2017 CSA Newsletter – Week #13

Notes from the Farm

 Flowering buckwheat at the field's edge and the tent for our Dinner on the Farm event 
On Sunday evening we hosted our annual Dinner on the Farm fundraiser.  The wet morning and afternoon opened up in to a cool, beautiful evening on the farm.  Nearly 200 people gathered to celebrate and support the work we do here at Massaro.   We ate phenomenal food, fresh from the farm, prepared for us by Denise Appel and the Zinc restaurant team; we enjoyed local beer, wine, tea and coffee; we explored the farm, played games, we auctioned, we raffled, we laughed, we made new friends and connected with old friends.  We love bringing people together here on the farm, and we are incredibly grateful to all of you, who share in the value and joy of coming together at your local organic farm, to enjoy food and community.  We know that not all of our CSA subscribers could be there last night, but we want to say a special thank you to all of you, as YOU are the community supporting agriculture each week, which makes you stewards of this farm as well, and we are so thankful you for your continual support.  Know that we host this annual dinner each year on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, so mark it on your 2018 calendar, and we hope you'll join us next year.
Summer has been relatively cool, and the feeling of fall is here for sure.  Though those conditions are not ideal for heat loving crops like eggplant and peppers, our leafy greens and cool season crops like cabbage and broccoli have been maturing nicely.  As the days continue to shorten and the nights get cooler we'll see more of these greens and fewer of our cherry tomatoes and field tomatoes.  Growing tomatoes in the high tunnels as we do allows us to extend their harvest season a bit so we should have a few more weeks to enjoy the mix of heirloom, red, pink and orange tomatoes we have been harvesting from there.  We'll have more potatoes to pair with them this week and below is a recipe for a tomato/potato soup you might like to cook up on one of these cooler evenings.  We also have some beautiful kohlrabi and fennel, and recipe ideas for you to enjoy.
Best,
Farmer Steve and our Farmers: Adam, Alyssa, Ariana, Kayla, Sara, Shannon, TW and Tyler

In This Week's Distribution

Our Harvest:  Broccoli, Potatoes, Onions, Tomatoes, Spaghetti Squash, Kohlrabi, Fennel, Kale, Lettuce
U-Pick: Cherry Tomatoes and Green Beans
Fruit Option: Apples or Pears

Recipes and Cooking Tips

Kohlrabi tops and bulbs with mushrooms and lentils
Ingredients:
1 bunch of kohlrabi bulbs and greens
1 T plus 1 tsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups cooked lentils, or 1 15 oz. can of your favorite beans, drained and rinsed
About 5 scallions greens and whites, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Peel kohlrabi bulbs. Cut into 1/8-inch slices, then julienne. Trim tops and finely chop. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium in a Dutch oven. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Stir in Spanish paprika to color the oil and cook for about 4 more minutes or until garlic is soft.
Add mushrooms and kohlrabi bulbs. Stir, cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Check moisture level from time to time: you may need to add salt and/or water or broth [1 T at a time] if mixture gets dry.
Add greens and scallions. Cook covered until soft, about 15-20 minutes more, again checking moisture level and adding broth or water if it gets too dry. Stir in lentils for the last 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve warm or room temperature.
Fennel and Kohlrabi Slaw with Cilantro and Lime
Ingredients:
3 cups kohlrabi and fennel  -cut into matchsticks -about three 4 inch bulbs
3 cups sliced fennel
1/2 C chopped cilantro ( one small bunch)
 half of a jalapeno -minced
1/4 C chopped scallion
orange zest from one orange
lime zest from one lime
Citrus Honey Vinaigrette:
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C fresh orange juice ( juice form one orange)
1/8 C lime juice plus 1 T ( juice from one large lime)
1/4 C honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 T rice wine vinegar
Directions:
Trim and peel kohlrabi. Cut off two ends. Cut in half from top to bottom. Thinly slice, rotate and slice again, making 1/4 inch matchsticks.
Place in large bowl with chopped cilantro, scallions, finly chopped jalapeño ( 1/2), lime zest and orange zest.
Whisk dressing together in a small bowl. Toss with salad. Refrigerate until serving. Garnish with zest and cilantro.
Tomato Potato Soup
Ingredients
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups tomato soup or 1 can tomato paste (or chop and cook down fresh tomatoes!)
  • 2 cups water + additional water if using paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt/pepper
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 potato, chopped
  • 4 small mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/3 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 small zucchini

Method
Step 1: Begin by sauteeing the chopped onion in a medium/large soup pot over medium-high heat with some water to prevent sticking. Once the onions are translucent add in the garlic and stir quickly, being careful not to burn either. Add more water if needed.
Step 2: Add to the pot the tomato soup, water, bay leaf, and spices. Stir in the potato, mushrooms, carrots and zucchini. Turn the heat to high, so that the soup comes to a boil. Step 3: Once it boils, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let the mixture cook for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly tender. If you'd like, take half the soup mixture and pour into a high-speed blender. Allow it to blend until smooth and creamy and add back to the soup pot, mixing with the remaining soup. Serve with your favorite bread, crackers or as is!

Tomato Ricotta Tart