News from Windy Willow Farm
2008 Week 6
This week’s share includes:
1 bag spinach – Our spring planted spinach keeps coming on! We love the healthful qualities of this green, as well as its versatility: you can eat it fresh, add it to cooked recipes, or freeze it for winter’s use (blanch till wilted, approx. 10 seconds, plunge into cold water, pat dry and pack in bags).
1 head Tropicana lettuce
1 head buttercrunch lettuce – These heads just get more beautiful as they grow. I especially like the tender center leaves that blanch yellow.
1 head red buttercrunch lettuce
20 garlic scapes
1 bunch broccoli raab – More akin to a turnip green than a broccoli, broccoli raab (also known as “rapini”) is harvested when the plant is setting seed. This accounts for the bitterness in the flavor. As one customer told me, “it’s supposed to be bitter, that’s how I like it!” I sautéed it with chopped garlic scapes and tossed it with whole-wheat fettuccini. It’s a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium.
1 Qt snow peas – This is the flat, edible-podded variety that is excellent in stir fries or crunchy in salads.
1 Qt sweet shelling peas – This is a special treat for CSA. We haven’t given shell peas in a share for years, usually do to poor pea germination. This past April, I went crazy with my seeder, and put in about 6 rows of shell peas, determined to have a good crop! I started picking yesterday, and kept finding rows of ripe peas! So sit down and shell these babies, and enjoy their sweet flavor.
1 bunch broccoli – These heads are smaller than we’d like. They are a variety that my greenhouse person substituted for my favorite variety, “Gypsy.” I’m planting more seed for fall broccoli, so hopefully we can enjoy broccoli over the entire season.
1 head bok choy – these baby Asian greens are just coming into their season now. (You can tell that the flea beetles also liked them.) Use both the stems and greens in your cooking, putting the stems in the pan earlier than the greens. They are fabulous in stir fries, with garlic scapes, soy sauce and ginger. And snow peas! And broccoli!
1 bunch lemon thyme – A lovely fragrant herb, it can be used in any recipe calling for lemon juice, lemon zest or lemon flavoring. Or dry and enjoy its scent in your kitchen.
Best guess for next week – Cilantro, kale, Chinese cabbage, beets, Romaine lettuce
Photo caption: A beautiful head of red buttercrunch in the field.
Some call it therapy, some call it stress management, some call it immediate gratification. Whatever you call it, you are cordially invited to WWF this Saturday for a weeding party!! There is a certain gratification of attacking a row of weeds, and rescuing plants from weed pressure. The results are right there, in a beautifully weeded row. If you are interested in reaching out and lending a hand, there is no prior experience necessary, we do all the training you need. You’ll be glad you did. We’ll start at 8 and and finish around noon. Pack your lunch (and a hat, gloves, sunscreen and water) and enjoy it under the locust trees.
Speaking of strawberries, we won’t be having any to offer you this year. Our former patch did not survive the winter, and the recently planted patch will be in full operation for next year’s season. As growing seasons go, sometimes crops do well, and sometimes they do not.
We have been fortunate not to have the heavy rains that the Midwest is experiencing. We’ve heard of an organic CSA in Wisconsin that had a total crop loss, and their members helped to purchase new seed for the season. We are lucky to be located on a plateau, and rarely get hit by the storms. We watch the storms come in from the west then move north or south of us. Often we’re hoping for some rainstorms to visit, with the hail and winds left behind, thankyouverymuch. It’s amazing how much better our crops do with watering from rain, as opposed to irrigation. But then the weeds get watered as well!
Please be extra careful that you are only taking the allotted amount from each bin during pickup, so that our later-arriving members can have a full share.
Thanks for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason Hyde
© 2008 Gwen Hyde
BROCCOLI RAAB PASTA
1 lg. onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch broccoli raab
olive oil
romano cheese
red pepper flakes
salt
1/2 lb. penne
red wine vinegar
Put on a large pot of water to boil. In a skillet, coated with olive oil, heat the onion over high heat. When onion is browning in spots, add the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss briefly, then add the raab and a splash of water. Lower the heat and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Meanwhile cook pasta. Taste the raab and adjust the seasonings. Add a generous amount of olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Toss with the drained pasta and top with romano cheese.
Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters
SWEET AND SOUR BOK CHOY
Printed from COOKS.COM
3 tbsp. salad oil1 head bok choy, washed, trimmed, & cut into 1" pieces1/4 c. packed brown sugar1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root1 tbsp. cornstarch1 sliced sweet onion1 tbsp. soy sauce1/4 c. red wine vinegar
Heat oil in large skillet, add bok choy and onion. Cook and stir over high heat 1 minute. Blend sugar, vinegar and ginger; add to skillet. Mix well. Cover and steam 1 minute. Combine soy sauce and cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
SESAME SNOW PEAS IN APRICOT SAUCE
Printed from COOKS.COM
2 tsp olive oil3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced1 tbsp sesame seeds1/3 cup sliced, dried apricots1/2 cup apricot preserve1 tbsp bragg’s soy sauce1 tbsp dijon mustard (or regular)1/2 lb (250g) snow peas, trim endstofu (1 medium package), or 1 lb chicken1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add oil. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add chicken if that is what you want, and cook until no longer pink. Or add cubed tofu and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the sesame seeds and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the apricots, water, apricot preserve, soy sauce, mustard and ginger. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add snow peas and simmer until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Can be served with rice.
2008 Week 6
This week’s share includes:
1 bag spinach – Our spring planted spinach keeps coming on! We love the healthful qualities of this green, as well as its versatility: you can eat it fresh, add it to cooked recipes, or freeze it for winter’s use (blanch till wilted, approx. 10 seconds, plunge into cold water, pat dry and pack in bags).
1 head Tropicana lettuce
1 head buttercrunch lettuce – These heads just get more beautiful as they grow. I especially like the tender center leaves that blanch yellow.
1 head red buttercrunch lettuce
20 garlic scapes
1 bunch broccoli raab – More akin to a turnip green than a broccoli, broccoli raab (also known as “rapini”) is harvested when the plant is setting seed. This accounts for the bitterness in the flavor. As one customer told me, “it’s supposed to be bitter, that’s how I like it!” I sautéed it with chopped garlic scapes and tossed it with whole-wheat fettuccini. It’s a great source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium.
1 Qt snow peas – This is the flat, edible-podded variety that is excellent in stir fries or crunchy in salads.
1 Qt sweet shelling peas – This is a special treat for CSA. We haven’t given shell peas in a share for years, usually do to poor pea germination. This past April, I went crazy with my seeder, and put in about 6 rows of shell peas, determined to have a good crop! I started picking yesterday, and kept finding rows of ripe peas! So sit down and shell these babies, and enjoy their sweet flavor.
1 bunch broccoli – These heads are smaller than we’d like. They are a variety that my greenhouse person substituted for my favorite variety, “Gypsy.” I’m planting more seed for fall broccoli, so hopefully we can enjoy broccoli over the entire season.
1 head bok choy – these baby Asian greens are just coming into their season now. (You can tell that the flea beetles also liked them.) Use both the stems and greens in your cooking, putting the stems in the pan earlier than the greens. They are fabulous in stir fries, with garlic scapes, soy sauce and ginger. And snow peas! And broccoli!
1 bunch lemon thyme – A lovely fragrant herb, it can be used in any recipe calling for lemon juice, lemon zest or lemon flavoring. Or dry and enjoy its scent in your kitchen.
Best guess for next week – Cilantro, kale, Chinese cabbage, beets, Romaine lettuce
Photo caption: A beautiful head of red buttercrunch in the field.
Some call it therapy, some call it stress management, some call it immediate gratification. Whatever you call it, you are cordially invited to WWF this Saturday for a weeding party!! There is a certain gratification of attacking a row of weeds, and rescuing plants from weed pressure. The results are right there, in a beautifully weeded row. If you are interested in reaching out and lending a hand, there is no prior experience necessary, we do all the training you need. You’ll be glad you did. We’ll start at 8 and and finish around noon. Pack your lunch (and a hat, gloves, sunscreen and water) and enjoy it under the locust trees.
Speaking of strawberries, we won’t be having any to offer you this year. Our former patch did not survive the winter, and the recently planted patch will be in full operation for next year’s season. As growing seasons go, sometimes crops do well, and sometimes they do not.
We have been fortunate not to have the heavy rains that the Midwest is experiencing. We’ve heard of an organic CSA in Wisconsin that had a total crop loss, and their members helped to purchase new seed for the season. We are lucky to be located on a plateau, and rarely get hit by the storms. We watch the storms come in from the west then move north or south of us. Often we’re hoping for some rainstorms to visit, with the hail and winds left behind, thankyouverymuch. It’s amazing how much better our crops do with watering from rain, as opposed to irrigation. But then the weeds get watered as well!
Please be extra careful that you are only taking the allotted amount from each bin during pickup, so that our later-arriving members can have a full share.
Thanks for your support!
Gwen, Mark, Sarah and Jason Hyde
© 2008 Gwen Hyde
BROCCOLI RAAB PASTA
1 lg. onion, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch broccoli raab
olive oil
romano cheese
red pepper flakes
salt
1/2 lb. penne
red wine vinegar
Put on a large pot of water to boil. In a skillet, coated with olive oil, heat the onion over high heat. When onion is browning in spots, add the garlic, red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Toss briefly, then add the raab and a splash of water. Lower the heat and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Meanwhile cook pasta. Taste the raab and adjust the seasonings. Add a generous amount of olive oil and a splash of vinegar. Toss with the drained pasta and top with romano cheese.
Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters
SWEET AND SOUR BOK CHOY
Printed from COOKS.COM
3 tbsp. salad oil1 head bok choy, washed, trimmed, & cut into 1" pieces1/4 c. packed brown sugar1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root1 tbsp. cornstarch1 sliced sweet onion1 tbsp. soy sauce1/4 c. red wine vinegar
Heat oil in large skillet, add bok choy and onion. Cook and stir over high heat 1 minute. Blend sugar, vinegar and ginger; add to skillet. Mix well. Cover and steam 1 minute. Combine soy sauce and cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Add to skillet. Cook and stir until thickened. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
SESAME SNOW PEAS IN APRICOT SAUCE
Printed from COOKS.COM
2 tsp olive oil3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced1 tbsp sesame seeds1/3 cup sliced, dried apricots1/2 cup apricot preserve1 tbsp bragg’s soy sauce1 tbsp dijon mustard (or regular)1/2 lb (250g) snow peas, trim endstofu (1 medium package), or 1 lb chicken1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add oil. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add chicken if that is what you want, and cook until no longer pink. Or add cubed tofu and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the sesame seeds and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the apricots, water, apricot preserve, soy sauce, mustard and ginger. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add snow peas and simmer until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Can be served with rice.
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