CSA Share #6, Tuesday July 15th, 2014

What You’re Getting:

Standard

½ pint raspberries!!!!

1 bunch kale

1 bunch Hakurei summer turnips

1/3 lb salad mix

1 bunch scallions

½ head green cabbage (2lbs)

1 bunch parsley

Family 

2 (1/2)  pint raspberries!!!!

1 bunch kale

1 bunch chard

2 bunches Hakurei summer turnips

1/2 lb salad mix

2 bunches scallions

1 head green cabbage (4-5lbs)

1 bunch parsley

Farm News:

This is late this week because it was so hard to predict what would be ready this week: Do we have enough zucchini from the first picking to give every one? Are the carrots ready? Raspberries? Looks like NEXT week we will be able to give you guys zucchini, carrots and TOMATOES (!)… but this week you get raspberries! Yum!

We are not excited about all the heavy rain scheduled for today and tomorrow, but you can’t control the weather, so we’ll try to make the best of it, pruning and thinning things in the greenhouses and hoping the sun will come out again soon!

Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes

Parsley Scallion Hummus

(2) 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

5 scallions sliced thinly

1 bunch parsley leaves chopped

2 Tbsp tahini

3 Tbsp lemon juice

 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

In a food processor or blender, finely chop the scallions and parsley. Add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and salt and blend, stopping to slowly drizzle in olive oil until mixture is near smooth. Add more salt, lemon, cumin or olive oil to taste. Serve at room temperature or refrigerated.

You can serve this hummus with flat bread, crackers, pita bread, chips, spread it on a sandwich or dip veggies in it. It goes amazingly well with anything!

From: http://aminuteinthelifeofmaria.blogspot.com/2012/10/parsley-scallion-hummus.html

Hakurei-Cabbage Slaw

 1/2 cup slivered almonds

 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 pound cabbage, chopped into this strips

4 medium Hakurei turnips, sliced thin

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

 Freshly ground pepper

    Preheat the oven to 350°. In a pie plate, bake the almonds for 5 minutes. Let cool.

    In a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Add the cabbage, scallions and cilantro and toss. Add the almonds and season with pepper. Toss again and serve.

From: http://flyingcoyotefarm.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/csa-week-4/

CSA Share #5, Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard:

1 pint sugar snap peas

1 bunch swiss chard

½ lb beet greens

1 bunch garlic scapes

1/3 lb salad mix

1 bunch scallions

Small bag of basil

Family:

1 quart sugar snap peas

1 bunch swiss chard

1 bunch kale

1 head lettuce

½ lb beet greens

1 bunch garlic scapes

1/2 lb salad mix

2 bunch scallions

Small bag of basil

Farm News:

What a rainstorm! It seems like we’ve come out of it ok, though… heavy rain can wash away soil fertility, erode topsoil, rot roots and more. Here’s hoping for some sun this week!

We’re excited at all the new things ripening up. We’re snacking on the first tomatoes this week, and even though it will be a few weeks before we have enough tomatoes to distribute to all our members, it’s still exciting! Looks like zucchini, cukes and summer squash aren’t far off, either.

Lizzy and Nicky are growing so fast and becoming more and more part of the farm. Nicky does chores everyday from his perch on Christa’s back and Lizzy is really loving being a wild farm girl more than ever. If it was up to her she would just pick and eat peas and cherry tomatoes all day long. We’ll try to hold her back so you can get some, too!

Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes:

Wilted Swiss Chard with Fresh Basil

    2 Tbs. olive oil

    1 clove garlic, minced

    6 to 7 large Swiss chard leaves, rinsed and coarsely chopped

    ¼ cup chopped fresh basil plus whole leaves for garnish, optional

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Fresh lemon juice to taste

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chard and basil, and cook just until the chard begins to wilt, for about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with basil, if using, and serve warm.

From: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/wilted-swiss-chard-with-fresh-basil/

Pasta with Beet Greens and Garlic Scapes

2 cups beet greens, chopped into 2 inch pieces

3 or 4 garlic scapes, chopped

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 c chopped toasted walnuts

your favorite pasta (I used angel hair)

1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes)

Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat skillet over medium low heat. Add oil, greens, garlic scapes, salt & pepper. Stir everything around. Cover for 3-5 minutes until everything is wilted. Add in chopped walnuts. Drain pasta. Toss tomatoes and greens with the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when ready to serve.

From: http://www.jamies-recipes.com/2009/06/farmers-market-beet-greens-and-garlic-scapes/

FAQ of the week:

When I pick my veggies up, some of the greens are wilted! What should I do?

            This time of year it’s easy for leafy veggies to go soft in the hot weather. If your veggies have wilted a little by then time you pick them up, try trimming the ends off your kale, head lettuce, or chard and soaking it over night with the trimmed end in a bowl of cool water. In the morning, it will be crisp again!

I’m feeling overwhelmed…. What should I do with all these greens?

            If you find your self with extra greens such as chard or kale, they can be easily frozen for winter use. Instructions on how to process and freeze these and lots of other veggies can be found at:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09330.html

CSA Share #4, Tuesday, July 1st, 2014

What You’re Getting:

Standard Shares:

1 bunch kale

1 head lettuce

1 bunch hakurei summer turnips

½ lb salad mix

1 bunch beets

1 bunch scallions

 

Family Shares:

1 bunch kale

1 bunch swiss chard

2 heads lettuce

2 bunches hakurei summer turnips

1 lb salad mix

1 bunch beets

1 bunch scallions

Farm News:

Happy 4^th of July! On July 4^th, 2010 we got married in the top field on a hot, muggy day. The farm has changed so much since then – new fields, greenhouses, the farmstand, the packing building, two babies and a whole bevy of apprentices. We are pretty proud of what we have accomplished here since we bought the farm in 2009 and we are looking forward to many, many long, hard, rewarding seasons to come.

We hope you’re enjoying these long summer days as much as we are. Plants are going crazy in this heat. We can’t wait for all the treats in store for us! The tomatoes are starting to ripen, and the cukes and zucchini are sizing up. Sugar snap peas next week!

Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes:

Beet, Kale, Red Leaf Lettuce & Hakurei Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

1 bunch kale

1 bunch red leaf lettuce

4-5 hakurei turnips

1 beet

2 carrots

1 grapefruit

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

sunflower seeds

Wash the vegetables. Remove the stems from the kale, and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Chop the turnips and beets into matchsticks (or whatever shape you desire; make sure to cut the beets fairly thinly). Peel the carrots, and cut them into long strips by hand or in a food processor.  If desired, remove the sections from 1/2 of the grapefruit and peel them.  In a small canning jar, combine: juice from 1/2 grapefruit (a little over 1/4 cup), 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Cover the jar and shake vigorously to combine.  To serve, place fresh ingredients on serving plates or bowls. Top with grapefruit vinaigrette and sunflower seeds.

Scallion Pancakes

This is one of my all-time favorites – a very simplified version of the amazing Korean scallion pancakes a friend used to make for us.

1 bunch scallions                     

1 t salt                                              

1 ½ cups flour                                    

4 eggs                                              

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup water

red wine vinegar

soy sauce

lemon juice

            Remove the scallion roots and dice the whole bunch (use all the green, right up to the tips!).  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and water, mixed thoroughly. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, and mix well, until there are little to no lumps. Stir in chopped scallions. Oil the surface of a large skillet or griddle, and heat until water flicked onto it pops and fizzles. Pour the batter on, about 1 cup per pancake, spreading the mixture out with your spatula to achieve a nice thin pancake. Fry until golden brown on each side.

Serve with a sauce made from ½ soy sauce, ¼ lemon juice, and ¼ red wine vinegar.

CSA Share #3, Tuesday June 24th, 2014

What You’re Getting: 

Standard Shares:

1 bunch swiss chard

1 head lettuce

1 bunch hakurei summer turnips

½ lb salad mix

2 heads pac choi

1 kohlrabi

1 bunch garlic chives

Family Shares: 

1 bunch swiss chard

1 bunch kale

2 heads lettuce

2 bunches hakurei summer turnips

½ lb salad mix

2 heads pac choi

2 kohlrabi

1 bunch garlic chives

 

Farm News:

Happy Solstice! Now that summer is officially here, harvests and markets are getting busier and busier. Although many of our crops are still behind from the cold spring, things have really picked up as the warm weather continues.

Our major planting projects are done, and we are settling into our routines for the summer season. We will continue to seed and plant our successional crops such as salad and lettuce, and we will seed our fall crops of carrots, beets, cabbage, broccoli and more over the next few weeks.

Enjoy! See you next week!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

How to eat: Garlic Chives

            Also known as garlic leeks or chinese chives, these flat leaved chives have a garlicky flavor that can add dimension to many of your favorite dishes. Often used in Asian cooking, they can be used anywhere you might usually use chives, or be stir-fried with other vegetables or meat. One of our new favorites!

Stir-Fried Garlic Chives with Eggs

    1 bunch garlic chives

    1/4 cup cooking oil or fat

    4 eggs

    Salt and pepper to taste

    Wash and dry the chives. Cut into sections 1 inch long and set aside.

    Place a wok (Or other type of pan, if a wok is unavailable) over high heat and heat until almost smoking. Swirl in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Crack the eggs into the wok and stir around with a spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the eggs are nearly cooked in large, fluffy curds (about 30 seconds), remove from the heat.

    Reheat the wok over high heat and heat until almost smoking. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toss in the chives and stir-fry for 20 seconds to a minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the eggs back into the wok and mix with the chives. Plate and serve immediately.

From: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/04/seriously-asian-stir-fried-chinese-chives-with-eggs-recipe.html

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Lemon and Butter

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pinch dry crushed red pepper

1 bunch swiss chard, stems and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt

Melt butter and oil in heavy large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add swiss chard; stir to coat. Cover and cook until tender (stirring occasionally) about 8 minutes. Squeeze juice from 1/2 lemon onto chard. Season to taste with salt.

Other recipes to try this week:

            Here are some recipes that look great, but I haven’t tested yet. If you try them let me know how they are!

Lettuce Soup:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/lettuce-soup-recipe2.html

Stir-Fried Lettuce

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Stir-Fried-Iceberg-Lettuce

Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted Kohlrabi Crostini with Crispy Lemons and Shallots

http://food52.com/recipes/5129-fresh-mozzarella-and-roasted-kohlrabi-crostini-with-crispy-lemons-and-shallots

CSA Share #2, Tuesday June 17th, 2014

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 bunch kale

1 head lettuce

1 bunch hakurei summer turnips

1 bunch radishes

1 head pac choi

1 bunch baby carrots

1 kohlrabi

 

Family Share:

1 bunch kale

1 head napa cabbage

2 heads lettuce

2 bunches hakurei summer turnips

1 bunch radishes

2 heads pac choi

2 bunches baby carrots

2 kohlrabi

Farm News:

Happy Father’s Day! We hope you all got to spend a relaxing day with the Dads in your lives. Mike spent with day with the kids while I took our goods up to Bar Harbor for our weekly farmer’s market there.

Summer is here (almost, anyway!) and the plants are starting to respond to the warming soil with more growth and production. Our crew is out everyday working hard to get things seeded, transplanted, weeded and otherwise healthy for you. This year we have 4 apprentices, our biggest crew ever. With their help we’ve gotten all of the important planting projects in for 2014 and we’re moving into the time of year better known as weeding season with a good handle on things.

Enjoy! See you next week!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

How to eat: Kohlrabi (Light green bulb with long leaves)

Ok, last year we got way too carried away and gave our CSA WAY too much kohlrabi, so we promise to cut it way down for 2014… you’ll only be getting it twice.

Peel the touch skin to expose the crisp, juicy bulb beneath. SO good grated into coleslaw or sliced thin to dip in sauces… or just eat it whole, like an apple.

How to eat: Hakurei Summer Turnips

These are SO different from storage turnips that you may be used to. Juicy, tender and slightly sweet, they are meant to be eaten raw. The greens can also be used in salads!

Easy-Peasy Hakurei-Kohlrabi Tuna Pasta Salad

1 bulb kohlrabi

2 large hakurei turnips

2 cans chunk light tuna fish, drained

½ lb spaghetti, cooked

¼ lb salad mix

3 T mayonnaise

1 T rice vinegar (or balsamic, if you prefer)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel kohlrabi and wash turnips. Dice finely. Combine vegetables in small mixing bowl with tuna, mayonnaise, vinegar, and ground black pepper to taste. If you don’t like mayo, try using an Italian salad dressing instead.

Arrange salad mix on two plates.  Place pasta over salad, and tuna mixture over pasta. Light and delicious!

  Kale, Radish and Avacado salad

    1 medium bunch kale (any type), shredded

    1 avocado, pitted and flesh removed

    1 lemon, juiced

    ½ medium onion, red or yellow, thinly sliced

    ½ bunch radishes, sliced thinly

    ½  tsp sea salt (optional)

   Seed and spice blend:

    1/4 cup sunflower seeds

    1/4 cup sesame seeds

    1 T nutritional yeast

    1 teaspoon chili powder

    1/2 tbsp ground cumin

    1/2 tbsp onion granules

In mixing bowl combine the kale, avocado and lemon juice. With your hands, press to cream the avocado until thoroughly mixed. Mix in the onions and some of the radishes, reserving a bit of the radishes for garnish.

Finish with sea salt as an option. Sprinkle with seed and spice blend.

CSA Share #1, Tuesday June 10th, 2014

What You’re Getting:

Standard Shares:

2 heads Pac Choi (Bok Choy)

2 bunches radishes
1 small head broccoli

1 small bunch carrots

Family Shares:

3 heads Pac Choi (Bok Choy)

2 bunches radishes

1 small head broccoli

1 bunch kale

2 small bunches carrots

Farm News:

It’s that wonderful time of the year again…. CSA season!

We are so glad you’ve joined us this season, and we hope you enjoy every bit of the veggies you receive in your CSA bags. If you ever need some ideas on how to prepare anything, don’t hesitate to check out our blog at bahnerfarm.blogspot.com for a list of hundreds of recipes by vegetable.

So far our spring is going well here – The frost we got a few weeks ago didn’t kill the tomato plants, and everything is recovering from the cold April and May temps. We are a few weeks behind, but if the weather stays this warm we’ll be catching up fast!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Roasted Radishes with their Greens

People seem to be on one side of the fence or the other with radishes, but if you’ve never liked them, this dish has changed many minds! The roasted radishes are juicy and slightly sweet… not spicy!

    2 bunches medium radishes

    1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

    Coarse kosher salt

    2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

    1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450°F. Brush large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pinch of coarse kosher salt to skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.

Transfer roasted radishes to warmed shallow serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.

From Bon Appetit, April 2011

Pac Choi and Garlic Sausage Stir Fry

Pac choi, 2 heads

1 medium onion

1-2 inches hot pepper

½ cup vegetable oil

1/2 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.

If you’re not a sausage fan, this recipe also works well with crispy fried tofu.

Serve over rice. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

Winter CSA Share # 6 Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

Seeds are here, and we're starting to plan for the summer ahead...

What You’re Getting:

 Standard:

2 head cabbage

3 lbs onions

6 lbs potatoes

6 lbs carrots

2 lbs beets

3 lbs turnips

4 ears popcorn

3 lbs shallots

Family:

2 head cabbage

6 lbs onions

12 lbs potatoes

12 lbs carrots

4 lbs beets

5 lbs turnips

4 ears popcorn

6 lbs shallots

Farm News:

Hi all,

The last CSA Share! Hope you guys all enjoyed your winter veggies. I can’t believe it’s February… already we are starting to seed for 2014. Some of the slower growing flowers, herbs and peppers will get started this weekend, while the onions, scallions and leeks, our first big seeding project, will get started in two weeks. Spring will come faster than you know, and there is so much to get ready for between now and then!

Thanks so much for joining us this winter. We hope to grow for you again when the warmer months are here! Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, kale, zucchini, melons, basil…. Mmmm, I can taste them already.

See you in the spring,

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes

Colcannon

A delicious traditional Irish dish. It is traditional Halloween fare but good anytime! Kale can be substituted for cabbage.

1 pound cabbage (1 small head)

1 pound potatoes

    2 leeks or 3 large onions

    1 cup milk

    salt and pepper to taste

    1 pinch ground mace or cloves

    1/2 cup butter

    In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.

    Chop leeks or onions and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.

    Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked onions and milk. Blend in the cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well.

From: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/colcannon/

Caramelized Shallots

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons good red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.

Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season, to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/caramelized-shallots-recipe.html

Popcorn:

To remove kernels, twist ear in hand until loosened kernels fall off. Heat oil in a covered pan. Add ½ cup kernels. Once you hear popping, shake pan (Leave lid on!) every 10-15 seconds until fully popped. Yum!