2017 CSA Spring June 3rd
- Baby Kale
- Baby Salad Mix
- Field Arugula
- 2 Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Chervil
- Thai Basil
- Mint
- Epazote
- Nasturtium Flowers
- Ghost Pepper
When considering this week’s ingredients, you can see my usual treatment for a sandwich using sliced tomato and cucumber, but i came across two recipe ideas i wanted to share that can give a more exotic use for your items, plus a few suggestions. First comes from Chef John of Food Wishes: smashed cucumber salad, https://youtu.be/kCJcD7fYPWg (or see the link to blog post) where he extracts cucumber juice with salt and sugar, after smashing it 😉 And a second shout out to http://vintagekitty.com/spicy-thai-basil-cucumber-cocktail for a recipe that i think fits many of your ingredients, though i would add a pinch of mint, and maybe some chervil for a touch of anise-like aroma and use a very tiny piece of the ghost pepper instead of jalapeno, with a nasturtium flower for garnish. Certainly keeping it basic and juicing the cucumbers and mint together is a very nice drink. Consider blending it with your next lemonade endeavor as summer approaches. If you don’t have a juicer, cucumbers can be pureed and then strained thru a cloth, twisting it closed tighter and tighter to extract the juice. Besides using the pepper and herbs fresh, they can be dried, chopped and frozen, made into a syrup, used to infuse liquor, made into tea, or included in staple dishes like beans or stir-fry. Don’t forget your gloves when handling the Ghost Pepper as it is one of the hottest peppers in the world! Cheers!
