August 24 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,             

This week we started picking nectarines, and you should expect to find some in your Week 12 bin. They have great color and are full of flavor, and have been a wonderful addition to our farm over the course of the past few years. Our nectarine orchard is going into its fourth year, and we were quite worried about it after last year's cold winter, since nectarine trees are not thought of as particularly cold-hardy. However, nearly all of the trees survived, and the red and yellow crop looks both abundant and beautiful against the backdrop of our August sunsets. There are three varieties of nectarines, so CSA members should have the pleasure of enjoying them for the next few weeks.
This blast of heat has helped the melons size up, and hopefully they will mature soon. I also noticed that the eggplants are pushing hard for a second showing. The beans were planted at different times, but it seems like this week both the French beans and the Italian beans are ready for harvest. So get ready for beans, beans, and more beans!

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines

French green beans

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
French green beans
Italian beans
White potatoes                                                                            
White onions
Green cabbage                                                            
Cilantro
Zinnias

Beyond the Bin offerings:

Nectarines                                                                              
Red raspberries
Swiss chard
Zucchini
Basil

Italian green beans

Here are a couple of recipes to give a whirl!

New Potatoes & Green Beans

Serves 4

1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound red or white potatoes cut into small  pieces, washed well, leave the skins on
1 pound fresh green beans, stem ends snapped off, broken in half or thirds if long
Garlic to taste, a clove or two minced very small
2 tablespoons butter
Additional salt to taste
Put enough water in a pot to cover potatoes and beans, add salt and sugar, bring to a to a boil while prepping the potatoes. Add the potatoes, cover and let cook at a slow simmer until nearly done, start checking at about 15 minutes, the potatoes are usually ready after about 20 minutes.
Add the beans, return to a boil and cook for about 7 minutes or until the beans are well-cooked but still bright green. Drain the potatoes and beans, then return them to the hot pot to toss with garlic and butter. Add salt if needed.

Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

1 - 2  farm fresh cucumbers

1/4 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp Sugar
Water
Olive oil
Fresh herbs to taste - try basil & parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Trim and peel the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise and then scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut into half rings or chunks. In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and sugar  and enough water to cover the cucumbers. Let the cucumbers soak for a few hours.
Drain the cucumbers. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

August 17 Newsletter

                                                                 To all the Tomato Lovers,

Yes, we do have tomatoes! The cool temperatures have slowed down the ripening process and each day a few more change from green to orange to red. You will find a few bright red slicers in you bin. It looks like we will have 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.

You may have noticed that I remove the green tops from the carrots before putting them in the bins. Over the years I have found that they keep much longer if the tops are removed. Carrots "transpire"and this causes the crisp carrots to become limp and rubbery.

Hope you are enjoying a beautiful summer evening!


                           

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Cherries
Carrots
Tomatoes
Yellow beans & Dragon tongue beans
Leeks
Cucumbers
Eggplant or Broccoli
Lettuce
Parsley


Beyond the bin:

Apricots
Swiss chard
Basil
Zucchini

Here are a couple of recipes that include items you will find in your Week 11 bin.


Cucumber salad with balsamic vinaigrette

(Recipe from Mayo Clinic)

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the dressing
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cucumber with peel, washed and thinly sliced
• Cracked black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a small saucepan, add the rosemary, vinegar and olive oil. Heat over very low heat to blend and intensify the flavors, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the mustard until well blended.
In a serving bowl, add the cucumber slices. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss to coat evenly. Add the black pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


                                                                         

Pasta with Leeks and Parsley

(Recipe from How to Cook Everthing.)

Makes: About 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes

• Salt
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 or 3 dried red chiles or hot red pepper flakes to taste
• 3 large or 4 medium leeks (at least 1 pound), trimmed, washed, and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper or 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
• 1 pound spaghetti, linguine, or other long pasta
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Meanwhile, put half the oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot or the butter is melted, add the garlic and chiles and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic browns, about 2 minutes; remove the chiles (and the garlic if you prefer).
2. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper, if you’re using it, and lower the heat; continue to cook, stirring once in a while, until the leeks begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.
3. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until tender but not mushy. When it’s done, drain it, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss the pasta and leeks together with the remaining oil or butter, a few sprinklings of black pepper, and all but a little of the parsley, adding a bit of the cooking water if the mixture seems dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.

August 10 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

We have hit 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 is red skinned potatoes and rosemary. Yellow beans or vine-ripe tomatoes may be your favorite item this week!

There is light at the end of the cherry harvest tunnel! Since we are located farther north on the OMP than other farms in the area, we still have about a week to go while most other farmers in the area have wrapped things up. We shook the last of the Montmorency cherries this weekend (the Monts are the bright red ones used for making pies!). A few members stopped by the farm to get some of these cherries for freezing and cooking- I hope you enjoy them and make all sorts of delicious cherry creations! Hopefully, you are not getting too tired of cherries yet (I cannot imagine you would be ;) ) because they will be making an appearance in this week's bin. We also still have apricots available as a Beyond the Bin item, so the fruit is still plentiful!

In your bin this Wednesday:

Cherries

Carrots
Yellow beans/ Dragon Tongue Beans
Cucumbers

Zucchini
Red Potatoes
Rosemary
Tomatoes

Beyond the Bin:
Apricots
Arugala
Swiss Chard
Basil

Here is a recipe from Epicurious:

Roasted Potatoes, Carrots and Shallots with Rosemary

ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds medium-size red-skinned potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 6 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 large shallots, peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried

preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine potatoes, carrots, shallots and oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer vegetables to roasting pan. Roast until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add rosemary and roast until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to bowl

It finally feels like summer, so hit the beach and fire up the grill! Have a wonderful week everyone!!  :) 

August 3 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

Wunsch Farms continues to march on with cherry harvest. We are still hand picking sweet cherries and have also started harvesting tart cherries. We dodged the hail storm and are content with things being dusty and dry. We also have "no wind" posted on our weather wish list. Tart cherries bruise easily and warm temperatures and wind can be troublesome. Our receiving crew refer to the bruising as "wind whip" and it makes a negative impact on the grading of the fruit.

The main garden is buzzing with bees. We also had a few sightings of swallowtail butterflies this week.
Towards the end of the week my nephew and his friend completed harvesting the garlic. You will be receiving a few heads of fresh garlic in your bin. Fresh "uncured garlic" is moister than the usual "cured" garlic, but can be crushed, baked, diced, etc.. just like normal garlic.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Cherries
Apricots
Zucchini
Broccoli
Carrots
Fresh garlic
Cucumbers
Dill
Sunflowers

Beyond the bin offerings:

Cherries
Red raspberries
Black raspberries
Mixed greens
Basil

Here are some recipes using items you will find in your Week 9 bin.


Edamame Guacamole

Epicurious  | March 2013

Makes 2 cups; Serving Size: 2 Tbsp.

ingredients

• 1 c. frozen edamame beans, thawed
• 1 c. fresh broccoli florets
• 1 c. avocado, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. jalapeño, minced
• 2 Tbsp. tomato, chopped and seeded
• 1 Tbsp. red onion, minced
• 1 Tbsp. green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

preparation

BRING a medium pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath and set aside.
COOK the edamame beans at a rolling boil until tender, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain the beans into a strainer and shock in the ice bath. Drain well.
PUREE the avocado, lime juice, garlic, and jalapeño in a food processor at high speed. Add the edamame beans and the process on high speed.
MEANWHILE, cook the broccoli at a rolling boil until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the broccoli and shock in the ice bath. Drain well and pat dry.
ADD the broccoli to the edamame mixture and process on high speed until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate all the ingredients.
TRANSFER the mixture to a medium bowl and fold in the remaining ingredients, mixing with a rubber spatula until well incorporated.
TRANSFER the guacamole to an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour, before serving with accompaniment of choice. (The guacamole will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.)


Apricot Coffee Cake                           (I substituted fresh apricots in this recipe with great success!)

Epicurious  | February 2002

Makes 9 servings


ingredients

• 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 15 3/4-ounce can apricots, well drained
• Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

preparation

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Lightly butter an 11x8-inch glass baking dish.
2. Beat the butter in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (don't be concerned if the mixture looks slightly curdled). Beat in the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and stir into the batter, then stir in the lemon juice and zest.
3. Spread evenly in the pan. Arrange the apricots over the batter, cutting them into halves or quarters if necessary to give the cake a uniform appearance. (There are often apricots of different sizes in the same can.) Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before serving.
4. To serve, sift confectioners' sugar over the cake and cut into squares.

Make Ahead.
 The cake can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered with plastic wrap, and served at room temperature.

July 27 Newsletter

Hello Fruit Hounds,

Any berry lovers out there? I really like cherries and truly enjoy all the different berries. We are in full stride for all kinds of Northern Michigan summer fruit. The cool weather has helped to maintain the quality of both the cherries and berries.

Our farm is full tilt with the cherry harvest well under way. This week the crews have managed the tsunami of black sweet cherries. The cherries are a bit on the small side this year due to the heavy crop.
We have been harvesting cherries for processing and the hand crews have continued to pick and pack fresh black sweet cherries.

The main garden walkways are beginning to become covered with vines. The melons, cucumbers and squash are stretching in all directions. I have been giving them a boost with fertilizer and extra water during this time of rapid growth. The garden is also blooming with flowers. The sunflowers are showing their bright colors and so are the red runner pole beans. The bees are buzzing around the blue borage flower.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Cherries
Blueberries
Sugar snap peas

Oops!

Zucchini
Cucumber
Swiss Chard
Purple onion
Kale
Basil

Beyond the Bin for Week 8:

Black sweet cherries
Blueberries
Red raspberries
Black raspberries
Snow peas

Need some new recipe ideas? Here are a couple of recipes that we have used at our house in the past week.


Zucchini Bread

Yield: 2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
           3 cups shredded zucchini (12 ounces)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
Cooking spray

Preparation
. Preheat oven to 350°.
. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through baking soda) in a large bowl.
. Combine canola oil and next 3 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; add sugar, stirring until combined. Add zucchini; stir until well combined. Add flour mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in walnuts.
. Divide batter evenly between 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
.
Adapted from Cooking Light 
JULY 2005

Greek-Style Kale Salad

Yield: Serves 6 (serving size: 1 cup)



Ingredients

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups torn kale leaves 

2 cups torn Swiss chard leaves

1 cup chopped cucumber 

1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup sliced green onions (about 2)

10 kalamata olives, pitted and quartered

Preparation

. 1. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, and pepper in a bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add kale and Swiss chard; toss. Let stand 10 minutes. Add English cucumber, feta cheese, green onions, and kalamata olives. Toss.

.

Cooking Light 
AUGUST 2012

July 20 Newsletter

Hello CSAers,

We have made the complete shift from spring to summer during the past week. The main patch of mixed greens are beyond bolting and are starting to develop seeds. The second wave of greens germinated well and enjoyed the cooler weather but have put on the brakes with the warmer temperatures. The peas liked the cool temperature and have continued to produce an abundance of pods.

Thank goodness for warm weather plants! The eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes are flowering and nicely setting fruit. The vining plants are pushing hard and seem to have doubled in size as they expand in all directions. The second wave of cilantro came on fast and even the the rosemary has jumped in height this past week.

Our cherry crews have been working long days. This past week we were picking and packing fresh cherries and also mechanically harvesting cherries. It not only takes many people in the field but also folks to transport the cherries to the receiving area. Then there are the others in the receiving area where they unload the boxes of cherries from flat bed trucks and load onto semi-trucks. We have a small truck which makes steady runs moving small boxes of hand picked cherries from the field to the cooler. We have another crew who work the packing line. The hand picked fruit is sorted on a packing line, weighed and the boxes are and assembling on pallets. Of course, we cannot forget the the people who keep all the spinning plates spinning! Everyday is different, it takes planning, scheduling and marketing to make it all happen.

What you can expect to find in your bin this week:
                                                                                   

Black sweet cherries
Bok choy
Beets
Mixed greens
Radishes
Arugula
Cilantro
Sugar snap peas
Red skinned potatoes

Beyond the Bin:

Cherries 20# boxes or quarts
Black raspberries
Red raspberries
Snow peas

Here are a couple of recipes to try that include some of the items you will find in your Week 7 bin.


Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: Serves 3-4.

If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them by placing them in a bowl of ice water or cold water. Adding a little salt to the water will help the shrimp retain their briny flavor.

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp high smoke point oil such as grape seed oil, or canola oil
1  Serrano chile (more if you like it spicy, or just a fraction of one if you want less heat),
                    sliced into rings
1-2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 Tbsp lime juice

METHOD
1 Place a large sauté pan or a wok over your strongest burner on high heat. Let the pan heat up for a minute and then add the oil. Use a high smoke point oil since you will be cooking the shrimp on very high heat. Let the oil heat until it's shimmering. If it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat for a moment.
2 Add the chiles to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat with oil. Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1 minute before tossing again so they get a little bit of a sear. Stir-fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.


3 Turn off the heat and mix in the cilantro, then the lime juice.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve alone, over rice, or in a folded heated flour or corn tortilla.

Simply Recipes

Spicy Garlic Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Yield: Serves 4

Total:25 Minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons Asian chili garlic sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

4 heads baby bok choy (about 1 lb. total), halved lengthwise

1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews

Preparation

1. Heat grill to medium (350° to 450°). Combine soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, oil, vinegar, sugar, and garlic in a small bowl. Set bok choy in a rimmed baking dish and brush with two-thirds of soy-garlic mixture. Wrap bok choy tops with foil.

2. Grill bok choy, turning once, until slightly softened and streaked brown, 5 to 6 minutes total. Remove foil from leaves and set bok choy on a platter. Brush with remaining soy-garlic mixture and sprinkle with cashews.

Sunset June 2011

July 13 Newsletter

Hello Cherry Fans,

Have you noticed how many cherries are on the trees this year? This past week they have doubled in size and the dark black sweets went through a range of colors. It is amazing how much they change as we close in on harvest. This year's crop is sizing up nicely. We even were able to supply a few of the northern Michigan fruit stands with fresh cherries this past Festival week.

The main garden has also gone through a transformation and taken on a new look. The stakes were carefully placed in the rows of tomatoes and string has been woven through the stakes and plants to give them support. I am seeing a few green tomatoes on the plants and they are also filled with many small yellow flowers. The paths between the rows were rototilled and straw mulch was added to fend off the weeds. The irrigation system was used frequently and what a delight to see the second planting of carrots poke their heads up through the soil. It is definitely looking like a summer time garden!


What to expect to find in your bin this week:


Black sweet cherries
Sugar snap peas
Beets
Radishes
Lettuce
Zucchini
Tuscano Kale
Dill

And Beyond the Bin:

Black sweet cherries
Snow peas
Tarragon
Basil

Here are some recipe ideas for the items that you will find in your bin this week.


Roasted Beets and Sauteed Beet Greens



1 bunch beets with

greens

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (optional)


. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted.
. Cover, and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet.
. When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute. Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with either red-wine vinegar, or butter and salt and pepper.

. Makes 4 servings                  Adapted recipe from Allrecipe.com



Cherry Salsa

2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 – 2 jalapenos, very thinly sliced
2 Cup black sweet cherries split in half

Mix all together. This goes well with grilled fish.