It may have sounded kind of gimmicky at first, thinking that the CSA – and blogging about it – would change the way we eat. And even though no one is adding anything really new to their diet since we started (it’s still early), I have changed the way I cook and onions have become much more popular. Because I have more and different kinds of vegetables on hand I find ways to include them, and I am much more liberal about pulling herbs from the garden to add more flavors to old recipes. Local lettuce has so much more flavor and texture, just mixing red and green leaf leaves together makes a lovely salad in itself.
This time around I am focusing on the tender new basil and the spring onions, because they each led me to recipes I would have not thought to try before.
Spring Onions Braised in Butter with Chives
This is a variation on a Bon Appetit recipe and I changed it because my onions came out a little soggier than I expected – I think the onions in their version are larger than the ones I had, so keep that in mind. So even though mine were not very browned, they were tender and silky and delicious – and there weren’t nearly enough.
- 1 1/2 pounds spring onions (about 12)
- 6-8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Plugra, which is available locally)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped chives (optional)
- Sea salt
Trim the tops off of the onions and trim the green ends enough so that they will fit nicely in the skillet you are using (remove any really limp ends, too). Lay them in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water and half of the butter. Bring to a boil and cover, simmering until they are almost tender (7-10 minutes). Uncover and simmer a little longer until tender, 3-5 minutes longer. (Again, take into consideration the size of the onions you are using for the simmering times.) Remove onions to a warm serving plate, and simmer the remaining liquid, reducing it to about 3 Tablespoons. Whisk in the rest of the butter, turn off the heat and return the onions to the pan to coat with the butter. Season to taste with the sea salt. Return the onions to the serving plate, pour the sauce over them and sprinkle the chives on top.
Serves 4.
Lime-Basil Sorbet
The basil in this box was very tender and so the flavor was not as strong as older basil with somewhat tougher leaves. I think this would be great suing Thai bail, also. One person suggested this sorbet as a base for a frozen cocktail with tequila, which sounds great to me but I haven’t tried that yet. The basis for this recipe is the sorbet section of the cookbook that came with my Cuisinart ice cream maker.
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice (chilled is better but not required)
- 1/3 cup young basil leaves, chopped
This simple syrup appears amber because I used organic sugar. White sugar will result in a clear syrup.
Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water: combine them in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer without stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then chill until ready to use.
In a blender combine the lime juice, the simple syrup and the basil leaves. Blend them all together until the basil is completely pureed within the mixture. Pour the mixture into a 1 quart ice cream maker and mix until thickened, about 30 minutes. remove to a 1 quart carton, topic with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.
Makes 1 quart.
Note: I buy cardboard ice cream cartons in pint and quart sizes from Amazon.com.
Parsenip 