Summer Share Three June 7th 2016

Important information:

• For those who are interested in adding a fruit share the cost is $250 for approximately 18 weeks. Here is the link: http://promisedlandcsa.com/csa/summer/
• Thanks for the great share box return last week. This week we are sizing up to a ¾ bushel box. They are all brand new so please be sure to get directions before you try and fold it down.
• Newsletters are archived on our website @ http://promisedlandcsa.com/news/ if you are looking for past information

Farm News from Jane

The heavens opened and we saw a bit of rain on Saturday; I hope that it will visit us again this week! In the meantime Ben has been running an excavator to enlarge the farm pond. We have already brought the pond level down six feet and is only the first week of June. It does recharge due to natural springs but not at the rate that we have run the irrigation to keep crops growing. Traditionally though June is the rainiest month in our area so perhaps the “winds of change” will turn the tide this month. The garlic scapes have emerged early this season. They are the seed shoot form the German stiff necked garlic we grow. We remove them by pulling them out by hand; this allows the bulb to grow larger as it matures. We were surprised and delighted to see how large the Swiss chard had grown when we went to the field this morning. The colors are brilliant in the rainbow chard variety which we grow. It is like spinach as it enjoys the cooler spring temperatures and when the heat of summer comes it languishes. The beets grew nicely as well and next week there will be kohlrabi for shares. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it one of our members christened it the “alien” vegetable. The first block of peas is almost ready to blossom and soon will set their pods. Peas are really one the special delights of June. You can occasionally find them in a store but never as fresh and sweet as yours will be. So much to look forward to…

Come on summer we’re ready for you! Enjoy, Jane

 

Produce:  Romaine lettuce   Red head lettuce   Swiss chard  

Cooking Onions   Red beets   Broccoli   Garlic scapes

 

Produce tips:

–SWISS CHARD is a very versatile green. Prep the same as you would for kale except do use the stalks. Cook the stalks a few minutes before adding the leaves. I included a soup recipe as they are calling for a few cooler days this week.

– BEETS The beet greens are beautiful right now. Don’t throw them away as they are both delicious and nutritious. Leave approximately an inch of the stems when remove them from the beets. Blanch or steam them very briefly as they are very tender.  You can just rinse them in running water and wilt them down in a medium hot fry pan for just a few minutes. Some people like to add vinegar to them before serving. Or add them raw to your salad. Beets can be boiled whole and then remove the skins under running water before slicing and serving.

– GARLIC SCAPES are the seed stalk that the stiff neck garlic sends up. You can use the whole stalk including the seed pod near the top. Slice them raw into a salad or stir fry them with your veggies or eggs. Substitute scapes for green onions in recipes. And there’ll be more next week!

– BROCCOLI – Although it’s a small head it still will be tender and sweet.

 

Recipes

SPRING GREENS RISOTTO

3 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 c chopped green onions; 1 1/2 c Arborio rice; 1/2 tsp salt; 4 c hot chicken or vegetable broth, divided; 4 c coarsely chopped spring greens (spinach, chard, sorrel); 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg (optional); 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy pot over medium- high heat. Add onions; cook 3 minutes. Add rice and salt. Cook and stir until rice begins to color. 2. Add 1/2 c broth; cook and stir until most of broth is absorbed. Add 1 1/2 c broth; simmer, stirring occasionally, until mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add remaining broth. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place greens on top of rice. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in greens. Simmer and stir a few minutes more until broth is absorbed and rice is tender but moist. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan and serve.

Makes 6 servings; Recipe from Farm-Fresh Recipes.

 

SWISS CHARD & CHICK PEA SOUP
3 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1C diced red onion, 1 sprig rosemary leaves removed and chopped, 1+½ T crushed garlic, 6 C vegetable stock, 2 C chopped tomatoes, 1 can chick peas; drained and rinsed, 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and greens roughly chopped (reserve the stems for another use), salt and pepper
Combine carrots, celery, red onion, rosemary, garlic, and stock in a saucepan. Bring to a low boil and cook about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, chick peas, and chard. Simmer another 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 servings; recipe from MACSAC cookbook

 

SWISS CHARD CASSEROLE

1 bunch Swiss chard; 1/2 can condensed cream of chicken soup; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. pepper; 3/4 c. herb-seasoned croutons; 2 tbsp melted butter

Cut stalks from washed chard in 1″ pieces. Cook in boiling salted water in large kettle 5 minutes (1/2 tsp. salt to 2 c. water). Tear leaves, add to kettle and continue cooking until tender. Drain thoroughly. Combine with undiluted soup, salt and pepper in greased 1-qt. casserole. Toss croutons in melted butter. Sprinkle on top of chard. Bake in moderate oven (350°) 25 minutes; Makes 3 servings.

 

SWISS CHARD NOODLE BAKE

1 pound fresh Swiss chard, cooked just until wilted, drained and chopped; 1/2 pound penne or ziti noodles, freshly cooked and drained; 1/2 pound ricotta cheese; 1 15-ounce jars marinara sauce; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 1 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 3-quart casserole or baking dish. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl and blend thoroughly. Turn into prepared dish and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

Approximately 4 servings

 

SWISS CHARD QUICHE

1 lb. Swiss chard or spinach, cook and drain thoroughly; 4 eggs, beaten; 1 cup milk; 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded; 1 cup bread cubed; 1/2 cup sliced green onions; 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated. Combine all ingredients with cooked greens. Pour into 2 quart baking dish. Cover and bake in 375degree oven until set, 25-30 min.

 

ZIPPY GARLIC DRESSING

2/3 c. salad oil; 1/4 c. wine vinegar; 1 tsp. sugar; 3/4 tsp. salt; 3/4 tsp. dry mustard; Dash freshly ground pepper; 1 garlic scape, minced

In a screw-top jar, combine all ingredients; shake well. Chill thoroughly before serving. Makes about 1 cup.

 

CAESAR SALAD

3/4 c olive oil; 1/4 c red wine vinegar; 2 tsp anchovy paste; 2 garlic scapes or green onions, minced;

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice; 2 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp ground white pepper; 1 c grated Parmesan cheese; 1 large head romaine lettuce; Croutons

Put oil, vinegar, anchovy paste, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and white pepper in food processor; blend. Add Parmesan; pulse just to blend. Rinse, pat dry and tear lettuce into bite-size pieces.  Add half the dressing to lettuce; toss. Add more dressing, to taste; toss, then add croutons. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings

 

HONEY-MUSTARD DRESSING

In a screw-top jar combine ¼-1/3 cup of coarse grain mustard, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup honey and 2 cloves of garlic, minced. Cover and shake well. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before serving. Recipe from the Betty Crocker Cookbook

 

TWO-WAY STREET BEETS

1 bunch small beets; juice of 1/2 orange; 1/2 tablespoon butter, softened; pepper; 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil; 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil; 1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil; 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Cut beets off stems.  Gently scrub beets: Wash the greens. Cut stems into 3-inch pieces and coarsely chop the greens; set aside stems and greens in separate piles. Steam beets until tender, 20-30 minutes. Cool briefly, slip off skins, and cut into wedges. Toss with orange juice, butter, and pepper to taste; cover and keep warm. Meanwhile, heat heavy skillet over medium flame. Add oils. Add stems; sauté 2-3 minutes. Add greens; cook, tossing often, until limp. Toss in soy sauce and pepper to taste. Arrange beets over greens on platter. Makes 3 servings; Recipe from MACSAC Cookbook

 

DICED BEETS WITH ORANGE ZEST AND YOGURT SAUCE

1/2 lb. beets, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes; 1/8 cup cider vinegar; zest of 1 orange, grated (about 1 tbsp.);  1/8tsp. ground mace; 1/8 tsp. ground cloves; 1/8 tsp. salt; freshly ground black pepper; 1/8 cup plain low-fat yogurt; 1 tbsp. fresh orange juice; 1/2 tsp. honey

Preheat the oven to 3750 F. In an 11/2-quart ovenproof casserole with a lid, combine the beets, vinegar, 1/4 cup of water, orange zest, mace, cloves, salt and pepper. Bake the beet mixture, covered, for one hour. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, mix together the yogurt and orange juice in a small bowl. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to serve. Remove the beets from the oven and stir in the honey. Serve immediately, topped with the yogurt sauce. Serves 2

 

BEET GREENS WITH VINEGAR AND CARAWAY

1 bunch medium beets with greens (about 2 1b.); 1/8 cup cider vinegar; 1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped; 1/8 tsp. caraway seeds; pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Wash and trim the beets, leaving two inches of stem attached to each one, and reserve half of the beets for another use. Remove the stems from all the greens and discard them; then cut the leaves crosswise into l-inch-wide strips and set them aside. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil in one package and bake them until tender – about one hour. Unwrap the beets and let them cool. Peel and then slice the beets into 1-inch-thick rounds, and set them aside.

Put the vinegar, garlic, caraway seeds and salt into a small saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the liquid by half and set it aside. Pour 2 tablespoons of water into a large skillet and add the beet greens. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil, then uncover the pan and cook the greens until they are wilted – about one minute. Pour out any remaining liquid. Add the vinegar mixture and the baked beets to the pan, and toss the beets until they are heated through. Serve immediately. Serves 2

 

HERBED BROCCOLI AND RICE FRITTATA

2 tsp olive oil; 1 cup thinly sliced scapes; garlic clove finely chopped; 2 cups cooked brown rice; 1 1/2 cups cooked broccoli; 4 eggs; 4 egg whites; 1/2 cup ricotta cheese; 1 Tbsp oregano; 1/2 tsp salt; y., tsp cayenne pepper; 3 Tbsp grated mozzarella cheese

Heat oil in large oven proof skillet. Add the scapes and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2 m minutes. Add the rice and broccoli and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Whisk the eggs and egg whites with the ricotta cheese, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper until well blended. Pour eggs mixture over the rice mixture in the pan, stir gently to combine, and cover. Cook over low heat until eggs are almost set, 7-10 minutes. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle cheese over frittata. Place under the broiler, about 5 inches from the heat source, and broil until the cheese melts and the top of the frittata is flecked golden brown, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning.

Cut into wedges and serve; 4 main dish servings.

 

ROASTED BROCCOLI

1 head broccoli, large stem and medium stems; removed and reserved for another use; 11/2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt; 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Break broccoli head into medium florets and toss with remaining ingredients. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 18-22 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through the cooking time. Remove from oven when broccoli is a deep green color with some darkened spots. Makes 4 servings; Recipe from MACSAC Cookbook

 

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO

8 oz. scapes cut in 1 in. pieces and processed with 1 cup Olive oil, 2 cups Parmesan cheese and ½ cup Lemon juice.

You can also substitute any kind of basil, parsley, or spinach for the basil.