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September 28, 2006
Welcome to the 2006 Winter CSA
It is a beautiful Indian Summer and we have been able to extend some of our summer crops into the winter CSA season for you. Our beefsteak tomatoes are big, juicy and delicious. Enjoy them sliced with a drop of balsalmic vinegar or just a pinch of salt. Fragant basil is back and is excellent in combination with those tomatoes. Yum!
We have tasty and safe spinach for you. The FDA cleared all spinach outside of Salina County on Friday. Our spinach has always been safe, due to our rigorous adherence to Washington State Organic Standards as well as being blessed with our own well water, protecting us the risks of shared irrigation waters. Our spinach is great raw or cooked. Our Saute Mix is designed to be cooked. Braise it with a little bit of broth or wine and serve as a side dish or over pasta. I like to add it to my rice and potato dishes to give a color and nutrition boost.
What is that alien looking vegetable in my box? It is Romanesco, a hybrid between a caulflower and a broccoli. Before the frosts have sweeten the brassicas, many prefer Romanesco cooked to raw. Try it grilled with shrimp in this recipe
The large shares will be receiving flagolet beans, in the pod. These gourmet beans have a great nutty flavor and are delicious braised, stewed, baked or in soups. I entertained company over the weekend with this simple Chicken Flagolet recipe. It was a big hit.
Small Shares: 1/2# spinach, 1# Romanesco, 1 bn carrots, 1/4# braising mix, 1 Beefsteak tomato, 1 bn radishes
Medium Shares: 3/4# spinach, 1 1/2# Romanesco, 2 bn carrots, 1/2# braising mix, 2 Beefsteak tomatoes, 2 bn radishes, 1 bn basil, 1 bn bok choy
Large Shares: 1# spinach, 2# Romanesco, 3 bn carrots, 1/2# braising mix, 3 Beefsteak tomatoes, 2 bn radishes, 1 bn basil, 2 bn bok choy, 1 1/2# flagolet beans in the shell, 1 slicing cucumber
Posted by Christine at 10:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Chicken Flagolet
1 1/2c. flagolet beans, shelled
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and all visible fat removed
2 slices thick bacon, trim excess fat off the ends
1/2 tomato, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350. In a 9" square pan, combine the beans, mushrooms, onion, garlic and wine. Place the chicken breasts on top of the beans. Slice the bacon in half and place two halves on each breast. Cook 30 minutes, stirring the beans once or twice to keep moist. Add the tomatoes to the beans and cook another 10 minutes. Stir the beans and tomatoes around the chicken. Top with parmesan cheese and place back in the oven until melted.
Posted by Christine at 10:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Grilled Shrimp, Romanesco & Peppers
Enjoy these beautiful Indian Summer Days with this colorful barbecue.
Grilled Shrimp, Romanesco & Peppers
1# Romanesco cut into 1" chunks
1/3 c. red onion cut into bite size pieces
2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2# (26-30 count size) shrimp in the shell
1/2 sweet red pepper cut into bite size pieces
1/2 sweet orange pepper cut into bite size pieces
1 c. small white mushrooms
1 TBS basil minced
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil, garlic, lemon juice, zest and salt and pepper. Add the shrimp, peppers and mushrooms. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Lightly grease a grilling basket. Add the romanesco and onions. Cook over a medium hot grill until the romanesco begins to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add the shrimp and other vegetables to the grilling basket. Toss. Cook until the shrimp is pink and no longer translucent, stirring frequently. Add the basil and toss again. Serve over rice or cous cous.
Posted by Christine at 10:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 18, 2006
Last Week of Summer CSA
This is the last week of summer CSA. We hope that you have enjoyed it and that you plan on continuing with us in to the winter program. The deadline for session 1 of the Winter CSA is Wednesday 9/27 at noon.
We are closing out the summer program with a colorful box of succulent produce. Try this recipe for our braising mix to bring that great color to your kitchen table. Corn, carrots, tomatoes, red onion and our vibrant greens make a pretty dish. We have Romanos again and this saute is another way to enjoy them, don't forget to try them raw as a snack or part of your lunch. If you didn't try it earlier this summer, don't miss out on the opportunity to enjoy my Somewhat Succotash.
Small Shares: 1/2# Braising Mix, 1 bunch carrots, 1/2# soybeans, 1 Red Torpedo onion, 1/2# Romano Beans, 1 beefsteak tomato, 2 ears sweet corn, 1/2 pt of red/gold raspberries.
Medium Shares: 1/2# Braising Mix, 1/4# arugula, 2 bunch carrots, 1/2# soybeans, 1 Red Torpedo onion, 1/2# Romano Beans, 2 beefsteak tomato, 3 ears sweet corn, 1/2 pt of red/gold raspberries, 1 bunch Italian parsley.
Large Shares: 1/2# Braising Mix, 1/2# arugula, 3 bunch carrots, 1/2# soybeans, 2 Red Torpedo onion, 3/4# Romano Beans, 3 beefsteak tomato, 4 ears sweet corn, 2 (1/2 pt) of red/gold raspberries, 1 bunch Italian parsley and 1 pt cherry tomatoes.
Posted by Christine at 12:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Romano Beans Saute
3 slices bacon
1/3 c. red onion, cut into thin slivers
1/2 lb Romano Beans, stems trimmed and snapped into 1-2" pieces
1/2 red sweet bell pepper cut into strips
Fry the bacon until done but not crisp. Remove the bacon and chop coarsely, set aside. Drain off the excess bacon grease, leaving about 1/2TBS. Return the fry pan to the stove. Add the onion and cook for two minutes. Add the beans and peppers. Cook about 5-7 minutes until the beans are a vibrant green and crisp-tender. Add the blue cheese and bacon. Cook for another minute to warm the bacon and cheese.
Posted by Christine at 12:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Colorful Braised Greens
1 TBS olive oil
2-3 carrots, sliced
1/4 c onion, coarsely chopped
1 ear fresh corn, kernals cut off
1/2-3/4c. braising liquid (wine, water, broth)
1/2# braising mix
Heat the oil over in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion. Cook 3 minutes. Add the braising mix, corn and 1/2 c. liquid. Cover the pan and cook just until the greens start to wilt, adding more liquid if necessary. Add the tomatoes, toss. Serve immediately.
Posted by Christine at 12:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 04, 2006
CSA Session 4: Week 2
Raspberries have returned to the traditional boxes. These are our fall berries, with a lightly different shape and flavor than our Tulameen berries we harvest June & July. I really enjoy these berries baked in cobblers and scones, as well as eaten fresh. Try them topping a spinach salad for great color and flavor. Jeff made a quick and pretty raspberry vinaigrette dressing for a pond side dinner last night.
We are excited to offer edamame to you this week. Commonly known as soybeans, edamame means 'beans on branches'. They grow in clusters on woody branches. They have a sweet and nutty flavor and are larger than the varieties of soybeans grown for grain. Edamame has been enjoyed for centuries as a vegetable dish, as a snack, in soups and even desserts. I found this recipe booklet on the web for edamame for a variety of recipes. I recommenf trying them ion the style of the traditional Japanese appetizer.
We also have the first of the cabbage. Since cabbage sweetens at colder temperatures, these heads will have just a touch of a kick to them. This time of year, Jeff prefers them cooked and loves them cooked very simply. Here is his favorite cabbage recipe. We also have the first of the Chioggia or striped beets for the large shares. Try these roasted with roasted Romanos, great looking and tasty.
Small Shares: 1/2# spinach, 1/4# arugula, 1 bn carrots, 1/2 pt raspberries, 1.25# romanos, 1 slicing cucumber, 1 small cabbage
Medium Shares: 1/2# spinach, 1/4# arugula, 2 bn carrots, 2 (1/2 pt) raspberries, 1.5# romanos, 1 slicing cucumber, 1 medium cabbage, 1# Walla Walla, .75# edamame
Large Shares: 3/4# spinach, 1/4# arugula, 3 bn carrots, 2 (1/2 pt) raspberries, 2# romanos, 2 slicing cucumber, 1 large cabbage, 2# Walla Walla, 1# edamame, 1 bunch Chioggia beets
Posted by Christine at 02:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Edamame Snack
This is a classic Japanese snack. The nutty flavor of the edamame is a perfect complement to beer.
Edamame
6 c. water
1 TBS sea salt
1/2# Edamame pods
Bring the salted water to a boil in a heavy sauce pan. Rinse the beans then submerge in the boiling water. Continue to boil 5-7 minutes. The pods should be a brilliant green color. Drain off the water and serve. To eat the edamame, squeeze the beans out of the pods into your open mouth. Delicious!
Posted by Christine at 02:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Jeff's Quick Raspberry Vinaigrette
Prepare 1 pkg Nature's Seasonings Italian Salad Dressing Mix, using extra virgin olive oil and RED wine vinegar. Puree 1/2 pt of raspberries and add it to the dressing, whisking well. Add 1 TBS honey or to taste. Whisk again. Serve over any of our delicious raw greens.
Posted by Christine at 01:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack