CSA Newsletter: Week 20- September 29, 2008

September 29th, 2008

  

This Week’s Share



Rotations

Beans, eggplants, melons and saucing tomatoes (this is the 2nd round of 5#) are all still on rotation.

 Recipes


This is the week to experiment with salsa recipes. Take your tomatoes, onions, hot peppers & cilantro and combine to your preference. Add a little salt and lemon or lime juice and you are sure to find perfection. Here is a little inspiration.

CHILIES RELLENOS DE QUESO
Adapted from Cooks.com

2 chilies, roasted and peeled
1 1/3 oz cheese, Monterey jack
oil, for frying
1 eggs, separated
1 cup flour, all purpose


Tomato Sauce

1 1/3 pounds (about 2 or 3) tomatoes, peeled
1 medium onion
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
pinch of cloves, ground


For the preparation of the tomato sauce, combine tomatoes, onion and garlic in blender or food processor and blend to a puree. Heat oil in a medium saucepan, add tomato mixture. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Simmer gently 15 minutes.

Cut a tiny slit in one side of each pepper to remove seeds, leaving stems on and then dry on paper towels. Cut cheese into long thin sticks, one for each pepper and place one stick in each. If the peppers are loose and open, wrap around cheese and fasten with a wooden toothpick.

Pour oil 1/4″ deep into large heavy pan and heat to 365 F.

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff. Beat egg yolks lightly in a small bowl and fold into the beaten egg whites, gently but thoroughly.

Roll peppers in flour, and then dip in egg mixture to coat. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown, turning with a spatula. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately topped with tomato sauce.

Roasted Poblano-Tomato Salsa
Adapted from Rick’s Roasted Poblano-Tomato Salsa, marthastewart.com/recipe

Makes 3 cups

1 pound ripe tomatoes
2 medium fresh poblano chiles
1/2 onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons coarse salt


Preheat the broiler. Place tomatoes and poblanos on a rimmed baking sheet. Set the baking sheet as close to the broiler as your oven allows, and broil tomatoes and poblanos until darkly roasted and splotchy black on one side, about 6 minutes. Using tongs, turn, and roast the other side. The poblanos may be completely blistered and blackened before the tomatoes are. If so, remove them as soon as they are done. 

Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees. Separate the onion into rings. On a second rimmed baking sheet, mix together onion and garlic. Roast in the oven, stirring every few minutes, until onions are richly browned and garlic is soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Cut out the cores from the tomatoes. Peel, discarding skins and reserving any juices; set aside. Remove the skins and seeds from the poblanos and discard. Chop into 1/4-inch pieces and place in a large bowl.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse onion and garlic until finely chopped, scraping down the sides. Transfer to the bowl with poblanos. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree the tomatoes with their juice, and add them to the poblano mixture. Stir in enough water to give the salsa a saucy consistency. Stir in cilantro and thyme. Season with salt. The salsa may be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Swiss Chard and Lentil Soup
Adapted from The Best of Bloodroot Volume Two by Selma Miriam & Noel Furie

1/2 C French Lentils
1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3C olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 large potatoes
1 bunch chard
2 tablespoons Tamari
Salt & pepper


Pick over 1/2 C French Lentils to remove any stones. Put in a pot, cover with 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile finely chop 1 medium onion. In a soup pot, add 1/3C olive oil and sauté the onion. Add 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. When onions are soft and golden, add 2 cloves chopped garlic. Cook briefly, then turn off heat and set aside.

Peel and dice 2 large potatoes. Add to soup pot with 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Cook until potatoes are almost done.

Meanwhile shred 1 bunch chard. Add chard and lentils to the soup pot. When chard and lentils are quite cooked, season with 2 tablespoons tamari. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Brooke’s Universal Hearty Soup

1/4 to 1/2 C Olive or other vegetable oil
2 C onion, diced
3 C potatoes, chopped into bite size chunks (cut smaller if short on time)
1 C carrots, chopped
2 C chard, chopped
Any amount of any other vegetable (e.g. squash), chopped and added with thought for how long it will take to cook, relative to the other vegetables.
1 T Italian seasonings (this is the only use I have discovered for that jar, if you don’t have the Italian seasoning mix, just add some dried oregano, basil, and thyme)
Cayenne to taste
Salt, pepper to taste


Pour enough oil into a soup pan to generously cover the bottom of the pan and heat on medium. Add the onion and cook, covered until it begins to soften. (If you want to add leeks or garlic, throw them in with the onion at the beginning so the flavor will carry throughout the soup). Turn the heat down low and add the Italian seasoning, a hefty dash of salt, and a pinch of cayenne. The secret to my favorite soups is to let the onion and other seasonings cook in oil for as long as I can stand (and to always add enough salt). After 10-15 minutes of cooking seasonings on low (during which time you can be prepping the other vegetables) you can begin to add the potatoes, carrots, and any other hearty vegetables. Add 1/2 C of water to the pot and turn up to medium/high heat until it boils, at which point you can bring it back down to a simmer. Simmer stirring occasionally. Add water if soup is sticking to the bottom of the pan. After about 20 minutes, add the less hearty vegetables (chard, summer squash, etc.) and bring back to a boil. Cook for another 10-20 minutes (keep the lid on to cook faster, but if the soup has gotten watery, leave the lid off), until all vegetables are thoroughly cooked. Salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to add enough salt that you can taste all the flavor you waited so patiently for. You can serve with a bit of fresh dill on top if you have it.

Posted in Recipe, CSA Newsletter |

CSA Newsletter: Week 19- September 22, 2008

September 22nd, 2008

  

This Week’s Share




Rotations

Melons, beans, eggplants and sauce tomatoes (5 pounds) continue on rotation.

Meet the Melons

Now that melons have made their rounds through the CSA pick up locations a few times, we thought we should better acquaint you with what we are growing this year. And hopefully - despite the rain this week - we’ll be able to harvest a melon or two more before fall settles in.


Maverick
An old standard for us, Maverick is a muskmelon with a yellow-orange rind and orange flesh inside. It is the first of the melons we planted this year and ripens earlier than the others. Its slightly ribbed rind distinguished it from Galias and San Juans.


San Juans
San Juans are an Ananas type melon. The word “Ananas”, is present both in the French and Italian languages - both literally translate to mean “Pineapple” in English, so another common name for this variety is Pineapple Melon. These melons are renowned for their sweet, aromatic, and slightly spicy flavor. Medium sized, oval, and heavily netted looking rind. The melon is ripe when the skin is mostly yellow-orange and the flesh is a very pale yellow, almost white. Their more oblong shape distinguishes them from Galia.


Galia
Galia melons are similar to muskmelons, although they are slightly larger with a yellow-green flesh, surrounded by a lightly netted orange rind. These melons are particularly beautiful when ripe, they seem to glow orange making them easy to spot when harvesting.


Noir de Carmes
A few CSA members mistook this melon to be a winter squash - so if you were one - you were not alone. We apologize for not introducing you sooner. Noir des Carmes is a French heirloom named for the Carmelite monks. The smooth, ribbed skin ripens from almost black to very dark green to orange mottled with green. The orange flesh inside is sweet and very aromatic. When the melon is ripe it tends to be very soft, making it unsuitable for shipping, and therefore hard to find in the grocery store.

Recipes



Gazpacho
Gazpacho is one of my favorite foods for late summer.

Adapted from Fields of Green by Annie Somerville
Makes about 10 cups.

Cucumber - 1 medium
Tomatoes - 5 pounds
onion - 1 cup dices
Green Bell Pepper - 1 chopped
Fresh Basil - 1/4 cup chopped
Salt and pepper
Vinegar - 2 or 3 tablespoons
Fresh Lime Juice - 2 or 3 teaspoons



Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds; cut into small cubes and set aside.


Bring a medium-size pot of water to a boil. Core the tomatoes and drop into the water a few at a time, for about 10 seconds, just long enough to loosen their skins. Scoop the tomatoes out of the water and continue with the rest. Rinse under cold water to cool them, then slip off their skins. Place a mesh strainer over a bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and, over the strainer, squeeze out the juice and seeds. Save the juice to add to the soup and discard the seeds.


Puree half the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and coarsely chop the rest. Combine all of the tomatoes, the onion, cucumber, pepper, and basil in a large bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 2 teaspoons lime juice. Refrigerate and let sit for at least 1 hour before serving, to allow the flavors to develop. Add salt, pepper, lime juice, and vinegar if needed. Serve chilled.


Sautéed Zucchini with Dill
Adapted from Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds summer squash, trimmed and cut into 1/4 inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste



Heat the butter in a 12-inch sauté pan. Add the zucchini, dill and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the zucchini is cooked but slightly crisp. Add salt to taste.


Corn & Feta Cheese Omelet

Adapted from Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups peeled, seeded & chopped tomatoes

2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 cup leeks

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

6 ounces feta cheese, cumbled



Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the leeks. Cook until tender. Then add tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to give off liquid.  Add corn, salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese.


One at a time, make four 3-egg omelets in a 9-inch skillet. Befoe folding them ove, spoon in some of the filling. Slide the omelets onto plates and spoon the emaining filling over the tops.

Posted in Recipe, CSA Newsletter |

CSA Newsletter: Week 18- September 15, 2008

September 15th, 2008

 

This Week’s Share




On Rotation


Melons, beans, sauce tomatoes (5 pounds) and eggplant are still all making the rounds.

Recipes



Italian Tomato and Bread Soup
Adapted from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters

2 small onions, diced
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt
2 pounds very ripe tomatoes
¼ pound basil
2 to 2 ½ cups bread crumbs
Reggiano Parmesan cheese



Saute the onions in about ½ cup o the olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and some salt and cook a few minutes more.


Core and chop the tomatoes. When the onions and garlic are done, remove and set aside one third o the mixture. Add the tomatoes to the remaining onion mixture, along with the basil stems (reserving the leaves), and cook for about 15 minutes to make a nice tomato sauce. Pass through a food mill or a fine mesh strainer to remove skins and seeds. Return sauce to pan.


Add the reserved onions and garlic to the tomato sauce. Over very low heat, stir in about 11/2 cups of the bread crumbs. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let the soup site for 10 minutes. As the bread crumbs absorb liquid, the soup will slowly thicken. The dryness and density of the bread crumbs, the soupiness of the tomatoes, and your own personal preference will dictate how much bread to add. The denser the crumbs, the longer the soup takes to thicken and the less you will need. If you have very dense bread, make finer crumbs and cook the soup more slowly. If the soup thickens too much, thin it out with a little water.


Chop a handful of the reserved basil leaves and stir them into the soup, with a little more olive oil if you like, and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot or cold, garnished with a thread of olive oil, grated Parmesan, and a whole basil leaf if you wish.


Gingered Fennel with Garlic
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites by the Moosewood Collective

2 medium fennel bulbs
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root
½ cup orange juice (or sherry)
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and ground pepper to taste



Thinly slice fennel and in a large skillet, sauté garlic, fennel and oil on medium-high heat for about 7 minutes (until the fennel is golden brown) while stirring frequently. If necessary, add a splash or two of water to prevent sticking. Add the ginger and orange juice, cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes- until the fennel is tender. Sprinkle on salt, sugar and pepper to taste.


Squash and Kale Risotto
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites by the Moosewood Collective

4 ½ to 5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup minced onions
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
1½ cups Arborio rice
½ cups dry white wine (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups cubed squash (¾ to 1-inch cubes)
3 cups steamed and chopped kale, packed (about ½ pound before steaming)
1/8 to ¼ teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel
Salt and ground pepper to taste
¼ cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese



Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy sauté pan and then sauté the squash until golden brown. Set aside.


Bring vegetable stock to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer. In a heavy saucepan sauté onions and 2 teaspoons oil for about 5 minutes until softened, but not browned. Then add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon (to prevent breaking the grains) until well coated with oil. If using wine, add it to the rice and onions. When it is absorbed (this shouldn’t take too long), ladle in 2 ½ cups of the simmering stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes between each addition until rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the steamed kale and sautéed squash and stir.


Continue adding ½ cup of broth every couple minutes for about 10 minutes and stir often until all stock has been added and the rice is tender yet firm. Add nutmeg, lemon peel, salt and pepper to taste. Remove the risotto from the heat stir in the cheese and serve immediately.


Beer Batter-Fried Kale
Adapted from JustVegetableRecipes.com

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons beer (not dark)
1 cup All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Table salt
1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil for deep-frying the kale leaves
8 medium sized Kale leaves; washed and cut to smaller size if necessary
Coarse salt for sprinkling the leaves
Lemon wedges



In a blender combine the beer, the flour, the table salt, and the pepper until the batter is smooth, transfer the batter to a bowl, and let it stand, covered, for 1 hour.


In a large deep skillet heat 1 inch of the oil until it reaches 360F. Dip each leaf into the batter, coating it thoroughly and knocking off the excess batter on the side of the bowl, and fry it in the oil for 30 seconds on each side, or until it is golden. Transfer the kale as it is fried to paper towels to drain and sprinkle it lightly with the coarse salt. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Field Notes

In addition to our weekly CSA harvest, we have been busy harvesting our storage onions. These are the onions that some of you joined us in planting back in late April. Now, over four months later, the onions have formed bulbs and the tops have started to dry indicating that they are reaching maturity. Storage onions require ideal curing conditions. When onions “cure” the leaves dry and shrivel and ultimately create a seal so that disease doesn’t make its way into the succulent onion. Ideal conditions for curing are temperatures in the 75-85 degree range and humidity at 65-70%. Once the skins and tops are dry, we’ll clip the tops off, clean the onions, and then bring them your way over the months to come.

Posted in Recipe, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates |

CSA Newsletter: Week 17- September 8, 2008

September 8th, 2008

  

This Week’s Share



On Rotation

Melons, eggplants and saucing tomatoes continue on rotation. Basil will be back on rotation next week for one last taste of summer.

Field Notes (by Tanya Murray)

September on the farm is one of my favorite months, especially when the days are as beautiful as they have been this week and last. These are the days when we truly experience the bounty of the season’s work. Our project list has shifted from seeding, planting, weeding, staking, trellising, tying to mostly, harvesting. It has been a late season for a few crops. I take comfort in hearing that other growers in the area have had the same experience. Tomatoes came on a few weeks late this year, but they are certainly abundant now. Solanums - which include tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant - are especially sensitive to cold. We wait to plant eggplants and peppers until the night temperatures are above 55 degrees. This year we waited to plant until after the summer solstice. Typically we plant one to two weeks earlier. It’s hard to remember the cold June we had after our mid-August heat wave and in these perfect days of late summer, but the peppers and eggplant are still catching up with us. I am happy to report that the eggplant harvest has begun, albeit slowly. We are sending them to pick ups on a rotation so that we don’t have to wait till we have enough for all 250 CSA shares in one week. So if you haven’t enjoyed them yet, there is eggplant in your future. The pepper plants have fruit on them that has not yet started to color and ripen. I spent my earlier farming days back east where peppers are truly a summer vegetable. On the East coast though the winters are colder and the summers are shorter, the summers nights (and days) are generally warmer. Alas, in the Pacific Northwest, where our climate is more moderate, I have had to reclassify the pepper as a late summer/fall vegetable. Baring a very early frost, we will be harvesting peppers well into October. We understand that being a CSA member and eating the bounty that our region brings at times requires patience, but oh how tasty each anticipated vegetable!

Recipes


Tomatoes Provencal
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

4 medium firm, ripe tomatoes
3 to 4 garlic cloves to taste
1 cup parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped basil
¾ cup breadcrumbs made from day old bread
salt and freshly milled pepper
olive oil


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a gratin dish. Cut the tomatoes in half around their equators and gently remove the seeds with your fingertips. Chop the garlic, parsley and basil together, and then mix them with the bread crumbs and season well with salt and pepper. Lightly fill the tomatoes with this mixture, set them in the gratin dish, and thread olive oil generously over their tops. Bake for 30 minutes. They’ll be soft, so remove them carefully from the dish.

Stuffed Summer Squash
Adapted from Vegan Planet

4 medium sized squash, zucchini or yellow straight neck, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ of a yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves
salt and ground black pepper
3 large, ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels
2 teaspoons brown sugar or other sweetener
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped parsley (or basil)
1 cup grated cheese of your choice (optional)


Use a sharp knife or a melon baler to remove the flesh inside the summer squash, leaving a 1/3″ thick shell. Chop the flesh and set aside. Steam the squash shells, open end facing down over boiling water, for about 5 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chopped squash flesh, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, corn, sugar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the herbs. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add ½ cup of the cheese. Stir and let cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the stuffing mixture into the squash shells and arrange them on an oiled baking dish. Cover and bake until hot, about 30 minutes. Garnish with the remaining cheese, herbs, oil and black pepper on top, and let cool a few minutes before serving.

Parsley Dumplings
Adapted from epicurious.com

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley


Spray bamboo steamer basket or large metal steamer rack with nonstick spray. Add enough water to large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Bring water to boil; reduce to simmer. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in medium bowl to blend. Using fingertips, rub butter into dry ingredients until incorporated. Add milk and chopped parsley and stir just to blend. Drop small walnut-size mounds of dough into prepared steamer basket, spacing dumplings apart. Set steamer basket atop simmering water and cover tightly. Steam dumplings until cooked through, for about 10 minutes.

Melon Soup with Ginger-Cucumber Salsa
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

1 melon
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
½ cup yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk (optional)
salt
mint or basil sprigs


For the salsa

reserved wedge of melon, peeled
1/3 cucumber, peeled and seeded
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon minced basil
1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely diced (or substitute dried pepper or hot sauce)
1 small knob of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
salt


Cut the melon into eighths and set one wedge aside. Seed, peel, and puree the rest. Stir in the lime zest and juice, yogurt, and a few pinches of salt. Cover and refrigerate.

Neatly and finely dice the melon and cucumber and combine with the lime zest and juice, basil, mint, and hot pepper. Force the ginger through the garlic press and add it to the salsa. Season with a pinch of salt and chill. Serve the soup very cold with the salsa spooned into the middle of each bowl and garnish with mint sprigs.

Tagliarini with Roasted Tomatoes, Zucchini, and Basil
Adapted from Fields of Greens

This recipe is for when you receive your San Marzano sauce tomatoes; it is a bit complicated, as it requires roasting the tomatoes and making the bread crumbs ahead of time, but should turn out delicious.


Slow-Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from The Improvisational Cook

2lbs ripe or nearly ripe tomatoes (about 6 regular tomatoes)
Extra virgin olive oil
About ½ teaspoon sugar
About ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper



Preheat oven to 325F. Slice Roma tomatoes in two lengthwise through the stem, larger tomatoes should be quartered through the stem. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes until coated in olive oil. Arrange cut side up on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar, salt and pepper. Roast for 2 ½ -3 hours until they have lost most of their liquid and are just beginning to brown. Cool to room temperature. Store for up to one week in the refrigerator or in the freezer up to 2 months!

½ pound summer squash, chopped
1 pound San Marzano tomatoes, slow roasted (see recipe above)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
½ pound fresh tagliarini
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
15 to 20 fresh basil leaves, bundled and thinly sliced, about 1/3 cup
grated parmesan cheese
½ cup bread crumbs, roasted or pan fried with olive oil and garlic (optional)



Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Cut the roasted tomatoes in quarters and reserve their juice for the sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet and add the squash, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Sauté over medium high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough to heat the squash through. Next add the wine and cook for another minute, until the pan is nearly dry. Add the remaining olive oil, the tomatoes and their juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the hot pepper flakes.

When the water is boiling, add 1 teaspoon salt. Add the tagliarini and cook until just tender. Before you drain the pasta, add ¼ cup of the cooking water to the sauté pan. Immediately drain the pasta, and then add it to the tomatoes and squash along with the pine nuts and basil. Reduce the heat, toss well, and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bread crumbs and serve immediately.

Annual Potato Harvest Work Party Video

A big thank you to CSA member & Video Producer Michael Annus for creating a wonderful view into the farm. You can see first hand how the potatoes you are eating this week were harvested. Thanks again to all who participated.


Volunteer Opportunity at the Sauvie Island Center

Volunteer Field Trips Leaders are needed for the Sauvie Island Center. The Center is currently recruiting volunteer farm educators to assist in field trip leadership. Between September and November, 1st -5th grade classes will be visiting the Sauvie Island Center to learn about farms, the food they grow, and the landscape in which they exist. These students spend part of their time in the fields of Sauvie Island Organics


The field trip leader training is scheduled for Friday, September 19th on Sauvie Island from 8:45 am-2:00 pm. Field trips begin Friday, September 26th and run every Friday through October 31st.


The center increases food, farming, and environmental literacy in our community. This is an exciting learning opportunity for all parties involved! For more info visit the Center’s website or contact their Youth Education Coordinator Jennifer James at 503.341.8627
 

Posted in Recipe, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates |

CSA Newsletter: Week 16- September 1, 2008

September 1st, 2008

  

This Week’s Share




On Rotation


Melons, eggplant and basil (1 pound) continue on rotation. San Marzano paste tomatoes will be rotating through the pick-ups at 5 pounds per share.

Recipes



Apple-Celery en Blue
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

1 apple
2-3 celery stalks
1/3 cup crumbles blue or Roquefort cheese
Enough of your favorite salad greens for 2 severing
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon honey salt & ground black pepper



Core the apples and cut into 1/2 -inch pieces. Thinly slice the celery. Combine apples, celery, and crumbles cheese in severing bowl. Rinse greens, dry them in towels or salad spinner, tear into bite-size pieces, and add them to the bowl. In a cup, whisk vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and honey. Toss dressing with salad; add salt and pepper to taste. Severe immediately. Two servings.


Blender Salsa Di Pomodoro
Adapted from Anne Tedeschi, Dog Hollow Farm

Lots of tomatoes
Small amount of basil and parsley, dries or fresh
A large amount of oregano
Minced garlic cloves
1 or 2 carrots, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste



In Italy, no one follows a recipe for tomato sauce, so use your imagination for quantities. A couple of guidelines: Do not underestimate the amount of garlic; when in doubt, put in lots. Also, Carrots are often the sweetener in Italian tomato sauce. Blend or process the tomatoes to an almost pureed texture. Gradually add herbs, garlic and carrots. Slowly cook the mixture in a deep skillet (cast iron is best). When sauce has reduced about halfway to the texture you want, add salt and pepper. Add several tablespoons of olive oil before reheating for serving. Makes any quantity.


Mediterranean- Style Cashew- Cucumber Dip
Adapted from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowit and Terry Hope Romero

1 pound seedless cucumber, peeled and grated
1 cup raw cashews
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of ground white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped dill(optional)



Squeeze handfuls of grated cucumber over a medium-size bowl to remove as much juice as possible. You can do this also by wrapping cucumber in a cheesecloth or heavy-duty paper towel. Set aside the juice and place the squeezed cucumber in a large bowl.


Combine the cashews, lemon juice, half the grated cucumber, garlic, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until creamy, scraping the sides of the processor bowl frequently. Add 1 to 3 tablespoons of reserved cucumber juice to the sauce. The final consistency should resemble a not-to-thick hummus. Scrape into a medium-size bowl and stir in the remaining grated cucumber and chopped dill. Cover and chill until ready to use. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a few kalamata olives, if desired.

Posted in Recipe, CSA Newsletter |

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