Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - June 8th, 2016

Weekly updates on CSA contents, storage and use tips, recipes, and news from around the farm Comments or questions? Leave a note in our comment box! Thanks for joining us for the Spring CSA! This week is your last delivery. See below for more info on signing up for the Summer CSA, which starts next week. In Your Share This Week: Full Veggie Share Mesclun, Spinach, Lettuce, Parsley, Beets, Baby Leeks, Radishes, Potatoes (Out of the bag: Frozen Peppers) Half Veggie Share Mesclun, Spinach, Mustard Greens, Kale, Beets, Scallions (Out of the bag: Frozen Peppers) Localvore/Pete's Pantry Pete's Greens Pesto Axel's & Tangletown Eggs Golden Crops Organic Rolled Oats Around the Farm We had a great spring here, and it's hard to believe that summer has arrived! Thanks for joining us! This week is your last pickup. Stay tuned for our SPRING SHARE SURVEY where you can give us your feedback on the share. If you complete the survey, you will be entered to win some treats from Pete's!   Keep the ball rolling for signing up for our Summer CSA, starting NEXT WEEK!   Sign up and pay by THIS FRIDAY, June 10th to get in on the first share, June 15th-16th. Click here!     Learn more about the Summer CSA Or email us at goodeats@petesgreens.com Storage and Use Tips Mesclun -  Our salad greens have made the transition from greenhouse-grown to field grown, and our fields are now covered in a beautiful array of colors! Our mesclun mix includes arugula, mustard greens, lettuces, tatsoi, and more. Perfect for salads, store in your crisper drawer for up to one week. Spinach - The spinach in this week's share will be in the same bag as your mesclun, to save on plastic. This spinach is bigger than baby, and works well chopped in salads, or cooked in a variety of meals, from eggs to pasta dishes. Romaine Lettuce - Full share members will have a head of romaine lettuce this week.  It grows in a tall head of sturdy leaves with firm ribs down their centers. 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. If you store wet lettuce in a produce bag, it will likely only last a couple days. Mustard Greens - Half share members have beautiful bunches of mustard greens. Some are green and some are purplish red. Mustard greens have a delicate texture and mild, sweet yet mildly pungent mustard flavor. They are tender enough to liven up salads, and stout enough to stand on their own in steamed or stir-fried dishes. Kale - Half shares will also have a bunch of kale. While these leaves are tender enough to eat raw, cooking adds a sweetness and tenderness that makes these greens just as versatile as spinach. Store in your crisper drawer loosely wrapped in plastic. Parsley - Full share members will get flat-leaf parsley this week. 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. See below for a great way to use yours with your potatoes. Nicola Potatoes - These slightly waxy potatoes are golden skinned and golden fleshed and are truly all purpose. They are great for boiling, mashing or roasting and are plenty waxy enough to make excellent potato salad. Nicola potatoes have a very special attribute among potatoes - they are low on the glycemic index compared to all other varieties. This means they do not cause blood sugar spike the way that other varieties may, if you are sensitive to blood sugar ups and down then you know this is an issue that can wreak havoc with people with insulin resistance. They also have a yummy slightly nutty flavor.  Store in a cool dry place away from onions. Beets - Half share members will receive loose beets, while full share members will receive bunched beets including their greens. Thinly shaved or shredded beats make a wonderful addition to green salads. Beet greens are also tasty, chopped up in salads or sauteed. Scallions - Often referred to as green onions, 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 or 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. Baby Leeks - To eat these little leeks, trim off the dark green leaves, and cook with the white and light green parts only. To get the most sweetness out of your leeks, try sweating them instead of sauteing. When you sweat a veggie, you cook it in a fat, (I like butter), over a lower temperature or flame. You should barely hear it sizzle. This slower method of cooking yields a much sweeter taste. Add the leeks to a quiche or mix in with mashed potatoes for a decadent side dish. Store the leeks loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. Radishes - These fresh red and pink radishes are delightfully crisp and their flavor ranges from mildly peppery to a bit sweet. They're a dainty, zesty and colorful little bite and are wonderful raw or equally as good cooked. Heating removes both the radishes' crunch and their peppery bite; to avoid that you can add them at the end of the cooking process. Try glazed radishes made by placing a 2:2:1 ratio of butter, sugar, white vinegar in a pan and gently cooking until diced or quartered radishes are tender and the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper. Frozen Peppers - Our green, red, and multi-colored 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. 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. If you use the latter method, you can toss unused frozen veggies back into the freezer for later use.  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's share includes: Tangletown Eggs or Axel's Eggs, Pete's Greens Basil Pesto, and Golden Crops Rolled Oats! 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 Basil Pesto contains our organic basil to which we add lots of garlic, parmesan and romano cheeses, lemon, and olive oil. Some of our pesto may be slightly oxidized on the top (which darkens it), but mix it up and it will regain its vibrant green color. My current favorite way to use pesto is to toss cubed potatoes with a liberal scoop, and roast in a 450 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Your Organic Rolled Oats are from organic grower Michel Gaudreau and Golden Crops Mill, just across the Vermont border in Quebec. Michel grows quite a few different grains on his farm and mills grains for organic growers in his area. He has a great operation in a beautiful setting surrounded by his fields. Michel's Golden Crops Mill makes many organic grains available locally that we might not otherwise have local access to. These are beautiful, clean organic rolled oats ideal for oatmeal, granola, cookies, streusel toppings etc. Recipes Parsley Potatoes Here's a delicious one to serve alongside meats or other sides this week. 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper Place the potatoes into a large pot full of salted water. Bring the water to a boil; then reduce heat. Simmer covered, for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until tender. Pour in broth and 3/4 cup of the parsley; mix well. Bring to a boil. Strain potatoes from the cooking water and place in a serving bowl. Sprinkle the black pepper into the skillet and stir. Pour the peppered sauce over potatoes and sprinkle with remaining parsley. Beet Pesto Pizza with Kale and Goat Cheese If you haven't used your pizza crust from last week, here's another opportunity to dress it up! If you don't have kale, beet greens, spinach, or mesclun will all work too! For the Beet Pesto: 1 cup red beets, chopped and roasted (about 1 medium beet) 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped ½ cup walnuts, roasted ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice Salt to taste For the pizza: 1 lb pizza dough 1 cup beet pesto 2 cups kale leaves, thinly sliced* 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese, grated 2 ounces goat cheese Prepare the beet pesto:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and scrub the beet and pat it dry. Peel and chop it into ½" cubes and place the pieces on a large sheet of foil. Wrap the chopped beet in foil, making a foil packet. Place the packet on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until beets are soft and juices are seeping out. Allow beets to cool completely. Add all ingredients except for the oil to a food processor or blender and pulse several times. Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is too thick for your blender to process, add a small amount of water until desired consistency is reached. For the pizza: Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F. Dust gluten-free flour (or cornmeal) on a baking sheet and press or roll the dough to desired thickness. Bake the dough for 5 to 7 minutes with no toppings. Remove the crust from the oven and spread the beet pesto over it. Add the kale leaves, followed by the goat cheese and mozarella. Note: the kale will cook down in the oven. Bake pizza for 20 to 25 minutes or to desired crisp. Allow pizza to cool 5 minutes before serving. Spicy Quick Pickled Radishes Super simple, spicy pickled radishes that are ready to eat immediately! These pickled radishes are amazing on tacos, burgers, salads and more. Recipe as listed below yields about 1¼ cup pickles. 1 bunch radishes ¾ cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar ¾ cup water 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (this yields very spicy pickles, so use ½ teaspoon for medium spicy pickles or none at all) ½ teaspoon whole mustard seeds (optional) Optional add-ins: garlic cloves, black peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds To prepare the radishes: Slice off the tops and bottoms of the radishes, then use a sharp chef's knife or mandoline to slice the radishes into very thin rounds. Pack the rounds into a pint-sized canning jar. Top the rounds with red pepper flakes and mustard seeds. To prepare the brine: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, honey or maple syrup and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, then pour the mixture over the radishes. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. You can serve the pickles immediately or cover and refrigerate for later consumption. The pickles will keep well in the refrigerator for several weeks, although they are in their most fresh and crisp state for about 5 days after pickling. Quick Sauteed Spinach 1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves 2 tablespoons good olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves) 2 teaspoons kosher salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Lemon Sea or kosher salt, optional Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves. In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot. Salad with Beets and Yogurt Dressing 3/4 pound beets (2 large or 8 small), trimmed 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Coarse salt and ground pepper 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar 1 head of lettuce or 4 cups of mesclun or other greens 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, toasted Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place beets in a 12-inch square piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper; fold foil into a packet. Roast until beets are easily pierced with a paring knife, 30 to 45 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut into wedges. Whisk together yogurt, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons oil; season dressing with salt and pepper. Thin as desired with 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Divide lettuce among plates and top with beets, tarragon, pistachios, and dressing. Serve immediately. Oatmeal Congee This Asian fusion recipe makes a hearty savory breakfast or dinner.  1/2 cup oatmeal 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock 1 egg, poached 1/4 cup mushrooms, sauteed 1/4 cup bean sprouts (optional) 2 scallions, sliced (optional) 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro (optional) 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger (optional) 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional) 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional) Combine oatmeal and stock in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a serving bowl and top with egg, mushrooms, and remaining ingredients as desired. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 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.