Good Eats Weekly Newsletter, 11 December, 2019

Good Morning! This past week I harvested cilantro. It was the first time I harvested anything at the farm, and I have a new appreciation for all the hard work that the folks who normally harvest our greens in the winter put into it! It's a very slow-going process, cutting each stem individually with a knife. As I made my way down the bed, kneeling into the soil of our greenhouse, I felt serene. The simple beauty of the whole experience opened my mind to reflection, and I was able to get lost in my thoughts in a way I have rarely had time to since becoming a mother. After we were done harvesting the cilantro, it was time to wash it. Each piece goes into a large tub of cold water, where we shake off the excess soil and take care to separate out the leaves that experienced frost. From their penguin plunge, greens go into a giant motorized salad spinner to shake off as much of that icy water as possible. After spinning, greens are ready to be packaged. With salad greens they get weighed into bags. With herbs they get bound into bunches for wholesale or for the CSA. This cilantro, however, was destined to a special project. Some of you may recall that I used to work in the kitchen at Pete's Greens a couple years ago. I have been a line cook my whole adult life, and preparing food is when I am most in my element. One of the items I used to make in the Pete's Greens kitchen was Chimichurri. This is an Argentenian condiment that is traditionally used on steak, but is also great tossed with root veggies or pasta, as a dipping sauce for potatoes, or as a spread on bread! Chimi is made with garlic, hot peppers, cilantro, and parsley. It was amazing to go through the process of harvesting, washing, and then preparing the cilantro on Friday. To have my hands in this dish every step of the way was something I have never done before. I hope to have more experiences like this moving forward. Keep a lookout for this Chimi to turn up in your pantry shares soon! It is truly a beautiful time to be involved in the local food movement here in Vermont! Kate Pete's Musings What a beautiful December spring morning! Walking my daughter to school this morning we played in mud puddles. I'll take it after two years in a row of winter settling in in early November. This time of year I really appreciate the farm and the wide diversity of fresh produce we have access to. Leeks and celery in December keeps the blood pumping.  We had a tough fall harvest this year. Lots of mud, cold came early. It really tested our machines and for the most part they performed well. We brought more mud and stones in with the root crops than in the past so we are buying a washer that cleans stones out before washing.  Thanks for joining our CSA and supporting the farm. We really appreciate it. Pete Important Reminder! We do NOT have a CSA delivery the week of Christmas. The week of New Years we will be having all deliveries on Thursday, January 02, 2020! Do you find Farmigo to be frustrating and difficult to navigate? Check out our new tutorials below! Farmigo Store Tutorial Farmigo Settings Instructional Video Reminders! We are low on our bags! Please remember to bring back any of our bags that you have at home and bring your own grocery bag to bring your veggies home with you today. This week the Fancy Share will be in purple bags and the Everyday Standard Share will be in Yellow bags.  All Lean & Green members have been changed over to the Everyday Standard Share. If you ordered any bulk items in the store this week, they will be OUT OF THE BAG. They will have a label with your name on it. Access your member account here! Pantry/ Localvore Shares and Pantry Add-Ons This week's pantry/ localvore pantry items are Morningstar Black Beans (dried), Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. Sugarhouse Edam, and Champlain Orchards Apple Butter- read more below Cheese Shares: Cheese is OUT of the bag. This week there are two cheeses from Jasper Hill! They decided to give our cheese share members an extra cheese! You will each receive one Bridgman Blue (their newest goat/cow's milk blue cheese!) and one Harbison. Harbison is wrapped in the cambium of Spruce trees which imparts a earthy flavor into the cheese.  Egg Shares: These are delivered OUT OF THE BAG. They are on your bag's tag but not packed in your bag. You'll find your dozen labeled with your name. Bread Shares: These are delivered OUT OF THE BAG. From Elmore Mountain! They will be listed next to your name on your checklist, but not packed in your bag. Milk Shares and milk orders from the store: These are delivered OUT OF THE BAG. They are in a cooler. Store orders Everything ordered from the store is OUT OF THE BAG. Pantry/ Localvore Items Morningstar Black Beans: Organic dried black beans. My favorite part about dried black beans is that they do not need to soak overnight before cooking! They do just fine by going straight into the pot! This makes them my favorite dried bean to have on hand. Plus, they are also great beans! Black beans are extremely creamy and nutritious, and can be used in many different styles of food. Champlain Orchards Apple Butter: Apple butter is one of the quintessential fall flavors. It is great on all bread products by itself or as part of a sandwich. Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. Sugarhouse Edam: This cheese has fenugreek seed in it which lends it a maple-esque sweetness. This makes a really good cheese board cheese with fruit, bread, and some pickled veggies! Visit our blog for more storage tips and recipes! Storage Tips  Brussels Sprouts: Related to cabbage, kale, collards, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and broccoli, Brussels sprouts get their name from being grown in and around Brussels, Belgium. Brussels sprouts are a tall-stemmed cabbage in which many tiny heads form at the bases of the leaves along the entire length of the central stalk. The "sprouts" are made up of tightly packed leaves, each resembling a miniature cabbage head. Like most brassicas, the flavor of Brussels sprouts benefit from a frost, concentrating their sugars. Brussels sprouts can get a bad rap from those who have eaten overcooked versions that their parents may have boiled to oblivion. Try sautéing, or better yet, roasting them to bring out their inherent sweetness. Brussels sprouts should be stored in a closed plastic bag in the crisper drawer. Since our Brussels sprouts all failed this year due to a combined aphid and weed infestation, these Brussels come from Heartwood Farm, located in nearby Albany. They're not certified organic but are grown organically. Heartwood Farm is run by Andy Paonessa, a Sterling College alum and friend of the farm. Heartwood Farm is also one of the recipients of an Emergency Loan from the Vermont Farm Fund after some devastating weather destroyed his spring plantings back in 2013. He has since recovered and expanded his business. To find out more about the VFF or to donate, you can visit vtfarmfund.org. Purple-top Turnips: Purple Tops are just that- purple on the outside yet similar to the Goldball on the inside. Both types can be cooked similarly- I like to peel, chop, and sauté them with some carrots and onions for a veggie stir fry, or they're also great cooked and added to mashed potatoes.  Cipollini Onions: Cipollini onions are a small flattened Italian onion with a sweet, mild flavor. Cipollinis are traditionally served roasted or baked, but also work well on kebabs or eaten fresh. If you have never eaten a roasted cipollini 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. Cipollini 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. RECIPES Brussels Sprout Slaw with Mustard Dressing and Maple-Glazed Pecans: Bon Appétit November 2009. Serves 8. Vegetable oil 1 c. large pecan halves 1/4 c. pure maple syrup (grade B is best) 1/2t plus 1T coarse kosher salt plus additional for seasoning 1/4t freshly ground black pepper 1/4 c. whole grain Dijon mustard 2T apple cider vinegar 2T fresh lemon juice 1T sugar 1/4 c. vegetable oil 1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed Preheat oven to 325°F. Make the Candied Pecans: Oil a large sheet of foil. Place pecans on small rimmed baking sheet. Whisk maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Add to nuts and toss to coat; spread in single layer. Bake nuts 5 minutes. Stir. Continue to bake nuts until toasted and glaze is bubbling thickly, about 6 minutes. Immediately transfer nuts to prepared foil and separate. Cool completely. Make the Dressing: Whisk mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar in small bowl; whisk in oil. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Cook the Brussels: Bring large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Add brussels sprouts. Cook until crisp-tender and still bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Cool on paper towels. Using processor fitted with 1/8- to 1/4-inch slicing disk, slice Brussels sprouts. Transfer to large bowl. Toss Brussels sprouts with enough dressing to coat. Let marinate 30 to 60 minutes. Mix in some pecans. Place slaw in serving bowl. Top with remaining pecans. Turnip and Potato Patties Recipe: Here's a great recipe for turnips that may turn you into a turnip lover! Recipe from Gourmet Magazine. 1/2 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (about 1 1/3 cups) 6 oz potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 cup) 2.5T thinly sliced scallion greens 1 egg, beaten lightly  1/4 c. flour Peanut or canola oil (high smoke point vegetable oils) Salt and pepper To Prepare: In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the turnip and potato cubes for 15-17 minutes, until they are tender, and drain. In a bowl, mash them with a fork and stir in the scallions, egg, flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Coat the bottom of a large, heavy bottomed skilled with about 1/4 inch oil. Heat the pan on medium-high heat until the surface of the oil begins to shimmer, but not smoke. Spoon 1/4 cup mounds of the batter into the pan, flattening them into 1/2 inch thick patties with the back of a spatula. Fry the patties until they are golden, turning them once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the patties to paper towels to drain off excess oil. Ginger-Glazed Turnips, Carrots, and Chestnuts: This classic technique of covering simmering vegetables with a parchment-paper round (known as a cartouche) yields perfectly moist, evenly cooked pieces. The glaze takes some of the "bite" away from the turnip. 1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled, cut into 1" strips 1 pound carrots, peeled, thinly sliced on a bias 12T (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces, divided 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar One 2" piece ginger, peeled, very thinly sliced Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper 1 c. shelled roasted chestnuts from a jar 2T minced assorted herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, and chives) To Prepare: Cut a 12-inch round of parchment paper; snip a hole about the size of a quarter in the center of round. Combine turnips, carrots, 8 tbsp butter, brown sugar, and ginger in a 12 inch skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Rest parchment paper on top of vegetables (don't cover with lid). Simmer over medium-high heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Discard parchment; add remaining 4 tbsp butter and chestnuts. Simmer, swirling pan often, until a glaze forms, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl. Serve, garnished with herbs.