Northshore Magazine

Kale can shine with simple prep, too. Despite kale's popularity as a "super food," it's sometimes difficult to utilize. "Sometimes simpler is better with kale," says McClelland. Although it's great simply sautéed with olive oil, shallots, and a squeeze of lemon juice, McClelland also likes to cook it with roast chicken. When a chicken is about 10 minutes from being done, move it onto a bed of kale (or Swiss chard) and finish the chicken. Then, let it sit for 10 minutes, allow all the juices to run into the greens, carve the chicken, and serve it all spread around together. Blueberries are also in season in July, and although they're great for simply snacking straight from the box, they also lend themselves well to simple summer desserts. King suggests whipping high-quality, self-straining ricotta with honey and vanilla, dolloping it into a bowl, and topping it with fresh blueberries. "It's almost like ice cream at room temperature," he says. "That's dessert." When in doubt, go traditional. When Thunberg finds herself running out of ideas for a certain veggie, she spins the globe for inspiration, looking for recipe ideas either from its country of origin or from a place that's famous for using it well. For instance, kohlrabi is common in Germany, the Thai do fabulous things with eggplant, and "the French do all sorts of things with radishes that we would never do," she says. One thing that the French do with radishes is cook them simply in butter and salt, says Edelman. He's also cooked them with shitake mushrooms, finished them with miso, ginger, and soy sauce, and served them with fish. "Yes, you can slice them and put them in a salad, but I cook them," he says. "Many people are very surprised. When you cook them, it kind of takes that bite out of it." McClelland says that a lot of Old World recipes were actually developed to utilize vegetables that come into season at the same time. He points to ratatouille, the traditional French stew that incorporates members of the nightshade family, which typically are in season in July and August, such as tomatoes, eggplant, and bell peppers, as well as onions and zucchini. The Old World isn't the only place to turn to for tradition. "I think a lot of people have no idea what to do with collard greens," Edelman says, but "true Southern collard greens are fantastic." He says the traditional hours-long method of braising collards with smoked meat, water, vinegar, salt, and sugar makes a killer accompaniment for barbecue. Although it can be challenging to use everything in your farm share, chefs and foodies agree that CSAs are worth the effort, allowing members to support farmers, explore new flavors, and eat a steady diet of fresh, local food. "It's what teaches you to be a better cook," says King. "Anytime you've found 10 ways to use radicchio, that is a summer well spent." ● n For information on CSAs, visit localharvest.org/csa. 144 Courtesy of Frank McClelland, L'Espalier 1/4 c. olive oil, divided 1 Vidalia onion, diced 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 small zucchini, diced 1 lg. red bell pepper, seeded and diced 2 lg. tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced 1 fennel bulb, diced, fronds reserved 6 3-oz. halibut fillets Zest of 1 orange Zest of 1 lemon 1 c. white wine 3 shallots, minced 1/4 c. dry sherry 1 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced 1 tsp. fresh chives, minced Juice of 1 lemon Salt and freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For the vegetables: Heat a large sauté pan on medium- high heat and add two tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and cook for three minutes. Add four of the minced garlic cloves, the zucchini, red pepper, tomatoes and diced fennel and cook for four minutes. Transfer to a platter. For the fish: Place the halibut fillets in a bowl and toss them gently with the remain- ing two tablespoons of olive oil and the orange and lemon zests. Season with salt and pepper. Place the fillets in a large braising pan. Add the wine, shallots, remaining two garlic cloves, sherry, parsley, chives, and lemon juice and cook on medium heat for four minutes. Cover the pan and bake in the oven for 12 to 14 minutes, or until halibut is cooked through. Remove the fillets from the oven and transfer them with a slotted spoon onto the vegetables on the platter. Garnish with a few fronds of fennel. Strain the sauce from the braising pan through a fine-mesh sieve into a small serving bowl or sauceboat. Serve with the halibut. Frank McClelland REV2_144_NB_KJ_NS July 14 FECSA.indd 144 5/9/14 11:38 AM

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