Newsletter 11/12/07
Pete’s Greens Good Eats Newsletter Nov. 14, 2007
Not to sound like a broken record but remember next week because of Thanksgiving pickup is on Tuesday the 20th! Same time, same places, one day early.
This week’s share contains: winter mixed greens, baby pac choi, cilantro, daikon radish, shallots, kale, garlic, rutabaga, sweet winter carrots, sweet potatoes, yogurt, whole frozen chicken, (vegetarians receive 3 tofus, ½ pint of local organic tamari, and potatoes in lieu of chicken)
We’re entering the time of year when it is harder to keep green items cosmetically perfect. You may notice that your pac choi has a few spots on it, or that leaf tips on the kale are frost nipped. Think of this as evidence that the greens have lived a full life out in the extreme weather of a Vermont fall. The recent cool temps. (we’ve been down to 15 degrees. F.) cause greens to sweeten tremendously. We find ourselves snacking on what we are harvesting more than any other time of the year.
The sweet potatoes are still not very sweet. I recommend keeping them in the plastic bag and placing them in the warmest spot in your house for a week. They are unwashed because they store poorly once washed. Time in a warm spot will sweeten them.
We’ve been sending you a lot of sugarsnax (long, sweet, orange) carrots. We’ve heard nothing but positive response to the carrots but if you are tired of them and think we are overdoing it let me know at pete@petesgreen.com.
We have finally broken ground on our new greenhouse project. We are planning 10,000 square feet of heated space for vegetable starts and early tomatoes, cukes, and eggplant and another 14,000 square feet of moveable greenhouses for all sorts of crops. This is an exciting project for Pete’s Greens, which will greatly improve our last remaining piece of really subpar infrastructure. Keep tuned for greenhouse construction updates. Pete
All below is from Heather:
This week’s share looks like a great opportunity to make some Thai inspired soup. You can do this either with chicken or the tofu, depending on which share you get. Not all of the ingredients here are localvore, but the results can transport you to warmer sunnier place!
THAI SOUP WITH GINGER AND COCONUT
With chicken, make a stock by simmering the chicken in a large stock pot. Cover with water, and add any vegetable parings as you prepare the vegetables. Remove the chicken after about 30 minutes. Cool and then shred the meat. Strain the broth and set aside 8 cups.
Vegetarian broth can be made from the vegetable parings. For this recipe, use some ginger, lemongrass and garlic to flavor the broth.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 pc lemongrass, diced, or pinch of dry lemongrass powder
2 tsp red Thai curry paste, to taste
2 tsp salt
3 shallots, sliced
6” piece diakon, halved and sliced on a diagonal
2 carrots, halved and sliced on a diagonal
1 c coconut milk
8 c broth (chicken or vegetable)
2 tbsp fish sauce (or tamari for vegetarian)
1 cake tofu, drained & cubed
or
chicken from one bird
1 # pac choi, cut into shreds
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
1 lime cut in wedges
Hot sauce
Combine the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry paste and salt together in a small bowl to make paste. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add this spice paste and the shallots. Sweat for a few minutes, and then add the coconut milk, daikon and carrots. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, add the broth, fish sauce/tamari, and tofu or chicken. Simmer until vegetables are tender, adding the pac choi at the very end. Garnish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Add hot sauce to taste.
You could serve this with rice or noodles, if you like.
So, as promised, here’s another great greens recipe. This is a dish shared with me by Barry at the Buffalo Mt Coop in Hardwick. He was having his lunch while I was shopping. It looked so yummy he gave me a bite. The sweet flavor of the caramelized onions really shines through, and kale is especially good here. I’m sure I’ve changed it some since then, but that’s the evolution of cooking!
TOFU AND GREENS
1 bunch greens
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 cake tofu, pressed and cubed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Tamari to taste
Wash, remove stems and chop greens. Heat oil in a large skillet; add onion and sauté over low heat until nicely browning. Add garlic and tofu and continue to sauté until tofu browns a bit. Stir in greens in batches until all are incorporated and cook just until they are bright green. Serve with tamari.
Now, as for the rest of the vegetable share, save those sweet potatoes and rutabaga for Thanksgiving next week. So you can plan ahead for it, I’ll give you a sneak peak at the Localvore items. I hope this doesn’t spoil the surprise for any of you! And don’t forget, the delivery is on Tuesday 11/20/07.
Cranberries, VT Cranberry Company
Cortland Apples, Champlain Orchards
WW Pastry Flour, Gleason Grains
Chevre, Blueledge Farm
Eggs, Pete’s Greens
Enjoy!
Heather
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