Week 16 Newsletter 2016

Hello Everyone,    

October is Michigan Apple Month. With more than 11.3 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 35,500 acres on 825 family-run farms in Michigan, apples are the largest and most valuable fruit crop in the Great Lakes State. I hope in the coming week you are able to join us at the farm to celebrate apple season and the last week of the CSA for 2016.

You are invited to come to the farm and fill your last bin of the season with the items below plus extra produce. We will be meeting in the Peak Season CSA garden on Wednesday. (10/5/16) between 4:30 - 6:30 pm.

 The easiest way to get to the garden is to head north on Center Rd (M37) and go about 12 miles, then turn left on Kroupa Rd. In 1/2 mile you will come to a stop sign, turn right on Peninsula Drive, drive another 1/2 mile,  then turn left on Phelps Rd. Drive about a quarter of a mile and you will see the hoophouse on the left hand side of the road. You will also notice 2 long rows of posts where the tomatoes are located.

* Reminder* - the Peak Season CSA address will take you to my house rather than to the garden. Be sure to pack the directions to the garden along with you for this adventure.

Also, confirm with me by email if you are planning to come to the farm this week by Tuesday afternoon.  I will be in the garden to assist with the bin assembly between 4:30 - 6:30 pm on Wednesday. There will be plastic produce bags and brown paper bags available in the hoophouse. Of course, your own cardboard box/ tote bag would be ideal for this pick-up.

For those members who are unable to come to the farm I will put bins together in cardboard boxes and my daughter will be delivering the boxes to the regular locations on Wednesday. I will also be delivering to the other locations on Thursday morning.

* Big Reminder*  -  Please return all black plastic bins and blue buckets this week.

I included your Beyond the Bin tally with your Week 17 Bin. It works best for me if you can plan on paying me this on Wednesday either at the garden or to my daughter at the Governmental Center. For those who will be picking up at the Senior Center or Mark's House please mail the payment to me to this address:   

17017 Peninsula Drive,

Traverse City, MI  49686

One last thing... I will be offering an early sign up option for the 2017 season. If you sign up for next year by November 1, 2016 by including a $ 50.00 deposit you will receive a FREE 1/2 bushel of Honey Crisp apples for a full share or a FREE 1/2 peck of Honey Crisp apples for a small share. I will have apples and sign-up sheets available at the hoophouse on Wednesday.

What to expect to find in your bins this week:

Honey Crisp Apples
Macintosh Apples
Tomatoes
Peppers                                                                                            
Onions
Savoy Cabbage
Mixed Greens
Winter Squash
Fennel
Rosemary & Sage
Garlic

or in your bucket:

HC & Macintosh Apples
Tomatoes
Onions
Eggplant
Winter Squash
Rosemary & Sage

Roasted Winter Vegetable Medley

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD Serves 6  TIME About 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeds and membranes scraped away, and cut into 3/4 to 1-inch dice
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (quarter at the fat ends, cut in half at the thin ends, then cut in thick slices)
1 large parsnip, quartered, cored, and cut in 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium-size fennel bulb, quartered, cored and cut in 3/4 inch pieces
1 medium or large red onion, cut in large dice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
 Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
 Optional: Chopped fresh rosemary, thyme or sage, about 2 teaspoons


PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets or roasting pans with parchment or foil. Place squash on one and remaining vegetables on the other, and toss each batch with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme or sage, and toss together. Spread vegetables in an even layer.
Place in the oven, on the same shelf if both pans will fit, or on the middle and lower shelves, and roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Switch pans top to bottom halfway through if on separate shelves Turn heat down to 400 degrees and continue to roast for another 10 to 20 minutes (the squash may be ready sooner than the root vegetables), stirring halfway through, until tender and caramelized.
Remove from oven, combine squash and other vegetables and stir together.

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

 Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 50 minutes

 Yield 6 peppers

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can green chilies 4oz
1 cup corn
1/2 cup canned black beans drained
1/2 cup shredded  cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mozarella cheese
3 Tbsp cilantro
1 tsp . cumin
1 tsp . garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp . chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
6 bell peppers stemmed and seeded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 9x13 baking dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray or lining with parchment paper; set aside.
In large bowl, add all ingredients except bell peppers and mix to combine. Scoop mixture into scooped and seeded bell pepper cavity. Place filled bell peppers into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with additional cheese blend, if desired.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until mixture is heated through and cheese on top is melted.
Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Week 15 Newsletter 2016

Hello Everyone,             

We started picking apple this past week and what a week to begin the apple season! The warm temperatures and dry conditions make it a delight to be in the great outdoors. The apple packing line has been carefully reassembled and is taking up the center stage in our packing shed. When we have more apples picked and stored in the cooler we will begin packing apples. Look for an apple price list in next week's newsletter if you are interested in purchasing some extra apples.

This week you will receive a survey from me in your email. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions, 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 peck of honey crisp apples.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Asian Pears
Honey Crisp Apples
Tomatoes
Peppers
Fingerling Potatoes
Beets
Shallots
Garlic
Chives/Tarragon

or in your bucket:

Honey Crisp Apples
Tomatoes
Peppers
Fingerling Potatoes
Garlic

Beet and Endive Salad with Walnuts

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD Serves 4  TIME About 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DRESSING:

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
 Sea salt, kosher salt, or fleur de sel
½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (to taste)
1 very small garlic clove, finely minced or put through a press
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon walnut oil
 Freshly ground pepper

FOR THE SALAD:

4 small or medium beets, roasted, peeled, and cut in wedges or half-moons
4 Belgian endives, rinsed and sliced
2 tablespoons broken walnuts, preferably from fresh shelled walnuts
2 ounces fresh, mild goat cheese or feta, crumbled
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon minced chives

PREPARATION

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, salt to taste, Dijon mustard and garlic until combined well. Whisk in the olive oil and the walnut oil. Add freshly ground pepper to taste.
Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve.

Roasted or Grilled Peppers

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD Serves 4  TIME 1 hour 45 minutes

You can serve roasted peppers as they are or add to salads, pasta, pizza and sandwiches.


INGREDIENTS

4 medium red, green, or yellow bell peppers

OPTIONAL

 Sea salt (fine or coarse) or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
 Slivered fresh basil leaves or chopped fresh tarragon, chervil or marjoram
1 teaspoon balsamic or sherry vinegar

PREPARATION

ROASTING IN THE OVEN

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the peppers on the foil and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, using tongs to turn the peppers every 10 minutes. The peppers are done when their skin is brown and puffed. It won’t be black the way it is when you grill them.
Transfer the peppers to a bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or with plastic, and let sit for 30 minutes, until cool.
Carefully remove the skins, then, holding the peppers over the bowl so no juice escapes, separate into halves or quarters and remove the stems, seeds and membranes Cut into strips if desired, and place in another bowl. Strain in the juice. If storing for more than a day, toss with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use. If you wish, toss with the optional ingredients shortly before serving.

GRILLED PEPPERS

Using a Burner: Light a gas burner and place the pepper directly over the flame. As soon as one section has blackened, turn the pepper, using tongs, to expose another section to the flame. Continue to turn until the entire pepper is blackened. Place in a plastic bag and seal, or place in a bowl and cover tightly. Allow to sit until cool, then remove the charred skin. You may need to run the pepper briefly under the faucet to rinse off the final bits of charred skin. If so, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the pepper in half, holding it over a bowl, remove the seeds and membranes, and store as instructed above.
Using the broiler: Preheat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the baking sheet under the broiler at the highest setting. Turn the peppers every 3 minutes or so, until uniformly charred. Proceed as above. Using a grill: Place on a grill directly over hot coals and turn as each side becomes charred and blackened. When the entire pepper is charred, remove from the grill and proceed as above.

Week 14 Newsletter 2016

Hello Everyone,    

We are making our way through a deep pile of ripe tomatoes. After another incredibly warm weekend it looks like there will more vine ripened tomatoes that will be ready to be picked this week. Yes, the bays may be getting a little cooler in the middle of September but we are swimming in produce this time of year!

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Purple Plums
Nectarines
Tomatoes
Winter Squash
Peppers
Leeks
Carrots
Thyme

and in your bucket:                                                    

Nectarines
Tomatoes
Peppers
Leeks
Thyme

Here are a couple of recipe to use this week.

Salsa Fresca

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD 2 cups  TIME 10 minutes

This quick fresh tomato salsa will always be best when tomatoes are in season. Juicy tomatoes will yield a more watery salsa than pulpy roma tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS

¼ small white or red onion, minced
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 pound fresh, ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 to 3 jalapeño or serrano chiles, to taste, minced (and seeded, if you would like a milder salsa)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, more to taste
1 to 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice (optional)
 Salt to taste

PREPARATION

Place minced onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes or longer. Drain and rinse with cold water.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir in onions. (If your tomatoes are full of flavor, you won’t need lime juice.) Ideally, let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before eating so that flavors will blend and ripen.

Root Vegetable Soup

MELISSA CLARK  YIELD 6 to 8 servings  TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 rosemary or thyme branches
2 bay leaves
3 ½ pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
½ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
 Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving
 Extra-virgin olive oil
 Flaky sea salt
 Crushed Aleppo, Urfa or other chile flakes, optional
 Grated Parmesan or pecorino, optional


PREPARATION

Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Stir in onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; cook 1 minute more. Add root vegetables, 8 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove and discard rosemary branches and bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.) If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Season with lemon juice and more salt to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, flaky salt and crushed chile or grated cheese, if desired.

Week 13 Newsletter 2016

Hello Everyone,                         

Oh, the times are a changing! It seems that regardless of where you are in your life, if you
have been out of school for 30 years or are just starting your first year of kindergarten, the beginning of the school year is an exciting time of year.  I had someone visit the garden earlier this week and they asked why a school bus was driving down our dirt road. Our farm is a village this time of year, and we have many farm workers who are preparing for apple harvest and many of these folks have families. So the big yellow bus makes its way down our road too. I hope you have eased into September and have found creative ways to use all of the produce that you brought home on Wednesday or Thursday.



What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines
Peaches
Sarah's Choice Melon
Tomatoes
Peppers
Red Cabbage
Carrots
Summer Squash
Basil

and in the buckets:

Nectarines
Tomatoes
Peppers
Red Cabbage
Basil

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

Cabbage and Basil Salad

JACQUES PEPIN  YIELD 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 small cabbage (about 1 1/4 pounds)
4 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped fine (1 tablespoon)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon mustard, preferably Dijon-style
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil, preferably virgin
¼ cup shredded fresh basil leaves

PREPARATION

Cut the cabbage in half and remove the center rib. Shred as you would for coleslaw. You should have about 6 to 7 cups of lightly packed cabbage.
For the dressing, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, mustard, vinegar and olive oil in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add the cabbage and stir. Just before serving, sprinkle the basil on top. The salad will develop more taste if made a few hours ahead.

Salmon and Tomatoes in Foil

MARK BITTMAN  YIELD 4 servings  TIME 30 minutes

Here is a dead-simple recipe for salmon prepared en papillote (a fancy name for “in paper,” though like most everyone else these days, you will use aluminum foil). Layer salmon, tomato and basil on lightly oiled foil and wrap it all up — you can even do it a night before cooking. When the time for dinner comes, you can steam, grill, roast or pan-grill the packages — though our testing shows roasting is easiest. You can substitute almost anything comparable for each of the ingredients: salmon can be replaced by any fish steak or fillet, or by boneless, skinless chicken breast. The herb and vegetable can also be varied at will, as long as the vegetable will finish cooking at the same time as the protein: if you were cooking broccoli, for example, you would have to cut it into small pieces; if carrots, you'd have to parboil them.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ to 2 pounds salmon fillet, cut crosswise (4 pieces)
12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
 Salt and pepper
16 basil leaves

PREPARATION

For each of 4 packages, place one 12-inch-long sheet of aluminum foil on top of another. Smear top sheet with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and layer a fillet of salmon, 6 tomato halves, salt and pepper, 4 basil leaves and another half tablespoon oil. Seal package by folding foil onto itself and crimping edges tightly. Repeat to make other packages, and refrigerate until ready to cook, no more than 24 hours later.
When you are ready to cook, heat oven to 500 degrees. Place packages in a roasting pan. (Or they can be cooked on top of the stove in 2 skillets over medium-high heat.) Cook 5 minutes (for medium-rare) to 8 minutes from the time the mixture starts to sizzle, or roughly 10 to 12 minutes total.
Let packages rest a minute, and cut a slit along the top with a knife. Use a knife and fork to open the package. Spoon the salmon, garnish and juices onto a plate, and serve.

Week 12 Newsletter 2016

You've gotta love potatoes!

Happy September!
............ let the autumn bounty begin.

You will notice that you will be receiving more melons this week. It has been a robust year for melons. I grow short season melons in black plastic mulch, the warm day and night temperatures this summer made all the difference in both flavor and with the growth of melons. My fingers are crossed that they were harvested at the right time. 

What to expect to find in your bins this week:

Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Tomatoes
Peppers
Red Onions
Curly Green Kale
Potatoes
Garlic
Rosemary

and buckets:

Cantaloupe
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Green & Purple Pole Beans
Garlic

Here are some recipes that include kale, garlic, rosemary and of course, tomatoes.

Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad

JULIA MOSKIN  YIELD 8 to 12 servings  TIME About 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sliced almonds
⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons)
 Kosher salt
1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat side of a knife, peeled and left whole
10 to 12 ounces washed and dried kale leaves, thick stems removed (weight after trimming)
1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan (optional)

PREPARATION

In a toaster oven or skillet, toast almonds until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, combine lemon juice and 1 heaping teaspoon salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Add garlic cloves and set aside to steep.
Working in batches, cut the kale into thin ribbons: gather a large handful of leaves, bunch together tightly, and use the other hand to slice into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. This need not be done very precisely or neatly; the idea is to end up with a kind of slaw. (Recipe can be made up to this point 1 day ahead. Keep kale and dressing refrigerated separately.)
Place chopped kale in a very large bowl. Sprinkle surface with almonds and then with cheese, if using. Remove and discard garlic cloves from dressing. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss. Taste for dressing and salt and add more as needed, tossing to coat thoroughly. Serve within 1 hour.

Amazingly Sweet Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
YIELD Serves 4 as a snack, side dish or sauce.  TIME About 3 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 pound small plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
 Coarse salt to taste
 A tiny amount of sugar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Put the halved tomatoes in a bowl and toss with the olive oil. Oil a rack that will fit on top of a baking sheet. Place foil on the baking sheet and oil the foil, and place the rack on top. Place the tomatoes, cut side up, on the rack. Sprinkle with coarse salt and a tiny amount of sugar. Place in the oven and roast for 2 hours. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes. The tomatoes will look a little dry on the surfaces and the skin will be tough. But when you bite into the tomatoes you’ll experience a rush of incredibly sweet juice and pulp. If you want to use these for a sauce, put through the fine blade of a food mill.

Focaccia With Tomatoes and Rosemary

 MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD 12 to 15 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons (8 grams) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon (5 grams) sugar
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil, plus an additional 2 tablespoons (25 grams) for drizzling
250 grams (approximately 2 cups) whole-wheat flour
200 to 220 grams (approximately 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour, plus additional as needed for kneading
1 ¾ teaspoons (13 grams) salt
¾ pound Roma tomatoes
 Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)

PREPARATION

In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Add the olive oil, whole-wheat flour, 200 grams of the all-purpose flour and salt and mix together briefly using the paddle attachment. Change to the dough hook and beat for 8 to 10 minutes at medium speed, adding flour as necessary. The dough should eventually form a ball around the dough hook and slap against the sides of the bowl as the mixer turns; it will be sticky. Remove from the bowl, flour your hands and knead for a minute on a lightly floured surface, and shape into a ball.
If kneading the dough by hand, dissolve the yeast in the water with the sugar as directed. Stir in the olive oil, whole-wheat flour, salt and all-purpose flour by the half-cup, until the dough can be scraped out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour as necessary, for 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and smooth. Shape into a ball.
Clean and dry your bowl and oil lightly with olive oil. Place the dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover tightly with plastic and let rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours, until doubled.
Punch down the dough. Cover with lightly oiled plastic and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably with a baking stone in it. Line a sheet pan with parchment and oil generously. Roll or press out the dough into a rectangle the size of the sheet pan or just slightly smaller. To do this efficiently, roll or press out the dough, stop and wait 5 minutes for the gluten to relax, then roll or press out again, and repeat until the dough reaches the right size. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Just before baking, use your fingertips to dimple the dough all over.
Cut the tomatoes into rounds and place on top of the focaccia. Sprinkle with coarse salt and the rosemary. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over all.
Bake, setting the pan on top of the baking stone (if using), for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving, or allow to cool completely.

Week 11 Newsletter 2016

Hello Summer Fans,

It has been another great bird week in the garden. There is a large hawk who has been on rodent control early in the morning, a flock of geese visiting in the meadow and an assortment of sparrows enjoying the sunflower seeds.

One of my favorite Jim Harrison poems is called “Counting Birds” in which he confesses that he has been counting birds since he was a child. Here is the ending:

“On my death bed I’ll write this secret
Number on a slip of paper and pass
It to my wife and two daughters.
It will be a hot evening in late June
And they might be glancing out the window
At the thunderstorm’s approach from the west.
Looking past their eyes and a dead fly
On the window screen I’ll wonder
If there’s a bird waiting for me in the onrushing clouds.
O birds, I’ll sing to myself, you’ve carried
Me along on this bloody voyage,
Carry me now into that cloud,
Into the marvel of this final night.”
–From The Theory and Practice of Rivers (Clark City Press)

One of summer’s highlights is fresh watermelon. However, the watermelon found in stores are often not as ripe or sweet as homegrown watermelon. Melons sold in grocery stores are often harvested on the early side, well before they reach their peak maturity. This early picking diminishes their sugar content as well as nutritional value. I hope the melons that you are receiveing in your share are bursting with flavor.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Peppers
Pole Beans
Broccoli
Carrots
Lettuce


and in the buckets:

Watermelon
Tomatoes
Peppers
Onions
Carrots

Here are a couple of pictures of some garden helpers picking zucchini. 

Tomato and Watermelon Salad

 SAM SIFTON  YIELD 6 to 8 servings  TIME 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 large tomatoes, ideally heirloom varieties, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup feta cheese, torn into large crumbles

PREPARATION

Combine the cubed tomatoes and watermelon in a large, nonreactive bowl and toss gently to combine. Add salt and let stand 5 to 10 minutes while you prepare the dressing.
Whisk together the oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the cheese to the tomatoes and watermelon, then the dressing, and toss gently to combine.

Broccoli Pesto

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD1 1/4 cups  TIME 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

½ pound broccoli florets
2 garlic cloves, peeled, green shoots removed
1 cup basil leaves, tightly packed
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
 Salt
 freshly ground pepper to taste
1 ½ to 2 ounces (1/3 to 1/2 cup) freshly grated Parmesan, or a mixture of pecorino Romano and Parmesan, to taste


PREPARATION

Steam the broccoli for 6 minutes, until very tender but still bright. Remove from the heat, rinse and drain on paper towels.
Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is minced and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the broccoli and the basil to the machine and turn on. When contents are finely chopped, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn on the machine again and drizzle in the olive oil. Purée until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and the grated cheese, and process until well blended.
Transfer to a bowl and serve as a dip, spread or sauce with pasta. If serving with pasta, this amount will be plenty for a pound of pasta. Thin out with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water before tossing with the pasta.

Week 10 Newsletter 2016

Hello CSA Members,

Sand Hill Cranes

Here is a picture of the trio of sand hill cranes who have been hanging out in my long rows of strawberries snacking on grasshoppers. Every time I go to check on the zucchini and summer squash I am startled by their rattle. They are quite the noise makers.


Yes, it is time for tomatoes! The ripening process is well under way and each day a few more change from green to orange to red. You will find a few bright red slicers in you bin or bucket. It looks like we will continue to have a  nice supply of tomatoes to enjoy for the next few weeks. Please remember to store your tomatoes on your kitchen counter. Tomatoes do not like the cold temperatures and the texture and flavor will suffer if they are stored in the refrigerator.


What to expect to find in your bin or bucket:

Watermelon
Tomatoes
Green Beans
Eggplant                                                                 

Here come the tomatoes!

Cucumbers
Lettuce
Onions
Cabbage
Sage

Small Share:

Watermelon
Tomatoes
Cabbage
Green Beans
Shallots

.... and eggplant too.

Are you wondering what to do with the eggplant, sage, or green beans? Below are some recipes that include these items as ingredients.

French Green Beans and Shallots

JACQUES PEPIN  YIELD 4 servings  TIME 21 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 cups water
1 pound very small, firm green beans, cleaned
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons peeled and chopped shallots
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice

PREPARATION

Bring the water to a boil. Add the beans and cover the pot. Continue cooking the beans, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes until tender but firm. Drain and rinse under cold water.
At serving time, heat the butter in a skillet, add the shallots and saute for about 1 minute, until the shallots start to brown.
Add the beans, salt and pepper, and saute briefly. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with the chicken.

Pasta With Butter, Sage And Parmesan

MARK BITTMAN  YIELD4 servings  TIME20 minutes

Like many simple sauces, this one takes less time to prepare than the pasta itself. Fresh, fragrant sage is my choice of herb here, but substitutions abound. Try parsley, thyme, chervil or other green herbs in its place. Or cook minced shallot or onion in the butter until translucent. You may even toast bread crumbs or chopped nuts in the butter, just until they're lightly browned. In any case, finish the sauce with a sprinkling of Parmesan, which not only adds its distinctive sharpness, but also thickens the mixture even further.


INGREDIENTS

 Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cut pasta, like ziti
2 tablespoons butter
30 fresh sage leaves
1 cup or more freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it. Cook pasta until it is tender, but not quite done.
Meanwhile, place butter in a skillet or saucepan large enough to hold the cooked pasta; turn heat to medium, and add sage. Cook until butter turns nut-brown and sage shrivels, then turn heat to a minimum.
When the pasta is just about done, scoop out a cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta. Immediately add it to the butter-sage mixture, and raise heat to medium. Add 3/4 cup of the water, and stir; the mixture will be loose and a little soupy. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until some of the water is absorbed and the pasta is perfectly done.
Stir in cheese; the sauce will become creamy. Thin it with a little more water if necessary. Season liberally with pepper and salt to taste, and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table if you like.

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD Serves 4 as an appetizer or side dish  TIME 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 long Japanese eggplants or 4 small Italian eggplants (about 3/4 pound)
 Salt to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus additional for the baking sheet
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoons white or yellow miso
1 tablespoon sugar

PREPARATION

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and cut off the stem and calyx. Using the tip of a paring knife, cut an incision down the middle of each half, making sure not to cut through the skin, but cutting down to it. Salt the eggplant lightly and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with sesame oil.
Blot the eggplants with paper towels and place, cut side down, on the baking sheets. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skin is beginning to shrivel and the flesh is soft. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the eggplants over, and preheat the broiler.
To make the glaze, combine the mirin and sake in the smallest saucepan you have and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 20 seconds, taking care not to boil off much of the liquid, then turn the heat to low and stir in the miso and the sugar. Whisk over medium-low heat without letting the mixture boil, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sesame oil.
Brush the eggplants with the miso glaze, using up all of the glaze. Place under the broiler, about 2 inches from the heat, and broil for about 1 minute, until the glaze begins to bubble and looks shiny. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool if desired or serve hot. To serve, cut the eggplant halves on the diagonal into 1- to 1-1/2-inch slices.

Week 9 Newsletter 2016

Hello Everyone,

We have passed the halfway point of the CSA season. It is the time of year when it gets hard to decide what to put in the bins, because there are so many items that are ripening at the same time. I just hope I am providing you with interesting combinations and a few new items each week. The star combo this week are beans and parsley. I am sure everyone will be delighted to find vine-ripen tomatoes in their bins & buckets this week.

Please remember to return all of the bins & buckets when you pick up your Week 9 bin/bucket.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Shallots

Nectarine
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Fennel
Shallots
Wax Beans
Banana Peppers
Jalapeno Peppers
Lettuce
Parsley


Small shares:

Nectarines
Tomatoes
Cucumbers

Here come the tomatoes!

Roma Beans
Parsley

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD 4 servings  TIME About 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 cup black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over
3 large garlic cloves, 2 of them crushed and left in the skin, 1 of them minced
½ onion, intact
1 bay leaf
 Salt to taste
2 medium tomatoes, in season only, diced
1 medium fennel bulb (about 1/2 pound), trimmed, quartered, cored and sliced very thin across the grain
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
 Freshly ground black pepper to taste
⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
⅓ cup chopped fresh dill
⅓ cup chopped chives
2 ounces feta, crumbled


PREPARATION

Place the black-eyed peas, whole crushed garlic cloves, halved onion and bay leaf in a large, heavy saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until tender but intact, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, remove the lid and allow the black-eyed peas to cool for 30 minutes. Remove and discard the onion. Remove the garlic cloves, squeeze the cooked garlic out of the skins and back into the black-eyed peas, and drain through a strainer set over a bowl.
Transfer the black-eyed peas to a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, minced garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss with the beans. Add the remaining ingredients except the feta and toss together. If you want a bit more liquid with the beans, add back some of the broth (I found the dressing to be sufficient). Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the feta over the top and serve.

Pan-Roasted Green Beans With Golden Almonds

TARA PARKER-POPE  YIELD 4 servings  TIME About 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

 Kosher salt
8 ounces green and/or wax beans, trimmed
¼ cup blanched whole almonds, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, thinly sliced
1 lemon
 Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt (a teaspoon or so, or to taste). Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until bright green but still firm, about 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to the ice water. When cool, drain again. Pat dry with paper towels until completely dry.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the almonds and the oil, adding more oil if needed to just cover the almonds. Cook over medium heat until the almonds are golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the shallot. It will cook in the residual heat.
Coat a large skillet with oil. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the beans and season with salt. Cook, tossing frequently, until charred dark brown in spots and tender-crisp, about 7 minutes.
Top with the almond mixture, then the parsley. Grate the zest from a quarter of the lemon directly over the beans, then cut the lemon into wedges for serving. Season with pepper and serve.

Week 8 Newsletter 2016

Hello Everyone,

Nectarines

We are at the tale end of cherry season. It has been a drawn out process due the abundance of fruit and the need to be on a quota. The mechanical harvesting is very close to the end and we are continuing to sell fresh black sweet cherries. We still have quite a few pounds of cherries stored away in our cooler and will pack and deliver cherries for at least another week. All in all it seems like the harvest has gone well!

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Onions
Wax, Green or Roma Beans                                                               

Roma Beans 

Peppers
Savory

Small:

Nectarines
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Broccoli
Basil

Green Beans and Savory

Recipe from Kate Lawson

Wax Beans and Green Beans

1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh summer savory

1 tablespoon butter

Add beans to a pot with the salt. Add the summer savory and water to cover the beans. When the beans are tender, drain and toss with butter. Makes 4 servings.

Cucumber and Israeli Couscous Salad

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  YIELD 6 to 8 servings  TIME About 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Israeli couscous
6 to 8 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, to taste
3 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from 3 large bunches)
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
½ pound ripe tomatoes, very finely chopped
¾ pound cucumbers (1 European or 4 Persian), seeded if using regular cucumbers, cut in fine dice
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped, or 1/4 cup chopped chives
 Salt to taste
1 romaine lettuce heart, leaves separated, washed and dried

PREPARATION

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan and add the couscous. Stir until the couscous begins to color and smell toasty, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 cups water and salt to taste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the couscous is tender. Drain if any liquid remains in the pan.
Transfer the couscous to a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions or chives and salt to taste. Add the olive oil, toss together, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with lettuce leaves.

Week 7 Newsletter 2016

Hello CSA Members,


Last week the New York Times had a wonderful article titled “When Community Supported Agriculture Is Not What It Seems” by Julia Moskin.  In the article she outlines how the success of the CSA concept has lead to the use of the name to sell other kinds of food box programs.  It seems to me that to have many different options available to purchase good quality food is not a bad thing, but the term CSA has a special meaning to me. 

CSA removes the middleman, the grocery store, the distributor from the equation bringing the customer and the farmer into a very direct relationship.  Just how that is done varies from farm to farm.  Transparency, mutual benefit, and mutual support are key ingredients to the relationship along with sharing in the risk of farming.  While we do everything we can to ensure you as our members rarely have to feel the risk, we know that you are there if something uncontrollable happens (such as floods, hail, other natural events).  Even with last year's August 2nd storm, we managed to keep the bins filled with produce for the rest of the season.

There are all kinds of ways to connect local farmers, other food producers, people who bring in food items we can’t grow (maple syrup, honey), to CSA members. The maple syrup that was in an early season bin was produced by my brother, who owns the farm I grew up on. The honey that also made an appearance was from the Hilbert family and they have provided us with beehives for pollination our fruit trees for 3 generations.
          
Here is the link to the NY Times article: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/dining/csa-farm-share-community-supported-agriculture.html?emc=eta1

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Black Cherries
Tart Cherries
Apricots
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Cauliflower/Cabbage
Yellow Peppers
Lettuce
Basil/Chives

Black Cherries
Tart Cherries
Carrots
Zucchini
Garlic

Cherry Crisp

4 cups sour cherries, washed & pitted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread cherries evenly in a 9-inch pie pan or baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Spread crumbs evenly over cherries. Sprinkle cinnamon over crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes.

Sour Cherry Galette 

A simple, rustic sour cherry galette recipe that highlights the tart flavors of sour cherries beautifully.

Author: Brooklyn Supper

Makes: one 12-inch galette

Ingredients

For the crust

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour (sub all-purpose flour, if that's easier)

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 tablespoons cold butter
4 - 5 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

3 heaping cups pitted sour cherries (about 4 1/2 cups un-pitted)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons finely ground instant tapioca (I use my coffee grinder for this)
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
egg white, lightly beaten

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, use a fork to whisk the flours, sugar, and sea salt together. Grate in the butter, using fingertips to massage butter into the flour mixture. When mixture is well combined and crumbly, drizzle in just enough water for it to hold together. (If you're new to homemade dough, add enough water to handle the dough easily – it will be fine.)
Mound dough into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic, and chill for an hour or longer.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
To prepare the filling, fold the pitted cherries, sugar, tapioca, lemon zest, sea salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside while you roll out the dough.
Take the cut parchment from the prepared baking sheet and dust very lightly with flour. On the parchment, roll out the dough into a rough 14-inch circle. Place parchment with dough round on the baking sheet.
Working very quickly, mound the filling in the center of the dough, doing your best to leave excess juices behind. (Paper towels can be used to sop up any running juices, if needed.) Fold the dough up in 4-inch sections and lightly press together. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and slide into the oven. Immediately turn heat down to 425 degrees F and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate galette, turn heat to 375 degrees F and bake until galette is a deep golden brown and juices are bubbling, 20 - 25 minutes longer.

Cool for two hours before serving. Scoops of vanilla ice cream are optional.

Ravioli & Vegetable Soup

From: EatingWell Soups Special Issue April 2016

Fresh or frozen ravioli cook in minutes and turn this light vegetable soup into a main course. Look for whole-wheat or whole-grain ravioli in the refrigerated or frozen section of the supermarket. Tortellini can be used instead of ravioli as well. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion mix, thawed and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 15-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon dried basil or marjoram
1 6- to 9-ounce package fresh or frozen cheese (or meat) ravioli, preferably whole-wheat
2 cups diced zucchini, (about 2 medium)
Freshly ground pepper to taste


Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pepper-onion mix, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, water and basil (or marjoram); bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add zucchini; return to a boil. Cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper.