Winter Share Eleven April 9th 2014
WINTER SHARE ELEVEN APRIL 9TH 2014
Important Reminders:
- Please remember to return your boxes this week.
- Please remembers meat share payments
- The next share distribution is Thursday April 24th; and then one more on May 8th.
- Please check out our new website with recipes galore @ www.promisedlandcsa.com
Farm News from Jane
Well Hallelujah, spring has finally arrived. We’ll be gathering the last of the maple sap tomorrow and then make one more round through the woods to collect the buckets and spiles. We have had a good maple run this season despite the late start and we’re very pleased with the amount and quality. Ben has been boiling side by side with Daniel this season. I’m sure that this has made the process much more enjoyable, efficient and made the time go faster. Although Ben had made some modifications to the maple syrup evaporator it still takes about an hour, more or less, to boil off one hundred gallons of sap. We have had a few runs of 800 gallons and as sap gathering is usually at the end of the day it makes for a late evening at times. There was only one night that they boiled until 1:30 in the morning.
The first of the chicks arrive tomorrow and the brooder is ready to go. It will be a few weeks before they are big enough and the outside temperatures are warm enough for them to go out on pasture. Hopefully the pasture will be green and dry by then. The farm dogs have been patrolling the high tunnels as the mice are being very temped by the lush growing greens! Next share distribution we will have the first of the cut salad greens to enjoy. If we continue to get sunny days and a bit warmer temperatures we may even have some bok choy. We are a bit light on produce this share as the extended length of cold winter weather has not enabled us to harvest what we had planned from the high tunnels. We were also hoping to source some organic dry beans to add to the last few winter shares. This coming season we will be growing our own dry beans and have even purchased a bean harvester. We have successfully grown our own dry beans in the past as some of you may recall but harvest was always very time consuming. It was difficult to get them all picked by hand after they were dry and before the September rains came and caused the pods to dampen again.
The asparagus and rhubarb were mulched this past week before the ground thawed. We hope to eventually plant a companion cover crop between the rows in the asparagus. Last year we did not use the more conventional method of cultivating between the rows to deter weeds and instead let the natural ground cover take over. It worked well as it was a wet season and there was plenty of moisture for both asparagus and ground cover. We have been doing the same management in the rhubarb with mixed results. There are always some weeds that are just a bit too hardy and perennial that would like to “take over the world”! It is amazing however when there is ample rainfall how everything prospers. We are excited anticipating the perennial crops to “pop” through in the next few weeks. We have already seen ever bearer strawberries pushing up new green leaves. The rhubarb was already close to the surface a week ago.
We are still busy planting seeds and transplanting seedlings to bigger cells or into the ground in the high tunnels.
Next week the full moon begins Passover. Blessings to all as we begin a new season of hope and new life, Jane
Produce: Spinach Red Potatoes Green Cabbage Carrots Onions Garlic
Produce Tips
– When boiling potatoes place potatoes in cold water first then bring to a boil; they’ll stay moister.
– Remember to peel carrots before using.
– Place cabbage in a plastic bag to keep hydrated.
– Keep onions and garlic in brown bag to slow down sprouting process; refrigerate garlic.
Recipes
CARROT ALMOND CAKE
1 1/2 cups steamed, pureed carrots; 6 eggs, separated; 2 cups honey or sugar; 2 tablespoons ground almonds or 2 tablespoons flour; 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (orange part of the rind); 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 tablespoon ground cardamom; cream cheese frosting (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9-inch cake pan (round or square). Combine pureed carrots with egg yolks and honey. Mix in ground almonds, orange zest, salt, and cardamom. Beat egg whites in clean, separate bowl until stiff and fold into carrot mixture. Spread in pan. Bake until springy, about 45 minutes. Cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting, if desired. Makes 8-10 Servings. Recipe from Oak Ridge Farm
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 1/2 pound), scrubbed and cut into small cubes; salt and pepper; 1/4-1/3 cup finely chopped leeks; 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, 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. Serves 4-6. Recipe from MACSAC
CARROT CHEESE CASSEROLE
Cook sliced carrots. Place in casserole. Add rich cheese sauce and stir together. Place buttered bread crumbs on top. Bake at 3500 for about 20 minutes or until crumbs are well browned. Recipe from Rella Smith and Alice Smith
INDONESIAN CURRIED CABBAGE
1 large cabbage; 1 large bay leaf; 3 whole cloves; 1 clove garlic; 2 cups beef broth; 3 tbs. grated onion; 4 tbs. butter; 1 tbs. curry powder; 6 tbs. flour; salt and cayenne pepper; 2 cups milk; 1/2 cup grated Gouda cheese
Shred cabbage. Rinse in a colander with lukewarm water. Make a bouquet garni of bay leaf, whole cloves and garlic. Place cabbage, broth and bouquet garni in large kettle. Bring to boil. Cook gently 10 minutes, or until cabbage is tender. Melt butter in another saucepan. Add curry powder and cook gently 1 minute. Remove pan from heat. Stir in flour and season to taste with salt and cayenne. Carefully blend in milk. Return to heat and stir constantly until sauce boils. Drain cabbage well and discard spices. Combine cabbage and sauce. Pour into buttered casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 475°F oven 15 minutes or until top bubbles and is nicely browned. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
STIR-FRIED CABBAGE
2 tbsp oil; 1 medium-size onion, sliced; 8 cups coarsely shredded cabbage; 1 tsp celery seed; 1 tsp paprika; 1 tsp coriander 1/4 tsp salt. Heat oil to medium-hot in large skillet or wok. Stir-fry onion in oil for a minute or two, then add cabbage and seasonings. Stir-fry for 5 to 10 minutes until cabbage is tender but firm. Pan may be covered briefly toward the end of the cooking process to hasten tenderizing. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings
GREEN BEANS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
2 pounds green beans, stem ends snipped off; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 medium onions, sliced as thinly as possible; 1 cup chicken stock; 1/2 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar; salt and pepper to taste
Cook beans in boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Drain; immerse in ice water. Drain again and let stand to dry. Melt butter in skillet over medium flame. Stir in onions and cook them slowly until very wilted and deepened in color, about 15 minutes. Boil stock in a saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup; stir in sugar and vinegar. Stir in onions. Simmer until slightly reduced. Combine onions and green beans; heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.
ONION ROLLS
1 cup finely chopped onions; 2 Tablespoons margarine, basil or dill weed; refrigerated crescent rolls or yeast rolls
Sauté onions in margarine until tender. Season to taste with dill weed or basil. Unroll crescent or yeast rolls and spread with mixture. Roll up again and bake according to package directions. Recipe from Especially Herbs.
POTATO CRUST QUICHE
3 medium potatoes (to make 1 1/2 cups mashed); 1/3 cup butter, softened; 2 cups mixed, chopped, cooked vegetables; 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 2 eggs; 1 can (5.3 ounces) evaporated milk; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1 cup bread cubes (optional)
Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender; drain. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mash hot potatoes with butter. Line bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate with potato mixture. Spread vegetables over potatoes; sprinkle cheese over vegetables. Beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in bowl. Pour over quiche; top with bread cubes, if desired. Bake 40-50 minutes. Serves 8. Recipe from Crystal lake Gardens
SAVORY POTATO-BEAN SOUP
1 Tbsp olive oil; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice; 1 1/4 c diced ham; 2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed and diced; 1 (16-oz) can kidney beans, drained; 5 c beef broth
In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over high heat and stir-fry garlic 1 1/2 minutes. Add onion and cook 2 minutes. Add pie spice and ham; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in potatoes, beans and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Ladle into bowls, and garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, cheese or parsley. Makes 8 servings
GREEK CHEESE AND POTATO PATTIES
1 1/4 pounds potatoes; 4 ounces feta cheese; 4 scallions, chopped; 3 tbsp chopped fresh fennel; 1 tbsp lemon juice; I egg, beaten; flour for dredging; 3 tbsp olive oil; salt and freshly ground black pepper
Boil the potatoes in their skins in lightly salted water until soft. Drain, then peel while still warm. Place in a bowl and mash. Crumble the feta cheese into the potatoes and add the scallions, dill, lemon juice and egg. Season with salt and pepper (the cheese is salty, so taste before you add salt). Stir well. Cover the mixture and chill until firm. Divide the mixture into walnut-size balls, then flatten them slightly. Dredge in the flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the patties until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels and serve at once.
CABOT CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES
2 pounds potatoes; 1/2 cup butter, plus more as needed; 3/4 cup whole milk, heated; 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated; Nutmeg; Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Peel and dice the potatoes. Cover with cold, salted water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until potatoes are just fork tender. Drain thoroughly, and place in a large bowl with the butter, milk, and cheese, and add nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash with an old-fashioned masher or handheld mixer, mixing thoroughly until desired consistency is reached. Additional butter and milk may be added to taste. 4 Servings.
GARLIC SPINACH
1 1/2 pounds spinach; 2-3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup olive oil
Remove spinach stems and wash leaves thoroughly. Sauté garlic in olive oil in deep pan. Add wet spinach. Cover. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over low heat. Mix. Serves 3. Recipe from The Fruit and Vegetable Stand.
SPINACH AND RICE
1 1/2 pounds spinach; 1 cup cooked rice; 4 ounces butter or margarine
Remove spinach stems and wash leaves thoroughly. Chop and place wet spinach in pan. Cover and cook until soft. Drain. Mix with rice. Add melted butter. Mix. Place in baking dish in preheated 3500 F. oven for 10 minutes. Serves 3 to 4. Recipe from The Fruit and Vegetable Stand.
GARLIC, CHICKPEA AND SPINACH SOUP
2 tablespoons olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 onion, roughly chopped; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 5 cups vegetable stock; 12 ounces potatoes, peeled and finely chopped; I5-ounce can chickpeas, drained; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 2/3 cup heavy cream; 2 tablespoons light tahini (sesame seed paste); 7 ounces spinach, shredded; cayenne pepper; salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the garlic and onion for 5 minutes, or until they are softened and golden brown. Stir in the cumin and coriander and cook for another minute. Pour in the stock and add the chopped potatoes to the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas and simmer for 5 minutes more, or until the potatoes and chickpeas are just tender. Blend together the cornstarch, cream, tahini and plenty of seasoning. Stir into the soup withthe spinach. Bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer for another 2 minutes. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper. Serves 4. Recipe from Vegetarian; the best ever recipe collection.
ASIAN SPINACH SALAD
1 lb fresh spinach, washed and trimmed; 1 Tbsp soy sauce; 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil; 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp sugar; 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar; Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Steam spinach until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop coarsely. In bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, seeds, garlic, sugar, vinegar and pepper; mix well. Add spinach to sauce, and toss to coat. Serve hot or cold. Makes 4 servings Recipe from Farm-Fresh Recipes.