Week 2 Newsletter 2016

Dear Garden Pals,

I hope you are all enjoying the first tastes of your CSA bin or bucket. The full shares are packed in a 1/2 bushel black plastic bin and we are using an 8 quart sapphire blue bucket for the small share. Besides strawberries, there are a lot of good things to look forward to this week. Here is this week's list:

Week 2 Bin:

Strawberries
Romaine Lettuce
Mixed Greens
Garlic Scape
Butterhead Lettuce
Bok Choy
Sugar Snap Peas (edible pods)
Tarragon

Small Share:

Strawberries
Butterhead Lettuce
Garlic Scape
Bok Choy
Purple & Green Snow Peas

You might already be asking, what the heck do I do with taragon? Don't worry, we have you covered! At my house, I have even modified this recipe this time of year by substituting sliced pea pods for the celery.

Cherry Chicken Salad with Tarragon

INGREDIENTS

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
1/4 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1-2 teaspoons dried tarragon (or 1-2 Tbsp fresh chopped tarragon)
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Mix all of the ingredients together. Adjust seasoning. Serve with lettuce for a simple salad, in a
tomato that has been cut open for a stuffed tomato, or with slices of bread for a chicken salad
sandwich.

The solstice marked the beginning of summer this week and the temperatures are beginning to rise. The garden is springing into life--the broccoli is forming buds, the sugar snap peas and snow peas are producing like crazy and the strawberries get sweeter by the minute.

The first pick-up seemed to go smoothly this year. There are no forgotten bins in the cooler, so I guess that is a good sign! Don't forget to bring back your empty bin/bucket when you come to pick-up this week.

So there you have it, CSAers. Now you know the bin/bucket pick-up drill and can begin to think about all the yummy things you will make with this week's bounty. Here are a few more recipes for you to try.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy or Sturdy Greens

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  

YIELD 3 to 4 servings as a side dish  
TIME 15 minutes

Featured in: The Last Of The Fresh Greens.

INGREDIENTS

12 to 16 ounces bok choy or sturdy greens, like collards, or packaged Southern greens mix
¼ cup chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
3 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife or minced
1 slice ginger, smashed with the flat side of a chef’s knife or minced
 Salt to taste
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, to taste

PREPARATION

If using bok choy, trim off the bottoms and separate into stalks. Rinse if necessary and drain on paper towels. Cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces. If using collard greens, stem, discard stems and chop the leaves coarsely. Bring an inch of water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer, and place the bok choy or greens in the steamer basket. Steam 1 minute, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out excess water and drain on a kitchen towel.
Combine the broth or water, rice wine or sherry, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl and place within arm’s reach of your pan. Have the remaining ingredients measured out and near the pan.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or a 12-inch skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in the oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds, until fragrant. Add the bok choy or greens, sprinkle with salt and the sugar, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Stir the cornstarch mixture and swirl into the wok, then stir-fry 1 minute, or until the greens are just tender. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Remove from the heat and serve.

Grilled Romaine with Lemon and Parmesan
 

Serves: 2


• 1 Large head of romaine lettuce
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon Parmesan (grated or shredded)



If your romaine has extra loose leaves on the top and outer layers, remove these leaves and save them for a salad or another use. Rinse the romaine well, making sure to remove any dirt. Cut the romaine in half, vertically.

Place the romaine pieces flat side down on a large cutting board. Brush the rounded backs of the romaine with olive oil. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Flip over and repeat on the other side.

Grill the romaine on three separate sides (like a triangle): first, place the romaine flat side down on a hot grill in direct heat. After about 1 minute, turn the romaine so it lays on half of the rounded side and grill for an additional minute. Complete on the final part of the curved side. Be careful - the romaine cooks quickly so do not walk away from the grill during this process.

Remove the romaine from the grill and place it on a large serving platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over the romaine and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Week 1 Newsletter 2016

Welcome to the 2016 season of the Peak Season CSA!

The first delivery of the season is here!  It is also the time of planting, weeding and more planting. Then it is time to take a step back to see what is ready to put into the Week 1 bins. It is just the beginning of the season and the early boxes are a gradual build-up to the bountiful bins that come together in deep summer and the hefty crops that arrive in the fall.

Eating with the seasons, as well as eating locally, may be new to some of you. It can be frustrating, intimidating and overwhelming when you are just starting out with bins of fresh produce.
Hopefully, the weekly newsletter will provide you with information to make it easier and to inspire you to try some new things that will work for you and fit into your lifestyle.

We welcome your ideas and recipes so that we can share them with other members of the CSA.


It is important to us that you get to know our farm and get to know us as your farmers. This is partly what the CSA connection is all about. Of course, the other part is about great locally grown fresh produce! If your our headed out our way for any reason, please give me a call and stop by to visit our farm.

There are many ways to connect with our farm: the weekly newsletter, stop by, or visit with Adele or Leticia at the Sarah Hardy Farm Market on Saturday.

Green garlic (also called spring garlic) is one of the first seasonal items to pop up in farmer’s markets. The immature garlic bulbs and edible green stalks have an amazing nutty-oniony flavor that is great fresh or cooked. Substitute green garlic in recipes for onions, scallions or leeks. The young, tender cloves don’t need to be peeled before chopping. Slice and use in potato salad or mince and stir into salad dressings. Toss some in a stir-fry, on a pizza, or in soups. The light garlicky flavor enhances dishes without overpowering. One stalk and bulb of spring garlic is equivalent to a small onion, or a leek an one clove of mature garlic.

Here are the items to expect to find in the Week 1 bin:

Standard Share:

Strawberries
Rhubarb
Radishes
Deer Tongue Lettuce
White Turnips
Green Garlic/Spring Onion
Mixed Greens
Twin Maple Farm Syrup

Small Share:

Deer Tongue Lettuce
Strawberries
Rhubarb
White Turnips
Radishes

Here are a couple of recipe ideas for the items you will find in your bin this week.

Rhubarb Crisp 

MARK BITTMAN  YIELD 6 to 8 servings  TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing pan
2 ½ to 3 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, tough strings removed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 5 to 6 cups)
¼ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
 Pinch salt
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup pecans

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking or gratin dish with a little butter. Toss rhubarb with white sugar, orange or lemon juice and zest, and spread in baking dish.
Put the 6 tablespoons butter in a food processor along with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, and pulse for about 20 or 30 seconds, until it looks like small peas and just begins to clump together. Add oats and pecans and pulse just a few times to combine.
Crumble the topping over rhubarb and bake until golden and beginning to brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

Green Garlic Toast 

MELISSA CLARK  YIELD 8 servings  TIME 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

 Slices of crusty bread
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 ½ tablespoons chopped young green garlic stalks, white and green parts
1 tablespoon minced chives
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
 Large pinch red chile flakes
1 regular (not green) garlic clove, halved

PREPARATION

Heat the broiler. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil them, flipping them halfway through cooking time, until golden on both sides. Keep warm.
In a bowl, stir together the butter, cheese, green garlic, chives, pepper, salt and chile.
Rub the toast with the cut side of the regular garlic clove, then spread with the green garlic butter. Broil toast again for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, until the tops lightly brown and the butter melts. Serve hot or warm.