June 29 Newsletter

Hello CSAers,     

There is something truly beautiful about a table full of quarts of fresh strawberries.They just scream Michigan summer and I can’t help but find myself drawn in by their aroma and bright color. Fresh, mouth-watering berries are a delight not only for our senses, but also for our health. Strawberries are one of my favorite all-time fruit selections because they are familiar, affordable, and packed with nutrient power. They are a such a treat to enjoy on a hot, sunny day. You can eat them on their own or throw them into a salad, add to a refreshing smoothie, or top your favorite bowl of cereal with a few freshly sliced berries.

It seems like strawberries and sugar snap peas always arrive at about the same time every year. Sugar snap peas are an edible pod, so you do not need to shuck them. All you will need to do is snip off the ends just as you do with fresh green beans.    

The farm activities this week have included an attack on the weed explosion. Not only do they compete for nutrients but create shade that prevents plants from having good growth this time of year. We use a variety of tools for weeding and have even come up with a couple that were engineered on the farm. On Friday, the farm mower made a pass around the main garden to knock back the weeds that were making progress in developing flowers and getting set to make seed pods. Oh yes, the battle of the weeds!

We had our first families arrive that will be picking cherries in a few weeks. They have joined our main crew to help pick strawberries and are doing a fabulous job! 

What to expect to find in your Week 4 bin:

Arugula

Romaine lettuce

Mixed salad greens

Sugar snap peas

Swiss chard

Radishes

Garlic scape

Strawberries


Beyond the Bin:                                       

Strawberries

Rhubarb

Arugula

White Turnips

Here are a couple of recipes: 

Honey Balsamic-Arugula Salad

Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 cups arugula
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan 
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts 

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add lettuce, onion, Parmesan, and walnuts; toss gently to coat.

Cooking Light 
NOVEMBER 2010


Sugared Strawberries With Greek Yogurt and 
Light Sour Cream

Serves 4

Remember to sprinkle the sugar on this dessert at the last minute. You don't want it to dissolve before serving.

• 1 pint fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup light sour cream, thinned with 3 tablespoons water

Sprinkle the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of sugar in a medium bowl; let stand until the sugar dissolves and forms a light syrup, for about 30 minutes. When ready to serve, spoon a portion of strawberries on each of 4 dessert plates. Top with a mound of Greek yogurt, drizzle with a portion of thinned sour cream and sprinkle generously with sugar. Serve immediately.

AARP June 2012

June 22 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,    

As we slip past the summer solstice it is nice to pause and admire the stillness of a summer morning. It is the time of year that certain plants just take off. The potatoes were the ones that got away from me this year. I was told earlier this week that they were up and asked that they be hilled with soil. On Friday I did a walk around and notice some of the hilled potato plant are standing more than a foot tall! If all goes as planned, this year's potatoes will include red, purple, white potatoes and a variety of fingerlings too.

This week a small cooler was assembled by our refrigeration specialist and is purring behind our packing shed. It chilled down the first picking of strawberries that went to the Sara Hardy market on Saturday morning. We refer to our patch of strawberries as "Strawberries Fields Forever" as the long rows do seem to go on for eternity. There should be plenty of extra berries for those of you who would like to freeze some for later use. Strawberry season comes and goes quickly so please let me know early if you are interested in a flat berries.


Expect to find in your bin this week:

Strawberries
Garlic Scape
Romaine lettuce
Red butterhead lettuce
Mixed salad greens
Broccoli or Bok Choy
White turnips
Radishes
Tarragon

Beyond the Bin:

Strawberries
Mixed salad greens
Rhubarb

Here are a couple of recipes that include ingredients from the Week 3 bin:



Pan Roasted Hakurei Turnips

• 1 bunch Hakurei turnips, halved lengthwise
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1/2 tablespoon water

Toss turnips with 1 tsp. oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Combine honey, cayenne and water in a small bowl.  Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining tsp. oil.  Add turnips. Sauté for about 10 minutes, turning turnips frequently, until they are golden brown.  Add honey mixture to turnips and toss them for a few minutes until glazed and tender. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.

SOURCE: Adapted from "Cooking in the Moment: A Year of Seasonal Recipes"

Asparagus, Peas, and Radishes with Fresh Tarragon

• Serves
 8

◦ 3 pounds asparagus, tough ends discarded, cut into 2-inch pieces
◦ 3 tablespoons butter
◦ 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
◦ 1 bunch (about 1 pound) radishes, greens discarded, halved and thinly sliced
◦ 1/3 cup fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped
◦ Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water, and line a baking     sheet with a double thickness of paper towels.
2. Add asparagus to pot; cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon or wire skimmer, transfer to ice bath. Let cool completely, then transfer to prepared baking sheet and pat dry. (Wrap in plastic and refrigerate up to 1 day.)
3. In a large pot with a lid, heat butter over medium. Add asparagus and peas. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are heated through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in radishes and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Martha Stewart  Everyday Food, April 2007

June 15 Newsletter

Hello Lettuce Lovers,


This week is a very green week! It seems like all of the lettuce took advantage of our longer days and doubled in size. The early lettuce varieties are soft textured and have excellent flavor. The red lettuce was grown hydroponically and is a beautiful dark red butterhead that makes a stunning presentation. Of course, the mixed greens continue to march along and include a blend of shapes and colors.

There have been many activities on the farm this past week. A highlight includes the layout and a new cement pad for a small CSA cooler. In fact, the cooler has been put together and is looking quite handsome next to to the packing shed. If it all comes together it will be ready for the wave of strawberries that will be ripening within the next few weeks. We also added a cement skirt around the fuel tanks. Also, this past Friday evening we hosted the Fruit Council picnic at our farm. There was tidying up to do in the packing shed and the orchards were freshly mowed before the event.



What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Deer Tongue lettuce
Little Gem lettuce
Mixed lettuce greens
Skyphos hydroponic lettuce
White salad turnips
Cilantro
Honey
Dried HoneyCrisp Apple Slices


Beyond the Bin:
Mixed lettuce greens
Honey
Rhubarb

Below you will find some ideas for salad dressings.














Miso Ginger Vinaigrette


5 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons red miso paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup soybean oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Process vinegar, miso, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and cayenne in blender until ginger and garlic are finely chopped, 15 seconds.  With blender running, add oils and continue to process until smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds.


Basic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
1 teaspoon honey
2 Tbsp. onion, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Whisk together the lemon juice, honey, and onion in a small bowl. Slowly add the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until emulsified.
Season with the salt and pepper.

June 8 Newsletter

Hello 2014 Peak Season CSA members,

Welcome back to some and welcome to the adventure to those who have joined this year.

After the memorable winter of 2013, every sign of spring has been a delight these past few weeks.
It seems like we have been planting some type of vegetable on a daily basis. Things are coming along.

This is the first year I have used the hoophouse early in the season. The raised beds are filled with spinach, beets, white turnips, swiss chard, lettuce, lettuce and more lettuce!

In the back end of the structure I am using a hydroponic float bed to grow lettuce. It includes a solar air pump to add oxygen to the water to prevent algae from growing and to help with the growth of the lettuce.

Expect to find in your bin this week:

Lettuce Mix

Spicy Salad Greens

Spinach

Hydroponic Lettuce

French Breakfast Radishes

Oregano

Rhubarb

Beyond the Bin this week: Rhubarb & Maple Syrup

Here are a couple of recipe ideas for Week 1:


Grilled Chicken with Lemon, Garlic, and Oregano

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
12 whole chicken legs (7 lb)
8 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (8 lb)
5 lemons, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices

Whisk together lemon juice, oregano, garlic, 1/2 tablespoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and add oil in a slow stream, whisking.

Discard excess fat from chicken and season with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.

To cook chicken using a charcoal grill:
Open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. Light a large chimney starter of charcoal briquettes (80 to 100) and pour them evenly over 1 side of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of briquettes).

When charcoal turns grayish white (15 to 20 minutes) and you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds, sear chicken legs in 3 batches on lightly oiled grill rack over coals, uncovered, turning once, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes total, then transfer as cooked to a tray.

Put all browned legs on side of grill with no coals underneath and cook, covered with lid, turning occasionally, until just cooked through (flesh will no longer be pink when cut near joint), 15 to 25 minutes more. Transfer legs to bowl with lemon dressing and turn to coat, then transfer to a serving platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil, while cooking breasts.

Add 15 briquettes evenly to coals and wait until they just light, about 5 minutes. (They will not be grayish white yet but will give off enough heat with other briquettes to maintain correct cooking temperature.)

Sear chicken breasts, starting with skin sides down, in 2 batches on rack over coals, uncovered, turning once, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes total, then transfer as cooked to tray.

Put all browned chicken breasts on side of grill with no coals underneath and cook, covered with lid, turning occasionally, until just cooked through (the meat next to the tender, when opened slightly, will be moist but no longer pink), 12 to 15 minutes more. Transfer breasts to bowl with lemon dressing and turn to coat, then transfer to platter with legs.

Grill lemon slices on rack over coals, uncovered, until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes on each side, and transfer to platter with chicken.

To cook chicken using a gas grill:
Preheat all burners on high, then adjust heat to moderately high. Turn off 1 burner and arrange chicken legs on lightly oiled rack above it. Cook, covered with lid, turning legs once, until cooked through, about 40 minutes total. Transfer legs to bowl with lemon dressing and turn to coat, then transfer to a serving platter and keep warm, loosely covered with foil, while cooking breasts.

Cook chicken breasts on rack above unlit burner, covered with lid, turning once, until just cooked through (the meat next to the tender, when opened slightly, will be moist but no longer pink), about 30 minutes total. Transfer breasts to bowl with lemon dressing and turn to coat, then transfer to platter with legs.

Grill lemon slices on rack over flames, uncovered, until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes on each side, and transfer to platter with chicken.


Cooks' note:
·If you aren't able to grill, chicken can be roasted, skin sides up, in 2 shallow baking pans in upper and lower thirds of a 500°F oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until skin is crisp and chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes total. Lemon slices can be grilled in a well-seasoned ridged grill pan.
Gourmet
July 2002



Baked Rhubarb (Rhubarb Sauce)

Here is classic from James Beard's "American Cookery"

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pounds rhubarb, peeled if necessary, and cut in 3 or 4 inch stalks
1/4 cup water
1 to 1-1/2 cups sugar
Dash of salt
Procedure:

Arrange the rhubarb in a 1-1/2-quart casserole with a cover. Add the water, sugar to taste, and salt. Cover tightly and bake at 350-degrees F. 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Chill and serve. Warm rhubarb sauce is good served over vanilla ice cream.