Week Fourteen Newsletter August 11th 2014
Important Information
- Winter share information which was sent out yesterday. A membership form was attached. Membership is limited to 100 members; first come first served basis. Please note that the first attachment had a typo. The cost for the winter share is $550. If you are interested in seeing what was in last year’s winter shares the winter newsletters #7-13 are archived on our website.
- Please remember to return all share boxes and egg cartons. Recycle plastic clam shells with home recyclables.
- Don’t forget this Saturday August 16th from 10am to 3pm is our U-pick blueberry event. Please bring your own containers but no pets. Come into the barn first to sign in and get directions. Parking is on the grass to the left of the barn. The farm address is 2112 county Line Rd. Alden. 1 mile north of Rt. 20 or 2.5 miles south of Rt. 33.
Farm News from Jane
Beans and corn, corn and beans; they’ll keep on coming so we hope that you are enjoying them. Next week the variety of beans will be Dragon tongue. They are called this because of their unusual coloring. They are a cream or green colored bean mottled with purple. Alas, these also lose their beautiful color when cooked.
Thanks to one of our CSA members we have some lovely new recipes for fruits this week. It sure is fun to try if you have time to try new recipes. I played pie baker this past weekend and enjoyed getting my hands in the flour (and sugar)! Pies are one of my favorite things to make in the kitchen.
This week we will be hosting the u-pick blueberry event. We have had a few members asking about a tomato U-pick. This year like last year the tomatoes have gone from gorgeous and loaded with fruit to a brown blight climbing up the vines. It is such a discouragement to raise the plants, transplant them out, trellis them several times to have no crop to show for all that labor of love. But some things are just that way. We will still have the cherry tomatoes and saladette varieties to harvest out of one of the high tunnels for shares. They taste great you just need to eat a few more!!! And the best thing about farming is that you can try it again next year!
I hope that everyone has enjoyed the moon’s bright illumination the last few nights. It reminds me of the story of the night before Christmas when “the moon on the crest of the new fallen snow gave a luster of midday to objects below”. If you were up at any time last night you certainly didn’t need a night light to find your way; we had Nature’s night light. The cicadas have been singing in the heat of the day and I’ve seen my second Monarch butterfly. The Ragweed is close to blossom and so is the fall Panicum grass (unfortunately for some). There is also a weed called Galinsoga which has been flowering for a while which has a very pungent fragrance; not one I’m particularly fond of. Perhaps it just reminds me of the work it is to get rid of. It is used in other countries for food and medicine. The fragrances of Nature are so varied and abundant. It sure makes life interesting and sweet! We hope to see some of you this weekend in the blueberry patch. There may even be some of that delicious strawberry lemonade or perhaps we should make blueberry lemonade! Now for a chorus of “By the light of the silvery moon. I want to swoon with my honey in June” (August; it just doesn’t rhyme with moon). But there you have it, Jane
Produce: Romano beans Summer squash Cucumbers Green peppers
Golden beets Red Cipollini onions Sweet corn Tomatoes
Fruit Share: Nectarines Peaches Yellow plums
Produce Tips
– I should have warned you last week that the sweet corn does have occasional insect damage. We use no chemicals of any kind. So please eat around the spot or use a paring knife to cut out the blemish. It’s still healthy eating; nutritious and delicious!
– These are probably the last of the cucumbers; savor their flavor.
– Cipollini onions are great for slivering and are a quick sauté.
– Romano beans are firm and freeze well and would make an excellent addition to winter soups.
Recipes
FRESH PEACH GELATO
3 cups sliced peeled peaches or apricots, 1tbs vanilla, 1/2 tbsps almond flavoring, 2 tablespoons water, 2 cups whole milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 4 egg yolks, beaten, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, red and yellow food coloring, optional, 1tablespoon peach schnapps liqueur, optional
Scald the peaches so that the skins fall off easily. Place peaches and water in a large skillet; cook, uncovered, over
medium heat until tender. Place in a food processor with vanilla and almond; cover and process until blended. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat milk to 175°; stir in sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil. It will curdle up if you do!
Remove from heat immediately. Quickly transfer to a large bowl; place bowl in a pan of ice water. Stir gently and occasionally for 2 minutes. Stir in cream, peaches and liqueur if desired. Plastic wrap onto bowl of the custard.
Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. (Refrigerate any remaining mixture until ready to freeze.) Transfer ice cream to freezer containers, allowing headspace for expansion. Freeze 2-4 hours or until firm. Repeat with any remaining gelato mixture. Yield: 1 quart. 8 Servings Prep: 25 min. + chilling Process: 20 min. + freezing
GINGER PLUM GELATO
3 cups whole, unpeeled, pitted plums, ground fresh ginger to taste, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tablespoons water, 2 cups whole milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar, 4 egg yolks, beaten, 1 cup heavy whipping cream,
Place plums, ginger and water in a large skillet; cook, uncovered, over medium heat until tender. Place in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat milk to 175°; stir in sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat until mixture is just thick enough to coat a metal spoon and a thermometer reads at least 160°, stirring constantly.
Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat immediately. Quickly transfer to a large bowl; place bowl in a pan of ice water. Stir gently and occasionally for 2 minutes. Stir in cream. Pour plums into the mixture by straining through a colander to catch the skins. Add cinnamon and liqueur if desired. Press plastic wrap onto bowl of custard. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
GREEN BEANS WITH PECANS AND MAPLE VINAIGRETTE
3/4 c pecans, kosher salt and black pepper, 2 lbs. green beans, trimmed, 1/4 c. olive oil, 2 T red wine vinegar, 2 T Dijon mustard, 1 T pure maple syrup
Heat oven or toaster oven to 400º F. Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing once, until toasted, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the green beans and pecans and toss to combine. Serves 8.Hands-On time: 15m; total time: 20min.
YELLOW BEETS AND GREEN BEAN SALAD
1/2 pound crisp green beans with the ends snipped; 3 medium-size yellow beets, diced; 1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley; 5 ounces plain low-fat yogurt; 1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste); 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 garlic clove, crushed; Salt and freshly ground pepper
In a saucepan, cook the green beans in rapidly boiling water for 7 minutes or until they are tender but crisp. In a separate saucepan, cook the beets until they are tender. (You may cook both in the microwave according to your oven’s instructions if you prefer.) Cool rapidly under cold running water and peel the beets. Combine the beans with the beets, the tarragon, and half the parsley in a medium-size serving bowl. Mix well but gently. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Stir the yogurt mixture into the green bean mixture and garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4 Recipe from Herbal Soups, Salads, Breads and Sweets.
ITALIAN GREEN BEANS SESAME
12 oz Italian green beans; 3/4 tbsp salad oil; 3/4 tbsp lemon juice; 3/4 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tsp sugar; 3/4 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
Cook green beans as you would prefer; drain. In a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients; heat to boiling. Pour sauce over hot green beans and serve at once. Makes 5 to 6 servings. Toasted Sesame Seeds: Spread sesame seeds in shallow pan and place in moderate oven (350°). Remove pan when seeds are a pale brown. It will take about 20 minutes, but watch them to prevent over browning, which destroys the seeds’ finest flavors.
SWEET CORN CHEDDAR PANCAKES
2/3 cup cornmeal; 1/2 cup flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1 egg, beaten; 1 1/4 cups buttermilk; 1 tablespoon com oil; 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 4 tablespoons finely chopped leeks; 1-2 tablespoons chopped sage; 1/2-1 cup cooked corn kernels; additional com oil, for cooking pancakes; spicy tomato salsa; sour cream
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in bowl. Mix egg, buttermilk, and com oil in another bowl; stir in cheese, leeks, sage, and com kernels. Mixture can stand at room temperature up to an hour. Heat a griddle or large, heavy skillet over medium ‘lame several minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and brush cooking surface with com oil. Cook pancakes in batches: Ladle batter into hot griddle, 1/4 cup per pancake. Cook until first side is golden brown and pancakes have set well on the bottom. Flip pancakes and cook on other side until done. Serve hot with salsa and sour cream. Makes 10-12 pancakes.
SUMMER VEGETABLE CREPES
11/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream; 11/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided, plus more for garnish; 3 tbsp low-fat milk; 2 tsp lemon juice 3/4 tsp salt, divided; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups chopped zucchini; 1 1/4 cups chopped green beans; 1 cup fresh corn kernels; 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese; 11/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese; 11/4 tsp freshly ground pepper; 4 9-inch “ready-to-use” crepes
Stir sour cream, 11/4 cup parsley, milk, lemon juice and ‘/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup parsley, the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To roll crepes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crepes in the package). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crepe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crepe around the filling. Place the crepe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crepes and filling. Serve each crepe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more parsley, if desired. Makes 4 servings
ROASTED PEPPER RISOTTO
2 large bell peppers; 1 medium onion, finely diced; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill; juice of 2 small lemons; 8-9 cups vegetable stock; 3 tablespoons olive oil; about 2 1/2 cups Arborio rice; 1/2 cup dry white wine
Heat oven to broiling temperature. Place peppers on baking sheet. Broil close to heating element, using tongs to turn peppers to char skin evenly on all sides. Remove from oven, place in paper bag, and close bag. Let peppers stand while you chop onion and dill and juice lemons. Remove peppers from bag; peel off charred skin, remove stem and seeds (don’t rinse them, as this will weaken the flavor), and cut into small strips. Heat stock in saucepan over medium-low flame. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium flame. Add onions; cook until soft. Stir in rice with wooden spoon until all grains are evenly coated. Add dill, stir 1 minute, then add wine and stir until wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup stock; stir until stock is absorbed. Continue cooking, stirring, and adding 1 cup of stock at a time until the rice is al dente and suspended in a smooth sauce, 15-25 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and red peppers. Serves 6-8
Recipe from Amy Simonson
CUCUMBER YOGURT DRESSING
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped; 2/3 c plain, unsweetened yogurt; 2 Tbsp minced red onion; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp white vinegar; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tsp chopped fresh dill
Puree cucumber, yogurt, onion, oil, vinegar, salt and dill in blender until creamy and smooth. Chill 2 hours. Serve over salad greens, use as dip for raw vegetables, or use as condiment on sandwiches.
Makes 1+ 1/2 cups Recipe from Farm-Fresh Recipes.
SALMON WITH CUCUMBER RELISH
For relish: 1/2 c white wine vinegar; 1/2 c sugar; 1 1/2 tsp minced ginger root; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 medium cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
For fish: 1/4 c white wine vinegar; 2 Tbsp sesame oil; 1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger; 2 Tbsp minced green onions; 1 tsp salt; 6 (1-inch-thick) salmon steaks
For relish: Combine vinegar, sugar, ginger and salt; stir until sugar dissolves. Add cucumbers; chill 30 minutes.
For fish: Combine vinegar, oil, ginger, onions and salt. Pour over salmon in glass dish; marinate 30 minutes. Grill over medium heat 10 minutes, or until cooked through. If desired, broil instead. Serve relish on top or on the side of salmon. Makes 6 servings Recipe from Farm-Fresh Recipes.
ORANGE-GINGER BEETS
1/2 pound beets, cooked; 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger; 1/2 tsp grated orange rind or 1/4 tsp ground ginger; 1/3 cup orange juice; Salt and freshly ground pepper; 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice to taste; 1/2 tbsp cornstarch; 1/2 tbsp butter or margarine; 1 tsp sugar; Grated orange rind for garnish
Cut cooked beets in julienne strips; set aside. In small bowl mix orange rind and juice, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, ginger, salt, and pepper to taste. Melt butter or margarine in saucepan; add orange juice mixture. Stir over medium heat until mixture boils; reduce heat. Add beets and return to boil again. Remove and serve with sprinkling of grated orange rind for an extra touch. Serves 2
ORANGE BORSCHT
4 medium-size beets peeled and coarsely grated; 5 cups beef stock; salt; freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2 cups tomato juice; 2 1/2 cups orange juice; yogurt; chopped chives
Bring grated beets to a boil in beef stock which has been seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. Turn down heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add tomato juice. Puree mixture in electric blender, then add orange juice, mixing well to combine. Refrigerate for several hours. Serve with a dollop of yogurt and chopped chives. Yield: approximately 10 cups
CHEESE-SQUASH SCALLOP
4 c. yellow squash/ zucchini slices, 1/2″ thick; 1/2 c. chopped onion; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/2 tbsps. Oil; 1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese 1/4 c. cracker crumbs; 1/4 c. chopped parsley; 2 eggs; 1/2 c. milk 1 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. pepper
Cook squash in boiling salted water until barely tender. Drain well. Meanwhile, cook onion and garlic in oil until onion is soft. Place half of onion mixture on bottom of greased 1-qt. casserole. Top with half of cheese, cracker crumbs and parsley. Add all the squash, then remaining onion, cheese, crumbs and parsley. Beat eggs, blend in milk, salt and pepper. Pour over squash. Place casserole in pan of hot water and bake in slow oven (325°) 50 to 55 minutes, or until set. Makes 4 servings.
ZUCCHINI CHILI-CHEDDAR MASH
1T. canola oil, 11/4 lbs. zucchini (2-3), halved lengthwise and sliced, 1 medium onion. Chopped, 1 4 oz. can diced green chiles, drained, ¼ t. salt, ½ C. extra sharp Cheddar cheese
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion; stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Stir in chiles and salt; cook until heated through, 1 minute more. Transfer to a medium bowl. Mash with a potato masher until chunky. Not completely smooth. Stir in cheese and serve immediately. Serves 4 about 2/3 c. each