FARM NEWS 11.14

Hi Folks,

Well the snow has finally melted (pictured is the farm during the week that we missed distribution) and we've managed to go back out in the field to dig roots and chop greens.  The garlic is planted, the cover crops are in, the compost is spread, the crew is off for the winter.    I've been to the USDA in Torrington to get a grant started for a tomato greenhouse.  There's plenty to do but more time to do it.  And so begins the off season...Crop planning, machine work, greenhouse building, milking the cow, tending the chickens, and best of all, sledding with the kids!

Here's the final share:

Butternut

potatoes

beets

onions

kale

collards

parsnips

 

We hope you've enjoyed your share this season, thanks for participating in Chubby Bunny Farm CSA!

Dan and Tracy

RECIPE: Tips on Kale (Storage, Handling, Culinary Uses)

Storage and Handling:

Store Kale in a loosely closed plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to a week.

You can take one a plastic shopping bag and put the Kale in leaf-end first. Then wrap the handles around the bottom of the stems. This will keep the leaves crisp and fresh and expose just the end of the stems.

Now you have a personal choice to make before cooking your kale: do you cook the stems with your kale or discard them? You can go both ways but keep in mind that the stems are tougher than the leaves, and you will need to cook the kale longer so that the stems are tender.

An easy way to de-stem kale is to grab an individual kale leaf and hold it by the stem with the leaf pointing downward. Wrap your fingers around the stem and gently glide them down the stem; this action will separate the leaf from the stem.

For Curly Green Kale, hold the leaf the same way and grab one side of the leaf and tear downward separating half of the leaf from the stem and then continue to the other side.

Culinary Uses:

Kale is usually best when cooked; there are some exceptions though (try the kale salad recipe!). Kale can be steamed, boiled, braised, sautéed, added to soups, pastas, rice -- you name it.

Kale is one of the most nutritionally dense vegetables and can be made in so many delicious ways. Be creative and give it a try!

RECIPE: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Sherry Dressing

Ingredients

For the vegetables:
2 TBSP vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, quartered
1 small onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 small carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the salad and dressing:
1/2 lb. hardy greens (spinach, kale, or escarole), stemmed if necessary
1 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 tsp chopped fresh sage
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1 oz. shaved or grated Parmesan cheese


Roast the vegetables:
Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss the oil, garlic, onion, carrots, potatoes, sweet potato, celery root, salt, and pepper to coat the vegetables well. Spread them out in one layer on rimmed baking sheets and roast, stirring frequently, until tender and brown, 25 to 30 min.

Make the salad and dressing:
When the vegetables are almost finished, put the greens in a large stainless steel mixing bowl; set aside. (If you don’t have a stainless bowl, see below.) In a small bowl, whisk the herbs, vinegar, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle half the dressing (reserve the rest) over the greens and set the bowl over a burner heated to medium. With tongs, toss the greens in the bowl over the heat just until the greens begin to wilt.

(If you don’t have a stainless bowl, heat half the dressing, reserving the rest, in a small saucepan and toss it with the greens in a mixing bowl off the heat.)

Add the hot cooked vegetables to the greens and toss well. Distribute the salad among four plates, top with the Parmesan, and drizzle on the remaining dressing or pass it at the table. Serve warm.

RECIPE: Spiced Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze (and Delicata squash!)

HANDS-ON:23 Minutes
TOTAL:2 Hours, 25 Minutes
COURSE: Breads

Ingredients
Rolls:
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
11 9/10 ounces bread flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 47/100 ounces all-purpose flour, divided (about 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup mashed cooked delicata squash (about 1 [1-pound] squash)
1 tablespoon canola oil
Cooking spray
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons water
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Glaze:
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup maple sugar or light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
1. To prepare rolls, combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon bread flour and 5.63 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine bread flour, 5.63 ounces all-purpose flour, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add yeast mixture, squash, and oil, and stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 6 minutes), adding enough of the remaining all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If the indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll dough into a 20 x 12-inch rectangle. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl; spread mixture evenly over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with nuts. Roll the dough, jelly-roll fashion, starting with long side. Cut roll crosswise into 16 equal slices. Arrange rolls, cut sides up, in a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat oven to 375°.

5. Bake at 375° for 33 minutes or until brown. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack.

6. To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup water and maple sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter, half-and-half, and vanilla. Cool 5 minutes; drizzle over rolls.

RECIPE: Quick Sweet and Tart Beet Dressing

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped up beets (about 1 large beet)
½ yellow onion, chopped
2 tbsp of honey
1 clove of crushed garlic
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ cup of plain fat free Greek yogurt

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients into your food processor and puree until the mixture is smooth. Makes about 1 ½ cup.

RECIPE: Roasted squash with sundance sausage

1 lb sundance hot or sweet sausage cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion chopped
1 winter squash peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes diced

Preheat oven to 375. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.

Pour mixture into a large glass baking dish and roast uncovered for 45 min turning mixture with a spoon every 15 minutes until veggies are tender and meat is cooked through.

FARM NEWS NOV. 6

Hi Folks,

Wow what a week -  snow, no electricity, it really took us by surprise!  Usually we don't expect snow until late December.  We actually had lots of fun with the predicament; candles at night with the kids, playing in the snow.. However the foot of packed snow on the crops made them unharvestable, so thanks for baring with us for a week of unbounty!  We've decided to extend the season by one week to make up for week 21's absence.  Now that the snow has melted and we can actually enter the fields with the tractors, we still have food available for distribution as long as the ground is not frozen. 

 

Unfortunately, many of our greens have been mashed down to the ground by the heavy snow, and so are unharvestable. (Pictured)  (Mustard, Braising Mix, Turnip Greens...)  Fortunately the Kale survived the weather!
Here's harvest # 21:
Kale
Potatoes
Beets
Onions
Carrots
Rutabega
Parsnips
Winter Squash
Greens???
Enjoy!!
Dan and Tracy

RECIPE: Onion Cheese Bread PLUS How to Caramelize and Freeze Onions

Recipe Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups biscuit mix
1 cup grated American cheese, sharp, divided
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Cook onion over medium low heat in butter until tender and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Whisk together the egg and milk; add to biscuit mix and stir until just moistened.

Add onion and half of the cheese.

Spread batter in a greased 8-inch baking dish.

Sprinkle remaining cheese and poppy seeds over the top. Drizzle with a little melted butter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 400°. Serve hot.

PLUS...

If you have a lot of onions at home right now, here is a great tip from Ann Tilley on what to do with all of them:

“We try hard every week to use up the more perishable parts of the share, like the greens, and as a result sometimes we end up with tons of the root vegetables just hanging out (like beets!). Right now we have seemingly 100s of onions, and they are gigantic onions. You can caramelize and freeze the onions and then add them to omelets and frittatas, mashed or baked potatoes, roasted vegetables, pizza, pasta, many things. Here are the general directions":

1. Peel the onions and slice in half down the pole.
2. Slice crossways into thin slices.
3. Heat enough olive oil in a pan over medium heat to coat the amount of onions you are going to cook.
4. Add the onions, toss them in the oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
5. You can cook them over medium heat in the beginning as they release liquid. Stir them intermittently.
6. As they have given off most of their liquid, you need to reduce the heat to low/very low and stir more frequently.
7. Be patient and wait for them to develop a golden brown or even deeper brown color. You can taste occasionally to see if they have developed the amount of sweetness and caramelization you like.
8. If they are sticking and you are getting a lot of brown bits stuck to the pan you can deglaze with a bit of water, wine or vinegar, but I did not need to do this.
9. When they are done to your liking, portion and freeze for up to 2 months. You can portion in baggies or any other freezer safe container but another good idea is to portion into muffin tins and freeze, then put all your muffin size portions in a big ziploc bag. The quantity will be dramatically less than what you started with.

The overall idea is to cook them slowly over low heat - you are NOT trying to brown them quickly or stir fry them.

RECIPE: Ground Cherry Marmalade

Recipe Taken from "The Farm Journal's Country Cookbook"

3 cups Ground Cherries husked and washed
2 cups Pears cooked, drained, and diced finely
¾ cup Water
½ cup Crushed Pineapple (drained)
¼ cup Lemon Juice
7 cups Sugar
½ bottle Liquid Fruit Pectin

Combine ground cherries, pears, and water: cook slowly for approx. 25 minutes.
Add the pineapple, lemon juice, and sugar-bring quickly to a full rolling boil. Add pectin: boil rapidly for 3 min.

Remove from heat and alternately skim and stir marmalade for 3 minutes.

Pour into hot sterilized jars: seal. Makes 7 one half pint jars.

RECIPE: Ground Cherry and Vanilla Compote

2-3 cups ground cherries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a saucepan, mix together the ground cherries, the sugar and the lemon juice. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and with the tip of a knife, remove all of its seeds. Add the seeds and the bean to the pan. If you use vanilla extract, add it only after the compote has finished cooking. Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until the cooking juices are slightly syrupy. Remove the vanilla bean and pour the compote into sterilized jars. Serve with toast, cookies or vanilla cake.

RECIPE: Egg Tip

Since many people are going to be getting a LOT of eggs for the next couple of weeks you should keep in mind that older eggs are easier to peel when hardboiled than fresh eggs are, so people should cook up their fresh eggs but whatever sits in their fridge for awhile they may wish to hardboil for salads, deviled eggs, etc.

RECIPE: Rustic Onion Tart Recipe

Ingredients
1 Pâte Brisée (tart dough) for one 10-inch tart or 1 packaged, flat pie crust (Trader Joe's has one in their frozen section)
3 medium sized red onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
Salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup (not packed) roughly grated Gruyère Swiss cheese

Method:
If you are making a crust from scratch, prepare the dough and let it chill in the refrigerator while you are cooking the onions.

Peel and slice the onions. Heat olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onions and sprinkle a little salt over them. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and are translucent.

Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for an additional 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well browned. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes more, until onions are completely caramelized. Remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes before rolling it out.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch diameter. Remove the crust dough to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place all but a couple tablespoons of the cheese in the center of the dough. Spread to within 1 1/2 inches from the edges. Add the caramelized onions, layering them on top of the cheese.

Fold the edges of the crust dough over so that a small circle of onion is still showing in the centre of the tart. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the tart.

Place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes at 450°F. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

RECIPE: Leek and Delicata Squash Soup

2½ lb. Delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
2½ Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large leeks, white and tender green parts, chopped
½ tsp. dried thyme
2½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
Sour cream, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and gently scrape or cut the flesh away from the skin. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the leeks and thyme and stir occasionally until soft and brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the stock and the squash and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Using a blender (note, an immersion hand blender probably cannot handle the leeks), purée the soup directly in the pot until smooth. (Alternately, purée the soup in batches in a standard blender or food processor.)

Season with the salt and pepper. Ladle hot soup into individual bowls, then top with sour cream.

RECIPE: Roasted Beets With Chiles, Ginger, Yogurt and Indian Spices

Time: 1 hour

1 3/4 pounds beets; a mix of red, yellow and chiogga is nice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
Pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon lime juice, more to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Pomegranate seeds for garnish, optional.

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the beets and cut into 1-inch chunks. Toss with the oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, then sprinkle with mustard seeds, coriander and cumin and roast until the beets are tender, about 15 minutes more.

2. While the beets roast, prepare the dressing: using the side of a knife or mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Place yogurt in a bowl; whisk in garlic paste, jalapeño, ginger, 1/4 teaspoon salt and lime juice. Whisk in the cilantro.

3. Scrape the warm beets into a large bowl. Stir in the dressing and pomegranate seeds, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Yield: 2 to 3 servings.

FARM NEWS 10.23

Hurray! Twenty weeks of vegetables!

Our work at the farm continues: spreading compost, seeding cover crops, prepping ground for the garlic planting, harvesting for CSA distributions.  The farm is beautiful right now with the fall colors all around, the rye sprouts turning the fields green, the slowed pace of the work.  Tracy and I are happy and relieved that three of our crew will be coming back for the 2012 season (Kasey, Tonya, and Dakota.)  What a blessing to know we have such an excellent crew lined up for another season!
  
Despite a relative abundance, we're now feeling the pinch from the brutal rainy weather of the summer's end.  Cabbages, carrots, daikon,  spinach, rutabegas,  all small and slow to grow in wet ground.  Thankfully, we ought to have plenty of food to get us to the middle of November, just not the overabundance we had last year.  Such is the reality of the real growing season in New England!
 
Now that our farmer's market in Norfolk is finished for the season, our family celebrated by taking a hike up the mountain overlooking the farm.  With no trail to follow, we bushwacked our way up the ridgeline, Baxter on my shoulders, Bea, Tracy, and Sedge leading the way.  Forty minutes into the hike and we were at the top, with a beautiful view of the farm and surrounding mountains. (Pictured).  

We are so blessed to live amongst such beauty, and thankful for the time, finally, to "recreate."
Here's approximate harvest #20:
"new" radishes
baby chard/spinach mix
onions
beets
carrots
potatoes
leeks
winter squash
parsnips
Kale/ Collards
turnip greens
parsley
Enjoy!
Your farmer,
Dan

FARM NEWS 10.17

Hi Folks,

This week was fun; harvesting, spreading rye seed for cover crops, chisel plowing.  And what great news that Dakota, Kasey and Tonya will all be coming  back for 2012!  And Dakota's friend, Mira, has signed on too.  So we have four experienced apprentices coming to work with us, and Tracy, Beatrice, Baxter and I are so happy to have them all back! (+ Mira).  So, based on our equipment and labor,  we've decided to increase the Chubby Bunny CSA to 300 full shares from 270.  We're confident that even given the extremes in weather, we should be able to produce enough for everyone...Also the increase should help our family pay down our farm equipment debt and start realizing a year to year savings for our retirement.  Retirement for a farmer?  Yes, this is the potential for a CSA farm.  There is no 401K.  There are no savings. We are living year to year, season by season. We are hoping to turn this corner soon when we can stop investing so much and start realizing financial security. According to our friends the Denisons of Denison Farm CSA (farmers of 30 years) say we are just about on track since we've been in business 11 years. Some members might be shocked at our financial realities but we actually feel pretty lucky to be solvent considering the economic climate for many farmers right now. And we have CSA to that for that. So onward we go planning for the next season, as the old joke goes, "What's the farmer's biggest asset? Next Year!"

Here's the harvest:
carrots, potatoes, beets, cabbage, onions, garlic, kale, fennel, radishes. winter squash

RECIPE: Pickled Beets with Red Wine (Easy Canning Recipe)

... in case you feel inundated with beets. This is pretty easy and a decent intro to canning:

Makes 7-8 pints

Ingredients:
6 pounds beets , with their rootlets and 2 inches of their tops, well scrubbed
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 4-inch sticks cinnamon, broken into pieces
1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 cups sugar
2 cups red wine
3 cups red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon pickling salt

Directions:

(Have ready 7-8 pint-size mason jars with 2-piece lids, a large canning kettle full of barely bubbling water and a medium saucepan of hot water. Immerse the jars in the kettle and immerse the lids in the saucepan until you are ready to use them.)

Put the beets into a large pot and pour enough boiling water over them to cover them. Return the water to a boil and boil the beets 15-35 minutes, depending on their size, until they are just tender

Drain the beets and cover them with cold water. When they are cool, trim them and slip off their skins. If they are large, half or quarter them—or, if you like, slice all the beets into ¼-inch thick rounds.

Tie the cloves, cinnamon and ginger in a spice bag or scrap of cheesecloth. Put this into a nonreactive pot with the sugar, wine, vinegar and salt. Bring the contents to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Simmer the syrup, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

While the syrup simmers, pack the beets into pint mason jars.

Remove the spice bag from the pan and pour the hot syrup over the beets, leaving ½ inch headspace. (Make sure there are no air bubbles in the jars.) Close the jars with two-piece caps (lids just fingertip tight). Process the jars for 30 minutes in a boiling-water bath. (Make sure the water is boiling all the time. If it stops boiling, do not count that time toward the 30 minutes. Make sure the jars are covered by at least 1 inch of boiling water at all times.)

(Remove the jars, setting them several inches apart on a clean dish towel; let them come to room temperature. When the jars are cool, test for a good seal by pressing the center of each lid. If the lid does not flex up and down, it is sealed. Another test is that when the jars are cool and sealed, you should be able to pick up each jar just by its lid.)

Store in a cool, dry place for about 3 weeks before eating. (It’s best to remove the rims before storing as they can trap water.)

RECPE: Kale and Winter Squash Gratin

Ingredients
1 medium winter or butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds), cut in half and seeded
1 tablespoons canola oil
4 ounces kale (stems trimmed and large ribs removed), rinsed and cut into thin slices
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch allspice
Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme, coarsely chopped
3/4 cups heavy cream (or 1% milk for lighter mixture)
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use butter to lightly grease a large (2 -quart) gratin dish.
2. Peel the squash, then cut it crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale, still slightly damp, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until it has wilted.
4. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 45 to 60 seconds, until it is fragrant.
5. Place half of the sliced squash in the prepared gratin dish; season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Combine the nutmeg, allspice and thyme in a small bowl.
7. Place the kale over the squash and sprinkle with half of the nutmeg-thyme mixture. Top with the remaining squash and sprinkle with the remaining nutmeg-thyme mixture.
8. Pour the cream over the vegetables; cover the gratin dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for about 45 minutes, until tender.
9. While the vegetables are baking, combine the bread crumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in a small bowl.
10. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Discard the foil from the gratin dish and use a spatula to press down on the mixture. Sprinkle the bread crumb-cheese mixture over the vegetables.
11. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

RECIPE: Super Easy Garlic Potato Pie

Ingredients: 1 lb of scrubbed boiling potatoes.
6 cloves fresh garlic, sliced finely.
1 cup of milk.
¼ cup of breadcrumbs.
3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.
3 tablespoons of butter

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 380°F.
Slice potatoes thinly.
Butter a 9-inch pie plate.
Arrange a layer of potatoes, garlic slices, parmesan and slices of butter.
Repeat using the rest of the ingredients (other than the milk), saving some of the cheese and the butter.

Heat the milk and pour over top of the potatoes.
Top with bread crumbs and remaining cheese and butter.

Bake for 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender and top has turned golden brown. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Veggie Fajitas With Quinoa

Ingredients:

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
Soft tortillas
1 onion, sliced thin
2 bell peppers, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, minced
1 bunch collards, sliced thin, rinsed
1 bunch cilantro, rinsed, chopped
2 limes
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

Add quinoa and 2 cups water to small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover pot. Cook 20 minutes until tender.

In a wide skillet sauté onions and peppers in 1 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic hot pepper and sauté another 3 minutes. Add collards and cover pot for 3 minutes until greens are wilted.

Turn off heat and add cilantro and squeeze 1 lime into pot add sea salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.

Heat up tortilla in a pan then add a spoonful of quinoa then 2 spoonfuls of veggies add more lime juice if desired and wrap tortilla. Yum!

RECIPE: Easy Potato and Onion Dish

Ingredients

4 potatoes, sliced
1 large sweet onion, sliced
1/4 cup butter, sliced
1 tablespoon dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced (or garlic powder)
(optional) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a 9x13 inch casserole dish, mix the potatoes, onions, butter, garlic, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Bake covered in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are tender. Add the cheese the last 10 minutes of cooking.

RECIPE: Roasted Winter Squash with Gorgonzola Cheese

Ingredients
1 medium winter squash (about 1-1/2 pounds), rinsed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Peel the squash if desired. Halve the squash and scoop out and discard the seeds and strings. Cut into 1-inch wedges.

3. Brush a roasting pan lightly with some of the butter.

4. In a medium bowl, toss the squash with the remaining butter and season with the salt. Spread out on the pan and roast for about 30 minutes.

5. Turn the wedges over and continue to roast until tender and browned, about 30 minutes more.

6. Transfer the squash to an ovenproof serving dish, season with pepper to taste and sprinkle with the cheese, while still hot, to melt slightly. Serve.

FARM NEWS 10.10

Finally the sun is shining! We are so happy to see the sun and have a little taste of Indian summer. It really boosts spirits at the farm. We did have a pretty good frost this past week and the crew was busy covering the tender greens. The frosty mornings create a shift in our harvest routine a bit. Throughout the season - especially in the hot summer months, we are racing to harvest the tender greens - salad mix, chard, arugula, spinach, before the sun gets up and heats them up. Now we have to harvest these items the afternoon before distributions so we aren't trying to cut them in the morning with the frost on them. The greens can hold up in a frost as long as you are careful with them and let them warm up a bit. These sunny warm days are a blessing for fall greens. The more sun and heat they get, the longer into the final weeks they'll be in the share.

This week's pics: Fennel harvest. Beets in the field. This picture tells a lot about the farm right now. You can see that we've plowed in all around this patch of beets that we still have to harvest. We're trying to get as much ground as possible in cover crops ahead of the cold weather...

Here's what we'll be harvesting this week: 

potatoes, onions, peppers, beets, carrots, lettuce, kale, garlic, winter squash

FARM NEWS 10.2

Well, it's only getting wetter at the farm.  Thank goodness the crops are still harvestable, thank goodness our crew's spirits are high, and thank you all for signing on with our farm, rain or shine!

First, about rotting potatoes.  Unfortunately, a  fifth of the potatoes are decaying, and a percentage of those go through the harvest undetected.  Please understand we're trying to catch the bad ones before they get to you but we're not always successful.  The same can be said of the peppers, which are at their peak harvest right now, and don't appreciate sitting on wet ground...

 

News from the field:

Despite the challenging conditions we're presented with at harvest, we did manage to start spreading compost this week, preparing ground to be cover cropped with rye ahead of the coming winter.  Spreading compost with the manure spreader is a spring and fall activity at the farm, the aim of which is to improve the tilth and fertility of our soils.  Our compost is made by mixing horse manure, cow manure, sawdust, and old hay, and letting it cure over time.  Well made, it's both earthworm food and plant food.  We've included a picture of muck spreading this week. 

Here's an approximation of your share:

celeriac

potatoes

carrots

onions

beets

garlic

leeks

winter squash

kale

peppers

hot peppers

Enjoy!

Dan and Tracy

RECIPE: Avigail’s Grandmother's Dairy-Free Apple Cake

4 cups diced apples, approx 4 apples(macs are best)
1¼ cups sugar
2/3 cups oil
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup raisins
1 tablespoon applesauce OR 1 mashed banana
Chopped walnuts if desired – some in batter & some on top

Method:
Mix apples & sugar and let stand for 15 minutes. Add oil, then eggs, then dry ingredients. Mix well. Grease bottom & sides of 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool before removing from pan.

RECIPE: Sweet Pepper Pasta with Kale

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package uncooked farfalle pasta
1 tsp olive oil
sweet peppers, chopped
1 c roughly chopped kale
4 cloves garlic, chopped
fresh basil, chopped
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes; drain.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in sweet peppers, kale and garlic. Season with basil, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender.

In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with skillet mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese to serve.

RECIPE: Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 leeks, sliced
1/2 cup heavy cream (or 1% milk)
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)

Directions
In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of grease and set aside.

Saute the leeks in the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes.
When the potatoes are tender, stir in the fried leeks, heavy cream and bacon. Stir to blend and remove from heat. Serve hot.

RECIPE: Easy Roasted Winter Veggies

1 Winter squash, peeled, large dice
2 carrots, cleaned, half moon slices
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fresh parsley, rinsed, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients except parsley in a bowl and mix to combine. Spread out evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast veggies turning the veggies every 15 minutes until 45 minutes have elapsed and they are golden brown and tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot!

RECIPE: Easy Fall Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
Salad Mix
1 head endive, chopped
1 Anjou pears
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Directions

Vinaigrette: In a saucepan, combine vinegar and cranberries. Cook over medium heat until cranberries soften. Remove from heat; add olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Place in blender and mix until smooth. Refrigerate until chilled.

Core and julienne pear.

In a large bowl, combine the Romaine lettuce, endive, diced pears, walnuts and Gorgonzola. Toss and drizzle with enough dressing to coat.

RECIPE: Onion Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
1/3 cup peeled garlic cloves (12-14 cloves)
2 bay leaves
2 ½ tsp salt or to taste
6 turns of freshly ground black pepper
2 qts chicken stock
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups diced bread
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup grated parmesan
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Heat oil and add onions, cloves of garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Caramelize the onions for at least 7 minutes.
2. Add the stock, minced garlic and basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Increase the heat and whisk in the bread and cream. Whisk until the bread is dissolved, about 10 minutes.
4. In a blender or using a stick blender, puree the soup until smooth.
5. Whisk in the parmesan and parsley.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

RECIPE: Quick Baked Leeks

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4c flour
1 1/2c skim milk
1/2c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 medium leeks, halved lengthwise

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9x12 in baking pan
2. Melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour until smooth.
3. Gradually stir in milk and cheese until cheese is melted. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
4. Arrange the leeks in a single layer in the pan and cover with cheese sauce.
5. Bake for 30 min in oven until leeks are tender and sauce is bubbly.

RECIPE: Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

In this one-skillet supper, we toss dark leafy greens, diced tomatoes and white beans with gnocchi and top it all with gooey mozzarella. Serve with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette.

6 servings | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 16-ounce package shelf-stable gnocchi, (see Tip)
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 cups chopped chard leaves, (about 1 small bunch) or spinach
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation
1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

FARM NEWS 9.25

Hi Folks,

This was another wet week, so mostly it was harvesting for distributions and a day of hand weeding greens for fall.  Soon it'll be time to spread compost and seed cover crops for winter, with 2012 in mind...  Thank goodness for such a great crew, harvesting in pounding rains, cheerfully learning the "ins and outs" of farming in the extremes of a new New England climate.  Will the rains only come harder next year?  Will it be a drought?  We wonder and will plant accordingly.  Some on the low, some on the high.  Wouldn't it be great to have an easy year, 1 inch of rain per week, with a dry spell in August?

This week's picture: direct seeded fall turnips coming up next to the leeks.

Here's the approximate share for week 16:

onions

carrots

beets

chard/ salad mix

collards/ broccoli greens

peppers

hot peppers

potatoes

winter squash

garlic

fennel

cabbage (small, thanks to excessive rains)

lemon balm

leeks

Enjoy!

D+T+B+Bax

FARM NEWS 9.18

Hi Folks,

Well, we're at week 15 and the final planting of fall greens like spinach, baby kale, broccoli raab, arugula, salad mix, mustard greens, and baby turnips are all in the ground.  The land was finally dry enough to drive on with the tractor to mow down old crops, chisel plow and rototill to prep ground for planting.   We also found time between the weekly harvests,  to bulk harvest the winter squash (looks like a terrific crop!) and finish the onion harvest. 

We'll attempt this week to start spreading compost and prepping ground for our garlic and winter cover crops.  If the weather turns wet we'll sit in the greenhouse and chop the stems of garlic and divide it into seed for planting and bulbs to give out in the shares.

    

This week's pictures: Baxter and Dan direct seeding kale.

Your approximate share this week:

onions

potatoes

peppers

leeks

salad mix

chard

kale

winter squash

carrots

beets

lemon balm

Enjoy!

Dan and Tracy

   

RECIPE: Carrot Soup with Ginger and Lemon

This soup can be eaten hot or cold. With the back & forth weather we've been having lately, it's nice to have the option. If you use a food processor to chop your veggies, it will cut down on your chopping time. This is a very quick & easy summer soup. Lovely!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds medium carrots, peeled, chopped (about 3 cups)
2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups (or more) chicken stock or vegetable stock (I use vegetable stock purchased from the store)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 small carrot, peeled, grated

Preparation:

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes and lemon peel; sauté 1 minute. Add 3 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

Puree soup in batches in blender, or use an immersion blender (it turns out smoother in a regular blender). Return soup to pot. Mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Ladle into bowls. Top each with sour cream and grated carrot, if desired.

RECIPE: Baby Greens with a Warm Gorgonzola Dressing

Ingredients
4 slices bacon
1 pear, thinly sliced
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
6 cups mixed baby greens
2 tablespoons toasted pecans

Directions
Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate; crumble and set aside.

Combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, white sugar, salt, garlic, and Gorgonzola cheese in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour the dressing into a small saucepan over medium-low heat and warm gently.

Toss the baby greens, pecans, pears, and crumbled bacon together in a salad bowl; drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

RECIPE: Roasted Beets and Sautéed Beet Greens

Ingredients
1 bunch beets with greens
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. (If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted)

Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.

When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.

FARM NEWS 9.11

Hi folks,

It rained and rained last week, soaking already soaked crops and soils, sending our season headlong out of summer and into fall.  We really couldn't do anything but just eek out our harvests for distributions until Friday afternoon, when we finally had dry enough conditions to handweed fall greens.  Where would we be without a really great crew of apprentices, smiling in the pounding rain, hauling in potatoes out of the mud?  And really good raingear too.  

 

The crops can't be appreciating all the moisture,  hopefully we'll pull through with minimal damage. I know many other farmers in this area have been hard hit by it all.  Several CSA farms I know of have lost half or more of what was left for the fall.  Even farms on high dry ground are starting to feel the stresses inherent with excessive moisture.  So I'm thankful for the relative bounty that continues to pour in, and hope you've been enjoying it as well!

This week's probable share:

Sweet Peppers

Onions

Leeks

Chard

Kale

Salad Mix

Beets

Carrots

Parsley

Winter Squash

Hot Peppers

Enjoy!

Dan and Tracy

Pictured is early morning salad harvest

RECIPE: Sesame Soba Noodles with Kale

1 package soba or udon noodles

For the sauce:

1 clove garlic
1/2 c tahini
3 tbsp tamari
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 c twig tea

For the kale:

2 tbsp sesame oil
1 bunch kale or Swiss chard, chopped and rinsed
1/2 c leek, cut into half moon slices, rinsed

Cook the pasta in 2 quarts of boiling water for 8 minutes. Check for tenderness, drain set aside and pour a splash of sesame oil over to keep from sticking.

In a blender combine all the sauce ingredients. If the sauce is too thick add more tea. Blend until smooth.

In the same pot that you cooked the noodles heat the sesame oil and add the leek. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add kale and cover the pot. Let steam 3 minutes and uncover the pot. Turn off the flame and stir to combine.

To assemble: add noodles to a bowl, add kale then top with sauce, enjoy with chopsticks!

RECIPE: Grated Carrots and Beets

Ingredients:
- 1 pound carrots
- 1 pound uncooked beets (get small, young ones, with smooth skin and firm flesh)
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil (or walnut, or squash seed, or olive oil)
- 1 tablespoon honey vinegar (or cider or balsamic vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon strong Dijon mustard
- Tabasco sauce or poblano pepper flakes, to taste
- Smoked salt (or regular sea salt, or gomasio, or zaatar)
- Freshly ground black pepper

Optional add-ins:
- Leafy fresh herbs (cilantro, chervil, flat-leaf parsley), chopped
- Toasted nuts (almonds, pine nuts, cashews, peanuts) or seeds (sesame, sunflower seeds)
- Shaved parmesan or cubed feta cheese or crumbled blue cheese
- Mâche or baby spinach leaves
- A grated apple or shallot
- Any dried herb, spice, or spice mix you think might work

Serves 4 to 6.

Trim, peel, and grate the carrots and beets with a box grater or the grating disk of your food processor. Place the rest of the main ingredients, from garlic to black pepper, in a large salad bowl, add the grated carrots and beets, and toss until well combined. Add any desired add-ins and toss again.

Taste, adjust the seasoning, and let stand for 30 minutes, if you can, before serving: the beets and carrots will render juices that will make the salad moister. If you don't have that kind of time and the salad does not feel quite moist enough, add a dash of citrus juice, tomato juice, or any sort of juice.

RECIPE: Sweet Onion Jam

(use with roasted or grilled pork, steaks, grilled chicken or duck)

Ingredients:
1 lb sweet onions
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/4 c dark corn syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 c dry red wine
dash salt

Directions:
1. Peel and cut onion lengthwise in thin slices
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet, add sliced onions and cook covered over med-low heat until tender and translucent. Stir frequently
3. Combine remaining ingredients and add to sliced onions. Stir to blend,
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 40 min until syrupy.
5. Pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze for later use.

FARM NEWS 8.29

Greetings all!

Well the good news is that all are well at the farm and there hasn't been too much damage and we are all trying to get back to normal. We are still currently without power but we can't see how that will have too much effect on the CSA shares this week. Of course we won't have refridgeration in the cold room but that shouldn't be too much of an issue as we have had nice cool nights. Anyhow, we are lucky that the sun came out and the flood waters receeded because Sunday was quite a day.

During heavy rains we are often locally flooded especially on the farm road. Dan knew Sunday morning that chances were good that the main road would be flooded as well. He drove off to milk the cow. ( I think most of you know by now that we live about a mile away from the farm, or about 6 miles when our little farm road is flooded.) As he drove he witnessed waters rising and new he only had a limited amount of time to milk and do the chores before the road would be impassable in all directions - north, south, east and west. After milking he noticed that the brook on the southern edge of the farm was flooding the southwestern most corner - tomatoes, eggplants and peppers were all under about 2 feet of water. Even more dire, was the fact our two pigs also live in this area of the farm. Dan went out to them with the tractor and found them up to their chests in water. He cut open their fencing and let them out, leading them to higher ground with fresh food and milk. Without an alternative pen for them and knowing the water on the road was rising with every minute he decided they would be fine on the loose and stick close to the barn.

He got in the truck and headed for home. Alas, it was too late and the road was impassable. What to do? Well he went back to the farm and parked the truck and headed out on foot. He crossed a small bridge on the south of the farm and headed into the woods. Dan was able to bushwack through the woods, crossing a small (thigh high) stream to come out through our neighbor's property. Needless to say they were a little surprised to see Dan in full rain gear emerging from their back pasture.

It sounds like a little bit of a harrowing adventure, doesn't it? Well Dan is just the sort to throw himself in to the moment and do what needs done with a hearty sense of adventure. Later, in dry clothes, he took Beatrice and the pup out exploring.

This morning all was back to work as normal at the farm. The piggies were huddled in the barn. The farm crew all showed up on time ready to go to it. So here we go again for another CSA harvest.... Since I'm not home right now and Dan and I are in scatttered directions I can't give you the exact harvest but it will probably include beets, carrots, potatoes, leeks, onions, kale, peppers, tomatoes...

We hope all of you have weathered the storm without too much damage.

Have a good week!

Tracy

RECIPE: Easy Double Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4c sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh basil, chopped, stems removed
salt, pepper to taste
1 whole wheat french baguette
1c parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. preheat oven to broiler
2. In a large boil, combine both tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Cut baguette into small 3 inch sections
4. on baking sheet, arrange baguette slices in a single layer, broil until slightly browned.
5. Divide the mixture evenly on top of slices and top with cheese.
6. Broil for 5 min or until cheese is melted.

RECIPE: Orzo with Lemony Leek Sauce

This pasta dish takes tender leeks out of the soup pot to use as a light pasta sauce. Because leeks can be gritty, slice them vertically before chopping so that you can rinse between layers.

Ingredient List
Serves 6
• 6 medium leeks, white parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. parsley
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 16 oz. orzo pasta
• 1/2 lb. asparagus, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Bring medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add leeks, and cook 10 minutes, or until tender.
2. Drain, and purée in blender with lemon juice, parsley and oil. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus to pasta water during last 2 minutes of cooking.
4. Drain pasta and asparagus, and transfer to large bowl. Top with leek sauce and cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

RECIPE: Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Dip

From Avigail: If you're not too afraid to turn on your oven these days, here is a delicious way to use your eggplants. I don't know about you, but I love eggplant dip, and when I buy it in the stores it often tends to be a little oily for my taste.

1 medium Italian eggplant, or 2 medium Chinese eggplants, skin peeled off with a vegetable peeler
2 red bell peppers, washed well, and seeded
1 red onion
2-4 cloves minced garlic (I like a lot of garlic in mine!)
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp tomato paste

For serving (pick one):
Tortilla chips
Pita chips
French Bread
Ciabatta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare veggies by chopping the eggplant, red pepper, and red onion into roughly 1-inch sized pieces. Put them in a large bowl, then toss well with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, so that all the vegetables are well coated. Spread them out in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet, then roast them for 45 minutes, tossing the vegetables once during roasting. Once they are done, they will be well-browned and soft.

Let the vegetables cool slightly, then transfer them to a food processor. Pulse the vegetables a few times to break them up, then add the tomato paste and pulse until well-blended and mostly smooth. (I like it smooth with a few larger bits, but you can leave the dip as chunky or as smooth as you like.) Serve at room temperature with chips or bread, or store refrigerated for a few days.

FARM NEWS 8.21

Hello folks!

We're back to the farm from sunny Colorado enjoying the current thunderstorm. Wow, what a rain! It looks like the crew had a great week at the farm in our absence. It sounds like the big happening while we were gone was a raccoon in the chicken coop. Our neighbor Chris took care of it (with his gun) before it did much damage. I guess now that we are buying in our corn the raccoons need to find something else to get into. Which brings us to corn... local members may have seen Dan's mug shot unloading a load of corn from Howden farm in the Lakeville Journal. We know that corn is such a big summer treat for folks that we don't want you to miss out. Sweet corn in real quantity requires so much land that we'd have to double our land base just to accomidate this crop .... Luckily for us Bruce Howden, in near by Sheffield Mass, does such a bang up job of growing sweet corn and he's just a phone call and short drive away. Having to grow so many different crops for the CSA model is pretty tricky and if there are one or two items Dan can cross off his to do list he can focus on all those other crops that need his attention. So we hope you're enjoying all the corn we're buying in! Our NYC CSA also buys in corn from a local grower, and this has eased our growing difficulties immensely!

This week's picture: Bea and Baxter helping to clean up the garlic.

Here's the likely upcoming harvest:

Corn?

Salad Mix

Onions

Garlic

Beets

Carrots

Tomatoes

Peppers

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Kale

Radishes

Potatoes

Enjoy!

T+D

FARM NEWS 8.14

Have you ever wondered how it all comes together? How do we plan what to plant and when, what to harvest next, what field work needs to happen asap? Well, this picture kind of says it all. Dan knows all these things from years of farming but his notebook is his key tool for keeping things straight. The inside front cover has his weekly to do list, including harvests. The front cover has the harvest numbers and contact info for each distribution site. The first 5-6 pages are the seeding schedule followed by daily notes for the past 2-3 years. Not only is Dan an extensive list maker (who will extol the therapeutic virtues of blackening completed items with a sharpie) but also a steadfast note taker. Dan has taken extensive daily notes on farm work, weather, family events etc. While you can see from the picture here we aren't talking about spread sheets or anything that technical but the value of this type of record keeping is enormous. Gosh, it seems like the melons are late... a quick glance will tell that we're a week behind from last year or didn't we give out more spinach last year...no, we've given the same amount - that sort of thing. It is so helpful to be able to look back and compare years or even remind ourselves of the little daily events that occur. So let's see August 15, 2010: Dan's dad's birthday, went to grammy and pop's for brunch, Dan fertilized the brassicas, mowed the potatoes, still milking Patches twice a day, our neighbor mowed our drainage ditches for us.

The notebook is also a critical tool for weeks like this upcoming one. The farm family will be away in Colorado for a family wedding and the crew will be running to show. I have to say they really are our best crew ever and are sure they are 110% capable of taking care of things while we are gone. But it will take Dan sitting down with his notebook tonight making lists and planning for the week ahead. It should be a great experience for them, as each person will have their own area of responsibility.

These apprenti are the best ever, please expect a perfect share!

This week's harvest:

Onions

Salad Mix

Beets

Carrots

Tomatoes

Peppers

Eggplant

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Basil

Leeks

Kale

Cabbage

Enjoy!

Your farmers D+T

RECIPE: Smoky Baba Ganoush

For those of you out there who (understandably) refuse to turn their oven on right now, try out this recipe for Baba Ganoush. It tastes like the eggplant has been roasted, but can be done on the stove.

Ingredients:

3 eggplants
2 tablespoon smoked olive oil (or use 2 tablespoons regular olive oil plus 1/2 teaspoon mild smoked paprika)
2 tablespoons tahini
3 quartered garlic cloves
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

As in the picture above, wrap 3 medium eggplants in triple layers of aluminum foil. It's important they are sealed--and again and again--to make sure every drop of moisture stays inside, thus creating a little steam oven. Plus, the eggplants will split and burst over the heat, so they need to be "contained." Set the foil packet directly over a medium flame on top of the stove and leave it be for 20 minutes, turning once, until the eggplants inside are quite soft.

If you don't have a gas burner on your stove, use a medium-heat flame on the grill outside for about the same time, turning once. Or set the packet on a lipped baking sheet in a 450F oven for about 40 minutes. However, if you use the oven, you'll miss some of the smoky taste.

Remove the packet from the heat and cool for a few minutes. Carefully unwrap it--the steam is still ridiculously hot!--and slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Set them cut side down in a colander set over a bowl to drain a bit--perhaps for 10 minutes. This will help the baba ganoush stay creamy without being watery.

Cut off the top knot from each eggplant, then set it flesh side up on a cutting board and scrape out the inner flesh, leaving as much of the peel behind as you can. A flatware knife works best--a paring knife or kitchen knife is too sharp and will shred the peel as the flesh comes off it.

Why leave the skin behind? It does indeed have some smoky taste, but it will also make the baba ganoush too gelatinous. By the next day, the stuff will be like Jell-O. And since these are make-ahead salads this week, they're all about "the next day."
Scrape the eggplants' flesh into a food processor fitted with the chopping blade.

Add 2 tablespoon smoked olive oil, 2 tablespoons tahini, 3 quartered garlic cloves, 1tablespoon sherry vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

That's it. Whir it up and scrape it into a bowl or sealable plastic container. Once again, it'll stay four or five days. And a spoonful next to a crunchy salad is a thing of beauty!

RECIPE: Simple Cucumber Sunomono

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, peeled
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 large carrot, thinly sliced julienne
few drops of sesame oil
1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced

Directions:
1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and scoop out large seeds.
2. Slice crosswise into very thin slices.
3. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Place cucumbers inside bowl and stir so that cucumbers are coated. Refrigerate mixture for at least 1 hr before serving.

RECIPE: Carrot beet apple slaw

2 carrots, grated
2 beets, peeled and grated
1 apple, peeled and grated
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 small red onion, grated
2 tbsp fresh mint, minced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine, enjoy!

FARM NEWS 8.7

Hi folks,

The peak of the season is here, tomatoes, corn, eggplant, peppers?, and the harvesting is getting heavier and heavier. Thank goodness for Chase and Mary who were hiking the AT and stopped in to lend a hand as volunteers. Also thank goodness for the steady pace our apprentices keep. I endeavor to give them the experience and learning they'll need for becoming farmers in the future....

This week: Between harvests, we wind-rowed the onions to dry down in the field, hand weeded the leeks and winter squash, trellised the last round of tomatoes, hoed the beets...The potato crop looks terrific, hope y'all have been enjoying the first round of Yukon Gold, the continued rounds of sweet onions, the surplus of cabbage and the first of the celery!

At home we've been adjusting and training our new border collie, "Sedge." I say we're training the pup but really we're also training the kids to train the dog. It's fun, it's work, it's a bit like it is at the farm...I must admit, though the pup is cute, I'm looking forward to the transition from pup to dog. Companion at the farm? Family friend? The border collie has been bred for brains and work, perfect on the farm!

This week's pic: Basil harvest, 6:30 AM.

This weeks harvest:

Salad Mix

Onions

Garlic

Beets

Carrots

Potatoes

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Basil

Leeks

Kale

Chard

Enjoy!

Your farmers

Dan and Tracy

RECIPE: Italian Style Kale and Zucchini

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1 ½ TBSP olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2-3 small-medium zucchini, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

Heat ½ TBSP of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the kale, cover and cook until the kale is wilted and tender. Uncover and stir in the garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Cook while stirring for 2 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

RECIPE: Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

Ingredients:

¾ lb pkg orzo pasta (multicolored is fun)

Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8 to 12 minutes

1 chopped onion, garlic to taste
3 large zucchini
olive oil for sauté

Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini, sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.

thyme
oregano
¼ cup grated parmesan or any hard yellow cheese

Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.
Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Babaghanoush

Note: This one is especially nice when the weather is hot and works especially well with the Chubby Bunny Farm eggplants. Most eggplant spread recipes begin "turn oven to 450... This one is quick, doesn't heat up the kitchen, and with the CB eggplants (and a few tweaks to the recipe) produces a really lovely pure white spread.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds eggplant peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup tightly packed minced fresh parsley (OK to leave this out; leaving it out results in a pure white spread)
2 large clove roasted garlic or 1 - 2 small cloves raw garlic minced
Tamari soy sauce to taste (I used table salt to preserve the white color instead of soy)

Steam the eggplant above boiling water for about 5 minutes till tender.
Put everything in food processor and push the on button. You can add a bit of olive oil; pour in as the mix is whizzing away so it would emulsify as for mayo.

RECIPE: Basil Pesto (super easy!)

Take a large bunch of fresh basil, about an equal amount of baby spinach, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2-1 teaspoon salt (depending upon taste) and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and chop in a food processor slowly adding olive oil until saucy. Then add some grated cheese and blend again. You can also add pine nuts if you like.

When you serve with the pasta, save a little of the past water and add it in with the sauce. This helps bind everything. That’s it. Really easy!

RECIPE: Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP.com

Serves 4, with dressing to spare

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sweet white miso
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seed oil
1/4 cup grapeseed or another neutral oil
2 tablespoons water
1 small/medium head of lettuce (I used Bibb) or mixed greens of your choice
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 avocado, quartered

Whiz the carrots, shallot and ginger in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then add the miso, vinegar and sesame oil. While the machine running, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil and the water.

Divide the lettuce among four bowls, add some of the onion and a quarter of the avocado. Drizzle with plenty of dressing and serve.

RECIPE: Pasta With Zucchini and Goat Cheese

Serves 4
Hands-on Time: 20m
Total Time: 20m

Ingredients
• 12 ounces linguine (3/4 box)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 5 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
3. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini is tender and any liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
5. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese to the pasta. Add the reserved cooking water, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir until creamy.
6. Serve the pasta topped with the zucchini, lemon zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons cheese.

Tip
If you have any fresh herbs on hand (tarragon, parsley, chervil, chives), chop them up and toss them with the pasta before serving.

FARM NEWS 7.31

Hi folks,

This past week's weather was a welcome break from all that heat and dry. Plenty of rain and lower temps made work a pleasure! We transplanted fennel, zucchini, rutabegas for fall, direct seeded salad mix, and arugula. We hoed and weeded fall carrots, parsnips, cabbages. It was a lot to squeeze in between harvests.

This coming week on the farm, hand weeding leeks and harvesting onions. It looks to be an epic harvest, due to the size and quantity of this particular crop. To harvest them, we first windrow them in the field, let them dry down for a week or so, then bring them into the barn to finish curing.

New in your share this week: Leeks, potatoes, and celery. Soup anyone? All three crops look really good, though a touch weedy and will take some work to clean up ahead of harvesting.

This week's picture: Yes, we still have seedlings for transplanting. Here are beets, fennel, turnips, chard and a few other items that we'll be planting for the fall. As we turn the corner into August we'll stop seeding in trays and finish up our fall seedings by directly seeding in the field fall greens and fall radishes.

Here's your approximate share:

Salad Mix

Carrots

Onions

Leeks

Potatoes

cucumbers

zucchini

tomatoes

eggplant

collards

cabbage

celery

basil

What to Do with Beets

One easy option is to cook beets ahead of time and then cube them and keep them in the fridge, either to toss in salads through the week, or to combine with feta and a little vinaigrette. Preparing them is easy: just scrub them with a veggie brush and then wrap them in foil and roast them at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until they are tender. Once they are cool, the skins rub right off. In this heat it can be hard to turn on the oven, so instead you can boil them in salted water for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Again when cool, the skins rub right off.

Another alternative is to simply peel the beets (uncooked), and then slice them really thin and put them right into salads - raw. You can do this with a peeler or grater. It’s a very easy way to use beets without having to use the oven to roast or bake, nor do you have to turn on the stove. Very fast and very tasty!

RECPE: Braised Zucchini Wheels with Sesame-Mint Pesto

Ingredient List

Serves 4
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup whole almonds
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 Tbs. fresh mint leaves
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. sesame seeds
• 4 medium zucchini (2 lb.), cut into 5 wheels each

Directions
1. Pulse breadcrumbs, almonds, garlic, mint, lemon juice, and lemon zest in blender or food processor until coarsely chopped. Add oil and sesame seeds, and pulse several times to make chunky pesto.

2. Score an X in each zucchini wheel to within 1/2 inch of bottom, making sure not to cut through. Gently pry each wheel open, and stuff with 1 heaping tsp. pesto. Place zucchini wheels snugly in single layer, stuffing-side up, in medium saucepan. Add 1 cup water, cover pan, and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook 20 minutes, or until zucchini are tender. Serve hot, with cooking liquid drizzled over top.

RECIPE: Basil Burgers

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh mozzarella
2 sprigs chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns, split
sliced tomato, sauteed onions, or mushrooms for toppings

Yields 4 servings

Directions

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

In a bowl, mix the ground beef, mozzarella, Worcestershire sauce, basil, garlic powder, and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 burger patties.

Lightly oil the grill grate, and cook burgers about 6 minutes, turning once, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), or to desired doneness. Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings!

RECIPE: Chilled Cucumber-Mint Soup with Yogurt or Sour Cream

From Farmer John’s Cookbook

Serves 4 to 6

4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 4 cups)
1 to 2 cups water
2 cups plain yogurt (or 1 cup plain yogurt combined with 1 cup sour cream)
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
several fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
1 tablespoon honey
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
2 scallions, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1. Combine the chopped cucumber, 1 cup water, yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, honey, and 1 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Purée the ingredients, adding more of the water until the soup is a consistency you like. Season with more salt to taste.

2. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and chill for several hours. Garnish each serving with chopped scallions (or any herb garnish of your choice).

FARM NEWS 7.24

Hi Folks,

What a hot week! We really felt the heat of summer this past week, and are past due for a soaking rain. The crops are coming through pretty well, though our broccoli seems to be taking the heat poorly. The potatoes also could use some moisture to size up, and the greens like collards, kale, chard and arugula look pretty wilty by midday. It's hard as the farmer to see dessicating crops, but equally hard to see drowning crops. If the pain of the dry ever gets to be too much, I gaze into the onion crop, which appears spectacular. It sure seems like this might be a season where we get both extremes! This dryness reminds me of the four week stint we had last summer in late June/ early July. It passed, the rains came gently back, and the crops survived.

The good thing about summer heat is summer crops. Barring any catastrophe, we should start seeing tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Also there's no need to visit the sauna or take vitamin d.

This week's pictures: Everybody loves onions! Bea's friends harvested some onions during her birthday party.

Your share this week:

Salad Mix

Carrots

Beets

Onions

Garlic

Cukes

Zukes

Eggplant?

Mint

Basil

Tomatoes?

Chard

Enjoy!

Your farmer Dan

RECIPE: Peach Coffee Cake

Peach Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
Cake
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk*
3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup peeled, diced fresh peaches

Topping
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9-inch round pan.

2. Make the cake batter: Whisk together the dry ingredients (pastry flour through salt) and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, one third at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Add the vanilla. Fold in the peaches until evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth down with a rubber or offset spatula.

3. Make the topping: Combine all the topping ingredients in a small mixing bowl and combine until it looks like wet sand (I found that using my hands was the easiest way to do this). Sprinkle mixture evenly over the batter.

4. Bake according to pan size–25-30 minutes for the two rounds–until the top is golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.

*Note: If you don't have buttermilk, here is a trusty substitute: 3/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt + 1/4 cup water for every cup of buttermilk. If you look online you can find other options, namely souring some milk with lemon juice or vinegar, but I prefer the texture that results from the yogurt plus water.

RECIPE: Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 cups heavy cream
3 lemons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch brocolli1 pound dried fusilli pasta
1/2 pound baby arugula
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds.

2. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

3. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

4. Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot.

6. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli.

7. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

RECIPE: Savory Kale, Cannellini Bean, and Potato

Savory Kale, Cannellini Bean, and Potato

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
3/4 cup diced carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup white wine
3 potatoes, halved and sliced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups finely chopped kale leaves
1 small red chile pepper, seeded and chopped fine
ground black pepper to taste


Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrot and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Pour in the chicken broth, water, and white wine; stir in the potatoes, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cannelini beans, kale, chile pepper, and black pepper, and simmer, covered, for 30 more minutes.

RECIPE: Tahini-Soy Sauce Greens

Tahini-Soy Sauce Greens

Note: Works well with either bok choy or komatsuna

1 head bok choy or bunch komatsuna
1/4 cup tahini
1-3 tablespoon water or lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons soy sauce to taste

Wash and coarsely chop greens. Put stems into a steamer for two minutes; then add the leaves and steam for three to four minutes, until tender-crisp. Drain, pressing lightly to remove excess water. Mix the tahini, water or lemon juice, and soy sauce in a bowl. Pour the sauce over the greens and toss, or let each person dip pieces of greens into the tahini-soy sauce.

[Ann’s notes: Instead of steaming I sautéed the greens in a little bit of peanut oil, starting the stems about 3 minutes before the leaves, then added the leaves and just let them wilt down. I didn’t measure the dressing carefully but I think the amount of dressing as the recipe is written would be more than needed for one bunch of komatsuna. I used about a heaping tablespoon of tahini, the juice of half a (juicy) lemon, and a couple of shakes of soy sauce. I just made this and it is really good.]

FARM NEWS 7.17

Hi folks,

It was an incredibly physical week at the farm- garlic harvest, handweeding peppers and eggplants, putting hay mulch on the tomatoes, seeding more salad mix, dragging out the irrigation for our tomatoes....It can be incredibly challenging to jump right into field work when the weekly harvest now occupies 75% of our time. Thanks to this year's very able and hardworking crew, the challenge has been fun!

Pictured this week: Carrot harvest.

This week's share:

Salad Mix

Arugula

Carrots

Beets

Cabbage

Onions

Cucumbers

Zucchini

Radishes

Komatsuna

Kale

Enjoy!

Your farmers,

Dan and Tracy

RECIPE: Zucchini Keftedes with Feta and Dill

Zucchini Keftedes with Feta and Dill

12 servings
• PREP TIME: 1 hour
• TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
• 1 1/3 pounds medium zucchini, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 1 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
• Canola oil (for frying)
• Plain whole-milk or reduced-fat Greek-style yogurt (for garnish)
• Additional chopped fresh dill (for garnish)

Panko is available in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets and at Asian markets. Greek-style yogurt is a thick yogurt that's sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Preparation
• Grate zucchini on large holes of box grater onto clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle zucchini with 1 teaspoon coarse salt; let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil. Wrap zucchini in towel; squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Place zucchini in medium bowl. Mix in green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped dill, mint, garlic, lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Gently stir in panko and egg, then feta. Using 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture for each, shape mixture into 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter patty; place on baking sheet. Chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Keep chilled.
• Pour enough canola oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add patties to skillet. Cook until golden and cooked through, adjusting heat if browning too quickly, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Using slotted metal spoon, transfer to paper towels.
• Arrange keftedes on platter. Top each with dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle each with dill. Serve warm or at room temperature.

RECIPE: Ruby Chard Decorated with Itself

Ruby Chard Decorated with Itself

From The Vegetable Dishes I Can’t Live Without by Mollie Katzen

Serves 4 to 6
• 1 pound ruby chard, washed in several changes of water and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup minced red onion
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• Salt (to taste)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup lightly toasted pine nuts (optional)

Use a very sharp knife to remove the stems from the chard leaves. Coarsely chop the leaves and set them aside. Trim and discard the very tips of the stems (as well as any dinged up edges), and mince the rest.

Place a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add about 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and swirl to coat the pan. Toss in the chard stems and the onion, turn the heat up to medium-high, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired, then transfer the mixture to a medium-sized bowl, and set aside.

Without cleaning it, return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Pour in the vinegar, and bring to a boil. (Open your windows!) Turn the heat to very low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour this slightly reduced vinegar over the stem–onion mixture in the bowl.

Return the still-uncleaned pan to the stove over medium heat, wait another minute, then add the remaining olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and toss in the chard leaves. Cook quickly, turning with tongs as you go, until the leaves are wilted. This will only take a couple of minutes. You can salt the leaves lightly while they cook, if you wish.

When the leaves are done to your liking, transfer them to a serving plate or bowl, and taste to adjust salt. Add black pepper to taste, then spoon the stem mixture over the top, being sure to include all the juices. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, topped with pine nuts, if desired.