Northshore Magazine

143 Think outside the salad bowl. "I think CSAs are half about the veg- gies and half about loving to cook," says Heidi Thunberg, farm manager at Green Meadows Farm in South Hamilton. "It's really a part of being in a CSA . The entire summer you'll be coming up with incredible recipes that you've never cooked before." With that in mind, it's exciting to think of the possibilities for veggies that go beyond the typical salad treat- ment. One of those think-outside-the- bowl veggies is lettuce. "People don't think of lettuce as a pizza topper," says King. But one of his family's favorites is a "Caesar salad flatbread." He grills a flat piece of pizza dough for a couple of minutes until it just starts to blacken, and then serves the grilled flatbread informally by ripping off hunks of the bread and topping it with fresh, dressed lettuce. "That's one of our favorite things to do over the summer," King says. King and Edelman also both recommend grilling romaine lettuce by cutting it in half lengthwise (leaving the stem intact so it stays together), brushing it with a little olive oil, and grilling it cut-side down. "Not to the point that it's annihilated," says Edelman, "but just to get a little bit of color to it. It's still pretty raw. It adds this other dimension." Edelman also says lettuce and other greens, such as Swiss chard, can be made into gratins, which are especially tasty with local cheeses, such as chevre or sheep's milk ricotta. Beets are another veggie that works outside the salad bowl. Although cold beets or pickled beets are great with salad, you can also bake with them, says King. "You can incorporate beets into muffin mixes just like you would with zucchini," he says. The muffins don't taste overwhelmingly of beets but turn a fabulous pink color that kids love. Sometimes simpler is better. Although part of the fun of a CSA is ex- perimenting with new and adventurous recipes, sometimes a simple approach is all you need. For instance, Thunberg says fennel is really tasty shaved thinly into a salad, and tastes especially good with oranges. Edelman also likes raw fennel, which he says is great for dipping into white bean dip or hummus. It's also great with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and cracked pepper, he says. King takes a similarly simple approach with scallions and spring onions. For instance, he uses the heads of scallions to make dipping sauces by slicing and mixing them with soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and fresh ginger. "It's just a great savory dipping sauce," he says. "And you can put this stuff in a mason jar and it'll last forever." Grilled green onions are great on their own, too. King says, "You can put a bowl of those on the table and I will be super hap- py." He also suggests using them to top off a pizza. The grill is also a great way to cook the ubiquitous summer squash. King cuts them on the bias into long slices, brushes them with a little olive oil and sea salt, grills them, and serves them with bread. From the cookbook Baking by Hand, by Andy and Jackie King, co-owners of A&J King Artisan Bakers Makes one 5 x 9-inch loaf pan or one 7-inch round paper mold 1 tbsp. lemon zest 1/2 c. sugar 3 lg. eggs 8 oz. whole milk 8 oz. half-and-half 1 lb. stale croissant, brioche, challah, or other rich bread, cut into 1-in. dice 7 oz. fresh blueberries Confectioner's sugar, for dusting For the bread pudding: In a large bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar to release the lemon oil. Add the eggs, milk, and half-and- half and whisk until combined and smooth. Next, add the bread and blueberries to the bowl, and toss with your hands or spoon until all the bread is coated with the custard. Let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to one hour, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put all of the bread and custard mixture into the greased pan or paper mold. Bake until golden brown and it feels firm when pressed, about 45 minutes. When cooled, dust with confectioner's sugar. ( Chef 's note: We prefer to eat this not-too-sweet pudding on the cool side, with a spoonful of blueberry jam. The lemon gives the custard a crisp finish and is the perfect finale for a summer dinner outside, be it on the porch or picnic blanket—or out of the fridge with a cold beer. We're serious.) Heidi Thunberg Andy and Jackie King NB_KJ_NS July 14 FECSA.indd 143 5/8/14 3:45 PM

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