Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - January 18, 2017

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: Mesclun Mix, Kale Hearts, Green Savoy Cabbage, Black Radish, Radicchio, Parsnips, Yellow Onions, Russet Potatoes, and And OUT of the Bag: Frozen Corn (Careful - The corn and the localvore berries are in the same cooler.) Half Veggie Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Mesclun Mix, Kale Hearts, Green Savoy Cabbage, Radicchio, Yellow Onions, and Russet Potatoes Localvore / Pantry Offerings Butterworks Farm Yogurt Variety Pack Elderflower Farm Blueberries (or Strawberries) Tangletown Farm Eggs This Thursday, 1/19, the ENTIRE STORE is 20% off! (except alcohol) Each week, our Farm Market on Route 100 in Waterbury features sales on special items. This Thursday, it's the whole store full of local/ Vermont items! The Waterbury Farm Market is open daily, 10 am - 7 pm.  The Spring Share starts in ONLY 3 WEEKS! Sign up TODAY to reserve your spring share! This is an exciting time of year for us as each week we explore a fresh new veggie and savor the end of last year's harvest. We'll sweeten the deal: For any Localvore or Half Veggie w/ Pantry Share paid by January 27, we'll send you a FREE Pete's Greens gift! Click here to sign up today and help us grow our spring share! Left, our season-extending greenhouses this weekend. Right, Isaac is busy working inside (no greens were harmed during this welding project!) to keep our greenhouse thriving this winter and get ready for next spring. Around the Farm We're at that time of year when we start adding in frozen items we put up over the summer. I don't know about you, but I love this little injection of summer in my meals! This week we have corn for the large shares and over the next few weeks, both shares can expect to see more frozen items appearing. These frozen items, which include tomatoes, peppers, spinach, broccoli, and more, are frozen at the peak of the season in our on-farm kitchen. They become an integral part of the spring share. By the way, despite the snow on the ground and chilly temps, we are getting ready for our Spring CSA Share! You can sign up today so you don't forget - the spring share starts February 15. Only three deliveries remain of this fall share! As a side note, I'd also like to extend the invitation to everyone in our community to attend the upcoming Vermont Women's March on Montpelier & Unity Rally, this Saturday, January 21. The march starts at 1 pm at the Montpelier High School. You can find more information here: http://womensmarchonmontpeliervt.org/ The march is a show of solidarity with groups in D.C. and across the country standing up for the protection of all human rights and the diversity of humanity that makes America who we are. I'll be marching because I believe all Americans, new Americans and those tracing their roots back to the first American Revolution, deserve dignity, justice, and the right to a peacful and free existence.    ~ Taylar Storage and Use Tips  Mesclun Mix: A delightful combination of delicate lettuce, mild spinach, baby tatsoi, and bitter upland cress! The greens are fresh from the greenhosue. They come to you pre-washed and ready to eat! Kale Hearts: A second bag of greens is in your share this week. These kale hearts are actually the "tops" of the kale plants! They've stored well so far and you may see them again very soon. This is a half pound bag. If you're eating the stems (which you can do - they may take longer to cook), you may want to trim off the very end of the stem, but it's not necessary. Otherwise you can separate the leaves from the stem - hold one end of the stem and run your fingers along it to remove the leaves. Store the bag in your crisper drawer.  Radicchio: A member of the chicories family along with endive and escarole, radicchio resembles a small red lettuce. Like all the members of this family, the leaves have some bitterness.  You can chop radicchio and add it to your salad for some color and extra flavor. 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. Green Savoy Cabbage: Round with crinkled leaves, Savoys are the beauties of the cabbage world. Their leaves are more delicate and more loosely packed than their green cabbage cousins. Store as you would other cabbages, unwashed, loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Don't worry if the outer leaves begin to discolor or tear on you, just remove them to expose the perfectly good leaves remaining below. Onions: Onions are best stored in a cool, dark place. Potatoes: Also known as Idaho or baking potatoes, Russets are in the class of starchy potatoes, as opposed to waxy varieties like red and fingerling. They are high in vitamin C and B6, as well as natural sugars. Russets make great baking potatoes, and are ideal for mashing and making fries. Store potatoes in a cool dark place.  Storing your potatoes in the refrigerator can make their starch turn to sugar and therefore should be avoided as doing so can give the russet potato an unpleasant, sweet taste. Parsnip: This variety is called Albion. It's a little sweeter than other varieties. It's also quite a bit bigger. You may have some nice roasting root parsnips but many of you will have some very big and very long parsnips - in a few cases you'll only have one big 2-pounder! Store parsnips as you would carrots - loosely wrapped in plastic and stored in your crisper. Enjoy raw or roasted, sauted, baked, grilled... Black Radish (large shares only): I was looking back through our archives and surprisingly, couldn't find anything about these black radishes! So I've done some research and here is a little of what I've found: black radishes are of ancient origin, and one of the oldest cultivated radishes. Ancient Egyptian texts write about workers building the Great Pyramids eating them! They are not common outside of Central and Eastern Europe and are often eaten as part of meals for Passover and Rosh Hashana. Nutrtionally, black radishes are excellent for vitamin C and also provide potassium, iron, magnesium, and vitamins A, E, and B. Some say they help fight off infection and promote healthy digestive function.  Black radishes are firmer, drier, and stronger than other radishes - this is a very different radish from your red/pink globes! You can eat these raw or cooked but they are bitter when eaten raw. Try shredding them to add to a salad, slaw, or relish (peeled or unpeeled), or peel and slice thin, then salt and drain and mix with sour cream as a spread for chewy rye bread. Or, blend minced radish with creamy cheese, smoked fish, or pate. Cooked black radishes taste like turnips but with less reliable cooking time. You can add them to soups, stews, braises, or stir-fries, or chop finely and add to ground raw meat. Wrap unwashed, topped radishes in newspaper or perforated plastic and refrigerate. Don't let them get moist or they will mold. Their taste mellows as they store and are fine for grating and shredding even after months of storage. I recommend scrubbing them before eating, especially if you keep the peel on. Frozen Corn (large shares only): Frozen at the height of peak freshness, this tender and sweet corn is a treat!   Need to Skip a Week? If you're ever not able to pick up your share, please let us know at least one week in advance. 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! Sorry, we cannot skip a share or change pick-up sites after Monday. Localvore Lore This fall, Jack Lazor stopped by to talk about yogurt. He's trying something new with the Butterworks Farm yogurt offerings and asked if we'd be willing to have our CSA members provide him with some feedback. Long time members will probably be used to getting a quart of yogurt from Butterworks but this week, you're receiving one each of the individual Butterworks yogurt containers (plain, vanilla, and maple). We'll be following up next week with a short survey to help Butterworks figure out what flavors people like best. Butterworks yogurt is certified organic and made from grass fed Jersey cow milk in Westfield, VT.  To accompany your yogurt, we have some beautiful little blueberries, grown wild and organically at Elderflower Farm, a small diversified operation in Lincolnville, ME. These berries have a special VT connection - they're grown on the farm owned by Phish drummer Jon Fishman and his wife (she's the farmer). Elderflower uses a winnower to sort out the stems and leaves from the berries and then has a small crew help sort out anything the machine missed (right, August 2016 harvest). You may notice a few stems in your bags. These berries are frozen, so if you're not ready to eat them, pop them back in the freezer. Perfect for eating by the handful, tossing in some yogurt or a smoothie, or baking into a pie or muffins. The frozen strawberries are from Four Corners Farm in Newbury, VT, run by Bob and Kim Gray. These sliced berries are great for morning oatmeal, atop waffles or pancakes, served over ice cream, or baked into sweet pastries. Last but not least, we have eggs from Tangletown Farm over in West Glover. We're always happy to see Lila's smiling face when she delivers the eggs! Recipes Creamy Braising Greens Soup This recipe was found by Alison in the cookbook Dishing Up Vermont by Tracey Medeiros. The recipe specifically calls out using greens from Pete's Greens. Try using your kale! 1 slice thick-cut bacon, preferably not too lean, diced 1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced 1 large carrot, peeled and diced 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced ½ pound sausage, diced 6 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and diced - Russets are perfect for this! 7 ½ c. chicken (or veggie) stock 2 ½ c. braising greens, stems removed and cut into very fine strips ½ c. heavy cream ¼ tsp. hot sauce (optional) S&P Sauté the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving drippings in the pot. Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 5 – 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and stock, stir to combine, and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Add the greens and cream and continue to simmer until soup is heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with hot sauce if desired, and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with reserved bacon. Treviso Radicchio Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette Aged pecorino Toscano cheese is fairly hard; young pecorino Toscano is softer and milder. You can use good-quality provolone cheese instead, if you like. 8 thin slices pancetta (about 4 ounces) 3 heads Treviso radicchio (about 1 1/2 pounds), quartered lengthwise 1/2 cup walnut oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 1/2 cup champagne vinegar 2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 ounces shaved young pecorino Toscano cheese Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat; arrange pancetta in skillet in a single layer. Cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Break into 1-inch pieces. Put radicchio in a large bowl. Add oil to skillet; heat over medium heat. Add shallots; immediately remove skillet from heat. Whisk in vinegar, walnuts, salt, and pepper; pour over radicchio. Toss well. Top with pancetta and cheese. Radicchio-Cabbage Slaw with Honey Cabbage and radicchio get the sweet-treatment, thanks to honey. This should be a quick dish! 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon coarse salt 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Freshly ground pepper 1 medium head napa cabbage (about 1 pound), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips 2 small heads radicchio (about 8 ounces), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips Whisk together honey, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until well blended. Season with pepper. Toss together cabbage and radicchio in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss to combine. Cover, and refrigerate at least 5 minutes. Just before serving, toss again. Slaw can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day. Bandh Gobhi Ki Sabzi (Buttered Smothered Cabbage) Here's a traditional cabbage dish that will be great using the Savoy cabbage. 1 savoy cabbage (1-3/4 to 2 lbs) 2 Tbl ghee, butter or oil 1-1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp ground asafoetida (optional) 1/4 tsp turmeric 1 Tbl minced ginger root or 1/2 tsp dry 1 8 oz can tomato sauce or 1 cup chopped fresh ripe tomato (1 large) 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or 1-2 seeded and minced green chilies 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup hot water 1-2 Tbl coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves or 1 Tbl dry (optional) Cut the cabbage into quarters, and core out the stem from each quarter.  Shred the cabbage into 1/2-inch thick shreds.  Heat the oil over med-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed pan.  When the oil is hot, add cumin.  When cumin turns dark brown (10-15 sec), add asafoetida (if using it), and immediately add the shredded cabbage.  Sprinkle turmeric over the cabbage and sauté, turning and tossing rapidly until cabbage is wilted (about 5 min).    Add ginger, tomato (sauce), and chilies or red pepper, and continue cooking for an additional 5 min.  Add salt and water.  Reduce heat to med-low and cook the cabbage, covered, until it is tender and the water is absorbed into the vegetables (about 20 min).  Check and stir often while it is cooking to prevent burning.  Fold in coriander leaves, check for salt, and serve. Steamed Parsnips with Sweet Butter Sauce The parsnip’s humble appearance conceals its luscious taste; it needs very little fuss in order to be sweet and delicious. Simply steamed and topped with just a touch of maple syrup or honey, parsnips are irresistibly good. The tender strips in this recipe can be served whole, sliced, or even mashed. Friend of the Farm. 3 large parsnips, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick strips 1/4 cup butter 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey salt freshly ground black pepper Place the parsnips in a steamer basket set over 1 1/2 inches boiling water and cover. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size. Transfer to a serving bowl. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the maple syrup or honey. Pour the butter mixture over the parsnips. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Erick washes this week's parsnips with a smile! These next two potato recipes come from Smitten Kitchen. I can testify to the latke recipe but the twice baked potatoes sound delicious - I hope to make them this weekend. Potato Pancakes [Latkes] Potato pancakes are so deliciously easy for any appetizer, side dish, or meal, at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Serve at breakfast with a poached or fried egg, as an appetizer with some crème fraiche or a dollop of sour cream and jam, or as part of your dinner. They’re easy to make in advance and reheat/ re-crisp in the oven. Think about a ratio of 1:1:1:¼ - 1 potato, 1 onion, 1 egg, and ¼ c flour, plus S&P. 1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled 1 small onion (4 ounces), peeled 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Peanut oil, for frying In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. For longer strands, lay the potato sideways in the chute of your food processor. Transfer to a colander or wrap in a cheesecloth sling, and squeeze as dry as possible. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg, salt and pepper together. Stir in the potato onion mixture until all pieces are evenly coated. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Drop packed tablespoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon. Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. Do ahead: Latkes are a do-ahead-er’s dream. You can also keep latkes warm in the oven for an hour or more, if you’re waiting for stragglers to arrive. Cooked, they keep well in the fridge for a day or two, or in the freezer, well wrapped, for up to two weeks. Reheat them in a single layer on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven until they’re crisp again. Bonus: If you undercooked them a bit or didn’t get the browning on them you’d hoped for, you can compensate for this in the oven. Twice-Baked Potatoes with Kale Serves 6 as a side; 3 as a hearty main 3 russet potatoes 1 bundle lacinato kale (aka dinosaur, tuscan or black kale), swiss chard or spinach (10 ounces) Coarse salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 1 large leek 1 cup coarsely grated cheddar, gruyere or comté, 2/3 cup finely grated parmesan or pecorino, or 1/2 to 2/3 cup cream cheese or goat cheese, softened 3/4 cup sour cream Freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste Heat oven to 400°F (205°C). Cook potatoes the first time: Gently scrub potatoes but do not peel. Pierce all over with a fork so that steam escapes [raise your hand if you’ve forgotten to do this and had the pleasure of jumping three inches off the sofa due to an oven ka-pow!] Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced in center with a skewer. Leave oven on. Alternatively, you could microwave fork-pierced potatoes for 10, turning them over halfway through to ensure even cooking. You could also boil the whole potato for 15 minutes. While potatoes cook, prepare your filling: Tear kale, chard or spinach leaves from stems (you can save the stems for another use, such as a vegetable stock or juicing) and plunge leaves in cold water to remove any residual dirt or grit. No need to dry them when you’re done. Tear leaves into large chunks. Heat a skillet over medium-high and add greens and a pinch of salt. Cook them in the pan with just the water clinging to the leaves until they wilt and collapse. Transfer to a colander and when cool enough to handle, wring out any extra moisture in small fistfuls. On a cutting board, finely chop greens. You should have about a cup of wrung-out, well-chopped greens; don’t worry if you have a little more or less. Trim leek down to just yellow and pale green part. Halve lengthwise — if it’s gritty inside, plunge it in cold water to remove grit, then pat dry. Cut leek halves lengthwise again, so that they’re in quarter-stalks, and thinly slice. Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add butter and oil. Once both are warm, add leek and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until mostly tender and sweet, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Try to avoid letting it brown. Add chopped greens back to skillet and warm with leeks, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Prepare potatoes: When potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve lengthwise and scoop out all but the last 1/4-inch thickness of skin and potato (essentially, you want to leave a shell inside for stability) and add potato filling to bowl with leeks and greens. Arrange the potato shells on a baking sheet. Mash potatoes, leeks and greens together until smooth. Stir in the sour cream, 3/4 of cheese and more salt and pepper than you think you’ll need. Heap filling in prepared potato skins. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 of cheese. Bake potatoes a second time: For 20 to 30 minutes, until bronzed and crisp on top.