Good Eats Newsletter - January 21, 2015

Localvore Members  & Veggie Only Share Members take a TAN / LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag will contain: Shoots; Potatoes; Carrots; Celeriac; Leeks And OUT of the Bag: Coleslaw Mix Frozen Greens Mix Frozen Roasted Peppers Localvore and any share with pantry items Include: Red Hen Potato Bread Pete's Kitchen Chimichurri Rogers Farmstead Organic Rolled Oats Half Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Shoots; Potatoes; Carrots; Celeriac; Leeks And OUT of the Bag: Coleslaw Mix Frozen Roasted Peppers

Have you signed up  yet for your spring share?  After this week there are only 3 more deliveries of the fall share. Sign-up now to reserve  your weekly deliveries of fresh, organic Vermont grown goodness and the localvore staples that the share brings.  This is the most exciting share as all the new veggies become available. Please visit the Spring Share page for more info. .

Around the Farm Every time I plant a seed in the greenhouse I can't help but think, "Is this really going to grow?!" It seems so improbable that just by adding a little heat and a little water this seemingly lifeless little seed will suddenly spring into action and make roots and shoots for us to eat. The beauty of growing shoots is that seeds come pre-equipped with all the energy and nutrition they need to sprout their first two baby leaves (called cotyledons). If it was planted underneath the soil outdoors, the energy from the seed would be enough to get those first two leaves above the soil and photosynthesizing in order for it to keep growing into an mature plant. Though we do heat and supply light in the small area in which we grow shoots, these little shoots have been running largely on "seed energy".  Eating shoots has extra benefit to us in that shoots are packed with all of the proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals a growing plant needs and therefore are extremely nutritious despite their tiny size! Though they of course can be eaten as salad, I like them on sandwiches, in spring rolls, and in the korean traditional dish (a personal favorite) Bi Bim Bap! ~Molly Pictures: Molly at right with sunflower shoots Below: growing shoots and a close-up of our sunflower shoots    Our Spring Share is coming up quickly! Share Period: February 18th thru June 10th, 2015 Join now for 17 weeks of fresh,organic, Vermont grown goodness and the localvore staples you love. Spring is a great time to be a CSA member! The Spring Share begins with weekly deliveries of winter greens from our greenhouses and shoots house, lots of staples like potatoes, carrots, onions, beets and cabbage, plus frozen summer goodies like corn, sweet peppers, spinach and winter squash that round out the diversity. Although it is very much winter it is our intention to provide something fresh and green every week even in the early weeks of this share! By the end of March and into early April, with increased daylight, crops begin to vigorously grow and winter greens and flavorful herbs are in abundance.  Mesclun, baby spinach and arugula, chard, pac choi and various varieties of Asian greens begin to appear in shares.  From late April into May you can expect a wide variety of these greens plus spring vegetables like salad turnips, baby beets, scallions and hardy herbs like dill and parsley.  Each week of new veggie bounty is like Christmas! In late May and into June warm season vegetables like European cucumbers, basil, and spring onions make their way into the share along with tender greens harvested from the field. Throughout the spring months we will continue to include preserved and frozen items to keep things interesting.   The Spring Share is a celebratory share as each new vegetable makes its way from greenhouse and field into your weekly share. Experience the difference eating great local, organic produce can make on your health and well being! Visit our Spring Share page for more info. Please visit our delivery page for a listing of Spring Share delivery sites. Have questions about the Spring share?  Visit our FAQ page or send us an email. Storage and Use Tips This week's salad greens are shoots. This nutritious mix is made up of sunflower and radish shoots. See Molly's recommendations above or recipe below for some ideas on how to enjoy your shoots.  Also, shoots tossed into any slaw are delicious! Potatoes this week are a Fingerling mix - Magic Mollys and Rose Finn Apples. The magic mollys are gorgeous - they're big and don't look like a typical fingerling but are still fingerling tender and a special new variety. Their dark purple skin and solid dark purple flesh is striking and retains its color when boiled. The Rose Finn Apples have blush-colored skins and bright yellow flesh with superb flavor. This variety is long and narrow, more like a usual Fingerling. They both have an excellent earthy flavor, especially when roasted. As with all other potatoes store in a dark, cool place. Carrots should be stored loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where they will keep for a couple of weeks. 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 clean 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. Leeks were once called the poor person's asparagus, but today are cherished for their culinary qualities right alongside asparagus. Leeks tend to collect dirt in between the tops of their long leaves. We advise that it's important to wash between leaf folds to remove dirt or soak in a water bath and let dirt sink to bottom, but our leeks arrive well cleaned, so that step  may not be necessary . Store wrapped in plastic in the fridge. Although the best quality is within the first few days, they can be stored for an extended amount of time in the fridge. Peel outer leaves if damaged and use tender inner stalks. Pete's kitchen coleslaw mix - cabbage is king, at least in these cold winter months where there is little food that is fresh and green to eat. Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin K and vitamin C, a very good source of fiber, manganese, and folate and also a fairly good source of molybdenum, vitamin B6, potassium, thiamin (vitamin B1), and calcium. Another interesting fact that may surprise you is cabbage's anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Ordinarily, we do not think about this cruciferous vegetable as a source of omega-3s. For that matter, we do not think about cabbage as source of any type of fat. We are right in this overall type of thinking - cabbage is not a fatty food. But among the little bit of fat it contains, there is a surprising amount of one particular omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA.  For maximum nutritional benefits it is recommended to eat your cabbage raw or steamed. For this week we have included some pre-shredded coleslaw mix to boost vitamin uptake and add a delicious easy to make side to the weekly mix. The mix includes:  Arrowhead cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots. Not only does it make a delicious slaw it is very pretty, sure to liven up winter meals.  All you need to do is add dressing! See recipes below for variations of coleslaw dressings. Frozen roasted peppers - these Anaheim peppers were picked at peak freshness and roasted in our kitchen. They're mild on the heat scale.  They're not going to retain their shape as they would eaten fresh but are great for salsas, added to a sandwich or salad, or chopped and added to burritos or added to stews or soups. They'll add a little kick to your life in this cold weather! Our frozen greens this week is comprised of brassicas - baby red russian kale, red giant mustards, mizuna and tat-soi.   I would recommend throwing this mix into a soup or stew or tomato sauce (frozen or thawed) or thawing and cooking into an egg dish (omelets or scrambled eggs - yum!).  A tip for using these if you won't use them all at once... Let them thaw partially on your kitchen counter, just to the point that they are easier to cut.  Then saw the greens into several pieces, and put into a zip lock.  Then you can grab a smaller chunck whenever you want to add a little nutritional boost or some greenery to a dish you are making.  Using Your Frozen Veggies - I have been using our frozen veggies for several years now and I love having access to great organically grown local vegetables in winter. I have kids and often I do not need a whole bag of vegetables so here's what I do: I take a bag of frozen corn out of the freezer, grabbed a serrated bread knife, and sawed off a hunk of frozen corn and tossed it into the waiting pot of boiling water for a quick warm up. Then I twist tied the remaining veggies into their bag and tossed them back into the freezer. I use a lot of our frozen vegetables in the same way beans, corn, broccoli, red peppers etc. I throw sawed off hunks in pasta sauces, saute pans, etc. It may be a bit of a crude method, but it's a time saver and a great option if you don't need a whole bag. 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 This week Red Hen Baking Co baked you Potato Bread. From Randy,  owner and baker: This week's bread is Potato Bread.  One fifth of this bread is Yukon Gold potatoes that are grown for us at Foote Brook Farm in Johnson.  The potatoes give a little sweetness to the bread-- especially in the crust which is nicely caramelized but not thick.  Potato bread keeps very well because of the moisture held in the potatoes.  15% of the flour is Ben Gleason's stone ground and sifted wheat grown at his farm in Bridport.  All the rest of the flour is an organic unbleached wheat flour that comes to us from Moulin des Cedres in Quebec.  We have just begun an exciting partnership with this exceptional farm and mill operation located just west of Montreal.  You can read more about that here on our blog.  Our chimichurri was made in our kitchen last fall with fresh parsley, cilantro, cider vinegar, jalapenos, garlic, olive oil, and salt.   This very flavorful condiment is an Argentinian staple usually served alongside meats, but it can also liven up a sandwich, go along with grilled potatoes, or liven up a plate of eggs and toast. It's packed with flavor and will be delicious slathered on the bread with some cheese. It's coming to you frozen.  You can use it right away or freeze for a few months before thawing to enjoy. We've got an exciting new product for you to try this week. Rogers Farmstead Organic Raw Rolled Oats. I had a bowl of oatmeal from these oats last week and it made the best oatmeal I've ever had! Rogers Farmstead is a relatively new farm in Berlin, VT, that grows grains and also raises Jersey cows for milk and oher animals for meat. Farmers Nate and Jessie use sustainable agriculture practices and are improving the health of the land and the buildings as their farm grows. Their wheat flour has been used in the Redeemer bread from Elmore Mountain Bread; we hope to get our hands on this soon and send it out in a future share. Their oats are becoming more popular to local bakers, in fact, Red Hen was working on a new loaf of bread using the oats when I told Randy we were sending them out this week. Most oats that you find in stores (even organic ones) are steamed or heated and milled to turn them into shelf stable rolled oats. The Rogers' oats aren't steamed or dried.  Instead, they simply roll the oats and they're ready to eat with all the nutrients and maximum flavor retained. They are tasty enough on their own or they make a delicious, creamy bowl of oatmeal. Because these aren't heat treated they should be refrigerated to maximize freshness. They will not be delivered to you in coolers, but for best results, store in the refrigerator. Enjoy your oats raw on top of a salad, made into muesli or granola, or in a bowl of oats.  Nate even told me some people use their oats as a savory dish instead of rice (I haven't tried that yet - let me know if you do!). The cooking process is a bit different with these oats so be sure to use the recipe below for best results.   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 Here are a few coleslaw dressing recipes to accompany this weeks' coleslaw mix. Classic Coleslaw Dressing A classic dressing for the coleslaw mix we included in the share this week. 2/3 c mayonnaise (sub sour cream if you like) 1/4 c onion, minced 3 Tbs dill pickled, minced 2 Tbs pickle brine 2 Tbs distilled white vinegar 1 Tbs horseradish 1 Tbs sugar 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp celery seeds Whisk ingredients together until well blended. Mexican-Lime Coleslaw Dressing A fun way to spice up your coleslaw mix, serve with chicken or fish. 1/3 c lime juice 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (to taste) 1/2 c olive oil Whisk lime juice, ground cumin, garlic and hot pepper sauce together and then slowly whisk in olive oil. Apple Coleslaw 1 bag Pete’s slaw Mix 2 apples, small dice 2 tbsp. Dijon Mustard 1 clove garlic, minced ½ cup cider vinegar 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped 1 tbsp. honey 1 tbsp. mustard seed (optional) Salt and pepper, to taste Whisk dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Add apples and slaw mix and toss. Celeriac Slaw 1 cele­riac, cut into matchsticks 1/2 red onion, diced 1 bag coleslaw mix Dress­ing 2 tbsps olive oil 2 tbsps mayonnaise Juice of 1 lemon 1 tbsp white or apple vinegar 1/2 tsp gar­lic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder Fresh black pep­per to taste Mix veg­eta­bles in a large bowl. Mix all dress­ing ingre­di­ents well, then toss with vegetables. Shoot Salad This recipe came from our former wash-house manager, Annie.  This was her stand-by recipe for a bowl of greens in her kitchen. 2 eggs Shoots salad mix Olive oil Mustard Apple cider vinegar Salt & Pepper Optional: blue cheese, walnuts, almonds, bacon Hard boil two eggs (Place the eggs in a small pot of cold water. Heat over medium heat. Remove from the stove as soon as water boils. Let sit ten minutes. Remove the eggs from the water.) While still warm, chop the eggs into large pieces and throw them on top of a bowl of greens. Mix up a dressing of mostly olive oil, a squirt of dijon mustard, a bit of apple cider vinegar, and a solid pinch of sea salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the eggs and greens, and mix. Sometimes almonds, or bacon, or blue cheese make it into the bowl, but eggs and a mustard dressing are the basics. Spicy Celeriac and Carrot Soup 1 tsp olive oil 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/2 cup roasted Anaheim peppers 1 celeriac, peeled and diced 1 pound carrots, peeled and diced 2 vegetable stock cubes made up with 7.5 cups boiling water Fresh coriander, roughly chopped Freshly ground black pepper Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion until softened. Add the garlic and red chilli and cook for a further minute. Combine the vegetables and add to the saucepan, allowing them to cook for a few minutes before adding the vegetable stock and half of the fresh coriander. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 25 minutes. Blend the soup in a processor until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, season to taste and warm through before serving, sprinkled with coriander. Simple Vegetarian BiBimBap Many bibimbap recipes online feature meats but I liked the looks of this vegetarian one. This is a very basic recipe just begging for your personal touch - use whatever veggies you have on hand and make it your own. 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 cup carrot matchsticks 1 cup celeriac matchsticks 6 ounces canned bamboo shoots, drained 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained 1/8 teaspoon salt to taste 2 cups cooked and cooled rice 1/3 cup sliced green onions  2 tablespoons soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon butter 3 eggs 3 teaspoons sweet red chili sauce, or to taste Shoots Heat sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir carrot in the hot oil until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Cook and stir until carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and set vegetables aside. Stir cooked rice, green onions, soy sauce, and black pepper in the same skillet until the rice is hot. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt butter and gently fry eggs, turning once, until the yolks are still slightly runny but the egg whites are firm, about 3 minutes per egg. To serve, divide hot cooked rice mixture between 3 serving bowls and top each bowl with 1/3 of the vegetable mixture, a handful of shoots, and a fried egg. Serve sweet red chili sauce on the side for mixing into bibimbap.   Carrot Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing I live on basic salads like this all winter when carrots are a-plenty. Sometimes, when I'm short on time, I'll just shred some carrots and apples into a bowl, add some toasted walnuts, and there's my salad.   2 tablespoons walnut oil or canola oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon honey 1 small shallot, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 cups shredded carrots, (about 4 medium) 1 cup peeled and shredded celery root 1/4 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted Whisk oil, lemon juice, honey, shallot, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add carrots, celery root, raisins and walnuts; toss to combine.   Celeriac Soup There are many variations one could use to turn out a lovely soup using the ingredients in this share. The recipe below is just a suggestion. Soup is a great place to experiment. If you don't have an ingredient omit it and/or substitute something similar. Try adding other herbs if you'd like. A bit of sage or thyme would be nice in this soup. 2 TB Oil (or butter or combo) 1 medium onion, or 2 leeks, or 2 shallots (peeled and sliced thinly) 2 garlic cloves (peeled and sliced thinly, or minced) 1.5 lb celeriac (peeled and chopped into chunks) 2 stalks celery (peeled and chopped, use peeler to remove tough outer strings) 2 potatoes, scrubbed and chopped 2 carrots, peeled or scrubbed and chopped 1 quart of chicken stock (or vegetable broth) 1 Bay leaf salt & pepper to taste 1 cup water (as needed) Heat butter/oil in Dutch oven or soup pot. Add onions, cover and simmer until tender. For more flavor, remove cover and simmer until onions have browned slightly. Add garlic and celery and simmer 2-3 minutes more. Add the other vegetables and let cook for about 5 mins. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf and water if needed, enough to cover the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer covered for about 20 mins, until the vegetables are tender. Puree in batches in a blender or use a hand mixer to puree the vegetables. If you think your soup is too thick, add some water or more stock. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.   Roasted Fingerling Potatoes This recipe, from Martha Sewart, is a classic. Feel free to add chopped carrots or other root veggies to bulk up the dish. 2 teaspoons coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof gratin dish or skillet in the oven 15 minutes. Combine salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary in a small bowl. Toss potatoes in a medium bowl with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with seasoned-salt mixture, and arrange potatoes in a single layer in preheated pan. Roast until they are golden on the outside and tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and serve hot with additional seasoned salt on the side. Rogers Farmstead Oatmeal Here's their basic oatmeal recipe as provided on their retail bags. This makes a creamy, filling bowl of oaty goodness to fill your belly on cold mornings! Feel free to add in any fruits, nuts, and/or flavorings as desired! 1 cup oats 2-3 cups of water Bring water to a boil and stir in oats. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook oats 20 to 30 minutes to desired tenderness. Add in more water or milk to cook longer.   3 tablespoons butter     1 large onion, chopped     2 ribs celery, chopped     1 cup pearl barley     1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)     1 green bell pepper, chopped     2 cups chicken broth     salt and ground black pepper to taste Check All Add to Shopping List     PREP     15 mins     COOK     45 mins     READY IN     1 hr Directions     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).     Melt butter in a 1 1/2-quart Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium heat and cook onion until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add celery and cook until starting to soften, stirring often, about 5 more minutes. Mix barley into the vegetables and stir until coated with butter. Fold mushrooms and green pepper into barley mixture; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour chicken broth into barley mixture and bring to a boil; cover casserole dish.     Bake in the preheated oven until barley is nearly tender, about 30 minutes; uncover casserole dish and bake barley until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 more minutes. Adjust salt and black pepper before serving.