Good Eats Newsletter - April 17th, 2013

Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN/TAN BAG   This week your bag will contain: Mixed Greens; Potatoes; Carrots; a mix of Purple Top and Goldball Turnips; Savoy Cabbage; Yellow/Red Onions   and OUT of the Bag Frozen Squash Puree Frozen Spinach     Localvore Offerings Include: Gleason Grains Snake Mtn Organic Sifted Whole Wheat Flour Pete's Pizza Dough Pete's Tomato Sauce Pa Pa Doodles Eggs     Small Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing:   Mixed Greens; Potatoes; Carrots; Savoy Cabbage; Yellow/Red Onions   and OUT of the Bag Frozen Squash Puree           The greenhouses continue to amaze me with the beautiful vegetables growing in them.  Here you can see our rapidly growing basil beside the vining cucumbers.  If you squint really hard you can see a little yellow cucumber flower popping open!  Fresh basil and cucumbers aren't very far away...

Around the Farm   This week at the farm the focus is now fully on spring planting.  It will be hard to fit in meetings and planning now with everyone pulled every which way to get things done.  A couple cold snaps set us back a bit for planting outside.  Fortunately the protected environments of the greenhouses allow us to put many crops in, but now we are itching to get tractors to the fields for planting.  And plant they will.  The next several weeks will find Steve, Kevin, Isaac and Pete in a field somewhere with a plow, harrow, seeder or similar behind them.  They'll work on their over the shoulder neck stretches and will be seeing furrows in their dreams.      Top Photo: Melissa waters starts in the headhouse. Lower Photo: Annie harvesting arugula in the loghouse. Pete wins Small Business Person of the Year Award   I am excited to share that Pete has been named Vermont's Small Business Person of the Year!  It's an honor to be selected among the many Vermont companies nominated, and particularly special that a farm was recognized in this way.  Our farm has grown steadily each year, thanks to dedicated share members, chefs and produce buyers.  We are grateful for your support through the years!   Storage and Use Tips   This week's Greens  are a mixture of Claytonia that we've been nurturing through the winter, Mizuna, Sunflower and Radish Shoots, and Arugula that Annie harvested from the log house.     This week's Potatoes are a mix of all blues, adirondack reds, yukon golds, peter wilcox, and large french fingerlings.  Most of these are on the larger side.  It's a nice pretty mix!  Adirondack Reds have a red flesh and skin and there are high levels of anti-oxidants in both so leave the peels on!   This week's Savoy Cabbage is unlike the savoy cabbage we have sent out before.  It's actually a red savoy, although the red color is just a tint on the outer leaves - we remove the outer leaves in the washhouse, and so the whole head appears green.  The leaves are actually more delicate than our summer savoy, while the head itself is much more dense.  This savoy variety is really good for stuffed cabbage - the leaves are thin enough to roll nicely, but strong enough to hold up to stuffing.   This week you'll get a nice mix of Purple Top and Goldball Turnips.  Goldball Turnips are yellow turnips that tend to have a long tail rather than a round shape and are creamy yellow on the inside.  Purple Tops are just that- purple on the outside yet similar to the goldball on the inside.  Both types can be cooked similarly- I like to peel, chop, and saute them with some carrots and onions for a veggie stir fry, or they're also great cooked and added to mashed potatoes.  There are 2 great recipes to check out below plus a few weeks ago there was a Creamy Turnip and Paprika Soup in the newsletter that was top-notch!     After picking up your Frozen Squash Puree and/or Frozen Spinach, you can either continue to thaw  in your refrigerator or re-freeze in the freezer. To quickly thaw to use the night you pick up your share, hold bags in warm water bath for 10-15 minutes replenishing hot water as needed, remove from bag to cook. Store thawed in the fridge for 4-5 days.      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!  Enjoy Pete's Pizza Dough and Pete's Tomato Sauce on your homemade pizza.     We make the Pizza Dough at the farm and then freeze it for delivery.  Our dough is made with Gleason Grain Snake Mountain Sifted whole wheat flour, Aurora Farm's organic unbleached VT white flour, local Sunflower oil, Maine sea salt, and yeast.  Use within four to five hours of thawing (ready to go the night you pick up your share or store in freezer for later use).  Coat a smooth surface with flour and cornmeal (just flour is OK) so that the dough doesn't 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.     Deb made the Tomato Sauce in our kitchen using our organic tomatoes, onions, sunflower oil, garlic, oregano, basil, fennel seed, salt, and black pepper.  Enjoy on your pizza or on pasta.     We also have some of the flour this dough was baked with coming to you this week.  You will receive Gleason Grains Snake Mountain Sifted Wheat Flour, produced by taking finely milled whole wheat flour and sifting a portion of the bran out. In the end, only around 8% of the total weight of the wheat is sifted off (as opposed to about 30% for white flour).  The end result is a lighter wheat flour that can be used in many places you would use an all purpose flour with a tastier and healthier result. The flour is wonderful for breads & pizza dough, and you can use it for muffins and pancakes and baked goodies. I use this flour alone for pancakes and muffins and sweet breads.     To help you with your baking we're sending another dozen of Pa Pa Doodles farm fresh 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. fRecipes     Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash I pulled this recipe from the archives the last time we had squash puree.  My husband and I really enjoyed it but my kids weren't fooled by the "yellow" cheese (puree).  Maybe you'll have better luck than I did!  Adapted slightly from MarthaStewart.com About 3 cups of pureed butternut squash (from 1 small Butternut squash) 1 cup chicken stock, skimmed of fat 1 1/2 cups milk (non fat just fine here) Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of cayenne pepper (more for more punch) 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 pound elbow macaroni 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup) 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce) 2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon olive oil Olive-oil 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese or cottage cheese Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.  While the water is boiling mix the squash puree with nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.  Taste to adjust seasonings.  Stir the squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan into the bowl of cooked elbow noodles. Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture. Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.     Turnip and Potato Patties Recipe Here's a great recipe for turnips that may turn you into a turnip lover!  Recipe from Gourmet Magazine.   1/2 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (about 1 1/3 cups) 6 oz potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 cup) 2 1/2 tbsp thinly sliced scallion greens 1 egg, beaten lightly  1/4 cup flour Grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or canola oil (high smoke point vegetable oils) Salt and pepper   In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the turnip and potato cubes for 15-17 minutes, until they are tender, and drain.  In a bowl, mash them with a fork and stir in the scallions, egg, flour, and salt and pepper to taste.   Coat the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed skilled with about 1/4 inch oil.  Heat the pan on medium-high heat until the surface of the oil begins to shimmer, but not smoke.  Spoon 1/4 cup mounds of the batter into the pan, flattening them into 1/2 inch thick patties with the back of a spatula.  Fry the patties until they are golden, turning them once, about 4 minutes on each side.  Transfer the patties to paper towels to drain off excess oil.     Ginger-Glazed Turnips, Carrots, and Chestnuts I tried something new last week with this recipe- maybe you're ready for a new skill as well?  This classic technique of covering simmering vegetables with a parchment-paper round (known as a cartouche) yeilds perfectly moist, evenly cooked pieces.  The glaze takes some of the "bite" away from the turnip.   1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled, cut into 1x1 inch strips 1 pound carrots, peeled, thinly sliced on a diagnoal 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces, divided 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, very thinly sliced Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1 cup shelled roasted chestnuts from a jar 2 tbsp minced assorted herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, and chives)   Cut a 12 inch round of parchment paper; snip a hole about the size of a quarter in the center of round.  Combine turnips, carrots, 8 tbsp butter, brown sugar, and ginger in a 12 inch skillet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Rest parchment paper on top of vegetables (don't cover with lid).   Simmer over medium-high heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Discard parchment; add remaining 4 tbsp butter and chestnuts.  Simmer, swirling pan often, until a glaze forms, 8-10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Serve, garnished with herbs.      Stuffed Cabbage Rolls These stuffed cabbage rolls make for a hearty meal, impress guests, are beautiful on the table, and are so easily served and shared. I highly recommend this recipe, even if you've never tried stuffing anything (much less cabbage) before.   3/4 – 1 lb lean ground beef or pork 2 carrots, shredded 1 cup cooked brown rice 4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated on a microplane zester 2 tablespoons ginger, finely minced or grated on a microplane zester 1 small onion, minced 3 tablespoons low sodium tamari (or soy sauce) 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 – 2 splashes rice vinegar 1 teaspoon chili sauce or pinch red pepper flakes, optional salt and pepper, to taste leaves from 1 head of Napa cabbage   Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.   In a large mixing bowl, prepare your filling by combining your beef or pork, carrots, rice, garlic, ginger, onion, tamari (or soy sauce), sesame oil, chili sauce or red pepper flakes (optional) and a pinch of salt and black pepper.   Take the leaves from your cabbage and roll with a rolling pin to make leaves more pliable. Small leaves work just as well as big ones - use two small leaves with ends overlapping before rolling up with the filling. Add filling to your leaves and tightly and carefully roll up and place side by side in a large baking dish. Pour 1 cup of water over rolls and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in your preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until completely cooked through. Serve with juices from baking dish and additional chili sauce.   Time saving tip: Prepare rolls ahead of time (without water) and refrigerate until ready for baking.     Butternut Squash Pizza This is a yummy way to use your squash puree.  Feel free to add in any veggies!     1/2 bag butternut squash puree, or less as desired 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tbsp olive oil 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced 3/4 cup grated lowfat Romano 1 1/2 cups grated lowfat fontina 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley   Mix squash puree with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat and sauté onions until light brown. Remove from heat and cool. Season with salt. In a separate bowl, mix cheeses. Prep crust. Spread 1/8 cheese mixture over dough and top with onions. Top with dollops of squash; sprinkle with parsley and remaining cheese.  Cook at 425F for 12-14 minutes until cheese is bubbly.     Oatmeal Pancakes with Wild Blueberry Sauce This is my favorite pancake recipe of all time!  When I'm feeling really ambitious I make a double batch of these healthy pancakes and freeze the leftovers for a quick breakfast.   1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1 cup buttermilk, low fat OK 1 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 eggs 2 egg whites 1 1/2 cups milk, low fat OK 2 cups frozen wild blueberries 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp cinnamon   Soak oats and buttermilk in a small bowl for 15 minutes.  Combine flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Whisk the eggs together with the egg whites in a small bowl, and add in the milk.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir.   Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with cooking spray.  Pour about 1/2 cup better per pancake onto hot skillet, and cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.  Flip and cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Transfer to a plate; keep warm.  Cook remaining batter in batches.   Meanwhile, combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat until berries pop.  Stir in cinnamon.  Spoon blueberry sauce over pancakes; serve.