Good Eats Newsletter - Mar 21st, 2012

This Week's Vegetable Share Contains:
 
 Nicola Potatoes; Green Savoy Cabbage; Carrots plus...
 
Oven-Ready Roasting Roots Mix
Bag of Winter Salad Greens
Frozen Watermelon Juice
Frozen Cauliflower*
 
* a few sites will receive a mix of cauliflower and green peppers.  Members should select one or the other.
 
Localvore Offerings Include:
Pa Pa Doodles Eggs
Aurora Farms Organic VT White Flour
Butterworks Buttermilk
Vermont Cranberry Co. Dried Cranberries

 

 
Good Eats
Summer Share
 
We are gearing up for a
great summer season of eating locally eating. 
 
Hope you can join us!
 
Payment checks for Summer won't be deposited
until  Jun 4th.
 
 
 
Add-On Localvore
& Meat Orders
 
Order your favorite localvore, pantry, bulk vegetables or meats any week and have them delivered to your pick-up location.
 
 
Farm News
 
This time of year we are always busy planning, seeding, etc.  With the warm weather this last week there's definitely an increased sense of urgency.  Our starts house is full of seedlings, many looking very ready to be transplanted out.  The hardening off house is full of onions and others in the allium family.  The fields beckon, dark rich soil begging for new crops.  Everywhere we look, Spring encourages us to hasten our step.
 
Isaac and Steve have been steadfastedly attending to our equipment for the last month, making repairs and modifications that there's no time for in the growing season.  They have made great gains in that department but for a time they must break from the task.  This weekend Pete and Isaac got organized to erect some new unheated greenhouse space.  Today half of our crew was out in the field assembling the aluminum frame.  Once up, it will be planted immediately with a mix of greens and transplants, making room for new trays in the transplant house.  This is exciting stuff as it will dramatically increase the crops we have available in May and June. 
 
Steve will begin planting fields this week, and once he starts, that's where he will remain for some time - glued to a tractor seat, slowly seeding with finely calibrated equipment and with weeks of cultivation following. 
 
Deb was busy in the kitchen last week perfecting the roasted root mix you will receive this week.  Looking forward to hearing from you all about this new product.  We hand cut this round, we really like the mix and hope you do to.   ~ Amy
 
 

Hundreds of trays of starts thriving in greenhouse, awaiting their transplant date.
Kales, brassicas, and Asian greens.  And tomatoes, lots of tomatoes.
 
The source of the winter salad greens in your greens/shoots mix
 
 
Changes to Your Delivery?
If you will be away some upcoming week, and need to make changes to your share delivery, let us know at least 1 week before the change. You can have your share donated to the Food Pantry, or you can skip your share delivery and you will retain a credit on your account toward the purchase of your next share.
 
 
Storage and Use Tips
 
You can find loads of information and tips about using our vegetables on our website, along with recipes.  I have been working on the organization of the info that is there so that it is easier to locate veggie storage and use tips and to search for various recipes etc. 
 
Below are links to storage and use tips for this week's vegetables.
 
Claytonia and Shoots Salad
 
Please share your comments about the veggie info you DON'T find, but wish was there!
Roasted Root Medley
Each week on the farm we create seconds vegetables as we wash and sort vegetables for the weeks CSA shares and wholesale orders.  These seconds go to the food shelf in great numbers, but we are always striving to find uses for them.  This year we are trying to make a perfect roasting root vegetable medley, making it easier for our members to prepare a quick dinner.  Our roasting root medley contains various potato varieties, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, and kohlrabi.  These come to you raw, ready to be tossed into your roasting pan. Store in your fridge for up to three days.  Let us know what you think of these
 
 
Reserve Your Good Eats Summer Share Now!
June 20th - October 10th, 2012
 
Our Summer Share spans three seasons of vegetable production on the farm.  In June we will start out with tender salad greens, fresh basil, European cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh picked zucchini, spring salad turnips, Napa Cabbage, Asian greens, chard and lots more spring vegetables.  And then come all your summer favorites like peas, beans, carrots, sweet peppers, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, sweet corn and much more!  During the summer growing season we'll provide you with over seventy varieties of locally grown vegetables with unique flavors, colors and shapes as well as all the summer staples you are familiar with.
 
Four Share Types for Summer:
Veggie Only - delivers a weekly delivery of fresh, organic veggies from the farm.
Localvore Share delivers the same fresh vegetables and wonderful local staples and artisan products to fill your pantry. 
Pete's Pantry Share - just the localvore products, no veggies
Meat Share - delivers a monthly selection of local, pastured meats
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Join now and be rewarded with a healthy, local and delicious season of Good Eats!
 
 
 
NOFA-VT Farm Share Program
If you are on a limited income and wish to join Good Eats this Summer, visit the NOFA-VT website to learn more about the Farm Share Program.  You may be eligible for assistance.
 
 
 
Localvore Lore
 
It's a baking share week with farm fresh eggs, Vt grown flour, super fresh buttermilk, and freshly bagged dried cranberries.
 
The eggs come from "the girls" at Pa Pa Doodles Farm of course.  This flock is lovingly tended by our own Deb Rosewolf. 
 
The wheat for this week's VT Organic White Flour was grown by Tom Kenyon at his Aurora Farm in Charlotte.  This is a great all-purpose flour.  Use it for cookies, muffins, pancakes, biuscuits, pizza dough and breads.  It is not super high in protein so for bread making, it would be best to blend with some whole wheat to add gluten strength.  I am forever mixing flours in my kitchen, rarely satisfied with just whole wheat, or just white or any other single flour.  I do use this flour by itself for cookies, brownies and cakes (I mean if you are going to go for it in the treat department, I say go all the way, forget about trying to go healthy with whole wheat). But, for all other uses, I prefer to bring in the added nutrients of whole wheat flour.  I mix it with whole wheat flour for bread and pizza dough, and with whole wheat pastry or a sifted wheat flour for muffins, pancakes and biscuits. 
 
Right about now, the last of the buttermilk bottles are being filled at Butterworks Farm, and soon Jack will deliver them to the farm and they will be packed for tomorrow's delivery.  Fresh!  Buttermilk is actually a low fat product. Traditionally, homemade buttermilk was the slightly sour liquid that remained after butter was churned and separated from milk. At Butterworks Farm, Jack and Annie make their buttermilk from the low fat or non fat milk from their jersey cows. They add lactic acid bacteria which thickens the milk and gives it a flavor reminiscent of yogurt. In baked goods, buttermilk adds its slight tang to the flavor profile, it promotes browning, is great for leavening, and improves texture.
 
We have included some dried cranberries today from Cranberry Bob at the Vermont Cranberry Company. These are maple sweetened cranberries and will be delicious on salads and in baked goods, on your granola or oatmeal.

 
 
 
Recipes
 
Roasted Root Medley
Here's the simplest recipe for using your roasting root medley.
 
Preheat oven to 400°F.  Place vegetables on a cookie sheet or roasting pan, and then drizzle with sunflower oil, olive oil, or canola.  You can sprinkle with rosemary, thyme or another herb that compliments the rest of your meal menu or just leave them plain.  You can salt and pepper now, or later to taste.  Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  At this point you can add chopped garlic to the pan, or just continue roasting without.  Veggies are done when they are browned on edges, and easily pierced with a fork.
 
Bandh Gobhi Ki Sabzi (Buttered Smothered Cabbage)
Here's a simple tasty recipe that combines cabbage with tomatoes and spices with delicious results.  If you haven't used your tomatoes from last week, you could use them here, and you could use part of one of the jalapenos from a couple weeks ago in place of the crushed red pepper.  Serve this with rice and perhaps a piece of chicken or bread and yogurt for a simple meal.

1 small cabbage (1-3/4 to 2 lbs)
2 Tbl ghee, butter or oil
1-1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp ground asafoetida (optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 Tbl minced ginger root or 1/2 tsp dry
8 oz tomato sauce or 1 cup chopped crushed tomato
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or 2 seeded and minced green chilies
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup hot water
1-2 Tbl coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves or 1 Tbl dry (optional)

Cut the cabbage into quarters, and core out the stem from each quarter.
Shred the cabbage into 1/2-inch thick shreds.  Heat the ghee over med-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed (pref. non-stick) pan.  When the ghee is hot, add cumin.  When cumin turns dark brown (10-15 sec), add asafoetida
(if using it), and immediately add the shredded cabbage.  Sprinkle turmeric over the cabbage and saute, turning and tossing rapidly until cabbage is wilted (about 5 min).
 
Add ginger, tomato (sauce), and chilies or red pepper, and continue cooking for an additional 5 min.  Add salt and water.  Reduce heat to med-low and cook the cabbage, covered, until it is tender and the water is absorbed into the vegetables (about 20 min).  Check and stir often while
it is cooking to prevent burning.  Fold in coriander leaves, check for salt, and serve.
 
Karfiolleves (Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower Soup)
This recipe for paprika-spiced cauliflower soup comes from chef Andrea Németh at the restaurant Bagolyvár in Budapest. To form the tiny dumplings, called galuska, she simply drops bits of dough into the simmering broth. From Saveur magazine.  Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 egg
1 ½ tbsp. Hungarian hot paprika
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
1 small head cauliflower, large stem removed, cut into florets
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and finely chopped

Make the dumplings: In a bowl, stir together flour and salt; add 2 tbsp. butter, and using your fingers, rub into flour until pea-size crumbles form. Add egg, and stir until dough forms; refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat remaining butter in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add paprika and onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add vegetable stock, cauliflower, and carrot; season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Using a ½-tsp. measuring spoon, portion out and drop all dumpling dough into simmering soup; cook, stirring occasionally, until dumplings are cooked through, about 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle soup and dumplings into 4 serving bowls, and garnish with parsley.



Pasta with Cauliflower
A sicilian dish traditionally made with the strongly flavored, deep green cauliflower called sparaceddu.  But any cauliflower works well.  If using our frozen cauliflower, thaw until off frozen and easy to chop. Chop florets a little further and add to skillet as in step 2, and reduce cooking time, cooking until cauliflower pieces are tender.  Serves 4.

2 tbsp. chopped oil-packed anchovies

6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 large head cauliflower, core removed, florets finely
   chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Pinch crushed red pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 lb. ditali or other small tubular pasta

Pinch crumbled saffron

5 canned whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

Place anchovies in a small skillet and cook, crushing with a spoon, over low heat for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp. of the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat remaining 5 tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add cauliflower and cook, stirring, until cauliflower begins to soften, 5–10 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Dissolve tomato paste in 1⁄2 cup water. Reduce heat to low, add tomato paste and mix thoroughly, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is very tender, 15–20 minutes.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes. Meanwhile, dissolve saffron in 1⁄3 cup hot water. Add saffron mixture, chopped tomatoes, and anchovies to sauce. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens. Drain pasta, toss with sauce, season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with parsley and toasted bread crumbs.
 
Cranberry Buttermilk Muffins
This is a most flexible muffin receipe. You can add 1 cup of any fruit, even banana or pumpkin, or 1/2 cup of nuts, or chocolate chips. Add a 1/2 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla or almond flavoring. Add lemon or orange zest. 

1/3 c oil
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk
3 c ww pastry flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c fresh cranberries, whole or chopped up a bit (or 1 cup dried)
Zest of 1/2 orange
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven 400

In a bowl beat together the sugar and oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, until light & foamy. Slowly pour in buttermilk and mix until well combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together by hand until just barely combined. Do not over mix so the muffins will be tender. Fill 12 greased or paper lined muffin cups evenly. Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.

Optional glaze: combine 1 c confectioners sugar with a bit of orange juice to make a smooth glaze. Spoon over cool muffins.

 
 

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