Good Eats Newsletter - October 5th, 2011

This Week's Vegetable Share Includes:

Mesclun Mix; Mixed Snap Beans; Bunched Carrots; Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens; Red and Yellow Cippolini Onions; Green Cabbage; Mixed Beets; Garlic; Kohlrabi plus 1 Carnival Acorn Winter Squash

Localvore Share Includes:

Champlain Orchards Empire Apples
Scholten Family Farm Weybridge Cheese
On the Rise Pizza Dough
Vermont Soy Artisan Tofu

Meat Share Members

This is a Meat Share Week!

FALL/WINTER SHARE

It's getting down to the wire... Fall/Winter Share begins Oct 19th!

Don't miss out on the harvest and all the summer goodness we have preserved for you. Sign up now to reserve your share!

Visit the Fall Share page for more info

Next week is the last week of the summer share... sign up now to reserve your space for your fall/winter share starting October 19th!

Farm Update

October Greens Growing in the Field

Potatoes and onions are all in. We are experimenting with a couple different onion-drying methods this fall and they have dried off really nicely. Our fall carrots are putting on heft and sweetness every day. They seem to know that even though the days are short and cool this time of year that there is not much time left and they need to fatten up. Sweet potatoes are curing in the hot room. Share members will receive them next week or the week after. Greenhouses are nearly filled with baby greens, head lettuce, chard and other delicacies for the fall and winter and we recently doubled our shoot growing room so they we have plenty of our winter salad mix all winter. There is a bumper parsnip crop that we'll let the fall frosts sweeten and beet harvest begins in earnest tomorrow. And cabbage, lots of cabbage.

Production from our kitchen is better than ever this year. Highlights for me include orange watermelon juice frozen from succulent melons grown by High Mowing Seeds and the hundreds of jars of tomato puree and sauce that are resting in storage ready to be parceled out for those cold winter nights. And we got a pepper roaster so you'll be receiving frozen bags of roasted red peppers. This week we'll make salsa verde with the last of the tomatilla crop and freeze some gorgeous red jalapeno peppers.
Our crew has been really top notch this year. Great attitudes, going above and beyond, dealing with unusual circumstances, thanks to you all. We will be carrying a larger crew than in the past into the winter as we'll be growing more greens this winter. We hope you'll be joining us for the winter CSA, continuing on this local eating adventure. ~ Pete
Beets in the Washhouse Carrots Being Washed


Storage and Use Tips

Carnival Acorn Winter Squash - There are not too many squashes quite as festive as Carnival winter squash with its unique coloring and splotches, it holds a designer's seal of approval in the world of winter squash. Carnival is an acorn squash similar to Sugar Dumpling (which you had last week). Carnival is not as sweet as Sugar Dumpling and it has a wonderful nutty flavor and fine eating quality. It can be used and stored similarly to Sugar Dumpling. Like all winter squash and pumpkins store in cool, dry place. Best temperature is 55F.


Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens - This gorgeous bunch of greens is part of the brassica family being related to broccoli, cabbage and kale. It is used typically for babyleaf mesclun mixes or cut at later stages for braising greens. If you take a quick taste of Ruby Streaks raw greens you will notice they are very sharp with a wasabi flavor a bit different than your average mustard greens. When cooked the sharpness fades and the greens take on much of the flavor you give them with butter, oil and garlic etc, similar to spinach, kale or collards. Mustard greens can be found extensively in Asian, Indian and Southern recipes. Store bagged in the crisper drawer of the fridge.


Kohlrabi - Another notorious member of the brassica family loaded with vitamins similar to broccoli. Kohlrabi is essentially a tender, enlarged broccoli stem with edible leaves. Its stem is fine textured, juicy and crisp with a slightly sweet flavor. Great as a snack cut into sticks, shredded in salads or lightly cooked. Stores in the fridge whole for up to one month, once cut will store in fridge for 4-5 days. The New York School system in western NY is considering kohlrabi sticks as part of their school lunch program based on its nutritional value and palatable qualities to children.

Cippolini Onions - Oh the cippolini... pronounced chip-oh-LEE-nee is a treat unto itself. This is a small flattened Italian onion with a sweet, mild flavor. Cippolinis are traditionally served roasted or baked, but also work well on kebabs or eaten fresh. If you have never eaten a roasted cippolini you must, as you will never think of onions the same way. The advantage of the cipollini is its mild flavor that when roasted caramelizes quickly into sweet, flavorful goodness! Their shape lends them well to roasting. A classic Italian recipe is to glaze them with balsamic vinegar, roast and serve as part of an antipasto. Cippolini onions do not store as well as your typical onion. For short term storage keep in a cool, dry place or in the butter compartment of your fridge.

Good Eats Fall/Winter Share

Sign Up Now to Reserve Your Share!

Are you ready for winter? We have been working hard here all summer in order to bring you a fabulous selection of Vermont's best winter produce and food staples to keep you healthy and happy through the darkest days of the year.

The Fall/Winter Veggie Only Share is designed to give you something fresh and green each week as well as a selection of stored, frozen or processed crops from the summer. Our newly re-assembled on-farm kitchen has allowed us to process and freeze many items for the winter veggie share like corn, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, spinach and maybe even watermelon (yes watermelon!). We'll have a mix of summer and fall vegetables into November. Hardy greens and some other cold tolerant field crops will be included well into December, and then the later weeks of the share will feature more storage favorites like potatoes, carrots, onions, winter squash and cabbages along with the our winter greens mix and frozen summer goodies. Join the Localvore Share and, in addition to your vegetables, receive eggs, cheeses, staples and other locally produced value added products from Pete's Greens and other great businessees around the area. And for the kind hearted carnivores out there check out our Fall/Winter Meat Share including Pete's Pastured meats and sustainably produced meats and seafood from the area.

Check our website for more details about Fall/Winter Share details, pricing, pick-up locations and sign up information.


Changes to Your Delivery?

If you will be away some upcoming week, and need to make changes to your share delivery, let me know at least 1 week before the change. You can have your share donated to the Food Pantry, or I can stop your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share.

Localvore Lore

Empire apples straigt out of Champlain Orchards in Shoreham, VT will be included in this weeks localvore share. Empire was developed at Cornell University in New York state, USA in the 1940s, and its parents are the classic old North American varieties Red Delicious and McIntosh that have been long grown in the Northeast. The shiny red Empire apple has a sweet-tart taste that is ideal for fresh eating and salads but also great for sauce, baking, pies and freezing. It is an ideal lunch-box apple because it does not bruise easily. Although Empire apples can be stored for a short period, it is best when eaten straight from the tree. It is recommended they are stored in the fridge to maintain its much loved crisp texture and sweetness.

Yay! Its a pizza dough week! On the Rise Bakery will be supplying their tasty dough for you this week. Pizza is a great way to use all those left overs in the fridge. I especially love red onions, peppers and pesto but am not afraid to live a little and often include items like various greens, apples, maple syrup, sun-dried tomatoes, sesame oil and more!
As you all know by now....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 lose elasticity steadily. 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. In this case, you may be better off using your rolling pin to roll out the dough rather than trying to get away with stretching spinning pizza doughs above your head. Ben posted the instructions on line along with some instructional videos that you can watch for technique and inspiration. If you make a great looking or great tasting pizza that you are pleased with, email a photo along to Ben or post it to the On the Rise Facebook page.

Vermont Soy Artisan Tofu starts with beans grown right here in Vermont. Currently, Vermont Soy is sourcing organic soybeans from Jack Lazor of Butterworks Farm, Louis Rainville of Rainbow View Farm, and Chad Bouchard of Bouchard Family Farm. Vermont Soy's Artisan Tofu is handcrafted using traditional Japanese kettle style techniques. Their organic, and gluten free Tofu is made fresh without the use of preservatives, Ultra High Temp Pasteurization (UHTP) or gmo soy beans. Delicious and nutritious, their tofu is versatile and easy to prepare: ideal for sauteing, baking, blending or mashing.

This week's selected cheese is Scholten Family Farm Weybridge Cheese aged at The Cellars at Jasper Hill. Weybridge is a lactic‐set cheese with a delicate, bloomy rind. The lightly‐aged style is simply meant to showcase the Scholten’s distinctive Dutch Belt milk. A snack for two or garnish to a larger spread this full flavored creamy treat is one of the best. The white, edible mold rind imparts a subtle cave aroma and a mushroom character to the developing creamline beneath. The center is moist and airy with bright citrus notes and a savory ‘toasted’ finish. Weybridge’s clean, milky flavor makes it an ideal breakfast cheese, or companion to a flute of sparkling wine.

Meat Muster

Meat Share Includes:

Pete's Pastured Whole Chicken
Pete's Pastured Bacon
Maple Wind Farm Ground Beef
Maple Wind Farm Ribeye Steak
North Hollow Farm Ground Pork

Pete's Pastured Meats are raised right here on the farm and are actually an integral part of our work force, the chickens renovate greens beds eating the tiny leftover plants and roots, eat weed seeds and insects as well as fertilize our fields for us. Our pigs roam free and enjoy the good life renovating land, eating pasture, insects and minerals below the soil surface and taking care of our leftovers from the wash house. The week we are including one Whole Chicken and a package of Bacon.... yum! Don't know what to do with your bird? Check out our Chicken and Dumpling recipe below.

From Maple Wind Farm we are delivering Ground Beef and a tender cut of their delicious grass fed Boneless Ribeye Steak. This is a high end cut so treat it well! Because grass fed meats are leaner than conventional meat they require some care when preparing. See notes below for some tips:

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. I am putting my favorite beef marinade recipe in again, see recipes below.

In addition to the previous goodies we will also be providing North Hollow Farm's naturally grown Ground Pork. North Hollow Farm's pigs are raised without growth stimulants or antibiotics. Pair with Maple Wind Farm's ground beef for some homegrown meatballs.


Recipes


Stewed Green Beans Taken from Saveur Magazine
A hearty side that will nourish your taste buds the whole day through. This is an excellent recipe for late season beans that tend to be a bit tougher although still very flavorful.

1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into two inch peices
1/4 lb sliced bacon, cut into one inch peices
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbs sugar
salt and pepper

Cook bacon in large pot until crisp. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add sugar and 1/2 quart water, salt and pepper to taste and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Add beans and increase heat, bring to boil then reduce to simmer again. Cook, covered stirring occasionally until green beans are very tender, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Carnival Squash Rings with a Honey-Soy Glaze Taken from Epicurious.com
This is one of my favorite treats especially if I only have a small amount of squash to work with. The nuttiness of acorn squash mixes perfectly with the glaze!

  • 1 medium size acorn squash
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 1/2 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line large baking sheet with foil. Spray with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Cut off both ends of each squash. Cut each squash crosswise into 4-5 rings. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place squash rings in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Cover baking sheet tightly with foil. Bake until squash begins to soften, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk next 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Remove foil from squash. Brush half of honey mixture over squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered 10 minutes. Brush remaining honey mixture over squash; continue to bake until squash is brown, tender and glazed, about 10 minutes.


Braised Mustard Greens
Mustard greens can be included in almost anything you would use spinach, chard, kale or collards in. They are quite versatile. Here is a basic recipe that can be used with any type of green but is typical for mustards.

1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 bunch mustard greens, washed and torn into large pieces
2-3 Tbs chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/8 tsp dark sesame oil (or bacon fat if your into it!)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauté pan, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until the onions begin to brown and caramelize, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more, until fragrant. Add the mustard greens and broth and cook until the mustard greens are just barely wilted. Toss with sesame oil (or bacon fat). Season with salt and pepper.
*Add shredded kohlrabi right at the end to make it interesting!



Tofu Sloppy Joes Taken from Savyvegetarian.com
Here is a great kid friendly recipe or perhaps just for the kid within! Have fun with this one it may become a quick, easy to pull together recipe for those days when you need something easy. Or wow your vegetarian friends at a potluck!

1 lb firm tofu
2 Tbs oil
2 Tbs minced green pepper
1 Tbs minced fresh garlic OR 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs minced onion OR 1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs minced jalapeño pepper
Pinch dried cayenne or chipotle pepper
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup water
1/4 cup catsup
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbs minced parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Mash tofu and mince the veggies. Heat oil on medium in a large frying pan, fry onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add tofu, jalapeno and green pepper, fry 5 minutes on high. Add dry spices and fry for 2 minutes. Add catsup, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, parsley and simmer 10 minutes. Tofu moisture content varies, so add more catsup and water as needed. Serve over buns with fixings - tomato, lettuce, avocado slices & mayo are good choices.


Citrus Herb Marinade
This is my favorite marinade for beef steaks. It's from the good old Joy of Cooking. You can assemble this in about 3 minutes. 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


Chicken and Dumplings Taken from Saveur Magazine
This recipe is to die for, and I have put in in before. But it really is just so yummy, and with the cooler and shorter days I am craving warm and hearty and nothing warms you up quite like chicken and dumplings.

1 whole chicken
1/4 lb bacon, cut into slivers
2 Tbs cooking oil
2 tsp dried thyme
4 cloves garlic
4 medium sized carrots, thickly sliced
4 stalks celery, thickly sliced
2 large yellow onions, cut into 1" chunks
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

2 2/3 c flour
1 c white wine
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 c melted butter, cooled slightly
3/4 c buttermilk (or substitute)
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley

Halve chicken legs seperating thigh from drumstick, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Put remaining chicken into a pot, cover with salted water and boil. Reduce heat, simmer until breast is just cooked, 12-15 minutes. Remove chicken. Cut breast and wings from carcass. Discard any skin and bones from breast and wing meat, cut into 1" chunks, chill. Return carcass to pot, simmer for one hour. Strain, reserve 4 c broth (save remainder for another use).

Meanwhile, cook bacon in large wide pot over medium heat until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate, leave fat in pot. Add and heat oil, brown drumsticks and thights, 8-10 minutes. Tranfer to a plate. Add thyme, garlic, carrots celery, onions and bay leaf. Cook until light brwn 18-20 minutes. Add 2/3 cut flour, cook for 1 minute. Add wine, cook for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved broth and salt and pepper to taste. Nestle in drumsticks, thights, and bacon. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a bowl. Combine butter, buttermilk, and parsley in a second bowl, pour into flour mixture, stir to make a thick batter. Uncover pot, add breast and wing meat. Drop batter in 8 large spoonfuls over the top. Simmer covered until dumplings are cooked, 20-25 minutes.


Sweet n Sour Pork Balls
Here is a recipe that works well for ground pork but you could also substitute chicken, ground turkey, tofu etc. A sensational treat for your taste buds. The sweet and sour balance each other perfectly. Hope you like it!
1 lb ground pork
1 clove garlic, skinned and crushed
4 Tbs flour, all purpose
3/4 c breadcrumbs, white if available
salt and pepper
1 egg yolk
cooking oil or lard
1/3 c sugar
4 Tbs cider vinegar
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs cornflour (cornstarch)
1 1/4 c water
1 green pepper, blanched and cut in thin strips
1/2 lb tomatoes, skinned and quartered
11 oz can crushed pineapple
Mix the pork, garlic, 1 level Tbs of the flour, the breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper. Add the egg yolk and mix well. Form into 24 balls and toss them in the remaining flour. Heat the cooking oil/lard in a frying pan, add the balls and fry gently for 20 minutes, turning them frequently until golden.
Meanwhile, put the sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in a saucepan. Blend the cornflour with the water and add to the pan. Bring to the boil, stirring then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the green pepper, tomatoes and pineapple. Simmer for 5 minutes.

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