Week 6 Harvest

Hello everyone!

Its hard to believe, but it is our 6th week of CSA!  The garden is practically exploding with vegetables, the pigs are getting huge, and the chickens are bulking up.  We even have a little rooster starting to crow!

Here's what's in your box this week:
-mixed salad greens
-kale/chard bunch
-basil
-herb bunch (dill, sage, coriander, oregano)
-tat soi
-zucchini squash
-broccoli raab (alternately spelled broccoli rabe)
-beets
-flowers (calendula and fireweed)
-celery
-fennel
-red bok choy

Broccoli raab is a tender baby broccoli that is great steamed, lightly sauteed, or roasted.  The greens are excellent eating as well!  Fennel is a flavorful vegetable treat that is great with fish or in salads.  Here are some recipe ideas:

Spicy Broccoli Raab Bruschetta
makes 6 servings

1 1/2 lb broccoli raab
5 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing and drizzling
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt
12 slices baguette
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Preheat the broiler (grill).

Cut the broccoli raab stems into 1/4 inch thick pieces and coarsely chop the leafy greens.  Rinse and drain.

In a frying pan over medium heat, warm 3 Tbsp olive oil.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add as much broccoli raab as will fit into the pan.  Raise the heat to high and add the remaining broccoli raab as the first batch wilts.  Season with salt and cook until tender, 4-10 minutes.  If the pan seems too dry, add a splash of water.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt.

Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and broil (grill) until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Spread each slice with the cheese and top with the broccoli raab.  Drizzle with more olive oil and serve right away.

Shaved Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing
makes 2 servings

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thingly sliced crosswise
Shaved aged hard cheese, such as Parmesan, for garnish

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper to make a dressing.

Place the fennel slices in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing.  Toss to combine and place on salad plates.  Garnish with cheese shavings.  Serve at once.

We didn't take a picture of your boxes, but we did take a picture of the harvest as a whole. Here it is, impressive, right?

Some other pictures of our brilliant veggies...

Cabbage heads coming soon...

Look out for broccoli next week!

Perfect fennel bulbs!

We'll see you next week!!

Week 5 Harvest

Hello there!
Here it is, week 5, and another box of delicious veggies coming your way! We hope you've had a chance to stop for a sec and take a look around at the garden. It is booming!!

Here are your box contents for this week:

Starting left side, clockwise: (Full Share) Tat Soi, Arugula, Celery, Kale, Turnips, Chard, Parsley, Cilantro,  Chives, Zucchini, Bok Choy

We recommend that you use your turnip greens, too! They are deliciously spicy, and will add a punch to any dish. Our cooks love using the celery leaves for making soup stock, because they actually have much more flavor than the stalks themselves.

Some recipes for you to try...

Turnip Greens and Pork
ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh turnip greens with roots
• 1 medium piece salt pork
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, butter, or margarine
• Pinch of sugar (optional)

preparation

Strip the stems from the greens (unless they’re very tender) and wash thoroughly. Place in a saucepan and add the pork, water, and salt. Cook, covered, for 45 minutes over medium heat, or until tender. Remove the pork and pour the greens into a colander to drain. Place in a pan and chop scissor-like with two knives. If necessary, add more salt to taste. Keep hot and add the bacon drippings and a pinch of sugar.

Mrs. Wilkes' Boardinghouse Cookbook

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Turnip-Greens-105051#ixzz2ZRs14dDi

Avocado, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Chevre Tartine

(allrecipes.com)

Original recipe makes 4 servings

4 ounces goat cheese, softened

1 teaspoon dried basil

4 (1/2 inch thick) slices crusty bread

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

1 (15 ounce) can sliced beets, drained and diced

1 (10 ounce) package mixed salad greens with arugula

2 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced

1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Directions

1. Preheat broiler for high heat. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Mix the goat cheese with the basil in a bowl. Spread cheese mixture evenly on four slices of bread. Place on prepared baking sheet.

3. Cook under preheated broiler until cheese has begun to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

4. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard and vinegar in a small bowl until blended; season with salt and pepper to taste. Slowly pour in olive oil while continually whisking until dressing is smooth.

5. Place diced beets and mixed greens into a large bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over top; toss to coat. Divide salad onto four chilled plates. Top with avocado and hazelnuts. Serve with goat-cheese tartines.

Week 4 Harvest

Hello Everyone!
We hope you've been enjoying your summer! Can you believe that just a couple of days ago, we had our first real rain, since the garden has been put in??

Here are the contents you will find in your box this week:

Clockwise from left to right: Arugula, Kale, Vitamin Green, Tat Soi, Bok Choy, Chard, Hon Tsai Tai, Herbs,  Costata Romanesco Squash, and more herbs

We decided to give you LOTS of greens this week! You can stir-fry, steam or saute any of them, and they will add flavor and nutrients to any meal. In your herb bunches you will find:

Basil, sage, thyme, lemon balm, chives, oregano, and a newcomer...stevia. 

 This is what it looks like:

Though your leaves might be smaller than this image, you'll notice the difference when you taste it, it's sweet! Stevia has been used for centuries as a sugar substitute, but you've most likely seen it in powder form. We are currently experimenting with baking some banana bread using stevia leaves, instead of sugar. From what we've found, about 1 tablespoon of stevia extract equals 1 cup of sugar. A little goes a long way! It's been hard to find the equivalent in using the fresh leaves, but we intend to use just a couple of leaves in our bread, crushed up very fine, to see how it tastes. We'll let you know the results!! Until then, feel free to experiment with it yourselves, in iced tea or in pies and other baked goods. 

What else is happening on the farm these days?

The broccoli has been uncovered, and is very big! Hopefully we'll see some heads in the coming weeks...

a baby bell pepper has arrived,

the zucchini plants are starting to produce,

AND, we have lots of tomatoes in the greenhouse...cross your fingers that they start to ripen soon!

Enjoy your week's share of our farm produce, and thanks for supporting us! We hope that you're satisfied with your greens, and are as excited as we are for the new items we'll be adding soon. Please feel free to email Melisse at any time with any feedback you have concerning your box. 

Thanks again and see you next Thursday!

~Your Garden Team

Week 3 Harvest

It's week 3 of our harvest, and the garden is looking great!
Here's what you'll find in your boxes this week:

Full Share: Clockwise from basil...basil, arugula, red bok choy, green bok choy, vitamin green, salad mix with edible flowers, herbs, kale, and chard.

Here are some recipes we thought you might try out for your Fourth of July festivities...
This first one is inspired by one of our members, Paula. Thanks for the great idea Paula!!

BOK CHOY COLE SLAW

Makes: 8 servings, 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 cups very thinly sliced bok choy, (about a 1-pound head, trimmed)

2 medium carrots, shredded

2 scallions, thinly sliced

PREPARATION

Whisk vinegar, oil, sugar, mustard and salt in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add bok choy, carrots and scallions; toss to coat with the dressing.

Sautéed Vitamin Greens by cucinagirl

http://printablerecipes.cucinagirl.com/

Serves 4.

1 bunch vitamin greens (washed, trimmed, and roughly chopped)
1/2 red onion (sliced)
1 tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
salt and pepper

In a wide Dutch oven or  deep sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and a pinch of salt.  Sauté, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and just begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.  Add vitamin greens and toss until the greens begin to wilt.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until greens reach desired tenderness, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

 In other news on the farm, some key players are beginning to show up!

We've had a great season for tomatoes, and they are coming on strong in the greenhouse!

Also, our zucchini are beginning to fruit!

We've moved the meat birds outside, and they are loving their new green surroundings. They are "feathering out," and are getting used to eating bugs and grass.

We wish you a safe and fun-filled Fourth of July!

~Your garden crew