Week 17 Newsletter 2015

Hello Everyone,

This past week we started harvesting apples and continue to see
the damage that was created by the storm back in August. Luckily,
we have crop insurance and our crop was declared 100% damaged
on the majority of our apples. It looks like a wonderful set of fruit until you get a closer look at the pecks, bumps below the skin of the apples. It is a great year for applesauce and ciders!

My mother was very fond of poems by Robert Lois Stephenson and I am including Autumn Fires to kick off our magical  season.

Apple harvest 2015

  Autumn Fires

In the other gardens
And all up the vale,
From the autumn bonfires
See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over
And all the summer flowers,
The red fire blazes,
The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!
Something bright in all!
Flowers in the summer,
Fires in the fall!

What to expect to find in your bin:


Apples

Red Cabbage

Fernleaf dill 

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Eggplant

Leeks

Peppers

Garlic

Red Kuri Squash/ Butternut Squash

Sage



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

Butternut Squash Soup With Sage and Parmesan

 ( you can easily substitute red kuri squash for butternut squash in this recipe)

MOIRA HODGSON  Time 45 minutes  Yield 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Spanish onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 leeks, white part only, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 ½ quarts vegetable or chicken stock
¼ pound Parmesan piece or rinds
2 butternut squashes, peeled and cubed
3 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 bay leaf

PREPARATION

Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, leeks and garlic and cook them until they are soft.
Add the vegetable or chicken stock, Parmesan pieces or rinds and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Add the butternut squash, sage, bay leaf, salt, pepper. Cook until the squash is tender (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Remove the bay leaf and the cheese and puree one quarter of the soup in a food processor and return it to the stock pot (the cheese -- not the rind -- can be crumbled or grated as a garnish for the soup). Heat through and correct seasoning. Garnish the soup with scallions and serve. Pass the freshly grated Parmesan separately.

Cabbage and Red Pepper Gratin

  MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  Time1 hour 20 minutes  Yield Serves four to six


Paprika contributes a spicy edge to this sweet, comforting gratin.


INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in small dice
6 to 7 cups shredded cabbage about 1 1/2 pounds
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon sweet or smoky paprika
3 eggs
½ cup milk
2 ounces Gruyère, grated 1/2 cup

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin dish. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Add the red pepper. Cook, stirring, until the pepper is tender and the onion is beginning to color, about five minutes. Stir in the cabbage, dill and paprika. Add salt to taste, and cook, stirring, until the cabbage begins to wilt, about five minutes. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and continue to cook for another five to 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Remove from the heat.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and whisk in about 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Whisk in the milk, and stir in the cabbage mixture and the cheese. Scrape into the baking dish.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes or longer before serving.
Tip
Advance preparation: You can make this through Step 1 hours or even a day before assembling and baking. The baked gratin will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, and it can be reheated in a medium oven.

Week 16 Newsletter 2015

Garlic chive flowers

 Hello Everyone,

This week I am sharing some photos that I have received from CSA members. It is inspirational to see tomatoes and pesto carefully prepared and tucked away for a later use.

Did you know.....

Tomatoes contain substances we receive as the flavor, umami, or savory, more thought of with meat and meat broths than with vegetables. Umami is one of the five basic tastes in addition to sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Umami flavor rounds out and enhances other flavors, especially salt. Other potent source of umami flavor include fish, cheese, mushrooms and fermented products such as miso, soy sauce and tamari  sauce. Umami flavor often involves glutamate, a salt form of the the amino acid glutamic acid.
Tomatoes are high in glutamate. There are other compounds including various nucleotide that also give an
umami flavor. The richest umami flavor occurs with
combination of multiple umami receptor triggering
substances.

Maybe this is why some of our favorite recipes
combine tomatoes with meat or cheese or both.
When meats are cured they enhance the umami flavor. A bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich is an example of an ultimate umami experience.

What to expect to find in your bin:

Asian Pears

Melon

Tomatoes

Fingerling Potatoes

Cucumbers or Zucchini

Onions

Lettuce

Kale

Carrots

Garlic

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

Ribollita

MARK BITTMAN  Time  50 minutes  Yield 4 servings

Even vegetable stews can have more vegetables. This recipe adds a pound of kale -- that's right, a full pound -- to softened onions, carrots and celery, combined with beans and tomatoes. It's simply a matter of bringing the other vegetables together in a simmer, then adding the kale and topping with the toast. The whole dish bakes in the oven for a few minutes to brown the toast with a little Parmesan.

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
 Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans
1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 pound chopped kale or escarole
4 large, thick slices whole-grain bread, toasted
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

PREPARATION

Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Drain the beans; if they’re canned, rinse them as well. Add them to the pot along with tomatoes and their juices and stock, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the soup bubbles steadily; cover and cook, stirring once or twice to break up the tomatoes, until the flavors meld, 15 to 20 minutes.
Fish out and discard rosemary and thyme stems, if you like, and stir in kale. Taste and adjust seasoning. Lay bread slices on top of the stew so they cover the top and overlap as little as possible. Scatter red onion slices over the top, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Put the pot in the oven and bake until the bread, onions and cheese are browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. (If your pot fits under the broiler, you can also brown the top there.) Divide the soup and bread among 4 bowls and serve.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  Time 30 minutes  Yield About 2 1/2 cups

This is a quick, simple marinara sauce that will only be good if your tomatoes are ripe. If you have a food mill, you don’t have to peel and seed the tomatoes; you can just quarter them and put the sauce through the mill.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced (to taste)
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill, peeled, seeded, and diced if you don’t
⅛ teaspoon sugar
2 sprigs of fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
 Salt
1 tablespoon slivered fresh basil
 Freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

In a wide, nonstick frying pan, or in a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, basil or thyme sprig, and salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon and add more later), and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring often, until thick. Pulpy tomatoes like romas will usually take 20 to 30 minutes. However, if the tomatoes are very juicy, it will take longer for them to cook down. The longer you cook the sauce, the sweeter it will be. You can speed up the process by turning up the heat, but stir often so the sauce doesn’t scorch. Towards the end of cooking, stir in the slivered fresh basil and some freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
If using quartered tomatoes, put through the medium blade of a food mill. If you used peeled seeded tomatoes but want a sauce with a smooth, even texture, remove the basil sprigs and discard. Pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Week 15 Newsletter 2015

Hello Everyone,

Brightly colored nasturtiums

We are on the home stretch of this year's CSA. It is hard to believe that there are only 4 weeks left of this season. The main garden is taking on a fall look and I did notice an orange pumpkin in the back corner. The small white cucumbers turned the switch and the vines are now brown and withered up this week. Luckily, the hoophouse has cucumber vines
that are protected and are continuing to flower and produce cucumbers.

The edamame (green soybeans) were harvested this week. They grow on a stalk and seemed to produce well this year.

If you are planning to can/freeze or roast tomatoes, make tomato sauce or salsa......be sure to let me know. The Beyond the Bin will include 1/2 bushels of tomatoes and some of the other needed ingredients.


What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Hoophouse Cucumbers

Mixed Greens

Melon

Beets

Eggplant

Onions

Cucumbers

Edamame

Tomatoes

Sweet Peppers

Fingerling Potatoes









I am a big fan simple of simple flavorful meals. One of my favorites is garden fresh tomatoes on a tuna sandwich. Here are a couple of recipes for you to try out this week.


Classic Tuna Salad Sandwich

THE NEW YORK TIMES  Time 5 minutes  Yield 4 to 6 servings

Here is Craig Claiborne's version of the classic lunchbox staple. Celery, red onion and red bell pepper add crunch; capers and lemon juice lend a little tang.

INGREDIENTS

2 (6-ounce) cans solid, waterpacked tuna
½ cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade
½ cup finely diced celery
3 tablespoons finely diced red onion
3 tablespoons finely minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 teaspoons lemon juice
 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
 Sliced sandwich bread of choice

PREPARATION


In a medium bowl, combine the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, bell pepper, capers and lemon juice. Mix with a fork until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on the sandwich bread of your choice.

Edamame in the Shell

 MARK BITTMAN  Time 5 minutes  Yield 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

 Salt
1 pound fresh or frozen edamame in their pods
 Black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

To boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the edamame, return to a boil and cook until bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. To microwave: Put the edamame in a microwave-safe dish with ¼ cup water and a pinch of salt, cover partly and microwave on high until bright green, 1 to 5 minutes, depending on your microwave power.

Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and a little or a lot of black pepper. Toss and serve hot, warm or chilled with an empty bowl on the side for the pods.

Week 14 Newsletter 2015

The heat keeps ripening the tomatoes

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are enjoying the bounty of fruit, vegetables,
flowers and herbs this season. This is my favorite time of year to assemble the bins. There are so many choices and I love being able to fill the bins with a rainbow of color.


This past week I found a frog enjoying the moisture, left late in the day under a large melon leaf.  I believe it was a tree frog and has the ability to change color with the background colors. Yes, the chameleon effect!

Hats off to everyone who is going back to school this week.



What to expect to find in your bin this week:

I had a visitor in the garden this week.

Melon

Asian Pears

Green Cabbage

Fennel Bulb

Tomatoes

Leeks

Fennel Bulb

Cucumbers

Mixed Greens

Spaghetti Squash

Jalapeno Peppers



Here are a couple of recipes that include items from your bin:

Fennel and Cucumber Salad

PIERRE FRANEY  Time15 minutes  Yield 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 small head fennel (about 1/2 pound)
2 medium-size cucumbers
1 teaspoon sugar
 Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

PREPARATION

Trim the fennel, leaving only the white bulb at the bottom. Cut the bulb in half and cut into thin slices.
Split the cucumbers in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice them crosswise.
Place the slices of fennel and cucumber in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to blend. Check the seasoning and serve.


BAKED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1 med. spaghetti squash
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup brown sugar divided
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Place in baking dish with about 1 inch of water, cut side up. Dab butter on edges and in squash. Sprinkle brown sugar on and in squash.

Bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until fork inserts easily.

Week 13 Newsletter 2015

Hello Everyone,                                                     

The upcoming week is forecasted to be in the 80's and possibly the low 90's. It should help to ripen the melons and germinate seeds that were recently planted in the hoophouse. I have heard positive comments about the lettuce this season and plan to provide you with both mixed greens and lettuce heads this time around. I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy the warm temperatures and savor the end of summer with easy to prepare meals.

What to expect to find in you bin this week:

Nectarines/ Peaches


Rosemary

Mixed Greens

Lettuce

Onions

Cucumber

Eggplant

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Garlic

Here are some recipes that include items that you will find in your bin this week.

Couscous With Eggplant

PIERRE FRANEY  Time 15 minutes  Yield 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots or scallions
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup diced eggplant cut into 1/4-inch cubes
 Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup water
1 cup precooked couscous
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the shallots, onions, turmeric, coriander, eggplant, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until wilted, but do not brown.
Add the water, bring to a boil, add the couscous and blend well. Cover tightly, remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes.
Add the butter and lemon juice, stir and blend with a fork to separate the grains. Keep warm.

Tomato, Squash and Eggplant Tian

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  Time 2 hours  Yield 6 servings

This is one of the simplest Provençal gratins, a dish that takes a little bit of time to assemble, then bakes on its own for 1 1/2 hours. It tastes best the day after it’s made.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds ripe, firm tomatoes, round or Roma, sliced thin
1 red torpedo onion, sliced thin
½ to ¾ pound zucchini, preferably mixed green and yellow, sliced thin
1 long, thin eggplant, sliced thin (if all you can find is a bulbous eggplant, cut in half or in quarters and slice it thin)
 Salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus a few sprigs
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus a few sprigs

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart rectangular or oval baking dish.
Combine the vegetables in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil, chopped rosemary and thyme leaves and toss gently.
Arrange the vegetables in rows in the baking dish in this order: tomato slice, eggplant slice, tomato slice, squash slice, onion slice, tomato slice, eggplant slice, tomato slice, etc. Each slice of eggplant should have a tomato slice on either side. The vegetables should not be lying flat; they should be arranged in the dish as if you had stacked them, then lay the whole stack in the dish, all of the rounds slanting slightly to one side. Insert the herb sprigs into the dish. Pour any juice left in the bowl on top. Cover tightly with foil.
Place in the oven and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly tender and lightly colored on the edges.

Tip
Advance preparation: You can assemble this and refrigerate for a day before baking, or bake a day or two before serving. Reheat in a medium oven or serve at room temperature.

Week 12 Newsletter 2015

Hello Everyone,

 It is time for eggplant!

We’re growing three different varieties of eggplant on the farm this season. The first variety is a Black Beauty, it is cylindrical shape and a blackish purple color. We will try our best to get the other varieties to you, but each week’s harvest will differ and some of the varieties are more plentiful than others.

The way it looks out there now, there are enough eggplants for many weeks to come. There are fruits that are mature now, some that are still growing, and some that are only beginning.We sure hope you like eggplant! No worries if you don't’ know what to do with it! Over the next few weeks we’ll provide you with the resources to have an eggplant party in your kitchen! For starters, see this week’s recipes.

What to expect to find in you bin this week:

Watermelon

Tomatoes

Mixed Greens

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Summer Squash/ Zucchini

Onions

Peppers

Basil

Here are a couple of recipes that include items from your bin this week.

Broiled Eggplant With Parmesan

PIERRE FRANEY  Time 30 minutes  Yield 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 eggplants about 3 inches in diameter, total weight 1 1/4 pounds
 Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to broil.
Trim eggplants and cut into 16 slices of equal thickness.
Arrange eggplant slices in one layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and brush both sides with olive oil.
Place eggplant under broiler about 4 inches from heat source. Broil about 3 minutes, and turn slices and broil for 3 minutes more.
In a small dish, blend garlic with Parmesan, and sprinkle mixture evenly over eggplant. Place under broiler until bubbling. Serve immediately.

Pan-Cooked Summer Squash With Tomatoes and Basil

  MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  Time 15 minutes  Yield 4 to 6 servings

This Provençal summer dish is delightful as a starter or as a side dish with fish, chicken or cooked grains.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ pounds medium or small zucchini or other summer squash, thinly sliced or diced depending on what shape squash you use
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, grated on the large holes of a box grater, or peeled, seeded and diced
 Salt
 freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped or slivered fresh basil (to taste)

PREPARATION

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan, until the zucchini is lightly seared and beginning to soften, three to five minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant -- less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have begun to cook down, about five minutes. Return the zucchini to the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender and translucent and the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce. Stir in the basil, and taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and serve hot, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Advance preparation: You can make this a day or two ahead of time. Keep refrigerated, and reheat gently on top of the stove. The dish is also good cold, doused with a little lemon juice.

Week 11 Newsletter 2015

Hello Tomato Lovers,              

 It really seems like summer when the tomatoes turn red on their vines. Last week was a teaser with a couple of tomatoes and if the weather holds up they should could continue to appear in your bins the rest of the season. The first variety you are sampling are Early Girls. They have the perfect name and always seem to be the first to show their color.

I hope you enjoyed your quart of cherries in last weeks bin. The large cooler in the packing shed was turned off and the last few boxes of cherries were moved to the small CSA cooler. It just seemed right to pass on another quart of cherries.

Our crew on the farm has been busy putting the orchards back together after the storm. There were many downed limbs and even a few trees that went down with the strong wind. The bins and pails that were used for hand picking have been power washed, stacked, wrapped in plastic and tucked away for next year. The bean counters are sifting through all the paperwork and organizing the production records. We call all of this activity the post-harvest clean-up.


What to expect to find in your bin this week:

Nectarines

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Green & Purple Pole Beans

Cucumbers

Onions

Lettuce

Swiss Chard

Hungarian Peppers





Zucchini With Fresh Tomatoes and Mozzarella

  MARK BITTMAN  Time 30 minutes

 INGREDIENTS

1 ½ pounds zucchini
1 ½ pounds tomatoes
1 pound mozzarella
 Olive oil
 Balsamic vinegar
 Salt and pepper
 Basil, for garnish

PREPARATION

Heat a charcoal or gas grill; the fire should be medium-low and the rack about 4 inches from the heat.
Cut 1 1/2 pounds zucchini into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Rub zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper; grill, turning once, until nicely browned and tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
As zucchini cooks, slice 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes and 1 pound mozzarella into 1/4 inch rounds.
Toss (or layer) with the zucchini, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with basil.

Swiss Chard with Currants and Pine Nuts

  MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN  Time About 40 minutes  Yield Serves 4

This is a popular dish throughout the Mediterranean, particularly in Catalonia, Provence, and the Italian Riviera. It is often made with spinach, but I prefer to use Swiss chard, because the chard stands up to the cooking but still has a delicate flavor.


INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons currants, raisins, or golden raisins
2 pounds Swiss chard, stemmed and washed in several changes of water, stems diced and set aside
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
 Salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION

Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.
Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant about 1 minute. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.