August 18 veggies

Another week, and more delicious fresh veggies. The greens and reds and oranges sure looked beautiful against the grey (but very necessary) rain today. Here's what's in your bag:

Full share:
:: potatoes
:: zucchini
:: beets
:: Brussels sprouts
:: carrots
:: cucumber
:: jalapeno
:: tomatoes
:: snap peas
:: shallots
:: mint
:: basil
:: spicy salad mix
:: peppergrass

Half share:
:: yellow zucchini
:: blond cucumber
:: peppergrass
:: shallots
:: jalapeno
:: beet
:: potatoes
:: tomatoes
:: mint


Now, there's a good chance you're wondering what to do with peppergrass. It's not commonly eaten here, but it's a tasty green that is delicious in salads. There aren't a lot of recipes floating around that use it, but here's one interesting one for veal escalopes. If you're lucky enough to know where to get wild mushrooms (people I know are picking chanterelles all over the place) then you could have a really lovely time with it. If you don't eat veal you could certainly use turkey cutlets, and if you're a vegetarian I'll bet the sauce - mushrooms, butter, peppergrass, white wine and all - would be really nice tossed with some egg noodles or over rice. I've never seen a recipe that calls for wood ash before. I think I'd probably leave that optional ingredient out.

And aren't the Brussels sprouts wonderful? When I was growing up in St. John's, Brussels sprouts came frozen in blocks and were a yellowish grey by the time you cooked them. I remember one Thanksgiving dinner when a young guest declared, "I don't like them big peas!" The Brussels sprout is the U.K.'s most despised vegetable, according to polls. I don't know where it stands in Newfoundland, but at my house Brussels sprouts are well loved, even by the five-year-old. Of course, they have to be fresh, and lovingly steamed just to doneness, not a smidge more. In case you're interested in something beyond steaming, there's a recipe here for beautiful, golden-crisped sprouts (my other favourite way of cooking them), and another here for Brussels sprouts cooked with shallots and juniper. I haven't been out to see if the juniper berries are ripe yet, but if you have some around then you're just a few ingredients away from something that I think would be very tasty. I, unfortunately, won't be able to try the recipe out this week because, ahem, I ate all my Brussels sprouts already. But if you try it, why not leave a comment here and let us all know how it turned out?

Happy eating!