Stir-Fried Beef and Onions with Tat Soi

After receiving our beef share (about 70 lbs) a couple weeks ago, my freezer is suddenly stuffed with beef. It just kind of got dumped in there in a hurry, though, without much organization, so it's been daunting to dig through to find good cuts to use. I need to actually take it all out and inventory it, then put it back in a more logical fashion. At some point.

In the meantime, I dug out a steak the other night and made this stir fry with onions from the last farmers market and tat soi (a hardy Asian green) from our CSA share. Yum! Serve this over rice.

canola oil
1 1/2 lbs beef steak, thinly sliced
8-10 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp minced ginger root
4 medium onions, sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 lb tat soi (or substitute other greens)

Heat some canola oil in a wok or large skillet. Add the beef and cook until done. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Heat a little more oil, then add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the onion and stir-fry an additional 3-4 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not completely soft.

Mix a little soy sauce into the cornstarch to form a thin paste. Add the beef back into the frying pan, then add the soy sauce and the paste and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens. Add the tat soi and cook just until wilted, 1-2 minutes.

Serve hot over rice.

Serve 4-6.

Gingery Edamame and Carrot Soup

We grew edamame in our garden this year, and basically froze the whole harvest after blanching and shelling. Last night I took out the first packet to make this soup. I've always liked edamame, but homegrown is definitely better than the frozen kind from the store - much more flavorful. Here I combined them with carrots, salad turnips, and some tat soi (a cold hardy Asian green) from our CSA share. If you want to give the soup some more substance, you can add the optional vermicelli and/or tofu.

1 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 Tbsp grated ginger root
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks (or rounds if you're in a hurry)
2-3 salad turnips, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/2 - 3/4 lb shelled edamame
Several cups water and/or vegetable stock
1/4 lb vermicelli, in 1-2" lengths (optional)
1 lb tofu, cubed (optional)
1/3 cup soy sauce
Salt to taste
1/4 lb tat soi (or other greens of your choice)

Heat the canola oil in a soup pot. Add the ginger and garlic and saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, turnips, and edamame and saute an additional minute or so, then add enough water and/or stock to generously cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the carrots and turnips are tender.

When the vegetables are tender, add the pasta and/or tofu if using and cook until the pasta is done, about 6-8 minutes. Add the soy sauce, salt to taste, and add the tat soi. Cook until the tat soi is tender, 2 minutes or so.

Serve hot. Serves 4-6.