Monday, November 18, 2013

Winter CSA Share #2, Tuesday November 19th, 2013

 What You’re Getting:

Standard:
1 bunch kale
3 mini lettuce heads (Or 1 mini and 1 full size)
1 kohlrabi
1 lb cauliflower/broccoli
1 lb leeks
5 lb onions
5 lb potatoes
5 lb carrots
8 lb winter squash
1 Long Pie pumpkin
1 lb mixed green and red tomatoes

 
Family: 
1 bunch kale
4 mini lettuce heads (Or 2 full size)
2 kohlrabi
1 lb cauliflower/broccoli
1 lb leeks
10 lb onions
10 lb potatoes
10 lb carrots
12 lb winter squash
1 Long Pie pumpkin
2 lb mixed green and red tomatoes


Farm News:

Hi all,
What a beautiful day today! I imagine this may be our last chance to enjoy a cool breeze with the windows open, or take a walk in t-shirts for a while. We’re enjoying it!
           
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.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving with your families! We’ll keep you updated about the baby!

Thanks,
Christa, Mike and little Lizzy

Maple Glazed Carrots

2 pounds carrots, halved
4 slices bacon, each cut into 4 pieces
1 T fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
    1/4 cup pure maple syrup
    Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

    Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lower third. Place carrots, bacon, and thyme in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
    Drizzle with syrup; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine.
    Bake until bottoms of carrots begin to caramelize and turn dark brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and toss carrots carefully. Return to oven, and bake until all sides are well browned, about 25 minutes more. Serve immediately.
(Originally from Martha Stewart, but edited heavily)

Mashed Potatoes with Leeks and Kale

1 bunch kale, chopped, about 4 to 6 cups chopped
3 medium leeks, trimmed, washed, and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 1/2 pounds potatoes, russet or baking
 1 cup milk, light cream, or half-and-half

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the leeks over medium heat, stirring, until wilted. Add the kale and chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, until greens are very tender. Add the salt, to taste, and the pepper. Add milk or cream; remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, cut potatoes into quarters; rinse well. Put potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Heat the kale and milk mixture until hot. Add to the drained potatoes and mash by hand or with an electric mixer until well blended.

Making pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin:

What is that weird, orange zucchini thing? It’s an heirloom pie pumpkin called Long Pie. It’s my favorite for pumpkin pies, with its smooth, flavorful flesh.
I don’t like to give a pumpkin pie recipe, since most people already have a favorite. However, I do like to give simple directions for turning that hard orange pumpkin into puree. Many recipes call for peeling and chopping the raw pumpkin, which can be a real pain. Here’s an easier way for lazy cooks like me:  Pre-heat your oven to 350. Halve your pumpkin lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Lay the two halves on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the pumpkins are very soft and easily poked with a fork. Let them cool, and then scoop the soft flesh out of the skin. Hand-mash or puree in a food processor, and voila! Pumpkin puree! Most pie recipes call for 2 cups, and you should get between 3 and 4 cups from your Long Pie pumpkin.

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!