People who swear they hate beets love this salad. It’s a North African-inspired mixture of grated, uncooked beets dressed with orange and lemon juices and a small amount of olive oil. It makes a great starter when you’re serving something robust as a main course, like a couscous.
Recipes for Health
Martha Rose Shulman presents food that is vibrant and light, full of nutrients but by no means ascetic, fun to cook and to eat.
1/2 pound beets
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon minced chives, mint or parsley (or a combination)
Salt to taste
Leaves of 1 romaine heart
1. Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler, and grate in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade.
2. Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss with the beets and herbs. Season to taste with salt. Line a salad bowl or platter with romaine lettuce leaves, top with the grated beets and serve.
Yield: Serves four.
Advance preparation: The grated beets can be dressed and kept in the refrigerator, covered well, for a couple of days. They become more tender but don’t lose their texture, and the mixture becomes even sweeter as the beet juices mingle with the citrus. Toss again before serving.
Nutritional information per serving: 58 calories; 3 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 6 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 32 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 1 gram protein
Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
CSA Harvest #9~
Happy Sunny, Summer Day! We wanted to share some images from the farm tour two weeks ago. Thank you to our CSA members Ardyce (pictured above) and her daughter Kris for printing these pics up for us to share with you! If you look close at the pics above you can see the field of strawberries with our 1948 farmall cub tractor in the background and also the little red barn where the chickens sleep at night. Notice how we like to goof around with overgrown squash at the farm!
Today it took us a whopping three hours to harvest all the berries for the CSA. We have berries everywhere! Since our 'fridges are full of berries we had to take a truckload of our produce up to Dillard Farm Stand today. Jill Laurance (McGregor) who owns the stand and farm was kind enough to share some of her coveted walk in cooler space with us.. how nice! We went pretty gung ho this spring with our green cabbage planting and had 160 heads in the field that needed to be cut. We wanted to give you all a break this week on the cabbage so we needed to find a cool place to keep it in the meantime.. luckily cabbage stores well! We also went through and harvested what appears to be the last of the spring planted broccoli.. (finally!) it is sooo good though! Broccoli will not store as well so it will make an appearance in your baskets again this week. Please get through any lingering cabbage this week as next week we may hit you again hard with it (limited access to that coveted cooler space!)
Back to the joys of a walk in cooler.. it is definitely on our list of either buying one already made or building our own.. it is a pretty big expense and really we will only need it for three months out of the year.. but how much easier it would make our lives.. so if any of you have one collecting dust in your backyard please let us know! :) (we can always wish!)
Another huge thank you is in order this week to CSA members Beth and Jim Houseman. They both came down from Sutherlin for the farm tour and as we walked among the potato patch they saw we did not have a proper potato digging fork. So we were surprised a few days later when Jim pulled into our driveway with a new digging fork in his hand. It is truly these moments that make many a hot, weary, dreary day of farming worthwhile! So thank you Houseman's for your gift! You can thank them as well as it hopefully ensures many less potatoes riddled with slashes and cuts from the shovel method of harvesting.
Thank you to all of you for supporting these local farmers!
Suzie, Asinete, M.A (see M.A I spelled it right!) Violet and Sally
Harvest This Week Includes:
Summer Squash
Strawberries
Basil Tops
Beets
Maxibel Haricot Bush Beans
Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce
Walla Walla Onions
Broccoli
Glacier Tomatoes (a few for everyone!)
How to Store it & Eat it!
Your beans this week are a French green bean called a Haricot Vert.. they are characterized by their long, pencil thin shape. They are our favorite string beans because they taste so good and although bush beans (not pole) they produce and produce. Green beans are will keep best in a bag in the fridge.
Green Bean Stir Fry
Serves 2
Ingredients
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon peanut butter
* 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
* 4 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Directions
1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, sesame seeds, brown sugar and peanut butter; set aside. In a large skillet, stir-fry the green beans in oil until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat. Add the soy sauce mixture; stir to coat.
Ginger-Garlic Green Beans
1 lb. fresh green beans
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup low sodium chicken stock
Wash the beans, trim the ends, and cut into 2" pieces. Arrange beans over vegetable steamer and place over boiling water. Cover and steam 5 minutes, until the green beans are tender crisp. Drain beans and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil over low heat. Add ginger and garlic and sauté 3 minutes ,or until tender. Add chicken stock, stir. Add beans, cook 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Serves 4.
Walla Walla (bing bang) onions! Walla wallas are pretty famous and coveted around these parts and for a good reason! They are heavy, juicy and sweet and a fleeting seasonal treat. Walla Walla season is from early June through mid- September and we have learned the hard way that you cannot store walla wallas for more than a few weeks without them spoiling so use them up quick! If you would like to keep the green tops on them please refrigerate or else lop off the tops and keep onions in a cool, dark place.
French Onion Burgers
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped Walla Walla onions
1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
4 hamburger rolls
4 teaspoons blue cheese salad dressing
Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium high heat.
2. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 10 minutes or until tender. Spoon onion into a large bowl. Set aside to let cool.
3. Add beef, pepper, egg white and salt to onion, and stir well. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping into 3/4-inch-thick patties.
4. Oil grill grate. Grill burgers for 5 minutes on each side or until done.
5. Serve burgers on rolls with dressing.
The Houseman's Onion Casserole (passed along from CSA members.. if you have a fave recipe using Big Lick produce please pass on for us to post!
4 large walla walla onions (please half recipe if not enough onions in your bskt!)
1/2 cup butter
saltine crackers
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
black pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese grated
1 can (15 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1. Slice onions, saute in butter 'til clear
2. Grease bottom of 9x13 baking dish, crush some crackers into bottom of dish
3. Add half of onions and half of soup, alternating until gone.
4. Beat eggs, milk and pepper. Pour over top.
5. Top with cheese and some additional crushed crackers.
6. Bake at 350 degrees until brown (about 30 mins) yummy!
More beet ideas sure to tempt the beet hater in your family!
Beet burgers
Makes 6-8 servings
4 medium sized beets
2 sprigs of basil, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 to 2/3 cup flour
olive oil
mozzarella cheese
burger buns
1. Trim beet tops and root. Shred the beet in a food processor; transfer to a bowl. Add basil, onions, eggs, salt and pepper; mix.
2. Mix in just enough flour to make the mixture stick together. Form into 4-inch patties about 1/2 inch thick. (Don't make them too thick or the centers won't cook well.)
3. Heat 1/4 inch of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties 2-3 minutes on one side, until crispy. Turn, place a slice of mozzarella on top and fry 2-3 minutes more, until crispy.
4. Place hot on bun; serve immediately.
Roasted Beets with Pesto~ serves 4
Ingredients
* 4 beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
* 6 tablespoons basil pesto
* salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Place the beets in a large saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beets are just tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, and allow the beets to cool until you are able to handle them. Peel and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices, then toss with the pesto in a bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
3. Spread the beets out onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the beets are hot and have turned slightly brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes.
In regards to the pesto I just whipped up a huge batch on Sunday in the food processor and then froze it in ice cube trays until frozen, then popped pesto cubes into freezer bags for winter use. I took all the basil (even the more tender stems) put in food processor, put in enough nuts (pine nuts, walnuts or even macadamia nuts work well), a quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice, three cloves of garlic (we love garlic.. you could use less :) and then a good drizzling on top of all with your favorite olive oil. Since I was freezing ours I did not add the Parmesan cheese but you could add to taste and whip up with the rest of the ingredients.. should be smooth and no chunks when you are done!
Happy eating!!!!!
Monday, July 19, 2010
CSA Harvest #8~ ode to a strawberry
Hooray for the 8th harvest of 2010~! And finally a celebration of strawberries that are filling our fridges (when I say our I mean every square inch of our fridge) and also our neighbors fridge!) strawberries are also filling our tummies as we pick we find one small flaw in every few plants and decide it's best if we cull the fruit by popping it into our mouths.. every one of our work shirts is now covered with red blotchy stains from the juicy treats.
In other news this past Saturday we had our first ever Big Lick Farm tour and it was great to have some of you decide to spend your afternoon with us! We will hopefully be posting pics soon as a CSA member took pics and we will need to wait for them (hint hint :) . Guests left with arms full of the first summer squash and baskets of berries.. see what you missed out on! :) We hope you all can make the annual potluck which will be in the near future. We will post the date as soon as we decide!
Days now are set to the rhythm of sprinklers and seeds trickling through hands, down fingers and onto the soil. It seems strange to be planning for fall since we have just started harvesting our summer crops.. but fall crops have always been a weak spot for us here. The time of year when the fall crops need to be planted and tended is now and we have always been overwhelmed with keeping the last of the spring crops and the summer crops alive and healthy.. and our energy reserves of the winter rest are starting to erode.. but we will persevere!
This week you will see a new vegetable that you may not be familiar with.. it is bulb fennel. We have posted recipe ideas and directions for how to prep it for eating below. Also the broccoli you got this week is tenacious.. these plants suffered heavy chewing by pesky flea beetles in their early spring feeding frenzy. At several points we considered just mowing the ragged broccoli seedlings down.. good thing we didn't! Depending on the weather this really may be the last broccoli until the fall when the seeds we are just now planting start producing... hopefully in about 70 days!
We hope you have been enjoying each week of produce so far!
Your farmers~ Suzie & Asinete with the help of awesome volunteer trio: MA, Violet and Sally!
Harvest This Week Includes:
Fennel
Garlic
Green cabbage
Salad Mix
Strawberries
Hakurei Turnips
Broccoli
Zucchini.. standard green and ridged Italian heirloom zuke called a costata romanesca
Glacier Tomatoes (a sprinkling of them this first week in the full share baskets.. hopefully enough for everyone next week!)
How to Cook it and Store it:
Fennel Storage: store in a plastic bag in the fridge. If space is a problem, remove the long fronds to store just the fennel bulb.
Fennel: popular as a vegetable in Italy, it can be thinly sliced and eaten plain or as part of a vegetable platter. It is often served with just salt and olive oil as a simple appetizer or salad course. It can be chopped up into salad as celery, and indeed used almost anywhere celery is used.
Fennel is high is vitamins A and E, calcium and potassium. Fennel and ginger make a good digestive tea. (Steep the fresh leaves with a bit of sliced ginger for 5 minutes in boiling water.)
SOME IDEAS from The Victory Garden Cookbook
*
Sprinkle chopped fennel leaves on hot baked oysters or clams.
*
Add cooked fennel to omelets, quiches, stuffings or sauces.
*
Add stalks to stocks for their flavor.
*
Add sliced sauteed fennel to fish chowders.
*
Cook fennel in your favorite tomato sauce.
*
Place stalks and leaves on barbeque coals as they do in France. The fennel scent permeates the grilled food.
*
Slice steamed or blanched fennel, cover with a vinaigrette and serve chilled.
*
Chop raw fennel and add to tuna fish sandwiches.
Oven Potatoes with Fennel
20 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in 1" slices
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced finely
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine potatoes, fennel, onion, parsley, oil, salt and pepper; toss gently until well coated. Arrange mixture in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until potatoes are crisp on all sides, 30-35 minutes. Serve immediately.
Pickled Fennel with Orange from The Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich
Julia suggests using these on a sandwich, on a cheese board/.cracker platter, or tossed in a green salad.
2 fennel bulbs, sliced thin
1 t pickling salt (kosher or other uniodized salt)
zest from ½ an orange, in strips
1 or 2 small fennel fronds (optional)
6 T white wine vinegar
6 T orange juice
1 T sugar
4 black peppercorns, cracked
In a bowl, toss the fennel slices with the salt. Let them stand 1 hour. Drain the fennel slices, and toss them with the orange zest. Pack gthem into a pint jar, placing a fennel frond or two against the side of the jar, if you like. In a saucepan, heat the vinegar, orange juice, sugar, and peppercorns to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot liquid over the fennel. Cap the jar, and let cool to room temp.
Store the pickle in the fridge . It will be ready to eat in a day or two, and will keep for at least several weeks.
When all else fails roast it! Normally fennel tastes like a cross between celery, cabbage, and licorice. Roasting, however, brings out an entirely new flavor - as if pine nuts decided to join the party.
Roasted Fennel Recipe
Ingredients
* 2 fennel bulbs (thick base of stalk), stalks cut off, bulbs sliced
* Olive oil
* Balsamic vinegar
Method
1 Preheat oven to 400°F.
2 Rub just enough olive oil over the fennel to coat. Sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar, also to coat. Line baking dish with silpat or aluminum foil. Lay out piece of fennel and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the fennel is cooked through and beginning to caramelize.
Serves 4.
As you warily oggle the fennel in your basket please know that we too are doing the same since we have never grown it before and only heard from other CSA farmers about what a wonderful asset to the baskets the bulbs were! Pretty sure we are going for the roasted fennel recipe! Easy and sounds divine!
Plenty more fennel recipes on line if needed!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
CSA Harvest #7
Good day everyone... isn't it great to have sunshine without the baking heat? we think so! We have been busy big licker's over here in preparation for the farm tour this coming Sat July 17th. We have heard from many of you and look forward to showing you where your food is coming from and how we grow it. If you plan to attend and you have not yet rsvp'd please do so as soon as possible. We have included directions to the farm in the weekly email.
At this time of the year many of the spring crops have finished producing and we need to get the beds ready for the fall crops. Above you can see Asinete mowing down the buckwheat cover crop we planted. It seemed a shame to mow it down just as it started to flower as the honey bees were going crazy for the nectar. However to get the full benefit of the buckwheat as a cover crop it needs to be mowed and tilled as soon as it flowers for two main reasons. After flowering the plant begins to prepare for seed production, at this point all the nutrients the plant has added to the ground is taken up again for energy to produce seeds. We want those nutrients to stay in the ground for the next crop! Also once buckwheat flowers the stalks go from being succulent and tender to woody and tough. Woody and tough stalks take much longer to break down in the soil. We are filling up the greenhouse again to be sure we have seedlings ready to plant by the time the buckwheat has finished decomposing.
In other news the strawberries are blooming their fool heads off and this has led to some big, beautiful berries in your baskets this week and our volunteers will even get some this time since so far they have been strictly rationed to only CSA members.
We hope many of you can join us in the field this Sat!
Your farmers~ Suzie, Asinete, MA, Violet and Sally
Harvest This Week Includes:
Spinach! (in July??? yes!)
Carrots
Strawberries
Red Marble and/or Ciopollini Onions
Romaine Lettuce
Yukon Gold Potatoes (please use the ones that were nicked in the harvesting process first!)
Green Cabbage
How to Store it and Cook it!
Green Cabbage is a great storage vegetable.. keep in the crisper drawer of your fridge as you use it.
Cabbage and Beet Slaw (still have beets to use? put 'em in this)
Ingredients
Beet salad:
* 2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 5 tablespoons safflower oil
* 3 large raw beets, peeled, coarsely grated
Cabbage salad:
* 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 5 tablespoons safflower oil
* 6 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Preparation
For beet salad:
Whisk vinegar and mustard in large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil, then mix in beets. Season with salt and pepper.
For cabbage salad:
Whisk vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar in another large bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in cabbage and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Let salads stand 30 minutes and up to 2 hours at room temperature, tossing occasionally.
Cabbage Slaw
* 4 cups julienned green cabbage (or 2 cups red cabbage, julienned, and 2 cups green cabbage for a more colorful presentation)
* 1 3/4 cups Pearl Oyster Bar Tartar Sauce
* 5 tablespoons sherry vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
In a large bowl, blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
Spinach Ideas:
Warm, Bacon, Spinach Salad
Ingredients
* 3 bacon strips, diced
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 1 egg
* 6 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* salt and pepper to taste
* 3 cups torn fresh spinach
* 1/2 cup seasoned croutons
Directions
1. In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Stir flour into drippings until smooth. In a large bowl, beat egg; add water, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Slowly pour into skillet. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Place spinach in a bowl. Remove dressing from the heat; stir in reserved bacon. Immediately spoon desired amount over spinach; add croutons and toss to coat. Serve warm. Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before serving, reheat over low heat just until heated through.
Enjoy!!!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
CSA Harvest #6
Happy Sunny Day! It looks like we might get a summer after all! The image of the green tomatoes I posted last week has changed.. those green, hard as rock balls have started to turn orange and then red! We are pretty confident we have the first ripe tomatoes on our block! Unfortunately there are not enough ripe ones for this week's harvest but with the summer weather here to stay they should find their way into your baskets and stomachs next week!
In other news with the help of many friends we have expanded our greenhouse space. While greenhouse space isn't at a premium this time of year when most crops are seeded directly in the garden in early Spring we are hard pressed to find enough extra inches left unoccupied in our current greenhouse. A friend of ours had a unused fiberglass greenhouse they wanted to find a home for and they knew Big Lick could put it to good use! Of course today we find ourselves a bit itchy.. like we've been installing insulation.. but that little greenhouse will be a warm safe haven for the tender seedlings of spring... we will post pics of it in the next few days..
We have some wonderful news that we're sure you're all going to love and that is that the snow peas are finished! Yes today we did the last harvest of the year and then we came at the tender vines with knives cutting the plants right at the soil level. Peas are a legume (like beans) and they actually take nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots on small nodules. We wanted to be sure the roots of the peas stayed in the soil so they can fertilize the next crops going in.
Also happening at the farm this week is the great garlic pull of 2010~! Garlic cloves that we planted in late October are now ready to be pulled out of the ground, bundled and hung to dry in the storage shed. We have lots of garlic for you in the weeks ahead and some to enjoy today.
We have heard from some of you who will be attending the farm tour on Sat July 17th at 3pm and 5pm.. we hope more of you decide to join us! Please rsvp to our email address to we can plan for your visit! For those of you who have replied we will send out email directions in the upcoming days!
Enjoy this week's harvest!
Suzie, Asinete, MA, Violet and Sally!
Harvest This Week Includes:
Hardneck Garlic (a more pungent garlic with large, easy to peel cloves)
Genovese Basil
Bull's Blood Beets
Cauliflower OR Broccoli (last of these 2 crops for awhile)
Cabbage (Chinese or standard green)
Snow peas (rejoice! the last of 'em!)
Cilantro
Baby Hakurei Turnips
Black Seeded Simpson Leaf Lettuce
Strawberries (we hope enough for all.. we have to wait and see!)
How to Use it and Store it!!
Basil... ahh the essential summer food and one of our favorites! Basil deteriorates quickly so please use asap.. to keep fresh in the meantime wrap leaves in a lightly damp (not wet) towel and refrigerate.. basil does not like to get wet! Fresh leaves freeze well.. place in plastic zip lock bag, remove air, seal and freeze... fresh pesto freezes well too!
Basil in believed to have originated in India where it was viewed as a holy plant and was grown around temples and shrines. A "good Hindu" was supposed to leave this life with a basil leaf on the chest to aid in passage to the next.
Easy Pesto! (please adjust recipe according to how much basil you receive!)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 TBSP pine nuts, walnuts or even macadamia nut pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups fresh basil leaves
Place all ingredients except for basil leaves in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then add basil a handful at a time, blending until all the basil is incorporated and pesto is smooth. yummy! use as a topping on pizza, on toast, on eggs on pasta.. pesto is good almost anywhere! Pesto can be frozen.
Double Tomato Bruchetta
Ingredients
* 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
* 3 cloves minced garlic
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 French baguette
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
4. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Cabbage Ideas
If you received the Chinese cabbage in your basket today here are some ideas about how to use it:
Chinese Cabbage is also known as Napa Cabbage.. they thrive in cooler weather and so are usually only avail early summer and fall. Store your Chinese cabbage in the crisper drawer of your fridge.. also leave outer leaves on until ready to use.. the outer leaves will keep the more tender leaves inside fresh.
Cooking Tips:
chop raw Chinese cabbage into green salads
substitute Chinese cabbage in traditional coleslaw
For an Asian styled salad, toss chopped cabbage with grated carrot, chopped green onion, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
Napa Cabbage Salad
* 1 medium head cabbage, shredded
* 1 bunch green onions, chopped
* 2 (3 ounce) packages chicken flavored ramen noodles
* 4 ounces slivered almonds, toasted
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions, noodles and almonds.
2. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the oil, sugar, vinegar and seasoning packets. Pour over cabbage mixture and mix well to coat. Refrigerate until chilled and serve.
Best way to use Beets for all those beet haters out there!
Beet Brownies! Divine!!
You need:
* 3 oz (90 g) Dark chocolate
* 3.5 oz (100 g) flour
* 3.5 oz (100 g) almond powder
* 3 oz (90 g) sugar
* 3 oz (90 g) butter (soft)
* 4 eggs
* 7 oz (200 g) shredded raw red beetroot
* Vanilla extract
* Confectioner sugar and cocoa for decoration
Steps
* Start by peeling and shredding the beets. Set aside
* Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
* Mix together (using a food processor the butter with the eggs, then add the sugar.
* Mix until lighter, then add the chocolate, flour, almond powder, the beets and the vanilla extract, and mix well.
* Butter a small baking pan and placed greased parchment paper at the bottom)
* Pour the preparation in it and bake in the oven for about 30 mns in a preheated oven, 350 F (180 C)
Note: Your brownies are cooked once the blade of a knife comes out dry after you insert the blade in the cake
The trick to making these disappear? Just don't tell your kids that there are beets in them!
I would add more recipes but here it is 11:40 pm and falling asleep again in front of computer... hot day tomorrow!
In other news with the help of many friends we have expanded our greenhouse space. While greenhouse space isn't at a premium this time of year when most crops are seeded directly in the garden in early Spring we are hard pressed to find enough extra inches left unoccupied in our current greenhouse. A friend of ours had a unused fiberglass greenhouse they wanted to find a home for and they knew Big Lick could put it to good use! Of course today we find ourselves a bit itchy.. like we've been installing insulation.. but that little greenhouse will be a warm safe haven for the tender seedlings of spring... we will post pics of it in the next few days..
We have some wonderful news that we're sure you're all going to love and that is that the snow peas are finished! Yes today we did the last harvest of the year and then we came at the tender vines with knives cutting the plants right at the soil level. Peas are a legume (like beans) and they actually take nitrogen from the air and store it in their roots on small nodules. We wanted to be sure the roots of the peas stayed in the soil so they can fertilize the next crops going in.
Also happening at the farm this week is the great garlic pull of 2010~! Garlic cloves that we planted in late October are now ready to be pulled out of the ground, bundled and hung to dry in the storage shed. We have lots of garlic for you in the weeks ahead and some to enjoy today.
We have heard from some of you who will be attending the farm tour on Sat July 17th at 3pm and 5pm.. we hope more of you decide to join us! Please rsvp to our email address to we can plan for your visit! For those of you who have replied we will send out email directions in the upcoming days!
Enjoy this week's harvest!
Suzie, Asinete, MA, Violet and Sally!
Harvest This Week Includes:
Hardneck Garlic (a more pungent garlic with large, easy to peel cloves)
Genovese Basil
Bull's Blood Beets
Cauliflower OR Broccoli (last of these 2 crops for awhile)
Cabbage (Chinese or standard green)
Snow peas (rejoice! the last of 'em!)
Cilantro
Baby Hakurei Turnips
Black Seeded Simpson Leaf Lettuce
Strawberries (we hope enough for all.. we have to wait and see!)
How to Use it and Store it!!
Basil... ahh the essential summer food and one of our favorites! Basil deteriorates quickly so please use asap.. to keep fresh in the meantime wrap leaves in a lightly damp (not wet) towel and refrigerate.. basil does not like to get wet! Fresh leaves freeze well.. place in plastic zip lock bag, remove air, seal and freeze... fresh pesto freezes well too!
Basil in believed to have originated in India where it was viewed as a holy plant and was grown around temples and shrines. A "good Hindu" was supposed to leave this life with a basil leaf on the chest to aid in passage to the next.
Easy Pesto! (please adjust recipe according to how much basil you receive!)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 TBSP pine nuts, walnuts or even macadamia nut pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups fresh basil leaves
Place all ingredients except for basil leaves in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then add basil a handful at a time, blending until all the basil is incorporated and pesto is smooth. yummy! use as a topping on pizza, on toast, on eggs on pasta.. pesto is good almost anywhere! Pesto can be frozen.
Double Tomato Bruchetta
Ingredients
* 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
* 3 cloves minced garlic
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 French baguette
* 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
2. In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
4. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Cabbage Ideas
If you received the Chinese cabbage in your basket today here are some ideas about how to use it:
Chinese Cabbage is also known as Napa Cabbage.. they thrive in cooler weather and so are usually only avail early summer and fall. Store your Chinese cabbage in the crisper drawer of your fridge.. also leave outer leaves on until ready to use.. the outer leaves will keep the more tender leaves inside fresh.
Cooking Tips:
chop raw Chinese cabbage into green salads
substitute Chinese cabbage in traditional coleslaw
For an Asian styled salad, toss chopped cabbage with grated carrot, chopped green onion, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce.
Napa Cabbage Salad
* 1 medium head cabbage, shredded
* 1 bunch green onions, chopped
* 2 (3 ounce) packages chicken flavored ramen noodles
* 4 ounces slivered almonds, toasted
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons white sugar
* 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, green onions, noodles and almonds.
2. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the oil, sugar, vinegar and seasoning packets. Pour over cabbage mixture and mix well to coat. Refrigerate until chilled and serve.
Best way to use Beets for all those beet haters out there!
Beet Brownies! Divine!!
You need:
* 3 oz (90 g) Dark chocolate
* 3.5 oz (100 g) flour
* 3.5 oz (100 g) almond powder
* 3 oz (90 g) sugar
* 3 oz (90 g) butter (soft)
* 4 eggs
* 7 oz (200 g) shredded raw red beetroot
* Vanilla extract
* Confectioner sugar and cocoa for decoration
Steps
* Start by peeling and shredding the beets. Set aside
* Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
* Mix together (using a food processor the butter with the eggs, then add the sugar.
* Mix until lighter, then add the chocolate, flour, almond powder, the beets and the vanilla extract, and mix well.
* Butter a small baking pan and placed greased parchment paper at the bottom)
* Pour the preparation in it and bake in the oven for about 30 mns in a preheated oven, 350 F (180 C)
Note: Your brownies are cooked once the blade of a knife comes out dry after you insert the blade in the cake
The trick to making these disappear? Just don't tell your kids that there are beets in them!
I would add more recipes but here it is 11:40 pm and falling asleep again in front of computer... hot day tomorrow!
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