Sunday, June 23, 2019

Week 2 Newsletter 2019

Happy Summer!

I hope enjoyed your first bin and are dreaming about what will be arriving from the garden this week.
It has been warming up, the transplants are adjusting well and the direct seeded vegetables keep pushing their way out of the soil. Every year the weather sends a few curve balls and the plants figure out how to edge their way forward.

The strawberries are coming along. It is always such anticipation from bloom to small green fruit to white fruit and then almost overnight they turn red.

This week the main garden and hoophouse were heavily weeded. We are not going to let those pesky weeds win! It was also a week to plant some of the warm loving plants including basil, melons and cucumbers. The first zucchini plants are blooming and the winter squash are making a statement too.


Next week will include the 4th of July holiday. I will be delivering the bins and buckets to the Senior Center on Wednesday, July 3rd rather than Thursday, July 4th. This will effect the Week 3 delivery & pick-up.




What to expect to find in your bin this week:

White Turnips

Spicy green mix

Adriana lettuce

Deer tongue lettuce

Radishes

Lemon thyme

Strawberries


Rhubarb


Small share


Deer tongue lettuce

Lemon Thyme

Radishes

Rhubarb


What to do with fresh lemon thyme....

Lemon thyme is best used fresh. Chop lemon thyme leaves just before use and add at the very end of the cooking process before they lose flavor and color. Lemon thyme may be added to poultry, seafood, vegetable, marinades, stews, soups, sauces and stuffing while fresh sprigs of this herb make a lovely garnish.



Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake

MELISSA CLARK

YIELD 8 servings
TIME 1 hour 45 minutes

Take advantage of rhubarb season with this easy dessert. Baked and unmolded, this cake resembles a pale pink mosaic atop velvet-crumbed and vanilla-infused cake. The rhubarb, which you’ll add in raw, is tangy and tender, firm enough to give you something to chew over. It’s an easy half-hour of prep and another hour and change in the oven, ample time for a light supper, anticipation of dessert hanging in the air.


INGREDIENTS

2 ½  sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, more to grease pans
1 ½  pounds rhubarb, rinsed and sliced into 1/2-inch cubes about 4 cups
2  teaspoons cornstarch
1 ½  cups granulated sugar
½  cup light brown sugar
2  cups cake flour
1 ¼  teaspoons baking powder
½  teaspoon fine sea salt
 Zest of 1 lemon, grated
1  teaspoon vanilla extract
4  large eggs
⅓  cup sour cream
2  teaspoons lemon juice


PREPARATION

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and sides of the pan. Wrap two layers of foil under the pan, and place it on a buttered baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix rhubarb, cornstarch and 1/2 cup granulated sugar.
Mix the brown sugar and 1/2 stick butter in a pan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
Whip 2 sticks butter in a mixer with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. With your fingers, blend the remaining 1 cup sugar with lemon zest until the mixture is uniform in color. Cream together with the butter at medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl halfway through. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the sour cream, then the lemon juice. (It’s O.K. if the mixture looks curdled.) With the mixer set to low speed, add the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until well combined. Scrape down the mixer bowl in between the additions.
Pour the brown-sugar mixture into the cake pan, then spoon in the rhubarb and its juices. Spoon in the batter so it covers all of the rhubarb. Smooth out the top.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top of the cake is firm to touch and a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out without any large, moist crumbs.
Place the pan on a wire rack, and cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the cake, place a plate on top of the pan and turn it upside-down. Release the cake from the pan while still warm or else it will stick.

Roasted Radish Crostini

MELISSA CLARK

YIELD 2 light meals or 4 side dishes
TIME 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1  bunch radishes
9  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½  teaspoon kosher salt
¼  teaspoon pepper
4  tablespoons butter
8  anchovy fillets, finely chopped
4  large garlic cloves, finely chopped
 Pinch red pepper flakes
8  thin slices crusty bread, toasted
4  teaspoons chopped parsley

PREPARATION

Remove leaves and stems from radishes; trim the tails. Cut larger radishes lengthwise into sixths and smaller radishes lengthwise into quarters.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, radishes in a single layer (do not crowd) and salt and pepper. Cook radishes, without moving them, until they are lightly colored on undersides, about 3 minutes. Shake pan and continue cooking until tender, about 3 more minutes. (You can also roast them in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes.)
In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in anchovies, garlic, red pepper and remaining oil. Reduce heat and simmer about 4 minutes.
Brush each slice of toast with sauce and top with several radish wedges. Spoon additional sauce on top, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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