With the cool, wet summer weather we weren’t certain what to expect when we began to unearth our sweet potatoes. Much to our surprise, they are worth sharing with our CSA members. So after curing at a warm temperature for a few weeks for allow the skins to set and the starches to settle into their tasty natural sugary state, we are excited to share these with you. We haven’t been consistently successful in our sweet potato production. But they are well worth the effort. Let us know what you think or how you put sweet potatoes to use.
- Sweet potatoes
- Young red leaf lettuce
- Arugula
- Radishes
- Garlic
- Melon
- Broccoli
- Tomatillos – think salsa verde
- Cilantro
- Red onion
Recipes:
Salsa Verde
Like most fresh salsas, this is a simple one.
What you’ll need:
- Tomatillos
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Lime juice
- Garlic (optional)
In the We Grow house, we wash, peel and roast the tomatillos, but roasting is completely optional. To roast them quickly, layer the clean fruits on a cookie sheet and put them directly under the high heat in your over (broiler) for about 8 minutes. What closely for that blackening to start but don’t over do it. An alternative would be to put the tomatillos on the grill to obtain a wonderful smokey flavor in your salsa verde.
Pulse the tomatillos in a food processor until they are to your desired texture. We chop for about 15 seconds. More time = runnier, less time = chunkier.
To the processed tomatillos, we add some coarsely chopped red onion, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. This is all to your taste and meant to be very simple. Enjoy as a tangy addition over any Mexican dish.
Sweet Potato Barley Pilaf
Another FAMOUS dish in the We Grow house. This only happened when we ran out of rice one time. The idea is that of a rice pilaf with whatever veggies you have on hand to add subtle flavors and colors. When we tried it with sweet potatoes, we’ve never found a variety we like better.
What you’ll need:
- Barley or rice
- Chicken broth
- Sweet potato
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrot (optional)
- Mushrooms (optional)
To a large pan, we sauté onion, celery and garlic in butter until tender. Then, carefully add 2.5 cups broth (we use bouillon from JLAR Valley) and 1 cup barley (or substitute rice). Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Barley takes longer to get tender than rice, so adjust accordingly.
After about 15 minutes, we add chopped carrot, fresh mushrooms and cubed sweet potatoes. Simmer for another 15 minutes or until veggies are tender. Will thicken as the barley rests.