Winter CSA Share #5, Tuesday, January 6th, 2015

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

3 lbs Onions	8 lbs Winter Squash
5 lbs Potatoes	3 lbs Turnips
3 lbs Carrots	0.5 lb Salad Mix
2 bulb Kohlrabi	1 Green Cabbages
3 ears popcorn

Family Share:

6 lbs Onions	12 lbs Winter Squash
10 lbs Potatoes	6 lbs Turnips
6 lbs Carrots	0.5 lb Salad Mix
3 lbs Beets	2 Green Cabbages
2 bulb Kohlrabi	6 ears popcorn

Farm News:

Happy New Year!

So far we have really enjoyed 2015…. Mostly because of the beautiful ice for skating, and then finally some snow for cross country skiing. Let’s hope the rest of the year is just as filled with fun family activities.

Although the ice and snow makes the summer season seem far away, this is starting to be a very busy time for us. All our plantings and seeding dates need to be planned and organized for the year ahead so we can order our seeds. We try to knock off big paperwork projects like catching up on Quickbooks, taxes, entering the data from last year’s harvest and labor logs before February arrives… and along with it, the beginning of our seeding season!

At the same time, this is also a special time of year for our family, as we try to spend as much time as possible relaxing together before the spring. I hope you guys are enjoying it, too! Skating, skiing, snowshoeing…. Winter in Maine is the best.

Please bring back your boxes when you come ot pick up your share! Remember, the next share is the last share (January 27^th).

Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nick

Recipes:

Popcorn!

How to pop:

In the microwave: Remove outer husks. Place ear of corn, fully intact, in a paper bag. Fold the top of the bag closed. Place in microwave and heat on high for about 3 minutes or until all the corn has popped.

On the stovetop: Remove outer husks. Remove kernels from cob using a twisting motion. Pop kernels on stovetop just like any other popping corn!

Each ear makes about 1 large bowl of popped corn.

Yum!

Potato and Turnip Cakes

    1 pound  potatoes (about 2 medium)

    1 pound turnips (about 2 large)

    1/3 cup olive oil

    1 teaspoon coarse salt

    1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

    Coarsely grate (with a box grater or a food processor fitted with the grater attachment) potatoes and turnips, all scrubbed and trimmed. Squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible; transfer vegetables to a medium bowl. Toss with coarse salt and ground pepper.

    Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Form potato mixture into four tightly packed patties; place in skillet, flattening gently with a spatula to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cook patties, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side (reduce heat if patties start to brown too quickly, and add more oil to skillet if necessary). Transfer to paper towels; sprinkle with salt.

Kohlrabi and Turnip Gratin

    1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional), plus more for baking dish

    1 1/2 cups heavy cream, plus more if needed

    3 sprigs robust herbs such as thyme or sage

    2 pounds (total) kohlrabi and turnips, peeled and thinly sliced

    Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees, and butter a 2 1/2-quart oval gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring cream and thyme to just under a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and discard solids.

Arrange the vegetable slices in an overlapping fashion in the baking dish, alternating them and seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Dot with butter, if using. Pour cream over top (it should almost cover the vegetables; add up to 1/2 cup more if necessary) and cover tightly with parchment-lined foil.

Bake until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 15 minutes more. Serve at once.

Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw

    Kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks

    Apple, cut into matchsticks

    Olive oil

    Fresh lemon juice

    Salt and pepper

    Mix kohlrabi and apple matchsticks (both peeled or not) with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Kohlrabi and Turnip Asian Slaw

1 pound kohlrabi (1 large), peeled

1 medium turnip, peeled and quartered

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon peanut oil

2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 scallions, thinly sliced (Can be substituted with slivered onion)

    Fit a food processor with a shredding blade (or use a box grater) and shred kohlrabi bulb and turnip.

    In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, peanut oil, honey, and sesame oil; season with salt and pepper. Add scallions, kohlrabi leaves and bulb, and turnip to bowl; toss to coat. Let stand at least 15 minutes.

Spiced Chicken Stew with Carrots

Throw this in the crock pot in the morning, come home to a delicious dinner just right for a cold winter’s night.

    2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

    8 skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds total)

    1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

    1 cinnamon stick

    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

    Coarse salt and ground pepper

    1/4 cup golden raisins

    1/2 cup cilantro leaves

    1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted if desired

    Couscous, for serving (optional)

    Place carrots in slow cooker. In a bowl, toss together chicken, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high, 4 hours (or on low, 8 hours), adding raisins 15 minutes before cooking is done.

    Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and carrots to a dish (remove cinnamon stick); top with cilantro and almonds. Season cooking liquid with salt and pepper; spoon over chicken. Serve with couscous, if desired.