Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - March 15, 2017

SNOW DELAY! PLEASE READ BELOW ABOUT OUR DELIVERY SCHEDULE THIS WEEK ***** Localvore Members  & Full Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag contains: Mesclun Mix, Kale, Rainbow Carrots, Napa Cabbage, Yellow ONions, Russet Potatoes,  And OUT of the Bag: Frozen Rhubarb Frozen Jalapenos Please, only take 1 of each Half Veggie Members take a YELLOW BAG containing:   Mesclun Mix, Parsley OR Kale, Rainbow Carrots, Yellow Onions, Russet Potatoes, and And OUT of the Bag: Frozen Spinach Localvore / Pantry Offerings Elmore Mountain Bread Pizza Dough Pete's Greens Pizza Sauce Tangletown Farm / Axel's Eggs Windswept fields yesterday... let's see what today brings us! Veggie Questions: How do the nutrients differ between carrot colors? I stole this question, and post, from Salvation Farms, who recently used our donated carrots during Copley Hospital's National Nutrtition Month Celebration. Here's the answer: Turns out these charismatic roots contain a rainbow of helpful phytochemicals! You might have heard of alpha- and beta-carotenes (antioxidants for healthy skin & eyes) that give orange carrots their color but also: Xanthophylls give the yellow carrots their golden hues and have been linked with good eye health. Red carrots contain lycopene, a type of carotene also found in tomatoes that's believed to guard against heart disease and some cancers. Purple carrots owe their color to anthocyanins. In a class all by themselves, these pigments are considered to be powerful antioxidants that can guard the body's fragile cells from the destructive effects of unstable molecules known as free radicals. Source: https://www.ars.usda.gov/…/new-carrots-offer-colorful-surp…/ Around the Farm Sometimes there is only so much we can control. And the weather is not one. By the time you head out to pick up your share this week, the landscape will look so much different. We will be delivering ALL CSA SHARES ON THURSDAY. PLEASE PICK UP YOUR SHARE DURING YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PICKUP ON THURSDAY. Thank you for your understanding and I apologize for the inconvenience. We hate to change our delivery schedule but we're erring on the side of caution and safety. We send out three delivery trucks on Wednesdays and we know many of you must drive to your sites. So, safety comes first! Stay safe and warm out there, and enjoy the winter weather!   ~ Taylar Storage and Use Tips    Mesclun Mix: This week's mix includes radish & sunflower shoots, spinach, and claytonia.   Kale: We have some early Red Russian kale this week! These little bunches are fresh from the greenhouse. Small shares will receive either kale OR parsley. Large shares will receive kale. These leaves are tender enough to eat raw while cooking brings out the sweetness and tenderness that makes these greens versatile. Store in your crisper drawer loosely wrapped in plastic. Parsley: It's super exciting to have parsley right now! Not only is it a greenhouse delicacy, but it has lots of benefits: many claim that flat-leaf parsley has more flavor than curly but all parsley has huge nutritional benefits - high in vitamins A, C, and K, and in folic acid (great for pregnant women!). The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, meaning it can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens. Try adding parsley stems to your simmering stock, both to impart flavor and help clarify the broth. It can be sprinkled an a host of different recipes, including salads, vegetables sautes, and grilled fish. It can be a rub for chicken lamb, and beef when combined with garlic, lemon zest, and salt. It's a key flavor ingredient in the Mediterranean dish tabouli (see recipe below). A nice way to store is to place the parsley bunch stems in a glass of water, like flowers in a vase, and then cover loosely with a plastic bag and keep in the fridge.  If this is too finicky, just store loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in crisper drawer.   Russet Potatoes: Also known as Idaho or baking potatoes, these 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 roasting. Store potatoes in a cool dark place, away from onions.   Napa Cabbage (large shares only): A Napa cabbage can be so many things - cool salad, Asian stir fry, fermented kimchi. Try a tamari, onion, ginger, and garlic sauce if you have it. Shredded with carrots, almonds, or toasted sesame seeds ... ready to go side salad. Store in a sealed plastic bag in your fridge for 2 - 3 weeks. You may need to remove the outer layers. Frozen Rhubarb & Jalapenos (large shares only) and Frozen Spinach (small shares): Rhubarb is a nice taste of early summer during this cold wintry spell! Make a nice crumb or crisp or bake up some rhubarb muffins. Wring the spinach out well if you're sauteeing it. I keep a bag of frozen jalapenos For all our frozen veggies, let thaw on the counter or in the fridge or if you're in a rush, let submerge in warm water. Veggies come fresh from the field, chopped and frozen. 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 Elmore Mountain Bread made this pizza dough for us this week! It's made with Redeemer wheat - a Vermont grown wheat milled by Elmore Mtn. The dough is frozen so let it thaw completely, either on a counter or in the fridge, before using. It'll make enough for a really big pizza or two small pizzas. The Pizza Sauce is from the Pete's Greens on-farm kitchen. It's made with our own organically grown tomatoes. If the sauce seems thin to you, let it cook down in a saucepan until the moisture cooks off. It will thicken up. Extra sauce can be used for pasta. You'll receive either Tangletown Farm eggs or Axel's Eggs. Lila Bennett and family run Tangletown Farm in West Glover. Tangletown raises its flock of 2,500 chickens starting when they're chicks, using sustainable and ethical pratices (below). These ladies are also kep happy and healthy with clean running water, fresh bedding, fresh air, sunlight, and ample room to run around. During the winter, they get to free range a large barn, but don't get chilly being outside. Staying inside during the winter lets them keep producing year-round so Tangletown stays profitable year-round. Axel McKenzie raises his eggs on his family's property that straddles the Craftsbury/ Greensboro town line (above). Axel is a 12-year old on a mission! He recently invested in an egg washer that speeds up his time washing and boxing up eggs... leaving more time for homework and sports! Recipes Here are a couple recipes to help you stir up the creative culinary juices this week. You can find more recipes by searching our website and/or our blog.  Calzones 101 Given the sauce and dough, I'd be making my calzone or pizza this week using those two and adding fresh greens (and maybe some local pepperoni or sausage!).  In case you decide to go the calzone route, there is some technique that you might find helpful...(From thePreparedPantry.com) Keep the following principles in mind as you build your calzones: 1. For the filling, simple combinations really do work best. Less is truly better.  2. Calzones take longer to cook than pizza and require a lower temperature in order to crisp the crust and to penetrate the filling. They generally take 15 to 20 minutes to bake at 400 degrees.  3. Smaller is better. Make calzones that are 6 to 12 inches long. Most calzones are made in the traditional half-moon shape that is achieved by rolling or pressing out the dough ball into a circle. The filling is mounded into the bottom half of the circle and the top part is folded over and crimped by hand or with a fork. Calzones typically have ricotta and mozzarella while a stromboli does not. Here are the steps to making a perfect calzone: 1.  Roll out a small dough ball (about 8 ounces) into a round 1/4 inch thick. The gluten in the dough may try to make the dough spring back into shape. It’s often easier to roll the dough partially, let it sit for a few minutes to relax, and then roll the dough again. Try to roll the dough uniformly. Thin spots lead to leaks. 2. Place a small handful of mozzarella on the lower half of the circle. On top of the cheese, place about three quarters of a cup of filling materials. On top of the filling, add 1/2 to 2/3 cup ricotta. Thick, creamy ricotta—not low-fat—works best. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parmesan. (Of course, you can vary the filling ingredients greatly. Often an egg is mixed with the ricotta to make the filling less runny.) 3. Fold the top of the calzone crust over the bottom into the traditional half-moon shape. Seal the edges by crimping them with a fork. Be sure to press firmly enough to seal the edges and keep the fillings from leaking. Use the edge of a knife or fork to shape the crust edge into a uniform border. 4. Just before baking, brush the crust with an egg white wash or olive oil.An egg white wash will give the calzones a satinyfinish. Olive oil will make the crust browner and crisper. If you brush with olive oil before baking,brush the crust again with olive oil immediately after coming from the oven. The second brushing will add sheen and flavor to the crust. 5. Bake the calzones on a dark pan on the lowest shelf of the oven to provide enough bottom heat to bake the bottom crust. Better yet, place the pan directly on a preheated baking stone. (If you are using a rectangular pan, a rectangular baking stone works best.) Spicy Asian Slaw with Napa Cabbage, Carrots & Ginger Dressing 3 tbsp rice vinegar 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp canola oil 1/2 tsp grated lime zest 1 tbsp fresh lime juice 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and membranes removed, finely chopped 1 small Napa cabbage (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices 1 1/2 cups grated carrots 4 scallions, sliced 1/2 cup chopped cilantro In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, ginger, sesame oil, canola oil, lime zest, lime juice, and chile. Set aside. Separate the cabbage leaves into a large bowl. Add carrots, scallions, and cilantro, and toss well. Pour the dressing into the cabbage mixture and toss again. Let stand for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Apple-Rhubarb Brown Betty A fairly simple desert to use up your left over breads and enjoy this week's delicious rhubarb. A Brown Betty is an American dessert made from fruit (usually apple, but also berries or pears) and crumbled bread. A cross between a cobbler and a bread pudding, it consists of a baked-like pudding made with layers of sweetened and spiced fruit and buttered bread pieces.  1/2 package of Pete's Greens rhubarb, thawed 1 loaf of soft bread, crusts removed (optional) 8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan and topping 2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into quarter-inch-thick wedges 1/2 c plus 2 Tbs dark-brown sugar 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon Pinch ground nutmeg Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon warm water Pre-heat oven to 375F. Tear bread into 1/2-inch pieces, yielding 3 to 3 1/2 cups of broken bread. Butter a shallow 1-quart baking dish. In medium bowl, combine melted butter and bread; cover bottom of dish with 1 - 1 1/2 cups bread pieces. In another bowl, combine rhubarb, apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Grate zest and add to mixture. Let sit until juices begin to run, about 5 minutes. Spread half of rhubarb mixture over bread. Sprinkle with 1 cup of bread. Add remaining rhubarb mixture and juices and then cover with remaining 1 cup bread. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Spoon 6 tablespoons warm water over top. Cover with foil and bake 25-35 minutes on the middle rack. Increase heat to 400F uncover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until top is crusty, and juices begin to bubble at edges of baking dish. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.