Good Eats Weekly Newsletter - April 22, 2020

Around the Farm

So much spring activity around the farm! Since mid January Melissa has been seeding endless trays and nurturing young starts. The starts make their way to greenhouses and tunnels and soon … to fields! Meanwhile Pete, Isaac, Andrew and the rest of the farm team have been prepping fields for the incoming. With this gorgeous spring weather we have been having, we expect to have a really great start to the summer season! 

Our greenhouses are teeming with life and exuberance, and we are beginning to harvest crops of basil, mustard greens, arugula, chard, scallions, parsley, and soon we will be harvesting green garlic!

It was finally dry enough this weekend to harvest some spring parsnips, so you fancy and everyday members can expect to find those in their shares next week! Spring parsnips are a treat! They are sweeter than fall-harvested parsnips due to the freezing conditions over the winter, and they add a bright, nutty flavor to any dish!


Kate
This week in your share:
Fancy / Localvore
Arugula
Scallions
Cilantro
Sunchokes
Rainbow Carrots
Potatoes


Out of the Bag:
Frozen Jalapeños

Take a purple bag!
Everyday Standard
Mesclun
Chard
Rainbow Carrots
Potatoes
Onions



Out of the Bag:
Frozen Cauliflower


Take a yellow bag!
Lean & Green

Mesclun
Basil
Red Russian Kale
Cress OR Mustard Greens
Rainbow Carrots
Onions





Take a green bag!
Pantry/ Localvore Shares and Pantry Add-Ons
This week's pantry/ localvore pantry items are Red Hen Pizza Crust OR Red Hen Crossett Hill bread, Pete's Greens Pizza Sauce, and Cellars at Jasper Hill Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. Please read more below.

Cheese Shares: Cheese is OUT of the bag. This week's cheese share is Storm from Sweet Rowen Farmstead. The cheese is labeled with your name.
Egg Shares: These are delivered OUT OF THE BAG. You'll find your dozen labeled with your name.

Bread Shares: These are delivered OUT OF THE BAG. This week's bread share comes from Elmore Mountain Bread.

Milk Shares: These are delivered OUT OF THE BAG. They are in a cooler. Our milk share comes from Sweet Rowen Farmstead in West Glover.

Store orders: Everything ordered from the store is packed separately.

A Few Notes...


  • Whoops! When we changed the hours of our online store, the hours you can make changes to your upcoming delivery also moved. To help us plan out our veggie availability and schedule with our non-veggie producers, we need to have all orders for the coming week placed by Friday night of the next week's delivery. The Sunday night deadline is just too tight for us! We apologize for the confusion.

  • 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. Store orders must be placed by Friday night of the week before delivery. Any orders placed between April 17 and 24 will be delivered on April 29.
  • Continuing your Good Eats CSA into the summer? No changes are necessary to your member account! If you are on auto-renewal, your deliveries are ongoing no matter what season we are in. No waitlist is necessary! We encourage new or returning members to sign up for their share as soon as possible as space may be limited at some sites or for some shares. If you are interested in helping us spread the word about our CSA, let us know!
Need some help getting the hang of our online member portal?

Check out our tutorials below!
Pantry/ Localvore Items
  • Red Hen Pizza Crust or Crossett Hill bread: Important!!! This week half of our share members will get the Pizzazz! Pizza Crust and half will get the Crossett Hill bread, both made by Red Hen Baking Co in Middlesex. Next week, if you received the pizza crust, you will receive the bread and vice versa. Use the pizza crust within a couple of days or pop it in the freezer. 

  • Pete's Greens Pizza Sauce: Farm made pizza sauce using our own farm-grown organic tomatoes! We made this sauce especially for our Pantry/ Localvore share members. It's coming to you frozen. We suggest letting it simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce some of the water before putting it on your pizza crust. If you received bread this week, save your pizza sauce in the freezer for next week!

  • Cellars at Jasper Hill - Cabot Clothbound Cheddar: It's hard to find a better cheddar out there than Cabot Clothbound! We're excited to work so closely with our neighbors at the Cellars over in Greensboro. Over the next few weeks, you'll be hearing about opportunities for our CSA members to purchase cheese specials from Jasper Hill. This Cabot Clothbound is an even deeper expression of all of our farms' commitment to dairy in the NEK: this cheese is made by Cabot Creamery in nearby Cabot, VT then aged for several months in Greensboro. In these topsy-turvy times, farmers supporting farmers makes great sense to us.
STORAGE TIPS
  • Mesclun: Store your mesclun in an airtight food storage container lined with a paper towel.

  • Arugula: Arugula is also known as Rocket or Roquette. It's a popular and versatile green that can be eaten raw, but also holds up well in the sauté pan. It has a peppery, mustardy flavor and is great on sandwiches, pizza, or eggs to give them pep - or enjoy in or as a salad for a whole new experience! It does well with a quick wilt and added to pastas, frittatas, or calzones, or as stand-in for lettuce on an Italian-inspired sub. It is delicious when prepared simply in a sauté pan with olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt and pepper.

  • Basil: Welcome back, basil! It's a sure sign of the seasons when basil starts to appear. Who else is excited to have it back?! Use basil as a way to add extra flavor to your pizza or pizza sauce. It's also a staple in Thai, Vietnamese, and Laotian cooking. It's best to add basil in to your dish near the end of the cooking process so it retains its maximum essence and flavor.Basil should be kept in a plastic bag or kept stems down in a glass of water with plastic over the leaves for about a week with regular water changing. Keep your basil out of the extreme cold as it could damage the fragile leaves. Your basil will be packed in the same bag as your mesclun. Don't forget to take it out when you get home!

  • Scallions: aka green onions, 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.

  • Red Russian Kale: This kale variety is tender and cooks up very nicely without much fuss, or enjoy it fresh in a salad or on a sandwich! Store your bunched greens wrapped in plastic in your crisper drawer.

  • Cress OR Mustard Greens: Lean & Green members are receiving either a bunch of cress or a bunch of mustard greens. Left raw, cress leaves can be chopped and mixed into a salad, tucked into a sandwich, or tossed over broiled fish as a garnish. Use a food processor to blend a handful of cress with a cup of creme fraiche or sour cream and a few garlic cloves for a zesty side to grilled meats or blend into soups. Mustard greens have a delicate texture and mild, sweet, yet slightly spicy mustard flavor. They are related to Asian greens and kale. They're tender enough to liven up salads, and stout enough to stand on their own steamed or in stir-fried dishes. Store in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer for 1-2 weeks.

  • Sunchokes: You might know of this plant as a beautiful yellow flower on tall stalks that blooms in summer. The tuberous roots, which appear in your shares, are also edible. Eat with or without the skin, and prepare as you would potatoes: roast, sauté, bake, boil, or steam. They can be stored for a few weeks in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

  • Potatoes: Though you can store your potatoes at room temperature if you plan to eat them fast enough, they will keep the longest in your fridge. If your crisper drawer is full, I leave mine in a bin on the middle shelf of the fridge and they keep very well there.
RECIPES

We know a lot of you are baking and cooking up a storm these days! If that's you and you've found a great way to use your CSA ingredients, we want to know! Share with us in our Facebook group or email us your recipe (pictures, too)! We'd love to feature it in a future newsletter, and to know what our members are eating these days.

Scallion, Potato, and Sunchoke Cakes

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound potatoes, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater
  • 1 pound sunchokes, shredded on the large holes of a box grater 
  • 1/2 bunch of scallions, both white and green parts, very finely chopped 
  • 1 large egg white 
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt 
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil

To Prepare:

  1. Squeeze the shredded potatoes and sunchokes dry. In a large bowl, using 2 forks, mix the shredded potatoes with the scallions, egg white, salt and pepper.
  2. Set two 10-inch nonstick skillets over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of oil to each skillet. Add the potato mixture to the skillets and press into firm cakes. Set a heatproof plate or glass pie plate over each cake just to cover it. Weight down each plate with a large, heavy can and reduce the heat to moderate. Cook for 5 minutes. Uncover carefully and slide the cakes onto plates.
  3. Add 3 tablespoons of the remaining oil to each skillet. Carefully invert the potato cakes and return them to the skillets. Press the cakes firmly and cook until they are browned and crisp on the bottom, about 12 minutes longer.
  4. Slide the potato cakes onto a work surface. Cut into wedges and serve.


Jalapeño and Cheddar BBQ Pizza

Ingredients:

For the BBQ Sauce:
  • 1/2 16oz container of tomato sauce
  • 1/8 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1T cup honey
  • 1T cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 teaspoons yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Pizza:
  • 4 jalapeños, sliced thin
  • 4 slices of bacon, diced (optional)
  • 1/2 white onion, minced
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar
  • BBQ sauce

To Prepare:
  1. Make the sauce: add all of the sauce ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes until the sauce has began to thicken.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. If you are using a pizza stone you will want to let your oven be preheated for at least 30 minutes before baking in order to get a crispy, charred crust!
  3. Cook the bacon: Add 2T of oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil shimmers. Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until it has gotten browned and crispy.
  4. Prepare your pizza: take a ladle of sauce and spread it evenly over the bottom of your pizza crust. Top with cheddar, onions, jalapeños, and bacon (if using).

Sautéed Greens with Ginger and Chicken Thighs
This dish would be just as good using thinly sliced tempeh in lieu of chicken thighs. I would recommend baking the slices until they were crispy before using in this recipe. Toasting tempeh ahead of time will bring out its delicious, nutty flavor, and will help it maintain a better texture once it gets added to the stir fry.

Ingredients:
  • 1T. canola oil
  • 1T finely chopped fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 6 scallions, thinly sliced (substitute white onion, if needed)
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" strips
  • 1/4t salt
  • 2 C cooked greens, about 1 lb raw with stems (mustard greens, kale, arugula, or chard would all work here)
  • 1T soy sauce
  • 2t toasted sesame oil

To Prepare:
  1. Put canola oil in large stainless steel or nonstick frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add ginger, garlic, and scallion bulbs. Stir-fry 2 minutes.
  2. Add chicken and salt and stir-fry until almost done, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in cooked greens, scallion leaves, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add salt to taste.

Cress Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
  • 1 shallot roughly chopped
  • 2 cups tightly packed fresh cress leaves, stems removed (about 4 ounces)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  • Combine all the ingredients for the cress vinaigrette in a blender and blend for 60 seconds until very smooth.
  • Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.

Quick Pickled Carrots

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick coins
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds

To Prepare:
  1. Place carrots in a heatproof resealable container or jar. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, mustard seeds, and 1/2 cup water in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately pour over carrots. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 days before serving.

Salad Suggestion
I love experimenting with new salad combinations. This cress vinaigrette adds a peppery kick to this salad, which is brightened by the pickled carrots. I am personally a fan of any pickled veggies on my salads! They definitely keep things interesting!

Ingredients:
  • Baby Greens
  • Pickled Carrots
  • Cooked Barley or Farro
  • Walnuts
  • Scallions or onions
  • Cress Vinaigrette
  • Cheese of your choosing
  • Salt and fresh cracked pepper

Blackened Cauliflower
Blackened cauliflower is hands-down one of my favorite side dishes! This one has added crunch from the herbed panko, and will pair really well with garlic roasted potatoes and a steak. Seared tofu would also accompany this dish really well!

Ingredients:
  • 2 lbs. cauliflower, cut into florets (from 1 large head of cauliflower)
  • 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
  • Sea salt
  • 1/4 cup golden or sultana raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, very finely minced
  • 1/2 cup panko
  • 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley, plus extra for garnish
  • Optional: a small sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan

To Prepare:
  1. Preheat your oven to 420 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl and pour in 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, the sumac and a good pinch (or two!) or sea salt. Use your hands to toss everything together well and then pour the cauliflower out onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cauliflower is very brown.
  3. While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the panko and raisins. Place the raisins in a small pot and cover them with 1″ of water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  4. Heat the remaining teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a small frying pan. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for 30 seconds. Add the panko and mix everything together well. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the panko is light brown. Stir in the finely minced parsley and a pinch of sea salt.

Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
  • 2½ pounds medium potatoes 
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced 
  • ⅓ cup olive oil 
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

To Prepare:
  1. Heat the oven to 375° F. Cut the potatoes in quarters. Toss with the garlic, oil, salt, and pepper, and spread mixture on a baking sheet in a single layer.
  2. Roast, stirring once, until the potatoes are soft at the center and golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Potato, Scallion and Goat Cheese Frittata
Frittatas are one of the easiest things you can make. They make a filling and healthy dinner and you can use any veggies you've got on hand. You can also throw some meat in there to bulk it up a bit- ham, bacon and turkey are all great additions, and cheese of all sorts is welcome as well.

Ingredients:
  • 10 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise on the bias
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup crumbled soft goat cheese (4 ounces)
  • Garnish: Mesclun or arugula lightly dressed with olive oil and sea salt

To Prepare:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together eggs, cream, scallions, and thyme in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 6 minutes.
  2. Pour egg mixture into skillet, and distribute evenly using a rubber spatula. Stir to combine with potatoes. Bake until set but still loose in the center, about 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from oven. Sprinkle goat cheese over top. Bake until cheese melts and eggs are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Slide frittata onto a serving plate. Garnish with scallion ribbons, and cut into wedges.

Carrot, Celeriac, and Ginger Soup
INGREDIENTS
  • ½ large celery root (celeriac), peeled, chopped
  • ½ pound carrots, peeled, chopped
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • ¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • Cress leaves, for serving

To Prepare:
  1. Put oil in a large pot and heat over medium heat until it simmers. Add the onion, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened. Add the coriander, ginger, and honey. Stir contstantly to ensure it doesn't burn.
  2. Add celeriac and carrots and 6 cups water.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook until tender, 30–35 minutes.
  4. Let cool slightly. Purée in a blender and top with yogurt and cress leaves

Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon with Cress Sauce

Ingredients:
  • Four 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
  • 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups packed fresh parsley leaves and thin stems, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup packed fresh cress leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup minced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

To Prepare:
  1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment.
  2. Wrap the middle section of each of the salmon fillets with a quarter of the prosciutto slices. Season the exposed part of each fillet with salt and pepper.
  3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the salmon, reduce the heat to medium, and brown the salmon on all 4 sides, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the salmon to the prepared baking sheet, retaining the skillet. Bake on the oven's middle shelf until slightly undercooked at the center, about 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a blender combine the parsley, cress, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cream, cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Blend until the mixture forms a smooth puree. Set aside.
  5. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the oil remaining in the skillet, then heat over medium. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the puree and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 minute. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water.
  6. Spoon some of the sauce into the center of 4 serving plates. Set one salmon fillet onto each. Serve immediately.

Pesto

Ingredients:
  • ½ cup pine nuts
  • 3 oz. Parmesan, grated (about ¾ cup)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 6 cups basil leaves (about 3 bunches)
  • ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt

To Prepare:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once halfway through, until golden brown, 5–7 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a food processor and let cool. Add cheese and garlic and pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute.
  3. Add basil and place the top back on. With the motor running, add oil in a slow and steady stream until pesto is mostly smooth, with just a few flecks of green, about 1 minute. Season with salt.


Additional Recipes

Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts, Parmesan, and Basil

Ingredients:
  • Rainbow chard (about 1 large bunch)
  • 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tbs. pine nuts
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 Tbs. minced garlic
  • 1 Tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (8 to 10 large)

To Prepare:
  1. Pull or cut the stems from the chard leaves. Cut or rip the leaves into 2- to 3-inch pieces and wash and dry them well. Rinse the stems and slice them crosswise 1/4 inch thick.
  2. In a 12-inch nonstick stir-fry pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.
  3. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the chard stems and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrunken and beginning to brown lightly, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the chard leaves and 1/4 tsp. salt. Toss with tongs until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. (If using a skillet, you may need to add the chard in batches, letting the first batch wilt before adding more.) Remove the pan from the heat, add the cold butter pieces and stir just until the butter has melted.
  4. Using tongs, immediately transfer about half of the leaves and stems to a serving plate and arrange. Sprinkle on half of the Parmigiano, basil, and pine nuts. Layer on the remaining leaves, stems, and pan juices, and garnish with the remaining cheese, basil, and pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Sunchoke and Potato Gratin
This recipe comes from a blog whose writer first tried sunchokes in their CSA basket. If you're new to them too, this sounds like a great family-friendly way to try them out!

Ingredients:
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 10 sunchokes (about golf-ball sized), sliced thin
  • 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
  • 2 shallots, sliced thin
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup grated fontina cheese
  • salt and pepper

To Prepare:
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×9 ceramic dish with cooking spray. Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the cut sides onto the dish. Discard garlic.
  2. Layer the potatoes evenly in the dish covering the entire bottom. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer the sunchokes evenly covering the potatoes. Sprinkle the sliced shallots on top of the sunchokes – and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Pour milk all over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the fontina cheese.
  3. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Take the cover off and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Make sure the sunchokes are soft – if not cook a little longer.

Simple Roasted Sunchokes

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound sunchokes, sliced into half-inch rounds
  • 1/2 pound potatoes or carrots, sliced into half inch rounds
  • 2 Tablespoons oil
  • 1 TB lemon juice
  • Sprinkle with dried Rosemary or thyme
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To Prepare:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the sunchokes with the oil & lemon juice. Sprinkle with the herbs.
  2. Bake in a shallow gratin dish with the herbs for thirty to forty-five minutes or until done. (Pierce them with the tip of a knife. They should be mostly tender but offer some resistance. Don’t let them get mushy.)
  3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Pete's Greens | www.petesgreens.com
Facebook ‌ Instagram ‌ Pinterest ‌

Comments

Popular Posts