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

Waiting for the Snowstorm with Butternut Squash Soup

We are expecting around eight inches of snow tonight and tomorrow.  The kids are hoping school is cancelled, and my Tuesday class in Madison has already been cancelled. 

Today, while the kids were at school, I envisioned us eating dinner together while the snow was falling.  I also had a craving for some hearty soup. 

I found a recipe at allrecipes.com, but I didn't have all the ingredients.  So I modified it and I loved it.  The kids were a little freaked out about the color and consistency, but Nick ate a whole bowl without complaint. 

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
6 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups peeled and cubed squash
3 cups water
4 cubes chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Put in bowls and topped with finely chopped parsley.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
3 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 cups white sugar
6 eggs (I've used four)
4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

Adapted from allrecipes.com Pumpkin Bread IV