Week 12 - HOT Peppers!

[Posted by Ruth]
The night before the next CSA pickup is reality check night.  This is when, despite diligently cooking and eating the vegetables all week you open the fridge and realize a lot of them are still there.  We still had 2 ears of corn left, most of the hot peppers and 2 of the long green, also pretty hot, peppers.  I also hadn't gotten to the beets or the baby carrots yet.  Time to grab the pots and pans.  The carrots and beets were a no brainer.  I peeled and sliced the beets, cut the carrots into small discs and caramelized them slowly in olive oil in a heavy pan over very low heat.  Just a little salt and pepper and they're terrific.  They will be part of my lunch today.

I then combined the peppers and corn with some shrimp thinking that the sweetness of the corn would balance the hotness of the peppers.  Warning:  this dish was very tasty but also very hot.  Not for little ones or those with timid tongues.

Three Alarm Shrimp with Corn - serves 2
2 hot peppers, seeds removed - chopped finely
2 long green peppers (these were also hot - were they banana peppers?) - roughly chopped
2 ears corn, cut off cob
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 medium onion - chopped
1/2 lb. raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 tsp cumin
salt, pepper to taste
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped cilantro - roughly chopped


Heat olive oil in heavy pan and add the onions and garlic.  When they begin to get fragrant, add both peppers, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until it the peppers are tender, but have still retained their color.  Add in the corn, shrimp,  lemon zest, lemon juice and cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp is done.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro in the last minute or so.  Depending on the size of your shrimp this will take about 3-5 minutes. 


Serve with rice or pasta and plenty to drink.


Note, you can back off on the heat by using fewer hot peppers.  For my husband's sake I would probably do that next time.


Offer plenty of wine, finish off with a bowl of gelato and all is forgiven.  Well, almost all.  I'm still hearing about snapping at my husband for swiping a shrimp before I took the photo.  I guess he didn't plan on living with a crazed, spoon wielding woman who shouts, "No eating until I get the shot!"

Eggs

(Posted by Denise)

I can’t thank Taber enough for taking over my farm share for my vacation week.  It was an interesting week and I really missed my share.  I also realized the amount of money that the share has been saving me this summer.  I know that we are running kind of a theme here, but reading Ruth’s post really got me thinking about the way my family and I ate this past week.  The amount of money that we spent on quick take-out meals and even the amount of time and money that I spent at grocery store was astonishing.

So my family voted and we signing up for the extension and next year!!

That brings me to my egg issue.  I have too many.  I am smiling because I know my farm fresh eggs aren't part of the recall and I don't have to check each box to make sure. (That was a nice feeling!)  But it does mean that with the current state of my life,  I am filthy with eggs.

Once again, we voted.  (I think the boys think they are living in a democracy, its fun to toy with them that way.)  Pound cake was voted the winner.  A beautiful sour cream pound cake that uses six eggs.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

(based on Paula Deen’s recipe)

Ingredients

• ·      2 sticks butter
• ·      3 cups sugar
• ·      1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat because that is what I keep in the house)
• ·      1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• ·      3 cups all-purpose flour
• ·      6 large eggs
• ·      1 teaspoon vanilla
• ·      ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.

Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated.

In a separate bowl whisk baking soda and flour together.

Add to the butter and sugar mixture alternating with eggs

Beating in each egg 1 at a time

Add the vanilla and almond extract Mix just to combine.

Pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.

Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

This cake is delicious on its own and I will confess is used as a quick breakfast food by my family.  You can dress it up with some fresh peaches or if you are like me, some plum preserves warmed and fresh whipped cream.