Good Eats Newsletter - January 7, 2015

Meat Share Members - It's a Meat Week

Localvore Members  & Veggie Only Share Members take a TAN / LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag will contain: Salad Greens; Potatoes; Carrots; Parsnips; Kale OR Pac Choi; Cabbage; Onions And OUT of the Bag: Frozen Sweet Peppers Localvore and any share with pantry items Include: Elmore Mountain Foagies VT Bean Crafters Falafel Pete's Kitchen Kimchi - Vegan and Non-Vegan    * Please take care in selecting your kimchi and ONLY take a vegetarian version if you are signed up for a vegetarian share Half Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Salad Greens; Potatoes; Carrots; Parsnips;  Cabbage And OUT of the Bag: Frozen Sweet Peppers

BRRRRR!!!! It's going to be cold out there this week! Please PICK UP YOUR VEGGIES as early as possible, especially the outdoor sites, to avoid freezing. Let us know if you have any problems picking up this week, or if anything is frozen in your bag. Half share Packaging This week yellow half share veggie bags will be packed into the same size large box as the box larger tan bag shares get packed in. Half and Large share bags will still be separated in different boxes, but the HALF shares will be packed 4 to a box instead of 3. (You may not even notice this change but we wanted to be sure you were aware of it.) Thanks!

Around the Farm When it's so cold my car won't start and there's a foot of  snow on the ground, it always seems a bit miraculous that we still have fresh greens every week! We have several greenhouses of claytonia, spinach, and cress that we will continue to harvest through the winter. Though they're covered with row cover (vegetable blankets) so that they don't get too cold, these greens are actually frozen most of the time. We wait for a warm day to harvest, or if there are no warm days (like this week!) we heat up the greenhouse just for harvest time. It's always a pleasure to be in a warm greenhouse for a few hours a week- our own little island of springtime. Because there are too few hours of daylight for greens to be growing, we'll start growing shoots inside next week to supplement our greenhouse supply. Then in February when we have 11 hours of daylight again, our claytonia, spinach and cress will start growing anew and we'll have more fresh greens for your CSA bags. ~Molly Claytonia - This time of year it is all harvested by hand.  Storage and Use Tips This week’s salad greens are a mix of spinach and claytonia. Potatoes this week are Red Norlands. These potatoes have a red outer skin and crisp white flesh inside. The best way to cook a Red Norland is to boil, steam or roast them. They make a great red potato salad with skin on, or toss with olive oil, garlic and herbs or go for it and smother them with some butter. Carrots should be stored loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where they will keep for a couple of weeks. Store them away from apples, pears and other produce that create ethylene gas, which causes them to become bitter. You may think that parsnips are just yellow carrots, but they’re in a class of their own.  They have a nutty-sweet taste and a tender-hearty texture that is entirely distinct. For centuries, parsnips were a more common staple than the potato—and deservedly so. Satisfying, versatile, and highly nutritious, these delicious roots make a terrific base to any meal. Peel larger parsnips, and cut out the core if it seems woody. However you slice or chop parsnips, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size, ensuring an evenly cooked dish. Refrigerate unwashed parsnips in a loosely wrapped or perforated plastic bag for up to two weeks. The yellow onions are again coming to you from Riverside Farm in East Hardwick. Riverside is an organic vegetable farm in East Hardwick owned by Bruce Kaufman and Judy Jarvis.  Together they cultivate 20 acres of organic vegetables. We are lucky that this year they had a beautiful crop of onions because ours was not so good.  We are grateful for the many excellent farmers in our region. Onions are best stored in a cool dark place. Large share members will get a bunch of either lacinato kale OR Pac Choi. Your kale is extremely nutritious and can be enjoyed steamed or sauteed, or added into soups or stews.  A longer cooking time is usually best as it tends to bring out the natural sweetness of the greens. I love to use lacinato for kale chips and roasted kale (the flat leaves make them perfect for chips), but it will also work great for things like soups and stews. 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. Napa cabbage is an Asian vegetable that resembles regular green cabbage, but is much more tender with large cruncy ribs and has a long, slender shape. Napa cabbage has slightly more protein and fewer calories than regular cabbage and a unique taste like a mild celery or bok choy. It is delicious raw or cooked, and can be substituted for regular cabbage in most recipes. It is extremely popular in China partly because of its versatility. In Korea it is pickled, salted, and flavored with ginger and chili peppers to make Korea's national dish kim chi. Store in a sealed plastic bag in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.   This is the time of year that we see the end of bunched items like kale and pac choi, and to keep your shares and cooking interesting and diverse, we will begin to supplement your shares with veggies we froze last summer.  Most weeks going forward large share members will receive 2 frozen items and small share members will receive 1 frozen item.  Our frozen sweet peppers are washed, chopped, bagged and frozen within hours of harvest. Frozen peppers won't be crisp like fresh peppers but retain all the flavor and yummy summer goodness.  These peppers are super sweet, and will make a great addition to a stew, stir fry, or just about anywhere else you would use a cooked pepper. To use them, simply remove package from the freezer, slice open bag, and then either thaw and add to your dish, or chop just what you need frozen and toss directly into your skillet frozen. If you use the latter method, you can toss unused frozen back into the freezer for later use. (This is how I use all the frozen veggies).   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 we have makings for some great sandwiches - you can pick up your share and have dinner ready in a flash! We start with Elmore Mountain Foagies.  This is their version of rolls made from focaccia dough.  Grill it like a panini, make an egg breakfast sandwich, or stack it with cold cuts.  This would be excellent paired with this week's falafel and kimchi! We also have VT Bean Crafters' Falafel! Joe Bossen, founder and owner, let me know about this new product a few months ago, and once we sampled it we knew it would make a great item for the share. It's a recipe they developed initially for the public school system. It's a falafel intended to be baked rather than fried. In order to create a falafel batter that wouldn't dry out being baked instead of fried they went through a couple dozen variations on traditional recipes and ended up with an unconventional recipe with authentic flavor that better functions in an oven (or frying pan, and even microwaves...if you must) while also enabling them to incorporate more local organic ingredients. This is made with mostly organic and/or local products as available. Here are a few suggestions as to how to enjoy your falafel: Tossed with roasted onions & Peppers and a garlicky Tatziki sauce Baked and served over rice, quinoa or couscous Eaten on a foagie! Pete's Greens Kimchi is a wonderfully spicy kimchi that we collaborated with Michelle Guenard of Michelle's Spicy Kimchi to make.  We used our vegetables and her recipe (thanks Michelle!).  Her kimchi has received rave reviews so we are excited to have the opportunity to bring it to you.  This spicy condiment is a real treat and is extremely healthy for you.  It's loaded with vitamins A, B, and C, but most importantly has "healthy bacteria" in it that aid in digestion.  It's one of the world's healthiest foods!  This kimchi was made with our own organic napa cabbage, carrots, onion, plus daikon radish, red chile pepper flakes, rice flour, sugar, garlic and ginger root.  The non-vegetarian version also includes fish sauce made with anchovies, salt, and sugar. What to do with your kimchi?  Eat it as a banchan as some Koreans do (serve a little bowl of it with every meal), stir it into rice or eggs, fry it into kimchi pancakes, or include on a grilled cheese sandwich (my favorite way to eat it). **Please be careful selecting your kimchi!** Vegetarian members' kimchi will be labeled with their names. All others should select non-vegetarian kimchi. Both kimchis are clearly marked on the lids - please don't pick a kimchi with someone's name and site on it unless you are that person. Thank you!   Meat Share This month we've got a great share for you. We have one of our own chickens, our own bacon and ham steak, and stew meat from McKnight Farm. The animals we raise at the farm really have a good  life. Our pigs and chickens enjoy lots of grazing in our fields and many veggie scraps. All of our meat is super high quality due to a fabulous veggie diet that ensures that the meat is vitamin packed. The ham is cut from the hind leg of the pig. It is is leaner and a bit tougher than the meat from the shoulder of the pig (called the picnic ham or the boston butt). The ham steak you will receive is naturally cured with celery juice powder, maple syrup, and salt.  Though ham steaks are partially cooked, they should be brought back up to 160F before serving. The stew meat comes from our friend Seth Gardner's organic McKnight Farm in East Montpelier.  This organic grass-fed burger is loaded with healthy fats such as Omega 3's and CLA's (conjugated linoleic acid - a very potent defense against cancer), Vitamin E, and is lower in fat than store bought meat. Prepare your favorite stew recipe in a crock pot this week and warm your bones after a ski or other outdoor activity.  Or you can make vegetable beef soup, chili, a stir-fry or beef bourguinonne with it. Last but not least is some of our bacon. I really don't even have to say this but this bacon is really good stuff!! 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 Kale with Garlic and Oven-Roasted Parsnips 1 1/4 pound(s) parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks 5 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 bunch kale, stemmed 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 8 large scallions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the parsnips on a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the bottom third of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom and tender. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and then the kale and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and then squeeze out the excess water. Coarsely chop the kale. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the kale, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. To serve, add the parsnips to the kale and warm through over moderate heat. Sweet and Sour Pac Choi This is a great dish - the greens are a little tangy and the sauce is sweet. Serves 4. 2 tbsp oil 1 onion, cut in slivers pac choi, left whole, bigger ones cut in half the long way 2 tbsp maple sugar 2 tbsp vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large skillet. Stir fry the onions until browning, remove to a bowl. Add remaining tbsp oil, stir fry the pac choi in a couple batches until they have a few browned spots, the green tops wilt and the stems are crisp tender. Add the onions back into the wok with all the greens and stir in the sauce. Cook another 30 seconds. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if you like. Crudites with Kimchi Cream cheese Dip Blended into cream cheese, kimchi makes a dip as addictive as the packaged soup mix dips of our youth. If you don’t have a food processor, just mash all the ingredients together with a fork. It won’t be as smooth, but it’s just as effective. This travels well (and tastes great at room temperature) so it’s a good go-to snack to leave in the fridge at work or bring on trips. 8 ounces cream cheese (cultured, if possible), at room temperature 1/2 cup unpasteurized kimchi (with juice) 1 teaspoon sea salt Cut raw vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots, celery, radishes, cauliflower, jicama, broccoli, or snap peas, for serving In the work bowl of a food processor, pulse the cream cheese, kimchi, and salt until smooth. Serve with the vegetables or transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate for up to 2 months. Change It Up: Stir in 1 cup fresh crabmeat or drained, canned crabmeat. Transfer to a small baking dish, bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, and serve as an appetizer at room temperature, topped with additional kimchi. (You’ll lose the dip’s original beneficial bacteria, but it tastes great.) Add 1/2 cup cream and use as a dip for artichokes or a sauce for grilled chicken or salmon. Pac Choi and Pepper Stir Fry 1 lb. pac choi 1 bag frozen 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. Spicy Parsnip Soup This recipe from www.jamieoliver.com gets numerous rave reviews. Serves 4. olive oil knob of butter 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1 tablespoon garam masala 6 parsnips, peeled and chopped into chunks 500 ml milk (full fat or skim) 1 quart vegetable stock sea salt and freshly ground black pepper optional: 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced optional: a handful of fresh minced cilantro (or parsley!) leaves crusty bread, to serve Heat a splash of olive oil and the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and garam masala. Gently fry for around 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and sweet. Drop in the chopped parsnip and stir together so that everything gets coated in the oil and flavours. Pour in the milk and stock, season well and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on. After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking a knife in. If you’re happy, remove them from the heat and carefully whiz up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs a little more salt or pepper. Serve topped with some strips of fresh red chili peppers (or a sprinkle of dry) with a good chunk of crusty bread. Tip: Use coconut milk instead of regular milk for a twist. Braised Parsnips Here's an easy and tasty way to prepare your parsnips. 1 bunch parsnips 3 tbsp. butter 1 pinch salt, pepper, and nutmeg Chopped parsley Clean and scrape parsnips. Slice lengthwise. Melt butter in a skillet; add parsnips and seasonings and cook covered over low heat until tender. Serve garnished with finely chopped parsley.   Honey-Ginger Carrot and Parsnip Salad Topping This is a great way to sweeten up a cold season green salad when seasonal salad favorites are not around. The idea is to roast the vegetables in a lemon-honey vinaigrette and serve on top of a green salad and whatever else comes to mind. 2 c carrots, diced small 2 c parsnips, diced small 1/4 c ginger, grated 3/4 c olive oil 1/8 c red wine vinegar 1/8 c lemon juice tsp lemon zest (if you have) pinch of dill 1/4 c honey, soft extra honey to drizzle In a bowl combine carrots, parsnips, ginger and lemon zest. In a small sauce pan, warm on low heat: oil, vinegar, lemon juice, dill and honey and combine well. Pour half of dressing onto chopped vegetables and mix well. Use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper lay vegetables out evenly. Drizzle with honey and bake in the oven at 375F for 20-30 minutes until they are soft and begin browning. Remove from parchment paper right away and cool. Top green salad with veggie mix and use remaining dressing. Oven Roasted Veggies with Bacon Here's an easy roasted veggie recipe with bacon! Bacon just makes everything better. 3 large carrots 1 parsnip 1 large potato 1 bag frozen peppers ½ onion 6 cloves garlic, minced 5-10 (or more) bacon strips, cooked & crumbled 1-2 tablespoons Olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 2 tablespoons butter, thinly sliced Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with greased foil or a non-stick pan liner. Set aside. Cut up vegetables so that they are close to the same size.(Cut harder vegetables a bit smaller). Place vegetables in a bowl. Toss with minced garlic. Toss vegetables lightly with olive oil. ( may need more or less).    Add in cooked, crumbled bacon, salt and pepper and toss. Spread into an even layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until the carrots are tender, yet still firm. Remove from oven and add on pats of butter. Sprinkle again with salt if desired. Serve immediately. Beef Stew From the kitchen of Greenfield Highland Beef. Serves 6. 1 package stew meat 1/4 c. flour seasoned with salt & fresh ground pepper 2 onions, chopped 2 large stalks celery, sliced 2 large carrots, thickly sliced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes 1 bay leaf, crumbled 2 c. liquid (dry red wine, beef broth, water or mix) 1/4 Ib. bacon slices, cooked (opt) 1/4 c. brandy (opt.) 1/2 tsp. hot sauce or cayenne Roll beef cubes in seasoned flour. Place cooked bacon in bottom of flameproof casserole. Pour diced tomatoes into casserole. Layer half of beef cubes over tomatoes. Cover with half of the vegetables. Repeat with remaining beef and vegetables. Mix wine, broth &/or water with brandy, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and seasoning to taste. Pour over meat and vegetables. Bring to a simmer on stovetop. Cover w. lid and cook in oven at 300°F for 3 hours or until meat is tender. Asian Chicken Soup with Pac Choi Got any leftovers from your large chicken? This is a great recipe, fast and easy, but tastes like it's been cooking all day. 1 T sesame oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1½ T ginger, peeled and minced 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, diced into 1 inch cubes 5 cups chicken stock 1½ T fish sauce, optional** 2 T soy sauce 1 carrot, cut into ribbons using vegetable peeler ½ head of napa cabbage,chopped 2 stalks of pac choi,thinly sliced 1 T lime juice salt, pepper to taste In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, 5–7 minutes. Add the stock, fish sauce, and soy sauce, bring to a boil. Add the carrots, napa cabbage, and pac choi. Cook until pac choi is tender, 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and serve. **You may think it seems strange to put fish sauce in a chicken dish, but this small amount adds incredible depth and richness. So everyone will think you slaved over the stove all day; only you’ll know this soup took less than 15 minutes to make!   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.