So this is what we got in our weekly shipment of produce from Farmhouse Delivery.   Mostly recognizable, but I have no idea how I’m going to use that squash.  It looks more like what I decorate the house with in the Fall.  I wonder if it’s shellacable…  One of the purple potatoes is not much bigger than a lima bean.  I’m definitely not peeling that thing.

I believe these are Armenian cucumbers.  We’ve been told to expect a variety of heirloom cucumbers this summer.  Last week it was Suyo Japanese cucumbers; very interesting, those were.  They were doughnut shaped, so a challenge to peel but they were quite good.

You can also order other things from Farmhouse Delivery like meats and cheeses.  This week we ordered a pork shoulder, beef summer sausage, skirt steak, and ground goat meat.  I’ve had cabrito before but never ground goat meat.   (If they’re still on the menu, you must try the cabrito tacos at Mi Tierra in San Antonio – they’re wonderful!).  I know this is a real stretch, but we have a recipe that calls for boar, but we couldn’t find that.  Since this is probably from Boer goats, we figured eh, close enough.   Anywho, we’re going to be using it for Wild Boar (Boer) Pot Stickers courtesy of Renee Studebaker and the Austin American-Statesman.  I’ll report on how they turn out.

Update:  These turned out very nicely.  There was a sweetish “I-can’t-quite-tell-what-that-is” flavor, but I’ll give them a thumbs up.  The goat meat mixture is extremely loose; great for pot stickers.

Wild Boar Pot Stickers

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts

1 tsp. salt

2 lbs. finely ground wild boar

3 Tbsp. thin (light) soy sauce

2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp. sugar

5 eggs

1 package pot sticker wrappers (62 count)

2-3 cups water (for steaming batches of dumplings)

1 cup water (for sealing dumplings)

Using a wooden spoon and a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients (except the water and the wrappers) into the ground meat. Place about 1 tsp. of filling in the middle of a wrapper. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, moisten the outer edges of the wrapper with water. Fold the wrapper loosely to form a half circle. Cradle the dumpling in one hand while using the other hand to make 3 or 4 small folds in the top half. Then pinch the top and bottom edges together and set the dumplings on a platter, flat side down. D.J. calls this a “sitting dumpling.” If the pleating seems too tricky, simply fold the dumpling into a half circle and pinch the top and bottom edges together, which produces a flatter pot sticker, which D.J. says her mom calls “sleeping dumplings.”

Coat a saute pan with oil and, working in batches, place about 10 pot stickers flat side down in the pan and cook over medium high heat for 3 or 4 minutes, or until the dumpling bottoms are nicely browned. With a tight fitting pan lid in one hand, reduce heat to medium, add 1/2 cup of water to the hot pan, and cover immediately. (Step back a bit and beware of hot splatters as you add the water.) Check the dumplings in 5 minutes; if the pan is dry, add a little more water. Continue cooking a minute or two more or until dumplings are firm, the meat is fully cooked and the water has evaporated. As the water evaporates, the dumpling bottoms will begin to dry out and re-crisp, so be sure to remove pot stickers before they stick or burn. (Rinsing and drying the pan between batches will help reduce sticking problems). Serve pot stickers on a platter with a small bowl of dipping sauce on the side.

Notes: This recipe makes enough filling for 62 pot stickers. For a smaller gathering, cook half the dumplings and freeze the rest. Arrange raw dumplings in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 to 3 hours; then transfer dumplings to a freezer safe bag or box. If using a fattier pork than wild boar, reduce number of eggs to 2 or 3.

Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup thin (light) soy sauce

3 Tbsp. soy paste

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. chopped scallions

1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh garlic

1 fresh hot red chili, seeded and sliced in thin rings (serrano or jalapeno)

2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp. Sambal chili paste

Combine all ingredients and serve in a small bowl.

— Der Jane Ho. Recipe written by Renee Studebaker, after watching and taking notes as Der Jane made the dumplings.