 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| www.denisonfarm.com |
 |
|
|
Monday June 13, 2011
Greetings Purchase CSA Members,
“I talked to a farmer who has farmed 74 years last week, and he said this is the worse spring he has ever seen.” (Farmer Friend in Argyle, NY)
Now that is quite a way to start the 2011 season, don’t you think? Indeed this season has presented many more obstacles and challenges than ever before. The weeds especially are overwhelming along with the abundance of insects and disease. We underestimated the damage of the heavy rains this Spring. Nonetheless, the crew just pulled out in trucks and tractors to harvest for tomorrow’s opening day. I believe everyone is grateful for warmth and sun and for finally diving into the season. It was a lovely sight to see legs swinging over the edge of the trailer, water bottles in hand, smiles on faces, and to hear Walter singing as I walked out to milk our goat, Spritz.
Each week when you read this email, I will tell you what is most likely in your share. Sometimes we don’t know exactly what will be harvested until we are knee-deep in the harvest. I will always tell you what I know and hey, a good surprise every now and again can be wonderful thing!
Please check Facebook and the website under Membership for any Current Notices.
Please read the Member Handbook and check out the Recipes on the website.
This week I am very fortunate to have both my daughter Maggie and a CSA member contribute to the newsletter. Maggie researched the recipes and Leah Wolff-Pellingra, a CSA member with an amazing blog called Noshing Confessions (www.noshingconfessions.com) has created the solution to the tragedy of “CSA Box Overload”. One of the many things that wake me at 3:00 AM is the fear that too many members are overwhelmed upon receiving their weekly box.
Well, Leah has the answer - Enjoy!
“Meals are about to arrive at my house. Do I know the ingredients that will be in my box tomorrow? Not really. The weather has taken a beating on Upstate New York this year, so I'm sure even the Denisons are just finding out today what produce can make the harvest. Do I have a general plan, a modus operandi, if you will? You betcha.
Step 1: Triage
What needs to get eaten right now? What will not last the week, cannot be frozen, will spoil first? Usually, this involves mesculin mix, heads of lettuce, and perhaps bok choy. My friend Dani from Moderate Oven washes the mesculin in her salad spinner first thing, then places it back in her crisper, wrapped in paper towels (plastic bags are guaranteed to rot your mesculin, especially whichever poor leaves are squished into the bottom).
As to the rest, some will freeze beautifully and some have a long refrigerator life. An example of the later is your root veg. Your root veg tops, however, are another story. Which brings us to...
Step 2: Divide and Conquer
Eat your turnip tops. And your radish tops. And your beet greens. Serve them up with their crunchy root counter parts or separately.
My favorite method: cover them in water, swish, drain and rinse thoroughly. Chop, then, saute quickly in olive oil, with garlic, salt and a bit of red pepper flakes. Serve as is or place in the bottom of a quiche aka frozen parve pie shell. Alternatively, add them raw 5 minutes before you want to serve a soup or serve them judiciously mixed into your mesculin, tossed through with olive oil, salt and sugar, with their roots finely julienned or shaved on top.
Step 3: Everything In Its Place
The key to cooking a CSA share is to not add bok choy to your macaroni and cheese. The key is to take a given ingredient, and use it where it naturally belongs in your family's food culture. In our family, bok choy belongs in a stir fry. Cilantro belongs in salsa or in a tortilla. Swiss chard belongs in a soup or a frittata. Young turnips belong in our bellies, be they raw, mashed or roasted.
What if you've never cooked with or even seen an ingredient before? Look it up on a site you trust, be it here on Noshing Confessions, or over at America's Test Kitchen or Food Network. All of the vegetables from last year's Denison Farm's harvest can be found tagged here on Noshing Confessions. If there's an odd ingredient in the weekly box, I'll get a new recipe up that I enjoy it in as soon as possible (do I have a celeriac soup recipe for you :).
Bottom line: Trust yourself. You will make mistakes. You can always try again. If it doesn't work out? Order pizza and be done.
Step 4: Wrap Up and Store
Remember triage, when we figured out what would keep? This is because there will come a time when your family will not be able to eat all that arrives at your door. Then, you will blanch, brine, pickle, freeze, can or just donate a food at your drop off site, knowing another family will have better use for it than yours.
I know how to blanch, chill and freeze well. I love stocking up on berries, green beans, zucchini and corn to take us through the winter. I'm learning how to can, preserve and pickle this year. I'll keep you posted.
Final Step: Don't take it too seriously. It is food, it is delicious. You will get it right, or you won't. Your 4 year old will eat it or she won't. Have fun. It's worth it. “
This week in your box, you will most likely find:
Sugar Snap Peas, Scallions, Garlic Scapes, Lettuce, Bok Choi, Radish, and Basil
Enjoy your share and have a great week– Justine
Braised Bok Choi www.marthastewart.com
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 8 heads baby bok choy, trimmed, and halved lengthwise if large
* 1/4 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, or water
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add bok choy, and cook, turning once, until just beginning to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add stock and soy sauce. Cover; reduce heat to medium, and simmer until bok choy is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer bok choy to a serving platter, reserving cooking liquid in skillet.
Cook liquid over medium-high heat until it is reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour over bok choy, and serve.
Sugar Snaps With Toasted Almonds From www.marthastewart.com
* 1/2 cup whole almonds, (2 1/2 ounces)
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 pound fresh sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
* 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, (1 lemon)
* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread almonds on a baking sheet; place in oven. Toast until almonds are golden and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely. Transfer half the almonds to a cutting board, and chop coarsely. Place remaining half in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; process until almonds are finely chopped, 15 to 20 seconds. Add coarsely chopped almonds, and stir to combine.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add peas, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; stir until all ingredients are well combined and heated through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds, and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving bowl, and serve.
Spring Salad with Mozzarella Adapted from www.marthastewart.com
* 2 1/2 cups baby lettuce leaves
* 1 ball (10 ounces) fresh mozzarella, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2-inch thick crosswise
* 2 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, trimmed and thinly sliced
* 4 radishes, trimmed and sliced into rounds
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Place lettuce on a platter, and arrange mozzarella and radishes on top. Sprinkle with scallions. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with the oil.
Don't be afraid of Garlic Scapes!
"They are so simple and sooo good. Chop off the bulb end. Take the stems, chop them into inch, inch and quarter pieces. Steam them in a small skillet until they're tender and the water has evaporated. Then, in the same skillet, throw in some butter and saute them. The saute does add a nice crunch but really isn't necessary.
If you use your microwave to steam/cook your veggies, you can also add the scapes to broccoli, peas or spinach. Same process, clean, chop. Toss them in the bottom of the bowl. Add the vegetables of your choice. You don't need addtional cooking time, just follow what would be the usual cooking times for the other vegetables. They're also really good by themselves on a baked potato with some nice goat cheese." (Epicurious)
Garlic Scape Pesto
1/2 lb. garlic scapes (chopped into 1" sections)
1 c. organic olive oil
2 c. grated parmesan cheese
In a blender, combine the scapes and olive oil. Pour mixture into bowl and blend the cheese in by hand.
|
|
|
|
You received this email because you are a member of the Denison Farm CSA.
|
|
|
|