9-18-18
Large shares: Charentais melon, chard, cauliflower, eggplant, yellow onions, Austrian crescent fingerling potatoes, kohlrabi, beets, garlic, cilantro
Small shares: Charentais melon, cauliflower or kohlrabi, eggplant, yellow onion, red or fingerling potatoes, beets, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro
Green shares: perpetual spinach, red cabbage, lettuce
Roots shares: daikon radish bunch, parsley root, red carrots
Juicing shares: red kale, Charentais melon, chard, Italian parsley, carrot seconds, green cabbage
Dear CSA members,
Hello from an absolutely gorgeous fall day. Today besides CSA and deliveries we are finishing up our big winter squash harvest. Sometimes it can be a really fun group harvest for the crew while we all work to toss squashes to each other chain-gang style to fill the big bins on the tractor forks.
Today we brought in several tons of winter squash of many varieties! We will store the squash in our storage barn where it will stay warm and cozy and safe from rain and frosts. In the next several weeks it will cure and sweeten up for our fall and winter enjoyment.
Charentais Melon: A true French cantaloupe that originated in the Poitou-Charentes region circa 1920. Considered by many to be the most divine and flavorful melon in the world. Smooth round melons mature to a creamy gray or golden with faint ribs. Sweet, juicy, orange flesh with a heavenly fragrance. Store dry on the countertop until ready to eat, they don’t hold for long and so asap is best. . Small cracks are ok and just represent true ripeness. These are heirlooms that have been bred for flavor and not convenient pack ability for grocery stores.
Perpetual spinach: Perpetual spinach is actually a chard (beet family) but is very similar to true spinach in flavor. We prefer it as it is much easier to grow and far more vigorous than true spinach. It also has the advantage of constantly producing a new crop when picked and so is ideally suited to gardening in a small space. It’s a biennial that is grown as an annual for its big crinkly leaves. The stalks are red or white with large, dark green leaves that can be used as lettuce or spinach is used.
Daikon Radish: these long white winter radishes are primarily grown in Southeast and East Asia. Daikon is characterized by large, rapidly growing leaves and a long, white root. It is technically considered a cruciferous vegetable, and therefore has many of the same benefits in its leaves as those other popular vegetables. It is also praised for the nutrient content of its root, which is commonly pickled and eaten as a vegetable in Japan, China, and other Asian countries as a part of their cuisine. Daikon is also commonly used in diced form as an ingredient in soups, salads, curries, rice dishes, and various condiments, while the leaves are often consumed as typical green salad vegetable. The juice is most commonly marketed as a healthy beverage for a wide range of conditions. Daikon is extremely high in nutrients and antioxidants and low in calories.
Hope you all have a great week,
Asha
Charentais Melon Salad: In a small bowl combine 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Halve and seed a large Charentais melon, then slice into 1-inch thick wedges. Arrange the melon slices over 6 salad plates. Top melon slices with a slice of Prosciutto di San Daniele, scatter basil leaves on top and dress with the balsamic vinaigrette and freshly ground black pepper. From thecooksatelier.com
Melon smoothie: 1 (1-1/4 pound) Charentais melon 1-cup low fat vanilla yogurt 1 teaspoon lemon juice ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom (or cinnamon or nutmeg) Peel and seed melon. Chop into large chunks. Place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (don’t freeze completely). Place the yogurt in a blender. Place the chilled melon chunks on top of the yogurt. Add lemon juice and cardamom. Blend until frothy. Chill until ready to serve.
Spicy Cantaloupe Salad adapted from The Splendid Table’s How to Eat 1 medium and very ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips 2 limes, zested and juiced 1-2 tablespoons sugar 2 drops Asian fish sauce Dash of cayenne pepper, or 2 dashes if you’re serious Salt and pepper to taste. Put everything in a bowl. Stir! Refrigerate for an hour or so to let the flavors meld.
Peach and Tomato pasta: Prepare 12oz of spaghetti or linguine according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the spaghetti cooking liquid. Drain spaghetti and return to pot. Keep warm. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet cook 3 cloves of thinly sliced garlic in 1 tbsp hot oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 1-pint cherry tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Add 2 lbs of pitted and sliced peaches. Cook for 4 minutes or more until peaches are just soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in ½ cup halved, pitted kalamata olives, 1/3 cup chopped basil leaves, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper, 1/8 tsp black pepper; heat through. Add Peach mixture to cooked spaghetti along with reserved spaghetti cooking water. Toss to combine, season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature garnished with slivered toasted almonds. From Better Homes and Gardens August 2010 issue.
Sautéed Daikon Greens with Onion, Garlic and Lemon 2 tsp sesame oil 1/2 onion, cut in thin half-moons pinch of sea salt 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped small 3 bunches daikon greens (1 bunch is the amount from 1 radish), washed and chopped a few slices of fresh lemon 1. Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the oil. Add the onion and sea salt as soon as a little piece gently sizzles in the oil. Sauté, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or until onion starts getting translucent. 2. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. 3. Add the daikon greens and stir until the greens get coated with the oil and onions. Add a Tbsp or two of water. Cover and let cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. 4. Remove from heat. Add squeezes of lemon juice when serving.
Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice: Cut 1 lb of cauliflower into peices and put in a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower looks like rice. Into a medium skillet over medium heat add 1 tsp olive oil, 4 minced garlic cloves, then cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper and fresh squeezed lime juice to taste. Heat for 5 to 10 minutes ( fluff with a fork). You just want to heat it not burn. Once cauliflower is heated add 1/2 to 1 cup of loosely packed cilantro, mix and enjoy.
Eggplant with Lemon Tahini Dressing: Cut one large eggplant into ½ inch dice. Place in a steamer basket and steam until the cubes are tender and silky but still hold their shape, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl whisk together 2 tbsp tahini, 1 tsp lemon zest and 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 cloves minced garlic, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp cayenne, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp cold water, and 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley. Stir the dressing into the eggplant, 1 tbsp at a time, until the eggplant is evenly coated but not drowning in dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature, garnished with parsley.
Perpetual Spinach Salad: Chop 1 bunch chard, 4 cups perpetual spinach, shred 3 medium carrots, ¼ head of red cabbage, ¼ of a sweet onion. Toss together with 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice. Toast ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds. Add spicy herb salad dressing (see below) and top salads with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Smoky Eggplant Raita: Heat your grill t o 450 to 550 degrees with an area left clear or turned off for indirect heat. Peirce 1 lb of eggplant in several places with a knife. Grill Eggplant over indirect heat, covered, until very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to touch. Meanwhile, toast about ½ tsp of cumin in a small dry frying pan over med. Heat until fragrant and beginning to darken, 2 to 3 minutes. Pound fine with a motar and pestle. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in pan over medium heat. Saute ¼ large onion for 3 minutes. Add 1 lg minced garlic clove and continue to sauté until both are softened, about 2 min more. Let cool slightly. Slit the eggplant lengthwise and scrape flesh from the skin. Chop flesh coarsely and set aside. Combine 1 cup whole milk yogurt, the onion mixture, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, ¼ tsp sugar. Add eggplant and stir gently. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and cayenne pepper. Garnish with a little more cilantro. From the September 2010 issue of Sunset
Swiss Chard Quesadillas: Wash but do not dry 1 bunch of chard. Cut off the stems and slice them 1/4 inch thick; cut the leaves into 1/4 inch ribbons. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup finely chopped scallion and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 3 min. Add the chard stems and cook, stirring often, until they are tender but retain a slight bite, 6 to 8 min. Add the leaves and cook, stirring, until they wilt and become quite tender, 3 to 5 min. For each quesadilla, spread 1 tbsp sour cream on a flour tortilla. Top with 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup pepper jack cheese, 1/4 of the chard mixture, and 1/4 cup Cotija. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, and a dash of hot sauce. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose the filling. Brush a large skillet with vegetabl oil and place over medium heat. Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook, turning once, until the tortilla is golden on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes total. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas.