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Tuesday October 18, 2011
Greetings CSA Members,
"The sweet calm sunshine of October, now
Warms the low spot; upon its grassy mold
The purple oak-leaf falls; the birchen bough
drops its bright spoil like arrow-heads of gold."
William Cullen Bryant
Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes - it's digging time! And the ground is just so saturated. Every time it rains, I cringe and pray for a light drizzle rather than the soaking and pounding rain that has fallen so many times before. The yellow-clad crew braves the mud and the rising creek once more. This potato harvest takes many days; but once started, we all know the deep satisfaction of a clean potato field.
This week I would like to promote three livestock businesses that I highly respect. Their practices are all humanely and/or organically based, raising animals that are pasture-raised. I believe that pasture-raised or grass fed beef is the healthiest red meat you can eat!
Bon Appetit!
Odd Duck Farm
www.oddduckfarm.com
codyt1@wildblue.net
Tammy Thomas and her husband Lloyd are very knowledgeable dairy farmers in Easton. They have transitioned their conventional dairy farm to a USDA Certified Organic dairy. Their Brown Swiss are beautiful animals. I only wish that Tammy would build a creamery so that we could all purchase organic milk from her. But no matter how many times I ask, I receive the same response. Lucky for me, I have eaten their beef and I purchase their organic hay for my goats.
White Clover Farm
Lisa Randles and Remus Preda are wonderful people who take very seriously their careful and responsible farming practices.
White Clover Farm is a 125 acre farm in Washington County, New York practicing responsible, humane, and environmentally sound livestock management. We're a small family farm committed to providing our customers with healthful and delicious pasture-raised beef and pork.
Our Animal Welfare Approved herd of Belted Galloway/Angus cattle is fed exclusively from our pastures and hay free of chemical fertilizer and pesticides, Growth hormones and antibiotics are never used on our animals. The cattle enjoy their hilltop home were fresh air, sunshine, lush green grass for grazing, forests for foraging, fresh water and a stress-free life is all they ever know. We believe content, happy cattle make for delicious and healthful meat.
Our heritage breed Red Waddle/ Old Spot pigs are raised in small batches outdoors in a large grassy field where they are free to run, root in the dirt, roll around in the mud and enjoy fresh air and sunshine. They’re fed hay from our fields, organic vegetables from our neighbor's farm, apples from our wild apple trees, premium grain and unlimited access to clean water.
The amazing difference in flavor between our pork and beef and commercial pork and beef is attributed to the animals’ breed, feed and environment. It's the kind of care that only a small family farm can provide. Please contact us for information about home delivery or a farm visit.
Link to White Clover Farm Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Clover-Farm/183569654741?ref=ts#!/pages/White-Clover-Farm/183569654741#!/lisa.randles
White Clover Farm Pork ordering info Link:
http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/864273/0e88dbd944/ARCHIVE
White Clover Farm Beef ordering info Link:
http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/864273/995eaf5de7/ARCHIVE
Link to Animal Welfare Approved website:
http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/2008/12/30/white-clover-farm-%e2%80%93-argyle-ny/
White Clover Farm
20 Graham Lane
Argyle, NY 12809
518-638-8263 Ph
518-638-8292 FX
whitecloverfarm@gmail.com
Tilldale Farm
Joanne and Dany Tilley
Certified Organic Meat
Grassfed Beef and Pasture Raised Pork
32 Tilley Lane
P.O Box 77
Hoosick, NY 12089
518-686-7779
tilldalefarm@gmail.com
www.tilldalefarm.com
I had the pleasure of meeting the Tilley at the Community Gardens’ Autumn Evening Gala just a few weeks ago. They are lovely folks who believe strongly in what they are doing.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy your share.
All The Best - Justine
This week in your share, you will most likely receive:
Mesclun, Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squash, Potatoes, Leeks, Spinach,
and one of the following: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Tomatillos (from Fidelia Gomez who now runs her own small farm and has worked with us for the past 6 years), or Radishes
Fruit Share: Jonagold Apples
Bread Share: Multigrain Sourdough
Final Fruit and Bread Share: Wednesday October 26th
Final Egg and Vegetable Share: Wednesday November 2nd
Spinach Salad with Salmon
(The Bitten Word)
4 skinless salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces spinach
3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (3 ounces)
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette
Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. Place salmon on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Broil, without turning, until opaque throughout, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool briefly, then flake.
Divide spinach and tomatoes among serving plates. Top with salmon, goat cheese, and pecans, and drizzle with vinaigrette.
Balsamic-Rosemary Vinaigrette
(Makes 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt,
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a blender, combine 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 small garlic clove, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/4 teaspoon dried), 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Blend until smooth. With machine running, add 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a thin stream; blend until creamy. (To store, refrigerate, up to 2 weeks.)
The Bitten Word's Slow-Baked Apples
(Adapted from Bon Appétit)
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground coriander
4 medium Honeycrisp or Jonagold apples (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a 9x13 glass dish. Mix sugar, ginger and coriander in a small bowl. Peel and core apples, and cut into thin slices. Layer apple slices in individual ramekins or one glass dish, depending on how you would like to serve them.
Pour melted butter over apples, then sprinkle sugar mixture and orange peel over the top. Mix to coat the apple slices evenly with the orange peel and spices.
Cover with aluminum foil, loosely enough to allow steam to escape. Bake until apples are soft, about 2 hours.
Top with whipped cream if desired.
Aunt Hilda’s Carrot Vichyssoise (Carrot, Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup) (twolazygourmets.com)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 pound carrots, roughly chopped
1 large sweet potato (about 3/4 pound), roughly chopped
2 rounded teaspoons freshly minced ginger
1/2 kosher salt
4 cups water or broth
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Heavy cream, for garnish
Green onions, chopped, for garnish
In a stockpot, heat oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and translucent (about 5 to 7 minutes).
Add carrots, sweet potato, ginger and salt; stir for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very soft (about 15 minutes).
Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a countertop blender or food processor), purée the soup until smooth. Stir in butter or olive oil. Taste, and add additional salt if needed. Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with a swirl of heavy cream and a sprinkle of green onions.
Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Gratin
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/4 lbs each of sweet potatoes and yukon golds, scrubbed, peeled and cut into approx. 1/4" thick slices
1 tsp herbs de provence (or an equal mix of dried herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, sage)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 generous cup of grated Gruyere cheese, tightly packed
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat your oven to 375degrees. (When I made this with the chicken, I kept the oven at 350 degrees. This worked perfectly, but my cooking time was almost a full 1/2 hour longer.)
Lightly oil a gratin or casserole dish. There should be even layers of potatoes, not a single layer, so make sure not to use a dish that is too large. In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, garlic, herbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper, a 1/2 cup of the cheese and a healthy sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes evenly in the oiled dish. Pour milk evenly through potatoes and bake, uncovered for approx. 1 hour. The potatoes will float to the surface, so make sure to open the oven every 20 minutes or so to press the potatoes gently down. This will help prevent any overflow. After 1 hour, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the potatoes and bake 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let rest 10 before serving.
Curried Vegetable Soup
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
2lb potatoes, washed, quartered and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small head broccoli, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp yellow curry
¾ tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground mustard
4 cups veggie or chicken broth and 2-3 cups water
Salt, to taste
Heat butter and olive oil in large pot. Sauté garlic, onion, leek, green pepper and parsnip, until veggies begin to soften. Add cumin, curry, turmeric, mustard and stir. Add potatoes and broccoli. Add broth and water. Turn up heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for approx 20 min, or until potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork. Add salt, to taste.
(The 2 recipes listed above are from A Bushel of What? Blog)
“One of my earliest observations of our society as thoughtlessly wasteful was the realization that I had only ever eaten broccoli stems in my own home. Everywhere else—in restaurants, at school, in frozen vegetable medleys—it was as if the little florets sprouted one by one from the ground. But broccoli stems taste good. If you cook your broccoli with aromatics like garlic and ginger, or if you infuse it with savory sauces, the stems can taste really good, even better than the florets. Broccoli stems are not glamorous, but they are meant to be eaten. I can't help but feel that there's something wrong with a society that throws them away. If we're looking to be less wasteful, they're an awfully good place to start.
So, folks, it ain't much, but as a tangible benefit to the start of another recession-era winter, I bring you one of the easiest and most versatile uses of the whole darn broccoli. Alice Waters' Long-Cooked Broccoli doesn't just toss in some stems where you're only expecting florets. It relies on the stems as an integral part of the dish. This food is humble in the best possible way.” (Carolyn Cope)
Alice Waters' Long-Cooked Broccoli
1 1/2 pounds broccoli
1/4 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Pinch of dried chili flakes
A few good pinches of salt
1 cup water
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 to 4 tablespoons grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional
To prepare the broccoli, cut the florets into small pieces. Trim the ends off the stems. Peel the stems with a paring knife and thinly slice.
In a medium pot with a heavy bottom, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the broccoli, garlic, chili flakes and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until the garlic is very fragrant. Add the water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer, cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally until the broccoli is very tender and falling apart, about an hour. You may need to add more water if the broccoli starts to dry out. After an hour or so, stir vigorously with a spoon to create the texture of a coarse purée. Stir in the lemon juice and zest and the cheese if using. Serve as a bed for grilled fish, shellfish or chicken, as a side dish, mixed with brown rice or pasta, or as a topping for crostini.
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