Good Eats Newsletter - November 14th, 2012

Thanksgiving Week Delivery will be TUESDAY November 20th for ALL Sites     Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN/TAN BAG   This week your bag will contain:   Mesclun, Red Norland Potatoes, Orange Carrots, Celeriac, Green Kale, Mizuna, Panisse Head Lettuce, Leeks, and Garlic   And OUT of the bag:   Red Kabocha Squash   Localvore/Pantry Offerings Include:   Elmore Mountain Country French Bread Butternut Farm Maple Sugar Aurora Farm Vt Organic White Flour       Small Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing:   Mesclun, Red Kabocha Squash, Red Norland Potatoes, Orange Carrots,  Green Kale and Leeks     RED Alert! Some Sites will not get yellow bags this week.  We have run out!  We'll be switching to RED small veggie only bags for Charlotte, Bayview St(Burl), Waterbury, Stowe for this week only.     Have you got your Thanksgiving Turkey?       We didn't raise turkeys this year but Maple Wind Farm has organic pasture raised birds for your table. Maple Wind's turkeys are raised on pasture, foraging on green grasses in fresh air and sunshine, their forage diet supplemented with certified organic grain.    Turkeys will be available for pickup at their Richmond, VT farm location on Sunday November 18th.   Turkeys are $5/lb. A $25 deposit is required.   Size is not guaranteed but turkeys will range from 10-18lbs on average.   Contact Beth with questions: beth@maplewindfarm.com Around the Farm   The last few weeks I've officially made the switch to indoor work, taking inventory of what we have growing in greenhouses and stored in the coolers, rather than surveying the acres of food we have growing throughout the summer.  It's a big switch, physically and mentally, to pick less and store more, to be concerned with storage organization, cooler conditions, and root washing equipment rather than organizing what crew travels in which trucks, packing enough rubber bands and harvest crates for a long list of picking, or ensuring quick trips in from the field to make sure fresh greens do not wilt in the sunshine.  Now we have to time our greenhouse harvests for the warmest moments we have left.  And rather than looking forward to picking produce throughout a hot day in the sun, I am grateful for all the food we have brought indoors, and for having the variety of food that we can provide, even as the fields begin to look barren.    I read an article this week about current research regarding the challenges that US miltary and intelligence agencies will face due to the "ever more disruptive events" caused by climate change, and the unpredictable crises, in water supplies and food markets in particular, that these events are sure to bring.  I couldn't help but think that walking into the farm's storage cooler right now....well, it does not feel like a futuristic solution to crises in the world.  The systems of organization and storage on the farm are still a work in progress, I'll be the first to tell you.  But it feels like a pretty stunning sign and step towards the kind of food security that so many communities in the world would benefit from, and so few are able to achieve.  I know there are places in Europe I could visit where our work is paralleled or far surpassed, but I personally have never seen anything close to the quantity and variety of vegetables we have stored up for you for this winter.  It makes me feel almost eerily safe and strong, not in the way any political phony would use those words, but just in my gut.  Like we're ready for anything.  Putting up this quantity and variety of food is not beautiful or glamorous, most of the time, but it continues to inspire me to work at this farm, without doubting the value of our work for a moment.   Cheers ~ Annie     Molly assembling Small Veggie Shares today Donate to Food Shelf for Holidays?   If you will be away over the holidays and can't pick up your share, consider donating it.  Your share can be transferred to the food shelf on any week and you will receive a thank you letter for your tax deductible gift.    You can also skip a delivery week and retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share.  If you need to make either of these adjustments to your delivery, please let me know via email.  Thanks!  Amy   Storage and Use Tips   Red Kabocha Squash  - Kabocha is a japanese variety of winter squash.  It is one of the sweetest winter squash, with a vibrant red interior, and a very dense, almost meaty texture.  The skin is edible, making this squash ideal for stuffing, although you should really also try the dessert recipe below.   Celeriac - Celeriac also goes by the name of celery root. It tastes a bit like a cross between celery and jicama, but is mellower than celery. It can be eaten raw or cooked. If eating raw, some cooks suggest plunging grated celeriac into boiling water for 1 minute to reduce bitterness and then plunging it immediately into cold water to stop it from cooking further. A tip for preparing celeriac cut the root in large slices about 1 inch thick, then lay each slice flat and cut off the skin as if you were cutting the crust off a pizza. Then continue to process the now unskinned pieces as your recipe dictates. Celeriac should be stored unwashed, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your refrigerator.       Mizuna - Also know as spider mustard, mizuna is a Japanese 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. Store mizuna, unwashed, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer.         Leeks - Leeks are a relative of the onion.  They look like large scallions, and have a more subtle, mild flavor than our yellow onions.  They are often used in soups but they can be served as a dish on their own (see recipe for braised leeks below), or sliced raw into salads.  Store leeks dry and loosely wrapped in plastic in the refridgerator, but use them within a week or so. Green Kale - This kale variety is called Winterbor.  It has finely curled, thick, blue-green leaves, and is one of the most winter-hardy kales.   Kales in the Field Monday     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 This week and next our goal is to provide you with staples you will need for Thanksgiving.    Anticipating baking, this week we'll start you off with some Vermont Organic White Flour, organically grown in Charlotte by Tom Kenyon at Aurora Farms (home of the Nitty Gritty Grain Company). Tom and Randy George of Red Hen Baking Company collaborated to grow this flour, and the first successful crop was harvested in the Fall of 2009 (after a couple failures in prior years). The quality of the flour and the success of the crop was worthy of celebration! Prior to the 2009 harvest, we had nothing like it available to us that was grown locally here in Vermont. It's a lower protein flour, more of an all purpose flour than a bread flour, though still with enough protein and gluten strength to bake breads (Red Hen's Cyrus Pringle bread uses this flour). I am thankful for the opportunity to have a good, very local organic white flour on hand to bake with, one that I know has been grown organically and that performs so well to boot. It is my go to flour for most dessert baking - cookies, brownies, cakes etc. I like the added nutrients of whole wheat flour, so I do mix this flour with others in most non-treat baking.  I mix it with whole wheat flour for bread and pizza dough, and with whole wheat pastry or a sifted wheat flour for muffins, pancakes and biscuits. There is a nice article in the Spring issue of Local Banquet about the partnership between Tom and Randy that brought this flour into existence for us to enjoy. Read the article here.    You will receive a pound of pure maple sugar from Butternut Mountain Farm in Johnson, VT. We are fortunate to be able to provide it as Butternut is one of only two operations in the US to make maple sugar. Maple sugar is produced simply by boiling all of the water out of the syrup and mixing it into a granulated state. It is nice to have on hand to sprinkle onto winter squash, or onto baked apples or oatmeal or any where else a touch of maple sweetness would be welcome. Emma Marvin's family owns Butternut Mountain Farm and offers some tips for using maple sugar: Maple sugar is highly versatile. I use it when making chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies in place of the brown sugar and some of the white. I use it on salmon sprinkling maple sugar, ground sea salt and pepper over the top just prior to cooking. It makes a great maple salad dressing! Mix approximately equal parts of olive oil, maple sugar and vinegar (cider or rice wine works well). I’m sure there are infinitely more ways to use maple sugar, but these are just a few of my favorites.   Andrew and Blair have just returned from a little R & R and are baking us some of their Country French bread today at Elmore Mountain Bread. This bread is made with organic winter wheat, Ben Gleasons Snake River Sifted Wheat Flour, and rye from Meunerie Milanaise in Quebec, plus sourdough, sea salt, and spring water. It's a great hearty, crusty loaf that remains fresh for several days. I usually place mine in a plastic bag after I get it home to preserve freshness. Great sandwich bread. Sneak Peak - Thanksgiving Week's Share   Next week is Thanksgiving and we will be delivering all shares on TUESDAY.    To give you a jump on meal planning I am going to share with you what we intend to provide in next week's shares. Things tend to change on the farm so please don't hold me to this.  But right now, this is what is planned.   Localvore Share Members and Regular Veggie Only Members should receive: Mesclun, Sweet Potatoes, Gilfeather Turnips or Rutabaga, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower (this is a big maybe), Swiss Chard, Head Lettuce or a Mustard Greens, Yellow Onions, Delicata Squash   Small Veggie Only Members Should Receive: Mesclun, Sweet Potatoes, Gilfeather Turnips or Rutabaga, Swiss Chard, Yellow Onions, Delicata Squash   Localvore and Pantry Members will receive: Eggs, Cranberries, Blue Ledge Crottina Cheese, Apples     What To Do If You Have a Problem at Pick Up Although we do our best to make sure that every delivery and pick-up goes smoothly, there are the occasional shortages and disappointments. Should you arrive at your pick-up site to find that your name (or share partner's name) is not on the list, one or more of your items are missing or that some of your produce is in unsatisfactory condition, please let us know right away!   Our goal is 100% satisfaction. If you email us (or call if you can't email) as soon as you discover the problem, we may be able to resolve it the same day or the following day. If you would like to receive an item that you missed at pick-up, you must contact us by Thursday morning. If we have not heard from anyone, by Friday our site hosts are instructed to donate leftover food, ensuring that they do not end up with bad food on their hands. If we can not resolve your issue right away, email us to arrange a replacement or substitution the following week. Fall/Winter Shares  Available   We have a terrific harvest and are able to extend the offer of a Fall/Winter CSA share to more members this year.   Please spread the word and tell friends and neighbors about Good Eats!    If you would be willing to post something to your front porch forum or other neighborhood email group to spread the word, please email me!    I'll send you a little blurb that you can use or edit.      Recipes Any of the recipes below will blend well with the next week's flavors of turkey and stuffing, cranberries and buttery potatoes.  Keep them in mind for your thanksgiving meal!  Both of the soups below, the cake batter, the frosting for the cake....all could be made in advance, saved for the moment when family members pile up in the house, and you have lots of mouths to feed and not as much time!     Kale and Celeriac Chowder This is adapted from Deborah Madison's original Endive and Celeriac Chowder to accommodate the items of today's share. The result should be an ideal for soup for a cold, late-fall supper. Serves 4.   2 TB unsalted butter 1/2 lb. kale leaves, washed and chopped 2 leeks, white parts only, chopped and rinsed well 2 shallots, chopped 1/2 lb. yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes 1/2 lb. celery root, peeled and cut into small dice 2 large carrots, diced 2 tsp thyme leaves, chopped (or 3/4 tsp. dried, crumbled) 1 bay leaf 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup cream dash of dry sherry 2 TB finely chopped parsley* 1 TB snipped chives* 1 tsp chopped taragon* 4 slices country bread 2 ounces Manchester cheese (or Gruyere), thinly sliced   Melt the butter in a wide large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables, thyme and bay leaf. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables smell good and there's a little glaze on the bottom of the pot, about 7 minutes. Add stock to cover along with 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft to the point of falling apart, about 25 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree the soup so that it is a light green, with only a few chunks remaining. Pour in the cream, taste for salt and season with pepper. Stir in half the herbs.*   Toast the bread and cut each piece into halves or quarters. Divide the pieces among 4 bowls and cover with the cheese. Ladle the soup over the toast and cheese and serve garnished with a dash of sherry and remaining fresh herbs. *If you don't have frozen versions of these from the summer, try mixing 1/3 of the amount called for in dry form into the soup while it cooks.   Kale and White Bean Stew I love making this stew around the holidays.  You can make a real stew with more stock, or leave it thick and serve it piled up on toast.  It's good as a main course for dinner or with eggs for breakfast.  The same day you make it or a week later, it's delicious. 1 pound green kale, ribs and stems removed and cleaned 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) chopped carrots 1 cup (5 ounces) chopped celery 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) chopped leeks 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 cup dry white wine 2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups (or more to taste) vegetable broth 1 cup pureed tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 fresh thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook kale for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much extra water as possible. Coarsely chop kale. Wipe out medium pot to dry it, and heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, leeks and garlic and saute for 15 minutes.  Add wine (scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot) and cook it until it reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add kale and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve as is drizzled with sherry vinegar. Or you can ladle the stew over thick piece of toasted country bread or baguette that has been rubbed lightly with half a clove of garlic, top that with a poached egg and a few drops of sherry vinegar and/or some grated cheese.   Celeriac Remoulade This salad is a refreshing cool coleslaw-like salad. A food processor makes the job of grating the celeriac much faster.  The cheese-maker Laini (who made the Barick Obama you received in the localvore share last week) starts asking us for celeriac at the farmers market long before it's in season, because she says she could eat this salad alongside almost every meal. 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp chopped parsley 1 lb celery root - quartered, peeled, and coarsely grated just before mixing 1/2 tart apple, peeled, cored, julienned Salt and freshly ground pepper   Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and parsley in a medium-sized bowl. Fold in the celery root and apple and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.   Baked Kale Chips This is the simplest recipe, and makes for a delicious snack or a good appetizer at a dinner party.  Feel free to toss in sesame seeds or any other seasoning you particularly like. 1 bunch kale 1 tablespoon olive oil Sea salt, to taste Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.     Smashed Celeriac From Jamie Oliver, this is  be a great side to serve with any meat - pork, steak, even Thanksgiving turkey.  It is a flavorful, surprising bite to have on your full plate of rich foods this holiday. 1 celeriac, peeled 3 T olive oil 1 handful of fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 3–4 tablespoons water or stock Slice about ½ inch off the bottom of your celeriac and roll it on to that flat edge, so it's nice and safe to slice. Slice and dice it all up into ½ inch-ish cubes.  Put a casserole-type pot on a high heat, add 3 good lugs of olive oil, then add the celeriac, thyme and garlic, with a little seasoning. Stir around to coat and fry quite fast, giving a little color, for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer, add the water or stock, place a lid on top and cook for around 25 minutes, until tender. Season to taste and stir around with a spoon to smash up the celeriac. Some people like to keep it in cubes, some like to mash it, but I think it looks and tastes much better if you smash it, which is somewhere in the middle.     Braised Leeks with Parmesan A wonderful seasonal vegetable side.  Those who are not sure if they like leeks....will never doubt again. 2 leeks 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc 3 T Parmesan, freshly grated Cut the ends and the dark green leaves of the leeks, and cut in half lengthwise. Place in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes, then run under the faucet to remove any sand that may be lingering in between the layers. Peel off thick outer layers and discard. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet that will accommodate all of the leeks in one layer. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, and cook, shaking the pan and moving them around with tongs, until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the leeks over and cook on the other side until they are lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the leeks back over so that the cut side is down. Peel off the outer layers if they are papery, as they will not soften when the leeks are braised. Pour in the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, then add enough water or stock to come just to the top of the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the leeks are thoroughly tender when pierced with a knife. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Transfer the leeks to an oiled ovenproof pan if your skillet cannot go under the broiler. Using tongs, turn the leeks so that the flat side is up. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, pour it off. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the leeks. Place under the hot broiler until the cheese has melted and is beginning to color. Remove from the heat and serve.     Kabocha Squash Cakes with Maple Sugar Cream Maple sugar cream: 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup (packed) maple sugar (or brown sugar, if you want to save your maple) 3 large egg whites Cakes: 2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled seeded kabocha squash (from one 3-pound squash) 1 cup whole milk 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise Nonstick vegetable oil spray 2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar 6 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup lager (mild-flavored beer) 1 large egg 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt For maple sugar cream:  Place 1 tablespoon water in cup. Sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand 10 minutes to soften.  Stir cream and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add egg whites and whisk until mixture thickens, about 12 minutes (do not boil). Add gelatin mixture; whisk until dissolved. Strain into large clean bowl. Chill until cold. Cover and chill overnight. For cakes: Combine squash and milk in heavy small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Partially cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove vanilla bean. Drain squash. Place in processor and blend until smooth. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray six 3/4 cup ramekins with nonstick spray. Place 1/2 cup squash puree in large bowl (reserve remaining puree for another use). Add sugar, oil, beer, and egg to puree and beat to blend. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt over; beat to blend. Divide batter among prepared ramekins. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Cool cakes in ramekins. Turn out onto plates. Beat maple sugar cream to firm peaks; spoon alongside cakes.