ARAB SPRING BOX – APRIL 28TH, 2012 Hello all, According to Wikipedia, the catalysts for the revolts last year in the North African and Persian Gulf countries (referred to collectively as the Arab Spring) have been the concentration of wealth in the hands of autocrats in power for decades, insufficient transparency of its redistribution, corruption, and especially the refusal of the youth to accept the status quo (sound familiar?). Increasing food prices and global famine rates were also a significant factor, as they involve threats to food security worldwide and prices that approached levels of the 2007–2008 world food price crisis. So it would seem, food was at the heart of it all, and whilst I will avoid any further politics here, we will celebrate the food culture of these countries this week. (Though the recipes are loosely inspired by the individual countries named here!) Since so many of the dishes required tomatoes, we have given a very generous supply, hence the smaller number of veggies in the box this week. A number of interesting things in the Box: Zucchini (Givens): Zucchini is here at last! Almond and Apricot Mix: We asked Avila if they could create a mixed bag of Almonds and Apricots for this box, as these are so wonderful together in Tajines and other dishes, so please experiment adding them to your chicken and more. Honey Balsamic Olives: Our first time buying from Olivos del Mar, we are so excited to have these certified organic, incredibly local olives, grown in Santa Barbara. This Honey Balsamic blend is by far their most popular olive. Let us know how you like them! Cumin Seeds (Spicy Gourmet): Based in Santa Barbara, Dinesh, the Spicy Gourmet, uses only chemical-free USDA certified organic spices that contain no additives or preservatives of any kind. He purchases his spices from small organic farmer associations in Sri Lanka and from community farmers in India. His fair trade status is vouched for by Trust Organic Small Farmers – A new Alliance for Eco-Ethical Trade and Goods. To release their full flavour, try dry roasting them in a pan and milling them yourself. Cherimoya: In the extra fruit selection, we have included Cherimoya. Store out of direct sunlight and allow to ripen at room temperature for a couple of days or until they feel ripe like an avocado, then wait one more day. The skin may turn brown, but this doesn't affect the flesh. Once ripe, cherimoyas can be refrigerated for up to four days wrapped in a paper towel. To eat a cherimoya, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the velvety spoonfuls, peel and cut into cubes for salads, or puree and use in pastries or tarts. Make sure to remove the large black seeds which are inedible. NB Please don’t wait too long to enjoy your cherimoya as over-ripe, it will develop a “chewing gum” flavour which you might not enjoy… Top Tip of the Week: From Grist, an article about what to do with those herbs that pile up in your fridge, and a few other ideas to avoid waste. http://grist.org/food/four-foods-you-probably-waste-and-how-to-stop/ Enjoy the Food Love – Jennifer Piette, http://outoftheboxcollective.com

APRIL 28TH ARAB SPRING BOX

Box contents | April 4,, 2012 * Not included in the Couple’s Box ** This category is an ‘Add-on’ option. Please go to www.outoftheboxcollective.com if you are interested in it!

Recipes to help you eat your way through the box!

• TUNISIAN CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES • YEMENI BAKED LAMB AND POTATOES WITH CUMIN

AND TOMATOES • PITTA POCKETS WITH MOROCCAN INSPIRED FILLING • ALGERIAN ROASTED VEGETABLES

OR • LEBANESE MEZZE FROM CLAUDIA RODEN • LYBIAN CHACHOUKA • EGYPTIAN FISH

Roots Vegetables Fruit Yukon Potatoes (Mike Dixon) Spring Green Onions (Rancho Cortez) Garlic (Chris Millikin) Gold Beets (Givens) Carrots (Givens)

Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes (Sanchez Brothers) Cucumbers (Chris Milliken) Zucchini (Givens’ Farm)

Meyer Lemons (Whitney Ranch)* Navel Oranges (Friends Ranch/Regier) Strawberries (Rancho Cortez/Rodriguez Family farm) Guava (Rancho Santa Cecilia) Pixie Tangerines (Somers)

Leafy Greens Extra Fruit ** Meat & Eggs French Oak Lettuce (Earthtrine) Savoy Spinach (Domingo Farms…)*

Blackberries (Rancho Cortez) Star Ruby Grapefruit (Mud Creek) Cherimoyas (Goodland) Blueberries (Whitney Ranch)

Chicken, Whole* or 1/2 (Dey Deys) Ground Beef (Watkins) Lamb Kabab (Jimenez)

Herbs Dairy Regional Specialty Parsley (Earthtrine) Cilantro (Earthtrine) Mint (Earthtrine)*

Salted Butter (Organic Valley) Plain Yogurt (Straus Family)

Honey Balsamic Olives (Olivos Del Mar)

Juice Grain/ Pulse Nuts, Seeds or Dried Fruit Orange Juice (Friends) Pita Bread (Ethnic Bakery) Almond/Apricot Mix

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

• Cumin Seeds (Spicy Gourmet) • Halibut (Kanaloa Seafood)

• Chocolate Raspberry Confiture (Bona Dea)

TUNISIAN CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

(Adapted from Simply Recipes, Elyse) INGREDIENTS:

• 2 teaspoons paprika • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon ground ginger • 1 teaspoon tumeric • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper • 2 Tbsp olive oil • 1 chicken, 3-4 lbs, cut into 8 pieces • Salt • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 onion, chopped • The peel from 1 preserved lemon, rinsed in cold water, pulp

discarded, peel cut into thin strips (opt) OR slices of fresh lemon • 1 cup olives, pitted • 1/2 cup water • 1/2 cup raisins (or dried apricots) • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

METHOD: Combine all the spices in a large bowl. Pat dry the chicken pieces and put in the bowl, coat well with the spice mixture. Let the chicken stand for one hour in the spices. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle lightly with salt (go easy on the salt, the olives and lemons* are salty), and brown, skin side down for five minutes. (If you are using a clay tagine, you will skip the browning step, heat only to medium heat and use a heat diffuser on the heating element to prevent the tagine from cracking.) Lower the heat to medium-low, add the garlic and onions. Cover and let cook for 15 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over. Add the lemon slices, olives, raisins, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer on medium heat, then lower the heat to low, cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and quite tender. Mix in fresh parsley and cilantro right before serving. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with couscous, quinoa rice, or rice pilaf.

YEMENI BAKED LAMB AND POTATOES WITH CUMIN AND TOMATOES

(Adapted from Falling Cloudberries, Tessa Kiros)

Ingredients:

• Onions, roughly chopped • Potatoes, cut into large chunks • Lamb kabab meat • 2 tablespoons Chopped flat leaf parsley • 1 1/2 Heaped teaspoons cumin seeds • 1/4 cup olive oil • 2-3 Ripe Tomatoes, cut into thick slices • 25 g butter

This is so simple. It's a very typical all-in-one meal. You just need time to prepare the vegetables. Then, just pop it in the oven, swim in the pool imagining the Greek islands, and come home to a ready meal. Eat with a simple green leaf salad. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the onion, potato and lamb in a casserole dish or a deep baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for one-two hours, tilting the dish from side to side a couple of times and spooning some of the pan juices over the top. The lamb should be very tender and the potatoes soft. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and cook for another 25 minutes turning the lamb half way through or until the meat and potatoes are a little browned and the liquid has reduced.

PITTA POCKETS WITH MOROCCAN INSPIRED FILLING.

Ingredients:

• ground beef 1lb • 1 large onion • 2 cloves of garlic • Hand full of chopped almonds • Hand full of chopped apricots • 1 large tomato to garnish • chopped Cilantro • chopped Parsley • Cumin seeds • Cinnamon • Pepper and Salt • Yogurt • Cucumber, chopped

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Chop one large onion and two cloves of garlic, frying both until transparent. Add the ground beef, stirring often until brown and crumbling. Season with pepper and salt. When cooked add chopped apricots, nuts and spices. Fill warmed pitta and garnish with slices of tomato and cilantro. Serve with Yogurt mixed with chopped cucumber.

FOR THE VEGETARIAN MEAL we have a fast option, and a mezze option. For the fast option:

ALGERIAN ROASTED VEGETABLES Adapted from a Recipe By: The Moosewood Collective From: Moosewood Restaurant New Classics The colorful roasted vegetables in this recipe are softer and saucier than typical roasted vegetables, but the high heat and rapid cooking still infuse the vegetables with a roasted flavor and an intoxicating aroma. Ingredients

• onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices • zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick semi-circles • carrots, chopped • gold beets, chopped • tomatoes, chopped • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can (15.5 ounces (opt) • cloves garlic, minced or pressed • tablespoons vegetable oil • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 tablespoon ground cumin • 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne • teaspoons salt

Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the onions, zucchini, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, oil, lemon juice, and seasonings. Spread the vegetables onto an unoiled 11- x 17-inch baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes. Stir well and bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Suggestions Serve over a grain, such as couscous, topped with toasted almonds, raisins, chopped hard-cooked eggs, or grated feta cheese for a balanced, ready-to-eat meal.

OR, for the Mezze option, to serve with your pita bread (or as sides to any of the other meals), we have a collection of:

LEBANESE MEZZE FROM CLAUDIA RODEN SPINACH SALAD WITH YOGURT If you aren’t using your spinach for the fish recipe, this would be a great option: Spinach has a remarkable affinity with yogurt, and it is delicious prepared in this particular manner.

• ½ lb. Fresh Spinach • 1/8 pint yogurt • ½ clove garlic, crushed • salt and black pepper

Wash the spinach carefully, snipping off any hard stems. Drain. Chop the leaves and stew them in their own juice in a large covered saucepan until tender, about 15 minutes. Allow to cool. Beat the yogurt and garlic together, and add the mixture to the pan. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. CARROT AND ORANGE SALAD Grate carrots, peel and cut an orange or pixies into small pieces and dress in a mixture of the juice of 1 orange and 1/2 lemon and 1 tablespoon orange blossom or rose water. Stir in a bunch of chopped coriander leaves. BEET SALAD Beets are commonly served boiled and sliced, dressed with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper, and sprinkled with chopped parsley. A more unusual way is to dress it with yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice and salt.

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 300 ml yogurt • salt • 1 lb boiled beets, diced • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, to garnish

Mix the lemon juice with the oil. Add the yogurt, and salt to taste, and beat well. Fold in the diced beets and mix thoroughly. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped parsley.

ZUCCHINI WITH PINE NUTS AND RAISINS (adapted from the Moro Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark)

Ingredients:

• A few small to medium zucchini • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 large onion, sliced • 50g raisins, soaked in warm water (try subbing with your dried

apricots if you have no raisins) • 2 tablespoons pinenuts, lightly toasted (optional) • sea salt and black pepper

Cut the zucchini in quarters or sixths lengthways depending on the size. If they are too long, cut them in half. If the seeds are spongy in texture, remove with a knife. Place in a colander over a sink or bowl, lightly salt and leave for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and when it is hot but not smoking add the onion with a pinch of salt. Give it a good stir, reduce the heat to low and cook very slowly for about 20-30 minutes until golden in colour and sweet in smell. Be sure to stir the onions every 5 minutes so they cook evenly and do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat, drain the onion and keep the oil. Give the zucchini a little wash to remove any excess salt and dry them with a cloth. Set the same saucepan over a high heat and return the olive oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then until tender but not mushy. Drain the raisins and add to the zucchini along with the pinenuts and sweet onion. Taste for seasoning (they may only need a little pepper as the zucchini will be salty enough).

LYBIAN CHACHOUKA (adapted from Matthew Armistead)

A North African dish, some add preserved lemon, or feta so if you have any leftover from past weeks, put some in.

• 1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds • 190ml light olive oil or vegetable oil • 2 large onions, peeled and sliced • 4 tsp muscovado sugar • 2 bay leaves • 6 sprigs thyme, picked and chopped • 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped • 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped • 1⁄2 tsp saffron strands • Pinch of cayenne pepper • Salt and pepper • Up to 250ml water • 8 eggs

In a large saucepan, dry-roast the cumin on high heat for two minutes. Add the oil and saute ́ the onions for two minutes. Add the peppers, sugar, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and two tablespoons of cilantro, and cook on high heat to get a nice colour. Add the tomatoes, saffron, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, adding enough water to keep it the consistency of a pasta sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. It should be potent and flavoursome. You can prepare this mix in advance. Place four saucepans on medium heat and divide the mixture between them. Break two eggs into each pan, pouring into gaps in the mixture. Sprinkle with salt, cover and cook very gently for 10-12 minutes, until the egg just sets. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with chunky white bread, or your pitta bread if you have any left!

EGYPTIAN FISH (Adapted from “Taste.com.au”)

Fresh fish makes for a perfect spring meal - especially when drizzled with a delish sauce. Ingredients

• 1 bunch coriander, washed, dried, ends trimmed • 3 garlic cloves, peeled • 2 tsp ground cumin • Pinch of chilli powder • 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind • 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice • 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil • 2 tsp sweet paprika • 190g (1 cup) quinoa • 250ml (1 cup) boiling water • 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour • 4 (about 700g) firm white fish fillets • Olive • 90g baby spinach leaves

Method Place the coriander, garlic, cumin, chilli, lemon rind, lemon juice, oil and half the paprika in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate grains. Meanwhile, combine the flour and remaining paprika on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fish and turn to coat. Shake off excess. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown. Place the spinach on a serving platter. Top with the fish and drizzle over the coriander mixture. Serve with quinoa. Notes More options: Marinated fish: Reduce paprika to 1 teaspoon. Omit flour. Add 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves and 1 small red onion, peeled, chopped, in step 1. Place the fish in a glass dish. Add the coriander mixture and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours to marinate. Continue from step 2.

Fish rolls in tomato sauce: Replace the white fish fillets with skinless white fish fillets. Reduce oil to 60ml (1/4 cup). Spread 1 side of the fish with coriander mixture. Roll up to enclose filling. Use toothpicks to secure. Combine 1 x 700g btl tomato pasta sauce and 60ml (1/4 cup) water in a frying pan over medium heat. Add fish and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Fish cakes with sweet chilli sauce: Reduce oil to 1 tablespoon. Chop the fish and add to the food processor in step 1 with 40g (1/4 cup) plain flour and 1 egg. Process until just smooth. Spray a frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Spoon four 1-tablespoonful quantities of fish mixture into the pan and use the back of a spoon to flatten. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining fish mixture. Serve with sweet chilli sauce.