2017 CSA Week 5 Recipes

Homemade Chicken Gyros with Mint Tzatziki Sauce

*The chicken breast for this recipe is borrowed from whole roasted chicken as described in the Whole Roasted Chicken with Mint Sauce recipe below. One chicken breast is to be removed and sliced with the grain of the meat in 1/2 inch strips. Between 1-2 ounces of chicken breast can be used per pita bread gyro. If not using pre-roasted chicken, raw chicken breast can be seasoned with salt and pepper, and possibly marinaged with some garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil, and then pan roasted until the chicken is cooked through. 

To prepare the mint tzatziki sauce- remove 1/4 cup of mint leaves from stems and add to food processor or blender. Peel and rough chop 3/4 of long English cucumber and add to food processor. Additionally, combine 1 clove of garlic, 1 tbsp of finely chopped oregano, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or juice of 1/2 lemon), 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1 cup of full fat Greek yogurt in food processor and pulse the mixture until it is smooth but there are still some small chunks of cucumber. 

To prepare pita bread- takes about 3 hours, very optional- Add 1 packet of active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp) to bowl with 1 cup of warm water (about 100 degrees F) and 1 cup of flour. Whisk ingredients together, then let stand for 15 to 20 minutes until mixture rises into loose sponge cosistency. Then add 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 3/4 tsp of salt to mixture and mix until dough is soft and slightly sticky. If dough sticks to the sides of the bowl add up to 1/4 cup more flour, a little at a time. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 5-6 minutes, then form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover the dough with a thin film of oil, then cover bowl with foil and let sit until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours. 

Place dough on a floured work surface. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a small round ball with a smooth top. Cover the dough balls with lightly oiled pastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. 

On a floured work surface gently pat each dough ball flat with our fingers to form a round bread about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat for all dough rounds, finishing with a sprinkle of flour, and allowing rounds to rest for 5 minutes. 

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet and place over medium-high heat. Lay dough round in hot skillet and cook until the bread begins to puff up and bottom has brown spots and blisters, about 3 minutes. Flip bread and cook on the other side for 2 minutes, and the flip back onto the original side for 30 seconds. Repeat for each dough round. 

To assemble gyro- Cut warm (or reheated on stovetop or in microwave) pita bread in half and open the pocket in the center for stuffing. Add sliced chicken breast (from roasted chicken), diced tomatoes, sliced red onion, lettuce, and mint tzakziki sauce. 

Whole Roasted Chicken with Mint Sauce

*This recipe used the whole broiler chicken included in our omnivore CSA shares. The chickens are frozen at pickup and require about 3-4 days to thaw in the refrigerator. We recommend placing the entire chicken in a mixing bowl so as the chicken thaws water does not leak throughout the refrigerator. 

Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Place whole chicken breast side down in cast iron skillet or baking dish. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, then season entire chicken generously with salt. Combine 2 tablespoons of paprika, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 2 teaspoons of ground fennel seed, 2 teaspoons of ground mustard (or 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard), and 1 tsp of ground black pepper. Mix rub ingredients well and then rub the mixture all over the skin of the chicken, top, bottom, and sides. Gently coat the chicken with 3 tablespoons of olive oil on top of rub. 

Cook chicken in oven for 1 hour. Turn oven up to 425 degrees F roast an additional 20 minuets or an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

To prepare mint sauce- combine in a food processor or blender 1 cup of mint leaves (removed from stems) with 1/4 cup of parsley, 4 cloves of garlic, and 1 serrano (or jalapeno) pepper with seeds removed. Pulse the mixture into a paste. Add 1 tbsp of honey and 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard, and pulse again until ingredients are combined. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil in small batches until the mixture has become emulsified. Season with up to 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and if sauce needs to be thinned add a few tablespoons of water. 

To serve- spoon the mint sauce over chicken, or serve the sauce on the side as a dipping sauce. 

Swiss Chard and Chickpeas with Poached Egg 

Soak 1 cup of chick peas overnight or cover chickpeas in saucepan with water and bring to a boil, allowing to simmer for 20 minutes. Drain chickpeas and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add 1/2 lemon, 1/2 yellow onion, both facedown, and 2 cloves of garlic. Cook until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add cooked (or canned) chickpeas and 2 bay leaves. Add 2 tsp of salt and enough water to cover chickpeas by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, add cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Check if chickpeas are tender, and if not continue to simmer for another 10-20 minutes. Remove from heat and discard lemon, onion, and bay leaves.

In a large straight-sided skillet add 1/4 cup of of olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 chopped yellow onions, 1 serrano (or jalapeno pepper) with seeds removed, 4 cloves of garlic and 1 (optional) tsp of baharat powder (or another spice blend which includes some combination of black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, and paprika). Cook until onions are translucent, stirring often, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer chickpeas to skillet with enough cooking liquid to cover mixture. Bring mixture to a simmer, then add 1 bunch of Swiss chard, chopped into 1/2 inch ribbons with stems and ribs thinly sliced, and adding in batches with stems and ribs added first. Add 1/2 bunch of kale, chopped into 1/2 inch ribbons, with stems and ribs removed and discarded, or (optionally) also added into the mixture. Kale stems have more rigid fibers than Swiss chard stems so some may find their texture less appealing. 

Once greens are wilted, poached eggs can be added directly to mixture, by using a spoon to make 8 indentations and cracking an egg into each and simmering until the whites are almost opaque but the yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes. Eggs may also be poached seperately, as described in week 1's chimmichuri breakfast bowl recipe, and then added on top of the chickpea and chard mixture when served. Dish may also be served with a dollop of Greek yogurt, and/or Parmesan cheese. 

Kale, Basil and Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes 

*The quantity of quinoa-kale filling this recipe makes could fill 2 or 3 tomatoes depending on how much of the core is removed. The removed pulp could be used with the Chicken gyro recipe allowing all 3 tomatoes to be stuffed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

Slice off a 2 inch hole around the stem end of each tomato. Hollow out the pulp with a spoon. Sprinkle salt inside each tomato and stand the tomatoes hollow side up in a lightly oiled baking dish. 

Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa in water according to package instructions (about 15 minutes). 

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and add 1 clove of garlic. Cook garlic for 1-2 minutes, then add 1/2 bunch of kale sliced into 1/2 inch ribbons, and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped oregano. Season with salt and pepper and saute until greens begin to wilt. Remove from heat and mix cooked quinoa with kale and garlic. Add 1 bunch of finely chopped basil to mixture, reserving several tablespoons of bunch for garnish. Evenly divide the filling among the tomatoes. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese, then bake for 5 more minutes until cheese has melted. Garnish with ribbons of fresh basil. 

Leafy Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Chop 1 head of lettuce and 1 bunch of leafy green mix into 1/2 or 1 inch ribbons. Add chopped 1/4 of long English cucumber, diced tomato, and sliced red onion. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

Simple balsamic vinaigrette recipe- Mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar at a 3:1 ratio. Add 1 tbsp of finely chopped oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk ingredients thoroughly.