Meet Kristen
Kristen has been at Pete's Greens since December 1, 2013. She's a member of the wash house crew where she spends her time washing veggies, packing CSA shares, and various other tasks. When I tracked her down yesterday she was cutting shoots for your shares.
What's your background? I grew up in Paonia, CO on an organic fruit farm. My parents were the farmers so I grew up working on the farm and at farmers' markets. I spent some time in Texas, then came to VT to attend Sterling College where I graduated from last May.
Why do you like farming? Since I grew up farming it's just a way of life for me! I like that it keeps me on my toes and there is always something different going on. I like growing food for people and knowing that it's feeding them.
Why do you work at Pete's Greens? I really enjoy my co-workers. We don't just work together, we're also friends who hang out outside of the work place. Pete's Greens is in a great community. I also really enjoy the access to such wonderful food!
What do you do in your spare time? I really like to read and write letters home.
What's your favorite vegetable? It's dependent on the time of year but my over all favorite is tomato.
Thanks Kristen!
|
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 you can skip your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share.
|
Maple Wind Farm ** Special Meats Order
As you all will probably remember, our friends at Maple Wind lost their barn in Richmond in January. Fortunately, not all was lost, some of their pasture raised meat was stored offsite at the commercial warehouse in Williston. If your freezer is in need of stocking, ordering some of these meats would be a great help, adding to the coffers necessary for their rebuild.
To that end, Maple Wind Farm has put together special pricing for Good Eats Members.
This special is being offered through Friday, April 4th.
Whole chickens, Frozen, non organic, avg size 4.25lb each,
moved to fresh grass every day! 3 birds $60
100% Grass fed and finished ground Angus Devon Cross beef, No grain!
10 lb $55.00 sold in 1lb packages
OR
10 lb $45.00 sold in 2 5lb bulk packages
To order go to Maple Wind Farms' website and place your order. They will process your payment and prepare your order. Our driver will then pick it up and we will deliver to you with your share on Wednesday, April 16th, or Thursday, April 17th. Orders must be placed by Friday, April 4th, in order to receive this special offer.
Thank you for supporting Maple Wind Farm as they rebuild.
|
Storage and Use Tips
This week our shoots mix is a mixture of our sunflower, pea and radish shoots. There are lots of options for these shoots - add to a salad, a slaw, on top of a bowl of soup, in a sandwich or scrambled into some eggs.
The potatoes are peter wilcox potatoes. These are beautiful purple potatoes. They are nicely textured, firm but not waxy, and wonderful whether roasted, boiled, or sliced into wedges or fried. They have a full earthy flavor that hints of hazelnuts. For best visual and nutritional effects, leave the skin on while cooking.
Our red beets have a smooth round shape and deep red color. These may be eaten cooked or raw. Grated beets make a fabulous addition to salads and slaws. Grate some early in the week and place them in a tupperware and then sprinkle them into salads all week. Roasted beets are extra delicious, roasting carmelizes the sugar in the beets. Cube beets and roast them in the oven with a drizzle of oil at 400F until they are tender and just browning at the edges. If you don't eat them all right away, cool and toss into a container and add these to salads. The red beets will bleed when cooked so if preparing with other veggies be mindful of that fact that you will end up with a uniformly technicolor dish.
Round with crinkled leaves, red savoy cabbages are the beauties of the cabbage world. Their leaves are more delicate and more loosely packed than their green cabbage cousins. Red Savoys may be used just like green savoys. Only the outer leaves are red, the inner leaves are green. Store as you would other cabbages, unwashed, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Don't worry if the outer leaves begin to discolor or tear on you, just remove them to expose the perfectly good leaves remaining below. Savoys' tender leaves are great for slaw, in salads, and in stir fries.
Celeriac is one funky looking vegetable. Also called celery root, celeriac is a vegetable that cleans up well. Once you peel away its gnarled outer layer, you find a creamy interior with a clea taste that has wide appeal. Store unwashed celeriac in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks. Here's how to cut this veggie: I like to take a thin slice off the top so that I can lay it flat. Then I cut the whole thing into 1" wide strips and trim the edges off. It's tough to peel because it's so uneven so this method works well for me. 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.
Jonathan, Kristen and Emilie preparing your celeriac.
Our yellow onions are great all-purpose onions. Store onions in a cool, dry, well ventilated place. Do not store whole onions in plastic bags. Lack of air movement reduces storage life. Chopped or sliced onions can be stored in a sealed container in your refrigerator at the proper temperature of 40°F or below for 7 to 10 days.
Frozen chard is great for casseroles, lasagnas, quiches etc. Thaw it, squeeze out the excess liquid and add it in. Or let it thaw on counter til it softens up enough to saw with a knife, and saw off section to use a lesser amount in a dish. You can put the remainder back in freezer.
Large veggie and localvore members will also get frozen cauliflower. We had a great crop of cauliflower this past fall and froze a lot of it to share with you. Frozen cauliflower is great in many recipes including soups, stir fries, stews, casseroles, etc. Our frozen cauliflower is blanched briefly before freezing so is partly pre-cooked, cooking times for recipes calling for fresh cauliflower will be shorter. You will want to test your cauliflower when cooking for perfect doneness as some recipes will want cauliflower more or less tender. Store your frozen cauliflower in the freezer until you are ready to use it. I like to chop for recipes when it it still partly frozen.
|
Localvore Lore
We have some sweet treats for you this week!
Elmore Mountain Bread made Maple Wheat Bread. It is naturally leavened with a touch of dark Vermont Maple Syrup from Butternut Mountain Farm. They fresh stone milled all of the flour, a bit of rye and some wheat from Butterworks Farm.
Fat Toad Farm Goat's Milk Caramel, or Cajeta as it is traditionally called, is as good as it gets. Cajeta is very similar to the ever popular dulce de leche, a dairy based confection that uses cow’s milk. Cajeta, on the other hand has its roots in Mexico and is based on goat’s milk. Fat Toad Farm, a small family farm, is run by Judith Irving, Steve Reid and Calley Hastings. The family has spent several years building a high quality certified Alpine and Saanen goat herd producing fresh goat cheese and goat’s milk caramel (cajeta). "We hand-stir fresh goat milk and organic cane sugar over the stove for about four hours. During this time, the sugars in the milk and the sugar caramelize and produce the most incredible sweet and tasty caramel sauce. Rest assured that a lot of deep thinking and bad singing to the blasting boom box go into this caramel!"
They were recently certified by the Animal Welfare Approved program – essentially a document that makes their love of, and respect for goats official. Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) is a food label for meat and dairy products that come from farm animals raised to the highest animal welfare and environmental standards. Called a ‘badge of honor for farmers’ and the ‘gold standard,’ AWA has come to be the most highly regarded food label when it comes to animal welfare, pasture-based farming, and sustainability.
Each site will have a mix of Original and Vanilla caramel so take your pick!
We also have Champlain Orchard Empire apples for you! These apples are a favorite on the farm as they are crispy and tasty. They're an offspring of Red Delicious and McIntosh and are a favorite for fresh eating. Located in Shoreham, Vermont, Champlain Orchards and organic farm overlooks Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. They are a family-owned Vermont orchard that takes pride in growing a diversity of ecologically-grown fruits and vegetables.
|
Recipes
Indian Cabbage and Carrot Salad
An oldy but goody recipe from the Good Eats archives, this is an easy to prepare dish that is perfect to serve on top of greens for a dinner salad or add to hot sandwiches as an Indian Slaw or eat as is. Adapted from the Lite and Luscious Cuisine of India cookbook, by Madhu Gadia.
4 c cabbage, thinly sliced
1 c carrots, scrubbed and grated
1 tsp sunflower oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Heat oil in a heavy skillet on high heat. Add mustard seeds, cover with a lid to avoid splattering. Cook for a few seconds until the mustard seeds stop popping. Add the cabbage and carrots and then the turmeric, salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until heated through. Do not overcookm the cabbage should be just barely cooked. Transfer to a serving platter immediately.
Beet and Cabbage Borscht
Borscht began its existence in Eastern Europe from trimmings of cellared vegetables consumed throughout the winter months. Most families had a container, usually a kettle or stove pot, kept outside to store those trimmings. Around the first spring thaw, that pot was placed on the fire and cooked into a soup-like meal. One of the primary vegetables of the Slavic diet consumed during the winter months was the beet but other vegetables such as cabbage, potato and carrots were often included. The beet color was most predominant and hence, the recipe changed into what is traditionally known as a beet soup. Borscht is a great cold weather way to enjoy those winter veggies. There are many variations of borscht. This recipe was adapted from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals, by Nava Atlas.
3 Tbs sunflower oil
3 c potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 c parsnip, chopped
3 c chopped cabbage
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups (or more) canned broth (chicken, veggie, miso consumme (see below) or water)
3 c beets, peeled, chopped
1 c chopped tomatoes (drained) or tomato puree
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
Sour cream or plain yogurt
Chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges
Heat oil in heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, cabbage and onion and saute until cabbage softens, about 5 minutes. Add broth, beets and tomatoes. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Working in small batches, puree 4 cups of soup in blender; return to remaining soup in pot. If desired, add more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup. Add lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with dollop of sour cream or yogurt; sprinkle with parsley. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.
Baked Apples and Goat's Milk Caramel, taken from Fat Toad Recipes
One of the simplest and most gratifying ways to eat your caramel! This is a perfect warming dish best served with vanilla ice cream.
4 Apples
4 teaspoons butter
1 jar Fat Toad Farm Caramel
Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste
Preheat oven to 350F. Core 4 apples leaving the peel on. Place in 8X8 baking pan. Put a dollop of butter in core center of each apple. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Pour caramel in the center and drizzle on top. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!
Skillet French Toast Stuffed with Apples & Caramel
This recipe, also from the Fat Toad website, looks amazing.
For the batter:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the filling:
2 medium apples (chopped)
4 tbs Fat Toad Farm Goat’s Milk Caramel, any flavor
The Bread:
4 slices of Bread
For the batter:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well until incorporated. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
For the filling:
Chop apples into bite sized cubes and mix together with Fat Toad Farm Goat’s Milk Caramel.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat a large saute pan and then add butter. Dredge the bread in the batter and place in the pan. Cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool. Divide filling between 2 pieces of the bread top with the remaining 2 pieces of bread. Transfer French Toast to oven and bake for 8 minutes.
Cut each French Toast in half and serve. Drizzle with more delicious Fat Toad Farm Goat’s Milk Caramel Sauce for some added love and sweetness!
Roasted Beet and Shoot Salad
Serve this salad with a slice of the focaccia on the side for a light lunch or dinner, or serve it as an accompaniment for a heartier meal. Serves 4.
1 TB apple cider or white wine vinegar
1 TB minced shallot (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 TB sunflower or extra virgin olive oil
4 small to medium roasted beets, chopped in 1/2" pieces*
2 cups mixed sunflower and radish shoots
Shredded cabbage and carrots
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1 TB toasted pine nuts
To make the dressing, combine the first 8 ingredients in a food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Toss together the beets, shoots, and shredded veggies. Sprinkle with cheese and pine nuts. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing.
Apple and celeriac slaw
Raw celeriac is surprisingly good! It softens up nicely in this slaw.
1 small celeriac or celery root, shredded
1 green apple, cored and julienned
1 orange or red bell pepper, cored and julienned
1 celery stalk, very thinly sliced
DRESSING
1 small shallot, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
In a large bowl, toss together salad ingredients.
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Dress the salad just before serving and toss to coat.
Celeriac Slaw a'la Joanne
This slaw idea came from a share member and it is awesome. I added in some shredded apples, shoots and walnuts to round out the dish a bit.
If you haven't tried celeriac raw it is awesome with some carrots and beets all shredded quite thin. Garnish with ginger miso rice vinegar and olive oil dressing - great raw food dish!!
Brown Sugar Glazed Beets
Try a sweet glaze on beets or other root vegetables to help balance their earthy flavor. This easy recipe will work with steamed carrots, turnips or rutabaga too.
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 cups steamed cubed beets, 1/2- to 1-inch cubes (see Tip)
Combine brown sugar, orange juice, butter, salt and pepper in a large nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until the sugar and butter are melted and starting to bubble. Stir in beets and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the beets are coated with glaze, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Quinoa Chard Pilaf
This simple vegan dish combines the distinctive, nutty flavor of quinoa with chard, mushrooms, and lentils. Feel free to experiment with other ingredients if you don't have all of those listed.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 cup canned lentils, rinsed
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 quart vegetable broth
1 package frozen Swiss chard
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute 5 minutes, until onion is tender. Mix in quinoa, lentils, and mushrooms. Pour in the broth and chard. Cover, and cook 20 minutes, until chard is cooked through.
Remove the pot from heat.
|
|
Comments