Week #10, 2025
Basil
Herb
Chinese broccoli or spinach
Kale or chard
Zucchini
Sugar snap peas or
Lettuce
Beets
Green onions
Kohlrabi ( pickle it)
With the nation on fire, literally and figuratively it is grounding to know that you have the bounty this earth can provide in your kitchens every week. We give thanks daily to the borrowed land we nurture and coax to grow the vegetables and fruit you need to nourish your bodies. After the farmers market yesterday we joined the protest in Beaverton to stand up against the Trump regime. Tired as we were, we stood among the thousands of Washington County residents to say we will not tolerate the destruction of our democracy. We will not tolerate ICE grabbing people off the streets, out of their cars and from schools. We will not stand by as programs that support people in our community like Medicaid, Medicare, our national parks, endangered species or our environment. The list is too long for me to go on.
I still do not know the way to change the course this country is on, but action is necessary. Calling every week, getting out on the streets, donating to worthy organizations like the ACLU, World Kitchen among others. Find and share your best ideas for how to make a difference and of course help your immigrant neighbors, family and friends.
What?? It is week #10 already, time flies when you are working all the time! Juve pulled out the first peas and I planted another bed of cucumbers. FYI, this is what happened with the zucchini, I just kept on planting until we were getting “enough” each week. We have seen the first tiny cuke, but none to share yet. The beans are climbing their trellis and will soon grace your tables, but for now enjoy the zucchini, lettuce, herbs and the last of the sugar snap peas and Chinese broccoli.
Sue really did you proud this week with recipes that hit all the veggies. Just use her guide and you are set for the whole week:
Very GREEN PASTA SALAD
1 pound short-cut pasta (such as rigatoni, campanelle or fusilli)
3 cups/8 ounces sugar snap peas
1 cup frozen English peas
3 packed cups/3½ ounces baby spinach
2 packed cups/1½ ounces basil leaves, plus more for serving
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white miso
1 garlic clove, crushed
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
4 ounces Parmesan (or other firm salty cheese, such as feta or aged Gouda), thinly sliced
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then throw in a handful of salt. Add the pasta, give it a stir and cook until al dente. Just before draining, add the snap peas and English peas to the boiling water to barely soften, 20 to 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and peas, and rinse lightly with cold water; set aside.
While the pasta water comes to a boil, place the spinach, basil, oil, miso, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a blender. Blend to a bright green purée. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and a few grinds of pepper, then blend again.
Transfer the purée to a large bowl that is big enough to toss all the pasta. Add the pasta and peas, and toss until coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan and more basil leaves. Toss once more before serving.
Beet Salad with Chickpeas and Coriander Dressing
1 (15½-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 orange
¼ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 pounds cooked whole red or golden beets (store-bought or homemade), peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
3 cups baby arugula or other greens
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spread the chickpeas on a small baking sheet and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
Season lightly with salt, black pepper, ½ teaspoon coriander and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast the chickpeas until golden brown and crispy, shaking the sheet halfway through baking, 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and while still warm, zest the orange over the roasted chickpeas. Stir to combine
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and the remaining 1 teaspoon ground coriander.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium bowl, toss the beets, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Add the arugula and toss to combine.
To serve, spread half of the yogurt dressing on a serving platter. Add the beet mixture and scatter the chickpeas all over the top. Spoon the remaining yogurt dressing over everything and serve immediately.
Beet & Rhubarb Soup
14 ounces rhubarb (trimmed weight)
1 pound 2 ounces raw beets (approx. 3 cups roughly chopped)
1 large onion (approx. 1½ cups, chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 fat cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups cold water
2 teaspoons flaky sea salt or kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt)
3-inch piece of fresh ginger
Break or cut each rhubarb stalk into 2 or 3 pieces, just so they fit in the saucepan, and set aside. Wash the beets, remove the stalks and leaves (see p.199 for what to do with them), and trim each beet, cutting away the barnacly bits; there’s no need to peel. Roughly chop into ¾-inch chunks. Peel the onion and roughly chop it.
Warm the oil in a decent-sized saucepan or Dutch oven that comes with a tightly fitting lid—I use one of 10 inches diameter—and cook the onion for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. It won’t soften much in that time, but enough for now.
Peel and roughly chop the garlic, and stir it into the pan of onions.
Cook for about 2 minutes, then stir in the cumin and tumble in the rhubarb and beets.
Add the water and salt, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Once it’s bubbling, turn the heat down, clamp on the lid, and let it all cook at a robust simmer until the beets are utterly, utterly soft. This always takes more time than you’d think: I’d reckon on 1½ hours, though it easily could take longer.
With a stick blender (and if yours comes with a soup-blending attachment, so much the better), blitz until you have a smooth and velvety ruby soup.If the skin’s tough, peel the ginger with the tip of a teaspoon, then coarsely grate it onto a plate.
Moving fast, get out a piece of paper towel and spoon half the grated ginger into the center, then bring together the edges of the paper and twist.
Holding this little swag bag over the soup, press on it to squeeze out the intense juice.
Now get another square of paper towel, and do the same with the remaining half of grated ginger.
Taste for seasoning, ladle out into waiting bowls, and drizzle over each a little horseradish cream or green tahini sauce as you wish.
Ottolenghi Kohlrabi and Lime Salad
3 small kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
1 granny smith or other tart apple, peeled and julienned
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and julienned
15 grams each mint leaves, tarragon (or basil) and cilantro
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 Tb peanut oil
1 garlic glove, crushed
1/4 c creme fresh or plain yogurt
1 tsp sesame oil
Combine and serve
Pasta Salad With Zucchini and Basil (I substituted sugar snap peas for the edamame here)
Salt and black pepper
⅔ cup sunflower oil, or other neutral oil
3 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
¾ cup frozen shelled edamame
2 cups basil leaves, shredded coarsely
¼ cup parsley leaves
⅓ cup olive oil
8 ounces strozzapreti or penne pasta
Zest of 1 lemon
1½ tablespoons capers
7 ounces buffalo mozzarella, torn into chunks
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a medium saucepan, heat sunflower oil over medium-high heat. Fry zucchini slices in batches (do not crowd them) for 3 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a colander to drain. Tip zucchini slices into a bowl, pour vinegar on top and stir, then set aside.
Step 2
In the hot water, blanch edamame for 3 minutes; drain, refresh under running cold water and set aside to dry. Keep boiling water in pot.
Step 3
In a food processor, combine half the basil, all of the parsley and the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and process until smooth.
Step 4
In boiling water, cook pasta until al dente; drain and rinse under cold water. Return pasta to pot. Pour zucchini slices and their juices over pasta. Add edamame, basil sauce, lemon zest, capers and mozzarella. Stir together gently, then taste and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Before serving, stir in remaining basil.