Monday, October 28, 2013

Winter CSA Share #1, Tuesday October 29th, 2013

 
What You’re Getting: 

Standard:

1 bunch kale
1 bunch swiss chard
2 heads lettuce
2 lbs green tomatoes
Cauliflower and broccoli (Amount TBD)
5 lbs onions
5 lbs potatoes
5 lbs carrots
8 lbs winter squash
 
Family: 

2 bunches kale
1 bunch swiss chard
3 heads lettuce
4 lbs green tomatoes
Cauliflower and broccoli (Amount TBD)
10 lbs onions
10 lbs potatoes
8 lbs carrots
12 lbs winter squash

Farm News:

Hi all,

There’s a nip in the air, frost on the ground… time for the Winter CSA! We hope you’ll all enjoy your first share. Thanks to the relatively mild fall we’ve been having so far, the greens and other fresh stuff is hanging in there really well.  Mike and the farm crew are finishing up their fall tasks, harvesting the beets, carrots, cabbages, leeks, turnips for storage and planting the garlic for next summer. Christa and Lizzy are trying to get the farm and house organized before our new baby arrives in two weeks. Yipes! It’s a busy but fun time.

Enjoy!
Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Parmesan

1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic         
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 small onion, diced         
salt to taste (optional)
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately

    Heat olive oil  in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed.

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 sausage, 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.

Winter Squash with Apples

1 winter squash (Buttercup, butternut, etc)
1 lb chopped apple
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
½ teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

      Heat oven to 400°F. Cut squash in half; remove seeds and fibers. Place squash halves, cut side up, in ungreased baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches. Mix remaining ingredients; spoon into squash halves.
      Cover and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is tender.

Monday, October 14, 2013

CSA Share #19, Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

2 heads lettuce
1 lb potatoes
1 lb onions
1 bunch carrots
1 hot pepper
1 head cauliflower
Eggplant (2 mini or 1 medium… > ½ lb)
1 lb green tomatoes

Family Share:
 
1 bunch kale
3 heads lettuce
2 lb potatoes
2 lb onions
2 bunches carrots
2 hot peppers
1 large head cauliflower
Eggplant (> 1 lb)
2 lb green tomatoes

Farm News:

Hi all,
Once again, the sad day has come… the last CSA share of the season! We hope you have all enjoyed your veggies this year. Remember, we are always ALWAYS looking for feedback on how to improve the CSA for the future, so please don’t hesitate to give us some feedback, whether it’s constructive criticism or compliments. I will be sending you guys out a survey about how the CSA went for you this year, and I would love to hear from all of you!
We are looking forward to getting veggies to all our Winter CSA members starting in just two weeks on October 29th. There are still some more open shares for this winter if anyone is interested!
Thank you for supporting our family farm in 2013. We couldn’t do it without the support of our CSA members. We really appreciate it!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike and Lizzy

Recipes

Fried Green Tomatoes

    3 medium, firm green tomatoes
    Salt
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning (optional)
    1/2 cup milk or buttermilk
    1 egg
    1/3 cup cornmeal
    1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
    1/4 cup peanut oil or other vegetable oil


Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle slices with salt. Let tomato slices stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place in separate shallow bowls: the flour and Cajun seasoning (if using), buttermilk and egg, and bread crumbs and cornmeal.

Heat the peanut oil in a skillet on medium heat. Beat the egg and the buttermilk together. Dip tomato slices in the flour-seasoning mix, then buttermilk-egg mixture, then the cornmeal-bread crumb mix. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown. Set the cooked tomatoes on paper towels to drain. These are fantastic with a little Tabasco sauce or remoulade.

From:http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fried_green_tomatoes/

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower

4 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/oven-roasted-cauliflower-with-garlic-olive-oil-and-lemon-juice-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Monday, October 7, 2013

CSA Share #18, Tuesday, October 18th, 2013

 
What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 bunch kale
1 head lettuce
1 lb potatoes
1 lb onions
1 bunch beets
1 bunch baby carrots
2 green bell peppers

Family Share:
 
1 bunch kale
1 kohlrabi
1 head Napa cabbage
1 head lettuce
2 lb potatoes
2 lb onions
1 bunch beets
2 bunches baby carrots
4 green bell peppers

Farm News:

Hi all,
Nothing makes me feel as sleepy as a rainy fall day! I’m feeling thankful for this rain because it will really help germinate our later set of cover crops, most of which were seeded in the last few days.
Mike and the crew are out in the greenhouses, pulling out summer crops like peppers and tomatoes so we can get a start on our winter kale, lettuce, spinach and salad for the Winter CSA.
All of our winter crops are starting to look really good. Besides the squash, pumpkins, potatoes, onions and shallots that we already have harvested, we still have carrots, beets, kohlrabi, cabbage and leeks to harvest and store (Usually in late October or early November), and we’ll have kale, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and chard in the field for a long time still. Late fall is a bountiful time!

Christa, Mike and Lizzy

Recipes

Beet-and-Potato Latkes with Thyme

These potato pancakes get a boost of flavor from sweet beets and thyme. They’re delicious with sour cream.

3/4 lb potatoes, shredded and patted dry
2 medium beets (1/2 pound), shredded and patted dry
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
    2 large eggs, lightly beaten
    1/4 cup canola oil
    Sour cream, for serving

    In a large bowl, toss the potato and beets with the flour, thyme, pepper and the 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the eggs and mix well.
    In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil until shimmering. Spoon 1/2 cup of the beet mixture into the hot oil to make about 3 latkes; press lightly to flatten. Fry over moderate heat, turning once and adding 1 tablespoon of oil, until the latkes are golden and crisp on both sides, about 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining beet mixture and 2 tablespoons of oil. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Serve with sour cream.


Kale with Bell Peppers

            Okay, technically this recipe calls for red peppers… But we’ve tried it with red and green and it’s delicious both ways, I promise!

    1 large bunch kale
    1 small pepper cut in strips
    1 small onion slice
    2 small cloves garlic, chopped
    1 tablespoon brown sugar
    1 teaspoon salt or to taste
    2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon olive oil
    1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
    1 can of low sodium chicken broth
    2 to 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

    Remove stems from the kale. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large pot on medium heat, just until hot. Sauté kale 10 to 15 minutes until olive oil and moisture from greens is mostly absorbed. Add brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, and just enough chicken broth to cover greens. Cook for about 20 minutes, add the vinegar, and cook until tender. Add chicken broth when needed.
    While this is cooking, sauté the pepper, garlic, and onions in ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Add the pepper strips, garlic, and onion, and continue to cook on low heat until all of the ingredients are just tender. Drain most of liquid from kale, and toss with pepper mixture.