Garlic Pork with Mizuna and Sweet Peppers

8 ounces boneless pork (such as loin or tenderloin), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken stock or water
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes or to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup thin strips red bell pepper (see NOTE)
2 cups mizuna leaves
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1. In a bowl, combine pork and soy sauce and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine chicken stock, sugar, salt and hot pepper flakes and stir well.
3. Heat a wok or a large deep skillet over high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat pan.
4. Add garlic and toss well, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
5. Add pork mixture and spread into a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until edges change color, about 30 seconds. Toss well. Cook, tossing occasionally, until no longer pink, about 1 minute more.
6. Add red pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until peppers are softened and pork is cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
7. Add chicken stock mixture, pouring in around sides of pan.
8. Toss well. Cook, tossing occasionally, 2 minutes more.
9. Add mizuna and cook, tossing often, until arugula is wilted, about 1 minute more.
10. Add sesame oil and toss well. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot or warm.

Serves 4

NOTE: To make bell pepper strips, halve one pepper lengthwise and discard the stem section and seeds.

Cut off the rounded top and bottom portions and reserve for salad or other dishes.

Cut the remaining portion lengthwise into 2-inch-long strips.

You’ll need about half of a small pepper.

Maria Wander

Mizuna Greens Salad with Miso Honey Vinaigrette

1 cup yellow miso paste
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/3 cup grape-seed oil
Salt
1 pound Mizuna greens

For the dressing:
Directions
Combine the miso paste and honey in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. While whisking, add the olive oil in a slow stream; season with salt, to taste.

Toss the Mizuna greens with desired amount of dressing.

Maria Wander

The first few weeks usually bring a lot of greens (think salads), so there is not a lot of freezing going on.  However, when the winter comes, you will wish that you had frozen some of the CSA’s summer and fall bounty!

A recently aired episode of Alton Brown’s Good Eats on the Food Network had lots of good tips about freezing, as well as “recipes” for freezing peaches and peas.  According to the website, this show will be airing again — at 2AM.  Set your DVR.  See http://www.foodnetwork.com/good-eats/frozen-cache/index.html

Mark Bittman also looked at some freezing techniques in the New York Times (though I’m not sure if this link will work): http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4D61239F935A35756C0A96F9C8B63.  If the link doesn’t work, the article, “Freeze That Thought” appeared on May 6, 2009.

• Thinly sliced cabbage (or mix of Oriental Greens) – 8-10 cups
• Chopped fresh cilantro (it must be fresh) – 1 cup
• Minced chopped jalapeno – 1 or put that on the side for the grown-ups
• Chopped fresh garlic scapes – ½ cup
• Garlic salt – ½ to 1 tsp.
• Vegannaise (vegan mayonaise) – ½ cup, more or less
• Fresh squeezed lime juice from 2-3 limes

Mix all together.  Serve it as a side dish to rice and beans, or serve it as a topping for any kind of taco you like.  I traditionally use this as a topping for fish tacos. – Ali Smith, Chelsea CSA

Every CSA-er knows garlic scapes, the youthful tender stalks of the plant that are plucked from the ground before the familiar (and much more pungent) bulbs form.  News to us: It’s also known as green, spring or new garlic and it is beloved for its sweeter more delicate flavor. David Patterson, the chef of the San Francisco restaurant Coi, devoted a whole column of “the Way We Eat” (NYTimes 05.18.08) to scapes.  Here’s one of his recipes.

• 1 3/4 c. minced green garlic
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. red-wine vinegar
• 6 tbps. extra fruity olive oil
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• salt

In a small saucepan, bring 1/4 cup water and the green garlic to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Strain the garlic and let cool.  In a blender, puree the egg, vinegars and cooled garlic on medium high. With blender running, add the oils in a slow steady stream to emulsify.  Season to taste with salt.  Use dip for crudités or pita chips.  It’s also great with steamed artichokes.