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.