Good Eats Newsletter - July 3, 2013

MEAT SHARE MEMBERS - it's a MEAT WEEK!! Localvore Members  & Regular Veggie Only Share Members take a LIGHT GREEN BAG This week your bag will contain: Baby Greens; Kale; Green Wave Mustard; Kohlrabi; Garlic Scapes; Potatoes; Beets; Scallions Localvore Offerings Include: Butterworks Farm Yogurt Elmore Roots Red Currant Kiwi Jam Pete's Pesto Small Veggie Only Members take a YELLOW BAG containing: Baby Greens; Kale; Kohlrabi; Garlic Scapes Potatoes;  Sweet Salad Turnips; Scallions

Happy 4th of July! There are no changes to this week's delivery schedule.  Thursday sites are all open so you can pick up as usual! Wednesday sites - please don't be late picking up as some of  your sites may not be open on Thursday the 4th. If there are any site specific changes or updates I will email you with that information.  Thanks!

Around the Farm I took a walk around the farm on Monday.  There's some amazing stuff going on up here! Beautiful potato fields & ripening cherry tomatoes . Peppers & Eggplant coming right along And a picture perfect field of arugula! Pete's Greens in the News WCAX filmed 2 segments on Pete's Greens which aired last week.  The first was about Pete winning the Small Business Person of the Year award.  This was the first time that a farm was awarded this honor in VT.  You can watch the clip here. The second story was about Pete's continuing work with the Vermont Farm Fund.  Pete started the Fund after the barn burned down in 2011 and the farm was flooded with donations to help rebuild.  The Vermont Farm Fund assists farmers with low interest loans who are faced with adversity or have an innovative idea that will increase the availability of local food in Vermont.   Click here to watch the clip. You can learn more about the VT Farm Fund by clicking here.   Please like the Vermont Farm Fund on Facebook! 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 This week's baby greens is a mix of arugula, mesclun, and spinach. Kale this week is a mix of Siberian and Purple.  Siberian is a newly popular kale variety with very tender, smooth leaves.  Keep kale loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. Strip the leaves from the stems and wash them well before chopping and cooking. Green Wave 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. Garlic Scapes are one of my favorites.  The tall, curly seed stalks that a garlic plant sends up at this time of year are a short season delicacy. Garlic scapes are trimmed from the garlic plants so that the plant will put energy into fattening the garlic cloves in the ground, not making seed. Garlic scapes have a nice garlic flavor, without the bite of garlic cloves. These scapes are young and tender and they may be eaten raw or cooked. You can chop and add to stir fry recipes, pasta dishes, guacamole, salsas, and vegetable dishes. Scallions, often referred to as green onions, are a young onion with a small, white tip and a bright green, tall stem.  You can use the whole thing in a recipe but I usually chop off the very bottom of the bulb, and then keep chopping up the stem until the chopped parts become less moist/crisp and more fibrous/leafy.  The remaining parts make an excellent addition to soups or salads bringing a mild onion flavor and nice hint of color. The name Kohlrabi is derived from the German word for cabbage "kohl" and turnip "rabi".  It is the same species as cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Although each has been selected to appear and taste very different, they have all been derived from the same wild cabbage cultivar. The taste and texture of kohlrabi are similar to that of a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, but milder and sweeter. The young stem in particular can be as crisp and juicy as an apple. Kohlrabi is eaten raw as well as cooked. The skin should always be peeled removing the tough external skin before using. Kohlrabi is popular in India and in particular Kashmir where it is called Monj. A Kashmiri household may have this on their dinner or lunch plates three to four times a week. The stem part of the plant is eaten along with the leaves. There is a spicy version which they call dum monj and a non-spicy version is called monj-haakh. For an easy snack simply melt some butter in a pan, add some sliced onions and chopped Kohlrabi and brown.  Add some fresh herbs, put on a lid and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Amy's favorite way to enjoy lately is to peel and slice the kohlrabi into strips, mix it with some olive oil, wrap in foil, and throw on the grill until tender (probably 15 -30 minutes, depending on temp). For the large share we have Red Beets.  We grow a gorgeous mix of beets on the farm - the ones in your share this week are our red beets, with a smooth round shape and deep red color.  Red beets will bleed when cooked so if preparing with other veggies be mindful of that fact that you will end up with a uniformly technicolor dish.  Beets may be eaten cooked or raw. Grated beets make a fabulous addition to salads and slaws. Grate some early in the week and place them in a tupperware and then sprinkle them into salads all week.  Roasted beets are extra delicious, roasting carmelizes the sugar in the beets. Cube beets and roast them in the oven with a drizzle of oil at 400F until they are tender and just browning at the edges. If you don't eat them all right away, cool and toss into a container and add these to salads. For the small share there are Sweet Salad Turnips.  This new crop of salad turnips are young and sweet and the greens on them are just beautiful.  Separate greens from turnip roots before storing them (both keep better that way), but don't toss the greens, they make terrific eating!  Salad turnips are a raw, tasty treat. Slice them and mix in with salad greens, or dip them in dressing and eat them on their own. Chop the greens and mix in with other salad greens for a peppery bite. Or, serve the greens chopped and steamed or sauteed. Both greens and roots can be kept loosely wrapped - separately - in plastic bags in the fridge. Veggie Storage and Use Tips are on our website too, so please bookmark the recipe and storage tip section.  I am sure you will find it useful. Localvore Lore This week we have Butterworks Farm Organic Yogurt.  Butterworks Farm is a completely self-sufficient organic farm with a closed herd of their own cows (they were all born on the farm) from which they make their yogurt and other products.  Butterworks also grows quite a variety of grains and beans both for animals and human consumption.  All sites will receive a mix of their full fat Maple and Non-Fat Vanilla Yogurt.  Both of these flavors are sweetened with local maple syrup and the vanilla is flavored with natural vanilla.  The non-fat yogurt is unique among other non-fat brands in that no thickeners are used in the making of the yogurt.  The structure of the Lazor's jersey milk allows them to make non-fat yogurt thickener free. Did you know that you can grow kiwi fruit in VT?  Elmore Roots Nursery is an innovative nursery growing all kinds of fruit trees, nuts, and berries.  They also produce jam made from their own fruit tress.  This week we have Red Currant Kiwi jam.  The jam is made with organic red currants, kiwis, and apples grown at Elmore Roots, and organic evaporated cane syrup.  The farm sells the fruit and the jams, but is also reknowned as a place to buy fruit nursery stock, as all varieties are selected for the cold climate.  The farm's motto is "if it will grow in Elmore, it will grown anywhere (in Vermont)". Every year we grow lots of basil for pesto to send out with shares.  This pesto contains our own basil blended with olive oil, romano and parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, garlic, lemon juice and salt.  It is tasty slathered on bread or added to pasta with grated cheese on top.  If you like yours garlicky - add some minced fresh garlic to your cooked pasta before mixing the pesto with the pasta.  The pesto will come to you frozen.  To use, simply thaw and eat as is or add to your dishes.  It will keep in your fridge a couple weeks, but if you won't use the entire tub right away, just throw it back in the freezer!  It keeps really well. Meat Share The burger is from our friend Seth Gardner at McKnight farm in East Montpelier.  Enjoy making burgers for a 4th of July cookout, adding crumbles to your spaghetti, or a meatloaf! Sausage and Bacon are also in your share this week.  A while back we bought some whey fed piggies from Jasper Hill Farm.  They lived a happy life roaming their Greensboro environs, dining partly on whey left over from the milk that goes into the cheese making at Jasper Hill.  The Sweet Italian sausage in the share this week is delicious on its own or would be awesome as part of a pasta meal.  And bacon of course goes with everything. Pete's Pastured Chickens are grazed on our greens fields and moved from field to field. They fertilize and aerate the fields while growing into beautiful vitamin packed table birds.  They're perfect for roasting whole for dinner and you'll have plenty of leftovers.  We also recommend using the carcass and neck to make broth afterwards.  One of my favorite things to do with a whole chicken is to throw it into the crockpot, cover with water, and add plenty of cut up veggies and spices.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Once it's cooked through strain the broth into a bowl, discard the veggies, and shred the chicken.  I freeze the broth for later use and keep the shredded chicken in the fridge to use throughout the week on a salad or burritos.   Recipes Braised Kohlrabi Braising kohlrabi in white wine really brings out the sweetness of this vegetable. Makes a wonderful accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish. 1.5 lb. kohlrabi, peeled and chopped into 1 pieces 2 garlic scapes, chopped into 1/4 pieces 2 TB butter 1.5 teaspoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled) salt & pepper to taste 1/4 cup white wine chopped fresh parsley Melt butter in a medium-sized skillet set over medium heat. Add the kohlrabi, scapes, tarragon, salt and pepper, and toss to coat with butter. Pour in white wine. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover. Continue to cook, adjusting heat to keep pan contents at a slow simmer, approximately 10-15 minutes, until slightly tender. Uncover and turn the heat up a bit. Cook until the kohlrabi is slightly colored. Remove from heat and transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Kohlrabi Black Bean Salad This is a very forgiving summer salad.  Feel free to swap in any of the items from your share - get creative! approx 1 cup kohlrabi, peeled and diced 3-4 green onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped 3 small radishes, sliced thin 1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed the juice of one lime Toss all ingredients together. Season with salt to taste and refrigerate at least an hour. Just before serving, garnish with chopped avocado. Fermented Dilly Kohlrabi Chips Kohlrabi is another one of those veggies that I haven't tried yet but have heard how amazing it is.  This recipe makes a chip similar to a dill pickle.  I love everything fermented and will be trying these chips asap! Makes: 1 pint jar 1 1/4 c. thinly sliced kohlrahbi rounds (about 1 large bulb1) 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1-2 dill heads a couple sprigs of dill leaves 1/2 garlic clove, peeled water to cover, about 1 c. Sterilize a pint jar. Put the kohlrahbi rounds, dill heads, dill leaves, garlic, and sea salt into the jar.  Cover with water, leaving about 1/2″ headspace. Add the salt.  Screw on the lid.  Shake the whole thing like crazy for a minute to mix up the saltwater brine. Set it in a warm, dark corner somewhere for a couple days.   It takes a couple days to ferment. You’ll want to try a piece after 2 or 3 days to taste and see if it’s there yet.  The pickles will go from salty and okay-tasting to this dilly-sour-happy-taste-bud-explosion.  When it reaches that perfect point, stick the jar in the fridge to keep the flavors right where they are.  They’ll last in the fridge for… a really, really long time, theoretically, but you’ll probably eat the whole jar in just a day or two if you like dill pickles like me. Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto Garlic scapes make an AMAZING pesto.  You can use this pesto on sandwiches, pizza, or on pasta. 4 cups of washed arugula 4 young garlic shoots and scapes 4 cloves of garlic 1 cup of pine nuts ½ cup parmesan cheese (optional) ½ cup of olive oil 1/8 teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon of salt Whizz it all up in the food processor or blender. I do the nuts and cheese first followed by greens and oil and then the salt and pepper. This seems to blend easily. This time of year you can also throw in some chives and garlic chives if you have any laying around! Scallion Pancakes This same formula can be used to make pancakes with other members of the onion family, especially shallots and spring onions. I use peanut oil for this recipe, but that's only because I associate it with soy sauce. If you omit the soy -– making these pancakes a perfect accompaniment to braised foods that use European seasonings -- you can use any vegetable oil or even a good olive oil.  Recipe from The New York Times. Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 bunches scallions or spring onions, about 1 pound 1 egg 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/2 cup flour Peanut, canola or olive oil as needed Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil while you trim the scallions. Roughly chop three bunches, and mince the fourth.  Add the larger portion of scallions to the water, and cook about 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Puree the cooked scallions in a blender, adding just enough of the cooking liquid to allow the machine to do its work. Mix the puree with the egg and soy, then gently stir in the flour until blended. Add pepper to taste, then the reserved minced scallions. Film a nonstick or well-seasoned skillet with oil, and turn the heat to medium-high. Drop the batter into the pan by the tablespoon or quarter cup, and cook about 2 minutes to a side, or until lightly browned. If necessary, the pancakes can be kept warm in a 200-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Chicken in Yogurt Sauce (Murgh Khorma) Adapted from Lite and Luscious Cuisine of India, this chicken dish would pair well with some kohlrabi.  Serves 6. 1 3 lbs. chicken 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 tsp garam masala 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional) 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp salt 2 TB sunflower or olive oil 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup water 1 green chili, chopped (optional) 2 TB chopped fresh cilantro Cut the whole chicken into 8-10 pieces. Remove skin if desired. Cut 2-3 slits, 1 inch long and 1/2 inch deep, in each piece of chicken. Set aside. In a small bowl mix yogurt, chopped ginger, garlic, garam masala, cayenne pepper, coriander and salt. Pour over chicken and mix well. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. When oil is hot, add cumin seeds ad cook for a few seconds until seeds are golden brown. Add sliced onions. Fry onions until golden brown, stirring as needed. Add chicken along with the marinade and fry for 8-10 minutes. Add the water, chopped green chili and cilantro and stir well. Cover with a lid and reduce heat. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve immediately over brown rice. One Pot Mujadara with Crispy Leeks and Greens 1 cup brown or green lentils 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, roots trimmed 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, more as needed 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 cup long-grain rice 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 bay leaf 1 cinnamon stick 4 cups trimmed and chopped spring greens (chard leaves, spinach, kale, mustard or a combination)   Place lentils in a large bowl and add warm tap water to cover by 1 inch. Let soak. Meanwhile, halve leeks lengthwise; run under warm water to release any grit. Thinly slice leeks crosswise. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer half the leeks to a bowl to use for garnish and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir garlic into the pot with the remaining leeks and cook for 15 seconds until fragrant. Stir in rice and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in cumin, allspice and cayenne; sauté 30 seconds. Drain lentils and stir into pot. Add 4 1/4 cups water, 2 teaspoons salt, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Rinse greens in a colander and spread damp leaves over lentil mixture. Cover and cook 5 minutes more, until rice and lentils are tender and greens are wilted. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with reserved crispy leeks. Herbed Hamburgers with Arugula 3/4 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon vegetable oil mayonnaise to taste 2 onion rolls or hamburger buns, split 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion 3/4 cup washed, spun dry, and chopped arugula In a bowl gently combine beef and thyme and form into two 3/4-inch-thick patties. In a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and reduce heat to moderate. Cook patties 3 1/2 minutes on each side for medium-rare meat and drain on paper towels. Spread mayonnaise on insides of rolls and buns and make sandwiches with onion, arugula, and patties. Sweet Salad Turnips with Oranges Here's a tasty and easy way to enjoy your salad turnips. 1 bunch turnips, trimmed, halved and sliced 1 tsp salt 1 orange Juice of 1 lemon 1 clove garlic, minced ¼ tsp harissa or other chile garlic paste Salt 3 Tbs olive oil 2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro Salt the turnip slices and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out the excess liquid. While the turnip is being salted, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Cut the rind off of the orange with a sharp knife. Cut into 1 inch chunks. Blend together the lemon juice, garlic, harissa, salt to taste, and olive oil. Toss turnips, orange and dressing. Garnish with cilantro.