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| CSA Newsletter for October 16 - 17, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
We have come to the end of our CSA season. Most of the plants have slowed their vegetable production, or have quit completely.
We will continue to have some vegetables holding into the winter, including red cabbage, leeks, kale, and some winter squash.
This week we have a special treat: honey from the hives Mark Cawsey has carefully tended on our farm. If you enjoy the honey and would like more, he can be reached at beekeeper@localnwhoney.com or 425-478-5024.
Dave’s beef steers will be around until next Wednesday. We have one quarter still available, so if you are interested, give me a call or send email soon.
Thank you all for participating in our first season. I really appreciate our community of old and new friends that makes up this CSA.
What's in the Box this Week?
Bunch Swiss chard Bunch Kale Bunch Parsley Shallots Scallions (green onions) Red onion Eggplant Beets Carrots Peppers: Jalapeno hot pepper Healthy sweet pepper Nardello sweet pepper Serrano really hot pepper Potatoes – Chieftain Red Cucumbers – eating and lemon Red Cabbage Summer squash Winter squash – Acorn and Delicata Pumpkin – Sugar (orange) or Li’l Pumpkemon (white with yellow stripes) Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Beets, Potatoes, Carrots: Borscht is a traditional Russian dish using beets and other winter root vegetables. The version below does not use sour cream and is like a stew.
Winter Borscht, Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009 Serves 6 - 8
¾ - 1 pound stewing beef or chicken (chopped) 1 cup onion (chopped) Brown in oil in large soup pot over medium heat, 10 minutes.
8 cups water 2 cups potatoes (chopped) ½ head cabbage (shredded) 1 cup beets, beet stems, or beet greens (chopped) ½ cup carrots (diced) ½ cup pearl barley 2 bay leaves ¼ cup fresh dill (chopped; optional) 1 teaspoon salt or to taste ¼ teaspoon pepper ½ cup fresh chives (chopped; optional) Add and bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If using beet greens and fresh dill, do not add until the next step.
½ cup fresh parsley (chopped) Add and simmer until barley is cooked and meat is tender, another 10 minutes.
Acorn and Delicata Winter Squash: The acorn squash in your box is called “Honey Bear” and is intentionally smaller than the standard acorn squash. It is prepared in the same manner as Delicata winter squash: cut in half, remove the seeds, and bake cut side down in ¼ inch water in an uncovered casserole until soft. Remove from the oven and add the filling below, then finish baking.
Here is a savory idea for stuffing winter squash, derived from Simply in Season. This recipe will stuff a couple of small winter squash. Serves 2-3
Apple-Sausage Stuffing:
1/2 pound bulk sausage 1 small onion, (diced) 1 small apple (diced) 1 cup toasted bread cubes 3/8 cup nuts (chopped) 3/8 cup golden raisins 1/2 tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt 1/8 teaspoon each dried thyme, basil and oregano Brown Sausage in large skillet. Add onion and apple and sauté just until tender. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and stuff into cooked squash, cover, and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Pumpkin: We all are familiar with carving pumpkins for Halloween. Pumpkins are also a great winter squash, and edible in many dishes other than pumpkin pie. In parts of Africa, pumpkins are a staple food. In your box you will find either an orange sugar pumpkin, or a white-with-yellow stripes pumpkin. Both are delicious cooked. If your pumpkin is orange with some green, leave it on the inside until it turns full orange (a couple of days), then you can cook with it. Pumpkin is baked just like any other winter squash.
Spiced Pumpkin Bread, Healthy Homestyle Cooking, Evelyn Tribole, Rodale Press, 1994. Makes one loaf
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 4 egg whites 1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin ½ cup buttermilk 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce 2 tablespoons molasses 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with no-stick spray, or grease the pan, and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Add the egg whites, pumpkin, buttermilk, applesauce, and molasses.
Use an electric mixer to beat on low speed just until blended, then beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the walnuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove the bread and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. CSA Newsletter for October 9 - 10, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
The temperature is consistently at or below 60 degrees now, so the tomatoes have stopped blooming. Amazingly, we still have cucumbers and some summer squash. This is the last week for fresh beans.
We have the first winter squash in this week’s box. We grow both delicata and acorn winter squash. They are orange inside, and delicious. Leeks will also debut in this box.
The pumpkins in our field are starting to turn color; many are still deep green. However, our neighbor Jubilee has a huge pumpkin patch open each weekend through October, with a hay maze, and both horse and tractor drawn wagons.
I hope you are enjoying the season.
What's in the Box this Week?
Green beans Yellow Wax Beans Lettuce (small) Bunch Swiss chard Bunch Kale Bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions Shallots Leeks Beets Carrots Peppers: Jalapeno hot pepper Healthy sweet pepper Nardello sweet pepper Serrano really hot pepper Potatoes – Yellow Fin and Red Norland Cucumbers - lemon and eating Summer squash Winter squash – Delicata Red cabbage
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Delicata Winter Squash: Winter squash has a hard rind that is not eaten. The seeds are removed before cooking. These squash do not need refrigeration; just store it in a cool dark place. The easiest way I know to prepare winter squash is in the microwave. To bake in an oven, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place in 1/4-inch of water in a casserole, then bake at 400 degrees until soft. Delicata squash are striped white or yellow and green.
Squash, winter, Betty Crocker’s Microwave Cookbook, Prentice Hall, 1990. Serves 4 (depends on size of squash)
1 medium or 2 small winter squash
Wash the squash. Pierce with tip of sharp knife in several places to allow steam to escape.
Place squash on paper towel in microwave oven. Microwave uncovered on high 4 to 6 minutes or until squash is hot and rind is firm but easy to cut through; cool slightly. Carefully cut into halves; remove seeds. Arrange squash halves, cut sides down, on 10-inch plate. Cover tightly and microwave on high 5 to 8 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with top of sharp knife. Let stand covered 1 minute.
To serve:
· Top each squash with margarine or butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. · Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and drizzle with maple syrup. · Remove cooked squash from rind and mash. Our favorite is to stir in applesauce or a red fruit jelly.
Leeks and Potatoes: Leeks are relatives of onions, with a milder taste. They will keep growing slowly until next April, when they put up a flower spike and become too woody to eat. Most people eat the white lower portion and some of the green up to where the leaves start. Here is a healthy version of leek and potato soup without cream. This soup freezes well.
Leek Vichyssoise, Healthy Homestyle Cooking, Evelyn Tribole, Rodale Press, 1994. Serves 6
3 medium leeks (about 1 pound) [the leeks in the box are about ½ pound] 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 3 cups chicken broth, defatted 2 cups evaporated skim milk ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Cut and discard the roots and tough leaves from the leeks. Cut the leeks lengthwise in half and rinse under cold water to remove the dirt. Then cut the leeks crosswise into ¼”-thick slices (about 2 cups).
Lightly spray an unheated medium saucepan with no-stick spray. Heat the saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks. Cool and stir for 5 minutes. Then add the potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Transfer the leek mixture to a blender or food processor. Blend or process until smooth. Stir in the milk and pepper. If desired, chill the soup before serving. Or, return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat just until heated through.
Red Cabbage:
Meltaway Cabbage, Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009. Serves 6
¼ cup butter Melt in Dutch oven or large soup pot with a heavy bottom.
1 large onion (diced) Add and sauté 10 minutes until soft.
2 tablespoons paprika 1 medium head cabbage (thinly sliced) Stems of 1 bunch of Swiss chard (thinly sliced, optional) 2 teaspoons salt Add paprika and sauté briefly. Add cabbage, chard stems and salt, stir to coat vegetables with paprika, cover and cook on very low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is very soft. The longer the cabbage cooks, the sweeter it will be.
1 pound egg noodles or chunky pasta (cooked) Mix into cabbage with pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream.
This is Dave’s favorite red cabbage recipe, and it is not from a cookbook:
One small red cabbage, shredded or cut up fine A few sweet onions, chopped Bacon or chopped up sausages (Dave likes Aidell’s chicken and apple) Olive Oil
In a wok or frying pan, sauté the red cabbage in olive oil for several minutes, until soft. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add onions to the pan and sauté them until soft. Remove and set aside.
Add meat to the pan and sauté until done. Return the cabbage and onions to the pan and sauté until warmed through. Serve and eat.
Dave usually makes enough for leftovers. He says it is even better the second day. ______________________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for October 2 -3, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
Now I’m seriously harvesting by headlamp.
We have reached the month of October, usually the end of the growing season for most annual vegetables. This is also the month to plant next year’s garlic.
This is probably the last week for tomatoes and cucumbers, and we’ll see about the summer squash. Shorter days, cooler nights, means the plant production slows way down. Surprisingly, the green beans recovered from the earlier harvests, and we have fresh green beans this week in October!
The cool season vegetables are doing fine, even if a little slower. Root vegetables such as carrots and beets can remain in the ground into the winter. Kale and chard will be fine for a while, until we have a serious frost.
The really small green pepper in the boxes is a Serrano. These are very hot, so use sparingly.
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry Sweet Corn Green beans Bunch Swiss chard Bunch Kale Bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions Shallots Beets Carrots Peppers: Jalapeno hot pepper Healthy sweet pepper Nardello sweet pepper Serrano really hot pepper Potatoes – Yellow Fin and Red Norland Cucumbers - lemon and eating Summer squash Red cabbage Cauliflower – Romanesco (bright green and conical shaped) Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Here are three recipes using several of the vegetables in our box, from Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009.
Corn and Sweet Peppers:
Fresh Corn Sauté Serves 6
3 tablespoons butter 1 cup green pepper (chopped) [try the yellow Healthy sweet pepper] ½ cup onion (chopped) Melt butter in frypan. Sauté green pepper and onion 2 minutes.
4 cups corn ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon salt Pepper to taste 2 tablespoons red sweet pepper (diced) [try the red Nardello pepper] Add and stir well. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 – 12 minutes.
½ cup cheddar cheese (shredded) 4 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled) Sprinkle over corn and serve.
Green Beans and Potatoes:
Curried Beans and Potatoes Serves 4 – 6
3 tablespoons mustard oil or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (black if available) 4 cloves garlic (finely sliced) Heat oil in medium frypan over medium-high heat. When hot, add mustard seeds. As soon as mustard seeds begin to pop, add garlic. Stir for a minute until garlic turns golden.
½ teaspoon ground turmeric 1/8 – ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 medium potato (quartered and thinly sliced) Add and stir 1 minute.
4 cups green beans (whole or cut) Add and stir until mixed. Salt to taste. Add small amounts of water to keep from sticking and to allow it to steam. Cook until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. When done, increase heat to evaporate remaining liquid.
Tomatoes, Carrots, Onion and Parsley: I love lentil stew, and usually make enough to freeze using a slow cooker. Here is a quicker recipe.
Hearty Lentil Stew Serves 6
4 cups water 1 cup dried lentils 1 cup fresh tomatoes (chopped) 4 large carrots (chopped) 2 onions (chopped) 1 teaspoon dried thyme ½ teaspoon dried marjoram 2 tablespoons dry sherry (optional) Cook together until lentils and carrots are soft, 40 – 45 minutes.
¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped) 2-3 teaspoons salt Stir in parsley with salt to taste. Heat another minute and serve, garnished with grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese (optional).
Lemon Cucumbers: The lemon cucumber plants produced a lot this week, to m surprise. I did a quick search on the internet for recipes, and found this useful site with links to recipes: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/lemon_cucumbers/
Romanesco Cauliflower: This bright green cauliflower tastes like the white one, but is easier to grow in our climate. This recipe on line looks good: http://www.eatdangerously.com/newfood/recipe_romanesco_cauliflower_pasta.htm
Romanesco Cauliflower Pasta Serves 4
1 head Romanesco cauliflower 2 shallots, minced 1/3 cup dry white wine 1 pound fresh linguini 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped 1/3 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, grated 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper Cut the cauliflower in half, cut out the inner core and break off the pointy florets into 1 inch pieces. Put a large pan on medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil and heat up. Add the shallot and stir for a minute or two, then add the cauliflower. Continue to cook and stir for about 8 to 10 minutes uncovered until the florets start to brown. Start making the pasta. Add some salt and pepper to the cauliflower. Pour in the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan by rubbing with a wooden spoon and stirring everything in the pan. Put the heat on low, cover and steam for about a minute until the cauliflower is tender. Add the basil. Remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. ______________________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for September 25 - 26, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm The Autumnal Equinox is here – officially at 2:04 am Pacific Daylight Time on September 23rd. At this time of year, we get about 12 hours of daylight with sunrise around 7 am and sunset around 7 pm. The shorter hours of daylight make a big difference for farmers, as we have fewer hours to get the farm work done.
This week I have seen my neighbor farmers harvesting flowers by headlamp. I have been known to use a headlamp to harvest veggies after dark, too.
The plants react to the shorter days, with cucumbers and squash noticeably slowing production. We can expect bigger changes in the plants as we shift to cooler and wetter weather.
Last week’s warm weather helped the beans produce again, and we have a special treat – sweet corn!
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry Sweet Corn Yellow wax beans Green beans Bunch Swiss chard Bunch Kale Bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions Shallots Beets Peppers: Jalapeno hot pepper Healthy sweet pepper Nardello sweet pepper Big Jim medium hot pepper Eggplant Potatoes – Princess Ratte Fingerling and Yellow Fin Cucumbers (lemon and eating) Summer squash – patty pan and zucchini Red cabbage Cauliflower – Veronica (green and sort of triangular) Artichokes
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Sweet Corn: The variety we grow is called “Luscious”, a combination yellow and white sweet corn from organic seed. There is nothing so wonderful as pulling an ear of corn off the stalk, walking back to the house, and cooking it immediately. We remove some of the outer layers, leaving enough to cover the corn kernels, and cut off the tip. Then microwave it for 3 minutes per ear and let sit another 3 minutes. It is delicious as is, or add butter/margarine and salt.
Cauliflower: The unusual green and sort of triangular bumpy vegetable in your box this week is Veronica cauliflower. It is supposed to taste a bit nutty. This amazing plant holds well in the field when the white cauliflower does not. It can be used like any other cauliflower, eaten fresh, or steamed, microwaved, or sautéed in olive oil and garlic.
Garlic and Cheese-Crumbled Cauliflower, Serving Up the Harvest, Andrea Chesman, Storey Publishing, 2007.
1 large head cauliflower, broken into florets ¼ cup butter 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1 cup bread crumbs ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain well. 2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 1-1/2 quart baking dish with butter. 3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and parsley and simmer just until fragrant, about 2 minutes. 4. Toss together the bread crumbs, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. 5. Arrange the cauliflower in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crumb mixture. Drizzle the butter and garlic mixture over the top. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is not and the crumbs are golden. Serve hot. Serves 2 - 4 Summer Squash: Here is a recipe for summer squash, and patty pan squash can be substituted for the zucchini.
Fresh Squash Casserole, Relish, Publishing Group of America, insert in the Seattle Times newspaper.
3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 2 pounds zucchini squash, sliced 2 pounds yellow squash, sliced 3 eggs ½ cup half-and-half 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves ¼ cup panko bread crumbs ¼ cup finely grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Heat butter and oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add summer squash. Cover and cook over medium heat 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. With a slotted spoon, transfer mixture to a buttered 2-quart casserole. 3. Combine eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper and thyme. Pour over the squash and mix well. 4. Bake 35 minutes. Remove from oven and top with panko and cheese. Place under broiler and broil until brown, about 3 minutes.
Serves 8
Swiss Chard: This recipe is from Bruce, a friend and member of our CSA.
Elegant Chard Gratin, Vegetable Love, Barbara Kafka, Artisan, 2005.
1 pound white chard stems, trimmed and cut across into ¾ inch pieces (about 4 cups) [OK to use other colors of chard] 3 large eggs 1-1/2 cups heavy cream ¾ teaspoon kosher salt 8 grinds fresh black pepper ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Place a rack in the lowest level of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Put the chard stems in a pot of boiling water. Cover until the water returns to a boil, then uncover and cook for 10 – 12 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Leave the stems in the colander for 10 – 15 minutes to drain. The stems may be prepared to this point up to a day in advance; wrap and refrigerate.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and cheese. Add the stems. With hands, mix ingredients together until very well combined.
Grease a 9-inch glass pie pan with the butter. Pour the mixture into the pan, making sure to scrape out the bowl completely. Carefully place in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Remove and let cool for 5 minutes to allow the juices to collect. Invert onto a flat serving dish and serve warm.
Serves 6 as a side dish, 4 as a main course.
Kale: Bruce also recommends the Country Pork Ribs, White Beans and Kale recipe at http://www.theconstanthunger.com/the-constant-hunger/2011/03/country-pork-ribs-with-white-beans-and-kale.html . ____________________________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for September 18 - 19, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
Ah, the wonderful sound of rain on the roof! I know this is probably not a popular viewpoint, but I am a native-born northwesterner.
The rain is also great for the crops that had to make it through the recent hot weather without irrigation. Let’s hear it for the brassicas: kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, and cabbage all survived without water for a month.
The heat really took a toll on the lettuce; it will be at least another week before it recovers. The field was lovely with 2-foot tall lettuce plants in reds and greens, after they all bolted. Good thing the steers enjoy flowering lettuce.
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry Bunch Swiss chard Bunch Kale Bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions Beets Peppers: Jalapeno hot pepper Nardello sweet pepper Anaheim medium hot pepper Eggplant Red Chieftain potatoes (small) Yellow Fin Potatoes (small) Cucumbers (lemon and eating) Summer squash – patty pan and zucchini Red cabbage Artichokes Garlic – Romanian Red or Killarney Red Shallots – Ambition
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Red Cabbage: This is my favorite cabbage, because it is beautiful, delicious, and keeps in the field or refrigerator for a long time.
Red Cabbage Coleslaw. I don’t know where I got this recipe; I’ve used it for several years.
4 cups grated or chopped red cabbage (about 1/3 – ½ cabbage) 2 carrots, grated ¼ cup leek or onion, minced 1 cup mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon dry mustard Caraway seed (try ½ tablespoon) Salt to taste
Combine vegetables. Combine mayonnaise, mustard and caraway, then mix with the vegetables. Refrigerate at least one hour.
Kale and Chard: As the season cools and the days are shorter, kale and other greens return.
Pasta and Fresh Greens, The Gardeners’ Community Cookbook, Smith & Hawken, Workman Publishing, 1999.
2 pounds fresh greens, coarsely chopped, washed and drained 2 tablespoons minced garlic 8 cups chicken broth ¾ pound spaghetti, linguine, or fettucine ½ cup grated Romano cheese
1. Place the greens, garlic, and broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer until the greens are tender, 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the greens. Remove from the heat but do not drain. Set aside in a warm place. 2. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain briefly and transfer to a platter or large bowl. Ladle the greens along with a bit of their cooking liquid over the pasta. 3. If serving as a pasta dish, top with cheese. 4. If serving as soup, add the rest of the pot liquid over the pasta and greens. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, and serve without tossing.
Artichokes: Artichokes are very high in iron, as I have learned by accidentally touching the cut end to clothing; it will permanently stain.
Artichokes and Mozzarella, Pasta Sauces, Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library, Time Life Custom Publishing, 1994.
Juice of one lemon 6 artichokes, about 3 ounces each (you can use smaller ones, too) 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves Salt and pepper
Have a bowl of water 3/4ths full to which you have added the lemon juice. Remove the stem and tough outer leaves from the artichokes until you reach the pale green heart. Cut each artichoke in half lengthwise. Scoop out the prickly choke from the center and discard. Cut the artichokes lengthwise into long, thin slices. As the artichokes are cut, place them in the bowl of water.
In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, reduce the heat to very low and cook slowly until the garlic takes on its distinctive golden color without burning, about 5 minutes.
Drain the artichokes, pat them dry and add to the frying pan. Raise the heat to medium and sauté, stirring often, until the artichokes are tender, 5 – 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the mozzarella.
Meanwhile, cook your choice of pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Immediately add the contents of the frying pan, the mint and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well; the warmth of the pasta will melt the cheese. Serve at once.
Beets: Here is a wonderful treat using beets, from our CSA Member Alaina. I tried some last weekend and they are wonderful!
Chocolate Beet Brownies
http://eathealthyfeelgood.com/2011/08/04/chocolate-beet-brownies/
Makes 16 small brownies
1/2 cup beet puree (made from an oven roasted, peeled, and blended
beet, with canola oil)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini chocolate chips are OK)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the beet puree, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until
smooth. Beat in the eggs. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cocoa
powder, and baking powder. Slowly add the flour mixture and chocolate
chips to the wet batter. Stir just until mixed.
Spray a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray or lightly coat in oil.
Pour the batter in the dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for
20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out
clean.
Let cool and then slice and serve! ___________________________________________________________
CSA Newsletter for September 11 - 12, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
This has been an amazing string of late summer weather! The heat-loving vegetables are very happy. We have lots of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
We are in the midst of a busy weekend. The owners of Café Cesura, a new restaurant set to open in Bellevue in November, contacted us and held a fine-dining six-course meal Saturday with produce from our Farm.
We are beginning to get ready for the next season, too. I just picked up 250 pounds of rye grain seed for our winter cover crop. Our neighboring farmer at Jubilee went to Skagit County and bought the seed from a farmer that grew it there.
The wild blackberry crop is doing spectacularly right now, and should be fine for at least another week.
Thank you all for remembering to return the empty boxes when you pick up the full ones!
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry Lettuce Bunch Swiss Chard Bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions Carrots Peppers: Jalapeno hot pepper Nardello sweet pepper Big Jim medium hot pepper Eggplant 1 pound Princess Ratte fingerling potatoes 1 pound small Yellow Fin or Red Thumb fingerling potatoes Cucumbers (lemon and eating) Summer squash – patty pan and zucchini Green cabbage Broccoli Artichokes Garlic – Romanian Red Shallots – Ambition
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Tomatoes: We have an abundance of ripe tomatoes right now, thanks to the greenhouse and the warm weather. This recipe was recently published in an insert to the Seattle Times.
Stuffed Baked Tomatoes, Relish.com, Publishing Group of America, 2011. Serves 4
2 large ripe summer tomatoes 1 cup small curd cottage cheese ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil, spinach or arugula 2 crushed garlic cloves ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally. Combine remaining ingredients; stir gently. Divide evenly among 4 tomato halves. Bank 15 minutes or until hot and browned.
Dave brought home a set of William Sonoma cookbooks this week. Here are a couple of recipes from those books.
Potatoes: This recipe calls for new red potatoes, but any small new potato would work just fine. A combination of red and yellow potatoes would look nice. The recipe suggests peeling the potatoes; but fresh small potatoes are delicious with the skin left on, and potato skin has lots of nutrients.
New Potato Salad, Salads, Williams Sonoma Kitchen Library, Time-Life Books, 1993. Serves 4
1-1/2 lb red new potatoes 1 cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Salt ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, add salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until tender when pierced with a fork, 15 – 20 minutes. Drain and peel, if desired, while still hot. Cut the potatoes into large pieces and place in a salad bowl. Immediately pour the wine over the potatoes and sprinkle with the parsley and garlic.
In a small bowl stir together the vinegar and salt to taste until well mixed. Add the oil and stir vigorously until blended. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and mix gently, being careful not to break up the potatoes. Serve at once. If the salad is to be served cold, let the potatoes cool before dressing them.
Swiss Chard: These plants continue to produce amazing amounts of greens each week.
Swiss Chard with Feta Cheese, Stir-Fry, Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library, Time-Life Books, 1994. Serves 4
2 tablespoons pine nuts 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 2 bunches Swiss chard, about ½ pound each, carefully washed, stalks removed and leaves torn into 2-inch pieces ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese Salt and pepper
In a dry wok or frying pan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring constantly until lightly browned, 1 – 2 minutes. Watch carefully so they do not burn. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil, swirling to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and stir and toss every 10 – 15 seconds until they just begin to brown, 1 – 2 minutes. Add the Swiss chard, toss well to coat with the oil, cover and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Uncover and turn up the heat to high to boil away any excess liquid.
When the liquid has boiled away, add the feta cheese, cover and cook until the cheese just begins to melt, about 30 seconds longer. If more liquid is released, carefully drain the chard in a sieve, being careful not to drain away any of the cheese.
Spoon into a warmed serving bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with the toasted pine nuts. Serve immediately. ___________________________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for September 4 - 6, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm What a lovely beginning to September. I’m having a difficult time believing it is already here.
We have lots of summer vegetables this week, including eggplant! Tomatoes and peppers keep producing well. Squash and cucumbers like the warm days.
The green and yellow bean plants are taking a break – few beans and a few flowers. We’ll see if we get more in a little bit.
We tried growing red fingerling potatoes this year, and found that the plants are not very productive for us. The potatoes are delicious, however.
We’ve just harvested the shallots, and red onions. They will cure for a couple of weeks, then we will put them in the boxes.
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry Lettuce Bunch Swiss Chard Bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions Beets Peppers: Jalapeno hot pepper Nardello sweet pepper Anaheim medium hot pepper 1 pound Red Thumb fingerling potatoes 1 pound Princess Ratte fingerling potatoes Cucumbers (lemon, eating, and pickling/eating) Summer squash – patty pan and zucchini Green cabbage Artichokes Garlic – Georgian Fire (named for part of the former USSR, not the southern US State)
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Eggplant: This lovely purple vegetable blends well with other vegetables, and with meat. It picks up flavors of herbs and spices nicely. To prepare it, trim the green caps and slice or dice the vegetable. You can peel it, but don’t have to. Sauté with other vegetables and garlic, 6-8 minutes until browned and tender.
Summer Squash:
Summer Squash Skillet, Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009. Serves 4
4 cups summer squash: yellow or green patty pan, zucchini (sliced, diced or shredded) ½ cup onion (sliced or diced) Salt and pepper Sauté together in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until tender (time will depend on the size of the pieces: grated will cook faster than sliced). Add one of the options below:
Option 1: ½ sweet pepper or chili pepper (diced) 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped) 1 tablespoon fresh basil (chopped) 1 bay leaf ½ cup cheese (shredded; optional) Add ingredients except cheese with the onion and squash; cover and steam until tender. Top with cheese just before serving.
Option 2: ¼ cup fresh parsley (chopped) ½ teaspoon lemon peel (grated) ½ teaspoon lemon pepper (substitute for the black pepper above) Add and simmer about 2 minutes longer.
Swiss chard: This grows throughout the season, and is used at our farm in place of spinach, which I cannot grow without it bolting. Here is another recipe to try.
Sweet and Sour Swiss Chard, Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009. Serves 4
1 pound Swiss chard (multiple colors preferred) Rinse, pat dry, and remove stems. Chop stems diagonally into small pieces. Stack leaves, roll up, and slice in 1-inch strips; keep separate from stems. Set aside.
1 medium onion (diced) In deep frypan sauté in 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat until softened, 5 minutes.
¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins 2 cloves garlic (minced) 3 tablespoons white or cider vinegar 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar Salt and pepper to taste. Add along with chard stems, cover and cook for 8 minutes. Place chopped leaves on top of the mixture (do not stir in), cover, and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir, and serve.
Beets: This recipe is a delicious way to use beets.
Secret Chocolate Cake, Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009.
2 cups beets (cooked, peeled, and chopped) ½ cup applesauce Puree in blender until smooth. Set aside.
1-1/2 cups sugar ½ cup vegetable oil ½ cup plain yogurt 3 eggs Combine in a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer 2 minutes.
½ cup baking cocoa (sifted) 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla Add along with pureed beets; beat another 90 seconds.
1-1/2 cups flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) Gradually sift into the batter, mixing it in with a spoon but stirring only until blended.
½ cup chocolate chips and/or nuts (chopped) Stir in. Pour into greased 9” x 13” baking pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees until knife inserted in center comes out clean, 40 – 50 minutes. To bake in a bundt pan, pour half of batter into the greased pan, sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top, then add remaining batter.
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CSA Newsletter for August 28 - 29, 2011
Changing Seasons Farm
It certainly is summertime; plenty warm in the afternoons.
Summer squash are producing well, and we will have lots for a while. Cucumber plants are still small, but valiantly producing fruit. Peppers are bearing heavily, and the tomatoes are also doing well.
Not a lot of large lettuce this time of year, as the plants do not tolerate heat and send up a flower stalk. This is called bolting, and causes the lettuce to become bitter. Fortunately, our two cattle like bolted lettuce.
We are harvesting the onions and shallots to cure below the farmhouse. The garlic is curing well, and we will trim and clean it. I keep the largest bulbs for seed stock to plant this fall for next year’s harvest.
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry Lettuce Bunch Swiss Chard Bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions ½ pound yellow wax beans ½ pound green beans Peppers: “Healthy” sweet pepper Jalapeno hot pepper Nardello sweet pepper Anaheim medium hot pepper 1 pound Yellow Fin potatoes 1 pound Princess Ratte fingerling potatoes Cucumbers (lemon, eating, and pickling/eating) Summer squash – patty pan and zucchini Green cabbage Broccoli Artichokes Garlic – Purple Softneck
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters for more recipes and links to recipes. This week it really feels like summer, so many of the recipes are for grilling the vegetables.
The following are from The Vegetarian Grill, Andrea Chesman, The Harvard Common Press, 1998.
Herb-Grilled Potatoes Serves 4
1-1/2 pounds potatoes, preferably yellow ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 – 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, basil, or oregano Salt and pepper
1. Prepare a medium fire in the grill. 2. Peel the potatoes or scrub them well, then slice ¼ inch thick (note: we cut medium to large potatoes into wedges). Place in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. 3. Grill the potatoes, turning frequently, until browned and tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Serve hot.
Herbed Summer Squash Chips (annotated by Laura Casey) Serves 4
1-1/2 to 2 pounds summer squash sliced 3/8 inch thick – zucchini, patty pan, yellow summer squash 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, lovage, thyme, lemon-thyme (note: rosemary works too)) Salt and pepper
1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill. 2. Combine the olive oil, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Gently coat the squash slices. 3. Grill the squash chips until grill-marked and tender, about 5 minutes for the first side and 4 minutes for the second side. Serve hot.
Note: We sprinkle parmesan cheese on the squash on the second side a couple of minutes before it’s done grilling.
Soy-Grilled Broccoli Serves 4 to 6
3 stalks broccoli ½ cup Lemon-Soy Marinade and Salad Dressing (below)
1. Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill with a lightly oiled vegetable grill rack or grill-wok in place. 2. Trim the broccoli by stripping away the leaves and tough outer peel. Cut the stems into thin strips or slice on the diagonal about ¼ inch thick. Separate the florets into bite-size pieces. Pour the marinade over the broccoli and toss to coat. 3. Lift the broccoli out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and grill, tossing frequently, until tender and grill-marked, about 5 minutes. 4. Serve hot. Pour any leftover marinade into a small pitcher and pass at the table with the broccoli.
This makes a delicious topping for rice.
Lemon-Soy Marinade and Salad Dressing Makes about 1-1/4 cups
½ cup soy sauce ¼ cup water ¼ cup toasted sesame oil 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 4 garlic cloves, minced
1. Combine the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, lemon juice, and garlic in an airtight jar and shake well. This dressing separates quickly, so be sure to shake it just before using. 2. Use immediately or store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Peppers: We grow lots of peppers, both sweet and hot. Here are a couple of ideas on how to use some of them.
Dave Casey’s Favorite Grilled Anaheim or Big Jim Peppers
Cut the top off a few Anaheim or Big Jim peppers. Using a tool like an apple corer or potato peeler, cut out the seeds and inner membrane from the pepper while leaving the outside whole. Stuff with strips of cheese, such as Pepper Jack. Stick a few small holes in the sides of the pepper with a fork or knife to prevent it from bursting while cooking. Take a piece of white bread, mash the bread with your fingers into a cork, and place the cork in the end of the pepper. Grill the peppers for 10 – 15 minutes until tender.
Thanks to Alaina, one of our CSA members:
Jalapeno and garlic sauce, recipe from Seppo Farrey, "Sushi Unrolled" class at North Seattle Community College
Makes 4 cups
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch parsley
1 cup garlic cloves
1 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup sake (or Mirin, or rice vinegar)
2-3 jalapeno peppers with ribs and seeds
Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender until thoroughly
blended, scraping down the sides as needed.
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CSA Newsletter for August 21 - 22, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
This has been a lovely summer week, often foggy in the morning since we are in a river valley, and sunny and warm in the afternoon. The cucumbers and squash are a bit more prolific this week. Green and yellow beans are still producing heavily.
We are in full harvest season, with just about everything ready. The tomato greenhouse resembles a jungle, and I will be pruning it a bit at a time to make it easier for harvesting.
The garlic has all been dug, and is curing in the open area below the farmhouse. Cool, shady areas are best with no direct sunshine. When they are cured, the garlic bulbs will last for months and will appear in the boxes.
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry 1 head Lettuce 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Parsley Walla Walla sweet onions 1 bunch scallions 1-1/2 pounds green beans ½ pound yellow wax beans Snap peas (end of the season) 1 bunch carrots 1 bunch beets Peppers: “Healthy” sweet pepper Jalapeno hot pepper Nardello sweet pepper Anaheim medium hot pepper 1 lb red potatoes 1 pound fingerling potatoes Cucumber Summer squash 1 small green Savoy cabbage Broccoli Artichokes
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Sauces: We had a request for ideas on how to use the sauces. Dave uses the red and green chili sauces on egg dishes, potato and pasta dishes, and rice dishes. A little goes a long way, as they are both hot sauces. The Worcestershire sauce is good on meat or potatoes, and is an important ingredient in Caesar salad dressing.
Broccoli: Great fresh in a salad, or cooked lightly, broccoli is a reliable vegetable throughout the season. I was perusing one of our cookbooks and came across this recipe.
Broccoli with Lemon Herb Sauce, Simply Whidbey, Laura Moore and Deborah Skinner, Saratoga Publishers, 1991. Serves 6
1 egg 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice ¾ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper to taste 2 pounds broccoli
Whirl egg with mustard and lemon juice in an electric blender or food processor. With motor running, pour oil through feed tube in a slow, steady stream until all oil is incorporated. Add lemon peel, chives and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until serving.
Steam broccoli until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain.
Bring Lemon Herb Sauce to room temperature before spooning over individual servings of warm broccoli.
Carrots: There is nothing quite like a fresh carrot; they are much sweeter than the storage carrots usually available in the stores. Also, there is no need to peel fresh carrots.
Glazed Carrots, Simply Whidbey, Laura Moore and Deborah Skinner, Saratoga Publishers, 1991. Serves 4
1 pound carrots 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons dry sherry Salt and pepper to taste Minced parsley
Peel carrots (not necessary for fresh carrots); cut into julienne strips. Cook carrots in a steamer basket until tender (about 4 minutes).
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown, add the carrots, salt and pepper. Completely coat the carrots with the butter. Remove the carrots to a warm serving dish.
Stir sherry into the butter in the skillet and pour over the carrots. Sprinkle the carrots with minced parsley and serve.
Beets: Beets are versatile, and keep for a long time in the ground, way into the winter. Dave got this recipe from a friend, and it is one of his favorite ways to prepare beets.
4 cups cooked beets, sliced (cook beets by roasting or steaming or boiling, then slip the skin if necessary) ½ cup large sweet onion, sliced 2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 1 small can Mandarin oranges (fresh Satsuma or seedless tangerine slices work well, too)
Toss together and dress with:
4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Cucumbers: The round yellow cucumber in the box is called a “lemon” cucumber. They are sweet and can be used just like any other cucumber, just with a different color and shape. Here are some ideas for a cucumber salad.
Cucumber Salad Trio, Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009 Serves 4
3 cups cucumbers, thinly sliced ½ cup onions, thinly sliced
Salad 1: Place cucumbers and onion in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 1 hour. Drain. 1/3 cup sugar ¼ cup white vinegar ½ teaspoon celery seed Mix together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cucumbers. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Keeps several days.
Salad 2: ¼ cup vinegar or lemon juice 2 tablespoons oil ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar (optional) Mix together and add to the cucumbers and onions
Salad 3: Place cucumbers and onion in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 1 hour. Drain. ¾ cup plain yogurt 1 tablespoon fresh mint or dill weed, chopped Add to the cucumbers and onions.
_____________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for August 14 - 15, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
Wow, it is mid-August already. Have you seen the full moon? The coyotes here at the farm have been serenading under its bright light.
The cucumbers and squash still wish for slightly warmer weather, and are growing more slowly than in previous years. Cabbage and its relatives continue to grow well with the cooler than usual summer. In the greenhouses, the tomatoes and peppers are ripening!
We appreciate your efforts to bring back the empty wax boxes when you pick up your next box. We buy these boxes from a neighbor farmer, and we are both running low. The supplier only sells by the pallet, so we’d like to make it through the season without buying more boxes.
What's in the Box this Week
Tomatoes – full and cherry (Yay!) 1 head Lettuce 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Parsley Medium Walla Walla sweet onions Green beans Yellow wax beans Snap peas and sugar pod peas 1 bunch carrots 2 sweet “Healthy” sweet peppers 1 Jalapeno pepper 1 lb red potatoes 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes Cucumber Summer squash 1 small green cabbage Artichokes
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes.
Artichokes: Artichokes are a flower that looks like a Scottish thistle when it opens. The vegetable part is eaten before the flower blooms. Our favorite way to prepare and eat artichokes:
Pull off a few of the tough outer leaves. Slice off the top of the artichokes, and cut back a bit of the stem. Place in a steamer and steam until you can poke a knife or fork into the stem and it comes out easily (about 15 minutes for the medium size artichokes). To eat them, pull off the individual leaves, dip in something yummy, and scrape the inside of the leaf against your bottom teeth to remove the meat. Once you reach the thick meaty bottom of the artichoke, you may want to remove the “choke” that becomes the flower. The smallest artichokes have no “choke” and you can eat the entire bottom part.
Artichoke dips – plain mayonnaise, or mayonnaise with minced garlic and mustard, or butter with lemon…
Green Beans: This is the pickled dilly bean recipe Dave has relied on for years, given to him by a good friend. This weekend, Dave and daughter Kara and friends have made over 70 jars of dilly beans, and he’s not done yet.
Theresa Althauser’s Most Awesome Dilly Beans (with minor edits)
Sterilize the jars (wash in very hot water or run through the dishwasher)
Pack the jars in the following order (using pint or quart canning jars) - Place ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne in the bottom of each jar
- Place fresh dill sprig upside-down in the middle of jar
- Place 1-2 garlic cloves in the middle of the dill (depends on size of jar)
- Pack remaining space with fresh beans (trimmed to fit)
- Insert a Jalapeno pepper into the jar on the outside of the beans
Brine solution consists of the following (for 8 pints, adjust for more or less): - 5 cups water
- 5 cups white vinegar
- ½ cup salt
Boil brine. Pour into jars. Seal jars (soften the lids first by dipping into boiling brine solution for a few moments). Submerge jars into boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and cool slowly. Place any jars that did not seal properly in the refrigerator and eat within a few weeks. Store the properly sealed jars in a cool, dark location. Wait two months and eat with friends.
Green Cabbage: Cabbage is well known as the main ingredient in coleslaw. You may want to cut these cabbage in half to make sure they are clean before grating or shredding. Here are a couple of different recipes from Serving Up the Harvest, Andrea Chesman, Storey Publishing, 2007:
My Mother’s Mustardy Slaw
4 cups grated green cabbage 2 carrots, grated ¼ cup minced onion 1 cup mayonnaise 3 tablespoons yellow ballpark mustard (or Dijon, or ¼ teaspoon dry mustard) Salt and pepper
Combine the cabbage, carrots and onion in a large bowl. Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl and mix. Spoon over the cabbage mixture and mix until well-combined. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 8 hours, before serving. Serves 4 – 6
Creamy Coleslaw (sweeter than the above recipe)
8 cups shredded green cabbage 3 carrots, shredded ¼ of a large Walla Walla sweet onion, finely chopped 1-1/2 cups buttermilk 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 3 tablespoons mayonnaise ½-3/4 teaspoon celery seed Salt and pepper
Combine the cabbage, carrots and onion in a large mixing bowl. Stir together the buttermilk, vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, and celery seed in a smaller bowl until well-blended. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the cabbage mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. The salad will be dry, but the longer it stands, the wetter it will become. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 8 hours, before serving. Serves 8
Sweet Onions and Tomatoes:
Marinated Walla Walla Sweets with Tomato Wedges, Pacific Northwest The Beautiful Cookbook; Kathy Casey, Editor; Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.
Marinade: 1 cup mild olive oil ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 large Walla Walla sweet white onions, sliced 6 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (cut cherry tomatoes in half) Chopped parsley for garnish
Blend all of the marinade ingredients for 30 seconds in a blender, or beat well with a wire whisk. Pour over the onions. Chill for 1 – 2 hours. Arrange the tomato wedges in a salad bowl. Layer the onions on top, and pour any extra marinade over. Garnish with parsley.
Serves 6 - 8 ____________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for August 7 – 8, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm It has been warm enough that our first few summer squash are ready to harvest. Expect lots more in the weeks to come. The first cucumbers are also ready, and the lemon cucumbers should be in another week. We will begin harvesting and curing the garlic this week, too.
Beans are still prolific, both green and yellow wax. Peas are slowing down, as expected this time of year. Lettuce also does not like the heat, so there will be less lettuce in the boxes during the peak summer heat.
Some of you may have noticed the blueberries in last week’s box. Half of you received blueberries last week, and the other half will get them this week. Our early and mid-summer blueberry plants are loaded – so we thought we’d share them with you.
What's in the Box this Week
1 head Lettuce 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Kale 1 bunch Parsley 1 bunch small Walla Walla sweet onions 2 pounds green beans 1 pound yellow wax beans Broccoli and sprouting broccoli ½ pound snap peas 1 bunch beets 1 Jalapeno pepper (hot) 1 Nardello pepper (sweet) 1 green or purple kohlrabi 1 lb new red potatoes ½ pound fingerling potatoes 1 small cucumber 1 small summer squash
Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes. Green and Yellow Wax Beans: Here are more ideas on how to use the abundance of fresh beans available this time of year.
Nicoise Salad (Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009).
4 cups lettuce or mixed salad greens Toss with dressing then divide onto two plates. Add topping (divided) and serve with fresh ground pepper.
Dressing: 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 11/2 to 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon anchovy paste (optional) Combine in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake well.
Toppings: 5 ounces canned tuna (drained) or grilled tuna! 3 small potatoes (cooked and cut in quarters) 2 hard-cooked eggs (cut in wedges) 1 medium tomato (cut in wedges) ½ cp green and yellow beans (lightly steamed, rinsed with old water, and patted dry) 10 Nicoise olives, or other olives
Serves 2
Hot German Green Bean Salad (Simply in Season, cited above)
1-1/2 pounds green beans (cut in 1-inch pieces) Cook, covered, in boiling water until barely tender. Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid.
3 slices bacon Fry until crisp; remove all but 2 tablespoons drippings from fry pan. Drain bacon and crumble. Set aside.
2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar ½ teaspoon salt 1 small onion (sliced into rings) Add to bacon drippings along with reserved cooking liquid. ¼ cup cold water 2 teaspoons cornstarch Mix together in separate container, stirring until dissolved. Stir into fry pan. Cook until thick and clear, stirring constantly. Add cooked beans and heat through. Sprinkle with bacon and serve.
Serves 4 - 6
Fingerling Potatoes: The funny shaped yellow potatoes in your box this week are Princess Ratte Fingerlings. These are delicious scrubbed and steamed, with margarine or butter and a little salt.
Jimmy Nardello Peppers: These heirloom peppers were given to Seed Savers Exchange by Jimmy Nardello, whose mother brought the seeds to the US from Italy in 1887. A sweet chili pepper with very little heat, they are delicious used fresh in a salad or fried. We have Turkish friends who could not find the peppers in stores that her grandmother used to cook with every morning, and they were delighted to find these at our Market stand a few years ago.
Medley of Summer Vegetables: This recipe is one way to use lots of summer veggies at once.
Roasted Summer Vegetables (Simply in Season, cited above) Use any of the following: summer squash, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, green and yellow beans, green or red peppers, mild chili peppers, carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, fennel.
8 – 10 cups fresh vegetables Cut into bite-sized pieces for even cooking time (i.e., thinly slice potatoes but chop summer squash into larger chunks). Toss with one of the seasoning options below. Then spread seasoned vegetables in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Main dish: May be served over cooked penne pasta, wild rice, or couscous and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Salad: Cool vegetables or use leftovers, and add 2 cups diced tomatoes, 3 ounces feta cheese, and vinaigrette dressing.
Seasoning 1: 3 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped) 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped) 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme (chopped) 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper 1 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
Seasoning 2: ¾ cup Italian dressing or vinaigrette dressing
Vegetable Seasoning: This is our own, not from cookbooks.
1 cup olive oil, 4+ cloves garlic, minced 1 or 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
This is good on roasted and on grilled vegetables. You can keep extra in the fridge, and quickly heat it in the microwave for a few seconds before use. Blueberries: Blueberries are very high in anti-oxidants (preventive of cancer and other diseases), plus they are delicious. Here is a muffin recipe given to Sandy Nesper on August 1, 1969, and to Dave and me last year:
1-1/2 cup flour ½ cup sugar ½ cup milk 1 egg ¼ cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
Lightly mix all these ingredients together – not smooth, some lumps are OK.
Mix in 1-1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Line or grease muffin tins.
Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven for standard size muffins. ___________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for July 31 – August 1, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm Summer time weather, how lovely! The green beans are suddenly loaded, and the yellow wax beans are not far behind. We are irrigating the vegetables with shallow roots, like lettuce and new transplants. The soil is still moist a couple of inches down. One of the delights of farming in a river valley is that our soil holds moisture long after the last rain.
The chili peppers are also doing well, so we’ll have a taste of Jalapeno pepper this week. Other chili peppers growing in the greenhouse include Anaheim, Big Jim (hotter Anaheim) and Serrano. We also have two sweet peppers (Nardello and Healthy).
The summer squash are still small, but lots more are on the plants, so we should have some soon. The earliest cucumbers are beginning to bear, too.
What's in the Box this Week
2 heads Lettuce 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Kale 1 bunch Parsley 1 bunch small Walla Walla sweet onions 1-1/2 pound green beans Broccoli and sprouting broccoli ½ pound Sugar pod and snow peas 1 bunch beets 1 Jalapeno pepper 1 green or purple kohlrabi New red potatoes Recipes
Please check the previous weeks’ Newsletters at www.changingseasonsfarm.org for more recipes and links to recipes. Nutritional information is from The New Laurel’s Kitchen, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal, Ten Speed Press, 1986.
Beets: This recipe is provided by one of our CSA members; thanks, Alaina.
Grated Raw Beet Salad, From the New York Times, June 2010
With North African inspired flavors this is a great recipe (pun intended) for anyone who thinks they don't like beets.
1/2 pound beets
3 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T minced fresh chives, mint or parsley (or a combination)
Salt to taste
Romaine lettuce leaves
Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler, and grate in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade, or with a hand grater (which is a bit messier).
Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with the beets and herbs. Season to taste with salt. Line a salad bowl or platter with romaine lettuce leaves, top with the grated beets and serve.
This can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge for a couple of days - the beets will become more tender and the mixture gets sweeter as the beet juices mix with the citrus.
Green Beans: Green beans are high in Vitamin A, and of course beans provide lots of protein too. Fresh green beans are great steamed (about 5 minutes), with a little salt and butter or margarine. Here are a couple of other ways to prepare them, including pickling.
Braised Garlic and String Beans, Greene on Greens, Bert Greene, Workman Publishing Inc., 1984.
1 pound tender young string beans, trimmed 3 tablespoons butter 4 to 5 large cloves garlic 1 teaspoon fresh sage, or pinch of dried 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper
1. Cook the string beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain. 2. Melt the butter in a large skilled over low heat. Add the garlic cloves; cook, covered, until lightly golden and soft, 20 – 25 minutes. Remove the cover and mash the garlic with a fork until well mixed with the butter. 3. Add the beans to the skillet; toss over medium heat until warmed through. Add the sage, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
Dilly Beans, Serving Up the Harvest, Andrea Chesman, Storey Publishing, 2005. This recipe makes 1 pint of dilly beans, and is designed to be multiplied by however many beans you have available. A similar recipe for larger quantities is in the Ball Blue Book, Alltrista Corporation.
1 cup white vinegar ½ cup water 1 garlic clove 1 dill head, or 4 inch sprig of fresh dill 1 teaspoon pickling salt 2 cups green beans, trimmed to 4 inches in length (to fit in jar)
1. Bring the vinegar and water to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. 2. Meanwhile, pack each clean, not canning jar with the garlic, dill and salt. Pack in the green beans, leaving ½ inch headspace. 3. Pour the hot brine over the beans in the jar, leaving 1/1 inch headspace. Seal. 4. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Cool undisturbed for 12 hours. Store in a cool, dry place. 5. Or, instead of canning, place the jars in the refrigerator. Do not open the jars for 6 weeks to allow the flavors to develop.
Jalapeno Pepper: These can be added to salads, sauces, or to the jar when making pickled green beans to add a bit of heat.
Juicing: This is another way to enjoy nutritious fresh produce. A juicer is needed to make this. Desiree's Green Juice
1 cucumber
6-7 kale or chard leaves
1 bunch parsley
1 lemon (peeled if necessary for your juicer)
1 lime (peeled if necessary for your juicer)
1 head lettuce
1 apple _____________________________________________ CSA Newsletter for July 24-25, 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
Another interesting mixed week for weather has noticeably slowed vegetable production. Warmer weather this weekend will help them pick up again. Peas have peaked, and will slow down after this. Beets are doing well, along with lettuce, chard, and brassicas (kale, broccoli, kohlrabi). Cabbages are starting to form heads.
Tiny squash and cucumbers can be seen on the plants. There are baby beans on the bean plants. Sweet and hot chili peppers are appearing in the greenhouse. Potatoes are starting to flower, meaning there are baby potatoes underground. Just a bit more warm weather and we’ll have more summer veggies.
What's in the Box this Week
3 heads Lettuce 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Kale 1 bunch Garlic scapes (last of the season) 1 bunch Mizuna 1 bunch Parsley 1 bunch small Walla Walla sweet onions Broccoli and sprouting broccoli Sugar pod and snow peas 1 bunch beets 1 green or purple kohlrabi New red potatoes – first of the season Recipes Nutritional information is from The New Laurel’s Kitchen, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal, Ten Speed Press, 1986.
Potatoes: First harvest of the year – baby red potatoes are sweet. Our favorite way to prepare them is to cut them into bite-size pieces, steam them until tender, and eat with a little margarine or butter and a little salt.
Storage: These potatoes were just dug, and they still have dirt on them. They will keep best in a paper bag in a cool, dark place. Wash them just before you use them. The skins are fragile at this stage, and bruise easily.
Chard: Swiss chard is similar to spinach, best cooked. The stems are also edible and need to cook a bit longer than the leaves. It can be steamed like spinach, and served with lemon juice. Chard is high in Vitamin A and calcium.
Here are a couple of stuffed Swiss Chard recipes. Kara used these recipes as inspiration because she didn't have all the ingredients for either full recipe. She also used garlic scapes instead of garlic. The Swiss chard worked beautifully as a wrap. After blanching the leaves in hot water for a few seconds, they were flexible and easy to work with.
From a Minnesota CSA (thanks to Kara Casey Adams):
Savory Chard Pie
1 Tbsp oil
2/3 c. chopped onions, scallions, and/or garlic scapes
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 c. milk or half and half
salt and pepper to taste
1 pie crust (unbaked)
1 c. cheese, grated (Swiss, Gruyere, Cheddar, Gouda, etc.)
1 Tbsp fresh herbs (parsley, dill, thyme, etc.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, sauté onion/garlic in oil for a minute.
Add chard stems and sauté for a few minutes, until softened. Add chard
leaves and sauté while stirring until just wilted. Remove from heat.
Beat eggs, milk, salt, and herbs. Spread chard mixture on bottom of
crust. Top with grated cheese. Pour egg mixture over the top. Bake for
30-40 minutes until top is slightly browned and center is firm. Serve
hot or cold.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1257
Ingredients
16 red Swiss chard leaves (choose smallish leaves around 10-inch long)
2 cups water
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons ghee or regular butter, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2/3 cup brown and wild rice mix, prepared according to package
directions, cooled
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins
8 ounces soft goat cheese
Pepper to taste
In a saucepan or skillet large enough to submerge chard without folding, bring water and salt to a boil. Blanch leaves, one at a time for about 20 to 30 seconds, just to soften. They should remain bright green with limp stems. Drain in a single layer on a paper towel-covered cookie sheet. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a baking pan with 1/2 tablespoon butter; set aside.
Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining butter and 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Transfer to a large bowl with cooked and cooled rice and toss gently to combine.
In a separate small heavy skillet, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Add pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Add to rice mixture along with raisins and goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, cut off thickest part of stem by cutting a "v" shape about one inch up from bottom of leaf. Turn leaf face side up and overlap bottom cut edges. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling near stem. Fold bottom sides in and roll to enclose the filling. Place open edge down in prepared baking pan. Repeat with remaining leaves and filling.
Drizzle remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil over finished packets. Cover loosely with foil. Bake about 15 minutes, until heated through.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/entrees-phase-2/205226-stuffed-chard-leaves-vegetarian.html
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried dill
1 pint cottage cheese (nonfat is OK)
1/2 cup feta, crumbled (low fat or regular)
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of Greek oregano
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (Note: the sodium is a bit high in this recipe and this could be omitted)
~ 16 large Swiss chard leaves
Topping:
juice of 1 lemon
1 big garlic clove, or 2 small, minced
1 tablespoon dried mint (or 1 teaspoon dried dill - that's what Kara used)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Rinse the chard leaves thoroughly. Pat dry. Remove any tough stems and set aside while you prepare the filling. You can cut out the tough center rib or not. Sauté onion and garlic in the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat until softening and fragrant. Take off the heat, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley. In a large bowl, add the cooked brown rice, cottage cheese and feta. Scrape in the onion/garlic sauté. Add the egg, oregano and dill. Place about two tablespoons of filling on the underside of a chard leaf. Fold over the sides, then the bottom and roll up like an envelope. Try to roll as tightly as possible as they will loosen up a bit as the chard cooks. Place the roll-ups seam-side down in an oiled 9x13-inch casserole, or other oven-proof, dish. Add 1 clove minced garlic and dill/mint to the lemon juice and pour evenly over the rolls. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes until tender.
Broccoli:
A wonderful vegetable, great steamed with olive oil or stir-fried with other veggies. Or, you can make a soup:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/down-home-with-the-neelys/broccoli-soup-recipe/index.html
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
Croutons
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and sauté until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil. Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Serve hot with croutons. ________________________________________________________
CSA Newsletter for July 17-18, 2011
This has been a very different week for summer - cool and wet. The lettuce and peas appreciate it, and we don’t have to irrigate for a while.
Snow peas are in full production. We have beets, as well as radishes. The bean plants have flower buds and teensy beans, so with a little warm weather we’ll have beans in the next couple of weeks. The first cherry tomatoes are turning color in the greenhouse. The first squash blossoms are appearing in the field, too.
What's in the Box this Week
3 heads Lettuce 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Kale 1 bunch Garlic Scapes 1 bunch Mizuna 1 bunch Parsley Broccoli and sprouting broccoli 1/2 pound snow peas 1/2 pound sugar snap peas 1 bunch beets 1 small bunch radishes 1 bottle Red Chili Sauce Recipes
Nutritional information is from The New Laurel’s Kitchen, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal, Ten Speed Press, 1986.
Beets: Baby beets are sweet, and after peeling can be eaten raw or added to stir-fry. Beet greens are also very tasty and nutritious. The “red” greens are a favorite. Beet greens can be used like spinach or chard. Here are a couple of easy ways to use beets.
Sautéed beets, adapted from Serving Up the Harvest, Andrea Chesman, 2007, Storey Publishing.
Medium sized beets Butter or olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice Salt and pepper
Peel and grate the beets using a food processor or box grater. Heat the butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add beets and stir to coat. Add 1 tablespoon of juice, cover, and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add more juice if the beets are sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook until tender but not mushy, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the cover and season to taste with salt and pepper, and additional juice if desired. Serve hot.
Shredded Beet Salad from Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, 2009, Herald Press.
2 cups beets (cooked, peeled and shredded) ½ cup fresh parsley (chopped) 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons onion (chopped) 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt Pepper to taste Mix together and chill. To serve, place the red beet mixture in the middle of a dish.
1 cup carrots (shredded) 2 hard-cooked eggs (sliced) ½ cup fresh parsley (chopped; optional) Green olives Arrange around the beets. Olives may also be sliced on top of the red beets as a garnish; the olive flavor really adds to this salad.
A simpler version: Combine equal portions of shredded carrots and shredded beets with a handful of chopped fresh parsley. Dress with oil and vinegar.
Snow Peas: These are one of my favorite vegetables. They can be added to stir fry, or the tender small ones can be eaten raw in salad. Or, as my young farm friends know, they are wonderful picked fresh and eaten in the field.
Parsley: Adds a nice flavor to soups and sauces. Often used as an edible garnish. Raw parsley is very high in Vitamin A. Radish: Radishes add a nice sharp flavor to salads. I just found out the leaves can be used in a pesto! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CSA Newsletter for July 10-11 2011 Changing Seasons Farm
It’s the second harvest week for Changing Seasons Farm CSA! We hope you enjoyed the first week’s veggies and are looking forward to more.
This week’s warm sunshine helped some of the crops grow a bit faster. Snow peas are starting to produce, along with some radishes and beets. The bean plants have flower buds, so we’ll have beans in the next couple of weeks. The first cherry tomatoes are turning color in the greenhouse. Soon summer’s full production will be here!
Our produce box this week will still have lots of greens, along with a sampling of snow peas (with more to come next week), and either radishes or baby beets.
What's in the Box this Week
5 heads Lettuce (2 salads) 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Kale 1 bunch Garlic Scapes 1 bunch Green Garlic 1 bunch Mizuna 1 bunch Parsley 1 Green Kohlrabi Sampling of snow peas Either 1 small bunch radishes or 1 small bunch baby beets 1 bottle Dave’s Worcestershire Sauce Recipes
Nutritional information is from The New Laurel’s Kitchen, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal, Ten Speed Press, 1986.
Kale: A large leafy green, this hardy vegetable tastes like broccoli. It can be used in stir-fry, braised greens, or a variety of other ways. Kale is high in Vitamin A and calcium.
Farm-Style Braised Kale (from Greene on Greens, Bert Green, Workman Publishing, 1984).
2 strips bacon 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 pound kale (5-8 leaves), stems removed, roughly chopped Salt and pepper Pinch of ground allspice 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 lemon, sliced thin
1. Sauté the bacon strips in large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Crumble and reserve. 2. Add the butter to bacon drippings in the skillet. Cook the onion over medium-low heat until golden, about 5 minutes. 3. Rinse the kale in cold water. 4. Add the kale to the skillet, with just the water that clings to the leaves. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 15 - 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, the allspice, and the vinegar. Sprinkle with the reserved bacon and garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4
Chard: Swiss chard is similar to spinach, best cooked. The stems are also edible and need to cook a bit longer than the leaves. It can be steamed like spinach, and served with lemon juice. Chard is high in Vitamin A and calcium.
Chard Utopia, (Simply in Season, Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009). The recipe in the book serves 8 – 10, so I’ve cut it in half here.
1 cup minced onion 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon salt In large frypan sauté in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 minutes.
1-1/4 pounds Swiss Chard (stems removed, finely chopped) [1 pound is 6 – 8 stems with leaves] Add and cook until wilted, 5 – 8 minutes.
2 – 3 cloves garlic (minced) ½ tablespoon flour Sprinkle in, stir and cook over medium heat, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
1 cup feta cheese (crumbled) ½ cup cottage cheese Pepper to taste Mix in.
½ pound frozen phyllo pastry sheets (thawed) Place a sheet of phyllo in an oiled 8 x 8 inch pan. Brush or lightly spray sheet with olive oil. Repeat 7 times. Spread half the filling evenly on top. Add 8 more sheets of oiled phyllo. Cover with the rest of the filling and follow with remaining sheets of phyllo, oiling each, including the top sheet. Tuck in the edges and bake uncovered in preheated oven at 375 degrees until golden and crispy, 45 minutes.
Note: I’m not sure of the size of a phyllo sheet, so you may need less, or to cut the sheets to fit an 8 x 8 inch pan rather than the 9 x 13 pan in the original recipe. I would also check it at 35 minutes to see if it cooks faster than the original recipe.
Beets: Baby beets are sweet, and after peeling can be eaten raw or added to stir-fry.
Snow Peas: These are one of my favorite vegetables. They can be added to stir fry, or the tender small ones can be eaten raw in salad. Or, as my young farm friends know, they are wonderful picked fresh and eaten in the field.
Parsley: Adds a nice flavor to soups and sauces. Often used as an edible garnish. Raw parsley is very high in Vitamin A. Kohlrabi: The round root is the edible part. You can trim off the leaves and stalks, and peel, then slice and eat raw or add to salads for a mild radish or broccoli flavor. Or you can cook it in various ways.
Braised Kohlrabi with Tarragon from Green on Greens.
1-1/2 to 2 pounds kohlrabi, trimmed, peeled 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup strong Chicken Stock 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced Salt and pepper Chopped fresh parsley
1. Cut the peeled Kohlrabi bulbs into strips about 3 inches long and ½ inches thick. 2. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the kohlrabi strips, tossing well to coat them, Add the stock and tarragon. Cook, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the cover and raise the heat slightly. Cook until golden. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Serves 4 – 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CSA Newsletter for July 3-5 2011 This is our first harvest week for Changing Seasons Farm CSA. We are happy to be able to provide fresh delicious vegetables for your enjoyment.
It has been a long, cold, wet spring. Many of the cool weather crops are doing just fine. The warm season crops will grow more quickly as we get warmer summertime weather.
Our produce box this week will have lots of greens. We’ve included a short introduction to some of the less familiar veggies, and recipes and links to recipes for ideas on how to use the vegetables.
What's in the Box this Week
3 heads Lettuce 1 bunch Swiss Chard 1 bunch Kale 1 bunch Garlic Scapes 1 bunch Green Garlic 1 bunch Mizuna and Tatsoi (spicy mustard greens) 1 bunch Boc Choi 1 bunch Parsley 1 Green Kohlrabi 1 bottle Green Chili Sauce Recipes
We have a large library of cookbooks, since Dave loves to cook. A couple of my favorites for fresh seasonal produce are:
Simply in Season. Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert, Herald Press, 2009. This book has simple recipes for the produce available each season of the year. There is a nice introductory section that describes many different vegetables, and how to store and prepare them.
Serving up the Harvest. Andrea Chesman, Storey Publishing, 2007. A seasonal grouping of recipes along with a description of different vegetables.
We’ve also included links to other recipes on the web; some are from Puget Consumers Coop.
Kale: A large leafy green, this hardy vegetable tastes like broccoli. It can be used in stir-fry, braised greens, or a variety of other ways.
http://goneraw.com/recipe/best-kale-salad-ever
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcc/recipes/shopper/yummy-raw-kale-salad
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcc/recipes/lemony-garlic-kale-and-quinoa-salad
http://goneraw.com/recipe/cheesy-kale-chips (a favorite)
http://happyfoody.com/2008/01/25/green-lemonade-love/
Chard: Swiss chard is similar to spinach, best cooked. The stems are also edible and need to cook a bit longer than the leaves. It can be steamed like spinach, and served with lemon juice.
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcc/recipes/pan-seared-tender-chard-apples-and-hazelnuts
http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcc/recipes/emerald-city-salad
Braised chard (adapted from Serving up the Harvest): serves 4
10 chard stems with leaves ¼ cup olive oil ¼ cup vegetable or chicken broth 1 onion (or leek) 3 garlic cloves Salt and pepper
Combine the chard, oil, broth, onion, and garlic in a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook over medium heat until the chard is completely tender, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.
Garlic Scapes: The flowering stalks of garlic, these are marvelous whole or chopped and sauteed for four to five minutes in olive oil and garlic, until tender.
Green Garlic: Peel the outer leaves, then chop up and cook like garlic. They taste a bit milder than garlic cloves.
Mizuna and Tatsoi: These leafy mustards are nice to add to salads, stir-fry, or braised greens.
Kohlrabi: The round root is the edible part, trim off the leaves and stalks, and peel. Then slice and eat raw or add to salads for a radish flavor.
Boc Choi: A Chinese vegetable, use the leaves and stalks in stir-fry. | |
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