Thursday, June 24, 2010

Bountiful Harvest! Week 2 CSA 2010



Note from Debbie: This has been the most bountiful first few weeks I have ever had.  The rain and warm weather have made everything grow faster and bigger.  Vegetables that I had planned to harvest over a period of time have demanded to be picked and will not wait until I am ready to harvest them!  The contents of your box is larger than I expected it to be.

Although we are experiencing a bountiful harvest, the weeds are also "growing like weeds".  The wet soil keeps me from planting and cultivating, and sometimes evens hampers walking in the garden!  This evening's thunderstorm amounted to an inch of rain in under 30 minutes.  I was worried that the strong winds would wipe everything out, and some plants are bent over, but they will recover.  I just hope there isn't more rain in the forecast for a few more days.


This has been an amazing first couple of weeks.  The harvest has been more than fantastic!  All this rain and hot weather has made everything grow faster and bigger. (Including the weeds!)  I hope I can keep up with it.  Your boxes are fuller than I expected at this time of year, more things are ready to harvest earlier than expected.   

Lettuce.  The lettuce this week is Jericho and/or Green Deer Tongue.  Jericho is a romaine type and Green Deer Tongue is an oakleaf lettuce and a much smaller head.  The best way to keep lettuce fresh and ready to use is to separate the leaves from the head and soak them in a sink of cold water until the dirt falls to the bottom.  Spin dry in a salad spinner. (a must have!) and store in plastic bag in the refrigerator.  


Kale.  Red Russian, a member of the brassica family, which includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts and kohlrabi.  Kale can be sauted, added to soups, or baked to make Kale Chips.  It can be a tough green, so blanching before sautéing is advisable.  Cut the stem out of the center, slice into strips about 2” wide, and blanch in plenty of boiling, salted water for about 3-5 minutes.   Immediately stop the cooking by plunging the kale in a bowl of ice water.  Drain, and sauté in olive oil with garlic and a little crushed red pepper.  This is one of my favorite ways to prepare kale.  Or try kale chips:  Cut out the stem and cut the leaves into chunks or squares.  Toss with olive oil and salt.  Bake at 400 degrees until crisp. 

Kohlrabi.  Also a member of the brassica family, kohlrabi tastes like a cross between a radish and a turnip.  It can be eaten raw or lightly cooked.  Peel before eating, grate and add to cabbage in cole slaw, cut raw into sticks as an addition to a raw vegetable tray, or lightly boil, steam, or bake it and add to stews and stir-fries.  I like it just plain with salt!  Eat kohlrabi greens as you would kale

Spinach.  This is the last of the spinach until the weather cools down and not everyone will find it in their share this week.  Spinach seed refuses to germinate in warm soil, so look for it again in September or October.

Broccoli & Cauliflower.  The broccoli is a variety called Arcadia and the heads are mostly huge!  The cauliflower is called  Cassius, and it is my favorite to grow.  The fall crop will taste must sweeter than this early crop.  Cooler temperatures allow the sugars to develop in these crops and they grow much slower.  

Sugar Snap Peas.  We had a bumper crop of peas this week, 30 pounds!  These can be eaten raw or lightly steamed and added to salads or a fresh vegetable tray.  They are so sweet, like candy.  Kids love them!  Don’t forget to string them:  added to salads or a fresh vegetable tray.  They are so sweet, like candy.  Kids love them!  Don’t forget to string them: added to salads or a fresh vegetable tray.  They are so sweet, like candy.


Zucchini & Summer Squash.  I grow several varieties of green zucchini and yellow summer squash.  My favorite way to cook them is to cut in thick slices and marinate in olive oil with any herbs that I like or have on hand.  Then cook on the grill until both sides have grill marks and the flesh is tender.  

Cilantro & Dill.  When I have fresh herbs, I like to make an herb and garlic paste to brush on anything that can be cooked on the grill.  Mince or crush several cloves of garlic, add some chopped herbs, salt, pepper, and enough olive oil to make a paste.  Brush on meats, fish, or vegetables and grill to your liking.  Add herbs to salad dressings or chop and add to salads or to steamed vegetables just before serving.


From Tami:  The Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Feta and Mint was made by couples cooking class last Saturday.   One of my favorite ways to use a bounty of summer squash, is to shave it into ribbons using a "Y" Peeler, make a fresh vinaigrette (a lemon flavored olive oil or vinegar is my favorite), toss with some fresh herbs, and serve. 

I also made this recipe this week and can vouch for it, Chicken with Summer Squash Saute and Lemon-Chive Sauce.  I sliced the squash on the bias vs. cubing, and I added a generous sprinkling of Penzey's Mural of Flavor to the chicken. 


If your chicken (or other meats) gets overcooked on the outside before the inside is cooked through, try these tricks:  First, flatten particularly, the larger end of the breasts, with the palm of your hand, or put inside a freezer bag, and gently flatten with the smooth side of meat mallet. (The bag keeps splatter and contamination down).


Then sear your chicken on the stovetop - I prefer to use a stainless (NOT non-stick) pan skillet, get it nice and hot, then add oil and heat, then add meat. Get a nice crust on both sides, then slide the whole skillet into a hot oven to finish cooking. 

Be very careful when you remove the skillet because the handle is HOT.  Cover it with your oven mitt, if it is finished on the inside, or get one of these silcone sleeves.  Use an instant read thermometer in the center to check for doneness.  If you pull your chicken at 160 degrees, and cover to rest, it should come up to 165 before serving.  

Monday, June 21, 2010

Week One CSA Cooking: Orecchiette with Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Peas


Last night I used my cauliflower to make this Food and Wine recipe for Orecchiette with Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Peas.  I had some beautiful orrecchiette that I bought in Providence, and everything else was on hand - cilantro, frozen peas, coriander, cumin and crushed tomatoes (I used fire-roasted Muir Glenn).

It as a good dish, and quick, but when I think Indian-spiced, I think a little more complex than cumin and coriander only.  I would make it again, but I'd add some other Indian spices to kick it up a bit. 


The snap peas were so delicious, you could eat them raw.  I blanched and shocked mine and have been eating them for snacks. 

I still need to tackle that enormous head of Bok Choy!  What did you make with yours?

Thursday, June 17, 2010

White House Gardens Week #1 June 17, 2010



Here we are, at the start of the season!  The harvest was great.  Everything has grown so fast with the warm weather and all the rain.  In your share this week you will find lettuce, green onions, radishes, Chinese (Napa) cabbage, cauliflower, and spinach.  Most of you got sugar snap peas and the rest broccoli.  There will be more of both, I keep track of who gets what so no one misses out.  There just wasn’t enough of those two things for everyone this week.  

The Chinese cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked.  Try it in a stir-fry or in a coleslaw.   Below is a recipe for Asian Cabbage Salad.  To prepare the cabbage, cut in half and then in quarters and trim out the core.  If you are going to cook it, cut the leafy part away from the rib.  Slice the ribs and then the leaves.  Add the ribs first as they take longer to cook.

Or it can be sliced thin or shredded if used raw.  These heads of cabbage are large enough that you could cook half and use the other half for coleslaw or mixed with the other greens for a salad!

 The sugar snap peas can also be eaten raw or lightly cooked.  Snap off the top and pull down to remove the string.  They are meant to be eaten pod and all, not shelled, and are very sweet.   To cook them, put the pods in boiling, lightly salted water for about 1 ½ - 2 minutes, and then, to stop the cooking process, blanch them immediately by immersing them briefly in ice water.  You can then chill the peas for serving in a salad, or you can cook the boiled peas further by sautéing them in butter or oil.

Asian Cabbage Salad
2 ½ cups chopped cabbage
1 medium carrot, or 2 small carrots, grated
Dressing:
2 Tblsp each olive oil and rice vinegar
1-2 Tblsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey (optional)
½-1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
Whisk together the dressing and add to the
cabbage and carrots. Marinate at room
temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Season with salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Optionally garnish with chopped peanuts.

One of my favorite recipe sources is from the New York Times. It is a weekly series by Martha Rose Shulman called Recipes For Health.  Below is a link.
   
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html?ref=nutrition  I will be linking to her recipes a lot this season.  

Please try to remember to return your boxes next week.  Each of you have two boxes:  return the empty and pick up a full one.

I hope you enjoy the bounty of the garden.  It sure is looking great this year and I am pleased to be able to provide fresh, organic produce for all of you this year.

Debbie Fox
White House Gardens CSA

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Get Ready for a New CSA Season!

Looks like farmer Debbie has been very busy!  Debbie sent an update with this photo of the onions, kale, chinese cabbage, cabbage, broccoli, & cauliflower happily growing at the farm.



Tomorrow is the first pick-up of the season, and I'm excited for the season ahead.  This year I will be preparing not only my own share, but a share for one of my personal chef clients as well.

So here is an original recipe that I created for the grill last week, along with some links to other recipes I am considering for this week's share.


Grilled Potato Bundles with Peppers, Sprouts, and Garlic Scapes

Per Packet, Multiply for desired number of servings

1 baking potato, scrubbed and sliced 1/4" thick
1-2 garlic scapes,  chopped
1 small cubanelle pepper, chopped
handful of sprouts
Salt & Pepper
Drizzle of Olive Oil

Arrange on square of foil. Pinch into a bundle.  Cook on grill over medium heat 30 - 45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

*Sub any veggies you have on hand, add smashed cloves of garlic instead of scapes. 

This week's share may contain: Lettuce, Green Onions, Napa Cabbage, Spinach, Cauliflower, and Arugula.

My client requested a Spinach Salad with Bacon, Green Onions, and Hard Boiled Eggs, so I will be loosely following this Fine Cooking version.  (Fine Cooking has a fee to access some of their content - totally worth the $9.95 if you are a subscriber,  a little more if you aren't).

The Napa cabbage may make an appearance in this Hoisin Pork with Napa Cabbage.

For the cauliflower, I am eyeing this Cauliflower Soup with Marcona Almond and Piquillo Pepper Relish, this Lentil Soup with Cauliflower and Bacon, or this Orrecchiette with Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Peas.

What are you planning to make with your first share? If you haven't been by the blog lately, be sure and check the new link I added to the right with tons of offbeat recipes by vegetable.