September 1 Newsletter

To all the Summer Garden Gourmets:

This is absolutely my favorite time of the year.  The choices are endless when I am trying to decide what to put in the bins.  Many things are peaking in the garden!  Not to mention, the bay water is warm and the sunsets are filled with spectacular color.

I took advantage of the holiday weekend to give my home refrigerator a much needed clean out.  Do you ever wonder what happens to the "not so perfect" vegetables?  I tend to gather many of these items and dream of morphing them into something delicious at a later time.  This weekend I was able to succeed with a few and added the others to the compost pile.  Hopefully, the quantity you are receiving in your bin provides an adequate weekly amount without overloading the produce drawers in your refrigerator.

This past week the farm crew snipped the strawberry plants including the prolific runners.  The high density apple orchard has had the new growth tied down and the Honey Crisp fishline has been added to the landscape.  We struggle with crows who want to sit on the tops of the Honey Crisp tree and peck holes in the apples.  The fishline around the trees tends to annoy these birds enough to keep them out the trees.  The apples are sizing nicely and are gaining some color.

Please mark your calendar:

A Peak Season CSA Potluck will be held at the Sweetbriar Farmhouse on September 20th.      
   

Expect to find in your bins this week:

            Nectarines

            Cantaloupe

            Carrots

            Kale

            Green Cabbage

            Zucchini

            Tomatoes

            Basil

            Thyme

            Zinnias

         Beyond the Bin offerings:

         Eggplant                          2.00

         Watermelon                     3.00

         Pole Beans                        2.00

         Tomatoes/ 1/2 bushel         10.00

         Raspberries/pt                  5.00

         Peaches/qt                       5.00

         Nectarines/qt                   4.00
         Nectarines/5#                  10.00

Tuscan Vegetable Soup with White Beans and Parmesan

Bon Appétit  | October 2003

Ristorante Mamma Gina, Florence, Italy

•               1 1-pound package dried cannellini (white kidney beans)

•               2 tablespoons olive oil

•               1 large onion, finely chopped

•               2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

•               4 garlic cloves, minced

•               1/4 head of green cabbage, cut into1/2-inch pieces

•               2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

•               4 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•               3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•               10 cups (or more) vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth

•               2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•               1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

•               1/2 head of red cabbage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•               4 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

•               6 3/4-inch-thick slices 7-grain bread, toasted

•               1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

•               Additional olive oil

Place beans in heavy large pot. Pour in enough water to cover beans by 3 inches. Soak overnight. Drain beans.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in very large pot over medium heat. Add onion, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add green cabbage, tomatoes, celery, and carrots; sauté 10 minutes. Add beans, 10 cups stock, potatoes, and basil. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 hour. Add red cabbage and zucchini. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Uncover. Add toasted bread slices to soup and remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cheese. Divide soup among bowls. Top each serving with ground pepper and additional olive oil and serve.

Kale Chips

From EatingWell:  September/October 2011

INGREDIENTS

•                        1 large bunch kale, tough stems removed, leaves torn into pieces (about 16 cups; see Note)

•                        1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

                  1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

•               Position racks in upper third and center of oven; preheat to 400°F.

•               If kale is wet, very thoroughly pat dry with a clean kitchen towel; transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the kale with oil and sprinkle with salt. Using your hands, massage the oil and salt onto the kale leaves to evenly coat. Fill 2 large rimmed baking sheets with a layer of kale, making sure the leaves don’t overlap. (If the kale won’t all fit, make the chips in batches.)

•               Bake until most leaves are crisp, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 12 minutes total. (If baking a batch on just one sheet, start checking after 8 minutes to prevent burning.)

TIPS & NOTES

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days