What’s In The Box? April 16-21
April Showers
The saying seems to be holding true this month, with both drippy showers and beautiful flowers gracing us in abundance at the farm. Thus inspired by our mercurial spring weather, this week’s menu includes a comforting cauliflower soup freshened up with Porcini mushrooms, plus Gruyère cheese bread and robust salad greens topped with our housemade blue cheese-hazelnut vinaigrette. A wide assortment of produce, from English shelling peas and arugula rapini to beautiful purple baby artichokes, rounds out this springtime-fresh box.
Here’s what you’ll find in your box this week:
Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Porcini Mushrooms
To produce this incredibly comforting soup, meaty cauliflower is first roasted with top-quality olive oil and garden-fresh herbs, then blended with onions, garlic, housemade chicken stock and just a touch of cream. Porcini mushrooms also lend rich, earthy flavor to this rainy day entrée.
Gruyère Cheese Bread
Made in nearby Snohomish by one of our favorite bakeries, this freshly-baked loaf balances sweet, nutty Gruyère with a light, crisp crust. Absolutely wonderful re-warmed in the oven—just sprinkle with a few drops of water and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes.
La Fleur Bibian “Cuvee de Coeur” Bordeaux
Coming from the Bordeaux region’s highly-held 2010 vintage, this juicy and supple wine boasts an array of textures and flavors. With an estate dating back to 1857 and vines up to 70 years old, Château Bibian utilizes the services of the renowned ‘flying winemaker’ Michel Rolland, who flies around the world helping craft top-tier wines. On the palate, this wine has some classic barnyard qualities which Bordeaux is often recognized for, with callings of leather and smoke. The palate is medium-full bodied, and echoes with a touch of creme de cassis and mint, then opens up to preserved berries and dark roast coffee bean.
Parsley Compound Butter
Sweet organic butter accented with fresh garden parsley and chopped shallots—try it tossed with English shelling peas and mint, or with roasted baby carrots; see this week’s recipes for details.
Farm Fresh Eggs
Busy scratching through the straw mulch in their spacious outdoor run looking for tasty bugs and worms, our heritage breed laying hens are also thoroughly enjoying a bounty of sprouting seeds and spring popweed, supplying us with silky fresh eggs in beautiful greens and tans.
Westward Blue Cheese
Similar to a gorgonzola, this creamy soft cheese boasts a gorgeous marbled center and flavorful bite, making it a wonderful complement to a fresh salad of spring greens along with our housemade blue cheese-hazelnut vinaigrette.
Blue Cheese-Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Crafted with both hazelnut and olive oils, fresh herbs, garlic and gorgeous marbled Westward blue cheese.
Seasonal Organic Fruits & Vegetables
This week’s produce selection includes red potatoes, baby purple artichokes, English shelling peas, pearl onions and baby carrots, plus arugula rapini, bok choy and Red Russian kale from Local Roots Farm.
Seasonal Organic Greens
Peppery arugula and Local Roots Farm red and green baby Romaine lettuces.
Fresh Garden Herbs
Organically-grown Italian parsley, garlic, shallots, thyme and mint from the walled garden and greenhouse at Bella Luna.
Fresh-Cut Tulips
Bright seasonal flowers to grace your table this week.