Late Summer at Big Lick

Hooray the blog allowed me to post these images after all! You can see above the baby fall crops that we are nursing along as well as our beneficial residents on the farm, the tree frogs which are everywhere this year and the praying mantis which I found hanging out on the sunflower catching every insect that came to pollinate. Sadly the mantis decided to grab a poor, unsuspecting honeybee in this picture.

Also above you can see the tomato confit we made. We included recipe for it in the newsletter below!

CSA Harvest #14

Happy Fall or is it winter out already?! Just what we weren't hoping for is a late spring and an early fall... it is frustrating and frightening when the business you run is solely dependent upon the weather. We are keeping eagle eyes on the weather report to make sure more rain is not expected. This early in the season rain is not a welcome sight as it wreaks havoc in several areas. First of all the ripening strawberries get wet and then begin to mildew very quickly. We are still hoping for a strawberry harvest this week but please eat berries promptly as they won't last as long. We are also drying nearly a ton of assorted onion varieties on wooden pallets under the trees in our yard. The onions need time to fully dry and "cure" before their tops can be cut and they can be stored away in boxes. Luckily the rain was light enough that it did not get through the thick canopy of pine trees so our onions stayed dry and happy.. also we have been storing the potatoes in the ground as they keep better here than in boxes.. as long as the ground stays dry! So hopefully this light rainfall made the soil just moist enough to easily excavate this week's potatoes for your baskets.

We got some great shots of farm life that I wanted to post on here and of course now the blog doesn't want to upload them.. grrrr! Check back and hopefully it will decide to let me post some!

We have had an unpleasant learning experience on the farm and that has to do with the sweet corn. As many of you know we farm on two different (but adjacent) properties. We have two of our own acres that we farm and then next door 3 acres farmed on our friends land. Our 2 acre patch is long and narrow so for ease of farming with the tractor we decided to run our beds long along the whole length of the field. On our neighbors side we have the rows cutting across the width of the field. What happens is the wind almost always comes up from the river and sweeps across the crops. This year we planted much of the sweet corn on our neighbors side. The problem with that is that the wind hits the first rows of corn and blows them back to hit the next row and then you have a huge, messy, headache of corn domino effect. This corn domino effect is exacerbated by watering too late in the morning leaving the soil soggy for the the afternoon winds and plop there falls another corn stalk. Asinete and I have already spent several hours in the corn patch straightening up every crooked stalk and packing dirt around their base to keep straight. All looks well again until you look out a few hours later and see them all laying down again. Corn excels on our side though due to the way our beds run. The wind blows between corn and not through them making for happy corn and happy farmers. If you are coming on the farm tour you may notice our last plating of corn that looks like a tornado whipped through it.. don't be alarmed but do know that we've learned our lesson!

Actually did some cooking this Sunday and had some amazing results with a recipe for tomato confit that we will post below.

We hope to hear from more of you who will be attending the farm tour Sunday September 12th from 2-6pm. There will be music, ice cream making, socializing, recipe swapping, laughing and farm tours.. if you plan on coming please RSVP and let us know what dish you will be bringing to share.. (a potluck of nothing but zucchini bread could be interesting)!


Enjoy the harvest this week and thank you again for helping to keep local farmers employed in these tough times~

Suzie, Asinete, M.A., Violet and Sally (the awesome volunteer trio!)



Harvest This Week Includes:

Asinete's Luscious Sweet Corn (last of first planting~ should be lots more by next week!)

Red Marble and Walla Walla Onions

Strawberries

Cherry Tomato Mix

Summer Squash

Potatoes (red pontiac/yukon gold)

Glacier Tomatoes

Bartlett Pears (light harvest)

Nantes Carrots

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

Cucumbers

How to Store it and Cook it!

Your sweet nantes carrots will actually keep better if you lop the tops off of them and leave them wrapped in plastic bag in crisper drawer. The tops will suck the moisture out of the root leaving you with a limp, rubbery carrot.. bleh!

Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of carrots, sliced.
2 tablespoons of butter.
2 tablespoons of brown sugar.
1 teaspoon of orange peel, grated.
1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Directions:

Cook the carrots in hot water until they are tender. Drain.

Melt the butter in a skillet.

Add the cooked carrots, sugar, grated orange peel, salt.

Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until carrots are glazed.

Serve as desired.

Some recipe ideas for the bumper crop of summer squash!

Oven-roasted summer squash

Makes 4 servings

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 Tbsp. lemon pepper
1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 1/4 lbs. summer squash; combination zucchini, crookneck, etc., in 1 inch cubes
1 large red onion, cut into 1 inch chunks

1. Put oil, lemon pepper, rosemary (crush first) and potatoes into plastic bag. Shake well to coat.
2. Add squash to bag; shake again to coat.
3. Spread veggies on shallow baking pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees, stir vegetables, and continue roasting until brown, about 20 minutes.

Jazar wa Kusa (Zucchini and Carrots, a recipe from Egypt)
adapted from Mediterranean Vegetables by Clifford Wright

2 large fat carrots, sliced diagonally about 1/4 inch thick
2 zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced diagonally about 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin seeds
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large bowl, toss the carrots and zucchini together with the cumin and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-low heat and cook the carrots and zucchini until crisply and tender, 25 to 30 minutes, tossing frequently. Serve hot.


Broiled Squash with Tomatoes~ serves 4
Ingredients:
2 small zucchini
2 small yellow squash
4 small tomatoes
1 clove garlic
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
salt -- to taste
freshly ground black pepper -- to taste

Directions:

Scrub zucchini & yellow squash under cold running water; rinse & dry with paper towels. Trim ends and discard. Halve each squash lengthwise; set aside.

Wash tomatoes & dry with paper towels. Cut 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each tomato and, using a sharp paring knife, cut around top in zigzag pattern; set tomatoes aside.

Peel & mince garlic. Set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat; set aside.

Preheat broiler.

Brush cut sides of squash halves with some of the butter. Place cut-side down on a broiler rack set 3 inches from heating element & broil 5 minutes. Turn squash & broil another 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir garlic, bread crumbs, and salt & pepper into remaining butter.

Add tomatoes to broiler rack with squash, sprinkle all veggies with crumb mix, & broil another 2 minutes, or just until crumbs are golden brown.

Carefully transfer veggies to platter. Cover loosely with foil and keep warm on stove top until ready to serve.

Cherry Tomato Confit (tried and true recipe! yummy!)

Take all the cherry tomatoes from your CSA basket. Discard stems and place on cookie sheet or baking dish.. tomatoes should be in a single layer, use more trays as needed. Use lots of garlic! Add whole cloves or cloves that are cut in half.. the more garlic the better! Add your favorite herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme, sage and salt and pepper and then drizzle heavily with olive oil. Mix all this together with your hands until tomatoes are evenly coated with oil and herbs. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake tomatoes until they begin to shrivel and turn almost jellylike. Should bake for at least an hour before done. We made several quarts and froze in the freezer in jars. This confit is wonderful on bread, tossed with pasta, in a salad, topping for meat... possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!!

CSA Harvest #13.. the halfway mark!

Hooray! It looks like summer is back again! We had our doubts as fall seemed to be edging in early this past week.. not yet!! We have not even started harvesting our heirloom tomatoes yet. We checked our blog from week 13 last season and sure enough we had been harvesting heirloom tomatoes for three weeks already. We have to remind ourselves and you that for a month after we planted the tomatoes earlier this spring they just sat in the mud and cold rain not growing at all. On the other hand the seascape everbearing strawberries are sure living up to their name! They are rearing up for at least another month of picking after taking only a small midsummer nap. We already see more flowers and fruit forming after two weeks of more relaxed harvests.

Asinete and I have been scrambling around the farm to get fall crops in as we are running out of time.. our days of sun and warmth for optimum growing are limited and we were reminded of that this morning when I went out and could see my breath it was so chilly. Not only have we been busy planting (arugula, broccoli, head lettuce. daikon radish, violet cauliflower, savoy cabbage, two kinds of kale, beets, storage carrots, hakurei turnips, and much more!)
Also we have been seeding vacant areas of the farm with a cover crop mix of crimson clover, fava beans and annual rye grass. Last year in the fall we dutifully planted in our fava bean cover crop and it had only come up a few inches before the week long weather of 8 degrees killed it all. This winter we are not putting all of our eggs in one basket! If the fava beans freeze out we will still have the annual rye and the crimson clover. Cover cropping is an important element of sustainable agriculture. Cover crops protect the soil from washing away and eroding during our heavy winter rains. Cover crops provide habitat and nectar for insects and other animals. Cover crops add nutrients to the soil when the are tilled in leaving the soil richer and healthier. Plus seeing a healthy stand of cover crop coming up just makes us feel good! It is our way of giving something back to the land and knowing the land can rest for a few months without us tilling, digging, poking, and compacting it.

Here's to another wonderful 13 weeks of fresh, Big Lick produce! Please don't forget to mark your calendar for September 12th (Sunday) from 2-6pm we will have the farm potluck/tour.. we hope you can all attend! Please email Suzie at portersuzanne@yahoo.com if you will be attending and how many in your party.

Thank you for eating locally!

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

Harvest This Week Includes:

Asinete's famous, Luscious Bi-Color Sweet Corn

Garlic

Maxibel Haricot and Royal Burgundy Beans

Cherry Tomato Mix

Basil Tops

Cucumber medley (lemon, white Boothby blonde, green marketmore)

Strawberries

Red Torpedo and Walla Walla Onions (we've got lots and lots of onions so you can expect them every week from here on out)

Glacier Tomatoes AND (hopefully!) some heirlooms! (may include Cherokee purple, brandywine, pruden's purple, green zebra, striped German or Black Krim)

Summer Squash

How to Cook it and Store it!!!

Forget about storing that sweet corn! Corn begins losing its sweet taste as soon as it is picked. Once picked the sugars in the corn begin turning to starch. If you do need to store it for one or two days at the most keep the husks on the corn to keep fresh and wrap in plastic bag and place in fridge until ready to use.

Cooking Corn on the Cob
When it comes to cooking, corn is very versatile. After husking, cook corn by placing ears upright in a stockpot with 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water and a tablespoon or two of sugar. Cover the pot and let it steam for about 7 minutes after boiling begins. Or... lay the ears in a pan, with two to three quarts of water and about 3 tablespoons of sugar, and boil for about 4 minutes. Never add salt to the water since that can make the corn tough. Do not overcook.

Corn can also be microwaved. For the best flavor, remove the outer husk, letting the inner husks remain. After microwaving, pull the husks downward to remove them along with the silk. Or... you can clean and husk the corn first, wrap it in waxed paper or plastic wrap and cook for about two minutes per ear.

Grill corn by wrapping individual ears in aluminum foil after cleaning and husking. Add a small amount of butter and seasoning and wrap the corn in the foil. Grill for about 15 minutes, turning a few times.

Honey Roasted Sweet Corn

* 6 ears corn
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/3 cup water
* salt and pepper to taste

Preparation -
On each ear of corn - Pull the husks back partially but do not remove them. Remove the silk; set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the honey and water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 4 minutes. Brush the corn with the honey and water mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pull the husks back on the corn. Wrap each ear in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped ears on the grill and cook for about 15 minutes, turning frequently.

Herbed Corn on the Cob

* 6 ears corn
* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 T. fresh parsley - minced
* 1/2 tsp. thyme
* 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation -
Clean and husk the corn. Mix the parsley, thyme and pepper with the melted butter. Lay each ear of corn on a piece of aluminum foil. Brush each ear with the butter mixture. Wrap carefully in the foil. Grill for about 15 minutes, turning frequently.


Basil time at Big Lick! We hope you like it as much as we do! We love it and consequently it did wonderfully for us with basil now protruding from all corners of the farm. The basil will keep best in the plastic bag in the warmest part of your fridge (which may be up on the shelves inside door). Here are some basil ideas for you!


BASIL WALNUT VINAIGRETTE
1 tsp.
20
1/2 tsp.
1/2 tsp.
2 tsp.
4 tbsp.
1/2 cup chopped garlic
basil leaves
salt
pepper
Dijon mustard
white wine vinegar
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

A Simple TOMATO AND BASIL SAUCE
The Top 100 Italian Dishes, Diane Seed

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled
8 basil leaves

Heat the oil and gently fry the onion and garlic until they are
transparent. Add the tomatoes and cook quickly in a shallow uncovered
pan so that the sauce thickens and remains a bright red. Season to
taste then puree with the basil leaves.

CSA Harvest #12!!

Good day! It is with renewed vigor, hope and enthusiasm that we deliver your 12th week of produce to each of you this week! Wow.. maybe that spirulina and bee pollen energy combo actually works! We hope you all have managed to stay afloat upon the rising tide of squash, berries, basil and beans.. I don't think we could keep up with a weekly basket at this point. A friend of ours at the Sat farmer's market asked us how we liked to prepare those beautiful ringed chiogga beets and we told him that we don't eat produce.. he thought we were joking but it is partly true! At the end of day we can't muster up enough energy to get creative in the kitchen. Mono meals rule the farmer's life in mid summer. We thrive on quesadillas, nachos and Thai flavored kettle chips. Anything that is quick and easy to stuff into the mouth to fuel the next round of weeding, planting and irrigating. In fact 99% of the produce we eat is eaten out in the field while we work.. is this carrot sweet enough? quick wipe on the jeans to remove most of the mud and then popped into the mouth.. yes! beans, lettuce leaves, tomatoes, cukes even Asinete's infamous sweet, luscious corn is peeled open and eaten raw while hoofing it around the fields. Speaking of sweet corn it should be making an appearance in your baskets next week! Hooray! It is usually everyone's favorite part of the season (and we even find enough time to fire up the grill and throw fresh picked ears on a few nights a week).

In other farm news melons are really growing now as summer progresses and we finally see little eggplant! Peppers will also be making an appearance in baskets next week and we have quite a few tasty varieties for you to sink your teeth into. Also the heirloom tomatoes are turning from green to red (or green to light green as is the case of the tangy green zebra tom). The early glacier tomatoes you all have been getting are winding down. Also winding down sadly are the seascape berries we thought would be in the baskets until the first rains. Since this is our first time growing strawberries we are learning as we go.. we hope they will get a second wind and carry on until October we know they have become a favorite item for many of you.

Please don't forget the potluck date of Sunday, September 12th from 2-6pm. Come out and see where/how your food is grown, meet the friendliest and cutest bacon and pork chops you've ever seen and let the kids try their had at making homemade ice cream the hand cranked way! Also get a chance to meet other CSA members!

Enjoy!

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


Harvest This Week Includes:

Royal Burgundy and Green Bush Beans

Cucumbers (finally!!) mix of green marketmore, lemon and white boothby blonde

Cherry Tomato Medley (mix of orange sungold, white cherry and black cherry)

Red Marble Onions and Walla Wallas

Strawberries

Savoy Cabbage (the last cabbage for many a month we promise!!)

Michelle's Easter Egg Radishes

Summer Squash (patty pan, zucchini, yellow crookneck) recipe ideas below!

Glacier Tomatoes



How to Store it and Cook it!

More cabbage! What were we thinking?... I know! Well at least this variety is different and to us more attractive and more tasty than the standard green cabbage you have gotten before. This variety is called a Savoy leaf cabbage because of the frilly leaves. To many Savoy cabbage is the queen of cabbages. It is believed to have originated in Italy, or more precisely the ‘Savoy’ region, which is on the border of Italy, France and Switzerland. The earliest record of this variety dates back to the early 1500s. It is tender enough to be eaten raw in salads. A drawback of its tenderness is that it does not have the keeping quality of the standard green cabbage you've gotten. A week is generally the longest a head of Savoy cabbage will stay fresh in the refrigerator.

Simple Savoy Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh wrinkly-skinned Savoy Cabbage
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:

1. Peel away the outer leaves of the cabbage and discard them. Then slice the rest of the cabbage into thin 1/4" strips.
2. Heat the garlic cloves in the oil in a large nonstick pan.
3. When the oil is hot add the cabbage and salt.
4. Mix often until the cabbage is thoroughly cooked.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
Notes:

If the cabbage gets to dry while cooking just add a little water to keep it from sticking. Note that the volume will reduce by 60 or 70% when cooked.

Cabbage and Potato Pancakes (from Simplicty - from a Monastery Kitchen)

1/2 head small green cabbage
4 large potatoes, peeled and grated
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
3/4 c milk
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
a small bunch of parsley, chopped
8 TBS vegetable or olive oil

1. Quarter the cabbage and steam it for about 6-7 minutes. Drain and chop the cabbage finely.
2. Place chopped cabbage, grated potatoes, and chopped onion in a big bowl. Mash them thoroughly with a masher and mix them well with a spatula.
3. In a separate deep bowl beat the eggs. Add the milk and beat some more. Add the cabbage-potato-onion mixture. Add some salt and pepper and the chopped parsley. Mix all the ingredients together until thoroughly blended. Refrigerate 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 250. To make the pancakes use a crepe pan or nonstick skillet. In the pan heat about 1 tablespoon of oil (each time) to low-med and pour in about one eighth of the potato mixture. Flatten the mixture evenly with a spatula and cook over medium heat until the pancake turns brown at the bottom. Turn the pancake over carefully and continue cooking the other side. When the pancake is done, slide it carefully onto an ovenproof platter. Repeat the process until all the pancakes are done. Keep the pancakes in the warm oven until ready to serve.

Italian Stuffed Savoy Cabbage (‘Casseola')

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds of Savoy Cabbage
3 carrots
1/2 large onion
6 slices of bacon (or pancetta),
4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Remove eight good looking outer leaves from the cabbage. Blanch them briefly in boiling water and lay on a paper towel to drain.

Chop the remaining cabbage, the carrots and the onion. Fry briefly in the olive oil until wilted but not browned; add the bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

Place a well-drained cabbage leaf on a plate or chopping board, fill with 1/8 of the stuffing mix and sprinkle with half a tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Fold the sides towards the middle and roll the leaf up, place with folded side down on a baking sheet. Repeat until the ingredients have been used up. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.

Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees

Serves four.

(courtesy of: Italian Food Recipes)


Recipes ideas for the summer squash bounty!


Zucchini Chips

Ingredients

* 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons fat-free milk
* 2 1/2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) slices zucchini (about 2 small)
* Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place milk in a shallow bowl. Dip zucchini slices in milk, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place coated slices on an ovenproof wire rack coated with cooking spray; place rack on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.


Grilled Zucchini and Summer Squash Salad with Citrus Splash Dressing


Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons grated orange rind
* 3/4 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)
* 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
* 3 tablespoons honey
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 2 red onions
* 4 zucchini, each halved lengthwise (about 1 1/4 pounds)
* 4 yellow squash, each halved lengthwise (about 1 pound)
* Cooking spray
* 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparation

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Peel onions, leaving root intact; cut each onion into 4 wedges. Add onion, zucchini, and yellow squash to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill.

Drain vegetables in a colander over a bowl, reserving marinade. Place vegetables on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 8 minutes or until tender; turn and baste occasionally with 3/4 cup of the marinade. Place the vegetables on a serving platter; sprinkle with the basil. Serve the vegetables with the remaining marinade.
Nutritional Information

Calories:
168 (16% from fat)
Fat:
3g (sat 0.4g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.5g)
Protein:
4g
Carbohydrate:
36.1g
Fiber:
4g
Cholesterol:
0.0mg
Iron:
1.3mg
Sodium:
302mg
Calcium:
70mg


Zucchini Relish

Ingredients

* 1 cup chopped zucchini
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
* 2 tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the zucchini, onion, sugar, basil, red pepper, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Royal Burgundy Beans

These beans are beautifully colored but have the tendency to turn green when cooked. There are two ways you can prevent this from happening. One is to place a pinch of baking soda in the boiling water as you blanch the beans. The soda helps preserve the color. Another option which has been shown to work is sauteing the beans in a butter base in a skillet.

Thank you and enjoy!

CSA Harvest #11~

Woohoo! Here we are already at the 11th week of deliveries! It seems like fall is already here though! What happened to summer? Those cool, foggy mornings are sure nice to work in but it doesn't seem like summer unless we're sweaty and grumpy by 2. With the cooler temps the heat loving crops like melons and eggplant have slowed down. We are sure all of you will get melons (watermelons and musk melons) we are not so sure we will have an eggplant harvest. We put in two long rows hoping it would be enough for everyone and so far not an eggplant fruit to be seen! They are one of our favorite crops to harvest and eat too!

A large section of the farm is bare now as we just tilled in lots of weeds and spent crop residues to prepare new beds for the fall planting. Much of the lettuce we had planned for the CSA shares bolted in the warmer temps we had before but the chickens and the pigs have been grateful for the salad bar offerings as of late. Enjoy this week's lettuce as it will be the last for a few weeks since we did not plant in July due to the heat. Lettuce does not grow well in warmer temps. Hotter weather makes the leaves bitter and also the plant gets so stressed out from the heat it shoots up a big flowering seed stalk (this process is called bolting) and many crops have this tendency.

We hope you all marked your calendar for our annual farm potluck on Sunday September 12th from 2-6pm. I was hoping to be organized enough to assign families different dishes to bring.. although it would not be a bad thing if everyone brought desserts! beet brownies for everyone! Please give us another week of two to figure out the easiest way to assign folks dishes.. please save the date and time on your calendar though!

Another late night and early day tomorrow. We have green cabbage stockpiled in the cooler but we wanted to give you all a week's respite from it! Be prepared though since next week you will be getting another type of cabbage in your share called a savoy. Savoy cabbage has frilly leaves and is really good cooked in stir fry.

Enjoy the week's harvest!

Suzie, Asinete, M.A, Violet and Sally

Harvest This Week Includes:


Yukon Gold Potatoes

Genovese Basil Tops

Summer Squash

Garlic

Strawberries

Lettuce (Grandpa's admire and/or Black Seeded Simpson)

Chiogga Beets (beautiful white rings inside beet!)

Glacier Tomato

Cherry Tomatoes (mix of orange Sungold, black cherry and white cherry)

Insalada Caprese
yield: Serves 4 to 6
(Tomato and Mozzarella Salad)

Insalata caprese (literally, the salad from Capri)

Ingredients

* 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (about 4 large), sliced 1/4 inch thick
* 1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced1/4 inch thick
* 1/4 cup packed fresh basil or arugula leaves, washed well and spun dry
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled, if using arugula instead of basil
* 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* fine sea salt to taste
* freshly ground black pepper to taste


Preparation

On a large platter arrange tomato and mozzarella slices and basil leaves, alternating and overlapping them. Sprinkle salad with oregano and arugula and drizzle with oil. Season salad with salt and pepper.


Bruschetta ~ another way to pair that tasty basil with those tasty tomatoes! serves up to 16 as an appetizer

Ingredients

* 1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch thick circles
* 8 plum tomatoes, diced
* 1 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/2 red onion, minced
* freshly ground black pepper
* 3 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Combine tomato, basil, and red onion in a small mixing bowl; stir well. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
3. Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Place in oven, and bake until well toasted, approximately 5 minutes.
4. Remove bread from oven, and transfer to a large serving platter. Let bread cool 3 to 5 minutes. Rub garlic into the top of each slice of toast; the toast should glisten with the garlic. Spoon the tomato mixture generously onto each slice, and serve.


Cream of Tomato and Basil Soup

serves 4


Ingredients

* 4 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced (not necessary to peel and seed according to comments from people who made this dish)
* 4 cups tomato juice
* 14 leaves fresh basil
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/2 cup butter
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, and return the puree to the stock pot.
2. Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 473 | Total Fat: 45.4g | Cholesterol: 143mg


Suzie's Oven Roasted Yukon Golds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scrub your yukon gold taters until skins are clean and then cut into bite size chunks to make home fries. Add the cut pieces to a large mixing bowl. Next dice up as much of the garlic as you like for flavor. We love garlic so we put at least 1/2 of the whole head of garlic in with enough tater pieces to fill a standard cookie sheet. Add garlic pieces to the bowl and then season bowl with salt, pepper, and even cayenne pepper for a bite. If you have some flat leaf parsley in your fridge still you could dice fine and add to tater mix. Add enough olive oil to mix to coat all potato pieces. Mix up everything in bowl with clean hand to be sure pieces are evenly coated. Spread out pieces on cookie sheet and bake for 20 mins. Flip pieces with spatula after 20 mins and cook another 20 mins. Continue cooking and flipping every 10 mins until done (usually 25 mins on each side).


Need beet inspiration? We posted some great recipe ideas for beets on the blog for the week 9 delivery (2 weeks ago).


Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

CSA Harvest #10

Good day farm friends! We are going to skip the newsy part of the newsletter this week as our computer is in the repair shop and I'm relying on the neighbors computer (and land and refrigeration etc etc!) blessing to have wonderful neighbors!

All is well on the farm and we are busy prepping for the fall crops to be planted in the upcoming days! The farm potluck date is verified and it will be Sunday, September 12th from 2-6pm. We will let you know next week what you can bring to share for the potluck!

Thank you and now onto the recipes and list of this week's harvest!

Your farmers,

Suzie, Asinete, M.A, Violet and Sally

Harvest This Week Includes:

Strawberries!

Green Cabbage (see recipe ideas below)

Walla Walla Onions (also Red Torpedo onion in full shares)

Fennel Bulb (more recipe ideas below)

Glacier Tomatoes

Maxibel Haricot Green Beans

Summer Squash

Scarlet Nantes Carrots

Leaf Lettuce

Italian Falt Leaf Parsley

How to Store it and Cook it!

Thank you to CSA members Joe and Rita of Myrtle Creek for passing on the cabbage and fennel recipe below:


GERMAN CABBAGE MUFFINS
Servings: 12


1 3/4 c flour
2 t celery seed
1 T baking powder
2 c cabbage
1 t salt
2 egg
1 T sugar
3/4 c milk
2 t onion flakes
6 T butter

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, onion flakes and celery seed
thoroughly. Add the grated cabbage and stir into the dry ingredients. Whisk
the eggs, milk and melted butter together well. Add to dry ingredients and
stir quickly, making sure it isn't over 10 sec. Spoon into greased muffin
pans and bake in preheated oven until done. bake at 400 for 20 min. makes
12

Also made several quarts of cabbage slaw with some bulb fennel grated in, along with carrots, onion, fennel leaves, parsley (both kinds) and just used milk to thin the mayo. as Joe is diabetic so I don't do the sugar/vinegar dressing although I could and just use Splenda, which I did use in place of the sugar in the cabbage muffins

Thanks Rita for these ideas!

Cabbage Kimchee (Korean Pickles)~ thank you Zoe from Valley Flora Farm for this recipe!

Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage, cut into 2" pieces
A few radishes, cut into half moons
5 c water
2 Tbs. sea salt
2 Tbs. ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne

Instructions:

In a large bowl combine water, 1.5 Tbs. salt, cabbage & radishes. Set aside on counter for 12 hours.
Remove cabbage & radish from soaking liquid and combine with ginger, garlic, onions, cayenne & 1/2 tsp. salt.
Put into a jar or crock. Pour soaking liquid over vegetables up to 1 inch from the top.
Cover loosely with a clean cloth and set aside on the counter for 3-7 days.
Enjoy plain as or as a condiment with other foods.
From "Healing with Whole Foods," Pitchford


It may be hot too fire up the oven but if it cools off enough this sounds yummy and another way to use your cabbage.

Braised Cabbage
1 medium head green cabbage, about 2 pounds
1 large yellow onion, sliced into rough 1/3-inch slices
1 large carrot, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
¼ cup good-quality chicken stock, or water
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 egg, poached according to the directions here
Maldon salt, or fleur de sel, to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

Peel off and discard from the cabbage any bruised or messy outer leaves. Give the cabbage a quick rinse under cool water, and dry it lightly. Cut it into 8 wedges, and trim away some of the woody core, leaving enough to hold each wedge intact. Arrange the wedges in a 9 x 13 baking dish. They may overlap a little, but you want them to lie in a single—if crowded—layer. If they don’t fit nicely into the dish, remove one wedge and set it aside for later use in a quick sauté, salad, or soup.

Scatter the onion and carrot over the cabbage, and pour the stock and oil over the whole mess. Season with a couple pinches of coarse salt, a couple grinds of the pepper mill, and the red pepper flakes. Cover the dish tightly with foil, and slide it into the oven. Cook the vegetables for 1 hour; then remove the dish from the oven and gently turn the cabbage wedges. If the dish seems at all dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Cover the dish, and return it to the oven to cook until the vegetables are very tender, about an hour more.

When the cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil over the baking dish, turn the oven up to 400 degrees, and continue cooking until the vegetables begin to brown lightly on their edges, another 15 or so minutes.

Serve warm, topped with a poached egg and sprinkled with plenty of good, flaky Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Note: The cabbage keeps well in the fridge for a few days, sealed in an airtight container.

Yield: 1 serving, plus leftovers for another half-dozen meals


Cabbage, Fennel and Carrot Slaw~ adapted from Epicurious
*serves 10

1 2 1/2-pound cabbage, quartered, cored, very thinly sliced (about 18 cups)
2 fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved, very thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 very large carrot, peeled, coarsely shredded
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Preparation: Combine cabbage, fennel, onion, and carrot in large bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, and hot sauce in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Add dressing to cabbage mixture; toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, tossing occasionally. Transfer to serving bowl.


FENNEL STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE AND KALAMATA OLIVES

1 large fennel bulb (about 1 pound)
3‑ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup drained Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, reserving fronds, and cut outer 2 layers loose at base, removing them carefully and reserving rest of bulb for another use. Chop reserved fronds. In a small bowl cream together cream cheese, olives, and chopped fronds. Spread inside of larger fennel layer with cream cheese mixture and press back of other layer onto filling firmly. Chill fennel, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Unwrap fennel and cut crosswise into 1/3‑inch‑thick slices. Cut slices crosswise into 1 1/2‑inch‑wide sections.


Green Goddess Green Beans

1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cook beans in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. When beans are cool, drain in a colander and pat dry.
Purée parsley, mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and toss with beans.

Adapted from epicurious.com


Enjoy!! Off to pick those beans for the green goddess recipe yummers!