Greetings CSA Members,

This week I am happy to share with you another delightful piece of writing from a hard-working member of the Denison Farm Crew who will be sorely missed as she turns her focus back to college life at Syracuse University. In addition to her contribution, I have included this week two recipes and some general information about a new vegetable in your box – Tomatillos. If you are already an experienced tomatillo chef, please send me your recipes and cooking tips as I am certain many members would appreciate it. Brian just peeked his head in the door and reminded me that he enjoys eating tomatillos raw – “ peel off the outside and just eat as if you are munching on a plum!”

This week in your share, you will most likely find:
          Tomatoes, Melon, Corn, Fairytale Eggplant (Just slice and grill – no peeling    necessary), Tomatillos, Lettuce, Onions, and Beets

    “Today, as in Wednesday August 13th, we had a change of pace on the farm. Instead of picking vegetables this morning, we, the ladies of the farm, ventured off to what Brian calls the
“Little Little Field” to arrange flower bunches. The sunflowers were pointing straight towards their beloved sun that they have missed for the past week or two. Only a few have bloomed, but we have an entire field of them to look forward to. Hopefully some of you will travel to the farm to see them when they blossom. We predominantly picked globe amaranths and zinnias for a group of CSA members. The cosmos are beetle bitten, but that’s what you get on an organic farm, as we all should know by now. Fidelia, Ali, Leslie, Rebeca, Jeannine, and I all sat between the rows of flowers and made the morning pass fast as we discussed, joked, and complained about our hunger pains, for picking flowers is a lot different than picking vegetables for three hours straight. As it is my last week on the farm before returning to the ugly city of Syracuse, NY (no offense Syracusians), I brought along a camera to document my time on the farm. Instead of struggling to create literary imagery, I wish to share my photos with all of you and leave my memories open to interpretation. Thank you to all members who I’ve met! The past two summers on the farm have helped me to learn a lot about myself, and I hope that you all continue to educate community members and those you love about eating and living local. I will create a photo album through the Denison farm blog and possibly have some of the photos appear on the farm website.    Peace and Love - Andrea LaMothe

Enjoy your share and have a great week - Justine

Tomatillo

The tomatillo (toe-ma-tea-o) is of Mexican origin and has been introduced into the United States. It now grows everywhere in the Western Hemisphere and is common in Texas gardens. The husk tomato plant produces an edible fruit enclosed in a thick husk. The husk is brown and the fruit yellowish-green when it is ripe. The plants will grow to a height of three to four feet.

The condition of the "husk" is a good indication of the freshness of the fruit. The husk should be light brown and fresh looking, not shriveled and dried. Fruit should be firm and free of defects. Fresh ripe husk tomatoes will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks. If longer storage is desired, remove husks and place ripe fruit in sealed plastic bags and place in refrigerator. They may also be frozen whole or sliced.

Tomatillos are a good source of vitamin C.

Remove husks and wash tomatillos. Remove skins if desired. Cook tomatillos either whole or cut in small pieces. Either way, steam them in a small amount of water in a covered saucepan for just about five to seven minutes. The result will be almost a sauce consistency, with the tiny seeds and bits of skin giving texture. Either add to other dishes or season with salt and pepper and hot chilies to taste and serve as a relish side dish.

Salsa de Tomate Verde

5 Jalapeno peppers
¾ -1 lb. Tomatillos
1-2 cloves Garlic
1 Tbl Vinegar
1 tsp Salt
½ cup chopped Cilantro
1/3 cup chopped Onion
1 Avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed (optional)

Place the Jalapenos in a large saucepan of boiling water. After 5 minutes, add the tomatillos. After about 3 minutes, remove the jalapenos and tomatillos and drain.
Puree the jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic, and vinegar in a blender. Add the salt and cilantro and blend for 2 short cycles.
In a bowl, combine the puree, avocado, onion.
Makes about 1 ½ cups.

Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce
 
  Sauce:

1 1/4 lb Fresh Tomatillos
1 - 2 Jalapeno Peppers
1 small Onion peeled and finely chopped
1 medium Garlic clove - peeled and minced
1 Tbl Vegetable oil
2 c Low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp Salt

 Enchilada:

2 Whole chicken breasts - boneless and skinless
2 Tbl Minced onion
1/3 c Sour cream
1/4 tsp Salt
1/3 c Vegetable oil
1 c Sharp cheddar cheese - coarsely grated
1/2 c Crumbled asiago cheese or substitute additional cheddar or jack cheese

 To make the sauce:
Husk and wash the tomatillos. Bring a pan of water to a boil, add the tomatillos and jalapeno peppers and time for 10 minutes. Drain and remove the stem ends of the peppers. Put the
tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic in a food processor and process to a coarse puree. In a large pan heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the vegetable puree and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and salt; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

To make the enchiladas:
Place the chicken in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring just to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the water and cool slightly. Shred the chicken and set aside.  Combine the cooled, shredded chicken with the minced onion, sour cream, and salt. Stir in 1/4 cup of the tomatillo sauce. Set aside.
 In a 9- to 10-inch frying pan heat the oil over medium-high heat. Put 1 tortilla at a time in the hot oil and fry about 30 seconds on each side. Drain on paper towels. Cool slightly.
 Spread a little of the sauce in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Spoon some of the filling down the center of each tortilla and roll. Place in the baking dish; it will be a tight fit. Spoon the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the cheddar and asiago cheeses.
 Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 25 minutes.   Cool 5 minutes before serving.