Week 2 Newsletter 2015

Happy Flag Day!

I hope enjoyed your first bin and are dreaming about what will be arriving from the garden this week.
It has been a cool and rather wet few days, the transplants are adjusting well and the direct seeded vegetables keep pushing their way out of the soil. It is true, no 2 years are just alike when it comes to farming!


The strawberries are coming along. The frost on May 20th did knock back the first berries and it looks we should be able to start picking berries by the end of next week. I did find a couple of red berries in the patch this week that were small and scarred by the frost. It is a good thing that berries keep producing more blossoms throughout late spring.

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 starting to show their 3rd leaf.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Bok Choy

White Turnips

Radishes

Lettuce Heads

Mixed Salad Greens

Rhubarb

Honey

Cilantro


Here a couple of recipes that include items that you will have in your bin this week:


Sautéed Baby Bok Choy

  SAM SIFTON            Time   15 minutes                       Yield    Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, like canola
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 ½-inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced
 ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste
4 bunches of baby bok choy, approximately 1½ pounds, cleaned, with the ends trimmed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon chicken stock or water
 Toasted sesame oil for drizzling

PREPARATION

In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add garlic, ginger and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
Add bok choy and stir carefully to cover with oil, then cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, stock or water, then cover pan and cook for approximately 2 minutes more, until steam begins to escape from beneath the lid of the pan.
Uncover and continue to cook until liquid is close to evaporated and stalks are soft to the touch, approximately 3 minutes more.

Remove to a warmed platter and drizzle with sesame oil.

Skillet Chicken With Rhubarb

  MELISSA CLARK        Time1 hour, plus 1 hour standing               Yield 4 servings

In this savory skillet dinner, rhubarb, onions and garlic are simmered with white wine and butter into a rich sauce for browned chicken parts. I call for a whole, cut-up chicken here, so you’ll have the different parts to choose from at the table. (Just be sure to watch the breasts carefully; they might finish cooking before the dark meat.) But you can use your favorite chicken part instead. Thighs and drumsticks work particularly well. This dish goes nicely with polenta, which also helps brighten the rather drab color of the brightly flavored sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1 (5 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut into eight pieces
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
1 teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
5 sprigs thyme, preferably lemon thyme
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch spring onions or scallions, white and light green stalks thinly sliced (slice and reserve greens for garnish)
2 stalks green garlic, thinly sliced, or 2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup dry white wine
¾ pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch dice (3 cups)
1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

PREPARATION

Pat chicken dry and season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place in a bowl with the thyme sprigs and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove thyme from bowl with chicken, reserving thyme. Add chicken pieces to skillet and sear, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to a platter.
Reduce heat to medium. Stir in onion (white and light green parts) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and reserved thyme; cook 1 minute more. Stir in wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of pan. Add rhubarb, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Return chicken pieces to pot in a single layer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes for breasts and 20 to 25 minutes for legs and thighs, transferring chicken pieces to a platter as they finish cooking.

Whisk butter into rhubarb sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with sliced onion greens.

Week 1 Newsletter 2015

Welcome to the 2015 season of the Peak Season CSA!

The first delivery of the season is here and is always exhilarating. It is also the time of planting, planting and more planting. Then taking 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! Check out this link from Fair Share CSA Coalition  in Madison: How to be a Great CSA Member

There are many ways to connect with our farm: the weekly newsletter, Facebook, visit with Adele at the Sarah Hardy Farm Market on Saturday and farm events.

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 is what to expect to find in the Week 1 bin:

Spinach

Rhubarb

Radishes

Lettuce

White Turnips

Green Garlic

Chives

Twin Farms Maple Syrup


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


JAPANESE TURNIPS WITH MISO

BY MAGGIE RUGGIERO GOURMET SEPTEMBER 2009

The small, round, mild white turnips known colloquially as Japanese turnips are at their most delicious when simply cooked with their greens. A last-minute swirl in miso butter (which is fantastic on pretty much any vegetable) gives them an almost meaty underpinning.

YIELD: Makes 4 servings
ACTIVE TIME: 15 min
TOTAL TIME: 30 min

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided
3 pounds small (1 1/2-to 2-inch) Japanese turnips with greens
1 1/3 cups water
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

PREPARATION

Stir together miso and 2 tablespoon butter.

Discard turnip stems and coarsely chop leaves. Halve turnips (leave whole if tiny) and put in a 12-inch heavy skillet along with water, mirin, remaining tablespoon butter, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then boil, covered, 10 minutes.

Add greens by handfuls, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more as volume in skillet reduces. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender and liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes. Stir in miso butter and cook 1 minute.

Angel Hair Pasta with Chive Blossom Cream Sauce

Melt 3 Tbsp of butter along with some minced garlic, then sprinkle 2 Tbsp flour to make a roux. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, then add 2 cups of chicken stock or broth, whisking until well blended. Cook for five minutes or until reduced by one-third, then add ¼ cup of sour cream and whisk until smooth.

Add a handful of chopped fresh chives and chive blossoms, then toss with one pound cooked angel hair pasta.

October 5 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

It has been a good year. Every Sunday I walk through the garden and come up with the "what to expect in your bin" list. It amazed me this year that each week there were always options as what to put in the bin. The survey results indicated that most of you enjoyed the variety that you received each week.

The survey revealed that the majority of the group  
thought the quantity was just right (70%),  others thought it was too much (22%) and not enough (8%). One area that is important to everyone is the quality of the produce and the group was very satisfied with the quality of the items they received in their bins this year.  Distribution is a challenge and there were a few participants who would like to see a different location and time of 
pick up offered next season. Another area that I will be evaluating hard next season are herbs. There were many responses from members about a desire for fewer herbs and others would like to see more herbs. Thank you to everyone that took the time to complete the survey.  

This week you will receive a total for your Beyond the Bin purchases and can adjust the total if you add in anything this week. Your email also included a price list for apples which includes 
many varieties and quantities.

As you are starting planning for the upcoming holidays you may want to consider ordering a Thanksgiving Bin or apple gift boxes.

Please email your interest in a Thanksgiving bin ( $ 40.00/pick up at the farm the weekend before Thanksgiving).

Here is a link to our mail order gift boxes: http://thirdcoastapples.com/


I am offering an early sign up bonus for next year.  The rate will be the same as this season for those who sign up this fall, and requires a $ 50.00 deposit. If you sign up by November 30th you will be provided with a complimentary 1/2 bushel of Wunsch Farms Honey Crisp apples.

Thank you again for making this a great season!


What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Apples
Asian pears
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Alicia Craig Onions
Garlic
Red peppers
Eggplant
Fingerling potatoes
Winter squash
Sage, Rosemary & Thyme


Beyond the Bin offerings:


Apples (a variety/price list will be emailed to you)
Nectarines
Tomatoes
Red raspberries
Kale


Here are a couple of recipe ideas.



Roasted Garlic


Trim roots off a large to medium head of garlic and cut a flat “hat” off the top, down just far enough to cut the very top off the individual cloves.  Place garlic, open top up in a shallow dish.  
Season the top with a pinch of salt and a few whole dried rosemary leaves, then drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil.  Roast in a 375 -400 degree oven until the garlic bubbles and caramelizes to a golden brown color, usually this takes 25 minutes.

Lemony Salt-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

SERVINGS: 8


2 large sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a mini food processor, pulse the sage, rosemary and thyme until finely chopped. Add the lemon zest and pulse to blend. Add the salt and pulse until finely ground. Transfer the herb salt to a small bowl.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil and butter and season with pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on 2 large 
rimmed baking sheets and roast for 25 minutes. Season the potatoes generously with the herb salt, toss well and continue baking for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and golden. Transfer to a bowl and serve hot or warm.

Food and Wine  Nov. 2006

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September 28 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you enjoying the unseasonably warm weather. It has been a great way to kick off the beginning of apple harvest. The trees are loaded with apples and the branches seem to spring upwards when they are relieved of all the weight of the apples. On a similiar note, have you noticed how heavy the the bins have become in the past couple of weeks?

Next week will be Week 18, the last week of the season for Peak Season. If you would like to come to the farm on Wednesday, Oct 8,  between 4:00 - 7:00 pm you can fill your bin with your choice of produce. Just let me know by Tuesday evening if you are going with this option. Of course, if I do not hear from you, a bin with your name on it will be waiting for you in your regular pick up location. The last pick up will be packaged in cardboard rather than the black plastic bin. This is the week to look around your house and cars for any stray bins and return them when you pick up your bin this week.





My garden is over flowing with vegetables and the cooler is beginning to fill up with apples. I am planning to put together Thanksgiving Bins this year which will be available for pick up at the farm the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving Bin will be a larger quantity than a normal bin and will include at least a dozen items. The price for the bin will be $40.00.

This week you will find a survey in your bin. Please take a few minutes to answer the questions for me. 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 free Thanksgiving Bin.



What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Macintosh and Honey Crisp apples
Lettuce
Melon
Carrots
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Red onions
Peppers
Savoy cabbage
Broccoli or Pole Beans
Garlic

Beyond the bin offerings:

Tomatoes
Basil
Red raspberries
Peppers
Nectarines
Asian pears


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


Roasted Carrots with Cardamom Butter

From EatingWell:  November/December 2007

Makes: 4 servings, about 2/3 cup each

INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices


PREPARATION
1. Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F.
Combine butter, oil, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. Add carrots and toss well to coat. Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast the carrots, stirring twice, until tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve
immediately.

Savoy Cabbage Chips

Bon Appétit  | February 2013

Makes about 20


1 savoy cabbage, cored, leaves separated, small leaves reserved for another use
Kosher salt


Place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 200°F. Working in several batches, cook cabbage leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water just until translucent and bright green, about 2 minutes per batch. Using a large slotted spoon, immediately transfer leaves to a large bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain cabbage leaves well and dry thoroughly.
Set a wire rack inside each of 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Arrange cabbage leaves on racks in a single layer. Bake until completely dry and crisp, about 3 hours. Season with salt. DO AHEAD: Cabbage chips can be made 8 hours ahead. Store chips at room temperature loosely layered between parchment paper or paper towels.

September 21 Newsletter

Hi CSAers,

It is a great time of year in the garden. Blossoming flowers are not the only thing adding color out there right now. The peppers turn from from green to deep red, and the squash and pumpkins spice things up too. With almost a dozen different varieties of tomatoes, we find new shapes and colors ripening every single day. Did you know that eggplant is not always purple? We are growing a white variety this year too!




Apple season is just around the corner!






What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Fruit Medley - Asian pears and prunes
Tomatoes
Purple and white potatoes
White onions
Red Peppers
Kuri Squash
Redbor Kale
Chives
Parsley

Beyond the bin offerings:

Nectarines
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Bell peppers
Basil
Red raspberries



Red Kuri Squash Soup


SERVINGS: 4


Red-orange kuri squash has a pumpkin shape, but no ridges. Its flavor is sweet and nutty, reminiscent of chestnuts.

. 1 1/2 pounds red kuri or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (3 cups)
. 1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
. 1 bay leaf
. 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and cut into thin wedges
. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
. Chopped toasted pecans and small marjoram leaves, for garnish


1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, combine the cubed squash with the chopped onion, bay leaf and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the fennel wedges with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the fennel is tender and starting to brown.
3. Discard the bay leaf from the soup. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the saucepan and warm over low heat. Stir in the butter and season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the roasted fennel, pecans, marjoram leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Food and Wine Feb 2012

Two-Bean Soup with Kale

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)


3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
                1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups organic vegetable broth, divided
7 cups stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch
                2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary


. 1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in 3 cups vegetable broth and kale. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until kale is crisp-tender.
. 2. Place half of cannellini beans and remaining 1 cup vegetable broth in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Add pureed bean mixture, remaining cannellini beans, black beans, and pepper to soup. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, vinegar, and rosemary.

Cooking Light 
OCTOBER 2009

September 14 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

It is prime harvest time in the garden. The tomatoes burst with color and you will find a quart of cherry tomato jewels in your bin this week. It is amazing how much flavor can be packed in one little cherry tomato! Remember to just slightly cook them if you use them in recipes where they are heated.

This week the large cooler in our packing shed was completely cleaned from top to bottom in anticipation of the apple harvest. The apple packing-line has moved into the center of the packing shed and the empty bins are lined up outside of the building. There have also been efforts put into marketing the apples for this season. It is looking like a large crop and of course we are closely watching the extended weather forecast.

What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines
Melon
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Jalapeno peppers
Red onion
Fennel Bulb
Edamame
Spaghetti Squash



Beyond the bin offerings:

Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Eggplant
Nectarines
Red raspberries

Thanks Kayla for picking the jalapeno peppers !

Here are a couple of recipes for you to use with some of the item you will find in your bin this week.


Italian-style
spaghetti squash

Makes 6 serving

1/2 medium spaghetti
squash (about 1 1/2 lbs),
seeded
2 Tbsp water
1 (14 1/2-oz) can Italianstyle
stewed tomatoes,
drained
1/4 c grated Parmesan
cheese

1. Place squash, cut side down, in a
microwave-safe baking dish. Add
water. Cover and microwave on high
10-14 minutes, or until tender.
2. Using a towel or pot holder, hold
squash on its side in dish. With other
hand, use fork to shred pulp into
strands into the dish.
3. Add tomatoes, toss. Sprinkle with
Parmesan cheese, and serve


Pasta with fennel

Make 6 servings

2 bulbs fennel, trimmed &
quartered
1 lb (1/2kg) fettucine
2 Tbsp olive oil
Grated Parmesan
Parsley (garnish)

1. Simmer fennel in 4 quarts salted water
until tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Lift fennel from water and slice. Keep
warm.
3. In the fennel water, cook the fettucine
until al dente.
4. Drain pasta. Add olive oil and fennel.
5. Serve with sprinkle of Parmesan and
parsley.



September 7 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,


It is remarkable how plants react to a few rainy days. Even with the days getting shorter it seems like many plants doubled in size in just a few hours. I hope everyone is getting a chance to enjoy the vibrant colors that are marching along after the inches and inches of rain.

You will notice that you will be receiving a couple of melons in your bins this week. It has been a challenging year for melons. Even though I grow short season melons in black plastic mulch, the cool temperatures slowed them down. My fingers are crossed that I harvested them at the right time. Usually I harvest melons close to Labor Day and intentionally gave them an extra week to ripen this year.

Many of you have met Kathleen who is helping with the deliveries this season. Her son, Domenic came to the farm to help harvest the eggplants that you found in your bin last week. It was great fun to have such a cheerful helper in the garden. If anyone is interested in visiting the farm next Saturday (2-5 pm) afternoon there are plenty of harvesting opportunities. Of course, garden sampling is part of harvesting. There is something very special about those warm Sungold tomatoes just plucked from the vine!


What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines
Watermelon
Melon -  Emerald Gem, Charentais or Sarah's Choice
Tomatoes
Sweet peppers
Red onion
Green cabbage
Cucumbers
Beans

Beyond the bin offerings:

Nectarines
Red raspberries
Eggplant
Redbor Kale
Basil

*Reminder*  Please return all black plastic bins.




Cabbage Slaw

Eating Well March/April 2008

Makes: 4 servings, about 1/2 cup each

2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper


Toss cabbage, bell pepper, onion, vinegar and oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss again to combine.

Linguine with Burst Tomatoes and Chiles

Bon Appétit  | August 2014

Makes 4 servings

The key to this sauce is a creamy emulsion of the oil, cheese, and pasta water. Toss and stir—and stir and toss—adding liquid freely, until it comes together.

• 2 1/4"-thick slices crusty bread, well-toasted, broken into pieces

• 12 ounces linguine

• Kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon chopped drained oil-packed Calabrian chiles

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more

• 1 pound small tomatoes

• 1 ounce Pecorino, finely grated (about 1/2 cup)

• Freshly ground black pepper

Pulse toast in a food processor to fine crumbs; set aside.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat chiles and 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, turning tomatoes occasionally, until blistered in spots, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook, lightly crushing tomatoes, until beginning to break down, about 3 minutes.

Add pasta, 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and 1/4 cup Pecorino to skillet and cook, tossing and adding more liquid as needed, until sauce coats pasta, about 2 minutes.