Notes from Debbie's Kitchen
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Everybody's getting some of the Kermit eggplants this week, so be sure to see last week's recipes if you missed that info. Everybody's getting potatoes too, after a small hiatus (yay!), and we might see some tomatillos (can't say for sure; they'll be a last-minute add if at all). Meanwhile, the other two new items this week are: big, beautiful kohlrabi (in summer?? Ask Tom what's up with that!) and... fresh garbanzo beans! (Family share only, I'm afraid.) We're also still getting some very hot Padron peppers, so remember to use them with caution (i.e. check their heat level before taking a big bite!). And I guess the watermelons are staying on their vines another week. ~ Debbie


Fresh Garbanzo Beans
Probably the most interesting and unusual thing in this week's shares will be the bag of fresh garbanzo beans! Fresh garbanzos come one or two to a pod (you don't eat the pod), and are rather a lot of work to shell, but can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, they taste very much like sweet raw English peas... so, very easy to snack on as you're shelling!



In Mexico they are called "guasana" and are sold in bunches, still clinging to their branches. Street vendors will also serve them steamed in their pods and sprinkled with chili, lime (I assume lime juice? I know there are powdered chili-lime condiments, but I'm loathe to use them because of the additives) and salt. You eat them like edamame, sucking the beans out and tossing the pod; a messy but tasty undertaking!

They can be steamed in a skillet in a little water with salt; stir frequently and steam until tender. The pods should be bright green when done.

In India, they are called "Hare Chana", and there is a popular Indian treat called "Guggullu" or "Sundal", for which I found a recipe (see below).

Another way to prepare them is to grill them ~ put a bunch of beans still in their pods on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap/close into a little packet and grill 15 to 20 minutes over direct heat. Remove from grill and cool until you can handle them, then peel and snack away, or peel and add to salads or pastas, or mash into a fresh hummus recipe!

Green Garbanzo Guggullu (Sundal)
Green garbanzos
curry leaves
shallots and/or red onion
salt
red pepper flakes
grated coconut
turmeric

Remove green garbanzos from their pods (compost the pods; they are not eaten).

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add and cook shelled garbanzos for about 2 minutes, then drain. (Remember: fresh green garbanzos are like freshly shelled peas, so they cook fast. You can also just add them raw in the next step.)

In a skillet, heat oil. Add and saute fresh curry leaves [you'll probably have to hunt for a source of these, but we have a lot of Indian CSA members, so I'm hoping someone will email me and suggest sources!] and finely sliced shallots/red onions until golden. Add the fresh garbanzos. Sprinkle with salt, red pepper flakes, grated coconut and turmeric. Mix and cook for a couple of minutes.

Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh lemon juice.


The following Kohlrabi recipes are all modified from ones I found on a website called about.com:

Sauteed Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi bulbs
butter
salt
nutmeg
sugar (optional)

Peel kohlrabi bulbs and cut into thin slices (about 1/8th inch), then crosswise into 'sticks'.

Melt some butter in a hot skillet, add kohlrabi and saute, stirring often, until beginning to brown. Salt to taste, and sprinkle with a little grated nutmeg and optional sugar if not sweet enough. The sugar will also help to caramelize the kohlrabi more.

Kohlrabi is done when lightly browned but still slightly al dente.


Cream of Kohlrabi Soup
2 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 C vegetable stock
2 1/2 C milk
1 bay leaf
Salt and black pepper
Kohlrabi leaves chiffonade (optional) for garnish

Melt butter in a large pan with a lid. Add onions and cook gently until soft, about 10 minutes. Add kohlrabi and cook 2 minutes. Add vegetable stock, milk and bay leaf to pan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes or until kohlrabi is tender. Let cool a few minutes and remove bay leaf.
 
Using an immersion blender, conventional blender or food processor, puree soup until smooth. You may want to strain the soup through a fine sieve if the kohlrabi is especially fibrous. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls garnish with chiffonade of kohlrabi leaves (see below), and with a hearty bread of your choice.

To chiffonade the kohlrabi leaves, blanch them briefly first, then strip them from their stem, roll into a tight log and slice very thinly crosswise.


Crunchy Kohlrabi Salad
large summer salad for one

1 kohlrabi, very thinly sliced
1 C watercress leaves [or substitute torn arugula, or even lettuce]
1/2 C chopped celery leaf [sounds like a lot... think I'd use less, or maybe mince up a tbsp. of fresh parsley if I didn't have celery leaf... or maybe some veerrry thinly sliced sweet pepper]
1/2 C thinly sliced boiled ham
1 tbsp. chopped hazelnuts
1/2 C crumbled chevre
Olive oil
Lemon juice
[and how about, since we have them, some halved cherry tomatoes?]

Remove leaves and stems from the kohlrabi, peel with a knife and cut out any hard root bit at the bottom. Slice very thinly (carpaccio style) and sprinkle with lemon juice. Layer the kohlrabi slices in a slightly overlapping pattern (like roof tiles) around the very edge of your plate. Toss the watercress and celery leaves with a few drops of oil and lemon juice and pile in the center of the plate. Top with the ham. Scatter hazelnuts and the chevre [and halved cherry tomatoes!] over the plate. Drizzle a little olive oil and lemon juice over the top.


The next two recipes are ones I made up recently and was very happy with!

Debbie's Collards with garlic-lemon-butter rice and diced tomato
generously serves 2

1 bunch collard greens
3/4 C uncooked rice (such as basmati)
half a stick of butter
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
juice from one lemon
salt
diced fresh tomato (could use halved cherry tomatoes)

Cook rice however you normally do (I use a rice-cooker).

While rice is cooking, wash collard leaves as needed to remove dirt, strip leaves from stems (compost stems), and cook in boiling, well-salted water about 5 minutes. Pour off excess water, add cold water to quick cool leaves; pour that off and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. You should end up with about a fist-sized lump of cooked collard leaves. Put this lump on a cutting board and chop fairly finely.

In a small saucepan or skillet, melt butter over medium heat, add diced garlic and olive oil, simmer a minute or so. Add lemon juice and heat until all is simmering then turn off heat.

In a large pot or bowl, combine rice and collards, stirring well to evenly mix. Pour lemon-garlic butter mixture over all and stir to mix again. Add diced fresh tomatoes, salt to taste, stir just to distribute, then serve! Yum!!


Debbie's Potato, Carrot and Mizuna Mash
can make in any quantity

(I know we don't have Mizuna this week, so you could substitute pretty much any other cooking green. It's just what I came up with to use Mizuna!)

Potatoes, skins on, cut into eighths or so (pieces)
Carrots, peeled and chunked
1 bunch mizuna
butter
milk or buttermilk or kefir, or even cream
a little nutmeg
salt and white pepper

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add mizuna* and cook a minute or so, then either scoop out or strain into another pot (i.e. save the cooking water for cooking the potatoes/carrots). Squeeze water from mizuna (back into cooking water if you can), set aside.

*if using kale or collards or chard, remove greens from stems and cook kale or collards more like 3-4 minutes; chard leaves would be fine at about a minute, like the mizuna.

Boil potatoes and carrots in same water, 10 minutes.

Same as in prior recipe, place cooked squeezed greens on a cutting board and chop finely.

When potatoes/carrots are done, drain well, return to pot and mash with butter and milk. You don't want a puree, but a creamy, slightly lumpy moosh. Season with a little nutmeg, white pepper, and salt to taste. Stir in chopped greens. This is really pretty with its three colors, and goes great with any number of meats (lamb, beef, pork) or all by itself!

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