This Week's Share-Potatoes and Eggplant (Notes from Nikki)

This week's share includes the beginning of summer staples like potatoes and eggplant, a welcome change from all the green, I am sure. This will be the last week for lettuce for a while. It has got quite a bit to it, luckily Nikki has provide a great recipe for it that can be found at the end of this post.

This Week's Share:
Potatoes
Eggplant
Small Bag of Lettuce
Cooking Greens (Chard or Perpetual Spinach)
Carrots
Beets
Herbs (mint, cilantro, and dill)

Notes From Nikki--Three Great Recipes Below:

Summer Picnic Potato Salad

Upon my arrival to pick up our Inverbrook Farm share yesterday, I was pleased to discover that two of the most important ingredients I needed to make the potato salad I was planning on bringing to a 4th of July potluck were right there in the distribution shed: potatoes and dill. Perfect! This salad is best served at room temperature for full flavor, but saves nicely in the fridge and can be eaten cold too. Enjoy!


Ingredients
2-3 lbs. new potatoes, scrubbed, boiled until tender, drained, cooled (enough to handle), and halved or quartered depending on size (I used the banana fingerlings from this week's share)
8 oz. sour cream
4 oz. mayonaise
1-2 T dijon mustard
3 scallions, trimmed and chopped (white and green parts)
6 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 T capers
Handful chopped dill leaves plus more for garnish (you can also use parsley for garnish, and/or even add some chopped parsley to the mix)
4 oz. bacon, fried, drained, and broken into smallish pieces (optional)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. Combine the sour cream, mayo, and mustard, and mix with the potatoes, smashing up some of the potatoes in the process. Add more sour cream or mayo if the mixture is too thick. (It's okay if the mixture is warm. This actually helps to bring out the flavor. It will cool to room temp by the time you're ready to serve it.)
2. Fold in the scallions, celery, capers, dill, salt, pepper, and bacon (if using).
3. Taste and adjust to your liking.
4. Serve and enjoy.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish (can be doubled)




















Whole Wheat Rigatoni with Sauteed Shallots, Fresh Garlic, Chard, and Exotic Mushrooms
Admittedly, this dish is a bit heavy for this time of year, but I had a hankering for something substantial after eating so many salads. :-) You could skip the cream and use the parmesan as a garnish, rather than incorporating both ingredients into the dish to create a sauce, for a lighter version. Either way, it is sure to please. The chard can be swapped out for spinach, kale, or any other cooking greens you have on hand. The bacon is totally optional (I've been on a bacon kick lately); again, for a lighter version, just omit it. However you decide to prepare the dish, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T butter (optional, just add a tad more olive oil if you decided to omit the butter, I was going for decadence ;-))
2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced (or trimmed and chopped garlic scapes if you still have some on hand)
6 small shallots, sliced
Red pepper flakes
2 bunches chard, thick stems removed, torn or chopped
10-12 oz. exotic mushrooms (I used a combo of local crimini, shitake, and oyster), roughly chopped
1-1.5 lbs. whole wheat rigatoni (penne or rotelli will work too; you can also use a non-whole wheat version, I just love the nutty flavor that the whole wheat versions produce)
Handful or two of freshly grated or shredded Parmigiano Reggiano (plus more for topping)
1 C half-and-half or cream
Sea salt
8 oz. bacon, minced, sauteed until crispy, and drained (optional)
Fresh ground pepper

1. Put on a large pot of water to boil the pasta in.
2. While you are waiting for the pasta water to boil, saute the shallots, garlic, and pepper flakes in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until fragrant and softened.
3. Add the chard to the pan and continue sauteing until it starts to wilt.
4. Add in the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms are soft, and the chard is completely wilted.
5. Once your water is boiling, add in the pasta along with some sea salt, and cook until al dente, reserving about 1/2 C of the cooking water for the sauce.
6. Add 1/2 C pasta water to the chard/mushroom mix, plus the half-and-half (or cream), and bring to a simmer.
7. Add in the parmesan, stirring to incorporate.
8. Season with sea salt, taste, and adjust to your liking.
9. Toss the pasta with the sauce, divide among plates, top each plate with a sprinkling of parmesan, some of the bacon (if using), and some fresh ground pepper.
10. Serve and enjoy!

Serves 6-8
Honey Dijon Salad with Pan-Roasted Chicken Tenders
Claire warned us, the salad greens this week have a bit of a bite. :-] Actually, they create the perfect foundation for this salad that sports a simple honey-dijon dressing and pan-roasted, boneless, skinless chicken tenders. Very light and flavorful. A perfect meal on a hot summer night. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1-2 T dijon mustard
1-2 T honey
2 T white wine vinegar
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
8-10 oz. baby lettuce (I used two bags from our Inverbrook share)
1 lb.-2 lbs. chicken tenders
Splash of olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

1. Put the olive oil, mustard, honey, vinegar, sea salt, and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth and emulsified (you can also do this by hand with a wire whisk). Taste and adjust to your liking.
2. Season the chicken tenders with sea salt and pepper, and pan-roast in olive oil until browned on both sides and cooked through.
3. Toss the dressing with the salad greens, divide among plates, place 2-3 chicken tenders on top of each, drizzle with a bit more dressing, top with fresh ground pepper, and serve.

Serves 4-6