Recipes from CSA Tasting & Cooking Demo with Chef Mike

Watermelon and Cucumber Tonic

This recipe is an adaptation of the classic gin and tonic with refreshing overtones provided by the watermelon and cucumber. The drink best serves with premium gin and tonic as ingredients. For those that are not fans of gin, the drink is equally delicious non-alcoholic. Recipe can be made up to one day in advance - store in refrigerator until serving. The recipe was originally featured in Cooking Light Magazine.

Ingredients

• 6 cups cubed seeded watermelon, divided
• 3 cups English cucumber, peeled, sliced, and divided
• 1/2 cups tonic water, chilled
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
• 1 1/4 cups gin

Process

1. Combine half each of the watermelon, mint, juice, and cucumber in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.
   
   
2. Strain mixture with a colander lined with 4 layers of cheesecloth (allow the cloth to extend over the edges)- reserve the juice mixture.
   
   
3. Gather the edges of the cheesecloth together. Holding over colander, squeeze to release the remaining juice mixture and discard solids.
   
   
4. Repeat the procedure with the remaining watermelon, mint, juice, and cucumber.
   
   
5. Combine 2 1/2 cups juice mixture, tonic water, and gin, stirring well to combine. Best served over ice

Beet Carpaccio

A quick and robust appetizer featuring a array of multi colored beets. The beets are arranged carpaccio style or paper thin and served on a toasty whole grain baguette with a sprinkle of herbs and blue cheese. Experiment with different varieties of beets such as pink-and-white-striped Chioggia, electric-yellow Golden Detroit and ruby-red Moneta. The recipe was originally featured in Eating Well Magazine.

Ingredients

• 3 medium beets
• 12 thick slices whole grain baguette
• 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (at room temp)
• 1 tsp chopped fresh herbs
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Process

1. Place beets in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until a fork inserted into a beet comes out with little resistance, about 40 minutes. (Overcooking will make the beets more difficult to thinly slice.) Drain and let stand until cool enough to handle.
   
   
2. While the beets cool, brush baguette slices with 2 teaspoons oil. To toast, preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake, turning once halfway through, until toasted but not browned, about 14 minutes. (Alternatively, grill the bread over medium heat, turning once, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.)
   
   
3. Trim both ends of the beets and rub off the skins with your fingers. Slice as thinly as possible, using a mandolin or sharp knife. Arrange the beet slices on a large platter or on 6 salad plates. Sprinkle blue cheese, herbs, salt and pepper over the beets and drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Serve with the toasted baguette.

Cucumber and Peach Salsa

This is a great summer salsa that is refreshing on those hot days. It perfectly pairs with just about any grilled white flaky fish and some of the more mild steak fish.

If possible, aim to use peaches that are very ripe and sweet. Also, I prefer a more mild onion for this salsa as to not over take the flavors of the peach and cucumber. Remove the jalapeno peppers and you got a kid friendly salsa. Use on fish tacos and the kids will be begging for more.

Allow up to 4 hours for the flavors to combine. Place in the refrigerator in an air tight container until use. This is a salsa that is best served a little colder than room temperature.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe peaches
• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 sweet Vidalia onion
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 tbsp mint
• 1 tbsp basil
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste
  

Process

1. Pit and chop the peaches
   
   
2. Seed and chop the cucumbers
   
   
3. Chop the onion
   
   
4. Remove seeds and ribs of the jalapeno and finely chop
   
   
5. Finely chop the mint and basil
   
   
6. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl

No Cook Summer Sauce w/ Whole Wheat Pasta

Here is a great recipe for those sweltering days of summer. The key to this recipe is great tomatoes, the closer to fresh off the vine, the better.

Additionally, this recipe is highly flexible to the ingredients you are using. You can adjust as needed based on the ripeness of the produce and herbs you are working with. For example, you may require less sugar based on the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Ingredients

• Whole wheat pasta of choice
• 3 pounds of ripe tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Fresh basil or oregano leaves (a couple of tbsp to taste)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup to 1 cup)
• Extra virgin olive oil (about ¼ cup)
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup red onion or scallion greens, minced
• Sugar or Splenda, sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

Process

1. Cook pasta to box directions
   
   
2. Toast pine nuts until golden brown and aromatic
   
   
3. Chop tomatoes into 1/3 inch dices
   
   
4. Chop the basil/oregano
   
   
5. Take 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts, place in small plastic bag and smash into meal
   
   
6. In a medium bowl, combine oil, garlic and ground pine
   
   
7. Mix in tomatoes, onion, herbs, and cheese
   
   
8. Add a pinch or two of sugar to balance tomato acidity
   
   
9. Add salt and pepper to taste
   
   
10. Adjust cheese and herbs to desired taste
    
    
11. Stir in remaining toasted pine nuts
    
    
12. Plate pasta in serving bowls and ladle sauce over pasta and garnish with a sprig of oregano or a few basil leaves

Asian Napa Salad

This might be one of my favorite recipes for fresh Napa cabbage. It is a wonderful alternative to your leafy green salad. I usually make this when I am looking for the salad to be the meal. The recipe is very easy to prepare. There are two stages to this recipe - dressing and salad prep. If you are pressed for time, you can make the dressing up to a day in advance.

I should caution you that the dressing does have some kick with the garlic, ginger and chili paste. If you want to neuter the heat, I would suggest adding less of the chili-garlic sauce at first and increase the amount to a preferred heat level. Remember that it will take on additional heat, as the flavors meld together with time.

When serving this for guests, I do like to plate in a large shallow serving plate and will use a combination of both black and white toasted sesame seeds. I also garnish with additional thinly sliced scallion greens for color. Black sesame seeds are available at your local Asian grocer.

Ingredients

Dressing

• 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth/stock*
• 1/4 cups reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp rice-wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar or Splenda brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger - minced
• 1 tbsp tahini paste
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tsp chile-garlic sauce

Salad

• 8 cups shredded Napa cabbage
• 3 1/2 cups shredded poached chicken (cooked)**
• 5 radishes, sliced
• 1/2 cups grated carrots
• 1/2 cups chopped scallions
• 3 to 4 tbsp sesame seeds

Process

Dressing

1. In a small container add soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and chile-garlic sauce and stir to blend
   
   
2. Add oil to small saucepan over medium-high heat
   
   
3. When oil is hot add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 to 2 mins) - stir constantly
   
   
4. When fragrant, add soy sauce mixture to the pan and bring to simmer
   
   
5. Carefully whisk into saucepan, broth and tahini
   
   
6. Cook until slightly reduced (about 3 to 5 mins)
   
   
7. Remove dressing from heat and allow to cool

Salad

1. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat until golden brown and aromatic (about 2-3 mins)
   
   
2. Remove sesame seeds from heat and allow to cool
   
   
3. In a large serving bowl, combine carrots, cabbage, chicken, radishes and scallions
   
   
4. Stir dressing to recombine and drizzle over salad - toss to coat
   
   
5. Top with sesame seeds and serve

* The poaching liquid from the chicken can also be used in substitute for the chicken broth or stock

** Should be around 1 1/2 pounds of boneless and skinless chicken breast