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Tuesday September 11, 2007 Greetings CSA Members – We finally received some much-needed rain with no major storm or hail! We are very thankful, for it is very difficult for Brian to irrigate when we have so much else to do on the farm, such as planting the cover crop seed over all the beds that have supplied the summer crops, transplanting the strawberry seedlings for next Spring’s harvest, and continuing the planting schedule of all of the greens, both started in the greenhouse and direct seeded into the ground. The workload is intense right now, but I love this time of year’s bounty. We still can pick summer squash off of the vines while cutting broccoli and pulling carrots. There is such diversity in September. Please come to our annual Potluck Celebration on Sunday September 23 from 3:30 -6:30 (Rain date 9/30). Brian will give a wagon ride tour of the fields and there will be good food, music, and some contra dancing in our driveway. Please RSVP by email by Wednesday September 19th if you are planning to come. I have attached the directions to the farm with this email memo. If you are a working member and have not fulfilled your hours, you can contact me with regard to help at the pot-luck. Many people have asked about the Winter Share. After much discussion, we have decided not to offer a Winter Share this year. We will offer, however, a Winter Vegetable Box that can be picked up at the farm on two Saturdays – November 17th and December 22nd. I will supply more information in October about purchasing one or both winter vegetable boxes. Another question that has been asked lately regards the final pick-up for the 2007 season. November 7th will be the last distribution day for all those picking up on Wednesdays. November 3rd is the final day for those picking up their share on Saturdays. This week in your share, you will most likely find: Tomatoes, Broccoli, Onions, Eggplant, Carrots, Edamame (Soybeans in their green stage of growth), Mesclun, Peppers, and Radish. Enjoy! All The Best – Justine
All those tiny little buds just haven’t opened up yet. If we were to let our broccoli plants keep growing in the fields without harvesting them, they would erupt into a bouquet of tiny yellow flowers. Broccoli and Tofu with Peanut Sauce Served over brown rice, this dazzling, nutty dish makes for a wonderfully tasteful, healthful, and complete meal. To drain tofu, place it on a towel, place a baking sheet on top of it, and weight the baking sheet down with a heavy pot or pan. Serves 4 1/4 cup unsalted cashews 3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped 1–2 cloves garlic, minced (1/2–1 teaspoon) 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes 1 pound firm tofu, well drained, cubed 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, divided, plus more to taste 1/2 cup peanut butter (preferably chunky) 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock or water 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 4 cups chopped broccoli, including stalks 1. Toast the cashews in a dry, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until they start to brown in spots and become fragrant. (Be careful not to over toast them, as they burn very quickly once toasted.) Let cool and then roughly chop. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic to taste, and pepper flakes; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. 3. In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and 1 tablespoon of the tamari; sauté until the tofu starts to brown in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the tofu to the bowl with the onion and bell pepper mixture. 4. In the same pan, mix the peanut butter, stock, rice vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons tamari. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture reaches a gravy-like texture and comes to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and stir in the tofu mixture and sesame oil. Season to taste with more tamari. 5. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket set over 11/2 inches boiling water and cover. Steam for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to the pan with the peanut butter mixture and mix well. If necessary, heat through before serving. Garnish with toasted cashews. STORAGE Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator for up to a week. HANDLING Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top. EDAMAME (BEANS ON A BRANCH) These sweet, nutty-flavored, green vegetable soybeans are similar in flavor to sweet peas and lima beans. They can be eaten as a snack or incorporated in many recipes that call for beans or peas. Edamame are rich in nutrients and per half cup serving, they provide 11 grams of high-quality protein. Strip the beans from the branches and then boil for 5-10 minutes in salted water. Drain the beans and add a bit more salt or soy sauce. Strip the beans from the pod either with your teeth or by hand and eat either hot or cold. Edamame is a great snack food and is eaten in Japan like beer nuts. Put them in your children’s lunch boxes or serve as an appetizer. Try: Edamame with penne pasta, goat cheese and basil Vegetable chili with black beans, edamame, and corn Summer vegetable soup with wild rice and edamame Sautéed spinach with edamame and sesame seeds Pasta with swiss chard and edamame Miso soup with edamame, shiitake mushrooms, red pepper, and tofu Cream of Garlic Edamame Soup 2 T. Olive Oil 1 bulb of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled 2 bay leaves 3 cups shelled edamame 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth Salt and pepper to taste 1-cup heavy cream Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and bay leaves and cook for 10 minutes or until softened and golden. Add the edamame and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, or until tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves. In a blender, blend in small batches until smooth. Return the soup to saucepan. Stir in the cream. Heat the soup over medium-low heat until heated through. Serves 6.
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