Good Eats Newsletter - October 6, 2010
This Week's Vegetable Share Contains:
Nicola Potatoes; Purple Onions; Mixed Beets; Green Cabbage; Green Wave Mustard; 1 Bunch of Leeks; 1 Bunch of Tatsoi; 1 Bunch of Green Kale; plus....
1 Carnival Winter Squash
Tomatoes (for sites that didn't receive them last week)
Localvore Offerings Include:
Pizza Dough
Vt Butter and Cheese Fresh Chevre
Butternut Mountain Farm Maple Sugar
MEAT SHARE MEMBERS - THIS IS YOUR FINAL MEAT PICK UP WEEK
Storage and Use Tips
Carnival Winter Squash -The pretty little acorns squash in the share this week are carnivals, and they rank among the best tasting of the acorn family. We have been noticing that some of our squash are developing little spots on the outside. If you notice developing spots, plan to eat your squash on the sooner side or freeze it. The spots quickly turn soft and begin to affect the interior. If this does happen, your squash is still quite safe to eat, just cut off the bad spots.
Tomatoes - For those sites that did not receive tomatoes last week, we will have a mix going out this week. Some of you will receive cherry tomatoes, some will receive heirlooms or beefsteaks.
Tatsoi - A dark green Asian salad green (in the pac choi family) that has a spoon like shape, a pleasant and sweet aroma flavor like a mild mustard flavor, similar to pac choi. Tatsoi is often eaten raw, but may be added to soups at the end of the cooking period. It's also great lightly steamed.
Green Wave Mustard - Related to kale, cabbage, and collard greens, mustard greens are the peppery leafy greens of the mustard plant. Green Wave is a beautiful representative of this group. Green Wave is a bit hot when raw, but still tender enough for salads. It is delightful in stir-frys, braises, steamed and added to many dished calling for greens.
Next week is the LAST pick up of the Summer Share
The Fall Share begins in just two weeks on Oct 20, mail your sign-ups!
I can't believe the Summer Share is nearly over. I am nearly as excited to be transitioning to fall flavors as I am when summer vegetables began. I have been enjoying winter squash the last couple weeks and the return of mustard greens. With the meats newly available at the farm, I am eating a lot of meat and potato meals with greens on the side and it's a welcome change from the tomato, herbs and summer vegetable meals of the past months. I have even had my crock pot out recently to make a stew. I look forward to the kale and other hardy winter greens that will be part of our diet into December, and the various slaws and salads that will occupy our Fall and Winter dinner plates. I can't wait for January when the first of Pete's sprouted salad mix becomes available. And I really look forward to winter soups. And by March I'll be craving the first of the spring greens that will be harvested as the harvest season begins anew. I have learned to love eating with the seasons, savoring what is fresh and in season, pining for it when it's gone, and looking forward to the harvest of what's next. I feel lucky to be in a place where such a rich local diet is possible. ~ Amy
Don't miss out on a season of great eating! I need your sign-up form by Oct 13th to ensure uninterrupted Good Eats deliveries.
Localvore Share, Vegetable Only Share and Localvore Products Only Shares available. Meat Shares available too!
Please visit the Fall/Winter Share page for details and to download a sign up form.
If you have questions about the Fall Share, please email me.
Can You Help Spread the Word about Good Eats?
Do you belong to a front porch forum or other neighborhood email group? If so, and if you think your neighbors would be interested to learn more about Good Eats and deliveries to your local Good Eats pick up site, please send me an email. I have text all written and would love to spread the word. You can edit the text to your liking or just send it along.
Sharing Your Share
If you would like to sign up again but feel it may be too much food for you, consider splitting your share with someone. Right now there are two people from Burlington and one from Hardwick listed on our Members Seeking page, all who wish to connect with someone to share their CSA share with.
If you are interested in sharing with someone, send me an email. I might be able to connect you to someone quickly, or I'll post something on the members seeking page for you.
Support the Farm Share Program - Shop or Dine this Thursday Oct 7th
NOFA-VT's Share the Harvest Event Each year for one day area restaurants that participate in Share the Harvest generously pledge 15% of their sales to support NOFA-VTs Farm Share Program. The Farm Share program enables limited income Vermonters to purchase a CSA share from a local participating farm by subsidizing up to 50% of the cost of the share. NOFA's annual Share the Harvest event is the sole fund raiser for the matching funds that NOFA contributes to the Farm Share program. Farm Share's ability to help people is dependent on the success of this event. So make your plans to dine out. Or structure your week so that you can do your grocery shopping that day! A full 15% of what you spend that day will be donated to the program. The list of participating businesses can be found on the NOFA-VT website.
Through the combination of funds made available by the Share the Harvest event and donations from you all, our members, 11 limited income Vermont families have been able to join Good Eats for the Fall/Winter share (so far!). This is a program that really works to help people gain access to fresh, local food.
Order Healthy Meats for Delivery
There's a little bit of time to get your meat order in before the Summer share ends. If I receive your order by noon on Wednesday (tomorrow Oct 6th), I can get your meat order out to you next week, October 13th.
We have a variety of pork and beef cuts available now. Selection remains excellent though we will begin to run out of a few beef cuts. Presently you can choose from an assortment of beef steaks, ribs, roasts, kabob meat, stew meat, and burger, plus pork chops, hams and ham steaks, ribs, sausage, ground pork. And of course Pete's Pastured Chicken.
Our pigs are raised on 20 acres of pasture on the farm. They graze and forage all day and their diet is supplemented by huge amounts of vegetables from the farm. Our cows are raised in partnership with friend and neighbor Bruce Urie who pastures them on his fields in Summer, and feeds them his own hay supplemented with beets and soybeans in Winter. You can order Pete's Pastured Chicken as part of your bulk meat order too. Our beef and pork is tender and delicious and has far less fat, and far more omega 3s, CLAs, vita E and beta carotene than non grass fed animals. Our animals have received no hormones or medications either. This is really healthy, very tasty meat.
You may place meat orders for delivery on most weeks that are not designated Meat Shares weeks (the first Wednesday of the month). We will also not deliver meats on Oct 20th, the first delivery of the Fall/Winter Share.
For a short time, orders over $150 in beef and pork will receive a discount of 10%. Visit our Meat Bulk Order Page to Order.
Localvore Lore
It's a pizza week and a good week for it. I like the sound of goat cheese, roasted beet, carmelized onion pizza... This is pizza dough from Ben and Raechel at On the Rise in Richmond and it's made with VT sunflower oil, Milanaise unbleached white flour, Ben Gleason's whole wheat flour, local honey and sea salt. The pizza dough will come to you frozen. Put it right back into your freezer if you don't plan to use it Wednesday night. When you do use it, thaw it, and don't wait for it to rise. When it is thawed it is ready to stretch and top and bake. As pizza dough sits, thawed, either on the counter or in the fridge, the live yeast in the dough continues to work away and the dough will steadily lose elasticity. If you haven't used it 48 hrs later, the risk is not that the dough will go bad, it's that it will lose elasticity, and become more difficult to work with, it will tear more easily. At this point, your best bet is a rolling pin! Ben posted the instructions on line along with some instructional videos that you can watch for technique and inspiration.
The log of fresh chevre from Vermont Butter and Cheese Co. will pair well with many ingredients this week. Goat cheese and beets are a natural together, as are goat cheese and mustard greens, winter squash, leeks, etc. I send this cheese out usually once a share because I love it and I find so many uses for it. I consider this cheese to be a staple because a small amount added to so many dishes turns them into something a little special. The log keeps quite a long time in the fridge unopened, it will last several weeks after it's been opened. If you won't use it right away it will freeze beautifully. It's a little crumbly after being frozen but that can actually be nice when crumbing for salads or into various dishes.
Lastly, something a little special for all you this week... You will receive a pound of pure maple sugar from Butternut Mountain Farm in Johnson. We are fortunate to be able to provide it as Butternut is one of only two operations in the US to make maple sugar. Maple sugar is produced simply by boiling all of the water out of the syrup and mixing it into a granulated state. It is nice to have on hand to sprinkle onto winter squash, or onto baked apples or oatmeal or any where else a touch of maple sweetness would be welcome. Some cooking tips from Emma Marvin:
Maple sugar is highly versatile. I use it when making chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies in place of the brown sugar and some of the white. I use it on salmon sprinkling maple sugar, ground sea salt and pepper over the top just prior to cooking. It makes a great maple salad dressing! Mix approximately equal parts of olive oil, maple sugar and vinegar (cider or rice wine works well). I’m sure there are infinitely more ways to use maple sugar, but these are just a few of my favorites. We'd love to hear about any recipes you find yourselves using our maple sugar in!
Meat Share
For the first time ever, this share we are able to provide an great assortment of our own meats. We have only recently begun keeping animals on the farm. We started with pasturing chickens a few years ago as a way to increase soil fertility and make use of older greens beds. Last year we raised six pigs pastured on very large acreage that we had fenced for the purpose. That experiment went so well, that we got a bunch more this year. They are fun and do a fantastic job rooting and grazing, not to mention that they are vacuums when it comes to making use of vegetable trimmings and culls from the washhouse. We still have only a small herd of beef. Just 11 animals currently: some mother cows who will calve in the spring, a bull and some steers that will be ready after the first of the year. The beef we raise in partnership with friend and neighbor Brice Urie.
The cuts this week include a whole chicken; stew beef or beef kabobs; pork shoulder (the best cut for making pulled pork), and smoked ham steaks. I have included a recipe each for the stew beef and pork shoulder below. The ham steaks are delicious sauteed or braised in a skillet with some water in the pan to keep them from drying out. These are a staple in our kid filled house because they are quick and easy and everyone likes them. I throw them into the skillet frozen sometimes with a 1/2" water and flip them til softened. Then drain the water to finish. They'll be especially delicious with some maple sugar sprinkles on after the flip.
Recipes
Red Beet Risotto with Mustard Greens and Goat Cheese
From the February 2007 issue of Bon Appetite. This recipe would also be delicious with shaved Parmesan substituted for some of the goat cheese.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 (2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped mustard greens
4 ounce chilled soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add beets and onion. Cover; cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in rice. Add broth and vinegar. Increase heat; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until rice and beets are just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into shallow bowls. Sprinkle with greens and cheese.
Chilled Sesame-Ginger Tatsoi
From the New York Times November 1995. You can use both the pac choi and the tastoi in this recipe. The cooking time for the pac choi will be a bit longer, and pac choi stems a bit longer still (still no more than 2 mins).
1.5 lb Tatsoi; washed and dried
Salt to taste
1/3 tamari
2 TB sesame oil
1 TB ginger
1 TB sugar
½ c white vinegar
4 dashes Tabasco
Black Pepper to taste
¼ c sesame seeds
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the tatsoi, blanch for I minute, drain, immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process, and drain again.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sugar, vinegar and Tabasco. Mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the tatsoi and dressing, and mix well Refrigerate until well chilled, gar nish with sesame seeds and serve.
Potatoes, Greens and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Adapted from the March 2008 issue of Bon Appetite.
1 1/3 cups 1/2-inch cubed potatoes (about 3 medium)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar (5 to 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups of tomatillo salsa (or your favorite)
4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed mustard greens/mizuna (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Olive oil
Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 275°F. Steam potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack or Cheddar cheese.
Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2/3 cup (packed) greens in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.
Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with potato mixture, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.
Apple, Leek, and Butternut Squash Gratin
A nice recipe for this season from marthastewart.com.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, well washed and dried
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus leaves for garnish
1 pound winter squash peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 pound apples, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add leeks and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add sherry and sage and cook until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes; set aside.
In a 2-quart shallow baking dish, arrange squash in overlapping layers; season with salt and pepper. Spread leeks evenly over the squash.
Arrange apples in an overlapping layer over the leeks. Brush apples with remaining tablespoon oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle cheese over the top. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown. The tip of a paring knife should easily pierce the gratin. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sage leaves.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This recipe is a solid recipe that I use often for pulled pork. It's super easy to prepare (just mix the barbecue sauce ingredients and throw the meat and onions into the slow cooker) with ingredients in most pantries. You can make this in your oven too, but I think your cook time would be nearly as long.
2.5 to 3 lbs shoulder/pork butt (trimmed of any obvious excess fat)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8+ c honey
1/4 c tomato paste
1.5 TB Worcestershire sauce
1.5 TB mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic
pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c water
Place the onions on the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the pork shoulder in on top of the onions. Whisk together all remaining ingredients to form the barbecue sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings to your like it. You may prefer to add more honey, salt, pepper, or cayenne. Pour half the sauce over the pork and cover. Cook over low heat for around 8 hours til falling apart. Remove to a large bowl and shred the meat with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and cook for a few more minutes until the meat has soaked up the sauce. Serve on soft sandwich rolls or alongside some mashed potatoes.
Red Lamb or Beef Stew
This is a great recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookbook. I have made this dish many times with both beef and lamb and it's delicious. It's even better the second day after the stew thickens.
Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tbsp water, plus 300-450ml
10 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs boned shoulder or leg of lamb, or stewing beef (chuck) cut into 2.5cm cubes
10 cardamom pods (I skip these if I don’t have them)
2 bay leaves
6 cloves
10 peppercorns
2.5 cm cinnamon sticks
200 g onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp bright red paprika, mixed with 0.25-1 tsp cayenne pepper
1.25 tsp salt
6 tbsp natural yogurt
0.25 tsp garam masala
Put the ginger, garlic and 4 tbsp water into the container of an electric blender. Blend well until you have a smooth paste.
2. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the meat cubes in several batches and set to one side. Put the cardamom pods, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon into the same hot oil. Stir once and wait until the cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on colour. This just takes a few seconds. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onion turn a medium-brown colour. Put in the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the coriander, cumin, paprika-cayenne and salt. Stir and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the fried meat cubes and juices, Stir for 30 seconds. Now put in 1 tbsp of the yogurt. Stir and fry for about 30 seconds or until the yogurt is well blended. Add the remaining yogurt, a tablespoon at a time as before. Stir and fry for 3-4 minutes.
3. Now add 300ml water if you are cooking lamb and 450ml if you are cooking beef. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil, scraping in all browned spices on the sides and bottom of the pan. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour for the lamb and 2 hours for beef, or until the meat is tender. (It could be baked, covered, in a pre-heated 180C/gas 4 oven for the same length of time or until tender.) Every 10 minutes or so, give the meat a good stir. When the meat is tender, take off the lid, turn the heat up to medium and boil away some of the liquid. You should end up with tender meat in a thick, reddish-brown sauce. Spoon off the fat. Sprinkle garam masala and black pepper over the meat before you serve and mix them in.
Nicola Potatoes; Purple Onions; Mixed Beets; Green Cabbage; Green Wave Mustard; 1 Bunch of Leeks; 1 Bunch of Tatsoi; 1 Bunch of Green Kale; plus....
1 Carnival Winter Squash
Tomatoes (for sites that didn't receive them last week)
Localvore Offerings Include:
Pizza Dough
Vt Butter and Cheese Fresh Chevre
Butternut Mountain Farm Maple Sugar
MEAT SHARE MEMBERS - THIS IS YOUR FINAL MEAT PICK UP WEEK
Storage and Use Tips
Carnival Winter Squash -The pretty little acorns squash in the share this week are carnivals, and they rank among the best tasting of the acorn family. We have been noticing that some of our squash are developing little spots on the outside. If you notice developing spots, plan to eat your squash on the sooner side or freeze it. The spots quickly turn soft and begin to affect the interior. If this does happen, your squash is still quite safe to eat, just cut off the bad spots.
Tomatoes - For those sites that did not receive tomatoes last week, we will have a mix going out this week. Some of you will receive cherry tomatoes, some will receive heirlooms or beefsteaks.
Tatsoi - A dark green Asian salad green (in the pac choi family) that has a spoon like shape, a pleasant and sweet aroma flavor like a mild mustard flavor, similar to pac choi. Tatsoi is often eaten raw, but may be added to soups at the end of the cooking period. It's also great lightly steamed.
Green Wave Mustard - Related to kale, cabbage, and collard greens, mustard greens are the peppery leafy greens of the mustard plant. Green Wave is a beautiful representative of this group. Green Wave is a bit hot when raw, but still tender enough for salads. It is delightful in stir-frys, braises, steamed and added to many dished calling for greens.
Next week is the LAST pick up of the Summer Share
The Fall Share begins in just two weeks on Oct 20, mail your sign-ups!
I can't believe the Summer Share is nearly over. I am nearly as excited to be transitioning to fall flavors as I am when summer vegetables began. I have been enjoying winter squash the last couple weeks and the return of mustard greens. With the meats newly available at the farm, I am eating a lot of meat and potato meals with greens on the side and it's a welcome change from the tomato, herbs and summer vegetable meals of the past months. I have even had my crock pot out recently to make a stew. I look forward to the kale and other hardy winter greens that will be part of our diet into December, and the various slaws and salads that will occupy our Fall and Winter dinner plates. I can't wait for January when the first of Pete's sprouted salad mix becomes available. And I really look forward to winter soups. And by March I'll be craving the first of the spring greens that will be harvested as the harvest season begins anew. I have learned to love eating with the seasons, savoring what is fresh and in season, pining for it when it's gone, and looking forward to the harvest of what's next. I feel lucky to be in a place where such a rich local diet is possible. ~ Amy
Don't miss out on a season of great eating! I need your sign-up form by Oct 13th to ensure uninterrupted Good Eats deliveries.
Localvore Share, Vegetable Only Share and Localvore Products Only Shares available. Meat Shares available too!
Please visit the Fall/Winter Share page for details and to download a sign up form.
If you have questions about the Fall Share, please email me.
Can You Help Spread the Word about Good Eats?
Do you belong to a front porch forum or other neighborhood email group? If so, and if you think your neighbors would be interested to learn more about Good Eats and deliveries to your local Good Eats pick up site, please send me an email. I have text all written and would love to spread the word. You can edit the text to your liking or just send it along.
Sharing Your Share
If you would like to sign up again but feel it may be too much food for you, consider splitting your share with someone. Right now there are two people from Burlington and one from Hardwick listed on our Members Seeking page, all who wish to connect with someone to share their CSA share with.
If you are interested in sharing with someone, send me an email. I might be able to connect you to someone quickly, or I'll post something on the members seeking page for you.
Support the Farm Share Program - Shop or Dine this Thursday Oct 7th
NOFA-VT's Share the Harvest Event Each year for one day area restaurants that participate in Share the Harvest generously pledge 15% of their sales to support NOFA-VTs Farm Share Program. The Farm Share program enables limited income Vermonters to purchase a CSA share from a local participating farm by subsidizing up to 50% of the cost of the share. NOFA's annual Share the Harvest event is the sole fund raiser for the matching funds that NOFA contributes to the Farm Share program. Farm Share's ability to help people is dependent on the success of this event. So make your plans to dine out. Or structure your week so that you can do your grocery shopping that day! A full 15% of what you spend that day will be donated to the program. The list of participating businesses can be found on the NOFA-VT website.
Through the combination of funds made available by the Share the Harvest event and donations from you all, our members, 11 limited income Vermont families have been able to join Good Eats for the Fall/Winter share (so far!). This is a program that really works to help people gain access to fresh, local food.
Order Healthy Meats for Delivery
There's a little bit of time to get your meat order in before the Summer share ends. If I receive your order by noon on Wednesday (tomorrow Oct 6th), I can get your meat order out to you next week, October 13th.We have a variety of pork and beef cuts available now. Selection remains excellent though we will begin to run out of a few beef cuts. Presently you can choose from an assortment of beef steaks, ribs, roasts, kabob meat, stew meat, and burger, plus pork chops, hams and ham steaks, ribs, sausage, ground pork. And of course Pete's Pastured Chicken.
Our pigs are raised on 20 acres of pasture on the farm. They graze and forage all day and their diet is supplemented by huge amounts of vegetables from the farm. Our cows are raised in partnership with friend and neighbor Bruce Urie who pastures them on his fields in Summer, and feeds them his own hay supplemented with beets and soybeans in Winter. You can order Pete's Pastured Chicken as part of your bulk meat order too. Our beef and pork is tender and delicious and has far less fat, and far more omega 3s, CLAs, vita E and beta carotene than non grass fed animals. Our animals have received no hormones or medications either. This is really healthy, very tasty meat.
You may place meat orders for delivery on most weeks that are not designated Meat Shares weeks (the first Wednesday of the month). We will also not deliver meats on Oct 20th, the first delivery of the Fall/Winter Share.
For a short time, orders over $150 in beef and pork will receive a discount of 10%. Visit our Meat Bulk Order Page to Order.
Localvore Lore
It's a pizza week and a good week for it. I like the sound of goat cheese, roasted beet, carmelized onion pizza... This is pizza dough from Ben and Raechel at On the Rise in Richmond and it's made with VT sunflower oil, Milanaise unbleached white flour, Ben Gleason's whole wheat flour, local honey and sea salt. The pizza dough will come to you frozen. Put it right back into your freezer if you don't plan to use it Wednesday night. When you do use it, thaw it, and don't wait for it to rise. When it is thawed it is ready to stretch and top and bake. As pizza dough sits, thawed, either on the counter or in the fridge, the live yeast in the dough continues to work away and the dough will steadily lose elasticity. If you haven't used it 48 hrs later, the risk is not that the dough will go bad, it's that it will lose elasticity, and become more difficult to work with, it will tear more easily. At this point, your best bet is a rolling pin! Ben posted the instructions on line along with some instructional videos that you can watch for technique and inspiration.
The log of fresh chevre from Vermont Butter and Cheese Co. will pair well with many ingredients this week. Goat cheese and beets are a natural together, as are goat cheese and mustard greens, winter squash, leeks, etc. I send this cheese out usually once a share because I love it and I find so many uses for it. I consider this cheese to be a staple because a small amount added to so many dishes turns them into something a little special. The log keeps quite a long time in the fridge unopened, it will last several weeks after it's been opened. If you won't use it right away it will freeze beautifully. It's a little crumbly after being frozen but that can actually be nice when crumbing for salads or into various dishes.
Lastly, something a little special for all you this week... You will receive a pound of pure maple sugar from Butternut Mountain Farm in Johnson. We are fortunate to be able to provide it as Butternut is one of only two operations in the US to make maple sugar. Maple sugar is produced simply by boiling all of the water out of the syrup and mixing it into a granulated state. It is nice to have on hand to sprinkle onto winter squash, or onto baked apples or oatmeal or any where else a touch of maple sweetness would be welcome. Some cooking tips from Emma Marvin:
Maple sugar is highly versatile. I use it when making chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies in place of the brown sugar and some of the white. I use it on salmon sprinkling maple sugar, ground sea salt and pepper over the top just prior to cooking. It makes a great maple salad dressing! Mix approximately equal parts of olive oil, maple sugar and vinegar (cider or rice wine works well). I’m sure there are infinitely more ways to use maple sugar, but these are just a few of my favorites. We'd love to hear about any recipes you find yourselves using our maple sugar in!
Meat Share
For the first time ever, this share we are able to provide an great assortment of our own meats. We have only recently begun keeping animals on the farm. We started with pasturing chickens a few years ago as a way to increase soil fertility and make use of older greens beds. Last year we raised six pigs pastured on very large acreage that we had fenced for the purpose. That experiment went so well, that we got a bunch more this year. They are fun and do a fantastic job rooting and grazing, not to mention that they are vacuums when it comes to making use of vegetable trimmings and culls from the washhouse. We still have only a small herd of beef. Just 11 animals currently: some mother cows who will calve in the spring, a bull and some steers that will be ready after the first of the year. The beef we raise in partnership with friend and neighbor Brice Urie.
The cuts this week include a whole chicken; stew beef or beef kabobs; pork shoulder (the best cut for making pulled pork), and smoked ham steaks. I have included a recipe each for the stew beef and pork shoulder below. The ham steaks are delicious sauteed or braised in a skillet with some water in the pan to keep them from drying out. These are a staple in our kid filled house because they are quick and easy and everyone likes them. I throw them into the skillet frozen sometimes with a 1/2" water and flip them til softened. Then drain the water to finish. They'll be especially delicious with some maple sugar sprinkles on after the flip.
Recipes
Red Beet Risotto with Mustard Greens and Goat Cheese
From the February 2007 issue of Bon Appetite. This recipe would also be delicious with shaved Parmesan substituted for some of the goat cheese.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 (2 1/2- to 3-inch-diameter) beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
3 cups low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups chopped mustard greens
4 ounce chilled soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add beets and onion. Cover; cook until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Mix in rice. Add broth and vinegar. Increase heat; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until rice and beets are just tender and risotto is creamy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into shallow bowls. Sprinkle with greens and cheese.
Chilled Sesame-Ginger Tatsoi
From the New York Times November 1995. You can use both the pac choi and the tastoi in this recipe. The cooking time for the pac choi will be a bit longer, and pac choi stems a bit longer still (still no more than 2 mins).
1.5 lb Tatsoi; washed and dried
Salt to taste
1/3 tamari
2 TB sesame oil
1 TB ginger
1 TB sugar
½ c white vinegar
4 dashes Tabasco
Black Pepper to taste
¼ c sesame seeds
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the tatsoi, blanch for I minute, drain, immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process, and drain again.
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, sugar, vinegar and Tabasco. Mix well, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine the tatsoi and dressing, and mix well Refrigerate until well chilled, gar nish with sesame seeds and serve.
Potatoes, Greens and Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Adapted from the March 2008 issue of Bon Appetite.
1 1/3 cups 1/2-inch cubed potatoes (about 3 medium)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar (5 to 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups of tomatillo salsa (or your favorite)
4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed mustard greens/mizuna (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Olive oil
Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 275°F. Steam potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack or Cheddar cheese.
Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2/3 cup (packed) greens in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.
Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with potato mixture, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.
Apple, Leek, and Butternut Squash Gratin
A nice recipe for this season from marthastewart.com.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, trimmed of roots and tough outer leaves, thinly sliced crosswise, well washed and dried
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus leaves for garnish
1 pound winter squash peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 pound apples, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add leeks and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add sherry and sage and cook until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes; set aside.
In a 2-quart shallow baking dish, arrange squash in overlapping layers; season with salt and pepper. Spread leeks evenly over the squash.
Arrange apples in an overlapping layer over the leeks. Brush apples with remaining tablespoon oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes.
Uncover and sprinkle cheese over the top. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is golden brown. The tip of a paring knife should easily pierce the gratin. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sage leaves.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
This recipe is a solid recipe that I use often for pulled pork. It's super easy to prepare (just mix the barbecue sauce ingredients and throw the meat and onions into the slow cooker) with ingredients in most pantries. You can make this in your oven too, but I think your cook time would be nearly as long.
2.5 to 3 lbs shoulder/pork butt (trimmed of any obvious excess fat)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8+ c honey
1/4 c tomato paste
1.5 TB Worcestershire sauce
1.5 TB mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic
pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c water
Place the onions on the bottom of your slow cooker. Place the pork shoulder in on top of the onions. Whisk together all remaining ingredients to form the barbecue sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings to your like it. You may prefer to add more honey, salt, pepper, or cayenne. Pour half the sauce over the pork and cover. Cook over low heat for around 8 hours til falling apart. Remove to a large bowl and shred the meat with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and cook for a few more minutes until the meat has soaked up the sauce. Serve on soft sandwich rolls or alongside some mashed potatoes.
Red Lamb or Beef Stew
This is a great recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookbook. I have made this dish many times with both beef and lamb and it's delicious. It's even better the second day after the stew thickens.
Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 tbsp water, plus 300-450ml
10 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs boned shoulder or leg of lamb, or stewing beef (chuck) cut into 2.5cm cubes
10 cardamom pods (I skip these if I don’t have them)
2 bay leaves
6 cloves
10 peppercorns
2.5 cm cinnamon sticks
200 g onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp bright red paprika, mixed with 0.25-1 tsp cayenne pepper
1.25 tsp salt
6 tbsp natural yogurt
0.25 tsp garam masala
Put the ginger, garlic and 4 tbsp water into the container of an electric blender. Blend well until you have a smooth paste.
2. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium-high heat. Brown the meat cubes in several batches and set to one side. Put the cardamom pods, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon into the same hot oil. Stir once and wait until the cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on colour. This just takes a few seconds. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onion turn a medium-brown colour. Put in the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the coriander, cumin, paprika-cayenne and salt. Stir and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the fried meat cubes and juices, Stir for 30 seconds. Now put in 1 tbsp of the yogurt. Stir and fry for about 30 seconds or until the yogurt is well blended. Add the remaining yogurt, a tablespoon at a time as before. Stir and fry for 3-4 minutes.
3. Now add 300ml water if you are cooking lamb and 450ml if you are cooking beef. Bring the contents of the pan to a boil, scraping in all browned spices on the sides and bottom of the pan. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour for the lamb and 2 hours for beef, or until the meat is tender. (It could be baked, covered, in a pre-heated 180C/gas 4 oven for the same length of time or until tender.) Every 10 minutes or so, give the meat a good stir. When the meat is tender, take off the lid, turn the heat up to medium and boil away some of the liquid. You should end up with tender meat in a thick, reddish-brown sauce. Spoon off the fat. Sprinkle garam masala and black pepper over the meat before you serve and mix them in.
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