Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - August 9, 2017

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Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag contains: Mesclun, Dill, Euro Cucumber, Cauliflower, Orange Carrot, Garlic, Yellow Onions, Red Norland Potatoes, and Out of the Bag: Tomatoes Half Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Mesclun, Dill, Euro Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Yellow Onion, Red Norland Potatoes, and Out of the Bag: Tomatoes Localvore Offerings Include: Cellars at Jasper Hill Moses Sleeper Champlain Orchards Peaches Pete's Greens Blueberries Blueberries If you are a half or full veggie share member who picks up at one of these sites, please remember to pick up your blueberries! - Hardwick - East State St - National Life - Senior Activity Center - BCBS - Barre Orange St (This is also on the weekly checklist. Speaking of...) A reminder about CSA pickup: Please be sure to read the pickup instructions listed at your site each week. Remember that we only send enough items for each person to get one. If you take something that is not yours, that will short another member. If you have someone picking up your share, please remind them of the pickup instructions and to read carefully so they know what to take. Please coordinate with your share partners so only one of you is picking up.  Thanks for your careful attention in picking up your share. If you have any issues, please email me at goodeats@petesgreens.com. Your site hosts volunteer their space and their time, but it's easiest if we handle communication directly.

Around the Farm Things are busy, busy, busy at the farm! We're in full swing with all types of produce coming in from the field, still battling the extremes of days of rain and days of full, hot sun. I'm looking forward to the Kingdom Farm and Food Days coming up next weekend! I hope you'll join us on the farm for an Open Farm day. It's a great opportunity to check out our wash house and our fields, and to connect in person.  It's been exciting on Instragram to see our members posting pictures of their veggies and the meals they make from their CSA goodies each week! If you fancy yourself a fine food photographer, follow us at @petes.greens on Instagram and tag us in your photos! Folks are so creative with their veggies, whether they're camping with their CSA, entertaining guests, or throwing something together at the spur of the moment. You may have seen the picture below on Instagram. Our farmstand roof is a "living roof", or a "green roof." It's alive with tons of growth - flowers and edibles, like squash! It's cooler than it has been in many years. It's not only cool, it's super functional, collecting and filtering rain water, keeping rain from running off a regular roof. Come check it out!  ~ Taylar Storage and Use Tips  Mesclun: This week's greens is a bag of pre-washed, field harvested baby greens. Dill: It may be a less common herb, but dill is a flavorful addition to many different foods. Store it in a damp paper towel inside a plastic bag or to preserve it, you can dry it or wash it, chop it, dry it, then freeze it. Dill perks up soups, salads, casseroles. It pairs really well with cucumbers, potatoes, eggs, beets, fish, salads and salad dressings, tomatoes, yogurt. Red Norland Potatoes: Fresh baby potatoes this week! Red Norland potatoes have a white flesh and a red skin. Because these potatoes are fresh and young, their skin is very tender. We've hand washed them to preserve the skin, so they're not as clean as we normally send out potatoes, but we did that to not scrub them. They should be stored in the refrigerator until cooking and you should plan to clean them before eating.  Garlic: We've harvested all our garlic for the season! This garlic is slightly cured - meaning it's had some time to dry out and cure, but hasn't cured completely. If you store it in the fridge, you'll need to use it a little sooner. You can also store it on your kitchen counter, where it's likely to be drier and will help the curing process along. Fresh garlic will have a stronger, more pungent fragrance. Whichever way you choose to store it is fine. Orange Carrots (full shares): Bunched orange carrots are a tasty snack! I had to do some product testing so I can verify these carrots are delicious. They're freshly harvested and washed. We're sending them with the greens on; more adventurous cooks will appreciate the opportunity for creativity with the carrot greens, which are totally edible! You can cook them/ saute them as you would any other green, but they are more bitter than most greens. They also make a nice pesto or addition to a fresh greens salad. You may also choose to just cut them off and compost them. We decided to leave them on for this week because only too soon, we'll be harvesting our carrots for storage, which means we have to trim off the greens out of necessity. It seems too soon to lose this nice pop of summer with the greens. Store carrots in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer for the longest shelf life. Here are some ideas for using carrots: eat carrots raw, add them to yogurt with mint for an Indian raita, grate them and add into banana and other quick breads or muffins, add to stir fries and fried rice dishes, make them into a soup, or turn them into pickles.  Eggplant (half shares): We have two varieties of eggplant going out this week - the long skinny ones are the Japanese eggplant and the darker, "bulb" shaped ones are the Black Beauties, a more traditional kind of eggplant. Eggplants do not like cold, so please bag them well and put them in your crisper drawer for extra cold protection. Eggplant is a great source of dietary fiber. Do not cut the eggplant before you store it as that will cause it to deteriorate faster. Try to avoid damaging the skin while it is in your fridge. Saute it, make an eggplant parmigiana with it, bread it and fry it, try it in ratatouille, or turn it into a delicious appetizer (see some ideas below). It's also nice when stir fried or used in a curry. Some of the eggplants may have some skin blemishes and/ or speckles in them. The eggplants are fine, still good and edible. These cosmetic issues don't change the taste. Tomatoes: You'll receive a mix of different colored tomatoes, but most of them will be red, pink, or yellow slicers. A note about the tomatoes this week: The tomatoes were harvested Monday while still underripe, so if you get tomatoes that are firm and/or a combo of red and yellow colors, they may need to sit on your counter for another day or two before slicing. Some of our heirloom tomatoes are naturally red and yellow, but they'll be soft and darker in complexion. Please, only take 1 bag of tomatoes. 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. 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. Sorry, we cannot make changes to the week's delivery after 8 am on Monday. Localvore Lore This is the first time Champlain Orchards has had peaches since 2015! These are a treat! Champlain Orchards, located in Shoreham in Addison County, grows a variety of fruits. This variety is Garnet Beauty. It's perfect for fresh eating! Peaches can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Putting them in the fridge extends their shelflife but they are perfectly fine to stay out on the counter - especially if they won't last long! Champlain Orchards is certified "eco-conscious", meaning they don't use harmful sprays, but they are not certified organic. Fresh off their big wins at the American Cheese Society's annual competition, Moses Sleeper buttons from the Cellars at Jasper Hill are described as "an approachable and nuanced brie-style cheese." This is the perfect cheese for a cheeseboard or try baking it en croute for an elegant dessert. At the ACS' annual conference and cheese competition two weekends ago, Moses Sleeper won second place in the soft-ripened cow's milk category -- behind Jasper Hill's Harbison cheese and in front of Waitsfield's von Trapp Farmstead Mt. Alice cheese. Vermont for the win! Pete's Greens blueberries for the pantry share members this week! These are our very own certified Organic blueberries, complete with a unique touch of hail damage from storms earlier in July. The berries are delicious, despite their rough exterior. If you can't get to them in time, you can easily put them in a closable bag and pop them in the freezer.  Recipes Find more recipes by searching our website or looking through past newsletters here. Chicken Salad Pita with Baba Ganoush  1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 3 teaspoons dried mint, crumbled 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 2 garlic scapes!) Kosher salt 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 4 chicken scallopine (4 to 5 ounces each) 1 cup coarsely chopped tomatoes 1 unpeeled cucumber, chopped Freshly ground pepper 4 pocketless pitas 1/2 cup baba ganoush 2 cups chopped lettuce Whisk the vinegar, mint, red pepper flakes, 1 clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes, cucumber and the remaining 1 clove garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Toss with the vegetables. Brush the pitas with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until marked. Place a pita on each plate and spread with baba ganoush. Top with lettuce and chicken salad and drizzle with any juices from the bowl. Baba Ganoush With eggplant season starting, it's a good time to share this recipe again.  Even folks who don't think they like eggplant have trouble not loving this delicious spread. 1 large eggplant 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed 1 pinch ground cumin salt, to taste 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley Preheat an oven to 375°F. Place the halved eggplant to an oiled baking sheet and bake until very soft, 15 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and peel off and discard the skin. Place the eggplant flesh in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the eggplant to a paste. Add the 1/4 cup tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the cumin and mix well. Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini and/or lemon juice, if needed. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley. Caponata This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen. Here are the author’s notes: I am a heathen (!) who rarely salts my eggplant, which generations of eggplant-cookers swear improves its texture and fry-ability. I don’t find it necessary to get a good flavor (less bitter, is the argument) or texture and laziness wins. But, should you wish to, simply toss your eggplant cubes with a teaspoon or two of coarse salt in a colander and let it sit/drain for 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Press out as much extra liquid as you can, then spread the eggplant out on a paper towels to dry it as well as possible before continuing with the frying step. Then feel free to tell me what I’m missing. If you cannot bear to use canned crushed tomatoes when fresh ones are so good, feel free to chop your own plum tomatoes very well until you reach 1 cup. I peeled mine first (I use this when I just have one or two and don’t want the extra step of blanching) and squeezed out most of the seeds for a more canned-like texture. Enough olive oil to deep fry 2 pound eggplant, cut into 1″ cubes 1 large yellow or sweet-variety onion, chopped medium-small 1 to 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1⁄4 cup water 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes (or use fresh, see directions up top) 6 ounces (about 1 cup) green olives, pitted and roughly chopped 1⁄2 cup white wine vinegar 1⁄2 cup golden raisins (I used half for a less sweet caponata) 1⁄4 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed and drained 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (I used 1 tablespoon, but sweeter is more traditional) 1⁄2 cup finely slivered basil 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted until golden and cooled In a large skillet (12 inches is ideal), heat oil over medium-high heat. Once very hot, working in batches, fry eggplant cubes in one layer at a time, stirring and turning occasionally until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to drain eggplant over skillet, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Transfer drained and mostly cooled eggplant to a large bowl. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons olive oil, and reserve the rest for another use. Cook onions and and celery with salt and pepper over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add tomato paste and water and cook, stirring, until caramelized and almost evaporated, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add crushed tomatoes; cook for 10 minutes. Stir in olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to bowl with eggplant, along with basil and pine nuts, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and let cool to room temperature before serving. Roseanne Cash’s All American Potato Salad 2 - 3 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed 6 - 8 dill pickle spears or a handful of cornichon, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 2- 3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup) 1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 2- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped 2/3 cup mayonnaise 1- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill Salt and pepper to taste A few hours before serving or, even better, the day before: Place potatoes in medium-sized pot and cover with a few inches of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and cool completely. (Overnight in the fridge makes this easy, and the potatoes even easier to slice cleanly the next day.) To assemble and serve: Cut cooled potatoes into chunks and transfer to large bowl. Add pickles, celery, onion, and eggs. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and dill in a jar. Stir about half of dressing into salad, tossing to combine evenly. Add more dressing to taste, and season well with salt and pepper. Do ahead: Keep dressing and vegetables separate until just before serving. Potato salad keeps for up to 4 days in fridge. Leftover dressing should keep for a couple weeks. Roast Bunched Carrots in honey, balsamic, and thyme 1 bunch carrots, scrubbed well, tops trimmed, left whole or cut in ½ 1 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar Few sprigs fresh thyme 2 tbsp clear honey Salt & pepper Preheat oven to 400°F. Put the carrots in a baking dish. Toss in the olive oil and vinegar. Season and scatter over the sprigs of thyme. Cover with foil and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss in the honey. Uncover and roast for a further 15-20 minutes or so, until the carrots are just tender. Cauliflower with Garlic and Chili 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 chili, chopped 1 dried chili, crumbled 1 tsp dried oregano 2 tbsp olive oil Cauliflower florets Lemon juice Gently cook the garlic, chlli, dried chili and oregano in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Blanch the cauliflower florets for 2 minutes, then drain well and toss in the flavoured oil. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve. Carrot top pesto 2 cups packed roughly chopped carrot tops (what your bunch is) 6 garlic scapes roughly chopped (or 2 – 3 cloves garlic) salt and pepper 1⁄4 cup packed grated parmesan 1⁄4 cup toasted pine nuts (or walnuts) 1⁄2 cup sunflower or olive oil In a blender or food processor, you are going to want to lightly pulse all the ingredients except for the oil until mostly combined. Then set it to process on a low setting and slowly pour the oil in through the opening of the top of the blender/processor, blitzing just until it comes together. Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container with a light layer of olive oil on the top. It also freezes well. This pesto can be used like regular pesto: as a dip, in pasta sauces, as a sandwich spread, etc. Dilly Potatoes 1 pound potatoes, cut into 1" pieces 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 3 teaspoons dry vermouth or dry white wine 4 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup minced fresh dill Cut the potatoes lengthwise into fourths and in a steamer set over boiling water steam them, covered, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until they are just tender. In a bowl whisk together the mustard, the vinegar, the vermouth, and salt to taste, add the oil in a stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. Add the potatoes while they are still warm to the dressing and toss them gently with the dressing, the dill, and pepper to taste until they are coated well. Let the potato mixture stand, tossing it occasionally, for 30 minutes and serve it at room temperature. The potato mixture may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the potato mixture return to room temperature before serving. Mustard Dill Dressing This easy dressing recipe is great on salads or over cooked veggies. 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill In a bowl whisk together mustard, vinegar, water, sugar, and salt and add oil in a stream, whisking until dressing is emulsified. Whisk in dill. Dilled Cucumber, Tomato and Celery Salad Unfortunately we're not sending out celery this week, but I wanted to leave this recipe as is just in case you have access to some, or to an alternative; I'm sure it'd be delicious without celery!  1/3 cup water 1 tablespoon dill seed 1 tablespoon honey 1/3 cup buttermilk salad dressing and seasoning mix 2 cups mayonnaise 1 cup buttermilk 1 1/3 cups milk 1 cup white vinegar 1-2 large cucumbers, quartered and thinly sliced 3 tomatoes, cubed 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/2 onion, sliced and quartered 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt Fresh Dill Place water and dill seed in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Whisk in honey and salad dressing mix, then pour mixture into a large bowl. Whisk in mayonnaise, buttermilk, milk, and vinegar until smooth. Place cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, onion, garlic, salt, and fresh dill into a separate bowl, and pour half of the dressing onto the vegetables; toss well. Cover, and refrigerate salad for at least 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing for future use.