Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - March 28, 2018

Around the Farm

Spring is finally coming. I love the winter but it sure is long when you are a vegetable farmer. We're ready to roll and were teased with a real early spring a couple weeks back before we got the better part of 2 ft. of snow. But it's subsiding now; we've actually been harrowing a couple fields to turn the snow and get it to melt faster. Hopefully we will be planting hardy greens outside in about a week, though you never know!
Greenhouse are getting changed over from the cool season crops to tomatoes and cukes. This is a huge amount of hand work. It's been keeping us hustling the past couple weeks. These 9 degree nights are always a little scary with greenhouse full of plants that die at even a hint of freezing, I've been getting up twice on the cold nights to check all the houses. Hard to get back to sleep after walking around in the cold, makes for some short nights of sleep. 
Our little broomball league that's been going for over 20 years has been great fun this winter. Lots of farm employees have been playing with several new faces. It's a great workout and keeps cabin fever at bay. 
I'm headed off today to work on standards for the Real Organic Project. This is a new add on certification that is coming together in order to plug some serious problems that have developed with USDA organic certification such as hydroponic organic and organic CAFOs. The goal of the Real Organic Project is to establish standards that fulfill consumers' expectations of what organic means. More news on this soon.
~Pete
Taylar's notes: VPR did a story this morning on the Real Organic Project - read / listen here. And, if you see Pete this week, wish him a happy birthday! His birthday is Thurs, March 29.

Reminders!

FROZEN ITEMS: All veggie shares receive a package of frozen squash (orange blocks) this week. Fancy/ Localvore shares will ALSO pick up a package of jalapeños (or poblano peppers) while Large shares will pick up a package of cauliflower with their squash (may be white, purple, or a mix - please, only 1 package of cauliflower).
If you have clean CSA bags, please bring them back to your site! We're working with CSA members in Montpelier who also work with the Montpelier Food Shelf to re-use clean CSA bags. When you come to pick up your share, drop off your clean plastic bags (please, no red bags). The Montpelier Food Shelf will then re-use them to pack up items for their clients. Thanks!
And, our egg producers re-use clean egg cartons! As with your plastic bags, please bring CLEAN cardboard egg containers - for 1 dozen eggs - back to your site and we'll send them back to producers for re-use.
If you arrive at your site one week and are missing items, let us know! Please let me know about any missing items. Members are strongly encouraged to pick up during their advertised pickup hours; beyond those hours, we cannot guarantee your items will be available. We'll replace anything that is not there when you go to pick up, but let us know ASAP so we can solve any mysteries that day.
~ Taylar
Above, Tobin plants transplants in our "M2 greenhouse"
 
Going out of town?
Need to skip a delivery? We can donate your share to the food shelf, send it the next week, or credit your account for a future share. Please notify us by Monday, 8 am, at the latest for any changes to that week's delivery.

This week in your share:

Everyday Large

Mesclun, Spinach, Fingerling Potatoes, Rutabagas, Green Cabbage,
OUT OF THE BAG
Frozen Squash, and Frozen Cauliflower

Everyday Standard

Mesclun OR Spinach, Parsley (see note below), Celeriac, Rutabaga, Rainbow Carrots, and
OUT OF THE BAG
Frozen Squash

Fancy

Mesclun, Spinach, Celeriac, Rutabaga, Yellow Onions,
OUT OF THE BAG
Frozen Squash, and Frozen Jalapenos or Poblano Peppers

Bread Share

Mansfield Breadworks
Ciabatta

Pete's Pantry

Mansfield Breadworks English Muffins, Eggs, and Full Sun Canola OR Sunflower Oil

Cheese Share

Cellars at Jasper Hill
Landaff
Every week we'll send you snapshots of veggies in your share. You can always find more recipes and storage info on our blog and website.
Mesclun: The greens mix this week is a hearty blend: spinach, arugula, mizuna, shoots, and claytonia. The greens are pre-washed and ready to eat. Unopened, this bag will last for at least a week or 10 days. Opened, it will start to deteriorate after a few days.
Parsley: Bunches of fresh parsley from the greenhouse for Montpelier, Barre, Berlin, Middlesex, Hardwick, Morrisville, Waterbury White Meeting House, and Stowe members. Parsley has nutritional benefits as well as being an important herb for many types of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. We recommend storing parsley upright in a jar of water in the fridge, with plastic over it. It will keep for at least a week... in my fridge it'll keep this way for two weeks! If you have the pantry share, try chopping it and tossing onto your pizza (along with fresh garlic) when it comes out of the oven. Please note: Half the Everyday Standard shares will receive parsley this week.
Celeriac: Store unwashed celeriac in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks. Soak celeriac briefly in warm water and then scrub it with a stiff brush. Take a thin slice off the top and bottom and peel it with a sharp paring knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler. A few deep crevices will remain; leave them, or slice them out. Remove the core if it seems pithy or hollow. Like apples, celeriac will darken if exposed to the air for too long. If you don’t plan to cook it immediately, submerge the celeriac in a bowl of water with lemon juice squeezed in.
Rutabaga: Rutabaga grows particularly well in colder climates, and is especially popular in Sweden (where it earned its second name, swede).  Rutabagas should be peeled before use. Some rutabagas may have come out of the ground with superficial worm track markings. Don't be deterred if your rutabagas have these marks. Just peel or slice off the outer layer (which you need to do anyway) and the inside should be just fine. Keep them loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in your fridge and they'll last for several weeks at least. Roast it, mash it with butter, season with salt and pepper, cook it like a fry, you can't go wrong.
Fingerling Potatoes: This variety of fingerling, called LaRatte, is an oblong shaped, larger fingerling. It has excellent flavor and texture and is highly sought after by French chefs!
Frozen Jalapeños: This week's frozen jalapeños (fancy shares) will add a little zing to your recipes! To use your peppers thaw in the fridge overnight, remove from package and rinse. Or if you just need a pepper to spice up a dish, just take a single frozen pepper from the bag and chop it while just off frozen and add in to whatever you are making. The seeds and the inner ribs where the seed attaches are the hottest part of the pepper. For a rich and earthy jalapeño flavor without intense heat simply cut peppers open and remove inner ribs and seeds with a pairing knife. This may still give you a bit of spice but not nearly as much as before. My best advice when working with hot peppers of any sort is to wear gloves while preparing them. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly before touching any part of your body to avoid being burned.

Featured Recipes

Quick Pickled Carrots and Rutabaga
The refreshing crunch of these pickles is a nice change from roasted, boiled and pureed root vegetables. This is a a quick refrigerator pickle version, but you could can them if you like. You can make this with just carrots but the rutabaga adds variety and makes a nice pickle too. You could also use turnips, if you like their bite.
3 large carrots (about 3/4 lb.), peeled & cut into sticks about 3" long by 1/2" wide
1 lb. rutabaga, peeled & cut into sticks about 3" long by 1/2" wide
1 cup cider vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 TB coarse kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 TB whole fennel seeds
1 1/2 tsp whole mustard seeds
1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/8-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper to taste
Fresh dill sprigs and fresh fennel fronds (optional)
Prepare a large bowl full of ice water. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the carrots and rutabaga (or turnips), and boil for 1 minute. Drain immediately and plunge the vegetables into the ice water to stop cooking.
In the same pot, combine the cider vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, peppercorns and crushed red pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
Drain the cooled vegetables and put them in a heat-resistant container along with the dill sprigs and fennel fronds, if using. Pour the hot pickling liquid over the vegetables and cool. When they are cool, cover them tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before eating. The pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for about a month.
Roasted Rutabaga
Roasting rutabagas brings out their natural sweetness. You could easily bulk up this recipe by adding chopped potatoes, carrots, and any other root veggies you've got.
Rutabaga
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Apple cider vinegar
Chopped Parsley
Toss 1 large peeled and cubed rutabaga with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast at 425 degrees F until golden and soft, 40 minutes. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and chopped parsley.
Root Veggie Gratin with Horseradish Crust
Recipe comes from the Driftless Organics CSA, a great resource for recipe ideas.
2 ½ lbs. mixed root vegetables (rutabaga, turnip, parsnip, beet, potato, etc.)
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. flour
½ cup rye bread crumbs
2 cups whole milk, heated
1-2 Tbsp. sunflower oil
3 Tbsp. butter
⅓ cup apple cider or wine
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
⅛ tsp. nutmeg
Salt & pepper
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread vegetables & garlic in large baking dish, drizzle with oil & cider or wine. Season to taste with salt & pepper, & toss well.
Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil & bake 20 minutes. Remove foil & continue to roast until vegetables are brown-tipped & tender 20-25 min.
Meanwhile, start make a white sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour & cook over low heat several minutes.
Whisk in milk, bring to simmer, & cook gently 10 minutes,stirring often.
Season with salt, pepper, & nutmeg. Gently fold the sauce into the roasted vegetables.
Mix horseradish, cheddar, & bread crumbs with your fingers. Scatter the mixture evenly over the vegetables. Continue to bake until bubbly, 20- 30 minutes.
Spicy Celeriac and Carrot Soup
1 tsp olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped Poblano chilies (canned - or frozen)
1 celeriac, peeled and diced (try subbing in potato for celeriac if no celeriac available)
1 pound carrots, peeled and diced
2 vegetable stock cubes made up with 7.5 cups boiling water
Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion until softened. Add the garlic and red chilli and cook for a further minute. Combine the vegetables and add to the saucepan, allowing them to cook for a few minutes before adding the vegetable stock and half of the fresh coriander.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 25 minutes.
Blend the soup in a processor until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, season to taste and warm through before serving, sprinkled with coriander.
Butternut Squash Ginger Carrot Soup
1 package of frozen squash
6 carrots
4 cloves garlic
1 thumb size piece (or larger) of fresh ginger
1 onion
1 qt stock (veg or chicken - fish could also work nicely here)
water
olive oil
salt & pepper
(optional - cream, milk, sour cream, or coconut milk)
Cover the bottom of a large stock/soup pot with oil and add diced onion and a bit of salt on low heat. Cook 5-10 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add garlic and ginger with salt and pepper to taste and cook another 5 min so the flavors blend. Wash and cut the carrots into large chunks as well. Add the stock to the soup pot, then the carrots and squash, then add water to barely cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the carrots are tender. Using a potato masher, crush the cooked veg then blend to your preference. I usually like to blend half leaving some of the mashed carrots and squash for some texture. At this point you can stir in something creamy if desired. I used about half a can of coconut milk recently and thought it was perfect. If using sour cream, add it into the serving bowl as a garnish.

 

Pantry Lore

New producer AND a new item this week!! This week we feature two bread items from Mansfield Breadworks, based out of Harvest Market in Stowe on the Mountain Road. Pantry/ Localvore members will receive a 6-pack of English Muffins, made fresh this morning by Bill Hoads at Harvest Market. These muffins are made with organic Meunerie Milanaise winter wheat and unbleached white flour from Quebec, plus Cabot Creamery butter, local eggs, yeast, and salt. They are delicious! If you can't enjoy them within the week, you can easily put them in the freezer and pull them out as needed. I just love them with butter or as an egg sandwich. Over the weekend, I enjoyed brunch at the Great Northern restaurant in the south end of Burlington (a restaurant that uses a lot of Pete's Greens veggies!) and enjoyed a cured veggie, egg, cheddar, and mayo sandwich; the mayo was spiced up with miso! I think a cooked egg with a slice of cheddar and miso mayo would be delightful on one of these English muffins, topped with mesclun or spinach.
Bread share members will receive a loaf of ciabatta from Mansfield. I would love feedback on either the ciabatta or English muffins! I was able to try a sample of this loaf last week and loved it -- great flavor, great texture, and great shelf life. In fact, I'm still enjoying it almost a week later!
Pantry, Localvore, and Egg Share members are receiving a dozen farm fresh eggs from Axel's Eggs, Besteyfield Farm, or Tangletown Farm! We welcome back eggs from Tangletown! The hens at Lila's farm in West Glover have been enjoying a winter vacation, but they're back in action. We'll be featuring a rotating mix of eggs for the next several weeks. Do you have a preference? Let me know!
Rounding out the Pantry and Localvore shares is oil from Full Sun. Coolers at your site will have either canola or sunflower oil. Please take 1 quart. We buy items like oil in bulk directly from the producers. Unfortunately, Full Sun is no longer in business, as of this fall. But this is the last of our stock of their oil! Full Sun was based out of Addison County and sourced canola and sunflower seeds from Vermont and regional producers, then pressed the oil at their facility. The oils are certified GMO free. Both oils have a rich flavor. When stored in your fridge, under cool conditions, the oil will last several months. This oil is a fresh and delicious craft oil to use every day for cooking, sautéing, in marinades or dressings.
Cheese Share members receive a wedge of the Welsh style farmstead Landaff cheese, made through a partnership between Doug and Debby Erb, proprietors of the Landaff Creamery and the Kehler brothers, owners of the Cellars at Jasper Hill. The cheese is made at the Creamery, with milk from the Erb's Holsteins. After the cheese is made, it heads to the Cellars for the affinage, or aging process where it is lovingly cared for for a minimum of 60 days to maturity. Landaff is particularly great melting cheese, but also a great slicing cheese for sandwiches. From Landaff's website: A mild, semi-firm cheese with a delicious combination of flavors, tangy with a clean finish. The open and buttery texture comes with a natural, cave-aged rind. It melts beautifully for cooking, and makes a wonderful addition to any cheese plate.
Easy Basil Garlic Aioli
1 cup Full Sun extra virgin sunflower oil
2 eggs
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
Pour oil and eggs into wide mouth Mason Jar. Add peeled garlic cloves, lemon juice, & basil. Put the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar and turn it on and draw blender up and down at least 2 or 3 times to draw air into sauce. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Refrigerate and enjoy with meats, sandwiches, chips, fries, etc.
Dijon Vinaigrette
Here's a recipe to try out with your new canola oil.
1 tbs. Dijon Mustard
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
1/2 clove Shallot (minced)
1 cup Full Sun® Canola Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar to taste (about 1/2 cup total)
1/2 tsp. Maple Syrup
Pinch of Salt
Mix mustard, garlic, shallot, vinegar, maple syrup & salt, then gradually add oils while whisking (or blending)


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