Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Frost and Brussels Sprouts
"They" say that Brussels Sprouts get sweeter when they are kissed by frost. I've never believed them, since our Brussels sprouts start out very sweet. Well, I'll be the first to admit that they are right!! The Brussels are the only thing still growing in the garden, (oh, and a few heads of lettuce) so after the 23-degree weather of the other night, I hoofed it out to the garden and cut off a stalk of these mini-cabbages. I cooked them up (ok, I overcooked them from lack of attention), and drowned them in butter and salt. Oh boy, were they sweet!! They literally melted in my mouth. Even the kids asked for seconds and thirds. We even ate them as leftovers the next day, and Jason asked for more. I wonder if they'll last until Thanksgiving?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
2007 CSA Week 20
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 20
This week’s share includes:
3 heads lettuce – Thank you, Mother in law! She’s the one who started these at her farm, and planted them in my garden for you to enjoy. These cute heads of lettuce are mostly small, but will be a great way to close out our season. With three heads per share, it’ll be enough for your family to enjoy one last salad. Fall lettuce is usually fantastic, since there is little exposure to the hot, dry days of summer. Enjoy!
1 Qt. Brussels Sprouts – If anyone needs me to show you how to “fix” or trim these, I’d be happy to.
1 bunch Swiss Chard – These stalks of Swiss chard are so big and beautiful, it’s a pleasure to see the rainbow of colors in the field. Don’t forget that the stalks are great in your dishes as well!
2 sweet potato
1 bunch leeks
2 Butternut Squash – see below for a great recipe from one of our members, who highly recommends it – even non-butternut squash-eaters eat this soup! Can’t wait to try it.
1 bunch carrots – yes, I’m sure it’s obvious that I dug the carrots today, hrrumph! As many of you have told me, it doesn’t matter how ugly they are, they still taste great. I preserved lots of carrots this weekend: scrubbed the dirt off (no need to peel these!), cut into 2-3 inch pieces and boiled for 2 minutes. Plunge into a cold water bath, blot dry and pack into plastic bags. I’m planning on taking out a bunch for the soups I never have time to cook during my season, and to mix them with other veggies for stir fries and side dishes. I also made candied carrots (I was looking at all those carrots for hours…), but I think I used way too much sugar. Anyone have a good recipe to share with me?
3 heads garlic
2 sweet onions, one white and one red
1 Qt red potatoes
1 Qt white potatoes
It’s unbelievable to me that this is the last week of the season. The signs are there: the garden is empty, there are fewer animals on the farm, the leaves are turning; it just seems like it speeds by way too fast. I had a great season, and I hope you did, too. Thank you for your faith and trust in us: it’s not a small thing to entrust your hard-earned money to someone who promises to feed you for 20 weeks of the year! I take that trust seriously and work very hard to exceed your expectations. I always try to be available as well for questions, advice, cooking tips, and any other information you may need. I’ve heard from many of you (and your friends) that you will be joining us next year: be sure to sign up early, as I plan to keep the group small, only 14 or 15 families. I truly believe that the more personal I can make my business, the more successful I’ll be. I’ll never turn down help, don’t forget, so if you get a hankering to get some farm dirt on your hands, all year long, let me know. I’m also open to tours, forest walks through our 90 acres, sunset watching or any other social activity!
I forgot to discuss this topic in last week’s newsletter: the carbon footprint reduction/paper-free picnic challenge! As I was shopping for the paper goods for our CSA picnic, I came to the realization that we should be leaders in paper-free parties (as well as discussing how we can reduce our carbon footprints). (I bought the only plates I could find that were recycled, but it was tough!) I’m proposing that next year’s picnic is entirely paper-free: all attendees bring their own cutlery, plates and glasses. I also challenge you to host your own paper-free party for one of your family gatherings this year! Let me know what you think and how your own footprint-reducing activities are going. There are several websites for additional information: http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/what_you_can_do/consumer_tips/index.cfm
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/Minimise_cfp.html
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
We’ve done a number of things this year to reduce our impact on the climate: changed to CFL light bulbs, installed solar electric and hot water systems, put electric devices on power strips, replaced old appliances with Energy Star models and installed gutters on the south side of the house to eliminate the need for a basement humidifier. What does your list look like?
One of my favorite comments is, “Farmers don’t have anything to do in the winter!” Certainly I have less to do in the winter, but I definitely keep busy. We reduce the number of animals to feed and water in the winter (all of our meat animals went to be processed this week), but all animals need fresh water and food every day, sometimes two or three times a day, in the very cold weather. You’ll find us hauling hot water to the chickens, cats and horse when the weather is below 20, and feeding more hay to keep the animals warm (their digestion of roughage helps to warm them from the inside), as well as to make sure they all have shelter from the wind and weather. The chickens have already been moved to their winter pasture: they always have access to pasture, but are now housed in the newly-roofed hay barn. Our three sheep will also call the hay barn their winter quarters as well. And my horse, Zack, stays in his stall during the worst weather, but loves to kick up his heels in deep snow. You should see him with his thick winter coat, you can bury your hand in it, it’s so thick.
I also spend a month or two planning for next year’s crops: going over seed magazines, figuring out how much to plant and when/where to plant. In February we’ll have an abbreviated lambing season (2 ewes versus our previous 24 ewes!). We are planning a garlic-planting party this weekend! I also like to take once- or twice-weekly trips to the library with the kids. I have lots of knitting projects in the queue for the winter: I just turned the heel of my first pair of socks (very exciting for me!), and have a hat for Mark and another pair of socks lined up. I’m looking forward to relaxing in front of the woodstove and knitting!
So, thanks again for a great year, and your constant encouragement and support. Please keep in touch over the winter – I get very attached to my CSA families!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
3 butternut squashes, halved longways, seeds removed
4 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 or 2 shakes hot pepper sauce
1 t. ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t. salt
4 c. vegetable stock
1 T. maple syrup
1 T. lime juice
Coat cut side of squash halves lightly with half the olive oil. Lay, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 40-45 minutes at 425. When the squash has 15 minutes left to bake, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a stockpot for several minutes. Add ginger and salt. When squash is ready, scoop out and puree in a blender or food processor with the vegetable stock and sautéed onion, until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot and heat through, add the maple syrup and lime juice, and serve.
Baked Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin Recipe
1 quart Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Flour
1/2 slice Bacon
1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon Parsley, chopped
1 cup Water, reserved from cooking
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 tablespoons Bread crumbs
Preheat oven 325 F. Wash and "x" bottom of brussels sprouts. Place in boiling water, enough to cover. Boil and simmer 10 mins or until tender. Drain and reserve 1 cup hot liquid. Melt butter in small skillet. Add green onions and sauté 3 mins. Stir in flour and cook until flour is dissolved, 3 mins. Add bacon, garlic and parsley. Cook 3 mins more. Pour in reserved water. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened to consistency of heavy cream Remove bacon from sauce. Place sprouts base down in a buttered casserole. Pour sauce over. Top with grated cheese then breadcrumbs. Bake 30 mins or until top is browned.
Swiss Chard With Raisins and Pine Nuts Recipe
1 large bunch Swiss chard
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Remove the chard stems and the thick central vein from each leaf. Chop the leaves very coarsely. Using a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium high heat, melt the butter with the oil until it just begins to sizzle. Add the chard, stirring well to coat the chard with the butter/oil mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute until the chard has wilted to about half its original volume. Add raisins and pine nuts, stirring to combine evenly, and continue cooking until all moisture in the pan has evaporated. The entire cooking process should take no more than about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
This week’s share includes:
3 heads lettuce – Thank you, Mother in law! She’s the one who started these at her farm, and planted them in my garden for you to enjoy. These cute heads of lettuce are mostly small, but will be a great way to close out our season. With three heads per share, it’ll be enough for your family to enjoy one last salad. Fall lettuce is usually fantastic, since there is little exposure to the hot, dry days of summer. Enjoy!
1 Qt. Brussels Sprouts – If anyone needs me to show you how to “fix” or trim these, I’d be happy to.
1 bunch Swiss Chard – These stalks of Swiss chard are so big and beautiful, it’s a pleasure to see the rainbow of colors in the field. Don’t forget that the stalks are great in your dishes as well!
2 sweet potato
1 bunch leeks
2 Butternut Squash – see below for a great recipe from one of our members, who highly recommends it – even non-butternut squash-eaters eat this soup! Can’t wait to try it.
1 bunch carrots – yes, I’m sure it’s obvious that I dug the carrots today, hrrumph! As many of you have told me, it doesn’t matter how ugly they are, they still taste great. I preserved lots of carrots this weekend: scrubbed the dirt off (no need to peel these!), cut into 2-3 inch pieces and boiled for 2 minutes. Plunge into a cold water bath, blot dry and pack into plastic bags. I’m planning on taking out a bunch for the soups I never have time to cook during my season, and to mix them with other veggies for stir fries and side dishes. I also made candied carrots (I was looking at all those carrots for hours…), but I think I used way too much sugar. Anyone have a good recipe to share with me?
3 heads garlic
2 sweet onions, one white and one red
1 Qt red potatoes
1 Qt white potatoes
It’s unbelievable to me that this is the last week of the season. The signs are there: the garden is empty, there are fewer animals on the farm, the leaves are turning; it just seems like it speeds by way too fast. I had a great season, and I hope you did, too. Thank you for your faith and trust in us: it’s not a small thing to entrust your hard-earned money to someone who promises to feed you for 20 weeks of the year! I take that trust seriously and work very hard to exceed your expectations. I always try to be available as well for questions, advice, cooking tips, and any other information you may need. I’ve heard from many of you (and your friends) that you will be joining us next year: be sure to sign up early, as I plan to keep the group small, only 14 or 15 families. I truly believe that the more personal I can make my business, the more successful I’ll be. I’ll never turn down help, don’t forget, so if you get a hankering to get some farm dirt on your hands, all year long, let me know. I’m also open to tours, forest walks through our 90 acres, sunset watching or any other social activity!
I forgot to discuss this topic in last week’s newsletter: the carbon footprint reduction/paper-free picnic challenge! As I was shopping for the paper goods for our CSA picnic, I came to the realization that we should be leaders in paper-free parties (as well as discussing how we can reduce our carbon footprints). (I bought the only plates I could find that were recycled, but it was tough!) I’m proposing that next year’s picnic is entirely paper-free: all attendees bring their own cutlery, plates and glasses. I also challenge you to host your own paper-free party for one of your family gatherings this year! Let me know what you think and how your own footprint-reducing activities are going. There are several websites for additional information: http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/climate_change/what_you_can_do/consumer_tips/index.cfm
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/Minimise_cfp.html
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html
We’ve done a number of things this year to reduce our impact on the climate: changed to CFL light bulbs, installed solar electric and hot water systems, put electric devices on power strips, replaced old appliances with Energy Star models and installed gutters on the south side of the house to eliminate the need for a basement humidifier. What does your list look like?
One of my favorite comments is, “Farmers don’t have anything to do in the winter!” Certainly I have less to do in the winter, but I definitely keep busy. We reduce the number of animals to feed and water in the winter (all of our meat animals went to be processed this week), but all animals need fresh water and food every day, sometimes two or three times a day, in the very cold weather. You’ll find us hauling hot water to the chickens, cats and horse when the weather is below 20, and feeding more hay to keep the animals warm (their digestion of roughage helps to warm them from the inside), as well as to make sure they all have shelter from the wind and weather. The chickens have already been moved to their winter pasture: they always have access to pasture, but are now housed in the newly-roofed hay barn. Our three sheep will also call the hay barn their winter quarters as well. And my horse, Zack, stays in his stall during the worst weather, but loves to kick up his heels in deep snow. You should see him with his thick winter coat, you can bury your hand in it, it’s so thick.
I also spend a month or two planning for next year’s crops: going over seed magazines, figuring out how much to plant and when/where to plant. In February we’ll have an abbreviated lambing season (2 ewes versus our previous 24 ewes!). We are planning a garlic-planting party this weekend! I also like to take once- or twice-weekly trips to the library with the kids. I have lots of knitting projects in the queue for the winter: I just turned the heel of my first pair of socks (very exciting for me!), and have a hat for Mark and another pair of socks lined up. I’m looking forward to relaxing in front of the woodstove and knitting!
So, thanks again for a great year, and your constant encouragement and support. Please keep in touch over the winter – I get very attached to my CSA families!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
3 butternut squashes, halved longways, seeds removed
4 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 or 2 shakes hot pepper sauce
1 t. ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t. salt
4 c. vegetable stock
1 T. maple syrup
1 T. lime juice
Coat cut side of squash halves lightly with half the olive oil. Lay, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 40-45 minutes at 425. When the squash has 15 minutes left to bake, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil in a stockpot for several minutes. Add ginger and salt. When squash is ready, scoop out and puree in a blender or food processor with the vegetable stock and sautéed onion, until smooth. Return the mixture to the pot and heat through, add the maple syrup and lime juice, and serve.
Baked Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin Recipe
1 quart Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Flour
1/2 slice Bacon
1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon Parsley, chopped
1 cup Water, reserved from cooking
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
2 1/2 tablespoons Bread crumbs
Preheat oven 325 F. Wash and "x" bottom of brussels sprouts. Place in boiling water, enough to cover. Boil and simmer 10 mins or until tender. Drain and reserve 1 cup hot liquid. Melt butter in small skillet. Add green onions and sauté 3 mins. Stir in flour and cook until flour is dissolved, 3 mins. Add bacon, garlic and parsley. Cook 3 mins more. Pour in reserved water. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened to consistency of heavy cream Remove bacon from sauce. Place sprouts base down in a buttered casserole. Pour sauce over. Top with grated cheese then breadcrumbs. Bake 30 mins or until top is browned.
Swiss Chard With Raisins and Pine Nuts Recipe
1 large bunch Swiss chard
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Remove the chard stems and the thick central vein from each leaf. Chop the leaves very coarsely. Using a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium high heat, melt the butter with the oil until it just begins to sizzle. Add the chard, stirring well to coat the chard with the butter/oil mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute until the chard has wilted to about half its original volume. Add raisins and pine nuts, stirring to combine evenly, and continue cooking until all moisture in the pan has evaporated. The entire cooking process should take no more than about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
2007 CSA Week 19
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 19
This week’s share includes:
1 bunch beets
1 sweet potato – add this one to the collection on your countertop- several more weeks of curing is called for.
1 bunch leeks
1 bunch rosemary
1 Butternut Squash – Did you know that this is the most popular type of squash from which to make a pumpkin pie? We also throw them in the oven, cut them open when they’re soft and scoop the meat into bags for the freezer. Then we add it to soups, pie and as a veggie side dish for dinner. They should store for months, but keep an eye to make sure they don’t get soft, and use it prior to this.
1 bunch carrots – I forgot to mention it last week, but several of you took one look at the carrots and asked, “Mark dug these, right?” Right on. This week I dug from a later-planted row. These are smaller and not as nice as other we’ve used, but easier to dig (you all know how much I “love” to dig carrots!) I’ll try to get him to dig next week’s to have a nice season-end bunch of carrots.
1 Acorn Squash
3 heads garlic – this week’s heads are big ones, perfect specimens of our fabulous garlic. We are selling it, of course, so if you need enough to see you through the winter, let me know.
3 sweet onions, two white and one red
sweet peppers: 1 yellow bells and 1 red Italian red frying pepper
1 Qt red potatoes – early survey feedback indicated that this was a favorite, so we’ll send them out to you again. We love this variety of potatoes. Let me know if you would like to purchase enough to last you through the winter, we have plenty.
Best guess for next week’s share: more winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, Brussels sprouts.
Thanks for those of you who attended our third annual CSA picnic and bonfire! It was a rousing success, with fabulous food and great company. It goes without saying that CSA folks are awesome cooks, and there were few leftovers (please share your recipes!). Unfortunately I had to miss a large portion of the fun, to bring Jason to the ER. He managed to fall on his arm after walking in front of a kid on a swing. His x-ray was negative, and he’s just fine with strained wrist. Even before we left the hospital, he was “driving” his tractor on me with that arm. A huge thank you to all who stepped up in my absence to help make the picnic a success.
Doesn’t everyone have their Own Personal Heron? Every day we have a local heron that visits our fields. He hangs out for hours, observing the farm action and supervising the animals. Then he takes to the air with his huge wings off to parts unknown. He also has been seen at our back pond, near the firepit. According to my Audubon books, you need to see the color of the legs to determine which heron species it is. I’ve watched him with binoculars, but have been unsuccessful at seeing the legs clearly. It’s nice to see such a beautiful, regal bird enjoying the splendor of our land.
This hot and humid weather makes me think it’s summer again. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the cooler days of fall. The leaves are starting to change, and it is my favorite season of the year. We usually end out the season with fall greens, kale and collards, but these did not do well this year. They were a crop failure for us, stunted at a height of 3 to 4 inches (lack of rain was not helpful, as well). We’ll make a note in the garden notebook to fertilize these crops heavier next year. Part of the beauty of the CSA model of agriculture is that you share in whatever bounty is found on the farm. If it’s a great year for tomatoes, we all have lots of tomatoes. If other crops don’t do as well, we hope to do better in later years. We are experienced enough growers that we know that something will do well enough to nourish us for the season.
The lettuce I promised you is growing nicely. Sarah and Jason love to help me water: Sarah can water the plants with the watering can, and Jason likes to carry the empty cans back to the ATV. They love to help and be involved. I hope to have small heads of this crispy green stuff next week.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Sautéed Leeks and Carrots
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 medium leeks, white and palest green parts only, chopped and very well rinsed
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
Pinch of nutmeg, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil and wine in a wide skillet. Add the leeks and carrots, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
2. Uncover and sauté, stirring frequently, until the leeks and carrots begin to turn golden. Stir in the nutmeg, if desired, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
4 to 6 servings
Tuscan White Bean Soup – a great way to use your dried beans, if you’ve still got them. This soup sounds great, especially with this week’s fresh rosemary
1 pound dried white navy beans
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, washed well and chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 carrots, scrubbed and diced
5 cups good-quality vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup grated Parmagiano-Reggiano or Asiago cheese (optional)
1. Soak beans in water overnight, then drain and rinse well.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and add leeks. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften. Add celery, garlic, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add stock, rinsed navy beans, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Puree 3 cups of soup in a blender (to make the beans creamy) and pour back into the pot. Add lemon juice, and more self and pepper if needed.
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each portion with some of the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
Serves 6.
Colorful Whole-Grain Supper Salad
1 cup dried red quinoa, quinoa, or brown rice
2 cups water
Salt to taste
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (leeks would be a fine substitute)
2 carrots, grated
1 beet, grated
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons ume plum vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1. Bring salted water to a boil and add grain. Return to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until grain is tender and water is absorbed (about 50 minutes for brown rice, 25 minutes for quinoa, 20 minutes for red quinoa).
2. Place cooked grain in a medium salad bowl. Add scallions, carrots, beet, parsley, dried cranberries, and walnuts, tossing to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over salad and mix to distribute evenly. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Serves 4.
This week’s share includes:
1 bunch beets
1 sweet potato – add this one to the collection on your countertop- several more weeks of curing is called for.
1 bunch leeks
1 bunch rosemary
1 Butternut Squash – Did you know that this is the most popular type of squash from which to make a pumpkin pie? We also throw them in the oven, cut them open when they’re soft and scoop the meat into bags for the freezer. Then we add it to soups, pie and as a veggie side dish for dinner. They should store for months, but keep an eye to make sure they don’t get soft, and use it prior to this.
1 bunch carrots – I forgot to mention it last week, but several of you took one look at the carrots and asked, “Mark dug these, right?” Right on. This week I dug from a later-planted row. These are smaller and not as nice as other we’ve used, but easier to dig (you all know how much I “love” to dig carrots!) I’ll try to get him to dig next week’s to have a nice season-end bunch of carrots.
1 Acorn Squash
3 heads garlic – this week’s heads are big ones, perfect specimens of our fabulous garlic. We are selling it, of course, so if you need enough to see you through the winter, let me know.
3 sweet onions, two white and one red
sweet peppers: 1 yellow bells and 1 red Italian red frying pepper
1 Qt red potatoes – early survey feedback indicated that this was a favorite, so we’ll send them out to you again. We love this variety of potatoes. Let me know if you would like to purchase enough to last you through the winter, we have plenty.
Best guess for next week’s share: more winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, Brussels sprouts.
Thanks for those of you who attended our third annual CSA picnic and bonfire! It was a rousing success, with fabulous food and great company. It goes without saying that CSA folks are awesome cooks, and there were few leftovers (please share your recipes!). Unfortunately I had to miss a large portion of the fun, to bring Jason to the ER. He managed to fall on his arm after walking in front of a kid on a swing. His x-ray was negative, and he’s just fine with strained wrist. Even before we left the hospital, he was “driving” his tractor on me with that arm. A huge thank you to all who stepped up in my absence to help make the picnic a success.
Doesn’t everyone have their Own Personal Heron? Every day we have a local heron that visits our fields. He hangs out for hours, observing the farm action and supervising the animals. Then he takes to the air with his huge wings off to parts unknown. He also has been seen at our back pond, near the firepit. According to my Audubon books, you need to see the color of the legs to determine which heron species it is. I’ve watched him with binoculars, but have been unsuccessful at seeing the legs clearly. It’s nice to see such a beautiful, regal bird enjoying the splendor of our land.
This hot and humid weather makes me think it’s summer again. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the cooler days of fall. The leaves are starting to change, and it is my favorite season of the year. We usually end out the season with fall greens, kale and collards, but these did not do well this year. They were a crop failure for us, stunted at a height of 3 to 4 inches (lack of rain was not helpful, as well). We’ll make a note in the garden notebook to fertilize these crops heavier next year. Part of the beauty of the CSA model of agriculture is that you share in whatever bounty is found on the farm. If it’s a great year for tomatoes, we all have lots of tomatoes. If other crops don’t do as well, we hope to do better in later years. We are experienced enough growers that we know that something will do well enough to nourish us for the season.
The lettuce I promised you is growing nicely. Sarah and Jason love to help me water: Sarah can water the plants with the watering can, and Jason likes to carry the empty cans back to the ATV. They love to help and be involved. I hope to have small heads of this crispy green stuff next week.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Sautéed Leeks and Carrots
1 tablespoon light olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 medium leeks, white and palest green parts only, chopped and very well rinsed
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
Pinch of nutmeg, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Heat the oil and wine in a wide skillet. Add the leeks and carrots, cover, and cook over medium-low heat, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
2. Uncover and sauté, stirring frequently, until the leeks and carrots begin to turn golden. Stir in the nutmeg, if desired, season with salt and pepper, and serve.
4 to 6 servings
Tuscan White Bean Soup – a great way to use your dried beans, if you’ve still got them. This soup sounds great, especially with this week’s fresh rosemary
1 pound dried white navy beans
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, washed well and chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 carrots, scrubbed and diced
5 cups good-quality vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup grated Parmagiano-Reggiano or Asiago cheese (optional)
1. Soak beans in water overnight, then drain and rinse well.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot and add leeks. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until leeks begin to soften. Add celery, garlic, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add stock, rinsed navy beans, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and allow to simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Puree 3 cups of soup in a blender (to make the beans creamy) and pour back into the pot. Add lemon juice, and more self and pepper if needed.
4. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each portion with some of the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with cheese, if desired.
Serves 6.
Colorful Whole-Grain Supper Salad
1 cup dried red quinoa, quinoa, or brown rice
2 cups water
Salt to taste
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped (leeks would be a fine substitute)
2 carrots, grated
1 beet, grated
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons ume plum vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1. Bring salted water to a boil and add grain. Return to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook until grain is tender and water is absorbed (about 50 minutes for brown rice, 25 minutes for quinoa, 20 minutes for red quinoa).
2. Place cooked grain in a medium salad bowl. Add scallions, carrots, beet, parsley, dried cranberries, and walnuts, tossing to combine.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over salad and mix to distribute evenly. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Serves 4.
2007 CSA Week 18
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 18
This week’s share includes:
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 sweet potato – We’ve grown sweet potatoes for a few years now, but are far from experts with them. They are relatively easy to grow: you plant the “slip” (a piece of vine with root attached), water and watch the vines grow to cover your garden. Then you cut off the vines and gently dig them up by hand. The trick is that after digging they need to be cured (from anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on what you read) in high heat and high humidity to get the starches to turn to sugar. Eat them too early and they’ll be hard, dry and bitter. So, find me a place in upstate NY in early fall with high heat and humidity!! So, we do our best with these, and advise you to keep them next to your stove for a few weeks before cooking. This year I dug them earlier than in the past, so that the tubers are not huge, and are a better size for eating. We don’t have many, so enjoy these as a side dish/taster.
1 bunch leeks
1 bunch parsley
1 Butternut Squash – In the Love it/Hate it bin, there will be a bunch of these, with surface blemishes. They won’t keep for months like the others, but will be fine for use in the next month or so.
1 Sunshine Squash
3 small heads garlic
3 sweet onions, two white and one red
sweet peppers: 2 yellow bells and 1 red Italian red frying pepper
1 Qt Brussels sprouts
1 Qt white potatoes
Best guess for next week’s share: more winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks.
We attempted to spend the weekend camping up at Indian Lake. However, our children vociferously reminded us that while Mark and I are experienced campers, they are not. So, after less than 24 hours in the wilderness, we packed it up and went home. What were we thinking? One not-even-2-year-old in diapers and sleeping in a crib to sleep on a sleeping pad in a tent?? We realized that we need to start with “beginning camping” by camping overnight in the yard, then progressing to car camping (so we can pack up and drive home in the middle of the night, if need be!!) then canoe camping. The kids were so exhausted they both fell asleep in the canoe on the way back to the car.
A new pastime of ours is to stand outside the garage watching the electric meter spin backwards! These crisp, sunny days are awesome for solar electricity generation, and we’ve been generating more than we’re using. Mark will yell in from the garage how many watts of power we’re sending into the grid. We are going to be giddy when we open our next National Grid bill, which may slightly offset the solar company’s bill for installation charges.
As predicted by my garden advisor, we did have a hard frost this weekend. Sunday morning showed the low temperature at 31 degrees. However, there was only slight damage in the garden, which was fortunate for me. I had intended on running out and picking all of the peppers, but was too lazy to do so. I did manage to cover the basil, since I have yet to make the year’s pesto. I picked a peck of peppers (I just liked the alliteration, I think I picked more than a peck), a pile of yellow and red peppers so beautiful they may make you cry. I’ll keep giving these until the garden says they’re done.
My baby lettuce plants are bravely growing! Growing slowly, but surely. I have fertilized them with my fish emulsion, but am loathe to repeat it within weeks of consumption, for fear they’ll smell like a day-old fish. So, I’ll keep watching them, and hope to share them with you for week 20’s share. They may be little, but they’ll taste great!
This week is survey week, so I’ll print off a bunch, or you can print one yourself and bring the completed forms to next week’s pickup. I appreciate your feedback, and we really do use it when planning our CSA program for the following year.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 cups coarsely chopped swiss chard leaves
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes.
Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cinnamon, and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle chili into bowls and serve. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or red onion if desired.
Roasted Squash, Garlic, and Sage Soup
5 pounds butternut or acorn squash (about 2 medium butternut or 3 acorn squash)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1/2 head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
1 small bunch sage (about 6 stems)
1 48-ounce can vegetable broth
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Toasted pumpkin seeds, for optional garnish
Sage sprigs, for optional garnish
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425F. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Cut in half and remove and discard the seeds and pith. Cut each half into 2 pieces. Place squash, onions, and garlic in a single layer in a large roasting pan.
2. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, using your hands to coat each piece well. Sprinkle cumin over squash flesh; arrange pieces hollow side down in the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter 3/4 of th sage in the pan. Roast 30 minutes; turn vegetables over with a metal spatula to avoid sticking. Continue to roast until the squash flesh is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. Transfer onions to a food processor fitted with a sharp blade. Squeeze roasted garlic out of each clove; discard skins. Add garlic, squash, and any liquid remaining in the roasting pan to food processor; discard sage. Process until pureed. Transfer to a soup pot, stir in broth. Bring the soup to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer until heated through. Stir in vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and a few sage sprigs, if desired.
Serves 8 to 10.
Parsley-Potato Soup
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (you may leave unpeeled, if you like)
2 bay leaves
Vegetable stock or water, as needed
1 teaspoon Italian herb mix4
ounces Low-fat cream cheese, diced
½ cup firmly-packed chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup low-fat milk, or as needed
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion and sauté over medium heat until golden.
2. Add garlic, potatoes, and bay leaves. Add enough stock or water to cover, then stir in the herb mix. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Remove about ½ cup of the hot liquid with a ladle and transfer it to a small mixing bowl. Combine with the cream cheese and whisk together until smooth and creamy. Stir into the soup along with the parsley.
4. Slowly sprinkle in the oats. Simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes over very low heat, or until the potatoes are completely tender. Add the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 6 to 8.
HELPFUL HINTS: This soup thickens as it stands; thin as needed with additional milk, then correct the seasonings.
This week’s share includes:
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 sweet potato – We’ve grown sweet potatoes for a few years now, but are far from experts with them. They are relatively easy to grow: you plant the “slip” (a piece of vine with root attached), water and watch the vines grow to cover your garden. Then you cut off the vines and gently dig them up by hand. The trick is that after digging they need to be cured (from anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on what you read) in high heat and high humidity to get the starches to turn to sugar. Eat them too early and they’ll be hard, dry and bitter. So, find me a place in upstate NY in early fall with high heat and humidity!! So, we do our best with these, and advise you to keep them next to your stove for a few weeks before cooking. This year I dug them earlier than in the past, so that the tubers are not huge, and are a better size for eating. We don’t have many, so enjoy these as a side dish/taster.
1 bunch leeks
1 bunch parsley
1 Butternut Squash – In the Love it/Hate it bin, there will be a bunch of these, with surface blemishes. They won’t keep for months like the others, but will be fine for use in the next month or so.
1 Sunshine Squash
3 small heads garlic
3 sweet onions, two white and one red
sweet peppers: 2 yellow bells and 1 red Italian red frying pepper
1 Qt Brussels sprouts
1 Qt white potatoes
Best guess for next week’s share: more winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks.
We attempted to spend the weekend camping up at Indian Lake. However, our children vociferously reminded us that while Mark and I are experienced campers, they are not. So, after less than 24 hours in the wilderness, we packed it up and went home. What were we thinking? One not-even-2-year-old in diapers and sleeping in a crib to sleep on a sleeping pad in a tent?? We realized that we need to start with “beginning camping” by camping overnight in the yard, then progressing to car camping (so we can pack up and drive home in the middle of the night, if need be!!) then canoe camping. The kids were so exhausted they both fell asleep in the canoe on the way back to the car.
A new pastime of ours is to stand outside the garage watching the electric meter spin backwards! These crisp, sunny days are awesome for solar electricity generation, and we’ve been generating more than we’re using. Mark will yell in from the garage how many watts of power we’re sending into the grid. We are going to be giddy when we open our next National Grid bill, which may slightly offset the solar company’s bill for installation charges.
As predicted by my garden advisor, we did have a hard frost this weekend. Sunday morning showed the low temperature at 31 degrees. However, there was only slight damage in the garden, which was fortunate for me. I had intended on running out and picking all of the peppers, but was too lazy to do so. I did manage to cover the basil, since I have yet to make the year’s pesto. I picked a peck of peppers (I just liked the alliteration, I think I picked more than a peck), a pile of yellow and red peppers so beautiful they may make you cry. I’ll keep giving these until the garden says they’re done.
My baby lettuce plants are bravely growing! Growing slowly, but surely. I have fertilized them with my fish emulsion, but am loathe to repeat it within weeks of consumption, for fear they’ll smell like a day-old fish. So, I’ll keep watching them, and hope to share them with you for week 20’s share. They may be little, but they’ll taste great!
This week is survey week, so I’ll print off a bunch, or you can print one yourself and bring the completed forms to next week’s pickup. I appreciate your feedback, and we really do use it when planning our CSA program for the following year.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Black Bean Chili with Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 cups coarsely chopped swiss chard leaves
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes.
Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cinnamon, and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle chili into bowls and serve. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro or red onion if desired.
Roasted Squash, Garlic, and Sage Soup
5 pounds butternut or acorn squash (about 2 medium butternut or 3 acorn squash)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1/2 head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper, or to taste
1 small bunch sage (about 6 stems)
1 48-ounce can vegetable broth
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Toasted pumpkin seeds, for optional garnish
Sage sprigs, for optional garnish
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425F. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Cut in half and remove and discard the seeds and pith. Cut each half into 2 pieces. Place squash, onions, and garlic in a single layer in a large roasting pan.
2. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, using your hands to coat each piece well. Sprinkle cumin over squash flesh; arrange pieces hollow side down in the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter 3/4 of th sage in the pan. Roast 30 minutes; turn vegetables over with a metal spatula to avoid sticking. Continue to roast until the squash flesh is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool.
3. Transfer onions to a food processor fitted with a sharp blade. Squeeze roasted garlic out of each clove; discard skins. Add garlic, squash, and any liquid remaining in the roasting pan to food processor; discard sage. Process until pureed. Transfer to a soup pot, stir in broth. Bring the soup to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer until heated through. Stir in vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and a few sage sprigs, if desired.
Serves 8 to 10.
Parsley-Potato Soup
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (you may leave unpeeled, if you like)
2 bay leaves
Vegetable stock or water, as needed
1 teaspoon Italian herb mix4
ounces Low-fat cream cheese, diced
½ cup firmly-packed chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup low-fat milk, or as needed
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onion and sauté over medium heat until golden.
2. Add garlic, potatoes, and bay leaves. Add enough stock or water to cover, then stir in the herb mix. Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently, covered, until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Remove about ½ cup of the hot liquid with a ladle and transfer it to a small mixing bowl. Combine with the cream cheese and whisk together until smooth and creamy. Stir into the soup along with the parsley.
4. Slowly sprinkle in the oats. Simmer for another 20 to 25 minutes over very low heat, or until the potatoes are completely tender. Add the milk and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 6 to 8.
HELPFUL HINTS: This soup thickens as it stands; thin as needed with additional milk, then correct the seasonings.
2007 CSA Week 17
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 17
This week’s share includes:
1 Butternut Squash – We finally got a great harvest of butternut squash! These winter squash are big and beautiful, and they get sweeter with storage.
1 Acorn Squash – This is a new variety of acorn squash- it’s bigger and should be easier to cut through. Even so, a secret to winter squash is to cook it for a while whole, then cut it in half when it’s softer, and scoop out the seeds. We didn’t have a great harvest of these, so we won’t see too many more.
1 Sunshine Squash – This is our favorite winter squash; if we only grew one variety, this would be it. It’s a buttercup type, and has bright orange flesh inside. It looks like a pumpkin, and tastes nice and sweet. Like all of our winter squash, it stores nicely.
½ pt raspberries – Can you believe we have more raspberries? These bushes just keep giving and giving. This variety is called “Autumn Britten” and is beautiful.
12 ears sweet corn – Enjoy the last of these ears. Again, they’ve been “field tested” by Jason, who trails behind me in the corn patch demanding more and more raw ears of corn. The dogs trail behind him, knowing that at some point he’ll drop the partially-eaten ears on the ground for them. We are quite the motley corn train in the garden!
3 small heads garlic
3 sweet onions, two red and one white
sweet peppers: 3 Italian red frying peppers
1 bunch beets – So, this is what happens when you plant a bunch of beets and ignore them the entire season! They are just enormous! For those of you who don’t like them so big, dig through the bin for the more medium sized ones. I figure the bigger they are, the less work of cutting them up!
1 bunch carrots – few days of rain made digging these much easier. I still managed to break and stab them; some things never change. Several of you asked about our carrots, I’ll include them for the remainder of the shares. To freeze: scrub them (no need to peel) for dirt removal, cut into appropriate-sized pieces and blanch for a minute and a half. Store in bags in your freezer. They are great for mixing with other veggies (like corn) and adding to soups and stir fries.
1 Qt Brussels sprouts – don’t forget to “fix” these: cut off the bottom and peel off one or two layers of leaves on the top.
1 Qt white potatoes
Best guess for next week’s share: more winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks.
My garden advisor (Mark) has predicted a hard frost for this weekend. A frost will effectively kill our sweet corn, herbs and raspberries, so enjoy these this week. On the other hand, a frost will make carrots and Brussels sprouts even sweeter, so we’ll look forward to this. Slowly I’m cleaning out the garden, with my next job being the tomato rows.
We’ve made some plans for fall vacations to Lake Placid, Burlington, VT and to a friend’s wedding reception in New Jersey. We’re also looking forward to the beginning of October, when the pigs and lambs go off to be processed. We strive to go through the winter with the fewest number of animals to feed through the winter. This year we’ll have 3 sheep, 15 chickens, 1 horse, 2 dogs and 4 cats. We’ll be processing the turkeys shortly as well as I can’t wait to taste my own turkey for Thanksgiving. We love our growing season, but enjoy the cold weather slowdown.
Our family is going through a major transition: Sarah started school this week! It’s only pre-K, but still it has spun everything in a dither. Jason gets upset when we drop her off at school, but then they are at eachother’s throats all afternoon. Sarah loves her school (especially when they had cookies for snack the first day(!)), and comes home to tell me all about it. I was a little sniffly the first day, when she walked in without a backward glance. I think all will settle down nicely, and I’m figuring out ways to make the snacks (and the birthday treats) more healthful. Do you think anyone would notice if I brought in zucchini muffins for her birthday?
Mark also tells me that tomorrow is the “big day” and is surprised when I ask, “what big day?” Tomorrow is the day that National Grid installs our net meter and we start to make our own electricity! We were bummed to have to turn our furnace back on over the weekend, but these cloudy days do not make much hot water. If it’s sunny during our picnic, I’m going to invite everyone over to admire the meter spinning backward!
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Orange you glad it's thanksgiving Soup
(I think this a Rachel Ray recipe, but the comments are from a friend. It comes highly recommended)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup pulpy orange juice
2 boxes frozen butternut squash puree (NOTE: I almost NEVER use FROZEN... I bake fresh ones, mash it and then put it in... I like a thicker soup... so that's perfect for me...)
2 or 3 cups chicken broth (Works with Veggie Stock... but I don't like it as much..)
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
1 tablespoon orange zest, for garnish
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When butter has melted, add the onion and carrots and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the orange juice and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or a blender. Puree the mixture until smooth, then return to pot over medium heat. To mixture, add the frozen butternut squash puree and the chicken broth and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Grate some fresh nutmeg and stir to combine.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped thyme and orange zest.
Dr. Zhivago’s Russian Stew
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and grated coarsely
4 medium beets, peeled and grated coarsely
1 large carrot, scrubbed and grated coarsely
1 medium celery stalk, diced
Handful celery leaves
1 cup fresh orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Vegetable broth as needed
Sour cream for garnish (optional)
1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add onion and sauté until golden. Add all the remaining ingredients (except sour cream) and just enough vegetable broth to cover the vegetables. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook gently, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Remove stew from heat and allow to stand for an hour or so, then reheat and serve with a scoop of sour cream in each bowl, if desired.
Serves 6 to 8.
HELPFUL HINTS: Grating the vegetables with the coarse-shredder disc on your food processor makes this a snap to make.
Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash
2 acorn squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
4 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice a thin piece off both ends of the squash, including the stem. Cut the squash in half crosswise (perpendicular to the ribs). Scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon.
2. Line a pan in which the squash can fit snugly with foil or parchment paper. If you use foil, rub with butter to prevent squash from sticking.
3. Set the squash halves in the prepared baking pan and smear the flesh with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the salt. Drizzle maple syrup over the cut edge of the squash and into the cavity (most of the liquid will pool there) and sprinkle with the ginger, if using.
4. Roast the squash halves until nicely browned and very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a small to medium squash (larger squash may take longer); add the pecans, if using, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Do not undercook. Serve warm with a spoon.
Serves 4.
This week’s share includes:
1 Butternut Squash – We finally got a great harvest of butternut squash! These winter squash are big and beautiful, and they get sweeter with storage.
1 Acorn Squash – This is a new variety of acorn squash- it’s bigger and should be easier to cut through. Even so, a secret to winter squash is to cook it for a while whole, then cut it in half when it’s softer, and scoop out the seeds. We didn’t have a great harvest of these, so we won’t see too many more.
1 Sunshine Squash – This is our favorite winter squash; if we only grew one variety, this would be it. It’s a buttercup type, and has bright orange flesh inside. It looks like a pumpkin, and tastes nice and sweet. Like all of our winter squash, it stores nicely.
½ pt raspberries – Can you believe we have more raspberries? These bushes just keep giving and giving. This variety is called “Autumn Britten” and is beautiful.
12 ears sweet corn – Enjoy the last of these ears. Again, they’ve been “field tested” by Jason, who trails behind me in the corn patch demanding more and more raw ears of corn. The dogs trail behind him, knowing that at some point he’ll drop the partially-eaten ears on the ground for them. We are quite the motley corn train in the garden!
3 small heads garlic
3 sweet onions, two red and one white
sweet peppers: 3 Italian red frying peppers
1 bunch beets – So, this is what happens when you plant a bunch of beets and ignore them the entire season! They are just enormous! For those of you who don’t like them so big, dig through the bin for the more medium sized ones. I figure the bigger they are, the less work of cutting them up!
1 bunch carrots – few days of rain made digging these much easier. I still managed to break and stab them; some things never change. Several of you asked about our carrots, I’ll include them for the remainder of the shares. To freeze: scrub them (no need to peel) for dirt removal, cut into appropriate-sized pieces and blanch for a minute and a half. Store in bags in your freezer. They are great for mixing with other veggies (like corn) and adding to soups and stir fries.
1 Qt Brussels sprouts – don’t forget to “fix” these: cut off the bottom and peel off one or two layers of leaves on the top.
1 Qt white potatoes
Best guess for next week’s share: more winter squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks.
My garden advisor (Mark) has predicted a hard frost for this weekend. A frost will effectively kill our sweet corn, herbs and raspberries, so enjoy these this week. On the other hand, a frost will make carrots and Brussels sprouts even sweeter, so we’ll look forward to this. Slowly I’m cleaning out the garden, with my next job being the tomato rows.
We’ve made some plans for fall vacations to Lake Placid, Burlington, VT and to a friend’s wedding reception in New Jersey. We’re also looking forward to the beginning of October, when the pigs and lambs go off to be processed. We strive to go through the winter with the fewest number of animals to feed through the winter. This year we’ll have 3 sheep, 15 chickens, 1 horse, 2 dogs and 4 cats. We’ll be processing the turkeys shortly as well as I can’t wait to taste my own turkey for Thanksgiving. We love our growing season, but enjoy the cold weather slowdown.
Our family is going through a major transition: Sarah started school this week! It’s only pre-K, but still it has spun everything in a dither. Jason gets upset when we drop her off at school, but then they are at eachother’s throats all afternoon. Sarah loves her school (especially when they had cookies for snack the first day(!)), and comes home to tell me all about it. I was a little sniffly the first day, when she walked in without a backward glance. I think all will settle down nicely, and I’m figuring out ways to make the snacks (and the birthday treats) more healthful. Do you think anyone would notice if I brought in zucchini muffins for her birthday?
Mark also tells me that tomorrow is the “big day” and is surprised when I ask, “what big day?” Tomorrow is the day that National Grid installs our net meter and we start to make our own electricity! We were bummed to have to turn our furnace back on over the weekend, but these cloudy days do not make much hot water. If it’s sunny during our picnic, I’m going to invite everyone over to admire the meter spinning backward!
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Orange you glad it's thanksgiving Soup
(I think this a Rachel Ray recipe, but the comments are from a friend. It comes highly recommended)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup pulpy orange juice
2 boxes frozen butternut squash puree (NOTE: I almost NEVER use FROZEN... I bake fresh ones, mash it and then put it in... I like a thicker soup... so that's perfect for me...)
2 or 3 cups chicken broth (Works with Veggie Stock... but I don't like it as much..)
Salt and pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
1 tablespoon orange zest, for garnish
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When butter has melted, add the onion and carrots and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the orange juice and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Transfer the mixture to a food processor or a blender. Puree the mixture until smooth, then return to pot over medium heat. To mixture, add the frozen butternut squash puree and the chicken broth and stir to combine. Adjust the seasoning. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. Grate some fresh nutmeg and stir to combine.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chopped thyme and orange zest.
Dr. Zhivago’s Russian Stew
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and grated coarsely
4 medium beets, peeled and grated coarsely
1 large carrot, scrubbed and grated coarsely
1 medium celery stalk, diced
Handful celery leaves
1 cup fresh orange juice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Vegetable broth as needed
Sour cream for garnish (optional)
1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add onion and sauté until golden. Add all the remaining ingredients (except sour cream) and just enough vegetable broth to cover the vegetables. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook gently, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
2. Remove stew from heat and allow to stand for an hour or so, then reheat and serve with a scoop of sour cream in each bowl, if desired.
Serves 6 to 8.
HELPFUL HINTS: Grating the vegetables with the coarse-shredder disc on your food processor makes this a snap to make.
Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash
2 acorn squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
4 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice a thin piece off both ends of the squash, including the stem. Cut the squash in half crosswise (perpendicular to the ribs). Scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon.
2. Line a pan in which the squash can fit snugly with foil or parchment paper. If you use foil, rub with butter to prevent squash from sticking.
3. Set the squash halves in the prepared baking pan and smear the flesh with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the salt. Drizzle maple syrup over the cut edge of the squash and into the cavity (most of the liquid will pool there) and sprinkle with the ginger, if using.
4. Roast the squash halves until nicely browned and very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a small to medium squash (larger squash may take longer); add the pecans, if using, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Do not undercook. Serve warm with a spoon.
Serves 4.
2007 CSA Week 16
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 16
This week’s share includes:
1 bunch leeks – Leeks are an awesome fall vegetable. They are a challenge to clean, however, but worth the work. Chopped and sautéed for a soup (my favorite soup is called Kitchen Sink Soup, since it contains everything but the kitchen sink. See below for recipe), it makes a wonderfully creamy base. Chop off the roots and start slicing until you start to get to dirty green parts (the dirt gets in between the leaves). Wash and keep chopping!
2 Qt tomatoes – our lovely tomato season has come to an end. We’ve been having nights with temperatures in the 40s, which turns the tomatoes to mush. I harvested all I could, so enjoy them and think fondly at this time when you’re enjoying your canned or frozen tomato dishes!
16 ears sweet corn – Don’t get your hopes up. This is not 16 ears of the finest, most beautiful sweet corn. It’s 16 ears that taste very sweet and nice, but they don’t look great. Most of the tops of the ears are empty, and many have kernels that are poorly organized, signaling poor germination of the corn. So, enjoy your 16 ears, but it’s probably a good idea to allocate more than one ear per person. This may be the last week of sweet corn.
½ pt raspberries – Hopefully I’ll be able to wrestle some of these from the grasp of my children. However, I’ve instituted a new policy called FFF (Feed my Family First). I used to try and get Sarah not to eat all the Sun Gold tomatoes and raspberries so I could pick for CSA or market. But I realized that I want her to have wonderful memories of eating out of the garden and I don’t want her to remember not being allowed to pick the good stuff. So, I have extras planted to be sure that we all get a fair share.
1 Qt snow peas
3 small heads garlic
3 sweet onions, two red and one white
sweet peppers: 4 green Bell pepper and 8 Italian frying peppers (3 small and 5 big) – it’s a lot of peppers, so I’ll include a great Williams-Sonoma recipe for snow peas and sweet peppers. I’m afraid of getting a frost soon, which will kill the peppers, so I harvested quite heavily. They freeze just fine, sliced and in bags. We use them to fry up for sausage, peppers and onions.
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 Qt white potatoes
1 bunch scallions – They are little scallions, and it’s my first time growing them. I think I’m really supposed to plant them in the fall, and let them grow all winter. We learn lessons every year. These scallions are nice and tender and would be great in any recipe you find.
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch basil – Why do the Japanese beetles love basil so much? It’s not the nicest basil, but a few of you have asked about receiving more basil in the share. Definitely enough for a nice tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese dish!
Best guess for next week’s share: Winter squash, garlic, onions, potatoes, beets, raspberries, Brussels sprouts. Don’t hold me to it!
What beautiful weather we’ve been having: sunny, clear and not so hot. And dry. The garden loves the sun, but without some rain, nothing is growing vigorously. I need to run out this morning (writing this at an absurdly early time of the morning, you don’t want to even know what time!) and see if we have any sweet corn to pick. There’s plenty there, it just has not been maturing at any pace at all. A little rain would plump up the kernels nicely. Ok, we picked a boatload of corn, and field-tested it (this means that Jason was walking around the field munching on raw corn, with the dogs following for the inevitable drop).
I also have kale and collards planted for inclusion in our late shares, but these, too, are not showing any real growth. I’ll keep an eye on these and report back.
We had a visit from my mother in law this weekend, and one of the many gifts she brought was for you: a full flat of lettuce! She also planted it in the garden, with help from Sarah and Jason. We (Sarah and I) have committed to watering it every other day, so in a few weeks, we should all be enjoying some beautiful heads of fall lettuce. I think it’s an awesome way to end our season.
For those of you who haven’t yet signed up for our annual CSA picnic and bonfire, here’s more details. We’ll picnic on the side lawn (where the kids can play on the playset). We always prepare a meat-based main meal (this year will be marinated leg of lamb chunked for skewers) and dessert (my strawberry-rhubarb pie a la mode has been requested). The participants each bring a dish to pass. Several folks have asked if they need to bring a dish big enough for all to eat. My answer is that we always have a ton of food at these events (both vegetarian and non), so bring just enough for a family (4-6) to eat, not for 30! Please sign up for the type of food you’ll bring, so we don’t get overrun with desserts and no sides. Then, we all walk the ¼ mile down our road (Dutch Church Road continues as a grassy lane) to our bonfire area (by our pond) to watch the fire and roast marshmallows. I would recommend you bring few chairs (we do have some homemade benches around the fire ring), a jacket (it gets chilly on your back, since your front is usually warmed by the fire), a flashlight (for the walk back) and maybe bug spray. It’s a really nice way to chat/share and wrap up the year. I hope that all of you will join us for this lovely occasion. The date is Saturday, September 22nd.
I’m working on our annual survey, to be included in the week 18 newsletter. It’s your chance to comment on the quality, quantity and delivery of your vegetables and to give us constructive feedback. I’ll print them out and give them to you at pickup time. I can’t wait to hear how we’ve done this year.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Gwen’s Kitchen Sink Soup
Essentially an amalgam of Potato/Leek soup mixed with Broccoli/Cheese soup with added wild rice and barley. I do no measuring, and adjust the flavors by taste. Here are the ingredients:
Chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced leeks all sautéed together in some olive oil and a pat of butter in a big stock pot. Then I add as much water as I can fit in the pot, 8-12 quarts, vegetable bullion, cubed potatoes, wild rice, barley, carrots, frozen broccoli florettes, salt, pepper and a few frozen sun gold tomatoes. I cook it forever, on a low simmer, stirring often. The potatoes should fall apart as well as the broccoli. Before it’s done, I throw in a few healthy handfuls of cheddar cheese and taste again to adjust the seasoning. Very simple and awesome. I also freeze it in big containers for wintertime enjoyment.
Many folks have expressed concern that they “can’t make soup!” Soup is essentially sautéing some onions, and adding water! Then throw in whatever you have around, vegetables, meat or bones and cook until the flavors come out. (When cooking bones for a soup, I add a tablespoon of vinegar to get the marrow out). Then salt and pepper to taste. Anyone can make a great soup. Looking back at this week’s share, anything in the share would be a wonderful addition to your soup, including the Swiss Chard and snow peas!
Sesame Treasure Vegetables
(this is a great recipe for snow peas and bell peppers- it tastes great and is beautiful!)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and thinly sliced
¼ lb snow peas
your favorite stir fry sauce (see below for ideas)
½ tsp sesame oil
Add oil to a wok or frying pan over high heat, swirling to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. When the oil is very hot but not quite smoking, add the peppers and stir and toss every 15-20 seconds until they just begin to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Add the snow peas and stir and toss for 1 minute.
Quickly stir the stir-fry sauce and add to the pan over high heat. Simmer, stirring and tossing occasionally, for 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Drizzle with the sesame oil and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Stir fry sauce:
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 green (spring) onion, finely chopped (the green tops of our fresh onions work great)
½ tsp chili oil
Combine all ingredients and stir well.
Scallion Pancakes
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons salt1 cup boiling water (more if needed)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3/4 cup scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the flour and salt. With the motor running, add the water slowly through the feed tube until a ball of dough forms (you may need to add a little more water).
2. Remove the dough from the food processor, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough in 2 equal pieces, leaving the other covered as you work with the first. Roll out the first piece of dough on a floured work surface into a 1/4-inch thick circle. Brush surface with half of the sesame oil and press half the scallions and half the sesame seeds into the dough. Set aside, then repeat this process with the other ball of dough.
4. Heat half the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place one pancake in pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Repeat with other pancake.
5. Cut pancakes into wedges and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Serves 4.
Autumn Chard with Creamy Cashew Sauce
8 cups Swiss chard, washed and coarsely chopped (if the stems are tough, remove them and reserve for us in stir-fries, broths, soups, or stews)
1. Place chopped chard in a steamer over boiling water and steam, covered, until tender, just a few minutes at most.
2. Serve with Creamy Cashew Sauce, below:
Creamy Cashew Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1-2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons cashew butter
1-2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil a
nd slowly add flour, stirring to make a paste, or roux. Cook for a few minutes over low heat to toast the flour and give a nuttier flavor to the sauce.
2. Gradually add hot water, whisking constantly. (Amounts of water needed will vary. The end result should be a thick, creamy sauce).
3. Stir in the cashew butter, tamari, and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly, pour over the chard, and serve immediately.
Serves 6.
This week’s share includes:
1 bunch leeks – Leeks are an awesome fall vegetable. They are a challenge to clean, however, but worth the work. Chopped and sautéed for a soup (my favorite soup is called Kitchen Sink Soup, since it contains everything but the kitchen sink. See below for recipe), it makes a wonderfully creamy base. Chop off the roots and start slicing until you start to get to dirty green parts (the dirt gets in between the leaves). Wash and keep chopping!
2 Qt tomatoes – our lovely tomato season has come to an end. We’ve been having nights with temperatures in the 40s, which turns the tomatoes to mush. I harvested all I could, so enjoy them and think fondly at this time when you’re enjoying your canned or frozen tomato dishes!
16 ears sweet corn – Don’t get your hopes up. This is not 16 ears of the finest, most beautiful sweet corn. It’s 16 ears that taste very sweet and nice, but they don’t look great. Most of the tops of the ears are empty, and many have kernels that are poorly organized, signaling poor germination of the corn. So, enjoy your 16 ears, but it’s probably a good idea to allocate more than one ear per person. This may be the last week of sweet corn.
½ pt raspberries – Hopefully I’ll be able to wrestle some of these from the grasp of my children. However, I’ve instituted a new policy called FFF (Feed my Family First). I used to try and get Sarah not to eat all the Sun Gold tomatoes and raspberries so I could pick for CSA or market. But I realized that I want her to have wonderful memories of eating out of the garden and I don’t want her to remember not being allowed to pick the good stuff. So, I have extras planted to be sure that we all get a fair share.
1 Qt snow peas
3 small heads garlic
3 sweet onions, two red and one white
sweet peppers: 4 green Bell pepper and 8 Italian frying peppers (3 small and 5 big) – it’s a lot of peppers, so I’ll include a great Williams-Sonoma recipe for snow peas and sweet peppers. I’m afraid of getting a frost soon, which will kill the peppers, so I harvested quite heavily. They freeze just fine, sliced and in bags. We use them to fry up for sausage, peppers and onions.
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 Qt white potatoes
1 bunch scallions – They are little scallions, and it’s my first time growing them. I think I’m really supposed to plant them in the fall, and let them grow all winter. We learn lessons every year. These scallions are nice and tender and would be great in any recipe you find.
1 bunch rosemary
1 bunch basil – Why do the Japanese beetles love basil so much? It’s not the nicest basil, but a few of you have asked about receiving more basil in the share. Definitely enough for a nice tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese dish!
Best guess for next week’s share: Winter squash, garlic, onions, potatoes, beets, raspberries, Brussels sprouts. Don’t hold me to it!
What beautiful weather we’ve been having: sunny, clear and not so hot. And dry. The garden loves the sun, but without some rain, nothing is growing vigorously. I need to run out this morning (writing this at an absurdly early time of the morning, you don’t want to even know what time!) and see if we have any sweet corn to pick. There’s plenty there, it just has not been maturing at any pace at all. A little rain would plump up the kernels nicely. Ok, we picked a boatload of corn, and field-tested it (this means that Jason was walking around the field munching on raw corn, with the dogs following for the inevitable drop).
I also have kale and collards planted for inclusion in our late shares, but these, too, are not showing any real growth. I’ll keep an eye on these and report back.
We had a visit from my mother in law this weekend, and one of the many gifts she brought was for you: a full flat of lettuce! She also planted it in the garden, with help from Sarah and Jason. We (Sarah and I) have committed to watering it every other day, so in a few weeks, we should all be enjoying some beautiful heads of fall lettuce. I think it’s an awesome way to end our season.
For those of you who haven’t yet signed up for our annual CSA picnic and bonfire, here’s more details. We’ll picnic on the side lawn (where the kids can play on the playset). We always prepare a meat-based main meal (this year will be marinated leg of lamb chunked for skewers) and dessert (my strawberry-rhubarb pie a la mode has been requested). The participants each bring a dish to pass. Several folks have asked if they need to bring a dish big enough for all to eat. My answer is that we always have a ton of food at these events (both vegetarian and non), so bring just enough for a family (4-6) to eat, not for 30! Please sign up for the type of food you’ll bring, so we don’t get overrun with desserts and no sides. Then, we all walk the ¼ mile down our road (Dutch Church Road continues as a grassy lane) to our bonfire area (by our pond) to watch the fire and roast marshmallows. I would recommend you bring few chairs (we do have some homemade benches around the fire ring), a jacket (it gets chilly on your back, since your front is usually warmed by the fire), a flashlight (for the walk back) and maybe bug spray. It’s a really nice way to chat/share and wrap up the year. I hope that all of you will join us for this lovely occasion. The date is Saturday, September 22nd.
I’m working on our annual survey, to be included in the week 18 newsletter. It’s your chance to comment on the quality, quantity and delivery of your vegetables and to give us constructive feedback. I’ll print them out and give them to you at pickup time. I can’t wait to hear how we’ve done this year.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Gwen’s Kitchen Sink Soup
Essentially an amalgam of Potato/Leek soup mixed with Broccoli/Cheese soup with added wild rice and barley. I do no measuring, and adjust the flavors by taste. Here are the ingredients:
Chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced leeks all sautéed together in some olive oil and a pat of butter in a big stock pot. Then I add as much water as I can fit in the pot, 8-12 quarts, vegetable bullion, cubed potatoes, wild rice, barley, carrots, frozen broccoli florettes, salt, pepper and a few frozen sun gold tomatoes. I cook it forever, on a low simmer, stirring often. The potatoes should fall apart as well as the broccoli. Before it’s done, I throw in a few healthy handfuls of cheddar cheese and taste again to adjust the seasoning. Very simple and awesome. I also freeze it in big containers for wintertime enjoyment.
Many folks have expressed concern that they “can’t make soup!” Soup is essentially sautéing some onions, and adding water! Then throw in whatever you have around, vegetables, meat or bones and cook until the flavors come out. (When cooking bones for a soup, I add a tablespoon of vinegar to get the marrow out). Then salt and pepper to taste. Anyone can make a great soup. Looking back at this week’s share, anything in the share would be a wonderful addition to your soup, including the Swiss Chard and snow peas!
Sesame Treasure Vegetables
(this is a great recipe for snow peas and bell peppers- it tastes great and is beautiful!)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and thinly sliced
¼ lb snow peas
your favorite stir fry sauce (see below for ideas)
½ tsp sesame oil
Add oil to a wok or frying pan over high heat, swirling to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. When the oil is very hot but not quite smoking, add the peppers and stir and toss every 15-20 seconds until they just begin to wilt, 2-3 minutes. Add the snow peas and stir and toss for 1 minute.
Quickly stir the stir-fry sauce and add to the pan over high heat. Simmer, stirring and tossing occasionally, for 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Drizzle with the sesame oil and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Stir fry sauce:
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 green (spring) onion, finely chopped (the green tops of our fresh onions work great)
½ tsp chili oil
Combine all ingredients and stir well.
Scallion Pancakes
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons salt1 cup boiling water (more if needed)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3/4 cup scallions, white and green parts, minced
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, place the flour and salt. With the motor running, add the water slowly through the feed tube until a ball of dough forms (you may need to add a little more water).
2. Remove the dough from the food processor, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough in 2 equal pieces, leaving the other covered as you work with the first. Roll out the first piece of dough on a floured work surface into a 1/4-inch thick circle. Brush surface with half of the sesame oil and press half the scallions and half the sesame seeds into the dough. Set aside, then repeat this process with the other ball of dough.
4. Heat half the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place one pancake in pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Repeat with other pancake.
5. Cut pancakes into wedges and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.
Serves 4.
Autumn Chard with Creamy Cashew Sauce
8 cups Swiss chard, washed and coarsely chopped (if the stems are tough, remove them and reserve for us in stir-fries, broths, soups, or stews)
1. Place chopped chard in a steamer over boiling water and steam, covered, until tender, just a few minutes at most.
2. Serve with Creamy Cashew Sauce, below:
Creamy Cashew Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1-2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons cashew butter
1-2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil a
nd slowly add flour, stirring to make a paste, or roux. Cook for a few minutes over low heat to toast the flour and give a nuttier flavor to the sauce.
2. Gradually add hot water, whisking constantly. (Amounts of water needed will vary. The end result should be a thick, creamy sauce).
3. Stir in the cashew butter, tamari, and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly, pour over the chard, and serve immediately.
Serves 6.
2007 CSA Week 15
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 15
This week’s share includes:
11 ears sweet corn – Ah, the long-awaited sweet corn is here! It is delicious, bi-color and sweet. But beware: There are worms in the corn! It is impossible to grow worm-free corn without spraying anything. In the past, we’ve used Bt oil to prevent the corn earworm, but we found that it turned the corn cob brown – the corn still tasted great, but customers were bothered by the looks once they ate the kernels. So, this corn has been naked- no sprays, nothing. It tastes great, but you may have to cut out some worms. We love it, and I hope you do, too.
½ pt raspberries – Those darn kids of mine! They love to “help” me pick raspberries. Sarah was picking into a bowl and I could hear her little voice, “One for the bowl, and one for me.” Jason trails behind, saying, “more!” and holding up his hand for berries. The berries are delicious, and are still coming on strong on our many bushes.
1 Qt Brussels sprouts – It’s been two years since we had any Brussels sprouts to offer in our shares. We’ve learned that they don’t like to grow on the black plastic mulch, which encourages some sort of black, mucky disease to kill the plant. This year we planted it in the upper garden, and have a great crop of the mini cabbages coming. Some folks claim that the little sprouts get sweeter after a frost, but I can’t wait that long. I think they taste pretty good right now. My favorite preparation method is to boil until soft, and apply butter and salt. (Note: they do need to be trimmed before they look like supermarket sprouts. Just snip off the bottom ¼ inch and peel off a couple layers of the leaves.)
1 head red cabbage
1 Qt dry shell beans – I let half of the row of shell beans dry on the stalk so we can enjoy them dried as well. You’ll need to shell them, then store them in a jar or bag until you’re ready to use them. They are beautiful, white with brown and red speckles. Use them in your soup recipes, treating them just like white beans.
1 Qt snow peas – My last sowing of snow peas, green and yellow beans are here for your enjoyment!
1 Qt green beans
1 Qt yellow beans
¼ bushel tomatoes – The tomatoes are just about done, done in by the predicted blight. So, enjoy them while they last!
3 small heads garlic – The garlic is finally all cleaned and sorted. We’re including the smaller ones in the share. If you would like a supply for winter, of Large or Medium heads, we’re charging $6.50 per pound or $1.50 per Large head, $1.00 per Medium head. They should store for 6 months.
2 sweet onions, one red and one white
4 sweet peppers: 2 green Bell pepper and 2 Italian frying peppers
1 bunch Beets – Gorgeous roots, but the greens aren’t so great. These are among the first beets I seeded in the spring, and the greens are past their prime. Enjoy the roots in your favorite beet recipes.
1 Qt white potatoes – We finally got most of these dug. They are big, but spotted from the blight disease. It doesn’t affect the flavor or nutrition, but will cause them not to store as well. Peeling the potatoes should handle the spots. These spuds are great mashed, since they are so fluffy.
Best guess for next week’s share: Scallions, raspberries, leeks, sweet potatoes. Don’t hold me to it!
Our solar installations are complete. The array on the east side of the house is our solar hot water. The west side is the solar electric. Two hours after the solar hot water system was turned on, the water was warming. After 12 hours, we turned off our hot-water furnace! These sunny days have given us 200 degree F water. Even after using the dishwasher several times, the washing machine, a bath for the kids and two showers, we were still swimming in enough hot water that maintained it’s temperature throughout the night (the 120-gallon hot water tank only loses a half-degree of heat an hour) for hot water in the morning. We are thrilled with the system. As soon as National Grid installs our net meter, we’ll be all set to generate our own electricity and watch the meter spin backwards!
Slowly the garden clean up is progressing. We have harvested all of the onions and put them in the sun for drying and curing. All but one of the rows have had it’s plastic and drip tape removed. Mark picked up all of the irrigation supplies: the plastic lines must be discarded, but our filter and fittings are reused every year. And as soon as I get all the white potatoes dug, we’ll start on the sweet potatoes!
Was anyone up early enough to see the lunar eclipse? It was such a gorgeous, huge full moon, which made the eclipse even better. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the view with our early morning coffee. It was over (thanks to the clouds) by the time we were heading out to the barn about 5:45.
Is anyone interested in paste tomatoes? We have a couple bushels of ripe ones we have harvested, but won’t be using. We’re charging $8 per half bushel. Let me know.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Gwen’s new favorite garlic pasta
Boil up your pasta (linguine is my current favorite). While it’s cooking, sauté as much minced or pressed garlic as you dare (most of a head) in olive oil. Add some dry oregano, basil, salt and pepper and cook until garlic is crispy. Drain the pasta and toss in the frying pan. Arrange on your plate and top with freshly chopped ripe tomato, chopped fresh basil and chevre cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle olive oil to finish.
Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts
3 cups Brussels sprouts, tough ends sliced off and outer leaves removed
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup apple cidersalt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1. Cut an X in the bottom of each Brussels sprout. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts and return to a boil. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until sprouts are tender but still firm.
2. Drain Brussels sprouts. Heat oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring, until garlic is soft and fragrant and sprouts are coated with oil. Add cider and turn heat to high, stirring constantly, until cider is reduced in volume by half, making a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Serves 6.
Warm Onion-Mozzarella Salad
3 large red onions8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese, ¼ inch thick
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ cup hazelnuts, roasted, hulled, and halved
½ cup chopped fresh sorrel (a lovely, tangy wild green found growing in many areas by April. If it is unavailable, simply add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice when you add the vinegar)
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
1. Cut the onions in half-moon slices of about ½ inch, then arrange the slices on a baking sheet. Boil about 5 minutes, or until the skins begin to char. Remove from the broiler and set aside to cool.
2. Arrange the cheese slices on a serving platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and butter over low heat until the butter has melted. Increase the heat to medium, then add the peppers and saute 7-10 minutes, or until the peppers begin to turn translucent. Add the onions, chives, parsley, salt, and white pepper, and mix with a spoon. Add the hazelnuts and sorrel, mix briefly, and remove from the heat.
4. Remove the cheese from the refrigerator, and spoon the mixture over the slices. Season with vinegar (and lemon juice, if sorrel wasn’t obtainable) and serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.
This week’s share includes:
11 ears sweet corn – Ah, the long-awaited sweet corn is here! It is delicious, bi-color and sweet. But beware: There are worms in the corn! It is impossible to grow worm-free corn without spraying anything. In the past, we’ve used Bt oil to prevent the corn earworm, but we found that it turned the corn cob brown – the corn still tasted great, but customers were bothered by the looks once they ate the kernels. So, this corn has been naked- no sprays, nothing. It tastes great, but you may have to cut out some worms. We love it, and I hope you do, too.
½ pt raspberries – Those darn kids of mine! They love to “help” me pick raspberries. Sarah was picking into a bowl and I could hear her little voice, “One for the bowl, and one for me.” Jason trails behind, saying, “more!” and holding up his hand for berries. The berries are delicious, and are still coming on strong on our many bushes.
1 Qt Brussels sprouts – It’s been two years since we had any Brussels sprouts to offer in our shares. We’ve learned that they don’t like to grow on the black plastic mulch, which encourages some sort of black, mucky disease to kill the plant. This year we planted it in the upper garden, and have a great crop of the mini cabbages coming. Some folks claim that the little sprouts get sweeter after a frost, but I can’t wait that long. I think they taste pretty good right now. My favorite preparation method is to boil until soft, and apply butter and salt. (Note: they do need to be trimmed before they look like supermarket sprouts. Just snip off the bottom ¼ inch and peel off a couple layers of the leaves.)
1 head red cabbage
1 Qt dry shell beans – I let half of the row of shell beans dry on the stalk so we can enjoy them dried as well. You’ll need to shell them, then store them in a jar or bag until you’re ready to use them. They are beautiful, white with brown and red speckles. Use them in your soup recipes, treating them just like white beans.
1 Qt snow peas – My last sowing of snow peas, green and yellow beans are here for your enjoyment!
1 Qt green beans
1 Qt yellow beans
¼ bushel tomatoes – The tomatoes are just about done, done in by the predicted blight. So, enjoy them while they last!
3 small heads garlic – The garlic is finally all cleaned and sorted. We’re including the smaller ones in the share. If you would like a supply for winter, of Large or Medium heads, we’re charging $6.50 per pound or $1.50 per Large head, $1.00 per Medium head. They should store for 6 months.
2 sweet onions, one red and one white
4 sweet peppers: 2 green Bell pepper and 2 Italian frying peppers
1 bunch Beets – Gorgeous roots, but the greens aren’t so great. These are among the first beets I seeded in the spring, and the greens are past their prime. Enjoy the roots in your favorite beet recipes.
1 Qt white potatoes – We finally got most of these dug. They are big, but spotted from the blight disease. It doesn’t affect the flavor or nutrition, but will cause them not to store as well. Peeling the potatoes should handle the spots. These spuds are great mashed, since they are so fluffy.
Best guess for next week’s share: Scallions, raspberries, leeks, sweet potatoes. Don’t hold me to it!
Our solar installations are complete. The array on the east side of the house is our solar hot water. The west side is the solar electric. Two hours after the solar hot water system was turned on, the water was warming. After 12 hours, we turned off our hot-water furnace! These sunny days have given us 200 degree F water. Even after using the dishwasher several times, the washing machine, a bath for the kids and two showers, we were still swimming in enough hot water that maintained it’s temperature throughout the night (the 120-gallon hot water tank only loses a half-degree of heat an hour) for hot water in the morning. We are thrilled with the system. As soon as National Grid installs our net meter, we’ll be all set to generate our own electricity and watch the meter spin backwards!
Slowly the garden clean up is progressing. We have harvested all of the onions and put them in the sun for drying and curing. All but one of the rows have had it’s plastic and drip tape removed. Mark picked up all of the irrigation supplies: the plastic lines must be discarded, but our filter and fittings are reused every year. And as soon as I get all the white potatoes dug, we’ll start on the sweet potatoes!
Was anyone up early enough to see the lunar eclipse? It was such a gorgeous, huge full moon, which made the eclipse even better. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the view with our early morning coffee. It was over (thanks to the clouds) by the time we were heading out to the barn about 5:45.
Is anyone interested in paste tomatoes? We have a couple bushels of ripe ones we have harvested, but won’t be using. We’re charging $8 per half bushel. Let me know.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Gwen’s new favorite garlic pasta
Boil up your pasta (linguine is my current favorite). While it’s cooking, sauté as much minced or pressed garlic as you dare (most of a head) in olive oil. Add some dry oregano, basil, salt and pepper and cook until garlic is crispy. Drain the pasta and toss in the frying pan. Arrange on your plate and top with freshly chopped ripe tomato, chopped fresh basil and chevre cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle olive oil to finish.
Cider-Braised Brussels Sprouts
3 cups Brussels sprouts, tough ends sliced off and outer leaves removed
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup apple cidersalt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1. Cut an X in the bottom of each Brussels sprout. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add Brussels sprouts and return to a boil. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until sprouts are tender but still firm.
2. Drain Brussels sprouts. Heat oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add sprouts and garlic, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring, until garlic is soft and fragrant and sprouts are coated with oil. Add cider and turn heat to high, stirring constantly, until cider is reduced in volume by half, making a sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Serves 6.
Warm Onion-Mozzarella Salad
3 large red onions8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese, ¼ inch thick
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ cup hazelnuts, roasted, hulled, and halved
½ cup chopped fresh sorrel (a lovely, tangy wild green found growing in many areas by April. If it is unavailable, simply add 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice when you add the vinegar)
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
1. Cut the onions in half-moon slices of about ½ inch, then arrange the slices on a baking sheet. Boil about 5 minutes, or until the skins begin to char. Remove from the broiler and set aside to cool.
2. Arrange the cheese slices on a serving platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the oil and butter over low heat until the butter has melted. Increase the heat to medium, then add the peppers and saute 7-10 minutes, or until the peppers begin to turn translucent. Add the onions, chives, parsley, salt, and white pepper, and mix with a spoon. Add the hazelnuts and sorrel, mix briefly, and remove from the heat.
4. Remove the cheese from the refrigerator, and spoon the mixture over the slices. Season with vinegar (and lemon juice, if sorrel wasn’t obtainable) and serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.
2007 CSA Week 14
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 14
This week’s share includes:
¼ bushel tomatoes
2 cucumbers – this is really the end of the cukes- I’m pulling the plants and hauling the plastic mulch out of the garden. It’s been a nice cuke season, and I’ve been happy with the varieties we’ve grown. I hope you’re satisfied with them as well.
1 bunch Sugarsnax carrots – after last week’s carrot debacle, I’m pleased to report that even with Mark’s superior carrot digging skills, we still have gouged and broken carrots! Ok, maybe “pleased” is the wrong word, but you know what I mean. The carrots taste great, and they look better than the mess I made last week. I just wish they would grow a smidge shorter!
2 heads garlic
2 sweet onions, one red and one white
1 pt Sun gold and grape cherry tomatoes
5 sweet peppers: 2 green Bell pepper and 3 Italian frying peppers – we’re going a little crazy with these peppers, but the unidentified pepper disease is moving in fast, and we don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to offer you these awesome peppers. So, I hope you’re able to figure out something to do with them. Years past, we’ve sliced them, and frozen them just like that, to have sausage and pepper sandwiches in the winter. They do stink up the freezer a bit, but double bagging helps.
1 bunch Edamame soybeans
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1 bunch Beets
1 bunch dill
Best guess for next week’s share: Scallions, raspberries, red cabbage, leeks, tomatoes. Don’t hold me to it!
I hoped that the sweet corn would be ready by this morning’s harvest, but it needs more time. We were able to harvest 4 ears for the family to sample. It was pretty delicious, so we hope to be able to harvest more for next week. A little rain would help plump the kernels a bit!
Several members have asked about the animals on the farm. We raise our own sheep, purchase piglets in the spring, and usually have some sort of laying hen onsite. We also have our turkeys, and have already sent our broiler chickens to the freezer. All of the animals are rotated on our spacious, green pastures. We use a portable fencing system that goes up and down rather quickly. It relies on rigid plastic upright supports and a network of plastic fencing, wound with metal strands. This allows the fence to be light to carry, flexible, and able to pack a shocking punch, should a coyote get too interested in our livestock. The animals generally learn about the fence quickly, and understand that they shouldn’t touch it, lest they get shocked. However, most days one or more of the pigs will give it a go, (we hear them squeal, then high-tail it away) just to make sure we’ve remembered to plug in the charger. We’ve chased loose pigs across some of our biggest fields; not an experience to repeat, that’s for sure!
Often we’ll pasture the sheep up near the road, where curious neighbors slow down to get an eyeful. We believe that not only is it beautiful to see healthy animals on green pastures, it’s also more healthful for the animals, and more healthy to eat pasture-raised meats. If you’d like to see any of our livestock up close, let us know, and we’d be happy to arrange a tour. The pigs are great fun to watch, and they’ll come and give you “piggy kisses” if you let them.
The mid-to-late season doldrums have set in with your farmer. This means that the garden cleanup has started, and the unglamorous work (not that much else of farming is glamorous!) of pulling up plastic mulch, disconnecting irrigation supplies, fixing garlic, digging potatoes now claim every spare minute of time. It’s not exciting work like planting young plants or seeds that allows you to imagine the finished product of delicious and beautiful vegetables. It’s necessary work that will allow me and the garden to rest for the down season. And actually, it’s work that “stays done” and does not have to be repeated every few weeks (like weeding or rototilling). But, like any cleanup job, it’s hard to get motivated. I love planning, planting, weeding, harvesting and eating of our vegetables. But by the time cleanup starts, I’m ready for a vacation. I’m sure that this too, shall pass, and the garden will be cleaned up in a short time and I can start planning next year’s feast. It’s your enthusiastic support that keeps me going, so thanks for your kind words.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Pasta with Swiss chard and ricotta
This recipe is similar to my favorite swiss chard recipe, but with the ricotta twist. A nice change, let me know if you like it!
¼ cup pine nuts
3/4 pound mini rigatoni
2Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch (3/4 pound) Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped
1 cup shelled edamame
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese + additional for serving
Place pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly colored and fragrant. Set aside on a small plate to cool. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water to use for the sauce.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, bell pepper and chard stems. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the edamame, chard leaves, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until wilted and tender-crisp. Puree the ricotta, Parmesan and 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water in a mini food processor or blender until smooth. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta, vegetables and ricotta mixture until combined. If needed, add additional pasta water to moisten the pasta. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve with additional Parmesan, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Harvest Beet and Onion Salad - Recipe
3 medium fresh red beets
3 medium fresh orange-gold beets
1 cup chopped Walla Walla, Vidalia, or other sweet onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
2/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh lemon mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a medium stockpot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Trim all but 2 inches of stalk from the beets, then drop the beets into the water. Simmer over medium-high heat 30-45 minutes, or until tender.
2. Remove the beets from the pot and allow them to cool. Remove the skins from the beets, cut off the remaining stalks, and cut the beets into 3/4-inch cubes.
3. Place the beets, onions, chives, garlic, parsley, and lemon mint in a medium bowl and toss. Add the salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil, then toss again until all of the ingredients are coated.
4. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, then remove salad from the refrigerator and allow to sit uncovered 15 minutes before serving, or serve while slightly warm.
Serves 6-8.
Try using dill instead of lemon mint, and added toasted walnuts.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
6 carrots, shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper
1. Use a food processor or hand grater to shred the carrots finely. You can shred the onion, too, instead of chopping it, if you like. Place carrots and onion in a medium serving bowl.
2. In a small bowl, blend together the remaining ingredients with a wire whisk. Pour over the carrots and toss well. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate.
This week’s share includes:
¼ bushel tomatoes
2 cucumbers – this is really the end of the cukes- I’m pulling the plants and hauling the plastic mulch out of the garden. It’s been a nice cuke season, and I’ve been happy with the varieties we’ve grown. I hope you’re satisfied with them as well.
1 bunch Sugarsnax carrots – after last week’s carrot debacle, I’m pleased to report that even with Mark’s superior carrot digging skills, we still have gouged and broken carrots! Ok, maybe “pleased” is the wrong word, but you know what I mean. The carrots taste great, and they look better than the mess I made last week. I just wish they would grow a smidge shorter!
2 heads garlic
2 sweet onions, one red and one white
1 pt Sun gold and grape cherry tomatoes
5 sweet peppers: 2 green Bell pepper and 3 Italian frying peppers – we’re going a little crazy with these peppers, but the unidentified pepper disease is moving in fast, and we don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to offer you these awesome peppers. So, I hope you’re able to figure out something to do with them. Years past, we’ve sliced them, and frozen them just like that, to have sausage and pepper sandwiches in the winter. They do stink up the freezer a bit, but double bagging helps.
1 bunch Edamame soybeans
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1 bunch Beets
1 bunch dill
Best guess for next week’s share: Scallions, raspberries, red cabbage, leeks, tomatoes. Don’t hold me to it!
I hoped that the sweet corn would be ready by this morning’s harvest, but it needs more time. We were able to harvest 4 ears for the family to sample. It was pretty delicious, so we hope to be able to harvest more for next week. A little rain would help plump the kernels a bit!
Several members have asked about the animals on the farm. We raise our own sheep, purchase piglets in the spring, and usually have some sort of laying hen onsite. We also have our turkeys, and have already sent our broiler chickens to the freezer. All of the animals are rotated on our spacious, green pastures. We use a portable fencing system that goes up and down rather quickly. It relies on rigid plastic upright supports and a network of plastic fencing, wound with metal strands. This allows the fence to be light to carry, flexible, and able to pack a shocking punch, should a coyote get too interested in our livestock. The animals generally learn about the fence quickly, and understand that they shouldn’t touch it, lest they get shocked. However, most days one or more of the pigs will give it a go, (we hear them squeal, then high-tail it away) just to make sure we’ve remembered to plug in the charger. We’ve chased loose pigs across some of our biggest fields; not an experience to repeat, that’s for sure!
Often we’ll pasture the sheep up near the road, where curious neighbors slow down to get an eyeful. We believe that not only is it beautiful to see healthy animals on green pastures, it’s also more healthful for the animals, and more healthy to eat pasture-raised meats. If you’d like to see any of our livestock up close, let us know, and we’d be happy to arrange a tour. The pigs are great fun to watch, and they’ll come and give you “piggy kisses” if you let them.
The mid-to-late season doldrums have set in with your farmer. This means that the garden cleanup has started, and the unglamorous work (not that much else of farming is glamorous!) of pulling up plastic mulch, disconnecting irrigation supplies, fixing garlic, digging potatoes now claim every spare minute of time. It’s not exciting work like planting young plants or seeds that allows you to imagine the finished product of delicious and beautiful vegetables. It’s necessary work that will allow me and the garden to rest for the down season. And actually, it’s work that “stays done” and does not have to be repeated every few weeks (like weeding or rototilling). But, like any cleanup job, it’s hard to get motivated. I love planning, planting, weeding, harvesting and eating of our vegetables. But by the time cleanup starts, I’m ready for a vacation. I’m sure that this too, shall pass, and the garden will be cleaned up in a short time and I can start planning next year’s feast. It’s your enthusiastic support that keeps me going, so thanks for your kind words.
Thanks, as always, for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Pasta with Swiss chard and ricotta
This recipe is similar to my favorite swiss chard recipe, but with the ricotta twist. A nice change, let me know if you like it!
¼ cup pine nuts
3/4 pound mini rigatoni
2Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch (3/4 pound) Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated and chopped
1 cup shelled edamame
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese + additional for serving
Place pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly colored and fragrant. Set aside on a small plate to cool. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water to use for the sauce.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, bell pepper and chard stems. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the edamame, chard leaves, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until wilted and tender-crisp. Puree the ricotta, Parmesan and 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water in a mini food processor or blender until smooth. In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta, vegetables and ricotta mixture until combined. If needed, add additional pasta water to moisten the pasta. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and serve with additional Parmesan, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
Harvest Beet and Onion Salad - Recipe
3 medium fresh red beets
3 medium fresh orange-gold beets
1 cup chopped Walla Walla, Vidalia, or other sweet onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
2/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh lemon mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. In a medium stockpot, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Trim all but 2 inches of stalk from the beets, then drop the beets into the water. Simmer over medium-high heat 30-45 minutes, or until tender.
2. Remove the beets from the pot and allow them to cool. Remove the skins from the beets, cut off the remaining stalks, and cut the beets into 3/4-inch cubes.
3. Place the beets, onions, chives, garlic, parsley, and lemon mint in a medium bowl and toss. Add the salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil, then toss again until all of the ingredients are coated.
4. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, then remove salad from the refrigerator and allow to sit uncovered 15 minutes before serving, or serve while slightly warm.
Serves 6-8.
Try using dill instead of lemon mint, and added toasted walnuts.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
6 carrots, shredded
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper
1. Use a food processor or hand grater to shred the carrots finely. You can shred the onion, too, instead of chopping it, if you like. Place carrots and onion in a medium serving bowl.
2. In a small bowl, blend together the remaining ingredients with a wire whisk. Pour over the carrots and toss well. Serve at room temperature, or refrigerate.
2007 CSA Week 13
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 13
This week’s share includes:
¼ bushel tomatoes – I hope you’re enjoying these awesome tomatoes. During tomato season, I try to include them in almost every meal, just because I enjoy them so much.
1 zucchini – our summer squash season may well have ended with this harvest. The plants are showing signs of their demise: powdery mildew will always kill these at some point. I think it’s been an awesome zucchini year, and, frankly, I’m ready for the end!
2 yellow squash/ patty pan squash
3 cucumbers + 2 lemon cucumbers – you can tell we’re at the end for cukes. The plants are getting old and tired, and are succumbing to the rigors of cucumber beetle attacks. These cukes aren’t pretty, but they still taste great.
1 bunch Sugarsnax carrots – The carrots were almost my undoing today! For years, I have tried to find a carrot with the same awesome taste as these Sugarsnax, but with a shorter growth habit. I have been unsuccessful, and I hate (hate!!) digging these carrots! I dig them with a garden fork and am either too far away (and I gouge the carrot with the tip of the fork) or too close and I snap off the ends. I almost gave up doing them today, but I know how well received they are. So this week’s carrots are ugly- gouged and broken, but still delicious. Mark should be here next week to dig them for me, and they’ll be beautiful again. I didn’t want to see them anymore, so I didn’t even spray them off, so they’re dirty to boot!
2 heads garlic
2 sweet onions, one red and one white
1 pt Sun gold and grape cherry tomatoes
1 Qt red potatoes
4 sweet peppers: 2 green Bell pepper and 2 Italian frying peppers
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch Edamame soybeans – If you’re new to the Edamame craze, this is a great introduction. However, there is some work to be done before you can enjoy them! You’ve got to pick the beans off the stalks, focusing on only the plumpest beans. You’re left with a pile of suspiciously fuzzy beans that you can’t imagine eating. Boil up a pot of water with a healthy handful of salt in it. Then boil the fuzzies for 4-5 minutes. Strain, shell and enjoy! Or, if you’d like to save them for another day, pack them in bags and freeze. Then, when the snow flies, you can boil them up again (4 or so minutes this time), salt them lightly and shell. A common method of shelling is to place one end of the fuzzy bean in your mouth and use your teeth to pop it out of the shell and into your mouth (sometimes they shoot out in every direction!). They are great on their own or in salads and soups and have a nutty flavor.
2 eggplant: one skinny Asian and one round Italian
Best guess for next week’s share: Leeks, scallions, sweet corn, beets, tomatoes, soybeans, potatoes, garlic, onions, Swiss chard. Don’t hold me to it!
This has been a great tomato year! This is the beauty of the CSA model, you live with the ups and downs of the harvest season; when it’s a good year, you benefit with the fruits of the harvest. When it’s not such a great year, you enjoy other bounties. Last year was a terrible tomato year – I think we gave a few quarts of tomatoes all year, but we enjoyed other types of veggies: 2006 was a great sweet corn year, and we enjoyed awesome corn for 3 weeks. This year’s early corn has already gone by way of the rototiller, and even the late corn is looking iffy (there are plenty of ears, they just have to fill in with the corn kernels). Last year’s Brussels sprouts succumbed to some sort of disease; this year we planted them differently, and we hope to enjoy them soon. And so it goes…
Like all homeowners, we too have to do periodic maintenance and replacement. Ours just happens to be the replacement of our barn roof. This barn, affectionately known as the Hay Barn (the red barn is the Dairy Barn) is approximately 150 years old. Like all old buildings, it has its own history. There is an old pulley at the peak of the barn that was used to grapple loose hay from the horse-drawn wagons, and drop into the haymow. The beams are band-sawn (as opposed to the house, where they are hand-hewn), and it is an impressive structure. We’ve toyed with the idea of ripping it down and building something new (either way we’d still have to buy a new roof), but we value the character of these old barns and want to preserve the history of the farm.
We also are getting ready to fulfill a dream that started when we bought the farm: meeting our energy needs via the sun. Next week begins the installation of 20 photovoltaic solar panels for solar electricity and several panels for solar hot water. We will still be connected to the grid and will be able to net-meter: sell energy back to the grid. The first time I see that meter spinning backwards will be a happy day! We estimate that we will be able to save over 70% of our fuel oil usage by pre-heating our hot water from the sun (since we heat our house with our wood stove), and 80% of our energy usage, depending on the time of year, of course.
If you regret missing our potato digging party, or enjoyed the first one so much, here is your opportunity! We will be hosting another potato digging party this week: Friday morning, as early as you’d like to come. We have 3 rows of our creamy white potato that need to be hand dug. We’ll send you home with a few of your own potatoes, since they always taste better when you dig them yourself. Just think of it as the adult’s version of a treasure hunt! If you’re available, let me know, we’d love to have you. Remember, you need gloves (so we don’t damage the spuds), long pants (for kneeling), hat, sunscreen and water. Don’t forget that playing in the dirt is good for you.
Thanks, as always, for your enthusiastic support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 by Gwen Hyde
Sweet Spiced Eggplant
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into ¾” chunks 15 ounces diced tomatoes
2 Tbs honey 1 Tbs white vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 ½ tsp ground cumin ¾ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground fennel ½ tsp salt
1 cup shelled edamame 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, shopped
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the eggplant and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, fennel and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
Stir in the edamame and half of the cilantro. Simmer for 8 minutes or until the eggplant and edamame are tender. Stir in the remaining cilantro. Makes 4 servings.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho soup was invented for the summer. Refreshingly cold on hot summer days, this adaptation of the classic Spanish soup deliciously combines the best of summer vegetables. Make sure you only use the freshest, highest quality ingredients for this soup.
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice
Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
Serves 8.
Carrot and Raisin Muffins
3 medium eggs.
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
1 ½ cups of shredded carrots.
1 cup of powdered sugar.
¾ cup of granulated sugar.
½ cup of raisins.
½ cup of milk, plus 2 tablespoons of milk.
½ cup of melted butter, plus 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
¼ cup of cream cheese, softened.
2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
½ teaspoon of baking soda.
½ teaspoon of salt.
½ teaspoon of vanilla.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).Combine the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Beat together the eggs and the granulated sugar.Add the shredded carrots, raisins, ½ cup of milk, and ½ cup of melted butter; mix thoroughly.Add the flour mixture and stir until the dry ingredients have moistened.Spoon the batter into twelve greased muffin cups.Bake for 20 minutes.Mix together cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of butter.Stir in the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla, then drizzle over top of the cooked muffins.
This week’s share includes:
¼ bushel tomatoes – I hope you’re enjoying these awesome tomatoes. During tomato season, I try to include them in almost every meal, just because I enjoy them so much.
1 zucchini – our summer squash season may well have ended with this harvest. The plants are showing signs of their demise: powdery mildew will always kill these at some point. I think it’s been an awesome zucchini year, and, frankly, I’m ready for the end!
2 yellow squash/ patty pan squash
3 cucumbers + 2 lemon cucumbers – you can tell we’re at the end for cukes. The plants are getting old and tired, and are succumbing to the rigors of cucumber beetle attacks. These cukes aren’t pretty, but they still taste great.
1 bunch Sugarsnax carrots – The carrots were almost my undoing today! For years, I have tried to find a carrot with the same awesome taste as these Sugarsnax, but with a shorter growth habit. I have been unsuccessful, and I hate (hate!!) digging these carrots! I dig them with a garden fork and am either too far away (and I gouge the carrot with the tip of the fork) or too close and I snap off the ends. I almost gave up doing them today, but I know how well received they are. So this week’s carrots are ugly- gouged and broken, but still delicious. Mark should be here next week to dig them for me, and they’ll be beautiful again. I didn’t want to see them anymore, so I didn’t even spray them off, so they’re dirty to boot!
2 heads garlic
2 sweet onions, one red and one white
1 pt Sun gold and grape cherry tomatoes
1 Qt red potatoes
4 sweet peppers: 2 green Bell pepper and 2 Italian frying peppers
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch Edamame soybeans – If you’re new to the Edamame craze, this is a great introduction. However, there is some work to be done before you can enjoy them! You’ve got to pick the beans off the stalks, focusing on only the plumpest beans. You’re left with a pile of suspiciously fuzzy beans that you can’t imagine eating. Boil up a pot of water with a healthy handful of salt in it. Then boil the fuzzies for 4-5 minutes. Strain, shell and enjoy! Or, if you’d like to save them for another day, pack them in bags and freeze. Then, when the snow flies, you can boil them up again (4 or so minutes this time), salt them lightly and shell. A common method of shelling is to place one end of the fuzzy bean in your mouth and use your teeth to pop it out of the shell and into your mouth (sometimes they shoot out in every direction!). They are great on their own or in salads and soups and have a nutty flavor.
2 eggplant: one skinny Asian and one round Italian
Best guess for next week’s share: Leeks, scallions, sweet corn, beets, tomatoes, soybeans, potatoes, garlic, onions, Swiss chard. Don’t hold me to it!
This has been a great tomato year! This is the beauty of the CSA model, you live with the ups and downs of the harvest season; when it’s a good year, you benefit with the fruits of the harvest. When it’s not such a great year, you enjoy other bounties. Last year was a terrible tomato year – I think we gave a few quarts of tomatoes all year, but we enjoyed other types of veggies: 2006 was a great sweet corn year, and we enjoyed awesome corn for 3 weeks. This year’s early corn has already gone by way of the rototiller, and even the late corn is looking iffy (there are plenty of ears, they just have to fill in with the corn kernels). Last year’s Brussels sprouts succumbed to some sort of disease; this year we planted them differently, and we hope to enjoy them soon. And so it goes…
Like all homeowners, we too have to do periodic maintenance and replacement. Ours just happens to be the replacement of our barn roof. This barn, affectionately known as the Hay Barn (the red barn is the Dairy Barn) is approximately 150 years old. Like all old buildings, it has its own history. There is an old pulley at the peak of the barn that was used to grapple loose hay from the horse-drawn wagons, and drop into the haymow. The beams are band-sawn (as opposed to the house, where they are hand-hewn), and it is an impressive structure. We’ve toyed with the idea of ripping it down and building something new (either way we’d still have to buy a new roof), but we value the character of these old barns and want to preserve the history of the farm.
We also are getting ready to fulfill a dream that started when we bought the farm: meeting our energy needs via the sun. Next week begins the installation of 20 photovoltaic solar panels for solar electricity and several panels for solar hot water. We will still be connected to the grid and will be able to net-meter: sell energy back to the grid. The first time I see that meter spinning backwards will be a happy day! We estimate that we will be able to save over 70% of our fuel oil usage by pre-heating our hot water from the sun (since we heat our house with our wood stove), and 80% of our energy usage, depending on the time of year, of course.
If you regret missing our potato digging party, or enjoyed the first one so much, here is your opportunity! We will be hosting another potato digging party this week: Friday morning, as early as you’d like to come. We have 3 rows of our creamy white potato that need to be hand dug. We’ll send you home with a few of your own potatoes, since they always taste better when you dig them yourself. Just think of it as the adult’s version of a treasure hunt! If you’re available, let me know, we’d love to have you. Remember, you need gloves (so we don’t damage the spuds), long pants (for kneeling), hat, sunscreen and water. Don’t forget that playing in the dirt is good for you.
Thanks, as always, for your enthusiastic support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 by Gwen Hyde
Sweet Spiced Eggplant
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, chopped
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into ¾” chunks 15 ounces diced tomatoes
2 Tbs honey 1 Tbs white vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 ½ tsp ground cumin ¾ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground fennel ½ tsp salt
1 cup shelled edamame 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, shopped
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the eggplant and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, fennel and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 8 minutes.
Stir in the edamame and half of the cilantro. Simmer for 8 minutes or until the eggplant and edamame are tender. Stir in the remaining cilantro. Makes 4 servings.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho soup was invented for the summer. Refreshingly cold on hot summer days, this adaptation of the classic Spanish soup deliciously combines the best of summer vegetables. Make sure you only use the freshest, highest quality ingredients for this soup.
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice
Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
Serves 8.
Carrot and Raisin Muffins
3 medium eggs.
1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
1 ½ cups of shredded carrots.
1 cup of powdered sugar.
¾ cup of granulated sugar.
½ cup of raisins.
½ cup of milk, plus 2 tablespoons of milk.
½ cup of melted butter, plus 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
¼ cup of cream cheese, softened.
2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
½ teaspoon of baking soda.
½ teaspoon of salt.
½ teaspoon of vanilla.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).Combine the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Beat together the eggs and the granulated sugar.Add the shredded carrots, raisins, ½ cup of milk, and ½ cup of melted butter; mix thoroughly.Add the flour mixture and stir until the dry ingredients have moistened.Spoon the batter into twelve greased muffin cups.Bake for 20 minutes.Mix together cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of butter.Stir in the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla, then drizzle over top of the cooked muffins.
2007 CSA Week 12
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 12
This week’s share includes:
¼ bushel tomatoes
2 zucchini – I’ll be the first to admit that I dropped the ball on these guys. They are huge, and please accept my apologies if you prefer your zukes smaller. They are perfect for cakes, breads and muffins though!
2 yellow squash/ patty pan squash
4 cucumbers + 2 lemon cucumbers- on a whim, I grew these cute lemon cukes. I haven’t found a big difference between these and our regular cukes (we use two varieties of these: our favorite, Marketmore 97 and Olympian). Some say that there is a slight citrusy flavor. Whatever they taste like, I eat them like an apple.
1 bunch Sugarsnax carrots – These foot-long carrots are amazingly sweet, and I’m always thrilled with how long and straight they grow for us. Carrots like a loose soil, which they can stretch their toes down as far as possible. We make sure that our carrot growing areas have been deeply tilled, to have the largest carrots achievable. We’ll have these for the rest of the season. If you get tired of them (as if!) let me know and I’ll give you a week’s break.
2 heads garlic – With the nice, dry weather last week, these dried in 2-3 days. We’ve cut off the stalks, and are in process of trimming the roots, and sorting by size. We have a bin of heads that are too small or otherwise imperfect due to shape or damage of one clove (I speared some when digging). I’ll put these out at pickups for you to help yourself. If you want a larger quantity, I’ll be selling them for $5.00 per pound. They are good for keeping throughout the winter (usually till May or so, depending on your storage) or for planting your own. Let me know if you’re interested.
2 sweet onions
1 pt Sun gold and grape cherry tomatoes – a friend of mine reminded me of what she does with her extra Sun gold tomatoes (as if!): she puts them in the freezer on a cookie sheet, and bags them once frozen. Then, when she makes soups or broths, she throws in a couple and has found that it enhances the flavor of most soups. I thought this was a great idea and have frozen several bags full.
1Qt red potatoes
1 Qt fresh shell beans –We always try to add new vegetables to our annual offerings, and we’ve always been curious about these. You can use them fresh, or let them dry on the vine for dried beans. I picked half of our row to try them both ways. You shell these and use them like lima beans, or any other beans. I’ve been looking and finding soup recipes.
1 bunch cilantro
1 Qt snow peas
1 green Bell pepper – for some reason, our peppers tend to go bad before they turn to their final color (I have red and yellow peppers growing, but they all start out green.) So, to ensure that we have some peppers to enjoy, here are some greens. I recall a farmers’ market customer who purchased a green pepper from me only to find that within a few days’ storage, it turned red. They did not understand that most peppers ripen from green to their final color.
1 bunch oregano
Best guess for next week’s share: Edamame soybeans, swiss chard, parsley, carrots, cabbage, peppers, eggplant. Don’t hold me to it!
I live for tomato season! Every winter as I’m poring through the seed catalogs, I’m dreaming of a day like today. I imagine how lovely it would be to bite into a sun-warmed and –ripened tomato. I interview and discard dozens of tomato varieties. I like to try new varieties, but always select several tried-and-true varieties. Mark’s favorite is Sun gold, so we always grow a bunch of these. I insisted on trying the improved variety, Sun Sugar and think it’s quite similar (Mark is staying loyal to his old favorite). Then I selected a grape tomato, since it seems like the kids will eat these like crazy. However, our greenhouse partners who grow for me, did not do well with my preferred grape variety, and sent me home with theirs. So I don’t know which variety I have and I don’t like it too much: the skin is quite thick, and the sweetness is moderate. But the fruits are large for a grape tomato, and would probably be rated higher for flavor if they weren’t compared to Sun golds.
Then it’s on to the main tomato crop. We always start with an early variety, just to start the season. We’ve been growing First Lady II for several years: it’s not a bad, early tomato; not much exciting about this variety. My two main/mid season favorites I’ve grown for several years: Celebrity and Thessaloniki. Celebrity is a nice tomato, with good taste. Thessaloniki I selected for it’s beauty as well as flavor: it is the most sun-scald tomato I’ve found, and presents beautiful (but on the small size) fruits, almost devoid of that nasty sun-scald that plagues most of our other varieties. Then I always get an heirloom that will be ugly but flavorful. In years past I’ve gotten Red Brandywine, but this year I fell for Caspian Pink. Completely ripe, they are delicious, but very ugly. It takes some creative knifework to get some good tomato to eat. (the mice seem to like them as well, for as many ripe ones I get, I have to throw away an equal amount due to bite marks). We do grow a couple of paste varieties, but they mostly get reserved for our own use. If there are any left after I’ve canned my sauces and salsas, I’ll share them with you.
Our tomato season is short, but delicious. We expect our annual Late Blight infestation in the coming weeks, so enjoy your tomatoes while they last. (Late Blight is a common tomato disease that is transmitted via the wind. It causes the tomatoes to have “leathery” patches and quickly kills the plants. We plant our tomatoes in different spots every year to try to avoid this and other tomato diseases, but it’s practically inevitable.)
Our potato digging party was a big success! Our intrepid diggers accumulated over 10 bushels of the “red gold”! There are only 20 or so feet left to dig of the reds, and 3 rows of whites. Keep your eyes peeled for another potato digging party!
Mark your calendars: Saturday, September 22nd is our annual CSA picnic and bonfire! Plan on arriving at the farm at 4 pm with your potluck dish with a bonfire at 6:30 pm. We hope you and your family will join us for a season wrap-up celebration. I’ll put out a sign-up form next week.
Thanks for your enthusiastic support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 by Gwen Hyde
Gwen’s Favorite Tomato Recipes
To make the following recipes, start with:
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped sweet onion
And then add the following, depending on your preference:
For fresh salsa: add chopped cilantro, hot pepper (optional), a tablespoon or so of lime juice, and salt.
For fresh tomato sauce (toss with hot pasta): add chopped basil, a little chopped fresh garlic, good olive oil, and salt and pepper.
For Bruschetta: add chopped basil, a little chopped fresh garlic, good olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat through (but don’t cook) and finish with balsamic vinegar. Use to top bread that’s been brushed with garlic olive oil (I crush some cloves and soak in olive oil) that I brown under the broiler). Grate parmesan cheese to top.
For cooked sauce: sauté the onion until translucent in a big saucepan, adding crushed garlic near the end. Add chopped tomatoes and cook down for several hours. Season with chopped basil and oregano (I use a 3:1 ration basil to oregano), salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Sesame chicken Salad
I made this for dinner last night, and omitted the chicken. (I found it in a Parenting magazine) It was a crowd-pleaser, including the kids. I would recommend that the peanut butter sauce get heated up a bit, because it was hard to incorporate into the pasta. I would also recommend to grate some of the carrots small, and some big, so that they make their presence know. Let me know what you think.
Salad:
8 oz. long fusilli (I used spaghetti)
1 cup snow peas, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
½ cup shredded carrots
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional)
Dressing:
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice or apple cider vinegar
Cook pasta according to package directions; add snow peas to the boiling water about one minute before pasta is done. Drain. (the instructions say to rinse under cold water, but you can skip this step and serve the pasta hot). Mix the peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a large bowl. (I recommend you warm this a bit to ensure good incorporation into the pasta) Add the pasta and snow peas; mix well. Add chicken and carrots, toss to combine. Top with sesame seeds and scallions.
Nutrition info: (1 cup) 279 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated), 277 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol.
Pasta Salad with Summer Beans
12 ounces dried pasta shapes, like fusilli or gemelli
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound assorted long beans, such as yellow wax, green, or haricot vert, ends trimmed
2 pounds assorted shell beans, shelled (types could include cranberry beans, scarlet runner, lima, or edamame)
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced, plus sprigs for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, plus sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and place in large bowl. Wile pasta is still hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss well to coat. Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator.
2. Boil long snap beans in boiling salted water 4 to 6 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse in cold water, then add to pasta in fridge.
3. Boil shelled shell beans in boiling salted water until tender, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the type used. Drain and add to pasta in fridge. Allow bean and pasta mixture to chill completely, at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
4. Whisk the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar and garlic in a bowl. Pour this dressing over the pasta and beans, then add the fresh herbs. Toss to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. When ready to serve, transfer the salad to a serving bowl or individual salad plates and garnish with fresh herb sprigs.
Serves 6.
This week’s share includes:
¼ bushel tomatoes
2 zucchini – I’ll be the first to admit that I dropped the ball on these guys. They are huge, and please accept my apologies if you prefer your zukes smaller. They are perfect for cakes, breads and muffins though!
2 yellow squash/ patty pan squash
4 cucumbers + 2 lemon cucumbers- on a whim, I grew these cute lemon cukes. I haven’t found a big difference between these and our regular cukes (we use two varieties of these: our favorite, Marketmore 97 and Olympian). Some say that there is a slight citrusy flavor. Whatever they taste like, I eat them like an apple.
1 bunch Sugarsnax carrots – These foot-long carrots are amazingly sweet, and I’m always thrilled with how long and straight they grow for us. Carrots like a loose soil, which they can stretch their toes down as far as possible. We make sure that our carrot growing areas have been deeply tilled, to have the largest carrots achievable. We’ll have these for the rest of the season. If you get tired of them (as if!) let me know and I’ll give you a week’s break.
2 heads garlic – With the nice, dry weather last week, these dried in 2-3 days. We’ve cut off the stalks, and are in process of trimming the roots, and sorting by size. We have a bin of heads that are too small or otherwise imperfect due to shape or damage of one clove (I speared some when digging). I’ll put these out at pickups for you to help yourself. If you want a larger quantity, I’ll be selling them for $5.00 per pound. They are good for keeping throughout the winter (usually till May or so, depending on your storage) or for planting your own. Let me know if you’re interested.
2 sweet onions
1 pt Sun gold and grape cherry tomatoes – a friend of mine reminded me of what she does with her extra Sun gold tomatoes (as if!): she puts them in the freezer on a cookie sheet, and bags them once frozen. Then, when she makes soups or broths, she throws in a couple and has found that it enhances the flavor of most soups. I thought this was a great idea and have frozen several bags full.
1Qt red potatoes
1 Qt fresh shell beans –We always try to add new vegetables to our annual offerings, and we’ve always been curious about these. You can use them fresh, or let them dry on the vine for dried beans. I picked half of our row to try them both ways. You shell these and use them like lima beans, or any other beans. I’ve been looking and finding soup recipes.
1 bunch cilantro
1 Qt snow peas
1 green Bell pepper – for some reason, our peppers tend to go bad before they turn to their final color (I have red and yellow peppers growing, but they all start out green.) So, to ensure that we have some peppers to enjoy, here are some greens. I recall a farmers’ market customer who purchased a green pepper from me only to find that within a few days’ storage, it turned red. They did not understand that most peppers ripen from green to their final color.
1 bunch oregano
Best guess for next week’s share: Edamame soybeans, swiss chard, parsley, carrots, cabbage, peppers, eggplant. Don’t hold me to it!
I live for tomato season! Every winter as I’m poring through the seed catalogs, I’m dreaming of a day like today. I imagine how lovely it would be to bite into a sun-warmed and –ripened tomato. I interview and discard dozens of tomato varieties. I like to try new varieties, but always select several tried-and-true varieties. Mark’s favorite is Sun gold, so we always grow a bunch of these. I insisted on trying the improved variety, Sun Sugar and think it’s quite similar (Mark is staying loyal to his old favorite). Then I selected a grape tomato, since it seems like the kids will eat these like crazy. However, our greenhouse partners who grow for me, did not do well with my preferred grape variety, and sent me home with theirs. So I don’t know which variety I have and I don’t like it too much: the skin is quite thick, and the sweetness is moderate. But the fruits are large for a grape tomato, and would probably be rated higher for flavor if they weren’t compared to Sun golds.
Then it’s on to the main tomato crop. We always start with an early variety, just to start the season. We’ve been growing First Lady II for several years: it’s not a bad, early tomato; not much exciting about this variety. My two main/mid season favorites I’ve grown for several years: Celebrity and Thessaloniki. Celebrity is a nice tomato, with good taste. Thessaloniki I selected for it’s beauty as well as flavor: it is the most sun-scald tomato I’ve found, and presents beautiful (but on the small size) fruits, almost devoid of that nasty sun-scald that plagues most of our other varieties. Then I always get an heirloom that will be ugly but flavorful. In years past I’ve gotten Red Brandywine, but this year I fell for Caspian Pink. Completely ripe, they are delicious, but very ugly. It takes some creative knifework to get some good tomato to eat. (the mice seem to like them as well, for as many ripe ones I get, I have to throw away an equal amount due to bite marks). We do grow a couple of paste varieties, but they mostly get reserved for our own use. If there are any left after I’ve canned my sauces and salsas, I’ll share them with you.
Our tomato season is short, but delicious. We expect our annual Late Blight infestation in the coming weeks, so enjoy your tomatoes while they last. (Late Blight is a common tomato disease that is transmitted via the wind. It causes the tomatoes to have “leathery” patches and quickly kills the plants. We plant our tomatoes in different spots every year to try to avoid this and other tomato diseases, but it’s practically inevitable.)
Our potato digging party was a big success! Our intrepid diggers accumulated over 10 bushels of the “red gold”! There are only 20 or so feet left to dig of the reds, and 3 rows of whites. Keep your eyes peeled for another potato digging party!
Mark your calendars: Saturday, September 22nd is our annual CSA picnic and bonfire! Plan on arriving at the farm at 4 pm with your potluck dish with a bonfire at 6:30 pm. We hope you and your family will join us for a season wrap-up celebration. I’ll put out a sign-up form next week.
Thanks for your enthusiastic support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 by Gwen Hyde
Gwen’s Favorite Tomato Recipes
To make the following recipes, start with:
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped sweet onion
And then add the following, depending on your preference:
For fresh salsa: add chopped cilantro, hot pepper (optional), a tablespoon or so of lime juice, and salt.
For fresh tomato sauce (toss with hot pasta): add chopped basil, a little chopped fresh garlic, good olive oil, and salt and pepper.
For Bruschetta: add chopped basil, a little chopped fresh garlic, good olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat through (but don’t cook) and finish with balsamic vinegar. Use to top bread that’s been brushed with garlic olive oil (I crush some cloves and soak in olive oil) that I brown under the broiler). Grate parmesan cheese to top.
For cooked sauce: sauté the onion until translucent in a big saucepan, adding crushed garlic near the end. Add chopped tomatoes and cook down for several hours. Season with chopped basil and oregano (I use a 3:1 ration basil to oregano), salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar.
Sesame chicken Salad
I made this for dinner last night, and omitted the chicken. (I found it in a Parenting magazine) It was a crowd-pleaser, including the kids. I would recommend that the peanut butter sauce get heated up a bit, because it was hard to incorporate into the pasta. I would also recommend to grate some of the carrots small, and some big, so that they make their presence know. Let me know what you think.
Salad:
8 oz. long fusilli (I used spaghetti)
1 cup snow peas, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
½ cup shredded carrots
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional)
Dressing:
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice or apple cider vinegar
Cook pasta according to package directions; add snow peas to the boiling water about one minute before pasta is done. Drain. (the instructions say to rinse under cold water, but you can skip this step and serve the pasta hot). Mix the peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a large bowl. (I recommend you warm this a bit to ensure good incorporation into the pasta) Add the pasta and snow peas; mix well. Add chicken and carrots, toss to combine. Top with sesame seeds and scallions.
Nutrition info: (1 cup) 279 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated), 277 mg sodium, 20 mg cholesterol.
Pasta Salad with Summer Beans
12 ounces dried pasta shapes, like fusilli or gemelli
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound assorted long beans, such as yellow wax, green, or haricot vert, ends trimmed
2 pounds assorted shell beans, shelled (types could include cranberry beans, scarlet runner, lima, or edamame)
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced, plus sprigs for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, plus sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and place in large bowl. Wile pasta is still hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss well to coat. Cover bowl and chill in refrigerator.
2. Boil long snap beans in boiling salted water 4 to 6 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse in cold water, then add to pasta in fridge.
3. Boil shelled shell beans in boiling salted water until tender, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the type used. Drain and add to pasta in fridge. Allow bean and pasta mixture to chill completely, at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
4. Whisk the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil with the vinegar and garlic in a bowl. Pour this dressing over the pasta and beans, then add the fresh herbs. Toss to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. When ready to serve, transfer the salad to a serving bowl or individual salad plates and garnish with fresh herb sprigs.
Serves 6.
2007 CSA Week 11
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 11
This week’s share includes:
1 Qt tomatoes – The only good thing about early tomatoes is their presence. They don’t taste great, like main season tomatoes, but after a year of yearning, they are better than nothing! There are a few main seasons ready, as well as our heirloom, Caspian Pink, included in the share. You may see some lighter yellow or green at the top of the tomato. This is basically sunburn, called sunscald. It affects the look of the tomato and the ripeness of that part only. Cut it off, and enjoy the remainder of the tomato.
1 bunch dill – Apologies for giving cucumbers in last week’s share with no dill with which to pair. I’ve remedied the situation today.
1 bunch basil – Not the most attractive basil since our plants are magnets for Japanese Beetles. Each of these bunches is most of a plant, so enjoy liberally in your favorite recipes. Very easy to preserve by Gwen’s Car Herb Drying Technique: lay or tie the herbs on your dashboard in the morning. Park in a sunny place. At the end of the day, you have a wonderful-smelling car, as well as herbs that are ready for storage in a canning jar.
1 Qt green beans
1 head cabbage
2 zucchini – During the heat of zucchini season I often don’t have time to make the zucchini muffins the kids love for breakfast. I remedy this by shredding the zukes and storing measured amounts in bags in the freezer. Then on a cooler day of fall, when I don’t mind warming the house with the oven, I can defrost and bake to my heart’s content.
5 yellow squash – I have a favorable report on last week’s squash strata! 4 cucumbers – Early in the season I get into a daily salad rut. In cuke season, I’m in a cuke/tomato/cheddar/walnut salad rut. I actually miss it if I eat something else for a day. I recommend you try it!
1 bunch baby carrots – Getting tired of fresh carrots? They also freeze nicely for use in soups all through the year. Just blanch for 1 ½ - 2 minutes, cool in water and pack into the fridge.
2 heads garlic – I’ll leave these in their natural state (with the roots and stalk on) so you can dry it yourself, if you wish. Keep the roots and stalk on until everything turns brown and shrivels, and you’ll have a perfectly dried head for storage.
2 sweet onions – these onions are so great, aren’t they? Snow white and perfect on the inside, and a beautiful design as well! I’ve only recently discovered the following secret: they are so big, they are sometimes too big to use at once, but throwing half away is a shame! So, I wrapped the remainder in plastic wrap and put it in a zipper top bag and successfully stored it in the refrigerator. Success in this case means that I didn’t smell up the whole fridge. And the onion stored perfectly for another day’s use.
1 pt cherry tomatoes – We love Sun gold tomatoes, and the red grapes aren’t too bad either.
1 bunch beets – Usually our beets have fabulous greens, but these were grown in the far field and were enjoyed by deer, turkeys and mice. You can still use them (the greens), but sort through them well.
1 patty pan summer squash- This is a first for us, and we grew it in response to CSA feedback from last year. Let me know how you think it compares to our other summer squash offerings.
Best guess for next week’s share: Oregano, tomatoes, green pepper, potatoes, main-season carrots, eggplant . Don’t hold me to it!
This week is a noisy one in our neighborhood, since it’s the first forecasted to be sunny with little to no threat of rain or storms. All of the farmers are taking advantage of the weather, and as the saying goes, “Make hay when the sun shines.” Even our farmer friend is here cutting our hay. Unfortunately, hay’s readiness disregards the weather: our hay was ready about a month ago, and is now brown, and has lost some of its nutrition. However, since we have no plans to purchase the equipment required to make our own hay, we are at the mercy of others. Zack eats a half to a whole bale of hay per day (the greater amount if he’s inside the barn all due to poor weather) and the sheep eat 2-4 bales a day for the six months of the year the grass doesn’t grow much. That’s a lot of hay to have on hand!
To cut hay, you need an extensive and expensive roster of equipment. The hay is cut with a haybine (which makes one cut, and crimps the grass stalks to speed drying) or a sicklebar mower. These are different from your lawn mower in that it makes only a single cut to the grass (to keep it long) instead of the multiple cuts your mower makes. Then, the hay is allowed to dry for a day, and is fluffed with a tedder or just turned with a rake to dry the underside. This is what makes the windrows you may have seen in the field. Then, the hay is baled, either with a square baler or round baler. With a square baler, you have the option to kick it into a hay wagon or drop it on the ground. These days, farmers make what are called, “ladies bales” weighing 40-50 pounds, instead of the larger, 75 pound bales of previous days. (Round bales are huge, and could weigh 2-300 pounds.) The square bales are then unloaded from the hay wagon onto the hay elevator and stacked in the hayloft or haymow. If anyone wants a firsthand experience, Mark and I will be unloading 4-5 hay wagons into the hayloft on Thursday evening. We recommend wearing long pants, gloves and sturdy boots and bringing lots of water to drink. It’s a hot, dirty and heavy job!
Last October we planted 80 pounds of garlic in our far field. To plant garlic, you separate the garlic heads into cloves and push them, stem side down, 3 inches into the soil, approximately 6 inches apart. Our 80 pounds of garlic planted 3 ¾ rows, 500 feet long. To dig the garlic, we use a garden fork (like a pitchfork, but with only 4 reinforced tines) to loosen the soil around the head, and pull it by hand. Then, the garlic is dried with the roots and stalk attached. The last step is to trim the roots and stalk, and peel off the outside paper. Dried properly, garlic should last most of the year. We used last year’s garlic until May or June of this year! You may notice most of the garlic harvest drying on the lawn area north of our parking area. We’re almost all harvested, with about ¾ of a row left to dig. Next project: Potatoes! I’m proposing and inviting a potato digging party for this Friday, from 9-12. Let me know if you’re interested in attending. I definitely need help since my garden worker is out of the country on vacation for 5 weeks!
When I need a break from potato and garlic digging, I have copious work to do in cleaning up the garden. Currently we have 3 rows that have already been harvested. Our plan is to pull out remainders of the crop, and weeds, and pull up the plastic mulch covering the soil. This, and the plastic irrigation drip tape, we discard. The area is finished with a quick rototilling of the soil to kill the weeds and prepare it for cover crops.
Thanks for your continuing support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Pesto Recipe
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. Serve over pasta potatoes, vegetables or chicken. Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months.
Thanks to Leslie for this recipe. It sounds great, and even lists the Weight Watchers points, for those of us who attempt to count points!!
Zucchini Sticks with Honey-Mustard Mayo
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 40 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
These crunchy, crumb-coated sticks taste just as sinful as their fried cousins. Even better, they boast nutrients and fiber, making them a healthy snack to boot!
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into 12 x 1-inch sticks each
3 medium egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Mix well with a fork to combine. Add zucchini sticks and turn to coat. Place egg whites and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Add zucchini to egg whites and turn to coat. Transfer to bread crumbs and turn to coat.
Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Whisk together mayonnaise, honey and mustard. Serve zucchini sticks with honey-mustard mayo on the side. Yields about 6 sticks and 1 tablespoon of dip per serving.
Azalea Grill's Sweet and Sour Cabbage Recipe
Serves/Makes: 4
1 large head of cabbage (Napa or savoy), chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
In a sauté pan over medium heat, bring cabbage and vinegar to a boil. Lower heat and cook, uncovered, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. If cabbage dries out, add a bit more vinegar. Add sugar and continue to sauté to slightly caramelize; add salt, and serve.
Per serving: 57 calories, 2 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, no fat, no cholesterol, 72 milligrams sodium.
This week’s share includes:
1 Qt tomatoes – The only good thing about early tomatoes is their presence. They don’t taste great, like main season tomatoes, but after a year of yearning, they are better than nothing! There are a few main seasons ready, as well as our heirloom, Caspian Pink, included in the share. You may see some lighter yellow or green at the top of the tomato. This is basically sunburn, called sunscald. It affects the look of the tomato and the ripeness of that part only. Cut it off, and enjoy the remainder of the tomato.
1 bunch dill – Apologies for giving cucumbers in last week’s share with no dill with which to pair. I’ve remedied the situation today.
1 bunch basil – Not the most attractive basil since our plants are magnets for Japanese Beetles. Each of these bunches is most of a plant, so enjoy liberally in your favorite recipes. Very easy to preserve by Gwen’s Car Herb Drying Technique: lay or tie the herbs on your dashboard in the morning. Park in a sunny place. At the end of the day, you have a wonderful-smelling car, as well as herbs that are ready for storage in a canning jar.
1 Qt green beans
1 head cabbage
2 zucchini – During the heat of zucchini season I often don’t have time to make the zucchini muffins the kids love for breakfast. I remedy this by shredding the zukes and storing measured amounts in bags in the freezer. Then on a cooler day of fall, when I don’t mind warming the house with the oven, I can defrost and bake to my heart’s content.
5 yellow squash – I have a favorable report on last week’s squash strata! 4 cucumbers – Early in the season I get into a daily salad rut. In cuke season, I’m in a cuke/tomato/cheddar/walnut salad rut. I actually miss it if I eat something else for a day. I recommend you try it!
1 bunch baby carrots – Getting tired of fresh carrots? They also freeze nicely for use in soups all through the year. Just blanch for 1 ½ - 2 minutes, cool in water and pack into the fridge.
2 heads garlic – I’ll leave these in their natural state (with the roots and stalk on) so you can dry it yourself, if you wish. Keep the roots and stalk on until everything turns brown and shrivels, and you’ll have a perfectly dried head for storage.
2 sweet onions – these onions are so great, aren’t they? Snow white and perfect on the inside, and a beautiful design as well! I’ve only recently discovered the following secret: they are so big, they are sometimes too big to use at once, but throwing half away is a shame! So, I wrapped the remainder in plastic wrap and put it in a zipper top bag and successfully stored it in the refrigerator. Success in this case means that I didn’t smell up the whole fridge. And the onion stored perfectly for another day’s use.
1 pt cherry tomatoes – We love Sun gold tomatoes, and the red grapes aren’t too bad either.
1 bunch beets – Usually our beets have fabulous greens, but these were grown in the far field and were enjoyed by deer, turkeys and mice. You can still use them (the greens), but sort through them well.
1 patty pan summer squash- This is a first for us, and we grew it in response to CSA feedback from last year. Let me know how you think it compares to our other summer squash offerings.
Best guess for next week’s share: Oregano, tomatoes, green pepper, potatoes, main-season carrots, eggplant . Don’t hold me to it!
This week is a noisy one in our neighborhood, since it’s the first forecasted to be sunny with little to no threat of rain or storms. All of the farmers are taking advantage of the weather, and as the saying goes, “Make hay when the sun shines.” Even our farmer friend is here cutting our hay. Unfortunately, hay’s readiness disregards the weather: our hay was ready about a month ago, and is now brown, and has lost some of its nutrition. However, since we have no plans to purchase the equipment required to make our own hay, we are at the mercy of others. Zack eats a half to a whole bale of hay per day (the greater amount if he’s inside the barn all due to poor weather) and the sheep eat 2-4 bales a day for the six months of the year the grass doesn’t grow much. That’s a lot of hay to have on hand!
To cut hay, you need an extensive and expensive roster of equipment. The hay is cut with a haybine (which makes one cut, and crimps the grass stalks to speed drying) or a sicklebar mower. These are different from your lawn mower in that it makes only a single cut to the grass (to keep it long) instead of the multiple cuts your mower makes. Then, the hay is allowed to dry for a day, and is fluffed with a tedder or just turned with a rake to dry the underside. This is what makes the windrows you may have seen in the field. Then, the hay is baled, either with a square baler or round baler. With a square baler, you have the option to kick it into a hay wagon or drop it on the ground. These days, farmers make what are called, “ladies bales” weighing 40-50 pounds, instead of the larger, 75 pound bales of previous days. (Round bales are huge, and could weigh 2-300 pounds.) The square bales are then unloaded from the hay wagon onto the hay elevator and stacked in the hayloft or haymow. If anyone wants a firsthand experience, Mark and I will be unloading 4-5 hay wagons into the hayloft on Thursday evening. We recommend wearing long pants, gloves and sturdy boots and bringing lots of water to drink. It’s a hot, dirty and heavy job!
Last October we planted 80 pounds of garlic in our far field. To plant garlic, you separate the garlic heads into cloves and push them, stem side down, 3 inches into the soil, approximately 6 inches apart. Our 80 pounds of garlic planted 3 ¾ rows, 500 feet long. To dig the garlic, we use a garden fork (like a pitchfork, but with only 4 reinforced tines) to loosen the soil around the head, and pull it by hand. Then, the garlic is dried with the roots and stalk attached. The last step is to trim the roots and stalk, and peel off the outside paper. Dried properly, garlic should last most of the year. We used last year’s garlic until May or June of this year! You may notice most of the garlic harvest drying on the lawn area north of our parking area. We’re almost all harvested, with about ¾ of a row left to dig. Next project: Potatoes! I’m proposing and inviting a potato digging party for this Friday, from 9-12. Let me know if you’re interested in attending. I definitely need help since my garden worker is out of the country on vacation for 5 weeks!
When I need a break from potato and garlic digging, I have copious work to do in cleaning up the garden. Currently we have 3 rows that have already been harvested. Our plan is to pull out remainders of the crop, and weeds, and pull up the plastic mulch covering the soil. This, and the plastic irrigation drip tape, we discard. The area is finished with a quick rototilling of the soil to kill the weeds and prepare it for cover crops.
Thanks for your continuing support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason
© 2007 Gwen Hyde
Pesto Recipe
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.Process basil pesto it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. Serve over pasta potatoes, vegetables or chicken. Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months.
Thanks to Leslie for this recipe. It sounds great, and even lists the Weight Watchers points, for those of us who attempt to count points!!
Zucchini Sticks with Honey-Mustard Mayo
POINTS® Value: 2
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 40 min
Level of Difficulty: Moderate
These crunchy, crumb-coated sticks taste just as sinful as their fried cousins. Even better, they boast nutrients and fiber, making them a healthy snack to boot!
Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, cut into 12 x 1-inch sticks each
3 medium egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Mix well with a fork to combine. Add zucchini sticks and turn to coat. Place egg whites and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes. Add zucchini to egg whites and turn to coat. Transfer to bread crumbs and turn to coat.
Place coated zucchini on prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake 40 minutes, until golden brown.
Whisk together mayonnaise, honey and mustard. Serve zucchini sticks with honey-mustard mayo on the side. Yields about 6 sticks and 1 tablespoon of dip per serving.
Azalea Grill's Sweet and Sour Cabbage Recipe
Serves/Makes: 4
1 large head of cabbage (Napa or savoy), chopped in 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
In a sauté pan over medium heat, bring cabbage and vinegar to a boil. Lower heat and cook, uncovered, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. If cabbage dries out, add a bit more vinegar. Add sugar and continue to sauté to slightly caramelize; add salt, and serve.
Per serving: 57 calories, 2 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, no fat, no cholesterol, 72 milligrams sodium.
2007 CSA Week 10
News from Windy Willow Farm: 2007 Week 10
This week’s share includes:
½ pt red raspberries – The raspberries just won’t quit producing, although for every one berry I put in a box, I have to throw down 2 or 3, from insect damage or mold. I’ve frozen lots of them for mid-winter jam production – a feat I’ve never attempted before. Does anyone have any words (or recipes) of advice?
1 Qt yellow beans
1 Qt green beans
1 head cabbage
4 zucchini
5 yellow squash
2 Eggplant: 1 Asian (skinny), 1 purple Italian
1 Qt red potatoes – I can’t get enough of these awesome potatoes! The vines on this variety have begun to die back, so I’ll give them a week to cure and dig the rest of them. The white potatoes are still going strong, so we’ll wait a bit to harvest them. If anyone wants to join in a potato digging party, let me know. Last year’s party was great, we treated the digging like a treasure hunt, finding the red gems in the cool dirt. And everyone goes home with potatoes they dug themselves! They always taste better when you dig them yourself.
4 cucumbers – I recently read that the best way to judge a fresh cuke at the market was the presence of the spines. This made me laugh, because I regularly rub off the spines after picking, on its way to the picking bin. This ensures that the cukes don’t damage eachother, and more importantly, me, upon handling. The best way to judge a fresh cuke is it’s firmness, and (of course) knowing the farmer who grew and picked it.
1 bunch baby carrots – Thanks to all of you who have cut off your carrot greens! Zack, my horse, is loving his Wednesday night treat of greens. Our main season carrots are almost ready for your enjoyment. Don’t forget, carrots also freeze nicely and make a nice cool weather addition to your cooking. Just scrub, slice and blanch for 1 ½ minutes.
1 bunch Swiss Chard – Maybe the most gorgeous chard I’ve grown, these “bouquets” of chard are awesome. Each contain about 20 stems, or whatever I can just about hold in my hand and still get the band on them. Blot them dry with a towel and store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
1 head garlic – I’m jumping the gun a bit with these, but I can’t resist. The papers on the cloves are still a little thick, just peel them like usual.
1 sweet onion – These sweet white onions are of the Spanish type and are called Alisa Craig Exhibition. They grow especially well here, often reaching sizes akin to a softball. They’re not great keepers, so use this one within a month or so. Once they are cured and stored properly, they can last as long as 3 months. Use the green parts, too!
½ pt cherry tomatoes – A few Sun gold tomatoes to sweeten your salads, and a few red grapes thrown in. The orange ones are a combination of Sun gold and the new “improved” version: Sun Sugar. According to Mark, the new ones are not as good as the original, but my jury is still out. As usual, the downfall of these sweeties is that the moment they are ripe, they tend to split. Splitting does not affect the taste or nutrition, only the attractiveness. Because of this, I often pick them a little under ripe, so that you have a bit more time to enjoy them. Not that many will make it through the ride home, but you can hope! I’m hoping these will come on strongly for next week’s harvest.
Best guess for next week’s share: Beans, onions, garlic, basil, beets, tomatoes. Don’t hold me to it!
Week 10 is the midpoint of our 20 week CSA season! It truly seems like we’ve just begun. We hope that you and your family are enjoying the fruits (and vegetables!) of our harvest. If you have any feedback, such as “Please grow/give us more of this… or less of this!” or “I tried a great new recipe, and here it is!” or “I tried a new vegetable, please consider putting it on your crop list for next year!” we’d love to hear it. I’ll do a formal survey around week 18, but I’d love to hear how we’re doing and how you’re doing with the quantity/quality/variety of produce you receive every week.
This week’s favorite garden tool of destruction is my new lawn mower! The new one replaced the lawnmower we were given (already 5-6 years old) when we bought our first house 11 years ago. That would make it 16 or 17 years old, but, until recently, it started on the first or second pull. I used the new mower to “renovate” our strawberry patch. Mowing removes most of the greens and gives the roots a chance to rest. My new mower blazed through the patch like a hot knife through butter! It has a power assist, so with the slightest touch, it was enthusiastically eating up the strawberry patch. I did ask myself why I waited so long to purchase a new mower, especially given the price paid for the first! Next step for the strawberries is to thin the rows with the rototiller, so there’s less competition and more light to the berries.
Last week’s two inches of rain was a welcome sight on the farm! It relieved us of a week of irrigation, and helped the non-irrigated crops take off. The sweet corn grew several inches (the late planting, that is; the early planting tasseled at about two feet high, and did not produce any edible ears of corn). The pigs loved the rain, too, running around their pen like crazy. On hot days like today, we go out and make a pond for them to wallow in. They love to get sprayed in their mouths with the hose, and immediately lay down in the muddy water.
Last week we started our annual trek to most of the area’s county fairs. The Saratoga fair is one of my favorites, since we always watch the 6-horse draft horse hitch competition. Those giants make my horse seem like a pony. At the fairs, we always tour all of the animal barns and chat up any colleagues or neighbors we find. Someday maybe Sarah and Jason will show animals at the fair! I’m frequently tempted to enter in some of my veggies to our local fair, but Mark always reminds me that it’s for amateurs, not commercial growers like me. My Swiss Chard bouquets would win the blue ribbon!
Have a great week, and thanks for your loyal support,
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason (and Zack!)
© Gwen Hyde 2007
Summer Squash Strata
4 slices cracked wheat bread
2 cups sliced summer squash or zucchini
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
cayenne pepper
1. Butter a 9-inch baking dish. Line the dish with the bread.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the squash to the boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Drain, plunge the squash into cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again. Pat dry.
3. Combine the squash, cheese, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix. Layer the squash mixture on top of the bread.
4. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the milk, eggs, onion, salt, dry mustard, and cayenne to taste. Pour over the casserole.
5. Refrigerate the strata for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 350F.
7. Bake the strata for 40 to 50 minutes, until it is puffed, set, and browned.
8. Let the strata sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4.
Grannie’s French Swiss Chard
1 bunch Swiss chard
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup raisins or golden raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1. Remove the chard stems and the thick central vein from each leaf. Chop the leaves very coarsely.
2. Using a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium high heat, melt the butter with the oil until sizzling. Add the chard and the rosemary, stirring well to coat the chard with the butter mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute until the chard has wilted to about half its original volume.
3. Add raisins and pine nuts, stirring to combine evenly, and continue cooking until any moisture has evaporated. The entire cooking process should take no more than about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Cucumber Salad Trio
3 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
Salad 1
1. Put the cucumbers and onion in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Allow to stand 1 hour, then drain off liquid.
2. In a saucepan, place:
1/3 cup organic sugar1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour this dressing over the drained cucumbers and onions, cover, and chill in fridge several hours, oor overnight. This salad will keep for several days.
Salad 2
1. In a bowl, mix:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1/2 teaspoon seasalt1 tablespoon organic sugar
2. Add to cucumbers and onions and toss to mix.
Salad 3
1. Place cucumbers and onions in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Allow to stand for 1 hour, then drain off liquid.
Add to the cucumbers and onions:
3/4 cup plain yogurt1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or dill weed
Each version serves 4.
This week’s share includes:
½ pt red raspberries – The raspberries just won’t quit producing, although for every one berry I put in a box, I have to throw down 2 or 3, from insect damage or mold. I’ve frozen lots of them for mid-winter jam production – a feat I’ve never attempted before. Does anyone have any words (or recipes) of advice?
1 Qt yellow beans
1 Qt green beans
1 head cabbage
4 zucchini
5 yellow squash
2 Eggplant: 1 Asian (skinny), 1 purple Italian
1 Qt red potatoes – I can’t get enough of these awesome potatoes! The vines on this variety have begun to die back, so I’ll give them a week to cure and dig the rest of them. The white potatoes are still going strong, so we’ll wait a bit to harvest them. If anyone wants to join in a potato digging party, let me know. Last year’s party was great, we treated the digging like a treasure hunt, finding the red gems in the cool dirt. And everyone goes home with potatoes they dug themselves! They always taste better when you dig them yourself.
4 cucumbers – I recently read that the best way to judge a fresh cuke at the market was the presence of the spines. This made me laugh, because I regularly rub off the spines after picking, on its way to the picking bin. This ensures that the cukes don’t damage eachother, and more importantly, me, upon handling. The best way to judge a fresh cuke is it’s firmness, and (of course) knowing the farmer who grew and picked it.
1 bunch baby carrots – Thanks to all of you who have cut off your carrot greens! Zack, my horse, is loving his Wednesday night treat of greens. Our main season carrots are almost ready for your enjoyment. Don’t forget, carrots also freeze nicely and make a nice cool weather addition to your cooking. Just scrub, slice and blanch for 1 ½ minutes.
1 bunch Swiss Chard – Maybe the most gorgeous chard I’ve grown, these “bouquets” of chard are awesome. Each contain about 20 stems, or whatever I can just about hold in my hand and still get the band on them. Blot them dry with a towel and store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
1 head garlic – I’m jumping the gun a bit with these, but I can’t resist. The papers on the cloves are still a little thick, just peel them like usual.
1 sweet onion – These sweet white onions are of the Spanish type and are called Alisa Craig Exhibition. They grow especially well here, often reaching sizes akin to a softball. They’re not great keepers, so use this one within a month or so. Once they are cured and stored properly, they can last as long as 3 months. Use the green parts, too!
½ pt cherry tomatoes – A few Sun gold tomatoes to sweeten your salads, and a few red grapes thrown in. The orange ones are a combination of Sun gold and the new “improved” version: Sun Sugar. According to Mark, the new ones are not as good as the original, but my jury is still out. As usual, the downfall of these sweeties is that the moment they are ripe, they tend to split. Splitting does not affect the taste or nutrition, only the attractiveness. Because of this, I often pick them a little under ripe, so that you have a bit more time to enjoy them. Not that many will make it through the ride home, but you can hope! I’m hoping these will come on strongly for next week’s harvest.
Best guess for next week’s share: Beans, onions, garlic, basil, beets, tomatoes. Don’t hold me to it!
Week 10 is the midpoint of our 20 week CSA season! It truly seems like we’ve just begun. We hope that you and your family are enjoying the fruits (and vegetables!) of our harvest. If you have any feedback, such as “Please grow/give us more of this… or less of this!” or “I tried a great new recipe, and here it is!” or “I tried a new vegetable, please consider putting it on your crop list for next year!” we’d love to hear it. I’ll do a formal survey around week 18, but I’d love to hear how we’re doing and how you’re doing with the quantity/quality/variety of produce you receive every week.
This week’s favorite garden tool of destruction is my new lawn mower! The new one replaced the lawnmower we were given (already 5-6 years old) when we bought our first house 11 years ago. That would make it 16 or 17 years old, but, until recently, it started on the first or second pull. I used the new mower to “renovate” our strawberry patch. Mowing removes most of the greens and gives the roots a chance to rest. My new mower blazed through the patch like a hot knife through butter! It has a power assist, so with the slightest touch, it was enthusiastically eating up the strawberry patch. I did ask myself why I waited so long to purchase a new mower, especially given the price paid for the first! Next step for the strawberries is to thin the rows with the rototiller, so there’s less competition and more light to the berries.
Last week’s two inches of rain was a welcome sight on the farm! It relieved us of a week of irrigation, and helped the non-irrigated crops take off. The sweet corn grew several inches (the late planting, that is; the early planting tasseled at about two feet high, and did not produce any edible ears of corn). The pigs loved the rain, too, running around their pen like crazy. On hot days like today, we go out and make a pond for them to wallow in. They love to get sprayed in their mouths with the hose, and immediately lay down in the muddy water.
Last week we started our annual trek to most of the area’s county fairs. The Saratoga fair is one of my favorites, since we always watch the 6-horse draft horse hitch competition. Those giants make my horse seem like a pony. At the fairs, we always tour all of the animal barns and chat up any colleagues or neighbors we find. Someday maybe Sarah and Jason will show animals at the fair! I’m frequently tempted to enter in some of my veggies to our local fair, but Mark always reminds me that it’s for amateurs, not commercial growers like me. My Swiss Chard bouquets would win the blue ribbon!
Have a great week, and thanks for your loyal support,
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason (and Zack!)
© Gwen Hyde 2007
Summer Squash Strata
4 slices cracked wheat bread
2 cups sliced summer squash or zucchini
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
cayenne pepper
1. Butter a 9-inch baking dish. Line the dish with the bread.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the squash to the boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Drain, plunge the squash into cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again. Pat dry.
3. Combine the squash, cheese, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix. Layer the squash mixture on top of the bread.
4. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat together the milk, eggs, onion, salt, dry mustard, and cayenne to taste. Pour over the casserole.
5. Refrigerate the strata for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 350F.
7. Bake the strata for 40 to 50 minutes, until it is puffed, set, and browned.
8. Let the strata sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serves 4.
Grannie’s French Swiss Chard
1 bunch Swiss chard
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup raisins or golden raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1. Remove the chard stems and the thick central vein from each leaf. Chop the leaves very coarsely.
2. Using a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium high heat, melt the butter with the oil until sizzling. Add the chard and the rosemary, stirring well to coat the chard with the butter mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute until the chard has wilted to about half its original volume.
3. Add raisins and pine nuts, stirring to combine evenly, and continue cooking until any moisture has evaporated. The entire cooking process should take no more than about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Cucumber Salad Trio
3 cups thinly sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
Salad 1
1. Put the cucumbers and onion in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Allow to stand 1 hour, then drain off liquid.
2. In a saucepan, place:
1/3 cup organic sugar1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour this dressing over the drained cucumbers and onions, cover, and chill in fridge several hours, oor overnight. This salad will keep for several days.
Salad 2
1. In a bowl, mix:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1/2 teaspoon seasalt1 tablespoon organic sugar
2. Add to cucumbers and onions and toss to mix.
Salad 3
1. Place cucumbers and onions in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Allow to stand for 1 hour, then drain off liquid.
Add to the cucumbers and onions:
3/4 cup plain yogurt1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or dill weed
Each version serves 4.
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