Your box contains the following items, give or take subs that may happen as the week goes on.
- red little gems
- mesclun
- broccoli di cicco
- agretti
- mixed medley cherry tomatoes
- mixed summer squash
- handful mint leaves
- handful Genovese basil
- 1 green gyspy pepper
- bluelake beans
- red and white pearl onions
- Valencia oranges
- 2 pieces flavor grenade pluot/black splendor plum
We have a couple of new items this week, with the most unusual being agretti. This plant is loved in Italy, where many of the more unusual vegetables are from that find their way into your box. Yes, agretti looks like a weird version of pine needles (though it’s not like pine needles in any meaningful way), and I suggest taking a little piece of it and tasting it just so you know what it’s like raw. Like many of the cooking greens you’ve been getting these last few months, I recommend blanching it in salted boiling water, for 4-6 minutes. Then you can make a pasta with it, or just toss it with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon and eat it like spinach. Here’s a link to help you understand how to cook agretti.
https://honest-food.net/agretti/
I’m including a handful of mint leaves so you can make a shaved raw squash salad, if you so desire. Best if you have a mandolin to make thin slices, but you can also use the blade side of your cheese grater, or a potato peeler. Add a little bit of olive oil, and lemon juice or white wine/champagne vinegar, chili flakes and mint leaves torn or cut up, and salt to taste. The salt will cause the water to come out of the squash, so go easy on the olive oil and acid, to keep it from getting too watery and soggy. This is a lovely and super easy and quick dish to make. You can also cut the squash in half lengthwise, grill it on both sides, then cut into large chunks and toss with a simple basil pesto with almonds and the handful of basil leaves in the box.
Enjoy!
Martin