Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - November 2, 2016

Having trouble viewing this message, please click here Localvore Members  & Full Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag contains: Lettuce head, Spinach, Anaheim Pepper, Sweet Carmen Pepper (or bell pepper), Beets, Lacinato Kale, Garlic, Yellow Onions, Sweet Potatoes Out of the bag: One Carnival Squash Half Veggie Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Spinach, Anaheim Pepper, Sweet Carmen Pepper, Red Savoy Cabbage, Orange Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, and Carnival Squash Out of the bag: One Carnival Squash Localvore / Pantry Offerings Pete's Greens Salsa Apple Cider Vinegar Morningstar Farms King of the Early Beans All Souls Tortilleria Tortillas Meat Share Members - This week is the FIRST Meat Delivery Halloween Spirit at the Farm Erick beginning the pack of your shares - with ears. Local & Pastured Thanksgiving Turkey  Reserve your Thanksgiving turkey today!  Call Lila at Tangletown Farm to pre-order your 2016 Thanksgiving turkey. Turkeys are $5 a pound.  Turkeys are available as 13 - 16 pounds, 17 - 20 pounds, or  20+ pounds. To order your turkey, call or email Lila at (802) 525-1313 or ttownfarm@gmail.com  Your turkey can be delivered to your CSA pick up site either the week before OR the week of Thanksgiving. Turkeys will be frozen. Tangletown Farm is a family farm located in West Glover. Their philosophy of eating locally and ethically extends to their meats, which are all pastured, free of antibiotics and hormones, and sustainably raised. Vermont Farm Fund Fall Fundraising When Pete's barn burned down in 2011, the Vermont community stepped up to help Pete rebuild - including many of you. Five years later, that effort has led to over $600,000 being reinvested in farms and food businesses through the Vermont Farm Fund. The Vermont Farm Fund (VFF) has made 43 loans since August 2011 to over 30 farms from the Northeast Kingdom to Rutland. You'll recognize many of the farms - Sweet Rowen Farmstead, Tangletown Farm - as partners with our CSA. In addition to knowing that Vermont can feed itself, we also think Vermont can fund itself.  The Fund has been so successsful that farmers are being turned away or waitlisted because it does not have funds to keep up with the growing agricultural economy of Vermont. The Fund has two loan programs, an Emergency Loan and a Business Builder Loan. The Fund is different from traditional lending in that it is easy to understand, has a fast turnaround time, and is guided by a "pay it forward" mentality. This Fund's success comes from the notion of "farmers helping farmers" - recipients pay back their loans because they know the money goes back into helping more farms succeed. Inside your bag you'll find an envelope and a request for your contribution to the VFF. We are asking for your donation to keep the VFF strong. You may also donate online. The VFF is a partnership between Pete's Greens and the Center for an Agricultural Economy, a 501(c)3 non-profit. All contributions are tax deductible. We hope you'll consider supporting the Vermont Farm Fund this fall to continue making affordable loans available for Vermont's farmers and food businesses. ~ Taylar Storage and Use Tips  All shares are receiving bagged spinach this week! Bagged greens are washed well and ready to eat as is. However, lettuce heads, like in the Full Share bags this week, should be washed more thoroughly. We send them through a pre-wash but there may be some dirt left. At right, Antonio is pre-washing lettuce heads. We were able to harvest some last sweet and hot peppers. Each share is receiving one green anaheim pepper and sweet red or yellow Carmen peppers.   Anaheims DO have a little heat! Both shares are receiving sweet potatoes. Sweet Potatoes is one of the few crops we buy in each year.  Sometimes we grow them, but we are so far north that it's really tough.  Our friend Adam at Juniper Hill grows beautiful, tasty sweet potatoes and its worth it to have him supply them. Please enjoy! This weekend I ate them on a pizza and in a casserole - so many uses! Store in a dark, dry, cool (55 degree) place, in a loose plastic bag or open to the air.  Stored this way, they may keep up to 3 weeks.  Do not refrigerate, as cold temperature alters the flavor of the potatoes. Last week Pete wrote about garlic. Large share members will receive a head of garlic from our farm. This is the variety called Music, a mild, good storage garlic. The garlic can get wet while in your bags so please pull from your bags before refrigerating the rest! Let it sit out and air dry. Keep garlic in a warm place. When it has dramatic temperature changes, it can get confused about growing. The best place to keep garlic? On your kitchen counter. Or in your office...  Kale is just about the healthiest vegetable you can eat so if you aren't there yet, your mission should be to learn to absolutelty love it! 1 cup packs 1300% of your daily requirements for Vita K, 200% of your Vita A, and nearly 100% of vita C, along with lots and lots more vitas and minerals.  Over 45 different flavonoids  to provide both anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits too.  This week's kale, Lacinato aka black kale or dinosaur kale, has very dark and bumpy and somewhat leathery looking leaves (hence the dinosaur nickname) that stand up really well to cooking. Lacinato kale will retain its shape even in soups and stews and makes excellent kale chips too. And out of your bags this week... the carnival winter squash is festive with its unique coloring and splotches - it holds a designer's seal of approval in the world of winter squash. Carnival is an acorn squash with a wonderful nutty flavor and fine eating quality. Like all winter squash and pumpkins, store in a cool dry, place. Best temperature is 55F. All share members should take 1 squash. We counted out enough squash for every member to take one. Small shares are receiving a red savoy cabbage. Despite its name, these cabbages are actually green under the leaves! The savoy cabbage has loosely wrapped, crumpled purplish leaves. This thick wrapper allows it to store well but is not well suited to stir fry, egg rolls, or other types of Chinese cabbages. The savoy cabbage is perfect for cooking, especially in soups that can tenderize its thick kale-like leaves. Try stuffing it with rice, tomato sauce, and sausage. Saute with a little butter and a splash of milk or cream to quickly soften the leaves and bring out the sweet flavors. Store cabbage in a plastic bag in a crisper drawer for a few weeks. Don't let it dry out. 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.  Monthly Meat This month's meat share includes a very large Pete's Greens Pastured Chicken, a package of ground beef from McKnight Farm, and slab bacon from VT99. Those new to our meat share will quickly learn about some of our neighboring meat farms. McKnight Farm is an organic dairy and beef farm in East Montpelier. Like our farm, McKnight uses solar panels to offset their operation and energy expenditures. This month you're receiving their Ground Beef - great for burgers, meatballs, or frying up with garlic, cumin, and chili powder for tacos. Chicken is a regular item in the meat share. We like to send you four items but because these chickens are between 6.5 and 7 pounds (!), you're only receiving three items. The chickens are pastured at our farm and free of any antiobiotics. With a chicken that big, you have a lot of options! If you roast it, freeze fresh roasted meat and thaw for the perfect sandwich meat. Don't forget to make chicken broth with the leftover carcass: a couple of cut up onions, 3 - 6 carrots, a dozen to 20 peppercorns, 1/2 to 1 TB salt, and simmer for 3 - 6 hours in one to two gallons of water. Feel free to add modest amounts of leftover green veg like spinach, chard, kale, or parsley to add nutrients. Last, but certainly not least, is slab bacon from VT99, our collaboration project with the Cellars at Jasper Hill. Their whey and our veggies feed pigs raised on Pete's Greens pasture. This pound of bacon is the same as sliced bacon, just not yet sliced. This means you have more flexibility in how to cut and use it. You can slice it for breakfast or cube it for soups, casseroles, or pizza toppings. Please remember to take only 1 red bag! Going out of town? Please let us know at least ONE WEEK before. We can either skip your share and give you credit, send it the next week, or donate it to the food pantry. It's up to you! Localvore Lore Our theme this week is South American! We have tortillas from All Souls Tortilleria, Morningstar Farm King of the Early beans, Pete's Greens Salsa Roja, and Honest-to-Goodness Apple Cider Vinegar. All Souls Tortilleria makes these corn tortillas in Waitsfield, using a Mesoamerican recipe. The heirloom corn kernels are cooked in a solution of ground limestone and water, which is then ground into fresh masa with hand-carved volcanic stones. The corn is sourced from Vermont and New York farms. Because these were made fresh on Tuesday morning, they have a short shelf life. Please use within a week or so or put in your freezer until ready to eat. Morningstar Farms is owned and operated by Seth and Jeannette Johnson out of Glover, Vermont. They grow organic dry beans on over 10 acres of land, including heirloom varieties like this King of the Early. One cup of dry beans will yield approx. 2 1/2 cups of cooked beans. You'll want to rinse through these beauties before cooking. Remove any stones and cracked or misshapen beans . Like most dry beans, they need to soak before cooking. Cover with water and leave out overnight, or cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and let sit 2 - 3 hours. Many believe that draining and rinsing the beans after soaking reduces flatulence. Others believe that adding a bit of baking soda while they cook has the same effect. Our Pete's Greens Salsa Roja is made with on-farm grown ingredients. This salsa is made in August during the height of our tomato harvest! It is mild to medium heat. It's frozen for you. If you can't get to it right away, keep frozen until ready to eat. It's great with tortilla chips or atop your nachos, tacos, or other Mexican-style dish. Jo Liddell and Bob Machim carved their homestead, Gingerbrook Farm, out of the woods of South Washington, VT 40 years ago. As they cleared for their fields, they found wild apple trees and decided to keep them. The land around their home is dotted with these old wild trees and it is from these trees and others nearby their farm that Bob makes their cider vinegar. This is the real macoy, Honest-to-Goodness cider vinegar as they call it, a health tonic, and almost good enough to drink straight! It starts with unpasteurized apple cider that Bob seeds with a "mother" culture of yeast that ferments the cider. The difference between apple cider gone bad due to the infiltration of natural airborne yeasts and a good artisanal cider vinegar is in controlling the process. The mother culture makes a big difference, as does the fresh cider used for the vinegar, and the aging process. Bob ages this vinegar for two years and pours the beautiful amber liquid from big wooden barrels in a corner of his home. In time, you may find a slippery gelatinous mass forms in your cider vinegar. Fear not!  This is just more "mother" forming in your jar.  Just remove it from jar and continue to use your vinegar. I use cider vinegar for cooking, made into salad dressings, or just drizzled plain onto my salads. Apple cider vinegar is good for digestion. Drinking a tablespoon 30 minutes before eating helps avoid heartburn. Drink straight or in a glass of water. Amy drinks it weekly in switchell that she uses as both an energy drink and electrolytes for running. Her recipe: 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 molasses, 1 tsp ginger, 4 cups water. Recipes Kale Enchiladas I love, love enchiladas.  They always turn out delish.  Here are some made super healthy with kale and beans and without much cheese. 2 cloves garlic 1/2 onion, chopped 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, finely diced 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1-2 small zucchinis, grated 1 carmen pepper, diced salt and pepper 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped 12 oz beans, cooked and rinsed 1 green onion, sliced some of your favorite salsa or enchilada sauce 12 small corn tortillas a handful or two of swiss or cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350F. Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and jalapenos and stir for a minute. Add the zucchini, cumin and a big pinch of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add kale and peppers and stir until soft.  Remove from heat and stir in a a few grinds of black pepper, the beans, green onion, and a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Put together the enchiladas, prepare the tortillas by warming them in a hot skillet for about 30 seconds per side. Spoon a thin layer of enchilada sauce over the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 pan. Form the enchiladas one at a time: Put a few spoonfuls of filling in a tortilla, roll up and place it in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Quick and Easy (and delicious) Baked Chicken This Mark Bittman recipe is a popular one! 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 parts, skin on:  2 breasts, 2 wings, 2 drum sticks, 2 thighs (don't fret about how neat your cuts are or are not, it doesn't really matter in the end, it will be delicious) 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup fresh herbs (or 1-2 tsp dried) salt and pepper (I use 1.5 tsp or so for a big whole chicken) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the oil or butter in a roasting pan and put the pan in the oven for a couple of minutes, until the oil is hot or the butter melts. Add the chicken and turn it couple of times in the fat, leaving it skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return the pan to the oven. After the chicken has cooked for 15 minutes, toss about 1/4 of the herb or herb mixture over it and turn the pieces. Sprinkle on another quarter of the herb and roast for another 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over (now skin side up again), add another quarter of the herb, and cook until the chicken is done (180 F , or you'll see clear juices if you make a small cut in the meat near the bone) a total of 30-50 minutes at most. Garnish with the remaining herb and skim excess fat from the pan juices if necessary; serve, with some of the juices spooned over it. Variations: *Add several cloves of garlic (20 wouldn't be too many). *Add a cup or so of chopped onion, shallot, or leek. *Add a cup or so of sliced fresh mushrooms, after the first 15 minutes of roasting. *Add 2-3 lemons (or organges/limes). When the chicken is done, squeeze the hot lemon juice over it. *Use Compound Butter, Flavored Oil, or a Vinaigrette from the beginning of the cooking or as a basting sauce during the cooking. *Stir in a dollop of grainy French-style mustard when the chicken is done. *Add a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes and some black olives after turning the chicken skin side up again. *Stir in a cup of any salsa in the last 10 minutes of cooking or spoon on top of the cooked chicken before serving. Chicken and Dumplings  A popular warm weather recipe, we had to feature it again! 1 whole chicken 1/4 lb bacon, cut into slivers 2 Tbs cooking oil 2 tsp dried thyme 4 cloves garlic 4 medium sized carrots, thickly sliced 4 stalks celery, thickly sliced 2 large yellow onions, cut into 1" chunks 1 bay leaf salt and pepper 2 2/3 c flour 1 c white wine 1 Tbs baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 2 c melted butter, cooled slightly 3/4 c buttermilk (or substitute) 2 Tbs finely chopped parsley Halve chicken legs seperating thigh from drumstick, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Put remaining chicken into a pot, cover with salted water and boil. Reduce heat, simmer until breast is just cooked, 12-15 minutes. Remove chicken. Cut breast and wings from carcass. Discard any skin and bones from breast and wing meat, cut into 1" chunks, chill. Return carcass to pot, simmer for one hour. Strain, reserve 4 c broth (save remainder for another use). Meanwhile, cook bacon in large wide pot over medium heat until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate, leave fat in pot. Add and heat oil, brown drumsticks and thights, 8-10 minutes. Tranfer to a plate. Add thyme, garlic, carrots celery, onions and bay leaf. Cook until light brwn 18-20 minutes. Add 2/3 cut flour, cook for 1 minute. Add wine, cook for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved broth and salt and pepper to taste. Nestle in drumsticks, thights, and bacon. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a bowl. Combine butter, buttermilk, and parsley in a second bowl, pour into flour mixture, stir to make a thick batter. Uncover pot, add breast and wing meat. Drop batter in 8 large spoonfuls over the top. Simmer covered until dumplings are cooked, 20-25 minutes. Seared Savoy Cabbage with Mixed Sausages 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. Mashed Sweet Potatoes This is Martha Stewart's recipe, the all-around crowd-pleaser.  There will not be any leftovers. 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks 1/2 cup half-and-half 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar (or maple sugar) Coarse salt and ground pepper Boil sweet potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain, and return to saucepan.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring half-and-half, butter, and brown sugar to a simmer, stirring to combine; remove from heat. Add to drained sweet potatoes, and mash just until smooth; season with salt and pepper.