This Week’s Box Featuring Lemongrass – Week of November 22

November 22, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week we have Lemongrass from Ho Farms

Lemongrass is widely used as a culinary herb in Asian cuisine and also as medicinal herb in India. It is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for use with poultry, fish, beef, and seafood. Research shows that lemongrass oil has antifungal properties.

Preparation

1. The softer, fleshier, pale yellow part of the lemongrass – which is what you want to use in your cooking – is located under the tough outer leaves. Peel away these layers and discard.

2. Then use a sharp serrated knife to slice off the lower bulb, which includes about 2 inches of the end. Discard. The stalk is now easy to slice into pieces. Stop slicing when you have cut two-thirds of the way up the stalk, or when it is no longer yellow. The upper end the stalk will be green and woody, but is still useful in cooking soups and curries.

3. Because lemongrass is so firm and fibrous, it helps to process the slices a little further. Place the lemongrass in a food processor and process well on “high”, or pound for a minute or two with a pestle & mortar. It’s possible to use the lemongrass slices as they are, but the thicker slices will be difficult to eat.

4. Your lemongrass should now appear finer – almost like yellow-green flakes. It is now ready to use in recipes such as curries or soups (note that the lemongrass still needs to cook or be boiled for at least 5 minutes before it is soft enough to be edible).

Storage: Use the lemongrass immediately, or store lemongrass by freezing it in a sealed container in your freezer. With lemongrass, very little is wasted. You can use the upper, reserved stalk to add even more flavor and fragrance to soups and curries. Simply make several cuts along the length of the stalk and bend it several times to “bruise” it. This will release the fragrance and flavor. Now throw the stalk into your soup or curry pot.

Farmers that grow Lemon Grass

Ho Farms

Recipes

What else is in the bag?

Apple Bananas
Sugarland

Collard Greens
Ho Farms

Sweet Corn
Aloun Farms

Family Tomatoes
Ho Farms

Lemongrass
Ho Farms

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Orange
Adaptations

Try out these recipes!

Fresh Lemongrass Tea

Thai Sweet Potato Soup with Lemongrass

This Week’s Box Featuring Kabocha – Week of November 15

November 15, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week we have Kabocha from Aloun Farms

Kabocha is a variety of winter squash, often referred to as a Japanese pumpkin. It’s sometimes described as a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin in flavor and texture. It’s sweet taste, velvety texture, massive offering of nutritional benefit and versatility, make it a prized staple vegetable in Japan. You can substitute it within recipes that call for acorn and butternut squash or pumpkin. Most forward nutritients are beta carotene, vitamin C, iron, and potassium with smaller amounts of B vitamins, folic acid and calcium.

How to select a Kabocha:

The two things to look for are weight and color. Skin should be a rich, deep green and it should feel heavier than expected. Ripeness is indicated by golden speckling and stripes on the exterior.

How to prepare Kabocha:

Carefully slice the entire squash in half, keeping in mind that it’s dense and might be difficult to cut. Like other squashes, you’ll want to scoop out the pulp and seeds, leaving the meat behind. From here you can slice it into wedges for roasting, simmering, pureing, or baking. You can also grate it to add texture to breads or other baked dishes and desserts. The skin is ok to leave on.

What else is in the bag?

Bell Peppers
Sugarland

Green Beans
Aloun Farms

Kabocha
Aloun Farms

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Rambutan
OK Farms

Sweet Potato
Twin Bridge Farms

Veggie Meal Kit Recipes:

Try out these recipes!

Butternut Squash (Kabocha) Mac ‘n Cheese

Yard-long Beans with Kabocha and Coconut Milk

This Week’s Box Featuring Spigarello – Week of November 8

November 8, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week, we have spigarello from Ho Farms!

Spigarello is a primitive heirloom varietal of the broccoli family and is native to Southern Italy. Spigarello is a variety of leaf broccoli, is related to broccoli rabe, and looks like a cross between kale and broccoli. The taste is similar to broccoli, with the leaves having a mild taste and the texture is succulent and crunchy.

How to Prepare Spigarello:

It is recommended to trim the stems and the leaves can be enjoyed as a salad green, wilting green or soup green.

What else is in the bag?

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Orange
Adaptations

Papaya
Local Harvest

Spigarello
Ho Farms

Sweet Potato
Twin Bridge Farms

Zucchini
Ma’alea Farm

Try out these recipes!

Spigarello Salad with Lemon Apple Vinaigrette

Spigarello Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

This week’s Plant Based Meal Prep Box by Open Kitchen:

This Week’s Box Featuring Cremini Mushrooms – Week of November 1

November 1, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week, we have Cremini Mushrooms from Small Kine Farms

Cremini mushrooms are a coffee-colored variety of the world’s most commonly eaten mushroom, commonly called the “button” mushroom. Most of the table mushrooms we eat – “white button,” “cremini (or crimini)” and “portobello” – all refer to this same scientific category of mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. The difference between all of these mushrooms is just age – white button being the youngest and portobello mushrooms the most mature, left to grow out into large meaty caps!

Cremini mushrooms are between the two varieties, more mature than white button but younger than a portobello. Deeper and earthier in flavor than white buttons, they are used frequently in stews and soups since they hold up better in liquid. Their hearty, full-bodied taste makes them an excellent addition to beef, wild game, and vegetable dishes.

Preparation

Mushrooms are so porous that if they are exposed to too much water, they will quickly absorb it and become soggy. This also means that they are great for marinating. The best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water. To do this, simply wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.

If using the whole mushroom in a recipe, simply slice off the very bottom of the stem, which is usually a bit spongy. If your recipe only calls for the caps, gently break off the stems with your hands and discard (or save for making soup stock).

Sauté, broil, microwave or cook these mushrooms in almost any way. Some quick recipe ideas:

Sautéed mushrooms and onions
Add finely chopped mushrooms to some homemade pasta sauce.
Remove the stems, and stuff with your favorite vegetable medley or soft cheese.
Mushroom omelet

Farms that grow Mushrooms

Small Kine Farm

Recipes

What else is in the bag?

Cremini Mushrooms
Small Kine Farm

Japanese Cucumbers
Ho Farms

Lettuce
Kunia Country Farms

Longan
OK Farms

Sweet Potato
Twin Bridge Farms

Watermelon
Aloun Farms

Try out these recipes!

Quinoa with Chard and Mushrooms

Simple Stuffed Peppers

This Week’s Box Featuring Avocado – Week of October 25

October 25, 2021 by Amy Buglione

This week, we have Avocados

Now sometimes lovingly known as the avo, avocados are divided into three categories: West Indian, Guatemalan, and Mexican. Thanks to cross-pollination, however, there are hundreds of hybrids with varying characteristics, and in the islands, trees produce some of the biggest, best avocados in the world. Here’s why: The microclimates and supreme soils result in larger fruits with larger amounts of healthy oils, like polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and nutrients.

Hawaii’s main avocado export is the Sharwil (a cross between Mexican and Guatemalan types)—but only recently. Just within the past five years, the United States Department of Agriculture lifted an embargo from 1992, which banned this island cultivar from reaching the mainland. Prized for its buttery flavor and small pit, this breed of avocado grows especially well in the Kona district of Big Island. But different regions bear different fruit—so there’s plenty to choose from.

Avocados are a source of vitamins C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. They also provide lutein, beta carotene, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avocados contain high levels of healthy, beneficial fats, which can help a person feel fuller between meals.

Preparation

How to cut or slice avocados in half:

Be sure to fully wash before cutting or slicing.
Place the avocado lengthwise on a secure surface.
Hold the avocado securely with one hand, and slice slowly down the center lengthwise around the seed, starting at the narrower end.
Holding the avocado in the palm of one hand, use your other hand to twist and rotate the two halves apart.
Use a teaspoon to remove the stone from the center of the avocado. Use a dessert spoon to scoop the whole avocado flesh out from the shell if required. Cut into slices, chunks, or mash with a fork.

What else is in the bag?