Week Eighteen September 8th 2014

Important Information:

• There are still a few members who have not sent in a membership form for a winter share. If you are intending on enjoying the winter’s bounty please don’t forget. New member enrollment will begin in two weeks and any available winter shares will be gone…
• The MAP bike event is this Saturday; details @ www.mass-ave.org

 

Farm News from Jane

A green box it is or should I say a “greens” box. Not only do we have Swiss chard and kale but we also have kohlrabi greens too! The only other color in the box is the rainbow chard and the squash. The share is rapidly looking like fall. We surprised Thursday share holders last week with broccoli as the hot weather caused rapid growth. This week Tuesday shares will receive broccoli and Thursday shares will receive either green or Romano beans. Next week Tuesdays share will receive the last of this season’s beans.

Well the spaghetti squash is here much to my delight. Of course as the biblical standard goes “the farmer is the first to receive his share of the harvest” and so I roasted one Thursday on the grill and served it with sautéed peppers, onions and tomatoes. It was colorful, sweet and delicious. The tomato production has begun to slow down and so there are not tomatoes in this week’s share. There will be a few more peppers coming however. With the cold weather predicted at the end of this week the eggplant season may quickly come to an end also. We have all the onions cleaned and out of the greenhouse where they were drying down. Now the winter squash harvest can commence. Daniel did take a walk through the field yesterday and found that they are maturing nicely. The fall greens harvest has also begun with the first of the Russian kale. There are five different varieties of kale and also collards for the last eight weeks of summer shares. We will also have cauliflower, assorted cabbages and more broccoli. The parsnips which we planted twice did not germinate for some reason but the carrot plantings look great. There will be fall carrots for shares in October. We do not plant carrots for summer harvest as we find that they are strong and more bitter grown in the heat of summer. Right now the carrots are the size of “baby” carrots and with plenty of moisture they should be good size in another month. There is always something yummy to look forward too!

Tonight if you haven’t already noticed is the full moon. How beautiful is the night with the eerie long shadows that it casts. And have you also noticed the long shadows that the sun is casting now that it is at a lower angle in the sky? A tall tree becomes a mountain in its shadow. In some places the sun hardly even reaches the ground as the trees shadow it most of the day. A walk in the morning dew becomes an adventure for rubbers or boots until almost lunchtime. Of course we do not cut our grass short like a golf course out here either! That’s probably one thing that most people do not miss when summer comes to an end, lawn mowing…

Until next week enjoy the “spaghetti”, greens and crisp fresh apples, Jane

 

Produce:   Kale   Sweet corn   Kohlrabi   Broccoli (Tues)   Green beans (Thurs)

   Spaghetti squash   White Spanish Onions      Swiss chard   Bok choy

 

Fruit:   Ginger Gold Apples   Peaches (last of the season)   Blue Plums      

 

Produce Tips

– After cutting the spaghetti squash in half and removing the seeds oven bake or roast until tender then “rake” the squash with a fork to coax the squash off the skin. Serve with sauce, butter and cheese or a medley of other veggies; YUM!

– Remove the greens from the kohlrabi and refrigerate in a separate plastic bag until ready to cook them. Mix them with your other greens or save them for soup but don’t miss out on their nutrition or flavor.

– Kale can be pan sautéed, added to soups or oven roasted for kale “chips”. Substitute them for spinach or chard in other recipes also.

Use broccoli early in the week; this variety has not held up to the heat.

 

Recipes

GARLICKY BOK CHOY

3 Tbsp peanut oil; 1 tsp salt; 1 1/2 lb. bok choy; 4 garlic cloves, chopped

Heat wok over high flame 1 minute. Add the oil and heat. When it is very hot (on verge of smoking), add salt, garlic and bok choy. Stir-fry until bok choy is wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve as side dish. Makes 4 servings

 

CREAMY BRAISING GREENS

1 slice thick-cut bacon, preferably not too lean, diced; 1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced; 1 large carrot, peeled and diced; 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced; 1/2 pound sausage, diced; 6 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and diced; 7 1/2 cups chicken stock; 2 1/2 cups mixed braising greens, stems removed, and cut into very fine strips; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1//4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional); Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauté the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving drippings in the pot. Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock, stir to combine, and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Add the greens and cream and continue to simmer until soup is heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with hot sauce if desired and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with reserved bacon. Serve 6-8 soup servings.

 

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.

 

CORN AND WILD RICE FRITTERS

1 cup cooked wild rice, or regular rice; kernels from 2 ears cooked com; 1 cup flour; 1 cup milk; 1 egg; 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion; 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; 1/4 teaspoon salt; canola oil; salsa.

Mix all ingredients except oil and salsa. Add oil to a heavy skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat over medium flame until oil looks shimmery and bubbles immediately when you drop a tiny amount of batter into it. Drop small amounts (as little as 2 tablespoons or up to 1/3 cup) of the batter into the oil, cooking ~ few fritters at a time to avoid crowding them. Cook each batch until brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towels and serve with salsa. Makes 8 larger pancakes or up to 24 small fritters. Recipe from MACSAC

 

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

 

COUSCOUS WITH KOHLRABI AND CHERMOULA DRESSING

1-2 teaspoons minced garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons minced cilantro 2-3 cups cooked couscous, cooled to warm temperature 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 2 cups peeled, diced kohlrabi 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 cup diced radishes 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 16 kalamata or oil-cured imported black olives, salt chopped (optional) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Mix garlic, cilantro, parsley, paprika, cumin, and salt to taste. Stir in lemon juice and olive oil. Toss this mixture with couscous. Bring to room temperature. Gently toss with kohlrabi, radishes, and olives (if desired). Serve as is, or sprinkle with feta cheese. Makes 6 servings. Recipe from MACSAC

 

BRATWURST KOHLRABI VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PUMPERNICKEL DILL CROUTONS

1 tablespoon butter, divided, 1/3 cup thin-sliced dill pickles, 2 cooked bratwursts, thin-sliced, 1/2 teaspoon dill weed, 1 cup chopped onions, salt and pepper, 2 medium kohlrabi, peeled, thin-sliced, and chopped, 1/2 cup thin-sliced bok choy stalks, 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted, 3 cans (each 14 1/2 ounces) beef broth

Croutons: 1/2 teaspoon dill weed, 1 cup thin-sliced potatoes, 1 1/2 cups cubed pumpernickel bread

Brown bratwurst in pot with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Remove and reserve meat. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter, onions, kohlrabi, celery, and fennel seeds; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth, potatoes, pickles, dill weed, bratwurst, and 2/3 cup water; simmer 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 or more hours to develop flavor. To make croutons, combine ingredients; bake 10-15 minutes in 400-degree oven, tossing occasionally. Feel free to substitute pre-made croutons. Serve with reheated soup. Makes 6 servings. Recipe from MACSAC

 

LUNCHTIME BOK CHOY FRIED RICE

2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided; 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided; 1/4 cup diced kohlrabi; 1 cup diced bok choy; 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked rice (chilled or at room temperature); 1/2 cup leftover cooked diced lamb, beef, pork, or poultry; 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger 3 tablespoons chopped leeks; 1 egg; bottled chili garlic paste (optional); 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat a wok or cast-iron skillet over medium-high flame a few minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each of the peanut and sesame oils; swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add kohlrabi; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add bok choy; stir-fry 2 minutes. Push vegetables to outer edges of pan, add· remaining peanut oil, and swirl to coat exposed surface. Add rice, meat, and ginger; stir-fry 23 minutes. Stir in the leeks. Push the mixture to the outside edges of the pan, add the remaining sesame oil to the center of the pan, and swirl to coat exposed surface. Crack egg into the hot oil and scramble it. Cook until egg is set, then break up egg into pieces and toss it with the rest of the mixture in the· pan. Add a little chili garlic paste, if desired, and stir in the soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry another moment or two, scraping all bits from the bottom of the pan. Serve hot. Makes 2 servings. Recipe from MACSAC

 

ITALIAN-STYLE SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1/2 medium spaghetti squash (about 1 1/2 lbs), seeded; 2 Tbsp water; 1 (14 1/2-oz) can Italian style stewed tomatoes, drained; 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Place squash, cut side down, in a microwave-safe baking dish. Add water. Cover and microwave on high 10-14 minutes, or until tender. Using a towel or pot holder, hold squash on its side in dish. With other hand, use fork to shred pulp into strands into the dish. Add tomatoes, toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve. Makes 6 serving

 

PLUM KUCHEN 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar; 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter; 1 egg; 1 egg yolk; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon almond extract; 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest; 1/4 cup milk

THE FRUIT AND TOPPING: 10 to 12 plums; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon,

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter an 8-cup gratin dish or tart pan. Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor, then cut in the butter to make fine crumbs. Beat the egg and egg yolk with the flavorings, then add enough milk to make 1/2 cup liquid. Add the liquid to the flour, mixing enough to make a thick dough. Brush your hands with flour, then pat the dough into the baking dish, pushing it up a little around the edges to make a rim. Slice Italian plums in half. If they’re small, leave them in halves; otherwise quarter them. If you’re using round plums, such as Elephant Heart, slice them into wedges about 1/2 inch thick. Overlap them over the dough. You can really crowd them together, because they’ll collapse while cooking. Drizzle the melted butter over the fruit, then sprinkle on the sugar and cardamom, if using. Bake until the crust is golden and the fruit is soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve warm if possible. Serves 6; Recipe from Local Flavors.

 

FRUIT-TOPPED TORTE

2-3 c sliced fresh fruit (2-4 medium pears, peaches, plums or apples); 1/2 c (1 stick) butter or margarine; 1 c sugar; 2 eggs; 1 c flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/4 c cinnamon-sugar, or to taste (see note)

Cream together butter and sugar, beat in eggs, and gradually add flour and baking powder. Spoon mixture into a greased 9- or 10-inch spring form pan. Top with sliced fruit, placed in a single layer with edges overlapping. Arranging slices in concentric circles makes an attractive presentation. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour, or until fruit is tender and crust is golden. Cool, remove ring and serve.

Note: To make cinnamon-sugar, combine 1/4 c sugar with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Makes 8 servings Recipe from Farm-Fresh Recipes.