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
