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.

CSA Share #11, Tuesday August 20th, 2013

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 lb mixed sweet onions

1 bunch swiss chard

0.25 lb basil

2 lb tomatoes

1.5 lb cucumbers

1 pint blueberries

Family Share:

2 lb zucchini/summer squash

2 lb mixed sweet onions

1 bunch swiss chard

0.5 lb basil

3 lb tomatoes

3 lb cucumbers

1 pint blueberries

1 cantaloupe melon

 

Farm News:

Hi all!

            It’s August – We are doing the best to get the most done each day, and counting down the days ‘til fall. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the incredible weather we’ve been having lately. The big harvests have begun – We’re bringing in the onions, and laying them out to dry in the greenhouse. After they have dried and been trimmed and bagged, we’ll bring in the winter squash and let it cure. Then there will be potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbages… Hopefully our new packing building will be done so we’ll have a good place to put it all!

I was hoping to get everyone a melon today, but there wasn’t enough from our Monday harvest for everyone, so just the Family Shares got them this week – Next week there should be enough to go around!

Thanks! Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Summertime Salad with Tomato, Cucumber, Basil and Feta

 1 lb tomatoes, diced

    1 cucumber - peeled, quartered lengthwise, and chopped

    3 green onions, chopped (Or 1 medium white onion)

    1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

    3 tablespoons olive oil

    2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

    3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

    salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-basil-and-feta-salad/

Swiss Chard and Basil Salad

    1 bunch Swiss chard, washed and sliced into ribbons

    1 cup loose basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

    2 medium carrots, grated

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    1.5 tablespoons lemon juice

    2/3 cup dried cranberries

    1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

    salt to taste

Clean and tear Swiss chard from stems. Lay leaves flat and cut into thin ribbons. (This cut is called a chiffonade!) Add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.  Clean basil leaves and cut into thin strips as well. Mint and tarragon can also make nice additions to this salad if you have them on hand. Grate two carrots into the bowl with the chard and herbs, and mix to combine. 

Pour olive oil and lemon juice into bowl, and then massage liquid into the greens. The dressing should slightly wilt the salad.  Cover with a damp paper towel pressed directly against the top of the salad, and let greens marinate for at least 30 minutes.  When ready to serve, add sunflower seeds and dried cranberries, along with a few grinds of fresh salt.

http://www.dailygarnish.com/2013/05/swiss-chard-and-herb-summer-salad.html

CSA Share #10, Tuesday August 13th, 2013

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

 

1 bunch carrots

1 lb mixed sweet onions

1 kohlrabi

1 head lettuce

1 lb tomatoes

1 quart new potatoes

1.5 lb cucumbers

1 pint blueberries

Family Share:

 1 bunch carrots

2 lb mixed sweet onions

2 kohlrabi

1 head lettuce

2 lb tomatoes

2 quart new potatoes

2 lb cucumbers

1 quart blueberries

Farm News:

Hi all!

            We usually have our CSA dinner earlier in the summer, but due to a construction project that has been dragging on (And on, and on!), we put it off this year. Now we have finally decided on a date – Tuesday, September 10^th! There will be a farm tour and talk with Mike at 4:00, and then a farm dinner (provided by us) at 5:00. We hope you can join us! Please RSVP to let us know if you can - or can’t - make it.

Thanks!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Greek Salad (Horiatiki)

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 parsley, 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.

Roasted Red Potatoes, Kohlrabi, and Onions

   1 lb New potatoes, peeled and quartered

   1 Kohlrabi, peeled and cut into equal size pieces

   2 medium onions, quartered

   Olive oil

   Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a flat baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

    Place cut up vegetables in a medium-size bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Use just enough oil to coat the vegetables — you don’t want the vegetables sitting in a pool of oil.

    Transfer the vegetables onto the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until fork-tender, but crisp on the outside.

- See more at: http://www.nutritioulicious.com/2010/07/roasted-red-potatoes-kohlrabi-and-spring-onions/#sthash.wx21YLEb.dpuf

CSA Share #9, Tuesday August 6th

What you're getting:

Standard:

1 bunch carrots

1 bunch fresh onions

1 kohlrabi

1 pint mixed tomatoes

1 lb summer squash and zucchini

1 lb cucumbers

¼ lb arugula

¼ lb basil

Family:

 

2 bunches carrots

2 bunches fresh onions

2 kohlrabi

1 quart mixed tomatoes

2 lb summer squash and zucchini

2 lb cucumbers

½  lb arugula

¼ lb basil

 

Farm News:

Hi all!

Can you believe it’s August already? Now we just need some warmer, sunny weather and warm nights to ripen up all these melons and tomatoes! They’re really taking their sweet time this year. Jeeze.

Some of you may be wondering about our CSA dinner this year. We usually do it earlier in the season, but with our construction project dragging on and on this year, it hasn’t been a good place to gather a large group of people. Right now we’re thinking about early September, and we’ll keep you posted about specific dates!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer and your veggies.

Thanks!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Bruschetta with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Basil

    2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

    1/2 large red onion, diced

    1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

    1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded

    Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

    1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

    1 baguette

    2 to 3 peeled garlic cloves, for rubbing

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and basil; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and vinegar, and toss well to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours.

             Heat broiler or grill pan. Cut bread diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice lightly with olive oil; grill or broil on both sides until toasted.

Rub hot bread lightly with garlic cloves on one side only. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with tomato mixture. Let stand a few minutes to allow juices to soak into bread before serving.

http://www.marthastewart.com/332415/bruschetta-with-tomatoes-cucumbers-and-b

Kohlrabi and Summer Squash with Almonds

    2 small-medium summer squash or zucchini

    1-3 oz. sliced almonds

    1 T. butter or olive oil

    salt and pepper to taste

    1 medium-large kohlrabi bulb (optional)

    2-3 cloves garlic (optional)

Peel the kohlrabi. Dice into matchsticks, place in a bowl with 2-3 T. water and cook on high for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, boil/steam the matchsticks in a small saucepan.

Heat the butter or oil in a large pan. Mince the garlic, if using, and add the almonds and garlic to the fat.

While the almonds are toasting—or before, if you’re a stickler about having your mise en place—slice the squash into thin pieces. You want them to be thin enough to just cook through in about a minute in the pan.

When the almonds are turning brown, add the squash. Toss gently to coat in the fat. After about a minute, remove from the heat.

From http://soursaltybittersweet.com/content/csa-2010-files-kohlrabi-and-summer-squash-almonds

CSA Share #8, Tuesday July 30th, 2013

What You’re Getting: 

Standard:

1 bunch kale

1 kohlrabi

1 head lettuce

1 bunch onions

1 lb cucumbers

1 quart new potatoes

Mixed tomatoes, 1 pint

1 bunch parsley

1 spring fresh rosemary

Family:

 

1 bunch kale

2 kohlrabi

2 head lettuce

2 bunch onions

2 lb cucumbers

2 quart new potatoes

Mixed tomatoes, 1 quart

1 bunch parsley

2 springs fresh rosemary

Farm News:

Hi all!

I’m just too sleepy to write farm news this week…..you understand. I’ll give you some extra recipes to make up for it. Have a great week!

Thanks and Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Duncan’s New Potato Salad       

          

   1 lb new potatoes

    1 cucumber

    1 medium tomato

    2 fresh onions

    ½ bunch parsley

    ½ cup olive oil

    ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

    1 tbsp salt

    1 Tb ground pepper

Christa’s Dad’s special. Wash potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks. Place in sauce pan with just enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook potatoes until just barely done – soft but not mushy. Drain potatoes, run cool water over them, and set in fridge to cool. Chop cucumber and tomato into small pieces.  Dice onions. Chop (finely) parsley. When potatoes are cool, stir in oil and vinegar.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix cucumber, tomato, parsley and onion into potato mixture. Optional: mix in ½ cup finely chopped bread and butter pickles.  MMMMMmmm. Summer.

Roast New Potatoes with Rosemary

    1 lb of new potatoes, cleaned

    1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

    2 cloves garlic, minced

    1-2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    Ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place potatoes in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Add olive oil, rosemary, and garlic. Toss until potatoes are well coated. Spread potatoes out on a single layer of a baking pan. Roast for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and browned. Serve immediately.

Roasted Kale Chips with a twist!

Ok, we’ve all had kale chips before… but this new recipe I found via a customer this weekend is twice as amazing!

    1 bunch kale

    2-3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

    3/4 teaspoon salt

    2 teaspoon nutritional yeast

    ½ teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Roughly chop washed, dry kale leaves. Toss the leaves in a large bowl with the other ingredients.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the leaves on the paper in a single layer. Do not crowd the leaves or they will not dry evenly. If necessary, bake in more than one batch or on several trays. Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are crisp but not beginning to burn.

Let cool before transferring to serving bowls or storing in paper bags. If you have a vacuum sealer, once the chips are cooled you can vacuum seal them in plastic for long term storage. Otherwise, they will keep their crunch longer if stored in paper rather than plastic bags. Do not refrigerate.

If your chips lose their crunch, re-crisp them by spreading them out on a baking sheet again and baking at 300 F for just 5 minutes. They will crisp up as they cool.

CSA SHare #7, Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard:

1 bunch chard

¼ lb salad mix

½ lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

1 ½ lb cucumbers

1 ½ lb zucchini

¼ lb basil

Family:

 

1 bunch chard

1 bunch kale

½  lb salad mix

1 lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

3 lb cucumbers

3 lb zucchini

¼ lb basil

1 head green cabbage

Farm News:

Hi all!

After the hot, hot dry weather lately, the rain today is a welcome drink for thirsty fields. We’re enjoying the cooler weather, too! Of course, plenty of things in the field love the heat – peppers, basil, tomatoes, cukes, zucchini and melons have all been thriving in the recent heat.

We hope you have been finding ways to enjoy your summer months! We’ve been squeezing little trips in to the beach and late night swims when we can. Got to enjoy it while it’s here!

Thanks and Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

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.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

In a small bowl combine 1 ½ cup cooked rice, 1 cup cooked lentils, 2 medium diced tomatoes, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup tomato sauce, salt and pepper, some fresh chopped basil and 1 lb cooked ground beef. Mix well and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cut the stem ends off of 2 medium zucchini and cut in half.  Scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4 inch thick shells. Chop the reserved trimmings and flesh coarsely. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the shells for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain on paper towels.

            Heat  a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 T olive oil. Chop 1 small zucchini. Saute chopped zucchini for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in remaining basil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to the bowl that contains the other filling.  Spoon mixture into shells and place in prepared baking dish. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.

Basil Pesto

¼ lb fresh basil

1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)

2 medium cloves garlic

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Process the basil, nuts, cheese and garlic in the food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. If the sauce seems dry (It should be a thick paste), add a little more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with linguine. Yum!

From the Joy of Cooking, 1997

CSA Share #6, Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

-->What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 bunch chard

1 bunch kale

1 head lettuce

½ lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

1 kohlrabi

½ lb summer squash and/or zucchini

1 bunch parsley

Family Share:

-->

1 bunch chard

2 bunches kale

2 heads lettuce

1 lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

2 kohlrabi

1 lb summer squash and/or zucchini

1 bunch parsley

1 head napa cabbage

Farm News:

Hi all!

With the hot week coming up, we are looking forward to a lot of late night, post-work swims. We hope you guys are finding a good place to cool off, too! The greenhouses are boiling and the dogs are panting…. And the first few tomatoes are ripening! We had cherry tomatoes for the first time on Friday, and I look forward to giving them to you guys as soon as we have enough for all of you!

In the mean time, enjoy the greens and the first few exciting summer items… summer squash! Green beans!

Thanks and Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Crispy Garlic Kale with Chorizo and Beans

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    6 small cloves garlic, sliced thin

    2 links chorizo sausage, cooked

    1 cup homemade vegetable stock

    2 large bunches curly kale, large stems removed and shredded

    1 14.5-ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

    1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

Place a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil to the warm pan, then add the garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often so the garlic doesn't burn.

Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon as it browns. If the pan gets too hot, add 1/4 cup of the stock to pull up any fond (crust) that has developed on the bottom of pan. After the sausage is browned, add the kale to the pan, cover, and allow to wilt for two minutes.

Stir the kale mixture, then add the beans, pepper and remaining stock. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook for 5 minutes.

From: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1988910

Kolrābju Salāti (Latvian Kohlrabi Salad)

1 cup farmer's cheese or cottage cheese, drained overnight in a cheesecloth-lined strainer

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup peeled and grated Granny Smith apple

1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 medium kohlrabies, peeled and grated

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. sliced parsley leaves

In a large bowl, stir cheese, cream, apple, salt, kohlrabies, and pepper until evenly combined; let sit for 10 minutes, so flavors can marry. Garnish with parsley before serving.

From Saveur, http://www.saveur.com/article/Travels/Riga-Revisited

Caramelized Pork over Lettuce

    2 tablespoons sugar

    2 tablespoons water

    2 tablespoons fish sauce

    1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

    1 1/2 pounds boned pork loin, cut into cubes

    1 (10 1/2-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth

    1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

    2 cups (2-inch) chopped scallions

    6 cups shredded lettuce

    1/4 cup rice vinegar

    1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

    Place the sugar in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat; cook 5 minutes or until golden (do not stir). Add water and fish sauce (mixture will splatter); remove from heat.

    Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add pork, and cook 4 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove pork from skillet. Stir broth into skillet, scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Return pork to pan; add the caramelized sugar mixture, black pepper, and cinnamon stick, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until pork is tender. Remove from skillet, and keep warm.

    Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in skillet; add scallions. Sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add to pork mixture; keep warm.

    Combine shredded lettuce, rice vinegar and basil in a large bowl, and toss well. Serve pork mixture over lettuce mixture.