Winter Share Seven February 25th 2016
Important information:
- The next distribution is Thursday March10th.
- For those who may be interested, the tree fruit share cost is $250 for an approximate 18 week distribution. It starts in early July with tart cherries and may include: sweet cherries, apricots, nectarines, and a variety of peaches, plums, pears, and apples. Availability is always dependent on the growing season. More details on our website @ http://promisedlandcsa.com/csa/summer/ You may add a tree fruit share to your membership any time before the season begins. No secondary form needed; just indicate on the memo line of your check that it is for a fruit share.
- We are planning for both our summer and winter share plantings and are curious about the volume of potatoes members utilize. Please contact us with any comments or suggestions; thanks!
- Our facebook page is up and running again complete with pictures of the maple syrup evaporator arch in progress and spinach cultivation @ https://www.facebook.com/OlesFamilyFarm/
Farm News from Jane
Well for those of you who follow the local food scene, this past Sunday we supplied the secret ingredient for the Nickel City Chef competition, beets! Reds, Chioggia and Golden beets all graced the various plates prepared by the very talented local chefs who competed. I found beautiful pictures of the finished plates on Buffalo Cheese Traders facebook page while I was looking at the pictures of spinach on our facebook page. It’s great to have the facebook page active again. I am always amazed at the clarity and color of the photos taken with the notebook! Thanks Ben!
Although the sun makes it look nice and warm outside it’s deceiving how chilly it is with a north east wind. After those summer-like temperatures you might have wanted to shed a layer of heavier outer ware. But not quite yet; it sure was toasty harvesting spinach in the high tunnel on Monday however. It almost makes you feel like you’re down south! The lettuce, bok choy and Napa cabbage are growing quickly in the heated greenhouse and will be transplanted into the high tunnel in about a week or two. The first of the onions are ready for a “haircut”. We trim the tops on a regular basis to promote root and bulb growth. The first time or two through we will use scissors to trim them but after that we will progress to a battery operated hedge trimmer which makes the process much quicker and easier. It’s always nice to have a few gadgets to be more efficient. Daniel seeded celery, parsley and? this week. We try to plant based on the Stella Natura calendar; it includes the movements of the moon and explains how to time seed sowing, cultivation, and harvesting to enhance the quality of your crops. Some of the “old timers” had expressions to remember important planning dates like “don’t plant cucumbers until after the first full moon in June”. “I wonder how people who worked the land years ago knew. Was it just by years of observation with success and failure? Or is there something deeper inside that they listened too. All cultures understood a “higher power” and gave thanks and sometimes sacrifices for their blessings. Going back to the cucumber example we do know that they are extremely sensitive to cold temperatures. But of course we frequently put them in earlier to see if we can “make it work”. Most of us are eager to get started outside once the weather begins to turn warmer and it’s sometimes difficult to be patient…
The birds seem to think that spring is in the air. They seem to be sharing their happiness to feel the sun’s warmth. I’ve been enjoying the music from the songs and calls of the starlings and cardinals. Although the starlings are a nuisance when they vying for nesting territory and have quite the “squawking” battles I try to remind myself that their songs make up for the raucous behavior at other times. One member from the city shared that their holly bush was covered with robins a week ago and Daniel shared that he saw two robins this week also. So I guess calendar date or not spring as predicted by Punxsutawney Phil is here a little early this year!
Stay warm and dry with one of the soup recipes until this cold front passes, Jane
Produce: Red potatoes Red onions Shallots Garlic Kohlrabi Daikon
Chioggia beets Carrots Spinach Celeriac
Produce tips:
– Daikon radishes can be added to any salad fresh or tossed in a stir fry.
– Keep onions, shallots and garlic in a dry, open to air place. Remove from brown bag for a week.
– Please keep a small amount of air in bag of spinach when storing; it needs to respire.
– Daikon radishes need to be kept bagged to stay firm.
Recipes
BEET AND DAIKON SLAW
2 beets, peeled and cut into l/8-inch julienne (matchsticks); 1 6-inch daikon radish, peeled and cut into l/8-inch julienne;
1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 tsp canola oil; 1 tsp unsalted rice vinegar; 1 tsp sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl, cover, and let stand at least 1/2 hour. Season to taste and serve. Recipe from Bill Maddex, member of Drumlin Community Farm
BEET, POTATO AND WALNUT SALAD
1 1/2 pounds medium golden beets, scrubbed; 1 1/2 pounds fingerling or new potatoes, halved lengthwise, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, Coarse salt and ground pepper, 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional), 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives, 1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in top and middle. Place beets on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet. Fold foil around beets and crimp ends to form a packet. Cook beets on sheet on middle rack, 30 minutes. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange potatoes, cut side down, on sheet. After beets have cooked 30 minutes, place potatoes on top rack. Cook 15 minutes. Flip potatoes and sprinkle with walnuts (if using). Cook until walnuts are toasted, potatoes are golden, and beets are tender when pierced with a knife, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove beets from foil and let cool. Transfer potatoes and walnuts to a large bowl. Rub beets with a paper towel to remove skin and cut each into 4 to 6 wedges, depending on size. Toss beets with potatoes, walnuts, and chives and season to taste with vinegar. Recipe from Martha Stewart
SAVORY BEET SOUP
1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 cup chopped onion, 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, 2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 3 medium beets, peeled and halved, 1 medium potato, peeled and halved crosswise, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 8 tsps reduced-fat sour cream
Preparation: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and next 6 ingredients (through bay leaf). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until beets and potato are tender. Discard bay leaf. Place one-third broth mixture in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Place puréed mixture in a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining broth mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Warm soup over low heat for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice. Combine 1/2 cup soup and the sour cream, stirring with a whisk. Divide soup evenly among each of 8 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture; swirl sour cream mixture using the tip of a knife.
Recipe from: Kathryn Conrad, Cooking Light OCTOBER 2004
CELERY ROOT AND WILD RICE CHOWDER
1/2 cup wild rice; 1 celery root (about 1 pound); 2 large leeks, white parts only; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 celery rib, diced; 1 cup thinly sliced russet potato; 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish; 1 bay leaf; 1 large thyme sprig; sea salt and freshly ground pepper; 2 cups Vegetable Stock, chicken stock, or water; 2 cups half-and-half or milk truffle oil, optional
Cover the wild rice with 5 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender. Thickly cut away the celery root skins, then quarter and chop the root into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 3 cups. Chop and wash the leeks. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the half-and-half and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. To give the soup a creamy background, puree a cup of the vegetables and return them to the pot. If the soup is too thick, thin it with some of the rice water or additional stock. Divide the soup among 4 or 6 bowls and then add a mound of the wild rice to each. Garnish each bowl with parsley and a drop of truffle oil, if using, and serve. Serves 4-6; Recipe from: Local Flavors.
CREAMY KOHLRABI SOUP
2T butter, 1 onion; chopped, 1# kohlrabi; peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice, 2.5 C. vegetable broth, 2.5 C. milk, 1 bay leaf, 1 pinch of salt, grated black pepper to taste
Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir onion in melted butter until soft, about 10 minutes. Add kohlrabi; cook and stir another 2 minutes. Pour vegetable broth and milk over the onion mixture. Add bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, place a cover on the pot, and reduce heat to low; cook at a simmer until kohlrabi is tender, about 25 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf; allow the soup to cool slightly. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway. Pulse the blender a few times before leaving on to puree. Work in batches until all soup is blended. Return pureed soup to stockpot; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle orzo pasta into the soup; cover the stockpot and simmer until the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes. Allrecipe.com
KOHLRABI AND POTATO SOUP
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling, 1 medium onion, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, 2 1/2 pounds kohlrabi (1 large to 2 small bulbs), peeled and diced, 1 large potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and diced, 4 cups homemade or store-bought, no-salt-added vegetable broth
For garnish: 1 small Asian pear, peeled, cored and finely chopped, 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped (see note), 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Pour the 3 tablespoons of oil into a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring to coat; cover and cook until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the kohlrabi, potato and broth. Increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup is barely bubbling around the edges. Cover and cook until the kohlrabi and potato are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or transfer it to a blender or food processor and puree it in batches, then return it to the pot to keep warm.) Divide the soup among individual bowls. Top each portion with pear, pecans, parsley and a drizzle of the oil. Serve hot. Note: Toast the pecans in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for several minutes, until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned. Cool completely before chopping.
SICHUAN CARROT SOUP
1 medium onion, chopped, 1 celery rib, chopped; 1 garlic clove, minced, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 lb carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces, 3/4 inch fresh gingerroot, peeled and sliced thin; 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 cup milk
Garnish, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1/4 cup sour cream, mixed with the cream
In a large heavy saucepan cook onion, celery, and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until onion is softened. Add carrots, ginger root, red pepper flakes, and broth and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about 20-30 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and, in a blender or food processor, puree mixture in batches (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return soup to pan and heat over low heat until hot, being careful not to let boil. Serve soup drizzled decoratively with sour cream mixture. Serves 6; Recipe from Eating Well in Season
DILLY SLAW
4 cups shredded veggies (carrots, Hakurei turnips, radish, kohlrabi), 5 scallions chopped
Dressing: 3⁄4 cup yogurt or 1⁄2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbs. lime juice , 2 Tbs. cider vinegar, 1 Tbs. honey , 1⁄4 cup dill
1 tsp. salt, 3 garlic scapes or cloves of garlic, minced
Blend dressing and toss with veggies. If time, let chill and stir occasionally so the dressing can soak into the veggies.
Recipe from Red Fire Farm, Granby MA
BEET AND CELERIAC CASSEROLE
12 ounces raw beets; 12 ounces raw celeriac; 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped; 6 juniper berries, crushed; 1/2 cup fresh orange juice; 1/2 cup vegetable stock; salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Peel and slice the beets very finely. Quarter and peel the celeriac and slice very finely. Fill a l0-inch cast-iron ovenproof or flameproof frying pan with alternate layers of beet and celeriac slices, sprinkling with thyme, juniper and salt and pepper between each layer. Mix the orange juice and stock together and pour over the gratin. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove the foil and raise the oven temperature to 400°F. Cook for another 10 minutes. Serves 6.
Recipe from: Vegetarian the best ever recipe collection.
BRAISED ROOT VEGETABLES
1 tablespoon butter; 3 tablespoons dry white wine or Vegetable Broth; 1 pound celery root (sometimes
called celeriac), peeled and cut into 1 l/2-inch pieces;4 large carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally 1 inch thick; 8 large shallots, quartered; 3/4 teaspoon salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 8 ounces green beans, trimmed
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the wine. Add the celery root, carrots, shallots, salt, and pepper to taste, stirring to coat the vegetables, Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the beans to the vegetables, stirring to coat. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until all of the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4; Recipe from The Big Book of Vegetarian.
ROASTED GARLIC AND SPINACH QUICHE
1 bulb roasted garlic; 1 tbs. butter; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 4 eggs; 1 cup milk; 1/4 tsp. chili powder; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper; 1 cup cooked spinach, fresh or frozen drained well; 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 1/4 tsp. vegetable oil for oiling pan
Heat oven to 350°. Separate roasted garlic cloves, peel and mash in a small bowl to form a paste. Melt butter in a skillet. Add onion and sauté until soft; about 6 minutes. Add garlic paste and sauté for 4 minutes. Blend together and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, chili powder, salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine garlic-onion mixture with spinach and cheese. Mix well. Spread spinach mixture firmly in a lightly oiled 99inch quiche or pie pan. Pour egg mixture evenly over spinach. Bake for 40 minutes. Quiche is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Servings: 6; Recipe from The Best 50 Garlic Recipes.
NUTMEG AND THYME SPINACH
1 pound fresh spinach leaves; 1/3 cup water; Butter; Salt; Nutmeg, ground; Thyme, ground
In large saucepan, combine spinach leaves and water. Cover saucepan with lid, leaving a crack for steam to escape. Cook over moderately low heat about 10 minutes. Drain and season with butter and salt. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg and thyme. Serves 2; Recipe from Especially Herbs.
SPINACH-CHEESE SALAD
3/4 pound spinach; 6 radishes, chopped; 4 scallions (including greens), chopped; 16 ounces cottage cheese
Remove spinach stems and wash leaves thoroughly. Mix chopped radishes, scallions, and spinach. Stir in cottage cheese. Serves 4; Recipe from The Fruit and Vegetable Stand.
PARSLEY POTATO CARROT HASH
2 tablespoons olive oil; 1-2 tablespoons butter; 11/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut into small cubes; 1 large carrot (about ½#), scrubbed and cut into small cubes; salt and pepper; 1/4-1/3 cup finely chopped leeks or onion; 1/3-1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley
Heat olive oil and butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium flame. Add potatoes and carrots, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook undisturbed 4-5 minutes to brown on one side, then toss and brown again for 4-5 minutes. Lower heat, stir in leeks or onions, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in parsley. Note: You could add chopped ham, chicken, or hard-cooked eggs to the mixture along with the parsley.
Makes 4-6 servings; Recipe from MACSAC
WARM DRESSING WITH SHALLOT
(great over baked squash and greens)
1/4 C maple syrup, 1/4 C cider vinegar, 1/3 C olive oil, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 shallot, minced , salt and pepper
Shake ingredients together and place in a small pan. Heats until the shallots begin to have an aroma.
ROASTED GARLIC DIP
1 head of garlic, 1/2 T plus 1/4 cup olive oil, divided, freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Heat oven to 275 or 300 degrees. Cut 1-l/2 inch off the top of garlic head to expose the tips of the cloves. Lay garlic head cut side up in small baking dish. Drizzle 1/2 T of oil over the top; sprinkle on some pepper. Roast until soft, fragrant, and lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Cool completely. Squeeze cloves form the base and use a fork to dislodge the flesh from the skin. Mash garlic with a fork on small plate. Stir in Parmesan cheese, additional 1/4 olive oil, and pepper to taste. Serve with baguette or crusty bread. Makes 2-4 appetizer servings. I love this recipe and I made a large batch and refrigerated it and used it as a condiment on potatoes and other veggies after we had enjoyed our fill as an appetizer.
FABULOUS GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
2 1/2 # potatoes peeled and cut into 2 in. chunks, 3 garlic cloves peeled, 1 t. salt. Plus additional to taste, 2/3 C chicken broth, ¼ C sour cream, ¼ t freshly ground pepper, 1/8 t grated nutmeg
Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and add 1 t salt. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes, return then to a pot, and place over low heat for about 1 minute until thoroughly dry. Transfer to a large bowl, or leave them in the saucepan to mash. Add the broth to the potatoes, and mash with a potato masher or handheld electric mixer to make a smooth puree. Add the sour cream and continue to mash until the potatoes are light and fluffy. Season with pepper, nutmeg and salt to taste. Makes four side dish servings; recipe form AMA’s Family Health Cookbook