June 27th-28th 2012

ITALIAN BOX Hello … While looking through the market this week, we were getting a very Italian feel, with beautiful basil, zucchini and arugula showing up. When we remembered our friend up north with the California Polenta, that sealed the deal! So, this week we hope you enjoy your boxes with Italian flavors, most of the recipes from lovely Sara Woodward, who is at present at Le Bernardin Restaurant in New York City, and a special soup from Alice Waters “Vegetables” cookbook. Buon Appetito! Papardelle (Community Grains): Made with true California whole grain hard amber durum wheat from the wonderful company Community Grains. Produced in small batches with brass dies and slow dried. What is most interesting about Community Grains is that they are using TRUE whole grains, as per the following definition: “Community Grains defines “whole grains” as the grain in its entirety–100% of the germ, bran and endosperm found in the grain, according to FDA guidelines [2006 draft]. Beyond that standard, our flour has been milled without separating those three components at any point in the milling process, nor has anything been added. Not reconstituted.” What is unusual about this is that:

“Conventional milling technology splits off the bran and germ right at the beginning. If they are selling the whole grain, they just add those parts back in later, which apparently is not as good as keeping them in the whole time. That’s the Community Grains premise. Whole grain is one of the important things missing from the Western diet.”-Michael Pollan, Wall Street Journal. Having discussed Community Grains at length with a world-renowned baker in San Francisco, he stressed that this process is SO MUCH better for your health, and also studies are proving that the conventional milling technology is processing the grains in a way that is causing many people to have gluten intolerance and other health issues!! We will support Community Grains going forward in every way we can, not just for health reasons, but also because of their mission to create a local grain economy for California. If you want to learn more, I highly suggest you check out their very informative website: http://oliveto.com/communitygrains/ Burrata – Delicious Burrata from San Francisco makers Belfiore. No GMO’s are fed to the animals whose milk is used for this cheese, just one of the details that we are always very careful with when selecting products! Local Polenta – Beautiful California-grown polenta from Reed Hamilton of Grass Valley Farms. Reed is raising a variety of grains on his organic flatlands in Wheatland, Ca – near his stone flour mill in Grass Valley. It is a fifth-generation farm in Northern California, doing things the old-fashioned way! Orange Juice - Now that we are producing our own Orange Juice, please make a point of returning your Mason Jars so that they can be re-used! We wish you a fabulous week filled with family, friends and delicious food, made (or heated through) with Love.

Enjoy the recipes, enjoy the food love, Sara Woodward & Jennifer Piette, OBC Found

BOX CONTENTS | JUNE 27-28TH, 2012

Roots Vegetables Fruit Fresh Dug Potatoes (The

Garden Of…) Carrots (Garden Of…) Garlic (Earthtrine) Red Beets (Cortez) Fennel** FISH ONLY (Earthtrine)

· Cherry Tomatoes (Chris Milliken)

· Broccolini (Earthtrine)

· Zucchini (Earthtrine)

· Heirloom Tomatoes (Sanchez)*

· Rainier Cherries (Burkdoll)

· Valencia Oranges (Etheridge)

· Patterson Apricots (Burkdoll)

· Black Splendour Plums (Burkdoll Farms)

· Meyer Lemons* (Whitney Ranch)

Leafy Greens Extra Fruit ** Meat & Eggs

· Arugula (Kenter Canyon)

· Spring Mix (Shepherd Farm)

· Spicy Greens (Earthtrine)

• White Peaches (Regier)

• Extra Apricots

• Extra Plums

• Yellow Peaches (Regier)

• Chicken Breast (Dey Deys)

• Half Chicken (Dey Deys)

• Chuck Roast (Dey Deys)*

Herbs Dairy Regional Specialty

• Basil (Earthtrine)

• Rosemary* (Earthtrine)

• Sage

• Pastured Butter (Organic Valley)*

• Burrata (Belfiore)

• Pappardelle (Community Grains)

Fair Trade Grain/ Pulse Nuts, Seeds or Dried Fruit

• Espresso (Green Star) • Polenta (Grass Valley) • Black Mission Figs (Avila)

Orange Juice Catch of the Week ** New Customer/ Referral Gift From Organic Etheridge Valencia Oranges

• CA Halibut (Kanaloa) • Marmalade

* Not included in the Couple’s Box ** This category is an ‘Add-on’ option. Please go to www.outoftheboxcollective.com if you are interested in it!

RECIPES TO HELP YOU EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH THE BOX!

Sage-Breaded Chicken with Creamy Polenta and Sliced Tomatoes Roast Beef with Rosemary, Carrots and Arugula Salad Chicken with Broccolini and Garlic, Simple Green Salad Pasta with Zucchini, Lemon and Basil White Bean and Wilted Greens Soup Catch of the Week - Pesce all'acqua Pazza (fish in crazy water)... ,Green Salad, Herb

Roasted Potatoes and Fennel Lemon Granita Fresh Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes and Basil Affogato

SAGE-BREADED CHICKEN WITH CREAMY POLENTA AND SLICED TOMATOES

This is a major crowd-pleasing way to serve chicken and a much faster/easier way to do it than American-style fried chicken. Ingredients: For the chicken: · chicken breasts, skin and bones removed · (you can save the bones to make a small batch of chicken stock – or, put in the freezer to save until you

have collected enough chicken bones to make a good-sized batch) · 1T chopped sage · 1/2 C flour · 4 egg · 2 C breadcrumbs · oil for frying

For the Polenta: · 1C Polenta · 5C water · ¼ lb butter

To Bread the Chicken: Remove the skin from each of the breasts. Between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap, lightly pound the breasts with something heavy and flat, such as a French rolling pin or small sauce pan. The purpose of this is to even out the thickness of the meat, so focus in on the thicker parts, gently pounding them out until they are the same thickness as the thinner parts. Once they are all of uniform thickness, lightly season each one with salt and pepper. Then, coat them with the flour, egg wash and crumbs. Whenever breading something, there is a method to organizing yourself so that the process goes quickly and with minimal mess. First, gather three shallow trays. Fill one about a half inch full with AP flour. The next one with beaten whole eggs. The last one with breadcrumbs tossed with chopped sage. With one “dry” hand, lightly dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess. With your other “wet” hand, dip the floured chicken into the egg wash, making sure to coat completely – let excess drain away. With your first “dry hand”, coat in the breadcrumbs and set aside until ready to cook. You can do this up to an hour in advance, but its not recommended to let it sit any longer, as the crumbs tend to get soggy. When ready to cook: Heat a half inch of fry oil in a large pan and when hot, gently place the breaded chicken into the pan. Fry on medium hear until golden and crispy. Gently turn over and crisp the other side. When finished cooking, remove from pan and allow to drain. Keep warm and serve with soft polenta and a squeeze of lemon. Wedges of tomato sprinkled with sea salt on the side. For the Polenta: In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring 5C water to a rolling boil. With a whisk in one hand and your polenta in the other, pour the polenta in a slow, steady stream into the boiling water, whisking the entire time. Adding it slowly this way reduces the opportunity for clumps to form. Once the water has returned to a boil, turn the heat down to low and cook at a slow bubble for 45 minutes to an hour. Give the pot a stir every so often, making sure the polenta is not sticking to the bottom or sides. If getting too thick, stir in a little water as needed. Check the polenta periodically toward the end to see if the grains are soft and swollen – when the texture has lost that “gritty” sensation, your polenta is ready. At this point, season to taste with kosher salt and butter. Keep warm.

ROAST BEEF WITH ROSEMARY, CARROTS AND ARUGULA SALAD This dish is wonderful for the way the rosemary really infuses the meat with aromatic flavor. Ingredients: · Beef · Rosemary sprigs · Salt and pepper · Baby Carrots – scrubbed well, don’t need to peel · Arugula salad with lemon and olive oil

For the Beef: Preheat oven to 375°F. Season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper (allow to temper for 30 minutes at room temperature if you can) and sear in a pan until caramelized on all sides. Remove from pan and allow to rest. Lay a 15” length of butchers twine on the table Line up rosemary sprigs, side-by-side over the string with the string running along the middle of the sprigs– lay the roast on top of the rosemary and pull up the string so that it is enveloping the roast with the rosemary. Tie to fasten and place on roasting tray. Give your carrots a good wash (no need to peel) and place them in the roasting tray with the beef. Roast, turning and basting occasionally for 35 minutes to an hour, depending on size of roast and your oven. Remove when it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F, which is medium rare. Allow to rest for 10 minutes or so before removing the string and rosemary and carving into thin slices. Serve with the pan juices, the roasted carrots and an arugula salad dressed with lemon and olive oil.

CHICKEN WITH BROCCOLINI AND GARLIC, SIMPLE GREEN SALAD

Here is another delicious way to cook chicken – the name ‘spatchcocked’ refers to preparing a bird for grilling or roasting by flattening it out, removing the spine. This makes it able to be cooked using direct heat as we are doing here. We’re also taking things a step further by applying a weight to the chicken while cooking which presses the skin into the pan, making the most crispy, delicious chicken skin. This method is often referred to as “pollo al mattone” or “chicken under a brick” Ingredients: · Chicken half, spine removed · Salt and pepper · Rosemary, garlic and lemon zest marinade · Olive oil · Broccolini, washed and trimmed · Garlic, sliced · Dried chili, sliced

For the Chicken: Make a marinade for the chicken by pounding garlic, rosemary and lemon zest in mortar and pestle or blending in a food processor. Drizzle in just enough olive oil to bring the ingredients together. Rub this mixture into the chicken, getting into all the crevices. A little bit goes a long way, so you won’t need a lot. Allow to rest overnight. When ready to cook, rub excess marinade from the chicken and season with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, add olive oil and when hot, gently lay the chicken in the pan, skin-side down. Make sure as much of the skin as possible is in contact with the pan, as you want to crisp it up. Once the chicken is in place, find a clean object of medium weight to place on top of the chicken to press it down further into the pan. A smaller pot or another heavy sauté pan will do. Turn heat to medium-low and gently render the skin side of the chicken to a golden brown. This is the “al mattone” mentioned earlier or “under a brick” and it produces lovely brown golden skin and juicy meat beneath. After a few minutes, remove the weights and check to see if the skin has rendered fully. If it looks golden brown all over, turn the meat over and finish cooking briefly on the other side. Rest in a warm place before serving. For the Broccolini: Pre-heat oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, toss your broccolini, trimmed into bite-sized florets with salt, pepper and olive oil. Add a few cloves of garlic with their skins on and a dried chili or two, broken into small pieces. Arrange onto a large roasting tray and bake in the oven until the leaves begin to crisp and the stalks are tender. Serve warm and finish with a squeeze of lemon.

FRESH PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, LEMON AND BASIL This dish works best with a flat-shaped pasta, such as pappardelle or linguine, but you may use any pasta you like. Ingredients: · Fresh or dried pasta – · Zucchini, shaved thin and lightly salted · Basil, sliced · Lemon zest, grated · Juice of half a lemon · Cracked black pepper · Olive oil · Butter

Pasta: Before you begin cooking, take your zucchini and make long ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Peel around the edges until you get to the center. Once it’s nothing but seeds, stop. In a bowl, toss the ribbons with a pinch of salt and leave to “cure.” The zucchini will start to release water and become soft, but concentrated in texture and sweeter in flavor. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes, then drain and pat dry. In a large sauté pan, warm a small amount of olive oil and a pat of butter. When the butter begins to melt, add the grated lemon zest and swirl over low heat to infuse with flavor In salted boiling water, blanch the pasta until al dente. Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Fold in the zucchini ribbons and add squeeze of lemon and cracked black pepper. At the last moment, sprinkle generously with sliced basil leaves. Serve in bowls. Add grated parmesan if you wish.

WHITE BEAN AND WILTED GREENS SOUP

(FROM ALICE WATER’S COOKBOOK CHEZ PANISSE VEGETABLES) Ingredients: · 1 Medium Yellow onion · 1 small carrot · 3 cloves garlic · ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil · 2 bay leaves · 1 1/2 cups cannellini Beans (leftover from last week?!) · A small piece of prosciutto, or smoked bacon (opt) · 2 medium Tomatoes · 6 cups chicken stock · 3 teaspoons salt · 1 bunch spicy greens (rocket, mustard greens, or turnip greens) · Olive oil · 12 sage leaves · Hard grating cheese (from last week?)

Soak the beans overnight unless you have some leftover beans from last week. Peel and chop the garlic very fine. In a nonreactive soup pot, stew the vegetables, covered, with the olive oil and a splash of water, until they are translucent. Add the bay leaves, drained beans, and prosciutto or bacon, and cook for a few minutes more. Peel, seed, and chop the tomatoes, add them to the beans, and stew for another minute or so. Pour the stock and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 ¼ hours, stirring occasionally. Add the salt after about an hour. The beans should be fully cooked, soft but not falling apart. Add the greens, washed and cut into 1-inch strips, and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a small frying pan. Fry the sage leaves in the oil for a few seconds, a few at a time (more than a few seconds, and they turn black). Drain on a paper towel or absorbent cloth. When the soup is done, ladle it into soup bowls and serve, garnished with a few shavings of the Cheese of the Week and the fried sage leaves.

CATCH OF THE WEEK: PESCE ALL'ACQUA PAZZA (FISH IN CRAZY WATER)... GREEN SALAD, HERB ROASTED POTATOES AND FENNEL

The name “crazy water” is thought to refer either to the flavor of the chili in the broth, or that the birth of the dish was a soup Italian fisherman would make by cooking all the little fish at the end of the market day in a broth of seawater. At its best, this is a dish that uses a combination of small fish and shellfish, as what you cook in the acqua pazza flavors the broth. Since there are only the Ling Cod filets for us landlubbers we can make the broth extra flavorful by adding more vegetables to it and simmering a little longer than usual before adding the fish… Ingredients: · 1 quart water · 6 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half · salt and pepper · 1 dried chili, crushed · 1 lemon, halved · 4 tomatoes, chopped · Halibut Filets · splash white wine (optional) · drizzle olive oil

for the potatoes: · potatoes, cut into chunks · garlic cloves, unpeeled · sage and rosemary · fennel, cut into wedges · salt and pepper · olive oil

For the Fish: Combine the first 5 ingredients in a shallow saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes to the broth and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the fillets and a splash of wine. Cover pan and cook gently for 6-8 minutes or until fish is just cooked through. Serve with roasted potatoes and some of the broth. For the Potatoes: Toss the potatoes and fennel with salt, pepper, herbs, garlic and olive oil. Roast on a sheet tray in a 375°F oven, turning from time to time, until potatoes are tender and fennel is soft and caramelized.

LEMON GRANITA

This is a great warm weather dessert that is simple and fun for kids to make . Ingredients: · Juice of 3 lemons · 1C water · 1/3 C sugar

Method: Dissolve the sugar into the water and mix in lemon juice. Strain and pour into a shallow dish and place in the freezer. Every 30 minutes, stir the mixture with a fork or small whisk to break up the crystals. After a few hours, stirring every 30 minutes (a good exercise in patience) you will have sweet-tart fluffy lemon granita. Serve in chilled bowls. (you can also do this with any fruit juice as a base – adding a little lemon to balance the sweetness)

FRESH BURRATA WITH TOMATOES, ROASTED BEETS AND BASIL

Ingredients: • Beets • Burrata • Heirloom Tomatoes • Basil

For the Beets: Wash beets well, trim the tops (save the tops to sauté in another meal) and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in baking dish, cover in foil and bake until fork-tender – about 30 minutes, depending on size. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and cut into wedges. Slice some tomatoes, tear up some basil, combine with the cooled beets, add the burrata, and drizzle some olive oil over the top. Beautiful.

AFFOGATTO

If you are ever in the position where you cannot decide weather to have coffee or dessert, do what the Italians do and combine the two. Literally translated as “to drown”, affogato is a wonderful little pick-me-up made simply by pouring hot espresso over vanilla ice cream (or gelato).