Large shares: broccoli, red carrots, red onions, lemon cucumbers, slicing cucumber, costata romanesco squash, green beans, heirloom tomato, red tomato or cherry tomatoes, red fingerling potatoes, sweet corn, cilantro, garlic
Small shares: broccoli, cauliflower, red carrots, red onion, slicing cucumber, sungold cherry tomatoes, yellow finn potatoes, lacinato kale, cilantro
Greens share: lettuce, chard, red russian kale
Roots share: beets, carrot seconds, shallots, garlic
Juicing share: chard, lacinato kale, fennel, cucumbers, cilantro, romaine lettuce
Dear CSA members,
Hope you are having a great Tuesday. It’s hard to believe but with this week we are half way through the CSA season! We are really at the peak of summer crops and their availability. I am really impressed with the variety and abundance of crops we have for this share. I wasn’t sure that we would have enough sungold cherry tomatoes or heirlooms for you all this week but the plants seem to be finally kicking into gear. I got a hundred and forty pounds or so of seconds that we sent out to those of you who have ordered. I am filling the orders in the order they were received. There will definitely be more next week so we will keep picking away at our backlog of orders.
Out in the field are busy bringing all the onions and shallots from the field to cure in our big barn, keeping up with irrigation which is no small task with the high temperature and drought we are experiencing, and harvesting non stop! I am seeing signs of ripening melons and sweet peppers too.
All of us are feeling the effects of the intense wildfire smoke as most of us are outside 10 to 12 hours a day working hard and breathing it in. I have never experienced anything like the smoke this year. I truly hope we will get some relief soon – as I am sure you are feeling as well.
New crops this week:
Red carrots: Orange carrots are actually a relatively new breeding development in the history of the cultivation of carrots. Orange carrots were apparently developed in Holland in the 17th century, while carrots in general have been cultivated since around 900 and probably originated in the Middle East. Originally carrots were probably yellow, purple and red like these carrots. Red carrots are higher in vitamins and lycopene than orange carrots, are slightly less sweet and have stronger flavor than what we know as regular carrots. They are excellent roasted and cooked into stews as they are more robust and hold up very well to cooking.
Sweet corn: Sweet corn is best eaten asap! You can store it in the fridge but the flavor will diminish over time. This crop is looking really good and tastes amazing too.
Red fingerling potato: This variety is called Amarosa. They are small in size and oblong and slender in shape. The thin skin is smooth with a deep red to burgundy coloring with some brown spots and patches. The flesh is firm, dense, and marbled with light pink and red. When cooked they have a velvety texture and a sweet creamy flavor.
Have a great week,
Asha
Spectacular fingerling potatoes: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place 1 lb red fingerlings in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and cook 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer the potatoes to a greased baking pan. Combine 3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, 3 tbsp minced fresh parsley, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary, 1 tbsp melted butter, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/ tsp salt. Drizzle over the potatoes and toss to coat. Bake, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring once.
Fried Squash Blossoms with Corn and Mozzarella: mix ¼ lb fresh mozzarella cut into ¼ inch dice, kernels from 1 ear fresh corn, 1 tbsp minced red onion, 1 tsp minced fresh garlic and ¼ tsp each sea salt and pepper. Gently stuff 18 zucchini or butternut squash blossoms with about 1 ½ tsp of the filling and twist ends of the petals closed. Pour canola oil into a medium, heavy pot or saucepan about 3 in deep. Heat over med-high heat until a deep fry thermometer registers 360 to 375. Put a ½ cup each buttermilk and rice flour in separate containers (loaf pans work well). One at a time dip each stuffed blossom into buttermild and let excess drip off. Dip in flour, coating lightly but evenly. Shake off excess flour and fry blossoms in small batches until golden brown, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Gently submerge blossoms with a slotted spoon to cook tops. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt, sprinkle with chives, parsley or basil and serve with lemon wedges if you like. ( From Sunset August 2013)
Corn Chowder with Wild Rice: remove the kernels from 4 ears fresh sweet corn, reserve. In a stock pot over medium heat, combine the halved cobs of the corn and 7 cups of water, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove cobs with tongs and discard; reserve stock. In a stockpot over medium heat, cook 6 slices diced thick cut bacon, stirring often, until cooked through but not crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Add 1 peeled and diced large carrot, 1 large red onion, diced. And 3 tbsp butter. Season with ½ tsp salt and cook until carrot and onion soften, about 15 minutes. Add 4 minced cloves of garlic and 2 tsp fresh minced rosemary, and cook for 1 minute. Add corn kernels, 5 cups of reserved corn stock, ¼ tsp pepper, and 1 tsp salt and bring to a simmer. Transfer half a cup of soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Using a fine mesh sieve, transfer pureed soup back into stock pot. Stir in 3 cups cooked wild rice and reserved bacon into soup. Serve immediately.
Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup
serves 4
4 lbs Heirloom Tomatoes or Roma Tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 c olive oil
salt
1 sprig rosemary
6 tbsp heavy cream
- Black Pepper, coarsely ground
- sliced of rustic bread toasted with olive oil for serving
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Lay the tomatoes cut-side up. Add the garlic cloves (with skins on). Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until the tomatoes are soft and caramelized, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool. Add the ¼ cup olive oil, the rosemary and thyme to a small saucepan and place over low heat. Let warm until you begin smelling the herbs, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Peel the tomatoes and add the pulp and juices to a soup pan. Squeeze the garlic from its skin and add it to the pan. Place the pan over medium heat, and begin mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher until it’s pulpy, but not chunky (if you prefer to use a food processor, go ahead – just make sure you leave it pulpy). When the mixture is hot but not boiling, stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt. Add a pinch of sugar, if needed. Ladle into bowls and season with pepper. Sprinkle a little herb oil on top of the soup. Pass the toasts at the table.
Roasted Tomato Jam
makes about 3 cups
2 cups sugar
3 lbs tomatoes, sliced thinly 1/4″
large pinch of salt
grated zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
2 cayenne peppers or chiles
- Pour 1/3 of the sugar over the base of a 12-inch braising pan or other baking dish. Layer half the tomatoes, overlapping the slices, in the pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar, and top with the lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, and chiles. Top with the remaining tomatoes, followed by the rest of the sugar. Let sit for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the pan, uncovered in the oven and let cook for 1 hour. The tomato juices should simmer actively. Check every 20 minutes, spooning the juices over the top tomatoes, and removing the chiles if they char.
- Continue roasting and checking every 20 minutes — the tomato juices should begin to gel at 2 hours, but it could happen a little sooner or later. Test the juices by spooning a little onto a plate, letting it cool, and running your finger though it. If it holds the line, the jam is ready. Remove the jam from the oven and let cool. I eat this jam fresh so I put it into jars and keep it in the fridge.
Caramelized Shallots: Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium low. Thinly slice 6 to 8 oz of shallots and saute them in the oil for about 2 min. add 1 tsp salt and saute for 5 min more, or until soft. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent them from browning too quickly. Add 1 tsp sherry or apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp sherry or white wine, 2 tsp brown sugar, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Sautee for another 20 min, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed to prevent sticking and burning, about a tsp at a time. Remove sprigs of thyme before serving. French Shallot Soup: Prepare 2 batches caramelized shallots and/or onions (see above). Melt 2 tsp unsalted butter over med-low heat in a deep pan or dutch oven. Add the caramelized shallots and stir to warm through. Add 1-quart beef stock, at room temperature and 1 cup red or white wine. Simmer at least 20 minutes and up to 40 minutes. Near the end of cooking preheat the oven broiler. Divide the soup into 4 oven-proof bowls, and stir in 1 to 2 tsp cognac into each bowl. Gently float a thick slice of day old baguette in each and top with 4 oz slices of Gruyere cheese. Broil until golden and bubbly about 3 to 5 minutes.
Fall Potato Salad: Toss 2 lbs cubed potatoes with salt and olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Roast in a 450 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Combine with various fall vegetables of your choice; onion, shallot, garlic, carrots, roasted winter squash,celariac or parsnips for example. Toss with fresh tomato wedges, basil, thyme or other herbs of your choice. Dress with ¼ cup olive oil whipped with 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar.
Mixed Vegetable Curry: Combine 1 cup chopped cabbage, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup cauliflower, chopped, 1 cup green peas, and 2 medium potatoes peeled and diced into cubes. Add just enough water to cook without burning and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain. In another pot, heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil and fry 1 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 2 tsp green chili, fry until golden brown. Add 1 tbsp ground coriander, ½ Tbsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cardamom, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, ½ tsp ground red chili, ½ tsp fresh grated ginger. Add in the cooked vegetables and salt to taste. Cook for several minutes, stirring frequently. Add in 1 ½ cups thick coconut milk. Simmer gently until vegetables are tender, watching to prevent burning. Remove from heat and add juice of ½ lemon. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with Rice
Cucumber Cuchumber: Combine all ingredients and mix well. 2 cucumbers, peeled and diced. I small onion finely chopped, 1 fresh green chili seeded and finely chopped, 1 tsp salt, juice of 1 lime, and 1 ½ Tbsp chopped Cilantro.
Wobbly Cart Farm 