Wobbly Carrt Farm CSA week 12

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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.

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Wobbly Cart Farm CSA week 5

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7-25-17

 

Large shares: red cabbage, lettuce, purplette onions, cauliflower, green beans, snow peas, eggplant, summer squash, fresh dill, garlic

 

Small share: red cabbage, cauliflower, purplette onions, summer squash, green beans, fresh dill, garlic

 

Greens share: lacinato kale, Italian parsley, hearts of romaine

 

Roots share: red beets, gold beets, carrots, fresh yellow onion

 

Juicing share: 5lb carrot seconds, fennel, red beets, arugula, Italian parsley

 

Dear CSA members,

 

Hopefully you have all had a nice week and are as excited as we are for this week’s CSA shares. We have really enjoyed receiving your positive feedback these past weeks and thank you for sharing recipes and ideas on the face book group page. I love getting new ideas for recipes as well as fun things to do with lavender!

 

This week we have begun the add-on share options. Look for your add on share at the drop site if you have ordered one, they will be labeled with your name. Greens shares have a green dot, roots shares a red dot, and juicing shares a blue dot. Ocean Shores folks, I have added the add-on shares to your regular boxes in the interest of space.

 

We have harvested some new crops for you this week. First off cauliflower, this harvest was not quite as amazing as some of our plantings from last year but pretty nice. Green beans: our first harvest of green beans was quite plentiful and so small shares will get a ½ lb and large a full lb this week. The first picking of the planting always has the best, most tender beans. I hope you enjoy!

 

I anticipate that next week we will have new potatoes, basil, cucumbers and hopefully cherry tomatoes as well. Our potatoes and tomatoes are several weeks behind normal due to the extremely rainy and cold spring we had this year. Better late than never though! We still have another planting of peas so hopefully we will enjoy more peas in the next couple of weeks as well.

 

In the fields we are attempting to keep up with the weeding, by flame weeding some direct seeded crops before the planted seeds emerge, cultivating with the tractors and various weeding implements and hand weeding with hand tools. We are also seeding and transplanting many of our fall crops this time of year. We are putting in many types of storage root crops such as winter radishes, rutabaga, carrots, beets and turnips. From the greenhouse we will be planting radicchio, escarole, winter kale, cabbages, and other greens within the next week.

 

Have a great week,

 

Asha

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratatouille Provencal: Heat in a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat; ¼ cup olive oil. Add and cook, stirring, until golden and just tender, 10 to 12 minutes: 1 medium Eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks, and 1 lb zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks. Remove the vegetables to a plate and reduce the heat to medium high. Add and cook, stirring, until the onions are slightly softened: 2 tbsp olive oil and 1-½ cups sliced onions. Add a cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender but not browned, 8 to 12 minutes: 2 large red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks, 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add: 1 ½ cups peeled, seeded, chopped fresh tomatoes, or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained. 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and zucchini and cook until everything is tender, about 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in ¼ cup chopped fresh basil and chopped pitted black olives if desired. From the Joy of Cooking.

 

Pickled Cabbage: Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Core a cabbage and chop into large pieces, you will need about 4 cups. Add the cabbage to the boiling water and cook for 30 seconds, then drain in a colander. Let cool to room temperature. When cool enough to handle squeeze leaves to soften them and release some water. Meanwhile, combine3/4 cup vinegar, ½ cup sugar, and 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar, and pour into a bowl to cool. When cool, add the cabbage and toss to coat well. Pour all of this into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for 2 days, turning the jar occasionally to coat all the leaves with the brine. Serve cold.

 

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

 

Creamy Cauliflower Soup: In a soup pot saute in olive oil for 5 minutes: 1 chopped Walla Walla onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 large head cauliflower that has been broken into florets, 3 to 4 medium potatoes, cubed, 3 chopped carrots, 1 tsp caraway seeds. Simmer the veggies in just enough water to cover them, and cook until soft.  Puree the mixture until smooth. Return to the soup pot and add 1 cup milk, 2 cups grated sharp cheddar, salt to taste, and several tbsp chopped fresh dill. simmer very gently for 5 to 10 min more. Serve with toasted sourdough rye. (adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook)

 

Eggplant and Zucchini Fries with Roasted Tomato Dip: Heat oven to 375. Toss 1 cup chopped heirloom tomato in 1 tsp olive oil and roast on a sheet pan for 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree with 1 cup greek yogurt, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and chill. Place 5 large egg whites in a bowl and beat, then place in a separate bowl and mix  2 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs and and additional 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Cut 1 medium yellow squash, 1 medium zuchinni, and 1 small eggplant into 1/2 inch fries. Dip in egg whites, roll in bread crumbs, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve with Roasted Tomato Dip.

 

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.

 

Green (or Romano) Beans on the Grill: put 1 lb of green beans on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to fold and seal. You may need to fold two sheets together. (you can also use one sheet of foil to set the pouch on. This way if any liquid seeps out or it pulls apart it dosen’t leave a mess.) drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the beans. Add 2 – 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp crushed red pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Toss beans with tongs until well coated. Add 1 to 2 tbsp water and fold aluminum foil together at the top and pinch the sides closed. Cook the green bean pouch on the grill until the beans are tender. (food.com)

 

Roasted Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Break 1 2 lb head of cauliflower into bite sized peices. Toss the cauliflower with 1/4 cup olive oil, 5 chopped cloves of garlic, and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 tsp kosher salt and 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves and toss again. Roast until golden and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

 

 

Wobbly Cart Farm CSA box #4

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“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” -Robert Louis Stevenson  

 

Large shares: French lavender, lettuce, cucumber, purplette onions, carrots, Italian parsley, red cabbage, chard, shell peas

Small shares: French lavender, Italian parsley, scallions, fresh garlic, red cabbage, summer squash

 

7/7/15

Dear CSA members,

Thank goodness for cooler temperatures! Today is forecast to be dry and sunny, but only 81 degrees. After such a long stretch in the high nineties I feel we are justified in breathing a sigh of relief. I for one, who works often in the greenhouses, have been rising at 430 to work until noon or one and beat the very hottest part of the day. In my propagation house, temperatures have been up to 120 degrees by the afternoon, and that is just too hot. I am familiar with the nausea and headache that comes along with working for more than a few minutes in that kind of heat, and know when to say when! I have also been sneaking out around 730 or 8pm to work until dark to finish up tasks that are still to be done.

The quote by RLS is apt this week: as our work, watering, weeding, and harvest are seemingly endless each day. But there are yet so many seeds to plant! All the fall and winter crops we will be enjoying later in the cold dark months must be planted in July and early August. If we miss this time before the days shorten noticeably the plants are unlikely to size up to a marketable size. I have been trying to keep my head down and get the planting done, and not get too distracted by those ripening peppers, green beans, and cherry tomatoes!

We are almost done harvesting the garlic crop and have some really nice hard neck heads for the small shares. Hard neck garlics have a hard stalk in the center, usually have larger, easier to peel cloves, and a spicier more “garlicky” flavor. Hard neck garlic grows better in colder winter climates whereas the softneck garlic you received last week can tolerate warmer winter temperatures. We are luck in the PNW to be able to grow both types successfully! The soft neck garlic is nice for making garlic braids, has more cloves per head though they are often smaller and harder to peel, and has a lighter more vegetal flavor. For both varieties the flavor will intensify the longer the garlic “cures” after harvest.

Look in the next few weeks to see a transition from peas to green beans, to see pearl and sweet onions, cherry tomatoes, new potatoes and basil. Yum!

Thank you all,

 

Asha, Joe and the crew at Wobbly Cart

 

Shaved Summer Squash with Pecorino Romano: In a large bowl whisk together 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt. Using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline, shave a large summer squash into paper thin ribbons, about 1/16 of an inch thick, to yield 3 to 4 cups. Toss the squash ribbons with the dressing and marinate at room temperature for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, shave 2 ounces of Pecorino Romano into thin strips with a vegetable peeler to yield ¾ of  a cup. Add to the squash and toss gently. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more lemon juice if desired. Garnish with thinly sliced basil and freshly ground black pepper.

 

Tabbouleh: Place ½ cup bulgur in a large bowl. Pour in 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice over the bulgur. Set aside for 10 minutes. Combine 3 medium tomatoes, cubed, 1 ½ cups finely chopped Italian parsley, 6 to 8 mint leaves, finely chopped, 2 scallions finely chopped, ½ tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup cold water. Set aside for 2 hours or until the bulgur has softened to your preference. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or olive oil as desired. Serve at room temperature. Keeps refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.

 

Spicy Cabbage Slaw: combine the zest and juice of one lime, 1 tsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1/3 cup canola oil, 2 hot chilies (stemmed and seeded), 1 plump garlic clove, chopped, ½ cup packed cilantro leaves in a food processor and process until well combined. Mix 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage, 1 cup shredded carrots, ½ cup thinly sliced red onion, and freshly ground black pepper. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight before serving.

Cucumbers Wedges with Chile and Lime: Wash 2 8 to 10 inch cucumbers and slice off the ends. Halve each crosswise and then slice each half lengthwise to make wedges. Place cucumbers in a large bowl. Halve a lime and discard any seeds. Squeeze lime juice over the cucumber wedges and toss gently to coat, dust with salt and a spicy flavorful chile powder such as Chimayo. Serve immediately.

 

Chard and Penne Soup: This recipe was shared by CSA member Lois Long. Thanks Lois!

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic (I used about half of the garlic scapes we received instead)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bunch chard

3 Tbsp olive oil

6 cups vegetable broth

3 cups water

1 cup tubular pasta (I used cellentani)

15 oz can white navy beans (or other white  beans of your choice), drained

1/4 tsp fennel seed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To taste:  Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

 

Cut the stems of the chard into about 1″ pieces.

Chop the garlic scapes and the onion (about a medium chop)

Heal oil in frying pan. Add garlic, onion and chard stems. Cook until soft, about 15 minutes.

Put stock and water in soup pot,  bring to boil. Add pasta and cook for about 5 minutes.

 

In the meantime, roll chard leaves and cut into about 1″ strips.

 

Add contents of frying pan to soup pot along with chard leaves, beans and seasonings.

 

Bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes, until pasta is tender.

 

Keep warm until ready to serve. Top with grated parmesan cheese.