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November 30, 2006
Winter session 3 week 2 Snow Storms
We are unable to include salad mix and spinach in the boxes this week due to the bad weather.We will be able to make it up next week by giving more salad and spinach or more produce. Well we have been blanketed with about 4 inches of snow for the past three days. While it is a beautiful scene it makes picking a little hard. We are still hanging in though and are pleased to give you another wonderful box of produce this week. Again thank you for all your support.
Small Share: Carrots 1 bunch, Parsnips 1 bunch, Yams 1 lb, Onions 1, Potatoes 1 lb, Pears Anjou 2, Chiogga Beets 1/2 lb
Medium Share: Carrots 2 bunches, Parsnips 1 bunch, Yams 1 lb, Onions 1, Potatoes 2 lbs, Pears Anjou 4, Chiogga Beets 1 lb
Large Share:Carrots 3 bunches, Parsnips 2 bunches, Yams 3 lbs, Onions 2, Potatoes 2 lbs, Pears 5, Chiogga Beets 1 1/2 lbs
Peppery Parsnip Fries
4 Parsnips, peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Cut parsnips lengthwise into 2-1/2-in. x 1/2-in. sticks. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add parsnips, a few sticks at a time, and shake to coat.
Line two 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans with foil; coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place parnsips in a single layer in pans. Bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes or until tender, turning several times.
Sweet Potato Pear Bake
3 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoons pear juice
4-1/2 teaspoons butter, cubed
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons golden raisins
3 medium firm pears, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
DIRECTIONS
Pierce sweet potatoes and place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 13-15 minutes or until tender. Cool. Peel and cut into 1/4-in. slices; set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the orange juice and pear juice until smooth. Stir in butter and salt. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in raisins.
In an 8-in. square microwave-safe dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer half of the sweet potatoes, pears and sauce. Repeat layers. Cover and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes or until pears are tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy the recipes
Posted by Christine at 12:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 20, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving session 3 week 1
Just a reminder: if you normally pickup your box on Friday you will be picking it up on Wed this week. If you pick up on the weekend then you will pick it up at the normal time. Have a great thanksgiving!
Small Shares: Carrots 1 bunch, Salad Mix 1/4 lb, Apples 2, Potatoes 1 lb, Sunchokes 1 lb, Pickled Romanos 1 jar
Medium Shares: Carrots 2 bunches, Salad Mix 1/2 lb, Apples 4, Potatoes 2 lbs, Sunchokes 1 lb, Pickled Romanos 1 jar, Cannellinis 1/2 lb
Large Shares: Carrots 2 bunches, Salad Mix 1/2 lb, Apples 6, Potatoes 3 lbs, Sunchokes 2 lbs, Pickled Romanos 1 jar, Cannellinis 1 lb
White Bean Dip
3 garlic cloves; minced
15 ounces cannellini; (white beans)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper
Put all ingredients in blender. Serve with crackrs or raw vegetables.
Potato Barley Soup
1/4 cup corn or vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced small
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 quarts beef broth or chicken broth
1/2 cup pearl barley, rinsed under cold running water
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced small
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the onion, celery and garlic until vegetables start to turn transparent, but not browned (about 10 minutes). Transfer to crockpot. Add broth, barley and carrots, cook on low overnight. In the morning, add diced potatoes and cook additional 8-12 hours. Makes 10 to 12 servings.
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November 16, 2006
It stills hurts to see
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It stills hurts to see
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A few pictures
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Winter session 2 week 4
Small Shares: Salad Mix 1/4 lb, Spinach 1/4lb, Carrots 1 bunch, Sunchokes 1 lb,
Potatoes 1 lb, Onions 1, Swett Potatoes 1 lb
Medium Shares: Salad Mix 1/2 lb, Spinach 1/2 lb, Carrots 1 bunch, Parsnips 1 bunch, Sunchokes 2 lb, Potatoes 2 lb, Onoins 2, Sweet Potatoes 2 lb
Large Shares: Salad Mix 1/2 lb, Spinach 1/2 lb, Carrots 2 bunches, Parsnips 2 bunches, Beets 2 bunches, Sunchokes 3 lb, Potatoes 3 lb, Onions 3, Delecata 2, Sweet Potatoes 3 lb
Although we were devastated by the flooding we are going to continue with our winter csa as long as possible. To assure product diversity in the boxes we are forced to outsource some organic produce. We will keep you informed on the status of the program Thank you for your continued support. Please check the blog for updates, recipes and pictures. Updates will begin this afternoon.
Sun Choke Salad
From Laurel Mill Lodge
1 Green Apple, diced small
1 c Peeled and diced sun chokes
½ c Green onion chopped small
¼ c broken walnuts
Combine and toss with dressing below. Serve on butter lettuce.
4 Tbsp Mayonnaise
¾ tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Maple syrup
Pinch Salt
Cream of Jerusalem Artichoke, Bleu Cheese and Almonds
From Michel Troisgros
2.2 lb Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
4 c milk
½ c whipping cream
7 oz crumbled bleu cheese
2 oz flaked toasted almonds
½ lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Carefully peel the Jerusalem artichokes and rinse them.
Place them in a large saucepan, add the milk, salt lightly and cook at a simmer for 30 minutes.
Puree the Jerusalem artichokes in a blender, thinning them gradually with the cooking liquid until you obtain a good soup-like consitency; pour through a fine strainer.
Taste and correct the seasoning.
Whipe the cream to firm peaks, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper and keep cold.
Toast the almonds in a 350 oven
Pour the hot soup into a tureen.
Sprinkle with the cheeses and toasted almonds.
Arrange the cold whipped cream on top in dollops to provide contrast
Posted by Christine at 10:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 14, 2006
Thoughts and feelings on the flooding
There was a time when a huge flood in November would have little to no impact on this small western Washington farm, but with our advances in extending the season and better crop protection techniques winter production has become a very big part of the season here at Willie Green's. This winter was expected to be the best yet, when the flood hit we were still doing 3 markets a week (which we expected to do until spring) and our popular CSA program. We had never had so much produce in the ground at this time in the year and after beating the first few nights of frost we were riding high. All this makes the flood particularly tough to take. I walked through water that was past my knee Monday night to check on the fields. The water was not at its high point yet, but the entire valley was a lake including our small farm and all of the crops we had worked on so hard all summer. Although I was in awe of mother nature and her power; the feeling of shock and disappointment consumed me as I had never seen the flood water even come close to our fields before. Then a calm panic set in as I struggled to see how we could go on with the rest of the season. After all was said and done, there were a few small sections of ground that remained dry and safe, only a fraction of what we had available the previous week, but it was something to be thankful for. This all brings us to now, we are harvesting what we can, but by next week we will nearly be tapped out of everything we have. It hardly seems fair, but farming hardly ever is. We have decided to continue with the CSA program, making all attempts to put anything we can grow into the boxes but a large percentage will need to be outsourced from other farmers and wholesalers. We will continue to focus all our energy on our customers and the quality of the program. There is nothing else to do but pick up the pieces and go on. All of us here at Willie Green's would like to thank you for your understanding and your continued support.
Brett Blair
Farm Manager
Posted by Christine at 11:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 08, 2006
Session 2 week 3 & the flooding of Monroe
ATTENTION
As everyone has heard we have had a little extra water in the valley this week. Jeff and Brett have had to make some tough decisions business wise but the easiest one was to continue on with the winter csa. You are the backbone of the farm and we will do everything in our power to make sure you are still receiving the highest quality organic produce. None of the produce in the boxes this week was affected by flood water.
Small Share: Salad Mix 1/2 lb, Carrots 1 bunch, Spinach 1/4 lb, Parsnips 1 bunch, Fennel 1 bunch, beets 1 bunch, Potato 1, Squash 1 small
Medium Share: Salad Mix 3/4 lb, Carrots 2 bunches, Radishes 1 bunch, Spinach 1/2 lb, Arugula 1/4 lb, Parsnips 1 bunch, Beets 1 bunch, Potatoes 2, Squash 1 med, Happy Rich 1 bunch
Large Share: Salad Mix 1 lb, Carrots 2 bunches, Radishes 2 bunches, Spinach 1/2 lb, Arugula 1/2 lb, Parsnips 1 bunch, Beets 2 bunches, Potatoes 3, Squash 1 large, Happy Rich 2 bunches
Roasted Parsnips
1 1/2 pounds of parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 1/2 inch batons
4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup of stock - turkey stock, low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable broth
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
4 teaspoons drained, bottled horseradish
1/2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 Tbsp minced chives
1/2 small garlic clove, minced.
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large roasting pan, toss the parsnips with the olive oil, salt and pepper. (Use a roasting pan with sides no more than 2 inches high.) Add the broth, cover with aluminum foil and roast, stirring once or twice, until the parsnips are tender and the stock has evaporated or been absorbed, 30-45 minutes. Check often to avoid their getting mushy - especially if they are to be reheated later.
Combine the softened butter with the horseradish, parsley, chives and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Toss the warm roasted parsnips with the horseradish-herb butter and serve.
The parsnips (with the oil, salt, pepper, and broth) can be pre-cooked in a covered container in the microwave for 5 minutes. Transfer to oven to finish cooking in a much shorter time. You may want to uncover them to help evaporate the liquid when in the oven.
Serves 4.
Roasted Beet & Mixed Green Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts & Citrus Vinaigrette
1 lb - beets (red, chiogga, golden or a mixture)
6 cups – mixed greens
1 cup – toasted walnuts – chopped
5 ounces – goat cheese
5 ounces - citrus vinaigrette
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup water
For the roasted beets:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the beets and trim both ends. Place them in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle with the oil, salt and pepper. Add the water, cover with foil and bake for approximately 1 hour or until the beets are easily pierced with a knife. Allow to cool slightly then rub the skin off with a paper towel. Cut into 1/4” dice.
For the citrus vinaigrette:
3 ea – Valencia oranges
2 ea – lemons
2 ea – limes
6 tablespoons – walnut oil
1 tablespoon shallots – finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch of salt & pepper
Juice the oranges, lemons & limes into a non-reactive saucepan and reduce over medium heat until 2 tablespoons remain. Place into a small bowl along with the shallots and mustard. Add a pinch of salt and pepper then slowly whisk in the walnut oil.
In a large bowl, toss the greens, beets, nuts and goat cheese with 5 ounces of the citrus vinaigrette and divide among 6 plates.
Serves 6
Posted by Christine at 09:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 02, 2006
Session 2 Week 2
Small Share: Carrots 1 bunch, Radish 1 bunch, Romanesco 1/2 lb, Fennel 1 bunch, Baby Head Lettuce 4, Butternut Squash 1 small, Spinach 1/3 lb, Apple 2-3
Medium Share: Carrots 2 bunches, Radish 1 bunch, Beets 1 bunch, Romanesco 3/4 lb, Baby Head Lettuce 6, Butternut Squash 1 medium, Arugula 1/4 lb, Turnips 1 bunch, Spinach 1/2 lb, Pears 3
Large Share: Carrots 2 bunches, Radish 2 bunches, Beets 1 bunch, Romanesco 1 lb, Baby Head Lettuce 8, Butternut Squash 1 large, Arugula 1/2 lb, Turnip 1 bunch, Spinach 1/2 lb, Pears 3
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.
Warm Spinach & Artichoke Hearts Salad
serves 4
1 TBS olive oil
10 oz of fresh baby spinach
1/4 red onion, diced
1/3 c. sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 (8 oz) jar of artichoke hearts with marinade
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp Willie Green's Organic dried basil
1 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 c. crumbled feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 300°. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish.
Fill the oiled baking dish with baby spinach. Top with red onion and sun dried tomatoes.
Slice the artichoke hearts into bite size pieces, reserving the marinade. Scatter the artichoke hearts over the spinach.
Add the garlic, basil and vinegar to the marinade, blending well. Drizzle the marinade over the spinach.
Top with the crumbled feta. Bake the spinach until it is wilted but not browned, about 10 minutes.
Posted by Christine at 10:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack