Wednesday, June 26, 2013

2013 CSA Week 6


2013 CSA Share Week 6
From our farm to your table this week…

Item
How to Store it
How long will it last?
Basil
 
OPEN IMMEDIATELY!
DO NOT WASH; store in an UNCLOSED CONTAINER in fridge OR snip the bottom of the stalks & immerse in water as you would with fresh cut flowers
 
1-2 weeks
Broccoli
(Thursday pickup only)
 
washed or unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
Cucumber
unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
 
 
 
Kale
(Saturday pickup only)
washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag

1-2 weeks
Lettuce
washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag
 
1-2 weeks
Onions, green
Washed or unwashed in fridge; not tightly sealed
~2-3 weeks
 
Radishes & turnips
 
 
Washed or unwashed in fridge
 
Several weeks
Tomatoes
at room temp
~1 week
 
 
 
Yellow Squash
unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
 
 
 
Zucchini
unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks

 
More information…

Basil
Here’s one of my favorite summer flavors – fresh basil!  If you didn’t have a small, potted basil plant to make Caprese Salad earlier in the season, now you can easily assemble this fresh summer treat.  All you need is fresh mozzarella, salt, pepper, oil, balsamic vinegar along with the basil and tomatoes in your share!

Broccoli

Sometimes vegetables just surprise you, and that’s what our broccoli has been up to.  Small, tender side shoots keep coming back on the stalks of the plants we’ve been harvesting from.  This week there’s only enough for the Thursday delivery and it’s likely you won’t see it again until fall but, who knows, maybe it will surprise us again with another encore performance next week!

Cucumbers, Green Onions, Kale, Lettuce, Green onions, Radishes, Turnips
This is a great week for salad.  With plenty of basil, lettuce, broccoli or kale and an array of small crunchy veggies like green onions, radishes & turnips, you can create a salad with amazing flavor and texture.  Consider tossing in some pasta and your favorite salad dressing for a healthy, filling, summer meal. 

Tomatoes, Yellow Squash, & Zucchini

This combination says summer like no other – except maybe if you add basil and corn.  I love the time of year when fresh tomatoes and summer squashes are at their peak.  There are so many ways to enjoy them individually or combined!  This week, let me encourage you to try this great recipe for Tomato Pie in a Zucchini Crust.  How’s that for a tasty, creative, vegetarian meal?!

As always, please feel free to contact me for clarification, further information, or to share your own adventures in cooking local, USDA-certified organic produce.  amanda.waterstrat@gmail.com



 

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

2013 CSA Week 5


From our farm to your table this week…

Item
How to Store it
How long will it last?
broccoli
 
washed or unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
Cucumber
unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lettuce
washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag
1-2 weeks
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tomatoes
at room temp
~1 week
 
 
 
Yellow Squash
unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
 
 
 


More information…

Broccoli
We’re so pleased that the weather cooperating in allowing us to provide you with another week of broccoli!  If you didn’t try broccoli apple salad or broccoli cornbread last week, you’ll have another chance!  Just check last week’s post, CSA Week 4, for the information.

Cucumber
If you used up the cucumbers in the week 4 share just by snacking, you might like to try something new this week.  One of our favorite ways to enjoy cucumbers in the summer is by making quick, easy refrigerator pickles.  Check out this recipe for more information.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

- About 1 lb cucumbers thinly sliced or cut lengthwise    
  into spears
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill ( or 1/2 – 1 tsp dry dill weed)
- ¼ onion thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
-  2 cups water
-  2 cups white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp canning salt
optional – 1Tbsp – ¼ cup sugar if you like your pickles a little sweet.


Prepare canning jars or reused glass jars by thoroughly washing in hot, soapy water. 
*Note – heat sterilization by boiling is not necessary for these containers because the pickles will be kept in the refrigerator. 

Wash and slice cucumbers, and place in prepared glass jar(s).


Make pickling brine by combining the remaining ingredients in a Dutch oven and boiling to dissolve salt (and sugar, if using).
Remove from heat and cool.
Pour over cucumbers in prepared jars.  Adding a little water, if necessary, to completely drown your cucumbers.  In about 24-48 hours, your cucumbers will be pickles and they’ll taste even better a few days later. 

Lettuce

Folks, I just don’t know what to say.  If you have some interesting, creative ways to enjoy this delicious lettuce, please share them.  We’re still munching away on the lettuce in salads and sandwiches but we’d love to hear any ideas you’d like to share for new spins on one of our old favorites!

Tomatoes
Okay, for the first time this year, I’ve decided it’s time to branch out and do something slightly different with my tomatoes.  My second favorite way to enjoy tomatoes (second only to eating them raw with salt) is Caprese Salad.  A simple French salad made by layering the following delicious flavors in this order: a thick slice of tomato on the bottom, salt & pepper to taste, a thin slice of fresh mozzarella, one basil leaf, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and oil or balsamic vinaigrette.  Ah – delicious!  Here’s what it looks like on a serving dish Caprese Salad from The Pioneer Woman.  I’m going to serve up a platter just like this for a little lunch gathering on the farm this Friday if I don’t eat them all in the kitchen first!

Yellow squash

We’re like proud parents unveiling a tiny new member of the family this week by sneaking in the very first harvest of yellow squash into your share!  These small, tender yellow summer squashes (just one per share) are a hint of what we expect to come in abundance for many weeks.  We hope you enjoy them.  I actually like the small ones raw but this week I’d suggest tossing them in with your refrigerator pickles for an interesting color variation.  Enjoy!  (Don’t worry, they won’t all be as small as these new babies!  …but aren’t they cute?!?!)


 As always, please feel free to contact me for clarification, further information, or to share your own adventures in cooking local, USDA-certified organic produce.  amanda.waterstrat@gmail.com


Thursday, June 13, 2013

2013 CSA Week 4


From our farm to your table this week…

Item
How to Store it
How long will it last?
Cucumber*
(Saturday pickup only)
 
unwashed in fridge
1-2 weeks
Butternut squash*
(Saturday pickup only)
 
In a cool, dry, dark place
1-2 weeks, they’ve already been stored through winter
broccoli
(Thursday pickup only)
 
washed or unwashed in refrigerator
1-2 weeks
kholrabi
(Saturday pickup only)
 
Unwashed, in fridge
2-3 months
Lettuce
washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag
1-2 weeks
 
Green onions
 
Lightly rinsed, dried, and stored in plastic wrap of fridge container
 
 
1-2 weeks
Greens (mustard, kale, or Swiss chard)
(Saturday pickup only)
 
washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag
1-2 weeks
 
Sage
(Saturday pickup only)
 
unwashed, in fridge, in sealed container or plastic bag

1-2 weeks


 
 
Tatsoi
(Thursday pickup only)
washed & thoroughly dried (my preference) or unwashed, in fridge, sealed in container or plastic bag
 
1-2 weeks
 
 
 
Tomatoes
at room temp
~1 week

*These items are not included in mini shares.
More information…

Cucumber
Fresh, crisp “Little Leaf” pickling cucumbers are just beginning to reach harvest size.  Despite the designation as a pickling cucumber, these little veggies are delicious raw in salads or just to snack on.  This week even Finley agreed that they are tasty and he’s not a fan of many raw, green vegetables!

Butternut squash
Ah, the last of the 2012 autumn harvest is vanishing.  Butternut squash happens to be one of my very favorite vegetables and, although it stirs up thoughts of fall and cool weather, this vegetable is very versatile and delicious any time of year.  In our first CSA newsletter of the 2013 season, I showed you a photo of a salad topped with crisp sweet potatoes alongside a sweet potato soufflĂ©.  Since you’ll have both butternut squash and sage this week, I strongly encourage you to give this soufflĂ© a try.  Pick up some farm fresh eggs at the Farmers’ Market and you’ll have almost everything you need for this tasty dish.  To obtain cooked squash, simply wash the squash and pierce it multiple times all around OR slide it in half, remove the seeds and roast upside down in a pan with a bit of water.  It will take 1-1.5 hours to roast the uncut squash and 45 minutes to 1 hour for the cut squash, both at 375oF.


Butternut Squash Souffle with Sage
*adapted from Southern Living 2007
1 large squash, baked
3 large eggs
½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
¼ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg.
Preheat oven to 350oF.
Grease an 8” square baking dish and set aside.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor in the order listed above.
Pour into prepared dish and bake 55-60 minutes or until set.
Broccoli
If you’ve never known the joy of eating fresh, home-grown broccoli you’re in for a real treat.  Everyone who tries it seems to immediately notice the contrast between freshly harvested broccoli and the supermarket variety.  This time of year, I like to make fresh broccoli salads (see recipe) but if you’re not into that sort of thing and you prefer it cooked, there are also LOTS of great options from roasting to tossing into a soup or casserole.  If you’d just like to save it for later, broccoli is easy to preserve by blanching (quick immersion in boiling water), drying, and sealing tightly in an a freezer bag. (Just be sure to remove all the excess air!)  We still have a few bags of frozen broccoli from last year and it’s great to toss into quiche or a delicious dish called broccoli cornbread.
Broccoli Apple Salad
3
cups washed, chopped broccoli
1 large firm, crisp apple such as Gala or Fuji, cut into small cubes
4oz sharp cheddar cheese (shredded or in very small cubes)½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup sugar
1.5 Tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste.
Optional crumbled bacon as garnish
Combine broccoli, apple, and cheese in large bowl.Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over broccoli/apple/cheese mixture.Garnish with crumbled bacon if desired.
Kholrabi
Kholrabi is a root vegetable with big, leafy greens that comes in green and bright purple varieties.  It is in the same family as cabbage and you’ll notice the familiar cabbage flavor.  Although roots and leaves can be eaten, I have not yet prepared the leaves myself.  The roots are firm like a turnip but coated in a thick skin that should be removed before eating.   There are a number of ways to enjoy kohlrabi but since you’ll only find one in your share this week, try it raw in very thin slices.   Experiment with the unique flavor in a salad or layered on a hearty sandwich.

Lettuce
These tender heads of leaf lettuce are, in my opinion, among the best crops of spring and early summer here in Kentucky.  We eat lots of salad all year long, but salads made with the crisp, tender leaves of our own fresh lettuce are among the best.  A light oil-based salad dressing and a few slices of other fresh seasonal vegetables are all you need to showcase the excellent flavor of the lettuce.  Lettuce wraps are another great way to enjoy the large leaves.  Stuff them with your favorite cheesy spread, a light deli meat or chicken salad, wrap and enjoy a light healthy lunch or create a tray to serve as an appetizer for a summer gathering.

Green onions
Tender green onions are often one of the first crops that can be harvested in the spring.  My parents and grandparents have gardened or farmed here in Laurel County for many years now and, although they didn’t usually plant greens like kale and lettuce, they always reserved plenty of room in the spring garden for a bed of fresh green onions.  The preferred method for enjoying green onions in my family was alongside a giant pot of soup beans and hot, buttery cornbread.  Yum!  I still love to eat green onions this way (white bulb and the tender green shoots) but I’ve also learned to appreciate the pleasant flavor that finely sliced green onions lend to a variety of salads.   ….so if  you think it’s too hot to cook up a pot of soup beans and a pan of cornbread, just slice up the onions and stir them into a creamy dip, a big salad or a light summer soup and enjoy!

Greens – Mustard, Kale, or Swiss chard
Once again this week you’ll be receiving a mix of greens because the unique growing conditions this spring didn’t produce a booming crop of spring greens.  This is quite a change from the last two years so we appreciate your patience and flexibility.  While you have this mixture of field greens, it would be a great opportunity for you to try a hearty Cajun dish like jambalaya or gumbo and boost the nutritional value by adding a mixture of the boiled greens. 

Tatsoi
You saw photos and a description of this lovely green in your first box of the season, CSA week 1, but some of the first crop of Tatsoi bolted (produced flowers and became bitter) so not everyone ended up with Tatsoi in their box for the Saturday pickup.  ….so, if it’s your first time trying tatsoi, I think you’ll really enjoy it.  It’s dark, oval leaves and pale green stems are tender and edible and are excellent chopped and served raw in a salad.  Just last night, Ford’s mom Janet had the great idea of slicing into thin ribbons and tossing into a big pasta salad.  The tender green leaves were just perfect with the oily salad dressing, noodles, and other vegetables. 


Tomatoes
Several times each week in the summer, Ford and I make a lunch of sliced cheddar cheese, thinly sliced avocado, fresh tomato and onion slices, and mustard.  It is a delicious way to enjoy fresh tomatoes and have a healthy vegetarian lunch with enough healthy fats and protein to keep us full through the afternoon.  A good old tomato sandwich is hard to beat, but try this version sometime and I think you’ll be hooked!

As always, please feel free to contact me for clarification, further information, or to share your own adventures in cooking local, USDA-certified organic produce.  amanda.waterstrat@gmail.com