Notes from Debbie's Kitchen
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I think this week I'm just going to jump right into it! :-)  - Debbie

Fava update
The fava beans are gradually getting bigger, so now we get into that middle-zone, where some folks will want to peel away the pods and just eat the beans inside, while others will still enjoy cooking and eating them pods and all. Your favorite chef and mine, Alice Waters, mentions how when the beans (the ones inside the pod) are still small, they are tasty enough to eat raw [I see this as similar to how I might shell fresh peas and eat them straight from the pod]. In her recent book "The Art of Simple Food" she writes, "The earliest harvests [of favas] offer beans that are tiny, brilliant green, and so tender they don't need to be peeled [she's referring to peeling the skin on the bean, not peeling away the pod surrounding the beans]. When not eaten raw, straight from the pod, these are best cooked briefly with a little water and oil or butter."

Leeks
We're still getting a healthy crop of leeks, and so I followed through on my plan to braise them using last week's Braised Leeks recipe, modifying it just a little, using the pan drippings from a roasted chicken instead of stock. I then served them over a simple polenta, sprinkled with a little minced fresh parsley... and this was delish! Here are a few pictures of the steps, followed by a recipe for polenta, if you want to try this yourself. (You don't have to do the pan drippings thing, I just mention it because my goal is to encourage you to not be afraid to play around with recipes or modify them; to innovate and use things you have on hand. You still come up with good stuff to eat and feed your family!)


From top: browning leeks cut-side down; leeks in braising liquid, ready to go into the oven; hot out of the oven; served over polenta.


Basic Soft Polenta
(modified from a recipe in the Dean & Deluca cookbook)
for approximately 4 servings

[This is a great recipe to know, because you can use it with many different dishes!]

1 C water
2 C milk
[note that you can make polenta with all water if you like, or vary the proportions of milk to water, or try another liquid entirely, or some combo of water and another liquid such as stock]
1 tsp. salt
1 C coarse yellow cornmeal (polenta)
1 1/2 tbsp (or so) unsalted butter [if you only have salted, that's okay, just gauge the amount of salt you add to the cooking liquid accordingly]
~ 1/4 C grated fresh Parmesan

Bring liquid and salt to a boil in a large saucepan and reduce heat to moderate so that it comes to a simmer.

Pour the cornmeal in in a steady stream, sprinkling through your fingers if you like, and stir constantly, keeping the mixture at a bare simmer. Continue to cook and stir, crushing any lumps that might form against the side of the pan, for about 10 minutes. (As it cooks, the polenta will thicken considerably.) The polenta is done when it comes away effortlessly from the side of the pan. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in the butter and Parmesan.

FYI, Alice Waters, in the book mentioned above, also talks about putting fresh fava beans into polenta, saying simply, "For variety, fresh corn or fava beans can be stirred into soft polenta."

Last note on polenta - there are many different ways to make it; this is but one. Alice Waters polenta recipe calls for proportions of 4 to 1, liquid to polenta, and then cooking it slower and longer (an hour!). But the Dean & Deluca recipe is the one I've used as my guide for a number of years. All I'm saying is, I think there is room to be flexible here. Have fun!


Arugula - fruit, cheese, greens redux
Arugula is one of my favorite spicy greens to use in this combo. The salad is as simple as its title sounds. If you have any strawberries left when you get your box home, save a few for this salad!

Arugula
Strawberries
Chevre
Optional addition: toasted nuts

Dressing options:
1) you can simply plate the greens, cheese, and sliced strawberries and then drizzle with a good olive oil or walnut oil, and a little balsamic or other sweet vinegar (I have a black fig vinegar I love using for this) and sprinkle lightly with salt
2) you can make a fruity vinaigrette and toss the greens and berries with it (go lightly, you don't want to drown it in dressing), then crumble the cheese on top

Other options:
1) You can 'fancy it up' by toasting the nuts, or using caramelized walnuts or pecans
2) You can add a little thinly sliced red onion
3) You can try other cheeses... what do you have?
4) You can use a combination of arugula and lettuces, or other spicy greens entirely. For example,  I love making this with spicy mustard greens, when we get them in the box.

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