This Week’s Share
Share Notes
- Salad Shares: We regret to inform you that due to the the two nights of sub-freezing temperatures last week we lost the remainder of our salad mix in the field. We intended to harvest and distribute salad shares for the last two weeks of the season, but because of the cold damage the salad share season has come to an early end. Our apologies for the abrupt end to salad shares. Please contact and let us know whether you would like to carry over the credit to your account for next season, donate the remaining value to our CSA scholarship fund, or receive a refund for the missed weeks.
- Turnips, Purple Top: These traditional style turnips (as opposed the Hakurei salad turnips seen earlier in the season) lend themselves well to a variety of cooking methods, and can even be enjoyed fresh cut into sticks for dipping. To peel or not to peel…its up to you.
- Winter Squash, Hubbard: This blue hued squash is not only beautiful, but also has more mild flavor and creamy texture. Be cautious when cutting because they do tend to have a tougher skin.
- Winter Squash Storage: Some of you may be starting to accumulate a surplus of winter squash, and with that in mind we want to remind you of the suggested order of eating based on length of storage time. Its best to start by eating any pumpkins and acorn squash first, followed by any delicata or hubbard.
Show Your SIO Spirit–Sign-up for Next Year
It’s hard to believe, but there is just one more week left in the 2010 CSA season. For those of you already longing for fresh spring greens, crisp radishes, and pungent garlic scapes you can sign up for your share of the 2010 season now. Complete and submit the Community Farm Agreement at http://sauvieislandorganics.com/join.php and send in your $100 deposit to secure your spot.
Make sure to sign-up and send your $100 deposit by January 1 to guarantee the $875 share price, or if you pay in full before the end of the year you’ll receive 5 free weeks of salad greens with you 2011 share. We can’ wait to see you next season!
Recipes
Carrots Recipes
Whole Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
From Francesca Benedetti (CSA Coordinator)
Note: This is one of my favorite things to do because you get your main dish and a side dish all in one. Add a fresh kale salad and your set. The vegetables you can roast in the pan with the chicken and can be interchanged freely. I love using beets, leeks, and/or parsnips as well, so if you have any of those still around try it out.
1 (3½ -5 pound) whole chicken, gizzards removed (can save to make stock)
1 lemon, cut into quarters
2-4 tablespoons butter
2-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1 onion, peeled, cut in half, and cut into quarters
2-3 carrots, cut into 1-inch rounds
1-2 turnips, cut into 1-inch rounds
2-3 medium potatoes (5-6 small), cut into quarters or eighths
1 cup chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350˚F. Rinse and clean chicken and pat dry. Prepare chicken for roasting by sliding slices of butter and sprigs of rosemary under skin. Salt and pepper all of chicken, and stuff 2 lemons slices inside the chicken. Choose a pan for roasting (I like to use a deep roasting dish or a roasting pan that has a rack layer and shallow drip pan. I cook the chicken on top of the rack, putting the veggies under the roasting chicken in the drip pan). Depending on which way you choose to roast you will either place the chicken in the deep roasting pan and spread the chopped vegetables and lemon slices in the pan around the chicken or you will place the vegetables and 2 remaining lemon slices in the bottom drip pan, place the rack layer on top and place the chicken on top of that. Which ever method you choose make you sure salt, pepper, and drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and baste both chicken and veggies with chicken broth at the beginning and every 20 minutes or so while its roasting. Roast at 350˚F for at least and hour, longer if it’s larger chicken. Turn up the oven to 400˚F for the last 15-25 minutes of roasting, basting at least once during that time. Remove the roasting pan from the oven when chicken is cooked through (I check internal temperature with a meat thermometer). Let chicken and vegetables rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Kale Recipes
Kale-Ricotta Cannelloni
From Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman
Note: For homemade cannelloni egg roll wrappers work and taste better than dry pasta shells, and they don’t need to be cooked prior to using. Of course if you can find sheets of fresh pasta, use those instead of egg roll wrappers.
6 cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
3 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1 (15-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
10 egg roll wrappers (each 6 inches square)
2 cup grates mozzarella cheese
3 cups well-seasoned tomato sauce, or 2 (15-ounce) cans
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the kale and blanch until wilted and bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again, squeezing out the excess liquid. Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Lightly oil a large roasting pan or casserole (if necessary, use one 9- by 13-inch pan and one 9-inch square pan. To make the filling, finely chop the garlic and shallot in a food processor. Add the kale, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until very finely chopped.
To assemble the dish, mount a scant ½ cup of the filling evenly along one side of each egg roll wrapper. Roll each wrapper to enclose the filling. Set the rolled cannelloni, seam down and slightly apart, in the prepared roasting pan. Cover the cannelloni with mozzarella cheese. Spoon the sauce over and around the cannelloni. Bake uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce bubbles, the cannelloni are hot in the center, and the wrappers are tender. Serve hot.
Portuguese Kale Soup (a.k.a. Caldo Verde)
From Eating Well in Season by Andrea Chesman
Note: Caldo verde is considered one of the national dishes of Portugal. Keep it simple and you won’t be disappointed.
½ pound linguica or chorizo sausage (or any garlicky smoked sausage), sliced
8 cups chicken broth (homemade tastes the best)
3 to 4 medium-size potatoes (1 pound), peeled (if desired) and diced
8 cups lightly packed kale, stems discarded and leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the sausage and stock in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the potatoes. Combine the potatoes with water to cover in a medium-size saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and briefly mash with a potato masher for an uneven, lumpy texture. Add to the chicken broth along with the kale. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the kale is quite tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Turnip Recipe
Oven-Roasted Turnips with Squash and Shallots
From The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker
1½ pounds turnips, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
2pounds winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch chunks (can use your Hubbard, or any of the winter squash you’ve received this season)
12 to 18 small shallots, peeled (or 2 medium onions cut into chunks)
3 tablespoons rendered fat from a roasted turkey, chicken, pork or beef or olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place all the above ingredients in a 13×9-inch baking pan and toss together until evenly mixed throughout the pan. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fork-tender, about 1½ hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and freshly chopped parsley or chives if desired.
Winter Squash Recipe
Onion and Winter Squash Panade
Adapted from Stonesoup.com which was inspired by Judy Rodgers and the Zuni Cafe Cookbook
Note: This is a great way to use up stale bread, but fresh can be used as well. Just make sure it’s a hearty rustic loaf with a good crumb and crust. I used an aged cheddar as my cheese.
2-3 large yellow onions (about 2 pounds)
1/2 bunch thyme, leaves picked
½ a small/medium hubbard squash (or other winter squash), peeled and cut into ¾-inch dice (enough for 3-4 cups diced)
½ medium loaf rustic bread (1/2 pound), torn in to chunks
5 ounces cheese (about 1½ to 2 cups – less if using parmesan) (aged-sharp cheddar, gruyere, aged-assiago; parmesan, etc.)
3½ cups vegetable or chicken stock
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Cut onion in half lengthwise. Peel, then slice into half moons about 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook onion stirring occasionally until soft and golden brown. No need to caramelize. Stir in the thyme.
In a medium heatproof dish layer about a third of the onions. Sprinkle over some of the bread and cheese and squash. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used. You want to be able to see a little of each on the top. Bring stock to a simmer. Pour over the onion dish. Season.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 20 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden and crunchy and the stock has been absorbed by the bread. Run under the broiler for a few minutes if it’s not crispy enough.