This week’s share:

acorn squash

cabbage

daikon radish

kohlrabi

leek

red onions

rutabaga

There really isn’t a downtime when running a CSA.  Right now we are planning what we’re going to grow from seed, how to rotate the crops, which areas need more compost, etc.

So, while today is the last CSA Pickup day of this season, we are not sad that it’s over, because it isn’t over, it is just cycling.  And every stage of this cycle has been completely awesome.  Some of it is stressful, sure, just like in any career.  But it has been the best job we’ve ever had! 

ABOUT THE SURVEY:  It is attached to the email accompanying this newsletter.  Thank you for taking the time to complete it.  We need to know your opinions so we can make improvements.  We appreciate your opinions!

Freezer Coleslaw

1 medium head cabbage

salt

1/2 cup vinegar

1/3 cup cold water

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 small carrot grated

1/2 green pepper, grated

1/2 small onion, grated

Cut cabbage into wedges and sprinkle with salt; let stand for 1 hour.

Combine vinegar, cold water, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, lemon pepper and seasoned salt; bring to a boil. Let cool.

Grate carrot, green pepper, onion, and cabbage. Mix with cooled vinegar mixture, mixing well. Freeze coleslaw in individual containers.

Colcannon

1 pound cabbage

1 pound potatoes

2 leeks

1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch ground mace

1/2 cup butter

In a large saucepan, boil cabbage until tender; remove and chop or blend well. Set aside and keep warm. Boil potatoes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.

Chop leeks, green parts as well as white, and simmer them in just enough milk to cover, until they are soft.

Season and mash potatoes well. Stir in cooked leeks and milk. Blend in the kale or cabbage and heat until the whole is a pale green fluff. Make a well in the center and pour in the melted butter. Mix well.

Thank you for the opportunity to grow your food.   It has been a pleasure!

~ Kathy

This week’s share:

acorn squash

celeriac

daikon radish

kohlrabi

leek

storage onions

popcorn

rutabaga

sunflower head

watermelon

This week we put up four more low tunnels (the special blanket that protects from cold).  The spinach, lettuce, and radishes are covered.  They won’t grow much, but they will stay just like they are until it warms up in the spring.  We feel badly that we haven’t had much lettuce to offer.

This past weekend we also put up a type of greenhouse that utilizes the sun’s energy to keep it warm.  It’s called a high tunnel and we hope this helps us offer certain vegetables earlier in the season.  Others who use high tunnels have told us that their tomatoes are phenomenal.  That’s good news, as we know we had a poor offering of tomatoes. 

ABOUT THE SURVEY:  It is still being completed…our apologies for the delay.  Thank you for taking the time to complete it.  We need to know what you liked and didn’t like so we can make improvements.  We appreciate your opinions!

Just a reminder, after today, there is one week left for our full-share CSA members. 

For some of you (the half-share folks) today is your last pickup.  Thank you for entrusting us to grow your food.    It has been a pleasure getting to know you!

Sunflower Seeds

Cover unshelled seeds with salted water, using 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt per two quarts of water. Soak seeds in the salt solution overnight. Drain off the water the next morning and pat the seeds dry to remove excess moisture. (You can also roast the seeds unsalted, by simply skipping the soaking process).
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the sunflower seeds evenly on a cookie sheet or shallow pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. The seeds will often develop a small crack down the center as they roast. Test after each stirring to see if the seeds are completely roasted by tasting. After roasting, remove seeds from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Then store the seeds in an airtight container for future snacking.

Variations call for mixing a teaspoon of melted butter with a cup of seeds while they are still warm from the oven; these are for immediate eating. Some also experiment with different seasonings, such as barbecue, Cajun, and taco.

Have a delicious week! ~ Kathy

This week’s share:

acorn squash

Brussels sprouts

daikon radish

eggplant

green pepper

kohlrabi

Florence long red onion

leek

red cabbage

rutabaga

sunflower head

watermelon

This weather – it’s incredible and we love working in it.  Some of the plants are confused.  Things are a little backwards - The lettuce and Brussels Sprouts are slowing down, and the eggplant and peppers are growing better than they did in August.   

The rutabaga and kohlrabi are on the large side, which means they could be woody.  Usually if you peel away enough of the outer layer, you will find the tender parts worth eating.  We didn’t want to compost them if they still had a good amount of tasty parts.

We put a special blanket over the eggplants and peppers when it got near freezing.  The blankets were left on during this heat wave, and we are so pleased that some of the eggplant blossoms turned into food for you. 

The watermelon is the last of what was taken from the field.  We ate one and it was delicious.  We hope you have the same experience.

SURVEY TIME.  The final touches are being put on the questions for the survey.  It will be emailed to you within the next few days.  Please return it next week when you pickup your produce, or before. We tried to make this as short and

simple as we could, because we know you’re busy and we value your time.  Thank you for taking the time to do this.  We appreciate it, and will let you know the results of the survey.

Just a reminder, after today, there are two weeks left for our CSA.  For some of you (the half-share folks) next week is your last week.

Cranberry Acorn Squash

½ cup raw fresh cranberries

1 small apple, cored, chopped into small pieces

¼ cup currants

½ cup orange juice or apple cider

1 ½ tbs honey or maple syrup

1 tbs melted butter

pinch salt

2 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cranberries, apples, currants, orange juice, honey, butter, and salt in a saucepan.  Heat until berries are just tender.  Place squash in ovenproof dish.  Fill cavities with fruit.  Cover dish and bake until squash is tender, about 35-45 minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

Brussels Sprouts with Grapes
From allrecipes.com 

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and scored

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 bunches green onions, chopped

1 cup seedless red grapes, halved

4 tablespoons butter

Place the Brussels sprouts, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes, or until sprouts are tender but firm.

Over medium low heat in a large saucepan, mix the olive oil, garlic and green onions. Slowly cook and stir 5 minutes, until the green onions are soft. Mix in the Brussels sprouts, grapes and butter. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Hope your week is awesome! ~ Kathy

This week’s share:

Basil

beans

broccoli

brussel sprouts

chard

cucumbers

kohlrabi

yellow or red onion

summer squash

This Past Week…

we have been waiting for the ears of sweet corn to grow, but they haven’t grown more than 6 inches long. Those that have survived the raccoon attacks are short in length and short kernels. So, unfortunately, there won’t be any sweet corn this year. But, we will be offering some corn stalks for our members who are interested in fall decorating. Just trying to make a little lemonade out of that situation.

We forgot to set out the swap box for last week’s pickup – so sorry!

We are planning a harvest event held jointly with the Community Gardens, including a pot luck, scarecrow building contest, and some other fun events. Look for more information coming in the weeks ahead.

While many of the summer plants are dying back, there are many plants growing quickly to offer us delicious fresh food in the fall. In the weeks ahead you will see lettuce, radish, beets, and green beans, just to name a few.

New for pickup, please choose the bag with your name on it. There have been a few mixups, with some not coming on their scheduled weeks and others coming on unscheduled weeks. We don’t know who has come and who has not, so we’ll try this to keep track of things. If you show up and there is no bag for you, please get in touch so we can sort things out.
Some more ways to use those nutritious greens:


Green Smoothie
(From allrecipes.com)

1 banana, thickly sliced, frozen
2 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoon flax seed meal (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup orange juice

Place the banana, kale, flax seed meal, and coconut oil into a blender, pour in the milk and orange juice. Cover, and puree until smooth and serve.

Pumpkin, Kale & Black Bean Soup
From allrecipes.com

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded, diced
4 cups beef broth
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
1 pound cubed cooked ham
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon thinly sliced sorrel (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium heat, cook onion until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and pumpkin and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender. While soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and simmer until softened, about 3 minutes. Drain into a colander.

After soup has cooked for 15 minutes, add the kale, ham, and black beans; simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in the sherry vinegar and sorrel; remove pot from the heat.

Chard W/ Currants & Pine Nuts
From the New York Times

3 tablespoons currants, raisins, or golden raisins
2 pounds Swiss chard, stems diced and set aside
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), minced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the raisins or currants in a bowl and pour on hot water to cover. Soak 10 minutes and drain.

Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the chard. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the bowl of ice water and let sit for a few minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as you can. Chop coarsely.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the chard stems and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring, until they begin to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute or just until the garlic begins to smell fragrant. Add the chopped greens and raisins or currants and toss together until they are well coated with oil and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy your week!


~ Kathy

This week’s share:brocolli
carrots
chard
cucumber
fennel
wax, purple & green beans
kale
kohlrabi
lettuce
rutabaga
squash blossoms
wee tomatoes
This is IMPORTANT:

Pickup next week will be on Sunday, August 1 from noon until ? We we will be out of town that week. If this will not work out for you, please let me know and we will work something out. Thank you for your understanding.

This Past Week…

We hope everyone has escaped unscathed from the storms. The gardens faired well, thankfully. The “road” that was mulched in the spring was washed away, as was the buckwheat that was planted last week. On the positive side, it made pulling weeds a whole lot easier!

It seems the tomatoes and carrots did not like all the wetness, as many of them have cracked. There are still plenty of smaller ones that hopefully will develop into ripe and tasty treats for us.

We should be having peppers by now. Some of the plants have flowered and are fruiting, which means we can look forward to their appearance in our shares soon!

We are planting our fall crops this week – lettuce, radish, carrots, and onions. Also, we are putting some of the beds “to bed” for the winter.

These beds are covered with compost or leaves, followed by a layer of cardboard, and then by a final layer of straw. This will help next spring be a whole lot easier than this past spring.

Our main worry is the weeds. We cannot outdo them, we cannot keep ahead of them. We can only keep at them, much like doing laundry, right? But still, we worry.

A Tip from one of our members:

“I have been blanching most of the vegetables I can't eat fresh in boiling water for 2 minutes and the shocking them in ice water. They can be frozen in plastic bags for later feasting when the snow flies. Beets are especially good this way, and so is the chard and kale.”

~Thank you Mary Jo!

Summer Squash is Healthy for You!


Summer squash has fiber, vitamin C, and folate, which prevent cancers, heart disease, and asthma.

Summer Squash also grows extraordinarily quick. In order to harvest it when it is most tender, sweet and juicy, it must not be too large. Since there are large quantities of it, we’ve included several recipes to help you take advantage of its benefits.

The old standby for our family is to slice it and saute it in olive oil, adding onions and garlic until it is translucent. Try this same combination on the grill and see how you like it!


Cream Cheese Summer Squash From Allrecipes.com

(My whole family loved this one!)

• 3 yellow squash, cubed

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed

• 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves

• salt to taste

In a glass serving dish, combine the squash pieces and garlic. Season with salt, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 5 to 8 minutes on high, or until tender. Stir after every 3 to 4 minutes.

Sprinkle the cream cheese over the top, and return to the microwave, uncovered for about 1 minute, or until the cheese is melted. Stir until the cheese is smooth and blended into the squash. Let set for a minute or two before serving.



Summer Squash Pizza from kraftrecipes.com

1 Ready-to-use baked pizza crust (12 inch)

2 large Plum tomatoes, sliced

3 Tbsp. KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade, divided

1 Zucchini, thinly sliced

1 Yellow squash, thinly sliced

1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Heat oven to 450ºF. Place pizza crust on baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes over crust; brush with 1 Tbsp. dressing. Heat remaining dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; cook and stir 4 to 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Arrange over tomatoes; top with cheeses. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until crust is golden brown and mozzarella is melted.

Squash Blossom Frittata

3-4 blossoms

1-2 baby squash

4 eggs

Dash of milk

2 green onions

Asiago cheese

Chopped parsley and snipped chives (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pick 3 to 4 blossoms per person and 1 or 2 baby yellow or green summer squash. Rinse blossoms well and drain on paper towels.

2. Beat 4 eggs with a little milk. Add fresh chopped parsley and snipped chives, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. In a non-stick pan, saute a little butter and cook 2 green onion and thinly sliced baby squash just until soft. Then quickly saute the blossoms for about 30 seconds and remove from pan.

4. Pour egg mix into pan, sprinkle and arrange the onions, squash and blossoms on top and cook over low to medium heat until almost set. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese and put under the broiler until lightly puffed and browned.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

• 18 squash blossoms, stamen removed

Cheese Filling

• 3 ounces goat (feta) cheese

• 3 ounces cream cheese

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• Salt and pepper to taste

Beer Batter:

• 1/8 cup cornstarch

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1/2 cup cold flat beer

• Vegetable oil for frying

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Grated Parmesan cheese and sliced chives for garnish

Gently swish the squash blossoms in cold water to clean. Carefully twirl to remove most of the water, then drain thoroughly on paper towels. Set aside.

Beat goat cheese, cream cheese, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper until blended. Gently fill each blossom with about 2 teaspoons of the cheese filling. Refrigerate while making batter.

In a heavy skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 375 F over medium heat.

While oil is heating, whisk together cornstarch, flour, salt, pepper, celery salt, baking soda, baking powder, egg, and beer until combined.

Carefully dip a stuffed blossom into the batter, covering the entire flower, and ease into the hot oil. Brown on one side, then turn to brown the other. Cook only a few at a time so they are not crowded. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining stuffed squash blossoms.

Sprinkle stuffed squash blossoms with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese and chopped chives.

Sweet Fried Squash Blossoms

Just batter, fry, and dust with confectioners sugar. They come out kind of like weird, delicious funnel cake.

Braised Fennel

Ingredients:

• 2 medium fennel bulbs

• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• ¼ cup dry white wine

• ½ cup homemade or low sodium chicken stock

Trim fennel bulbs from stalks, reserving some fronds to chop for garnish. Cut bulbs lengthwise into 1/3-1/2” slices. Do not trim root end, so the slices stay together.

Heat a 10-12” sauté pan until hot. Add the oil and wait until the oil shimmers before adding the fennel.

Season with some salt and pepper and sear fennel to caramelize, turning once. The fennel should be a rich golden brown.

Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.

When the wine has reduced to a syrup, add the chicken stock and put the lid on the pan.

Braise over very low heat for about ten to fifteen minutes, or until the fennel is very tender.

Before serving, garnish with chopped fennel fronds.


Fresh Fennel Bulb Salad

1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs

2 tbs white wine or red wine vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

2 tbs frozen OJ concentrate, partially thawed

2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

Remove fronds from the bulb. Cut away the root and slice fennel into very thin pieces, or grate it. Make dressing by combining vinegar, mustarad, ¼ tsp salt, and OJ in a bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Pour over fennel and allow to marinate at room temperature 20 minutes or longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 3-4 side dishes.

Sautéed Fennel with Parmesan From Rouxbe.com

• 2 medium fennel

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 small shallot

• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• sea salt (to taste)

• 1/2 lemon (juice of)

• Parmesan cheese (to taste)

To start, cut the top and bottom off of the fennel. Then cut it in half widthwise, and then in half again. Remove the core, so that the fennel falls apart. Slice the fennel into about 1/4 - inch strips.

Slice the garlic and thinly slice the shallot lengthwise.

To cook the fennel, gather the olive oil and lemon. Preheat a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil, followed by the fennel and a good pinch of salt. Toss to combine and let cook for a few minutes. As the fennel cooks and starts to color, toss occasionally until it starts to caramelize.

Then add the shallots, stir together and continue to cook until the fennel softens a bit more, about 3 to 5 minutes.

If the pan seems to be getting too brown before it has cooked through, just add a touch of water.

Once the fennel has caramelized and softened, but still has a bit of crunch, add the garlic and let cook for another 30 seconds or so.

Then turn off the heat and deglaze with the lemon juice. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese over top and toss. Taste for seasoning and top with more a bit more Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

Sautéed fennel goes well with many meat, fish and pasta dishes.

Don’t forget:

the SWAP BOX

starts today!

Cheers to a great week!

~Kathy

This week’s share:


Chioggia beets
carrots
cauliflower
chard
cucumber
green beans
kale
kohlrabi
lettuce
rutabaga

This is IMPORTANT:


Pickup the first week of August will be on Sunday, August 1 from noon until ? because we will be going on vacation that week. If this will not work out for you, please let me know and we will work something out. Thank you for your understanding.

This Past Week…


So many things are starting to show up in the garden. The eggplant is getting larger, the pepper plants are blossoming (so slowly!) and there have been two ripe tomatoes.

There have been a few squash, a few purple beans, some melons & pumpkins forming, and a sunflower opened up.

I’m having problems with the broccoli. Two weeks ago I had four heads that were the size of a baseball. This week there were just a handful of sideshoots. I’m not sure what’s happening, but keep your fingers crossed for some broccoli quick!

There is purple cauliflower in your share this week. However, I was short one, so if you didn’t get any cauliflower this week, please let me know. There are a few more coming along and I’ll make sure to get you one.

If you would like to view previous newsletters, I post them on the blog at:


columbusurbanfarm.blogspot.com

A Tip from one of our members:


“we haven't been wasting any of the veggies. Whatever doesn't get eaten or gets wilty we put into a gallon ziploc baggie in the freezer. When I have a ham bone or rotisserie chicken bones I add it to the ziploc and use the contents to make a wicked broth for soup.” I love this idea!


Swap Box
Starting next week, I will have a separate cooler labeled SWAP BOX. If there is something in your bag you don’t like, you can swap it with something someone else has placed in the box.

Recipe Section


Sauteed Chard with Parmesan from Allrecipes.com

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1/2 small red onion, diced

• 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems and center ribs cut out and chopped together, leaves coarsely chopped separately

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• salt to taste (optional)

Melt butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt if needed. Nutritional Information



Spice Asian Green Beans
From the Willly Street Co-op Reader, July 2010

1 lb of green beans

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp peanut oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled & minced

1/16 tsp red pepper flakes

½ tbs soy sauce

2 tbs water

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Cut off the ends of the green beans, unless they are very fresh and thin. Lightly steam the beans while frying the garlic and ginger in the oils over low heat. You want the garlic to turn a golden color and become very aromatic – at this point you can add the red pepper flakes, green beans, soy sauce and the water. Cover and cook everything together over high heat for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the beans look shiny from the oil. Shake the pan and stir occasionally while cooking. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy! Yields 4 cups.

Enjoy your week! ~ Kathy

Pickup:

Front porch if rainy
Right side yard if nice

This week’s share:
basil
Chioggia beets
flat-leaf cilantro
green beans
kale
kohlrabi
red leaf lettuce

This Past Week…

We’ve kept busy staking and trimming tomatoes. They’re between three and four feet tall right now, and love this heat. The sunflowers and pumpkins have really taken off. They’ve grown over a foot in four weeks! We’ve even picked a few carrots. Yumm.

How is it going?

How have your CSA bags been? How can things be improved upon? Tell us how we’re doing.

Chioggia Beets
Not Grandma’s Beets!

What about it: Chioggia is an Italian coastal town situated on a little island. It's here that this wonderful beet originated, which is highly sought after for its striking colors.

When its round root is cut, it reveals superb rings, alternating white and deep pink. After cooking, the flesh turns completely pale pink, which is why it is preferred in its raw form.

It matures early and has a mild flavor, and so requires less cooking time than most varieties of beet. (from theworldwidegourmet.com)

The news: Still found mainly in farmers’ markets but starting to show up in specialty grocery stores, these red-and-white–striped roots are sweeter than other beets, and so beautiful, they might win over any beet doubters.

Feel-good factors: Beets have lots of fiber, potassium, iron, and folic acid, a B vitamin. Betacyanin, the pigment that gives beets their color, is a powerful antioxidant.

Ways to try them: Sauté the greens. Roast beets until just tender; cut up for salads (they’re great with avocados). Slice raw beets paper-thin; add to soup. From sunset.com.



Roasted Beet Salad

6-8 small beets, scrubbed, tops trimmed to 1 inch
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup pecans
1 tbs Dijon mustard
4 tbs white wine vinegar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups baby salad greens
½ small bottle onion or sweet onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Heat grill. Place beets on heavy foil; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly, grill until beets can be easily pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, toast pecans in a dry pan on the grill, tossing frequently. Finely chop the nuts. When beets are cooled a bit, use a paper towel to remove the peel, stems, and tails. Cut beets into quarters. Combine mustard and vinegar in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil until thickened. Add salt and pepper. Toss salad greens in a bowl with a little dressing. Portion the greens onto 2-4 plates. Top with beets, onions, blue cheese, and pecans. Drizzle with as much dressing as you like.

Adapted from Michael Waupoose’s winner in the 2001 Food for Thought Recipe Contest. Printed in “From Asparagus to Zucchini”.





Fried Beets & Carrots from Linda Derrickson, Sunporch Café

2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium beets, quartered, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 medium carrots, sliced ¼ inch thick
Tamari sauce
Beet tops, fresh spinach, or Swiss Chard

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add cumin, cook about 1 minute. Add beets and carrots; fry until tender. Remove from heat, sprinkle on a little tamari, and serve. Variation: if using young beets, save the tops. When the beets and carrots are tender, add chopped greens, cover, and cook until soft. Toss mixture, sprinkle with tamari, and serve. Makes 2-4 servings.


Enjoy what may be the last of the basil – looks like all the plants are diseased and they may succumb quickly. Big sad face :(

We are running low on brown paper bags. If you have any you could spare, we would sure appreciate it!

Have a stress-free week!

~Kathy

June 29, 2010 CSA News

A Note Regarding Pickup:


If there is inclement weather, you can pick up your bag on the front porch, in a large Styrofoam cooler. If the weather is nice, you can pick up your bag on the shady side (right side) of the house in a large white Styrofoam cooler.

This week’s share:

flat-leaf cilantro

green bean sample

kale

kohlrabi

green head lettuce

red leaf lettuce

Swiss chard

Such Lovely Weather!

It was beautiful early this morning as we harvested your food. We were really looking forward to providing beans this week, and we did, but there aren’t that many yet. Never fear, with 75 linear feet of bean plants, you will undoubtedly get your fill.

We are growing two varieties of cilantro. This week you are getting what you are probably used to seeing in the grocery store. If there is too much for you to use, lay it in a single layer on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Wait a few hours for it to freeze, then place it in a zip-lock bag for use in the next six months. Just take out a sprig or two as needed, and use immediately. It is a treat to use home-grown cilantro all winter long.

Compost Share
Good compost is black gold to gardeners, and we have been making our own. Approximately every 30 days we should have a new batch completed. The struggle we’ve been having is our kitchen waste cannot keep up with the demand. This is where you come in:

Fill up an ice cream bucket/coffee can, etc. with food scraps, and then bring your full bucket of compostables at the pick-up site when you pick up your share and we'll have an empty bucket waiting for you. This is good for you and your food, and good for the environment.

Acceptable:
• All fruit and vegetable peelings and pits

• Non greasy food scraps or leftovers

• Rice, pasta, bread, cereal etc.

• Coffee grounds with filter, tea bags

• Hair and nails (animal or human)

• Egg and nut shells

• Cut or dried flowers, wreaths

• Houseplants and potting soil

•Dryer lint

•Vacuum cleaner bag contents

Not acceptable:



• Meat, chicken and fish

• Greasy food scraps

• Fat and oil

• Dairy items: cheese, butter

• Dog or cat feces, kitty litter

• Coal or charcoal

• Coconuts

• Diseased and/or insect-infested houseplants and soil

How is it going?

How have your CSA bags been? Have things been squished, wilted, or otherwise not in good shape? How can things be improved upon? Any feedback you can provide will make a positive impact on our operation and on your food. We welcome you, and well, beg you to tell us how we’re doing.



Want Eggs?

If you are interested in getting eggs every week with your CSA share from an organic farmer, let me know and I may be able to arrange this.



What to do with Kohlrabi?

Kohlrabi can be one of those intimidating vegetables if you haven’t been around it much. It has the look of an organic green Sputnik, with a taste like fresh, crunchy broccoli stems accented by radish. The name kohlrabi comes from the German kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, or turnip.

Handling: If the kohlrabi leaves are still attached to the bulb, trim them and store separately. If the leaves are in good shape—firm and green—they can be cooked but will need to be used within a couple of days. The bulbs should be stored, unwashed, in a plastic bag. They will hold for about a week in the refrigerator. Smaller kohlrabi are the sweetest and most tender. Bulbs much bigger than the size of a tennis ball won’t be as tasty and often have a pithy flesh.

• Tender, young kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip.

• Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing.

• Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain.

• The leaves attached to the kohlrabi bulb can be enjoyed as a cooked green. Wash the leaves and remove the ribs. Blanch in boiling water until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop leaves, then saute in a little olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

The next two recipes came from the Madison Area CSA Coalition’s cookbook: From Asparagus to Zucchini

SOUTH OF THE BORDER SNACKS

Peeled kohlrabi, chili powder, fresh lime juice. Slice the kohlrabi into rounds (not too thick). Dip the lower third of each round into lime juice, then into chili powder. Makes any number of servings.

Bratwurst Kohlrabi Vegetable Soup with Pumpernickel Dill Croutons

1 tbs butter, divided

2 cooked bratwursts

1 cup of chopped onions

2 medium kohlrabis, peeled, thin-sliced, and chopped

½ cup thin-sliced celery

2 tsp fennel seeds

3 cans (each 14.5 ounces) beef broth

1 cup thin-sliced potatoes

1/3 cup thin-sliced dill pickles

½ tsp dill weed

Salt and pepper

Croutons:

1 ½ tbs melted butter

½ tsp dill weed

1 ½ cups cubed pumpernickel bread

Brown bratwurst in a pot with ½ tsp butter. Remove and reserve meat. Add remaining ½ tbs butter, onions, kohlrabi, celery, and fennel seeds; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth, potatoes, pickles, dill weed, bratwurst, and 2/3 cup of water; simmer 40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand one of more hours to develop flavor. To make croutons, combine ingredients; bake 10-15 minutes in 400-degree oven, tossing occasionally. Serve with reheated soup. Makes six servings.

Cilantro Pesto

(A Luna Circle Farm original recipe)

1 bunch cilantro

2-3 garlic scapes or cloves, chopped

¼ cup walnuts, pine nuts, or almonds

½ cup olive oil

¾ cup parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Put everything into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Serve on hot pasta.

I made this recipe up on Sunday. It was enough to make a pasta salad with 1 pound of pasta. I also lightly steamed sugar snap peas, snow peas and asparagus. I chilled them and added them to the pasta salad. Later in the season I add tomatoes, sweet peppers and steamed zucchini.



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Tips on Using Swiss Chard

• Include chard in stir-fries

• Sauté the leaves in garlic butter or with onion

• Use chard in any recipe calling for fresh spinach, like quiches, lasagna, omelets, etc.

• For soups, add chard stem chunks 10 minutes and leaves 4-5 minutes before soup is done.

• Raw baby chard leaves are wonderful in green salads. Many salad mixes include them.

Rainbow Swiss Chard Appetizer

3 tbs butter

2 tbs minced shallots

4 stems chives, chopped

¼ tsp dried, ground thyme

1 bunch chard (about 10 stalks) finely chopped (use the greens for another recipe)

Cream cheese, softened

Toasted, sliced French bread or gourmet whole wheat cracker

Melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Add chives, thyme, and chopped chard stalks; sauté until stalks re tender, tossing to coat with butter. Transfer to bowl and let cool, patting it with paper towels to soak up excess butter. Spread cream cheese on toasted bread or crackers. When chard is cool, spoon some onto each cracker. Makes about 4 servings.



Happy Fourth of July!  Kathy