Recipe of the Week

Dill

     Speaking of abundance, dill is a great example of "you don't know what you've got until it's gone".  As summer turns on it's heat our cool weather crops go to seed and we say goodbye to tender, aromatic dill leaves until fall.  Some say good riddance old pal, who overstays his welcome and takes up too much room week after week in the crisper. But what of egg salad sandwiches on summer picnics, or salmon poached with lemon and dill on a hot summer's eve?       We'll surely miss it, so here's how to preserve what you've got though dill has packed its bag and gone for the summer. 

Dry it.  Dry it fast and hot to avoid browning.  On a hot day you can bunch it loosely and hang it in the sun.  I love to hang dried herbs around my kitchen window.

Another good recipe is a Creamy Dill Sauce (excerpted from Farmer John's Cookbook of Angelic Organics)

In the food processor combine:

1/3 C. olive oil

2 Tbsp vinegar

1/2 Tsp minced onion

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 C. Sour Cream

3 Tbsp minced fresh dill

salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste

Thank you to Kasey Kersnowski and Christina for contributing their favorite dill recipes.

One of our very own CSA member writes:

"Thanks again for the beautiful veggies. Some dill recipes from Christina below.

Enjoy,
Kasey"

CARROT DILL SOUP
Six servings.

soup:
4T unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
2.5 lbs carrots, peeled & diced
2 ribs celery, diced
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
.25 cup + 2T chopped fresh dill
1t salt
.25t fresh ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper

garnish:
6t sour cream
6 dill sprigs
.25 cup finely diced red bell pepper

Melt the butter in soup pot. Wilt the onion for about 10 minutes. Add
the carrots, celery, stock, .25 cup dill, salt, pepper and cayenne.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover pot. Simmer until tender, about
40 minutes. Let cool enough so that your blender doesn't explode when
you puree it (a mistake you only make once). Puree the soup in a
blender, a small amount at a time. Return it to the pot, stir in 2T
dill and heat through. Serve garnished with sour cream, red bell
pepper and dill sprigs.


DILL BREAD
One loaf.

1 package of yeast
.25 cup warm water
2.75-3 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
2T sugar
1T butter, melted
1T dill
1T dill seed
1t salt
1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 350°. Disolve yeast in water. Stir in 1 cup flour,
sour cream, egg, onion, sugar, butter, dill and salt. Knead in
remaining flour for 5-8 minutes. Let rise until double. Punch down and
divide by three. Let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Make three 18"
ropes. Braid, cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Brush with egg white.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.

  Please feel free to comment on the blog and share your own ideas.