We have some awesome new additions to this week's produce boxes, including beetroot, fennel and asparagus, and we've included some great recipes using these delicious and nutritious vegetables.
The purpose of these recipes is to give you some inspiration for the week ahead. We’ve suggested meal ideas based on our produce selection and they can all be enjoyed on their own, or with any protein that suits your appetite.
Enjoy!
Spinach Rice
This super easy and quick dish is perfect as a side, or a light main meal!
- 100ml Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 500g baby spinach leaves, washed and finely chopped
- bunch dill , finely chopped
- 300g long-grain rice
- juice 1-2 lemons
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and gently cook until softened but not coloured. Add the spinach and half the dill. Cook on a high heat, stirring regularly, until the spinach has wilted down and all the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in the rice and add 600ml water, then bring to the boil. Turn the heat right down again to a very gentle simmer, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 25-30 mins or until the rice has cooked and absorbed all the water. Give it a stir after 15 mins to ensure even cooking, adding a drop more water as required.
When the rice is cooked, stir in the remaining dill, season well, squeeze over the lemon juice to taste, and serve.
Spring Asparagus and Mushroom Pappardelle
With asparagus and mushrooms, this vegetarian recipe is made in a quick butter sauce with thyme and shallots.
- 450g pappardelle pasta
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 450g mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 450g asparagus, chopped into pieces
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup freshly grated fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup parsley leaves
- salt
Bring a pot of water to a boil and generously season with salt. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add mushrooms and spread in an even layer; cook for 3 minutes before stirring to let the mushrooms brown. Add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook 2 minutes more. Add stock and asparagus, then using a wooden spoon, scrape bottom of pan to remove the browned garlic and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add butter, pasta, and both cheeses, then gently mix with tongs.
Serve in skillet or transfer pasta to a platter and top with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and parsley. Serve immediately.
Mushroom and Asparagus Omelette
For a quick and easy hot breakfast try this vegetarian mushroom and asparagus omelette.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 400g mushrooms, halved
- 1 red onion, halved, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed, halved
- 100g snow pea sprouts, trimmed
- 6 Gippsland Free Range Eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
- 1/3 cup parmesan
Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Stir in onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add asparagus and cook for 1-2 minutes until tender crisp. Stir through sprouts until just wilted. Remove pan from heat, set aside and keep warm.
Whisk eggs, egg whites and 2 tbs water in a large bowl, Season well. Spray a small 24cm non-stick frying pan with oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Pour in a quarter of the egg mixture and swirl to coat base. Cook omelette for 1-3 minutes or until just set. Carefully slide onto a plate. Repeat with remaining egg mixture to make 4 omelettes.
Beetroot, Asparagus and Feta Salad
This simple vegetable dish only utilises a couple ingredients, but the fresh mint, sweet beetroot and salty fetta make this a great side dish.
Lemon dressing
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Beetroot, asparagus and fetta salad
- 2 bunches (340g) asparagus, halved
- 200 grams feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, torn
- 450 gram can beetroot wedges, drained
- 1/2 cup (50g) walnut halves, toasted
To make lemon dressing, combine garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a jug.
Boil, steam or microwave asparagus until just tender; drain. Reserve 1/4 of the cheese.
Combine asparagus, mint, beetroot, cheese, nuts and dressing in a bowl. Top with reserved cheese.
Sweet Potato, Carrot & Bean Soup
Warm up with this hearty silverbeet and bean soup this spring. Serve with crusty bread rolls to complete!
- 200g carrots, cut into chunks
- 400g sweet potato
- 2 1/2 cup salt-reduced vegetable stock
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup Greek-style yoghurt
- 4 slices sourdough, toasted
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 2 cans cannellini beans
- 3 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 head garlic, slice in half horizontally
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a large bowl, toss together oil, cinnamon, sweet potato, garlic and carrot.
Spread onto prepared tray and roast for 35-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Transfer vegetables to a blender (squeezing out garlic from skin) and add cannellini beans and stock. Blend until smooth then pour into a medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Swirl through yoghurt and season with pepper to taste. Pour soup into serving bowls and serve with toasted sourdough.
Caramelised Fennel
This is a great snack or side dish that features sweet, crispy fennel with just a nice touch of the anise flavour.
- 2 large fennel bulbs
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lemon
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Using a very sharp knife, cut the top and bottom from the fennel bulbs and then remove tough or bruised outer layers. You will end up with a bulb about the size of your fist.
Slice the bulbs in half and then remove the cores from the fennel. Then cut the fennel lengthwise into slices.
Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and then the fennel slices. Spread the fennel out in the pan to encourage browning.
Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the fennel slices every few minutes, until golden brown.
Remove the fennel from the pan and drain off any excess oil. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, to taste. Serve.
Zucchini Garlic Bites
This tasty zucchini garlic bites recipe combines shredded zucchini with garlic, Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and is served with a marinara dipping sauce for an Italian inspired twist.
- 1 cup shredded zucchini drained well
- 1 clove garlic grated fine
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (or 1 tablespoon dried chives)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1/2 tablespoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- pinch of salt and pepper
- tomato sauce for dipping
Preheat oven to 200c. Lightly coat a baking sheet with olive oil or non-stick spray. Set aside.
Grate the zucchini into a clean towel. Roll up the towel and twist to wring out the moisture.
Grate the garlic using the small holes on the box grater.
Add the shredded zucchini, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, chives, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Mix well to combine.
Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small balls, and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Serve warm with marinara sauce. Recipe makes about 16 bites.
If you haven't ordered a veggie box for this week or would like to check out the latest produce selection, click here to visit the Seasonal FarmBOX product page and be sure to secure your Thursday delivery if you haven't already.