Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - March 16, 2016

Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN/TAN BAG   This week your bag will contain: Mesclun, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Beets, Savoy Cabbage, Onions   Out of the Bag: Frozen Corn, Frozen Roasted Peppers   Localvore Offerings Include: Pete's Green's Pickles Tangletown and Axel's Eggs 4 Corners Farm Frozen Strawberries       Half Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Mesclun, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Beets, Savoy Cabbage, Onions   Out of the Bag: Frozen Corn         Tell your Neighbors: We are Still Accepting Spring Sign-Ups!         We are still accepting Sign-ups for the Spring Share, so tell your friends!     We will pro-rate the cost of your share when you join late. Pro-rated prices are listed on the signup form.     Sign up Now!

Call for Egg Cartons!   Axel would like to reuse your clean egg cartons for his growing business! Please bring any extra paper egg cartons (no plastic or styrofoam, just paper, 12-egg cartons please).to your pickup site, stacked with any other cartons for our driver to pick up next week. Thanks! Around the Farm   Farming in Vermont means striving toward a whole-system approach to sustainability. One of the ways that we make the most of our harvests and reduce waste is to process vegetables in our on-site commercial kitchen. Even when some tomatoes have slight imperfections, we can use them to make delicious tomato sauce. We make basil pesto, zesty pickles, and tomatillo salsa from our veggies on the farm. As you know, we freeze fresh vegetables to add diversity and flavor to your share in early spring. This week you will have frozen corn (and roasted peppers), and localvore members will have freezer pickles!   Hope you enjoy the fruits of our labors in the kitchen this spring!                              Storage and Use Tips    Mesclun - This week's salad greens are a mix of spinach and shoots, with a small amount of mizuna and claytonia. Now that the days are getting longer and warmer, our winter greens are getting a chance to rebound from the winter with new life. The diversity of greens will continue to increase as the weather gets warmer, so stay tuned!   Adirondack Red Potatoes -  Adirondack Red potatoes have a bright red skin and an even more vibrant interior! Use these purplish red potatoes, which do lighten some after cooking, as vibrant home fries for dinner or breakfast. Keep these in a cool, dry, dark place.   Sweet Potatoes - These sweet potatoes are from Juniper Hill Farm, an diversified organic farm (like us)! They grow excellent sweet potatoes that are great for roasting (sliced or whole) in a 400 degree oven until they are soft enough to be pierced by a fork. Store in a dark, dry, cool place (but not in your fridge- it's too cold), and they can store for a week or two.   Beets - Gold beets or red beets are in your shares this week. We are nearing the end of the beet storage season, so having beets right now is a special thing! We have had a few requests from customers who are juicing their beets- we like to juice ours with carrots and apples. Beets are also great roasted, or shredded raw on a salad. Store in a loose plastic bag in your fridge.   Red Savoy Cabbage - With red savoy cabbage, most of the red outer leaves are removed after storage, leaving a mostly green head with savoyed, crumpled leaves. Savoy cabbage holds up well when fermented in kraut or cooked in soups and sautees.  Saute with a little butter and a splash of milk or cream to quickly soften the leaves and bring out its sweet flavors on the stove top.  Store cabbage in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer for a few weeks.   Onions - 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. They've had a beautiful onion crop that has outlasted ours in storage, and we're grateful that they have partnered with us! Onions are best stored in a cool dark place.   Frozen Corn - The frozen corn you will receive this week is a real treat from our fields and kitchen. Frozen at the peak of freshness, it is still tender and sweet and really fantastic. This is great on its own or used in chowder or even cornbread!   Frozen Roasted Peppers - Frozen roasted peppers are in the large share this week. These are whole peppers that have been washed and then roasted in a barrel flamer, cooled, bagged and frozen. We use Anaheim peppers, which have a little heat that is complemented by the roasted flavor. After thawing, remove seeds and toss them in a pan if you want to each them warmed up. These are great on burgers, in Mexican dishes, or in pasta recipes.      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. 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 Shelf, or you can skip your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share. Localvore Lore   This week's share includes Tangletown Farm Eggs and Axel's Eggs, Pete's Greens Zesty Freezer Pickles, and Four Corners Farm Frozen Strawberries.   Tangletown Farm has been providing us with delicious pasture-based Eggs from West Glover for a while now. We're grateful for their commitment to quality and sustainability on their diversified farm. This week, some of you will receive Axel’s Pastured Eggs in your share.  Axel McKenzie is 12 years old and has been in the egg business since he was 8 selling eggs to neighbors in Waterbury.  After moving to a farm in Craftsbury in 2014, Axel expanded his business with the purchase of 200 layer chicks last Fall.  Those chicks are now 5 months old and have just begun to lay! The flock roams a big fenced field under an old apple orchard and roost in their barn coop at night.  Over the winter months the hens diet has been supplemented with all the leftover shoots and greens from our farm and in summer they roam a very large extended pasture.  Axel also sells his eggs at our Waterbury Farm Market.   Our Zesty Dill Freezer Pickles were made right here at the farm.  These pickles are sweet and sour and are great eaten right out of the container or added to a sandwich.  They are a freezer pickle and we are sending them out frozen so you may need to thaw a bit more in order to enjoy, or you can put right back in the freezer for a later date (use within 6 months).  Once open keep refrigerated and eat within 3 weeks.   The Frozen 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.   Recipes   Seared Savoy Cabbage with Mixed Sausages   Savoy cabbage is a great addition to a St. Patty's day corned beef and cabbage dinner. This recipe is a great twist on the same theme. You can sub chicken or corned beef for the sausages if you'd like.   Kosher salt 1 1 1/2-pound head savoy cabbage, cut into 8 wedges with some core attached 1 cup 1" crustless bread cubes 1 teaspoon mustard powder (such as Colman's) 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds mixed sausages (such as sweet Italian, kielbasa, and smoked garlic) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon   Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season heavily with salt. Cook cabbage wedges until crisp-tender but not falling apart, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pulse bread cubes in a food processor until coarse crumbs form; transfer to a medium bowl. Add mustard powder and stir to coat.   Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs; stir frequently until golden, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Whisk 3 tablespoons oil, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Season mustard vinaigrette with salt and pepper.   Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Working in 2 batches and adding remaining 1 tablespoon oil between batches, sear cabbage wedges until dark and crispy edges form on both cut sides, 3-4 minutes per side.   Cook sausages in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and cooked through (time will vary depending on variety and whether fresh or fully cooked). Transfer cabbage to a platter; arrange sausages around. Scatter breadcrumbs and tarragon over. Serve mustard vinaigrette on the side. Recipe Source     Cheddar Corn Chowder   This recipe uses frozen corn and potatoes- use your Adirondack Reds for an unexpected splash of color in this chowder.   4 ounces bacon, chopped 1/8 cup good olive oil 2 large onions, chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 6 cups chicken stock 3 cups medium-diced potatoes, unpeeled (1 pound) 1 package frozen corn 1 cup half-and-half 1/4 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated   In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.   Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.   Adapted from the The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook        Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Beets   2 Sweet potatoes, diced 2 Beets (skin removed and diced) 1/4 c Parsley (fresh chopped)  Pinch of coarse ground sea salt  Drizzle of olive oil   Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using your potato peeler, remove skin from both sweet potatoes and beets. Dice your sweet potatoes and beets into 1/2 inch chunks. Place beets ONLY on a baking sheet and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. You don’t want too much olive oil or they won’t crisp up nicely.   Bake beets at 400 for 15 minutes. They require a slightly longer cooking time than the sweet potatoes.   Now add sweet potato chunks to the baking sheet and decide whether or not you need another drizzle of olive oil. Be sure to flip over the beets using a spatula to make sure they cook evenly on all sides.   Bake for an additional 30 minutes and remember to check at the 15 minute mark so that you can flip the chunks and ensure that everything bakes evenly. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sea salt.   Recipe by Katie Milton       Nitty Gritty Corn-Berry Buckle   This recipe is straight from your cornbread mix from last week! Thanks Nitty Gritty Grain Co.! Try it out with your frozen strawberries for a localvore treat!   ¼ cup butter, softened ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 ¾ cups Cornbread Mix ½ cup whole milk 2 cups berries or sliced fruit Crumb topping (recipe below)   Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 10-inch glass pie plate or baking dish. Set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer to low and blend in the Cornbrean Mix and milk. Fold in the fruit. Pout into baking dish. Scatter crumb topping on top. Bake about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.   Crumb topping: Combine ¼ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, and ¼ teaspoon sat. Using your fingertips (or a food processor) cut in 2 tablespoons butter until the topping resembles coarse sand.   Photo credit       Quick and Easy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta   12 ounces pasta of your choice 4 Tablespoons Butter 1/2 whole Large Onion, Finely Diced 3 cloves Garlic, Minced 1 jar (15.5 Ounces) Roasted Red Peppers, Drained And Roughly Chopped 1 cup Vegetable Or Chicken Broth 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1/2 cup Heavy Cream (more To Taste) 1/2 cup Parmesan Shavings (more For Serving) Finely Minced Parsley Chopped Fresh or dried Basil   Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.    Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the chopped red peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot.    Remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor or blender. Place on the lid and puree the pepper mixture until totally blended (there will still be some texture to the peppers.)    Heat the other 2 tablespoon butter back to the skillet over medium heat. Pour the pepper puree back into the skillet. Add the broth, salt, and pepper, and stir until heated. Splash in the cream and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings if you need to.   Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Add Parmesan and parsley/basil, then stir it together to coat the pasta.    Serve in bowls with extra Parmesan and a sprinkling of parsley on top.   Recipe source         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! Step #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. Step #2: Pick-Up Instructions - Select your items by following the Pick-Up Instructions. These are posted on a second clipboard or on an attached sheet. 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 shares. The bottom section of the Pick-Up Instructions lists the localvore (non-vegetable) items that Localvore and Pantry members should select. 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 this week! If you have a meat share, you'll take a bright red bag after checking off your name on the meat checklist.     Which color bag do I take?   If you are a Half share member (with or without pantry) take a bright yellow bag shown in the picture of Erick, on the left.   If you are a Localvore or Veggie Only member take a tan / light green bag shown in the picture of Kat, on the right.   You will also look for "out of bag" items (like frozen goods). Localvore/Pantry items will need to be gathered from their respective bins/containers.