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Tuesday August 2, 2011
Greetings CSA Members,
We are just returning from a grand celebration for Brian's Mom - her 90th Birthday! And so this newsletter will be a bit brief. Trying to peel ourselves away from the farm at this point in the season is near to impossible. I think that I began preparing two weeks in advance. We would only be gone a little more than 24 hours, but putting the systems in place to provide for all possible disasters, markets, animal chores, etc was extensive.
Last week I told you about the birds and raccoons in the corn, suggesting that we had a few tricks up our sleeves. I thought that I would let you in a few of the secret weapons! The most dramatic of the tricks is a machine that continuously plays a tape recording of distressed and/or dying birdcalls. For any newcomer out to the field, it is most disconcerting. The birds at first are equally concerned and it works for the most part. If I had more time, I would love to discover which birds are fooled and why and which ones are not. We also string up big yellow balloons (similar to beach balls) with a bulls eye in the middle of each one. Once again, this works for some birds. However, it really works on Ruby our dog who growls and slinks timidly away. Finally, we attach flashy streamers to poles. These streamers reflect light and flash randomly as the breezes whistle through the "corn forest". The care and nurturing needed to grow the corn can be challenging; but once it is nearing maturity, all we want is to protect every last ear. Nonetheless, I believe that organic corn is worth all this trouble!
Have a great week and enjoy your share - Justine
This week in your share, you will most likely receive:
Lettuce, Basil or Sage, Beets, Sweet Onions, Summer Squash/Zucchini, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, "New" Chieftain Potatoes (red skin, white flesh - all purpose), and Melon (similar to cantaloupe) or Watermelon
Fruit Share: A 3 lb. Bag of Cherries
Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
6 medium beets, tops removed, leaving 1/4 inch of stems
2 Tbls. lemon juice
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp. salt and pepper to taste
5 Tbls. olive oil
4 cups mixed salad greens
2 cups arugula, torn into pieces
1 scallion, thinly sliced (sweet onions could work here)
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
Scrub beets well. Bring 6 cups water to boil and cook beets until tender (about 45-60 minutes). Drain and cool. Slip the skins off the beets. Cut beets into wedges or dice. Make dressing by whisking lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil together. Pour three Tbls. over beets and toss. Just before serving mix greens, arugula, scallions and remaining dressing. Add beets, goat cheese and walnuts on top of individual servings.
Grange Hall Beet and Potato Latkes (from The Greenmarket Cookbook)
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
2 medium beets, peeled and coarsely grated
1 small onion, coarsely grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. salt pepper to taste
1/3 cup canola oil
Rinse grated potatoes in a bowl of cold water. Wrap shreds of potato in a towel and squeeze dry. Place beets and onions in a colander and squeeze out excess moisture. In a bowl stir together beets, onions, potatoes, egg, flour, salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop out 1/3 cup of beet mixture at a time and fry pancakes in pan, about 5-8 minutes on each side (flatten with spatula as
needed). Serve with yogurt and applesauce.
Cool and Refreshing Cantaloupe Drink
1 cantaloupe, halved and seeded
1/2 cup white sugar, or more to taste
2 cups milk
6 cups cold water, or more as needed
Shred the cantaloupe into a large pitcher using a fork, making sure to catch all the juice and pulp. Stir in the sugar, mashing any large pieces of cantaloupe. Stir in the milk and water, adding enough to fill the pitcher. Serve cold.
Watermelon Cucumber Sorbet with Basil
1 Watermelon, seeded and pureed
1 Cucumber, medium to large
2 tbsp Lime Juice
3/4 - 1 cup Sugar
2 tsp chopped fresh Basil
Peel the cucumber, chop into chunks and either run through a juicer or puree in a food processor (then strain through a mesh sieve). This should equal around 1/3 to 1/2 cup of juice. Add to watermelon puree, then add lime juice, sugar and basil.
Put this combination in a jar with a lid and give it a really good shake to blend in the sugar. If you don't have a big enough jar, put part of the mixture in a smaller jar and shake, adding it back to the rest of the liquid. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Process in an ice cream maker according to directions. Freeze the sorbet in a separate container for an hour or two before serving. Allow to thaw slightly before serving. Seems counter-intuitive to freeze then thaw, but I promise, this brings out more flavor. And, the basil will have had a chance to infuse a little more.
If you don't have an ice cream maker, you can survive without one. You'll just have to do a few more steps. Pour the mixture into a shallow pan with sides, cover, and put into the freezer. Every 20 minutes, scrape the mixture with a fork to loosen. Do this until you've reached the consistency of a sorbet, although it will be more like a granita with icy pieces. It will still be just as refreshing and delicious.
"New" Potatoes Gratin
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, sliced to about 1/4 inch rounds
2 sweet onion, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped herbs such as sage, parsley, thyme, rosemary
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheese and seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease shallow casserole dish or gratin dish with butter.
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the cheese/breadcrumbs. Arrange in the gratin dish and top with the cheese/breadcrumbs. Bake until golden and potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes.
Zucchini Pasta with Almonds and Lemon Zest
(2 servings)
7 ounces short pasta
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-2 medium zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons
1 scant teaspoon harissa, or other garlic chili sauce
1/4 cup skin-on almonds, roughly chopped
The zest of 1 organic lemon, cut into fine strips
A squeeze of lemon juice from that same lemon
A good finishing olive oil (i.e. a good one that would be wasted if cooked)
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
Bring salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the pasta, give it a stir, cover, and turn off the heat. Cook until al dente, for however many minutes is recommended on the package
While the water is heating for the pasta, start cooking the zucchini. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, until lightly golden. Add the zucchini and harissa, sprinkle with a little salt, and stir well to combine.
Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the zucchini is softened and golden in places. Add the almonds, stir, and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat but keep warm.
A few minutes before the pasta is cooked, ladle out a little of the hot water and pour into 2 pasta bowls; this will preheat them and ensure the pasta doesn't get cold too fast as you eat. (Don't forget to pour out the water before serving the pasta.)
When the pasta is cooked, drain, add to the skillet, and place over low heat. Add the lemon zest, a good squeeze of lemon juice, and a bit of finishing oil. Toss to combine and divide between the two bowls. Grind some pepper on top and serve.
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