CSA Harvest #18

I can't believe that last week I actually said we were able to put our feet up at this point.. it must have been wishful thinking! We still have a lengthy "to do" list before us before the end of the season. We are watching the weather forecasts at this point with eagle eyes to be prepared for our first frost and try to get as many things covered or picked before. As many of you know so many of our favorite garden goodies cannot withstand frosts. The first to go is always the basil, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and beans. Tomatoes actually are a little hardier but not much. After a good "hard" frost the long vines turn black and signal the end of the tomato year. Each year before the frost we try to pick off as many tomatoes as we can.. green, pink, reds the color at harvest is unimportant at that point as they will ripen eventually if kept dry and at room temp. Maybe you will be able to enjoy tomatoes with your Thanksgiving meal!
We are eyeballing our fall crops with anticipation..calculating in our head if we have enough. Seeds that we planted two weeks ago are just sprouting up.. everything is slowing down with the shortening days and cold nights... where did summer go??
At this time of year when we are forced to come in by 8 pm as it is dark out I finally find myself standing in front of the stove "attempting" to cook a meal (poor Asinete!) It is so much easier for me to grow it than try to prepare it! But we do hope you find the recipes I have included useful.. I try to find the easiest ones for those of you who may be as challenged by cooking as myself!

Enjoy this week's harvest.. and now 8 more to go!!

This Week's Harvest Includes:

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes (some not quite ripe.. leave at room temp 'til ready)

Heirloom and Sweet Cluster Tomatoes

Charentais French Cantaloupe

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Big Top Red and Detroit Golden Beets

Garlic

Lacinato Kale (also called Dinosaur Kale do to the bumpy green skin)

Summer Squash

Yellow Onion

Basil

Dill

Cucumbers


Recipe ideas for your goodies:

Lacinato Kale (store in fridge in plastic bag to keep fresh)
This variety of kale hold more nutrients than other varieties of kale as it has the darkest leaf color.. so enjoy it while at the same time knowing it's doing your body good!

Using Kale

Kale leaves have thick fibrous stems. They stems are edible, so leave them in if you enjoy crunchy foods. Or you can take them out, if you are not used to eating lots of fiber, or if you want to make a more delicate dish. To strip out the stems, grasp a kale leaf with one hand by the stem. Wrap your other hand firmly around the lower end of the leafy part. Slide your hand up the leaf, staying close to the stem, to strip off the leafy part. Drop the leaf onto the cutting board, and do another one. If you are making a blended soup or green smoothie, leave the stems in.

To chop kale, lay a bunch of kale on the cutting board and cut crosswise into strips. Turn the cutting board 90°, and cut again if you want smaller pieces. Or cut kale leaves crosswise with a kitchen scissors. Or just tear into pieces with your hands.

SPICY RICE AND KALE

2 1/4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole or Cajun seasoning
1 cup converted white rice
4 ounces kale (about 1/2 large bunch), stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped (2 cups
packed)

Bring broth and Creole seasoning to boil in heavy large saucepan. Stir in rice and kale and bring to
boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Serves 4.
Per serving: calories, 204; total fat, 2 g; saturated fat, 0.5 g; cholesterol, 1 mg.
Bon Appétit

Kale with cream (Irish) 4-5 servings

1 3/4 lbs Kale
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp double cream (I used heavy whipping cream) a pinch or so of nutmeg, salt, pepper
2 Tbsp stock (I dissolved a vegetable bouillon) Wash kale and strip leaves from stalk, then plunge into heavily boiling water. Cook 'til tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain well and chop finely. In saucepan, combine butter, cream spices, then add kale and stock.Mix well.
Cook until well heated and sauce is slightly reduced.
(The sauce is just enough to offer flavor but not drown the kale.)


Braised Lacinato Kale
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
12 turns freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 cups (firmly packed) torn and stemmed kale pieces
1 cup Basic Chicken Stock, or Veg Stock
Splash cider vinegar (I like it with Balsamic or Red Wine Vinegar, or White Wine as well)

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, kale, and stock and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes; add a splash of cider vinegar in the last minute of cooking. Remove from the heat. Serve immediately!!

You can also include a handful of the Sun Gold cherry tomatoes to the sauté for added flavor. Red pepper works well also. It tastes great on its own or try it added to mashed potatoes!
Sweet!


We love Beets and with these recipes you will
too!


Beet and Feta Cheese Appetizer

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 2 large fresh beets
* 1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
* 1/4 cup lemon juice (optional)
* 1/2 cup feta cheese
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the beets 25 minutes, or until tender. Cool, peel, and slice 1/3 inch thick. Place slices in a bowl with the tarragon vinegar, and marinate 15 minutes.
2. Place a few beet slices on a microwave-safe dish, reserving vinegar. Sprinkle beets with some of the reserved vinegar, lemon juice, feta cheese, and walnuts. Top with more beet slices, and sprinkle again with vinegar, lemon juice, feta, and walnuts. Repeat, building the stacks as high as you like.
3. Place stacks in the microwave, and cook 40 to 60 seconds on Medium. Cool slightly before serving.


Beet Greens~ don't throw them away ~cook them!

Beet Greens Recipe


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.

Roasted Beet and Beet Green Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch beets
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste

nice bunch of fresh beet greens from the beets
1 cup baby greens tossed in good olive oil and balsamic vinegar
goat cheese
2 TBS pine nuts, toasted

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Wash and trim beets, leaving their skins on. Wash and reserve beet greens.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Place beets on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, salt & pepper. Shake cookie sheet so that beets get coated with oil and spices. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 45 minutes or until beets are fork tender.

Take beets out of the oven and peel skins off. Note: If you care about your nails, which some people do, wear gloves, or you will have red dye under your nails for days after wards. Do not run under water as it will wash away a lot of flavor. Cut into quarters. Drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. Toss and set aside.

In a skillet warm 1 tsp olive oil. Add beet greens and cook until wilted.

To plate put baby greens down, top with wilted beet greens, spoon on top roasted beets with dressing, goat cheese and pine nuts. Serve.

CSA Harvest #17

Happy Fall! Woohoo my favorite time of year has arrived! Fall on the farm is a time for harvesting and preparing animals, structures and tools for the upcoming winter. Fall is one of my favorite times on the farm because I don't feel the pressure of weeding and planting. For now we have done most of our planting for the remainder of the season.. at this point we sort of kick our feet up and reap the bounty of our frantic spring and early summer days. We don't sweat the weeds as much because by the end of November everything will be tilled under (including all those pesky weeds!)
Our fava bean cover crop seeds arrived (500 pounds!) and are stacked neatly in the packing shed aka: garage. I look forward to the upcoming spring when I can look out and see fields of beautiful, lush flowering fava beans.. oh yeah I forgot about the whole spring allergy problem but every sneeze, sniffle and gasp will be worth it!
In other farm news today Asinete and I planted spinach, Easter egg radishes, bok choi, scarlet turnips, kohlrabi, and baby salad mix. The broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages for fall are looking robust and they will be something to look forward to when the first frost tells us that fall is really here. Also there will be spinach, lettuces, and more greens than you can shake a stick at.. for now please enjoy these lingering tastes of summer.

Your farmers,
Suzie, Asinete, M.A, Violet, Robin and Wayne


Todays' Harvest Will Include:

Italian Plums (thank you Scott and Cindy!)

Golden Delicious Apples

French fingerling potatoes

Rainbow Chard

Heirloom tomatoes

Green/Purple Beans

Cucumbers

Summer Squash

Red/Yellow Onions

Kohlrabi (the comet shaped veggie in your basket)

Dill

Rosemary

Jalapeno's/Bulgarian Carrot spicy peppers


Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is the strange looking vegetable in your share this week. It is actually a cross between a turnip and cabbage but is listed as a Brassica (related to fellow brassicas broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) Like its cousins kohlrabi thrives in cool weather. It is commonly seen in purple and green colors.

After washing your kohlrabi trim away any woody or tough portions of skin. Kohlrabi can be cooked or eaten raw. The leaves and bulb portion are the edible parts of the kohlrabi. My favorite way to eat it is to simply peel off the skin on the bulb and eat it right like that~ raw. It can be seasoned with a dash of salt as well. For those of you who would like to add a bit more effort into it here are a few ideas: grate the peeled kohlrabi bulb into your favorite salad, add sliced or cubed kohlrabi to soups, stews and stir-fry. The kohlrabi can also be cooked, mashed, mixed with cooked potato formed into patties and fry in butter or oil of your choosing.


French Fingerling Potato Recipe Ideas:

Fingerling potatoes, because of their versatility and size are great time savers and compliment roasted chicken, grilled meats, and add a gourmet touch to salads and vegetable medley's. You can bake, roast, grill, steam, fry, saute, boil or mash these tasty nuggets and discover their superior flavor.



Bleu Cheese Stuffed Fingerling Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 9 French Fingerling Potatoes
* 1 tsp. Olive Oil
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
* 4 sliced of bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
* 1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese
* 1/4 cup Fresh Chives, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Wash fingerlings in cool water, pat dry, and brush with olive oil.
3. Place potatoes in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in center of oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
4. Remove from oven, and with a knife cut an X on the top of each fingerling. Gently squeeze sides of fingerlings until centers spread out to form a small well. Stuff a small amount of bleu cheese, bacon and green onion into the well of each potato.
5. Serve immediately.


Curry Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes
* 1 lb Fingerling Potatoes, cut in 1 inch slices
* 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, salt and peppered
* 1 1/3 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tsp yellow curry
* 3 stalks chopped celery
* 1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
* 1 cup golden raisins
* 1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds
* 1 TBSP olive oil
* salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 3 quarts of water to boil. Boil potatoes 8-10 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 500° degrees. In a baking dish, add oil and chicken. Broil 10-12 minutes turning after 5-6 minutes. Cook until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, curry, parsley, potatoes, raisins. Dice chicken and add to mixture and blend all ingredients. Salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate until cold.
4. Garnish with toasted almonds and serve with ripe cantaloupe or over a bed of salad greens. Can be prepared one day in advance.


Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients

* 1 bag of Fingerling Potatoes
* 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
* 1/4 tsp. salt
* 1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Wash fingerlings in cool water, pat dry, and slice into 1/2 inch slices.
3. In a mixing bowl add all other ingredients and mix well. Add fingerlings and coat thoroughly.
4. Place potatoes in a single layer onto baking sheet and bake in center of oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
5. Remove from oven, garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary and serve immediately.


Bleu Cheese Jalapeno Poppers (in a bleu cheese mood tonight I guess!)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 cup panko bread crumbs
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
* 12 jalapeno chile peppers
* 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Mix together the egg and milk in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the panko crumbs, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3. Cut jalapenos in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Stuff each jalapeno half with equal portions of the blue cheese. Place the halves back together and secure with toothpicks. Dip each stuffed jalapeno in the egg mixture and then coat with the panko mixture. Arrange the breaded peppers on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.



Enjoy!!

CSA Harvest #16

Good Day Everyone! Only a few more days of summer remain! The long days of summer have taken their toll on our heat loving plants. They are tattered and beaten up after countless harvests. We feel almost as battered and worn!
Some of our summer cover crops have been tilled in and now neat rows of spinach and baby lettuces are popping up. The winter squash are ripening and stand out in hues of red and tan against the green vines. Red kuri, butternut, and delicata winter squash can be something to look forward to after our first frost!
As you may have guessed Asinete's sweet corn is finished and we have been busy tilling up the corn stumps to make room for the winter cover crop of fava beans. We will be ordering 500 pounds of fava bean seeds in a week or so. 500 pounds will be enough to cover the five acres we cultivate for the winter. After taking and taking all spring, summer and fall from the gardens it feels so good to give something back to the ground.. a cover crop that will prevent erosion from the heavy rains, add nitrogen to the soil, improve soil "tilth" (texture) and as a bonus the fava bean flowers will be an important food source for the honeybees in the spring.

In other farm news this week we would like to thank our friends and neighbors for sharing the bounty of their Asian pear and Bartlett pears. Rest assured they are grown without chemicals!

Enjoy!

Suzie, Asinete, MA, Robin, Violet and Wayne


Harvest This Week Will Include:

Asian Pears and Barlett Pears

Green and Purple Beans

Basil

Sungold Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes

Garlic

Cucumber

Squash

Carrots

Beets or Hakurei Turnips

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Dill

Eggplant

Gypsy Peppers (sweet)

Arugula

Arugula Info
Cleaning & Storing Arugula
Bunched arugula needs to have its tough stems removed and discarded before cleaning. Arugula is best cleaned in a large bowl or basin of cool water. Gently swish leaves in the water, letting any dirt fall to the bottom of the bowl. Lift clean leaves out of the water (leaving dirt behind) and transfer to a salad spinner or several layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Dry in the spinner or by rolling in the towels. Transfer leaves to a layer or two of paper towels (or clean, dry ones if you dried the leaves with towels), gently roll them up, and store in a loosely closed plastic bag in the fridge.

Arugula stored this way will last up to a week. Uncleaned leaves last about 3 days.

Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese Sauce

from A Complete Menu Cookbook for All Occasions by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette 4 servings

a bunch of fresh arugula
4 springs fresh parsley
1 8 ounce container low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
S and P to taste
1 pound fusilli noodles
Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish

1. Before preparing sauce, fill a large casserole with water, and bring the water to a boil.

2 Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley. Dry thoroughly. Trim and chop both the arugula and the parsley.

3. Place the arugula and the parsley in a food processor. Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use.

4. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four serving dishes. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some cheese to each dish. Serve immediately.


ARUGULA PESTO SAUCE eat with artichokes, noodles, toast, carrot sticks...

3 cups packed arugula (about 3/4 pound), washed well and spun dry 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted golden and cooled 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large garlic clove, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup hot water plus additional if desired In a food processor pulse together all ingredients except oil and water until arugula is chopped fine. With motor running add oil in a stream, blending mixture until smooth. Sauce may be made up to this point 1 week ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Bring sauce to room temperature to continue. Stir in 1/4 cup hot water plus additional for thinner consistency if desired.

ARUGULA SALAD The Victory Garden Cookbook, Marian Morash

Wash and dry the arugula. Chop garlic and toss with arugula. Use a good strong green olive oil and red wine vinegar. Dress with oil, a bit of vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

ARUGULA AND TOMATO SALAD from Debbie's kitchen Wash and dry the arugula; tear into bite size pieces. Toss arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add chopped tomatoes and serve. (My 2-year old couldn't get enough of this salad.)
SMOKED TURKEY TEA SANDWICHES WITH ARUGULA MAYONAISSE
1/2 cup
1/3 cup
1 tbsp.
1 tbsp.
1/2 tsp.
12
10 oz. mayonnaise
coarsely chopped arugula leaves plus several whole leaves (about 4 bunches total)
1 T minced leek or shallot
1 T minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
12 thin slices firm white sandwich bread
10 ounces thinly sliced smoked turkey

Mix mayo, chopped arugula, shallot, parsley and lemon peel in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Assemble sandwiches with remaining ingredients, using the arugula mayo. Cut into quarters.

Bon Apetit, June 1999
ARUGULA VICHYSSOISE
3/4 cup
2 tbsp.
1 clove
1
2 cups
2 cups
3 tbsp.
1 slice
1 finely chopped white and pale green part of leek, washed well (about 1 leek)
olive oil
garlic, chopped
small russet (baking) potato, peeled, grated coarse (about 3/4 cup), and reserved in water to cover
low-salt chicken broth
packed arugula, washed well and spun dry
half-and-half or heavy cream
homemade-type white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
small plum tomato, seeded and diced, for garnish

In a small heavy saucepan cook the leek with salt and pepper to taste in 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the garlic, the potato, drained, and the broth, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the potato is very soft. Stir in the arugula, simmer the mixture, covered, for 1 minute, and in a blender purŽe it in batches for 2 minutes, or until it is completely smooth. Transfer the purŽe to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, stir in the half-and half, and chill the soup, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until it is cold.

While the soup is chilling, in small heavy skillet cook the bread cubes in the remaining 1 tablespoon over moderate heat, stirring, until they are browned, transfer the croutons to paper towels, and season them with salt. Divide the soup between 2 bowls and top it with the croutons and the tomato. Makes about 2 1/2 cups, serving 2.

Gourmet, June 1993
LINGUINE WITH ARUGULA, PINE NUTS AND PARMESAN CHEESE
1 lb.
1/2 cup
4 oz.
1 cup
1/2 cup
linguine
olive oil
arugula, trimmed
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pine nuts, toasted
Additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add 1 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately, passing additional Parmesan separately. Serves 6.

Bon Appetit
ARUGULA SALAD WITH LEMON-PEPPER DRESSING
1/4 cup
1/4 cup
2 tsp.
1/2 tsp.
6 cups olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
fresh lemon juice
grated lemon peel
dried crushed red pepper
coarsely torn arugula

Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add arugula to bowl and toss to coat.

Bon Appetit

ARUGULA, FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD
1/4 cup
3 tbsp.
1 1/2 tbsp.
2
7 cups
1
1 minced shallots
extra-virgin olive oil
fresh lemon juice
large oranges
arugula (about 10 large bunches), trimmed
large fennel bulb, quartered lengthwise, cored, thinly sliced crosswise
small red onion, thinly sliced

Whisk minced shallots, olive oil and lemon juice in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Cut all peel and white pith from oranges. Using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Combine arugula, fennel and onion in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Add orange segments; toss to combine. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Serves 6.

Bon Appetit

ARUGULA PESTO SAUCE
(eat with artichokes, noodles, toast, carrot sticks, etc.)
3 cups
1/3 cup
1/2 cup
1/2 tsp.
1 lg. clove
3 tbsp.
1/4 cup packed arugula (about 3/4 pound), washed well and spun dry
pine nuts, toasted golden and cooled
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt
garlic, chopped
olive oil
hot water plus additional if desired

In a food processor pulse together all ingredients except oil and water until arugula is chopped fine. With motor running add oil in a stream, blending mixture until smooth. Sauce may be made up to this point 1 week ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Bring sauce to room temperature to continue. Stir in 1/4 cup hot water plus additional for thinner consistency if desired.

Pasta Arugula

from Rosemary Webb

1/2 to 1 bunch of chopped arugula (one inch sizes) 3/4 pound of pasta (I used tiny shells) Juice of one half lemon 2 tablespoons of dry white wine 2 cloves of finely minced garlic 3 teaspoons of olive oil 1/8 to 1/4 cup of chicken broth or other mild broth Cook pasta and toss with raw arugula, while the pasta is cooking place the rest of the ingredients in a glass bowl and heat for 1 minute in the microwave. toss everything at once. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Chicken, Wild Rice And Pecan Salad In Romaine Spears adapted from Bon Apetit

3 Cups chicken broth
4 oz. wild rice
1 pound cooked chicken
1 bunch arugula -- chopped
1/4 cup green onions -- chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup walnuts or pecans -- toasted and chopped
1 large or 2 small heads romaine lettuce, or 3 cups baby lettuce greens

For chicken - roasted chicken, skinned, boned, meat cut into 1/-inch pieces Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until just tender, about 50 minutes. Drain well.

Transfer the rice to a large bowl. Mix in chicken, arugula and green onions. Mix soy sauce, vinegar and oil in small bowl. Pour over salad and mix to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Mix nuts into salad. Place salad in center of platter. Reserve outer romaine leaves for another use. Arrange inner leaves on platter around salad.

LEMON COUSCOUS SALAD WITH ARUGULA, SCALLIONS, & DILL
adapted from Gourmet

2 1/4 cups water
a 10-ounce box couscous (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch arugula, leaves washed thoroughly, spun dry, and shredded fine (about 2 cups)
3 large scallions, sliced thin
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, or to taste

In a saucepan bring water to a boil and stir in couscous and salt. Remove pan from heat and let couscous stand, cover 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and transfer to a bowl. Stir in lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste and cool couscous completely. Stir in arugula, scallions, and dill and chill for 2 hours or overnight.


Dill

Fresh Dill Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 (8 ounce) package seashell pasta
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill weed
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 (4 ounce) cans small shrimp, drained
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 1/2 cup chopped seeded cucumber
* 2 tomatoes, diced
* 3 tablespoons minced shallot
* salt to taste


DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to cool.
2. In a serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, dill and black pepper. Gently stir in the pasta, shrimp, celery, cucumber, tomato and shallots. Mix in salt to taste and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.


Beets and Greens

INGREDIENTS

* 1 bunch beets - trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached, greens washed and reserved
* 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
* sea salt (optional)
* fresh-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Rub the beets with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place onto prepared baking sheet. Place in preheated oven, and bake until the beets can be easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 60 minutes depending on size. When done, allow to cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to handle, then remove and discard the skin, and cut the beets into wedges or slices.
3. Meanwhile, cut the beet greens in to 1/4 inch wide ribbons. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook and stir until it begins to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Once the onions have begun to caramelize, stir in the beet greens and cook until they wilt. Add the beet slices and continue cooking until heated through. Season with sea salt and pepper before serving.

CSA Harvest #15

Good day all! Well for those of you who made it to the potluck we hope you had a great time! The food was as excellent as the live music that we were so graciously treated to from our friends "Shasta Ray and the Down Home Band". For the rest of you we hope you can make it next year for our 3rd annual potluck! You can also catch Shasta Ray playing each Thursday at Charlie's BBQ on Harvard every Thursday.. so you can pick up your CSA share and then go hear great live music!
Before the potluck we were busy in our "tater patch" trying to get all of our potatoes harvested and out of the ground. The potato plants have been dead for many months now but we noticed that the fingerling potatoes seemed to keep better in the ground. You may notice that many of your potatoes have been poked or have small (or large) holes in them. We apologize for that! Those mysterious cuts and piercings are caused by the tools we use to harvest potatoes. To harvest the potatoes without these tools would mean an even more arduous task then we already endure with the tater harvest. We must look foolish on our hands and knees scratching through the soil for tubers.. (and indeed we are!) Next year we are hoping to harvest the potato crop with the help of an antique potato harvester. This would save us a week or two of potato groveling. We need to put our tractor to work somehow!
In other farm news it is that time of year for us to begin planning what sort of cover crop seed we will be planting for the winter and what sorts of garlic varieties we want to get into the ground next month. For a cover crop we will be planting fava beans. These beans overwinter well, add nitrogen to the soil and incorporate very easily into the soil when tilled in in the spring. Last year we did a mix of vetch, clover and oats but were not very happy with the results.
If you have a favorite variety of garlic let us know asap so we can be sure to order some to plant. This year we only harvested hard neck garlic. We will be ordering softneck garlic this year too. Softneck garlic stores much better and can be used for garlic braids.. a great farmer's market item!

We hope you are all enjoying these lingering fruits and vegetables of summer! After this week we will only have one more summer delivery and then it will be Fall (my favorite season!) I love the way the light changes and even the air smells different.

May you all enjoy these last two weeks of summertime!

Your farmer friends~ Suzie, Asinete, Violet, Robin and Wayne


** Favor Request from Packing Shed~ please make sure your CSA baskets are clean when you return them to us each week. A quick upside down shake can dislodge some of the dead leaves and grit that accumulates. It takes longer for us to process 55 baskets when we have to clean them all first. Thank you!


CSA Harvest This Week Will Include:

Beans (Green, Royal Burgundy, Romano Bean mix)

Arugula (new planting)

Lacinato Kale (also called Dinosaur kale- look at the leaves and you'll know why!)

Garlic

Red Zeppelin Onion

Yellow Walla Walla Onion

French Fingerling Potatoes

Melon! (may be watermelon, Charentais or Ambrosia)

Zucchini

Heirloom Tomato Mix

Sungold Tomatoes

Lemon and Boothby Blonde Cucumbers

Dill

Basil (enjoy while you can!)


Hints to deal with the tomato flood!

Fresh Tomato Sauce:

Ingredients:

* 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, about 3 large tomatoes
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* black pepper, to taste
* 1 pound spaghetti
* freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Preparation:
If desired, peel tomatoes; remove seeds, straining juice into a bowl. Save the juice and discard seeds. In a food processor, combine garlic, tomatoes with juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and basil. Pulse quickly to chop roughly. Pulse more for a smoother sauce, if desired. Transfer to a bowl, add salt and pepper and let stand to marinate for about 20 minutes.

Cook pasta until just tender, drain and toss hot with the marinated tomato sauce. If hotter spaghetti is desired, heat the sauce just until hot on stovetop or in microwave. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.
Serves 4 to 6.


Fresh Garden Sauce
A chunky garden tomato sauce with fresh basil.
Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 6 cups chopped tomatoes, canned or about 6 fresh, peeled tomatoes
* 3/4 cup dry red wine
* 1/4 cup shredded carrots
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup sliced zucchini
* 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

Preparation:
Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat; add onion, cooking until tender. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, wine, carrots, parsley, basil, sugar, and salt. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Add sliced zucchini and mushrooms; cook until sauce is thick, about 20 minutes longer. Serve with hot cooked pasta.
Tomato sauce recipe serves 4.

Insalata Caprese Salad - Mozzarella, Tomato & Basil Plate

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick (they have fresh mozzarella at Safeway and Fred Meyer)it is found on display floating in water. yummy stuff!
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons drained capers (optional)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a circular design around the side of a serving plate, alternate fresh mozzarella slices on a large platter (or on individual plates if you are doing individual portions) with sliced tomatoes, overlapping for effect.

Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle liberally over the slices. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Sprinkle capers over the top.

Just before serving, drizzle on some excellent extra-virgin olive oil. NOTE: Insalata Caprese should never be allowed to sit in oil for any length of time and become soggy, and no vinegar of any kind goes on Insalata Caprese!

Makes 4 servings.

For a last minute alternative take your tomato, cut out the stem, cut it into quarters and put into freezer bags (or vacuum seal). If you have freezer space this is a great way to store the tomatoes until you need the for sauce or salsa.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil Recipe

Ingredients

* 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
* 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

* 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
* 1/4 cup olive oil

Method

1 Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

2 Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

3 While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

5 Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch (delicious served with cottage cheese on the side.)

CSA Harvest #14

Good day!! Here we are at week 14 with only 12 more deliveries to go woohoo! (not that we're excited about that!) This week we would like to thank our good friends and "farm angels" at Meadowlark Welding for sharing the photos they took of us at farmer's market in Roseburg. As you can see we always have a great time there! Also we want to thank Meadowlark Welding for the delicious Moyer Plums they shared with us this week for the CSA. As many of you know our area used to be used for major plum-prune operations. The Moyer plum is used for making prunes but also tastes delicious just as it is.
Thank you to all of you who responded to our Farm Potluck Invitation. We are excited to see many of you on Sunday. Please come after 1pm and bring a dish to share and any fold up chairs you may have handy. There will be some great food and great music! If you need directions to the farm please call us (541) 863-2646

Sorry this will be a short entry.. I had just had it all done before and somehow the whole entry was erased.. give me weeds over technology any day! :)

Thank you!!

Suzie, Asinete, MA, Violet, Robin and Wayne

Harvest This Week Will Include:

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Golden Beets/ Bull's Blood Beets

Moyer Plums

Sungold Tomatoes

Hakurei Turnips

Cucumber Mix

Summer Squash

Scarlet Nantes Carrots

Heirloom Tomato Mix

Big Daddy Yellow Sweet Onion

Dill

Ancho Pepper/ Jalapeno

Heirloom Tomato Mix


Roasted Root Vegetables

* 12 small red new potatoes
* 8 baby Yukon gold potatoes or fingerling potatoes
* 2 cups whole baby carrots, peeled
* 4 turnips, peeled
* 12 whole shallots, peeled
* 12 small white boiling onions, peeled
* 8 baby beets, scrubbed and stemmed
* 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 teaspoons dried sweet marjoram
* Kosher salt
* Fresh ground black pepper

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, combine red potatoes, gold potatoes, carrots, turnips, shallots, onions, and beets.

In a small bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and sweet marjoram. Pour over vegetables and toss so they are evenly coated.

Transfer vegetables to a large, deep roasting pan and spread in a single layer. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper.

Roast vegetables uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning the vegetables 2 to 3 times during the process.

Yield: 8 servings


"Asinan" Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad

Asinan (Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad)

3 large cucumbers
1 Onion, med
1 jalapeno chile
dressing
1/4 cup of white vinegar
1/4 cup of oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Instructions
Calories per serving: 168 Fat grams per serving: 1 Approx. Cook Time: 4:00 Peel and thinly slice the cucumbers. Slice the onion thinly. Seed and thinly slice the chile. Put the cucumber slices in a shallow bowl, arrange the onion slices on top and sprinkle with the chile slices. Combine all the ingredients with the dressing, mixing well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Pour the dressing over the onions and cucumbers and refrigerate a few hours or overnight if possible to allow flavors to blend. Yields: 4 Servings


Cucumber Dill Dip

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. Hellmann's real mayonnaise
2 med. cucumbers, peeled, seeded, chopped
2 tbsp. sliced green onion
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. snipped fresh dill or 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. Cover; chill. Makes 2 1/2 cups.