WEEK 8: July 6 – July 12, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:   Head Lettuce, Chard or Spigariello greens, Allium Mix, bag of Fava Beans and Summer Squash.

 

Recipes, Information and Suggestions: 

 New to your share this week are the ‘Sweet Diane’ Fava Beans.  This particular variety is grown tender enough, that only in the very large pods will you find the need to also ’skin’  the bean itself.  Meaning you can mostly just remove the beans from the pods and you’re good to go. The larger beans will have an outer cover which should also be removed, or ’skinned’  as follows……In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Take the shucked fava beans and blanch them for about 30-45 seconds. Drain them into a colander and let them cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove their waxy, whiteish shells (skins). Now they’re ready for your favorite recipe.   

While stringing and shucking, and then skinning the beans is a bit labor-intensive, it’s one of those activities that’s all but made for summer, particularly if you have a porch, some time on your hands and a glass of something cold by your side.  Fava beans are one of the oldest plants under cultivation, and they were eaten in ancient Greece and Rome. Despite the name, fava beans are a member of the pea family, though they are also known as broad beans, pigeon beans, horse beans, and windsor beans. They are popular in Mediterranean cuisine, with many summer dishes celebrating the seasonal bean, although they are also dried for winter use. Fresh consumption Fava’s are usually planted in February and come to peak in July.

Fava beans have a distinct flavor and creamy texture that makes them a great addition to a wide variety of dishes. When the flat, wide beans are shelled and blanched, they adopt a vibrant grassy hue and buttery texture that enriches any meal, and their rapid cooking time makes it easy to incorporate them into a quick weeknight dinner — or into lunch the following day. The following link has 9 different ways to try and enjoy these tasty beans….and then the link below that is for the griller’s who can’t be bothered with the labor at all…….Enjoy!

http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0506b.htm

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/grilled-fava-beans-recipe.html

Also new to everyone’s share this week you’ll find some lovely Summer Squash. Finally, these very versatile veggies have started to come to a size and form perfect for the grill, a saute or your favorite sauces. Herein begins the squash season which can last in the vegetable share for weeks to come…weather and season depending. We are growing zucchini’s, Romanesco’s, heirloom round varieties, crookneck’s, and patty-pan’s and even varieties of those therein. All the individual squash flavor’s are akin to the traditional zucchini most everyone is used to. All the squash can be used  in relatively similar ways and recipes…..even including bread! We enjoy the diversity of the different fruit types and growth forms. Also, the types of strains we grow are best for local consumption. The squash skins are not as thick (not meant to ship across the country) and so the flavors can be more pronounced. We hope you enjoy whichever squash you receive. Here’s a nice summer squash recipe  that is simple and flavorful….

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/zucchini_summer_squash_gratin.aspx

Many recipes call for fresh squash, yet it also can store well too. Stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator, they should keep for a week. Freezing softens the flesh of the squash, but it will still be usable in casseroles and other dishes where crispness is not important. Blanch cut up summer squash 2 minutes before freezing, and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. For breads, freeze the raw squash whole or grated.

This week you will also find a bag of greens, either Chard or  Spigariello greens. We have had chard for you often as of late, and it is essentially beet greens, bred for greens rather than beets. The Spigariello greens have appeared in the share before as well. They are Italian broccoli greens (see the WEEK  3 Newsletter) and can be used just like Kale.  Hopefully, either green will find a welcomed place at your table this week. They both will make a nice braised or warmed greens dish.

The Allium Mix  in your share this week will be any of the Allium’s you have likely seen before, onions, garlic scapes, or leeks, or even an combination of those. Lettuce remains in the vegetable share this week….one head of the various types we grow.

BERRY-SHARE:  Members will receive two pints of ‘Black-cap’ Raspberries, or ‘Metolius’ Blackberries for their berry-share this week. Even less likely but not improbable, Blueberries might make the berry share later in the week. This is week 4 of our 10 week berry-share.

FARM NEWS:  Wow, what a change in the weather this week! Today brought intermittent mists between brief sun appearances, a very welcomed change compared to the high temperatures of last week and the weekend. This is wonderful weather for farming….the heat can be nice too, but this week is more ideal. It’s best to have foods ripen gradually and to not stress about water requirements, but mother nature often has other plans.

With summer squash and fava beans appearing in the share now, the summer diversity seems to begin. Towards the end of July we usually have tomatoes, and hopefully some other fresh beans and cucumber soon.

We are working on the date for our summer member gathering and should be able to post that soon. I also am going through some favorite photos of our season so far, and hope to get them on the blog by next week.

Have a great week and enjoy the cooler days…..until next time!

WEEK 7: June 29 – July 5, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Chard, 2 Lettuce Heads, Ishikuri Bunching Onions, a 1/2 pint of Blackberries (either ‘Black-cap’ Raspberries or ‘Metolius’ Blackberries),  and Farmer’s Choice (some possibilities are Cabbage, Beets, Kohlrabi, Broccoli/Cauliflower mix…….).

 

Recipes, Information and Suggestions: 

Here we are already to week 7! We hope you all managed to put last week’s share to good use. Last week’s newsletter fell short of  recipes and farm news, but I think we can do better this week with more new items and new information to share.

New to the share this week you’ll find Ishikuri Bunching Onions. They are more like your traditional scallions. To us they grew more like baby leeks, but then formed bulbs, making them an onion/scallion mix. They have a nice and mild onion flavor. Green onions and scallions are just immature onions that are pulled before the prominent bulb forms and their tops are still green. Traditional scallions do not have bulbs where green (spring) onions often have small bulbs. All parts, bulb, greens and top are edible. Recipes often call for using just the white/red part  and/or just the green parts. Generally the white/red part is cooked and the green parts are used in fresh preparations or in a pinch as a substitute for chives. We also find the flower-tops having wonderful light onion flavor and so make a nice edible garnish or chopped and sprinkled finish to a dish. Last week some of you received Garlic Scapes and we hope you enjoyed them steamed, sauteed or chopped up and freshly added to a dish. Garlic scapes are the flower/seed stalk that shoots up from the garlic bulb. In case you still have them around, I included a recipe below….as well as many nice recipes for your scallion onions courtesy of Mariquita Farm….

http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/scallions.html

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

1 pound garlic scapes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil (about 1/2 to 1 cup)
Pine nuts if available

Chop the garlic scapes into 3 inch lengths. Put it in the food processor and process until pureed. Add the parmesan and pine nuts and process until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil as the food processor runs and continue until all the oil is combined into the garlic. Store in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator. Add to pasta or eat on crackers….Yummy!

Somewhat seeming staples in the spring season share (!) have been your Chard and Lettuce.  This week they both return. Chard will likely be baby greens great for a saute with some fresh goat cheese and walnuts. The Lettuce this week will be two heads of the various types we grow for you. Enjoy those crisp salads in this hot (90’s!) week to come! For those of you who don’t know…many vegetables including greens, carrots and cucumbers can quite reliably be transformed from wilted to crisped up by submerging them in ice water. Time length may vary, but it’s not usually very long before a limp lettuce is made crunchy. Give it a try. Also, I found a very nice site on salad dressings and making them, and linked it for you below.  With just a few basic ingredients you can mix up your own dressing in a snap…..

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/09/how-to-make-salad-dressing.html

Well we’ve finally decided to allow ourselves a ‘Farmer’s Choice’  item in the spring season share. We have several things that have been left in the fields and thus continued to offer their bounty,  moreover they must be passed on to our members before we can do a turnover of the beds. Waste not want not….however, not enough of one particular thing will make it as a main item for everyone. So, you have one surprise item in your share this week. As mentioned above, it might be something you’ve already had such as the Beets with greens or the Crussiferae Blend (broccoli and cauliflower). Or it might be a few small Kohlrabi or even a larger Cabbage head. We grew a few types of spring cabbage such as ‘Dwarf Ox-heart’, ‘Savoy’ or ‘Red Express’ and all are fair game. Less likely you may find carrots or even a basket of plums……..the possibilities are many! Please enjoy the surprise what ever it is for you!

Lastly, we are excited to bring on more berries for everyone in this weeks share! Each half-share will include a half-pint of Blackberries. They will be either ‘Black-cap’ raspberries or ‘Metolius’ early Blackberries. The full-share member’s will of course get two half-pints. These two types of berries are very different. The ‘Black-cap’ is a black raspberry and has a very unique flavor. Hopefully everyone at some point this season will get to try the Black-caps. They are very seedy little berries, but quite popular in Europe and sought after by many pastry chefs. The ‘Metolius’ blackberry is one of the earliest blackberries on the farm. It’s flavor is a mix between the wild Himalayans and a Marion berry…..somewhat tart and tangy, but with a nice sweetness too. Whichever berry you get this week, I hope you will enjoy them fresh or over something sweet. The half-pint is also a nice amount of fruit to add to a muffin recipe. Personally, we’ve been enjoying milkshakes and smoothies often! Here’s our own little berry thief caught in the act with a strawberrry at our NE pick-up last week……;->

BERRY-SHARE: Member’s will receive two full pints of ‘Metolius’ Blackberries OR two full pints of ‘Black-cap’ raspberries this week. Fruit picked any given day, depends on the ripening of the crop and the weather, so it might be different depending on the day. This is Week 3, so 7 more to go in our 10 week berry-share.

FARM NEWS: Much is afoot on the farm these days. Each day we check the zucchini and summer squash and they are quickly building up nice fruits for you all to likely count on next week. Fava beans are close at hand as well. Most all the fall baby Brassicacea crops are planted in the ground now and getting established for their longer season. Cucumbers, melons and peppers are all flowering nicely and starting to think about forming nice fruits. The tomatoes are gaining girth as well as setting many fruits now. Tomatoes setting fruit are one of my most favorite things to see in early summer on the farm!

Subsequent plantings of the turnips and radishes have been a struggle to maintain their health and vigor. Cabbage worms as well as flea beetles are doing a fine job at dessication. Our floating row covers are a challenge in the wind…..organic certified neem oil has been helping, but only to a short degree. We hope to include some more of those crops for you soon, however it may be Fall before those items make their way into your share’s again.

The berries are coming on quickly now, thanks to the heat. We may even have Marion’s by next week!  The blue-berries are our last berry and I am noticing one per cluster starting to turn blueish….Hopefully all is on target for a lovely berry season in the valley. I have noticed a fabulous cherry season out there this year. We may be able to include some cherries for you, working with a sister-farm nearby. I’ll keep you posted….We hope to have cherries for our members as soon as our trees mature…but that will be a few years yet.

All the pick-up locations seem to be running smoothly and it is so nice to get to talk to all of you each week. I’d like to put up some photos soon of the various pick-up’s and member’s. I wish that Kip and I could personally come meet our Wednesday drop-off folks downtown someday, but hopefully we will get to meet you at one of our 2 scheduled gatherings this year. I’ll have more information for everyone on that soon. Thanks so much to all of you for joining our farm and being a part of Community Supported Agriculture!!

Hope you all have a lovely holiday weekend….more soon….Enjoy!

WEEK 6: June 22 – June 28, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:   Crussiferae Blend,  Chard,  Peas,  Allium Mix,  Lettuce Mix

Recipes, Information and Suggestions: 

So a little botany language comes into the share this week…in your Crussiferae Blend. Crussiferae is another name for the plants in the edible Brassicaceae family, also known as Cruciferous Vegetables. The list of Cruciferous vegetables is broad and long, some of them are the greens you have already been enjoying and also Kohlrabi and Turnip roots are cruciferous vegetables as well.  However, this week we are focusing more on the cruciferous vegetables eaten mainly for the flowering parts, for instance, rapini, sprouting broccoli, and cauliflower. We trialed various seed strains this year, many different heirloom and Italian varieties, so the sprouting stocks may be an open colorful mix or the tried and true tighter heads you are used to seeing. Enjoy the short stalks as well, which are flavorful and tender, not woody. The mix should be ideal for steaming, in a side dish or a welcome addition to a soup or baked casserole.

This week Chard is back as your main green for braising, or it can be enjoyed raw. We love chard almost as much as kale and often use it as a lettuce substitute raw. Peas still remain in the share this week, however this will indeed be the last of them. Four weeks of spring peas for our 180 member share’s this year speaks of a pretty good planting and growing season on the farm for peas. Kody, Kip and Joel, our prime pea-pickers won’t be too sad to see them go, and we surely hope you have enjoyed eating them!

A little more botany for you with the Allium Mix this week.  Alliums are in the plant genus containing onions, garlic, shallots and leeks as well as thousands of other species making it one of the largest genera of plants in the world. The family name is Alliaceae and contains all the lilies and bulbs. Needless to say, the vegetables in this plant family are mainly enjoyed for their bulb, or edible part underground, however much of the greens and the flowering parts are edible, delicious and nutritious as well. Your share this week will include some of the following or feature one in particular of onions, shallots, green garlic, garlic scapes or leeks.

Lastly we are including a nice bagged Lettuce Mix for all our members this week. Salad lover’s hopefully will enjoy the mix of various flavors found in all the different types of lettuce greens we grow.

The Berry-share week will start out with strawberries….but there is talk of some early blackberries possibly ripening by the end of the week. I’ll keep you posted.

I plan to include more recipes, suggestions and farm news later…..thanks!

WEEK 5: June 15 – June 21 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Bunch of Kale, Peas, Beets, Kohlrabi (or Turnips), Strawberries, and Head of Lettuce.

 

Recipes, Information and Suggestions: 

New to your share this week we welcome glorious Beets.  Beets are a highly nutritious and wonderfully versatile food. You will either have golden or red. Beets are loaded with Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C.  The beets and the greens are both edible. The greens have a higher iron content compared to spinach. They are also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium and iron while the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars. It’s iron content, though not high, is of the highest and finest quality that makes it an excellent food that is blood building. This renders it highly effective in treating many ailments caused by our sometimes toxic environment and surroundings. Some believe beets are the secret to longevity…if not immortality ;->. The following recipe makes a nice meal. However, roasted beets (360 degree oven, 45 minutes) with warmed greens and goat cheese  does stand alone wonderfully as well….. 

BEET RISOTTO with GREENS, GOAT CHEESE and WALNUTS

Before you sauté the onion, toast the walnuts in the Dutch oven until they’re fragrant. Cooking the beets along with the rice renders a beautiful burgundy color. Yields 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 1  cup  Arborio rice
• 1  tablespoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2  teaspoons  finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 3  cups  finely chopped peeled beets
• 1/2  cup  water
• 1/4  teaspoon  fine sea salt
• 1  (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
• 6  cups  finely sliced Swiss chard or your beet greens
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4  cup  chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation:    Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add rice, ginger, and rosemary; saute 1 minute. Add wine; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Add beets, water, salt, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until beets are tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in chard/ beet greens; cook 5 minutes.  Add cheese, stirring until blended. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon walnuts. Enjoy~~~~

Your Peas  this week are either Snow, Snap or a mix. The Sugar-Snap peas are deliciously plump and full of sugars. Occasionally you will get a plump Snow pea mixed in, and in that case the pod will be much more fiborous than the perfectly edible raw sugar-snap pods. Snow peas are best enjoyed stir-fried or cooked. We are likely nearing the end of our Spring peas.  Please see past posts for more details on peas.

You will find a nice bunch of Kale this week in your share.  After a week off from kale, hopefully some of you are ready for more again! This wonderful food is one of our favorites…let me count the ways….

The toss up this week is going to be either Turnips or Kohlrabi in your share. Other smaller successions of plantings have yielded more than we were expecting. We have enough to bring you one or the other for another week despite the cabbage worms and the hot weather! We are aiming to bring you this week, what you likely missed out on previous weeks when we had the toss up…..we hope you get what you want,  but please remember there will be fall plantings as well.

On Turnips :  http://orchardhillblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/summer-turnip-recipes.html

On Kohlrabi : http://www.prairielandcsa.org/recipes/kohlrabi.html

Your Lettuce this week again will be a head of the various types we are growing.

Lastly, yes it is true, this week we have Strawberries for you all! We are very excited that the harbinger of the berry season has arrived and it feels all the more like summer time in Oregon is officially here (even though we technically have another week to go). Each half-share will receive a pint of delicious Hood Strawberries. The berry-share members will also be recieving 2 pints of the Hood Strawberries this week. Our berry-share has finally begun….earlier than we were expecting. 

I doubt we have to suggest any information on how to enjoy strawberries. They contain a healthy dose of Vitamin A and C and only 50 calories per cup. Prized in ancient Rome for their medicinal uses, strawberries are recognized as having more vitamin C than some citrus fruits. They are also high in fiber, folate, potassium and antioxidants, making them a natural means of reducing the chances of heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers. Often they are gobbled up before you make it home! I want to say a quick note on storing them, if they last….refrigerate in a colander or so that air can circulate around them, do not cover them or they will mold more quickly.  Strawberries do not continue to ripen after they’ve been picked, so we pick them, especially Hoods, at full ripeness.  Also leave the caps on until you’re finished washing and are ready to use them. Removal of the cap expedites the breakdown of the sugars and the fruit. Do remove the cap and stem prior to freezing, however.

FARM NEWS:  Well as mentioned above, the berry-share has begun. So for the next 10 weeks berry-share members will be receiving their two pints of fresh berries, regardless of what the weekly vegetable share may bring. 

Some new crops on the not so distant horizon are the cooler fava beans and summer squash. We have several different types of summer squash for you this year, which we hope you’ll enjoy.  There will be summer fresh beans before we know it as well.   All the melon plants and eggplants are in the ground and smiling through their happy flowers. Tomatoes and cucumbers are flowering as well and soon to form the first fruits. The greens will slowly start to decline as the new summer crops take center stage…we are nearing the transition.

We hope that all of you are able to utilize your share’s each week and are not merely adding to your compost piles. Let us know more how we can help, if you are having trouble getting through it all. Many things can be froze for later, however in our experience the spring greens and lettuces do not freeze well at all. Leftover greens are best given to rabbits and chickens….or you just eat more like a rabbit yourself during the Spring, eating local, season. I’ll try to have more information on preserving the harvest for you as we go….until next time~~~~

WEEK 4: June 8th – June 14th 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Head of Lettuce, Snow Peas, Kohlrabi (or Broccoli), Carrots, Onions and baby Chard (or baby Spinach).

 

Recipes, Information and Suggestions:

New to some of your share’s this week you’ll find Spring Kohlrabi. We strive to bring you the small kohlrabi with its edible skin rather than the giant size with its woody, fibrous texture and inedible outer layer. The larger globes definitely need to be peeled. Kohlrabi is available year round with its peak season and sweetest flavor in spring through early summer. Check the link below for more on Kohlrabi.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/kohlrabi/

The unseasonal hot weather we had tricked most of the Kohlrabi crop into thinking it’s season was over and it’s bolting. Kohlrabi’s integrity and flavor is greatly compromised when it turns to go to seed (bolt). We lost about 80% of the Spring crop, but are aiming to have more for you in the Fall. For those of you who do not find Kohlrabi in your share this week, you will find Broccoli.  Broccoli is another food said to be a ‘Super food’…like Kale. There is much info. on the web about that…..and also some nice spring fresh recipes like the one below, which I enjoy with the sunflower seeds and it’s also great without the bacon…

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Alysons-Broccoli-Salad/Detail.aspx

This week, also new to your share, is a  fresh bunch of Spring Carrots. Young Spring carrots are very sweet. We enjoy them raw for munching and always wish we had more. Along with another various head of Lettuce this week, you will also have a few more Spring Onions. The onions are at a nice medium heat which I consider perfect for adding raw to salads and sandwiches, or cooking with them. 

Instead of Snap Peas, we have Snow Peas for you this week. The pods of snow peas are flat and thin with the bulge of the tiny seed barely visible at prime eating stage. The bright green pods should be turgid and crisp. They contain five to seven seeds and reach a length of two to three inches. Snow peas provide vitamins A and C, iron and potassium. They are low in sodium. A 3 ounce serving, cooked and drained, contains 43 calories. If you want to prepare them for cooking, slice through the stem end of each pod but do not sever the string on the side of the pod. Pull the stem end and string down the pod and repeat the procedure on the other side. You may leave the strings intact, if desired. Steam in a small amount of water or stir-fry in a little oil. Whichever method is preferred, keep cooking time short; one to two minutes is sufficient for heating through. Serve along or in combination with fresh mushrooms or water chestnuts, or in stir-fry recipes. Snow peas can be served raw in salads, but blanching them in boiling water for one minute brings out their vivid green color and heightens their crispness.

Snow Peas with Pine Nuts, Apple and Mint

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound snow peas, rinsed, dried, tips of the ends cut off, strings removed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
5 large mint leaves, chopped and 1 apple sliced thin

Method

1 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the snow peas, garlic, and pine nuts. Stir to coat with the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring. You do not want to overcook the snow peas or they will get limp. They should still be a little bit crunchy.

2 Remove from heat. Stir in the sesame oil, apple slices and chopped mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3.

 Lastly the share this week will include either a bag of baby Chard or baby Spinach. Surely by now most of you have some exciting ways to eat your greens. We hope you continue to be creative with them, rather than tire of them. When the heat of late summer really hits, we always wish we still had them to enjoy.

FARM NEWS: Things continue to grow well here on the farm. Our small-scale, organic production can really challenge us to find a complete consistency with your share’s each week, which in turn can make the flow of a newsletter a bit choppy. We hope that those of you reading this are finding it purposeful and we always welcome suggestions.

On another note…it appears Strawberry season has arrived and we hope to greet you all with fresh strawberries next week. Until then…..enjoy!!

WEEK 3: June 1- June 7, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share: Sugar-Snap Peas, Chard, Head Lettuce, Spinach (or Braising greens), and Kale (or Spigariello greens).

       

Recipes, Information and Suggestions:  New to your share’s this week are delicious Sugar-Snap Peas. These peas are fabulous eaten as is and they usually don’t last long around the house!  Snap peas (also known as sugar-snap peas or mange tout) are a cultivar of edible-podded peas that differ from snow peas in that their pods are round as opposed to flat. Snap peas like all other peas are pod fruits. An edible-podded pea is similar to a garden, or English, pea, but the pod is less fibrous, and edible when young. Pods of the edible-podded pea, including snap peas, do not have a membrane and do not open when ripe. Pods contain 3 to 5 peas per pod. They get their name from the French ‘mange tout’ meaning to ‘eat everything’; as unlike with many other varieties of pea, you can eat the peas and the pod. The soft and tender pods of snap peas are crisp, sweet, and succulent, often served in salads or eaten whole. They may also be stir-fried or steamed. Before being eaten, mature snap pea pods may need to be “stringed”, which means the membranous string running along the top of the pod from base to tip is removed. Over-cooking the pods will make them come apart. To avoid this, they should only be lightly steamed, or gently fried in oil. Snap pea pods may be frozen, but never canned, as the high temperatures are damaging. If you prefer to cook your legumes, the quick recipe below is a nice and easy one.

BAKED SUGAR-SNAP PEAS                                                        

• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• kosher salt to taste
  DIRECTIONS:

  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spread sugar snap peas in a single layer on a medium baking sheet, and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with shallots, thyme, and kosher salt. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender but firm.

                                                      

Everyone will receive a Head of Lettuce  this week.  A variety known as Flashy Trout’s Back, which is a lovely red-speckled Romaine, will be available. It has a rich, buttery flavor, and is bred by Frank Morton at Gathering Together Farm.  Another variety some of you might get is called Cracoviensis. It’s a striking  maroon-tinted, green-leafed, loosely open head resembling a romaine, but with subtle buttery flavors. We will also have traditional Butterheads, Oakleaf or loose-leaf heads, and Romaine’s for you to choose from. 

Rinse Lettuce  just before serving in very cold water. Pat dry with a clean towel. Limp leaves can be revived by immersing in ice water for a few minutes. Tear lettuce leaves into pieces. If practical, do not cut or sliced lettuce leaves in advance. Damaged cut lettuce leaves release an ascorbic acid oxidase, which destroys vitamin C. Cut edges also discolor quickly.  Dry leaves before serving. Salad dressing will cling to dry lettuce leaves instead of sinking to the bottom of the salad bowl. Toss with your favorite dressing just before serving (or serve dressing on the side) Lettuce leaves covered with dressing will quickly wilt. The nutritional value of lettuce varies with the variety. Lettuce in general provides small amounts of dietary fiber, some carbohydrates, a little protein and a trace of fat. Its most important nutrients are vitamin A and potassium. The vitamin A comes from beta carotene, whose yellow-orange is hidden by green chlorophyll pigments. Beta carotene, of course, is converted to vitamin A in the human body. The darker green, the more beta carotene.

You will all recieve some Chard this week as well. It will likely be baby-sized and bagged for you. This baby chard is tender enough to enjoy raw, but also wonderful wilted or braised if you prefer. By now you are likely growing accustomed to the various spring greens and how you like to prepare them.  Garden Home Member, Julia Sathler recently shared the Hot and Sour Greens recipe below……it looks delicious!

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/RCP00217/hot-and-sour-greens.html

This week’s share will also include either Spinach or Braising greens. Again, if you get the braising greens mix you are receiving some zesty greens, likely including mustard greens. Due to the peppery flavors of mustard greens, we recommend braising them. We have previously mentioned some recipes for cooking different greens. Please see past posts. The spinach is best enjoyed as a raw addition to your salads.

Lastly, your share will include either Kale or Spigariello greens. Most of you likely know what to do with your Kale by now…..if not just add it to your smoothies! However, the Spigariello greens are something new. It closely resembles kale and is sometimes called leaf-broccoli. From Mariquita Farm, a CSA in California, the following info on the Italian heirloom greens called Spigariello can be found….

http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/spigariello.html

All of the spring greens can be enjoyed separately, or together. Mix and match them and come up with your own favorite new recipes! Below is a favorite recipe we want to share with you. While true Italians might cringe at this being called a pesto, let them be reassured this is just a contemporary twist on the late summer classic (which we can barely wait for!). This Kale (or Spinach, or Chard…) and Walnut Pesto is great over potatoes or pasta or plain on crackers. It freezes well too, but if you want to freeze it, don’t add the cheese. Instead add the cheese when you later thaw it to use it. Enjoy…..

KALE AND WALNUT PESTO

The Real Dirt on Vegetables by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics
 
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 Tbs plus 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 pound kale, coarsely chopped2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
 
Toast the chopped walnuts in a dry, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat, stirring constantly, until they start to brown in spots and become fragrant. (Be careful not to over toast them, as they will burn quickly once they are toasted.) Immediately transfer the walnuts to a dish to cool.

Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 Tbs salt, then add the kale. Cook kale until tender about 10 minutes. Drain. Put the garlic, walnuts, and kale in a blender or food processor; pulse until well combined. With the blender or food processor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady, smooth, pencil-thin stream.
When the ingredients are thoroughly combined, transfer to a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan, remaining teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Serve hot.

FARM NEWS:

Things are growing well out at the farm. This remarkable end of May dry stretch of weather has been great for all the crops, provided we work round the clock to keep everything well quenched. So far so good… all major catastrophes have thus far been averted! New water lines have been supplied new trenches and soon will be up and running for the next planting of potatoes and beans. Many more tomatoes and squash have been transplanted out into the fields, and are coming along nicely. Broccoli heads are forming well and we hope to have them in your shares by next week. I’ll see if Farmer Kip has any News to add……until next time.

WEEK 2: May 25-May 31, 2009 CSA Newsletter

Hello Members! More delicious vitamins D, K and iron for you….

This Week’s Share: Bok Choy, Radishes, Turnips (or Lettuce or Spinach), Chard, Kale and a Braising Mix (much like last week’s mix).

 

Recipes and Suggestions:  New to your share  this week is Bok Choy. It’s also called Pac Choi and Chinese Cabbage. Bok Choy has crunchy stalks that are mild and juicy sweet. Its leaves are tender and crisp with a subtle peppery flavor. Bok Choy is a member of the Asian vegetable family that often goes by the generic name Chinese cabbage. But the flavor  is much more subtle than round-headed cabbage. Bok Choy can be eaten raw in salads, stir-fried, cooked as a vegetable, or marinated. Basically it can be used however you like to use cabbage. The bok choy heads, or stalks are likely in the bag with your braising mix.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Stir-Fried-Baby-Bok-Choy-243124

Some of your share’s this week will have Turnips. Turnips are a root crop, much like Radishes. They have the similar, pungent flavor to raw cabbage or radishes, which becomes milder when cooked. Turnips are high in Vitamin C, where radishes are a good source of folic acid and potassium. Turnip greens can be eaten as well. Their flavor is very much like a mustard green. Unfortunately our spring turnip crop was 75% damaged by cabbage maggots, so we don’t have enough of this round for everyone. Some of your share’s may contain Lettuce or Spinach instead of turnips.

The turnip puff recipe below is one we enjoy. It’s so easy and you can modify it with your favorite herbs, or spices easily too…

TURNIP PUFF

Mashed turnips are combined with egg white and other ingredients to make this turnip casserole.

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked, mashed turnips, cooled
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted butter 
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 eggs, separated

Preparation:

Combine turnips, bread crumbs, butter, sugar, salt, pepper, and beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into turnip mixture. Spoon turnip mixture into a buttered 1-quart casserole. Bake turnip puff at 350° for 40 minutes. We’ve also added more bread crumbs (or crackers) and rolled the mix into little balls, flattened and then pan-fried them. Works well if you’re in a hurry and tastes great with your favorite dressing!
Turnip recipe serves 4 to 6.

Your Chard this week is likely with colorful stalks, bagged and baby-sized. The flavor is mild and delicious. Chard can easily be enjoyed raw, but is wonderful warmed or wilted depending on what you want to do.

Your Kale  this week is likely in a bunch, or bag and a mix of Red Russian, White Russian, Lacinato or Rainbow kales. Kale is in fact a Super food and I’m a strong believer! The nutritional benefits of eating kale are endless….Here’s a quick readable link with the basics…

http://health.learninginfo.org/nutrition-facts/kale.htm

A basic recipe for sauteed kale is below…

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sauteed_kale.html

A more ‘colorful’ recipe for those seeking to truly enjoy their Kale in a yummy, gooey way comes from our dear friend and NE pick-up host Jen Warnock. Jen prefaces the recipe by saying that, “you MUST realize that this dish is custom created each time you make it. Your ratio of onions to garlic to greens to peanut butter, etc, etc, etc, is based on what you have, what your body needs, what tastes good to you today. So, really, I’m not writing a recipe here, I’m writing some guidelines!”. *Please note that there are a few more ingredients beyond the initial saute, so best to read the guidelines through once first to get the idea….and have fun like Jen did writing this!

KALE-MASA FOO-FOO

Sauté in ¼ C. or so of peanut oil (poured from the top of a new jar of pb works well) the following:

• 1½ large yellow or red onions, chopped
• a fresh ginger chunk, equivalent to the size of your thumb, peeled, minced
• 1 T. italian seasoning
• maybe ¼ C. of soy sauce (watch your salt build-up, if it’s the regular kind) or some balsamic vinegar
• a loading dose of garlic, in fairly big chunks
• Throw in some red wine (¼ C?  ½ C.?) and top off your glass while you’re at it.
• Add ½ container or about 2 C. of broth (chicken, beef, vegetable) and simmer the bejeebies out of this mix, making it really rich and dense.

    Chop up 3-4 bunches of kale. Throw the kale into the pot and add more broth, maybe even a cup or two of water.  You’ll need some liquid to really cook the kale down. Add more garlic (I add garlic throughout the whole process) and let cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally so all of the kale gets cooked. Add a large can of tomato sauce or marinara and a small can of tomato paste. Add more broth, if necessary, to keep it juicy.
     Add ½ of a small jar of peanutbutter.  It’ll melt in there and stir in over time.  Cook for another some-odd time (I don’t think you can overcook foo-foo, as long as you don’t burn it).
     Put on a pot of water, as though you were making a batch of rice. Salt it a bit, and bring to a boil. Stir in enough masa to make a slightly runny goop (it’ll thicken as it cooks). Mash out the clumps as best you can. Turn down the heat, cover, and let cook for 20-30 minutes. Watch that it doesn’t burn!
Speaking of burning: boiling masa is like lava. Watch out for blurps and bubbles because that stuff is like napalm when it hits you – it sticks and just keeps burning! We call it foo-palm …
    Go back and fuss with the sauce some more. Does it need more pb to be richer? More italian seasoning to be more savory? More liquid so you have enough sauce?
    Add in cayenne until you get it as spicy as your family will enjoy. Of course, you’ll just keep adding garlic, right? I chop it into smaller and smaller pieces as the cooking progresses, until the end when I’m mashin’ it through the garlic press.  
     When the batch has everything it needs (just listen, it will TELL you when to stop adding things), just cover and let it do it’s thing (on low heat).
     When your masa is cooked, turn off the heat and wait for about 10 minutes before lifting the lid (so you don’t get lava bombed) then stir again, mashing out remaining clumps.
     Splop a fist-sized splopule into each bowl and smother with the yummy, spicy, sweet peanutbutter kale sauce. Wash your hands and EAT your glorious creation with ‘em. Or use chopsticks.
     Be sure to overeat and compare “foodbabies”. Whoever has the biggest belly, wins! 
     When you’re ready to riff with the “recipe”: add meat or nutritional yeast or even seafood (shrimp, oo la la) for variation.
      ENJOY! ~Courtesy of Jen Warnock

FARM NEWS -

The weather has simply been amazing, as I’m sure you can all attest to. We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend.

Two pea rows are in splendid full bloom. Small peas forming are evident. Other peas are not far behind. Our early brassica crops are coming along nicely. That hopefully means full heads of broccoli and cabbages for you soon.

This is perfect weather for growing your food.  As long as we can keep the irrigation running smoothly and the pests on the catch crops and off our food, things should continue nicely. Pest management on an organic farm is creative and often frustrating and we are constantly learning what works and what doesn’t on this land. The dry days also lend themselves well to tractor work and compost (fertilizer) spreading in our fields. Currently most of the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, cucs and melons remain in pots in the greenhouse awaiting the warmer days. By mid June everything will be transplanted out, all warm season crops included. The seeding of more summer crops out in the fields, like beans is about to begin.

The blueberries are at the very early stage of forming fruits, as most of the flowers are dropping away. The Marion berries have just started to flower and some of the other blackberries are in full bloom now, soon transcending to the early fruit stage. The fruit tree flowers have mostly all gone as well and tiny fruits can be seen starting to form. This year we have seen a dramatic drop in Apple tree flowers compared to last year, which means it won’t be a bumper crop.

It looks like our new bee colony is settling in well. Hopefully they will help contribute their magic to our crops this season and bee happy at the new home! I’ll keep you posted……until next time…

 

WEEK 1: May 18, 2009 CSA Newsletter

Hello members!

This Week’s Share: Spring Onions, Kale, Chard, Radishes and a Braising Mix including some Asian greens like Kyona, Komatsuna, and Tatsoi, some mustard greens (spicy, peppery) like Red Giant and Green Wave, and also some baby kales.

 

Recipes and Suggestions:

Your braising mix will make an excellent side dish, or a light meal in itself. You want to sear the greens until wilted in oil or butter. Because of the zesty flavors, we think this mix partners very nicely with goat cheese or nuts and something sweet, like cranberries, peaches or pears. I’ve posted some links below….

http://lifechef.blogspot.com/2009/04/balsamic-peaches-with-baby-braising.html

http://www.seasonalchef.com/greens.htm

The Kale and Chard for most folks are also braised (warmed) greens, however the flavors are mild enough for some to enjoy raw. Especially chard, which tastes alot like spinach. We enjoy it on sandwiches. Here’s a link with more info…

http://winter-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/recipes_sauted_winter_greens

Radishes are wonderful raw, if you can stand the heated flavor. They make a nice addition to various salads and seem to go very well with lime and cilantro on fresh tacos. Here’s a few more ideas…

http://dancinggecko.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/10-tasty-radish-recipes/

 

*Spring Greens, Fresh pea and Ham Soup - Great w/out the Ham  too! (Sorry….our fresh peas are a few weeks out  ;-<)
Serves 8 – recipe adapted from ‘The View from the Bay’ show.

Kale is a great leafy green available in winter and spring and there are many varieties. If you can’t find kale, use Swiss chard, mustard greens or collard greens. Fresh peas are great if you can find really fresh and sweet ones but if not, frozen peas work really well and are sometimes sweeter than fresh peas in the pod.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Love Farm Organics onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 pound kale such as green kale, dinosaur kale, Russian kale, Swiss chard, or other fresh green, ribs removed and discarded, leaves washed, and coarsely chopped
• 2 cups diced canned tomatoes, (preferably San Marzano)
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound leftover ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup cooked small white beans, such as Great Northern (or if you are lucky enough to find them Zolfino beans)
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or more to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Good quality extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly grated good-quality Parmesan cheese

Process:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat and add the onions, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and stirring frequently, cook until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the stock, potatoes, and greens. Bring the liquid to the boil over high heat, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Wrap the rosemary, and bay in a tied cheesecloth bundle and add to the soup with the tomatoes, ham, and beans. Cook at a low simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the peas and cook 5 minutes more. Remove and discard the herb bundle and season to taste with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir in the minced parsley.
4. Ladle into heated soup bowls and serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

FARM NEWS -

Well the season is finally underway. The fields are looking good and crops are coming along nicely. In the weeks to come, I’ll post  more on various crops and the farming. We’re anxious to get through the first week of harvest and delivery, making sure all the wheels turn according to plan, and once we do it will all feel like our beautiful routine again! In the midst of this first day of the season, a bee colony has decided to move into our office/barns! It doesn’t help that our friend and farm helper Kody is allergic to them! Thanks to our friend Becky we may have relocated the queen successfully, but time will tell. Never a dull moment!!

We’re looking forward to seeing all of you soon…….Thanks for supporting our farm!

2009 CSA Season is underway!

Hello Members!

We hope everyone is well and enjoying the warm weather. The past few days have really been wonderful for growing food….lets hope it hangs on a bit for us.

Well here we are about to begin CSA 2009. We’re looking forward to meeting all of you new members and seeing our returning members familiar faces soon! This will be the home of our weekly farm newsletter, where you will find what’s in each weeks share, farm news, recipes and any other random information. I’m preparing the WEEK 1 newsletter now and will post it soon.

We are very excited about this growing season! Thanks for supporting your local food shed, our organically grown foods and us, your community farmers! See you soon….

Happy New Year!

Welcome back! Here we are in 2009 and looking forward to a wonderful season. We have begun the process of filling up our membership for our CSA 2009 . Please don’t delay in getting your sign-up form in….as we hate to have to close the door on those of you that really wanted to join, but waited to contact us. It will be very nice to see all your smiling faces soon, when we all get to start eating seasonal, yummy, local food again.

The Love Farm survived the snow, our greenhouse intact. I will work on getting some snow pictures up. I am also going to work hard at getting your recipes and comments up on a regular basis this year. We hope to, at the very least, comment each week on the vegetables you get, and give out new or interesting information about what’s in your Share here in our newsletter.

Ava, our busy 10.5 month old little girl, kept us completely side-tracked last year as we worked hard to keep your harvests a success. She will continue to do so, without a doubt, but somehow things already seem much more manageable at home and at the farm! We are all getting so anxious for fresh-grown food! We hope that you are as well.

All the best to you…until next time,

Our Squash Princess

All of us at Love Farm Organics