How did your first pick up go?
There were a couple of issues last week but overall it seems to have gone pretty well. I've included some of the same information in this weeks newsletter as there are some new members and it's also a good reminder for everyone to see.
I also wanted to review the bags to make sure you are picking up the correct one. If you have a Localvore or Veggie Only share you should pick up a light green/tan bag. If you have a half veggie share you should be getting a bright yellow bag. Please take care in selecting your bag so everyone gets the correct share.
Veggie only/Localvore bag on left; Half veggie bag on right
And on a final note this will be one of my final newsletters as I am leaving Pete's Greens to pursue another opportunity. It has truly been an honor to work with all of you - I will miss communicating with you and sharing info and recipes for all of Pete's Greens amazing veggies! I'm sure you'll be in good hands soon - stay tuned for news on the new CSA Manager.
Thanks,
Sara
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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 Localvore, 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 only members. The bottom section of the Pick-Up Instructions list the shares that include localvore items for Localvore and Pete's Pantry members.
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 July 1st.
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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 Thursday morning.
If we have not heard from anyone, by Thursday afternoon 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.
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 Picking Up Your SharePlease 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 6
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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.
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Storage and Use Tips
Mesclun - The name 'mesclun' comes from Southern France and literally means "mixture", without a specific ingredient list is 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.
Scallions are a young onion with a small, white tip and a bright green, tall stem. You can use the whole thing in a recipe but I usually chop off the very bottom of the bulb, and then keep chopping up the stem until the chopped parts become less moist/crisp and more fibrous/leafy. The remaining parts make an excellent addition to soups or salads bringing a mild onion flavor and nice hint of color. I throw scallions into pretty much everything I'm cooking to bring out just a hint of onion flavor.
Much more than a garnish, parsley has lots to offer. Chopped parsley can be sprinkled on a host of different recipes, including salads, vegetable sautés and grilled fish. Combine chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest, and use it as a rub for chicken, lamb and beef. Add it to soups and tomato sauces. It is a key flavor ingredient in the mediterranean dish tabouli and in the Argentinian chimichurri sauce (recipe below). Parsley is one of those vegetables with huge nutritional benefits, even when using just a couple tablespoons of the minced green. The vitamin content is very high (particularly vitas A, C, K, and folic acid). And what's more, the activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens.
Fennel is crunchy and slightly sweet with the flavor of anise. It is delicious and slightly sweet served raw but is just as often served cooked on its own or in other dishes. Though most often associated with Italian cooking, it has an uncanny ability to blend with other flavors adding a light and fresh note. It is delightful in many dishes, and in soups and stews and sauces. Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which closely superimposed stalks are arranged. The stalks are topped with feathery green leaves near which  flowers grow and produce fennel seeds. The bulb, stalk, leaves and seeds are all edible. To prepare, trim off the fronds and stalks and reserve them for garnish or seasoning. Cut off the hard bottom and slice vertically or into quarters. Or cut the bulb in half lengthwise, cut out the core, and cut into strips. Add it raw to salads or try some thinly sliced fennel on your sandwich. Top thinly sliced fennel with plain yogurt and mint leaves. Or braise, roast or saute' it. It is done when tender enough to pierce easily with a skewer.
Chard is a delicious nutritious green, high in Vitamins A, K, and C. 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.
Lettuce is going out for the large share members. You'll get a head of one of our red varieties. This lettuce makes a great salad or adds some crunch to a sandwich. Store it in the fridge in a large plastic tub with a piece of paper towel to absorb excess moisture and condensation. My lettuce will keep for up to 5 days this way. If you store wet lettuce in a produce bag, it will likely only last a couple days.
A member of the Chicories family along with endive and escarole, radiccio resembles a small red lettuce. You can chop radicchio and add it to your salad for some color and added bite. It is also quite good brushed with olive oil before tossing on the grill. Try adding some to risotto. Keep unwashed radicchio in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper drawer for up to a week.
 Garlic Scapes are here! The tall, curly seed stalks that a garlic plant sends up at this time of year are a short season delicacy. Garlic scapes are trimmed from the garlic plants so that the plant will put energy into fattening the garlic cloves in the ground, not making seed. Garlic scapes have a nice garlic flavor, without the bite of garlic cloves. These scapes are young and tender and they may be eaten raw or cooked. You can chop and add to stir fry recipes, pasta dishes, guacamole, salsas, and vegetable dishes.
Large share members will receive a green or yellow zucchini; they are both zucchinis and not a summer squash. If you can't use your zucchini right now you can shred it and freeze in 2-cup increments. Then you can pull a frozen bag out in the dead of winter and make a fresh loaf of zucchini bread (such a treat!) or throw into an omelet or soup. Store your zucchini in the veggie drawer of your refrigerator; avoid storing it in a plastic bag.
Tomatoes! Look for them OUT OF YOUR VEGGIE BAG packed in little brown bags at your pick up site. Please take just one bag of tomatoes and enjoy. Store your tomatoes at room temperature, out of direct sunlight.
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Localvore Lore
I'm happy that we have Amir's Shiitake Mushrooms for you this week! Amir Hebib 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. 
I had the pleasure of meeting Amir last summer at the Burlington Farmers' Market where he sells his mushrooms. I asked him for his favorite mushroom recipe and here's his response: fry some onions, add cut up mushrooms and cook until soft. Add an egg to the pan, cook, and enjoy!
Both the rhubarb and strawberries are coming to you from Four Corners Farm in Newbury, VT. Bob and Kim Gray run this family farm and grow a number of different crops, strawberries among their list of crops. These strawberries would be great added to your morning smoothies or oatmeal, or made into bread, cake or pie. If you haven't had rhubarb before you're in for a treat. It needs to be cooked as it is extremely bitter when eaten raw. It's best enjoyed in jams, chutneys, pies, or even in a drink recipe- rhubarb wine anyone? I stumbled upon this website a few years ago and refer to it every spring when the rhubarb starts coming in and I need fresh ideas!
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Recipes
Tomato Fennel Salad
Here's a great recipe using your fennel.
1 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes
1 small fennel bulb
2 tbsp good olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Core the tomatoes and cut into wedges. Remove the top of the fennel (save some fronds for garnish) and slice the bulb very thinly crosswise with a knife or on a mandoline.
Toss the tomatoes and fennel in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds, season to taste, and serve.
Parsley Chimichurri
This parsley packed condiment is a staple in Argentina where it is always served alongside meats. It is also terrific spread on sandwiches, alongside grilled potatoes, and to liven up a plate of eggs and toast. It's been popular in the farmstand lately, can't seem to keep it on the shelves!
1 cup (packed) fresh parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto
A quick and easy recipe that can be used on sandwiches, tossed into pastas or stored in the freezer to use later in the season.
(Makes about 1/2 cup)
5 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/4 finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
2-3 TB slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/4 cup olive oil Sea salt
Put the scapes, cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juciest. Delicious!
Garlicky Swiss Chard & Chickpea Stir Fry
This seasonal salad is hearty enough to be served as a main course for two people but works well as a side dish for a small crowd. The flavors are fresh, satisfying and the addition of nuts, raisins and fresh herbs take this simple salad to a whole new level. Recipe from the Dishing up the Dirt blog.
1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil (or oil of choice)
4 garlic scapes, finely chopped (or sub with 4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large bunch of swiss chard, ribs and stems chopped into 1/4 inch pieces and leaves coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (if from the can rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup raisins (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes to soften)
salt + pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice + more to taste
2-3 Tablespoons minced dill
goat milk feta cheese for topping (optional)
Serves 2-4
In a large skillet over medium high heat lightly toast the chopped almonds; about 3 minutes. Shake the pan multiple times throughout toasting. Remove the almonds from the pan and place in a bowl.
In the same skillet add the 2 1/2 Tablespoons of oil and heat over medium. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden. About 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, chard stems and chickpeas. Continue to cook, stirring often until the chard stems soften and the chickpeas brown up a bit. About 3-5 minutes.
Stir in chard leaves and cook, tossing occasionally, until the leaves are wilted, about 4 minutes.
Turn off the heat and add the raisins, a healthy pinch of salt + pepper and 1 heaping Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Divide among plates and top each portion with fresh dill and a sprinkle of feta cheese.
Sauteed Radicchio with Honey and Balsamic Vinegar
Serve this simple side of sauteed radicchio with chicken, steak, or sausages.
1 head radicchio, cored and torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 tablespoon honey
Rinse radicchio (leave some water still clinging to leaves). In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add radicchio and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add vinegar and honey and stir to combine.
Sautéed Zucchini and Tomatoes
Here's an easy and quick way to enjoy your zucchini and tomatoes!
2 tbsp olive oil
2-3 minced garlic cloves
2 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
basil
mozzarella cheese
Salt
Pepper
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and sauté until the zucchini is tender but still crisp, 2-3 minutes. Add torn fresh mozzarella and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Bars
Sure you can make a strawberry rhubarb pie with your Localvore goodies this week, but these bars are darn tasty and I think easier to make than a pie (I'm not the pie baker in our house, my husband is). The bars happen to be pretty low in sugar, butter and use a chock-ton of oats. You could eat them warm with a scoop of ice cream or cold for breakfast with a dollop of plain yogurt.
Yield: 16 small bars, as shown, or 8 large ones; recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch baking pan, where they will come out a little thicker
1 cup (80 grams) rolled oats
3/4 cup (95 grams) plus up to 2 tablespoons (15 grams) extra all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (95 grams) light brown sugar
Heaped 1/4 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, but helps firm up the filling)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar, divided
1 cup (125 grams) small-diced rhubarb (from about 1 1/2 medium stalks)
1 cup (155 grams) small-diced strawberries
Powdered sugar, for decoration, if desired
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. For easy removal, line bottom and two sides of 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. No need to bother (and no greasing needed) if you plan to serve them right in the pan, as I did.
Place oats, 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar and salt in bottom of baking pan and mix. Pour melted butter over, and stir until clumps form. If the clumps feel soft or look overly damp, add the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture. Press the rest of the crumb mixture evenly in the bottom of the pan.
Spread half the fruit over the crust. Sprinkle it evenly with cornstarch, then lemon juice, and 1/2 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Spread remaining fruit over this, and top with second 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Scatter reserved crumbs over fruit and bake bars for 30 to 40 minutes (firmer fruits will take longer), until fruit is bubbly and crisp portion is golden and smells toasty and amazing.
Let cool in pan; I do this in the fridge, where they become crisp once chilled (less so at room temperature). Cut into squares and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Store leftovers in fridge.
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