I think I’m a relatively adventurous eater. Fried pig ears? Tried them. Sweetbreads? Pretty tasty. In addition to broadening the amount of foods I’ve tried, sharing new tastes with my dining companions builds camaraderie and conversation around the table.
Although it’s fun to sample new things, there are several items that I almost always order when I see them on a menu. One of them is orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. The Sessantina broccoli rabe in this week’s box gave me the perfect excuse to prepare it at home this week.
Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe
Beet salad also is difficult for me to pass up. To accompany the pasta, I made a salad with roasted beets, frisée, ricotta salata, and a mustard-shallot vinaigrette.
Beet salad
In addition to the beets and broccoli rabe, this week’s box contained new German butterball potatoes, Seneca sweet corn, broccoli, shallots, Velour French beans, Eureka pickling cucumbers, bell peppers, and celery.
I still had the fennel and some squash from last week’s box. I opted to use that, one of the green peppers, and one ear of corn in a summery sauté that went on top of a creamy goat cheese tart. I also made green beans with dill butter. The Velour French beans are so pretty. They’re a deep rich purple before they’re cooked, but they turn bright green as they steam.
A pickle update: Pink pickled turnips are still working in the fridge. I’ll crack them open this week, so look for an update in next week’s post. There were pickling cucumbers in the box this week, so now I'm planning to make refrigerator dill pickles this weekend. As an aside, I’m still searching for the perfect recipe for gin dill pickles. The one I made previously turned out way too salty.
The sweet corn from Nichols Farm is the best corn I’ve ever eaten. This week’s ears were grilled and slathered in miso butter. They were part of a delicious Sunday dinner that included a repeat of the amazing spicy chicken I made earlier in the month (with the addition of shallots tossed in the spicy sauce and skewered with the chicken). I also roasted the new potatoes and broccoli.
Next week, there will be more corn and Japanese eggplant—one of my favorites. I’m also planning to use the rest of the bell peppers and celery from this week’s box.