Good Eats Newsletter - October 15, 2014



Welcome to the Fall/Winter Good Eats CSA!

The first pick-up is TOMORROW  Wednesday, October 15th,
or Thursday, October 16th, for Thursday pick-up sites.

Email us at goodeats@petesgreens.com if you have any questions!

Localvore Members 
& Veggie Only Share Members
take a TAN / LIGHT GREEN BAG

This week your bag will contain:
Mesclun; Potatoes; Carrots; Mustard Greens;  Cauliflower; Pac Choi; Ginger; Garlic

And OUT of the bag:
1 Butternut Squash

Localvore Offerings Include:
Red Hen and Elmore Mountain bread
Landaff Creamery Kinsman Ridge Cheese
Tangletown Farm Eggs



Half Veggie Only Members
take a YELLOW BAG
containing:
Mesclun; Potatoes; Carrots; Peppers;
Cauliflower; Mustard Greens

And OUT of the bag:
1 Butternut Squash

Fall Shares Still Available

We are still accepting members for our Fall sahre.  Please spread the word about Good Eats to your friends and family!


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!


Meat Share members

The 1st Meat Share Delivery isn't until November 5th or 6th
depending on your share site.


Share Pick-Up Instructions! Please review.

Whether you are a seasoned CSA share member or new to Good Eats, it's important to review the pick-up instructions before you head out to pick up your share!

Clipboard #1,
Find your name on the Names List - Find your name on the pick-up list and check it off.  The first clipboard contains a list of all share members at your site. Note that only one name is listed for each share. If you can't find your name on the list, look for your share partner's name (only one of you is listed). Checking off your name lets us know who has picked up and is extremely helpful in solving any mysteries at the end of the day. If you can't find your name or your share partner's name, please don't take a share! Call or email us and we'll figure it out.

Check your share type on the Names  List. Share types are Lo
calvore, Localvore Vegetarian, Half Veggie with Pantry, Half Veggie with Pantry Vegetarian, Veggie Only, Half Veggie Only, Pete's Pantry, Pete's Pantry Vegetarian, or Meat Share. If you are listed incorrectly or have questions, let us know.

Clipboard #2,
Pick-Up Instructions - Select your items by following the Pick-Up Instructions. These are posted on the second clipboard. Follow the specific item list/instructions to assemble your share. The top section of the pick up list describes what to select for the vegetable portion of the  share. The bottom section of the Pick-Up Instructions lists the localvore (non-vegetable) items that Localvore and Pete's Pantry members should select.

If you are sharing a share with someone - coordinate with your share-mate to make sure that you DON'T take double the amount of any items. All shares are packed and delivered to the sites are whole shares.

Please note that the first Meat Share pick up is not this week,
it is the first Wednesday (or Thursday for some sites) of every month
starting November 5th and 6th.



Which color bag do I take?
If you are a Localvore or Veggie Only member take a tan / light green bag shown in the picture below at left.

If you are a Half share member (with or without pantry) take a bright yellow bag shown below at the right.


 


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 not 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 Friday morning.

If we have not heard from anyone, by Thursday afternoon (for Wedensday deliveries) or Friday afternoon (for Thursday deliveries) 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.  These will generally come in the next week's delivery.


Picking Up Your Share
Please review your confirmation email or visit our Delivery Site page for pick up times and locations of pick up sites. If you have any questions about your pick-up please email us. The quickest way to reach me is really by email, but you may leave a message on voice mail at 802.586.2882 x 2


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.



Our Weekly Good Eats Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to the Good Eats Fall Share.  Thanks for joining us! 

This is your first addition of the weekly Good Eats Newsletter.  Each Tuesday evening this is sent out to let you know what to expect in this week's share. We also include storage and use tips, localvore information, recipes and anything else we think you might find interesting or useful. Pete and/or other crew members on the farm will often chime in with farm updates, thoughts and pleas for feedback.

The picking for the weekly share begins on Monday and the packing of shares is finished late Tuesday afternoon in order to give you extremely  fresh produce. Although we try to get the newsletter out just as early as we can, we do like to wait until the share is packed up and finalized. Sometimes there are last minute changes to the contents and we want to make sure that you have the right information to accompany your pick-up.
 If there are changes to the share that occur after the newsletter has been sent (which happens occasionally), you may receive a follow-up email Tuesday night or Wednesday.

If you have any feedback on the newsletter, recipe contributions or just general questions about the CSA, feel free to email us. 
We also post each newsletter on our blog and on our website. It generally gets posted to the web sometime on Wednesday or Thursday. You can also search our archive of recipes, farm stories and share contents at these sites.

Please add GoodEats@petesgreens.com to your address book to limit the possibility of having newsletters filtered as spam.

Feel free to contact us anytime with questions or comments about Good Eats.  ~ Sara


T-Shirts and bags will be distributed in the next few weeks

If you signed up and paid for a veggie only or localvore share by September 21st, your free t-shirt or bag will be sent out in a few weeks. I'll let you all know once they're ready and will be delivered. Thanks for your patience!



Storage and Use Tips

Each week we'll give you storage tips so you can learn about the veggies in the share that you may not be familiar with.  Most of these tips are on our website too, so please get acquainted with and bookmark the recipe and storage tip section of our website. I am sure you will find it useful!

Mesclun - many weeks you will receive a bag of our mesclun.  The name 'mesclun' comes from Southern France and literally means "mixture", without a specific ingredient list  and can be a mixture of many types of greens, as it is used today. Our mesclun mix is constantly changing to reflect the seasons we are in.  Store sealed bags in the fridge from 3-7 days. Your bag of mesclun makes an excellent salad; I also like to add some to my morning smoothies for a little nutritional boost.

This week's potatoes are called Sifra potatoes. These were a new variety to me and I learned that they're large, round potatoes with a white center. They're medium starchy so are great for baking or boiling. These are very large so you may only get 2 potatoes per bag.

Our orange carrots are sweet and crunchy. All vegetables are great at reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease but carrots rate the highest at lowering your risk of it. Enjoy these carrots raw- chopped or shredded into a salad, steamed, added to a stir fry, or roasted.

This weeks butternut squash is in a class of squash all its own, known for being both nutty, sweet and because the flesh is so smooth and silky on the inside. It is great for mashing, soups, roasting and probably most loved because it is easy to prep and boil, making it perfect for quick dinners with the kids. The squash are good sized so they'll make an excellent soup; see below for a stellar recipe.

Related to kale, cabbage, and collard greens, mustard greens are the peppery leafy greens of the mustard plant. Green Wave is a beautiful representative of this group. Green Wave is a bit hot when raw, but still tender enough for salads. It is delightful in stir-frys, braises, steamed and added to many dishes calling for greens.  I added some mustard greens to my morning smoothie and was pleasantly surprised - I thought it wou
ld be spicy but you could barely taste the greens at all!

Pictured at right: Jonathan washing your greens.

Carmen peppers are the gorgeous red and green peppers for the half share members. They are a sweet pepper, not spicy.  Enjoy them as you would any sweet pepper, but my favorite way to eat these is to cut them in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and then stuff them with rice or barley mixed with sauteed veggies, perhaps beans, and a bit of cheese and roast them in the oven until it all comes together.

Don't be scared of this week's cauliflower - it's a little funky and alien looking! Like regular cauliflower, romanesca has a tightly compact head of florets attached by clusters of stalks-but there the similarity in appearance ends. Romanesca, which hails from northern Italy, is a beautiful pale lime green color; its florets, rather than being rounded, rise in a pyramid of pointed, spiraling cones. Its flavor is somewhat more delicate than that of regular cauliflower.  Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Romanesca can be cooked in any fashion suitable for regular cauliflower. It makes beautiful crudités, and is stunning cooked whole.

Pac choi (aka bok choy or Chinese cabbage) originated in China, where it has been grown for over 1500 years. It's a member of the brassicas family along with cabbage and kale, and it packs in nutrition with high scores for vitamins A and C and calcium.  Pac Choi is mild enough to be chopped up for a salad, particularly if you give it a quick wilt in a hot pan. It's also great in stir-fries and sautes and in asian soups (and other soups too).  Pac Choi has a mild flavor - the leaves taste similar to Swiss chard and the stems (called ribs) are deliciously crispy and can be substituted for celery in recipes.  My favorite way to cook it is to halve or quarter it lengthwise (depending on the size), brush it with olive or sunflower oil and throw it on the grill. Prepared this way, it makes an excellent and easy side. Store pac choi loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer.

This young, fresh ginger is probably different from the type you are accustomed to purchasing in the store.  Ginger's aroma, texture, and flavor varies depending upon the timing of its harvest. Early-harvest young ginger is tender and sweet, while older, more mature ginger is more fibrous and spicy.  We didn't have a ton of ginger so the large share members are only getting a small piece, but we wanted you to enjoy a taste of it! It also won't store long.  Eat it up in next couple weeks.  Fresh ginger's light spiciness, warmth, and mellow sweetness complement a range of dishes, from sweet to savory.  Beyond the traditional Asian applications like stir-fries and dipping sauces, ginger is equally at home with everyday ingredient like maple syrup and is great for baking and for smoothies and creamy custards too.

I took a close look at the ginger and was amazed at how it grows. The shoots were cut off for harvesting (they look like bamboo shoots) and the piece below is one giant clump. You can see a little bit of the brown part that you're used to from the grocery store in the lower right, but the fresh pieces are the pink tinged ones. Pretty cool! To the right is Molly harvesting the ginger.



























Our garlic bulbs are freshly dried and ready for cooking! Garlic is best stored at room temperature. Here's a fun tip about using your garlic:
    -Before you expose it to heat, let garlic rest for 10 minutes after chopping, slicing or pressing it.  This is beneficial because when you bite, chop, slice or press garlic, the main healing ingredient in garlic, allicin, forms when 2 compounds in the clove mingle together.  The reaction takes about 10 minutes to complete but stops short if applied to heat before the time has elapsed.


Veggie Storage and Use Tips are on our website too, so please bookmark the recipe and storage tip section.  I am sure you will find it useful.


Localvore Lore

shaping bread
Members that pick up on Wednesday will receive a loaf of Elmore Mountain bread. They're baking a loaf of their new Vermont Redeemer Bread. Andrew and Blair (pictured at right) are the owners and bakers at Elmore Mountain. They take pride in using local ingredients as well as in the fact that each loaf is handmade and attended to from start to finish, a 16-hour process. They are also very inventive and always striving to improve their processes - last winter they built their very own mill. This enables them to mill 100% of the wheat used in all of their wood-fired breads.

Read what Andrew had to say about this week's bread:

Today we are introducing our new Vermont Redeemer Bread.  It is our first bread made with 100% Vermont-Grown wheat.  We had the good fortune of meeting Nathan and Jessie Rogers this summer at the Montpelier Farmers Market.   In  2012, they started Rogers Farmstead  in Berlin and grow grains and sell raw milk. Last fall they planted a variety of wheat called "Redeemer" which has been a successful crop in the tricky Vermont Climate.   Luckily, the wheat grew well and they had a great harvest.  We started stone milling and test baking with it a few weeks ago and found that the flour bakes beautifully as well.  We are really excited to start baking with the Redeemer and will be making this loaf on a regular basis.  Grown, milled, baked and sold within 50 miles. Redeeming Tradition.

Thursday pick ups will receive a loaf of bread from Red Hen Bakery in Middlesex. Randy George is the owner and baker, and here's what he had to say about this weeks' bread:

We're making a special bread entirely with Ben Gleason's bolted wheat flour.  This is from his wheat that he stonegrinds and then lightly sifts.  Every year we test a number of different wheats that the UVM Extension Service grown on their test plots.  When we do this, Ben mills the samples in the same way that he mills his regular Snake Mt. flour.  So this is our chance to give everyone a taste of how Ben's crop was this year... unadulterated.  Just flour, water and salt.

Landaff Creamery made this amazing raw cow milks' cheese called Kinsman Ridge. This cheese is inspired by funky French tommes like St. Nectaire, a style that's enviably more common in Europe than on this side of the pond. It's a semi-soft, tomme-style cheese with aromas of fresh butter, forest and cured meat. Young wheels are washed with brine before a natural, mottled rind is cultivated. As it matures, Kinsman's interior transitions from smooth and firm to a giving and creamy consistency. Flavors are rich, savory, and softly floral, with hints of roasted artichoke and asparagus. The wheels are made at the Creamery in NH and then sent to Cellars at Jasper Hill to mature.

Kinsman's rustic appearance and decadent texture make it a perfect choice for a cheese board or plate. Try pairing with a Sauvignon Blanc or wheat beer. Though mottled in appearance, the cultivated, mixed rind is delicate enough to be palatable and does not need to be removed before portioning.

There's nothing better than farm fresh eggs! These eggs are coming to you from our neighbors at Tangletown Farm. The birds at Tangletown love being outside, roaming around and clucking about. They are 100% free of hormones and antibiotics, plus they're fed a diet of many leftover vegetable scraps which adds more quality, flavor and color to the eggs. You can expect to see eggs in your share every 2-3 weeks throughout the share period.


Chicken-new2.jpg


Recipes

We also provide you with recipes to help you fully enjoy your weekly bounty.  Got a great recipe you want to share?  Email me - I would love to share with our members!



Simple Mustard Greens Recipe
This recipe is a great basic way to enjoy your mustard greens.

1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound mustard greens, washed and torn into large pieces
2 to 3 Tbsp chicken broth or vegetable broth (vegetarian option)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil

In a large sauté pan, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until the onions begin to brown and caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more, until fragrant. Add the mustard greens and broth and cook until the mustard greens are just barely wilted. Toss with sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper.

 




Scrambled Egg & Mustard Greens on Toast
Eggs and greens go so well together. I thought this recipe was nice especially with the eggs and bread you're getting this week.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups roughly chopped mustard greens
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
6 large eggs
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 small baguette or crusty bread, sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced, to garnish (optional)
A few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)
Hot sauce, to garnish

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard greens, red onion and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes, just until greens are wilted and onion and garlic are fragrant.

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs in a large bowl. Season with crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. When the greens are ready, add the eggs to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are scrambled and fully cooked, 3 to 4 minutes.

While eggs scramble, toast your bread in a toaster oven or regular oven until lightly browned.

To serve, scoop the scrambled eggs onto the toasted bread and garnish with sliced radishes, chopped parsley and a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce.




Wilted Greens with Balsamic Fried Eggs
This is the way I typically eat my greens and eggs. I'll usually saute an onion and some garlic before adding the greens, sometimes throw in some fresh ginger, and cook it all down together.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
1 bunch mustard greens, washed, thoroughly dried, ends trimmed, and coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the garlic and cook until it just starts to color, about 30 seconds.

Add the greens and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Immediately remove from heat and divide the greens between 2 serving plates.

Wipe out the pan, return it to medium heat, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. When it shimmers, add the eggs and fry until set, bubbly, and brown on the edges and the pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes.

Carefully add the balsamic vinegar and cook until it is reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Place 2 eggs on each mound of greens, evenly divide the vinegar reduction, season with freshly ground black pepper, and serve with toast.




Baked Butternut Squash Fries
Feel free to change up the spices on these fries.  Cajun spice works great!

1 butternut squash (large enough to yield 1 pound once peeled and sliced)
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more, optional

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Peel squash with a vegetable peeler. Slice the ends off the squash, and then cut it in half width-wise. Cut the round bottom piece in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.

Using a crinkle cutter or a knife, carefully cut squash into spears or French-fry shapes. Thoroughly blot moisture away with paper towels, and sprinkle evenly with salt.

Spray a broiler pan, a baking rack placed over a baking sheet, or a baking sheet with nonstick spray, and then place spears flat on it.  Bake in the oven 20 minutes, and then carefully flip spears. Continue to bake until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, about 20 minutes longer.



Carrot "Souffle"
One of our shareholders sent in this recipe a while ago.  Her version below is more of a pudding than a souffle, sweet and delicious with maple, butter, cinnamon and vanilla. You could also make this much more savory. See the substitutions at the bottom of the recipe to make an Indian-inspired version. Serves 4-6.

2 lbs. carrots, peeled if you like, sliced, and steamed until very tender, then cooled somewhat
1/4 c maple syrup or maple sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1t vanilla
3 T melted butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 T whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Place carrots in blender with sugar or syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and melted butter. Puree until smooth. Pour into medium bowl and beat in eggs, flour, and baking powder. Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake about 1 hour or until top is golden brown and souffle has puffed slightly.

To make a savory version, cut the maple back to 2 tablespoons; add 1/2 tsp of ground ginger; replace the butter with sunflower or olive oil; get rid of the vanilla; and replace the 1/2 tsp cinnamon with 1 tsp garam masala (an Indian spice mixture available in most good spice sections, or make your own following a recipe.)



Classic Butternut Squash soup with variations
This traditional squash soup is excellent. I usually add 1-2 apples to the mixture to cook to give it a bit of sweetness.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cups cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in butternut squash, thyme, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Alternatively, let the soup cool slightly and carefully purée in batches in an upright blender.

Three Twists

Apple, Gorgonzola and Almond Butternut Soup
Stir 1 cup unsweetened applesauce into puréed soup. Garnish each serving with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, toasted almonds, a few slices of thinly sliced apple and a small sprig of fresh thyme.

Thai-style Butternut Soup
Stir a tablespoon of red curry paste and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger into carrot, celery and onion mixture. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk with broth. Purée soup and garnish each serving with toasted coconut flakes and chopped fresh cilantro.

Southwestern-style Butternut Soup
Add a tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo sauce to carrot, celery and onion mixture. Garnish soup with crumbled queso fresco, toasted pumpkin seeds and chopped fresh cilantro.



Potatoes with Ginger and Garlic
This recipe is from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking. It's very simple and VERY tasty.
 

1 pound potatoes
11/2 ounces ginger root, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt -- (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper -- (to taste)
1tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fennel seed -- (optional)

 Boil the potatoes in their jackets.  Drain and allow to completely cool.  (Can be done the night before.)  Peel and cut into 1-inch  cubes.

 Put the ginger, garlic, turmeric, water, salt, and cayenne into a  blender or food processor.  Blend until it becomes a paste.  Heat the oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron pan over a medium  flame.  When it is hot, add the fennel seeds.  Let them fry for a few  seconds.  Now put in the spice paste.  (Careful -- it will spatter and
 spit.)  Stir and fry for 2 minutes.  Add the potato cubes.  Fry,  stirring continuously, over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until  potatoes have a golden-brown crust.



Fresh Ginger Dressing or Marinade
This is a super simple and tasty dressing.  It will be great as salad dressing on this week's spicy greens mix, and works well as a drizzle on kale, pac choi, chicken, fish, etc.  Just mince the garlic and ginger, and put all ingredients in a jar and shake to blend.

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
3/4 cup olive oil (or better yet 1/2 cup olive or vegetable, 1/4 cup sesame oil)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/8 cup soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons honey

 


Pac Choi and Pepper Stir Fry
This is a great stir fry to enjoy with dinner. It would be great with chicken cooked in with it or on the side, or topped with cashews.

1 bunch pac choi
1-2 peppers
1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp sunflower oil

Separate the pac choi leaves and cut off the chunky stalks.  Slice the stalks finely. Roughly chop the leaves. Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or sauté pan. Add the garlic, peppers and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the pac choi stalks. Toss well. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the pac choi leaves. Stir and then cook for 1 minute, until they are barely wilted. Add soy/tamari and sesame oil and toss.




Roasted Romanesca
Romanesca roasts up beautifully and is tasty as well.

1 head Romanesco broccoli, broken into large florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss Romanesco with oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning halfway through, until golden and tender, about 20 minutes.


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