CSA Harvest #26- the last of the season

Just in the nick of time we are wrapping up our 2010 CSA season! We saw on the weather report that Tuesday we are going to have a low of 16 degrees! This cold snap will kill off most of our fall crops that are left in the field. It will mean the end for any lingering cauliflower, savoy cabbage, broccoli and lettuce. Tuesday will find us busy still in the cold and wet trying to salvage all that we can before the killing frost comes. About the only things that should not die in weather that cold are our cover crops, kale, remaining brussel sprouts, green cabbage and leeks.

It seems so fitting that our last delivery each year falls on Thanksgiving week. A week that is dedicated to families coming together to share a wonderful meal. We hope that the produce in your baskets finds its way into your favorite dishes (or some new ones~ see below!) and satiates your friends and family that share your table.

We hope you all find so much to be thankful for!
Happy Holidays and we will see you in the Spring of 2011~

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally (the Big Lick Crew)

Harvest For the Final Week:

Brussel Sprouts! yes they look funny! please pop them off the stem and use some of our recipe ideas below!

White or Purple Cauliflower (have too much? find out how to freeze it below)

Broccoli

Potatoes

Winter Squash (may be butternut, delicata, sunshine, green acorn)

Garlic

Head Lettuce

Rainbow Chard OR Beets (if you're a beet hater see if you can't find someone to trade with at pick up site! Or else give them another try.. these are smaller and more mild.)

Fennel (have you tried it roasted with parsnips, carrots, beets, potatoes yet? Or sliced thin on a salad)

Parsnips (we know we promised them for last week but they would not fit!)

Kohlrabi (the green, tennis ball looking things in your basket) recipe ideas below!

Cabbage

Green Tomatoes

Carrots (tops cut off to make room in baskets for all other loot)

red and yellow storage onions

How to get through it all and some recipe ideas that are Thanksgiving inspired:

Brussel Sprouts... if you think all brussel sprouts taste like old gym socks try these sweet gems. The majority of all store bought brussel sprouts are grown down in the central coast area of California where the weather does not get very cold. Brussel sprouts love cold weather though and the little sprouts are much sweeter and more tender when grown in our cooler climate. You may have been in Sherm's or Fred Meyer recently and seen that they too are selling many sprouts just like these, on the stalk. To use them simply pop them off the stem (even the little ones!) and use in some recipe ideas below. Brussel sprouts take a long season to get ready. We started these from seed back in June and still the sprouts are on the small side.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
serves 4

Ingredients
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 shallot, chopped
1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
Salt and pepper, to your taste
1 cup chicken broth
Directions
Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.


Kohlrabi~ Kohlrabi is a strange vegetable.. less strange looking now since we removed all the large leaves from it to help it fit in your basket.The bulb part that you eat actually grows above ground. It can be eaten raw or cooked but does need to be peeled first. To peel use a sharp knife and cut right under green skin to reveal white flesh inside. Kohlrabi might look like a turnip when peeled but it is actually related to cabbage and broccoli tasting like a cross between the two. Kohlrabi is not only tasty but good for you as well! It is high in antioxidants, fiber and Vitamin C...peeled, raw and cut into wedges it is a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving crudites platter!

Roasted Kohlrabi with Garlic and Parmesan Cheese
Original Recipe Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1.Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2.Cut the kohlrabi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut each of the slices in half. Combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi slices in the olive oil mixture to coat. Spread kohlrabi in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3.Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in order to brown evenly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven to allow the Parmesan cheese to brown, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.


Preserving your Cauliflower abundance for later use

Remove all leaves off of cauliflower. Cut head into 2 inch florets and wash clean. Be on the lookout for slugs and or slug poo which wash off easily in cold water. Add the clean florets to a pot full of boiling water. Boil for three minutes and remove promptly. Put immediately into sink full of cold water to stop cooking process. When cool drain cauliflower well in colander and when dry place in freezer bags and freeze for later use!

CSA Harvest #25

Twenty five weeks?? I just typed that into the title of this week's blog and it seems so surreal! How can it be that 25 weeks of the CSA year have gone by already? The end of each season is bittersweet. The thought of not greeting most of you every Wednesday is gloomy! The silver lining however is that we have time to regroup, to relax and plan for how the next season will be even better.

We feel fortunate that even with the tough growing season we had in the early part of the year we were still able to keep the produce pumping out. We were fortunate too in that our Fall has been mild so far. If we had had a hard frost by now it would have really limited the amount of produce you have been getting in your baskets these last few weeks... but as it is watch out!! We are planning on going out with a loud kabOOM! These last two deliveries we are going to load your baskets to the brim and hope the fruits of our extensive harvest list are able to fit in your baskets.

Thank you to each of you who filled out the CSA Survey for 2010. Because each season is different we get different responses at the end of each year. Some universal favorites were the sweet corn, strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, garlic, red peppers, lettuce and even (shock!!) kale!! Some of the un favorites that we saw more than once were beets and fennel. Sadly we will have at least one more harvest of fennel. If you haven't tried it sliced up and roasted with carrots, potatoes and parsnips you need to... the fennel bulb tastes just like the tender heart of celery.

In terms of the drop off time/ day and location only 1 person out of 70 said it was not a good day or time.. the rest said it was perfect for them. There is nothing we can do about the time of day since it takes us all day to pick, wash, pack and load up the truck. Also the day of the week works perfectly with our harvest schedule for farmers market (gives enough time in between harvests for crops to size up).

All in all with the survey results it seems like more than 95% of you were very happy with the CSA program this year. We always have a small turnover. Families that have never tried a CSA program before and realize at the end of the first year it is not for them. Many people want to choose what items they buy and that is completely understandable! If you were one of these people don't forget that you can also support us at Farmer's Market in Roseburg from April-October.. we appreciate all the support we can get.

Farming is not a lucrative career but what it lacks in monetary gain it makes up for in friendships, a strong back and work ethic and the unwavering feeling that the work you are doing is making a difference.

Thank you for allowing us that opportunity!

Harvest This Week Includes:

Baby Carrots

Parsnips (last of them! try roasted with carrots and potatoes)

Winterbor Kale OR Bok Choy

Purple or White Cauliflower

Broccoli

Leeks

Onion

Green Tomatoes (let sit at room temp to ripen or use green)

Garlic

Potatoes

Delicata Winter Squash

Parsley OR Cilantro


Recipe Ideas:

Delicata Delish~ serves 4

Ingredients

* 1 large delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
* 3 tablespoons butter, divided
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup uncooked quinoa
* 2 cups water
* 2 shallots, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/3 cup pine nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange the squash halves cut side up in a baking dish. Fill dish with about 1/4 inch water. Place 1 tablespoon butter on each half, and season halves with salt and pepper. Cover dish, and bake squash 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until very tender.
3. Place quinoa in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
4. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in pine nuts, and cook until golden. Gently mix into the pot with the cooked quinoa.
5. Cut the squash halves in half, and fill each quarter with the quinoa mixture. Serve each stuffed squash quarter on a bed of the remaining quinoa mixture.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 379 | Total Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 23mg


Delicata and Garlic~ serves 8
Ingredients

* 3 delicata squash (if you don't have 3 please adjust recipe)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Peel delicata squash, slice in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place in baking dish, and toss with olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 120 | Total Fat: 6.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg

CSA Harvest #24~ 2 more!!

Brrrrrr!!! It seems like fall is really here to stay now and we are eager to get some of the beauties of the fall harvest put in your baskets before the frost gets to them first. This week we delve into the butternut squash (our favorite!). If you have been with us for a few seasons now you know we have always had quite a bit more winter squash in the baskets compared to this year. The problem we had this year was slugs got to the winter squash before we could get them harvested. We never knew the amazing eating ability of a slug until we saw large butternuts that were just empty shells, all the flesh inside eaten out by the fat slugs. Next year we will plant more to compensate for slug damage. Also we just may decide to go into the escargot business (after all slugs must be easier to eat then snails since they are already out of their shell.) Hey don't knock a good protein source! Plus they go down real smooth!

We have heard back from some of you that Monday, November 22nd will be the best day for the last delivery and we agree! Delivery will be at the same time (after 5pm) just on Monday. For the last delivery it is very important that you bring bags or a box to place the contents of your basket into since we will need all baskets back at this point for next season. This is the best time to bring back any baskets you may have at home as well!

Don't worry we will remind you about all this next week as well!

Until then, stay warm, safe and enjoy these beauties of Fall!!

Harvest This Week Includes:

Violet Queen Cauliflower

Butternut Squash

Garlic

Savoy Cabbage

Head Lettuce

Bell peppers (the last of 'em either rejoice or savor!)

Potatoes

Green Tomatoes (either leave at room temp in your kitchen or use some recipe ideas below!)

Onion


How to use it!

Thank you to CSA member Beth Houseman for passing on some recipe ideas for green tomatoes. If you don't want to eat them green just leave out at room temp and they will ripen.

This recipe is from my Uncle Jules (Julie) Korn, who passed away this year.

Pickled Green Tomatoes

4 lbs green tomatoes
1 heaping tsp pickling spices, per jar
1 garlic clove, sliced, per jar
1 tsp canning salt, per jar
4-6 cup vinegar
4-6 cup distilled water
(can add hot peppers)

1. Prepare jars, lids, etc.
2. Heat equal parts vinegar and water to boiling (approximately 3/4 cups each per jar to start)
3. Add salt, spices, and garlic to each jar
4. Prepare tomatoes, slice into halves or quarters (if necessary) and pack tightly into jars
5. Pour boiling liquid over tomatoes and let settle. Keep adding liquid until filled to top, may take 30 minutes as tomatoes absorb. When cool, cover lid with plastic wrap and tighten band. Invert on towel and let sit a few hours. When cool, refrigerate. Ready to eat when color turns (dull light green).

I did can some, in water bath for 15 minutes (then turn off heat, let sit in water 10 min, then remove from canner).

Fried Green Tomato BLT

* 3 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup whole milk
* 3 cups canola oil
* 1/2 cup flour
* 3 tablespoons cornmeal
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
* lettuce
* 4 slices bread
* 4 slices bacon, cooked
* mayonnaise
* salt and pepper

Procedures

1.Pour the oil into a small pot. Heat it to 365 degrees. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Place a wire rack on a sheet pan in the oven.

2. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Pour in the milk and whisk together. In another small bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper.

3.Dredge the pieces of slices of green tomatoes one at a time in the flour mixture, shake off any excess, and then toss in the egg wash to coat, and then transfer back to the flour mixture.

4. Toss the pieces in the hot oil, and cook for 2 minutes on each side. When done place the fried tomatoes in the oven on the wire rack.

5. Construct the sandwiches. Slather the pieces of breads with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper. Top with bacon, lettuce, and the fried green tomatoes. Top with the other slice of bread.


Butternut Info

NUTRITION

Butternut squash is a well-balanced food source that is rich in complex carbohydrates and low in saturated fat and sodium. It is a very good source of vitamins A and C and a good source of beta-carotene, magnesium, manganese, calcium and potassium.

Roasted Winter Squash Soup

Prep Time:
30 Min
Ready In:
1 Hr

Servings 4


Original Recipe Yield 4 cups

Ingredients

* Roasted Winter Squash:
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 cups raw winter squash (butternut, hubbard, acorn)
* Salt and pepper

* Soup:
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 cup diced onion (1/4-inch)
* 1/4 cup diced celery (1/4-inch)
* 1/4 cup diced carrot (1/4-inch)
* 1 cinnamon stick
* Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
* 32 ounces chicken broth
* 1/2 teaspoon ground toasted coriander (optional)
* Roasted Winter Squash (above)
* 1/2 cup half-and-half, if desired* (optional)
* 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
* 1/2 cup plain Panko crispy bread crumbs, toasted light brown in saute pan over medium heat

Directions

1. To make roasted winter squash: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat butter over medium-high heat in an ovenproof saute pan; add diced squash, salt and pepper. When squash begins to brown, place pan in oven. Roast for 15 minutes or until medium-brown on all sides. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Puree in food processor, or mash with potato masher or ricer. Measure 1 1/2 cups squash; reserve.
2. To make soup: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, celery, carrot and cinnamon stick; saute until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the broth and the coriander; bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes. Stir in reserved squash until smooth; simmer gently to let the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
3. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or in a blender until smooth. (The soup can be made ahead to this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated for several days or frozen for about 1 month. It will thicken as it cools and may need thinning with broth or water when reheating.)
4. Return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Add the half-and-half. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Top each serving with pumpkin seeds and toasted bread crumbs.



Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli
ingredients

* 2 pounds butternut squash
* 2 14-1/2-ounce cans vegetable broth
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon margarine or butter
* 1 9-ounce package refrigerated cheese ravioli
* 1 tablespoon molasses (optional)

directions

1. Peel squash. Halve lengthwise. Remove seeds and discard. Cut squash into 3/4-inch pieces.
2. In a large saucepan, combine squash, broth, water, and cayenne pepper. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes or until squash is tender.
3. Transfer one-fourth of the squash-and-broth mixture to a blender container. Carefully blend, covered, until smooth. Repeat until all of the mixture is blended.
4. Return blended mixture to large saucepan. Bring just to boiling. Immediately reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the margarine or butter, stirring until just melted.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the ravioli according to package directions. Drain. Ladle hot squash mixture into bowls. Divide cooked ravioli among bowls. If desired, drizzle with molasses. Makes 5 side-dish servings.
6. < Make-Ahead: Prepare soup as directed, except do not add ravioli. Cool soup. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 days or label and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, transfer frozen soup to a large saucepan. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through, stirring often. Cook ravioli as directed and serve with soup as directed.

Violet Queen Cauliflower

To enjoy the beauty of this cauliflower with it's vibrant colors it is best to eat raw in salad or used as a base for dips. Also tasty roasted. Cut into florets and coat with olive oil and kosher salt. Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 mins or 'til done.

CSA Harvest #23~ 3 more to go

Happy sunshine everyone!! We have been loving this weather to be cleaning up everything for the season. We have to resist the temptation to start growing more crops with the weather so warm. We have pulled and cleaned up 300 of the tomato vines with 300 more to go on Thursday. Also rolling up drip tapes and unhooking aluminum irrigation pipes and getting them out of the field in case there is a flood this winter (the main drawback to our wonderful loamy soil!)

We have three more CSA deliveries to go and seeing as how our last harvest is Thanksgiving week we would like to hear from you all to see which day you would prefer to have produce delivered. We are sure many of you will be leaving town and we would prefer to have last CSA drop off either on the Monday or Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. Please email us and let us know what day will work best for you. We will have to go with the majority vote on this one. If you will be out of town for the whole week please arrange for a friend to pick up your CSA basket for you.

We have sent out the email surveys and so far have heard back from 22 of you. This means more than half of you still need to fill out your survey. It is very quick, 10 questions that will help us to figure out where improvements can be made with CSA program. We value all your input... thank you for taking the time to fill these out!

Happy eating!!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally


Harvest This Week Includes:

Bok Choy (recipe ideas below)

Red Zeppelin Onion (don't you love that name?)

Hardneck Garlic

Dinosaur Kale (recipe ideas from fellow CSA members below)

Leeks

French Fingerling Potatoes

Parsnips

Cauliflower OR Broccoli

Daikon Radish (to reduce heat of radish first peel before eating)

Raspberries (on rotation)

How to Cook it and Store it:

Hooray for fall cauliflower! We decided to take advantage of the weather while it was sunny and harvest the cauliflower. They are not as huge as they could be but the endless days of rain case the tops to start molding and we want to be sure they are not wasted. Cauliflower keeps best in the crisper drawer wrapped in a plastic bag.


Roasted Cauliflower (tried and true!!)

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* salt and black pepper to taste
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish.
2. Place the olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake to mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 118 | Total Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 4mg


Bok Choy Ideas Bok choy is not only delicious but it is wonderful for your body as well! Bok Choy aids in healthy digestion. It is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium and dietary fiber. The leafy vegetable is lowfat, low calorie, and low carb, and also contains potassium and vitamin B6. Some of the vitamins found in bok choy are also powerful antioxidants, making this tasty cabbage an extremely healthy treat.


Simple Bok Choy

1 T oil (toasted sesame is very good or olive oil)
1.5 lbs bok choy (sliced into pieces)
1 T light soy sauce
2 T chicken stock or water
Garlic Minced *optional(we love garlic and add lots of it almost at end of cooking to get health benefits)
Heat wok or large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil and then bok choy. Stir fry 3-4
minutes, until leaves have wilted a little. Add soy sauce and chicken stock/water.
Continue to stir fry for a few more minutes, until the bok choy is done until still slightly crisp.

Very easy, very good.
source: Ken Hom's Chinese Cookery


Bok Choy Stir Fry

This is an easy recipe.

1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry Sherry
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced trimmed bok choy
1 5-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
10 1/2 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Heat vegetable oil until very hot in heavy large wok or skillet over high heat. Add garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add bok choy and stir-fry until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Mix in water chestnuts and green onions and stir-fry until onions are tender, about 1 minute. Add tofu and lightly stir-fry until tofu is just heated through, about 2 minutes. Pour over soy mixture. Stir-fry until liquid boils and thickens, about 1 minute.

STIR-FRIED RICE
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 eggs beaten
3 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced on diagonal, then slivered
3 cups thinly sliced bok choy stems and leaves
4 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
1/4 lb. snow peas, trimmed, slivered
1 1/2 tbsp. oriental sesame oil
3 green onions, sliced
Szechuan Salt-Pepper (If you don't have this, you can use regular black pepper.)

For Rice:

Bring 2 1/4 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff with fork. Transfer to bowl and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil in wok or heavy large skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add eggs and cook until puffed around edge. Using spatula, push cooked egg toward back of pan while tipping pan forward, allowing uncooked egg to flow forward. Continue cooking until eggs are no longer runny but still soft and fluffy. Cut eggs into pieces with edge of spatula and transfer eggs to plate.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in wok over high heat. Add slivered carrots and stir-fry 1 minute. Add sliced bok choy, sliced shiitake mushroom caps and slivered snow peas. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir-fry until vegetables just begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add oriental sesame oil and heat mixture, then add cooked rice and stir-fry until heated through. Stir in eggs and sliced green onions. Season rice to taste with Szechuan Salt-Pepper and serve immediately.

Bon Appetit, June 1993

white-bean-kale-ragout-recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Italian chicken sausages, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)*optional
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups de-stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch)
1/2 cup chicken or mushroom stock
2 16-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and turnip for 8 minutes, or until bronzed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add sausage and garlic to pan. Cook for 2 more minutes, then add kale and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender.

Serves 4

CSA Harvest #22

Whew, well it is safe to say that one thing we did not spend our weekend doing was irrigating the fields! The crops have all had a refreshing drink and the 500 foot radius around our pigs has been washed clean of all the dust those pigs like to raise.
The combination of heavy rain and heavy wind can often wreak havoc on the crops and when we went out to view the storm aftermath this morning we noticed several of our fall planted broccoli's and cauliflowers had blown over. The plants are still rooted though and there is no fear of them drying out. Today was spent pulling one of the pumps out of the river since the rainfall has caused the river to rise up quite a few feet. We didn't want the pump to be underwater (this has already happened last season)and a trip to Popeye the pump mechanic is not an expense we need again.
We still have one more pump in the river, higher up than the pump we pulled out today. At this point in the season the pump will be obsolete as the rains look like they may be here to stay.

There is still a lot of farm clean up to be done since we have (luckily!!) not had a frost yet (although we are getting our first frost advisory tonight). Last year our first frost happened October 7th. I remember clearly Asinete and I out in the fields trying to pick and harvest every green, pink, reddish tomato we could find. Green tomatoes will ripen just fine off of the vine. We have over 600 tomato vines planted including the t-post stakes and bailing twine we use to string them up. Tomato vine clean-up is a major undertaking at Big Lick Farm. Also this year we had an early blight hit our tomatoes in the spring (remember how cold and wet it was all the way though June?) So that blight lives in the foliage of the tomato vines now. This means we will need to haul all of the vines to the dump. Usually we compost much of our crop residues or else we just till them back into the earth where they break down. When disease hits though we need to take more sanitary measures and get rid of all the plants so we don't have the same problem next season. Also we need to look for more varieties of tomatoes that are more blight resistant. We really do keep learning each season!


Please look for your surveys this week that we will send by email. 10 questions that help us greatly in planning for the next season and getting the insight we need to keep you all happy! Also for those of you wishing to be with us next year for the 2011 CSA season we will be emailing each of you after the New Year to get email confirmations that you would like to be with us again. After the first of the new year CSA deposits and payments are very welcome so we can have capital to start the 2011 season strong once again (costs of seeds and fertilizers are high. We do have limited spots and quite a few new members on a waiting list. All of our returning members will have first priority though! :) We will remind you more about this before the last CSA basket goes out this year!


Be well and enjoy the crisp, sweet crunch of fall!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally

Harvest This Week Includes:

Broccoli- hooray! the first of the fall broccoli!

Garlic

Concord Grapes- it's true~ they even taste purple!

Beets

Head Lettuce

Sweet Onion

Winterbor Kale (did you try the kale chips recipe yet?)

Winter Squash~ some of you will get spaghetti squash~ large football shaped yellow squash. Others of you will get the small, delicate delicata. Recipe ideas for both below.

We are also hoping for tentative harvest of sweet peppers, cukes, tomatoes, and summer squash.. the availability of these depending on if we get a hard frost tonight or not...


Recipe Ideas for your fall bounty

Concord Grapes~ rich in vitamin C and very high levels of antioxidants make this a very healthy, tasty treat! They seem to taste best when chilled. Keep in a bowl in the fridge and enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash~ if you got the single, large pale yellow squash in your basket congratulations! That is a spaghetti squash! We were requested to grow this squash by one of our awesome volunteers (Violet) who is allergic to all things wheat. She told us spaghetti squash made a delicious, healthy pasta substitute!
Here are some ideas on how to prepare it in some tasty meals!

A dieter's dream, a four-ounce serving of spaghetti squash has only 37 calories.

The average four-pound spaghetti squash will yield about five cups.

Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month. After cutting, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Spaghetti squash also freezes well. Pack cooked squash into freezer bags, seal, label and freeze. Partially thaw before re-using, then steam until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes.

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash

* Bake It -- Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer and place in baking dish. Cook squash in preheated 375?F oven approximately 1 hour or until flesh is tender.

* Boil It -- Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. When the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its size. When a fork goes easily into the flesh, the squash is done.

* Microwave It -- Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let stand covered, for 5 minutes. With fork "comb" out the strands.

* Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot - Choose a smaller spaghetti squash (unless you have an extra large slow cooker) so that it will fit. Add 2 cups of water to slow cooker. Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer, add to Crock Pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Once the squash is cooked, let it cool for 10 to 20 minutes so it will be easier to handle, before cutting in half (if it wasn't already) and removing the seeds. Pull a fork lengthwise through the flesh to separate it into long strands.

Recipe ideas for spaghetti squash once it is cooked:

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Servings
8

You can make this rich Alfredo sauce lower in fat by using reduced fat sour cream and low fat cheese, making this dish suitable for both low fat or low carb dieters can appreciate.

Ingredients
1 medium spaghetti squash, cooked by your favorite method and separated into strands
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the all ingredients except spaghetti squash over medium-low heat and whisk until smooth and creamy, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the spaghetti squash strands to the sauce and stir until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Serve immediately.


Buttered Spaghetti Squash

ingredients

* 1 medium spaghetti squash (2-1/2 to 3 pounds)
* 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
* 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut up
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, oregano, or parsley
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

directions

1. Halve squash lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Place squash halves, cut side down, in a large baking dish. Using a fork, prick the skin all over. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.
2. Remove the squash pulp from shell (see photo, directional). Toss squash pulp with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the butter, basil, and salt. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
3. Makes 6 servings
4. Spaghetti Squash with Marinara Sauce: Bake spaghetti squash as directed in step 1. Omit Parmesan cheese, butter, basil, and salt. For marinara sauce, in a medium saucepan cook 1/4 cup chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil. Stir in one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed; 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring often. Remove the squash pulp from shell. Spoon sauce over squash pulp. If desired, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Per 3/4 cup squash with 1/4 cup sauce: 84 cal., 3 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 233 mg sodium, 14 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 1 g pro. Daily Values: 1% vit. A, 19% vit. C, 7% calcium, 5% iron. Exchanges: 1/2 Vegetable, 1/2 Starch, 1/2 Fat

recipe source
BHG.com
Better Homes and Gardens

There are tons of spaghetti squash recipes online as well.. find the one that sounds best to you!

Delicata Squash... this winter squash is appropriately named. They are smaller squash, a perfect meal for two! If you did not get delicata this week.. no worries, there will be plenty for everyone later.

Delicata Delish

Prep Time:
15 Min
Cook Time:
30 Min
Ready In:
45 Min

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

* 1 large delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
* 3 tablespoons butter, divided
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup uncooked quinoa
* 2 cups water
* 2 shallots, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/3 cup pine nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange the squash halves cut side up in a baking dish. Fill dish with about 1/4 inch water. Place 1 tablespoon butter on each half, and season halves with salt and pepper. Cover dish, and bake squash 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until very tender.
3. Place quinoa in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
4. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in pine nuts, and cook until golden. Gently mix into the pot with the cooked quinoa.
5. Cut the squash halves in half, and fill each quarter with the quinoa mixture. Serve each stuffed squash quarter on a bed of the remaining quinoa mixture.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 379 | Total Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 23mg

Squash with Herbs


Ingredients:

2 medium winter squash (about 2 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 cups apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons wine or herb vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, then cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds. Cut each piece in half again lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Other squash should be peeled, seeded, cut into 1x 1/2 inch pieces. Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook until the butter just begins to turn color-3to5minutes.Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper and additional salt if needed.

Spicy Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 lb. Delicata or other winter squash

2-3 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 liter milk

2 cup sweet onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

2 tbsp. minced garlic

4 tsp. olive oil

10 oz. frozen corn kernels

10 oz. frozen green beans

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Trim edges of squash, cut into four pieces, remove seeds. Steam 12-15 minutes until soft. Scrape the squash from the skin into a blender, add ginger and 2 1/2 cups milk; purée. Sauté onion, celery and garlic in 3 tsp. olive oil until onions are soft. Reduce heat to low, stir in Cajun spice mix. Stir for 30 seconds, add squash purée and remaining milk. Bring to a boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Add corn and green beans and continue to simmer. Stir in basil. Season with salt to taste.

Baked Delicata Squash

Ingredients:

1 delicata squash

1-2 Tbsp. butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut off the ends of squash, cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Leaving the skins on, cut the squash into 1/2-inch wide lengths. Place these on a baking sheet, dot with butter, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast at 375 degree F. oven until soft. This is the basic recipe. You can add herbs, spices or honey to it if you wish.

Delicata Squash Puree

Ingredients:

One 2-lb. Delicata squash

1 lb. potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 cup heavy cream or half and half

2 tbsp. butter or olive oil

1/4 c. finely chopped fresh chives

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Split the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the outer skin and cut the squash into 3-inch pieces. Place squash and potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with water and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and cook until both the squash and potatoes are fork-tender (30-40 minutes). Drain liquid (reserving about 1 cup) and add in cream and butter. Using a potato masher , mix well. Add chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooking liquid if you want it a bit thinner consistency.

Enjoy!!!

CSA Harvest #21.. with a thank you to our garlic planting helpers! 2011 garlic in the ground!

Well we did it! With the help of 5 CSA members that came out to volunteer their precious Sunday afternoon we were able to get all of the garlic in for next year. We had planned on it taking two Sunday afternoons but we were fueled on salsa, strawberries and dark chocolate. Thank you to each of you who joined us. If you missed this opportunity fear not as next season there will be plenty of projects to go around!

This week we delve deeper into the fall crops with parsnips making their debut as well as tender salad greens. If you are wondering what the orange flecks are in your salad mix those are calendula petals.. edible and they make a beautiful salad as well. We also planted more fennel as a fall crop and the first harvest is ready. If you tried it in the summer and were not thrilled please give it another shot. The combination of cooler growing weather and harvesting it while it is smaller will make it very tender. Parsnips and fennel bulb complement each other in several recipes that we posted below.

The carrots this week are just right, heavy, sweet and crisp. I am crunching on one now as I type. As CSA members you are given the opportunity to eat things in season. A few weeks ago a man came by farmers market and was looking around for locally grown bananas.... in all fairness he was from San Diego where bananas may very well grow side by side with carrots. I had to remind him that he was in Oregon which isn't known for its tropical fruit growing. Our region does produce hundreds of other tasty fruits, vegetables and nuts and to fully appreciate them we must remember why it is so important to eat locally and in season.

When you buy direct from local farmers, your dollars stay within your community, and strengthen the local economy. More than 90¢ of every dollar you spend goes to the farmer, thus preserving farming as a livelihood and farmland.

This is important because as mergers in the food industry have increased, the portion of your food dollar paid to farmers has decreased. Vegetable farmers earn only 21¢ of your dollar; the other 79¢ goes to pay for marketing, distribution, and other costs.

There are other good reasons to eat more local, seasonal food:

*to reduce the energy (and associated CO2 emissions) needed to grow and transport the food we eat

*to avoid paying a premium for food that is scarcer or has travelled a long way (the average food item consumed in the USA has traveled at least 1,500 miles)

*to support the local economy (local farmers keeps .90 cents of every dollar you give them. Most farmers that do not sell directly to the public only get .21 cents of your dollar)

*to reconnect with nature's cycles and the passing of time

*seasonal food is fresher and so tends to be tastier and more nutritious

* This info taken from eattheseasons.com

Enjoy fall's bounty!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally

Harvest This Week Includes:

Salad Mix

Carrots

Fennel (recipes below)

Sweet onions

Parsnips (recipe ideas below)

Potatoes

Daikon radish (if you enjoy a milder radish peel before eating)

Tomatoes

Peppers (spicy and sweet varieties)

How to store it and cook it!

Parsnips are a new crop for Big Lick Farm to grow as they were requested by several folks last year. No other crop we grow takes as long to mature as a parsnip does. We planted these by seed in the cold, rainy days of March and they are just now mature enough to begin harvesting. The roots are a bear to wash. We took our time with these, scrubbing each root individually with a brush. Hands down parsnips are the most time consuming crop to wash that we grow but the taste makes up for the effort! Don't let that gnarled root scare you off! Just follow some of our tips and recipe ideas below and you too will be a parsnip fan.

Store parsnips chilled and loosely wrapped in plastic. Fresh parsnips will last a week or two properly stored.
Cooking With Parsnips
Parsnips have a great, distinctly nutty flavor. When cooked until tender they also have a lovely, starchy texture that works beautifully roasted or added to soups and stews. Parsnips pair particularly well with other root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and turnips. Unlike carrots they do not taste good raw!

Roasted Winter Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use in any combination and cut into similar sized chunks: parsnips (peeled), small fennel heads, carrots (peeled if you like), chunks of daikon radish (great cooked), beets and/or potatoes. Toss with enough cooking oil to coat the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a large glass or ceramic baking dish, uncovered, until browned and tender, 20 to 30 or even 40 or 50 minutes. Stir every 10-15 minutes so that they cook and brown evenly.

Aromatic Parsnips and Carrots

cook time: 50 mins

servings: 10

A fragrant combination of herb seasonings and citrus are infused into fresh parsnips and carrots to create an easy stove top side dish or meatless entree. Prepare this vegetable side dish ahead; chill up to 24 hours, then microwave, stir, and serve.


ingredients

* 1-1/2 lb. small parsnips, peeled and halved lengthwise
* 1-1/2 lb. small carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
* 3 Tbsp. olive oil
* 3/4 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
* 1/2 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
* 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
* 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp. Olive oil

directions

1. Cut any long parsnips and carrots in half crosswise. In a very large skillet, cook parsnips, covered, in small amount of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Add carrots; return to boiling. Cook for 4 minutes more. Drain; set aside. Carefully wipe skillet dry.
2. Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add fennel seeds, coriander, and cinnamon. Cook about 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add parsnips, carrots, and garlic. Cook 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, lemon peel and juice, salt, and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
3. Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 2. Transfer to 2-1/2- or 3-quart microwave-safe casserole. Cover; refrigerate up to 24 hours. To serve, microcook, covered with lid or vented plastic wrap, on high (100% power) for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring once. Serve as above.

recipe source
BHG.com
Better Homes and Gardens


Fennel and Parsnip Puree

yield: Makes 2 servings
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
Ingredients

* 2 large parsnips (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
* 1 small fennel bulb (sometimes called anise), stalks trimmed flush with bulb and bulb chopped (about 1 cup)
* 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter


Preparation

In a saucepan cover parsnips and fennel with salted water and boil, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until very tender. Drain vegetables well in a large sieve. In a food processor purée hot vegetables with butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Honeyed Parsnips and Carrots with Rosemary

Serves 8.

To add richness, sauté three ounces sliced pancetta until crisp; crumble over before serving.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 pound carrots (about 4 large), peeled, cut into 3x1/4x1/4-inch sticks
* 1 pound large parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, cut into 3x1/4x1/4-inch sticks
* Coarse kosher salt
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
* 1 1/2 tablespoons honey (such as heather, chestnut, or wildflower)

Preparation
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and parsnips. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are beginning to brown at edges, about 12 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Add butter, rosemary, and honey to vegetables. Toss over medium heat until heated through and vegetables are glazed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.

CSA Harvest #20

Good day everyone. We were hoping to post some pictures of last Thursday's event at the farm when two 4th grade classes from Glide came for a visit. Alas the pictures don't want to seem to load so I will stick to the 1,000 words to describe each missing picture! We had kids, teachers, parents, and even the bus driver and Principal visiting. A wonderful time was had by everyone. When the students got here we broke into 4 groups. One group was working in the greenhouse sifting compost, planting their own pots with lettuce and spinach and then getting a close look at the 6 honeybee hives that are on the farm. Thank you CSA member Elee Hadley for coming to the rescue to lead this group! Asinete took one group down into the field and they helped him pull out old cucumber vines, pull up weed cloth and then harvest tomatoes for salsa making. The kids in Asinete's group then came up into our garage/packing shed and Violet taught the kids how to properly cut tomatoes and make salsa. The other group worked with my Mom to cut the tops off of our storage onions and put them in mesh bags. Also this group worked on breaking up heads of garlic and separating the heads into individual cloves to get ready to plant in the upcoming days. In between the clove breaking and onion cutting my Mom gave an impromptu geography and cultural lesson about Asinete's homeland of Kiribati. It was funny to see the kids all running up to Asinete and saying Mauri! The last group was with me for the farm tour where students, tasted, smelled and traversed their way through the row crops answering trick questions like "what is this unopened green flower called that we eat?" many of the kids knew it was broccoli. Then the farm tour kids ended down in the peach orchard and helped me to spread cover crop seed between the peach trees. Wonderful to have all that energy and helping hands. Every thirty minutes the groups would switch so all the kids got a chance to do the 4 different events.
The field trip was made possible in large part from Wildlife Safari. Wildlife Safari had received grant funds to help get school kids involved in local, conservation work. If you would like to encourage your child's class to come out for a visit we would be happy to host more students. Probably looking toward next Spring at this point since weather may turn soon.

In other news life on the farm is all about clean up this time of year. Many of the rows we covered with weed barrier cloth. The cloth is held into the soil with metal clips so these are all pulled out, weed cloth is rolled up (150 foot rolls) and then stored up in the shed for next season. Also drip tape for irrigating certain crops needs to be rolled up carefully on a spool and put away for next season. Our main clean up will come after our first frost which will kill off many of the things still growing (peppers, basil, cucumbers, squash).

Also at this point in the season we have tried to plan out what each harvest will include now that we have a count of what's available out in the field for the remaining 6 weeks. We are keeping our fingers and toes crossed that all of our fall crops will mature in time. A lot can happen in 6 weeks!

Happy Eating!!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet & Sally


Harvest This Week Includes:

Leeks! (we've been waiting for these babies all season!) recipe ideas below!

Rainbow Chard (recipe ideas below)

Luscious Sweet Corn blowout! ~ alot and the last of it for 2010!

Green Slicing Cucumbers

Tomatoes

Strawberries

Peppers (sweet and hot) The hotter ones are thinner.. when in doubt taste a tiny sliver)

Garlic

Winter Squash (finally!) every other week from here on out Recipe ideas below..

Daikon Radish (recipes below)

Raspberries (on rotation)

How to Store it and Eat it!

If your desire for the Big Lick strawberries is waning the berries freeze really well. Cut off stems, rinse and then freeze on cookie sheets so that berries don't freeze in one big clump. We use these in smoothies and also heated up and put on pancakes. Once they are frozen they are soft and lose their texture.

The raspberries you may have all gotten by now are a fall bearing variety called Autumn Bliss. Raspberries are very delicate and need to be eaten asap. Store in your fridge for up to 2 days.

Sweet Corn preservation: depending on how much sweet corn you get in your basket you may want to save some for later. Here are some ideas to help you.

On the cob doesn't lend itself to freezing. We freeze corn every year, it is great!
Husk the corn. Fill huge pot with water (enough to hold corn)
bring water to a full boil
put corn in and wait to start boiling again
boil for about 8-10 min
pull from water and immediately put in cold water
when corn is cool
cut off cob with sharp knife
bag in zip lock and freeze
Use by next summer when fresh corn in avail again.

Hooray for Leeks!! Leeks are in the Allium family like onions and garlic. They taste like a very mild onion. Anywhere you would use onion you can add leek chopped up. It stores well wrapped loosely in a plastic bag and put in the crisper drawer of fridge.

Lemony Risotto
from Almost Vegetarian by Diana Shaw

serves 4-6

1 lemon (or 2 small)
3 cups broth: vegetable or chicken
1 large leek, white & green part, cleaned and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 T butter, unsalted
2 shallots, minced
1 T chopped parsley
1 cup arborio rice
2 T white wine
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Halve and juice the lemon and remove the zest with a vegetable peeler. Leave half the zest in strips and mince the rest. Set aside the juice and the minced zest.

Place the strips of zest in a saucepan with the broth, leek, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, then cover and simmer gently over low heat for 30 minutes.

Stain the broth through a sieve, discard the leek and bay leaf, and pour it back into the saucepan. Cover and bring it back to a gentle simmer over low heat.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan melt the butter. Saute the shallots, parsley, and minced lemon zest over med-low heat until the shallots are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir until it’s just about evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine and lemon juice, turn up the heat, and stir until it’s just about evaporated, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat.

Using a ladle, add about 1 C hot broth. Stir constantly over med heat until the broth has been absorbed. Add another ladle full of broth and keep stirring until it’s been absorbed.

Continue the process, adding broth a half cupful at a time and stirring in this way, until the kernels are plump and no longer chalk white in the center. This should take 25 to 30 minutes altogether. The rice is almost done when the kernels are still separate but starting to bind and there are pools of broth on the surface. It’s done when the liquid has been absorbed, and the kernels are bound in what looks like very ricey, yet somewhat creamy, rice pudding.

When the risotto is nearly done, stir in 2 T more broth, along with the Parmesan cheese, and stir well until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 3-4 minutes. \


Sausage-Leek Soup
serves 6

1/2 pound smoked sausage
1/4 olive oil or butter
3 cups cleaned, chopped leeks
3 tablespoons chopped herbal celery or parsley
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup milk or half and half
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
S & P to taste

Slice or cut the sausage into thin slices. Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the sausage, heat and stir for 3-4 minutes add the chopped leeks, heat and stir for 5 minutes. Add the celery/parsley, stir add the chicken broth bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender or in a food processor. Return to the pot and place over a low flame; stir in milk and gradually stir in the grated cheese. Season to taste with S & P and serve hot.


Daikon Radish.. if you don't love the heat of normal radishes try these! Daikon Radish (Raphanus sativus subsp. longipinnatus) is an everyday component of Asian cuisine. In fact, it is the most widely grown vegetable in Japan. You’ll find it with your meal at almost any Japanese restaurant. It can be prepared almost anyway you like, including raw, fried, grilled, boiled. Not only does it taste great, but Daikon is also good for you. It is very low in calories, helps in digestion and is a a good source of vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium. There is even some evidence that it helps fight cancer.


Daikon Radish Miso Soup (Miso is a paste that is made from fermented soybeans). It is a superfood and has been proven to reduce chances of breast cancer in women. Not only that it tastes wonderful too! We get our miso paste at Sherm's in their refrigerated section in health food isle but any store should have it! We use the yellow miso since the taste is so mild.

Ingredients

1 Qt. water
8 Tbsp. miso paste
1/2 cup chopped Daikon radish
tofu, chopped into small cubes
2 strands of chopped green onions
Directions

Add Daikon radish to slow boiling water, let cook for another 10 minutes or until soft. You can cut the Daikon anyway you like but if you slice it relatively thin (1/4 inch) and then cut in half so that they are half-moon shaped, it will cook faster.

Add miso paste. The best way is to take a small amount of the soup in a small bowl and mix the miso paste in there until it is evenly distributed, then pour the soup (with miso) back into the soup pot.

Remove the soup from heat immediately after adding the miso paste.

Add the tofu and green onions and serve!

Makes around 6 servings.


Pork Bone and Daikon Radish Soup

Ingredients

1 lb pork bones or pork ribs
1 lb Daikon radish
1/2 leek sliced thinly and/or cilantro
sliced fresh ginger (about 2 inches of a regular size ginger)
Directions

Boil pork bones for approximately 5 minutes. Remove and discard water. This gets rid of the scum that floats to the top.
Add ginger and pork bones to 4 cups (or enough to cover all the ingredients) of fresh boiling water for 10 minutes then reduce to a low boil and cook for at least 90 minutes.

Chop Daikon radish. Slice the radish into 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick circles and then chop them into quarters.

Add Daikon and thin slices of leek to soup and let cook for 20 minutes.

Add chopped green onions or cilantro, salt to taste.

Makes 4 servings.


You do not need to follow just these two recipes.. Daikon is wonderful added to stir fry's and freshly cut up in salads.

Rainbow Chard Chard like the kale we have been putting in your baskets in chock full of all sorts of good vitamins and minerals. Chard keeps best in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

Seared Rainbow Chard with Leeks

Gourmet | August 2000

yield: Makes 8 servings

active time: 25 minutes

total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients

* 1 bunch rainbow chard
* 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large leek (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preparation

Cut stems from chard (if leaves are large, cut out coarse portions of rib), then cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Stack chard leaves and roll into cylinders. Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch-thick strips of leaves.

Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté chard stems and leeks with sea salt and pepper to taste, stirring occasionally, until slightly soft, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add chard leaves and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until wilted. (If greens begin to brown before they wilt, sprinkle with a few drops of water.)



Swiss Chard Tian
from A Complete Menu Cookbook for All Occasions by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette 4-6 servings

1 bunch rainbow chard
Olive oil, as needed
1 leek or 1 onion, chopped (if using a leek, make sure it’s cleaned, and only use the white and light green parts)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs
S and P to taste
4 teaspoons water
Bread Crumbs, as needed

1. Chop the chard, both leaves and stems, and then boil the chard for about 20 minutes (yikes, I think I would do 5-10 in my kitchen-julia) in lightly salted water. Drain the chard and set it aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350degrees. Pour some olive oil into a large skillet. Add the onion and saute lightly over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, and saute for another minute. Add the Swiss chard and continue sauteing for 2-3 minutes more, blending the ingredients well. Beat the eggs in a deep bowl, add the salt, pepper, and water. Mix well.

4. Butter thoroughly a long, ovenproof dish. Place the chard mixture in it and spread evenly. Pour the egg mixture on the top and also spread evenly. Sprinkle some bread crumbs over the top surface. Place the dish in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.

Winter Squash Storageinter : store in a cool, dry place: nearly anywhere in your kitchen or pantry should work. If the winter squash doesn't have nicks/fresh gashes it should last for months. Winter squash is a powerhouse of vitamins and beta carotene!

In case you've never tried to cook winter squash, it couldn't be simpler: Cut in half with a big sharp knife. Remove seeds. (If you've ever carved a pumpkin, these two steps should be very familiar.) Put in a baking pan (use glass, metal or ceramic would also work) cut side down, with a little water in the pan. Or rub the cut side with a little oil first. Bake in a medium oven (325, or 350, or 400, etc.) until it's easily pierced with a fork. Remove, and eat. Possible toppings: many like maple syrup, and/or salt and pepper. You can also add cut, seeded halves of winter squash to the crockpot with some water, and let it cook that way for a few hours. This method works especially well when all you want is the cooked flesh to puree for a soup or other dish.

Another winter squash/pumpkin preparations:

cut up pieces (large ones) already seeded into a crock pot for 2 or so hours on high. When a fork can easily pierce the squash/pumpkin pieces, remove it and scrape the flesh into a food processor and whirl a bit. Then freeze in 1 and 2 cup increments. Soup and pie are obvious and delicious choices, you can also put 1 cup of this puree into nearly every batch of muffins, waffles, cookies, pancakes, biscuits etc. that you make. Just take an existing recipe and add a cup of squash puree.


Curried Winter Squash
Ingredients

* 3 cups cooked, mashed winter squash
* 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
* 2 tablespoons butter or trans fat-free margarine
* 2 tablespoons maple syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
* 3 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes, toasted (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine first six ingredients. Cook until warmed through and blend in coconut at end.

Squash Cookies

Original Recipe Yield 5 dozen

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups mashed, cooked winter squash
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and squash. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices; add to mixture, stirring until well blended. Stir in raisins and nuts. Spoon onto cookie sheets spacing cookies 2 inches apart.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges are golden.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 171 | Total Fat: 7.8g | Cholesterol: 22mg

CSA Harvest #19~ 7 to go!

Good day! How can it be that 19 weeks have gone by already? And really what we're wondering is how can there be 7 weeks left? :) no, no it's true time does fly when you are having fun and that's what we like to do down here at Big Lick Farm! While we've been having fun we also have been enjoying our fall weather. I love how the light changes at this time of year, still sunny but softer not intense like at summer. The soft light of fall allows us to hang up our huge sombreros and trade them for ball caps which allow for much better visibility. We are watching clouds of Canadian Geese as they migrate south in preparation for winter. Also we watch as the first dry leaves of fall litter the fields. At this time of year a definite perk of being a farmer is being able to be outside to witness the splendor of fall.

This year we have noticed so much more life on the farm in terms of beneficial insects and small, colorful tree frogs. Praying mantises are everywhere we turn. Lingering in the strawberry plants catching grasshoppers, mating in the winter squash patch and hanging out on the huge sunflowers waiting for pollinators to come. Also the tree frogs, leaping widely into the riot of vegetable growth. We are convinced the increase of life at the farm is in response to the way we are growing food.. in a way that promote life and diversity! Unfortunately we do need to go into areas and mow occasionally and till. The increase of animal life makes it a slow process as we mow and till. Baby steps taken to be sure as many of the critters are out of the way as possible. Several times we will see a praying mantis come ambling out of the greenery we are in the process of mowing and we will stop the machines and carry the mantis or tree frog to safety. Call us softies but the frogs and mantises do such a fine job of pest control they are treated with much respect.

This Thursday we are anticipating 42 4th grade students from Glide to visit the farm. The students will be broken into groups and get hands on experience in harvesting, composting, salsa making and helping to plant more cover crop seed as well as learning about organic farming methods. Thank you to our CSA member and Glide 4th grade teacher Julie Vandehey for making this happen! We will post photos next week.


For now we will get to the recipes as we still need to prepare for the arrival of kids to the farm!

Enjoy!!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally


Harvest This Week Includes:

Luscious Sweet Corn (yay it's back!! our last planting.. enjoy!)

Summer Crisp Lettuce

Heirloom Tomatoes

Sweet Yellow Onion

Tromboncini Squash

Cucumber

Carrots

Strawberries

Raspberries (on rotation)


We know you are all familiar with the above crops for this week's harvest so enjoy!

Also thank you to those of you who have forwarded recipes on how to prepare kale. We were happy to hear that many of you are loving the kale! We will post those forwarded recipes in the upcoming weeks when kale becomes a more frequent part of your CSA share (after we have our first frost). Last year we had our first frost October 7th... that would be this Thursday. We are hoping the first frost will hold off for a bit longer this year since we had such a cold, wet spring.

CSA Harvest #18

Mauri everyone and hooray for the 18th delivery! Also a hooray is definitely in order for this beautiful weather we've been blessed with. As we've been working this week we try to absorb every ray of sun we can to store it up for the long, cold, gray winter ahead. The welcomed warm days have also made the strawberries pump out even more berries than normal and they're sweeter too! Please savor these last weeks of berries since when the fall rains really hit the berries will be done until next spring.

At this time of year on the farm we are still busy planting last minute crops that can grow and mature quickly. Baby salad greens, more turnips, lettuce, arugula and spinach that we hope will find their way into your basket during the last few weeks. Also we are clearing out the spent corn to get it ready for the garlic planting that will happen in about two weeks. If anyone would like to try their hand at planting garlic extra hands are surely welcome in this activity! We will be planting out 27 lines of garlic on beds 100 feet long. We fit three lines of garlic per bed. This leaves us with enough to sell and give in the CSA each season with enough left over for planting when fall comes. We try to save the largest cloves for planting since large cloves make large bulbs.

Many farmers try to save costs and be more self reliant by saving their own seeds each season. Due to time and lack of a labor force here at Big Lick we pretty much only save garlic seed for replanting and for the past two seasons potatoes (along with annual flowers). Garlic actually gets better and better as it is grown in the same site year after year. The plant begins to adapt to the soil and the climate. This will be our fourth season planting this garlic at Big Lick Farm. The potatoes we have tried saving enough each season but they do not do as well when saved each year. Potatoes are more susceptible to viruses and disease which can weaken the plants over time and lead to reduced yields. We will need to save up enough to buy more seed potatoes for next season. The main expense we pay for seed potatoes are shipping costs since most all the seed potatoes come from Colorado and need to be shipped out via UPS. Of course the benefit to ordering new potato seeds are there are always delicious new varieties to try! This year sadly our potato variety has dwindled down to a few French fingerling and lots of yukon golds. We will be planting some different varieties next season.

Already we have been making lists of new varieties other Oregon CSA farms have had success with and ones which we would love to grow next season. Also we will be sending out surveys in the next few weeks to each of you (via email). We would love to hear some feedback about how we're doing. And input as to how to make 2011 our best season ever is greatly appreciated!

Happy eating!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally

Harvest This Week Includes:

Basil tops (may be the last of it depending when the first frost comes!) freezes well!

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Softneck garlic

Yellow Sunshine Watermelon

Charantais cantaloupe (really there this week! sorry they did not fit last week!)

Hakurei Turnips

Lacinato kale aka Dinosaur Kale (the most nutritious of all the kales)

Heirloom Tomatoes

Strawberries

Lipstick and Gypsy Peppers (too many? they freeze well!)

Luscious sweet corn (from our last planting) we are really hoping we can get some in baskets tomorrow.. if not this week then definitely next week!)

Raspberries (on rotation)

How to Store it and Cook it!

Did you make the kale chips from the recipe last week? My mom who thought kale was blah before made the kale chips this last weekend and could not stop raving about them... try for yourself! guaranteed you will love! more kale recipes from last week's blog..

Hakurei Turnip Gratin

Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a non-stick 12 inch skillet (make sure you have a top to fit the pan.)

Wash one bunch of white hakurei turnips well, top and tail them, and slice them in 1/4 inch slices. Save the turnip greens for another recipe. You don’t need to peel the turnips. Layer the slices in the pan. Sprinkle the sliced turnips with 1 teaspoon dry thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, and 1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, then pour 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup chicken stock over the top. Cover and cook the turnips over medium heat for 20 minutes. The turnips will be completely cooked through, but there will be considerable liquid left in the pan. Remove the cover and cook to reduce the liquid. When most of the liquid has reduced (about 5-10 minutes), and the sauce is thickened, grate finely 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Watch closely as the cheese melts and make sure that the liquid does not entirely cook away.

Serve the turnips hot. The recipe is supposed to serve 6, but maybe realistically it would only serve 4, once they discover that they love turnips!


Turnip Greens
Ingredients

* 1 bunch Hakurei turnip greens, cut into large strips
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
* 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
* 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 clementine, tangerine, or small orange, peeled and sectioned
* A pinch of sugar, brown sugar or honey
* salt

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the turnip greens and the remaining ingredients. Saute until the greens have wilted. Serve with slivered raw Hakurei turnips.

Chicken Salad with Hakurei Turnips and Raisins

Ingredients

* 2 cups diced chicken
* 6 small Hakurei turnips diced
* 1/4 cup raisins
* 2 tbsp mayonaise
* 1 tbsp dijon mustard
* 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
* 1/4 tsp ground coriander, ground cumin, or curry powder
* 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
* salt and lots of black pepper

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together. Let the salad rest for at least 1/2 hour to allow the flavors to bind.

CSA Harvest #17

Good day everyone. In honor of only 1 more day left of summer (yes Thursday is the Autumnal Equinox)I wanted to post a picture of the country that Asinete calls home.. the Pacific Island of Kiribati. Where is Kiribati you will probably ask.. well if you look at a map midway between Australia and Hawaii right along that doted line that is the equator you will see tiny, scattered islands and that is Kiribati. Since Kiribati straddles the equator it is always summer there. If you would really like to surprise Asinete you could greet him with the Kiribati greeting.. Mauri!! (pronounced Mowree)just don't tell him I told you ;)


It might be the end of summer but after this week we still have 9 more deliveries to make! Our last delivery will be Thanksgiving week.. most likely on a Mon or Tues as many of you may be gone for the holiday. Don't worry we will keep you all updated! If you still have unpaid balances we would really appreciate all of those to be paid completely by Nov 1st.

The rain has given all the crops at the farm a good soaking. Some crops love the rain (broccoli, carrots, fennel, lettuce and more) whereas others suffer in some ways (mainly split tomatoes & rotting strawberries that don't like getting wet). You may notice you don't get as many strawberries this week and that is because too many were beautiful on one side and complete mush on the other.
Amazingly our new raspberries that we planted this spring are going gangbusters heavily loaded down with the fall crop of berries. Still not enough for all of you at once but this week we are going to start rotating them through the CSA baskets so hopefully you will all get some in the next few weeks. Next year they will be much bigger and even more loaded with some for everyone!


Happy Fall and perhaps you can celebrate the Equinox with a large cold slice of .. watermelon? yep! Sorry that we could not get these yellow sunshine melons to you sooner in the blazing hot days of summer.. we hope you will still enjoy them! The other melon in your basket is a French cantaloupe called a Charentais. We would love to hear what you all have enjoyed more.. the cantaloupe you have already been getting the last few weeks (Ambrosia) or this new Charentais melon..

Enjoy the last week of summer's bounty!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally


Harvest This Week Includes:

Hakurei Turnips (they're back!!) use those greens as well!

Strawberries

Yellow Sweet Onions

Sweet Peppers and Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers (the longer skinnier ones either yellow or red) *hot ones will be in paper sack with your cherry tomatoes!

Carrots

Winterbor Kale (recipe ideas below.. please try kale chips recipe below.. yummmm!!!)

Summer Squash

Cucumbers

Cherry Tomatoes

Heirloom and San Marzano Tomatoes

Sunshine Watermelon

Charantais cantaloupe

On rotation: raspberries


How to store it and cook it!!

In case we did not tell you your carrots keep better with their tops lopped off and keep the topless carrots in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer until used.

Kale time!!

Your kale this week is a variety called Winterbor. Kale may be new to your palate but it should be a mainstay of your recipes from fall through early spring. Kale survives our winters like a champion and the cold weather even makes it more tasty by converting the starches into sugars when the weather freezes.

The following is an excerpt from a holistic health website regarding kale:
"Nutritionally rated, kale is near the top amongst vegetables. It's a real nutrition booster, with its high level of beta carotene and plentiful
amounts of vitamins C and E. These antioxidants make it a good food to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and cataracts. Kale is also loaded with such minerals as calcium, potassium, manganese and iron.

Additionally, kale is high in sulforaphane, which stimulates the body to
produce cancer-fighting enzymes. Sulfur compounds called glucosinolates, which are found in generous amounts in cruciferous vegetables like kale, are broken down into compounds called isothiocyanates and indoles when the vegetable is chewed or cut. The presence of vitamin C makes this process even more effective, as the compounds are more readily available for the body's use.

Researchers believe kale's cancer-lessening ability stems from these
and many population compounds. Some surveys, experimental testing, several animal trials studies have found that eating kale on a regular basis lowers the risk of different cancers.

Kale is also among the highest vegetable sources of chlorophyll, an immune system stimulant.

In the "Medical Value of Natural Foods," published in 1936, Dr W.H. Graves wrote that kale is also effective in treating constipation, obesity, acidosis, emaciation, poor teeth, pyorrhea, arthritis, gout, rheumatism, skin diseases and bladder disorders."

The longer kale is stored, the stronger its flavor becomes. The best way to store it is to wrap it in a damp towel and place it in a plastic bag in a cold place like the refrigerator. In this way it lasts for 10 to 14 days.


Kale Recipe Ideas!! The kale tastes much better if you tear or cut the leaves away from the hard rib part of each leaf. We find tearing leaves much faster than cutting!

Garlicky Braised Kale

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
Generous pinch red chile flakes
10 ounces kale
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and chile flakes and sauté for about a minute, or until fragrant. Add the kale and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until just wilted. Add the water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the kale is tender. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 4. A fantastic side dish that will go with just about anything. Toss with pasta and grated Parmegiano-Reggiano to turn it into a simple and delicious complete meal.


Hilary's Delicious and Nutritious Kale Chips!
You need:

* 1 bunch of kale
* 1/4 teaspoon paprika
* salt to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon sugar
* dash of cayenne pepper
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Wash and dry kale. Remove leaves from stems and rip into chip-sized pieces. Place kale in large bowl.
3. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on kale and evenly massage onto leaves. Slowly add salt and paprika and pepper (or your choice of seasonings) to kale while tossing in bowl. Do not add the sugar yet.
4. Spread kale evenly on very lightly coated baking sheet or on parchment paper on baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes. Flip after 5 minutes. Keep your eye on them to make sure they don’t over cook or burn (they can easily).
5. Remove when done and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle with sugar while still hot.


Orzo with Kale

Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 2 cups uncooked orzo pasta
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, sliced
* 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
* 1 large lemon, juiced
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
* salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly-salted water to a boil; sprinkle the turmeric over the boiling water and stir in the orzo; return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain. Scrape into a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the garlic in the hot oil for a few seconds until it begins to bubble. Stir the kale into the garlic, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and continue cooking and stirring until the kale is tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir the kale mixture into the orzo along with the lemon juice, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 103 | Total Fat: 2.1g | Cholesterol: < 1mg



HUNGARIAN STUFFED PEPPERS

1 sm. onion, diced
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. regular rice
1 1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 med. size peppers
1/4 c. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. tomatoes, peeled & quartered or 2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes

Saute onions in tablespoon of butter until soft in a large skillet. Add rice; cook over low heat for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup water. Cook until rice is tender (about 10 minutes). Remove skillet from heat; add meat, salt and pepper. The night before wash peppers, cut off tops, scoop out seeds and membrane. The next day, stuff loosely with rice mixture. On top of the stove, melt 1/4 cup butter. Stir in flour, sugar, remaining 1 cup water and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat; stir constantly until sauce is smooth. (Use only 1/2 cup water if using canned tomatoes.) In a crock pot, stand filled peppers upright. Cover with tomato sauce; cover. Simmer over low heat until peppers are tender (about 1 hour or so). Serve with crusty French bread. Serves 6.

CSA Harvest #16

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words so let me use up some cyberspace with these images from the CSA harvest last week. If it is not evident from the photos above Wednesday's on the farm tend to be the best days of the week. On Wednesday we are joined by our take charge, fast paced volunteer trio. M.A., Violet and Sally carefully wash, cut, tie, weigh, bag,and place each item with the utmost TLC into every basket. We are lucky indeed to have this volunteer force willing to lend a helping hand.

In other farm news many of you decided to join us for our third annual potluck this past Sunday. The amount of food brought by each of you was astounding and our pack house was bulging at the seams with bowls piled high with your festive, delicious creations. We hope you enjoyed your time at the farm and we thank fellow CSA member Steve Erickson for providing music with his accordion and also the musical posse from Om Garden's for bringing the Stevie Wonder vibe to the farm!
I will post some photos of Sunday's potluck on the blog so please be on the lookout!
We noticed we inherited several new plates and utensils. If you think you may have left something here please let us know what it is so we can get it back to you!

We also want to give a shout out to our new patrons at Lighthouse Center Bakery in Umpqua and Steamboat Inn (on the North Umpqua Highway). Both of these business's see the importance of supporting local, sustainable farms in their own communities and we want to thank them as it helps to keep our business viable. If you find yourself at either Steamboat Inn (they have a great breakfast menu!) or the Lighthouse Bakery/Cafe please let them know you appreciate them supporting our farm.

You may be going through a greens withdrawal but we will begin to dispense the greenery again starting next week with our new crop of kale and rainbow chard.

Until then enjoy the lingering tastes of summer!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally

Harvest This Week Includes:

Green and Royal Burgundy Beans (they're back!!)

Basil (recipes below)

Summer Squash (tromboncini and yellow crookneck) recipe ideas below!

Cucumber Mix (green slicing/boothby blonde, lemon)

Ambrosia Melon (store in your fridge til you enjoy!)

Hardneck garlic

French Fingerling Potatoes (our all time favorite!)

Strawberries

Sweet Lipstick/Gypsy Bell Peppers

Cherry Tomato Mix

Heirloom Tomatoes

Red Torpedo Onions


Recipe Ideas!!

Basil Info: Researchers report that basil contains antibacterial compounds, which make the essential oil great for treating skin conditions. In India it is used in a kind of aroma therapy and is said to give people sattva, enlightenment and harmony. In Arabian countries it has long been used to alleviate menstrual cramps, so, many Arabian men refuse to eat it.

BASIL WALNUT VINAIGRETTE~ great topping for green beans!
1 tsp. chopped garlic
20 basil leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dijon mustard
4 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

Whirl together the above ingredients, and toss with lightly steamed green beans and/or cooked potatoes, or? Then toss with: chopped walnuts and 3 sliced scallions.


Summer Squash with Basil and Pecorino Romano Cheese
1 1/2 pounds firm summer squash
4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons freshly grated imported Pecorino Romano cheese
10 basil leaves

Wash the squash well. Trim squash and slice into thin coins. Place olive oil in a large saute pan and turn the heat to high. Add the squash and toss in the oil until it is lightly golden in spots but still crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat to medium low, add the garlic and S & P to taste. Cook until the squash is tender but still has a trace of crispness.

Transfer the squash to a serving platter. Sprinkle the grated Pecorino Romano cheese over squash. Tear the basil leaves into fragments and scatter them over the top.

Squash Casserole

3 1/2 c chopped yellow summer squash
1/2 c chopped sweet onion
2 Tbsp flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
lots of black pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs or crushed crackers
butter

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the squash and onion together (should make a combination of about 4 cups) in boiling water until tender and drain well. Combine in a large bowl with the eggs, flour, milk, 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, and about 1/2 cup of crumbs. Spoon into a large buttered casserole dish and top with the rest of the crumbs, cheese, and dot with butter to taste. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until golden brown.


French Fingerling Potato Info:
Nutritional Value
French Fingerlings contain calcium, niacin, protein, iron, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and dietary fiber. One medium-sized potato contains about 100 calories. For optimum nutritional benefits, cook with skins or lightly peel as most of its nutrients are just under its skin. Look closely when you cut into the French fingerling.. don't you just love that red blush color? Keep your fingerlings at room temperature in a paper sack.

French Potato Salad
Makes 6 servings

* 2 1/2 pounds fingerling or small new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
* 1 small shallot, minced (2 tablespoons)
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
* 1/4 small red onion, sliced

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Run under cold water to cool slightly, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, mustard, vinegar, shallot, parsley, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and onion and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature. (To store, refrigerate, up to overnight.)

From Everyday Food, July/August 2009