This is the last meat share of the season. This week you will (or have) receive a whole chicken (4-5 pounds), 2 pounds of ground beef or veal, a pound of veal round cutlets, and about a pound of veal stew meat from the chuck (some of this will be in the form of steaks and a little larger to compensate for the bone; just chop the meat up and add it to your soup or stew). The veal is a new product for us so please let us know what you think of it. And we'd love to get any feedback in general on the meat shares (more/less frequent deliveries, different variety of cuts, anything at all really).
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Ground Veal: Veal generally is going to have a more delicate flavor than beef and this holds true with the ground veal too. While you certainly can make burgers with it, ground veal also is great in meatloaf or in meatballs (for a great meatball recipe, try the one from Maggie's grandmother that I posted a couple months ago - just use ground veal instead of beef).
Veal Cutlets: Like the ground veal, the cutlets will have a delicate flavor that goes well with a sauce. To prepare the cutlets, cut them into smaller pieces, removing any pieces of fat. Then place them on a cutting board and pound them (I don't have a meat tenderizer so I just use my fist; you might feel weird doing this and others in the kitchen might be alarmed but this will help tenderize the meat). Then I usually prepare a sauce, sauteeing some shallots (or red onion) and a little garlic in butter then adding some white wine and cream and reducing it. In the meantime, I dredge the cutlets in a little flour then sautee them quickly in some butter (probably about a minute on each side - be careful not to overcook them) ) and pour the sauce over the cutlets. Serve with rice or pasta (something to help soak up the sauce!).
If you've got any great recipes of your own for veal, please pass them along!
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
CSA Week 19: October 11-15 (The last week)
Just a reminder that this is the last week of the regular harvest season CSA share. The winter share will start up in early November. More details on the specific dates/times of pick-ups to come but you can expect a good mixture of winter storage vegetables (beets, carrots, regular and sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, squash) and cold weather greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc.). Thanks to everyone who made it out to the farm on Columbus Day for our CSA Harvest Celebration! It was one of those beautiful clear fall days and pizza and cider were delicious. Hopefully everyone who made it enjoyed themselves!
Fall finally has arrived for real here on the farm; we'd gotten a few light frosts but the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and beans survived but the cold of the past few nights finally wiped them out. While it's sad to see them go, it makes things a little simpler around here, not having to worry about harvesting them and covering them up at the end of the day. Otherwise, we continue to work on harvesting the storage crops (today we harvested all the Napa Cabbage), building the new greenhouse, and getting the greenhouses planted with cold weather greens.
This week's share:
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Celeriac: Many of you will be receiving celeriac or celery root this week. It has a flavor similar to celery and should be peeled before using. It can be used as celery would in soups and stews. It also is great grated raw and served in a salad or slaw or chopped up and roasted with other root vegetables (and some peeled winter squash, maybe) along with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Daikon Radish: Another item you will be getting this week is daikon radish. It is an east Asian radish that is quite mild. It is great eaten raw in a salad, or cooked in a stir fry. It also used in making Kimchi, a fermented vegetable dish from Korea. Kimchi is becoming more and more popular in this country as people begin to explore raw and fermented foods more and more. Flack Family Farm makes a delicious Kimchi that is worth a try.
Winter Squash: As you can see from what is included in the share this week, it may be a good week to make some soup. The weather has cooled off and I know I am always in the mood for a good winter soup when the temps drop. You will be getting onions, celery or celeriac, garlic, and a bit of squash this week so squash soup is an easy soup to make and also a great soup to freeze.
Curried Squash Soup
1/2 stick butter
1 winter squash (butternut, buttercup, Red Kuri, or Pumpkins work best)
2 cooking onions
2 cloves garlic
1 apple
2 medium potatoes
3 cups chicken stock (more or less depending on consistency you want to achieve)
2 tablespoons curry powder
salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add onions, garlic, and curry powder. Cook until onions are clear. Peel and cut squash in to chunks and add to pot. Cut apple and potatoes in to chunks and add. Pour stock over everything and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste. Let simmer until squash is soft and blend until smooth in a blender. Serve hot with some fresh bread and butter!
That's all for this week! Thanks from all of us here at the farm! We'll see the winter share members in a couple weeks and hope to see the rest of you next June!
Fall finally has arrived for real here on the farm; we'd gotten a few light frosts but the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and beans survived but the cold of the past few nights finally wiped them out. While it's sad to see them go, it makes things a little simpler around here, not having to worry about harvesting them and covering them up at the end of the day. Otherwise, we continue to work on harvesting the storage crops (today we harvested all the Napa Cabbage), building the new greenhouse, and getting the greenhouses planted with cold weather greens.
This week's share:
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Celeriac: Many of you will be receiving celeriac or celery root this week. It has a flavor similar to celery and should be peeled before using. It can be used as celery would in soups and stews. It also is great grated raw and served in a salad or slaw or chopped up and roasted with other root vegetables (and some peeled winter squash, maybe) along with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Daikon Radish: Another item you will be getting this week is daikon radish. It is an east Asian radish that is quite mild. It is great eaten raw in a salad, or cooked in a stir fry. It also used in making Kimchi, a fermented vegetable dish from Korea. Kimchi is becoming more and more popular in this country as people begin to explore raw and fermented foods more and more. Flack Family Farm makes a delicious Kimchi that is worth a try.
Winter Squash: As you can see from what is included in the share this week, it may be a good week to make some soup. The weather has cooled off and I know I am always in the mood for a good winter soup when the temps drop. You will be getting onions, celery or celeriac, garlic, and a bit of squash this week so squash soup is an easy soup to make and also a great soup to freeze.
Curried Squash Soup
1/2 stick butter
1 winter squash (butternut, buttercup, Red Kuri, or Pumpkins work best)
2 cooking onions
2 cloves garlic
1 apple
2 medium potatoes
3 cups chicken stock (more or less depending on consistency you want to achieve)
2 tablespoons curry powder
salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add onions, garlic, and curry powder. Cook until onions are clear. Peel and cut squash in to chunks and add to pot. Cut apple and potatoes in to chunks and add. Pour stock over everything and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste. Let simmer until squash is soft and blend until smooth in a blender. Serve hot with some fresh bread and butter!
That's all for this week! Thanks from all of us here at the farm! We'll see the winter share members in a couple weeks and hope to see the rest of you next June!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
CSA Week 18: October 4-8
Sweetheart waiting to be milked in the front yard.
My apologies again for another long hiatus from blog updates. We certainly are in the midst of the harvest season and it just hasn't felt right to take a break from harvesting winter squash with an impending frost. The rain today has finally given us a little bit of a break. So we're all gathered in the kitchen: I'm finally updating the blog, while Maggie washes eggs, and Suzanne shows Lauren (a WWOOFER) how to make fresh mozzarella from our raw milk. Speaking of frost, we got our first frost last Monday but it only really seemed to affect the basil; the peppers, eggplant, and tomatillos are still going. On the harvest front, all the garlic and onions have been dried for a while now. This past week we finished harvesting the last of the winter squash and sweet potatoes. The potatoes have been mowed down and are curing while the storage beets and carrots are waiting to be harvested. The greenhouse tomatoes are winding down and we're beginning to clear them out in order to plant hardy greens for the winter. We also have been busy constructing a new greenhouse. This year the USDA offered a grants to many farms to construct unheated greenhouses with the purpose of exploring more low-cost season extension options. We were fortunate to be the recipients of one of the grants and are in the process of constructing another greenhouse, which hopefully will be ready in time to have winter greens planted into it. So that's what's been going on here. Just a reminder about our CSA gathering and harvest celebration this coming Monday, the 11th. We're planning on the first pizzas coming out of the oven around 4 and also are hoping to have some pumpkin carving, farm tours, and cider making (if we can come up with some apples). Hope to see you all there!
The new greenhouse in progress.
Cleaning out the Tomato greenhouse; the cherries are the first to go.
Lastly, this next week (October 11-15) will be the last week of the regular harvest season CSA share. For those who signed up this spring, the winter share will start up in early November with more info to come on the exact pick-up dates/times.
On to This Week's Share:
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Braising Greens: These should be a little smaller this week so try adding them to your salad if you like. They're also great stir-fried with the bok choy and leeks or just by themselves. I made some for dinner this week and they were delicious sauteed in olive oil with some chopped garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and a little grated ginger root.
Pumpkins/Winter Squash: If you don't have a pumpkin, you can just substitute any other squash in this recipe for pumpkin pie. It's quite easy and a great cold/rainy day activity.
Pumpkin Pie
1 single crust
1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin (or squash)
3/4 cup sugar (white or brown), honey or maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk/cream
1 tbs butter, melted
Preheat oven to 450. Put the cooked pumpkin in a mixing bowl. Stir in sweetener or choice, spices and salt. Beat eggs slightly and add milk/cream. Combine pumpkin and milk mixtures. Stir in melted butter. Pour into the pastry shell and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 and continue baking for 35 minutes.
Leeks/Potatoes: This wasn't a great year for either our leeks or potatoes but things have aligned for you to receive both this week. Leek and Potato soup is extremely simple and quite delicious. There are many recipes out there but this recipe from Julia Child is a classic.
Leek and Potato Soup
3 cups potatoes, sliced thinly
3 cups leeks, sliced thinly
1.5 quarts chicken stock
salt, to taste
1/2 cup cream, optional
Simmer vegetables and stock together for 40-50 minutes. Add salt to taste. Puree in blender if desired. Return to pot and stir in cream. Great served hot or cold. If you want, try adding 5 or 6 cloves of garlic with the potatoes and leeks.
That's all for this week. Hope to see you all at the farm on Monday for our CSA Harvest Celebration!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
September Meat Share
Hopefully you all received your September meat shares without issue last week. As you now know, the September meat share included the regular whole chicken (about 4.5 pounds), 2 pounds of ground beef, and then a Ham Steak (about 2.5 pounds), and then about a pound of steak. Here are a couple ideas of what to do with some of that meat:
Chicken: You all probably have your own recipes or preparations for chicken but I figured I'd post one of my favorite recipes. This recipe calls for roasting a whole chicken in the oven so it works well now that the days are starting to cool off and you don't mind turning on the oven.
Pot-Roasted Tarragon Chicken
Need: butter, leeks, carrots, white wine, dried tarragon, cream, chicken
1. Preheat Oven to 350.
2. Melt 3 tbs butter in a roasting dish. Add sliced leeks to cover the bottom (1/2 inch to 1 inch deep) and cook until leeks are soft
3. Salt and Pepper inside chicken. Brush top of chicken with melted butter and salt the top. Place the chicken on top of the leeks and place in oven for 30-40 minutes. (Make sure leeks don't burn, add a little white wine if it looks like they might or they start to).
4. After 30-40 minutes, slice 3 or 4 carrots and add them around the chicken. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups white wine over the chicken and sprinkle chicken and carrots with dried tarragon. Salt the vegetables to taste.
5. If you've got a top for your dish (if not, just place it in the oven without a top), cover the chicken and place in the oven for 35-50 minutes
6. 15 minutes before chicken is done, pour 3/4 cup of cream over the chicken and vegetables. Recover and let finish cooking (the chicken is done when the juices run clear and the legs move easily - cooking times may need to be adjusted based on the size of the chicken).
This chicken is great served with rice or egg noodles.
Ham Steak: Ham Steak is very versatile. These are great just pan-fried for breakfast in the morning or you can throw them on the grill to add some nice smoky flavor. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Steak: So you're all getting different cuts of steak this week. We intended for everyone to get a pound of stew meat but we sold out of stew meat and are instead sending you some meat in steak form that is good for stew. You should have gotten about a pound of either Top Round, London Broil or Chuck Steaks. These steaks all come from the Round or Chuck (shoulder), two of the slightly tougher but more flavorful areas of a beef. Top Round and London Broil especially can be marinated and grilled (preferably rare or medium rare) as steaks (Chuck steak can be too but it might be a little bit tougher). All of these cuts, though, are great chopped up into cubes and then used in a soup or stew!
Chicken: You all probably have your own recipes or preparations for chicken but I figured I'd post one of my favorite recipes. This recipe calls for roasting a whole chicken in the oven so it works well now that the days are starting to cool off and you don't mind turning on the oven.
Pot-Roasted Tarragon Chicken
Need: butter, leeks, carrots, white wine, dried tarragon, cream, chicken
1. Preheat Oven to 350.
2. Melt 3 tbs butter in a roasting dish. Add sliced leeks to cover the bottom (1/2 inch to 1 inch deep) and cook until leeks are soft
3. Salt and Pepper inside chicken. Brush top of chicken with melted butter and salt the top. Place the chicken on top of the leeks and place in oven for 30-40 minutes. (Make sure leeks don't burn, add a little white wine if it looks like they might or they start to).
4. After 30-40 minutes, slice 3 or 4 carrots and add them around the chicken. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups white wine over the chicken and sprinkle chicken and carrots with dried tarragon. Salt the vegetables to taste.
5. If you've got a top for your dish (if not, just place it in the oven without a top), cover the chicken and place in the oven for 35-50 minutes
6. 15 minutes before chicken is done, pour 3/4 cup of cream over the chicken and vegetables. Recover and let finish cooking (the chicken is done when the juices run clear and the legs move easily - cooking times may need to be adjusted based on the size of the chicken).
This chicken is great served with rice or egg noodles.
Ham Steak: Ham Steak is very versatile. These are great just pan-fried for breakfast in the morning or you can throw them on the grill to add some nice smoky flavor. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Steak: So you're all getting different cuts of steak this week. We intended for everyone to get a pound of stew meat but we sold out of stew meat and are instead sending you some meat in steak form that is good for stew. You should have gotten about a pound of either Top Round, London Broil or Chuck Steaks. These steaks all come from the Round or Chuck (shoulder), two of the slightly tougher but more flavorful areas of a beef. Top Round and London Broil especially can be marinated and grilled (preferably rare or medium rare) as steaks (Chuck steak can be too but it might be a little bit tougher). All of these cuts, though, are great chopped up into cubes and then used in a soup or stew!
CSA Week 15: September 13-17
Sorry for the absence of blog posts the past couple weeks. Several people have left over the past few weeks and we've been pretty busy trying to get everything done. And this past week, we've been visited by 3 of the Dartmouth Outing Club freshman trips. Almost all of incoming Dartmouth freshman go on some sort of Outing Club trip before their freshman year begins (two years ago, Lucas went hiking in the White Mountains; 5 years ago, I went fishing up in the Second College Grant; and 27 years ago, Suzanne went hiking in the Presidential Range). So we've had 3 groups of 6-10 incoming freshmen with 2 upperclassmen leaders staying with us here at the farm for 2 days and nights. I think all of them have had a great time here, getting to know the animals, seeing the work that goes into growing vegetables, and even doing some of those monotonous jobs that the rest of us dread (pulling up plastic mulch, weeding 350-foot beds of carrots, picking beans ...). It's been awesome having them here, not only because they've done a lot of things that we might not have been able to get to for some time, but also because we've been getting to know them, watching them get to know and feel comfortable with each other, and seeing (and even feeling) that same excitement that each of us had when we went off to college for our freshman fall. Hopefully you guys all had a good time! Good luck and have fun at Dartmouth!
Back to the animals here, I realized that I haven't really written about the chickens much at all. We processed the last of our meat birds a couple weeks ago, leaving the laying hens and pullets (pullets are laying hens that are less than a year old, our pullets were born in April and have started laying eggs over the past couple weeks) as the only chickens on the farm. We have a flock of about 120 Red Sex-link (a hybrid breed that is a great egg layer) laying hens with 2 roosters to keep them company, and they will be joined this winter by about 65 pullets (we started with 100 pullets in April but had some problems with a fox this spring). Although we don't hatch our own chicks, we choose to have a couple roosters with the hens because it's simply a more natural way for them to live. The laying hens live in mobile houses that are moved at least once a week to fresh ground. They really love this access to pasture and always are excited to have access to new ground, foraging for greens and hunting for bugs. We generally try to have them follow behind the cows and they enjoy digging through the cow pies, sanitizing them of any flies and getting valuable nutrients and animals. Eggs from chickens that have access to pasture have much darker yolks and have more healthy omega-3 fatty acids in them than traditional eggs. Many of you are regular egg customers but if not, hopefully you have a chance to try a dozen eggs; they really don't compare with the eggs you can get in the stores around here.
The layers sometimes get neglected when it comes to food scraps (most of the vegetable scraps go to the cows or pigs) but they same to be only animals that will eat peppers or eggplant. When they do get some vegetable scraps, though, they really love them!
The freshest of eggs!
This week's share: (click to enlarge)
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Arugula: Arugula is a pretty versatile green. It's great in salads, can be braised or sauteed, or even used to make pesto (simply substitute Arugula for Basil in the pesto recipe below or you could use a mix of Basil and Arugula).
Basil: I realized that I haven't posted a pesto recipe yet. If you've never made pesto before, it's extremely easy (and cheap if you use sunflower seeds instead of pine nuts), and if you have, give this recipe a try or post your own!
Pesto
3 packed cups fresh basil leaves
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts ($30+/pound, sunflower seeds ($4/pound), or walnuts/almonds
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley (optional)
3/4 parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup melted butter
salt to taste
Combine everything in a blender or food processor. Work into a smooth paste. Toss with hot pasta. This recipe works for about six servings of pasta
(from the The Moosewood Restaurant Cookbook)
Winter Squash: We started harvesting our winter squash last week and there is a variety to choose from this week: Acorn, Butternut, Buttercup, Carnival Acorn, Delicata, and Pie Pumpkins. Winter squash is very versatile. Probably the easiest thing to do is cutt it in half and roast it in the oven with a little water to help steam it, then eat it as is or puree it for use in soups or baking.
Tomatillos: Tomatillos are in the same family as tomatoes. They sort of look like green tomatoes except they have a papery husk. These are great for salsa verde and other Mexican dishes. If you're not sure what to do with them, try the salsa verde recipe below.
Salsa Verde (recipe can be scaled up or down easily based on what you have)
4 cups roasted Tomatillos
1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped sweet peppers
1/2 to 1 cup sedded, chopped hot peppers
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 to 3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp olive oil
1. Remove husks from tomatillos, rinse and place in baking pan drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast at 400 for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until brown. Puree in food processor or blender with any liquid.
2. While tomatillos roast, prepare peppers, onions, and garlic. Saute with olive oil in large pot.
3. Add roasted tomatillo puree, salt, vinegar, lemon juice, and cumin and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Serve with chips or as a sauce with other Mexican dishes. This salsa also freezes very well.
(recipe courtesy of Sharon and Jeff Jones)
Tomatoes: You've all been receiving a lot of plum tomatoes the last couple weeks as the regular slicers and heirlooms begin to wind down. This is a great time to make some sauce or salsa to can or freeze. See some past posts on tomatoes for some sauce/salsa ideas.
That's all for this week. As always, please post (or send along) any recipe ideas you have!
Have a good one!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
CSA Week 12: August 23-27
It certainly seems like the summer is drawing to a close. The nights are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, some of the leaves are just beginning to pick up some color, and gradually the farm crew is beginning to leave for school, jobs, and other pursuits. This is my second fall of not going "back to school" and while I certainly recognize the time of year, I think relief might be a more accurate word to describe my feelings than nostalgia ... Instead of school, my mind turns to the colder months of the year and a desire to preserve some of the tastes of summer to enjoy during the winter. Over the past few weeks here at the farm, we've begun the process of freezing and canning all the vegetables we can so that we can enjoy them year-round. We've been busy canning and freezing tomato sauce, freezing pesto, salsa, tomatoes, peppers, and we'll start freezing corn soon. So because I didn't get a chance to take a picture of any of the animals this week I'll take a break from introducing an animal and because most of the vegetables in the shares this week are familiar, instead of listing new recipes, I'll post some suggestions of how to preserve these vegetables so that you can eat them year round (instead of all right now; we realize you might be getting a little tired of tomatoes ....)
This week's share (click to enlarge):
Preserving Tips: Just a quick note, most of these will involve freezing vegetables. It's the method that I've had the most success with and I have plenty of freezer space available to me (the biggest issue most people have with freezing). I prefer freezing to canning when it comes to things like Tomato Sauce and Salsa because I like to play around with different recipes. When canning vegetables it is very important to follow tried and true canning recipes to ensure that the level of acidity in the product that you are canning is high enough to kill off harmful bacteria that can cause Botulism. Freezing works for me but if you prefer canning or are limited by freezer space, then check out canning (tomato puree in particular is especially easy to can).
Zucchini: This might be a little late as our zucchini are fading away but zucchini and summer squash can be pureed and frozen for use in soups or they can be grated for later use in baked goods (zucchini bread, muffins, etc.)
Corn: Frozen corn has been a revelation to me here at the farm. I arrived here a recent convert to the deliciousness of absolutely fresh sweet corn but had never tasted any frozen corn that I wanted to eat again. If you're not going to eat your corn the day you receive it (or maybe the next), try freezing it to preserve it for mid-winter. To freeze corn, blanch on or off the cob for 3-5 minutes, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain. Store in an freezer bag and reheat in some water if necessary when you're ready to serve it.
Peppers: Peppers are extremely easy to freeze. Simply rinse and seed them, then slice them up thinly and put them on a cookie and freeze them overnight. Then store them in a freezer and take what you need when you're ready. Frozen peppers are best for cooking as they retain their flavor but not all of their texture when frozen. Peppers also can be incorporated into Tomato Sauce or Salsa to freeze. I'm not going to include a specific sauce or salsa recipe here but you can find many online if you want a specific recipe. I never really follow a recipe but for sauce I just usually saute some onion and garlic and add a bunch of chopped tomatoes and a pepper or 2 along with some chopped fresh basil (and maybe some eggplant or fennel if there's some lying around). Let it simmer for a little while until I like the consistency and then freeze it in old yogurt-type containers. For salsa, I do pretty much the same thing except I don't cook anything. I just mix together some chopped peppers, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and maybe a little salt, lemon juice, and cumin. Give it a taste and adjust according to how it tastes. Then freeze in some airtight plastic containers.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes can be frozen just as you would peppers. Simply rinse them off, cut out the core and any bad spots, slice them up and place on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight. Then transfer to a freezer bag for the long-term. Like peppers, frozen tomatoes are best when cooked. And of course, tomatoes are a pretty key ingredient for Tomato sauce and salsa.
Beans: To freeze beans, blanch in boiling water for two minutes, rinse in cold water to stop cooking process, drain and store in a freezer bag. Simply reheat with a little water if necessary.
Garlic: Just a quick note about garlic (even though it's not in this week's share) as there have been a few questions. The garlic you have been receiving recently has been dried so it does not need to be refrigerated (it has only been drying for a few weeks so it will be much fresher and juicier than the garlic you would get at the store). The garlic probably is somewhat dirty and the best way to deal with this is to peel the cloves you want to use and then rinse them off. Otherwise simply use (and store) this garlic as you would any garlic you got from the store.
That's all for this week from me. But this would be a great week to share any ideas, recipes, thoughts you have for preserving some of the vegetables that you don't immediately eat. Does freezing work for you or do you prefer the long-term convenience of canning? Whatever it is, it'd be great to hear your ideas!
Have a good one!
This week's share (click to enlarge):
Preserving Tips: Just a quick note, most of these will involve freezing vegetables. It's the method that I've had the most success with and I have plenty of freezer space available to me (the biggest issue most people have with freezing). I prefer freezing to canning when it comes to things like Tomato Sauce and Salsa because I like to play around with different recipes. When canning vegetables it is very important to follow tried and true canning recipes to ensure that the level of acidity in the product that you are canning is high enough to kill off harmful bacteria that can cause Botulism. Freezing works for me but if you prefer canning or are limited by freezer space, then check out canning (tomato puree in particular is especially easy to can).
Zucchini: This might be a little late as our zucchini are fading away but zucchini and summer squash can be pureed and frozen for use in soups or they can be grated for later use in baked goods (zucchini bread, muffins, etc.)
Corn: Frozen corn has been a revelation to me here at the farm. I arrived here a recent convert to the deliciousness of absolutely fresh sweet corn but had never tasted any frozen corn that I wanted to eat again. If you're not going to eat your corn the day you receive it (or maybe the next), try freezing it to preserve it for mid-winter. To freeze corn, blanch on or off the cob for 3-5 minutes, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, and drain. Store in an freezer bag and reheat in some water if necessary when you're ready to serve it.
Peppers: Peppers are extremely easy to freeze. Simply rinse and seed them, then slice them up thinly and put them on a cookie and freeze them overnight. Then store them in a freezer and take what you need when you're ready. Frozen peppers are best for cooking as they retain their flavor but not all of their texture when frozen. Peppers also can be incorporated into Tomato Sauce or Salsa to freeze. I'm not going to include a specific sauce or salsa recipe here but you can find many online if you want a specific recipe. I never really follow a recipe but for sauce I just usually saute some onion and garlic and add a bunch of chopped tomatoes and a pepper or 2 along with some chopped fresh basil (and maybe some eggplant or fennel if there's some lying around). Let it simmer for a little while until I like the consistency and then freeze it in old yogurt-type containers. For salsa, I do pretty much the same thing except I don't cook anything. I just mix together some chopped peppers, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and maybe a little salt, lemon juice, and cumin. Give it a taste and adjust according to how it tastes. Then freeze in some airtight plastic containers.
Tomatoes: Tomatoes can be frozen just as you would peppers. Simply rinse them off, cut out the core and any bad spots, slice them up and place on a cookie sheet in the freezer overnight. Then transfer to a freezer bag for the long-term. Like peppers, frozen tomatoes are best when cooked. And of course, tomatoes are a pretty key ingredient for Tomato sauce and salsa.
Beans: To freeze beans, blanch in boiling water for two minutes, rinse in cold water to stop cooking process, drain and store in a freezer bag. Simply reheat with a little water if necessary.
Garlic: Just a quick note about garlic (even though it's not in this week's share) as there have been a few questions. The garlic you have been receiving recently has been dried so it does not need to be refrigerated (it has only been drying for a few weeks so it will be much fresher and juicier than the garlic you would get at the store). The garlic probably is somewhat dirty and the best way to deal with this is to peel the cloves you want to use and then rinse them off. Otherwise simply use (and store) this garlic as you would any garlic you got from the store.
That's all for this week from me. But this would be a great week to share any ideas, recipes, thoughts you have for preserving some of the vegetables that you don't immediately eat. Does freezing work for you or do you prefer the long-term convenience of canning? Whatever it is, it'd be great to hear your ideas!
Have a good one!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
CSA Week 11: August 16-20
August is one of the busiest months here on the farm as we are still in the height of the summer harvest season but also have to prepare for the fall and winter seasons. The cucumbers and summer squash gradually are coming to an end (those of who spend hours harvesting them each day will not be sad to see them go!) just as the corn, plum tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers (hopefully!) are arriving while the greenhouse tomatoes just keep coming. The garlic is drying in the barn and we've just begun harvesting and drying the onions. We transplanted our first fall spinach planting outside yesterday (Spinach does not do well with the heat of the summer as it tends to bolt quite quickly - the reason that you haven't gotten spinach in your shares since June). The greenhouse that had our early season zucchini, cucumbers, and basil now has Zinnias and a new planting of basil and we're finalizing plans for our late fall and winter growing (with the mild winters we've been having recently, winter growing in unheated greenhouses is becoming more feasible). On top of all the vegetables, we've still got the meat birds, laying hens, pullets (pullets are laying hens that are less than a year old; ours were born in April and some of them have just started laying eggs in the past week!), cows, and pigs to take care of.
On the subject of animals, this week's animal of the week is Sweetheart, the Jersey cow that provides the organic raw milk that those of you who pick your share up at the farm are able to buy. Vermont law has changed a lot in the past few years (thanks to the work of Rural Vermont) and farmers now are allowed to sell up to 50 quarts of raw milk a day from the farm (the reason we are not able to deliver raw milk) while farmers who register with and are inspected by the state and have regular milk testing are allowed to sell up to 40 gallons per day between on-farm sales and home delivery to pre-paid customers (check out the Rural Vermont website for more information on the work they've done on raw milk and other issues). Sweetheart arrived at Luna Bleu this spring from a local organic dairy farm. She was beginning to slow down a little bit so the farmer didn't want to milk her anymore but she still provides plenty of milk for us to drink here on the farm as well as some to sell to CSA members and other neighbors. Suzanne also makes yogurt from the milk once a week that is available to those who pick up their shares on Mondays here at the farm. We now milk Sweetheart once a day and she produces between 2 and 3 gallons of milk a day. Her diet is almost entirely grass (she does get a little organic grain to balance it out) so this is rich, healthy milk. Jersey cows produce milk a much more creamier milk than Holstein cows (the black-and-white cows that are quite common in VT). Nothing has been done to the milk other than filtering. Since it is not-homogenized, the cream rises to the top and you'll want to either skim some off to use as cream or shake the jar very well before pouring (or else the first glass is half-and-half and the rest are skim milk!). Since the milk is not pasteurized it is full of bacteria that are beneficial to the digestive system as well as several important enzymes. Raw milk also contains the vitamin B6 and the pasteurization process causes 20% of this important vitamin to be lost. In short, this milk is delicious, good for the environment and good for you! Hopefully you have a chance to pick up a jar from the farm!
Sweetheart grazing in the pasture.
This week's share (click picture to enlarge):
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Corn: The corn in your share this week is a smaller earlier variety (the ears are supposed to be that size). Sweet corn is best when it's the freshest; we always make sure that we pick the corn the day that we give it to you and you should eat it as soon as possible. Sweet corn is simple and delicious. Just steam it for a few minutes (I always err on the side of under-cooking to ensure firm kernels) and eat it with a little butter and salt.
Eggplant: Suzanne made Baba Ganouj, a Middle Eastern eggplant dish, the other day and it was pretty awesome, and it's simple to make!
Baba Ganouj
2 pounds eggplant
6 tbs fresh lemon juice
4 tbs tahini
1 to 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste
chopped scallions (optional)
olive oil (optional)
Pierce the skins of the eggplants several times with a fork and place them on a baking sheet. Bake the whole eggplants at 400 until they are crinkly on the outside and very soft inside, about 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size (for a more authentic smoky flavor grill the eggplant over a direct flame until they are well charred on the outside). When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides. Puree the eggplant pulp and the remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth (or mash the eggplant with a fork until smooth and then stir in the remaining ingredients). Cool to room temperature and serve (or serve chilled) with some crackers or veggies to dip.
(Recipe from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant)
Kohlrabi: The Burlington Free Press had an article a couple weeks ago about Kohlrabi. It included the following recipe:
Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw with Miso Dressing
1-2 Medium Kohlrabis
2 carrots
1 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
chopped cilantro
Peel and grate the kohlrabi and carrots. Whisk together soy sauce, miso, and vinegar. Combine all ingredients and chill.
Fresh Tomato Sauce: As you start to see more plum tomatoes appearing in your shares, it's time to start thinking about tomato sauce (plum tomatoes have less water than slicing and heirloom tomatoes and they are best cooked in a sauce or used for salsa). I'm not going to post a specific recipe for Fresh Tomato Sauce but it is very simply to make and you can just use whatever you have/like. I usually saute some garlic and onion in olive oil, add some chopped tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, some fresh basil and oregano, and some salt, pepper, and sugar to taste and let it simmer down. I don't worry about peeling or seeding the tomatoes but you easily can peel them by cutting a little X in the bottom of the tomato and putting it in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately into ice water for a couple minutes. The skin then should peel off easily. Another option is to roast the tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant to intensify the flavor. Regardless of what you do, just keep adjusting things until it tastes good to you and then serve fresh with some pasta!
That's all for this week. Have a good one!
On the subject of animals, this week's animal of the week is Sweetheart, the Jersey cow that provides the organic raw milk that those of you who pick your share up at the farm are able to buy. Vermont law has changed a lot in the past few years (thanks to the work of Rural Vermont) and farmers now are allowed to sell up to 50 quarts of raw milk a day from the farm (the reason we are not able to deliver raw milk) while farmers who register with and are inspected by the state and have regular milk testing are allowed to sell up to 40 gallons per day between on-farm sales and home delivery to pre-paid customers (check out the Rural Vermont website for more information on the work they've done on raw milk and other issues). Sweetheart arrived at Luna Bleu this spring from a local organic dairy farm. She was beginning to slow down a little bit so the farmer didn't want to milk her anymore but she still provides plenty of milk for us to drink here on the farm as well as some to sell to CSA members and other neighbors. Suzanne also makes yogurt from the milk once a week that is available to those who pick up their shares on Mondays here at the farm. We now milk Sweetheart once a day and she produces between 2 and 3 gallons of milk a day. Her diet is almost entirely grass (she does get a little organic grain to balance it out) so this is rich, healthy milk. Jersey cows produce milk a much more creamier milk than Holstein cows (the black-and-white cows that are quite common in VT). Nothing has been done to the milk other than filtering. Since it is not-homogenized, the cream rises to the top and you'll want to either skim some off to use as cream or shake the jar very well before pouring (or else the first glass is half-and-half and the rest are skim milk!). Since the milk is not pasteurized it is full of bacteria that are beneficial to the digestive system as well as several important enzymes. Raw milk also contains the vitamin B6 and the pasteurization process causes 20% of this important vitamin to be lost. In short, this milk is delicious, good for the environment and good for you! Hopefully you have a chance to pick up a jar from the farm!
Sweetheart grazing in the pasture.
This week's share (click picture to enlarge):
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Corn: The corn in your share this week is a smaller earlier variety (the ears are supposed to be that size). Sweet corn is best when it's the freshest; we always make sure that we pick the corn the day that we give it to you and you should eat it as soon as possible. Sweet corn is simple and delicious. Just steam it for a few minutes (I always err on the side of under-cooking to ensure firm kernels) and eat it with a little butter and salt.
Eggplant: Suzanne made Baba Ganouj, a Middle Eastern eggplant dish, the other day and it was pretty awesome, and it's simple to make!
Baba Ganouj
2 pounds eggplant
6 tbs fresh lemon juice
4 tbs tahini
1 to 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste
chopped scallions (optional)
olive oil (optional)
Pierce the skins of the eggplants several times with a fork and place them on a baking sheet. Bake the whole eggplants at 400 until they are crinkly on the outside and very soft inside, about 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on their size (for a more authentic smoky flavor grill the eggplant over a direct flame until they are well charred on the outside). When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides. Puree the eggplant pulp and the remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth (or mash the eggplant with a fork until smooth and then stir in the remaining ingredients). Cool to room temperature and serve (or serve chilled) with some crackers or veggies to dip.
(Recipe from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant)
Kohlrabi: The Burlington Free Press had an article a couple weeks ago about Kohlrabi. It included the following recipe:
Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw with Miso Dressing
1-2 Medium Kohlrabis
2 carrots
1 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
chopped cilantro
Peel and grate the kohlrabi and carrots. Whisk together soy sauce, miso, and vinegar. Combine all ingredients and chill.
Fresh Tomato Sauce: As you start to see more plum tomatoes appearing in your shares, it's time to start thinking about tomato sauce (plum tomatoes have less water than slicing and heirloom tomatoes and they are best cooked in a sauce or used for salsa). I'm not going to post a specific recipe for Fresh Tomato Sauce but it is very simply to make and you can just use whatever you have/like. I usually saute some garlic and onion in olive oil, add some chopped tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, some fresh basil and oregano, and some salt, pepper, and sugar to taste and let it simmer down. I don't worry about peeling or seeding the tomatoes but you easily can peel them by cutting a little X in the bottom of the tomato and putting it in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then immediately into ice water for a couple minutes. The skin then should peel off easily. Another option is to roast the tomatoes, peppers, or eggplant to intensify the flavor. Regardless of what you do, just keep adjusting things until it tastes good to you and then serve fresh with some pasta!
That's all for this week. Have a good one!
Monday, August 9, 2010
CSA Week 10: August 9-13
Well the weather seems to have cooled off a bit but the crops keep coming strong. This past week marked the beginning of melon season here at the farm and they're in your shares this week. We have a few different varieties of melons for you: there's the traditional Cantaloupe and Honey Dew, as well as Sun Jewel, an Asian melon that has yellow and white stripes and a flavor and texture similar to a Honey Dew and there's also a bright yellow melon, whose name no one really seems to know for sure, that has a flavor similar to Cantaloupe and a texture similar to Honey Dew. Melon season comes and goes quickly; it seems like we're overwhelmed suddenly and then they're gone so it's important to enjoy them while we can. With the arrival of melons along with the bounty of tomatoes, the pigs really are loving life these days too; they really love the sweet things. We also have green beans in your share for the first time this week and everyone will be getting a small bunch of lemon basil among the regular staples of lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. And we have three members of the Allium family for you this week: scallions, garlic, and onions.
This week, allow me to introduce Charlie, our registered Devon bull. We have 35 beef cattle here at the farm, in addition to the 2 Jerseys that we have for milk. Among the 35, we have 10 adult cows (a cow is an adult female bovine that has had a calf; a heifer is a female bovine that has not yet had a calf) and Charlie is the only bull(a bull is an uncastrated adult male bovine; a steer is a male that has been castrated). Life on the farm is great for the bull, but a little tougher for the steers (since cattle eat so much it only makes sense to keep 1 bull, unless we had a lot more cows). Devons are a dual-purpose (milk and beef) breed from England. They are on the small side but they are especially efficient grazers. As beef cattle they are well-marbled without needing any grain (they actually get too fat when they are raised in feedlots like most cattle in this country). Here at the farm, they are rotationally-grazed so that they have access to new grass each week, and the only grain they get is to help us move them more easily (grain is sort of like candy to cows, part of the reason that it is so unhealthy for them to eat a lot of it); this means that their meat is on the lean side and that it is full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. You can try some of our beef by joining our CSA meat share or by picking some up at the farm Monday afternoons or at one of the farmers' markets.
Charlie grazing in the upper pasture.
This week's share (click the photo to enlarge):
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Beets - If you're getting sick of beets, try this awesome cake recipe. Shona made it a couple weeks ago for Maggie's birthday and it really is fantastic. The recipe comes from an English cookbook (from the farm/restaurant where Shona WWOOF'ed last fall) so the measurements are by weight, rather than by volume.
Dark Chocolate Beetroot Cake
8 oz. self-raising flour (to sub regular all-purpose flour, add 1 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt for each cup of regular flour)
8 oz. sugar
2 tsp. ground cardamom
3.5 oz. dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa
5 oz. butter
8 oz. cooked beets, grated
4 medium eggs
Icing (this is more than enough for 2 cakes)
18 oz. dark chocolate
11 fl oz. cream
2 tsp. dark rum
For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Grease and line a deep 9" round cake tin.
3. Sift the cardamom and flour together.
4. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over warm water (or in a double boiler).
5. Remove from the heat, add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
6. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk in thoroughly.
7. Add the grated beetroot and mix in well.
8. Fold in the flour carefully.
9. Pour into the prepared cake tin.
10. Bake for 50 minutes or until a wooden stick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Remove from the oven and leave for 15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool.
For the icing:
1. Combine the dark chocolate and the cream in a bowl and heat gently over a pan or warm water.
2. Leave to cool slightly, add the rum then spread over the cake as it starts to set.
3. Serve with creme fraiche or whipped cream.
Beans - My favorite way to prepare green beans is simply to saute them with a little olive oil, garlic, oregano and then a little chicken/vegetable stock or bouillon (this really takes the beans to the next level).
Monday, August 2, 2010
August Meat Share
My apologies for the tardiness of this post; August is one of the busiest months here on the farm and I neglected to post about the meat share this month. As you now know, the meat share this month is heavy on the pork. In addition to your regular chicken (most of them are about 5 pounds this month) and roughly 2 pounds of ground beef, this month's share includes a pound of our bacon (this is the last of our bacon unfortunately, but we made sure to set some aside for our CSA members!), and 2.5 to 3 pounds of country style pork ribs. As always we have lots of additional ground beef and frozen chickens available.
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Ground Beef: We're certainly still in the midst of grilling season so you may want to just throw some burgers on the grill but if you're looking to switch things up a little bit or maybe use some of those tomatoes, basil, garlic, onions, etc. to make some fresh tomato sauce, here's a recipe that Maggie's (another apprentice here on the farm) grandmother passed along. Maggie made it a couple weeks ago and I think we probably ate about half the meatballs before she had a chance to add them to the sauce.
Angie's Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
4 slices bread, soaked in milk, squeezed dry
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
dried herbs (basil, thyme, oregano), to taste
medium onion, grated (optional)
Mix all the ingredients together. Form into balls. Cook over medium high heat with a little bit of olive oil until browned and almost cooked through. Add to sauce and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Country-Style Ribs: Country-style pork ribs are not actually ribs; they are cut from the shoulder and really are more shoulder chops than ribs (you probably noticed that they look a little more like chops than what you think of as ribs). As such, they are very versatile cuts of meat. You can simply cook them as you would pork chops, sauteing them in a pan (I really like to sprinkle them with some salt and paprika, brown them, and then simmer them with some apple juice, chopped tomatoes and chopped peppers) or grilling them. Here's a recipe for a Chinese rib marinade that can be used for any sort of pork ribs or chops:
Chinese Rib Marinade
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
heaping tablespoon brown sugar
pinch Five Spice Powder
5 large cloves garlic, pressed
6 or 7 stars of star anise (boiled and steeped in 1 cup water)
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Marinate the meat for 2 to 4 hours. Bake at 325 or grill over indirect charcoal for about an hour until browned well, fat is rendering and meat comes cleanly off the bone. (Ribs can be turned halfway through cooking and brushed with the marinade and toasted sesame oil if you like). And instead of simply pouring the marinade down the drain when the meat is done marinating, I put it in a pot and boil it for a few minutes to pasteurize it and then it is a great sauce to serve over the meat itself and on rice.
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Ground Beef: We're certainly still in the midst of grilling season so you may want to just throw some burgers on the grill but if you're looking to switch things up a little bit or maybe use some of those tomatoes, basil, garlic, onions, etc. to make some fresh tomato sauce, here's a recipe that Maggie's (another apprentice here on the farm) grandmother passed along. Maggie made it a couple weeks ago and I think we probably ate about half the meatballs before she had a chance to add them to the sauce.
Angie's Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
4 slices bread, soaked in milk, squeezed dry
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
dried herbs (basil, thyme, oregano), to taste
medium onion, grated (optional)
Mix all the ingredients together. Form into balls. Cook over medium high heat with a little bit of olive oil until browned and almost cooked through. Add to sauce and let simmer for 30 minutes.
Country-Style Ribs: Country-style pork ribs are not actually ribs; they are cut from the shoulder and really are more shoulder chops than ribs (you probably noticed that they look a little more like chops than what you think of as ribs). As such, they are very versatile cuts of meat. You can simply cook them as you would pork chops, sauteing them in a pan (I really like to sprinkle them with some salt and paprika, brown them, and then simmer them with some apple juice, chopped tomatoes and chopped peppers) or grilling them. Here's a recipe for a Chinese rib marinade that can be used for any sort of pork ribs or chops:
Chinese Rib Marinade
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
heaping tablespoon brown sugar
pinch Five Spice Powder
5 large cloves garlic, pressed
6 or 7 stars of star anise (boiled and steeped in 1 cup water)
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Marinate the meat for 2 to 4 hours. Bake at 325 or grill over indirect charcoal for about an hour until browned well, fat is rendering and meat comes cleanly off the bone. (Ribs can be turned halfway through cooking and brushed with the marinade and toasted sesame oil if you like). And instead of simply pouring the marinade down the drain when the meat is done marinating, I put it in a pot and boil it for a few minutes to pasteurize it and then it is a great sauce to serve over the meat itself and on rice.
CSA Week 9: August 2-6
What a strange year it's been weather-wise. First it hits 90 in the beginning of May, now late July feels like fall. The cooler weather definitely makes it a little nicer to work in the fields, though. The vegetables still are coming strong, though, and unfortunately so are the weeds. It seems like this year has been an especially bad one for weeds. The combination of rain and heat has resulted in a real explosion of them. But we're doing our best to stay on top of them ...
This week I'll introduce you to Odin, the big white dog who sort of looks like a polar bear. Odin is one of the most popular figures here at the farm; it seems like if there's one thing that people remember about the farm when they visit, it's Odin. Last summer, a writer from Vogue stayed with us for a week and wrote (quite briefly) about her experience for the magazine. Odin was the only being from the farm whose picture made the cut. Odin is a Maremma, a breed of livestock guardian dogs that originated in Italy. He came to the farm as a puppy 3 years ago to help protect the chickens and generally has done a good job (although we did have a problem with a fox earlier this spring). I'm sure anyone who has met Odin finds it funny to think of him as any sort of guard dog as he spends most of his time lounging around the farm. Usually you can tell where he is by the loud snores that he emits! Hopefully you've had a chance to meet Odin; while he certainly is big, he's also one of the friendliest dogs I've ever met!
This week's share:
(If it's difficult to read, click the picture to enlarge)
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Pan-Cooked Summer Greens
1 to 2 bunches Swiss chard or Kale, washed, dried and cut into thin strips, stalks discarded
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced (scallions can substitute here)
2 tbs soy suace
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Steam greens until bright, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain. Immediately immerse greens in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds and drain again. Set the cooled greens aside.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the greens and toss gently to combine well. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the amount of greens.
3. Add soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Gently toss ingredients and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and serve at once.
Recipe from Half Pint Farm courtesy of Dishing Up Vermont
Stuffed Zucchini
Play around with stuffing zucchini to see what you like the best. Here's a recipe from our CSA cookbook, From Asparagus to Zucchini
6 or 7 medium zucchini
3 tbs butter
1 small onion, chopped (a couple scallions would work too)
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup greshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 teasppons fresh sweet marjoram
1/4 cup fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 375. Wash zucchini, cut off and discard ends and steam until just tender. Cool. Split lengthwise, scoop out pulp (reserve), turn upside down and let drain. Mash pulp. Heat butter in skillet, add onion and garlic, and saute until softened. Add squash pulp, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of the cheese, herbs and seasonings. Add eggs and cook until mixture thickens. Stuff into zucchini shells, top with remaining cheese and place in a buttered casserole. Bake until browned, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 6-8 servings.
Kohlrabi, Corn, and Tomato Saute
4 cups diced kohlrabi
2 tbs butter
1 cup corn kernels
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tbs minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
Blanch or steam the kohlrabi until tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan, and saute the corn, tomatoes, scallions, garlic, parsley, and chili powder for 2 minutes. Add the kohlrabi and saute for another 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
From the Joy of Gardening Cookbook
That's all for this week. As always, please send along any favorite recipes you may have. Or just post them in the comments section!
Have a good one!
This week I'll introduce you to Odin, the big white dog who sort of looks like a polar bear. Odin is one of the most popular figures here at the farm; it seems like if there's one thing that people remember about the farm when they visit, it's Odin. Last summer, a writer from Vogue stayed with us for a week and wrote (quite briefly) about her experience for the magazine. Odin was the only being from the farm whose picture made the cut. Odin is a Maremma, a breed of livestock guardian dogs that originated in Italy. He came to the farm as a puppy 3 years ago to help protect the chickens and generally has done a good job (although we did have a problem with a fox earlier this spring). I'm sure anyone who has met Odin finds it funny to think of him as any sort of guard dog as he spends most of his time lounging around the farm. Usually you can tell where he is by the loud snores that he emits! Hopefully you've had a chance to meet Odin; while he certainly is big, he's also one of the friendliest dogs I've ever met!
This week's share:
(If it's difficult to read, click the picture to enlarge)
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Pan-Cooked Summer Greens
1 to 2 bunches Swiss chard or Kale, washed, dried and cut into thin strips, stalks discarded
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced (scallions can substitute here)
2 tbs soy suace
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Steam greens until bright, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain. Immediately immerse greens in a bowl of ice water for 30 seconds and drain again. Set the cooled greens aside.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the greens and toss gently to combine well. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the amount of greens.
3. Add soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Gently toss ingredients and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and serve at once.
Recipe from Half Pint Farm courtesy of Dishing Up Vermont
Stuffed Zucchini
Play around with stuffing zucchini to see what you like the best. Here's a recipe from our CSA cookbook, From Asparagus to Zucchini
6 or 7 medium zucchini
3 tbs butter
1 small onion, chopped (a couple scallions would work too)
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 cup greshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 teasppons fresh sweet marjoram
1/4 cup fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs, beaten
Preheat oven to 375. Wash zucchini, cut off and discard ends and steam until just tender. Cool. Split lengthwise, scoop out pulp (reserve), turn upside down and let drain. Mash pulp. Heat butter in skillet, add onion and garlic, and saute until softened. Add squash pulp, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of the cheese, herbs and seasonings. Add eggs and cook until mixture thickens. Stuff into zucchini shells, top with remaining cheese and place in a buttered casserole. Bake until browned, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 6-8 servings.
Kohlrabi, Corn, and Tomato Saute
4 cups diced kohlrabi
2 tbs butter
1 cup corn kernels
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tbs minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
Blanch or steam the kohlrabi until tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saute pan, and saute the corn, tomatoes, scallions, garlic, parsley, and chili powder for 2 minutes. Add the kohlrabi and saute for another 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
From the Joy of Gardening Cookbook
That's all for this week. As always, please send along any favorite recipes you may have. Or just post them in the comments section!
Have a good one!
Monday, July 26, 2010
CSA Week 8: July 26-30
The harvest season continues to heat up here at Luna Bleu and you all are seeing it in your shares this week as we are beginning to get overwhelmed with squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes. This always is a tricky time of year since we spend so much time harvesting that we sometimes can fall behind on other things (weeding, clipping up tomatoes, etc.). We're doing our best to stay on top of it all, though, and so far we've avoided being overwhelmed at least.
Several weeks ago, I had a plan to introduce you guys to some of the animals on the farm (since many of them have names), a different one each week. At the time, I introduced Flo, the older of the 2 sows we have here on the farm, and since pigs are by far my favorite animals here this week, I'll introduce you to Randy, one of Flo's daughters from last year and our second sow. Randy was born last March along with 5 other piglets. She was given the name Randy after I got here last June. Flo had 6 piglets last year and when I got here I just assumed, based on the way they acted that they were all male. I simply didn't consider the possibility that any of them could be female and so they all were given male names. I was pretty embarrassed when I finally found out that actually only 2 of them were male. The name Randy had stuck, though, and so that's how we ended up with a sow named Randy (and yes, it's Randy with a "y", not an "i"). Randy was by far the biggest of the females and she had a good temperament so we decided to keep her to become a sow. She had her first litter on the last day of May. She gave birth to 10 piglets but 1 didn't make it so we were left with 9 (4 boys and 5 girls), a good number for her first litter (pigs generally have 8-12 piglets per litter). Randy has been a great mother. She was quite protective during the first week but has mellowed out since then and her piglets are growing quite fast. Randy is quite social; she always greets me with a grunt whenever I walk by and she really enjoys having her back scratched. Hopefully you've had a chance to meet Randy if you've stopped by the farm and if not, find one of us the next time you're here and we'll introduce you to her.
Randy with her piglets the week after they were born.
Randy and her piglets this afternoon. It's really amazing how fast they've grown!
This week's share:
Preparation Tips and Recipes:
Gazpacho - This refreshing soup is simple to prepare, uses many ingredients from your share is week and will help cool you off on a hot day.
4 cups cold tomato juice
1 small, well-minced onion
2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1 cup minced green pepper
1 tsp. honey
1 diced cucumber
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
2 tbs wine vinegar
1 tsp each, basil and tarragon
dash, ground cumin
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
dash, tabasco sauce
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients, and chill for at least 2 hours. (This soup can be pureed, if desired).
Recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.
Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt Soup -
4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber
2 cups water
2 cups yogurt
1 clove garlic
1 tbs honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dill weed
several fresh mint leaves (optional)
chopped scallions or chives (optional)
Puree everything together in a blender, saving the scallions to garnish. Chill and serve very cold.
Another recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.
Zucchini-Feta Pancakes - This is another Moosewoood recipe and is one of Suzanne's staples during zucchini season and is another great way to use zucchini.
4 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini
4 eggs, separated
1 heaping cup finely- crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup minced scallions or onions
3/4 tsp. dried mint
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup flour
butter for frying
sour cream or yogurt for topping
Place the grated zucchini in a colander in a bowl, salt it lightly and let it stand for 15 minutes. Rinse it, and squeeze out all excess water.
Combine squeezed zucchini, egg yolks, feta, scallions, flour, and spices. Mix well.
Beat the eggwhites until they form soft peaks. Fold into first mixture.
Fry in butter, on both sides, until golden and crisp. Serve topped with sour cream or yogurt.
Pasta Primavera - This is a very versatile recipe that I often make during the summer. You can adapt to whatever vegetables you have/like the best.
Pasta
Tomatoes, cut into chunks
Peppers, sliced
Broccoli, sliced
Zucchini/summer squash, sliced thinly
Garlic, minced
Onions, sliced
Basil/Oregano, chopped
Cream
White Wine
Parmesan Cheese
Cook the pasta. Saute the onions and garlic in butter. Add the vegetables in the order of longest cooking time (I'd go broccoli, squash, peppers, then tomatoes). Add the white wine after you add the broccoli. Sprinkle with the basil/oregano and Parmesan cheese. Add the cream and reduce. When the sauce is a good consistency, combine with the pasta and serve with more Parmesan.
Several weeks ago, I had a plan to introduce you guys to some of the animals on the farm (since many of them have names), a different one each week. At the time, I introduced Flo, the older of the 2 sows we have here on the farm, and since pigs are by far my favorite animals here this week, I'll introduce you to Randy, one of Flo's daughters from last year and our second sow. Randy was born last March along with 5 other piglets. She was given the name Randy after I got here last June. Flo had 6 piglets last year and when I got here I just assumed, based on the way they acted that they were all male. I simply didn't consider the possibility that any of them could be female and so they all were given male names. I was pretty embarrassed when I finally found out that actually only 2 of them were male. The name Randy had stuck, though, and so that's how we ended up with a sow named Randy (and yes, it's Randy with a "y", not an "i"). Randy was by far the biggest of the females and she had a good temperament so we decided to keep her to become a sow. She had her first litter on the last day of May. She gave birth to 10 piglets but 1 didn't make it so we were left with 9 (4 boys and 5 girls), a good number for her first litter (pigs generally have 8-12 piglets per litter). Randy has been a great mother. She was quite protective during the first week but has mellowed out since then and her piglets are growing quite fast. Randy is quite social; she always greets me with a grunt whenever I walk by and she really enjoys having her back scratched. Hopefully you've had a chance to meet Randy if you've stopped by the farm and if not, find one of us the next time you're here and we'll introduce you to her.
Randy with her piglets the week after they were born.
Randy and her piglets this afternoon. It's really amazing how fast they've grown!
This week's share:
Preparation Tips and Recipes:
Gazpacho - This refreshing soup is simple to prepare, uses many ingredients from your share is week and will help cool you off on a hot day.
4 cups cold tomato juice
1 small, well-minced onion
2 cups freshly diced tomatoes
1 cup minced green pepper
1 tsp. honey
1 diced cucumber
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
2 tbs wine vinegar
1 tsp each, basil and tarragon
dash, ground cumin
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
dash, tabasco sauce
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine all ingredients, and chill for at least 2 hours. (This soup can be pureed, if desired).
Recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.
Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt Soup -
4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber
2 cups water
2 cups yogurt
1 clove garlic
1 tbs honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dill weed
several fresh mint leaves (optional)
chopped scallions or chives (optional)
Puree everything together in a blender, saving the scallions to garnish. Chill and serve very cold.
Another recipe from the Moosewood Cookbook.
Zucchini-Feta Pancakes - This is another Moosewoood recipe and is one of Suzanne's staples during zucchini season and is another great way to use zucchini.
4 packed cups coarsely grated zucchini
4 eggs, separated
1 heaping cup finely- crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup minced scallions or onions
3/4 tsp. dried mint
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup flour
butter for frying
sour cream or yogurt for topping
Place the grated zucchini in a colander in a bowl, salt it lightly and let it stand for 15 minutes. Rinse it, and squeeze out all excess water.
Combine squeezed zucchini, egg yolks, feta, scallions, flour, and spices. Mix well.
Beat the eggwhites until they form soft peaks. Fold into first mixture.
Fry in butter, on both sides, until golden and crisp. Serve topped with sour cream or yogurt.
Pasta Primavera - This is a very versatile recipe that I often make during the summer. You can adapt to whatever vegetables you have/like the best.
Pasta
Tomatoes, cut into chunks
Peppers, sliced
Broccoli, sliced
Zucchini/summer squash, sliced thinly
Garlic, minced
Onions, sliced
Basil/Oregano, chopped
Cream
White Wine
Parmesan Cheese
Cook the pasta. Saute the onions and garlic in butter. Add the vegetables in the order of longest cooking time (I'd go broccoli, squash, peppers, then tomatoes). Add the white wine after you add the broccoli. Sprinkle with the basil/oregano and Parmesan cheese. Add the cream and reduce. When the sauce is a good consistency, combine with the pasta and serve with more Parmesan.
Monday, July 19, 2010
CSA Week 7: July 19-23
Tomatoes! We've been harvesting tomatoes for a couple weeks now. It started slowly at first and we didn't really have enough for all the CSA members, so we brought them to the farmers' markets. The heat of the past couple weeks has made a huge difference for the tomatoes, though, and the harvest really picked up toward the end of last week. That means that we've got enough tomatoes for everyone this week! Most of them will be regular red slicing tomatoes, but there are a few of the heirlooms mixed in too. This week you'll also be getting the first garlic of the season. This fresh garlic is quite juicy and is especially great raw (in salads, mixed with olive oil for dipping bread, etc.).
The end of last week also saw the completion of our new wood-fired pizza oven. Many thanks to Maggie's friend, Tyler, who's biking around the state this summer building ovens at different farms; it would not have happened without him (or Maggie). We're hoping to fire the oven up sometime later this week.
Tyler, Olmo, and Remi mixing the clay, sand, and straw for the final layer.
The finished oven; ready to be fired up!
This week's share:
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Fennel - Fennel has a flavor similar to licorice and is popular in Italian cooking. Usually only the bulb is eaten but the feathery leaves can be used as an herb, similar to how you would use dill (to which fennel is related). Fennel is good raw, sliced thinly, and tossed into a salad. You also can add it to a saute of zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic. I sometimes add it to tomato sauce to add another level of flavor (the main seasoning of italian sausage is fennel seed). Here at the farm, we most often have fennel grilled. Simply slice the bulb in half lengthwise (or quarter it) and toss it with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Here are a couple other ideas for using the fennel in your share this week (courtesy of the Joy of Gardening Cookbook):
Fennel Broccoli Saute
8 tbs water
3 cups julienne-sliced fresh fennel bulb
2 tbs olice oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups broccoli florets
3 tbs dry white wine
2 tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat the water in a large saute pan and add the fennel. Steam saute the fennel until the water disappears and the fennel is barely cooked (about 3 minutes). Add the oil, garlic, and broccoli and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and steam saute the vegetables until the wine disappears and the broccoli is tender crisp (3-5 minutes). Sprinkle the lemon juice over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Cream of Fennel Soup
2 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups diced onion
4 1/2 chopped fresh fennel bulb
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup light cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste
In a large soup pot, melt the butter, and saute the onion until limp (3-5 minutes). Add the fennel and chicken broth. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the fennel is tender. Cool slightly
In a blender, puree two-thirds of the soup, return to the pot, and add the cream and milk. Cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Spicy Quinoa, Cucumber and Tomato Salad - Quinoa is a South American grain that I've been introduced to this summer by Jennifer, one of the other apprentices here. I'm really starting to like it and definitely will be incorporating it into more meals. This recipe comes again from The New York Times and is a great thing to try if you're looking for something different to do with all your cucumbers.
1 cup quinoa
3 cups water
Salt to taste
2 cups diced cucumber
1 small red onion, finely minced (optional)
2 cups finely diced tomatoes
1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded if desired and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 avocado, sliced, for garnish
1. Place the quinoa in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes. Drain through a strainer, and rinse until the water runs clear. Bring the 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add salt (1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon) and the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and translucent; each grain should have a little thread. Drain off the water in the pan through a strainer, and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the pan with a clean dishtowel, replace the lid and allow to sit for 10 minutes. If making for the freezer, uncover and allow to cool, then place in plastic bags. Flatten the bags and seal.
2. Meanwhile, place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. If using the onion, place in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.
3. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the quinoa and cilantro. Toss together, and taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with sliced avocado and cilantro sprigs.
Yield: Serves six.
Advance preparation: The quinoa freezes well, and the assembled salad will keep for a day in the refrigerator. The leftovers will be good for a couple of days.
Zucchini - If you're looking to turn your zucchini into something a little sweeter, try Maggie's recipe for Zucchini Bread:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.
Do you have a favorite way to prepare fennel or a great zucchini bread recipe? Please pass it (or any other recipe) along, or just post it in the comments section.
Have a good one!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
CSA Week 6: July 12-16
Another busy week here and another late blog post ... Hopefully you were able to join us on Monday for the farm tours, oven construction, and pizza from the NOFA pizza oven. There was a great turnout (we had to order a bunch of dough at the last minute from Cockadoodle Pizza in Bethel) and a fun time was had by all (I guess I really can't speak for everyone but I definitely had fun). If you joined us on Monday then you probably met one our WWOOFERs (Willing Workers on Organic Farms). This year we have a fairly steady stream of WWOOFers here at the farm. WWOOFers come for anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months and in exchange for room and board they work with the rest of the farm crew (generally at a slightly more relaxed pace). It's really neat having a steady flow of people from all over the country and world joining the community here at the farm. July seems to be international month as Olmo and Tonalli, 2 cousins from Mexico, and Remi, a young man from France, have been with us for almost 3 weeks, and Catherine, a young woman from England, arrived last nights. It's been really neat seeing the different cultures and languages mesh together here. The big project this past week has been the construction of our own wood-fired earthen oven, directed by our apprentice Maggie's friend, Tyler. It's been awesome watching the oven materialize over the past week and we can't wait until it's ready to fire up sometime next week. We hope the oven can help be a catalyst for CSA parties and other gatherings in the future.
This week's share:
*The Friday shares will be receiving the first onions of the season instead of scallions (medium and larges also will receive scallions)
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Kale: Thanks to Dominique Lightbody for this recipe for Kale Chips!
Baked Kale Chips
Adapted from a bunch of inspiring places
1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (most kinds seem to work)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet—I cover mine with parchment. Bake for 5 minutes, toss again or flip to other side and bake 3-5 minutes more or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool. I’ve also seen recipes for cooking the kale at a lower temperature, 300 for 20 minutes. Depends on how much you want to heat up your kitchen.
Beets: The New York Times had an article highlighting summer beets (and beet greens) this past week. I won't post each of the recipes here (just click the link) but they include a beet and beet green gratin and several beet salads (which also use onions/scallions and parsley).
Lastly, Dominique Lightbody also passed along this recipe for Vietnamese Lettuce Cups that calls for lettuce, scallions, cilantro, basil, and carrots - all which are in this week's share). Thanks again Dominique!
Lettuce Cups with Chicken
Adapted from the Seattle Times
Picked vegetables:
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 cup matchstick-cut daikon (if you have it, we rarely do)
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
Combine vinegar with vegetables in a nonreactive bowl and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (or overnight).
Sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. chili paste or sambal oelek, or any other hot sauce
2 tsp. sugar
Mix together ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.
Lettuce and herbs
1 head of green leaf lettuce, leaves separated and left whole
8 sprigs fresh mint
8-12 sprigs of fresh cilantro
8-12 sprigs basil
Wash lettuce and herbs, wrap in clean towels and refrigerate if not serving right away.
Chicken
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons soy sauce
6 green onions thinly sliced
Mince the chicken breast (food processor works well for this). Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, ginger and garlic and stir fry until chicken is cooked through. Then add soy sauce and green onion and cook for another minute or two.
To serve
Guests take a lettuce leaf, spoon on some of the chicken, scatter with some of the pickled vegetables, tuck in a few fresh herb sprigs, and drizzle on some of the sauce, then roll up and eat. For a slightly less messy version, you could place lettuce leaves on a platter, followed by chicken, then scattering with pickled and fresh veggies and herbs, and drizzled with sauce (like a large salad).
Serves 4 as a light entree
And if you have any recipes that you really like, please pass them along and I'll post them or you can post them yourself in the comments section of the blog.
Have a good one!
This week's share:
*The Friday shares will be receiving the first onions of the season instead of scallions (medium and larges also will receive scallions)
Preparation Tips/Recipes:
Kale: Thanks to Dominique Lightbody for this recipe for Kale Chips!
Baked Kale Chips
Adapted from a bunch of inspiring places
1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (most kinds seem to work)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet—I cover mine with parchment. Bake for 5 minutes, toss again or flip to other side and bake 3-5 minutes more or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool. I’ve also seen recipes for cooking the kale at a lower temperature, 300 for 20 minutes. Depends on how much you want to heat up your kitchen.
Beets: The New York Times had an article highlighting summer beets (and beet greens) this past week. I won't post each of the recipes here (just click the link) but they include a beet and beet green gratin and several beet salads (which also use onions/scallions and parsley).
Lastly, Dominique Lightbody also passed along this recipe for Vietnamese Lettuce Cups that calls for lettuce, scallions, cilantro, basil, and carrots - all which are in this week's share). Thanks again Dominique!
Lettuce Cups with Chicken
Adapted from the Seattle Times
Picked vegetables:
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 cup matchstick-cut daikon (if you have it, we rarely do)
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
Combine vinegar with vegetables in a nonreactive bowl and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (or overnight).
Sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. chili paste or sambal oelek, or any other hot sauce
2 tsp. sugar
Mix together ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.
Lettuce and herbs
1 head of green leaf lettuce, leaves separated and left whole
8 sprigs fresh mint
8-12 sprigs of fresh cilantro
8-12 sprigs basil
Wash lettuce and herbs, wrap in clean towels and refrigerate if not serving right away.
Chicken
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoons soy sauce
6 green onions thinly sliced
Mince the chicken breast (food processor works well for this). Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, ginger and garlic and stir fry until chicken is cooked through. Then add soy sauce and green onion and cook for another minute or two.
To serve
Guests take a lettuce leaf, spoon on some of the chicken, scatter with some of the pickled vegetables, tuck in a few fresh herb sprigs, and drizzle on some of the sauce, then roll up and eat. For a slightly less messy version, you could place lettuce leaves on a platter, followed by chicken, then scattering with pickled and fresh veggies and herbs, and drizzled with sauce (like a large salad).
Serves 4 as a light entree
And if you have any recipes that you really like, please pass them along and I'll post them or you can post them yourself in the comments section of the blog.
Have a good one!
Friday, July 9, 2010
CSA Week 5: July 5-9
My apologies that I'm not posting this until Friday but it's been a pretty crazy week here at the farm. This late post probably won't help anyone all that much (the vegetables are pretty simple this week so I don't really have any preparation and recipe ideas) but at least there will be a little continuity here and I'll make sure stay on top of the blog from here on.
Summer certainly arrived in full force with the heat wave this week. The intense heat we had this week just makes it a little tougher on everyone, people and animals (especially the pigs who need mud to cool down since they don't sweat). This is the first week that we've been harvesting our field summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Up to now, the zucchini and cucumbers you've gotten have come from the greenhouse. The amount of squash and cucumbers from here on only should increase. The other big news here at the farm is that one of the other apprentices, Maggie, and her friend Tyler are spearheading the construction of a wood-fired earthen pizza oven here at the farm. They started work on it this past week and are hoping to finish it sometime next week so if you'd like to be involved in the construction of the oven, give us a call and come on out this week. In conjunction with this, we will be welcoming the NOFA pizza oven to the farm this coming Monday, July 12, for pizza, a farm tour, and a discussion about CSA's. Please join us!
And here's this week's share (just to spoil it for the people who haven't picked up their Friday share yet):
Preparation tips:
Summer squash and zucchini - Great sauteed with a some butter, garlic, salt/pepper and a little oregano. This also is a great week to simply throw all your vegetables (except the lettuce and cucumber) in a stir-fry.
Sorry again for the late (and rather brief) post. Next week I'll make sure to get back to regular Monday postings. Hope to see you Monday for the pizza and have a great weekend!
Summer certainly arrived in full force with the heat wave this week. The intense heat we had this week just makes it a little tougher on everyone, people and animals (especially the pigs who need mud to cool down since they don't sweat). This is the first week that we've been harvesting our field summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Up to now, the zucchini and cucumbers you've gotten have come from the greenhouse. The amount of squash and cucumbers from here on only should increase. The other big news here at the farm is that one of the other apprentices, Maggie, and her friend Tyler are spearheading the construction of a wood-fired earthen pizza oven here at the farm. They started work on it this past week and are hoping to finish it sometime next week so if you'd like to be involved in the construction of the oven, give us a call and come on out this week. In conjunction with this, we will be welcoming the NOFA pizza oven to the farm this coming Monday, July 12, for pizza, a farm tour, and a discussion about CSA's. Please join us!
And here's this week's share (just to spoil it for the people who haven't picked up their Friday share yet):
Preparation tips:
Summer squash and zucchini - Great sauteed with a some butter, garlic, salt/pepper and a little oregano. This also is a great week to simply throw all your vegetables (except the lettuce and cucumber) in a stir-fry.
Sorry again for the late (and rather brief) post. Next week I'll make sure to get back to regular Monday postings. Hope to see you Monday for the pizza and have a great weekend!
Monday, June 28, 2010
July Meat Share
Our new meat share will start this week just in time for July 4th weekend and there still are a few spots left. If you pick up at the farm and wanted to sign up, hopefully you were able to find someone to talk to and if you have your share delivered later in the week, send us an e-mail ASAP to let us know you'd like to sign up. The way it works is that it will be $50 a month for 4 months ($200 total). Each month you'll receive a package of our certified organic meat that we have selected. Each package will include one of our chickens, about 2 pounds of ground beef, and then a mix of other beef and pork cuts (chops, steaks, bacon, ham, etc.) that we pick for you. Each package will have a total retail value of $55-60 (so you'll be saving 10-15% off retail prices). We'll also be posting some suggestions about how to prepare the meat.
We'll be doing the meat shares the first week of each month. This first one is a week early to make sure that you've got your meat in time for 4th of July grilling.
This month's share includes:
1 4-6 pound pasture-raised chicken
2 pounds (roughly) of grass-fed ground beef
1-2 pounds Top Round, Sirloin Tip, or London Broil Steak
1-2 pounds Pork Chops
Preparation tips and recipes:
All of these meats are great on the grill but here are a few tips anyway.
Top Round Steak - Top Round steak is slightly tougher than steaks from the loin but has great flavor which lends itself well to marinating. It is very lean and thus care should be taken not to overcook it (it's best cooked rare or medium-rare). It can be cut up into cubes for kabobs, sliced thinly for a stir fry (with your scallions and bok choy) or grilled whole. Here's a recipe for a teriyaki marinade that I often use.
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
5 or 6 cloves garlic, pressed
2-inch piece ginger root, grated
1/3 cup white wine
4 whole scallions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
Poke steak with a knife or fork before marinating to tenderize and to better allow marinade to penetrate the meat. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Trim fat from meat & marinate 2 to 4 hours. Drain & pat dry & grill over high heat. Slice against the grain. This marinade works particularly well with the steak but is great also with the chicken (cut into quarters before marinating) or the pork chops.
Sirloin Tip Steak - Sirloin Tip is very similar to Top Round steak so like Top Round, it's especially good for marinating, stir-frying or putting on kabobs (this is the cut that is used for "steak tips").
London Broil - London Broil technically refers to a way of preparing steaks rather than a particular cut but it is gradually being used more and more to refer to a steak cut from the shoulder (or chuck). This steak is valued for its flavor. It can be slightly tough, especially if not prepared correctly. It's best marinated and cooked quickly at high heat (on the grill or under the broiler). It then should be sliced thinly against the grain, before serving.
Please let us know what you think of the meat share and if you have any recipes or other ideas that you'd like to pass along to others. Hopefully there weren't any complications Friday with the pick-ups and have a great 4th!
We'll be doing the meat shares the first week of each month. This first one is a week early to make sure that you've got your meat in time for 4th of July grilling.
This month's share includes:
1 4-6 pound pasture-raised chicken
2 pounds (roughly) of grass-fed ground beef
1-2 pounds Top Round, Sirloin Tip, or London Broil Steak
1-2 pounds Pork Chops
Preparation tips and recipes:
All of these meats are great on the grill but here are a few tips anyway.
Top Round Steak - Top Round steak is slightly tougher than steaks from the loin but has great flavor which lends itself well to marinating. It is very lean and thus care should be taken not to overcook it (it's best cooked rare or medium-rare). It can be cut up into cubes for kabobs, sliced thinly for a stir fry (with your scallions and bok choy) or grilled whole. Here's a recipe for a teriyaki marinade that I often use.
1 1/2 cups soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
5 or 6 cloves garlic, pressed
2-inch piece ginger root, grated
1/3 cup white wine
4 whole scallions, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
Poke steak with a knife or fork before marinating to tenderize and to better allow marinade to penetrate the meat. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Trim fat from meat & marinate 2 to 4 hours. Drain & pat dry & grill over high heat. Slice against the grain. This marinade works particularly well with the steak but is great also with the chicken (cut into quarters before marinating) or the pork chops.
Sirloin Tip Steak - Sirloin Tip is very similar to Top Round steak so like Top Round, it's especially good for marinating, stir-frying or putting on kabobs (this is the cut that is used for "steak tips").
London Broil - London Broil technically refers to a way of preparing steaks rather than a particular cut but it is gradually being used more and more to refer to a steak cut from the shoulder (or chuck). This steak is valued for its flavor. It can be slightly tough, especially if not prepared correctly. It's best marinated and cooked quickly at high heat (on the grill or under the broiler). It then should be sliced thinly against the grain, before serving.
Please let us know what you think of the meat share and if you have any recipes or other ideas that you'd like to pass along to others. Hopefully there weren't any complications Friday with the pick-ups and have a great 4th!
CSA Week 4: June 28-July 2
*The first meat share is this week!*
Did you know that cows with names make more milk? Every December The New York Times Magazine has its "Year in Ideas" issue. One entry in particular caught my attention last year; a study of British dairies found that cows with names produce, on average, 6% more milk than cows without names. This struck a particular chord with me given the amount of time I've spent coming up with names for the little piglets here. The study did not conclude whether this fact was causation or simply correlation (the cows with names probably received better care and more attention than those without names) but either way, I have to agree that our animals (many of which have names) taste much better than those unnamed animals you encounter in the supermarket.
On that note, let me introduce you to Flo, our eldest sow here on the farm. Flo is the mother of Randy (our other sow) and Saturday night, she gave birth to 12 new piglets (Congrats to Tim for winning the farm pool about how many piglets Flo would have; his confidence earned him a maple creamie courtesy of the rest of us).
Flo nursing her piglets in their farrowing hut.
A well-deserved mud bath break. Pigs don't sweat so in order to cool off, they take mud baths.
The piglets playing in their hut.
Flo came to the farm 6 years ago and has been a very good mother in her time here.
Right now, it sort of feels like we've just gotten over the hump. All the squash, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes have been planted for the their and the first group of meat birds is in the cooler and freezers. Everyone is pretty tired and would love a break, but that's not really how farming works. The rain we've gotten over the past week has resulted in an explosion of weeds. Meanwhile all the heat has the greenhouse tomatoes out of control and in desperate need of clipping. Then we need to make sure we don't fall behind with successional seedings of beets, carrots, and a variety of greens. Fortunately, we now have a little time to deal with these things.
On to this week's share:
* Monday we didn't have enough cucumbers for all the small shares to get the cucumber they were promised last week so some small shares received Broccoli instead of a cucumber. Friday smalls should receive cucumbers.
Preparation Tips:
Pretty straightforward veggies this week. Check last week's entry for ideas on scapes and bok choy.
Beets - Check last week's entry for ideas about using the beet greens. Beets are very versatile, great both raw and cooked. I really like grating them raw in salads, either by themselves or with some greens and other veggies (cucumbers, etc.). They also are great boiled or they can be chopped up, tossed with some olive oil and salt and roasted in the oven or (if you don't want to use your oven on these hot days) on the grill.
Scallions - These can be sauteed just as you would onions or they would be great stir-fried with your bok choy, garlic scapes, and zucchini along with a little soy sauce and ginger root.
Lettuce - Everyone knows what to do with lettuce but some people might not realize how easy it is you make your own salad dressing. I've never really found a bottled dressing that I like so I always find myself coming back to this simple, delicious, and healthy dressing.
Maple Vinaigrette
3 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbs Maple Syrup (the darker the better!)
1 tbs Red Wine Vinegar (Balsamic works too but its sweetness sometimes masks the maple syrup)
1 clove garlic, chopped (or try a finely-chopped scape instead)
Dijon Mustard to taste (I usually use about a half-teaspoon)
pinch of dried herbs (Basil, Marjoram, and Oregano all are great)
salt and cracked pepper, to taste
Throw it all in a jar and shake it up. This recipe is very easy to scale up (that's never enough dressing for the farm crew here), I just always keep the basic 3-1-1 oil-maple syrup-vinegar ratio.
Parsley - Parsley is a very nutritious herb. It has more vitamin C than oranges and more vitamin A than carrots. Its often used as a garnish and is great on potato and rice dishes. It also is excellent in soups and stews. For something a little different, try tossing some of your parsley into your salad or add it to your stir-fry toward the end.
That's it for this week. As always, comments, questions, and feedback of any kind is much appreciated. Have a good 4th!.
Did you know that cows with names make more milk? Every December The New York Times Magazine has its "Year in Ideas" issue. One entry in particular caught my attention last year; a study of British dairies found that cows with names produce, on average, 6% more milk than cows without names. This struck a particular chord with me given the amount of time I've spent coming up with names for the little piglets here. The study did not conclude whether this fact was causation or simply correlation (the cows with names probably received better care and more attention than those without names) but either way, I have to agree that our animals (many of which have names) taste much better than those unnamed animals you encounter in the supermarket.
On that note, let me introduce you to Flo, our eldest sow here on the farm. Flo is the mother of Randy (our other sow) and Saturday night, she gave birth to 12 new piglets (Congrats to Tim for winning the farm pool about how many piglets Flo would have; his confidence earned him a maple creamie courtesy of the rest of us).
Flo nursing her piglets in their farrowing hut.
A well-deserved mud bath break. Pigs don't sweat so in order to cool off, they take mud baths.
The piglets playing in their hut.
Flo came to the farm 6 years ago and has been a very good mother in her time here.
Right now, it sort of feels like we've just gotten over the hump. All the squash, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes have been planted for the their and the first group of meat birds is in the cooler and freezers. Everyone is pretty tired and would love a break, but that's not really how farming works. The rain we've gotten over the past week has resulted in an explosion of weeds. Meanwhile all the heat has the greenhouse tomatoes out of control and in desperate need of clipping. Then we need to make sure we don't fall behind with successional seedings of beets, carrots, and a variety of greens. Fortunately, we now have a little time to deal with these things.
On to this week's share:
* Monday we didn't have enough cucumbers for all the small shares to get the cucumber they were promised last week so some small shares received Broccoli instead of a cucumber. Friday smalls should receive cucumbers.
Preparation Tips:
Pretty straightforward veggies this week. Check last week's entry for ideas on scapes and bok choy.
Beets - Check last week's entry for ideas about using the beet greens. Beets are very versatile, great both raw and cooked. I really like grating them raw in salads, either by themselves or with some greens and other veggies (cucumbers, etc.). They also are great boiled or they can be chopped up, tossed with some olive oil and salt and roasted in the oven or (if you don't want to use your oven on these hot days) on the grill.
Scallions - These can be sauteed just as you would onions or they would be great stir-fried with your bok choy, garlic scapes, and zucchini along with a little soy sauce and ginger root.
Lettuce - Everyone knows what to do with lettuce but some people might not realize how easy it is you make your own salad dressing. I've never really found a bottled dressing that I like so I always find myself coming back to this simple, delicious, and healthy dressing.
Maple Vinaigrette
3 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbs Maple Syrup (the darker the better!)
1 tbs Red Wine Vinegar (Balsamic works too but its sweetness sometimes masks the maple syrup)
1 clove garlic, chopped (or try a finely-chopped scape instead)
Dijon Mustard to taste (I usually use about a half-teaspoon)
pinch of dried herbs (Basil, Marjoram, and Oregano all are great)
salt and cracked pepper, to taste
Throw it all in a jar and shake it up. This recipe is very easy to scale up (that's never enough dressing for the farm crew here), I just always keep the basic 3-1-1 oil-maple syrup-vinegar ratio.
Parsley - Parsley is a very nutritious herb. It has more vitamin C than oranges and more vitamin A than carrots. Its often used as a garnish and is great on potato and rice dishes. It also is excellent in soups and stews. For something a little different, try tossing some of your parsley into your salad or add it to your stir-fry toward the end.
That's it for this week. As always, comments, questions, and feedback of any kind is much appreciated. Have a good 4th!.
Monday, June 21, 2010
CSA Week 3: June 21-25
So the original plan was to start this blog for the last 2 months of the winter share so that everything would be straightened out and ready to go for the summer season. Obviously that didn't happen but hey, better late than never. So as I wrote a couple months ago, we're hoping this blog will serve several purposes: to give people a sense of what is going on at the farm and to tell CSA members what will be in their shares ahead of time as well as offering some ideas about how to prepare some of the items in shares.
The last month has been extremely busy here at the farm (a big part of the reason this blog is being started in the third week of the CSA season). We've finally gotten all of our field tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants transplanted into the fields. The corn was transplanted into the field this past Friday and today we (finally!) got the potatoes planted. All while trying to keep up with greenhouse tomatoes - most of which have long since passed me in height, the weeds, and the harvesting for farmer's markets, restaurants and of course, our CSA.
Tomatoes and Peppers in the greenhouses.
On the animal front, we've started a new group of pullets (young laying hens). We have several groups of meat birds, the first of which were "harvested" this past Wednesday and are available fresh at the South Royalton and Norwich farmers' markets, as well here at the farm during the Monday CSA pickup. Charlie, our Devon bull, and his group of ladies have produced 9 new calves. And most importantly, Randy, our young sow, had her first group of piglets on the last day of May. They all received names last week and if you come to pick up your share here at the farm after 5, you can find one of us and we'll introduce you to Randy and her 9 piglets. They're pretty cute ....
Randy and her crew.
The oldest meat birds
On to this week's share:
* Those who have their shares delivered on Friday will be receiving Bok Choy (flea beetle-free!) instead of Kohlrabi.
Preparation tips and recipes:
Basil/Mint/Oregano - If you don't have any immediate plans for these herbs (or if you're already tired of Basil), you always can dry these bunches for later use. Simply hang the bunch from a nail or string in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Kohlrabi - Hopefully you've all become acquainted with Kohlrabi the last couple weeks and realized that it's that strange purple or green bulb. Kohlrabi does not need to be peeled (although it can be) but it is best to trim away any tough parts. It's great raw in salad or even eaten like an apple with a taste like a mild radish. Cooked, it adds a great crunch in stir-fries and provides a cabbage-like taste when cooked longer.
Garlic Scapess - With the warm days of summer upon us, garlic scapes are making their first appearance! Garlic scapes are the beautiful green curly tendrils that split from the stem of garlic. The scape is the immature flower stalk and harvesting it forces the garlic plant to devote its energy to producing a larger bulb. The scapes have a mild garlic flavor and are delicious chopped like scallions and put in omelets, stirfries, rice, or pasta. They also are great tossed with a little salt and oil and thrown on the grill or even eaten raw (if you really like garlic). Garlic Scape pesto is a great treat and freezes well, too. Feel free to try out these yummy recipes with the scapes in your share:
Garlic Scape Pesto
• 6-7 garlic scapes, chopped
• approx. 1 c. olive oil
• 1 c. grated parmesan or asiago cheese
• pine nuts, to taste
• fresh tomatoes
Using a food processor, combine scapes and olive oil. After this is blended to the desired consistency mix in the cheese by hand. Add to pasta and garnish with pine nuts and fresh tomatoes.
Lemon Scented Pasta with Garlic Scapes and Veggies
(Serves 2 as a main course or four as a side dish)
1/3 box of spaghetti
5 or 6 garlic scapes sliced thinly
6 Sun dried tomato halves sliced thinly
3⁄4 c. fresh corn
1⁄2 c. flat leaf parsley
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
1 c. chicken stock
Cook the spaghetti till al dente and set aside.
Sauté scapes and tomatoes till fragrant then add the corn, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice and simmer lightly.
Turn the heat up a bit; add the chicken stock and pasta and toss everything to coat and until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Serve garnished with additional parsley.
Kale/Beet Greens/Swiss Chard - These cooking greens are quite versatile and can be prepared any way you would use spinach. Kale in particular is great added to soups. Any of them are great stir-fried with other vegetables or simply sauteed with a little onion, garlic, and maybe a dash of lemon juice, vinegar, or soy sauce depending on your taste. Both Kale and Chard have tougher stems than leaves so one option is to separate the leaves from the stems and cook the stems slightly longer than the leaves, although cooking everything together results in a nice variety of textures.
Bok Choy - The Bok Choy that the Friday share members are receiving this week should be much nicer than previous week's. We were able to cover this Bok Choy to protect it from the flea beetles. Bok Choy is great stir-fried by itself or with other vegetables (Kale, Chard, Beet Greens, Garlic Scapes, Kohlrabi, anything really). I like to add a little soy sauce, garlic, and fresh ginger.
That's it for this week (thanks to Dashaina for reminding me to finish the bit about the cooking greens - sorry it took until Friday to happen). Please let us know what you think and please add any recipes or cooking suggestions you may have in the comments section (or you can e-mail them to me. One of the benefits of a blog (as opposed to a weekly e-mail) is that it allows many people to share their ideas, recipes, etc. Feedback of any kind is much appreciated and can be offered in the comments section or sent to me at jpsmith09@gmail.com.
Have a good one!
The last month has been extremely busy here at the farm (a big part of the reason this blog is being started in the third week of the CSA season). We've finally gotten all of our field tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants transplanted into the fields. The corn was transplanted into the field this past Friday and today we (finally!) got the potatoes planted. All while trying to keep up with greenhouse tomatoes - most of which have long since passed me in height, the weeds, and the harvesting for farmer's markets, restaurants and of course, our CSA.
Tomatoes and Peppers in the greenhouses.
On the animal front, we've started a new group of pullets (young laying hens). We have several groups of meat birds, the first of which were "harvested" this past Wednesday and are available fresh at the South Royalton and Norwich farmers' markets, as well here at the farm during the Monday CSA pickup. Charlie, our Devon bull, and his group of ladies have produced 9 new calves. And most importantly, Randy, our young sow, had her first group of piglets on the last day of May. They all received names last week and if you come to pick up your share here at the farm after 5, you can find one of us and we'll introduce you to Randy and her 9 piglets. They're pretty cute ....
Randy and her crew.
The oldest meat birds
On to this week's share:
* Those who have their shares delivered on Friday will be receiving Bok Choy (flea beetle-free!) instead of Kohlrabi.
Preparation tips and recipes:
Basil/Mint/Oregano - If you don't have any immediate plans for these herbs (or if you're already tired of Basil), you always can dry these bunches for later use. Simply hang the bunch from a nail or string in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight.
Kohlrabi - Hopefully you've all become acquainted with Kohlrabi the last couple weeks and realized that it's that strange purple or green bulb. Kohlrabi does not need to be peeled (although it can be) but it is best to trim away any tough parts. It's great raw in salad or even eaten like an apple with a taste like a mild radish. Cooked, it adds a great crunch in stir-fries and provides a cabbage-like taste when cooked longer.
Garlic Scapess - With the warm days of summer upon us, garlic scapes are making their first appearance! Garlic scapes are the beautiful green curly tendrils that split from the stem of garlic. The scape is the immature flower stalk and harvesting it forces the garlic plant to devote its energy to producing a larger bulb. The scapes have a mild garlic flavor and are delicious chopped like scallions and put in omelets, stirfries, rice, or pasta. They also are great tossed with a little salt and oil and thrown on the grill or even eaten raw (if you really like garlic). Garlic Scape pesto is a great treat and freezes well, too. Feel free to try out these yummy recipes with the scapes in your share:
Garlic Scape Pesto
• 6-7 garlic scapes, chopped
• approx. 1 c. olive oil
• 1 c. grated parmesan or asiago cheese
• pine nuts, to taste
• fresh tomatoes
Using a food processor, combine scapes and olive oil. After this is blended to the desired consistency mix in the cheese by hand. Add to pasta and garnish with pine nuts and fresh tomatoes.
Lemon Scented Pasta with Garlic Scapes and Veggies
(Serves 2 as a main course or four as a side dish)
1/3 box of spaghetti
5 or 6 garlic scapes sliced thinly
6 Sun dried tomato halves sliced thinly
3⁄4 c. fresh corn
1⁄2 c. flat leaf parsley
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
1 c. chicken stock
Cook the spaghetti till al dente and set aside.
Sauté scapes and tomatoes till fragrant then add the corn, parsley, lemon zest and lemon juice and simmer lightly.
Turn the heat up a bit; add the chicken stock and pasta and toss everything to coat and until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Serve garnished with additional parsley.
Kale/Beet Greens/Swiss Chard - These cooking greens are quite versatile and can be prepared any way you would use spinach. Kale in particular is great added to soups. Any of them are great stir-fried with other vegetables or simply sauteed with a little onion, garlic, and maybe a dash of lemon juice, vinegar, or soy sauce depending on your taste. Both Kale and Chard have tougher stems than leaves so one option is to separate the leaves from the stems and cook the stems slightly longer than the leaves, although cooking everything together results in a nice variety of textures.
Bok Choy - The Bok Choy that the Friday share members are receiving this week should be much nicer than previous week's. We were able to cover this Bok Choy to protect it from the flea beetles. Bok Choy is great stir-fried by itself or with other vegetables (Kale, Chard, Beet Greens, Garlic Scapes, Kohlrabi, anything really). I like to add a little soy sauce, garlic, and fresh ginger.
That's it for this week (thanks to Dashaina for reminding me to finish the bit about the cooking greens - sorry it took until Friday to happen). Please let us know what you think and please add any recipes or cooking suggestions you may have in the comments section (or you can e-mail them to me. One of the benefits of a blog (as opposed to a weekly e-mail) is that it allows many people to share their ideas, recipes, etc. Feedback of any kind is much appreciated and can be offered in the comments section or sent to me at jpsmith09@gmail.com.
Have a good one!
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