September 28 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. It has been a great way to kick off the beginning of apple harvest. The trees are loaded with apples and the branches seem to spring upwards when they are relieved of all the weight of the apples. On a similiar note, have you noticed how heavy the the bins have become in the past couple of weeks?

Next week will be Week 18, the last week of the season for Peak Season. If you would like to come to the farm on Wednesday, Oct 8,  between 4:00 - 7:00 pm you can fill your bin with your choice of produce. Just let me know by Tuesday evening if you are going with this option. Of course, if I do not hear from you, a bin with your name on it will be waiting for you in your regular pick up location. The last pick up will be packaged in cardboard rather than the black plastic bin. This is the week to look around your house and cars for any stray bins and return them when you pick up your bin this week.





My garden is over flowing with vegetables and the cooler is beginning to fill up with apples. I am planning to put together Thanksgiving Bins this year which will be available for pick up at the farm the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving Bin will be a larger quantity than a normal bin and will include at least a dozen items. The price for the bin will be $40.00.

This week you will find a survey in your bin. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions for me. It does help me out to get feed back at the end of the season which is beneficial when I am making plans for the next season. Anyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing for a free Thanksgiving Bin.



What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Macintosh and Honey Crisp apples
Lettuce
Melon
Carrots
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Red onions
Peppers
Savoy cabbage
Broccoli or Pole Beans
Garlic

Beyond the bin offerings:

Tomatoes
Basil
Red raspberries
Peppers
Nectarines
Asian pears


Here are a couple of recipes that include items you will find in your bin this week.


Roasted Carrots with Cardamom Butter

From EatingWell:  November/December 2007

Makes: 4 servings, about 2/3 cup each

INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices


PREPARATION
1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.
Combine butter, oil, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. Add carrots and toss well to coat. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the carrots, stirring twice, until tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve
immediately.

Savoy Cabbage Chips

Bon Appétit  | February 2013

Makes about 20


1 savoy cabbage, cored, leaves separated, small leaves reserved for another use
Kosher salt


Place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 200°F. Working in several batches, cook cabbage leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water just until translucent and bright green, about 2 minutes per batch. Using a large slotted spoon, immediately transfer leaves to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain cabbage leaves well and dry thoroughly.
Set a wire rack inside each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Arrange cabbage leaves on racks in a single layer. Bake until completely dry and crisp, about 3 hours. Season with salt. DO AHEAD: Cabbage chips can be made 8 hours ahead. Store chips at room temperature loosely layered between parchment paper or paper towels.

September 21 Newsletter

Hi CSAers,

It is a great time of year in the garden. Blossoming flowers are not the only thing adding color out there right now. The peppers turn from from green to deep red, and the squash and pumpkins spice things up too. With almost a dozen different varieties of tomatoes, we find new shapes and colors ripening every single day. Did you know that eggplant is not always purple? We are growing a white variety this year too!




Apple season is just around the corner!






What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Fruit Medley - Asian pears and prunes
Tomatoes
Purple and white potatoes
White onions
Red Peppers
Kuri Squash
Redbor Kale
Chives
Parsley

Beyond the bin offerings:

Nectarines
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Bell peppers
Basil
Red raspberries



Red Kuri Squash Soup


SERVINGS: 4


Red-orange kuri squash has a pumpkin shape, but no ridges. Its flavor is sweet and nutty, reminiscent of chestnuts.

. 1 1/2 pounds red kuri or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (3 cups)
. 1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
. 1 bay leaf
. 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into thin wedges
. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
. Chopped toasted pecans and small marjoram leaves, for garnish


1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, combine the cubed squash with the chopped onion, bay leaf and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the fennel wedges with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the fennel is tender and starting to brown.
3. Discard the bay leaf from the soup. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the saucepan and warm over low heat. Stir in the butter and season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the roasted fennel, pecans, marjoram leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Food and Wine Feb 2012

Two-Bean Soup with Kale

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)


3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
                1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups organic vegetable broth, divided
7 cups stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch
                2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary


. 1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups vegetable broth and kale. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until kale is crisp-tender.
. 2. Place half of cannellini beans and remaining 1 cup vegetable broth in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Add pureed bean mixture, remaining cannellini beans, black beans, and pepper to soup. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, and rosemary.

Cooking Light 
OCTOBER 2009

September 14 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

It is prime harvest time in the garden. The tomatoes burst with color and you will find a quart of cherry tomato jewels in your bin this week. It is amazing how much flavor can be packed in one little cherry tomato! Remember to just slightly cook them if you use them in recipes where they are heated.

This week the large cooler in our packing shed was completely cleaned from top to bottom in anticipation of the apple harvest. The apple packing-line has moved into the center of the packing shed and the empty bins are lined up outside of the building. There have also been efforts put into marketing the apples for this season. It is looking like a large crop and of course we are closely watching the extended weather forecast.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines
Melon
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Jalapeno peppers
Red onion
Fennel Bulb
Edamame
Spaghetti Squash



Beyond the bin offerings:

Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Eggplant
Nectarines
Red raspberries

Thanks Kayla for picking the jalapeno peppers !

Here are a couple of recipes for you to use with some of the item you will find in your bin this week.


Italian-style
spaghetti squash

Makes 6 serving

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

1. Place squash, cut side down, in a
microwave-safe baking dish. Add
water. Cover and microwave on high
10-14 minutes, or until tender.
2. 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.
3. Add tomatoes, toss. Sprinkle with
Parmesan cheese, and serve


Pasta with fennel

Make 6 servings

2 bulbs fennel, trimmed &
quartered
1 lb (1/2kg) fettucine
2 Tbsp olive oil
Grated Parmesan
Parsley (garnish)

1. Simmer fennel in 4 quarts salted water
until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Lift fennel from water and slice. Keep
warm.
3. In the fennel water, cook the fettucine
until al dente.
4. Drain pasta. Add olive oil and fennel.
5. Serve with sprinkle of Parmesan and
parsley.



September 7 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,


It is remarkable how plants react to a few rainy days. Even with the days getting shorter it seems like many plants doubled in size in just a few hours. I hope everyone is getting a chance to enjoy the vibrant colors that are marching along after the inches and inches of rain.

You will notice that you will be receiving a couple of melons in your bins this week. It has been a challenging year for melons. Even though I grow short season melons in black plastic mulch, the cool temperatures slowed them down. My fingers are crossed that I harvested them at the right time. Usually I harvest melons close to Labor Day and intentionally gave them an extra week to ripen this year.

Many of you have met Kathleen who is helping with the deliveries this season. Her son, Domenic came to the farm to help harvest the eggplants that you found in your bin last week. It was great fun to have such a cheerful helper in the garden. If anyone is interested in visiting the farm next Saturday (2-5 pm) afternoon there are plenty of harvesting opportunities. Of course, garden sampling is part of harvesting. There is something very special about those warm Sungold tomatoes just plucked from the vine!


What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines
Watermelon
Melon -  Emerald Gem, Charentais or Sarah's Choice
Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Red onion
Green cabbage
Cucumbers
Beans

Beyond the bin offerings:

Nectarines
Red raspberries
Eggplant
Redbor Kale
Basil

*Reminder*  Please return all black plastic bins.




Cabbage Slaw

Eating Well March/April 2008

Makes: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


Toss cabbage, bell pepper, onion, vinegar and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss again to combine.

Linguine with Burst Tomatoes and Chiles

Bon Appétit  | August 2014

Makes 4 servings

The key to this sauce is a creamy emulsion of the oil, cheese, and pasta water. Toss and stir—and stir and toss—adding liquid freely, until it comes together.

• 2 1/4"-thick slices crusty bread, well-toasted, broken into pieces

• 12 ounces linguine

• Kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon chopped drained oil-packed Calabrian chiles

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more

• 1 pound small tomatoes

• 1 ounce Pecorino, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)

• Freshly ground black pepper

Pulse toast in a food processor to fine crumbs; set aside.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat chiles and 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, turning tomatoes occasionally, until blistered in spots, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, lightly crushing tomatoes, until beginning to break down, about 3 minutes.

Add pasta, 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and 1/4 cup Pecorino to skillet and cook, tossing and adding more liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta, about 2 minutes.