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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Fall CSA Newsletter, Week 2

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Here is what our CSA members are receiving delivered to their homes this week:

Hello shareholders!

Full share CSA members and half share Group B will receive delivery this Friday (September 30) between 12-2, unless you've arranged otherwise. 

In your share this week:

-Broccoli - The first harvest of our fall broccoli.  Great raw, sauteed, or my favorite: roasted broccoli (recipe below).  Refrigerate.

-Turnip - The first harvest of our American Purple Top turnip (purple on the top, white on the bottom).  Our turnips are very large this fall, we've had perfect growing conditions for them.  Turnips are great cooked with a roast & other root vegetables.  If you're not overly fond of the taste (somewhat like cabbage), you can mix them with potatoes.  I'll include a recipe this week for mashed potatoes & turnips.  Refrigerate.

-Kale - The healthiest vegetable of all!  Kale is a leafy green.  You'll receive one of the following types of kale: curly Scottish or flat Russian.  Kale is great in soup, as kale chips, or sauteed with other vegetables.  Soup recipe below.  Refrigerate.

-Tomatoes - Maybe.  The tomatoes are dwindling, but I hope to find enough to give all shareholders a couple. Keep on counter.

-Cherry & Pear Tomatoes - (maybe) - a small bag of our mixed varieties of many colors & flavors.  Do not refrigerate.

-Cilantro - fresh herb used frequently in Mexican cooking.  Great in a fresh salsa, taco, burrito, or on top of a salad.  Refrigerate.

-Arugula - Arugula is a green leaf vegetable that has a "peppery" taste, not overly spicy, but with a bit of bite.  Great on top of a lettuce salad or on a sandwich.  Refrigerate.

-Baby Radishes - This week you'll see that tiny vegetables are sometimes the most delicious.  This baby French Breakfast radishes are a special treat - super mild & great on a salad. Refrigerate.

- Summer Squash - (maybe) you'll receive small & baby summer squash this week. Again, small vegetables are sometimes the most delicious - these baby squash are so mild & delicious.  Great raw on a salad or with a dip, lightly sauteed, or even roasted.Refrigerate.

-Lettuce - Unfortunately, we had a hail storm last Sunday that did quite a bit of damage to our delicate greens, including the pretty red leaf lettuce.  It will recover eventually, but you won't see the red lettuce this week.  Instead, you'll receive the first harvest of our green oak leaf lettuce and a lettuce head. All lettuce is rinsed.  Refrigerate.

-Green Onions - great on salads, on top of potatoes, stir fried, and more!  Refrigerate.

-Spinach - the first harvest of the fall spinach.  Great raw on a salad, with hot bacon dressing, or lightly sauteed.  Refrigerate.

-Garlic - We grew several varieties of gourmet garlic, you'll receive a bulb or two each week until it's gone.  It can be left out on your counter for several weeks.

-Kohlrabi - This may be a new vegetable for some of you.  If you're wondering what it is: look in your share for the baseball-sized light green vegetable with little stems coming out of it.  I didn't discover kohlrabi myself until a couple of years ago, but many in this region consider it a must-have garden vegetable.  It's typically eaten raw and tastes like a mix between cabbage, mild radish, sweet turnip, and cauliflower / brocolli.  I don't know how else to describe it!  It's typically peeled then sliced for a salad or eaten with a dip.  Refrigerate.

-Mustard Greens - (maybe). The hail that damaged our lettuce also tore through the mustard greens.  I'm hoping to find enough undamaged leaves to put them into the shares this week.  You may receive a mixed bunch of the green & red mustard greens.  Mustard greens can be eaten raw or cooked, but are traditionally cooked.  They can be mixed with lettuce for a bit of "bite", or sauteed and cooked like Southern Greens.  Great with a Hot Bacon Dressing!  (Recipe was in last week's newsletter ).  Refrigerate.

-Tot soi - An Asian green, a tiny version of bok or pok choi.  Great in a stir fry or can be eaten on a salad, too.  Refrigerate.

-Brown Eggs (if you signed up for an egg share).

Your lettuce and radishes will be washed, everything else will not be.  We've found that delicate fresh herbs and greens don't last as long in refrigeration when washed ahead of time.

And here are some recipe ideas for all those delicious organic veggies!

Kale Soup
Featured on our farm blog here:
http://all-natural-mama.blogspot.com/2011/05/kale-soup-with-white-beans-sausage.html


Stir Fry
This week several vegetables from your share could be mixed to form a beautiful stir fry.
Broccoli
Kohlrabi
Tot soi
Summer Squash
Spinach
Mustard Greens

Saute the thicker vegetables first (kohlrabi, broccoli), then when they are tender add the greens.  Greens only need to cook for a couple of minutes.
Serve with soy sauce and rice for an easy Asian dish.


Roasted Broccoli

Roasting vegetables takes them to a whole new level.
Chop broccoli, coat with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings (example: garlic powder, salt).
Place in roasting pan in 425 degree oven for approximately 15-25 minutes, or until tender and a few spots of dark brown or blackened areas have appeared (not burnt, just a bit of brown color showing here & there).

Mashed Potatoes and Turnip

2 pounds potatoes, peeled if desired and cut up
1 pound turnips, cut up

Cook in boiling water until soft.  Drain, add a bit of butter & cream or milk.  Mash.  Season with salt & pepper.  Optional seasonings: garlic, green onion.


Layered salad
Chop Vegetables. Place vegetables in a see-through serving bowl in this order, from bottom to top:
Lettuce
Spinach
Broccoli
Kohlrabi
Arugula
Summer Squash
Radish
Tomato
Green Onion

Can top with cheddar cheese & bacon if desired.  Typically served with the 7-layer salad creamy dressing, but you can use any dressing you like.



Thanks everyone for your support!
Hope to see you soon.

Penny Peterson
Wishful Acres
http://wishfulacres.blogspot.com

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