CSA Harvest #4

Good day all! How is it that 4 weeks of CSA have already slipped by? Today only a few days after the transition into summer we were greeted with a very welcome sight~ a ripe tomato! The first ripe fruit is always cause for a celebration at Big Lick. The ripe tomato was carried along with me while I weeded. As much as I admired this tomatoes beauty I am far from one who can eat such fruits right off the vine. Put them in salsa, even on a sandwich but just by themselves...blaaaahhhh! For those of you also anticipating that first true taste of summer, ripe tomatoes in your CSA share are only a few weeks away!

Asinete and I were gone over the weekend to Seattle as Asi's brother came in to the Port of Seattle. We spent 12 hours driving and got to see his brother for 5 hours.. but worth every second! The time away from the farm gave us extra energy when we got back to face the weeds with renewed vigor. The weeds have been shoveled, mowed, tilled, kicked,& cursed (any sort of desecration that we could think of to get them under control!)

As rows on the farm finish up (like some of the beets, snow peas and lettuce) they are quickly replanted with the next round of crops. Between the CSA and farmers market we are very busy indeed!

Sorry that there have not been any photos as of late. Usually it's because as I work my hands are covered in grime and I don't want to forget the camera somewhere out in the field and end up irrigating it. I will make a point in the next few days to take a specific trip out to the gardens to get some images of your farm!

Enjoy your basket with your friends and family! Maybe see some of you at Music on the Half Shell!

Items in Your Basket This Week:


Basil


Radishes


Carrots


Walla Walla Onions


Beets


Cabbage


Lettuce


Snow Peas


Beet Recipes:
Beet greens contain vitamins A and C, and more iron and minerals than spinach. Beet roots are rich in potassium and contain protein, fiber, iron, calcium, phosphate, niacin, folate and vitamins A and C. They can be baked, steamed, pickled, used in soups, salads, side dishes and secretly added to chocolate brownie recipes.

Chocolate Beet Brownies

These brownies are rich, chewy and secretly nutritious!

1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce)
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 15 oz. can beets packed in water, drained and mashed; or 1 cup cooked beets
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light in color and foamy. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well creamed. Stir in chocolate mixture, followed by applesauce and beets. Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture. Fold in wheat germ and almonds. Turn into greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.



Savory Roasted Root Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup diced, raw beet
• 4 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup torn beet greens

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the beet, carrot, onion, potatoes, garlic, and garbanzo beans into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, then season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
3. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring once midway through baking. Remove the baking dish from the oven, and stir in the wine. Return to the oven, and bake until the wine has mostly evaporated and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes more. Stir in the beet greens, allowing them to wilt from the heat of the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Walla Walla Onions (sweet!) Walla Walla Sweet Onions are best when eaten raw or only slightly cooked, making them perfect additions to barbecued hamburgers, sandwiches and fresh salads. However, they sweeten any dish, and are great cooked in pizza, quiche and pasta.

walla walla sweet onion, cucumber and tomato salad
from Joan Deccio Wickham Servings: 6 Ingredients: 4 medium tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges ( about 3 cups) 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced 1 medium Walla Walla Sweet Onions, cut into wedges 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar ½ cup olive oil 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper ¼ pound goat cheese		Instructions: 1. In large glass serving bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. 2. Mix together vinegar, olive oil, dill and parsley. Season to taste. 3. Toss vinegar- oil mixture over vegetables. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour to blend flavors. Toss again just before serving. Blend in goat cheese.

walla walla sweet onion and cherry tomato bruschetta recipe
from Joan Deccio Wickham Servings: 8 Ingredients: 20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 medium Walla Walla Sweet Onion, cut into thin slices 15 kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil 1-tablespoon capers, drained ½ cup olive oil 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic Freshly ground black pepper 8 slices Italian country bread, about ½ inch thick and 4 inches wide 4 ounces mascarpone cheese		Instructions: >1. Mix together tomatoes, onions, olives, basil, capers in a small bowl. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and black pepper. Pour over the tomato-onion mixture, and toss. Set aside. 2. Brush the bread with olive oil and grill slices directly over medium heat, turning once, until toasted, 2 to 3 minutes total. Divide the mascarpone evenly among bread slices, spreading it with a knife. Spoon the tomato onion mixture over the mascarpone cheese, dividing evenly and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy 'til next week!

CSA Harvest #3

Happy Summer Solstice! Well actually this Sunday will be the first day of summer but you wouldn't guess that by taking a look at the farm. Peppers are forming, lots of green tomatoes hang heavy on the vine and the eggplant are flowering foretelling some wonderful harvest ahead! It's about this time where our early spring crops start finishing up (like snow peas) and we start carefully watching the squash, beans, cucumber, melons and corn to make sure we will always have something ready for the CSA shares. That is the most challenging part of coordinating and running a CSA farm. You always have to make sure there will be plenty of variety. We are still learning tricks of the trade and you would think that after completing my 5th year as an organic farmer I might have learned a few shortcuts along the way! Not so!

As we did last year we hope to have at least one farm gathering this season. It will be a potluck where we ask you to bring your favorite CSA dish. We know there are some musicians out there among you so we would love to have some live entertainment (hint hint...)
We will figure out a Saturday that will hopefully work for everyone and post it in the next few weeks.

On to the recipes as it is nearing midnight and we have a busy day tomorrow!

Also FYI~ We have some good friends Brian and Crystal Igarta who will be selling wonderful, fresh, healthy, vegetarian/vegan food during Music on the Halfshell. Look for them vending there. Their business is called Maui Vegetarian... the shumai is delicioso and even a confirmed meat eater like myself is so so satisfied! Brian is one of the head chefs at the Canyonville Christian Academy and is sourcing much of the food from local farms (like Big Lick) Great people to support!


Broccoli with Carmelized Onions

1. 3 tablespoons pine nuts or chopped slivered almonds
2. 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1 cup chopped onion
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
5. 4 cups broccoli florets
6. 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
7. Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Nutrition Info

Per Serving

• Calories: 100 kcal
• Carbohydrates: 9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Fat: 6 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Sugars: 4 g

About: Nutrition Info

Powered by: ESHA Nutrient Database

2. Cooking Directions

1. Toast pine nuts (or almonds) in a medium dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.
2. Add oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting heat as necessary, until soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the nuts, onion, vinegar and pepper; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

3. Still Hungry?

Broccoli's impressive nutritional profile (think folate, vitamins C and A, fiber, phytochemicals) puts it high on the list of foods to eat more of, an inviting task when you toss it with crunchy pine nuts, soft, sweet onions and tangy balsamic vinegar.

Lemon Garlic Broccoli

A lemon garlic broccoli recipe, sauteed in butter.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste, optional

Preparation:

Steam broccoli until tender but firm, about 5 to 7 minutes. Heat the butter in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat; add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the cooked broccoli, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, cooking briefly to combine.



Easy Collard Greens with Rice

You'll love eating your collard greens if they're spiced and cooked properly. This simple vegetarian and vegan recipe for collard greens adds just a few basic spices to give them a bit of a kick! Collard greens and rice can be served as a vegetable side dish, or, add some sauteed tofu to turn it into an entree. This is also a low-calorie vegetarian meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 tbsp vegan margarine (or butter)
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 cups collard greens, rinsed and chopped
• pepper, to taste
• cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation:

In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the rice, vegan margarine, salt and red pepper flakes.

Add the collard greens and bring to a slow simmer. Cover and allow to cook until rice is soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a dash of black pepper and more salt and red pepper flakes to taste. For a spicier dish, mix in a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper before serving.

Makes four servings of collard greens and rice.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 220
Fat: 3.8 g, 6% daily value
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 712mg, 30%
Dietary Fiber: 1.4g

Enjoy!!! See you next week! We should have new potatoes/cabbage/bulb onions ready by next week!

CSA Harvest #2!

Good day everyone! Before I forget in case any of you need to contact us via telephone please know that we had to get a new answering machine. Unfortunately we cannot make our own recording so when you call us a strange robot voice answers.. but our number is the same 863-2646. Also please be on watch as we have just received news that Asinete's brother who works on a container ship is entering U.S waters. His ship may come to the Port of Seattle and if that is the case Asinete and I will make the trip up north. We are still not sure as to what day his ship will arrive but we are really hoping it won't be Thursday! As soon as we find out we'll let you all know if we need to change the CSA day for this special occasion. Asinete has not seen another person from his country for two years! Much less his own family.
What a busy time of year! In addition to caring for our own farm we are farm sitting for my family who has gone on a three week trip. It's keeping us extra busy which is good though! On our farm we've been busy weeding, foliar feeding with fish emulsion (stinky but the plants love it!) We've planted melons (French charantais, and ambrosia melon) as well as Armenian cucumbers. We are hoping the striped and spotted cucumber beetles leave them alone long enough to make their first true leaves. They are the one garden pest I have no remorse about just squashing with my fingers they do way too much damage! Of course we try not to spray anything but squashing with fingers sometimes is not enough and we have to pull out the rotenone insecticide which is registered organic but still very strong.

Pictured above you will see our/your Big Lick Farm volunteers who have been with us since our first harvest last year. Pictured is Robin and his wife Violet along with master packer/weigher M.A. We are grateful for all the help and support!

On to the veggies!! In your basket this week you will find:

Graffiti Caulifower

Broccoli

Beets/Beet Greens

Rainbow Chard

Snow Peas

Cimarron Red Oakleaf Lettuce

Garlic Scapes (yummy loook at recipe ideas below) * a scape is a garlic stem and flower. Garlic flavor without the heat and bad breath!

Arugula

Basil (there won't be alot this early but at least enough to use as a garnish. There will be lots more to come!)


Garlic Scape Ideas:

-You can add sliced scapes to any stir fry recipe.
-Slice and sprinkle over any pasta, or slice and cook them in almost any sauce recipe.
- Great in guacamole and fresh salsa, too.
- Chop & add to softened cream cheese.
-Add chopped fresh scapes when serving a light garlic soup; can also add them to buttered, french bread floated on the soup. -Use them as you would green onions, they're just better.
- Good in salads, on bruschetta, pizza.
- An excellent addition to stocks....and much Asian cuisine.
-Put in Thai chicken/basil/coconut soup.

Garlic Scape Tortilla

1 & 1/2 cups chopped garlic scapes
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup hot water
Salt & Pepper
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Place garlic and scallions in a 10 inch skillet with 1 tsp. oil, 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt. Cook covered over med. high heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well. Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Add remaining oil to skillet. When oil is hot, shake skillet to spread greens evenly, add eggs. Cover and cook over med. low heat until top is set [2-3 Minutes].

Mashed Potatoes with Garlic Scapes

2 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces.
2 Tablespoons butter (can omit this if on a restricted fat diet/lifestyle)
1-2 Tbsp, olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped scapes
1/4 cup hot milk (or more)

Cook potatoes until very tender. Drain and return to pot. Over medium high heat, melt butter with olive oil in a small skillet. Add scapes and saute about 5 minutes. Add to potatoes and mash. Gradually add milk while stirring. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken With Garlic Scapes & Capers

2 whole skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved
2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. dry white wine
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 chopped garlic scapes
1 Tbsp. drained capers

Between sheets of plastic wrap slightly flatten chicken. In a large heavy skillet heat 1Tbsp. of butter and the oil over medium high heat. Saute until cooked through. Season with salt & pepper. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet and add the remaining butter, the wine, lemon juice, scapes and bring mixture to a boil. Stir in capers and salt & pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serves 4.

Roasted Garlic Scapes

Take the scapes and put them in a lightly oiled roasting pan, top with salt (kosher or sea salt works best but any will do). Put the loaded and covered pan in a hot (425 °F) oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until they are beginning to turn brown. serve as a side or main dish. Tastes like roasted garlic but creamier.

Graffiti Cauliflower Ideas: "Cauliflower," wrote Mark Twain, "is nothing but cabbage with a college education." The purple in the graffiti cauliflower is caused by an antioxidant called "anthocyanin" I just learned this~I'm not that much of a plant nerd! :) Thanks to NPR for allowing me to copy and use these recipes!

Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas

Enlarge

Nicole Spiridakis for NPR

If you have more time, you could also make this using the previous recipe for roasted cauliflower, though it is perfectly delicious on its own, without being pre-roasted.

Makes 4 servings

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 medium or large head cauliflower, washed and broken into florets

1/4 cup water

1 (8-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 cup dried chickpeas that have been soaked and are ready for cooking

Rice or couscous

In a large frying pan, cook the garlic, ginger and spices in the olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute to form a paste.

Add the onions and turn heat to low; cook for about 5 minutes until onions begin to soften.

Add the cauliflower and 1/4 cup of water, and cook on high heat for 1 minute, then turn heat to low and simmer gently. Cook for about 10 minutes until cauliflower becomes tender, but not mushy.

Add chickpeas and cook a few minutes more to let the flavors blend and the dish is hot.

Serve over brown or white rice, or couscous.

Roasted Cauliflower (one of my favorites!)

This recipe is more of a guideline. For example, if you follow a low-sodium diet, it's perfectly acceptable to omit the salt (and, conversely, if you're a salt-lover, to add a little more). The key is to roast the cauliflower until it becomes caramelized — don't be alarmed if some of the florets get slightly blackened, as this just adds to its addictive flavor.

Makes 4 side-dish servings

1 medium to large head cauliflower, washed

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Trim any leaves and cut the cauliflower into quarter-inch slices. Toss with the olive oil and salt, spread in a single layer in a baking dish and roast until it begins to brown a bit and the oil is sizzling.

Turn the pieces once or twice and give the pan a good shake while it's roasting, about 25 minutes.

Bestemor's Blomkal Gratin

Enlarge

Nicole Spiridakis for NPR

This dish is inspired by my boyfriend Michael's grandmother. (Bestemor is "grandmother" in Norwegian; blomkal is "cauliflower.") I've added a few more ingredients than her original recipe to update it for my American palate, but the essential flavor is the same.

Makes 4 to 6 side-dish servings

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, thinly diced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper

1 large head cauliflower, washed and separated into florets

1 teaspoon dried basil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/3 cup milk

5 eggs, separated

Dash nutmeg

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato, cook for 7 minutes more, and then season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, steam the cauliflower for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly soft. In a large bowl, mix the cauliflower gently with the garlic, onion and tomato, and season with basil, salt and pepper. Transfer the cauliflower to a 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Pour in the milk and whisk well. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook for a few more minutes, stirring as the mixture thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Gently fold into the butter and flour sauce.

Pour the sauce evenly over the cauliflower, top with the Parmesan cheese, sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!

The Beautiful Faces of Big Lick Farm!

Hooray for the helpers of Big Lick Farm!! We had some great help today for our first delivery. M.A Hansen is our veteran picker and packer from last year (along with Robin and Violet not pictured) Today for the first time we were joined by Om Gardens crew out of Myrtle Creek. They did a superb job carefully packing baskets and making sure your spinach was carefully bundled! Thank you Big Lick Farm helpers!!

See you next week!!

CSA Harvest #1!!

Good Day Everyone! We are excited to deliver the first harvest of veggies tomorrow! We have been busy here as you can see from our previous posts. We will have photos to post here during tomorrows harvest which I will post up tomorrow eve.

This week's first harvest will include the following:

Cimarron Red Leaf Lettuce

Tyee Spinach

Snow Peas

Broccoli

Golden and Bulls Blood Beets/use their leaves too! recipe ideas below!

Mesclun Mix (a flavorful blend of tatsoi, mustard, arugula and mizuna)

Collard Greens

Please remember that each basket at delivery will be labeled with name tags. Look for your last name on the label. Full share baskets are larger and if you're getting the half share you will notice they are about half the size. *** Please remember to bring your basket with lid back to the delivery spot next week so that we will have them to refill. We only have two for everyone. Thank you!

Recipe Ideas For This Week: (additional recipes can be found at myrecipes.com)

Beet Salad With Yogurt Dressing
Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 50 minutes.

Yield

Makes 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups beets and 3 tablespoons dressing)

Ingredients

• 4 beets, preferably an assortment of colors, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt, stirred
• 1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Scrub beets well, and pat them dry.

2. In a medium bowl, mix pepper, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and coriander. Add beets, and toss to combine. Place beets on a large piece of aluminum foil, and wrap to cover, ensuring that beets stay in a single layer; close seams tightly to keep steam inside as the beets cook. (If you are using different colors of beets, wrap each color separately.) Discard remaining marinade. Place foil packet on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake 50 minutes or until cooked through. (Beets are ready when easily pierced with a knife.) Remove from oven, and let cool to room temperature.

3. Remove beets from foil. The skin should easily peel off with your fingers or a paring knife. To protect hands from getting stained, you may want to rub skin off with paper towels or wear gloves. (The spice marinade may have concentrated itself on parts of a beet. If so, gently scrape it off.) Cut beets into wedges, and arrange on 4 individual salad plates.

4. Place the yogurt, ginger, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; whisk to combine. If you prefer a thinner dressing, add a little water. Drizzle a bit of dressing on beets, wait a few minutes, and then drizzle some more; the beets will absorb the dressing. Garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

87

Fat:

4g (sat 1g,mono 2g,poly 2g)

Cholesterol:

3mg

Protein:

3g

Carbohydrate:

9g

Fiber:

1g

Iron:

1mg

Sodium:

434mg

Calcium:

98mg

Beet Greens Recipe

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While this recipe calls for discarding the stems, if you want you can use them too if they aren't too woody. Just cut them into 1-inch segments and add them to the onions after the onions have been cooking for a minute.

Ingredients

• 1 pound beet greens
• 1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped (or a tablespoon of bacon fat)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/6 cup of cider vinegar

Method

1 Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

2 In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.

3 Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)

Serves 4.

Potato and Beet Greens Frittata

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely chopped red potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 1 cup chopped beet greens
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon butter
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 4 beet green leaves, optional

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan, and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 8 minutes. Add chopped beet greens; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Drain.

Combine milk and the next 5 ingredients (milk through egg whites) in a large bowl, and stir with a whisk. Stir in potato mixture. Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Pour the egg mixture into skillet; cook 15 minutes or until top is just set. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

Wrap handle of skillet with foil; broil 5 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with beet green leaves, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

188 (42% from fat)

Fat:

8.8g (sat 3.8g,mono 3.1g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

14.7g

Carbohydrate:

12.1g

Fiber:

1.2g

Cholesterol:

232mg

Iron:

1.9mg

Sodium:

395mg

Calcium:

174mg

Collard Greens Taste Great and They're good for you too! Here's some ideas on how to use 'em!


Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

• 1 large bunch collard greens, ribs removed, cut into a chiffonade (see below) , rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Preparation

In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards.

Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander.

In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately. (This also makes a tasty filling for quesadillas.)

Chiffonade The chiffonade cut is used to produce very fine threads of leafy fresh herbs as well as greens and other leafy vegetables. First, remove any tough stems that would prevent the leaf from being rolled tightly (reserve them for stocks or salads). Next, stack several leaves, roll them widthwise into a tight cylinder, and slice crosswise with a sharp knife, cutting the leaves into thin strips.

Brazilian Collard Greens

yield: Makes 4 servings

active time: 20 Min

total time: 20 min

Collards are normally associated with long, slow cooking, but cutting them into thin strips reduces cooking time dramatically. The result is a... more ›

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch collard greens, stems and center ribs discarded and leaves halved lengthwise
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

Stack half of collard leaves and roll into a cigar shape. Cut crosswise into very thin strips (1/16 inch wide). Repeat with remainder.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook garlic, stirring, 30 seconds. Add collards with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing, until just tender and bright green, 3 to 4 minutes.

Enjoy!! Disfruta! Bon Apetit!

Phoenix Students try their hand at organic farming

Today we were very fortunate to have the help of Phoenix School students once more at Big Lick. We had a full day weeding, planting Armenian cucumbers, corn and lettuce and hilling our ever growing potato patch. Several of the students have now been out to the farm twice and it is so gratifying to see how they have taken an interest in it and are beginning to feel part ownership from the work they've helped us to get done. It sure makes the tedious chores of farm life go by faster too when you have good conversation! Education is a vital component to our mission as organic farmers. To teach stewardship of the land.. not just as a resource but as a living thing that needs to be cared for. How did I get so lucky to love my job?? Of course check back in with me on that in a few more weeks once we are entrenched in CSA season! ha!

This Thursday will be the first CSA delivery. What you can expect to find in your CSA share this week are:

Spinach
Snow Peas
Cimmaron Lettuce
Mesclun Mix Salad Greens
Broccoli
Beets/Beet Greens
Collards

Don't forget to check the blog out on Thursday as Wednesday night I will be posting the weekly newsletters here with recipes and more farm updates.

Paz!