Newsletter August 1, 2007
In your shares this week: mesclun, broccoli, japanese eggplant, potatoes, walla walla onions, celery, green beans, radishes, yogurt and sunflower oil
Oooo...So very sorry for the late newsletter this week. I had sick children on Tuesday and didn't have a chance to write this one up before right now.
It's been another busy week at the farm. Pete has been planting and the crew has been busy with harvesting, washing and packing. The farm stand is looking beautiful as the amaranth grows in on the sod roof and the landscaping in front fills things out. Our laying hens are happily roaming the farm, not that we really want them to do that, but they are too smart for their own good and a few of them routinely manage to get themselves over, under and through their fence. As a result, the neighborhood kids often come over to do some egg hunting in the grass and in the barn where a few of the hens have taken a liking to the boxes.
This week we included the yogurt from Butterworks that was accidentally left out of your shares last week. We've also included some fragrant, handcrafted sunflower oil from a small farm in Quebec. This pesticide and herbicide free product, is naturally cold pressed which preserves the nutritional quality of the oil. It's tough to get this stuff and I'm not sure when we can get it again, so I hope all of you thoroughly enjoy it. Store in the refrigerator and use it as you would any quality, virgin olive oil. It also has a good capacity for heating at high temperatures. Last night, I used it in a homemade bar-b-que sauce for chicken and it was delicious. -Elena
OF NOTE:
CHICKENS-Just want to remind all of you that we still have our free range, frozen whole chickens for sale. Send me an email if you'd like one, or two or three. The feedback we are getting is that they are delicious.
PLASTIC BAGS-Please bring back your plastic bags, if you find you are not using or recycling them at home. We always find uses for them at the farm, so leave them next time you pick up your share.
Storage and Recipe Ideas:
Japanese Eggplant is a small, tender eggplant that takes well to being grilled or broiled. Perfect for the summer grill. Store in the veggie bin of your cooler and use within the week.
Walla Walla Onions are sweet and great eaten raw on sandwiches or in salads. Best to use quickly as they don't keep very well. Try caramelizing the onions if you don't get a chance to eat them soon. Then store the yummy sweetness in the fridge or freezer to add to other dishes.
Green Beans: Store unwashed pods in the fridge. Wash in cold water just before using. See a recipe below.
Pungent Green Beans and Tomatoes with Cumin, Garlic, and Ginger
[Thanks to Angelic Organics for this recipe-esg]
If you love cumin, this dish will delight you. Like many recipes from
India, this one strives to bring out maximum flavor in the spices—so it
contains both ground and whole cumin seeds, one dry-toasted and
the other cooked in oil. Serve over couscous or quinoa, with the delicious
juicy sauce sopped up by the grain. Friend of the Farm.
Serves 4
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1 piece ginger (about 1 inch long), peeled, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup mild-flavored vegetable oil
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 whole dried red chile pepper (optional)
2–4 fresh tomatoes, stems removed, peeled, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds green beans, cut in half (about 8 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup of the stock in a blender or a
food processor; process until a smooth paste forms.
2. Place a large wok (or pot) over medium heat. When the wok is hot,
add the ground cumin and toast it just until it is fragrant. (This will take
only a few seconds—be very careful not to overtoast it, as it can burn
quickly). Immediately scrape the cumin onto a small dish and set aside.
3. Quickly wipe the wok with a damp cloth or paper towel to remove
any remaining spice. Return the wok to the heat; add the oil, let it
heat up for about 20 seconds and then add the whole cumin seeds.
After 5 seconds, add the dried chile pepper. After another 25 seconds
(30 seconds total for the seeds, with or without the chile), add the
ginger-garlic paste. Cook and stir the ingredients for 2 minutes. Stir
in the tomatoes and coriander. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
4. Add the green beans, salt, and the remaining stock. Stir the ingredients
until they come to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and
cover. Simmer, stirring once or twice, until the beans are tender, 6 to
8 minutes (or even less time for just-picked green beans).
5. Remove the cover from the wok. Stir in the lemon juice and the
toasted ground cumin. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a
boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been cooked
off. Remove the wok from the heat.
6. Remove the chile pepper. Season with plenty of freshly ground
Polenta and Vegetable Bake
[Passed on by one of our Craftsbury members and the original recipe came from Eating Well magazine. Her substitutions are in parenthesis.-esg]
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped (this is my addition)
1 medium eggplant, diced (I used the patty pan squash)
I small zucchini, finely diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water (I didn't use any)
1 10-oz bag baby spinach (I used the cress instead)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I used a few chopped tomatoes instead, that's
why I didn't use water)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 14 or 16 oz tube prepared polenta, sliced lengthwise into 6 thin
slices
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
1. Preheat oven to 450 and coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking
spray.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add
onion, eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper and cook, stirring
occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to
brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water (or tomatoes) and spinach (or other
greens); cover and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes.
Stir marinara sauce into the vegetables and heat through, 1 to 2
minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil.
3. Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish,
trimming to fit. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese, top with the veggie
mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until bubbling and the
cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes
before serving.
Oooo...So very sorry for the late newsletter this week. I had sick children on Tuesday and didn't have a chance to write this one up before right now.
It's been another busy week at the farm. Pete has been planting and the crew has been busy with harvesting, washing and packing. The farm stand is looking beautiful as the amaranth grows in on the sod roof and the landscaping in front fills things out. Our laying hens are happily roaming the farm, not that we really want them to do that, but they are too smart for their own good and a few of them routinely manage to get themselves over, under and through their fence. As a result, the neighborhood kids often come over to do some egg hunting in the grass and in the barn where a few of the hens have taken a liking to the boxes.
This week we included the yogurt from Butterworks that was accidentally left out of your shares last week. We've also included some fragrant, handcrafted sunflower oil from a small farm in Quebec. This pesticide and herbicide free product, is naturally cold pressed which preserves the nutritional quality of the oil. It's tough to get this stuff and I'm not sure when we can get it again, so I hope all of you thoroughly enjoy it. Store in the refrigerator and use it as you would any quality, virgin olive oil. It also has a good capacity for heating at high temperatures. Last night, I used it in a homemade bar-b-que sauce for chicken and it was delicious. -Elena
OF NOTE:
CHICKENS-Just want to remind all of you that we still have our free range, frozen whole chickens for sale. Send me an email if you'd like one, or two or three. The feedback we are getting is that they are delicious.
PLASTIC BAGS-Please bring back your plastic bags, if you find you are not using or recycling them at home. We always find uses for them at the farm, so leave them next time you pick up your share.
Storage and Recipe Ideas:
Japanese Eggplant is a small, tender eggplant that takes well to being grilled or broiled. Perfect for the summer grill. Store in the veggie bin of your cooler and use within the week.
Walla Walla Onions are sweet and great eaten raw on sandwiches or in salads. Best to use quickly as they don't keep very well. Try caramelizing the onions if you don't get a chance to eat them soon. Then store the yummy sweetness in the fridge or freezer to add to other dishes.
Green Beans: Store unwashed pods in the fridge. Wash in cold water just before using. See a recipe below.
Pungent Green Beans and Tomatoes with Cumin, Garlic, and Ginger
[Thanks to Angelic Organics for this recipe-esg]
If you love cumin, this dish will delight you. Like many recipes from
India, this one strives to bring out maximum flavor in the spices—so it
contains both ground and whole cumin seeds, one dry-toasted and
the other cooked in oil. Serve over couscous or quinoa, with the delicious
juicy sauce sopped up by the grain. Friend of the Farm.
Serves 4
10 cloves garlic, smashed
1 piece ginger (about 1 inch long), peeled, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup mild-flavored vegetable oil
2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 whole dried red chile pepper (optional)
2–4 fresh tomatoes, stems removed, peeled, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 pounds green beans, cut in half (about 8 cups)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup of the stock in a blender or a
food processor; process until a smooth paste forms.
2. Place a large wok (or pot) over medium heat. When the wok is hot,
add the ground cumin and toast it just until it is fragrant. (This will take
only a few seconds—be very careful not to overtoast it, as it can burn
quickly). Immediately scrape the cumin onto a small dish and set aside.
3. Quickly wipe the wok with a damp cloth or paper towel to remove
any remaining spice. Return the wok to the heat; add the oil, let it
heat up for about 20 seconds and then add the whole cumin seeds.
After 5 seconds, add the dried chile pepper. After another 25 seconds
(30 seconds total for the seeds, with or without the chile), add the
ginger-garlic paste. Cook and stir the ingredients for 2 minutes. Stir
in the tomatoes and coriander. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
4. Add the green beans, salt, and the remaining stock. Stir the ingredients
until they come to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and
cover. Simmer, stirring once or twice, until the beans are tender, 6 to
8 minutes (or even less time for just-picked green beans).
5. Remove the cover from the wok. Stir in the lemon juice and the
toasted ground cumin. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a
boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has been cooked
off. Remove the wok from the heat.
6. Remove the chile pepper. Season with plenty of freshly ground
Polenta and Vegetable Bake
[Passed on by one of our Craftsbury members and the original recipe came from Eating Well magazine. Her substitutions are in parenthesis.-esg]
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped (this is my addition)
1 medium eggplant, diced (I used the patty pan squash)
I small zucchini, finely diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup water (I didn't use any)
1 10-oz bag baby spinach (I used the cress instead)
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I used a few chopped tomatoes instead, that's
why I didn't use water)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 14 or 16 oz tube prepared polenta, sliced lengthwise into 6 thin
slices
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
1. Preheat oven to 450 and coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking
spray.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add
onion, eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper and cook, stirring
occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to
brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add water (or tomatoes) and spinach (or other
greens); cover and cook until wilted, stirring once, about 3 minutes.
Stir marinara sauce into the vegetables and heat through, 1 to 2
minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil.
3. Place polenta slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish,
trimming to fit. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese, top with the veggie
mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until bubbling and the
cheese is melted, 12 to 15 minutes. Let stand for about 5 minutes
before serving.
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