Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - February 21, 2018

Announcements Welcome to week 2 of our Spring share! Forecast is bringing spring-type rains, and mixed amounts of sunshine. The more sun, the more our greenhouses will produce! I'm excited that we have bunches of chard back; the first bunch of greens from our greenhouses. Melissa, Tobin, and I have been busy planning out greens based on what we believe will be available from the greenhouse over the next few weeks. February is always the toughest month for us as we transition our greens growing and spring/ summer starts, plus battling unpredictable weather! See more from Melissa below. Also from Melissa this week is info about our "beneficial insects" program. We raise three types of aphids - insects - to control bug populations inside our greenhouses. You can view the 3 1/2 minute video here. What to do with those plastic bags your veggies arrive in each week? Return them! Many of our members find uses for their CSA bags while others end up with piles of them wondering, "what in the world do I do with these bags?!" Through some awesome connections with our CSA members, we've found a home for them - the Montpelier Food Shelf picks up clean CSA bags from one of our CSA sites in Montpelier and uses them for bagging items at the food shelf. Please return your CLEAN veggie bags (please, no red meat bags) to your CSA site and we'll get them to the food shelf! You may also return your clean cardboard egg cartons to your CSA site. Those will come back to our farm where they find their way back to their producers who reuse the cartons. ~ Taylar

Reminder - Picking up your CSA Share Everyday Standard share members: take a YELLOW bag (and frozen veggies) Everyday Large members: take an ORANGE bag (and frozen veggies) Fancy and Localvore members: take a PURPLE bag (and frozen veggies) Localvore and pantry share members should take 3 - 4 "out of bag" pantry items. Check the checklist and the coolers. Bread, egg, and cheese share members will look for their items at their site and in coolers. Items are individually labeled. Check the weekly names checklist for instructions as to what to pick up. Find your name, then follow the line across and take what is listed for you! Then, check off your name. We use this at the end of the day to solve any mysteries. If splitting a share, please coordinate so you don't take duplicates! A sample of the weekly checklist you'll find at your site. Names on the left, bags in the middle, pantry and add-ons to the right. NOTE: This is not for this season! Large shares take orange (left), Standard take yellow (top right), Fancy/ Localvore take purple (bottom right)

Around the Farm The life of our winter chard When planning for our winter food we are optimistically looking 2 seasons ahead. The chard that makes its way into your CSA this week and some of the other winter fresh harvested veggies such as parsley, cress, and sorrel were started in August. The seeds were sown in trays during our warmest summer month. These plants then grow in trays for a 4-5 weeks before we plant them into the greenhouses. In September, tomato season in slowing down but we want to hold on to those tomato plants as long as possible. So we plant on the sides of the tomato beds. When the tomatoes come at the end of September we fill in the rest of the beds with other later veggies such as spinach. Having nice strong plants going into the winter is important. After that we are defending against really fidget temperatures and aphids. There are water pipes buried in the soil and in one greenhouse resting just above the soil surface to add some additional heat. Since we are heating a space with a thin plastic wall it is important that we do all we can to conserve that heat. We use row cover or remay (white UV penetrable blankets) to cover the plants and hold in the soil heat. Depending on the weather we may have as many as 3 layers of row cover on our plants to keep the plants from a hard freeze. As soon as we get a sunny day we can uncover, check plants for moisture, and assess quality. To defend against aphids through the winter months we release lady beetles that aggressively eat any lurking aphids. Check out the video about other beneficial insects we use to defend against aphids! Sunshine makes all the difference this time of year. On a sunny day, you can almost watch the greenhouse plants growing upwards. But a stretch of clouds and those plants seem to stay in hibernation. So here’s to sunny weather and fresh greens.   ~Melissa All these little specks are aphids. We're growing them and will plant these plants throughout the greenhouses to release the "good" (or beneficial) insects into the air, to trap and control the "bad" insects. This is an alternative to spraying harmful chemicals onto veggies.

Going out of town? Need to skip a delivery? We can donate your share to the food shelf, send it the next week, or credit your account for a future share. Please notify us by Monday, 8 am, at the latest for any changes to that week's delivery.

This week in your share:

Everyday Large Mesclun, Chard, Green Cabbage, Parsnip, Celeriac, Adirondack Red Potatoes, Yellow Onions, Garlic, and OUT OF THE BAG Frozen Squash and Frozen Cauliflower Everyday Standard Mesclun, Green Cabbage, Rutabaga, Celeriac, Adirondack Red Potatoes, Yellow Onions, Garlic, and OUT OF THE BAG Frozen Squash Fancy Mesclun, Chard, Daikon Radish (or kohlrabi), Celeriac, Banana Fingerling Potatoes, Yellow Onions, Black Garlic, and OUT OF THE BAG Frozen Squash

Bread Share Patchwork Farm & Bakery Anna Rosie's Country French Pete's Pantry Butterworks Farm Yogurt, Mary's Granola, Frozen Raspberries or Strawberries Cheese Share Sweet Rowen Farmstead Storm

Every week we'll send you snapshots of veggies in your share. You can always find more recipes and storage info on our blog and website. Mesclun: The greens mix this week includes spinach, two types of shoots, claytonia, and upland cress. The colorful greens pack a nutritional punch with iron in the spinach; Vitamin C in the claytonia (also called miner's lettuce); and vitamins, folic acid, antioxidants, and more nutritional benefits from the shoots and cress. All of these little greens have more to them than meets the eye! The greens are pre-washed and ready to eat. Unopened, this bag will last for at least a week or 10 days. Opened, it will start to deteriorate after a few days. Adirondack Red Potatoes - Adirondack Red potatoes have a bright red skin and an even more vibrant interior! Use these purplish red potatoes, which do lighten some after cooking, as vibrant home fries for dinner or breakfast. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Banana Fingerlings: The unusual-looking, flavorful potatoes can be used just like regular potatoes in an assortment of roasted, broiled, baked, grilled, or boiled dishes.  With a firm texture and great flavor, the banana fingerling is perfect for salads, as well as roasting. These should be kept in a cool, dark place. Make sure that they are dry before storing. Daikon Radish: The long white vegetable in Everyday Large bags is the daikon radish or Chinese radish. Raw daikon is great sliced thinly in soups and stir-fries, or grated in slaws and salads. Loosely wrap these radishes in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. This is the last of our daikon radish, so apologies for its slightly unsightly appearance; it can be peeled off. Celeriac: Store unwashed celeriac in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks. Soak celeriac briefly in warm water and then scrub it with a stiff brush. Take a thin slice off the top and bottom and peel it with a sharp paring knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler. A few deep crevices will remain; leave them, or slice them out. Remove the core if it seems pithy or hollow. Like apples, celeriac will darken if exposed to the air for too long. If you don’t plan to cook it immediately, submerge the celeriac in a bowl of water with lemon juice squeezed in. Fancy share members are also receiving some of our black garlic. Perhaps you've seen it in the store and thought it looked too funky (and pricy) to try. This is a great opportunity! Black garlic is garlic that is "caramelized" - or browned - using a slow cooking process. It's sweet and a little tangy. We recommend keeping it in the refrigerator, but much like regular garlic, I prefer to keep mine on the counter. Try eating it as it is (peel off the skin and pop the clove directly in your mouth!) or spread it on a piece of bread. You can also use it as you would roasted garlic, as a rub on chicken or fish before roasting or mix it into dressings. Frozen Squash: Frozen butternut squash comes from our partnership with High Mowing Seeds. Each year, they end up with thousands of pounds of squash from their seed trials. Some of the fruit ends up in Hardwick at the annual "Pies for People" event and we end up with a lot of it - after the seeds are extracted, we puree the flesh and make this yummy puree. The squash is great for making soups (see below) or adding to macaroni cheese or casseroles. I'm including a recipe for pumpkin bread that is not your typical "fall-pumpkin-spice" flavor. I think the puree would work well here; the spice is not over the top at all. Featured Recipes Warm Fingerling Potato Salad Already looking for a good alternative to roasting roots? Tossing boiled roots with flavorful herbs and oil while they're still hot is the next-best thing. The warm vegetables soak in the flavors of the herbs beautifully, and the salad only gets better after a few days in the fridge. 2 pounds fingerling potatoes 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, smashed 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1/2 medium red onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup) 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced crosswise on bias 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Salt to taste Place potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan covered 2 inches by salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, capers, lemon, and red onion. Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat. Drain the potatoes, halve lengthwise, and toss with warm dressing, celery, and parsley. Salt to taste and serve warm. Steamed Fingerling Potatoes Inspired by Ina Garten. 1 pound fingerling potatoes 1 1/2 teaspoons salt pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed between your fingers 1 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil In a saucepan cover potatoes with cold water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes, just until tender. Drain potatoes in a colander. Toss with thyme and leave in colander, covered with a kitchen towel for about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Toss with remaining salt, pepper, thyme and oil. Serve warm. Butternut Squash Ginger Carrot Soup 1 butternut squash (or package of frozen squash) 6 carrots 4 cloves garlic 1 thumb size piece (or larger) of fresh ginger 1 onion 1 qt stock (veg or chicken - fish could also work nicely here) water olive oil salt & pepper (optional - cream, milk, sour cream, or coconut milk) Cover the bottom of a large stock/soup pot with oil and add diced onion and a bit of salt on low heat. Cook 5-10 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add garlic and ginger with salt and pepper to taste and cook another 5 min so the flavors blend. Peel, seed and cut the butternut squash into large chunks. Wash and cut the carrots into large chunks as well. Add the stock to the soup pot, then the carrots and squash, then add water to barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the carrots are tender. Using a potato masher, crush the cooked veg then blend to your preference. I usually like to blend half leaving some of the mashed carrots and squash for some texture. At this point you can stir in something creamy if desired. I used about half a can of coconut milk recently and thought it was perfect. If using sour cream, add it into the serving bowl as a garnish. Celeriac Remoulade (Celery Root Salad) This salad is a refreshing cool coleslaw-like salad. A food processor makes the job of grating the celeriac much faster.  1/2 cup mayonnaise (or swap in crème fraiche) 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp chopped parsley 1 lb celery root - quartered, peeled, and coarsely grated just before mixing 1/2 tart apple, peeled, cored, julienned Salt and freshly ground pepper Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and parsley in a medium-sized bowl. Fold in the celery root and apple and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Celery Root and Potato Puree This comes from an Alice Water's cookbook, The Art of Simple Food. She highly recommends the combination of celery root (celeriac) and potatoes. Who am I to argue with Alice Waters? Serves 4. 1 lb. potatoes 5 TB butter, divided 1 medium celery root, about 3/4 lb., peeled, halved, then sliced thin salt and pepper to taste milk, optional for thinning  Peel and cut potatoes into large pieces. Add to a medium pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill and return to the pot. Stir in 2 TB of the butter. While the potatoes cook, melt the rest of the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium low heat. Add the celeriac and salt. Cover tightly and cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower heat if the celeriac begins to brown. Pass through a food mill, or puree in a blender. Stir celeriac puree into the potatoes. Add milk if the puree is too thick. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Pumpkin Bread I will admit: I've only made this recipe with squash that I've cooked down and pureed, but I think that using your frozen puree will work just as well! I would cook it down to thicken up a little bit first. 1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable or another neutral cooking oil or melted butter (115 grams) 3 large eggs 1 2/3 (330 grams) cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Heaped 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg Heaped 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Two pinches of ground cloves 2 1/4 cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour TO FINISH 1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan or coat with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and sugar until smooth. Sprinkle baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinanmon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves over batter and whisk until well-combined. Add flour and stir with a spoon, just until mixed. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth the top. In a small dish, or empty measuring cup, stir sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle over top of batter. Bake bread for 65 to 75 minutes until a tester poked into all parts of cake (both the top and center will want to hide pockets of uncooked batter) come out batter-free, turning the cake once during the baking time for even coloring. You can cool it in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove it, or cool it completely in there. The latter provides the advantage of letting more of the loose cinnamon sugar on top adhere before being knocked off. Paleo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese I found this interesting-looking paleo "mac & cheese" recipe using cauliflower - no pasta. 1 1/2 heads Cauliflower 4 T butter or coconut oil 1/2 t salt 1/2 C Water 1 small butternut squash (cut into small cubes – or try your puree for a creamy texture!) 1 small Carrot (peeled and diced) 1/2 small Sweet Onion (diced) 1/2 t garlic powder 3/4 t ground mustard 1 t salt 1 can coconut milk 1 Egg Yolk Pepper (to taste) Add the cauliflower to a large sauté pan as well as 2 T. butter, ½ t. salt, and water. Place on medium/high heat and cover with a lid. Let the cauliflower stead inside the pan for about 5 minutes, until mostly tender. Check the water levels every few minutes to make sure that it doesn’t all evaporate. When almost tender, remove the lid and let the cauliflower sauté for a minute or two, or until lightly caramelized in spots. Turn heat off, cover, and keep warm until ready to toss with the cheese sauce. Heat 2 T. butter in a saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the squash, carrot, onion, garlic powder, mustard, and salt to the melted butter. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the can of coconut milk to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the coconut milk has reduced by 2/3 and is thick. Pour the vegetables and coconut milk into a blender and puree until very, very smooth. Immediately add an egg yolk to the puree and blend well. The hot puree will cook the egg which will thicken the sauce and give it a rich texture. Check seasonings and add more salt or pepper to taste. Pour over the hot cauliflower and toss to coat. Serve. Daikon in Plum Sauce Serves 3 to 4 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons plum sauce 1 tablespoon minced scallion 3 tablespoons peanut oil 1 daikon, peeled, cut into matchstick-sized strips 2 tablespoons water 1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until cornstarch dissolves. Stir in the plum sauce and scallions. 2. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Swirl the oil around the wok so that it covers the cooking area, then add the daikon; cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. 3. Add the water and cover. Cook until the daikon is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. 4. Add the soy sauce mixture and continue cooking, stirring vigorously, until the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir-Fried Daikon Serves 4 2 tablespoons peanut oil 1/4 cup sliced scallions 1 medium daikon, thinly sliced (about 3 cups) 10–12 red radishes, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1. Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add the scallions; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the daikon and red radishes; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the water and continue stir-frying until all the water has all evaporated. 2. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and chili oil, mixing everything together vigorously and cooking for 30 seconds more. Immediately transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot.

Pantry Lore Butterworks Farm made this certified organic whole milk plain yogurt last week, from their organically fed Jersey cows. It's rich, flavorful, and has a nice creamy top. Milk from Jersey cows is rich, with a high protein count and fat content. Butterworks, in Westfield, VT, is powered by renewable energy, is family-run, certified organic, and committed to sustainable business practices that are healthy, safe, and improve environmental impact. Mary's Granola is made by Mary Jane McKenzie in Greensboro. A budding entrepreneur, Mary spends her weekends and school breaks whipping up this yummy, low-fat granola. She came up this recipe to be healthy, delicious, and ready for everyday eating. It's made with organic rolled oats from Quebec, organic sesame seeds, organic sunflower seeds, organic shredded coconut, cinnamon, vegetable oil, and honey from her family's bees. To go with your yogurt and granola, we've included frozen berries. You'll receive either sliced strawberries from Four Corners Farm in Newbury, VT or organic raspberries from Greg Smith's Berry Farm in Derby. You can let these thaw before topping off your yogurt, or throw them into a smoothie or juice frozen. You could also try cooking up a something sweet with them! Bread Share members are receiving a Whole Wheat Loaf from Patchwork Farm and Bakery in East Hardwick. Cheese Share members receive Storm from Sweet Rowen Farmstead in West Glover. Paul Lisai raises a heritage breed of cow and makes stunning cow's milk cheeses. Storm is a French-style bloomy rind cheese, hand ladled and with a fluffy (delicious) rind and creamy inside. Read more about Sweet Rowen here.