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Here is where CSA members will find cooking support from Chef Liz
​throughout the season. She will share methods and recipes customized to your CSA, so you can make the most out of your farm fresh veggies! 

10/9/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 20: Curry Kuri Soup

Curry Kuri Soup
Chef Liz Arraj


2 TBSP. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 TBSP. curry powder
2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 Kuri squash, peeled and diced
6 or more cups of water
1 can of coconut milk

1. Sautee your onion in olive oil until translucent about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, curry powder, salt, squash and water. Add smaller amounts of water at first. You can add more later after you blend the soup at the end.
3. When squash is soft, add the coconut milk and then blend with stick blender or regular blender.
​

Tasty Tip:
To get that extra depth of flavor you can simply chop your squash in half, leave the skin on, scoop out the seeds and roast in oven until flesh is soft enough to puncture with a fork. I like to drizzle the squash with olive oil before roasting. When done you simply scoop out the squash and add it to your soup pot.
0 Comments

10/3/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 19: Stuffed Dumpling Squash

By Chef Liz Arraj
​
Serves 2

1 Dumpling Squash, cut in half, seeded and placed open face down on a well oiled baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until you can pierce it easily.
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 fennel, small diced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. black pepper

Optional:
1 pepper, finely diced
1 zucchini, diced

1. In large frying pan sauté onion until translucent about 10 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and cook for about 10 minutes more. Transfer to large mixing bowl and add the following, mix well.
1 cup of rice of your choice, I like Basmati or Jasmine
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed

When the squash is done baking, stuff with the rice and bean mixture. Cover with foil and put back into the oven for 15-20 minutes.

0 Comments

9/26/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 18: Tomato Pie

Tomato Pie from Simply Recipes shared with me by my friend, Jenny Spicher!

Tomato PiePREP TIME15 mins
COOK TIME55 mins
TOTAL TIME70 mins

SERVINGS6 servings
​
Ingredients
  • 1 9-inch pie shell (see pie crust recipe for homemade version)
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow or red onion (about 1/3 onion)
  • 3 to 4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup sliced basil (see recipe note)
  • 2 cups (8 ounces/225 g) grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozzarella)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon (or more to taste) Frank's Hot Sauce or Tabasco
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Method
  1. Pre-bake the crust:Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
    If you are using a store-bought pie shell, follow the directions on the package for pre-baking, or pre-bake it in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes (a little longer for a frozen pie shell), until lightly browned.
    If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then press a sheet of aluminum foil into the crust to keep the sides of the pie crust from falling down as it cooks. Fill the pie with pie weights such as dry beans or rice to help hold the foil in place.
    Pre-bake the homemade crust for 15 minutes, then remove the foil, use the tines of a fork to poke a few small holes in the bottom of the crust (for venting), and bake for 10 more minutes.
  2. Salt and drain the tomatoes:Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and set them in a colander over a bowl to drain while you are pre-baking the crust.
    Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel, or a potato ricer.
  3. Layer pre-baked pie shell with onions, tomatoes, basil:Sprinkle a layer of chopped onion over the bottom of your pre-baked pie crust shell.
    Spread the drained chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.
  4. Make cheese mixture, spread over tomatoes:In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper.
    The mixture should be the consistency of a gooey snowball. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.
  5. Bake:Place in oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45

0 Comments

9/19/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 17: Spaghetti Squash w/ Chunky Vegetable Sauce, Plus Bonus pickling recipe!


Spaghetti Squash w/ Chunky Vegetable Sauce
By Chef Liz Arraj


The spaghetti
1 spaghetti squash, cut in half lengthways.
Scoop out seeds.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
Place flat side down in parchment paper lined baking pan.
Bake in oven at 400 for 30-40 minutes.
When it's cool enough to touch use a fork to scrape out all the "noodles".



The Sauce
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 sweet peppers, seeded and diced small
4 tomatoes, cut into small chunks
Season to taste with salt and pepper

Sautee onion in olive oil with salt until soft and translucent.
Add rest of the ingredients and cook down for 10-15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.


Create your bowl with spaghetti noodles, top with your veggie sauce and whatever you want to garnish it with; minced flat-leaf parsley, nutritional yeast or parmesan.


BONUS RECIPE: Quick Fridge Pickles
This recipe is from my good friend, Michelle Shin, who moved from South Korea to L.A. when she was thirteen. She generously shared her pickling recipe that can be used for basically any root vegetable: carrots, radish, turnip, onions, etc. She always has some pickled veggies in her fridge, so she keeps it super simple and easy to prepare.
 
1. Mix 1 part sugar, 1 part soy sauce, 1 part water, 1 part vinegar. 

2. Boil the mixture and let it cook a few minutes. You can also skip this step and mix it cold, but it won't last as long.

3. Pour over the chopped vegetables in a jar.

4. Store in the fridge.

0 Comments

9/12/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 16: Roasted Green Beans & Beets

Chef Liz told me she was roasting green beans with tahini sauce the other day and I thought this was a great, simple way to prep green beans! She roasted beets with them, but you could substitute another good roasting veggie you like (carrots, onions, peppers, etc)


Olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
1 handful of green beans, chopped in half
4 organic red beets, washed well and cut into cubes (or substitute another vegetable you like to roast)
Tahini sauce
Zaatar seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Toss vegetables in olive oil with salt.
3. Roast in oven for 25 minutes or until beets are soft.
4. Drizzle tahini and sprinkle Zaatar seasoning over the veg before serving.

If you're not a die hard tahini sauce person or are hesitant to pour pure tahini on your veggies, you can try out this Basic Tahini Sauce from Dishing Up the Dirt:

1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt & pepper


Whisk all the ingredients together with 2 tablespoons water, until smooth and creamy. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more water to thin if necessary.
0 Comments

9/4/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 15: Ratatouille

By Chef Liz Arraj

​
Serves 4


3 TBSP. olive oil
1 onion, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise, and cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 small ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/8 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves


1. In a large frying pan, sauté the onion for around 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
2. Add eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes and herbs. Cook until vegetables are soft.

 
Tasty tip: Here's an easy way to dice up an onion. Cut the top off, turn it upright so it's level. Cut the onion in half; root to top. Leave the root attached and peal off the skins. Lay each piece on their level sides and following the natural lines of the onion, slice to the root but not cutting thru the root. Then slice across. You will get a nice dice and the root will hold all the pieces together until you are done slicing your onion. 
0 Comments

8/27/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 14: Panzanella

Tomato Panzanella w/ Corn, Cucumbers & Herb Salad
From Cool Food Dude


4 ears corn (2 cups | 280 g), fresh or frozen kernels
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ loaf crusty bread
2 Tbsp(30 g) butter (optional but delightful)
1 qt cherry tomatoes (about 2lb| 910 g), halved, or 3 to 4 large slicing tomatoes, cut into large dice
1 cucumber (8oz| 230 g), cut into half-moons (removing the seeds if large)
2 cups (70 g) herbs (basil, parsley, mint, chives, lemon balm, borage, mint, chervil, tarragon, lemon thyme, rosemary), stemmed, leaves left whole
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss the corn with a glug of olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and grind of pepper. Spread the dressed corn out on a baking sheet and bake until cooked through and caramelly, 12 to 15 minutes.
Cut or tear the bread into pieces and toss with a large glug of olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake the bread pieces until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Toss the hot croutons with the butter so it melts and coats them.
Toss the croutons with the roasted corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs and a bit of salt and pepper. Taste the seasoning and adjust the salt (or add a splash of vinegar).
0 Comments

8/22/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 13: East Meets West Summer Veg Bowl w/ Beijing Dressing

By Chef Liz Arraj

​Beans, all kinds, blanched and chopped into bit sized pieces

Tomatoes, quartered
Cucumbers, sliced into 1/2 moons
Zucchini, sliced into 1/2 moons
Carrots, thinly sliced
Cilantro or parsley, rough chopped

Optional: Toasted cashews
Beijing Dressing:
1/4 cup sesame oil or Olive oil
2 TBSP. Dijon mustard
2 TBSP. rice vinegar
2 TBSP. soy sauce or gluten free tamari
1 TBSP. toasted sesame
Zest & juice of 3 limes
2 tsp. pepper flakes
1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice


1. In boiling, salted water blanch your beans for 1 minute, then immediately put into icy water so the beans retain their color and crispiness. Cut into bite sized chunks.
2. Prep rest of your veg and put in a large bowl.
3. Toast cashews, if using, for 5 minutes in 400 degree oven.
4. Create dressing. Blend or whisk.
5. Combine veg, dressing and cashews, if using. Mix well. Serve right away as a side.

0 Comments

8/14/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 12: Swiss Chard Fritters

This week's recipe comes recommended from a fellow CSA member. Plus, check out this NYTimes recipe for Bulgogi Eggplant recipe. 

Swiss Chard Fritters 

From The Jerusalem Cookbook (it uses ounces, so if you don't have a scale you might need to use some online conversions)

1 bunch chard, stalks removed
1 oz parsley
2/3 oz cilantro
2/3 oz dill
1 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large eggs
3 oz feta cheese, broken into small pieces
4 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges 
salt and black pepper


Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add the chard, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the leaves and squeeze them well until completely dry. Place in a food processor along with the herbs, nutmeg, sugar, flour, garlic, eggs, generous 1/4 teaspoon salt, and some black pepper. Blitz until smooth and then fold the feta through the mix by hand.

Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a medium frying pan. Place over medium-high heat and spoon in a heaping tablespoon of mixture for each fritter. Press down gently to get a fritter 2 3/4" wide and 1/2" thick. You should be able to fit about 3 fritters at a time. cook the fritters for 3 to 4 minutes in total, turning once, until they have taken on some color. Transfer to paper towels, then keep each batch warm while you cook the remaining mixture, adding the remaining oil as needed. Serve at once with the lemon wedges. 
0 Comments

8/8/2021 0 Comments

CSA Recipe - Week 11: Shishito Peppers

Blistered Shishito Peppers
By Chef Liz Arraj


1 TBSP. olive oil or sesame oil
2 cups Shishito peppers
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt

1. Heat oil in a frying pan or cast iron pan. Cook peppers until they are blistered on all sides. Remove from pan and sprinkle with your choice of salt. Serve right away.


Shishito, Leek & Onion Tart
By Chef Liz Arraj
The veggies:
2 TBSP. olive oil
6 Shishito peppers, sliced and seeded
1 leek, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tsp. salt or to taste

The dough:
2 cup all purpose white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 TBSP. apple cider vinegar


1. In large sauté pan put oil and veggies. Sauté with salt until soft.
2. Layer a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment paper, coat with olive oil. And put the layer of peppers, leek and onions on top.
3. Push the dough on top of the veggies until they are all covered. Don't worry if there are some small holes, they will fill in during the baking process.
4. Bake in oven at 350 for 25 minutes or until it temps in the center at 200 degrees.
5. Let cool and put baking pan upside down on cutting board. Remove parchment paper and slice into whatever size you desire.

​
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