CSA Share #15, Tuesday, September 16th, 2014

What You’re Getting:

 

Standard Share:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 lb potatoes

1 lb onions

2 lbs carrots

1 bunch chard

1 head lettuce

1 bunch parsley

½ lb leeks

 

Family Share:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 lb potatoes

2 lb onions

2 lbs carrots

1 bunch chard

1 bunch kale

2 head lettuce

1 bunch parsley

1 head Napa cabbage

½ lb leeks

Farm News:

Fall is really, truly here now! These cool days and chilly mornings call for hot soups, roasted root veggies, sweet starchy squash and more of falls treasures. We have harvested all of our winter squash and they are curing as we speak in our greenhouse, using the heat and sunshine to convert their starches into sugars. Soon they will make an appearance in your CSA bags!

This week is fair week for us – we are busy busy busy bagging, cleaning, digging, braiding and more to prepare for the Common Ground Fair. If you’re there, come say hi! We are in the Rose Gate Farmer’s Market Area.

Enjoy, and many thanks!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes:

Cream of Carrot Ginger Soup

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup white wine

1 ½ lbs carrots, coarsely chopped

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Chopped fresh parsley

In a soup pot over medium heat, heat olive oil and ¼ cup chicken stock. Add onion, garlic and curry powder. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until tender. Stir in remaining chicken stock, white wine, and carrots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until carrots are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Puree with a food processor or immersion blender. Return to the pot and stir in coconut milk, salt, and pepper. Simmer briefly and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley.

From: Joy of Cooking

Roasted Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes

3 smashed garlic cloves

salt and pepper

Put a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Cut potatoes lengthwise into eighths. Toss with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and salt and pepper. Put cut-side down on the hot baking sheet and roast 15 minutes. Flip the mixture and roast 10 more minutes.

From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/roasted-potatoes-and-tomatoes-recipe.html?oc=linkback

CSA Share #12, Tuesday August 27th, 2013

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 lb mixed sweet onions

1 head lettuce

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 lb tomatoes

0.5 lb green beans

1.5 lb mixed potatoes (Red, white and purple)

1 field ripe cantaloupe melon

Family Share: 

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 lb cucumbers

1 lb mixed sweet onions

2 heads lettuce

1 quart cherry tomatoes

4 lb tomatoes

1 lb green beans

2 lb mixed potatoes (Red, white and purple)

1 field ripe cantaloupe melon

Farm News:

The peak of the season for the veggies! Yum!

We are harvesting non-stop these days, and are trying hard to make time with other things too, like weeding, caring for our fall crops, and freezing and canning veggies for our own winter use.

Speaking of which… it’s time to order your #2 tomatoes! If you are interested in tomatoes for canning, sauce or etc, we offer our “seconds” for a bulk discount. I’m offering this to CSA members only at first, and will open it up to the public next weekend. 

Our bulk #2 tomato prices are:

10 lbs for  $20.00

20 lbs for $30.00

50 lbs for $50.00 

(Our normal prices for #1 market tomatoes are $3.50-$4.00/lb)

#2 tomatoes are slightly blemished, very ripe, too ugly for market sale, etc. They are a mix of all of our available varieties – the varieties you will get in your order will be what is available that day. Orders can be ready for almost any specific day, beginning with this upcoming Wednesday, August 28^th.

Let us know if you are interested! Thanks!

Christa, Mike and Lizzy

Recipes

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables

½ lb green beans

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 large shallot (Or onion)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Basil or other herb (optional)

Top and tail the beans and cut them into large segments. Parboil the beans in salted water until just tender, about four to five minutes. Drain and immediately spread them out to cool. Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

Peel and mince the shallot and put it in a bowl with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the balance with more vinegar, oil, or salt, as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes in with the vinaigrette; this can sit for a while. Do not add the green beans until just before serving or they will discolor from the acid in the vinaigrette. For variety, the salad can be garnished with basil or some other fresh herb such as parsley, chervil or hyssop.

Zucchini and Ricotta with Tomato and Olive Oil on Grilled Bread

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 medium-size zucchini, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, diced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

 Salt and pepper to taste

8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

4 slices country or sourdough bread

1 cup ricotta

Parmesan cheese, for grating

Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a saucepan over high heat. Add the zucchini and sauté until the edges start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the zucchini is cooked through but not too soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the basil, and set aside to cool.

Share #14, Tuesday September 11th

What You’re Getting:

1 bunch carrots

1 bunch kale

¼ lb salad mix

½ lb green beans

1 quart cherry tomatoes

1 lb tomatoes

1 leek

1 bunch parsley

Farm News:

Ahh, love love love this early fall weather! Already there are fewer fruit flies in the kitchen! Ha!

Of course, the fall weather does mean that some things are starting to slow down rapidly, like the tomatoes.

The next week and a half will be spent getting ready for the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, which we attend every year. If you make it to the fair this year, come say hi! We have a stand in the Rose Gate Farmers Market Area. We’ll have shallot, onion, and garlic braids, dried flowers, winter squash and lots of other goodies.

In answer to several peoples question, there are 5 weeks of the CSA left after today. The last share pick-up is Tuesday, October 16^th.

Enjoy your share!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Barley Stew with Leeks, Mushrooms, and Kale

    1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

    1 chopped leek

    1 8-ounce container sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms

    2 garlic cloves, pressed

    2 1/4 teaspoons minced rosemary

    1 lb diced tomatoes

    1 cup pearl barley

    4 cups (or more) vegetable broth

    1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped

How to wash your leeks:

You might be tempted to skip washing them, but don't—within their folds, leeks trap an impressive amount of grit. Slice off the root end and the dark-green tops. Halve the leeks lengthwise. Splay the folds apart and rinse them under running water, letting the grit run out.

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks; sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until leeks begin to soften, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary; increase heat to medium-high and sauté until mushrooms soften and begin to brown, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice; stir 1 minute. Add barley and 4 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until barley is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add kale; stir until wilted, about 1 minute. Cover and simmer until kale and barley are tender, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls as needed for desired stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Barley-Stew-with-Leeks-Mushrooms-and-Greens-356352#ixzz26ACo4gFw

Green Bean and Cherry Tomato Salad

Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables

½ lb green beans

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 large shallot (Or onion)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Basil or other herb (optional)

Top and tail the beans and cut them into large segments. Parboil the beans in salted water until just tender, about four to five minutes. Drain and immediately spread them out to cool. Stem the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

Peel and mince the shallot and put it in a bowl with the vinegar and salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the balance with more vinegar, oil, or salt, as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes in with the vinaigrette; this can sit for a while. Do not add the green beans until just before serving or they will discolor from the acid in the vinaigrette. For variety, the salad can be garnished with basil or some other fresh herb such as parsley, chervil or hyssop.

Share # 13, Tuesday September 4th

What You’re Getting:

1 bunch beets

2 lb mixed tomatoes

1 pint mixed cherry tomatoes

½ lb green beans

1 head garlic

1 lb onions

1 green pepper

¼ lb basil

1 cuke

….if you’re lucky, sweet corn!

Farm News:

We have been very short on greens and lettuce for the last few weeks thanks to the loss of two plantings of lettuce – one to heat and lack of rain, and the other to some very hungry deer last week who took one bite out of almost every head in a 1200 head planting, the jerks!  However, starting next week we should be back to providing you guys with at least kale or swiss chard, and hopefully some mixed salad greens.

Last week we weren’t able to harvest the beets I had hoped for, so I substituted in cherry tomatoes this week. This week we already harvested them yesterday, so I know you are definitely getting beets! Mike is going to check the corn this morning, so there will probably be corn, but I can’t guarantee it. Our corn is not pretty – thanks to mother nature and a wicked dry spell, it is small and at least half the ears have a worm in the tip but…. It is also delicious. Hope we are able to get some for you!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

    * 1 pint cherry tomatoes

    * 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

    * 1 tablespoons olive oil

    * 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

    * 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

    * 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

    * 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

\

   1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients except the basil in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are just bursting. Carefully transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and set aside.

   2. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat (or transfer the liquid to a small saucepan) and reduce the liquid until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Toss the tomatoes with the basil. Drizzle some of the thickened balsamic sauce on each serving.

Tomato Chicken With Garlic

8 chicken thighs

1 lb tomatoes, quartered

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 pinch ground turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)

Directions

   Combine the chicken, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chili powder, turmeric, and salt in a large, heavy pot over high heat; cook and stir until the chicken begins to brown; reduce heat to medium-low and allow mixture to simmer until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with coconut oil to serve.