2016 CSA – Week #3

Notes from the Farm

IMPORTANT SCHEDULING INFO:

The 4th of July is next Monday, so this week we’ll move our normal Friday pick up this week to Thursday, June 30. Pick up hours will remain the same – 2:30pm-6:30pm. If you need to switch to a Tuesday pick up for this week, please let us know now if you haven’t already. Regular pickup days resume next week with pickups on Tuesday, July 5 and Friday, July 8.


Health & Wellness Series: Next Installment!

The next installment in our Wellness Series, “Making the Most of Your Early Season Produce,” will take place at the farm on Tuesday, June 28 at 6:30pm. Created to help guide farmer’s market shoppers and CSA subscribers in how best to utilize early season produce – often greens, root crops and herbs. Workshop will take place upstairs in Dairy Barn; suggested donation $10/pp. All are welcome!
This week we welcome some new fauna to the farm as we have recently adopted a three-year-old duck and five young geese in need of a new home.  They are living in the chicken’s winter paddock behind the farmhouse, and while they are still a bit shy, would love for you to come say hello.

In our harvest we have the first of what should be many zucchini and summer squashes to come.  The cucumbers are still just trickling in, but the greens remain abundant and we’ll distribute the last of our spring onions (with the tops removed).  We also have our first harvest of salad turnips.  These beautiful scarlet colored turnips are best eaten raw – sliced in to salads or placed on toast with butter – but also can be cooked.  The turnip greens can be cooked too, so consider steaming or sauteeing them as a side dish or mixing them in with your kale, dandelion greens or spinach.

Have a great 4th of July weekend!
Best,

Farmer Steve and our Farmers: Alyssa, Diane, Tyler, Ed, Genna, Dan, Jocelyn, Jon and Ella

 

In This Week’s Distribution

Our Harvest:  Zucchini, Cucumber, Spinach, Dinosaur Kale, Bok Choi, Scarlet Salad Turnips, Dandelion Greens, Lettuce, Topped Spring Onions

U-Pick: Begins with Cherry Tomatoes in July

Fruit Option: Starts in July, likely next week!

Recipes and Cooking Tips

Dandelion Greens: These leafy greens have as natural bitter and peppery flavor, can be cooked or eaten raw, and are believed to have a wide range of health benefits.
Bok choi: You have probably unknowingly enjoyed this in miso soup, stir fries and noodle dishes. Make any of those things! Also enjoy it raw in salads, use it in slaw, marinate and grill it, steam it, love it. Martha Stewart loves bok choi, and I shared some of her recipes in last week’s newsletters. Check it out it and be inspired!

Pasta Chicoria
We served this dish at our First Annual Dinner on the Farm in 2011!  Tickets for this year’s special Centennial Dinner on Sunday, September 4 will be on sale soon.

Penne pasta
Pesto
Dandelion greens
Balsamic Vinegar

Prepare penne pasta, or any other type of pasta that has some shape and depth to take on the pesto.  Braise the radicchio and dandelion greens in balsamic vinegar just long enough for them to wilt.  (The balsamic adds a hint of sweetness to the natural bitterness of these greens).  Toss the braised greens in with pasta and pesto, and serve.  *Be sure mind the greens to pasta ratio so dish does not become too bitter.


Grilled Bok Choi
adapted from marthastewart.com

Ingredients

  • bok choy split in half, and large leaves trimmed from the top
  • Kosher salt

Vinaigrette

  • Juice of 2 limes (about 1/3 cup)
  • zest of 2 limes
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
Directions:
1. Prep the bok choy: If the bok choy is dirty, soak it in a few changes of water in a salad spinner, then spin dry. Sprinkle the dried bok choy heads with the teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl, then toss with the bok choy. Let the bok choy rest in the marinade, tossing occasionally, until it is time to grill.
2. Preheat the grill: Preheat the grill, brush the grates clean, then set to medium-low heat. On a gas grill, this is easy – preheat on high for 15 minutes, then turn the burners to medium-low. For a charcoal grill, see the notes section for suggestions on how to get to medium-low heat.
3. Grill the bok choy: Remove the bok choy from the vinaigrette, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Place the bok choy over the medium low heat, starting it cut side down. Grill for six minutes, or until the bok choy has nicely browned grill marks. Flip the bok choy, then grill for another six to eight minutes, or until the bok choy is crisp-tender. (It will give just a little resistance when poked with a paring knife.) Move the grilled bok choy back to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Rest in the bowl until it is time to serve, letting the bok choy soak up the vinaigrette. Toss one last time before serving.