Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - Jan. 02, 2020

‌  ‌  ‌ Happy New Year! I am trying out something new this year! I have created a meal plan for dinners for this week out of the recipes below. I know how hard it can be to make sure that all the veggies in your bags get utilized. I find meal planning to take the stress out of dinner preparations. When I know ahead of time what I will be cooking, I can do some veggie prep in advance so that everything just needs to get thrown together into the oven or skillet without any hassle on busy weeknights! One of the ways that I have always made sure to not let CSA veggies go to waste is to have Sunday be a soup day! I have attached one recipe below, but if you have any other uncooked veggies that need to be used up, throw them in a pot with broth and salt and you will end up with something tasty! I typically try to make two batches of soup which I then alternate as lunches for my son throughout the week. Not having to waste time in the morning making sandwiches and cutting up snack foods has been a complete game changer for me! I hope that it helps you out too! Kate Share Contents Fancy Share Members Shoots, Carrots, Russet Potatoes, Napa Cabbage, Red Onions, Rutabagas, Red Kale. Everyday Standard Members Shoots, Carrots, Russet Potatoes, Napa Cabbage, Red onions, Red Kale It's a Meat Week! Please do not forget to check the coolers for your meat shares! This month's Meat Share will each include the following: Snug Valley Farm Boneless Pork Chops Pete's Greens Whole Chicken Cloverworks Farm Ground Lamb Curious about how these animals were raised? Snug Valley Farm raises heritage breeds of pigs as well as holsteins. They are located in East Hardwick and practice intensive rotational grazing methods in order to ensure the best possible forage for their happy grazers. Their animals are raised without antibiotics, hormones or any animal by-products. Pete's Greens Pastured Chickens lived a charmed chicken existence, roaming the fields and eating green forage. This diet makes them a much more nutrient-dense meat than many of the chickens you find out in the marketplace. These chickens are good sized birds that are great for any purpose: they can be grilled or roasted whole, or cut into pieces and used for various dishes. Cloverworks Farm mission statement - "After several years of raising sheep on rented land, Cloverworks Farm moved to our own 63 acre farm in Albany, Vermont in 2017. We want to make sheep a sustainable, economically relevant force on the secondary soils of Vermont’s hilly, rocky landscape. Our goal is to create a sustainable farm where the best management practices result in healthy, happy sheep and delicious lamb. We believe it will be a challenge and intend to meet that challenge by raising our sheep to meet their economic potential.  Our livestock projects also include chickens, geese and turkeys, with future plans for pigs and cattle." Need some help getting the hang of Farmigo? 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. 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 Boundbrook Farms Brown Rice, Les Aliments Miso, and Vermont Soy Tofu- read more below Cheese Shares: Cheese is OUT of the bag. This week's cheese share will be Red Sky from Sweet Rowen Farmstead.  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 Vermont Soy Tofu: Organic tofu from Hardwick, VT! Independently owned, Vermont Soy is dedicated to supporting sustainable agriculture, local economies, making premium quality soy foods, keeping Vermont's agricultural landscape working, and creating good jobs in rural Vermont. Les Aliments Miso: Organic miso made from Oats and Barley in Quebec. From their website: "Our organic, non-pasteurized soybean and oats miso is an exclusive product on the world market. Its flavor is distinct and mild with a slightly sweet after taste. It has undergone a natural, uninterrupted fermentation process of 2 or more years. It is produced using only the highest quality organic products, certified non-GM. Whole organic soybeans high in protein content. We prefer to use locally or regionally produced soybeans from the Eastern Townships, central Quebec or the Mauricie region. Organic oats, locally grown in the Eastern Townships." Boundbrook Farm Brown Rice: Organic, short-grain brown rice grown in Vergennes! A friend of mine once had a very determined experiment to try and grow rice here in Craftsbury. Despite his enthusiasm he was not able to make the climate work for his rice! It is so impressive that these guys down in Vergennes are able to pull it off! They integrate their rice operation with duck farming. Rice that is cold-tolerant enough to grow in Vermont requires five months to mature fully. This causes weeds to become a huge issue with rice farming. Ducks, who do not eat rice, are integrated into the rice patties during each growing season. They get to eat all of the weeds that they enjoy, which allows the rice to grow without weedy competition, and with added fertilizer! Visit our blog for more storage tips and recipes! Storage Tips  Napa Cabbage: Store in a tightly sealed plastic bag in your crisper drawer. You can expect cabbage to last for quite a while in your fridge, but if you are concerned about being able to use it all Napa Cabbage is a great candidate for Kimchi or Sauerkraut. Red Kale: Having red kale bunches in our CSA this week is a special treat! We are excited to still have fresh leafy "greens" available to send to you even though it is January! We had thought that our last December delivery would be the last time that Kale would be available, but we got lucky with these beauties! Line a food storage container with a paper towel and put the leaves on top. When you're ready to cook them all you have to do is put them in the skillet!  Shoots: Store these microgreens in an airtight food storage container lined with a paper towel on the top and bottom. The paper towel will help absorb any excess moisture and keep them fresher longer. RECIPES Shoot Salad with Winter Veggies: Ingredients: Shoots Carrots, sliced thin on a bias Red onion, julienned Leftover roasted veggies- Use anything you have on hand! Beets, celeriac, turnips, etc. These would all make a good addition to any salad! Walnuts Shredded Parmesan cheese Bacon bits, sliced chicken, a pork chop, or sliced steak would make a nice accompaniment to this salad. Dressing To make the dressing: Ingredients: ½ cup extra virgin olive oil 6 T frozen organic apple juice concentrate reseal with plastic and a rubber band and place back in freezer to avoid waste 4 T apple cider vinegar 3 T white balsamic vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 1 tsp honey if living sugar free, skip it! 1 pinch sea salt ½ tsp freshly ground pepper To Prepare: Combine all ingredients into a jar. Shake until dressing comes together. Add all of your salad ingredients into a large bowl (use the next size up from the one you think is big enough- trust me!)  Add less dressing than you think you will want. Toss the salad with the dressing and add more as you see fit!  Store any remaining dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for one week.  Miso Roasted Tofu: Ingredients 1 container firm tofu (well pressed- cut the tofu in half lengthwise and place it on a stack of paper towels. Cover with more paper towels and place a heavy book on top. Let it sit for at least ten minutes to make sure as much liquid is removed) 1/3 cup miso 3 tbsp. rice vinegar 3 tbsp. sugar 2 tbsp. soy milk 1 tsp. ginger 1 tsp. garlic (granulated) 3 tbsp. water 2 tbsp. soy sauce 2 tbsp. oil (olive, sesame or vegetable) Optional: a dash of cayenne pepper Optional: sesame seeds To Prepare: Pre-heat oven to broil or highest setting. Cover a cookie sheet with tin foil. Combine all ingredients except tofu and oil using blender or mixer. Slowly add oil and mix until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into wide bowl or pan. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch thick pieces and dip into miso mixture until coated with a thin layer, reserving some of the mixture. Gently lay tofu pieces on covered cookie sheet. Broil 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown and slightly crisp. Remove from oven. Turn the pieces over and "baste" another layer of miso mixture over the pieces with a spoon. Broil 8 to 10 more minutes until browned and crisp. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and enjoy! Roasted Chicken: Roasting a chicken is a simple way to get dinner on the table with little hands-on time. I like to roast mine with root veggies so that I am cooking multiple meals at once. Below is a recipe for miso-rubbed chicken, but the same technique applies regardless of seasonings you prefer! Ingredients 1 whole roast chicken (21/2 to 3 lb. in size) 2 whole yellow or white onions (cut into 1-in. wedges) 1 cup chicken stock To taste 2-in. pieces of carrot, parsnip, potatoes, and rutabagas, cut in half To taste salt and black pepper For Miso Rub ¼ cup miso  ¼ cup sesame of olive oil 3 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp. fresh ginger (minced) 2 ea. fresh garlic cloves (minced) To Prepare: Rub entire chicken with oil and lightly season with black pepper. Add half of the chopped onions into the cavity of the chicken. Place chicken into roasting pan and pour chicken stock into pan. Place chicken in 450 degree oven and roast at high heat for 20 minutes. Remove after 20 minutes and drop oven temperature to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients for rub and blend well. Massage rub into all of the chicken. Place chicken in a roasting pan; circle the chicken with onions. Roast for one hour or until skin is extra crispy and juices run clear at the leg joint when skin and meat are pierced and a thermometer reads 165 degrees. (Optional) add pieces of carrot, parsnips, baby fennel bulbs (cut in half), and/or potatoes, tossed in oil and seasoned with pepper, around the chicken with the onion. Recipe adapted from Hikari Miso Chicken Salad: Use up some of that chicken by putting it in a chicken salad for an easy lunch or dinner when you're short on time! Chicken salad is also great with fruit added. Dried cranberries, sliced apples, sliced grapes, etc. all make great additions to chicken salad! So does whole grain dijon mustard, depending on your family's eating preferences! 1 pound leftover chicken, cubed 3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions 3/4 cup small-diced celery 1/2 cup small-diced red onion 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup plain yogurt 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped (optional) Salt Freshly ground black pepper To Prepare: Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Adjust salt, pepper, and mayo to taste. Serve on top of a greens salad, as a sandwich, or on it's own! Creamy Potato Gratin with (or without) Ham: Serves 2 as a main course or 4-5 as a side. You can double this recipe but it may take longer to bake. This is a toddler approved recipe! Ingredients: 1/2t Salt Pinch of dried cayenne pepper Freshly ground black pepper Freshly grated nutmeg 2T butter 2 Large potatoes, cut into thin half-moons (cut lengthwise, then cut crosswise) 4oz Ham 2 garlic cloves, minced 1.5 cups heavy cream 4oz Gruyere cheese, shredded To Prepare: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Combine the salt, cayenne, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl. Set aside. Heat a 12" skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Once bubbling, remove from head and add 1/3 of the potatoes to the pan. Allow them to overlap slightly. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mixture over the potatoes followed by half of the ham and half of the garlic. Arrange a second layer of potatoes the same way and top with the remainder of the seasoning mix, ham and garlic. Pour in half the cream. Top with the remaining potatoes and the rest of the cream. Return the pan to the heat until the juices are bubbling. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is browned and the potatoes are tender. It will be hard to resist, but allow the gratin to cool slightly so that it slices better. Adapted from One Pan, Two Plates, by Carla Snyder Braised Napa Cabbage: Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, has crunchy leaves that pair well with a light sauce. Similar to bok choy, but more delicate. Napa cabbage is more elegant than regular firm-headed green cabbage and sautées beautifully. The high heat caramelizes the cabbage leaving a sweet subtle flavor. Ingredients 3 t vegetable oil 1 small head (about 1 pound) Napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 piece fresh ginger ( 1/2 inch), cut into matchsticks 1/4 c water 1 1/2 t cornstarch 1/4 c soy sauce 4 scallions, thinly sliced 1 t rice wine vinegar  To Prepare: In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tsp of the vegetable oil . When it is very hot, add half the cabbage. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until leaves begin to brown.  Remove them from pan. Use 1 teaspoon of the remaining vegetable oil to cook the remaining cabbage in the same way; remove from the pan.  Add the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to pan. Cook the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch.  Stir the soy sauce into the pan. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil.  Return all the cabbage to pan, stirring well to coat it all over.  Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.  Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallions and vinegar. Kale and White Bean Stew: You can make a real stew with more stock, or leave it thick and serve it piled up on toast. It's good as a main course for dinner or with eggs for breakfast. The same day you make it or a week later, it's delicious. Ingredients: 1 pound red kale, ribs and stems removed and cleaned 3T olive oil 1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) chopped carrots 1 cup (5 ounces) chopped celery 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) chopped leeks or onions 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 cup dry white wine 2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed 2 cups (or more to taste) vegetable broth 1 cup pureed tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 fresh thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1T sherry vinegar To Prepare: Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook kale for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much extra water as possible. Coarsely chop kale. Wipe out medium pot to dry it, and heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, leeks and garlic and sauté for 15 minutes.   Add wine (scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot) and cook it until it reduced by three-fourths.  Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add kale and cook for 5 minutes more.  Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve ladled over a thick piece of toasted country bread or baguette with a poached egg and a drizzle of sherry vinegar and/or some grated cheese. Thyme-Rubbed Pork with Pear and Rutabaga Mash Ingredients: 2 pounds turnips, peeled 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoons orange juice  Zest from 1 orange 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg  Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 4 pears 2 Pork Chops (if using) Dried Thyme To Prepare: Dry your pork chops (if using) with a paper towel. Liberally sprinkle each side with thyme, salt and pepper. Preheat a 12" cast iron skillet over high heat. Add some olive oil to the pan and add the pork chops, searing on each side. Remove the pork chops to rest. Cut rutabagas into 1" cubes. Place them in a kettle and cover with cold, unsalted water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until they are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and pass them through a ricer. Place the riced rutabagas and pears into the skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the liquid has evaporated and they are the consistency of mashed potatoes, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream, butter, orange juice, orange zest and nutmeg and cook, stirring for 3 to 4 more minutes. Remove from the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.