Good Eats Newsletter - October 29, 2014

Localvore Members  & Veggie Only Share Members take a TAN / LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag will contain: Lettuce; Potatoes; Carrots; Turnips; Garlic; Cauliflower; Chard; Pac Choi; Shallots And OUT of the bag: 2 Carnival Squash Localvore and any share with pantry items Include: Slowfire Bakery Cider Sourdough Bread Amir Hebib Mushrooms Pete's Kitchen Baba Ganoush Half Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Lettuce; Potatoes; Pac Choi; Garlic; Cauliflower; Shallots; Chard And OUT of the bag: 1 Carnival Squash

More Veggies? Are you a half share member sad to see the bottom of the share bag each week?  Enjoying your veggies, just wish you had more?  You can upgrade to the larger veggie only share anytime for an additional $7 per week. Get in touch if you are hankering for more. Below: beds of this weeks' panisse lettuce

Around the Farm As I covered the chard and baby greens in our high tunnels tonight I thought of my dad, who asked me if I sing the vegetables lullabies as I tuck them in at night. I hum a little tune as I put the last bag of soil on the edge of the cloth to prevent it from blowing away in the chilly wind.  It’s the time of year again when everything green requires that little bit of extra care and attention to see it through our harsh Vermont climate and into your CSA bags. Out in the field we are bringing in the last of the hardy root vegetables to store in our massive root cellar. We are bursting at the seams with the potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabegas, carrots, beets, cabbage, and onions that we’ll be sending to you all winter long. Even with the additional storage space we built this fall it’s a game of tetris to fit it all inside! Though I always worry over the tender lettuces and pac choi in the greenhouses (I check the nightly lows religiously!) seeing endless potatoes neatly stacked in thousand pound wooden bins gives me a sense of peace. The hard work of harvest is almost done and I sleep as soundly as a dormant potato. ~ Molly Some of the crew today packing your shares from left to right: Emilie, Felipe, Molly, Philip Packing your mushrooms today, from left to right: Jonathan, Alison, Amy, and Juan Manuel. In the kitchen today, Patrick and Aaron were working on putting up squash puree for winter CSA shares.  Every year right around this time, High Mowing harvests their sweetest baby butternut squash for seed.  After they remove the seeds, we steam and then puree it and vac seal the sweet puree into 2 lbs bags. Below, Patrick is stirring the puree in a tilt skillet.   Storage and Use Tips Everyone is getting a head of panisse lettuce. These are big, gorgeous heads of lettuce. The buttery leaves are perfect for using in a salad or throwing onto a sandwich. Nicola potatoes are golden skinned, golden fleshed potatoes that are truly all purpose. They are great for boiling, mashing or roasting and are plenty waxy enough to make excellent potato salad. Nicolas have a very special attribute among potatoes - they are low on the glycemic index compared to all other varieties. This means they don't cause the blood sugar spike that other varieties may cause, an issue that can wreak havoc with people with insulin resistance. They also have a yummy slightly nutty flavor, enjoy! Store in a cool, dark place to avoid sprouting. At this time of year organic potatoes (not treated with an anit-sprouting agent) do not store for very long periods of time as they are ready to start their next life cycle. I suggest storing in a plastic bag in the fridge if you are not going to use right away. There aren't many squashes quite as festive as carnival winter squash with its unique coloring and splotches - it holds a designer's seal of approval in the world of winter squash. Carnival is an acorn squash with a wonderful nutty flavor and fine eating quality.  Like all winter squash and pumpkins store in cool, dry place. Best temperature is 55F. **Large share members take 2 squash. Half share members take ony 1.** Large share members are getting sweet salad turnips this week. These turnips are wonderfully sweet and crunchy. They are awesome chopped up and added in salads or cooked into a great dish (see recipe below). This is probably the last week for romanesca cauliflower as our harvest is slowing down. You see this pattern in many natural forms like pine cones, nautilus shells, and even hurricanes. Without getting too technical, it is spiraling pattern that adheres to a consistent logarithm. Our Romanesco Cauliflower is one of natures more dramatic illustrations of this phenomenon. This beautiful, old variety dates back to the 16th century in Italy. It is delicious when roasted with olive oil, salt, and finished with a squirt of lemon juice and a little Pecorino Romano cheese. Check out this interesting article all about this amazing cauliflower! Rainbow chard is a delicious nutritious green, high in Vitamins A, K, and C.  The beautifully colored stems are why it's called rainbow chard!  Chard works great as a spinach substitute but needs to be cooked down a bit longer.  It also works well in soups and stews, or sauteed as a side. Pac choi is a member of the brassicas family along with cabbage and kale that originated in China, where it has been grown for over 1500 years.  As part of the cabbage family, 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. Shallots are a member of the alium family being similar to both garlic and onions. They grow in cloves similar to garlic and have a sweet, mild flavor like a sweet or Spanish onion. They are well known for their ability to be caramelized or cooked down to where the sugars are reduced or concentrated. When eaten raw, they are much sweeter and milder than even sweet onions. You can slice them thin and saute them in recipes that benefit from a sweet, mild onion flavor. When minced, they are fantastic in homemade vinaigrette and pan sauces. Store them in a cool, dark place. 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 I'm really excited about this week's bread. Slowfire Bakery made up loaves of their Cider Sourdough Bread.It's a seasonal specialty of theirs made from a basic sourdough recipe with Milanaise organic flour, and added local apples and cider. This bread would cook up into an amazing grilled cheese sandwich (yum!) or just eaten plain. I recently visited the bakery and got to hang out with bakers Scott and Eileen. They bake in a small building on theWaiora Farm in Jeffersonville. Scott's been baking there since 2011 and has enjoyed growing his business. They sell their breads at the Burlington Farmers' market in the summer and to other local stores.  This week we have Amir's Oyster or Shiitake Mushroom for your enjoyment.  Mushrooms are so temperamental and weather dependent that we never know for sure whether they will work out when we schedule them. Amir started growing mushrooms in a mushroom house behind his home in Colchester in 2005. He grows shiitakes and oysters (little clusters of trumpet shaped mushrooms) and sells them to restaurants and markets in our area as well as at the Burlington Farmers Market. You can eat the whole mushroom stems and all. The shiitakes have a deeper flavor, and are more hearty, enough so that they can be used in place of ground beef in some recipes. Your bag will have one variety or the other. Amir was recently written up in the Local Banquet magazine. This is a great article all about his history, how he got started and how he grows his amazing mushrooms. Amir's favorite mushroom recipe is easy and tasty: fry some onions, add cut up mushrooms and cook until soft.  Add an egg to the pan, cook, and enjoy! Feel free to add in some steamed greens, garlic, or ginger to this. Lastly we have some of our baba ganoush made right at the farm. This delicious spread is made with our own organic eggplant, plus cumin, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and salt.  This is often eaten as a dip with crackers, veggies, or used a spread on bread (it's excellent with sliced up carrots and salad turnips). It's coming to you frozen so you can stick back in the freezer to enjoy at a later date, or you can thaw out and enjoy right away (use within the week). 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. Recipes Carnival Squash Rings with a Honey-Soy Glaze This is one of my favorite treats especially if I only have a small amount of squash to work with. The nuttiness of acorn squash mixes perfectly with the glaze!     1 medium size carnival squash     1 tbs honey     1/2 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce     1 tsp rice vinegar     1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger     1 garlic clove, minced Preheat oven to 450°F. Line large baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Cut off both ends of each squash. Cut each squash crosswise into 4-5 rings. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place squash rings in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Cover baking sheet tightly with foil. Bake until squash begins to soften, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk next 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Remove foil from squash. Brush half of honey mixture over squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered 10 minutes. Brush remaining honey mixture over squash; continue to bake until squash is brown, tender and glazed, about 10 minutes. Stir-Fried Pac Choi  Everything needs to happen very quickly in this recipe - make sure you have everything ready in advance. If the ginger, garlic or chilli show signs of burning, remove pan from heat and add the pac choi straight away. 1 bunch pac choi, stalks finely sliced, leaves roughly sliced 1-2 red chillies, finely sliced 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 1/2 inches ginger, peeled and finely chopped soy sauce salt sesame oil 2 tablespoons sunflower oil Heat the sunflower oil in a large frying pan or wok until very hot. Quickly add the ginger, followed by the chilli and garlic. Then immediately add the pac choi stalks and quickly stir. Cook for 1 minute then add the leaves and stir until just wilting. Remove from heat. Add a pinch of salt, then a shake of soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil and serve. Cumin Seed Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli and Chard This dish gets an amazing amount of flavor out of just a few ingredients. If you’re not into cauliflower or broccoli, you can substitute potatoes or squash but the real killer combo is with the cauliflower. Top with something colorful like pomegranate seeds or shredded beets. Adapted from Melissa Clark’s Cook This Now. 2 Tbs olive oil, divided 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite size florets 1 head broccoli, cut into bite size florets 2 c chard, chopped 1 tsp whole cumin seeds 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus additional 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper Plain yogurt (I used whole milk yogurt, Greek style) 1/4 cup crumbled feta (optional) Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush a large baking sheet or roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss broccoli and cauliflower florets with remaining olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and pepper and spread out on prepared tray. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender and its edges are toasty. On the side gently steam chard and strain well, season with salt and pepper. Sauteed Chard with Toasted Breadcrumbs This is another recipe to keep on hand, for any cooking greens.  Breadcrumbs add a great crunch to a bowl of hot buttery greens. 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 bunch chard In a 5-quart saucepan, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add fresh breadcrumbs and a pinch each of coarse salt and ground pepper. Cook, tossing, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside; wipe pan with a paper towel.  Slice chard crosswise 3/4 inch thick, keeping stems separate from greens. In pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Cook stems, stirring, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add greens; cover and cook over medium-low until wilted, 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, over medium-high until pan is dry, 6 to 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper; add a pinch of sugar, if desired. Top with breadcrumbs. Romanesca Salad While my favorite way to enjoy a romanesca is by roasting it with olive oil, salt and pepper, I thought this sounded like a great other option. 1 head of romanesco Salt 1 stalk of celery 1/2 large red onion, or one small red onion or 1 shallot 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves 1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Freshly ground black pepper Dressing 1 clove garlic 1 1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 anchovy, minced (optional, omit if cooking vegetarian) 1/4 cup high quality olive oil Cut the romanesco heads into quarters, stalk to tip. Cut out the tough core and any outside green leaves. Cut again lengthwise. Place into a steamer basket in a pot with about an inch of water.  Sprinkle the romanesco florets with a little salt. Bring water to a boil. Cover and steam until just tender, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove romanesco florets from steamer, place into a bowl, and chill. Thinly slice the celery. Thinly slice the red onion, across the grain. Place the red onion slices in a bowl and cover with water. This will take the onion-y edge off the onion, making it easier to eat raw in the salad. Smash the whole clove of garlic (not cut, just smash with the flat side of a chef's knife) and place in the bottom of a small bowl. Add the vinegar and salt, stir to dissolve the salt. Add the minced anchovy if using. Then whisk in the olive oil. Break up the wedges of romanesco into smaller chunks of florets. Place into a large serving bowl.  Add celery, onions (drained of the water), parsley, capers, and lemon zest. Remove the garlic clove from the dressing and add dressing to the romanesco salad. Toss to coat with the dressing. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour. Even better overnight. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to serve.   Potatoes with Oyster Mushrooms This recipe was adapted from a four star recipe in the June 2006 issue of Bon Appetit. If you have shiitake mushrooms, they'll be just fine in this recipe too. 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 pounds small potatoes, unpeeled, halved lengthwise 3 TB garlic scapes, chopped well 1/4 onion, minced 1 garlic clove, pressed 1/2 pound large fresh oyster mushrooms, torn into 1-inch-wide strips 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley Position 1 rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Brush a large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place potatoes on 1 prepared sheet; drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over and toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place potatoes on top rack of oven and roast 10 minutes. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons garlic scapes, minced onion and garlic over the potatoes. Drizzle remaining 2 TB oil over the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add to potato roasting pan. Continue to roast potatoes and mushrooms on top rack of oven until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes or a bit longer as needed. Add parsley to potato-mushroom mixture and toss; season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.   Eggs Nested in Sautéed Chard and Mushrooms Recipe Shiitakes are highly flavorful mushrooms, and will really make this dish special if you use them, though you can use just about any mushroom. 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 pound of fresh chard 2-3 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 to 2 eggs Cut out the thick, tough center ribs of the chard leaves. Chop the ribs into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add the chopped onions and mushrooms to the bowl. Cut the remaining chard leaves crosswise into 1-inch ribbons, set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large, stick-free sauté pan (with cover) on medium high heat. Add the onions, chard ribs, and mushrooms. Sauté for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are a little brown on the edges and have started to give up their moisture Add the green sliced chard leaves to the sauté pan. Use tongs to turn the leaves over in the pan so that the leaves get coated with some of the olive oil and the onions and mushrooms are well mixed in with the leaves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Crack one or two fresh eggs in the center of the pan, over the chard mushroom mixture. Lower the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, checking after 3 minutes. When the whites are cooked, remove the pan from the heat and use a spatula to gently transfer the eggs and chard to a plate to serve. Serve immediately. Cut into the egg yolks so that the runny yolks run over the chard and mushrooms and form something of a sauce. Salad Turnips Sautéed in Butter This is a great way to enjoy your salad turnips. This is just a base recipe so feel free to add any other veggies to bulk it up. 1 Bunch Salad Turnips 1 Clove Garlic 1 Tbsp Butter or Oil Salt & Pepper Slice the salad turnips into thin half-moons, and mince or crush the garlic. Melt the butter (or heat the oil) in a medium sized frying pan. Sauté the salad turnips & garlic until they are a light golden color (cover the pan if you like). Variations • Add a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar • Add the turnip greens, or some other chopped greens such as spinach or chard • Add minced scallions, and fresh or dried herbs Caramelized Shallots What to do with all the shallots besides tossing them into a stir fry?  Make these caramelized shallots!  This recipe, from the Smitten Kitchen, is a great way to maximize the sweetness of the shallots.   6 tbsp unsalted butter 2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact 3 tbs sugar 3 tbs good red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 2 tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley   Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Melt the butter in a 12" oven-proof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat.  Cook over medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots start to brown.  Add the vinegar, salt and pepper and toss well.   Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender.  Season, to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.