8-28-18
Large shares: gold beets, lettuce, fennel, red russian kale, sweet onion, fresh shelling beans, red cabbage, cauliflower, heirloom tomatoes, dill
Small shares: gold beets, lettuce, sweet onion, fresh shelling beans, red cabbage, heirloom tomatoes, dill
Greens shares: lettuce, mustard greens, Italian parsley
Roots shares: red carrots, yellow finn potatoes, fennel or gold beets
Juicing shares: fennel, red russian kale, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, dill, tomato seconds
Hello everyone,
Things have cooled down significantly in the last week and the smoky air has cleared at last. We definitely have a hint of fall in the cold and misty mornings of late! The day length is rapidly declining as we speed toward the Autumnal equinox.
We will still have several weeks of summer crops including another planting of sweet corn, tons of tomatoes, and three different types of melons coming your way… but we can also expect a subtle shift toward some later season crops soon. Many of the fall greens, kale, and carrots will sweeten up significantly as the season cools down so September and October are some of the yummiest weeks on the farm.
This week we have gold beet bunches. These are just like red beets but have a milder and sweeter flavor. They have an earthy nuttiness to them somewhat like a walnut and sweetness reminiscent of apples or apricots. The color is a phenomenal gold. The greens on these looked really nice and would be great to cook with as well.
The pretty bean pods this week are fresh shelling beans. Our crew member Rosa saved the seed for these beans and we are growing them out. Eventually they will be fully dried beans and seem similar to a Dragons Tounge bean. Vibrantly colored and delightfully patterned, fresh beans also have a subtle sweetness and tenderness that dried ones lack. They don’t need to be soaked before simmering and can be ready to eat in about 10 minutes.
To dress them up, simmer with aromatics like onions, leeks, or fresh ginger, and toss them in olive oil flavored with toasted garlic, fresh marjoram leaves, or citrus zest.
Beans can be refrigerated in their pods for two to three days, or up to a week once shelled. One pound shelled will yield about 1 cup of whole beans.
Have a great week,
Asha
Marinated Tomato Salad: Combine 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges, 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 to 3 leaves fresh basil, minced, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Creamy Cucumber Salad with Fresh Dill: Peel 1 large cucumber (several small lemon cucumbers would work just great). Slice very thin, sprinkle with a ½ tsp salt, and set in a colander to drain for at least 20 minutes. In a separate bowl combine 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 4 oz sour cream, 2 tsp oil, 1 tsp sugar, 2 Tbsp fresh chopped dill, or to taste. Combine with the cucumbers and serve chilled.
Golden Beet Slaw: Whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp orange zest, 1 Tbsp orange juice, ¾ tsp coarse sea salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper. Peel 1 ½ lb Golden Beets, and cut into matchsticks. Toss the beets with 3 sliced scallions, and ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, and the dressing. Serves 6. (From Martha Stewart Living April 2011).
Tangy Coleslaw: Combine: 1 cup mayonnaise, 4 scallions, chopped, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp sugar. Place in a large bowl, dress and toss tightly: 3 cups shredded Cabbage, 3 cups shredded Arugula, 1 carrot, grated, and ½ of a green bell pepper cut into strips. Makes 6 servings. (From the Joy of Cooking.)
Roasted Golden Beets and Sauteed Beet Greens: trim one bunch medium beets with tops to 1 inch. Wash and chop greens and stems. Scrub beets and wrap tightly in heavy duty foil. Roast in the 400 degree oven until tender, 50 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into wedges. Sauté greens, stems and 2 tsp minced garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium heat until tender, 6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, 2 tbsp each pistachios and goat cheese. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. ( from Prevention magazine June 2012)
Grilled Potatoes with Fresh Dill: preheat grill to 350 degrees. Slice thinly 2 lbs potatoes. Toss with ½ tsp salt, 4 tbsp olive oil, and pepper to taste. Lay out 2 large sheets of foil 12x 26 inches. Oil the foil and arrange the potatoes in a single layer over one side of the foil. Fold the foil over and crimp the edges forming a packet. Grill the packets, covered, rotating once, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and browned. Open packets and transfer potatoes into a serving bowl. Toss with 2 tbsp butter and ¼ cup chopped fresh dill. Sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.
Kale Caesar Salad: Preheat oven to 300. For croutons, mince 2 garlic cloves, in a medium saucepan warm ¼ cup olive oil and the minced garlic over low heat; remove. Add 4 cups bread cubed into 1 inch pieces. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Stir to coat. Spread bread pieces in a single layer on a shallow baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, stirring once. Cool completely. Meanwhile, for the dressing, in a blender combine 4 cloves garlic, ½ cup olive oil, 6 anchovy filets, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and 2 egg yolks. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove stems from 3 large bunches of lacinato kale and thinly slice the leaves. Add the dressing, and using your hands work the dressing into the kale. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. To serve, sprinkle with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese and top with croutons.
Fresh shell bean and tomato stew: In a saucepan combine 3 cups fresh shell beans, 1 quart water, 2 garlic cloves, halved, 2 thyme sprigs, and a pinch of baking soda and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the beans are tender, 30 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid in the sauce pan. Discard the garlic and the thyme sprigs. Add the beans and 1 lb of chopped fresh tomatoes. Simmer the steq over moderate heat until the tomatoes are hot, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter. Add the thyme leaves and season with salt, then serve.
Wobbly Cart Farm 