CSA News: Week 27- November 29 to December 5

This Week’s Share

End of Season CSA News

As we near December we start receiving many questions about the end of the season. This season the last week of pick-up will be the week of December 15^th to December 19^th. You will receive your last two shares of the season (Week 29 & Week 30) together at your last pick-up. We decided to distribute the last two weeks at one time to help avoid any harvest and delivery complications that come from extreme cold and/or snow, to alleviate complications with winter vacations, and also because the majority of crops at the end of the season are storage type crops that can keep for several weeks if stored properly. Please check below for your last pick-up date and plan accordingly as it will be a big load.

• For all Tuesday Pick-up Sites the last CSA delivery is on Tuesday, December 13^th.

• For all Wednesday Pick-up Sites the last CSA delivery is on Wednesday, December 14^th.

• For all Thursday Pick-up Sites the last CSA delivery is on Thursday, December 15^th.

• For all Monday Pick-up Sites the last CSA delivery is on Monday, December 19^th.

SIO Nominated for Local Hero Award–Show Your Support

Each year Edible Portland asks its readers for their nominations, selects finalists, and returns to you, the community, to choose the winners in these categories: Farm, Restaurant, Food Artisan, Beverage Artisan, Nonprofit and Retailer.  This year SIO is proud to be nominated for the Local Hero Award in the Farm category and we’d love your vote before December 14th. Please take 30 seconds to cast your vote by following this link (www.surveymonkey.com/s/G8F2VYT). As always, thank you for you support.

Show Your SIO Spirit–Sign-up for Next Year

It’s hard to believe, but there is just two more weeks left in the 2011 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 2012 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. As an incentive to pay early,  sign-up and send in your full payment before December 5^th you will receive a storage share of Delicata winter squash, that’s 16 squash for Family Shares and 8 squash for Half Shares!

Recipes

Beet Recipes

Winter Borscht
From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert

1 tablespoon oil
3/4 to 1 pound stewing beef or chicken, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
8 cups water
2 cups potatoes or parsnips, chopped (optional)
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 to 2 cups beets, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried dill (or 1/2 cup fresh dill, and add with parsley)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Sour cream, for topping (optional)

Brown the meat in oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, 10 minutes. Add everything else except the parsley (and fresh dill if using) and bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Next add the parsley (and fresh dill if using) and simmer until barley is cooked and meat is tender, another 10 minutes. Serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Beet and Savoy Cabbage Salad with Goat Cheese
Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

4 medium beets
1/4 to 1/2 head Savoy cabbage (or Napa cabbage), thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Orange Vinaigrette (recipe included below), or other vinaigrette of your choice
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (chevre), crumbled

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Wrap the beets individually in foil and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, until fork-tender. Remove them from the oven and let cool. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and slice into matchsticks. Transfer the cabbage to a large platter. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss to mix. Add about three-quarter of the dressing and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed. Spread out the cabbage to form a bed for the beets. Arrange the beets on top of the cabbage. Top with crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and serve.

Orange Vinaigrette
From Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the orange juice, vinegar, shallot, orange zest and sugar in small bowl. Whisk in the oil until it is fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.

Cabbage Recipes

Hungarian Cabbage Rolls
Recipe from Asparagus to Zucchini by the Madison Area CSA Coalition

8 large cabbage leaves, with no holes
1 cup bulgar
1 cup sunflower seeds or walnut pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup peeled (if desired) and diced carrot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons white miso, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling water 3-5 minutes, until soft but not cooked completely. Set aside. Bring 2 cups with a pinch of salt to a boil. Stir in bulgar, cover and simmer 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Roast sunflower seeds or walnut pieces at 350˚F for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add onions, carrots, garlic, and spices. Sauté 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add miso and tamari/soy sauce, and stir in roasted seeds/nuts and bulgar. Roll each cabbage leaf as follows: Place 1/2 cup filling at the top of the leaf and make one roll down the leaf while pressing firmly; fold sides into the center and continue rolling the leaf downward at least one more time. Oil an 8-inch square baking dish and place cabbage rolls in dish, seam down. Pour 1 cup water over roll; cover dish with foil. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes. Serve hot with a sauce of your choice.

Winter Borscht
(see above in Beet Recipes)

Parsnip Recipes

Maple Parsnip Soup   
From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert

3 tablespoons butter (or half butter and half olive oil)
1 pound parsnips, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or more for spicier taste)
Salt, to taste
3/4 cupPine nuts (or other nuts), toasted (for garnish)

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot until it begins to brown. Add and sauté the chopped parsnips, onions and garlic until the onions are translucent but not brown. Then add the broth and nutmeg, bring to a simmer, and cook until parsnips are soft, about 40 minutes. Add the evaporated milk and remove from heat. Pour into a blender/food processor and puree until velvety smooth. You can also leave the soup in the pot and use a hand/stick blender to puree. Stir in maple syrup, mustard, and salt. Serve hot with toasted nuts for garnish. Serves 8.

Parsnip Oven-Fries with Yogurt-Curry Dipping Sauce
Recipe from Canadian Living Cook by Elizabeth Baird

1 pound parsnips
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon curry paste
1 small green onion, minced

Peel parsnips. Cut into 2 inch x 1/2-inch sticks. In bowl, toss together parsnips, oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Bake on greased baking sheet in 425˚F oven, turning occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until browned and tender. In small bowl, stir together yogurt, curry paste, and green onion. Serve sauce with parsnip fries.

Winter Squash Recipes

Honey Kissed Winter Squash
From Francesca Benedetti, SIO CSA Coordinator

1 winter squash (can use Acorn from this week, or any other you may have left storing)
2 tablespoons butter or margerine
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 3-inch sprig fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Halve the winter squash and scoop out the seeds and stringy center. Place cut-side up on baking dish and divide the butter and honey between the two halves and place in the scooped out part of the squash. Then sprinkle both halves with nutmeg, cumin, salt and pepper and divide the rosemary sprig between the two halves as well. Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of the baking dish and roast in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until squash are fork tender. Half way through roasting you may take out squash and brush the melted butter/honey collected in the cavity on all of the cut-side of the squash.  For a delicious meal, serve with brown rice or quinoa and a crisp winter salad.

Simple Winter Squash Casserole
From The Territorial Seed Co. Garden Cookbook

2 pounds winter squash
1 medium onion, chopped
Half a green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup cracker crumbs
1/2 cup grated American cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt, to taste

Slice squash and add onion and green pepper. Cook in water until squash is tender. Preheat oven to 350˚. Drain squash and add butter, eggs and cracker crumbs. Mix well, put into greased dish, and top with cheese. Bake 50 minutes