Calling all recipes -- or just simple cooking tips

I’ve been transcribing to computer files the recipes that CSA members, friends and family have given me over the last few seasons. Recipes are one of the most requested newsletter topics, but I seldom have the time to keyboard the material that people give me during the season. I have now taken some off-season time to get those into my computer.

My recipe collection is not as comprehensive as I’d like; i.e., for some vegetables I don’t have anything keyboarded yet. If you have recipes that you’d be willing to share, please send them in now while there is still time to get them keyboarded.

We will print recipes for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters, but we are relying on your participation to ensure recipe diversity, so please send in your favorites, and don’t feel if you see cooking tips for one kind of diet, that we don’t support or are indifferent to the interests of others.

One set of recipes I had in my file was a page copied from the 1887 version of the official cookbook for The White House, as written by then president Grover Cleveland’s steward, Hugo Ziemann. What stood out about these “ recipes” was that they were incredibly simple, “attention to detail” kind of information to improve the flavor of the vegetables. For example, when boiling beets, don’t poke them with a fork to test doneness, as this allows the flavorful juices to seep out. Better to squeeze them.

Simple hints like that one can make a big difference. I’ve bought a copy of the cookbook for myself, so watch for more hints and tips from Grover Cleveland’s steward. I prefer simple tips and recipes for members to long, involved all-day cooking extravaganzas (though a few of those over the course of the season are okay). Think about the kind of things you yourself might want to know when you're looking at an unfamiliar or challenging vegetable.

I’ve also been trying a few new recipes in my own kitchen, so watch for these during the season (I do eat meat): Portuguese kale soup, ginger and shrimp soup, and shahi korma. The first is obviously a kale recipe (though it uses potatoes too), and the shahi korma (a lamb dish) uses onions and cilantro. The second recipe didn’t include vegetables in its original version (noodles and shrimp), but the soup is easily improved with some bok choy or other Asian cooking greens.

All of these dishes were excellent choices for my 5-year-old daughter as she has recently lost all four of her front teeth, so I was looking for dishes with soft food that doesn’t require much use of the front biting teeth. As for me, I love the food I grow and I love the food I cook, and I have a capacious farmer’s appetite with which to express my love. When food is this good, I find it hard to practice “portion control.” So yes, I’ve gained a bit of weight over the off-season and it’s time to start working it off.

And I’d be remiss if in the midst of all this expressing love, I didn’t wish you all a Happy Valentines Day!