Good Eats Newsletter - September 16th, 2015

Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag will contain: Spinach, Dill, Salad Turnips, Potatoes, Broccoli And OUT of the bag: Brown bag of Tomatoes Watermelon Corn Localvore Offerings Include: Elmore Mountain Pizza Dough Cellars at Jasper Hill Shredded Cheese Pete's Greens Pizza Sauce Half Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Spinach, Dill, Carrots, Potatoes, Broccoli And OUT of the bag: Brown bag of Tomatoes Good Eats  Fall/Winter CSA  begins in 4 weeks   Sign up by September 26th and we'll send you a cool Pete's Greens T or hat or bag! Click here to read about the Fall/Winter Share Or Click here to JOIN and select your gift

Pete's Greens Supports the NOFA Farm Share Program Fall is a time to reflect on the bounty of summer, and take some time to appreciate the communities we live in. It is also a time to think of how we can effect positive change around us. One truly wholesome way to do this is to contribute to the NOFA-VT Farm Share program. NOFA Vermont's Farm Share program assists low-income Vermonters in obtaining farm-fresh vegetables through partially subsidized CSA shares. Because we participate in this program, qualifying Vermonters can receive veggie shares from our farm. This is one meaningful way that we reach more Vermonters and contribute to the effort to bring food justice to our local communities. Through the program, NOFA-VT will match each dollar that our CSA raises to offer reduced rates to income eligible individuals and families. For each four members who donate at the $25 level for example, we can offer a veggie share to a neighbor who otherwise could not afford our CSA. Your donation is tax deductible and supports the local food movement. It's one more reason to sign up for our Fall/Winter share and spread the love! Pete's Greens Welcomes Allison as the new Good Eats CSA Manager Allison Gulka Millard has joined our team as the new Good Eats CSA Manager! Allison has a background in farming, environmental consulting, and data management. She has a bachelors in Biology from St. Lawrence University as well as a Master's in Natural Resources and a Certificate in Sustainable Farming from UVM. Allison brings a passion for local agriculture and a keenness for organization to her new position. In her spare time, Allison enjoys being outdoors, birding, and tending the gardens on her homestead. You can contact her with questions about the CSA shares at goodeats@petesgreens.com, or for general matters at allison@petesgreens.com. Storage and Use Tips Dill - The freshly harvested dill in the share today can be used right away or preserved for later use. This is the part of the plant called dill weed, the feathery spring growth. There are numerous methods for preserving dill. The easiest is to simply hang the dill for several days in a warm dry place (attic perhaps). You can dry it in your oven if your oven can operate at a low temp of 100°F. You can also freeze the leaves in a plastic bag. Dill perks up soups, salads, casseroles. It pairs really well with cucumbers, potatoes, eggs, beets, fish, salads and sald dressings, tomatoes, yogurt. Carrots - 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. Potatoes - Peter Wilcox potatoes are in your share this week! Wilcox potatoes are beautiful purple potatoes.  They are nicely textured, firm but  not waxy, and wonderful whether roasted, boiled, or sliced into wedges or fried.  They have a full earthy flavor that hints of hazelnuts.  For best visual and nutritional effects, leave the skin on while cooking. Corn – Our corn coming to large share members this week! Enjoy it cooked fresh, or use leftovers for corn salad or in a chowder (recipe below). Broccoli - Broccoli is a great family side as raw or steamed "trees," and makes a great addition to stir frys, or in anything with cheese! You can also blanch it (add to boiling water for about 2 minutes, then immediately submerge in cold water) for freezing. Spinach - This weeks shares contain larger leaf spinach, great for cooking into a dish or for a more herarty salad. Wash the leaves in a sink or large bowl full of water, letting any sandy residue sink to the bottom. Lift out of the water and drain. Throwing it into a pan with a few remaining water droplets will allow it to steam nicely. Store unwashed, bagged in the crisper drawer for several days. Tomatoes – As you know, we carefully sort out tomatoes to look for blemishes to try to get the best ones to you. But some tiny blemishes can grow quickly once packed, so please let us know if your tomatoes aren’t satisfactory and send a photo if you can so we can see what is happening! Keep your tomatoes at room temperature for the best flavor and texture, and use them quickly! Watermelon - Nothing says late summer like a juicy watermelon. I prefer mowing down a melon with friends and family in a juicy frenzy until all that's left is the rind (an outside activity, of course). But if you're looking to savor the sweet goodness, you can keep a whole watermelon at room temperature for up to two weeks, and once cut, refrigerate up to three days. 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 you will have all of the basics for a delicious pizza! Andrew Heyn and Blair Marvin, owners of Elmore Mountain Bread, are bringing you Pizza Dough this week from their Elmore, VT Bakery. These guys stone mill flour daily with their custom-built mill to bring you the freshest, most nutritious breads (and in this case dough that you can bake at home). This dough was made fresh for you this week. Toss it in flour and use your fists to stretch in into a large flat crust for pizza, which can be baked on a cookie sheet or a pre-heated pizza stone. The Cellars at Jasper Hill are providing you with Shredded Cheese this week. Their Chef Shred is comprised of mostly their cheddar and Alpha Tolman cheeses. In addition to using this on pizza, and in burritos etc, our neighbors at Jasper Hill in Greensboro reccommend using this shred in fondue!   Pete's Greens Tomato Sauce is made using our organic tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, sugar, oregano, thyme, basil, & black pepper.  It's coming to you frozen for easy delivery.  You can defrost and put on your pizza right away or freeze it for later use.  You can of course use this on pasta too. 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 Tomato, Spinach, and Feta Crustless Quiche This easy quiche is packed with spinach and feta and tastes like spanakopita. Topped with the most tasty tomatoes that roast slowly in the oven. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 oz. fresh spinach, roughly chopped salt and pepper, to taste 4 eggs 2 cups milk ¾ cup whole wheat flour* 1 teaspoon baking powder* 8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, divided Tomatoes, sliced * ¾ cup of a prepared baking mix, such as Bisquick, can also be used in place of the flour and baking powder. Grease a quiche pan or other baking dish. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Saute the onion in the oil or butter on medium high heat in a skillet until softened (approximately 2 mintues) Add the garlic, saute until fragrant (approximately one minute) Add the spinach and saute until wilted and much of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. You may have to add the spinach gradually if it is too much volume initially. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, whole wheat flour, baking powder, feta cheese, and thyme. Season with pepper and a little bit of salt. Add the spinach mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Put mixture into prepared quiche pan. Top the quiche carefully with tomatoes. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until quiche is set. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold from the fridge. German Potato Salad This potato salad is a great way to showcase and enjoy your Peter Wilcox potatoes. Tastes great served hot or cold. You can modify the recipe to best suit your family’s taste buds. For the dressing: 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 Tbs. grainy mustard 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2-3 Tbs. Fresh dill, finely chopped For the salad: Kosher salt 2 lb. potatoes 3/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional) 1 cup small-diced sweet onion 3/4 cup small-diced dill pickles ¼ cup chives, chopped (scallions or garlic scapes can be substituted) Whisk dressing ingredients together. Put the potatoes and 2 Tbs. salt in a 6-quart pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook the potatoes until barely tender when poked with a fork or skewer, 20 to 25 minutes. If the potatoes aren't all the same size, remove them as they are cooked. Gently drain the potatoes in a colander and set aside until just cool enough to handle. Leaving the skin on, cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch chunks. With your fingers, pull apart any pieces that are stuck together. Gently fold the bacon, onions, pickles and parsley into the potatoes. Whisk the vinaigrette back together and fold enough of it into the potatoes to generously coat them (you may not need all of the dressing). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve while still slightly warm, or at room temperature. Wilted Mesclun with Sausage and Rice This past week, a Good Eats customer inspired the discovery of this creative way to use mesclun. Since then, I have also tried wilted mesclun over homemade gnocchi. Our tender mesclun doesn’t need long in the pan to bring its natural flavors out! Try this out if you have some left over from last week. Or better yet, substitute your spinach in! Ingredients: 1 cup brown basmati rice (or rice of your choice) ½ pound pork sausage links (6-8 links) 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 2 large cloves garlic, minced ½ lb. mesclun mix, coarsely chopped (8 cups) Salt and pepper, to taste Cook rice according to package instructions. While rice is cooking, chop the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the mesclun. Set aside. When the rice has 20 minutes to go, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. (If not using cast iron, you may need to add some oil to the skillet). Add the sausage links to the skillet and cook, turning every 1-2 minutes for about 12 minutes, until brown on all sides. Make sure no pink remains in the meat. Wrap cooked sausages in foil and keep hot. Keep skillet at medium heat, and cook onion in the sausage drippings for about 5 minutes, or until the onions turn brown and fragrant. Add garlic and about half the mesclun. Turn heat to medium-high and cook mesclun for about 1 minute, until wilted. Add the rest of the mesclun and cook for another minute, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve mesclun mixture over rice, with hot sausage links on the side. Pizza Rolls If you want to try a twist on the traditional sliced pie, try these pizza rolls. You can add any sautéed veggies or cooked meat to the rolls too. Ingredients: Pizza dough ½ cup pizza sauce, plus extra for dipping 1 cup shredded cheese 1 teaspoon melted butter 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings (oregano, basil) Garlic salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 square baking pan. Lightly flour work surface. Roll (or stretch) pizza dough out into a large rectangle. Spread tomato sauce onto the entire surface. Sprinkle with cheese, and any other toppings you choose. Starting from the long end, roll up dough and wrap in parchment. Place in freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small bowl. Remove dough log from freezer and slice into 1½″ discs. Place in prepared pan, slice side up. Brush tops with melted butter, then season lightly with garlic salt and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Place in oven and bake 22-27 minutes. Rolls are done when crust is lightly browned and cheese and sauce are bubbly. Corn Chowder This is another great way to use your potatoes and sweet corn. A great way to warm up on a chilly fall evening! Ingredients: 8 ears fresh sweet yellow corn, husked and silks removed and kernels cut from cob 3 Tbsp butter 5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces 1 medium yellow onion chopped (1 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 clove garlic, minced 5 cups water 1 lb potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 bay leaf Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup half and half 1 Tbsp honey 2 - 3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives Shredded cheese, for serving (optional) Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until onion has softened and just starting to brown around edges, about 8 - 10 minutes. Add in the flour and garlic and cook 1 1/2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour in 5 cups water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then stir in corn kernels and potatoes. Add in thyme and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf then transfer 2 1/2 cups of the chowder to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the pot then stir in half and half and honey. Sprinkle each serving with chives and optional cheddar.