Monday, December 5, 2011

Winter CSA Share #3, December 6th


5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
5 lbs onions
5 lbs carrots
10 lbs squash, mixed varieties
1 head garlic
½ lb salad mix
1 bunch kale
2 lbs turnips
1 lb leeks
1 small head cabbage
2 kohlrabi
2 lbs beets

Farm News:

Our most exciting news this week is that we (Finally!) finished our new greenhouse. We are so excited to have that done before the snow flies in earnest. We are also glad to be home again after a flurry of traveling to see family for the holiday. Now we can concentrate on finishing up odds and ends around the farm… there’s always something that should have been done!

Lots of delicata squash in your shares this time, but don’t let that scare you, as you probably have already discovered, they are the sweetest squash out there. Roasted delicata even alone are a delicious treat, but with maple syrup, as in today’s recipe, they definitely belong in the dessert catagory.

Thanks,
Christa, Mike and little Lizzy

Recipes:

Sweet and Simple Roast Delicata

  • 1 or 2 delicata squash
  • Butter
  • Maple Syrup
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Slice squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Grease a cookie sheet or baking pan with a pat of butter, and place the squash on the sheet, empty side up.  Melt another table spoon or two of butter. Combine in a small bowl with ¼ cup maple syrup. Brush the mixture over the delicata. Roast, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until a knife pierces the squash easily.

Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad

  • 4 medium red beets, (about 1 pound without greens), 1/2 inch of stems left intact
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh or dried thyme
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 4 small whole wheat pita breads, quartered
  • 4 ounces feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup hummus
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss beets with 1 teaspoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover sheet with foil. Roast beets until tender, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool. Trim and peel beets; cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
    Meanwhile, toss carrots, 1 teaspoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt on another rimmed baking sheet. Roast carrots until browned and tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
    Stir lemon juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the parsley, and thyme in a small bowl. Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil until emulsified. Season with pepper. Toss beets and carrots with dressing in a medium bowl. To serve, divide salad, pita, feta, and hummus among 4 plates. Drizzle oil over feta and hummus on each plate.

(From http://www.marthastewart.com/314269/roasted-carrot-and-beet-salad)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Winter CSA Share #2, Tuesday, Nov. 15th!

Standard Share

5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
5 lbs onions
5 lbs carrots
10 lbs squash, mixed varieties
1 head garlic
½ lb salad mix
1 bunch kale
2 lbs turnips
1 lb leeks
1 small head cabbage
2 kohlrabi
2 bunches fresh herbs (sage, thyme)
1 “Long Pie” pie pumpkin

Family Share:

10 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes
10 lbs onions
10 lbs carrots
15 lbs squash, mixed varieties
2 head garlic
¾  lb salad mix
1 extra-large bunch kale
3 lbs turnips
2 lb leeks
2 small head cabbage
3 kohlrabi
2 bunches fresh herbs (sage, thyme)
1 “Long Pie” pie pumpkin


Farm News:

Happy almost Thanksgiving! Our garlic is planted and covered in straw for the winter, all the crops are harvested (except for the greens in the greenhouse, of course), and the new greenhouse is getting skinned on Saturday. We’ll be able to relax next week while visiting Mike’s mother in Indiana for turkey day, and we’ll have plenty to be thankful for. We are looking forward to cooking up a big feast  with all of out favorites. We hope you can put lots of your veggies from this week to good use!
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your families!

A few notes:
Long Pie pumpkin looks funny, like a giant orange zucchini, but is actually a heirloom pumpkin with great flavor and smooth flesh that makes WONDERFUL pies.
For those of you who haven’t tried Kohlrabi yet, it is wonderful grated into coleslaw, sliced up for dipping, or roasted coated in olive oil and salt and pepper. Just peel off the tough skin to get at the crunchy flesh.

Thanks,
Christa, Mike and little Lizzy

Recipes:

Thanksgiving Day Creamed Turnips
  • 1 large turnip, peeled and diced
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

 Place the turnip in a saucepan with enough water to cover the cubes; place the saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes; drain water and return turnip to saucepan.
    Return the saucepan to medium heat. Pour enough fresh water over the turnips to cover; add the sugar. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until turnip pieces are fork tender; drain.
    Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the flour into the butter to make a roux. Whisk in the milk until the mixture thickens. Add the turnips and stir gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Cabbage, Carrot and Kohlrabi Slaw

This slaw is delicious by itself but I most often make it as a topping for fish tacos. Try adding shredded chicken to the slaw. With chicken, this slaw makes a great wrap sandwich.

  • 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 1 large kohlrabi, shredded
Dressing:
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • juice of one lime
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

    To prepare slaw, combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. To prepare dressing, all ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour dressing over the slaw; toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour. From http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/2972191-Cabbage-Carrot-and-Kohlrabi-Slaw

Butternut Squash Soup

    1 butternut squash
    3 Tbs unsalted butter or vegetable oil
    2 large leeks
    4 tsp ginger, peeled and minced
    6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
    1 1/2 tsp salt

Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place face down on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until squash can easily be pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Let cool a bit, then scoop pulp from squash skin and discard skin.

Carefully clean leeks and chop. Melt butter in a soup pot. Cook leeks and ginger 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in the squash. Add 4 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, cooking for 20 minutes. Use a spoon to periodically stir and to break up squash clumps. Puree or mash until smooth. Then add 2 cups of stock and salt.

Garnish with cream or sour cream, croutons, and/or toasted squash seeds. From The Joy of Cooking.

Roasted Root Vegetables
This is one of our favorite recipes, and we probably eat it 3 times a week or so until we run out of the ingredients. This is a very simple recipe – you can make as much or as little as you want. This makes enough to roast on a large cookie sheet – I would cut the amounts in half if you want to roast them in a roasting pan.

2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups diced onion
1.5 cups cubed squash
1.5 cups diced beets or turnips
1.5 cups diced carrots
1 or two apples, diced.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the veggies in a liberal amount of olive oil – I usually use about ½ cup – as well as salt and black pepper to taste. Spread them evenly on a cookie sheet, and cover with aluminum foil. Roast at 400, covered for about 20-30 minutes (until veggies begin to soften). Remove foil cover, and continue to roast until veggies are soft on the inside, but browning on the out side. Yum!

Leek-Potato Pancakes
5 large potatoes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts, sliced in small rings
salt & freshly ground black pepper,
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Grate potatoes into mixing bowl and cover with water. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium skillet. Add leeks and cook stirring until softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Drain potatoes and dry them well in kitchen towel.
In skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter/oil is hot, spread half the potatoes in the pan and press down with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, nutmeg and half the thyme. Over potato layer, spread leeks in a thin layer and sprinkle with flour. Cover that with the rest of the potato mixture and press down. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, nutmeg and remaining thyme. Cook for 8-10 minutes on one side, then carefully slide pancake out onto plate. Invert plate and put uncooked side down in skillet. Saute for another 8-10 minutes or until very crusty. Serve with sour cream, creme fraiche, or plain yogurt. Thanks to http://www.recipezaar.com/Potato-and-Leek-Pancake-170466



Monday, October 24, 2011

First Winter CSA Share, Oct. 25th!



5 lbs Red Dale potatoes
5 lbs onions
5 lbs carrots
10 lbs squash, varieties TBD
1 head garlic
2 heads pac choi
2 heads lettuce
½ lb salad mix
1 bunch kale
2 lbs turnips
1 pumpkin for decorating!

Farm News:
Usually fall’s arrival means a more relaxed pace for us, but this fall is proving busier than that – not only are we hurrying to get the farm “put to bed” for the winter, but we are also putting up a new greenhouse! This is pretty exciting for us, as it will mean more veggies in the off-season!  We are also finishing up the last harvests of late vegetables like cabbage, beets, and carrots.
  In a few weeks, though, the outside work will be done, for the most part. Mike will have to start working his winter job, and I’ll have to face the backed-up paperwork that I’ve been carefully avoiding all summer. Winter isn’t without it’s perks, though – we’ll probably be able to find time to go cross-country skiing, go to bed early, and have cozy fires in the wood-stove.
   Hope you enjoy your first share!

Thanks,
Christa, Mike and little Lizzy

Recipes:

Caldo Verde Soup
            From leitesculinaria.com
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 10 ounces chorizo or other spicy sauage, diced
  • 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 8 cups cold water
  • 1 bunch kale, cut into very fine strips
  • Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and half the chorizo and cook for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cover everything with the water, bring to a boil and lower the heat, simmering until the potatoes are almost done, about 15 minutes.
When the soup is cool enough to handle, purée it in the food processor and return to the pot. Add the greens, bring everything back to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, ladle into bowls, and garnish with the remaining cubes of chorizo.

Potato-Carrot Pancakes
A bastardized version of epicurious.com’s potato latke

  • 1 lb potatoes, shredded                       
  • 1-2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 lb carrots, shredded                       
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 large onion, shredded                       
  • Vegetable oil for frying
           
Combine shredded carrots and potatoes. Drain off excess liquid. Add onions, egg, salt and pepper. Heat a griddle or non-stick pan and coat with a thin film of vegetable oil. Take about 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture in the palm of your hand and flatten as best you can. Place the potato mixture on the griddle, flatten with a large spatula, and fry for a few minutes until golden. Flip the pancake over and brown the other side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately. You can also freeze the potato pancakes and crisp them up in a 350-degree oven at a later time.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

CSA Share#19, Tues Oct. 11th, 2011

Last week for 2011's Growing Season Share!

1.5 lb potatoes             1 lb carrots
½ lb spinach                1 head cabbage
1 lb onions                 1 bunch kale
1 winter squash, variety to be determined

Farm News:

Last week! So sad!
This week is also our last week for our wonderful apprentices, so we’re trying to get a lot done before they leave. We are putting up our new greenhouse, getting hardy crops tidied away for winter, and harvesting some of our storage crops, like carrots and beets. We’ll still be busy with farm tasks pretty much all winter, but things will slow down and be more relaxed, and we’ll take some time to visit family and friends.
            We have loved having all of you be part of our CSA this year – Thank you so much! We truly hope you will all decide to come back and join us again next year. We are, once again, trying to expand our CSA for next year – if each of you can convince one like-minded friend, our new goal will be easy to hit!

We hope many of you will be able to join us on October 30th. We’d always love to get to know you better!

Thanks,
Christa, Mike and Lizzy


Recipes of the Week:

Skillet Potato and Cabbage Pancakes from Farmer John’s Cookbook. 2006.

  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • 2 1/2 cups grated potatoes
  • ¼ cup minced onion
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. oil
  • sour cream or applesauce (optional)


Place the cabbage in a steamer basket set over 1 1/2 inches boiling water. Cover, steam until tender, 15-20 minutes. Place the grated potatoes in a dish towel. Gather up, twist and hold over the sink. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Combine the potatoes, cabbage, onion, garlic, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and then use your hands to form thin, loose patties. Combine the butter and oil in a large skillet over med-high heat; heat until butter melts. Add patties a few at a time. Cook until browned on one side, 7-10 minutes, periodically pressing down with a spatula. Flip and cook 7-10 minutes more. Serve hot and top with sour cream or applesauce. Serves 4.

Quick Carrot Soup
            1 lb carrots,
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or clarified butter),
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 large yellow onion, chopped,
3 cups+ vegetable stock or water, 
juice of 1/2 a lemon,
fine grain sea salt (as much as you need)
Give the carrots a good scrub. Cut them into 1-inch segments and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes or until the onions start to get translucent. Add the stock and carrots and bring to a gentle boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender - longer if your carrot pieces ended up larger. But try not to overcook. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes. Puree with a hand blender  or in a food processor (sometimes I leave the soup a bit chunky, other times I go completely smooth) - then stir in the lemon juice. Now salt to taste. If you used a salty veggie stock, you might just need a little salt. If you used water, you'll need quite a bit more. Keep adding a few pinches at a time until the carrot flavor really pops. If it tastes flat or dull, keep adding.
Finish with a drizzle of great extra-virgin olive oil. Thanks to http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/carrot-soup-recipe.html

CSA Share#18, Tues Oct. 4th, 2011

In your share this week:


1.5 lb potatoes             1 Delicata Squash
½ lb leeks                    ½ lb salad mix
1 lb onions                 1 bunch kale
1 bunch parsley           1 head broccoli
           

Farm News:

I can’t believe we only have one more week of Growing Season CSA! I hope you guys have been enjoying it as much as we have. I can’t wait for the Winter CSA to start, either! This week we will have more fresh greens in our Winter CSA than we have ever had before – I am doing some winter greens trials that I am excited about.
            At the farm, we are getting our fall building projects underway. Mike is decking out a new level in part of the barn so we can get a little bit more organized in there. We won a NRCS grant for some erosion control, so that means an exciting new access road and drainage work. We also have the frame for a new greenhouse coming next week! That will mean earlier veggies  and more variety next year!
            We can’t thank you all enough for supporting our family farm this year. See you next week!

Thanks,
Christa, Mike and Lizzy


Recipes of the Week:

Julia Child’s Potato Leek Soup

  • 3-4 cups of diced peeled potatoes (1 lb.)
  • 3 cups thinly sliced leeks, including the tender greens (1/2 lb)
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 Tablespoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons heavy cream or 3 tablespoons softened butter
  • 3 tablespoons minced chives or parsley


Simmer vegetables, salt, and water together, partially covered for 40-50 minutes in a 3-4 quart saucepan. Mash the vegetables into the soup with a fork or pass through a food mill. Julia does not like the texture of soup pureed in a blender, your call. Adjust salt and pepper. You can stop at this point. When ready to serve, bring soup back to simmering. Then off the heat, stir in the cream or butter and top with chopped chives or parsley. It does not get much better than that! Makes 2 quarts of soup for 6-8 servings.

Stuffed Delicata Squash
 
One of our favorite meals, we look forward to this simple dish all summer long! 

  • 1 Delicata squash, halved lengthwise
  • 1.5 cups cooked rice
  • One large onion, diced
  • Three cloves of garlic, diced
  • Cheese – to taste (We usually use extra sharp cheddar)
  • 1 lb sausage of your choice
  • Salt, pepper, olive oil


            Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scoop the seeds and guts from the squash, and then place the halved squash in a baking pan, face-up. Cover the bottom of the pan with water, about ¼ inch deep. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven. Sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil. Fry the sausage, and then chop cooked sausage as finely as desired. Mix sausage with onions and garlic. Mix in cooked rice, as well as pepper and salt to taste. When squash is soft (is easily punctured with fork, usually after about 20-30 min.), remove from oven and fill with mixture. Grate cheese and cover tops of filled squash. Put it all back in the oven until cheese has melted.

CSA Share#17, Tues September 27th, 2011

What's in the share this week:


1.5 lb potatoes             1 lb carrots
1 lb beets                     1 head lettuce
1 lb onions                 ½ lb shallots
1 hot pepper                1 bunch swiss chard

           

Farm News:

After a great weekend at the fair, we were ready for our day “off” today (Aka, a day to catch up on clean up). We always have a great time at the fair. Now we’re buckling down to some early fall projects, getting our cover crops seeded, general clean up, caring for the first plantings of winter greens, and starting the work on putting up our new greenhouse.

Next week: winter squash, yum! There will only be two more pickups after this one. Hope you are all enjoying the end of September!

Thanks,
Christa, Mike and Lizzy


Recipes of the Week:

Swiss Chard with Crispy Shallots

  • 1 cup canola oil, plus 2 tablespoons
  • ½ lb shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 bunch Swiss chard, trimmed and washed, leaves separated from stalks, the stalks cut into 1-inch thick and 3-inch long matchsticks, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

In a medium pot, heat 2 cups oil to 325 degrees. In a bowl, toss the shallot slices with the flour. Test a shallot slice to assure the oil is sufficiently hot enough to fry the shallots. Fry them in small batches until golden brown, removing them with a slotted spoon and drain them on a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a large skillet, and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When the oil begins to smoke, add the Swiss chard stalks and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Heat the remaining oil and quickly saute the leaves until they "wilt", 1 to 2 minutes. Combine in the bowl with the stalks. Stir in the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Top with the shallots.

Hot Pepper Hash Browns

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 lb potatoes, baked, peeled, and diced
  • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  • Hot pepper, seeds removed and chopped finely
  • Cheddar cheese

In a heavy medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and pepper and sauté until softened and caramelized. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and heat. Add diced potatoes in an even layer in the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook until the potatoes begin to brown on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent sticking.

CSA Share#16, Tues September 20th, 2011

 
What's in the share this week:

1 lb potatoes                1 lb carrots
1 kohlrabi                    1 head lettuce
1 lb onions                 1 head cabbage
1 bunch parsley           1 bunch kale

Farm News:

This week is all about fair, fair, fair! We are very busy getting everything ready for the Common Ground Country Fair on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this coming weekend. If you go, be sure to come say hi to us at the Rose Gate (North) Farmers Market area!
           
Thanks!
Christa, Mike, and Lizzy


Recipes of the Week:

Parsley and Cabbage Salad
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 6 to 8 cups green cabbage, cored, cut into 3 wedges, and thinly sliced crosswise
  • 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Whisk together oil, sour cream, vinegar, water, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add cabbage and parsley and toss until coated.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parsley-and-Cabbage-Salad-232626#ixzz1YQEBcZny

Italian Style Kale

  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste


Cook the kale in a large, covered saucepan over medium-high heat until the leaves wilt. Once the volume of the kale is reduced by half, uncover and stir in the garlic, olive oil and vinegar. Cook while stirring for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Irish Carrot-Potato Soup
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 1 med. onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 med. potatoes, chopped
  • 13 3/4 oz. chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 to 2 c. milk
  • 1/2 tsp. each: salt, thyme
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook onion, garlic, celery and carrots in butter in large saucepan about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, chicken broth and thyme. Simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Puree. Return to pan. Add milk, salt and pepper.

CSA Share#14, Tues September 6th, 2011


Lizzy likes her veggies too!

In today's share:

Tomatoes                     1 lb potatoes
1 lb beets                     1 head lettuce
1 lb onions                 1 bunch parsley
1 pint cherry tomatoes

Farm News:

It’s beginning to feel a little bit like fall this week, and I’ve seen the first few changing leaves. This means that some of the summer visitors are gone from the farmers markets, and it also means that in a few weeks, life on the farm will slow down. We are always both sad and glad to see the summer come to an end.  Although the hustle and bustle of the summer months is exciting, and it’s continually rewarding to see our labor come to fruition, we are very much looking forward to the slower months as well, getting to spend more time relaxing as a family, visiting friends, catching up on our paper work, and fixing all the things that have broken over the season. Before that happens, though, we have about 2 ½ busy weeks of getting ready for the Common Ground Fair (September 23rd, 24th, and 25th). We have already harvested all of our garlic and onions, and next week will be the winter squash. After the fair, we’ll cut down to more reasonable work hours, and work on our farm clean up, winter greens seeding and planting, and our building projects. This year’s exciting project is a new hoophouse – VERY exciting! 
Well, I’m blabbing. Better get to bed. See you on Tuesday!
           
Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy
Recipes of the Week:

Pickled Beets Recipe
            Easy refrigerator pickles!

  • 1 lb beets
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • Salt and pepper

Cut beets to uniform sizes so they will cook evenly. Steam or boil around 30 minutes or until done. (Alternatively, you can roast them by wrapping them whole in foil and cooking them in a 350°F oven for about an hour.) A fork easily inserted into the beet will tell you if the beets are done or not.
Drain the beets, rinsing them in cold water. Slice the beets.

Make the vinaigrette by combining the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard. Whisk ingredients together with a fork. The dry mustard will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Adjust to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine beets and vinaigrette in a bowl and allow to marinate for a minimum of ½ hour. Eat right away, or keep for weeks in the fridge.

Linguine with Tomatoes, Olives, Feta, Basil and Parsley

    2 cups chopped tomatoes
    1/2 cup dry white wine
    2 garlic cloves, chopped
    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
    3/4 pound linguine
    1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
    1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (5 to 6 ounces), divided

Purée 1 cup tomatoes, wine, and garlic in blender. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato puree and olives. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, parsley, basil, and vinegar to sauce in skillet. Toss over medium high heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in remaining 1 cup tomatoes and half of cheese. Mound pasta in bowl. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

CSA share #13, August 29th, 2011


Yikes, it's almost September! How'd that happen so quickly?

Once again, we are experiencing some technicnal difficulties with our computer (IE, ours is unusable, and we haven't been able to replace it as quickly as we hoped), so I can't compose a Word document for the newsletter. I am including some recipes here today, though, because some of you guys let me know last week how important those were to you. Thanks for the feedback guys, and thanks for your patience while we deal with our computer issue! Don't forget, if you ever need a recipe, all past recipes are up on our blog! Click the CSA Blog link on the homepage of our website to check it out.

Also important: We are still drying down our garlic, and trying to see if it is curing well, or not. If you found a bad spot in your garlic from last week, please let us know.

We seem to be surviving the storm pretty well so far (Knock on wood!). It's been very busy here for the last few weeks, lots of harvest and not much sleep - But we should be busy in August, otherwise we'd be in trouble! We have two great apprentices helping us out - Dave and Caitie. Yahoo, we're running on adrenaline right into September!

Lizzy is doing great, trying really hard to crawl but not quite there yet. She's sleeping through the night now, for which I am extremely grateful.

In the share this week:

Tomatoes, 3 lbs
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 pint
Beets, 1 lb
Carrots, 1 bunch
Kale, 1 bunch
Lettuce, 1 head
Basil, 1/4 lb

Past recipes that will be useful for this week's share are:
Fresh tomato salsa
Pesto
Kale Chips

New recipes for this week:

Roast Carrots and Beets
1 lb beets
1 bunch carrots
1 onion
1 bulb garlic
2 Tb olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Chop beets, carrots, and onion into uniform sized chunks, about 1 inch or less. Mince garlic. Toss beets, carrot, and onion chunks with garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Roast in a 400 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until very soft and beginning to brown. Yum - one of our favorites.

A few wonderful Tomato and Basil recipes:

Tomato and Basil Appetizers


These tomato slices simply topped with freshly sliced basil and salt and pepper. Prepare these tomatoes about 30 minutes before serving and allow them to come to room temperature.
  • 2 large tomatoes
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 large basil leaves, chopped or rolled and sliced thinly (chiffonade)
  • vinaigrette or salad dressing
Slice tomatoes; arrange on a serving plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then the chopped basil. Let stand for 30 minutes. Serve with vinaigrette, salad dressing, grated cheese, or serve as is. http://southernfood.about.com/od/tomatoes/r/bl30620l.htm

Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe:

  • 3 pounds tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, cook tomatoes and basil over medium-low heat until tomatoes are soft. Meanwhile, in medium skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add onion mixture to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat for 2 hours or until thick.


Monday, August 15, 2011

CSA Share #11, Aug. 15th, 2011


Tomatoes                        1 pint blueberries
½ lb green beans            1 lb red onions
Cucumbers                        Summer squash
Basil Bag                        1 lb beets
1 head cabbage

Farm News:
            We’re a little sad this week because it is our apprentice Carisa’s last week before she goes back to school. Luckily, we have our other great apprentice, Dave, here with us and a new girl, Caitie,  slated to arrive on the 25th!
            We harvested the garlic two weeks ago, and it has been drying down in our greenhouse. This week we will hang it in the barn to continue the drying process. We’re also hoping to harvest all of our storage onions this week or next week, and they, too will get laid out in the greenhouse to dry for a few weeks before getting trimmed and bagged for winter. Our other big project this week is getting all of our blueberries raked. Next week will probably be the last week for blueberries.
            Mostly in August we just harvest harvest harvest all the time, and try to squeeze a little sleep in too!
            No Lettuce or salad this week – we are between successional plantings in both – but the leafy greens will return next week. In the meantime, enjoy the fruits of summer!
           
Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Fresh Pesto Pasta
1 bag basil
1/2 cup Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta with diced fresh tomatoes.

Super Easy Sautéed Summer Squash

4 small summer squash or 2 to 3 medium
1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, diced
 1 onion, diced
 About a dozen medium basil leaves, chopped roughly
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Oil a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Sauté the sliced summer squash, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth to the skillet and continue cooking and stirring for a few minutes longer, until almost tender. Add the garlic and green onions and continue cooking and stirring until tender but still a bit firm. Stir in the basil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

CSA Share # 10, August 9th, 2011

½ lb salad mix                        Tomatoes
½ lb green beans            1 lb sweet onions
1 bunch Cilantro            1 lb new potatoes
1 pint blueberries            1 bunch carrots

Farm News:
            We’re riding high this week on the peak of our market season – almost everything is in season now, it was hard to choose what to give you!
            With the addition of our new intern, Dave, we are feeling a little less crazy and a little more on top of things…. Or at least falling less behind! We are pretty much harvesting harvesting harvesting all the time now, and the addition of Dave has meant we could also do a few badly needed projects. I enjoyed relaxing a little bit today, on this rainy Sunday, while Dave and Carisa went to Bar Harbor Farmers Market for us.
            The carrots you’re getting this week are a new variety we’re trying, called White Satin/ Yes, they’re supposed to be pale yellow! They are supposed to have really good flavor, let us know what you think.
Thanks so much!
Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Delicious fresh tomato-cilantro salsa

1 lb tomato
2 Tb finely chopped white onion
1 Tb of finely chopped cilantro
1 finely chopped chile (or just add to taste)
1/4 of a lime.
Salt

Chop the tomato and add it--juice skin and all--to a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, chile and cilantro. Squeeze your lime quarter into the mixture. Add a pinch of salt and taste, you probably need to add another pinch, but that depends on the size of your pinch! This salsa is all about balance, so taste it and think about whether the sour and the spicy and the savory are all in balance. You can add more lime juice, salt or chile to harmonize the flavors.


Fresh Green Beans with Garlic

1 lb fresh green beans
2 teaspoons butter or 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried) or 1 tablespoon oregano (or 1/2 tsp dried)
 salt
 cayenne pepper
  hazelnuts (or your favorite)

Trim beans, boil for 4 or 5 minutes until tender crisp- Drain In a cast iron fry pan or saucepan, melt butter add onion and garlic and cook over medium low heat. Stir occasionally until onion is just tender Stir in beans, thyme salt and cayenne, Heat through.
 Add nuts just before serving.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/fresh-green-beans-with-garlic-12436#ixzz1UOQnvgtY

CSA Share #9, August 2nd, 2011

1 head lettuce                        Summer Cabbage
Tomatoes                        1 bunch tropea onion
1 bunch Cilantro            1 lb new potatoes
Cucumber                        1 bunch Parsley

Farm News:
            We’re pretty excited for this week because we have a new farm intern coming on August 1st (Hooray!). One of our interns had to leave in late June due to some back problems, so we’ve been scrambling to keep our heads above water ever since. Very excited for the extra pair of hands.
            The peas are finished, but the beans are just starting, so there should be some fresh green beans next week, as well as green peppers and more tomatoes. Our fight with the cucumber beetles continues to keep down the squash and cucumbers, but there were finally enough cukes this week to distribute. We’re starting to plant our fall cover crops in areas of the fields that had our earliest crops, and are seeding our fall spinach, turnips, and other things. The fall is coming faster than we can believe – only about 8 weeks until the Common Ground Fair!

Thanks so much!
Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Warm Cabbage, Red Onion and Apple Slaw

This recipe originally called for red cabbage, but we think it worked beautifully with green.
·      5 tbsp. olive oil
·      3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
·      1/2 head cabbage
·      3 tropea onions cut into wedges
·      1 tsp. caraway seeds
·      2 Granny Smith apples cored and cut into eight wedges
·      salt and pepper to taste

Cut out the core of the cabbage half and cut the cabbage into small pieces. Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, apples, caraway seeds and vinegar. Stir well. Cook, uncovered, 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper when the cabbage is soft. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

Duncan’s New Potato Salad        
           
  • 1 lb new potatoes
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 medium tomato
  • 2 tropea onions
  • ½ bunch parsley
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 Tb ground pepper

Christa’s Dad’s special. Wash potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks. Place in sauce pan with just enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook potatoes until just barely done – soft but not mushy. Drain potatoes, run cool water over them, and set in fridge to cool. Chop cucumber and tomato into small pieces.  Dice onions. Chop (finely) parsley. When potatoes are cool, stir in oil and vinegar.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix cucumber, tomato, parsley and onion into potato mixture. Optional: mix in ½ cup finely chopped bread and butter pickles.  MMMMMmmm. Summer.


CSA Share #8, July 25th, 2011

1 head lettuce                        ½ lb salad
1 bulb fennel                        1 bunch scallions
1 lb potato                        ½ lb sugar snap peas
1 bunch parsley

Farm News:
            What a hot week! It was about 85 degrees IN our house  this week, whew! There was a lot of sweating this week as we worked away. We are loving this cooler weather… and the possibility of rain tomorrow night.  We are transplanting our last fall brassicas today (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi) as well as some weeding and insect control. Now that the harvest season is in full swing, Mondays are our only full days for non-harvest maintenance projects . We are also hoping to plant our fall chard, some more fennel, chip away at the never ending weeding (of course) and maybe start to harvest……….blueberries! If they are evenly ripe enough to start raking, they’ll be in your share next week.
            Thanks so much to all of you who made it out to the CSA dinner last night. It was really great to meet those of you who we didn’t yet know, and we really lucked out with some gorgeous weather! Looking forward to the next one on October 9th. Mark your calendar.

Thanks so much!
Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Grilled Fennel
1 fennel bulb
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Trim the fennel stalks and fronds away, you can use them for something else. Cut the bulb in four and gently trim away the core. You want to leave just enough core to hold the sections together Rub the fennel with 1 teaspoon of the oil and a generous helping of salt and pepper.

Grill 5-8 minutes per side on an oiled grill. Baste with olive oil as needed, and then drizzle with balsamic when hot. It should still have a good crispness to it, but not be raw either. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Parsley Smashed New Potatoes
1 pound new or baby red potatoes, (1- to 2-inch diameter), large ones quartered
½ cup plain yogurt
½ bunch scallions, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Add potatoes, cover and steam until very tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. (Check the water level near the end of steaming to be sure the pan doesn’t boil dry. Add more boiling water as needed.)
    Meanwhile, combine yogurt, scallions, parsley, butter, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
    Mix the cooked potatoes into the yogurt mixture, breaking them up with a fork until they crumble apart and lightly clump together.

CSA Share#7, July 18th, 2011

1 bunch beets                        1 head lettuce
½  lb sugar snap peas            1 kohlrabi
1 bunch scallions                   1 bulb fresh garlic
1 bunch chard                        1 bunch hakurei

Farm News:
New this week: beets! Yum. We were hoping to have cucumbers and zucchini to you by now, but we have been having some serious cucuber beetle problems this year, and our first planting has been ravaged. Hoping things will improve in that area in the next few weeks.
`We are doing our last rounds of transplanting this week, putting in our fall broccoli, kale, and cauliflower, as well as some late lettuce and the last planting of cucumbers and summer squash – which will hopefully fare better than the first! Lizzy is being fairly cooperative, hanging out with us while we pick peas in the mornings… but she is starting to put everything she can reach in her mouth, as well as roll around in every direction.
            See you on Tuesday!
Thanks so much!
Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Roasted Beet Salad with Feta:
1 bunch of beets (4-6)
3 T olive oil Sea salt
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese
 2 t lemon zest
1 T maple syrup
Remove the greens from the beets (save them, they are edible too! Cover the beets in olive oil (about 2 T of the 3) and sea salt and then wrap each of them in foil. Roast in the oven at 400 for approximately one hour, or until they can be easily pierced with a fork.
Allow the beets to cool. Chop the beets into bite-sized pieces, and toss them with the feta, lemon zest, 1 T olive oil, and maple syrup.

From http://www.wearenotmartha.com/2010/07/roasted-beet-salad-with-feta-and-mint/

Snap Pea and Swiss Chard Stir Fry

            This recipe is meant to serve six, so halve it if you want a smaller sized dish.

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces sirloin steak, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
½ bunch scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
1 tablespoon hot chile sauce (such as Sriracha)
½ lb sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 lime

Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and swirl to coat. Season steak with salt and add to wok. Cook, stirring, until beef is golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. Add another tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok and swirl to coat. Add garlic, ginger, scallions, chile sauce, sugar snap peas, and 1 pound thinly sliced Swiss chard stems (remove and tear leaves into 2-inch pieces and reserve). Cook, stirring constantly, until snap peas are bright green and crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with beef. Add another tablespoon oil to wok and swirl to coat. Add half of the Swiss chard leaves and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl with beef and snap peas. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and chard. Return everything to wok, heat briefly, and season with salt. Squeeze with lime juice, toss to coat, and serve immediately.

http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/swiss-chard-snap-peas-and-beef