CSA Share #1, Tuesday June 11th, 2013

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

2 heads Pac Choi (Bok Choy)

2 bunches Hakurei summer turnips

1 bunch kale

1 kohlrabi

Family Share:

 

4 heads Pac Choi (Bok Choy)

2 bunches Hakurei summer turnips

2 bunches radishes

1 bunch kale

2 mini heads lettuce

2 kohlrabi

Farm News:

Hooray, It’s the first CSA share! Although the first share is always smaller then the many shares to come, it’s still an exciting start to the CSA season. With the cold temperatures in May and the rain in the last few weeks, some things are slow to start this year, but the sun WILL come out, and things WILL grow! All things with patience.

            We have a wonderful crew of apprentices this year. Eitan, Laura and Jess have been a great help, and Lizzy is starting to get in on the action too, seeding her own flat of seeds in the greenhouse and using her tiny hoe.

Our exciting news is that Lizzy will have a baby brother or sister in November! Please forgive me if I am slow returning an email or the like, as I am definitely not operating at 100%. Good thing everyone else is!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Pac Choi and Garlic Sausage Stir Fry

Pac choi, up to 4 heads (We recommend at least 1 head per person)

1 medium onion

1-2 inches hot pepper

½ cup vegetable oil

1 lb garlic sausage

Ginger (a piece about as big as your thumb)

Soy sauce

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Dice the onion and add to hot oil. Add minced ginger, minced hot pepper, and sausage. Sautee, stirring every few minutes, until sausage is cooked through. In the meantime, chop pac choi into large chunks and rinse in cool water. Shake off water, and add to dish with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Cook for about one minute, or until leafy portions are wilted and lightly cooked, while the stem portions remain juicy. Serve over rice.

How to eat Hakurei:

Hakurei summer turnips are very different from fall turnips you may be used to. Hakrurei are delicious raw, slightly sweet and nutty. They’ll make a turnip lover out of anybody! They are perfect sliced into salads or dipped into a tangy sauce. The greens can also be used for any recipe calling for turnip greens. Hakurei do not need to be peeling before eating. If you’d like to try cooking these spring treats, here’s one idea:

Hakurei Turnip Gratin

Recipe from http://www.gfzing.com/2009/white-spring-turnips/

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 bunch of Hakurei turnips
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a non-stick 12 inch skillet (make sure you have a top to fit the pan.) Wash turnips well, top and tail them, and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Layer the slices in the pan.  Sprinkle the sliced turnips salt and herbs. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, then pour cream and 1/2 cup chicken stock over the top.  Cover and cook the turnips over medium heat for 20 minutes.  The turnips will be completely cooked through, but there will be considerable liquid left in the pan.  Remove the cover and cook to reduce the liquid.  When most of the liquid has reduced (about 5-10 minutes), and the sauce is thickened, grate finely parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Watch closely as the cheese melts and make sure that the liquid does not entirely cook away.

Winter Share #5, Tuesday, January 15th

What You’re Getting:

½ lb salad mix                   1 lb kohlrabi

1 head cabbage            2 lb beets

4 lb carrots                   2 lbs leeks

5 lbs potatoes               5 lbs onions

8 lbs mixed winter squash

Farm News:

Happy 2013! It may be January, but it feels like April today. Weird. I hope you guys enjoyed you holidays, and are excited for another round of local veggies. We are in full-on planning mode right now, doing seed orders, field maps, market reports and all the other exciting stuff to get ready for the season ahead. Had to believe we will be starting our seedlings in 6 weeks. This winter has been flying by. Thanks so much to those of you who have already signed up for next year’s CSA!

Happy eating!

Christa, Lizzy, and Mike

Recipes:

Cabbage, Carrot and Kohlrabi Slaw

This slaw is delicious solo, or in tacos.

    3 cups thinly sliced cabbage

    2 carrots, shredded

    1 large kohlrabi, shredded

Dressing:

    ¼ cup olive oil

    juice of one lime

    sea salt and pepper to taste

    To prepare slaw, combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. To prepare dressing, mix all ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour dressing over the slaw; toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour.

From http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/2972191-Cabbage-Carrot-and-Kohlrabi-Slaw

Skillet Potato and Cabbage Pancakes

    1 cup shredded cabbage

    2 1/2 cups grated potatoes

    ¼ cup minced onion

    1 clove minced garlic

    1 egg, beaten

    1 1/2 tsp. salt

    1/2 tsp. black pepper

    2 tbsp. oil

    sour cream or applesauce (optional)

Place the cabbage in a steamer basket set over 1 1/2 inches boiling water. Cover, steam until tender, 15-20 minutes. Place the grated potatoes in a dish towel. Gather up, twist and hold over the sink. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Combine the potatoes, cabbage, onion, garlic, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and then use your hands to form thin, loose patties. Combine the butter and oil in a large skillet over med-high heat; heat until butter melts. Add patties a few at a time. Cook until browned on one side, 7-10 minutes, periodically pressing down with a spatula. Flip and cook 7-10 minutes more. Serve hot and top with sour cream or applesauce. Serves 4.

From Farmer John’s Cookbook. 2006.

Christa’s “I’m sick of winter cooking!” Squash and Bean Salad

2 cups winter squash, cooked, cooled, and cut into ¾” cubes

2 cups cooked kidney beans

1 cup diced onion

1 diced apple

1 kohlrabi, peeled and diced

Your favorite Vinaigrette dressing (I prefer a simple olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix)

I like this cold salad because it reminds me of the corn-and-bean salads of summer. I love winter, but I also love a little variety in our meals!

Toss everything together in a large salad bowl with the vinaigrette dressing. I usually put in about ½ cup of dressing, but you can add it to your own taste. You can eat it alone or serve it over a bed of salad mix.

WInter Share # 4, Tuesday, December 18th

Butternut squash curing in the greenhouse

What You’re Getting:

1 bunch kale                       ½ lb salad mix

1 head cabbage            2 lb turnips

4 lb carrots                   2 lbs leeks

5 lbs potatoes               5 lbs onions

1 lb kohlrabi                8 lbs mixed winter squash

Farm News:

Snow! Finally it looks like winter around here. Lizzy and christa are spending a cozy morning bagging up veggies for tomorrow’s share. Hope you guys all enjoy it! Less news, more recipes this time!

Thanks!

Christa, Lizzy, and Mike

Recipes:

Butternut Squash and Leek Soup

1 butternut squash

3 Tbs unsalted butter or vegetable oil

2 large leeks

4 tsp ginger, peeled and minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 tsp salt

Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place face down on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until squash can easily be pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Let cool a bit, then scoop pulp from squash skin and discard skin.

Carefully clean leeks and chop. Melt butter in a soup pot. Cook leeks and ginger 5 to 10 minutes, then stir in the squash. Add 4 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, cooking for 20 minutes. Use a spoon to periodically stir and to break up squash clumps. Puree or mash until smooth. Then add 2 cups of stock and salt.

Garnish with cream or sour cream, croutons, and/or toasted squash seeds. From The Joy of Cooking.

Turnip and Potato Patties

    1 ½  cups turnips, diced small (About 1 lb.)

    1 ½ cups potato, diced small (About 1 lb.)

    2 1/2 Tbsp thinly sliced scallion greens, optional

    1 egg, beaten lightly

    1/4 cup all-purpose flour

    Grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil (high smoke point vegetable oils)

    Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the turnip and potato cubes for 10-15 minutes, until they are tender, and drain them. In a bowl, mash them with a fork and stir in the scallions, the egg, flour, and salt and pepper to taste.

Coat the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed skillet with about 1/4-inch of the oil. Heat the pan on medium high heat until the surface of the oil begins to shimmer, but not smoke. Spoon 1/4-cup mounds of the turnip potato batter into the pan, flattening them into 1/2-inch thick patties with the back of a spatula. Fry the patties until they are golden, turning them once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the patties to paper towels to drain off excess oil.

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

Massaged Kale Salad with Apples

Due to its cold survival technique of converting starches to sugars, winter grown kale is much sweeter than summer kale…. Very delicious raw!

    1 bunch kale

    1 teaspoon sea salt

    ¼ cup diced red or green onion

    ¾ cup diced apple

    ¼ cup olive oil

    2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar

De-stem kale by pulling leaves away from stems. Wash leaves. Spin or pat dry. Stack leaves, roll up, and cut into thick strips. Put kale into a large mixing bowl, add salt, and massage kale with your hands for about 2 minutes. Stir onions & apples into kale. Dress with oil and vinegar and mix.

An edited version of http://www.columbiaheightscommunitymarketplace.org/recipe-massaged-kale-salad-with-strawberries

Winter Share #3, Tuesday, December 4th

Our winter salad mix in one of our wash tubs

What You’re Getting:

5 baby pac choi                       1 lb salad mix

1 head cabbage            2 lb beets

4 lb carrots                   2 lbs leeks

5 lbs potatoes               5 lbs onions

1 lb kohlrabi                5 lbs mixed winter squash

Farm News:

It’s beginning to feel a lot like winter around here! Most of our buildings and farm paraphernalia have been shut down and shut up for the winter months. The chickens are in the freezer, all the root veggies, cabbages, and squash are stored for the winter, and all the most important end-of-season jobs have been finished. The hardy greens in the hoophouse are still green under their double layers of extra plastic. The varieties we grow are specially chosen for their winter hardiness, and they can freeze solid at night and still be green, happy, and alive the next day… up until a certain point, of course. We should have greens through January, and we hope to have them through the final share in February, but you never can tell when the temperatures will stay cold enough to finally kill them.

Thanks!

Christa, Lizzy, and Mike

What is it? Kohlrabi!

Kohlrabi, that green bulbous looking round veggie with the tough skin, is a delicious treat in disguise. Peel off the skin to get at the crunchy, slightly sweet broccoli flavored yumminess! Wonderful for eating raw in a salad or slaw, it can also be roasted. More recipes can be found on the blog!

Recipes:

Roasted Kohlrabi with Garlic and Parmesean

1 lb kohlrabi bulbs, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

    Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each of the slices in half. Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet.

    Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven to allow the Parmesan cheese to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

From: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-kohlrabi/

Creamy Cabbage and Potatoes… yummy comfort food!

Olive oil

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 largish onion, halved and sliced

1 pound green cabbage, cored and sliced thinly

Salt

Pepper

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 pounds potatoes, baked

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

 Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a glug of olive oil in a pot (large enough to hold the cabbage) over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter, and when its foam subsides, add the onion slices. Toss to coat with fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and just beginning to color, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and then toss in the cabbage. Continue to stir until the cabbage and onions are completely mixed and the cabbage is beginning to wilt. Pour in the vinegar and a tablespoon of water, cover the pot, and turn the heat to low. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the cabbage is tender enough to eat.

Peel the potatoes and mash them roughly with a fork or your fingers. Melt the remaining tablespoon butter in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over. Add the flour all at once, turn the heat to medium low, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk, raise the heat a bit, and cook until the mixture thickens, a few minutes. Stir frequently to break up lumps and prevent the mixture from sticking to the skillet.

Turn the heat off under the skillet and stir the potatoes into the sauce. Stir in the cabbage and onions. When the contents of the skillet are thoroughly mixed up, smooth the top with your spoon and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

From : http://www.seriouseats.com

Winter Share #2, Tuesday, November 13th

Our pumpkins on display at the Common Ground Fair in September

What You’re Getting:

1 bunch kale                ½ lb salad mix

1 head cabbage            2 lb turnips

4 lb carrots                   2 lbs leeks

5 lbs potatoes               5 lbs onions

1 Long Pie pumpkin    8 lbs mixed winter squash

Farm News:

    Last week we spent 4 beautiful days on what we call our annual family “summer” vacation that is, 4 days on the island that Christa used to spend her childhood summers on. These days leaving the farm in the summer is unthinkable, so late fall is usually our get-away time. It’s always relaxing to get away from the farm and the endless to-do lists, but we also love coming back home!

We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week. There are lots of things in the share this week to add to your family’s feast. Pumpkin pie, glazed carrots, mashed potatoes? Yum!

In keeping with the spirit of the holiday, we would like to let all of you know how incredibly thankful we are to have such wonderful support from our customers and friends. Thank you!

Christa, Lizzy, and Mike

Recipes:

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 it’s 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.

Winter Share #1, Tuesday, October 23rd

Carrots!

What You’re Getting:

1 bunch swiss chard

2 heads lettuce

½ lb spinach

2 lb beets

4 lb carrots

2 lbs leeks

5 lbs potatoes

5 lbs onions

8 lbs mixed winter squash

Farm News:

    As fall rolls on, we are getting closer and closer to the “end” of our season… although our to-do list never really ends, there is, at least, a list of “must-do”s that we are almost at the end of. We have a few more big harvests, garlic to plant, some new fields to plow up, wood to split, and our spring spinach to seed before we can breath our sigh of relief and start in on construction projects for the fall.

Recipes:

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!

Sautéed Swiss Chard with Onions

    1 bunch Swiss chard

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    2 tablespoons unsalted butter

    2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

    2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough portions, then cut stems and ribs crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Stack chard leaves and roll up lengthwise into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-wide strips.

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook onions and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, covered, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until stems are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add chard leaves in batches, stirring until wilted before adding next batch, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Swiss-Chard-with-Onions-240560#ixzz2A1y0sm6M

Share # 19 Tuesday, October 16th

Golden and traditional beet bunches

What You’re Getting:

1 bunch swiss chard

1 head lettuce

1 bunch beets

1 lb onions

½ lb green tomatoes

½ lb spinach

1 butternut squash

Farm News:

The last share!!! So sad!

It’s been a great season for us and I hope you guys enjoyed it too! The end of the season is always bittersweet, but there is always next year to look forward to!

Plan ahead for 2013!

This year our CSA sold out by May, so if you are interested in being part of the CSA in 2013 (We would love to have you back!) let us know! We can put your name on the list for next year.

Help us improve the CSA experience!

I will be sending out an anonymous survey in the next month or so asking you guys what we can be doing better! The annual CSA survey is your chance to let us know what you want more of, what you want less of, what isn’t working for you… or what is working great! We want the CSA to be great for all of you as well as us, so if something is bothering you, don’t hold back! When you receive the survey, please take 5 minutes to fill it out!

Last but not least, thank you so much for being part of our 2012 CSA. The CSA is incredibly important to the farm and we love growing for you!

Enjoy your share, and see you next year!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Fried Green Tomatoes

    1 large egg, lightly beaten

    1/2 cup buttermilk (plain milk will work fine too)

    1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided

    1/2 cup cornmeal

    1 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon pepper

    3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices

    Vegetable oil

    Salt to taste

    Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.

    Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.

    Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.

    Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt.

From Southern Living, July 2003

Spinach and Roasted Beet Salad with Ginger Vinaigrette

4 medium beets, trimmed

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

½ lb fresh spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 450°F. Wrap beets in foil. Roast until beets are tender when pierced with skewer, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool beets slightly. Peel beets; cut into wedges. Place in medium bowl.

Whisk vinegar, oil, soy sauce and ginger in small bowl to blend well. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Add red onion and half of vinaigrette to beets and toss to blend.

Place spinach in large bowl. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over; toss to coat. Arrange beet mixture atop spinach.

From epicurious.com