Winter CSA Share #1, Tuesday, October 21st , 2014

What You’re Getting: 
 

Standard Share:

5 lbs Onions	8 lbs Winter Squash
5 lbs Potatoes	1/2 lb Spinach
5 lbs Carrots	1/2 lb Swiss Chard
1 bunch Beets	1/2 lb green peppers
1 Pumpkin	2 lbs Cauliflower

Family Share:

10 lbs Onions	8 lbs Winter Squash
10 lbs Potatoes	1 lb Spinach
10 lbs Carrots	1 lb Swiss Chard
2 bunches Beets	1 lb green peppers
1 Pumpkin	3 lbs Cauliflower

Farm News:

Hello, and welcome to this year’s Winter CSA! We’re so glad you chose to join us and hope you enjoy every bite!

Fall is here and we are doing our fall tasks: Harvesting and storing winter crops, seeding and planting the greenhouses with hearty winter greens, enjoying the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, cleaning the chimney, bringing in firewood, planting over-wintering crops, and savoring the slightly shorter workdays.

We love to cook in the winter and hope you do too! If you need extra inspiration beyond the recipes we send out each week, check out our blog at http://bahnerfarm.blogspot.com/.  I’ve been behind on adding this summer’s CSA recipes to the list, but three years worth of CSA recipes are available, searchable by vegetable. Check it out!

Enjoy, and many thanks!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes:

Curried Rice with Peppers and Onions

    1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

    1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

    1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder

    1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

    2 cups small cauliflower florets

    1/2 cup diced red or green pepper

    1 cup chopped onions

    1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

    2 cups water

    3/4 teaspoon salt

    2 cups chopped swiss chard

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, curry powder, and lemon peel; stir 30 seconds. Mix in cauliflower, bell pepper, and onions, then rice. Add 2 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Add chard and cook until chard is wilted, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Season with pepper. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.

From: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Curried-Rice-with-Cauliflower-Bell-Pepper-and-Green-Onions-106121

Oven-Fried Winter Squash Latkes

These work best with kabocha, buttercup or butternut squash!

4 cups grated squash (Peel and remove seeds before grating)

2 medium yellow onions, grated

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp kosher salt (or more, to taste)

1 tsp finely ground black pepper

1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder

3 tbsp white or white whole wheat flour

2 tbsp canola oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (convection will take less time, so use if possible).

Peel and grate onions and squash and place both in a colander to drain excess moisture. Transfer mixture to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze to remove more moisture.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in the egg, salt, pepper and canola oil. In a small bowl, mix together the baking powder and flour, and combine both mixtures.

Grease baking sheets well. Drop scoops of 2-3 tablespoons of mixture for each latke. Flatten out the latkes slightly. Bake for 60-90 minutes, checking several times. The cooking time will vary based on the temperature of your oven and how well done you like your latkes. Latkes should be deep gold on both sides when done.

Yields approximately 15-18 medium latkes.

See more at: http://www.kosherculinaryarts.com/oven-fried-butternut-squash-latkes#sthash.JbMbgsrh.dpuf

Soup in a Pumpkin!

If you don’t want to carve your pumpkin, here’s a DELICIOUS way to use it!

1 4 to 6 lb  pumpkin

7 tbsp. butter

Salt

1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 1⁄2 cups fresh white bread crumbs, toasted

1⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1⁄2 tsp. ground sage

Freshly ground black pepper

1⁄2 cup grated Swiss cheese

4 cups Chicken Stock or vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

1⁄2 cup heavy cream, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut a lid about 4" in diameter out of top of pumpkin and set lid aside. Remove and discard seeds and strings. Rub inside of pumpkin and lid with 1 tbsp. softened butter, season with salt, and place on a baking pan.

2. Melt remaining 6 tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs and cook for 2 minutes, then add nutmeg and sage and season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, stir in cheese, then spoon mixture into pumpkin. Pour enough stock into pumpkin to come within 1⁄2" of the rim. Lay bay leaves on top, then fit lid onto pumpkin.

3. Bake until pumpkin begins to soften and brown on the outside and the stock bubbles on the inside, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Carefully remove from oven and transfer to a serving platter. With a long-handled spoon, scrape flesh from bottom and sides of pumpkin and, just before serving, stir in heavy cream if using.

From: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Pumpkin-Soup-in-a-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!

CSA Share #14, Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 lb tomatoes

1 lb onions

2 lbs carrots

1 green bell pepper

1 bunch kale

1 head lettuce

 

Family Share:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 lbs tomatoes

2 lbs onions

3 lbs carrots

2 green bell pepper

1 bunch kale

1 bunch chard

2 heads lettuce

Farm News:

Ahh, this is more like it! I am loving these crisp, cool mornings and the cool, dry wind! Feels like fall, and it’s starting to look like it, too! The onions have all been harvested and are drying in the greenhouse, and in a few days we will bag them and store them in their cooler for winter. Then the winter squash will be brought in and laid out to cure. The list of things to plant, harvest, dry, bag, seed and more goes on and on and on in the fall. At the same time, the later, darker mornings make it easier to sleep just a little more… By September we all really need a just an extra half hour or so every night to help start making up for the sleepless, endless days of July and August!

Enjoy, and many thanks!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes:

Easy Mexican Rice

    1/2 cup chopped onion

    1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

    1 large clove garlic, minced

    2 teaspoons canola oil

    1 cup cooked rice

    1 lb tomatoes, diced

    1 teaspoon chili powder

    1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 1/2 cups beef broth

In a heavy skillet sauté onion, green bell pepper and garlic until onion is softened. Add rice to skillet and cook over medium-high heat until rice has browned. Add tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and beef broth. Bring to a boil; cover, lower heat, and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Add additional salt to taste.

Gingered Carrot and Kale Ribbons

    8 large carrots (about 2 lbs), peeled

    1/4 cup vegetable oil

    2 medium onions, sliced into thin strips

    1/3 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped

    2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

    2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

    1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest; plus 1 tbsp lemon juice

    salt and pepper

    4 large kale leaves, thinly sliced

    Using a vegetable peeler, slice the carrots into long, thin ribbons.

    In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the raisins, garlic, ginger, lemon zest and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the carrots, kale and 1/2 cup water and cook, stirring or turning with tongs, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Lettuce Salad with Bacon and Roquefort

Adapted from SALAD AS A MEAL by Patricia Wells

¾ cup chopped bacon

1 head lettuce, cut into chunks

6 ounces chilled blue cheese (preferably Roquefort), crumbled (1 1/2 cups)

Buttermilk-Lemon Zest Dressing (recipe follows)

Sea salt

Coarse, freshly ground black pepper

In a large, dry skillet, brown the bacon over moderate heat until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.

In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, chives, bacon, and cheese.  Pour just enough dressing to lightly and evenly coat the ingredients.  Season with sea salt.  Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates.  Season generously with black pepper and serve.

BUTTERMILK-LEMON ZEST DRESSING

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup buttermilk, shaken to blend (Or make your own with ½ cup of milk and 2 tsp lemon juice)

Grated zest of 1 lemon, preferably organic

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

 In a jar, combine all the ingredients.  Cover with the lid and shake to blend. Let stand for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend.  (Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Shake to blend again before using.)

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.

From http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/beet-and-potato-latkes-with-thyme

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.

From http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/kale-with-red-bell-pepper/

CSA Share #14, Tuesday, September 9th, 2013

 What You’re Getting:

 Standard Shares:

1 head lettuce

1 lb onions

1.5 lb potatoes

2 lbs tomatoes

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch beets

1 green or red pepper

1 hot pepper

Family Shares: 

 

2 heads lettuce

2 lb onions

2 lb potatoes

4 lbs tomatoes

1 bunch parsley

2 bunches beets

2 green or red peppers

2 hot peppers

Farm News:

We are looking forward to seeing many of you at our annual CSA dinner tomorrow afternoon! Today the crew is out bringing in the winter squash while I start cooking for tomorrow’s event. Although winter squash usually takes a few weeks of curing to really start tasting great, I am really craving some…. Maybe I’ll slip a little into the roast veggies for tomorrow. Mmmmmm!

We still have some #2 tomatoes available for canning and freezing. Order today (Monday September 9^th) to pick up at the CSA dinner tomorrow, order anytime this week to pick up at the farmstand, or order before next Monday to pick up with the next CSA share. 

10 lbs = $20.00

20 lbs = $30.00

50 lbs = $50.00

Thanks!

Christa, Mike and Lizzy

Recipes

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/

Potato Hash with Bell Peppers, Onions, and Parsley

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1.5 lb potatoes, cut into ½” cubes

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, toss to coat with oil, and place a lid on the pan. Allow the potatoes to cook covered for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium high. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and vegetables turn golden brown.

Add the parsley and garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

From http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2012/09/potato-hash-with-bell-peppers-and-onions.html