Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - March 22, 2017

Having trouble viewing this message, please click here NEW PICKUP LOCATION!  110 Center Road, Essex Center If you picked up at the Essex Resort, your pickup location has moved! Localvore Members  & Full Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag contains: Mesclun Mix, Red Beets, Mixed Baby Potatoes, Gilfeather Turnips, Yellow Onions, And OUT of the Bag: Frozen Broccoli Frozen Beans Please, only take 1 of each Half Veggie Members take a YELLOW BAG containing:   Mesclun Mix, Red Beets, Napa Cabbage, Mixed Baby Potatoes, Yellow Onions, And OUT of the Bag: Frozen Broccoli Localvore / Pantry Offerings Vermont Bean Crafters Hummish Bonnieview Farm Feta Butterworks Farm Yogurt CRAFTBURY FARMSTAND SET TO OPEN MAY 18! Our Craftsbury Farmstand will open on Thursday, May 18. The heart of our farm is located in the heart of Craftsbury Village. The farmstand is on South Craftsbury Road, right off of Route 14. You can't miss the beautiful hand painted sign and green roof! We're hiring a manager to run the farmstand Friday through Sunday, although it is open every day of the week, all summer long. If you're in the area this summer, come visit our farmstand and our farm! We're also hiring for other seasonal and year-round positions, part-time and full-time. Job descriptions are posted here. Around the Farm Ahh, winter... Last week's blizzard threw our greenhouses and our CSA off schedule! Even though we sprung ahead last week, our dear Mother Nature has different plans for us. Don't worry - our root cellars are still full! If you have a really great recipe for your roots, please share! One good note: our Craftsbury Farmstand is set to open on Thursday, May 18. We're currently hiring a Farmstand Manager as well as multiple positions in advance of our busy summer season. Stay tuned on our website for more details.  ~ Taylar Meet Our Crew Meet Djurretta, our intern from the Netherlands!  Where are you from and why are you at Pete's Greens? Hi! My name is Djurretta Goodijk and I’m from northern Netherlands. At the moment I’m studying Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship at the university in Leeuwarden (NL) and for this study everyone has to do a 16 weeks internship abroad, so that’s why I’m here in beautiful Craftsbury! [Djurretta is here for 8 weeks, and currently halfway through her internship.] For my internship I was looking for a vegetable farm to learn more about the vegetables and the business side of a company, and Pete’s Greens is a great company to learn more about, with 200 different types of vegetables and the amazing CSA! What is your favorite vegetable, and why? I really love spinach! When we eat spinach at home, I look like a hamster, eating as much as possible, haha! Spinach, potatoes, and a meatball is one of my favorite meals. Another amazing vegetable is of course broccoli. I grew up between the broccoli at home. It’s a great vegetable to see, from planting the plant until harvest and packaging them for the stores. It’s all nice work to do and beautiful to see the plants growing every day.   What are differences between your farm in the Netherlands and Pete’s Greens? The biggest difference is organic and conventional farming. We are a conventional farm which grows about 200 acres of broccoli, 160 acres of potatoes, milking +/- 90 cows, and we grow some small acres with other vegetables. We don’t have managers with their own tasks, so it’s really interesting to learn something from them here at Pete’s Greens. We are not organic, but we have a lot of sun collectors at the roof of our building and we are   trying to get a biorefinery to separate the manure to use the gas for powering the farm machinery. Another big difference are the customers: Pete’s Greens has a lot of restaurants and small stores as customers, we sell all our products to big companies and one big store, and our seed potatoes go to all over the world. If people likes to see a video of our farm and our sustainability efforts, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL3fYqUGyVw Above right, Djurretta at a photo shoot on her family's farm. Right, Djurretta packs this week's CSA shares while Pete's daughter supervises. Storage and Use Tips    Mesclun Mix: This week's mix includes a brassica mix (may be a little bitter), claytonia (the long stringy things), spinach, radish shoots (purpley ones), and sunflower shoots.   Mixed Baby Potatoes: We have a nice little potato mix this week of Adirondack Red, Gold, Red Norland, and Russet baby potatoes. These are small and perfect for roasting whole. With a tender skin, you can also boil and mash them all together to get a nice pinkish mashed potato. Gilfeather Turnip: Vermont's state vegetable! The Gilfeather turnip was bred and created here in VT by John Gilfeather of Wardsboro. The Slow Food site says this aboug Gilfeathers: "The Gilfeather is an egg-shaped, rough-skinned root, but unlike its cousins, it has a mild taste that becomes sweet and a creamy white color after the first frost. While the hardy Gilfeather turnip does well in nearly any climate, this touch of frost contributes to its unusual taste and texture. This turnip is one of the state's unique contributions to cold weather agriculture." They will store well in the fridge or try them out at your dinner table mashed or roasted, or even grated over salads. Napa Cabbage (small 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 Beans (large shares only) and Frozen Broccoli (both shares): 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. Your beans may be green, yellow, or a combination thereof - like our state colors! 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 Vermont Bean Crafters Hummish is a Vermonter's take on a traditional Mediterranean hummus! Instead of chickpeas, this hummus is made with Green Thumb Farm soldier beans (Fryeburg, ME) as well as the following regionally-grown ingredients: Dwight Miller Orchards apple cider vinegar (Dummerston), Moonlight Farm garlic (Waterbury Center), and Bear Roots Farm parsley (Barre), organic sunflower seed oil from Stony Brook WholeHeartedFoods (Geneva, NY)... so, it's hummus-ish. It's made in small batches in the kitchen at Kingsbury Market Garden in Warren, VT - by Vermonters! It's GMO-free, gluten-free, vegan, and made without preservatives and WITH joy! Enjoy it with carrots, crackers, falafel, or pita or other bread.  Bonnieview Farm in South Albany raises 120 sheep and 20 milking cows. This feta is a blend of both raw sheep and raw cow milk made last fall, packed in a brine of whey and salt, and lightly aged. The Urie family has been farming this land for, well, a long time! In the summer, you can visit them every Saturday at the Craftsbury Farmers' Market. The picture below from their farm was taken when this feta was made. This week we have three different types of Butterworks Farm yogurts - a plain whole milk and plain nonfat as well as honey. Jack and Anne Lazor's Butterworks Farm in Westfield is certified organic. Their Jersey cows are raised 100% on high fiber, mineral rich grasses, legumes, and forages. All the cows are born on the farm and weaned from milk at 5 months; they spend much of their life gorging on rotationally grazed pastures and sweet hay! This makes Butterworks' dairy products that much more nutritious. And, you can feel good knowing the cows are treated well inside and out. Late in the Fall Share, we surveyed members about Butterworks' individual size yogurts and most members preferred plain flavors and quarts. This week's plain flavors allow you to add your own flair to your yogurt, or go a little outside of our seasonal palatte and make tzatziki sauce (recipe below) for a Greek-inspired dish. ​ 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.  Tzatziki Sauce Tzatziki sauce is a Greek condiment served over gyros or a Greek salad. Also makes a nice sauce for dipping veggies. 1 c. yogurt 1 cucumber, grated or finely chopped; best to let drain in advance with salt Lemon juice Dill and/or mint Fresh garlic S&P to taste Whisk ingredients together or blend in food processor; add S&P. Let chill about 1- 2 hours. Use within a couple days. Scalloped Turnips 4 Tbsp butter 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions 4 cups peeled, thinly sliced turnips 2 Tbsp flour 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup cream Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 1-quart casserole. Melt 1 Tbsp butter and lightly sauté onions until just wilted. Layer a third of the sliced turnips in the casserole dish; top with a third of the onion; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of flour, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, and one grind of pepper; pat with dollops from 1 tablespoon of butter. Repeat this layering twice. Mix milk and cream together and pour over the turnips. Cover and bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes, then remove cover and bake for another 30-45 minutes, or until tender and bubbly. Salad with Beets and Yogurt Dressing 3/4 pound beets (2 large or 8 small), trimmed (Note: Small shares = 1 pound, Big shares = 2 pounds) 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil Coarse salt and ground pepper 1/2 cup 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. Rosy Beet/ Napa Cabbage Slaw From Global Cookbook. Serves 4-6. 6 c. Thinly sliced Napa cabbage leaves 1 1/2 c. Minced red onion 2 med Beets, grated 1 c. Minced fresh parsley 1/4 c. Red wine vinegar 1/2 c. Water 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar 1/2 tsp Salt 1/3 c. Minced fresh dill leaf 3 Tbsp. Minced fresh chives 1/2 c. Low fat lowfat sour cream Salt and freshly ground pepper Combine vegetables and parsley in a large bowl. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring till sugar is dissolved. Pour over vegetables and toss. Add in dill and chives and fold in well. Cover and let marinate overnight. Stir well once or twice. Just before serving, drain off excess liquid. Stir in lowfat sour cream and add in salt and pepper to taste. Rainbow Potato Salad The colorful potatoes in your bag today would make a beautiful, French-inspired potato salad. 1.5 pounds mixed potatoes, cut in 1 1/2 chunks (Note: This week your bags have 2 pounds of potatoes) 1/3 cup olive or sunflower oil 1/3 cup white wine 2 TB cider vinegar 1 1/2 TB Dijon-style mustard 1 tsp dried tarragon 1 tsp kosher salt freshly-ground pepper to taste 1/2 cup minced shallots 1 large clove garlic, minced Radish Sprouts Chopped Hard Boiled Egg In a medium pan submerge potato chunks in cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, just until potatoes are soft. As you will be slicing these, don't overcook. Drain potatoes. Return immediately to the hot pan and keep over heat for 30-60 seconds to dry out potatoes. While potatoes are simmering, whisk together the oil, wine, vinegar, mustard, tarragon, salt and pepper. Whisk in shallots and garlic. As soon as the potatoes are dry, remove from pan, slice and toss with the dressing. Serve potato salad over a bed of sprouts and garnish with chopped egg, if desired. Winter Rainbow Panzanella From My New Roots, my favorite food blogger! Great way to clean out your fridge and use your frozen and fresh veggies! This has been my go-to meal of choice - I roasted a ton of veggies over the weekend and have been eating them, along with the heel of my bread made into croutons, for dinner and lunch. Serves 4 4 cups winter greens 1 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice a couple pinches sea salt A variety of winter vegetables suitable for roasting: – sweet potato – golden & red beets - carrots – kohlrabi – parsnip – celeriac – butternut squash – potatoes - broccoli - cauliflower – leeks Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Scrub veggies well, chop into similar sized pieces (no need to peel!) and place on a baking sheet with a few knobs of coconut oil or ghee. Place in the oven and when the oil has melted, remove pan from oven, toss to coat veggies and return to the middle rack. Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your veggies. Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. While the veggies are roasting, prepare the kale and /or other greens. Wash and dry then well and chop into small pieces. Place in a large bowl and dress with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Vigorously massage the oil and juice into the greens for two whole minutes until they are tender and dark green. Season to taste.   To assemble salad, Top the greens with the roasted veggies, add as many pickled carrots as you like, drizzle the dressing over and toss. Top with garlic croutons and serve. Overnight Ginger-Pickled Carrots 300g carrots (about 1.25 cups) 1 cup / 250ml apple cider vinegar 1 cup / 250ml water (or more if needed) 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup ½ Tbsp. fine grain sea salt small knob of ginger (about 10g), peeled and sliced Scrub carrots well. Using a vegetable peeler, slice the carrots lengthwise into long, thing ribbons. Place into a 1-quart / 1 liter glass container. In a measuring cup combine the vinegar, water, maple syrup, salt and ginger, and stir to dissolve the salt. Pour over the carrots and top up with more water as needed to cover them completely. Place in the fridge for 24 hours and enjoy the next day. Grainy Mustard Dressing 3 Tbsp. cold-pressed olive oil 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard 1 tsp. maple syrup generous pinch of sea salt Whisk all ingredients together. Season to taste.