Greetings CSA Members, |
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 Newsletter
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 Newsletter
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Greetings CSA Members,
What an amusing sight I was Sunday evening, attempting to milk the goats in between the thunderstorms. Each time I thought the coast was clear, I would head out to the barn. Once I had a goat in the stanchion and I was beginning to milk, it would start to thunder. Frantically I would milk as fast as I could, yank the goat back into the pen, and run for the house. Now this happened three times and by 9:00, as a teary-eyed farm wife, I was absolutely pathetic! So there you have it - true confessions from a CSA Farmer. And so now it is your turn. I would love to share in a newsletter some “True Confessions From a CSA Member”. For example, one week, a lovely CSA member approached me and whispered that she identifies the various vegetables each week by process of elimination. I informed her that she was not alone and that no question was ever too small or too foolish. So if you have an embarrassing moment that you would be willing to share as you have discovered what is and what is not in your weekly share or how you created some wonderful new dish such as Strawberry-Swiss Chard Pie (thinking that the Swiss Chard was rhubarb), please send me your anecdote via email.
I am also including a piece that Rebeca shared with me from Cook’s Illustrated and I thought would be valuable.
WHICH VEGETABLES SHOULD BE STORED WHERE
BEST in the FRONT of the FRIDGE: corn (after wrapping in a wet paper bag placed inside a plastic bag) and peas
BEST in the CRISPER: artichokes, asparagus (after trimming the ends and placing upright in shallow cool water, then covering with plastic), beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chiles, cucumbers, eggplant, fresh herbs, green beans, leafy greens, leeks, lettuce (after washing and drying, rolling loosely in a clean kitchen towel inside an unzipped zip-lock bag), mushrooms, peppers, radishes, scallions, summer squash, turnips, zucchini
BEST on the COUNTER: tomatoes (stored upside down)
BEST in the PANTRY (where it's both dark and cool): garlic, onions, potatoes, shallots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash
WHEN to WASH VEGETABLES: just before using them since moisture encourages mold which encourages spoilage; if you do wash beforehand, dry before putting into the fridge
ORIGINAL PACKAGING: Cook's Illustrated suggests storing produce in their original containers that have often been especially designed to keep the produce fresher. (Note: Their story does seem to be oriented to supermarket vegetables that have been bred for long shelf lives under certain conditions.)
This week in your share, you will most likely find:
Lettuce, Red Gold Potatoes, Onions, Green Beans, Fairytale Eggplant, Cucumbers, Summer Squash/Zucchini, and Basil
Enjoy your share - Justine
Zucchini Bread
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 eggs, slightly beaten
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
* 1 cup shredded zucchini
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, ginger, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add oil, eggs, lemon juice and peel, shredded zucchini, and chopped walnuts. Stir to blend. Do not over mix.
Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool zucchini bread in pan on wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn zucchini bread out of pan and cool completely on rack.
Zucchini in Pecan Brown Butter (Gourmet Magazine)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup pecans (1 oz), coarsely chopped
1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
1/2 cup parmesan curls (shaved with a vegetable peeler from a piece of parmesan)
Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, then cook pecans, stirring, until golden brown and butter is browned.
Add zucchini with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 10 minutes.
Serve zucchini topped with parmesan curls.
New Potato and Cucumber Salad (with fresh herbs)
2 pounds red-gold potatoes
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped salad onion
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
6 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
4 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes; cool. Cut into 3/4-inch cubes and place in large bowl. Add cucumbers and onion. Whisk all remaining ingredients in small bowl. Add to potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 8 hours ahead; chill.)
Squash Souffle
* 2 pounds sliced yellow summer squash and or zucchini
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 3 tablespoons melted butter
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
* seasoned salt and pepper, to taste
* buttered bread crumbs
Combine squash, onion, and salt in a large saucepan; cover with water and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and mash well. Stir in milk, eggs, melted butter, flour and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake in a buttered 1 1/2-quart casserole for about 30 minutes. Top with buttered bread crumbs and bake for about 10 minutes longer. Serves 4.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
What to do with a pint of blueberries
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Don't knock it 'til you've tried it
I love beets and I love ice-cream, so I was very intrigued when I read about it in CSA member Leslie's blog, Fluff & Nonsense, where, among other things, she writes about and photo-documents her CSA experience. I wrote to Leslie that I would love to meet her and hear how the ice-cream turned out. To my great surprise and delight, this past Saturday, Leslie, her husband Chris, and her two beautiful and charming children, Avery and Mitchell came to the Denison Farm stand at the Troy Farmers' Market and introduced themselves to us. Leslie told me the ice-cream turned out pretty good, better if you already like beets, but not to Mitchell's liking. I was excited to try my hand at the recipe and glad to have met them and went back to work. To my delight -- and that of Justine, Maggie, Stella, Molly and Leslie (a different Leslie) who were all also working at the stand -- Leslie and family returned a while later with a small cooler full of beet ice-cream samples for us to try! We ALL loved it -- thank you, Leslie!
I have not stopped talking about it since -- just ask the rest of the crew who was not there on Saturday. The color is gorgeous, the lemony flavor and beety sweetness a surprisingly delightful combination. I heartily recommend you all give it a shot too. At least read about Leslie's experience in her blog, a link to which is now on the list of our favorite blogs.
I'm soooo going to try a veggie ice-cream really soon. I'm thinking about a sweet cream base with zucchini flecks in it and the spices usually associated with zucchini bread. After all, we have to do something with all those zucchini that aren't good enough for CSA or market but we just can't bear to toss in the compost. Any other suggestions?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Words from a fresh farmer
The past two and a half months have been wonderful for me, very educational for both mind and body. I spent the past year working a desk job in Chicago, and the first week at the Denisons' was quite a shock on the ol' muscles, but I was so relieved to be outside that I hardly minded a bit - and I sleep so much better after a day of planting, weeding, and harvesting! Now, my body has gotten accustomed to the work, and I can pay closer attention to the day-to-day processes that make the farm tick.
This week was quite exciting - I am always happy when a new crop is ready, and this week we picked the first carrots, green beans, and eggplant. I learned that in Jamaica, they call eggplants "Garden eggs," which I think sounds very poetic, particularly with a Jamaican accent. Although I suppose the French (and also British and Canadian) term "aubergine" is also quite poetic. We've already got two kinds showing their fruits in the field - the Fairytale and the standard dark-purple kind. If you've never seen eggplant fruits still on the plant, it is worth a trip to the farm. I think they're the most beautiful crop, particularly very early in the morning when the dew is still on. The fruits hang down like Christmas ornaments, and the leaves have a sort of velvety purple-y look to them that makes them seem far more exotic than the name "eggplant" would imply.
In any case, I'm hoping that another cold front comes through - ninety degrees with high humidity makes it a bit tough to pick vegetables expeditiously, although the zucchinis seem to love it. I'm going to sign off now, with my best wishes to you and your most recent bunch of chard - there are many vegetables that I love, but chard is particularly high on the list. The colors, the flavor, the speed of stir-frying, the nutrition ... so, enjoy!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Newsletter
Greetings CSA Members, |
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008 Newsletter
Greetings CSA Members, * 7/23/08 update: This is how CSA Member Leslie's zucchini cake turned out. Yummy! |
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008 Newsletter
Greetings CSA Members,
This week I have asked Mimi Marstaller, Maggie's (our daughter) dear friend to share her experiences working and living on the farm. Even though Maggie is off touring with a world music singing camp, Mimi has persevered here on the farm. I hope you enjoy her tale as much as we enjoy having her with us.
This week in your box, you will most likely find:
Lettuce, Spinach, Sugar Snap Peas, Bok Choi, Basil, Braising Greens,
Broccoli or Beets, and Cucumbers or Summer Squash/Zucchini
Have a wonderful week – Justine
Mimi, tell us your thoughts about your work last summer and now:
“The general job description was the same, involving working outside with plants, weeding, maintaining, some heavy lifting, and working with a crew. Why, then, do I feel so differently about my work this summer than that of last summer? The answer is relatively simple, and almost entirely psychological. Last year I weeded and planted for a landscaping company in Part City, Utah. The conservationist in me screamed as we planted garden after garden—in the middle of the desert. Having had no rain for a month and a half, the city posted signs encouraging water conservation, but my co-workers and I continued to install water-thirsty plants and sprinkler systems. I felt as though the city and its SUV-revving residents were living on borrowed time until Park City’s trademark ski trails would turn into sand dunes.
But no one working on the crew at Denison Farm has a conscience aching from his environmentally destructive day job. I sleep quite well, actually, knowing that I have participated in a system that brings organically grown, local food to conscientious consumers. Ahhh, just writing it makes me feel relieved. One of the things I find so promising about the local food movement is how amenable it is to growth on a personal level. When I started working at the Denison’s farm stand at the Troy farmers market four years ago, I had never experienced the community that surrounds a local food economy, and since that fated day the local movement has excited me to the point that I have made its promotion my career path. I know that my story is not singular—there are countless people who have been changed as they have changed the way they shop. Working on the farm has enlightened me to another way in which the local food movement fosters community: the excitement that I share with the other members of the crew over the appearance of the summer’s first new potatoes trumps any camaraderie I felt with my Park City crew over a fried columbine plant that the sprinkler didn’t reach that day.
Thank you for being part of the community network that is the local food movement. And please convince your Park City friends to keep cactus gardens.”
Broccoli with Ginger
1-2 lb broccoli
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cut florets into 2-inch-wide pieces. Trim stems and peel with a knife, then slice crosswise 1/4 inch thick. Cook broccoli in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté ginger, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add broccoli and salt and sauté , stirring, until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes
Easy Braising Greens
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
6-8 cups Braising Greens, alone or combined with any green such as Bok Choi, Spinach, Swiss Chard, and/or Kale, washed and coarsely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 cup water or vegetable broth
Salt to taste
Optional flavorings: Sesame oil, ume plum vinegar, tamari
Optional toppings: sesame seeds, chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add greens and garlic, stirring to coat with oil. Stir occasionally until greens are barely wilted, just a few minutes.
2. Add vegetable broth or water and stir, allowing greens to steam until barely tender. Salt to taste.
3. Add flavorings and toppings as desired and serve.
Serves 4.
Summer Greens Pasta with Garlicky Mustard Butter
1 stick organic butter or to taste (some folks find this amount to be too much)
2 tablespoons Dijon or country-style mustard
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons parsley, finely minced
2 tablespoons finely snipped chives or minced scallions
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3/4 pound pasta of your choice
4 cups assorted fresh greens, well-washed, and coarsely chopped. These may include Braising Greens, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Turnip Greens, Bok Choi, Collards, or whatever is fresh.
1. Allow the butter to soften, then blend with mustard.
2. Remove skin from garlic, chop coarsely, and pulverize in a mortar with a pinch of salt. Add parsley and chives and continue to pulverize for a little while to allow flavors to be released.
3. Combine garlic-chive mixture with mustard butter and add a few grinds of pepper.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add pasta. Cook according to package directions and in the last couple of minutes of cooking, add the greens. When done, drain pasta and greens in a colander, then place in a large heavy-bottomed skillet.
5. Heat pasta and greens over medium heat with the prepared butter, tossing until well-coated. Be sure not to allow the butter to brown. Serve hot.
Beets in Vinaigrette (taken from Gourmet Magazine)
1 1/2 pounds medium beets (about 4; 2 1/2 pounds with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
2 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cover beets generously with water in a heavy medium saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain in a colander and cool to warm, then slip off skins. Cut beets into 1/4-inch slices.
Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, onion, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking, then add warm beets and parsley and toss. Season with additional sugar and salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: Beets can be roasted and sliced 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before tossing with vinaigrette and parsley.