Summer Share Twenty-two October 18th 2016
Important information:
- Winter share enrollment for the 2016-17 season has begun. There are only 100 shares so please do not wait.
- The countdown is three more distributions after this week. Shares end the week of Nov. 7th.
- Please keep those return boxes coming…
Farm News form Jane
Our yard is beginning to have a carpet of beautiful colored leaves although most of them are still on the trees; how fortunate for us. I heard a weatherman report a month or so ago that the leaves were going to be mostly yellows this autumn; but not so from our perspective. The maples have so many gorgeous shades of red to orange and gold. I think perhaps that’s where Crayola found all those shades to create names for!
This week’s share includes a new variety of white beet called Avalanche. We are very impressed with their growth, vigor and flavor. They are quite sweet and mild not as much of that “earthy” flavor as the reds. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical of white beets. With all the different beautiful colors why white! I like knowing that all those bright deep colors provide lots of flavanoids as well. So why white carrots or beets? That’s why there are turnips and parsnips after all. But after trying the white ones I have to agree that they are very tasty. The moral of the story of course is don’t judge a beet by its color! And the other colors to enjoy this week are blue and purple: potatoes and kohlrabi; what a colorful share.
The ADK blue potatoes are fairly good sized this year as well as yielding well. It’s so good to have a great crop of potatoes especially with the lack of rainfall. We had begun to start catching up on precipitation last month but October has been dry thus far and now we are back to 8 inches behind in rainfall. We will have to water again this week to keep things thriving. The carrots continue to grow quite nicely with this warm beginning to autumn. Hopefully they’ll size up enough to put in the last few weeks of summer shares. The other side of the warm weather is waiting till the soil cools down to begin the root harvest. We count on Mother Nature to cool down the root crops so that they are already cold going into storage. They keep best when cold. It’s hard to cool them down after they stored. There is always a balance of positive and negative effects…
I hope that everyone had a chance to peek at the beautiful harvest moon as well as the leaves over the weekend. It made for a romantic ambiance for those of us who had the opportunity to enjoy it. And don’t forget to send your membership forms for winter shares in soon if you’d like one. They are a limited quantity! Having the produce at your fingertips makes eating healthy more likely. Enjoy the scenery, warm weather and the veggies, Jane
Produce: Adirondack Blue potatoes Garlic Kale Acorn squash Spanish onions
Purple Kohlrabi Cabbage Radishes White beets
Fruit shares: Jonagold apples Asian pears
Produce tips:
– Kohlrabi can be stored well for months in the refrigerator!
– Beets were bagged in plastic while still damp; please open the bag slightly to allow some air for them to “breathe”. The white beets are something new this season. They are sweet and milder than the red varieties. Let us know what you think!
– ADK blue potatoes keep their color best when steamed or roasted. Their texture lends them to be especially good fried or roasted.
– Purple kohlrabi is bit “zippier” than the green. Try roasting to mellow their flavor. But if you like “zippy” than just peel, grate and use for slaw or salads.
Recipes
KALE SALAD WITH POMEGRANATE AND MAPLE PECANS
Maple pecans: ½ c. pecan pieces, 1T maple syrup, 2 t. olive oil, ½ t. salt, ¼ t. cayenne pepper. Preheat oven to 350o. Combine all ingredients in small bowl, and toss until well coated. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 12 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature.
Vinaigrette: 2T. Balsamic vinegar, 2T olive oil, 1 small shallot, peeled and finely minced (1+1/2 T.) To make vinaigrette: whisk together ingredients, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Salad: 12 oz Tuscan kale, deveined and sliced into ½ in. ribbons (8c.), 1 large red apple, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced (1+1/4 c), ½ pomegranate seeds, 1+1/2 OZ. Gouda, thinly shaved with vegetable peeler. To assemble salad: place kale in large bowl; gently massage 3 T vinaigrette into leaves to ensure even coverage. Gently toss with apple and pomegranate seeds, and transfer to serving bowl. Top with maple pecans and shaved Gouda.
AROMATIC WILTED GREENS WITH COCONUT MILK
2 T coconut oil, 4garlic cloves, lightly crushed, 2 small shallots, 1 red chili (such as Fresno) thinly sliced, 1” piece of ginger, peeled, thinly sliced into matchsticks, 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, divided, kosher salt, 1 small bunch kale, ribs and stems removed and leaves torn, 1 small bunch collard greens, ribs and stems removed, leaves sliced 1” thick, ½ C coconut milk. Divided, lime wedges (for serving)
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add shallots, chili, ginger, and two thirds of scallions. Season with salt; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add kale and collard greens a handful at a time, letting them wilt slightly before adding more. Cook, tossing occasionally, until greens are crisp tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add half of coconut milk and toss to coat. Transfer greens to a serving bowl and top with remaining coconut milk and scallions. Serve with lime wedges. Recipe form Bonappetit
ARABIAN SQUASH CHEESE CASSEROLE
2 medium-large Acorn or carnival squash; 1 cup onion; 2-3 cloves crushed garlic; 1 cup red or green pepper, chopped; 3 Tbsp butter; 1 tsp salt; 2 beaten eggs; 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt; l/4 cup sunflower seeds; 1 cup crumbled feta
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook squash for 35 minutes or until soft. Scoop out and mash squash. Sauté onion and garlic in butter and salt, when the onion is translucent add the chopped peppers. Sauté until just done. Beat eggs with buttermilk. Crumble in the feta cheese. Combine everything and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread in butter casserole or baking pan. Top with sunflower seeds. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes covered and then 10 minutes uncovered.
CORN BREAD AND PINE NUT-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
8 very small acorn squash or other very small winter squash; 6 tablespoons pine nuts; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano; I cup finely chopped red onion; salt and pepper; 6 tablespoons butter, divided; 3-6 tablespoons apple cider; I cup finely chopped sweet red or green pepper
4 cups stale com bread in I-inch cubes (equivalent to approximately 1 8-by-8-inch pan of com bread) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut a thin slice off bottom of each squash, so it can stand up. Cut off a quarter of each squash from the top and discard. Scoop out seeds and membranes. Place squashes top side down in baking dish; add water to depth of 1/4 inch. Cover with foil; bake until tender, 45- 60 minutes. Discard water. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until nearly tender. Add sweet peppers and cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes. Crumble the com bread; combine with cooked vegetables, pine nuts, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in just enough apple cider to moisten stuffing. Fill squash cavities with stuffing. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter; drizzle or brush
on stuffing. Place in baking dish and bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings; Recipe from MACSAC
ACORN SQUASH WITH HAM AND APPLES
1 acorn squash; 1/4 tsp salt; 2/3 cup diced cooked ham; 1/3 cup diced, peeled tart apples; 1 tbsp brown sugar; ¼ tsp dry mustard; pinch of pepper; 2 tsp butter
Wash and cut squash in halves lengthwise. Remove seeds. Place, cut side down, in 15~ X 10~ X 1″ jelly roll pan. Pour in 1/2″ boiling water; bake in hot oven (400°) 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn squash halves cut side up. Sprinkle with salt. Combine ham, apples, brown sugar, mustard and pepper. Spoon into squash cavities. Top each with 1 tsp. butter. Return to oven and bake until apples are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 2 servings.
GERMAN-STYLE APPLES AND CABBAGE
4 packed cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage, (3/4-1 pound); 3 cups peeled, sliced tart apples; 1 cup sliced red onion; 1/2 cup apple cider or beer; 1/4 cup cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional); 1/2 teaspoon salt; coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Place cabbage, apples, red onion, and cider or beer in heavy saucepan or skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables become slightly tender, about 8 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; cook another 7-8 minutes. Add more cider if necessary to keep vegetables from sticking. Serve with ring bologna, bratwurst, kielbasa, or sautéed mushrooms. Makes 6 servings Recipe from MACSAC
STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
12 cabbage leaves*; 1 pound hamburger; 1/2 cup uncooked instant rice; 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup); 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt; 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon water
Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water. Cover and let stand until leaves are limp, about 10 minutes. Remove leaves; drain. Sauté hamburger, rice, onion, mushrooms (with liquid), salt, pepper, garlic salt and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Place about 1/3 cup hamburger mixture at stem end of each leaf. Roll leaf around hamburger mixture, tucking in sides. Place cabbage rolls seam sides down in ungreased square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches. Mix remaining tomato sauce, the sugar and lemon juice; pour over cabbage rolls. Cover and cook in 3500 oven until hamburger is done, about 45 minutes. Mix cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in saucepan. Stir in liquid from cabbage rolls. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve sauce with cabbage rolls. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serves 4-5
AWESOME PEAR OR APPLE PANCAKE
3 eggs; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1\4 tsp salt; 1 tsp almond or pure vanilla extract; 2 ripe pears or 2 tart peeled apples, cored and thinly sliced; 2 tbsp sugar; 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 2 tbsp butter; Confectioners’ sugar or pure maple syrup to taste
Warm an iron skillet in a 425 degree F oven. With a handheld blender, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, and extract until smooth. In a separate bowl, toss together pears, sugar, and cinnamon. Melt butter in the warm skillet. Arrange the pears in a single layer on the bottom of the skillet. Carefully pour the batter over the fruit. Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. To serve, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with maple syrup. 2-4 servings
PEAR CUSTARD PIE
1 9-inch PIE CRUST; 1 cup sour cream; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/3 cup warmed honey; 2 cups sliced fresh pears (about 8 pears)
Preheat oven to 400 F. Combine sour cream, egg, vanilla, and nutmeg. Add flour, salt, and honey. Beat to a smooth, thin batter. Arrange sliced pears in pie shell, and then pour batter over the fruit. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 3500 F. and bake for 30 minutes longer. Remove from Oven and top with crumbs made of: 1/3 cup whole wheat flour; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Increase oven heat to 400 F and return pie to brown for 10 or 15 minutes. Yield: 1 9-inch pie Recipe from Naturally Delicious Desserts and Snacks.
BLUE POTATOES MASHED WITH GARLIC
3 pounds blue potatoes, 2 1/2 ounces roasted garlic, 2 ounces sour cream, 1/2 ounce butter, 1 ounce, Parmesan, grated, Salt and pepper
Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes. Boil them in salted water for approximately 15 minutes or fork tender. Once potatoes have cooked, drain the water. In a large bowl add the garlic, sour cream, butter, and Parmesan to the potatoes, and mash until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe courtesy Petty Officer Todd, U.S. Navy
ROSEMARY ROASTED PURPLE POTATOES
5-6 medium-sized purple or other potatoes, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, crushed, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the potatoes well. Dry and quarter them as shown above. Place potatoes in baking pan to form a single layer. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes, sprinkle with crushed garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss potatoes to coat with oil and spices. Cover pan with foil and slide into oven. Bake potatoes for 15 minutes. Slide pan from oven and remove foil. Using a spatula, turn potatoes over. Return pan to oven without foil and roast potatoes another 15 minutes. Slide potatoes from oven, turn them one more time and continue roasting another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serves 6
KOHLRABI PARMESAN
3 medium kohlrabi, trimmed of stalks and leaves; 2 T unsalted butter; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese; salt and pepper, to taste; 1 T minced parsley
Peel kohlrabi 1/8 in deep. Shred with grater or food processor. Cook kohlrabi in butter over medium heat, stirring often, until tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese, salt and pepper. Toss and cook just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately. 4 servings.
KOHLRABI AND RADISH SALAD
3T olive oil, 1T wine vinegar, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 kohlrabi (about8 oz.) 1 cup of radish slices
Put the oil and vinegar into a bowl with salt and pepper to taste and mix to make a simple dressing. Peel the kohlrabi quite thinly, then cut into julienne matchsticks; wash and slice the radish. Add the kohlrabi and radishes to the bowl and stir gently to coat everything with the dressing. Serves 4 Recipe from Vegetarian Four Seasons
KOHLRABI AND APPLE SALAD WITH CARAWAY
1 t. caraway seeds, T olive oil, 2T white wine vinegar, 1Tdijon mustard, kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, 2 medium kohlrabi or 1 medium celeriac, peeled, thinly sliced on a mandolin, 2 small heads frisee, torn into bite sized pieces (about 6 c.), 1 crisp red apple, thinly sliced, 4T chopped fresh chives, divided Toast caraway seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Whisk caraway, oil, vinegar and mustard in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add kohlrabi, frisee, apple, and 2 T chives to bowl with dressing and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Top salad with remaining 2T chives just before serving.
Serves 4; Recipe from Bonappetit
BEETS A LA CREME
1/8 cup real butter; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 4 medium beets, cooked; Freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; Salt to taste
Cut beets in thick julienne strips, cube, or slice as you prefer. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add beets and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring to coat beets evenly with butter. Season with salt; add cream and continue to cook until reduced to glaze just coating beets. Sprinkle heavily with pepper and parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 3
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 HUMMUS RECIPE
1/2 pound beets (about 4 medium sized beets), scrubbed clean, cooked, peeled, and cubed*, 2 Tbsp tahini sesame seed paste, 5 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 small clove garlic, chopped, 1 Tbsp ground cumin, 1 Tbsp lemon zest (zest from approx. 2 lemons), Generous pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt, Fresh ground pepper to taste
*To cook the beets, cut off any tops, scrub the roots clean, put them in a covered dish with about 1/4-inch of water in a 375°F oven, and cook until easily penetrated with a knife or fork. Alternatively, cover with water in a saucepan and simmer until tender, about 1/2 hour. Peel once they have cooled.
Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients as desired. Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Eat with pita chips, or with sliced cucumber or celery, or on a crostini with goat cheese and shaved mint. Makes 2 cups.
BAKED RADISHES
1/2 lb radishes, trimmed and halved; 1 Tbsp Honey; 1 Tbsp butter; 1 tsp cinnamon
Steam radishes 5 minutes. Drain and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Combine honey, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Warm and stir until butter is melted. Pour over radishes. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until tender, about 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings
COUSCOUS AND RADISH SALAD
1/2 c water; 1/8 tsp salt; pinch of pepper; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 clove garlic, crushed; 1 Tbsp onions, thinly sliced; 1/2 c couscous; 1 c radishes, quartered; 1/4 c parsley; 2 tbsp mint; 1/4 tsp lemon rind, grated
Bring water to a boil in saucepan; stir in couscous. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, 10 minutes; fluff with a fork. Set aside. Mince radishes by hand or in food processor. Place in large bowl. Mince parsley and mint. Add to radishes and stir in couscous. Whisk together lemon rind, salt, pepper, lemon juice, oil and garlic. Add to couscous mixture, toss. Top with onions. Makes 2 servings