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December 26, 2005
Welcome to Session 4
The recent cold snap and then all this warm rain has brought challenges to the harvest but we still have a tasty assortment of seasonal produce for you. The turnips are very small, tender and sweet, nothing like the huge old turnips you see in the grocery store. These are delicious raw in salads or try them carmelized, a farm favorite! The greens are also tasty and nutritious, after freezing and thawing in all of this rain, they are not as hardy as in the spring. Use them right away. For many folks, it isn't New Years without collard greens. So we have included them this week along with a classic collard recipe, don't forget to enjoy the pot liquor with some crusty bread. Cold and wet weather like this practically begs for a hearty soup, try this one with our creamy cannellini beans. For the large shares, we have sweet dumpling squash, these round and compact squash are prized for baking or holding soups. Try baking them filled with some of your apples and spices, yum!
Small Shares:
4 baby head lettuce, 1/4# braising mix, 1 bunch collard greens, 1 bunch baby turnips, 1 bunch carrots, 1 onion from Desert Valley Farm and 2 Fuji apples.
Medium Shares:
6 baby head lettuce, 1/2# braising mix, 1 bunch collard greens, 2 bunch baby turnips, 2 bunch carrots, 1/2# dried cannellini beans, 1 onion from Desert Valley Farm and 4 Fuji apples.
Large Shares:
8 baby head lettuce, 3/4# braising mix, 2 bunch collard greens, 2 bunch baby turnips, 3 bunch carrots, 1# dried cannellini beans, 1/4# mache, 2 sweet dumpling squash, 1 bulb Red German garlic from Stony Plains farm, 2 onions from Desert Valley Farm and 6 Fuji apples.
Posted by Christine at 12:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Turkey & Cannelloni Bean Soup
This is a high protein soup that makes good use of those turkey leftovers. For a more rib sticking version, puree half of the stock and bean mixture before adding the other vegetables. This makes a thicker and heartier soup.
6 c. turkey stock*
2 c. dried cannelloni beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 medium onion chopped
2 TBS minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
½ celeriac root, peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
3 carrots, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ½ c. chopped turkey
1 c. shredded braising mix or any hardy winter green
Place the stock, beans, onion, garlic and herbs in a large stock pot. Simmer about an hour and half, until the beans have softened. Add the celeriac, carrots, salt and pepper. Simmer another 15 minutes. Add the turkey and braising mix, simmer until heated through.
*To reduce the fat content, I make my stock the night before and refrigerate. I remove the hardened fat off the top of the stock before adding it to the stock pot.
Posted by Christine at 08:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
New Year's Collard Greens
A traditional southern treat, collard greens are a New Year's tradition for many. For some cultures, eating greens is a means to ensure money in the new year.
2 smoked ham hocks
2 qt chicken broth
1 medium onion chopped
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
2 TBS white sugar
2 bunches collard greens
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Put the hocks, broth, onion, bay leaves, pepper flakes and sugar in a stock pot. Bring to a full boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off fat and foam.
Cut off the collard green stalks. Slice the greens into 1” strips. Add them to the stock pot and simmer one hour.
Posted by Christine at 08:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 19, 2005
CSA Boxes Week 4, Session Three
Happy Holidays from the staff at Willie Green's!
We have done our best to respond to your requests to include your holiday favorites in the boxes this week. Due to demand, we are offering the yams again with the caveat that they are NOT Washington grown. Please call us at (425) 485-4128 if you would like more red potatoes instead. In addition to yams, we received multiple requests for celeriac, Brussel Sprouts, parsnips and pears. Check out Susie's Special Sprouts, a Christmas tradition.
Parsnips are often honey roasted or mashed for the holidays, if you want to try something different, take a look at Savory Parsnip Saute. We finish the recipes for the week with Upside-down Pear Gingerbread.
We also have a new green for you this week. Claytonia. Claytonia is a winter lettuce that grows wild and is often known as Miners lettuce. Ours is cultivated and high in Vitamin C. The leaves are thicker than most lettuces and are almost succulent. They are best served with a mild dressing tath won't overpower it's delicate flavor.
Small Shares:
1/3# Salad Mix, 1 bunch parsnips, 1 celeriac, 2 Anjou pears, 1 bunch carrots, 1 yam, and 1/2# Brussel Sprouts
Medium Shares:
2/3# Salad Mix, 1 bunch parsnips, 2 celeriac, 4 Anjou pears, 2 bunch carrots, 2 yams, 3/4# Brussel Sprouts, 1 medium bunch Claytonia and 1 1/2# red potatoes from Alden farms
Large Shares:
1# Salad Mix, 2 bunch parsnips, 3 celeriac, 6 Anjou pears, 3 bunch carrots, 3 yams, 1# Brussel Sprouts, 1 large bunch Claytonia, 2# red potatoes from Alden farms, 1 bunch white chard and 1 bunch Chiogga beets
Posted by Christine at 11:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 18, 2005
Savory Parsnips Saute
This is a different way to enjoy parsnips. Classically, they are pureed, roasted or enjoyed in soups and stews. This time they are sauteed so they are crisp and savory on the outside and sweet and soft on the inside.
1 pound parsnips
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Peel the parsnips, then cut them into 2" lengths. Cut the sections into strips about 1/2" thick.
In a heavy 10-inch skillet, melt the butter; then add the parsnips, shaking to coat. Sprinkle with seasonsings. Cover tightly and saute on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes, until they are just tender. Turn up the heat to medium high and brown the parnsips, stirring to prevent scorching. Serves 4.
Posted by Christine at 08:26 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Susie's Special Sprouts
This recipe comes from Susie, our hostess for the Magnolia CSA drop off. This is her family's traditional Christmas vegetable.
Brussels Sprouts with Almonds
1 1/2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
4 T. butter
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted almond slices
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Prepare sprouts by washing them, peeling off any outside leaves, and trimming bottoms. Cut an X into the bottom of each one (makes that stem part cook faster). Drop them in a pan salted cold water to refresh until you are ready to cook them or cook them right away in boiling salted water about five minutes,or until sprouts are just tender to the fork. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and pat dry. Cut each sprout into halves or quarters. (When preparing a holiday meal, I do the sprouts this far early in the afternoon and have them all ready to heat up at the last minute).
A few minutes before serving, melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. When the foam has subsided and butter is on the verge of browning, add the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and shake around in the pan until sprouts are heated through. Add almonds and parsley and cook one minute more.
Voila...
Posted by Christine at 08:41 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 12, 2005
Traditional CSA boxes Session 3 week 3
It is cold and dry on the farm this week. Cold enough in fact that we still have a few patches of snow left over from a week ago. Your boxes this week are still filled with a variety of produce, despite the weather. Mache, our hearty winter green is featured in your boxes again this week. Here is a mache recipe that Molly put together for our newsletter last week. Molly also had some wonderful tips for enjoying this mild winter green. To trim your mache means to remove any dirty roots and separate the individual leaves. She suggests being gentle with it as you trim and toss because it is easily bruised. I have noticed that Brussels Sprouts are a favorite among our CSA customers. The small and medium boxes are receiving them this week. Click here for another of Molly's delicious, quick and easy recipes that will make a Brussels Sprout lover out of almost anyone. Purple broccoli is the special treat this week for the large shares. It is a very limited supply, this is one product that will not be making it to market this season. Hope you Enjoy!
Below is what you will find in your CSA boxes this week.
Small:
1/3 # Spinach, 1/4# Mache, 1 bn Carrots, 2 Gala Apples, 1 onion, 1 bn. radish, 1/2# Brussels Sprouts
Medium:
2/3 # Spinach, 1/2# Mache, 2 bn Carrots, 4 Gala Apples, 1 onion, 2 bn. radishes, 3/4# Brussels Sprouts, 1 bn. Collard Greens, 1 sugar loaf squash
Large:
1# Spinach, 3/4# Mache, 3 bn Carrots, 6 Gala Apples, 2 bn. radishes, 2 onion, 3/4# Purple Broccoli, 2 bn Collard Greens, 1.25# Romanesco, 2 bn Baby Turnips
Posted by Christine at 02:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Mache with Lemon-champagne Dressing
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS champagne vinegar
Salt, to taste
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb mache, trimmed
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, champagne vinegar, and lemon juice. When thoroughly combined, gradually add the olive oil, whisking to emulsify completely. Salt to taste. The dressing will keep, refrigerated, for up to two weeks.
Posted by at 02:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 05, 2005
CSA boxes
Well, it was a snowy weekend on the farm. Depending on how the weather holds, we may be knocking off the snow to get to our crops this week. Snowy and muddy fields means that we may be doing more harvesting by hand. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the salad, spinach and arugula is more likely to get bruised when it is hand cut and you may find more moisture in your bagged greens. Place a paper towel in the bottom of the bag to absorb excess moisture and to help the greens last longer. Snow collapsed some of our row covers so this is probably the last of the arugula. The spinach and lettuces are growing very slowly at these cold temperatures and low light, but we should have them for the duration of the CSA season.
We are pairing Joi choi (large bok choy variety) and daikon again in your boxes. The last time we did, I whipped up this tasty stir fry. Katie, one of our CSA customers will also be posting a daikon dinner pancake recipe later this week. As always, you can find over daikon recipes by using the search tool on the blog. Enjoy the last of the season's arugula with this quick and pretty pasta recipe. Although we don't grow them, I really enjoy the taste of pomegranates this time of year. You can enjoy them too in Pork with Pears in Pomegranate Sauce
Small Shares:
1/3# salad mix, 1 bunch carrots, 1/2# daikon, 1 Joi Choi, 2 Anjou Pears from Mt View Orchards, 3/4# Panther (green) cauliflower, and 1 spaghetti squash
Medium Shares:
2/3# salad mix, 2 bunch carrots, 3/4# daikon, 1 Joi Choi, 4 Anjou Pears from Mt View Orchards, 1# Romanesco, 1 bunch Chiogga beets, 3/4# yukon gold potatoes from Alden Farms and 1 spaghetti squash
Large Shares:
1# salad mix, 1/2# arugula, 3 bunch carrots, 1# daikon, 2 Joi Choi, 6 Anjou Pears from Mt View Orchards, 1 1/4# Panther (green) cauliflower, 1 bunch Chiogga beets, 1 bunch Golden Beets, 3/4# yukon gold potatoes from Alden Farms and 1 spaghetti squash
We will keep you posted if the weather necessitates any changes.
Posted by Christine at 11:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Feta & Arugula over Penne
¼ olive oil
2 tsp finely minced garlic
½ c sliced mushrooms
8 oz penne pasta
5 oz herbed feta cheese
2 c. coarsely chopped arugula*
1 c. halved cherry tomatoes
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
In a sauté pan, cook the mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil. Cook the penne in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.
Place the pasta in a serving bowl. Crumble the feta over the pasta. Add the arugula, tomatoes and the garlic/mushroom mixture. Toss and serve immediately.
*If arugula is normally too “peppery” for your taste, add it to the mushrooms and cook until it just begins to wilt. Cooking will tame the flavor.
Posted by Christine at 10:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Pork in Pear & Pomegranate Sauce
This is a very pretty and unique dish. Pomegranate molasses is also called concentrated Pomegranate juice. It is available in larger grocery stores and Middle Eastern markets. Whole Foods carries it as concentrated juice in their baking section with the molasses. It has an intense and complex flavor that is wonderful in sauces, desserts and dressings. I am having a lot of fun playing with it and it is well worth looking around for it!
4 small pork loin chops
1 TBS oil
1 TBS butter
3 TBS Pomegranate molasses
1-4 TBS brown sugar*
1 TBS white wine vinegar
2 ripe pears, cored, quartered and sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350º.
Brown the chops on both sides in a large frying pan. Place the chops in a small baking dish. Wipe out the excess fat in the frying pan but leave the pork tidbits. Add the butter, pomegranate molasses, brown sugar and vinegar. Stir until dissolved over low heat. Add the pear slices and cook about 5 minutes until they just begin to soften.
Pour the pear mixture over the pork chops. Bake for about 30 minutes until the pork is done and the pears are quite soft.
*Pomegranate molasses is quite tart. I prefer the tart contrast to the sweetness of the pears so I use only 1 TBS of sugar. If you want a dish with more of a sweet & sour flavor add more brown sugar.
Posted by Christine at 09:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 02, 2005
Winter markets???
It seems our mini winter market was so successful last year that Chris and the gang at the NFMA decided to give it a try this year at the University and West Seattle markets. I'm sure it will be even better this year as we will have three times the vendors with much greater diversity of product available.
As long as the weather holds in our favor (nothing below 25 degrees, please) we should be able to continue providing you with great looking and great tasting produce until at least the end of January.
As Brett pointed out in his last blog entry, it becomes increasingly more difficult to harvest produce this time of year; it takes alot longer to harvest while maintaining our demanding standards, the days are much shorter with less time to harvest and pack and just working in some of the conditions we encounter takes real fortitude. All this is worth it. Why? Because you are out there too, braving the elements every Saturday and Sunday buying produce, supporting us and encouraging us to keep plugging along. Thank you!!!
Posted by Jeff at 03:45 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
We're freezing our butt's off so you don't have to
It has finally turned cold here in the valley, getting motivated to get out of my heated car and put down my latte seem to be the biggest obstacles in the morning, but are soon forgotten as we embark on the task of winter harvest. Although most all our veggies are covered many root crops are not, and on a morning like today they are blanketed with snow making the soil rock hard even with a pitch fork your hands are gonna take a beating, not like you feel them anyway though. The task of uncovering and recovering on a daily basis becomes very mundane and at times seems pointless but definitely proves to be worth while to do everyday. No more machine cut greens or wholesaling for a few months, this is a good thing for our csa customers, as all our greens will be cut by hand, which adds more control over the quality of the greens we harvest, which is extremely important in these cold times. All and all its a bittersweet time for me and Jeff, we finally have time to take a few breaths and relax, but we will probably be using it to think of ways to make next fall/winter even busier. Thanks for taking the time!!!
Brett- Manager, Willie Greens Organic Farm
Posted by Brett at 03:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack