Good Eats Newsletter - May 15, 2013

Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN/TAN BAG This week your bag will contain: Mesclun;  Beet Greens; Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens; Cilantro; Purple Potatoes; Carrots; Parsnips; Red Cipollini Onions and OUT of the Bag Frozen Chard OR Spinach (in cooler) Localvore Offerings Include: Pete's Greens Pizza Dough Pete's Greens Tomato Sauce Pa Pa Doodles Eggs Amir Hebib Mushrooms Small Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Mesclun; Pac Choi; Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens; Potatoes; Carrots and OUT of the Bag Frozen Chard OR Spinach (in cooler)

The spring share is quickly wrapping up - only 4 more weeks! Join now and be rewarded with a healthy, local and delicious season of Good Eats! Signing up early helps us plan our route.  Checks not deposited til June. We want to establish a few new Burlington sites.  Got ideas?

Around the Farm Clockwise:  (1) Veggie photo taken yesterday.  (2) Todd is my hero this week.  Todd prefers farm work to computers but he actually has an extensive background in computer security.  It came in handy this past week when we discovered our computers had been infected with some virus and spam sending software.  He had to clean out a bunch of junk and then install better network security.  I am thankful we have his expertise to call on now and again.  (3) Photo of piggies taken last week - they'd just had their water freshened and took the opportunity to have a little dip.  (4) And a perfect bed of beet seedlings - photo taken by Pete yesterday. Storage and Use Tips Mesclun- the first outdoor greens of the year!  Finally we are harvesting out in the fields by tractor.  Think big salads this week with this mesclun and garnish with the rest of the share ingredients! Beet Greens - The tender young beet greens in your share today are best eaten cooked. They are related to Swiss chard and may be used exactly the same way. I love them sauteed with a bit of oil and vinegar (balsamic or apple cider) and salt & pepper. You can also toss them into most recipes that call for other greens (mustard greens, spinach). They are milder in flavor than mustard greens, but a bit stronger than spinach. They are delicious. Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens have a delicate texture and sweet yet mildly pungent mustard flavor. Both greens are tender enough to liven up salads, and stout enough to stand on their own in steamed or stir-fried dishes. Cilantro - A member of the carrot family and related to parsley, cilantro is the leaves and stems of the coriander plant (the seeds of the same plant are the spice known as coriander). Cilantro has a very pungent odor and is widely used in Mexican, Caribbean and Asian cooking. The leaves and stems can be chopped and added to salads, soups and sauces, and can garnish many meals. I toss cilantro into any Mexican dish I am making, and love it in summer when I have tomatoes to make salsa. If you can't use all your cilantro just yet and wish to save it for a future dish, you can freeze it. Wash and gently dry your cilantro with paper towels. Then either put sprigs loosely in a plastic bag and freeze them. Or lightly chop cilantro, measure by the tablespoon into ice trays, fill remaining space in ice tray with water, and then after cubes are frozen, store in a plastic bag. You can take one out and thaw anytime you need to use it. The large share members are getting more Parsnips.  Parsnips lend a really interesting flavor to anything- soups, stews, or stir fries.  They have a nutty-sweet taste and and a tender hearty texture that is entirely distinct.  Refrigerate unwashed parsnips in a loosely wrapped or perforated plastic bag for up to two weeks.  Pac Choi for the small share members has a mild flavor. The leaves taste similar to Swiss chard and the stems (called ribs) are deliciously crispy and can be substituted for celery in recipes. Pac Choi is mild enough to be chopped up for a salad, particularly if you give it a quick wilt in a hot pan. It's also great in stir-fries. Store pac choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. Large share members will get Red Cipollini Onions.   These onions are about the size of a golf ball with a slightly flattened appearance. They're thin-skinned and have a pale, translucent purple flesh. Caramelizing and roasting these onions bring out their natural sweetness. Cipollini onions will keep, cool and dry, for up to a month. This week's frozen veggies are either Swiss Chard or Spinach.  They are both packed with the vitamins and minerals that are so hard to get in quantity in other foods. You can use chard as a substitute for many recipes that call for spinach or other greens. Both of these leafy veggies work well in soups, stews, or the rice casserole recipe below.  Amy's method of thawing for a bit, then sawing off what you need for a recipe, would work well with both the chard or spinach.  Veggie Storage and Use Tips are our website too, so please bookmark the recipe and storage tip section. I am sure you will find it useful. Localvore Lore It's a pizza week!  What better to go on your pies than fresh mushrooms? We make the Pizza Dough at the farm and then freeze it for delivery.  Our pizza dough is made with Aurora Farm's organic unbleached VT white flour, Gleason Grain Snake Mountain Sifted whole wheat flour, local Sunflower Oil, salt and yeast. Use within four to five hours of thawing (ready to go the night you pick up share or store in freezer for later use). Coat a smooth surface with flour and cornmeal (just flour ok) so that the dough does not stick to the surface. Form dough into ball and flatten with heels of palms. Stretch dough with hands or use a rolling pin to form shape of baking pan (I use a cookie sheet so I form it into a square). Once dough is slightly stretched on surface you can stretch dough in the air with hands by making two fists held together with dough on top. Move each hand up, down and out turning the dough clockwise. Each dough can be stretched to a 16" round, for thicker crust make smaller. If you like light fluffy crust I put my baking sheet on the top of my oven while preheating and let rise. Otherwise set aside in neutral area till oven is ready at 425F. Cook 12-14 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese bubbles. We also made Pizza Sauce to go along with the share.  Deb made the pizza sauce last week in our kitchen using our organic tomatoes (that we froze in summer), onions, sunflower oil, garlic, oregano, basil, fennel seed, salt, & black pepper.  It's pretty yummy and it's coming to you frozen for easy delivery.  Defrost and put on your pizza or freeze it for later use).  You can of course use this on pasta too. It does not get much better than locally grown Oyster and Shiitake Mushrooms! The mushrooms you receive this week are grown by Amir Hebib in Colchester, VT. Amir grows his mushrooms in a mushroom house behind his home. He has 20 years experience growing mushrooms, having been a farm mushroom manager for a large Bosnian agricultural producer before immigrating to VT in 1996. He started growing mushrooms here in 2005. He grows shiitakes and oysters (little clusters of trumpet shaped mushrooms) and sells them to restaurants and markets in our area as well as at the Burlington Farmers Market. You can eat the whole mushroom stems and all. Many people discard the stems of shiitakes because they can be tough and take longer to cook. But the shiitakes you are receiving are so fresh that they are tender enough to add to most dishes though you may want to allow longer cooking time for the stems. Shiitakes have a deep flavor, and are very hearty, enough so that they can be used in place of ground beef in some recipes. The gals at Pa Pa Doodles have been busy supplying you with this week's eggs! Changes to Your Delivery? If you will be away some upcoming week, and need to make changes to your share delivery, let us know at least 1 week before the change.  You can have your share donated to the Food Pantry, or I can stop your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share. Recipes Roasted Carrots and Cipollini Onions Cipollinis deserve to be roasted and are great on their own with no fancy treatment. Add the carrots though and some wine and stock and you really have something special. 1 pound cippolini onions, ends trimmed and peeled, halve larger onions 2 pounds baby carrots 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup chicken stock Salt and coarsely ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a sheet tray, toss onions and carrots with oil, butter, wine, and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until golden and caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes. Toss in a shallow serving bowl and garnish with parsley. Potatoes with Oyster Mushrooms This recipe was adapted from a four star recipe in the June 2006 issue of Bon Appetit. If you have shiitake mushrooms, they'll be just fine in this recipe too. 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 pounds small potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise 3 TB garlic scapes, chopped well 1/4 onion, minced 1 garlic clove, pressed 1/2 pound large fresh oyster mushrooms, torn into 1-inch-wide strips 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley Position 1 rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place potatoes on 1 prepared sheet; drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over and toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place potatoes on top rack of oven and roast 10 minutes. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons garlic scapes, minced onion and garlic over the potatoes. Drizzle remaining 2 TB oil over the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add to potato roasting pan. Continue to roast potatoes and mushrooms on top rack of oven until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes or a bit longer as needed. Add parsley to potato-mushroom mixture and toss; season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Sesame Ginger Beet Greens Here's a fun recipe for your beet greens.  1/2 tbsp sesame seeds 4 cups loosely packed beet greens 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp grated gingerroot 1 pinch salt 1/2 tsp sesame oil In small skillet over medium heat, toast sesame seeds until golden, about 3 minutes; set aside. Trim stems from small young beet greens or remove centre rib from larger mature beet greens. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beet greens, garlic, ginger and salt.  Cover and steam until greens are wilted, about 3 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil; sprinkle with reserved sesame seeds. Pizza With Mushrooms, Goat Cheese, Greens and Walnuts Arugula on a pizza gives it a nice spicy kick.  A few weeks ago I added mizuna to a pizza (on top of the sauce underneath the cheese) and I was amazed at how good it was.  The mustard greens would also work well.  By Martha Rose Shulman (NYT) pizza dough 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2 pound mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and sliced Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 4 ounces goat cheese 4 walnuts, shelled and chopped About 1 heaped cup greens 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon walnut oil Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone inside, if available. Roll out the dough to fit a 12- to 14-inch pizza pan. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet, and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender and moist, four to five minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Crumble the goat cheese into a bowl, add the walnuts and lightly toss together. Brush the dough with 2 teaspoons of the remaining olive oil, and top with the mushrooms. Sprinkle on the thyme, and place in the oven. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the goat cheese and walnuts over the crust, and return to the oven for five to 10 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned and the cheese has softened. Remove from the heat. Toss the arugula with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar and the walnut oil. Scatter it over the pizza, and serve. Baked Parsnip Fries with Rosemary This is a great way to use your parsnips.  If you don't have fresh rosemary you could substitute 1/2 tsp dried rosemary for the tablespoon of fresh rosemary in the recipe. 2 1/2 pounds parsnips or carrots, peeled, cut into about 3 x 1/2" strips 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 5 sprigs rosemary 1 large garlic clove, minced 3 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon (or more) ground cumin Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix parsnips, chopped rosemary, garlic, and oil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer. Scatter rosemary sprigs over. Roast for 10 minutes; turn parsnips and roast until parsnips are tender and browned in spots, 10–15 minutes longer. Crumble leaves from rosemary sprigs over; discard stems and toss to coat. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cumin over. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more cumin, if desired. Cumin-Roasted Carrots with Chevre This recipe comes from the new cookbook "The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook" by Tracey Medeiros.  It's a wonderful cookbook highlighting many VT Farms and Localvore producers and has '150 home-grown recipes from the Green Mountain State.' 12 carrots, scrubbed, thick ends halved lengthwise, and cut into 2-inch pieces 2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp ground cumin Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp VT apple cider 1 1/2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup) 1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside.  Place the carrots in a large bowl, add the olive oil, cumin, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper until evenly coated.  Place the carrots in a single layre on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the carrots with the cider and salt to taste, and toss to coat.  Transfer the carrots to a platter and sprinkle the goat cheese and cilantro over the top. Spinach-Rice Casserole Straight from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, 1977. I love this recipe. It's basic but oh so good. When greens are abundant as they are now, I make it a lot. It packs in the greens and brown rice. You can modify the recipe by skipping the cheese & eggs and making it vegan. It's hearty and healthy and the brown rice gives it a great chewy texture. Serves 4 - 6. 4 cups cooked brown rice (2 cups dry makes approx 6 cups cooked rice) 2 lbs. raw, chopped spinach (amount doesn't have to be exact) - could also use your thawed frozen chard or spinach or other raw greens (or a combo of spinach bok choy, mustard greens, turnip greens, swiss chard, kale) 2 cloves minced garlic 3 tablespoons butter (or 2 tablespoons olive oil) 4 beaten eggs (or egg substitute) 1 cup milk (skim or whole OK) 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar (less than this works great too) 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons tamari (optional) 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste) a few dashes each - nutmeg, cayenne (I like a little more than a dash of cayenne) 1/4 cup sunflower seeds paprika Saute' onions and garlic with the salt in butter (or oil). When onions are soft, add spinach or greens. Cook 2 minutes. Combine the onion/greens mixture with the brown rice, eggs, milk, cheese, parsley, tamari, nutmeg, cayenne, sunflower seeds, paprika. Spread into buttered casserole and sprinkle on top. Bake, covered, 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes. I like it best when it is a little browned on top.

Good Eats Newsletter - May 8, 2013

Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN/TAN BAG This week your bag will contain: Spinach; Panisse Lettuce; Green Frill Mustard Greens; Basil; Potatoes; Carrots; Shallots and OUT of the Bag Frozen Peppers (in cooler) Localvore Offerings Include: Red Hen Multi-Grain Bread Pete's Applesauce Les Aliments Massawippi Miso Vemont Soy Artisan Tofu Small Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Spinach; Panisse Lettuce; Basil; Potatoes; Carrots and OUT of the Bag Frozen Peppers (in cooler)

The Spring Share has only 6 more deliveries (including tomorrow). Have you signed up for Summer Good Eats yet? Join now and be rewarded with a healthy, local and delicious season of Good Eats!

Around the Farm So much sun!  Everything is growing so quickly I can almost see it growing in front of me.  Greenhouses are planted and all of the big transplant seedings have been done.  On these hot sunny days the remaining trays require a lot of watering as do all the greenhouses.  It is almost a full time job in itself.  Every time that I head out to move a sprinkler, Iris (my 1 ½ year old) insists on checking on the “cluckies” (or chickens).  The chicks are just a couple weeks old and also growing before our eyes.  Most of the seeding work that I have left to do is smaller successions of crops that get planted throughout the season such as sweet corn,  broccoli, and head lettuce.  These crops are planted every 2 weeks all spring and into the summer in order to maintain a consistent supply.  One of the major challenges that we have is making sure everyone involved gets the right info throughout the life of those plants so that they can efficiently make it to your plates.  I know the varieties just by looking at them (I dream about seedlings).  But the transplant crew needs to keep all those varieties separate and planted at the right spacing and in the right order.  Then the harvest crew needs to know where the crops are planted, when they will be maturing.  And everyone needs to contribute notes of how everything performs.  And hopefully these notes make their way back into our field notes so that we know if we liked a variety, if it had disease problems or whether the spacing was right.  Your input also often goes into the field notes.  If the purple carrots you ate are the sweetest you have ever had it is probably a variety that we want to keep growing. The Pete’s Greens Farm Stand will be opening May 16th!  In just a week and a half, we will have a display brimming with tender spring veggies, chard, lettuce, spinach, mustards, herbs, and maybe even some cucumbers by then.  We will be carrying some new localvore products, Mountain Foot Brown Trout, Vt Bean Crafters bean burgers, and more.  I am always looking for more interesting items that we can offer, let me know if you have some suggestions.  We will also be selling hanging baskets, annuals, potted herbs and veggie starts for your gardens provided by Still Meadow Gardens from Albany, VT.   We have put on a beautiful little addition to the front of the stand and added some picnic tables so you can relax and enjoy all the fresh food right here at the entrance to the farm. See you in Craftsbury!  -Melissa Storage and Use Tips The crew this week with gorgeous Panisse heads, Spinach and Mustards Adan & Soccoro in front Andrew, Dan, Annie, Alejandra, Todd, Katt, Juan, Cori and Hector in back Panisse Lettuce is as beautiful as it is tasty.  This very tender buttery lettuce is perfect for sandwiches and salads. Spinach - this is some good looking spinach!  Enjoy as a salad alone or with the other greens this week.  Your basil will be in the same bag as the spinach - the basil has a rubber band around it so it can be easily separated. Green Frill Mustard Greens - (at right) Related to kale, cabbage, and collard greens, mustard greens are the peppery leafy greens of the mustard plant. This week large share members will receive Green Frills which are nice and spicy.  They are delicious in steamed or stir-fried dishes or even added raw to a pizza! Basil- this marvelous herb is a member of the mint family. It is a staple in Mediterranean cooking as well as Thai, Vietnamese, and Laotian. The herb is highly aromatic, or put another way, the oils in basil are highly volatile. Thus, it is best to add the herb near the end of the cooking process, so it will retain its maximum essence and flavor. Basil should be kept in a plastic bag or kept stems down in a glass of water with plastic over the leaves for about a week with regular water changing. In addition to being just plain delicious, basil has numerous health benefits. The essential oils have proven to be an effective antibiotic for a number of antibiotic resistant bacteria strains. The oils in basil also have some amount of anti-inflammatory ability which is being researched at present. Shallots are in the onion family.  They look like a small, elongated onion with copper, reddish or gray skin.  Once you peel it it separates into cloves like garlic.  They are well known for their ability to be caramelized or cooked down to where the sugars are reduced or concentrated. When eaten raw, they are much sweeter and milder than even sweet onions. You can slice them thin and saute them in recipes that benefit from a sweet, mild onion flavor. When minced, they are fantastic in homemade vinaigrette and pan sauces. Store them in a cool, dark place. This week's frozen item is Frozen Peppers.  These peppers were grown on our farm, come in from the field and go straight into the freezer.  They are washed, chopped, bagged and frozen within hours of harvest.  To use vegetables let the package thaw in the fridge till soft, or submerge bag in warm water till usable. Remove from plastic bag before heating. Frozen peppers tend to not have the same rigidity as fresh peppers but retain all the flavors and yummy summer goodness.   Veggie Storage and Use Tips are our website too, so please bookmark the recipe and storage tip section. I am sure you will find it useful. Localvore Lore Randy is baking us some special Multi-Grain Bread at Red Hen Bakery this week. Applesauce - Nothing more than cooked down Champlain Orchards apples, our sauce is all natural sweetness. In addition to an easy and delicious side, applesauce can be used as a substitute for sugar in baked goods or take the staring role in an applesauce cake. The applesauce will come to you frozen for easier delivery.  Thaw in the fridge overnight and enjoy, or keep frozen for later use. Vermont Soy's Artisan Tofu is produced right down the road from us in Hardwick, Vermont.  Tofu is a fermented soy product, high in protein and rich in calcium.   They try to use as much locally grown soybeans as possibly for production and use traditional fermentation methods when processing their product. Although tofu can be eaten raw, it is best used with seasonings and marinades as it soaks up flavor. Before using, wrap tofu block in a very clean cotton or linen kitchen towel and squeeze the excess moisture out.  It also freezes well so toss it in the freezer if you won't use it soon. Owners of Les Aliments Massawippi Gilbert and Suzanne made the superb Soy  Barley Miso in the share. The two are big supporters of local growers. Their oats come from Michel Gaudreau. Their soy beans come from a grower within 60 kilometers of their facility, and their Quebec barley is processed on the south shore of Montreal.  To make this miso, Suzanne and Gilbert begin by introducing their own lactobacilli culture to washed barley. After culturing for 45 hours, they have what is called, "koji," the basis for making their miso. At this point, they will mix in soy that has been soaked and then slowly cooked for 20 hours. This part of the process takes around 4 days. The next phase of miso production is fermentation. Gilbert and Suzanne ferment their miso very carefully controlling the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels. Their fermentation chamber is on premises, and is held at a continuous 60F.  The flavor is fresh and soft, almost sweet on the finish with some saltiness. As miso is a living food, it is best not to cook it. Instead, stir miso into a dish after it is removed from the heat to maintain it's nutritional benefits. Kept refrigerated, it will last several years. Miso is a fermented product which enhances the effect of the lactic intestinal flora and as such it is easy on the body. The enzymes it contains further aids digestion. Commercial packaged miso has been pasteurized and is no longer a living food so always choose unpasteurized miso. Keep this miso in your fridge and it will be good for many months or even years. You can add it to soups for more flavor, or use it as a base for making sauces, or add it to prepared foods. It is a delicious and nutritious way to flavor foods. A bowl of miso soup a day goes a long way toward a healthful diet. Changes to Your Delivery? If you will be away some upcoming week, and need to make changes to your share delivery, let us know at least 1 week before the change.  You can have your share donated to the Food Pantry, or I can stop your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share. Recipes Simple and Delicious Miso Broth Adapted from Miso: More than Food, Life. Suzanne Dionne. Makes 1 cup. 1 tsp miso 1 cup hot water or stock 1 tsp shredded black Spanish radish (optional) 1 oz cubed tofu (optional) Dilute the miso in some of the hot water or stock then fill the cup with the remaining liquid. Garnish with daikon and tofu if desired. Miso Roasted Root Vegetables Mark Bittman's book, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, has a lot of good information about miso, as well as suggested recipes. Although he extols the health benefits of uncooked miso, his book also includes a few recipes where the miso gets some heat. The recipe for the Miso glaze below is adapted from one of them. You can also use the glaze when grilling vegetables or tofu. The roasted vegetables would make a great side dish for the tofu recipe below. Leftovers can be brought to room temperature and tossed with mesclun and Asian dressing and garnished with chopped dulse for a light salad supper. 1/2 cup miso 1/4 cup honey 1 clove minced garlic 1 hot pepper minced, or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 2 TB sunflower oil 4 lbs mixed root vegetables, such as turnips, rutabagas and beets salt to taste Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk together glaze ingredients, miso through sunflower oil. Heat slightly if your honey has crystallized and the mixture is too thick. Peel, slice and chop vegetables into 1/2" pieces. Toss veggies with glaze on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes, until vegetables are caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside. Serve hot or at room temperature. Panfried Tofu with Mustard Greens Here's a terrific sounding tofu and mustard greens recipe adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl.  Serves 2 as a main course, easily doubles. 1 TB sesame seeds 2 tsp grated fresh ginger 1 glove garlic minced 1/4 c orange juice 2 TB soy sauce 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 block tofu 2 1/2 TB oil 1 bunch mustard greens, coarsely chopped 2 tsp honey Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet until golden brown. Set aside. Combine ginger, garlic, orange juice, soy sauce and sesame oil in a sauce pan. Simmer gently for 1 minute. Place tofu on a clean towel, cover with another, and press gently but firmly to remove excess moisture. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices along the short end. Heat 1 TB oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Brown tofu on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat remaining 1 1/2 TB oil in same skillet add mustard greens and honey, saute until crisp tender, tossing frequently. Transfer mustard greens to plates, arrange tofu slices on top, drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Stove-Top Potatoes with Basil, Shallots and Garlic This is a wonderful sounding dish using many of this weeks' share ingredients! 1 1/2 lbs potatoes cut up into 2" cubes 2 tbsp butter 4 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped 2 large shallots, minced 2 large garlic cloves, minced Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and cook until the potatoes are almost tender, shaking skillet occasionally, about 20 minutes.  Add 2 tbsp basil , shallots and garlic.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until potatoes are golden brown and very tender, about 10 minutes longer.  Season with additional salt and pepper.  Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp of basil. Baked Tofu in a Sweet Ginger Marinade I used the basics to a favorite Korean marinade, added some local ingredients and found this to be a really yummy way to eat tofu with rice, sauteed vegetables or even as a cold snack out of the fridge. 1 lb firm tofu, sliced in eight even slabs Marinade: 2 - 3 T apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar 2 - 3 T Tamari soy sauce 1/2 T fresh, grated ginger 1 tsp sesame oil 2 T honey (or more if you like a sweet flavor) pinch cayenne 1/2 tsp sesame seeds 1 clove of garlic, minced fresh ground black pepper chopped scallions Marinating and Baking the Tofu: Make the marinade by shaking in a lidded jar Arrange the tofu slices in an oiled flat baking pan Cover with the marinade - add more vinegar and soy sauce if needed Cover and marinate 4 - 8 hours in the fridge Turn over once if possible Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Bake 30 minutes in the marinade, uncovered Turn over halfway through the baking Broil for a few minutes if the tofu isn't golden on both sides. Lettuce Greens and Vinaigrette This basic vinaigrette recipe will work well on all your greens this week! 1 shallot (optional) Salt 2 tbsp Red Wine vinegar 5 to 6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil Assorted lettuce greens, amount to taste  Peel the shallot and cut into very thin slices. Put in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and the vinegar. Let the shallot soak in the vinegar for 15 to 20 minutes, then stir in the olive oil and mix well. Taste to see if the balance of vinegar and oil is right — you might need to add more of one or the other. To prepare the lettuces: Remove any damaged leaves on the outside. Separate the heads into individual leaves. Tear large leaves into smaller pieces. Wash them and gently in a bowl in plenty of cold water. Lift the lettuces out and drain. Spin dry in a salad spinner or lettuce drier. Only fill it half full at a time. The most important thing is to have dry lettuce or the dressing won't coat the leaves. As they are dried spread them out on a towel. Roll the towel up loosely, put in an airtight bag, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Toss the salad in the vinaigrette dressing just before serving.

REV Good Eats Newsletter - May 1, 2013

Meat Share Members - It's a Meat Share week!

Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN/TAN BAG This week your bag will contain: Mesclun; Spinach; Mizuna; Pac Choi; Yukon Gold Potatoes; Spring-Dug Parsnips; Celeriac; Yellow Onions and OUT of the Bag Tomato Puree (in cooler) Localvore Offerings Include: Butterworks Farm Organic Cornmeal  Organic Black Beans Pete's Salsa (in cooler) Pa Pa Doodles Eggs Small Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Spinach; Mizuna; Yukon-Gold Potatoes; Spring-Dug Parsnips and OUT of the Bag Tomato Puree (in cooler) All Veggie or Localvore Members: Frozen Corn - If you DID NOT get frozen corn last week please take one this week!

Good Eats Summer Share It's time to sign up for Summer! Join us for the most diverse and delicious Good Eats season. Signing up early really helps us to plan shares. We hope to add a few new Burlington sites (got a great neighborhood and a porch or garage?). Payment checks for Summer won't be deposited until June 10th. Click here for more information and to sign up.

Pete's Musings Whoo-wee - this is the big week of the year! Eight acres of potatoes nicely sprouted and being planted tomorrow. We seeded carrots, parsnips, beets and onions in a beautiful river bottom field a couple days ago. Kevin is prepping new vegetable land this afternoon for leeks, onions and brussel sprouts. Tomorrow we transplant kale, lettuce and lots of other stuff outside. Very grateful for a warm, dry week. And the greenhouses are finally kicking in with some greenery for our CSA members. It's been a cold, dark spring until recently and we've noticed it in delayed greenhouse production, but there will be more great stuff arriving every week now. We have newly arrived baby chicks that are growing fast inside, feasting on shoot greens. And 30 baby pigs are out in the field, itching to be turned loose on the greening pasture. Our new farm across the valley is seeded down to red clover, it's very exciting to see the mini clovers peeking out of the soil and realize that they will be making beautiful flowers for bees and fixing lots of nitrogen in the soil for future crops. And we're trying to keep making progress on the never ending spring cleaning! We are getting better and better organized and it feels great. But on a growing farm like ours it takes constant attention to developing and refining new systems so that we do things as efficiently as possible. Best ~ Pete Storage and Use Tips Woohoo!  The greens we have been waiting for are here! Spinach - a true herald of spring!  Large share members - the spinach will not be mixed with the mesclun but will be in the same bag.  This is gorgeous spinach, some of the best looking spinach we've grown!  It won't cook down to a whole lot so would be best enjoyed as salad greens or in a smoothie.  Sooo tender and good. Mizuna - Also know as spider mustard, mizuna is a Japanese mild mustard green with tender leaves and a pleasant, peppery flavor. You could substitute it, chopped, in a salad calling for arugula. It adds a nice zest to a stir-fry or saute too.  It would also be wonderful tossed with a lime based dressing and eaten in a taco.  Store mizuna, unwashed, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. Pac Choi - Also known as "bok choi," as well as several other names, pac choi is an excellent cooking green for soups and stir-fries. Refrigerate unwashed choi in a plastic container or in a loosely wrapped plastic bag. Pac Choi is best when used within several days. Parsnips - Contrary to appearances, parsnips are not pale versions of carrots. In fact, they have a nutty-sweet taste and a tender-hearty texture that is entirely distinct. For centuries, parsnips were a more common staple than the potato—and deservedly so. Satisfying, versatile, and highly nutritious, these delicious roots make a terrific base to any meal. Young parsnips don’t need to be peeled. Simply scrub them under running water with a vegetable brush. Peel larger parsnips, and cut out the core if it seems woody. However you slice or chop parsnips, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size, ensuring an evenly cooked dish. Refrigerate unwashed parsnips in a loosely wrapped or perforated plastic bag for up to two weeks.  These are large parsnips (as you can see in the photo at left!) - half of a parsnip will store well in the fridge so you don't need to eat it all at once. The thing I love about these parsnips is they've been in the ground all winter and were just harvested last weekend!  It seems strange but they don't develop their sweet, almost nutty flavor fully until after they've been through a few hard frosts or a winter.   Enjoy these parsnips sliced thinly and sauteed in a little butter over a low flame until they're tender. Celeriac, also called celery root, is a vegetable that cleans up well. Once you peel away its gnarled outer layer, you find a sparkling-white interior with a clean, refreshing taste that has wide appeal. Once prepared, it shows no signs of its humble past.  Store unwashed celeriac in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks. Soak celeriac briefly in warm water and then scrub it with a stiff brush. Take a thin slice off the top and bottom and peel it with a sharp paring knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler. A few deep crevices will remain; leave them, or slice them out. Remove the core if it seems pithy or hollow. Like apples, celeriac will darken if exposed to the air for too long. If you don’t plan to cook it immediately, submerge the celeriac in a bowl of water with lemon juice squeezed in.  Celeriac is amazing in a soup all by itself,or incorporated into a stir fry.  It's faint celery taste is a welcome addition to many dishes! The crew out pulling the spring parsnips Veggie Storage and Use Tips are our website too, so please bookmark the recipe and storage tip section. I am sure you will find it useful. Localvore Lore It's Cinco de Mayo week! Butterworks Farm Early Riser Cornmeal is made from 100% stone ground Early Riser kernels. Early Riser is an open pollinated (op) corn variety Jack has been improving here in Vermont for years. OP corns tend to be much more nutrient dense, textured and flavorful than hybrid corns, but also yield much less per acre making the variety less marketable. Early Riser Cornmeal is great for making cornbread, muffins, tortillas or polenta. Soak the flour overnight in buttermilk, kefir or yogurt before baking to bring out the best flavor, nutrition and digestibility. The flavor and texture of this freshly milled flour is like no other. Keep in a cool dry place in an air-tight container. The oils in whole-grain cornmeal go rancid more quickly than others, so it should be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 1 month (or in the freezer for up to 2 years). We also have Black Turtle Beans for you.  Our Vermont bean growers were out of black beans already and we sought to be able to include them regularly until next Fall's harvest.  Luckily, Joe Bossen from Vermont Bean Crafters helped us locate these organic beans from Potenza Farm in NY.  Please give your beans a rinse in water and scan for little rocks/stones!  There may be a few.  The black turtle bean has a dense, meaty texture and is very high in protein, which makes it popular in vegetarian dishes. It is an excellent choice for making into soups and chilis as it broth cooks down to a paste like consistency. You can also cook and add to salads, rice or use in a tamale pie (recipe below). It is common to keep the boiled water of these beans and consume it as a soup with other ingredients for seasoning (known as sopa negra, black soup), as a broth (caldo de frijol, bean broth) or to season or color other dishes. Here are some of my tricks and instructions for cooking these little black nuggets. Number one, some sort of pre-soak is required to cook beans and will significantly reduce cooking time. Cover with 2 inches of water and soak overnight or for 6-8 hours. Drain and cover with fresh water and simmer until beans are soft, about an hour. In warm conditions, refrigerate black beans while they soak to prevent fermentation. A quick-soak method involves covering beans with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes and then remove from heat and let sit for 2 hours. Drain, cover with fresh water and simmer until soft, about an hour. The beans may prematurely break up with a quick-soak method. Use the overnight method for dishes where it is essential the beans stay whole, such as salads and relishes. Do not add salt or acidic ingredients such as lemon, vinegar, wine, and tomatoes until the beans are finished or nearly done cooking. Adding earlier can cause the beans to toughen. If additional water is needed during the cooking process, use boiling water rather than cold water. Addition of the herbs known as summer savory and epazote can help reduce the flatulence suffered by many who eat beans. Once the beans are cooked you can enjoy them right away or freeze them.  I like to cook up a large batch at once, use some that week in dishes or a salad, and freeze the rest in 1 cup  increments.  Then when you need some black beans just pull out a bag, thaw and enjoy!  The salsa was made right here on the farm last week with our frozen tomatoes.  It also includes our onions & jalapeno peppers, garlic, cider vinegar, green peppers, oregano, salt and cumin.  We also have Pa Pa Doodles eggs for you this week.  Deb was a busy lady last week making the salsa, the puree, and collecting all the eggs! Meat Share Alas, we have run out of our own Pastured Chicken until we get this years crop into the freezer in a couple months.  But fear not, we have beautiful chicken for you grown by Lila and Dave, Willa, Governor and Sam at their Tangletown Farm in West Glover.  They farm so they can eat great meat at home and share it with the rest of us.  They offer their own meat CSA too with pick up at the Montpelier market (or their farmstand).  Check out Lila and Dave's cooking tips for a tender, juicy and delicious bird. The organic burger comes to you from our friend Seth Gardner at McKnight Farm in East Montpelier.  Sausage and Bacon are making a comeback this week.  We bought some whey fed piggies from Jasper Hill Farm.  They lived a happy life roaming their Greensboro environs, dining partly on whey left over from the milk that goes into the cheese making at Jasper Hill.  The Hot Italian sausage in the share this week is delicious on its own or would be awesome as part of a pasta meal.  And bacon of course goes with everything. Changes to Your Delivery? If you will be away some upcoming week, and need to make changes to your share delivery, let us know at least 1 week before the change.  You can have your share donated to the Food Pantry, or I can stop your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share. Recipes Honey-Ginger Carrot and Parsnip Salad Topping This is a great way to sweeten up a green salad when seasonal salad favorites are not around. The idea is to roast the vegetables in a lemon-honey vinaigrette and serve on top of a green salad with sunflower shoots and whatever else comes to mind. 2 c carrots, diced small 2 c parsnips, diced small 1/4 c ginger, grated 3/4 c olive oil 1/8 c red wine vinegar 1/8 c lemon juice tsp lemon zest (if you have) pinch of dill 1/4 c honey, soft extra honey to drizzle In a bowl combine carrots, parsnips, ginger and lemon zest. In a small sauce pan, warm on low heat: oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dill and honey and combine well. Pour half of dressing onto chopped vegetables and mix well. Use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper lay vegetables out evenly. Drizzle with honey and bake in the oven at 375F for 20-30 minutes until they are soft and begin browning. Remove from parchment paper right away and cool. Top green salad with veggie mix and use remaining dressing.   Parsnips and Celery Root with Nutmeg This simple but satisfying dish can be made ahead and just reheated before serving.  From Bon Appetit, November 2002. 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter 1 cup chopped onion 2 pounds parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 1/4 pounds celery root (celeriac), trimmed, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups) 1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup minced fresh celery leaves Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until almost tender, about 4 minutes (do not brown). Add parsnips and celery root and toss to coat. Add broth, whipping cream, and nutmeg and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover tightly and simmer until parsnips and celery root are tender and liquid is almost absorbed, stirring occasionally and adding water by tablespoonfuls if mixture gets dry, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm vegetables over low heat, stirring often, until heated through before continuing.) Stir in celery leaves. Transfer to bowl and serve. Tamale Pie This recipe adapted from Martha Stewart is perfect for a Cinco de Mayo feast! 5 1/2 cups water Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal 1/2 ounce (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, plus more for dish 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1 serrano chile, finely chopped 1 1/2 pounds ground meat- beef or turkey 1 jar Tomato Puree 1/2 cup chicken stock 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 pimiento-stuffed green olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped 4 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese (1 1/4 cups) 1 ripe avocado, peeled, halved, pitted, and diced 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped, or 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion Crisp lettuce leaves Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Whisking constantly, add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, switching to a wooden spoon when cornmeal becomes too thick to whisk. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, cover, and keep warm over low heat. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add onion, garlic, bell pepper, chile, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is light gold and vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add turkey, and cook, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and juices, stock, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mixture resembles chili, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, and season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 1/2 cups cornmeal into bottom of prepared dish with a wet spatula. Spread turkey mixture on top, then spread remaining 2 1/2 cups cornmeal on top. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack. Bake until golden brown and cheese is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and lettuce. Spinach Smoothie I start out most of my days with a smoothie.  I always include a banana, greens of some sort, almond milk, frozen fruit, and a seed - chia, hemp, or flax.  A smoothie is a great way to start your day with extra nutritional items that are hard to incorporate into your diet.  Here's a basic recipe to get you started but feel free to improvise and get creative!  1 banana, peeled 2 cups spinach 1 tbsp peanut or almond butter 3/4 almond milk, or milk of your choice 1/2 cup plain yogurt, or yogurt of your choice 2-3 frozen strawberries Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Stir Fried Bok Choy with Garlic You could add both spinach or mizuna to this recipe to make it a more filling meal.  This would be a great side with a rich meal. 1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil 1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic (about 8 cloves) 2 pounds baby or Shanghai bok choy, halved lengthwise 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil Stir together broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until cornstarch has dissolved.  Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat side. Add garlic and stir-fry until pale golden, 5 to 10 seconds. Add half of bok choy and stir-fry until leaves wilt, about 2 minutes, then add remaining bok choy and stir-fry until all leaves are bright green and limp, 2 to 3 minutes total. Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry 15 seconds. Cover with lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, then transfer to a serving dish. Asian Spinach Salad with Orange and Avocado Here's a recipe for a great spinach salad.  If there's any dressing left over it would make a great marinade! 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger 1/4 teaspoon (generous) Asian sesame oil 1 navel orange 1 bag spinach 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch wedges Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside. Cut off peel and white pith from orange. Cut orange into 1/3-inch rounds; cut rounds crosswise in half. Add spinach to dressing; toss to coat. Add avocado and orange; toss gently. Huevos Rancheros A classic Mexican breakfast, huevos rancheros are technically fried eggs served on hot corn tortillas and smothered in cooked salsa. But in my house the "huevos" can mean eggs either scrambled or fried. When they're fried the runny yolk mixes in with everything. Another staple of my version of huevos rancheros has black beans and creme fraiche or sour cream. 2 eggs per person, fried or scrambled 1 corn tortilla per portion Black beans, cooked with some sauce Salsa Creme Fraiche Cooking oil Warm the beans and salsa on the stove top separately. Heat oven to 200F. In a skillet heat a tsp of cooking oil in the bottom of pan on medium and place tortillas in pan for a minute or so on each side to just heat up. Keep warm in oven. Cook eggs desired way. To assemble the dish put the corn tortilla on the plate first, then the eggs and cover with warm beans and salsa, top with creme fraiche. Yum.... Be creative and add pickled jalapenos, some sweet corn kernels or your favorite braised greens. Anything goes.