Veggie Feast June 20, 2018

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Notes from the Farm

The cool, soggy weather conditions have been great for the radishes (some are the size of a chicken egg), and leafy greens.

This Week’s Veggie Feast

More salad, Napa cabbage, radishes, oregano, a mix of spicy mustard greens and…

 

New This Week

Tarragon

Tarragon is a perennial herb that is often used in French cuisine.  It pairs well with chicken, egg and fish.  Steeped in white vinegar it gives off a slightly licorice-like flavor.  A recipe for the French classic, Bearnaise sauce is below.

Garlic scapes

Garlic scapes are the flowering buds of the garlic bulb.  Garlic is in the scientific family of Amaryllidaceae, which includes onions, shallots and all those beautiful ornamental lilies.  When you eat garlic scapes you are nourishing yourself on lily buds, how cool is that?  Use as you would a clove of garlic, roast em, chop em, grill em, saute em.

Recipe

Bearnaise Sauce

This sauce is cited as an evolution/ tangent/ derivative/ of hollandaise sauce.  Use on eggs, meats, or according to the chowhound, everything.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon plus 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes

3 tablespoons minced shallots

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

 

PREPARATION

  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper; stir to coat. Stir in vinegar, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vinegar is evaporated, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking shallots, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer shallot reduction to a small bowl and let cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, fill a blender with hot water to warm it; set aside. Melt remaining 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until butter is foamy. Transfer butter to a measuring cup.
  • Drain blender and dry well. Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in warm, dry blender. Purée mixture until smooth. Remove lid insert. With blender running, slowly pour in hot butter in a thin stream of droplets, discarding milk solids at bottom of measuring cup. Continue blending until a smooth, creamy sauce forms, 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce into a medium bowl. Stir in shallot reduction and tarragon and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Source:  Epicurious