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.

Share # 12, Tuesday August 28th

What You’re Getting:

1 cantaloupe melon

3 lb mixed tomatoes

¼ lb arugula

1 head garlic

1 bunch beets

1 bunch carrots

1 lb mixed red and white onions

Farm News:

These cooler nights have me dreaming of fall, but summer produce will be here for weeks yet! Looks like we will have corn for next week (Or maybe today, if it’s ready when Mike checks it this morning!)

This summer has flown by. Yesterday I drove Kirsten, one of our apprentices, to the airport so she could go back to school. She will be missed! We have about three more weeks of very busy farm season, and then, after the Common Ground Fair at the end of September, things calm down for us a lot. We’re looking forward to it!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe:

    3 pounds tomatoes, seeded and diced

    1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

    1 large onion, minced

    3 cloves garlic, minced

    1/2 cup olive oil

    salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, cook tomatoes and basil over medium-low heat until tomatoes are soft. Meanwhile, in medium skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add onion mixture to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat for 2 hours or until thick.

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

    1 bunch beets

    3 tbsp olive oil

    4 oz baby arugula leaves, washed (about 2 large handfuls)

    1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

    1/4 cup rice vinegar

    2 tbsp sherry vinegar

    2 oz goat cheese

    salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash the beets and coat with 1 tbsp of the oil. Wrap in several layers of foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Let cool to room temp or refrigerate. This may be done in advance.

Cut in 1-inch cubes. Add to a mixing bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients, except the goat cheese. Toss well to combine, and divide on to 4 plates. Crumble over the cheese, and serve.

Share #11, Tuesday August 21st

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What You’re Getting:

1 cantaloupe melon

3 lb mixed tomatoes

1 head cabbage

1 jalapeno pepper

1 slicing cucumber

1/8 lb purple basil

1 lb sweet onions

1 flower bouquet

Farm News:

The last few weeks have been the peak of the season as far as farmers markets are concerned, and the produce has been coming in to suit the market! We are very excited to be into the melons now – a vine ripe fresh picked melon is 100 times better than any melon anyone ever had from the store! So delicious! We have been eating them nonstop all week. They are ripe and ready to eat!

We are in a little bit of a lettuce hole right now, one of our plantings didn’t make it in the heat last month, so we have to wait another week before we can harvest any more. In the mean time, enjoy the fruits of August!

Corn is taking longer than usual this year – we were hoping to have some for this week, but it looks like we make have to wait for next week.

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal

    2 (8-ounce) pieces of homemade or purchased pizza dough, recipe follows

    6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

    1 1/3 cups, grated pasteurized mozzarella

    2 Roma tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

    1/4 cup grated Parmesan

    1 large garlic clove, minced, optional

    6 fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish

    1/2 teaspoon salt

Position 1 oven rack in the center and the second rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle the cornmeal over 2 rimless baking sheets. Roll out each piece of pizza dough into a 10 to 11-inch-diameter round. Transfer 1 dough to each prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle 2 teaspoons of oil over each pizza dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pizza dough, dividing equally and leaving a 1-inch border around each pizza. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer over the cheese. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Arrange basil leaves on top, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle garlic all over. Bake the pizzas until the crusts are crisp and brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted on top, about 15 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over each pizza. Sprinkle with basil for garnish and salt. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve immediately.

From http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pizza-with-fresh-tomatoes-and-basil-recipe/index.html

Delicious Fresh Tomato-Cilantro Salsa

I wanted to give you this great recipe when we could give you both tomatoes AND cilantro, but sadly, our cilantro supply has been pretty crappy this year. I decided to give it to you anyway, so you can try it if you want!

1 lb tomato

2 Tb finely chopped white onion

1 Tb of finely chopped cilantro

1 finely chopped chile (or just add to taste)

1/4 of a lime.

Salt

Chop the tomato and add it--juice skin and all--to a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, chile and cilantro. Squeeze your lime quarter into the mixture. Add a pinch of salt and taste, you probably need to add another pinch, but that depends on the size of your pinch! This salsa is all about balance, so taste it and think about whether the sour and the spicy and the savory are all in balance. You can add more lime juice, salt or chile to harmonize the flavors.

http://johndlee.hubpages.com/hub/Delicious_fresh_tomato_cilantro_salsa_recipe

Share #10, Tuesday August 14th

 

What You’re Getting:

1 lb mixed tomatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 head lettuce

1 bunch parsley

1 lb cukes

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 pepper

1/2 lb green beans

1 bunch carrots

Farm News:

Farm life in August is harvest, harvest, harvest all the time. Oh yeah, and also make time to care for those important fall crops.  This is the point in the season that most of our hard work all spring has been leading up to, so we try to make the best we can of it!

We really enjoyed meeting so many of you last week at the CSA dinner, thank you so much to those of you who made it out! It was definitely the best turn out we’ve had, and we’re already brainstorming for next year’s dinner.

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

As seen at last week’s CSA dinner!

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1 ½ “ pieces

1 cucumber, peeled, halved, and sliced into ¼” slices

½ medium onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/8 tsp. dried oregano (actually better with fresh, if you can get it)

6 oz. feta. Cut into thick slabs

8 kalamata olives

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine parsly, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and oregano; season with salt and pepper and pour over vegetable mixture. Toss. Transfer salad to a serving bowl and top with feta and olives. Garnish with more oregano.

Sesame Green Beans

½  pound green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon  sesame oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

 Toast sesame seeds: Place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500ºF.  Toss green beans with olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Toss with sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Mosaic Salad

    1 medium cucumber, sliced

    2 yellow summer squash or zucchini, thinly sliced

     2 medium tomatoes, sliced

   

DRESSING:

     1/4 cup vegetable oil

     3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

     2 tablespoons lemon juice

     2 tablespoons cider vinegar

     1 teaspoon sugar

     1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

     1/4 teaspoon salt

Arrange the cucumber, squash and tomatoes on a large serving platter. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Drizzle over salad. Serve immediately.

Share # 9 Tuesday, August 7th

 

What You’re Getting:

Head Lettuce, 1 head

Tomatoes, 1 lb

Red or white onions, 1 bunch

Zucchini and summer squash, 1 lb

Cucumber, 1 lb

Garlic, 1 head

New potatoes, 1 lb

Basil, ¼ lb bag

Farm News:

Not much to say except for that it’s August and…. Yeah, it’s just August, the time of year when we are so busy that I lose all brain function and just hold on for dear life.

We are really looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow at the dinner!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Easy Cucumber Salad

    2 cucumbers

    1 small red onion

    1 1/2 tablespoons salt

    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

    1 teaspoon sugar

    2 teaspoons dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh

Slice the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice thinly. Thinly slice the onion.

In a colander, toss the cucumber and onion with the salt and let it sit and drain for 20 minutes. Press the liquid out of the vegetables and rinse well with cold water.

In a medium bowl combine the vinegar and sugar and stir well. Add the cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Stir in the dill.

From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/cucumber-salad-recipe/index.html

Fresh Basil Pesto

    2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

    1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

    1/2 cup olive oil

    1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (Walnuts are way cheaper and work just fine.)

    3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

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

Share # 8 Tuesday, July 31st

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

Head Lettuce, 1 head

Kale, 1 bunch

Tomatoes, 1 large

Green Peppers, 1

Tropea Onions, 1 bunch

Zucchini and summer squash, 2 lbs

Cucumber, 1 lb

Blueberries, 1 pint

Family Share: 

 

Head Lettuce, 2 head

Kale, 2 bunch

Tomatoes, 2 large

Green Peppers, 2

Tropea Onions, 2 bunches

Zucchini and summer squash, 4 lbs

Cucumber, 2 lb

Blueberries, 1 pint

Farm News:

I was a little overzealous when I ordered the blueberries for the farmstand this past weekend, so you guys are getting blueberries after all! Yay!

We just last night got back from 3 ½ days away from the farm for Christa’s brother’s wedding, which was terrifying (Leaving the farm in July? Aaaaghhh!) and also refreshing (A few days off in July? Ahhhh.) Our apprentices did a fine job and we were delighted to find the farm intact on our return. Now to scramble and play catch-up!

Looking forward to next weeks farm dinner! Thank you so much to those of you who RSVPed, we’ll see you there!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

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 freshly ground black 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.

While the mixture is cooling, grill the bread on both sides. Season the ricotta with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the seasoned ricotta onto the grilled bread. Top with the zucchini mixture and grate Parmesan over the top to coat.

Blueberry, Kale, and Quinoa Salad

This works great with cooked rice, too!

2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (prepared according to package directions)

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 1/2 cup shredded kale

3/4 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

    In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, kale, feta, and almonds. Mix until well combined. Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss to fully coat.

    Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste, and enjoy!

What is a Tropea Onion?

The topedo shaped tropea onion is a delcious sweet red onion that originates from Tropea, Italy. They are ready earlier than round storage onions, and have a wonderful sweet fresh flavor that is wonderful in salads, sautéed in dishes, or even on the grill. To grill them, slice them in half and coat them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Incredible. Or just do a simple Google search for “Tropea Recipe” to find hundreds of serving suggestions!

Enjoy!