugar if you want a sweeter taste. You can also mix this 1/2 and 1/2 with lemonade. Fresh mint tea tastes different than tea made with dry mint leaves.
Milanese-Style Chard
from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Shepherd and Raboff
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard
- 1 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 stalks green garlic, chopped
- 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 cup chopped prosciutto or ham
- 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- garnish: toasted pine nuts or walnuts
Trim the chard, discarding tough stems, and coarsely chop. In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and scallions and saute until softened and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chard, parsley, basil, nutmeg, prosciutto or ham and mix well together. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender and wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in Parmesan Cheese and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with pine nuts or walnuts.