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Tuesday September 6, 2011
Greetings CSA Members,
Irene must have relatives who enjoy tormenting farmers such as the Denisons!
We thought all was well on Saturday afternoon. We rented a backhoe and Brian rebuilt the ford that crosses the Tomhannock Creek. Walter and Errol picked green beans and harvested carrots - it was a great feeling to see progress being made. Irene's brother or sister visited us Sunday evening and though it wasn't technically called either a tornado or hurricane, we had winds close to 60 mph, trees snapped, power cut, and the upper tomato greenhouse pushed off its foundation as if a truck had driven at full speed into one end. With that storm and the 1 inch of rain last night, the river flooded once again.
Today we were unable to cross the river to harvest for you. However, we did harvest what we could on this side of the river and you will receive a CSA box this week, a bit smaller than usual. I think that the big concern for us is the amount of rain and the adverse effect on both the crops and soil. We have more than the river to worry about at this point.
On the bright side, we are very grateful for the outpouring of warmth and support from you, our dear CSA members. You have sent us such loving words of encouragement, prayers, and a few bottles of wine! We send our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for all that you are sending our way.
Many of you have asked how you can help. When we see our way a little more clearly after this next round of punches coming from Tropical Storm Lee, perhaps we will have the ability to organize a plan for aiding this damaged farm.
Until then, hold us in your thoughts. Last week we were in shock - this week we are just plain tired and concerned! Thank you again for all the goodness you are sending our way.
CSA Pot-luck Sunday September 25 from 3:30-6:30. Bring the family for a farm tour, delicious pot-luck dishes, music, and contra dancing
Bulk Tomatoes $25 for a 25 lb box - Pickups are at the Saratoga and Troy Farmers' Markets on Saturdays and anytime at the farm. Email Justine if you are interested.
Below is a link to our Facebook Video page. Did you know that you do not have to have a Facebook account to view the photos, videos, and postings ? Just click here for the videos or go to our website and click on the blue f in the corner. It will bring you right there!
All The Best - Justine
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Denison-Farm-CSA/9586352458?sk=app_2392950137
This week, you will most likely receive:
Onions, Sweet Potato Leaves (Treat them as if they were collards, swiss chard, or spinach), Green Beans, Tomatoes, Carrots, Radishes, and Parsley
Fruit Share: Golden Supreme Apples and Peaches
Bread Share: Baker's Choice
From the Blog The Bitten Word
One of the best things about belonging to a CSA is being introduced to fruits and vegetables (such as kohlrabi) that we've never cooked with before. In this case, we met a vegetable we'd never even heard of. Of course it stands to reason that sweet potatoes would have greens. We mean, something's got to come out of the ground, right? But it never occurred to us that they'd be something you'd want to eat. And we really never thought they'd turn out to be so delicious.
When faced with a new vegetable or leafy green, we've adopted a pretty standard operating procedure: Heat some fat (butter, oil, bacon grease) in a pan and soften a diced onion. Throw in the vegetable and sauté until it's ready to eat. Toss in some salt and pepper. Most of the time, that'll get you 90% of the way there. Then you just decide what extra flavor you want to add (something spicy, like Sriracha? or savory, like soy sauce?) to complement the vegetable in question.
In this case, we wanted to play up the subtle sweetness of the greens, so we stirred in a little maple syrup. The result was fab: The greens were fresh yet earthy, with a hint of sweetness. A perfect side dish for an early fall meal!
If you can find some, don't pass them up. They may be the best new thing you discover this fall!
Sautéed Sweet Potato Greens
1 large bunch sweet potato greens (about half a pound)
1/2 small white onion, diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
Remove sweet potato leaves from stems and set aside. Remove smaller stems from the larger, tougher stems. Discard the larger stems and roughly chop the smaller stems.
Heat olive oil in medium-sized pan over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté until just softened, about 3 minutes.
Add stem pieces and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add leaves, salt and pepper to taste, and maple syrup. Sauté until leaves are wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve.
More information about Sweet Potato Greens…
The sweet potato is one of the world's most cultivated crops, and is grown all over the world, but especially in Asia and the Pacific. The leaves are good forage for domestic animals, so consumption by humans is looked down upon in some places as the food of the poor. However, because some varieties of leaves are high in protein, they can serve an important place in a diet that is based on tubers and other grains. Chinese herbalist lore says that the leaves can improve the respiratory and renal system function.
Like spinach, chard and other greens, sweet potatoes leaves are highly versatile. Cooking with Asian Leaves has two recipes: sweet potato leaves in a coconut milk sauce, and stir-fried sweet potato leaves. Since it was still close to my Eat Local month, I used the second one as my inspiration. I found the leaves to be quite tasty: tender, a nicely balanced flavor, not even a hint of bitterness, and none of that strange astringency that greens like spinach and chard possess.
Here is my version of Stir-fried Sweet Potato Leaves:
One bunch of sweet potato leaves
1-2 hot dried red chilies
1-2 cloves of garlic
Salt, soy sauce, pepper to taste
1. Fill a pot with water and put it on the stove over high heat. The pot should be large enough to hold the leaves, and there should be enough water to cover the leaves.
2. Strip the leaves from the branches. The thin stems that attach the leaves to the branch are tender enough to eat, so there is no need to remove only the leaves. Wash and drain the leaves.
3. Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic.
4. Chop the chilies fine, and combine with the garlic.
5. When the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and carefully add the sweet potato leaves. After 2 minutes, remove and rinse with cold water. Chop the leaves. (This step was recommended by the cookbook to remove traces of natural slime from the leaves.)
6. In a large skillet or wok, heat some vegetable oil over high heat. When it is hot, add the garlic and chilies. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring often.
7. Add the greens, then stir-fry the mixture until the greens are tender, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce, or other flavorings to taste.
Radish Butter on Toasted Baguette
5-7 medium radishes (about 1 bunch), cleaned, root ends trimmed
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
One 8-ounce baguette (remember Against-the-Grain gluten-free baguettes!)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grate radishes on the large holes of a box grater; place on paper towels, and squeeze out excess liquid. Combine radishes and butter in a small bowl; mix well.
Slice baguette in half lengthwise, and place in oven; toast until crisp and browned. Remove from oven, and cool slightly. Spread radish mixture on toasted baguette; season with salt and pepper. Slice each half into four pieces, and serve.
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