Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - January 3, 2018

THIS IS A MEAT WEEK! Announcements! Welcome to 2018! It's sure off to a bang, with temperatures at -21 and -22 yesterday and today, respectively, and without wind chill! Our greenhouses are pumping away, heated with propane underground and above ground. Our seed starting room is a toasty 72 degrees, a nice reprieve from the rest of the farm! We have starts going already, which is always a hopeful sign for the new growing season. You'll notice a slightly different weekly checklist at your site this week. We've updated it to hopefully provide a little more clarity. If you have a MEAT SHARE, the color of bag (red) will be listed under the first column that says Color of Bag. If you have a veggie bag and a meat bag to pick up, you'll see both colors listed. If you have an egg share, there is now a separate column for that, too. Plus your eggs will be labeled! Ideas about how to improve this checklist? Email me! At the start a new year, we also start signing up members for our Spring CSA share. The Spring Share starts February 14/15. Sign up here. We wish you well in 2018 and welcome in another year of eating healthy, fresh, local, and organic. ~ Taylar This week in your share: Everyday Large  Salad Mix, 1 bunch Red Kale, 1 bunch Tatsoi, 2 heads garlic, 1# Onion, 1.5# Mixed Carrots, 2# Parsnips, 2# Rutabaga, 4# Sweet Potatoes Everyday Standard Salad Mix, 1 bunch Tatsoi or Pac Choi, 2 heads garlic, 1# Onion, 1# Mixed Carrots, 1.5# Adirondack Red Potatoes, 2# Parsnip, 2# Rutabaga Fancy Salad Mix, 2 heads Garlic, 1 bunch Red Kale, 1 bunch Parsley, 1 bunch Celery, 1 bunch Sorrel or Chard, .75# Black Radish, 1# Mixed Carrots, 1.5# Yellow Onions, 2# Adirondack Red Potatoes Pete's Pantry Red Hen Baking Co Mad River Grain, Bonnieview Farm Feta, Pete's Greens Baba Ganoush, Pete's Greens Zesty Dill Freezer Pickles This week's share contents will make for lovely roasted root dishes! Something hearty, warm, and healthy to help get through these chilly days. I've included a Winter Rainbow Panzanella recipe below, which is wonderful for using a variety of root veggies, which aren't always the best on their own. Root veggies are also great for making soups. Salad Mix: This blend is mostly spinach with lettuce, shoots, and claytonia (the long, stringy green). Sorrel is popular in and commonly used in France and adds a nice zing to a variety of dishes. Make it the highlight or use it to add a little extra flavor. I found a good resource with ideas about how to use sorrel (below). Have you had a successful sorrel dish that you'd like to share? Let me know! – Add to soups – Make it into a sauce for fish or shred it and stuff into fish – Add to omelets and scrambled eggs – Add to a stuffing for meat – Add to quiches – Add to mashed potatoes – Add to hummus – Add to pasta – Add to mixed-leaf and herb salads – Use as a filling for buckwheat crêpes – Make it into a pesto, to use in pasta, on pizzas, or with grilled salmon Celery: Wrap unwashed celery tightly in a plastic bag and store in the coldest part of your refrigerator. To maintain really crisp celery, store as you would basil or parsley. That is, place it upright in a glass of water in your fridge and cover loosely with a plastic bag. Tatsoi/ Pac Choi: Both are Asian greens that are packed full of nutritious vitamins and minerals and both can be used interchangeably. Enjoy fresh/ raw or cooked/ sauteed! The more common variety of pac choi is bok choy, so you may have an easier time finding recipes for bok choy. Your pac choi (or tatsoi) can be used as you would pac choi. Rutabaga: Rutabaga grows particularly well in colder climates, and is especially popular in Sweden (where it earned its second name, swede).  Rutabagas should be peeled before use. Some rutabagas may have come out of the ground with superficial worm track markings. Don't be deterred if your rutabagas have these marks. Just peel or slice off the outer layer (which you need to do anyway) and the inside should be just fine. Keep them loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your fridge and they'll last for several weeks at least. Roast it, mash it with butter, season with salt and pepper, cook it like a fry, you can't go wrong. Featured Recipes Winter Rainbow Panzanella This recipe comes from my favorite food blogger, My New Roots. You will probably see this recipe again as it is a great way to use a variety of seasonal veggies - whatever you have on hand! If you need to clean out your fridge, this is the kind of dish to make. Ingredients 4 cups shredded kale leaves (or any hearty winter green, such as chard or spinach) 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, such as: potato, carrot, rutabaga, golden & red beets, kohlrabi, parsnip, celeriac, squash, Jerusalem artichoke, turnip Directions Preheat oven to 400°F. 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 them 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 (or other veg) as you like, drizzle the dressing over, and toss. Top with garlic croutons and serve. 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 Directions Whisk all ingredients together. Season to taste. Baby Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce 1 tablespoon soy sauce 3 ½ tablespoons oyster sauce Pinch of sugar 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (do not use seasoned rice vinegar) 1 tablespoon neutral oil 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 4 to 6 bunches of baby bok choy, approximately 1 1/2 pounds, cleaned, with ends trimmed Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and rice vinegar in a bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a skillet or wok set over high heat. When it shimmers, add garlic, then bok choy, and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water to the skillet or wok, then cover it and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until bok choy has softened nicely at its base. Remove bok choy from the skillet or wok and place it on a warmed platter. Drizzle the reserved sauce over the greens and serve. Chili Mango Bok Choy Slaw I just came across this recipe from celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. Sounds like a refreshing way to eat bok choy and seasonal mangoes! For the Slaw: 3 cups baby bok choy, thinly sliced 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced 1 cup shredded carrots 1 mango, cubed 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped For the Dressing: 2 tbsp. grapeseed oil 1 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar 1 tbsp. chili garlic sauce 1 tbsp. tamari 1 tsp. sesame oil salt and pepper to taste In a large bowl, combine the bok choy, red cabbage, shredded carrots, cilantro, and mango. Toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the slaw. Garnish with additional cilantro leaves. Root Veggie Gratin with Horseradish Crust Recipe comes from the Driftless Organics CSA,, a great resource for recipe ideas. 2 ½ lbs. mixed root vegetables (rutabaga, turnip, parsnip, carrot, potato, etc.) 4 ounces grated cheddar cheese 3 Tbsp. flour ½ cup rye bread crumbs 2 cups whole milk, heated 1-2 Tbsp. sunflower oil 3 Tbsp. butter ⅓ cup apple cider or wine 1 Tbsp. minced garlic ⅛ tsp. nutmeg Salt & pepper 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread vegetables & garlic in large baking dish, drizzle with oil & cider or wine. Season to taste with salt & pepper, & toss well. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil & bake 20 minutes. Remove foil & continue to roast until vegetables are brown-tipped & tender 20-25 min. Meanwhile, start make a white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour & cook over low heat several minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to simmer, & cook gently 10 minutes,stirring often. Season with salt, pepper, & nutmeg. Gently fold the sauce into the roasted vegetables. Mix horseradish, cheddar, & bread crumbs with your fingers. Scatter the mixture evenly over the vegetables. Continue to bake until bubbly, 20- 30 minutes. Carrots and Rutabaga Mash This is a very simple and basic recipe, but so good.  1 pound peeled and chopped carrots 1 pound peeled and chopped rutabaga 1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons, butter Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish Boil carrots and rutabaga together until just soft. Drain and add butter. Smash together using either a potato masher or food processor until it looks like a puree. Season with lots of pepper and a little salt. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh parsley. Meat Share Pete's Greens Chicken, raised on our farm in East Calais. Perfect for roasting and baking whole. Save the bones for stock! Steak: comes from McKnight Farm in East Montpelier and Greenfield Highland Cattle in Greensboro & Plainfield. These are high end steak cuts, so take care cooking! Don't overcook or allow meat to dry out! Because of the lower fat content and resulting quicker cook time - lower the heat by 50°F, cook for 30% less time than grain fed beef recipes. Marinating in oil will add moisture and help seal in juices. Pan is better than grill for same reason of retaining juices. Turn with tongs, not a fork to hold in the juices. Cook to medium rare. Try out Amy's favorite beef marinade recipe below. The ground pork is from VT99, our collaboration project with Jasper Hill Farm. Healthy pigs raised on whey and organic veggies. Great for making meatballs and patties or brown and add to any variety of dishes. A casserole may be delightful this time of year. Or try the pork fried rice recipe below - wonderful for using your tatsoi/ pac choi. Pork Fried Rice Fried rice is a great way to use up veggies hanging out in your fridge. While this recipe, which comes from Martha Stewart, uses peas and carrots, try throwing in tatsoi/ pac choi or finely diced squash, or whatever veg you prefer. This recipe should only take about 30 minutes. To make vegetarian friendly, omit the pork or substitute tofu. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons plus 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced (could also use leeks) 1/2 pound ground pork 2 carrots, shredded 1/2 cup frozen peas 2 cups cooked white rice (about 3/4 cup uncooked rice) 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (no rice vinegar? use distilled white vinegar instead) In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce to combine. Add eggs to wok and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook, without stirring, until almost set, 1 minute, then fold in thirds with a spatula. Transfer cooked eggs to a work surface and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok and swirl to coat. Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add pork and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add carrots, peas, and rice and stir to combine. Add cooked egg, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and vinegar and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is coated, about 1 minute. Let cook, undisturbed, until warm, about 1 minute. Top with scallion greens and serve. Quick and Easy (and delicious) Baked Chicken This is a Mark Bittman recipe Amy makes often - it's a crowd pleaser! Her notes are included below:  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) 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup fresh herbs (or 1-2 tsp dried) salt and pepper  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. *Stir in a cup of any salsa in the last 10 minutes of cooking or spoon on top of the cooked chicken before serving. Citrus Herb Marinade This is Amy's favorite marinade for beef steaks. It's from the good old Joy of Cooking. You can assemble this in about 3 minutes. She says: I like to marinate steaks for at least a few hours or up to 2 days in this marinade. If pan cooking, I use some of the marinade to provide liquid to the pan. 1/4 c mild tasting oil (olive oil or sunflower work well here) 2.5 Tbs lemon juice 1.5 Tbs orange juice or red wine 1/3 c parsley (nice if you have it - but I often don't and just skip) 1.5 tsp dried thyme or appropriate herb 1/2 bay leaf crumbled 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper Pantry Lore This week's bread comes from Red Hen Baking Co in Middlesex. This is the Mad River Grain, made with organic unbleached wheat flour from Quebec, and an "orchestra of grains and seeds" - all certified organic: whole wheat flour, sunflower seeds, steel cut oats, flax seed meal, brown flax seeds, VT grown heirloom cornmeal, whole rye chops, whole sesame seeds, and golden flax seeds. Store your bread sliced side down - the bag is unnecessary once the loaf is home! Neil and Kristen Urie at Bonnieview Farm in nearby East Albany run a 470 acre farm with 170 milking ewes. Their Blended Feta is in our share this week; it's a mix of cow's and sheep's milk. This feta is tasty enough to eat on its own, and is also great in salads and various recipes. We are also sending you Baba Ganoush from our kitchen at Pete's Greens. Baba ganoush is a thick mediterranian spread made from our own organic eggplant, garlic, tahini, oil, lemon, and spices. It is great as a dip or on sandwiches, or use it as a rub for meat (see below). You can liven it up after thawing by draining any excess water. Add a sprinkle of fresh green herbs, like parsley, as a garnish. Our popular farm-made Zesty Dill Freezer Pickles round out the share! These are a member favorite and the delightful blend of sweet, sour, and zesty comes together beautifully. Try not to eat them in one sitting! Chicken Baked with Baba Ganoush Try this quick and easy way to prepare chicken breasts, baked with flavorful baba ganoush. The eggplant spread lends its slightly garlicky and smoky flavor to enhance chicken. Plus, the coating of baba ganoush helps seal in juices, making for a more moist, flavorful chicken breast. 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (for the adventurous: try using the chicken breasts from your whole chicken!) 1/2 cup baba ganoush 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, divided Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a large baking dish. Spoon babaganoush on top of each chicken breast, so the top of each breast is evenly covered with a thick layer of babaganoush. Sprinkle top with paprika and with some of the parsley. Bake for about 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with additional chopped parsley as a garnish.  Creamy Feta Dressing This is perfect for livening up your salad! If you have beets hanging around, they would be delightful abed your salad mix. If you have fresh mint, use some here. Makes about 1 cup. 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tbsp cider vinegar 1/4 tsp salt, to taste 3 tbsp yogurt 1 tbsp mayonnaise fresh black pepper fresh minced or dry herbs: mint, dill, chives, parsley 1/3 c oil 1/3 c feta cheese, finely crumbled  Blend together vinegar, garlic, yogurt, mayo, salt, pepper, & herbs. Blend in the oil in a drizzle until emulsified, then stir in feta. Keeps 1 week in the refrigerator.