Farm Share Number 7

Well, I am two shares behind and another one coming today! This share was AMAZING! First of all the two cheeses were worth the drive to Salem along. A raw milk cheddar and a raw milk cheddar with onions - are you kidding me? This is just a recipe for me gnawing this stuff straight from the block. Not that I did. But it was nearly that dignified. 

The bread was onion foccacia. I always feel like I won the lottery when I find a foccica in the basket. Not that I play the lottery, perhaps that is why I can get that special feeling from a round of tremendous bread. But I digress.

ON TO THE FRUIT AND VEGGIES!

 

The fruit was blueberries and peaches. Frankly I didn't expect much from the peaches. We were instructed not to squeeze them, and I was very careful not to. Until I put them in my sack. Then I gave them a little poke. Ooh, they were hard, I was worried. But when I got them home, they were sweet and juicy! Obviously they were stealth peaches. Very tricky, farm share, very tricky indeed!

I ended up cutting up the peaches and making the Peaches and Cream Pie that is not a pie that Jen made in the last post.  I didn't take a final picture because, well, I forgot. But it was beautiful and was eaten in record time. (recipe below)

The veggies were for the most part recognizable. A friendly eggplant, some lettuce, some beautiful red onions and green beans! Could it be that I actually knew all the vegetables this week? Not so fast. There is a spoiler. I got a bunch of CALLALOO. 

WTH?

I couldn't remember the name by the time I got home and I had to call Mira who very kindly reminded me. So I looked for recipes on the internet and I found exactly one. And it was a soup. With beef and seafood in it. Oh Lord...

BUT FIRST THE ONIONS!

Please excuse the pork porn, but I pretty much used them as a way to shore up a pork roast. They did their job admirably and made my house smell amazing.

I put the rest of the onions in with the green beans and some olive oil and garlic and they were terrific.

Now, come with me if you dare to explore the magic of CALLALOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

First think you need to know is that salted beef is just corned beef. Thanks internet... There are a few shrimp in there, some scallions and onions. I think thyme and no okra. It is hard to find okra last minute... OH, and the Callaloo! I cooked it in chicken stock.

It cooked up very nicely and smelled pretty good!

I added zucchini at the end instead of the okra because I know nothing about vegetables and felt I had to add something!

I  zapped it in my magic bullett.

It ended up looking quite pretty, but kind of tasted like dirt. Oh well, leafy greens... I just need to learn to let them stay raw around me.

So I give a big thumbs up to the Peaches and Cream Pie that is not a pie and a tentative thumbs down to Callaloo soup which might be quite delicious if I ever actually use the recipe that I am given!

Peaches & Cream Pie

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 (3 ounce) package non-instant vanilla pudding mix

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches, drained and syrup reserved (I used fresh  sliced peaches and blueberries.)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease sides and bottom of a 10 inch deep-dish pie pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and pudding mix. Mix in butter, egg and milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into pie pan. Arrange the peach slices on top of the pudding mixture.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons reserved peach syrup. Beat for 2 minutes. Spoon mixture over peaches to within 1 inch of pan edge. Mix together 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and sprinkle over top.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Chill before serving.

Callaloo Soup

"A taste of the Caribbean. The main ingredients are callaloo leaves, or spinach, and okra. Both were originally brought from Africa in the seventeenth century. Serve piping hot with slices of avocado pear and hot bread." — CORWYNN DARKHOLME

Original recipe makes 6 servings

    1 pound callaloo leaves or spinach

    6 cups chicken stock 

    1 onion, chopped

    1/2 pound salt beef, fat removed and diced 

    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

    6 tablespoons minced shallots 

    1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

    1 green chile pepper, chopped 

    1 cup okra

    1/2 pound crabmeat

 

Remove the thick stems of the callaloo leaves, chop roughly, and put into a large saucepan. Add the chicken stock, onion, beef, black pepper, shallots, thyme, chili pepper, and crab meat. Cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 35 minutes.

Add the okra, and cook for 8 minutes.

Remove the chili pepper. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Reheat, and adjust seasonings.