Summer Share Seventeen Sept. 8th 2015
Important information:
- Winter share memberships will not be processed until we have both form and payment. Membership forms may be emailed to us if desired. Current members have until Oct. 1st to reserve their share; don’t delay as we are already one third full!
- Summer share renewal information will be sent out in late October for November sign up.
- Please return boxes…
Farm News from Jane
What a lovely holiday we had on the farm today “laboring “. We had some members who came out to experience a day on the farm and see what goes on in a morning. With all the extra hands and great conversation the baskets/containers were quickly filled and the morning flew by! We are so grateful for the help and the camaraderie. Besides for the help that the worker shares provide the socializing is a real boost for some of us who don’t “get off the farm” frequently. It is very encouraging when someone comes alongside and appreciates what you do. It makes your work feel valued and respected (especially on those hot, steamy days). I had to chuckle though last week when group of school kitchen staff we were hosting for a farm tour walked by while we were harvesting. I sometimes wonder what their impression is of the “field crew”. Do they think “I’m glad I don’t have to do that”? It strikes be a bit funny as we are there because we want to be there not because we are compelled by need. Very interesting how that works isn’t it? Those who have a non agricultural background can appreciate being outside doing manual labor; and just how satisfying it is.) And no, this is not necessarily a plug for next season’s worker share program)!
But on to the veggies du jour…
The fall crops have begun as we have cabbage in the share this week. And yes, it is suppose to be “pointed”. I find that it is much easier to shred with the hand grater; and it’s easy to get just the amount you need. Broccoli will appear randomly in the share over the next few weeks as not enough heads are mature in the same week. So your turn for a surprise (if you haven’t already found it) will be coming soon. The next few weeks we will be harvesting the last of the beans and I’m sure those who have been picking them weekly will be happy to move on to another crop. They are light in weight though; the fall crops get a bit heavier. We always have a few eyebrows raised by new members when the shares begin in spring and the box is a bit light in weight and somewhat few in items. Then in the fall there are outcries about “what will we do with all this produce”! But then again the autumn veggies will also “keep” for a longer period of time while the spring items are delicate and don’t store as well.
Seasonality is quite a lesson from Mother Nature; we are always learning and appreciating her finest offerings and sometimes her harshest lessons. Until next week, Jane
Produce: Kale Grape tomatoes Conical cabbage Spanish onions Sweet corn
Burgundy beans Bell peppers Eggplant Kohlrabi
Fruit Share: Nectarines Plums Pears
Produce tips:
–Kale is best stored bagged in plastic before refrigerating.
– The cabbage does not need to be bagged until you cut into it.
–Eggplants is wonderful grilled and makes a great substitution for portabella mushroom on a flatbread or Panini sandwich; just baste with some balsamic vinegar while grilling.
– Kale should first be rinsed and then”stacked”. Remove center rib with a knife a few leaves at a time. Then slice thinly or chop before sautéing. A bit of olive oil and onion or garlic as you are sautéing and its ready for dinner.
– Peel and slice kohlrabi for delicious and nutritious veggies for your favorite dip!
– There are quite a few “friends” in the tips of the sweet corn ears; have your paring knife ready this week. If you are squeamish just cut an inch or two off the tip before husking!
Recipes
CREAM-GLAZED CORN
1 tbsp butter; 2 cups uncooked corn; 2 tbsp water; Pinch of ground cloves; 2 tbsp whipping cream; Salt
Melt butter in small skillet over high heat. Immediately add corn, water and cloves. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cream and stir constantly until cream is almost absorbed. Season with salt to taste; 2 servings
SUCCOTASH CHOWDER
½ medium potato, diced; ½ tbsp butter; 1 cup chopped onion; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 stalks celery, minced; ¾ tsp salt; 1 tsp basil; ¼ tsp thyme; 1 ½ cups corn; 1 cup cooked lima beans; 2 cups milk; pepper to taste
Cook the diced potato in boiling water until just tender. Drain well and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a kettle or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, celery, salt and herbs. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until the onion and celery are tender. Stir in the corn and sauté for another 10 minutes. Add the cooked lima beans. Add potato and milk. Season to taste with pepper and salt. Serve hot with minced fresh herbs. Serves 3
BAKED CORN WITH ONIONS
2 cups fresh corn kernels; 1 cup thinly sliced onions; 1/2 tsp curry powder; salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 stick butter; 1/4 cup heavy cream
Alternate corn and onions in layers in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with curry powder and salt and pepper. Cut butter in slices over the top. Pour on cream. Bake at 3750 for 35-45 minutes, or until top is browned; Serves 2-3
WAVE’S RAVE SWEET CORN RISOTTO
4 ears sweet com; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/4 cup diced onion; 1/4 cup diced pepper; 2 teaspoons minced garlic; 1/2 cup Arborio rice; 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese; salt and pepper
Cut kernels off com cobs. Place cobs in a heavy saucepan with 6 cups water; bring to simmer and cook cobs 20-25 minutes. Strain; return water to pan. Add com kernels; return to simmer. After 2 minutes, remove half the kernels and set them aside. Continue cooking remaining kernels until tender, about 10 minutes. Puree water-com mixture in a blender, and then strain it through a fine-meshed sieve. Heat oil in the same pan. Add onion, sweet pepper, garlic, and rice; sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; add pureed mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue to add pureed mixture only until rice is barely tender-you may not need to add all of it. Add reserved com, Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until cheese melts. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 small servings.
Recipe from Chef Wove Kasprzak, The Dining Room at Monticello
CHEESE TORTELLINI WITH TOMATOES AND CORN
1 pkg. (9oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini, 3 ½ c. fresh corn or 1lb. frozen, 2 cups cherry tomatoes; quartered;, ¼ c. thinly sliced green onions, ¼ c. minced fresh basil, 2T. grated Parmesan cheese, 4 t. olive oil, ¼ t. garlic powder, 1/8 t. pepper.
In a Dutch oven, cook tortellini according to pkg directions, adding the corn during the last five minutes of cooking. Drain and rinse in cold water. In a large serving bowl, combine tortellini mixture and remaining ingredients; toss to coat.
COUSCOUS WITH TOMATO AND EGGPLANT
1 medium onion, chopped; 1 tsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 eggplant, skin on, diced; 1 green pepper, cut julienne; 2 c chopped fresh tomatoes; Salt and black pepper, to taste; 1/4 tsp paprika; 1/4 tsp each dry basil, rosemary, & oregano; 1/4 c minced fresh parsley; 1 c water; 1 lb couscous
Cook onion until golden in olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add eggplant and green pepper; cook and stir 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, basil, rosemary, oregano, J parsley and water; stir. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. Mash eggplant, and then cook 30 minutes more.
Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve sauce over hot cooked couscous. Makes 6 servings
GRILLED EGGPLANT
4 eggplants (l lb each), with peel, cut lengthwise into 1 inch thick slices; 2 tsp kosher salt, divided; 4 Tbsp extra virgin Olive oil; 1/4-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Layer several paper towels on baking sheet. Place half of eggplant on top in single layer. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and cover with paper towels. Arrange second layer of eggplant, sprinkle with remaining salt, and cover with paper towels. Let eggplant stand 30 minutes, then rinse each piece and blot dry. (This helps extract excess water, reducing bitterness and preventing eggplant from absorbing excess oil during cooking.) Brush both sides of an eggplant slice with oil to coat and transfer to large bowl. Repeat with remaining oil and eggplant slices. Season with pepper. Heat grill to medium. Grill eggplant, with cover closed, 16 to 20 minutes, turning once, until browned and tender. Refrigerate leftovers in airtight container for a day or two.
GRILLED EGGPLANT SANDWICH
1 large eggplant; 1/4 c olive oil; 1 long loaf crusty French bread; 1/4 c prepared basil pesto; 1/4 lb provolone cheese, thinly sliced; 6 sliced mild peppers, such as banana peppers; 1 fresh tomato, sliced (optional)
Slice eggplant 1/4-inch thick. Brush with olive oil on both sides. Grill over low to medium coals, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, 5-7 minutes total. Cut bread in half lengthwise. Spread pesto on cut faces of bread. Place eggplant, cheese, peppers and optional tomato in layers on one half of loaf. Top with other half of loaf. If desired, wrap loaf in foil and heat at 350 degrees 20 minutes. Cut crosswise into 4 sandwiches and serve. Makes 4 servings
CREAMED KALE AND ONIONS
3/4 lb. kale, cleaned; 1 lbs. small white onions, peeled (about 12); 2 T butter; 1.5 T flour; 3/4 c. milk; seasonings.
Cook kale in boiling salted water (enough to come halfway up on layer of the vegetable) until tender, about 15 minutes. Cook onions in boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain; combine vegetables. Make white sauce of butter, flour, milk and seasonings you prefer (salt, pepper, etc.). Pour over kale and onions. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings Note: You can use liquid drained from cooked vegetables for all or part of milk in making the sauce. Recipe from America’s Best Vegetable Recipes
SESAME KALE SALAD
1# fresh kale, 2T soy sauce, 2T toasted sesame oil, 1T toasted sesame seeds, 1 clove garlic, 2 t honey or other sweetener, 1T apple cider vinegar, dash of black or red ground pepper to taste.
Separate kale leaves from stems. Chop stems and greens. Steam stems a couple of minutes, then add the greens and steam until just tender. Drain; let kale cool enough to handle it. Squeeze out as much water as possible. Place in a serving bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl; add to greens. Mix, chill, and serve. Serves 4-6.
Adapted from the Extending the Table; A World Community Cookbook, by Joetta Hendrich Schlabach.
ROASTED FRENCH BEAN SALAD WITH PINE NUTS AND PARMESAN
1 pound haricots vertes (thin French green beans or any beans first filleted), washed and dried; salt and pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons wine vinegar; 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 1/4 cup pine nuts; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss beans with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread in single layer on a baking sheet; roast on top shelf in oven about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time. Mash garlic with 1 teaspoon salt; add vinegar. Whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. When beans are done roasting, reduce oven to 350 degrees. Toss beans and dressing; season with salt (if necessary) and pepper. Spread pine nuts on baking sheet. Roast them, shaking pan occasionally, until lightly browned. Sprinkle pine nuts and Parmesan over tossed salad. Serve warm or at room temperature. Adapted from a dish tasted at Restaurant Rech. It may be made with regular green beans (roast them a little longer), and with sliced, sautéed Portobello mushrooms instead of pine nuts. Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from Angelo Tedesco, Turtle Farm
SOUTHERN STIR-FRY GREEN BEANS
1 1/2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed; 2 Tbsp olive oil; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 c chopped pecans; 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic 1 minute. Add green beans; cover, reduce to medium-low and cook 8 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Add pecans and brown sugar; toss. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings
KOHLRABI SLAW
Peel kohlrabi and then grate or shred. Serve with your favorite vinaigrette or coleslaw dressing.
Quick Coleslaw Dressing (to make ahead and have on hand)
One cup mayo, 2 T sugar, 1T vinegar. Whip together until sugar is dissolved; keeps for weeks in the fridge.
FRESH TOMATO AND FETA SAUCE FOR PASTA
1/2 pound angel hair pasta; fresh, great-tasting tomatoes, enough to make 2 cups chopped tomatoes or 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes; 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/4 cup olive oil; salt and pepper; feta cheese
Boil pasta in large quantity of salted water until just tender. Meanwhile, chop tomatoes and place in bowl. (If you’re using paste, or Roma-type, tomatoes, you may first cut a shallow X in the bottom of each, dip the tomatoes in the boiling pasta water 10-20 seconds, and remove skins.) Place lemon juice in a large bowl; whisk in oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Rinse and drain pasta; toss with oil mixture. Transfer pasta to a large, shallow platter and top with chopped tomatoes. Crumble feta on top, as much or as little as you like. Serve at room temperature. This recipe came from a sister’s friend. You can vary the amounts to serve any number of people. Makes 3-4 servings.
COUSCOUS WITH TOMATO AND EGGPLANT
1 medium onion, chopped; 1 tsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 eggplant, skin on, diced; 1 green pepper, cut julienne; 2 c chopped fresh tomatoes; Salt and black pepper, to taste; 1/4 tsp paprika; 1/4 tsp each dry basil, rosemary, & oregano; 1/4 c minced fresh parsley; 1 c water; 1 lb couscous
Cook onion until golden in olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add eggplant and green pepper; cook and stir 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, paprika, basil, rosemary, oregano, J parsley and water; stir. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring often. Mash eggplant, and then cook 30 minutes more.
Cook couscous according to package directions. Serve sauce over hot cooked couscous. Makes 6 servings
GRAND GAZPACHO SALAD
Dressing: 2 teaspoons minced garlic, mashed to a paste; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 4 tablespoons olive oil; salt and pepper to taste
Salad: 5 large heirloom tomatoes seeded and chopped; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; salt and pepper; 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion; 1/2 cup each green pepper; peeled, hard-cooked eggs, all finely chopped; freshly grated Parmesan
Mix first 4 dressing ingredients; whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Layer ingredients in a clear glass bowl in the order above. Chill before serving. Makes 5-6 servings; Recipe from MACSAC
SUNNY-SIDE UPS WITH PESTO AND TOMATOES
1 teaspoon olive oil; 12 cherry tomatoes, halved; 1/2 small sweet onion, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons pesto; 4 eggs; salt and pepper
Heat oil in medium-size nonstick pan over medium-high flame. Add tomatoes and onion and cook them quickly, stirring often, until tomatoes give off juice and begin to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in pesto. Push mixture to sides of pan, creating a “ring” of sauce. Carefully break eggs into center of pan, cover, and cook until eggs are set, 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings; Recipe from MACSAC
RED FRIED RICE
1/4 cup basmati rice; 2 tablespoons peanut oil; 1 small red onion, chopped; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped; 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved; 2 eggs, beaten; salt and freshly ground black pepper
Wash the rice several times under cold running water. Drain well. Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the rice and cook for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the onion and pepper and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue stir-frying for 2 minutes more. Pour in the beaten eggs all at once. Cook for 30 seconds without stirring, then stir to break up the egg as it sets. Drain the cooked rice thoroughly. Add to the wok and toss it over the heat with the vegetable and egg mixture for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately
SAUTEED KOHLRABI
Grate kohlrabi, place in colander, and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes to drain. Heat 2 T. butter over medium heat. Add 1 small onion chopped, and sauté a few minutes. Stir in kohlrabi, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook two more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs. Makes 1-2 servings