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Newsletter & Recipes October 10th - 11th 2012

This week we are dedicating the box to Slow Food heroes, and the sustainable

food movement in general. We have built our meal plan around a set of recipes

from some of our favorite Slow Food luminaries! The included recipes (slightly

adapted) were penned by:

Alice Waters: an American pioneer of a culinary philosophy that maintains that cooking

should be based on the finest and freshest seasonal ingredients that are produced

sustainably and locally. She is a passionate advocate for a food economy that is “good,

clean, and fair.”

Josh Viertel: As president of Slow Food USA, Josh is working to create a world in which all

people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the

planet.

Curt Ellis: Co-founder and executive director of FoodCorps, a national org placing young

leaders in limited-resource communities for a year of public service.

Jamie Oliver has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the

growing obesity epidemic that - if left unchecked - threatens not

only our children, but every subsequent generation. His passion

for great food and cooking from scratch has inspired people

globally, and enabled him to highlight the importance of cooking

skills throughout the world.

Have a great week! From the Out of the Box Collective Team

Slow Food Heroes Box

Marcie’s Pies: Most weeks we buy pastured

lamb or pork from Marcie Jimenez’s farm in

Santa Ynez. But she does much more than

raise animals. She also has an amazing

business making pies and quiches using fruit

she grows on the farm, and hand-rolled crusts.

Her pies and quiches are different flavors

every week, so we surprise you each week

with what is most seasonal for our Pie ($20) or

Quiche Selection ($22). If you

haven’t ordered a pie or quiche yet you really should try one!

$8.50 in the store

Recipes

Feast of the Week: Josh Viertel’s “Roast Chicken & Potatoes with Corn on the Cob” Easy to Please Meal: Jamie’s Oliver’s “Jool’s Favourite Beef Stew “ What's for Dinner, Darling: Curt Ellis’ “Lamb Burgers with Feta and Lemon, Arugula salad, and Roasted Cauliflower” Meatless Monday: “Alice Waters’ Carrot Soup, and Chioggia Beet Salad” Pasta Meal (except it's rice!): “Alice Waters’ Summer Squash and Squash Blossom Risotto with Salad” Fish Meal: “Alice Waters Baked Wild Salmon with Lemon Butter, garnished with finger lime, rice and Arugula”

more on 2

Braised chicken with coriander (Chile)

Ingredients: 3 tbsp vegetable oil 3 to 4-lb chicken - rinsed,patted dry and cut into 8 serving pieces Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste 1 cup coarsely chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 tsp dried oregano 2 tbsp plain flour 1 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup dry white wine 1 cup packed finely minced coriander leaves 1 finely sliced chilli (seeds kept in) Method: 1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat 2. Add the chicken and cook until browned all over 3. Season with salt and black pepper 4. Transfer the chicken to a large plate while you saute the onion and garlic 5. Scrape the juices out of the frying pan into a larger cooking pot. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and saute over medium heat for 2 minutes 6. Add the chicken to the pot, along with the oregano and flour and stir 7. Pour the broth and wine into the pot, cover, and simmer over low heat until the chicken is just done 8. Just before serving, stir the coriander into the sauce and sprinkle with chopped chilli Score: GOL

Grilled ginger chicken wings (Cambodia)

Ingredients:

900g chicken wings

2 Out of the Box Collective

Slow Food Heroes Box 2012

October 10 th -11th

We’re at that interesting time of year where both summer and winter squash are available, and this week we have summer squash (yellow crookneck), winter squash (honey bear), and even squash blossoms! Winter squash do grow in the summer, but are generally kept for use over the winter, and sweeten with age. Soon we will have pumpkins available for Halloween. Please e-mail if you’d like extra for your decorations!

We had ordered everyone this beautiful Redwood Hill Raw Milk Feta cheese this week, but unfortunately our order didn’t come in so we have substituted with a French Sheep’s Milk Feta, Valbreso. So sorry it’s not a Californian Cheese, but it does come from a small, local cheese shop, C’est Cheese, in Santa Barbara, and was the best solution we could find. We have two mottos here at OOTB: “Check and Double-Check” and “Stay in the Solution” So thank you for bearing with us!

Squash Profile

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Artisan Made Gifts and Wine from the Stewards of the Land of the Californian Terroir! Coming Soon: amazing foodie gift boxes. Wine and Cheese available for all deliveries in California. Artisan delicacies available for shipping nationwide! If any of you are

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considering corporate gifting, we can also create boxes to meet your needs. From jam makers like Bona Dea, Sqirl, June Taylor and Kevin West to wine makers like Alma Rosa and Ambyth, and cheese makers like Rinconada and Central Coast Creamery, to name just a few...

Gifts from our beautiful Terroir, made by Stewards of the Land.

3 Out of the Box Collective

Slow Food Heroes Box 2012

October 10 th -11th

Box Contents • Not included in the Couple’s Box • **‘Add-on’ option. Please go to www.outoftheboxcollective.com if you are interested ***

Roots Vegetables Fruit

• Potatoes (Weiser Farms) • Garlic (Milliken) • Yellow “Candy” Onions (Finley Farm) • Carrots (Garden Of…) • Jerusalem Artichokes

(Weiser) * • Chioggia Beets (Roots)*

• Squash Flowers (Jimenez) • Yellow Crookneck Squash (Givens • Cauliflower (Cortez) • White Corn (Lane) • Honey Bear Squash (Garcia)

• Lemons (Somers) • Delicious Apples (Creekside) • Strawberries (Cortez) • September Yummy • Plums (Burkdoll) • Pixie Tangerines (Somers) • Grapefruit (Somers) • Crunchy Red Grapes or Peaches (Burkdoll)*

Leafy Greens Extra Fruit ** Meat & Eggs

• Leopard Lettuce (The Garden Of...)

• Arugula (Earthtrine)*

• Pomegranate (Earthtrine) • Raspberries (Cortez) • Pixie Tangerines (Somers) • Extra Plums • Peaches (Tenerelli)

• Whole* or 1/2 Chicken (Dey Deys) • Ground Lamb (Jimenez) • Stew Beef (Rancho San Julian) • Eggs (Peacock)*

Herbs Dairy Regional Specialty

Rosemary*, Sage (Earthtrine) Butter (Organic Valley/Sierra Nevada)

Feta Cheese (Valbreso)

• Chicken Broth (Dey Deys) – INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN AND WATER ONLY

Juice Grain/ Pulse Nuts, Seeds or Dried Fruit

Orange Juice – Somers Ranch Valencia Oranges

• Flatbread (Rustic Bakery) • Fresh Dates

Fair Trade Catch of the Week ** New Customer/ Referral Gift

Italian Roast Coffee (Green Star) Wild Salmon (Kanaloa Seafood) Fig Leaves, Caviar Lime

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Jerusalem Artichokes (or Sunchokes): These gnarly tubers are like potatoes with a sweeter, nuttier flavor; raw and sliced thinly, they are fit for a salad. The inulin they contain is great for your health but cannot be broken down by the digestive system, so in some cases, can cause gastric pain. According to Jacob Grant of Roots farm, if they do cause pain this is an indication that your system is lacking in pro-biotics and foods with inulin. So try eating pro-biotics for a week (either ahead of time to prepare yourself) or afterwards if you’ve experienced pain, to remedy your system! Then eat some more Jerusalem Artichokes!

4 Out of the Box Collective

Slow Food Heroes Box 2012

October 10 th -11th

Curt Ellis’ Lamb Burgers with Feta & Lemon, and Arugula Salad meets Alice Waters’ Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients: • 1 lb. ground lamb • Cauliflower • 4 oz feta cheese • 1 bunch rosemary • 4 squares focaccia (opt.) • 1 lemon • 1 egg yolk • Dijon mustard • Olive oil • Sea salt • Pepper

Curt Ellis: My aunt Bev raised sheep and border collies in Oregon City, Oregon. Her ground lamb, wrapped in white butcher paper stamped “Mark’s Meats,” was what my Mom pulled from the freezer when we needed a quick and thrifty meal. Here’s my version of Mom’s classic.

Start with Alice Waters simple Roasted Sliced Cauliflower recipe:

Trim and wash cauliflower and cut across the whole head into 1 ! 4-inch-thick slices. Lay out the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400”F oven until tender and starting to brown, about 20 minutes. When cooked, sprinkle the cauliflower slices with chopped fresh herbs or crushed whole spices, for variety.

While the cauliflower is cooking you can prepare the lamb burgers.

Set a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. While it’s coming to temperature, shape the lamb into four patties of equal size. Press rosemary, sea salt and cracked pepper into the meat. Place burgers in pan and let brown for three minutes, spooning excess drippings out of pan. When nicely brown, flip the burgers, top with feta, and cook for another three minutes, leaving the middle still pink. Remove patties onto a plate and squeeze a few drops of lemon over each one.

As the burgers rest, slice the focaccia into halved “buns” and toast them in the skillet while you make a lemony mayonnaise. Crack the egg yolk in a bowl and whisk together with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a few shakes of salt and pepper. Continue to whisk vigorously and add olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Spread the mayonnaise on the toasted focaccia and wedge a lamb burger in between. Pair with a salad tossed with lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and mustard, and your roasted cauliflower.

5 Out of the Box Collective

Slow Food Heroes Box 2012

October 10 th -11th Alice Waters’ Carrot Soup and Marinated Chioggia Beet Salad

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Directions:

In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter. When it starts to foam, add the onions and thyme and cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots, season with salt and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil and then simmer until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.

While this is happening prepare the beets.

Trim the greens of the beets to 1/2 inch. Wash thoroughly. Put them in a baking dish with a little water (enough to cover the bottom of the dish to a depth of 1/8 inch) and sprinkle with Salt.

Cover tightly and bake the beets in a 350 degree oven until they can be easily pierced with a sharp knife, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size. Uncover and cool. Cut off the tops and roots and slip off the skins. Cut the peeled beets into small wedges or 1/4-inch dice and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon vinegar (red wine, sherry, or white wine vinegar) and salt.

Let stand for a few minutes to allow the beets to absorb the flavor. Taste and add more salt or vinegar as needed. Toss with 1 to 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Variations:

• Substitute fresh orange juice for some of the vinegar and toss with grated orange zest.

• Toss with 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as cilantro

• Bake the beets with 1 teaspoon fennel or cumin seeds sprinkled over them.

• Toss with a small amount of walnut oil instead of olive oil.

Back to the soup. Season to taste with salt. For a smooth soup, use a blender and puree until smooth.

• As a variation, add 1/4 cup basmati rice with the carrot, use water instead of broth, add 1 cup plain yogurt just before pureeing and garnish with cilantro.

(continued)

Ingredients:

For the Carrot Soup:

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 2 medium onions, sliced

• 1 sprig of thyme

• 2 1 ! 2 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced

• Salt

• 6 cups chicken broth

For beet salad:

• Beets

• 1 teaspoon vinegar (red wine, sherry, or white wine vinegar)

• 1 to 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

• Salt

6 Out of the Box Collective

Slow Food Heroes Box 2012

October 10 th -11th

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. summer squashes

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 6 squash blossoms

• 1 medium onion

• 7 to 8 cups chicken stock

• 2 cups Arborio rice

• 1/3 cup white wine

• Salt & pepper

• 1 tablespoon chopped sage

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (or leftover S. Joquin Gold from last week), plus more for garnish

Directions:

Cut the squashes (a variety of baby ones is nice for color and flavor variation) into small cubes, wedges, or half-circles, depending on their sizes and shapes. All the pieces should be bite size, so they will fit easily on a spoon.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy saute pan, and saute the squash over lively heat until golden brown. Slice the squash blossoms into thin slices, cutting from tip to stem, using all of the blossom.

Peel and dice the onion and cook in about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. In another pot, warm the stock and keep it at a very low simmer.

When the onion is soft, add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until the wine has been nearly absorbed. Season well. Begin to add ladlefuls of stock, about a cupful at a time, letting each addition be almost all absorbed by the rice before adding the next. Be sure not to let the rice stick and scorch. It should cook over medium-low heat, and should never be allowed to dry out.

After about 10 minutes, when the rice begins to soften but is still just a bit hard in the center, stir in the cooked squash, the squash blossoms, and the herbs. After 2 minutes more, stir in the rest of the butter and the parmesan. Add more stock if needed, but in small amounts, keeping in mind the consistency you want to achieve. It should be loose and a little saucy, but not soupy. Adjust the seasoning. When done, serve in warm bowls with a generous dusting of Parmesan as a garnish.

Serve with simple side salad with chopped cilantro.

Alice Waters’ Summer Squash and Squash Blossom Risotto

7 Out of the Box Collective

Slow Food Heroes Box 2012

October 10 th -11th

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Josh Viertel’s Roast Chicken & Potatoes with Corn on the Cob

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Ingredients for the chicken:

• 1 whole or 1/2 chicken

• 3/4 cup fresh sage leaves

• 4-5 medium-sized potatoes

• Salt and black pepper

• Olive oil and melted butter

• Corn on the Cob

Wash the chicken in hot water, pat it dry, and lay it down, breast side up. Remove the innards and reserve them for making stock. Loosen the skin from the breasts and slide sage leaves (one leaf thick) between skin and meat. Reserve some sage for later. Heavily season the entire bird with salt and black pepper, then refrigerate it uncovered for 1-3 days. It will dry out a bit. That’s good. Keep it on a rack, so it has good circulation around it.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes, coat them with a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter, and layer them around the edge of a large pre-heated cast iron sklllet (or roasting pan). Set the chicken in the middle of the potatoes, breast side up. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip the bird, stir the potatoes and toss in the remaining sage leaves.

Continue roasting for 45 minutes or until the chicken’s leg wiggles easily and feels like you could pull it off without much trouble. When you insert a knife in the leg, the juices should run clear. (On a meat thermometer, this is about 160 degrees.)

Let the chicken sit for 10 minutes.

While the chicken is sitting put your shucked ears of corn into a pot of boiling, salted water, with a splash of milk, and a pinch of sugar. Let them boil for 6 minutes, and then remove from the water, ready to serve with butter and salt.

Carve the chicken and serve with the potatoes and a salad made with whatever’s in season (green stuff in cool weather; tomatoes in warm weather),

Independence Day Box July 5th, 2012

Ingredients:

Olive oil

A knob of butter

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 handful fresh sage leaves

1 lb stewing beef

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

flour, to dust

4 carrots, peeled and halved

Honey Nut squash, halved, deseeded, roughly diced

1 lb small potatoes

A handful of Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled and halved

2 TB tomato puree

1/2 bottle of red wine

1/2 pint beef or vegetable stock

zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

a handful of rosemary, leaves picked

1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Jool’s Favourite Beef Stew (Jamie Oliver)

Jools goes mad for this stew in the colder months of the year, and the kids love it too. It’s a straightforward beef stew to which all sorts of root veg can be added. I really like making it with squash and Jerusalem artichokes, which partly cook into the sauce, making it really sumptuous with an unusual and wonderful flavour.

The great thing about this stew is that it gets put together very quickly, and this is partly to do with the fact that no time is spent browning the meat. Even though this goes against all my training, I experimented with two batches of meat – I browned one and put the other straight into the pot. The latter turned out to be the sweeter and cleaner-tasting, so I’ve stopped browning the meat for most of my stews these days.

Preheat the oven to 300F. Put a little oil and your knob of butter into an appropriately sized pot or casserole pan. Add your onion and all the sage leaves and fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Toss the meat in a little seasoned flour, then add it to the pan with all the vegetables, the tomato puree, wine and stock, and gently stir together. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and just a little salt. Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then cook in the preheated oven until the meat is tender. Sometimes this takes 3 hours, sometimes 4 – it depends on what cut of meat you’re using and how fresh it is. The only way to test is to mash up a piece of meat and if it falls apart easily it’s ready. Once it’s cooked, you can turn the oven down to about 225F and just hold it there until you’re ready to eat.

The best way to serve this is by ladling big spoonfuls into bowls, accompanied by a glass of red wine and some really fresh, warmed bread. Mix the lemon zest, chopped rosemary and garlic together and sprinkle over the stew before eating. Just the smallest amount will make a world of difference – as soon as it hits the hot stew it will release an amazing fragrance.

9 Out of the Box Collective

Slow Food Heroes Box 2012

October 10 th -11th

Alice Waters Baked Wild Salmon with Lemon Butter (garnish with Jay Ruskey’s Goodland Finger Lime), serve with rice and salad

Ingredients:

• 1 salmon fillet, boned and skinned

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper, large fig leaves, washed

• 6 tablespoons (I stick) butter, softened

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 ! 2 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest

• 1 Finger Lime

Cooking in fig leaves has become a Cafe tradition. While the fig leaves impart a wonderful sweet coconut flavor to the fish, the leaves themselves are tough and not good to eat. Sauced with a little lemon butter, this dish is easy, beautiful, and wonderfully aromatic. It is equally good cooked over a wood fire, and wrapping fish in fig leaves is a great way to keep it from sticking to a grill.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the salmon into equal portions (1 per person) and coat lightly with olive oil. Season the fish with salt and freshly ground pepper. Wrap each portion of fish individually in a fig leaf, folding the edges of the leaf over the fish (it’s alright if the fish is not completely enclosed).

Prepare the lemon butter: stir together the softened butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and any herbs you are in the mood for. Season with salt and pepper. Let the butter sit for a few minutes, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Leave the butter at room temperature while you bake the fish.

Place the salmon on a baking sheet and bake in the upper part of the oven until the fish is just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the salmon packages to a serving platter or individual plates. Peel the fig leaves back to expose the salmon and spread some of the lemon butter on each portion. Cut your finger lime in half, and squeeze out the delicious “lime caviar”, garnishing each piece of fish with it... Serve with simple rice, and a tossed salad.