White House Gardens CSA

White House Gardens Week #18, Octover 14, 2010

2010-10-14T03:56:00.000-07:00

The first frost was last night, Tuesday. I picked peppers again last night because I didn’t want to lose them to the frost. This has been an amazing year for peppers. I have never had so many red ones to put in your shares. I planted an abundance of pepper plants this year because I have been frustrated in previous years with the lack of ripe peppers. I have not had time to check to pepper plants to see if they were damaged by the frost. There will be more in your shares next week if they weren’t damaged.

What an amazing fall we are having! The weather has been perfect for the fall crops; lots of sunshine and cool temperatures with adequate moisture. The broccoli plants are coming along nicely, but we might not have cauliflower before the season ends. The plants are growing very slowly, as everything does this time of year.   It’s possible we may have to wait a couple of weeks for the cauliflower, like last year. It wasn’t until the second week of November that the cauliflower and broccoli were ready so I added another pick up after the season ended. It’s possible I will have extra onions and potatoes for sale on the last pick up, October 28th. More on that later, but they will probably be in 2 and 3 pounds bags, at $2.00 per pound.

It has also been a great year for potatoes. There are two kinds in your share this week, German Butterball and Bintje.
Lettuce Winter Density, a romaine
Kale Cavolo Nero, also known as Tuscan Kale or Dinasour Kale. This is a very prized kale for it’s great taste, not widely available. Use as any other kale. The center rib should be removed before cooking.
Brussels Sprouts Brussels Sprouts grow on a tall stalk. The sprouts are snapped off the stalk. Last year I gave you the entire stalk, this year I cut them off for you. The end of the sprout needs to be trimmed and the outer leaves removed if they are damaged before cooking. Try roasting the sprouts: toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast on a flat try or cookie sheet at 400 degrees until tender and a little crispy. The sprouts are not all the same size, cut the larger ones in half so that they all roast at the same rate.
Beets Red Ace in large shares, Chioggia (candy stripe beets) in small shares.
Broccoli Raab A member of the same family as broccoli, cabbage, etc. The stems, leaves, and florets are all edible. See a recipe in the newsletter.
Potatoes German Butterball and Bintje
Carrots With tops. Remove the tops if you are storing them for an extended period. The tops will continue to pull moisture from the roots, causing the roots to wilt. The tops are also edible. See   " What To Do With Carrot Tops   Recipe included in the newsletter for Roasted Carrots.

Peppers Red and yellow bell peppers
Red Onions

Broccoli Rabe with Oil and Garlic
From Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich

Sometimes you see broccoli rabe cut into little pieces, but I like to serve the whole stems with the leaves attached. If you peel and trim them the way I describe below, the stalks will cook at about the same rate as the leaves. Broccoli rabe is a vegetable I like al dente. By that I don’t mean really crunchy, but with some texture left to it.

1 pound broccoli rabe
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Salt
¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper, or to taste
¼ cup (or as needed) water
Makes 4 servings
To trim the broccoli rabe, first cut off any wilted or yellow leaves and the tough ends of the stems. Then, holding a stem with the florets in hand, nick a little piece of the end of the stem with a paring knife and pull the little piece of the skin toward you, peeling the stem partially. Continue working your way around the stem until it is peeled.    As you peel the stem, some of the large, tough outer leaves will also be removed; discard those as well. Repeat with the remaining stems. Wash the trimmed broccoli rabe in a sinkful of cold water, swishing the stems gently to remove all dirt from between the leaves. Let the leaves sit a minute or two undisturbed, to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom of the sink, then lift the broccoli rabe from the water with your hands or a large skimmer. Drain in a colander. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Carefully lay the broccoli rabe into the oil and season lightly with salt and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Stir and toss to distribute the seasonings. Pour ¼ cup water into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet tightly and cook, lifting the lid to turn the stalks occasionally, until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste, and season with additional salt and crushed red pepper if necessary. Serve hot.

Roasted Carrots
Serves 4 to 6.   Published November 1, 2010.   From Cook's Illustrated.

1 1/2
pounds carrots , peeled, halved crosswise, and cut lengthwise if necessary to create even pieces (see illustrations in Cutting Carrots for Roasting)
2
tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

Table salt and ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, combine carrots with butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper; toss to coat. Transfer carrots to foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread in single layer.
2. Cover baking sheet tightly with foil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook, stirring twice, until carrots are well browned and tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

White House Gardens Week #17, October 7, 2010

2010-10-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

Week #17 October 7, 2010
The recent rains provided at least an inch of much needed moisture. The fall crops grow much slower with the cooler temperatures and shorter days. The broccoli and cauliflower are progressing nicely, and Brussels sprouts will be in your share next week. I would rather pick the Brussels sprouts after a frost, which makes them sweeter, but they are ready now. Most of the crops I will be harvesting in the next 3 weeks are covered with row cover to keep the deer from helping themselves to a salad buffet.

The deer will begin to move out of the woods with the cooler temperatures, especially if we get a frost and there is nothing left for them to eat. I have tried many ways to keep them out of the garden, unsuccessfully. The row cover does a good job of “hiding” the crops from the deer . The last 3 shares will probably include broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, kale, beets, fennel, chard, turnips, broccoli raab, carrots, potatoes, and onions. Hopefully we will have a warm, dry October to help these crops along.

Lettuce Winter Marvel, a butterhead
Arugula Not in all shares
Sweet Pepper s Long, red Carmen, my favorite. Try making Pureed Red Pepper & Potato Soup from Recipes For Health or see the recipe from Denny Archey in the previous email I sent.
Lima Beans These are fresh, in the shell limas. Try to shell them as soon as possible. Shell them and cook them soon, or store in the frig in their shell for a short time. They are at their best when cooked and eaten soon. This was my first attempt at growing limas, and I think I will do it again. The plants were beautiful, but the beans take a long time to mature. Some of the pods may have large beans and some may not have much at all. (Think baby limas) They are not easy to shell: try snapping off the tip and pulling the “string” down on both sides, which should help to open the pod easier. I have cooked them several times and my favorite method is to steam/sauté them. Put the shelled beans in a skillet, add enough water just to barely cover, salt, and a tablespoon of butter. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook, covered, until barely tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the cover, turn up the heat, and boil away the water until the beans are completely tender.
Potatoes Rio Grande Russet and Adirondak Red. Most of the russets are small, a result of not being able to keep the potato plants healthy and free of disease for the entire growing season. Russets are good for baking. Adirondak Red has red skin and pinkish-red flesh which is a result of naturally occurring anthocyanin pigments, chock full of anitoxidants. Its color fades when boiled, but remains when roasting, baking or frying.
Kale Red Russian variety. See previous newsletters for recipes. Or try freezing kale and other greens to use during the winter. See a recipe from shareholder Pat Brannon for freezing greens in the newsletter.
Onions Yellow onions for cooking
Delicata or Acorn Squash Delicata has mulit-colored skin, Acorn is dark green. Both can be used in recipes calling for winter squash, however the skin of the delicata is edible, the acorn is not. I like to roast winter squash, either cut in half or cubed. Scoop out the seeds and roast, cut side down, at 400 degrees until tender. Baste with melted butter, sprinkle with brown sugar, and broil until browned. Or cut into cubes and add to potatoes, onions, peppers, toss with olive oil, S & P, and roast at 400 degrees until tender.

Freezing all kind of greens…
Debbie asked me to share with you a simple method for freezing greens. This week we have mustard greens in our box, but you can freeze any type of greens, even those tops from turnips, kohlrabi and beets. These make a pleasing addition to winter stews and soups, especially those minestrones.
If you are freezing the greens from beets or other roots vegetables, cut the greens from the root while they are crisp and fresh. Young tenders greens yield the best results, so start with the freshest possible.
Fill your sink or a bowl with cold water and give the greens a good rinse.
Remove the toughest portion of the stems. You can freeze the stems, but chop them first and set aside.
Fill a 4 quart pot about 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil. If you are saving the stems, throw them into the pot first and wait about 1 minute before adding the greens. Add the greens and cover the pot. Now watch the clock! For all except collard greens, blanch for blanch for an additional 2 minutes. For collard greens, blanch 3 minutes.
If you have lots of the same type of greens you can use the same blanching water several times, adding more hot water from the tap from time to time to maintain the water level.
While the greens are blanching prepare a large bowl with ice and cold water.
Using a slotted spoon or strainer with a handle, quickly remove the greens from the pot and transfer to the ice bath for about 2 minutes.
Drain well. You can gently squeeze the excess water from the greens, but be gentle, as to not crush those tender greens.
I use quart size, freezer zip loc bags, removing as much air from the bag as possible before zipping. Be sure to label the bag so you remember what kind of greens you have blanched. Once they are frozen, all they will all look the same!

White House Gardens Week #16, September 30, 2010

2010-09-30T03:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think the only reason I grow all these vegetables, is so I can share recipes with you. There were so many choices this week from my many saved recipes, that I had to make a decision about what to leave out! Stewed peppers, collard greens cooked with bacon, (use the leaf beet if you didn’t get collards), Butternut Squash Gallette, refried beans. Like I have said before, this is my favorite time of year. I love the crops that are coming in now: kale, collard greens, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, winter squash; the list goes on and on.

Thank you Denny and Nancy Archey for helping again this evening. They love to pick peppers! The peppers are overflowing this year. I planted quite a lot because previous years have been very lean in producing colored peppers, which are actually ripe peppers. Green peppers are not ripe! This year was a bumper crop, due to the hot weather. Colored peppers contain lycopene , an antioxidant that protects against cancer like blueberries, tomatoes, and other brightly colored vegetables. Enjoy them raw, cut them up and freeze them to use in cooked preparations this winter, make soup (next week’s newsletter), stuff them, fry them, roast them, or make Stewed Peppers from Recipes For Health by Martha Rose Shulman.   I have referred you to her column in the New York Times many times. She has published a cookbook, The Very Best Of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com, based on this column, and I definitely believe it is worth purchasing. I plan on making the Stewed Peppers and serving it over polenta. Yes, I am overloading you with peppers, but they contain just as much if not more Vitamin C than oranges, so eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Kohlrabi White or red in your share. Can be eaten raw or cooked. Peel before eating. My brother-in-law loves to grill thick slices of kohlrabi! The greens are also edible, raw or lightly sauted.
Beets Not in all shares. If you didn’t get beets, then you got Leaf Beet (see below) Chioggia or Red Ace. Best served roasted: cut off tops and wrap roots in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size, until tender. When cool enough to handle, peel skin, slice, and toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper. Saute the greens in olive oil and add to the roasted roots for a complete salad.

Shell Beans Tongue of Fire. You are probably tired of shelling beans, and this is the last of them, I promise. Store in the frig in the shell but shell them as soon as possible. (Do it in front of the TV!) Store shelled beans in the frig or cook them and store them in the freezer for use this winter in soups. DON’T EAT THEM RAW! Some fresh beans (cannellini, kidney, broad beans) contain a natural toxin that will make you very sick if not cooked first. To cook the beans for freezing: rinse the beans to remove any debris/dirt from shelling them, put in a heavy pot, cover with water by about 2 inches, add aromatics like garlic, rosemary, thyme, or sage, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Add more liquid if necessary during the cooking process. Remove from the heat and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and salt to taste. Let the beans cool. They should be saucy, not dry. Store in the freezer and use in recipes that call for dried beans, but guess what?, you have beans already cooked in the freezer, ready to use! Also see this recipe   from Dad Cooks Dinner.

Sweet Peppers Yellow and red block peppers. Also green cubanelles. See above for tips on using sweet peppers. Cubanelles are sweet, but can be a little spicey sometimes. It depends on the particular pepper! Use them raw, stuffed, roasted whole.

Radishes Cherry Belle

Heirloom Tomatoes Brandywine, Goldie, Pruden’s Purple and/or Yellow Brandywine. May be the last, we’ll see if the weather holds out. The heirloom tomatoes actually held up better than the hybrids against the many blights that tomatoes are susceptible to.
Leaf Beet Related to beets and Swiss chard. Can be used like spinach in any recipe. Also called Gator, Perpetual Spinach. Enjoy raw or lightly sauted in olive oil with garlic, salt & pepper.
Collard Greens Only in large shares. Usually tough and long cooking, these collard greens are young and tender. Remove the stems before preparing. See a recipe for Collard Greens and Bacon in the newsletter.

Butternut Squash This year’s winter squash crop is very minimal. I have a terrible problem with squash bugs (stink bugs) that eat the young seedlings and the mature fruit! See the newsletter for recipes for Winter Squash Soup and Butternut Squash Gallette.
Thyme and Sage

Collard Greens with Red Onions and Bacon Gourmet | December 1995
Yield: Serves 8 

1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into fourths 
3 medium red onions, chopped coarse (about 3 cups) 1 1/4 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar, or to taste 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste 4 pounds collard greens (preferably small leaves), coarse stems and ribs discarded and leaves and thin stems washed well, drained, and chopped coarse 

In a deep heavy kettle cook bacon in 2 batches over moderate heat until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons drippings and in drippings remaining in kettle cook onions, stirring occasionally, until browned slightly and softened. Transfer onions with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
To kettle add broth, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and about half of bacon, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add about half of collards, tossing until wilted slightly, and add remaining collards, tossing until combined. Simmer collards, covered, 30 minutes. Stir in onions and simmer, covered, 30 minutes more, or until collards are very tender.
Serve collards topped with remaining bacon.

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette
For the pastry: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/4 cup sour cream 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup ice water
For the filling: 1 small butternut squash (about one pound) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do) 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons 1 teaspoon salt Pinch of sugar 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste 3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1. Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.
4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.
5. Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.
6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyere Croutons  
You might not have enough squash for the entire recipe. Cut ingredients in half or use all butternut instead of both squashes.
Serves 8
Soup 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 4 large garlic cloves, chopped 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)* 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)* 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 cup whipping cream
Croutons 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
For soup: Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)
For croutons: Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.
* If you are not confident in your knife skills or lack a very very sharp one, I’d suggest roasting the squash, halved and seeded, on a baking sheet coated lightly with oil at 425 until soft, scooping it into the pot, and cooking it the rest of the way there. Peeling, seeding and chopping raw squash is not the easiest endeavor. Alternatively, you could buy butternut squash already peeled and chopped in many stores. Haven’t seen acorn yet.

White House Gardens Week #15, September 23, 2010

2010-09-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Week #15    September 23, 2010

Your shares this week contain the end of the summer crops and the beginning of the fall crops. The tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are just about done, and the cool season crops are just beginning to produce. There are 5 weeks left in the farmshare, which is my favorite time of year. It has been very dry, not much rain and the temperatures are still in the 80’s. All the lettuce has been planted, and the spinach is beginning to show signs of life. Less than half of it germinated, but I think we will have a little in a few weeks. I will need to keep the deer away from it by covering with row cover, or there will be nothing for us! Right now they have plenty to eat, but that won’t be the case are a frost. I have enjoyed having some of you to share the harvest with. Thank you to Rob Bowser and Kate Raymond for helping pack the boxes tonight.   Rob and Kate shared several ideas with me about how they have been using the vegetables in their share. I encouraged them to send me their ideas so I can share them with you.

Tomatoes Roma or San Marzano tomatoes. Good for making tomato sauce. See a previous newsletter for a recipe for Marinara Sauce. When you cut into these tomatoes, the top portion may not be ripe. This is actually an environmental condition, caused by fluctuations in temperature and moisture. This part can be cut away and the rest of the tomato is usable.

Onions Can be stored in or out of the refrigerator.

Potatoes There are still 5 rows of potatoes to dig, so there will be many more to enjoy. This week’s variety is called All Blue or Russian Blue. It keeps it’s blue color when cooked and stores well. Don’t refrigerate potatoes, as they lose their taste when chilled. These are very small, so enjoy them steamed and tossed with butter and herbs, or cut up and fried.
Shell Beans Cannellini beans in large shares, Tongue of Fire in small shares. To enjoy the beans at their best, shell them as soon as possible. This is best done in front of the TV! Use them just like dried beans in any of your favorite recipes, minus the long soaking. If you can’t cook them right away, the shelled beans can be kept refrigerated for a few days, or freeze them to use later. Don’t store them unrefrigerated as they may not be dry enough and could mold. See last week’s newsletter for recipes. Please do not eat any beans before they are cooked. I learned this the hard way! In the garden I occasionally snack on different varieties to see if they are ready to be picked. I ate some shell beans and that evening and the following day was not feeling very well. Turns out white beans (cannellini), red kidney beans and broad beans (limas) have a natural toxin in them that is only removed by thoroughly cooking them . I found this out through a cooking blog I read regularly, Dad Cooks Dinner, the very next day!   So DO NOT EAT THE BEANS RAW!

Peppers Red, sweet peppers called Carmen and yellow Hungarian Hot Wax. Peppers are easy to preserve if you find you have too many of them. Cut into dice or cubes (whatever size you want to use them) and store in the freezer in a zip lock bag. They can be added to fried potatoes, or any dish requiring fresh peppers that are meant to be cooked.
Eggplant Recipe for Baba Ganoush in the newsletter courtesy of shareholder Pat Brannon.
Swiss Chard From the same family as beets, chard can be used in place of any “green” in a recipe. See a previous newsletter for Sauted Chard with cream and prosciutto. The stems and the leaves are edible.
Kale Winterbor is among many varieties of kale. This one has curly leaves.

I love hummus, so when I found eggplant in this week share I thought “baba ganoush” - an eggplant dip similar to hummus. I like this variation which combines these two middle-eastern favorites (CookEatShare.com). Serve with pita or bagel chips. I make my own with day old bagels from Bruegger’s - slice them into rounds and toast lightly in a low oven. Pat Brannon

Eggplant Hummus with Roasted Garlic
1 large eggplant
1/2 cup garbanzo beans
4 garlic cloves skins on
1/4 cup extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
Garnish with paprika and parsley
Roast both garlic and eggplant in a 425* oven on a baking pan (rub with 2 tablespoons of oil) for 20 minutes.

Remove garlic from pan set aside. Continue to roast eggplant until soft and flat about 25 more minutes. Cool.

Slice eggplant in half and scrape flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Add garbanzo beans. Peel garlic and add to processor bowl, along with juice and tahini, salt and 2 tablespoons oil. Process till smooth.

To serve, drizzle with more oil and paprika on top. Serve with pita chips or bread, celery, carrot sticks or buttery crackers.

The following is a recipe using the kale and beans from your share. Any type of kale can be used along with any type of beans. There is no need to soak the beans before cooking them, as the beans in your share are fresh.

Sauteed Tuscan Kale with Garlicky White Beans

White House Gardens Week #14, September 16, 2010

2010-09-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

Week #14 September 16, 2010

Thanks to helpers Michelle Krocker, Nancy & Denny Archey, and my niece, Sarah Fulton, we got your boxes packed by 8:00 pm again this evening. Thank you, helpers. There is at least one hour less of daylight now, so we have to move fast to get everything picked before the sun goes down. I enjoy growing at this time of year the most, when the days and nights are cooler, the weed pressure is less, and the crops grow slower. Most things that go in your boxes are weighed or counted, so I know how to divide the harvest evenly. When things need to be bunched or bagged, we count out the bags or rubber bands beforehand so there are no mistakes. When things are weighed, such as the arugula, we then divide the weight by the number of shares, AND count out the bags, and then fill them. My math was a little off this evening, so we had to re-bag the arugula to make 35 shares. I know I keep saying this, but this may be the last time there are tomatoes in your share, other than romas and/or heirlooms. Hopefully, we will get some much needed rain this week.

Tongue of Fire Shell Beans Only in large shares this week. There are many more to be picked, so we will have them again, at least for the next couple of weeks. Shell beans are like dried beans, but they don’t need to be soaked before cooking them. The pods can be stored in the refrigerator temporarily , but they should be shelled as soon as possible. If you can’t cook them right away, they can be frozen after they are shelled and cooked when you have more time. A simple way to cook them is to sauté some chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil. Add the shelled beans with enough water to cover and simmer gently for about 30-40 minutes. Add more water if necessary so that the beans don’t go dry. Taste for doneness after about 30 minutes. Here is a link on How to Cook Shell Beans for more information on cooking fresh shell beans. Many of the pods that are in your share are a little drier than I would have liked, but they will still cook quicker than dried beans. Use in place of dried beans in your favorite recipe. Included in the newsletter is a recipe for a shell bean salad. See Recipes for Health for more shell bean recipes.

Radishes French breakfast variety.

Pac Choi This is an Asian vegetable, in the same family as cabbage, broccoli, etc. It can be steamed, sauted, or used in stir fries. Both the stems and the leaves are edible. When stir frying, it’s best to cut the leaves from the thick stem, slice the stems into ½” pieces and add them before the leaves, as the stems take longer to cook. Here is a recipe from shareholder Pat Brannon for a coleslaw made with pac choi.

I tend to improvise in the kitchen---I sliced the bok choy bulb into julienne size pieces. To that I added some chopped Vidalia, and a can of halved Mandarin oranges, a handful of broken walnut meats, and a scattering of Gorgonzola cheese. For the dressing I added a minced garlic clove mashed with a dash of Dijon mustard, than blended in white wine vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper. The result was a refreshing, crisp fruity slaw. Next time I will try with diced apple and a creamier sweet dressing – maybe with mayo and honey.

Tomatoes The last of the slicing tomatoes. Yellow or red Brandywine, or Goldie, another heirloom

Arugula Has a peppery taste. Use in place of lettuce, or mix with other greens in a salad.

Sweet Peppers Carmen (long, red), red block peppers, and Amish Pimento and/or Topepo. These last two are the short, squat red peppers, very sweet.

Hot Peppers Jalapeno, Serrano, Czech Black, Hungarian Carrot, and Cayenne. The hot peppers are in a paper bag.

Shell Bean Salad With Tomatoes, Celery and Feta
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

This is a perfect end-of-summer farmers' market dish. It makes a nutritious main salad or a great starter or side dish.
For the salad:
1 1/2 pounds shell beans (about 2 1/3 cups shelled)
1 onion, halved
7 cups water
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
A bouquet garni made with a few sprigs each of parsley and thyme, a sprig of sage and a bay leaf
Salt to taste
1 cup sliced or diced celery
1 pound tomatoes, cut in wedges, the wedges cut in half crosswise, or cut in large dice
1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives, tarragon, mint
For the dressing:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 garlic clove, minced or pureed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Combine the beans, onion, water, crushed garlic, bouquet garni and salt in a heavy saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard the onion, the bouquet garni and the garlic cloves. Drain though a strainer or colander set over a bowl.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine the beans, celery, tomatoes, feta and herbs. Sprinkle the tomatoes with sea salt if desired.
3. Mix together the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic and olive oil. Toss with the salad, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.
Variations: You can serve this salad warm or cold. Heat the beans if they've cooled off, then toss with the other ingredients. You can also add some of the liquid from the beans if you want more marinade for the mixture (though the tomatoes will become juicy).
Tuna, Bean and Tomato Salad: Add a drained can of tuna to the mix.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8.

Advance preparation: You can cook the beans up to three days in advance. The salad will hold for a few hours. Tomatoes will continue to release juice, but this just makes everything taste even better.

Shell Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Celery and Feta

2010-09-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

Here are my freshly shelled beans from this week's box. I made the recipe in the newsletter, Shell Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Celery and Feta.


Beans in the pot with herbs, garlic and onion

I really liked it. Nice contrast of flavors. It's a keeper!

White House Gardens Week #13, September 9, 2010

2010-09-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

Once again, we finished packing your boxes early, thanks to helpers Pam & Paul Thielo, Mary Fulton, and Albina Schapel. We even got an extra vegetable in your share: potatoes that were already dug (today), but take extra time to weigh and bag. Thank you, helpers, very much. I thoroughly enjoyed having you help me Thursday evening.

Which brings me to something I have been thinking about this year. Many CSA’s require their members to participate in the planting and harvesting at sometime during the season. When the CSA concept was first established in Japan, shareholders formed a group, sought out a farmer, acquired the land, decided what they wanted to grow, and organized the distribution of the vegetables. That is how the concept was first introduced in this country by Robin Van Eyn. It has evolved since the early eighties into more of a marketing tool where the farmer does most or all of the work.

Next year I am going to offer “working shares”; each shareholder will be required to work a few hours during the season. There will be a schedule for the entire season and everyone will be required to work a shift or two, probably consisting of 3-4 hours per season. Several of you have already volunteered your time, and I am very grateful for your help. Working shares will help to keep the cost down as I won’t have to hire as much outside help. There will be more on this later. I will also be sending out sign up information for next year in a few weeks.

The fall crops are coming along nicely. There is less weed pressure this time of year, and everything looks very fresh and green. The spinach is coming up very slowly. The soil may have been too warm last week for it to germinate. The tomatoes may be at their end, not too many good ones left on the vines. The heirlooms are still looking good, so we will have a few of them for a couple of weeks. I have been disappointed in the paste tomatoes this year. They look like they are ripe, but inside they still look unripe. If anyone has received any that they are unhappy with, please let me know. This variety is one I have never grown before and I have trouble telling when they are ripe.

Tomatoes One quart of hybrids and a couple of red, yellow, or orange heirlooms. Yes, the heirlooms are ugly and much of it needs to be cut away sometimes, but their flavor is usually superior to hybrid tomatoes. But this year, I think all the tomatoes are a little watery and somewhat tasteless.

Sweet Peppers Long, Italian frying peppers called Carmen, yellow Flavorburst, and/or red block peppers. Carmen is very sweet when red, I love this pepper. It produces very well in our short summers. All the peppers are doing very well this year due to the warm weather. Red peppers are fully ripe green peppers.

Eggplant Recipe included in the newsletter
Lettuce Romaine type
Onions Yellow
Carrots
Potatoes Kennebec variety. According to the seed catalog, these are the best for making French fries.

Below is a recipe for stewed tomatoes with eggplant. My sister has made this and it is very good. She made a few changes: doubled the butter, added garlic just as the onions were finishing cooking, and added a splash of white balsamic vinegar at the end. I personally don’t think it’s necessary to purge the eggplant of water with the salt soak when the eggplant you have is so fresh. That step is usually necessary when the eggplant is old and bitter.

White House Gardens Week #12, September 2, 2010

2010-09-01T19:49:00.000-07:00

Usually, when I begin this newsletter, it is 10:00 pm and we have just finished packing your boxes. Tonight we were done an hour early, mostly due to the fact that shareholder Rob Bowser came again to help. This is his second evening helping to pick and pack, and I am very grateful that he decided to join my niece, Sarah and I. He has been a great help. Thank you, Rob. There was a lot of weighing and bagging tonight which can take a lot of time. He made the bagging of the potatoes a snap by using an algebra equation to figure out how much to weigh for each share. It’s been a long time since I made use of algebra. That brought back a lot of memories of high school algebra class! I guess it really was good for something.

I have been watering the crops nonstop this week. I use drip tape in the rows, and can water about 10 rows at a time. On Sunday, Bradley Cramer and I planted the spinach for the fall. Please say a prayer that it will germinate. Spinach doesn’t like to sprout in hot weather. My method for improving the germination is to soak the seed overnight, then refrigerate it until it just begins to sprout. Then we planted 3, 150’ rows by hand, laid out the drip tape and soaked the rows with cold water. Lastly, we covered the bed with floating row cover, which keeps the wind from drying the soil and provides a small amount of shade. I have been irrigating this bed every other day since Sunday during the hottest week of the year! But it was now or never to get the spinach planted so that we can enjoy it this fall. Because of cooler (ha!) and shorter days, the fall crops can take up to two weeks longer than usual to mature. This year just might be the exception to that rule.

Tomatoes This week it’s tomato palooza! Cherry, slicing, paste, and heirloom tomatoes are in your share. Try roasting them (see Week #11 newsletter), make tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes (can’t find a good recipe, anybody have one?), marinara sauce (recipe included in the newsletter). Also, don’t forget about the Mother Ship Tomato Salad in a previous newsletter.

Lettuce Romaine type, may be a little bitter due to the heat.

Potatoes Yukon Gold. There are still several rows of potatoes to dig. They have been fabulous this year, must have been the rain earlier this summer.

Delicata Squash This is the first of the winter squashes. Shaped like an acorn squash, it can be baked, roasted, or steamed and the skin is edible, unlike butternut squash. The squash bugs severely damaged the crop this year, and I will probably have to buy some squash to supplement the crop from another grower who doesn’t have squash bug problems! Cut the squash in half and bake, cut side down, at 350 degrees with a little water in the bottom until tender, about an hour. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil until the sugar is carmelized and brown. Or cut into chunks and roast alone or with other vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, and onions, peppers that are tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Beets Chioggia or candy stripped beets. The best way to cook beets is to bake them, wrapped in foil, at 400 degrees for about an hour depending on their size. I like to eat them warm from the oven with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Leef Beet Not in all shares. Also known as Gator, is a member of the beet/chard family. It can be used just like spinach, either fresh or sauted with olive oil and garlic and the stems are edible.

Romano Beans Only in the small shares this week

Marinara Sauce
From Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich
¼ cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled
3 pounds ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded or one 35 oz. can peeled Italian plum tomatoes, seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid.
Salt
Crushed hot red pepper
10 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Makes about 1 quart, enough to dress 6 servings of pasta

Heat the oil in a 2 to 3 quart nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Whack the garlic with the flat side of a knife, add it to the oil, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Carefully slide the tomatoes and their liquid into the oil. Bring to a boil and season lightly with salt and crushed red pepper. Lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a whisk or spoon, until the sauce is chunky and thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil about 5 minutes before the sauce is finished. Taste the sauce and season with salt and red pepper if necessary.

How to Peel Tomatoes:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water near the stove. Cut the cores out of the tomatoes and cut a small x in the opposite end. Slip a few tomatoes into the boiling water and cook just until the skin loosens, 1 to 2 minutes depending on the tomatoes. (Overcooking will make them soggy.) Fish the tomatoes out of the water with a wire skimmer or slotted spoon and drop them into the ice water. If necessary, let the water return to the boil and repeat with any remaining tomatoes. Slip the skins off the blanched tomatoes and cut the tomatoes in half – lengthwise for plum tomatoes, crosswise for round tomatoes. Gently squeeze out the seeds with your hands.

White House Gardens Week #11, August 26 2010

2010-08-26T03:44:00.000-07:00

Most of the contents of your shares are picked on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings. Now that the days are getting shorter, we have almost an hour less of daylight each evening to pick your vegetables. I had two helpers on Wednesday evening, Sarah Fulton, my niece, who works for me part time, and shareholder Rob Bowser. Sarah cut basil in the dark,(among other things) and Rob picked peppers and eggplant and washed them very carefully for you. Thank you to both of them for helping.

The potatoes are dug when time allows and then are stored in my garage until it’s time to put them in your shares. That’s part of the beauty of potatoes; they can sit in the ground and wait to be dug and still be good, even if the tops have died back and it looks like nothing is there but weeds. There are many more rows of potatoes to dig. They should be in your shares regularly until the end of the season. I am continually amazed at what I can produce on such a small area. Each week I think about what I want to pick for your shares and I worry that there won’t be enough for everyone. Then we pick, peppers for instance, and I am overwhelmed at how much is available to put in your shares. I am also amazed at what can be produced from a tiny, little seed. A pepper plant that produces dozens of peppers; a tomato plant that produces scores of tomatoes. What a miracle that is!

Tomatoes This week’s share includes one heirloom tomato, Brandywine, in all shares. These need to be picked before they ripen, or they split and crack. If yours is not ripe, let it sit on the kitchen counter for a couple of days and it will ripen in no time. Other types of tomatoes are cherries, Early Girl, Estiva, Celebrity, St. Pierre, and Pink Beauty, all hybrids. The Pink Beauty have a pink skin and a great flavor. They are one of my favorites. The tomato plants are beginning to decline. In a couple of weeks there will be paste tomatoes, San Marzanos, in your share. Here’s a link to a tomato soup recipe: Blender Tomato Soup

Peppers The peppers are beginning to turn red. If your peppers are just beginning to change color, leave them out of the refrigerator for a few days, and they will continue to ripen. Besides, a bowl of peppers looks just as nice as a bowl of fruit on the table! Green peppers are unripe peppers. You may have Carmen, a long, thin green to red pepper; Flavorburst, light green ripening to yellow; Ace and/or Revolution, a green to red bell pepper. Also in your shares are Hungarian Hot Wax, the long, thin yellow ones. These are mildly spicey. Any pepper can be stuffed and baked.

Eggplant I grow 4 kinds of eggplant. Violetta: long and thin. Prosperosa: dark purple, globe shaped. Rosa Bianca: light purple. Galine: traditional. All of these varieties are interchangeable in recipes calling for eggplant. See Week #9 newsletter for a link to eggplant recipes. Included in the newsletter is a recipe for grilled eggplant. Or here’s a link: Grilled Eggplant
Potatoes Dark Red Norland.

Romano Beans Not in all shares. These are flat pods with great flavor. Next week there should be more. I keep track of who gets what each week if there isn’t enough to go around and make sure that those who didn’t get something get it the next time.

Swiss Chard Chard and beets come from the same plant family. Chard can be used like spinach; it can be eaten raw or cooked. The stems are also edible. Included in the newsletter is a recipe.
Onions Most shares received several large yellow onions called Alisa Craig. These grow very large, but do not keep long. It’s best to store them in the refrigerator.

Parsley and Basil Store parsley in the refrigerator, but not the basil. Store basil like cut flowers with a loose bag over the top. Trim the stems periodically and change the water to keep the basil fresh. Make a basil puree in the food processor with enough olive oil just to make a paste. Freeze in ice cube trays. When frozen, store in plastic bags in the freezer. Use a cube or two when making soup or tomato sauce.

Easy Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce  From TheBittenWord.com
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh tomatoes 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions 2 cloves smashed garlic 5 thyme sprigs Olive oil to drizzle Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Halve small tomatoes. Quarter large tomatoes. Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Scatter sliced onions over the pan. Nestle the thyme springs among the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on how cooked you would like your tomatoes.
Remove pan from oven. Discard thyme sprigs. Allow tomatoes to cool slightly. Using a blender, food processor or food mill, blend the tomatoes until they liquified (as chunky or as smooth as you would prefer).
If using sauce immediately, enjoy! If freezing, allow the sauce to cool, transfer to freezer bags and freeze.
Spicy Hoisin Glazed Eggplant   Serves 4  
1 tablespoon canola oil 
1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated 
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1 teaspoon red chile flakes 
1/2 cup hoisin sauce 
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce 
2 medium eggplants, ends trimmed and cut into ½-inch thick slices 
6 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 green onions, white and green part, thinly sliced  

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and red chile flakes and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the hoisin, vinegar and soy sauce until combined. 2. Heat your grill to high. 3. Brush eggplant slices on both sides with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the slices on the grill and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Brush with some of the glaze, turn over and continue grilling just until cooked through, brushing with more of the glaze, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from the grill and brush with the remaining glaze. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the green onion.  

Creamed Swiss Chard With Prosciutto
This recipe is one of my sister’s favorites. You can use prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon. They all work great.
2 T. olive oil
¼ cup diced prosciutto
¼ cup minced yellow onion
1 T. minced garlic
8 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (you can use the stems also, separate them from the leaves and cook the stems first, then add the leaves)
1/3 heavy cream
Salt and pepper as needed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ t. grated nutmeg

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high and add the onion and garlic. Saute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 minute more.

Add the Swiss chard, sautéing just until the leaves wilt, about five minutes. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook the Swiss chard until it is tender, about 5 minutes.
Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and nutmeg. Serve immediately ina heated bowl or on heated plates.

White House Gardens Week #10, August 19, 2010

2010-08-19T04:19:00.000-07:00

Week #10 August 19, 2010
This has been a very challenging week for me in the garden. There is so much more to plant for you, but I seem to be running out of time! That’s my biggest challenge, finding the time to do all that I want to do. There are so many new things that I want to try and grow. When these things overwhelm me, I feel like I’m running in circles, and not accomplishing anything. The days are definitely getting shorter and I can feel the coolness in the air now that the humidity has left. Fall is upon us and summer is winding down.

The tomatoes are peaking, especially the cherry tomatoes, but the heirlooms are not ripening yet. Hopefully the nice weather will continue so we can enjoy the many colors and flavors of the heirloom tomatoes. The lettuce in your share is an iceberg lettuce. I am not happy with it’s appearance, I think I let it grow a little too long before picking. Please let me know what you think of the taste. Iceberg lettuce is a challenge to grow in my soil, too much clay. There will be a couple of weeks without lettuce, until the next planting is ready. In all, I have been pleased with the fact that I have put lettuce in your shares more times than not. That was one of my goals for this year.

Another goal was to grow more and better melons. I definitely got more, but I felt most of them did not taste very good. I would love to hear your comments on the melons, especially the muskmelons or cantelopes.

I am also not pleased with the fennel that I picked this week. I have tried to grow fennel for several years and I think this year may be the last. Many of the bulbs had bolted without even becoming a bulb! There is some information about fennel and a couple of recipes in the newsletter. My favorite way to cook fennel is to sauté it in olive oil and garlic. Trim the stalks from the bulb and slice crossways into ¼” slices. Heat olive oil over medium heat, add garlic and crushed red pepper to taste and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the fennel slices and cook over medium heat until lightly browned and tender. This makes a great side dish.

All the peppers this week are hot and/or mildly spicey. Large shares include some Cubanelles, which are only slightly hot. The others are jalapenos, Serrano (thin green and/or red), Cayenne (small red, shriveled), Czech Black (dark purple), or Bulgarian Carrot (yellow). Small shares do not include Cubanelles. There will be more later.

Tomatoes Cherry and slicing tomatoes. Included in the newsletter is a recipe for Jamie Oliver’s “The Mothership Tomato Salad”. I love this recipe because it’s so simple and can be used to make a salad, a topping for bruschetta, or tossed with pasta.

Lettuce Iceberg type.

Carrots Carrots (and many other vegetables) are great roasted. Cut them into slices or chunks along with any other vegetables you may have, such as onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic. Cut all the vegetables into same size pieces so they cook evenly. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake at 400 degrees until tender. The time will depend on what vegetables you are using.

Fennel See above on how to sauté fennel. Also see info and more recipes in this newsletter

Watermelon The dark green ones have red flesh, and the light green ones with dark stripes have yellow flesh

Red Onions

Green Beans Romano (Italian flat green beans) or Tongue of Fire. The later can be eaten as a fresh bean or picked later as a fresh shell bean. Tongue of Fire is green with red streaks.

Peppers This week’s share is all about hot peppers. Try the Cubanelles stuffed with meat or cheese and baked. Use the jalapeno, Serrano, Bulgarian Carrot, Cayenne, or Czech Black to make salsa or add them to fried potatoes.

The Mothership Tomato Salad
From “Jamie at Home” by Jamie Oliver
2 ¼ pounds mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colors
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch of dried oregano
Red wine or balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 fresh red chili, deseeded and chopped
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks. Straightaway this will give you the beginnings of a tomato salad that’s really brave and exciting to look at and eat. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won’t be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.

Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle over the oregano. Make a dressing using one part vinegar to three parts oil, the garlic and the chili. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely.

This is a fantastic tomato salad, which is totally delicious to eat on its own. It’s also great served with some balls of mozzarella or some nice, grilled ciabatta bread.
Note: This can also be tossed with hot pasta. Crush the tomatoes with your hands, then toss with pasta, add fresh mozzarella and basil.

Fennel From a distance, fennel plants growing in the
field look like a tall, rich, plush carpet. With a sweet, delicate anise flavor,
fennel can be used much like celery in soups, salads, stir-fries, and
other dishes. When used raw, its distinct taste shines through. When
cooked, it imparts a subtle but delicious quality to the finished dish.

STORAGE
Cut off the stalks where they emerge from the bulb. To use the feathery
foliage as an herb, place the dry stalks upright in a glass
filled with two inches of water, cover the glass loosely
with a plastic bag, and store in the refrigerator
for up to five days. The unwashed bulb will
keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for at
least a week.

Fennel and Potato Gratin
This is a tasty variation of a traditional
dish. Replace the half-and-half with
whole milk for a less rich dish. Friend
of the Farm.
Serves 4 to 6
butter for greasing the baking dish
1 medium fennel bulb, cut crosswise into
1/8-inch slices (about 2 cups)
2 cups thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes
(about 2 large potatoes)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons butter
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly coat a shallow 2-quart
baking dish with butter.
2. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with a layer of fennel slices.
Cover with half of the potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to
taste. Repeat layers until you’ve used up all your slices.
3. Bring the half-and-half to a gentle boil in a medium pan over medium-
high heat. Pour it over the fennel and potato.
4. Using a large spatula, press down on the top layer to submerge it.
Dot with butter. Bake until potatoes are tender and the top is golden,
about 1 hour.
HANDLING
Remove any damaged spots or layers. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise
and check the inner core. If it’s tough, remove it with a paring knife.
Fennel should be washed carefully, because dirt can lodge between
the layers of the bulb. Chop or mince the leaves.

Rich Summer Fennel Soup
This hearty soup makes for a meal on its own, and it’s even better the
next day for lunch, though the farm crew seldom leaves any behind.
To make your tomatoes virtually peel themselves, score a very
shallow X on the bottom of each one, put them in a heatproof
bowl or measuring cup, and pour boiling water
over them. Leave them in the boiling water for a
minute or so if necessary; the peel will loosen completely.
Angelic Organics Kitchen.
Serves 3
Bouquet Garni:
1 sprig parsley, stem only
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
Soup:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium or large fennel bulb, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled, cubed
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tablespoons Pernod (licorice-flavored liqueur) (optional)
1/4 cup heavy cream or silken tofu
salt
white pepper
chopped parsley
1. To prepare the bouquet garni, tie together the parsley stem, bay
leaf, and thyme sprig in a piece of cheesecloth.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add
the onion; sauté for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.
3. Stir in the fennel, carrot, and potato and cook for 5 minutes. Add
the tomatoes, stock, and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, then reduce
the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the fennel
is very soft, about 30 minutes.
4. Discard the bouquet garni. Let the mixture cool slightly and then
purée it in batches in a food processor or blender. (If you are using tofu
instead of cream, add it now and purée with the rest of the ingredients.)
5. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the Pernod and cream. Heat over
medium-low heat to allow the soup to heat through, but do not boil. Season
with salt and white pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley.
Excerpted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm
by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability.

White House Gardens Week #9, August 12, 2010

2010-08-12T04:04:00.000-07:00

Almost half way through the season, it’s hard to believe. Somewhere in early July I lose track of time, and then all of a sudden, it’s August. Where did the time go?

I love the summer vegetables, but my favorites are the ones that grow in cooler weather: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, spinach. That’s what I have been busy planting for you, the fall vegetables.

This week’s share is just the beginning of the summer vegetables. The tomatoes are beginning to ripen faster, the peppers are getting huge, and the eggplant is just beginning to produce. The first planting of green beans are being pulled up to make room for kale and spinach, and the second planting of beans will be ready to pick any minute! The melons are winding down, and the winter squash is creeping out of it’s row into the cauliflower. I planted 12 varieties of potatoes, 1800 row feet in all. That’s a lot of potatoes to dig! I have dug one row and we harvested about 150 pounds. Hard work when you’re doing it with a potato fork and two people! I put a call in to a friend that has a piece of equipment I sold to him several years ago that might make the potato digging go a little faster. I hope it works!

The heirloom tomatoes are beginning to ripen, however, the entire tomato crop is plagued by septoria leaf spot, a disease that affects the leaves, not the fruit. This disease causes the leaves to turn brown and eventually fall off. The fruit is affected by sun scald because there is no foliage to cover the ripening tomatoes. I hope the plants can hold out another couple of weeks, but it seems to be spreading rather rapidly. We’ll see what happens. We had a lot of rain earlier in the season, which can contribute to tomato diseases. I don’t use any fungicides that aren’t approved for organic use, and I only used a copper fungicide one time this year.

All of the onions have been harvested and are drying in the greenhouse with huge fans blowing are over them. The summer squash and zucchini plants are done, although I did plant another row a week ago. Nothing has come up yet. Hopefully we will have a warm, dry fall and the plants will have a chance to produce some more zucchini.

Lettuce This week’s lettuce is a red romaine and/or a butterhead called Nancy. Next week look for iceberg lettuce!

Potatoes This week’s variety is Dark Red Norland. Don’t wash your potatoes until you are ready to use them. Store in the bag they came in, out of direct light. Light causes the potatoes to take on a green cast, which is actually harmful if eaten in large quantities. If any of your potatoes are green in some areas, cut or peel this green off, don’t eat it!

Peppers The peppers are just beginning to ripen. Green peppers are actually non-ripe red peppers. Some of you may have received some ripe, red peppers. There will be more to come! The long, reddish pepper (if you got one) is called Carmen. It is red when fully ripe and very sweet. If your peppers are just beginning to redden, let them stay at room temperature for a few days and they will continue to ripen. The pale yellow one is called Flavorburst and turns bright yellow when ripe. Next week look for mildly hot, or hot peppers.

Eggplant I grow 4 varieties of eggplant: Violetta (long and skinny shape), Prosperosa (globe shaped with a tinge of purple), Rosa Bianca (globe shaped, light purple), and Galine, a traditional eggplant. The taste is the same, just the color and shape are different. Here is a link to Recipes for Health from the New York Times with many suggestions for preparing eggplant. My favorite way to prepare eggplant: Cut the eggplant into ¼” slices. Bread with flour, then beaten egg, then seasoned bread crumbs and fry until golden brown. I love eating this hot or cold.

Green Beans This is the last of Provider. Next will be Italian Romano beans and/or Tongue of Fire, a flat green bean with mottled/reddish hues. Tongue of Fire can be picked for fresh use or left on the plant to produce fresh shell beans, both of which we will enjoy.

Melons This week’s share includes muskmelons and watermelon. If your watermelon is a light green color with dark stripes then it has yellow flesh. If it is dark green, then it has red flesh. It is very difficult to tell when watermelons are ripe. Thumping is one technique. If the watermelon produces a deep, hollow sound when thumped, then it is probably ripe! Watermelons do not continue to ripen after being picked, so it’s pretty much a guessing game. Please let me know if yours is NOT ripe.

Tomatoes Hybrid tomatoes Early Girl, St. Pierre, Celebrity and/or Estiva. Cherry tomatoes are Sun Gold, Black Cherry, Sweet Chelsea or Sun Cherry. A very few of you got some heirloom tomatoes. These are the misshapen, sometimes cracked, ugly globes! They sure don’t win any beauty contests, but their flavor is superb.

Eggplant and Tomato Gratin
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
This is a delicious, low-fat version of eggplant Parmesan. Instead of breaded, fried eggplant, though, the eggplant in this dish is roasted and sliced, layered with a rich tomato sauce and freshly grated Parmesan, and baked in a hot oven until bubbly.
For the tomato sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste)
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, quartered if you have a food mill or else peeled, seeded and chopped; or 1 1/2 (28-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes, with juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
2 sprigs fresh basil
For the gratin:
2 pounds eggplant, roasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1. Roast the eggplant. Roast, cut in half lengthwise, cut sides down at 450, about 30 minutes
2. Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, preferably nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Stir until tender, about five to eight minutes, then add the garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute, and add the tomatoes, salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon), pepper, sugar and basil sprigs. Turn the heat up to medium-high. When the tomatoes are bubbling, stir well and then turn the heat back to medium. Stir often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprigs.
3. If you did not peel the tomatoes, put the sauce through the fine blade of a food mill. If the tomatoes were peeled, pulse the sauce in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix with the bread crumbs. Oil the inside of a two-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Slice the roasted eggplant about 1/4 inch thick, and set an even layer of slices over the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of sauce over the eggplant, and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce topped with the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture you set aside. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
Yield: Serves six

Advance preparation: The tomato sauce can be made up to three days ahead. The casserole can be assembled a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, then baked when you wish to serve it. Don’t add the last layer of bread crumbs and Parmesan, with the drizzle of olive oil, until right before you bake it.

White House Gardens Week #8, August 5, 2010

2010-08-04T19:21:00.000-07:00

Week #8 August 5, 2010

It’s hard to believe that August has begun, and we are barely half way through the 20 week season. I have been busy planting the fall crops: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, carrots, and many others. All of these vegetables actually like cooler temperatures, and they taste better when the weather is cooler too.

The tomatoes are beginning to pick up speed. Everyone received a few, most of you also got cherry tomatoes.

The melons are ripening in a big hurry: everyone received at least one. I planted several varieties, each one becoming mature at different times. But I guess the melon seeds didn’t read the seed packet, because they all want to be picked right now! I guess it’s true that you should be careful what you wish for. My wish was to be able to grow good tasting melons. I got my wish regarding quantity, let me know how they taste. Next week the watermelons should be ready.

Tomatoes Slicing variety: either New Girl, Estiva, St. Pierre, or Pink Beauty.
Cherry Tomatoes Large boxes only. Sun Gold, Black Beauty, Sweet Chelsea, and/or Sun Cherry.
Green Beans This is the third picking of Provider, and they are still going strong.
Peas Shelling peas in large boxes only. This is the last of them. Please shell these as soon as possible and store in the refrigerator.
Lettuce Green Ice (green, crinkly leaves) and/or Antares (red, oak leaf)
Melons Orange muskmelon named Halona or Athena, although some of you may have a green type, also. If the rind still feels hard, leave the melon on the counter for a day or two to ripen further. If your melon feels soft, then consume immediately!
Peppers The peppers are just beginning to get big. These first ones are Hungarian Banana Peppers which are a little spicey! (HOT). In the future I will be putting all hot peppers in a bag in your box, to distinguish between sweet and hot.
Onions All the onions have been removed from the field and are drying in the greenhouse. This is the first batch of cured onions. These do not need to be stored in the refrigerator.
Basil Store basil like cut flowers. Trim the stem, remove lower leaves, and store in a vase of water. Cover the top with a plastic bag Don’t store basil in the refrigerator, it will turn black from the cold.

The following recipe for green beans is from a blog I read, Dad Cooks Dinner You can use this technique for just about any vegetable.

Recipe: Steam-Sauteed Green Beans 
Equipment:
Wide saucepan or fry pan with a lid
Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp butter (optional, but pretty plain without it)
1 lemon, zested then halved (optional)
Trimmed beans
1. Steam the Green Beans: Put the beans in the pan. Add the garlic, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, and 1 tbsp butter. Cover the pan, and put over medium-high heat. Wait for the water to come to a boil, then cook, covered, for 8 minutes
2. Saute the Green Beans: Remove the lid, and cook, stirring the beans occasionally. Keep cooking until all the remaining water boils off and the beans are tender, and just starting to brown, another 2-3 minutes. *You should be left with just the butter in the pan, and you'll know you're there when you hear the beans start to sizzle. I test for doneness by biting into a bean; it should have just a hint of crunch to it.

3. Season the beans: Squeeze the lemon over the beans and stir to combine. Pour the beans, butter and lemon juice onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and serve.  Variations: *I'm in a real hurry: Skip the garlic and lemon - just use beans, salt, pepper and butter.  *I want to be really healthy: Cut the butter back to 1 teaspoon. I wouldn't eliminate it entirely. Even a little butter adds a big hit of flavor to the beans.  *Olive Oil: Substitute olive oil (or any other vegetable oil) for the butter, or do half butter, half oil.  *Asian: Add 2 cloves of minced garlic with the green beans, substitute 1/4 cup soy sauce for half the water, and substitute 2 tsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil for the butter.  *Orange beans: Substitute half an orange and its zest for the lemon.

Notes: *Trimming green beans: I grab a handful, line them all up with the stem side facing in the same direction, then push the bunch of beans up against my knife to get the stems in a line. This makes it easy for me to chop the stems off a lot of beans in one slice.

2010-07-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

This has been another amazing week in the garden. A total of two inches of rain fell on Friday and Saturday. Then tonight we had another downpour. I haven’t checked the rain gauge yet, but it should be close to another inch. I had trouble deciding what to put in your boxes, there’s so much ready to be picked!

The tomatoes are beginning to pick up speed. Everybody got either cherry tomatoes or small, slicing ones. The heirlooms will take a bit longer to ripen, they should be ready in a few weeks.

The green beans are loving all the rain. They should be in your shares for the next couple of weeks. The next planting of beans has not done well, so there will probably be a gap in between.

Everyone received a muskmelon in their share. This one has orange flesh and has pretty good flavor. Leave it on the counter for a day or two, and it will ripen further. These are the best melons I have ever grown, as far as quantity and appearance. The taste can vary so much between fruits, I hope yours tastes good. If not, please let me know, so I can decide whether to grow this particular variety again. They are a hybrid call Halona. I grow all the melons on a 30’ x 150’ piece of landscape fabric. The transplants are planted through holes in the fabric. They are covered with row cover until they bloom, to exclude insects, such as the cucumber beetle and squash bug. The row cover must be removed when they bloom so that bees can pollinate them. Usually my melon plants succumb to disease before the fruits reach full maturity, but so far this year, they are loaded with fruit, and only now are showing signs of deteriorating. Here’s hoping they will be able to hang in there so that the fruit can ripen. I grew 8 varieties this year, along with 4 varieties of watermelon.

Tomatoes Everybody got either cherry tomatoes, or small slicing tomatoes. I grow 4 kinds of cherries: sun gold (orange), black cherry (dark purple), sun cherry, and sweet Chelsea cherry (both red). The slicing tomatoes are either Early Girl or Estiva, both hybrids, and very reliable.

Green Beans Provider is the variety I grow for the main crop of beans.

Beets Red Ace is the variety I grow. See Recipes for Health at New York Times for more recipes.

Savoy Cabbage This cabbage has finer texture than red or green cabbage, with crinkly leaves. Use like regular cabbage in coleslaw or sauted, as in Hungarian Cabbage & Noodles. See Week #3 for a recipe. Or try this very simple coleslaw recipe:

Cole Slaw
10 cup cabbage, sliced thin, tossed with salt
½ t. salt – let cabbage drain tossed with salt for a couple of hours
Dressing
1 cup cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar – white or apple cider

Lettuce This week’s share includes either Slobolt (green, ruffly leaves) or Antares (red, oak leaf). Remember that summer lettuce can be a little bitter. Shareholder Susan Connelly shared a tip from the Food Network: Wash the lettuce very well, store in a plastic bag, with lots of air in it in the frig for a couple of days. Supposedly, this removes the bitterness.

Cucumbers This summer I can’t seem to get enough of Cucumber Salad. I have been making it weekly since I began picking cucumbers. This will be the last of the cucumbers. I pulled up the plants this past weekend; they were declining rapidly. See Week #3 for a recipe for Cucumber Salad.

Carrots This variety is Napoli, the mainstay of carrots!

White House Gardens Week #6, July 22, 2010

2010-07-22T03:49:00.000-07:00

We finally got some measurable rain tonight. It interrupted the picking twice! Boy, it was great to have some rain. I’m not sure how much, but we sure did get muddy!

Every time I plan for what to pick for your shares each week, I worry that there won’t be enough, or that the quality won’t be good, or there won’t be enough variety. Then I start picking, and I’m surprised at what is ready and how much. All my careful planning goes out the window when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

While checking the bean plants this week, I was amazed that there were beans on the plants, about 3” long. Look for green beans in your share next week. The tomatoes are slowly ripening. Several of you got a pint of cherry tomatoes or some Early Girl tomatoes. With this rain, they will begin to ripen faster.

Some of you got pickling cucumbers and the rest got shelling peas. There will be more peas hopefully. They are late this year because the first planting failed (not enough rain). I replanted knowing that the hot weather might compromise the plants, but they seem to be doing fine. There are blossoms and small pods all over the plants. The hot weather doesn’t seem to be bothering them too much.

Romaine Lettuce I have been more successful this year putting lettuce in your boxes more often. We may skip a week or two, but the next planting looks very promising. Lettuce grown in hot weather can be a little bitter.

Onions These are fresh, store in the refrigerator, and the green tops can be used like green onions.

Cucumbers This will probably be the last of the cucumbers for awhile. The plants are beginning to deteriorate and succumb to disease. I will be planting some in the greenhouse this weekend in the raised boxes that grew the first potatoes. This is a new experiment, I hope it works out. Several of you received pickling cucumbers. These are the short, fat ones, with a little bit of white at one end. See last week’s newsletter for a recipe for refrigerator pickles.
Zucchini The zucchini plants are also winding down. There should still be some for the next 2 weeks.

Kale This variety is called Red Russian. See Week #2 for a recipe for sauted kale or kale chips.

Peas These are a shelling variety. Shelling peas is not hard, but can take some time. Snap off the top, pull down to remove the string, then split open the pod. Fresh peas are my favorite snack when I’m working in the garden.

Kale with Garlic and Bacon
(This recipe serves 8, and calls for more kale than is in your share, so adjust amounts accordingly.)
Shredding the kale allows you to cook it for a shorter period of time, so it retains an appealingly bright color and is gentler in flavor than if it had been slow-cooked.
Yield: Makes 8 servings Active Time: 50 min Total Time: 1 hr

2 1/2 pounds kale (about 4 bunches), tough stems and center ribs cut off and discarded 10 bacon slices (1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch pieces 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 cups water

Stack a few kale leaves and roll lengthwise into a cigar shape. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips with a sharp knife. Repeat with remaining leaves.
Cook bacon in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off and discard all but 3 tablespoons fat from pot, then cook garlic in remaining fat over moderately low heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add kale (pot will be full) and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Add water and simmer, partially covered, until just tender, 6 to 10 minutes. Toss with bacon and salt and pepper to taste.
Pappardelle With Greens and Ricotta
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

1 pound greens, such as chard, kale or broccoli rabe, stemmed and washed well, or half of a 1-pound bag prepared greens
Salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 garlic cloves, to taste, minced
3/4 cup fresh ricotta
3/4 pound pappardelle
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the greens (you may have to do this in two batches). After the water returns to a boil, boil two to four minutes until the greens are tender. Using a deep-fry skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer them to the ice water. Do not drain the hot water in the pot, as you’ll use it to cook the pasta. Drain the greens, squeeze dry and chop.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the garlic, cook for about a minute just until fragrant, and stir in the greens. Toss in the hot pan for about a minute, just until the greens are lightly coated with oil and fragrant with garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

3. Place the ricotta in a large pasta bowl. Bring the water for the pasta back to a boil, and add the pappardelle. Cook al dente. Ladle 1/2 cup of the cooking water from the pasta into the ricotta and stir together. Drain the pasta, and toss with the ricotta, greens and cheeses. Serve at once.

Yield: Serves four.
Advance preparation: The greens, prepared through step 2, will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.

White House Gardens Weeks #4 & #5 2010

2010-07-15T04:21:00.000-07:00

Week 4:

What happened to the rain? It’s been pretty miserable for all the vegetables, but the weeds love this hot, dry weather! Most of the garden is irrigated and the irrigation has been running non-stop since Sunday. I got a lot planted this past weekend. I hope it can survive this heat wave. Again, if anyone can spare an hour or two, there is a lot of weeding to be done. A few members will be volunteering early Sunday morning, starting at 7:30. We would love to have you join us.

In your share this week you will find:

Cucumbers I grow several varieties, and they are at their peak right now. I love cucumber salad made with vinegar and a little sugar. Slice the cucumbers thin (peeled or not), add a little onion, and salt them. Place them in a colander for about an hour and let them drain. Rinse and press or squeeze out the water. Make a dressing with vinegar, (I like rice wine vinegar) and a little sugar to taste. Toss the cucumber slices with the dressing, add a little diced hot pepper if you like it spicy. The amount of vinegar depends on how much cucumber you are using. Start with a tablespoon and add more if needed.

Carrots   Kinko or Napoli are in your share. The Kinko are the short, stubby ones. These grew very nicely in some raised boxes that I filled with compost and soil.
Potatoes These are new, red potatoes, just dug Tuesday evening. (Thank you, Rick) They are not washed and are very thin skinned. I don’t wash potatoes because they last longer.   Fresh dug potatoes are my favorite vegetable, there’s nothing like them. Below is a recipe courtesy of Michael Ruhlman, who writes a food blog I read. www.ruhlman.com These are his comments included in the recipe. I used parsley instead of tarragon.

Spring Potatoes with Tarragon and Chives
I love this technique for new potatoes. It takes advantage of the fresh herbs that are now in full bloom and can be made up to an hour before serving (gently reheat, serve warm, not piping hot). I believe it’s important to cook potatoes gently, so poach rather than boil (unless you’ve got hungry kids giving you the evil eye, in which case, boil away).
1 pound beautiful potatoes (any variety of thin-skinned potato)
2 ounce butter or to taste
plenty of salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh, lightly chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon minced chives http://ruhlman.com/
olive oil to taste (optional)
Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low; water can be at an infrequent bubble (just avoid rolling boil that knocks them around), 20-30 minutes.
When they’re tender (pierce with a knife, take one out and cut it and taste it if you’re unsure), strain them, allow them to cool till you can handle them and peel them (again, if you’re in a hurry, you don’t have to peel, they’re just better if you do). Cut them as desired.
Melt the butter in the same pan you cooked the potatoes in, add the salt and pepper, swirl, add the potatoes, stir gently to coat with butter, add the tarragon and chives, and stir to distribute the herbs. Taste. Add a tablespoon of very flavorful olive oil if desired, more salt if needed. Cover until ready to serve. Gently reheat if you want.

Onions These are young bulbing onions, also known as spring onions. Use them as you would dried, cured onions. You can even use the tops, like green onions.
Swiss Chard This is a green like spinach, with a little stronger taste. It is related to beets and has a similar taste. The leaves and the ribs can be eaten, but the ribs take longer to cook than the greens. Here is my favorite way to enjoy Swiss chard:

Creamed Swiss Chard With Prosciutto
This recipe is one of my sister’s favorites. You can use prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon. They all work great.
2 T. olive oil
¼ cup diced prosciutto
¼ cup minced yellow onion
1 T. minced garlic
8 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (you can use the stems also, separate them from the leaves and cook the stems first, then add the leaves)
1/3 heavy cream
Salt and pepper as needed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ t. grated nutmeg
Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high and add the onion and garlic. Saute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 minute more.
Add the Swiss chard, sautéing just until the leaves wilt, about five minutes. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook the Swiss chard until it is tender, about 5 minutes.
Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and nutmeg. Serve immediately in a heated bowl or on heated plates.

Beets Chioggia and red beets are in your bunch. The Chioggia are also called Candy Stripe Beets. I thought I didn’t like beets until I tried baking them. Wrap the beets in a foil pouch and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. Smaller beets will take less time, and larger ones may take more. When they are tender, remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them. Peel, slice or cut up the way you like. Toss with olive oil, any vinegar you like, and salt and pepper. Wonderful salad! The roots will store longer than the greens, so remove the greens and store separately. The greens can be sauted just like the Swiss chard, or add them to the chard recipe.
Zucchini It keeps on growing!
Parsley and Chives Use these in the potato recipe!

WEEK 5:

I have been pickling many vegetables this year. Asparagus, cauliflower, and now cucumbers. Many vegetables can be preserved by pickling and my goal is to try as many as I can. The asparagus was a success. The cauliflower and pickling cucumbers need to age a bit before trying them. In your share this week you have a lot of cucumbers! Make some cucumber salad (recipe in last week’s newsletter). It is very refreshing on a hot day. Or make shareholder Pat Brannon’s refrigerator pickles. The recipe is in the newsletter. Not all of you got pickling cucumbers. They are the short, fat ones. I put enough in your share, if you got them, to make the refrigerator pickles or another one, if you like. If you didn’t get pickling cucumbers, then you got shelling peas. The peas are just starting to ripen, there will be more later if the heat doesn’t reduce their flowering.

Cucumbers Slicing and/or pickling cucumbers.

Zucchini/Summer Squash Here is a link to a blog I read, “Well Preserved” by Eugenia Bone, who writes for the Denver Post. http://blogs.denverpost.com/preserved/2010/07/13/what-to-do-with-all-that-zucchini/ She has some very good ideas for using all the zucchini. Eugenia has also written a book “Well Preserved” that I purchased and have tried her recipes for pickled asparagus and cauliflower. I particularly want to try the zucchini fritters she mentions in the blog. Many people may wonder why there is so much zucchini sometimes. The trouble with growing zucchini is you can have a bad year (like I did last year) and then there is very little. So, we farmers plant more, and then a good year comes along and we are overrun with the stuff!

Red Cabbage The heads of cabbage got huge with all the rain. I love braised red cabbage and have included a recipe in the newsletter.

Lettuce Two varieties this week, Green Ice and Red Fire

Red Onions These are young onions before they are fully developed. Use like regular cured or dried onions, but they must be stored in the refrigerator. Use the green part just like green onions.

Shelling Peas Just a few of you received a pound of shelling peas. These are great lightly steamed and tossed with butter and any herbs you have on hand.

Dill Add to potato salad or boiled potatoes, a salad, or your favorite pickle recipe!

Grandma’s Refrigerator Pickles
7 cups thinly sliced cucumber
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup thinly sliced green pepper
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons pickling salt and ½ tsp. celery seed over the sliced vegetables
Mix together 1 cup white vinegar and 2 cups sugar (I cut the sugar)
Pour over and mix through.
Put in a large container or bowl in the refrigerator and stir once daily for three days, then enjoy! Store in smaller containers or freeze. Make sure you leave a little headroom in the freezer container for expansion.

This recipe came from a German friend, Gertrude. I watched her make it and took notes. She does not have a written recipe for this. She’s made it so many times (she is in her eighty’s), that she knows it by heart. All measurements are approximate. She couldn’t give me exact quantities. She said it depends on the cabbage, the weather, and your mood I guess!

Braised Red Cabbage
Quarter and core a medium head of red cabbage. Slice it as thin as you can. Toss with 1 tsp. salt and let stand in a colander over a bowl for a minimum of one hour or up to 4 hours, until the cabbage wilts. Chop an onion and sauté it in 1 Tbsp. of oil until wilted. Add the cabbage, salt & pepper, and toss to combine. Simmer the cabbage on low heat, covered, about 30 minutes, or until tender. Add water, 1 Tbsp. at a time if needed. Add about 3 Tbsp. of cider vinegar, more or less to taste, and simmer another 30 minutes. Taste and add more vinegar if desired. Add about 1 Tbsp. of flour to bind all together, and more water if too dry. Continue simmering until tender if needed.

White House Gardens Week #3, July 1, 2010

2010-07-01T03:30:00.000-07:00

Week #3    July 1, 2010
The rains have finally subsided, and I think we are on to some warm summer days this week and through the weekend. The last rainfall was 1.5” (Sunday and Monday). I worked very hard on Sunday to get the corn and shell beans in because I knew it was going to rain. I’m very glad I did, even though the temperature was approaching 90! I was worried that the rain would put the garden over the edge and some things would drown, but everything looks very good. Most things are planted, except for the 2 week rotations of lettuce, beans, radishes, and other crops that grow fast. In a couple of weeks I will be planting the fall crops of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale. I will also plant more carrots, kohlrabi, fennel, turnips, spinach, the list goes on. The melons and cucumbers look fantastic, best I have ever grown. Let’s hope no diseases venture in to ruin the crop, which can happen.

Lettuce: The lettuce this week is a romaine type. There won’t be lettuce for a couple of weeks. The next planting was delayed due to the rain earlier in June. I try to plant lettuce every two weeks.

Onions These are green onions that grew a little large, but they are still very good. They are a good size for grilling. Trim the roots but leave the root end and the green part in tack. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill until tender.

Broccoli The broccoli all matured at the same time, even though I plant different varieties to stagger the harvest. This is due to the warm weather and rain. Most of the heads are quite large and are actually a little more mature than I would like.

Broccoli Raab is a member of the broccoli family. The stems, leaves, and little buds are all edible. I like it sauted in olive oil with garlic and crushed red pepper. There is a recipe in the newsletter for preparing broccoli raab or rape.

Turnips These are Hakurei turnips, the only kind of turnips I grow. I think they are the best tasting. They are meant to be eaten raw or lightly cooked. The greens are edible, too, and can be used in soups, stews, or sauted like other greens. I like the turnips in salads in place of radishes or added to a raw vegetable platter. If you will be storing the roots for later, remove the greens and store them separately. The roots will store longer than the greens.

Cabbage I love cabbage and noodles. Share holder Pat Brannon has shared her recipe with me and I am including it in the newsletter. There will be cabbage for the next 3 weeks, as it is all ready to be picked! Next week will be red cabbage, the following week, Savoy.

Sugar Snap Peas This is the last of the peas for awhile. I hope you are enjoying them as much as I do. They are so sweet! The shelling peas should be ready the middle to end of July. The first planting did not come up, so I had to replant later than I would like. Here’s hoping they will do well in the warmer weather.

Basil There are several ways to store basil, but in the refrigerator isn’t one of them ! The cold temperatures will turn the leaves black. Try trimming the stems (like cut flowers) and putting the basil in a vase of water. Or store in an open plastic bag on the counter. In any case, use it up, as it won’t last. I make pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays, then store in plastic bags in the freezer. I have also made a pesto with basil and olive oil, but left out the cheese and pine nuts. To make a basil paste: Process 3 cups firmly packed basil leaves with 4 tablespoons olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor to a very fine paste.   Freeze in ice cube trays. When frozen, remove the cubes and store them in a plastic bag in the freezer. I add a cube to tomato sauce, or soups and stews, when fresh basil is not available and it’s just like summer!

Next week look for new potatoes, carrots, Swiss chard, beets, parsley and cabbage.

Broccoli Rabe with Oil and Garlic
From Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich
Sometimes you see broccoli rabe cut into little pieces, but I like to serve the whole stems with the leaves attached. If you peel and trim them the way I describe below, the stalks will cook at about the same rate as the leaves. Broccoli rabe is a vegetable I like al dente. By that I don’t mean really crunchy, but with some texture left to it.
1 pound broccoli rabe *see notes below
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Salt
¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper, or to taste
¼ cup (or as needed) water
Makes 4 servings
To trim the broccoli rabe, first cut off any wilted or yellow leaves and the tough ends of the stems. Then, holding a stem with the florets in hand, nick a little piece of the end of the stem with a paring knife and pull the little piece of the skin toward you, peeling the stem partially. Continue working your way around the stem until it is peeled.    As you peel the stem, some of the large, tough outer leaves will also be removed; discard those as well. Repeat with the remaining stems. Wash the trimmed broccoli rabe in a sinkful of cold water, swishing the stems gently to remove all dirt from between the leaves. Let the leaves sit a minute or two undisturbed, to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom of the sink, then lift the broccoli rabe from the water with your hands or a large skimmer. Drain in a colander. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Carefully lay the broccoli rabe into the oil and season lightly with salt and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Stir and toss to distribute the seasonings. Pour ¼ cup water into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet tightly and cook, lifting the lid to turn the stalks occasionally, until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste, and season with additional salt and crushed red pepper if necessary. Serve hot.
*You don’t have a pound in your share, but it should be enough for 2 servings, so adjust the ingredients as needed. Most of the stems won’t need trimming as described above, they are much thinner and more tender than Lidia describes in her recipe.

Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles
4 (or more) slices thick cut bacon (0ne can never have too much bacon!)
2 T butter
3 T sugar
1 large onion, sliced
½ head cabbage (about 8 cups), sliced thin
3 links of Slovene Sausage from Al’s meats, cut into 1 inch pieces*
2 cups noodles, cooked and drained**

Cook bacon until crispy and remove from pan. Add butter and sugar to bacon drippings and sauté onion until soft. Add cabbage.
When cabbage has begun to wilt add sausage. Stir frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Add a little more sugar if needed. Keep warm while cooking noodles.
Add noodles and warm together. Serve.

* This is our favorite (Al’s Quality Meats, 563 W Tuscarawas Ave), but you could substitute kielbasa, or for a bit of kick Al’s Hungarian sausage. Al’s Quality Meats is in Barberton, just down the street from Al’s Restaurant, open for lunch daily- the best area Hungarian dining!
http://www.chew.hu/giving_hungarian_food_a_good_n.html

** Al’s market has a locally (made in Cleveland) noodle. I met the noodle lady (Lyda?) on one of my visits to Al’s meats. They are wonderful egg noodles available in a variety of widths and thicknesses and worth stocking up on.

Bountiful Harvest! Week 2 CSA 2010

2010-06-24T04:05:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2010-06-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

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?

White House Gardens Week #1 June 17, 2010

2010-06-17T03:54:00.000-07:00

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

Get Ready for a New CSA Season!

2010-06-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Savoring Federal Hill: Part 1 - Foodies on the Road

2010-04-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

The only thing better than getting together with a group of your foodie friends, is really getting the opportunity to explore the foods and purveyors of a new region. This past weekend I had the opportunity to get together with a group of my personal chef friends from all over the country in Providence, Rhode Island.

One of the many food centric activities we planned was taking Cindy Salvato's Savoring Federal Hill Tour. After meeting in a a cafe in the historic district and grabbing a morning coffee, we headed to our first stop, Antonelli's Poultry.

The sidewalk has a sprinkling of chicken tracks leading up to entrance, where the signs proclaim "Choose Your Chicken Alive". Cindy informed us that the tracks lead inside, but you'll note there aren't any coming out.

The inside of the narrow shop features a counter with fresh quail eggs, and freshly dressed chickens. Customers head to the back of the store and go past a plastic curtain to choose their chicken from the cages stacked in the back. The chicken is then killed and cleaned on-site. One of the Silkies, which features fluffy white feathers, and black skin, was brought out for us to see, as was the partridge below. The shop also carries rabbits.

Since we there early on Saturday morning, there were plenty of families, kids in tow, that came into to choose their chickens. In addition to fresh meat, the shop also carries a nice selection of spices, seasonings, and other goodies.

They also showed us some of the egg yolks that came out of the butchered chickens. Said they were great dropped into soup. (photo courtesy of Mary Beth Brinkerhoff)

It was nice to see a shop operating pretty much the same way it has been for the past century. In this era of nuggetized, shrink-wrapped, boneless chicken, it was a great to see that truly fresh chicken is still available for those that seek it out.

Stay tuned for the rest of the tour....

Spring Supper: Beet Greens, Asparagus, w/Poached Eggs

2010-04-20T04:34:00.000-07:00

Are you looking forward to Spring as much as I am? While the beets were tiny (Chiogga with the pretty rings), the greens were young, fresh and tasty. I got these from the final indoor winter farmer's market from Maize Valley Farm.

After a long day with no real plan for dinner, a search of the fridge turned up the beet greens, a bunch of asparagus (not yet local, but pretty good), some cooked lentils, and a couple of Brunty Farms eggs. The last carton of eggs were so big I couldn't even close the carton.

So I sauteed the beets and greens, then the asparagus, and brought a pot of water to boil to poach the eggs. I got to test out a new gadget - these silicone poaching pods. Note that you still need to grease the pods, lest your eggs stick to them. This was my first time using them. They worked pretty well, but I did break one of the eggs getting it out.

If I hadn't been so tired, I would have thought of the perfect addition to this dinner - some of the awesome Chevre from Lucky Penny Creamery! But I didn't until it was too late. Next time, though.

Garden Plowed

2010-04-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

The garden was chisel plowed by a local farmer/friend, Jim Berry. He has such large equipment, he can do it in about 14 minutes. I still have to till it, that takes about 4 hours with my small tractor! He is very generous to do this for me, saves me much time. Eventually I will get a small chisel plow or a more powerful tiller so that I can do it myself, but for now I'll let Jim do it if he's willing.

Everything is growing well in the greenhouse. Today I planted swiss chard, beets (red & chioggia), pac choi, and kohlrabi. I also planted some tomato plants for pot sales. If any of you are planning your own garden to supplement your CSA share, I will have some plants for sale in about 3 or 4 weeks. Planting in the ground will begin later this month, or early May, depending on the weather.

I spent Easter in Denver with my 3 children and my daughter-in-law and granddaughter. On Saturday my daughter and I went to opening day of the Boulder Farmers' Market. This market is one of the best I have ever attended. So many vendors and lots of customers. But we have markets just as good, such as the Countryside Conservancy Market in the Cuyahoga Valley Park. There is a market this Saturday at the Happy Days Visitor Center on Rt. 303, starting at 9:00 am. Get there early if you want the best selection. This Saturday is the last winter market at this location. The weekly Saturday morning markets begin May 15th at Howe Meadow on Riverview Road. I just love this market and am friends with many of the vendors. I also volunteer on the advisory committee, which helps the market manager set policies and select vendors for the season. This should be our best year ever, and I hope you will attend at some time this season and support all the vendors that are working so hard to bring local products to the community.

2010-03-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here's Bradley with the soil block maker. The soil block maker is pushed into a pan of rather wet potting soil, then the blocks are pushed out of the mold by pulling up while pushing down at the same time. Not the best explanation, but that's the best I can do. Next time maybe a short video! Another 22 flats seeded today with onions. We also seeded 600 cells with sugar snap peas, to be transplanted when the weather is more cooperative. And I filled 22 trays to be seeded with peppers later this week. This is the first time I will be transplanting peas. I never seem to get good germination when direct seeding peas early when the weather is unstable. This year I decided to try transplanting one variety and see how that goes. There never seems to be enough sugar snap peas for everyone! Maybe this year there will be enough to go around. Also, next time I will take a picture of Bradley's face!

The broccoli is up along with the cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and some of the herbs, in spite of the cold weather. It got pretty cold in the greenhouse the last couple of nights, but I won't turn the heat on unless absolutely necessary. That's why I don't start the warm weather crops until the weather warms up a little more.

Here's a link to a great recipe/idea from a blog I read, Well Preserved , written by Eugenia Bone. The recipe reminded me of the garden when it is in full force, but I'm so tired that I don't feel like cooking anything! This one is something I can do without too much effort and too much thinking. I have also purchased Eugenia Bone's book, Well Preserved, and will definitely be trying some of her ideas for preserving the harvest in small batches.

Planting Started for 2010

2010-03-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

I spent 4 hours on Saturday, and 3 hours on Sunday seeding broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, celery, celeriac, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and oregano in the greenhouse. Shareholder Bradley Cramer helped make soil blocks, 1,440 to be exact. Thank you so much Bradley, for helping and keeping me company this weekend. I never could have accomplished this much in two days if it had not been for you. Bradley is eager to learn as much as he can about market farming through helping me and reading about different farming methods. His particular interest is in raising chickens for eggs and meat.

I use soil blocks for some crops, those that don't need transplanted into a bigger pot before going into the field. I like them because they produce a bigger and healthier transplant and they also reduce the transplant shock when they do get planted outside. They are made using a special organic potting mix that I buy from Ohio Earth Food in Hartville, plus a 4 block maker that is a mold. (I should have taken a picture of the block maker!) Ohio Earth Food carries many of the organic supplies I need to comply with the organic standards for growing vegetables.

Next will be the onions, peppers, some tomatoes (not all), eggplant, and more herbs. I will have transplants for sale this year of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and just about anything that I grow. I know some of you have your own home gardens to suppliment your CSA shares. I will let you know when they are ready.

That's all for now. Thanks again, Bradley!

Savoy Cabbage Salad with Apples & Walnuts

2010-02-27T11:42:00.000-08:00

Keep this one in mind for when the Savoy cabbages arrive in your box. I had a half of a nice one leftover from making soup last week, so I adapted a recipe by Alice Waters, from Chez Panisse Fruit.

The original recipe called for a couple of tablespoons of creme fraiche or heavy cream, which I omitted. At this stage of winter, I need to suck it up and become a Weight Watcher for the next month or so.

Savoy Cabbage Salad with Apples and Walnuts - adapted from Alice Waters

1/2 head savoy cabbage

1/4 c. walnuts

2 T. cider vinegar

1 T. lemon juice

Salt & Pepper

1/2 c. olive oil

2 apples - crisp, eating type

Toast walnuts in skillet until golden.

Remove core and any tough outer leaves from cabbage. Slice into shreds.

Combine dressing ingredients in jar with tight fitting lid and shake to combine.

Slice apples. Combine cabbage & apples and toss with dressing. Chop walnuts and add when serving. Season with salt & pepper.

Keeps well at least a day dressed, and maintains crunch.

-original recipe called for peeling the apples; I'd leave the peel on for color and added fiber.

Cook With What You've Got - Green Chili Soup

2010-02-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made Green Chili Soup from Well Preserved, another blog that I read regularly. This one concentrates on preserving food, and the author, Eugenia Bone, has some very interesting recipes for preserving all sorts of things. In fact, I just bought her book of the same name, and will be trying some of her recipes this summer. The soup uses posole, a dried corn I got from Rancho Gordo. It must be soaked for several hours, (I soaked it for 24 hours!), and then cooked for an hour before you even make the soup. At this point, it is known as hominy, which you can buy in cans. The recipe also calls for roasted chiles, which I had in the freezer. These were easy to do: roast the whole chiles under the broiler or on the grill until the skins blister, let them steam in a plastic bag or bowl covered with a lid until the skins loosen, remove the skins but don't remove the seeds or stem, (leave the chiles whole) then freeze in plastic bags. The soup was just OK, I'm not sure the posole was cooked enough, it seemed kind of chewy. From pictures I have seen, it looks like it puffs up like popcorn, and some of it did this, but not all. I have never bought hominy before, so I really don't know what it looks like!

Cook With What You've Got - Bean Salad

2010-01-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Last night I made a bean salad using two cans of beans (different) and a can of artichoke hearts from the pantry, some pickled red onion I had made previously, celery, parsley, S & P, olive oil and red wine vinegar. It is my lunch today, and it's not bad, I do say so myself! Pretty simple and easy, but after removing two cans from the pantry, I still don't see any new space available.

I have been trying to duplicate pickled red onions that I had at L'Albatros Brasserie in University Circle in Cleveland a while back. They were wonderful. I have made David Lebovitz and Smitten Kitchen , but I haven't hit on it yet. Next I'm going to try Thomas Keller's recipe from Ad Hoc At Home. Anybody got one they like? For me it needs a little sweetness to it, and probably a pricey vinegar!

I bought a pricey red wine vinegar a few weeks ago, and the difference between it and the regular grocery store brand is pretty amazing. I can't remember where I got it or the name, but I'll post it in the future. The expensive vinegar (at least this one) doesn't have that "bite" that others have. It is smooth, for a vinegar. I will continue on with the "pantry clean-out", so stay tuned. There's lots of beans in there!

Pork Chop Saute with Orange Mustard Sauce

2010-01-26T17:45:00.000-08:00

This was a great meal, Pork Chops with Orange Mustard Sauce from Dad Cooks Dinner , glazed carrots (I pulled them out of the ground last night before the snow and before the sun went down; I had about 10 minutes after work!), and oven roasted potatoes. Thank you, Tami, for introducing me to Dad Cooks Dinner. I am really enjoying reading Mike's cooking tips and thoughts. And he's from Copley, so that makes his blog even more interesting. The meal was wonderful. The pork chops are from an Amish farmer that runs a food co-op that I belong to. He supplies milk, cream, eggs, butter, beef, chicken, lamb, and pork, among other things. Our group takes turns picking up the food each week and I am very fortunate that I can participate in this. I usually make yogurt from the milk, but I am going to try my hand at making cheese soon. The potatoes are from another food blog, Chocolate and Zucchini . This was the first food blog I started reading. I have added many more, it has become an obsession!

Cook With What You've Got Challenge

2010-01-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

Today I made lentil soup from a recipe in Cook's Illustrated that I have made before. It's a great recipe, and the best part is that I had everything on hand, since I am trying to cook only with what I have. Everything was available, until I got to the 1/2 cup of white wine. How could I be out of white wine? (Guess I drank it!) The recipe calls for carrots, onions, and garlic, all of which I had, the carrots and onions from my garden, and the garlic from a neighbor, Jim Lusk. By the way, Jim grows alot of garlic and it is for sale around the end of July. More on that later. I even picked some thyme from the herb garden at my house, and just for fun, walked out to the large garden where there are still some carrots in the ground. I meant to cover them with straw before the cold set in, but I never got around to it. I thought I would have to dig them out, but they popped right out of the ground with a little tug! I picked 6, washed them off, and they actually tasted pretty good. I will have to get out there and pull some more before we get another cold spell! I used homemade chicken stock and my canned tomatoes. And I used red wine instead of white, and it tastes fine. Now I'm out of white AND red wine!

Challenge Day 4

2010-01-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

Tonight I made seared tuna steaks from the freezer with fried rice. I had made some Wehani (whole grain brown rice) a few days ago but didn't know what I wanted to do with it. So I decided to make a fried rice, since the rice was chilled and ready to go. Brown rice doesn't make for a very appetizing looking dish, but it tasted just fine, although a bit chewy! I seared the pepper crusted tuna in sesame oil, then removed them from the pan and added soy sauce, sherry, and some sweet chili garlic sauce that I had made with hot peppers from the garden. I reduced the sauce and spooned it over the tuna. Not bad! No picture this time, it tasted good but wasn't very appetizing looking. So, I used up the rice, tuna from the freezer and even found a use for the sweet chili garlic sauce.

2010-01-20T17:37:00.000-08:00

Fusilli alla Puttancesca, or as my favorite Italian chef Lidia Bastianich calls it, Fusilli as made by Ladies of the Evening, is what I made on day two of "Cook With What You've Got" challenge. All day I planned to make a vegetarian Pad Thai with the rice noodles lingering in my pantry. I thought I had most of what I would need, (with a lot of substitutions) even found a substitute for tamarind paste, using lime or lemon juice with a little brown sugar. But a search through the pantry turned up no peanuts or cashews (must have eaten them during a pantry raid). That was the last straw, so I turned to tomatoes I had canned last summer, pasta, anchovies, and olives. These things I always have on hand. It was pretty good, but I'm disappointed that I couldn't make the Pad Thai. This challenge is going to be harder than I thought! So far, I think I've saved around $15.00, by not buying andouille sausage and shrimp for the Pad Thai. Not bad.

2010-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Day one of the "Cook with What You've Got" Challenge. Sorry, no pictures, but I made something I've been wanting to make for a few weeks, Red Beans & Rice, from the current Cook's Illustrated magazine. I had all the ingredients, since I had been planning this for some time. The only ingredient I didn't have was the andouille sausage, so I substituted some Hungarian garlic sausage that a local church makes twice a year, and a co-worker brings to work. The red beans were from www.ranchogordo.com . I had high hopes for these beans because they are supposed to be very fresh. I soaked them all day on Monday, and then cooked them for a total of 1 1/2 hours with the other ingredients, but they just never got creamy. The flavor of the entire dish was great, but the beans were not the texture that I imagined. I was very proud of myself that I didn't go to the store just to get andouille sausage, that took a lot of willpower! I used beans and rice from my pantry, sausage and chicken stock from the freezer. Also used frozen green peppers from my freezer that have been in there since 2008! (I should freeze them more often, doesn't take much, just cut them up and freeze).

"Cook With What You've Got" Challenge

2010-01-15T15:59:00.001-08:00

Ok, here's what the inside of my pantry looks like: Many kinds of rice: brown, black, arborio, jasmine. Canned beans, hearts of palm, orzo, pasta, rice noodles, bulger, muesli, orzo, pasta, panko bread crumbs, quinoa (red & white), canned tomatoes (some I canned myself with tomatoes from the garden. There's more in there, but not without moving things around. Which might be a disaster, since everything is very precarious in there! What will I do with all this stuff? Don't know yet, but stay tuned! Oh, I forgot the three types of lentils: red, green, and black.

Cook With What You've Got Challenge

2010-01-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

I hope you all will join me in this challenge. Believe it or not, I am planning on using some of my CSA potatoes, the only thing I have left.

And if you are so moved, consider donating some of what you don't spend at the grocery to help the victims in Haiti.

Cook with What You've Got Challenge

Thanks,

Tami

All-Clad Factory Outlet Sale: Dec 2009

2009-11-24T05:13:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that the All-Clad Seconds Sale is coming up on December 4th and 5th at the Washington County Fairgrounds near Pittsburgh.

I have a couple of seats left if anyone is interested in gong on Friday the 4th. Call or e-mail me.

Grilled Bok Choy w/Spicy Vinaigrette

2009-11-02T04:08:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite cold weather recipes (which I haven't made in awhile), is this delicious Asian Braised Short Rib recipe from Emeril. No pre-browning necessary, just throw it all in the pot, sit back and relax for about 3 hours while the aroma drives you nuts.

They aren't common, but if you ask a butcher, they will get you boneless short ribs. (Normally I would agree that the bone adds flavor, but these little hunks of goodness have a layer of fat, and sometimes wrestling the good stuff off is more trouble than it's worth. By the time you get rid of the bone and the fat, sometimes there isn't much left to love.

I have successfully made this recipe in a slow cooker. I attempted it once in the pressure cooker and didn't love it as much.

While the strained braising liquid is reducing away, you have time to make a pot of Jasmine rice to help soak up that liquid, and throw some baby bok choy on the grill pan and mix up a spicy vinaigrette. If you have one of those handy fat separating strainers, now is the time to get it out.

The short ribs are even better the second day and you can scrape off some more of the fat that comes to the top when it's chilled.

Grilled Bok Choy with Spicy Vinaigrette (Gourmet Magazine - RIP)

1 head bok choy, cleaned and sliced into serving pieces
VINAIGRETTE:

1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

In a bowl, combine vinegar, and chili sauce and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in oil. Stir in the green onion and sesame seeds. Heat grill and lay bok choy pieces on the hot grill. Grill 2 to 5 minutes until crisp tender. Dress with vinaigrette and serve.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Figs

2009-10-29T16:14:00.000-07:00

Debbie and I were both planning on making this Mark Bittman recipe with the Brussels Sprouts in the final :-(, CSA box of the season.

This one should convert any sprout haters. Per the Bittman video, I used fresh figs and just tossed them in right at the end. This is also a good one to bust out your better bottle of balsamic vinegar. Fig flavored, if you've got it.

The sweet and salty play against the shredded (therefore disguised to the unknowing) sprouts is divine.

I have to say too, that the radishes were some of the tastiest I've ever had; even the biggest ones were fairly sweet. I ate 'em all with a little salt while making dinner, which in addition to this recipe included a few slices of smoked pork tenderloin with a spoonful of pepper jelly and some smashed cannellini beans with herbs. Mmmmm.

I'll be retaining water like the blimp tomorrow, but it was definitely worth it!

Corn, Green Bean, Brussels Sprouts Saute w/Butternut Squash Seed Oil

2009-10-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

My last CSA box went on vacation with me to the Finger Lakes in New York last week. The corn is from the Stan Hywet Market, the beans are from Bakers Produce from the Howe Meadow Market, and the brussels sprouts and onion are from the box.

Ohio local, met Ithaca local, when I sauteed the onion and some gigantic garlic in a little leftover bacon fat from The Piggery stand at the Ithaca market.

Use whatever vegetables you have that looks good, or needs used up. Zucchini would be good, bok choy, or cabbage, too.

Corn, Green Beans, Brussels Sprouts Saute

3 Ears of corn on the cob, boiled, then cut off the cob (leftovers from another meal)
Couple of handfuls of green beans, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
Handful of Brussels Sprouts, outer leaves trimmed
Red or Yellow Onion, sliced
couple of cloves of minced garlic
olive oil or bacon grease
S&P
Butternut Squash Seed oil (or butter or extra virgin olive oil) - couple of tablespoons to finish

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add corn, beans, and sprouts and boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Remove corn from cob when cooled slightly.

Heat large skillet with oil or grease. Saute onion until softened, then add garlic and saute a minute of so. Add the rest of the veggies and toss to heat through. Season with S&P.

I finished with a new product made in the Finger Lakes, Butternut Seed Oil, which was nutty and added a nice toasty flavor, but butter or olive oil would work fine.

Have a Healthy Halloween!!!

2009-10-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are the healthy side of Halloween. If there was only more (real) pumpkin filled candy in Halloween bags we would be OK! Ninety-nine percent of pumpkins produced are carving pumpkins, which are more stringy than cooking pumpkins, which are typically smaller and sweeter. But the seeds in your carving pumpkins are great!

Pumpkins have been used for food, fun and healing for centuries. The orange color shows that they are high in beta carotene, but they also contain other anti-oxidants that are especially good for the eyes, which makes them a good vegetable if you want to sharpen your vision or prevent cataracts. I am always looking for a miracle food so I don't need my glasses to drive...maybe I will develop a new found love for pumpkin bread this fall :)! Pumpkin is also loaded with Zinc, Potassium and fiber.

Pumpkin Seeds are also really, really good tasting AND so good for you, so I have to mention them here. The seeds contain many of the nutrients of the pumpkin flesh, but have more fiber, protein, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. You will also find Phytosterols, which actually reduce to cholesterol, enhance immune system and can decrease the risk of cancer. These effects are so huge that Phytosterols are extracted and added to foods like margarine, which allows the manufacturers to say they are a cholesterol reducing food. Margarine is also one of the most processed foods on the planet. So.... instead of eating all of the added chemicals and junk that is in margarine, why not go straight to the source? Pumpkin butter?

Here is some info on how American Indians used pumpkins for healing:

Yuma tribes created an emulsion from pumpkin seeds and watermelon to help heal wounds. The seed oil was also used to treat burns and wounds.
Catawabas ate pumpkin seeds either fresh or dry as a medicine for kidney support.
Menominees mixed powdered squash and water to for urinary support.
Modern folk healers believe the pumpkin to be beneficial in ridding the body of intestinal worms and also believe the ground stem of the pumpkin brewed into a tea may help ease women during their menstrual cycle.

And here is a link to the 10 benefits of pumpkin seeds:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-pumpkin-seeds.html

Did you see the 1,725 lb. pumpkin grown near Massillon? Here is a link to the video.

http://www.fox8.com/wjw-news-massillon-pumpkin-world-record,0,226922.story

Eat Your Veggies, Improve Your Health

2009-09-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Health care reform is such a hot topic right now, so I thought I would throw in my 2 cents ;).

Technically, the company that I work for is the largest health insurer in the United States. Because of this I get asked by friends, family and clients all the time about my views on health care reform, the hottest thing since cupcakes.

Conventional medicine is basically reactive. Get sick then the doctor will give you a drug or do surgery to fix it. Get cancer then get chemo. Have a heart attack then get bypass, oh and they might throw in stop smoking and eat better. The advances we have made in this type of treatment are phenomenal, but as a nation we need to put a stronger emphasis on stopping the train wreck before it happens.

Over 75% of health care dollars are spent on chronic conditions and over 50% of these chronic diseases are due to lifestyle choices like what we eat and how much, how active we are, how we sleep, stress levels, smoking. It's not always genetic, my friends. And the good news is that we have the power to change that.

There is no question that preventive health care is hugely important, but that doesn't just include getting your annual physical. It includes things like cooking all of your greens from last week's box and eating your peppers and your beans! You have made one of the best choices you can make for your body by joining the CSA and having access to the freshest fruits and vegetables every week.

Our bodies were made to live off of fresh foods and the more whole, natural foods you consume, the more likely your body is to feel great and not get sick, therefore not increase health insurance costs. Fresh vegetables have complex structures made up of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and nutrients that naturally prevent disease, control blood sugar levels, and give your cells energy.

And it's not even just about eating any old vegetables that the grocery store has in stock. It's about the energy that these fresh vegetables from your White House Gardens CSA box contain and transfer to you. The energy from the fresh radishes that were just picked a few days ago is so much more vibrant and alive than ones that have traveled thousands of miles and have been in and out of trucks before making their way to your grocery cart. And it's about eating what is in season to get the most nutrients out of your food.

So congratulations on treating your body right and being a part of this CSA! You've already made a great decision for your health.

Eggplant Sub with Smoked Mozzarella & Tomato Jam

2009-09-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

Not too many things make me want to go to the grocery store at 7:00 pm. Do I really need something now? (except maybe wine -lol).

I was updating my fall menus today, and when I found this recipe I had saved from a Rachael Ray magazine, I thought, I have to make this NOW. (well, and I did need wine) I knew I had an eggplant and the red onion, but no cheese or roll.

A package of smoked mozzarella cheese, and a sub roll, and off we go to light the grill. Bonus - I found arugula in the frig that I forgot had been in the box last week.

Eggplant Sub with Smoked Mozzarella and Tomato Jam

I made a side of sauteed Baby Bellas with a splash of Balsamic vinegar. It was a delicious, satisfying, 'who needs meat', kind of meal.

Tuscan Cabbage and Mushrooms

2009-09-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

I saved some of that monster head of cabbage for this recipe and I'm glad I did. Also used the leeks. I picked up the shiitake mushrooms, also local from Killbuck Valley Mushrooms, sold at Mustard Seed.

I came late to the mushroom eating party. The only exposure I had as a child was the awful, slimy, weird textured canned version often found on pizza. I was convinced most were poison, and my parents were secretly hoping I got a bad one.

Even tonight I was thinking that Shiitake were not my favorite, but I have to admit, a little pancetta goes a long way towards making anything just a little more tolerable. Excellent recipe - would make a great side to simple grilled meat.

Tuscan Cabbage and Mushrooms Eating Well Magazine

Stuffed Chard with Fresh Marinara

2009-09-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Easier than stuffed cabbage and just as tasty, today I made Eating Well Magazine's Stuffed Chard with Fresh Marinara.

It's easier because you don't have to do anything to the chard leaves except remove the stem, which is easy if you just fold it in half an amputate it with a nice V cut.

I substituted Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes (Muir Glen) and highly recommend that change. Quick and tasty!

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

2009-09-14T17:02:00.001-07:00

Ok - so the enormous Savoy cabbage in the last box got me thinking. I had saved the Eating Well Magazine cabbage roll recipe and this morning while looking for some recipes requested by this week's client (a mother of two sets of twins under age 6!), I found the recipe.

I stopped by Mustard Seed Market this morning on my errand run, and picked up a pound of ground turkey thigh and some dill - everything else I had on hand.

It's a little bit of work, with multiple steps, but I really liked them. And the recipe says they freeze well, I have several, cooling right now on an ice blanket in tins, so we'll see.

Eating Well Cabbage Rolls

Savoy Cabbage and Leeks

2009-09-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Cabbage

Cabbage comes from the same family as kale, so it is no wonder that it contains many of the same vitamins and properties. Ounce for ounce, cabbage contains more Vitamin C than oranges, just one of the many vegetables that do! It is also high in Vitamin A, sulphur and fiber.

Together, all of these things make it a good detoxifier for the body. Phytonutrients work as antioxidants to fight free radicals, we have known this for years. But more recent research shows that the composition of antioxidants in cabbage actually tells the body to start cleaning. They activate enzymes in the body and when all are perfectly combined together, our cells are armed to clean out built up toxins and carcinogens. Recent studies even associate cabbage with lower levels of cancer because of this.

The unique combination of Vitamins A, C and E, along with beta-carotene and selenium found in cabbage are also super beneficial for combating the dangerous effects stress has on the body. When stress levels increase your body naturally forms free radicals and these antioxidants help to fight the damage these cause. They also help turn tryptophan into serotonin, which is like natural Prozac.

Leeks

I know that all fresh fruits and vegetables are made up of tons of micronutrients that are 100% essential for optimum health. And of course, each different food has it's own special blend of these micronutrients that allow it to specialize in certain body functions. But I really never thought about how leeks might help maintain normal blood sugar levels, lower bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol and lower the risk for ovarian cancer by 40%, but they can!

Their unique combo of vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate and iron is what will help your body metabolize the sugars correctly so your body can get the most from them. Sugars are delayed from being absorbed into your bloodstream avoiding the rush and then the big crash that too much sugar at once causes, which leads to a ton of other health issues, including weight gain...

Leeks are easier for your body to digest than onions, so if you love that oniony flavor, but hate what onions do when they start moving through your body, try substituting leeks. Letting leeks rest for 5-10 minutes after chopping increases their antioxidant levels. When the cells are damaged allinase is release. Allinase is what gives leeks, onions and garlic their strong scent and when allowed to mix with other compounds released from the leeks, it makes antioxidants for your body to use.

Did anyone see ramps this spring? I saw them everywhere at farmer's markets and in all of the natural health newsletters that I read. I thought they were replacing cupcakes as the hottest new food! Guess not, but they are simply wild leeks with a more intense flavor, so maybe they will catch on next season.

Thank you, I hope you enjoyed learning about cabbage and leeks today. In the next few weeks, look for my solution to the health care crisis in America!

Green Bean Salad with Walnuts, Fennel and Goat Cheese

2009-08-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

This salad used two items from the share box - green beans and fresh fennel. I love this combo with the crunchy toasted walnuts (heart healthy!) and the creamy contrast of the goat cheese.

Green Bean Salad with Walnuts, Fennel and Goat Cheese from Real Simple Magazine

Chioggia Beets with Raspberry Vinaigrette

2009-08-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

I love Chioggia beets, which have a distinctive ringed pattern when sliced. The contrast between red and white is more pronounced when raw, but still visible even after cooking the beets.

Fellow personal chef Mary Beth Brinkerhoff, from Rochester, New York, shared this recipe, which I have adapted based on the what was on hand. The original recipe came from The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond, Auburn, New York.

Chioggia Beets With Raspberry Mint Vinaigrette
Gourmet | July 2005

Makes 4 first-course servings.
Adapted from The Restaurant at Elderberry Pond, Auburn, NY

1 lb beets (4 to 6; preferably Chioggia*), 1 inch of stems left intact
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions ( I used a minced shallot)
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh orange zest (from 2 oranges) ( I used about 3/4 of the zest from one orange and it was plenty)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Cover beets with water by 1 inch in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and simmer until tender when pierced in center with a fork, about 30 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then slip off and discard skins. Cut beets into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

While beets are cooking, stir together scallions, 2 tablespoons vinegar, lemon juice to taste, mint, zest, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Add warm beets and toss with vinaigrette and vinegar and salt to taste. Serve warm or slightly chilled.

*Sometimes called candy-cane beets, chioggias become more aggressive in flavor as they age, so search out relatively young beets, with a diameter of 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Bacon

2009-08-31T07:58:00.001-07:00

I love this time of year! Tomatoes everywhere. That actually taste like tomatoes.

I am making some slow roasted sauce today for the freezer, plus a batch of my favorite summer sauce, Fresh Tomato Sauce with Bacon from Jim Fobel's Big Flavors, an old cookbook that I love for it's range of recipes that live up to the title.

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Bacon from Jim Fobel's Big Flavors

Makes about 5 cups - enough for 2# of pasta

6-8 slices lean, hickory smoked bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t dried basil, crumbled
1/2 t dried oregano, crumbled
3 # ripe summer tomatoes (10-12 med, or 6 lg beefsteak) peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped, reserve juices
1/4 c tomato paste
1/2 c dry white wine
2 t sugar
1 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 bay leaf

In nonreactive large saucepan over moderate heat, cook the bacon til crisp. Spoon off and discard all but 1 T of the fat.

Add onion to skillet and saute til softened. Add garlic, basil and oregano and cook a minute. Add tomatoes and juices, paste, wine, sugar, S&P and bay. Bring to boil over moderate heat. Reduce to low and simmer til slightly thickened and the flavors are blended, about 30 min. Taste for seasoning. Remove bat, Set aside to cool to room temp. Cover and chill for a week.

I usually eat about half of the bacon, and throw the rest back in the sauce. Your call.

Fresh Corn Cake with Raspberries and a Perfect Pairing

2009-08-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe from Cooking Light several times last season, and recently I made 5 for a dinner party. The fresh pureed corn adds an interesting flavor to this not overly sweet dessert.

Tossing the raspberries with a small amount of flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

My tip for removing the corn from the cob without making a giant mess: Rest the cob in the center of a Bundt pan when slicing - less strays on the counter.

Fresh Corn Cake with Raspberries

Cooking spray
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 325°.

Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.

Combine corn and next 5 ingredients (corn through eggs) in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add corn mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

Toss raspberries with 2 tablespoons flour; fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan and carefully peel off wax paper. Cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

CALORIES 291 (26% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 4.7g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.6g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 61mg; CALCIUM 67mg; CARBOHYDRATE 52.1g; SODIUM 481mg; PROTEIN 4.6g; FIBER 2.8g

Cooking Light, JULY 2002

A perfect beverage pairing, surprisingly enough isn't a wine, it's Lindemann's Raspberry Lambic, a Belgian beer that actually drinks like a sparkling wine. Mustard Seed carries it in both large and small bottles. It has a bottle cap and a cork. Serve in a champagne flute.

Need raspberries? Mine are ripening faster than I can pick them. CSA members are welcome to stop by and pick their own. Call or e-mail for directions.

Cheers! ---Tami

Chicken with Poblano Sauce

2009-08-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

I love poblano peppers (chile rellenos - which I can not pronounce to save my life) and was happy to see some in the share box.

I finally have a few nights to actually cook for myself instead of other people, and one of my fellow personal chefs posted this recipe (originally from Gourmet magazine), that had gotten rave reviews.

Plus it's quick and easy. Especially if you remember to preheat the oven. Which I did not. So I put my sauced chicken back in the skillet, turned down the flame as low at it would go, and slapped a lid on while the oven heated. No harm, no foul - pun intended.

Chicken with Poblano Sauce

Serving Size : 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------- -----------------
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large poblano chiles -- seeded and sliced into ¼-inch strips
1 medium onion -- sliced ¼ inch thick
4 6 oz. skinless, boneless, chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese -- grated (about 2 2/3 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet. Add the poblanos and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large, heavy skillet. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add them skinned side down to the skillet. Cook over moderately high heat until browned, and 3 minutes per side. Arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer.

3. Transfer the cooked poblano mixture to a blender with the sour cream and milk; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is cooked through.

It was flavorful, but not really overly hot or spicy. Just right. Delicious! Had it with some heat and eat Uncle Ben's Santa Fe Rice and a package of frozen veggies.

Bonus: Leftover fresh figs and Gorgonzola Dolce from my last catering event. I hate it when that happens.

Romaine and Cilantro

2009-08-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Romaine Lettuce

I have to admit. Romaine lettuce is my favorite vegetable. People always think of it as boring, but for me it simply adds texture and nutrients to things that aren't always the most healthy meals - like nachos and hamburgers ;). Plus, its really easily to throw on whatever you are eating and when juicing, it makes the other ingredients go a long way.

Romaine lettuce is definitely the most nutritious of the lettuces, but really the nutritional value is almost equal between the other darker green varieties. All lettuces have a high water content, but they are still nutritious, low in calories, and a green veggie - which we can all use more of. I always pack on the romaine when I eat a sandwich, putting at least 2 -3 full leaves on there, but you could also use it in place of a taco shell, in your salads, in a smoothie, or even as a pizza topping. Yes, I am serious! Try a salad pizza. Just add your salad after the pizza has baked.

2 cups of romaine have over 143% of the daily recommended value of Vitamin K, which I talked about a few weeks ago. It also has a powerful combo of Vitamin C and beta carotene which work together prevent cholesterol build up. Since it is a leafy green it has all of the benefits that they bring to the table including improved circulation, blood purification, cancer prevention, less mucus and clearer congestion just to name a few. And since leafy greens are the most missing item in Americans diets, I suggest you add it in whenever you can!

If you are going to eat lettuce from the grocery store or anywhere else other than from your White House Gardens CSA supply, make sure to clean it really, really well. Lettuce is #9 on the list of top fruits and veggies containing the highest amount of pesticides.

Cilantro

Cilantro juice is nowhere near as good as parsley juice BUT it is fabulous to eat and your body will thank you for adding it in whenever you can. It is a strong detoxifier and blood and brain cleanser. So toxins, even heavy metals, bind to it and are washed out. This was discovered when Dr. Yoshiaki Omura accidentally found that patients that had just eaten Vietnamese soup that contained a lot of cilantro had high mercury levels in their urine. So try the Spicy Mexican Tuna roll next time you get sushi or make a cilantro pesto to eat with your grilled tuna.

Eliminating heavy metals and toxins from your body will free it up to perform much more efficiently and even cure infections that may have been present, whether known or not, for years. Some people who have reported better cardiovascular health, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar levels and improved digestion. The most logical explanation for these improvements is that the body is more efficient because it is not fighting metals and toxins.

To see results try adding 2 -3 teaspoons per day into salads, sauces, sushi, as a garnish, and OK even into your juice for 3 weeks. I can't wait to test this theory when I do my next cleanse.

Here is a recipe for Vegan Cilantro Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves (stems removed)

2 tablespoons slivered almonds2 tablespoons Parma (or homemade vegan parmesan)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic

2-4 teaspoons water (depending on desired consistency)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Blend all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Use more or less water to get the thickness you desire.

Serves 4-6 people.

Freezing All Types of Greens

2009-08-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here are instructions from shareholder Pat Brannon on freezing greens for later use in soups and stews. They are very clear instructions and such a great idea. It's great to be able to use something from the garden in middle of a long winter. Thanks, Pat

Freezing all kind of greens…
Debbie asked me to share with you a simple method for freezing greens. This week we have mustard greens in our box, but you can freeze any type of greens, even those tops from turnips, kohlrabi and beets. These make a pleasing addition to winter stews and soups, especially those minestrones.
If you are freezing the greens from beets or other roots vegetables, cut the greens from the root while they are crisp and fresh. Young tenders greens yield the best results, so start with the freshest possible.
Fill your sink or a bowl with cold water and give the greens a good rinse.
Remove the toughest portion of the stems. You can freeze the stems, but chop them first and set aside.
Fill a 4 quart pot about 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil. If you are saving the stems, throw them into the pot first and wait about 1 minute before adding the greens. Add the greens and cover the pot. Now watch the clock! For all except collard greens, blanch for blanch for an additional 2 minutes. For collard greens, blanch 3 minutes.
If you have lots of the same type of greens you can use the same blanching water several times, adding more hot water from the tap from time to time to maintain the water level.
While the greens are blanching prepare a large bowl with ice and cold water.
Using a slotted spoon or strainer with a handle, quickly remove the greens from the pot and transfer to the ice bath for about 2 minutes.
Drain well. You can gently squeeze the excess water from the greens, but be gentle, as to not crush those tender greens.I use quart size, freezer zip loc bags, removing as much air from the bag as possible before zipping. Be sure to label the bag so you remember what kind of greens you have blanched. Once they are frozen, all they will all look the same!

Fresh Tomato Tart and Roasted Green Beans w/Lemon and Pine Nuts

2009-08-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

Oh my I wish you could smell this blog post. Garlic, basil, cheese, tomatoes. Smells like summer!

I have been very busy cooking for other people the last few weeks. My CSA goodies and my own garden harvests have been sadly neglected. Plus I also accumulate leftover ingredients from parties. Tonight was my first night off in awhile, so I foraged the fridge and counters and immediately thought: Tomato Pie!

Tomato Pie is a Midwest summer classic - fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh garlic and basil, with a little mayo and garlic thrown into a pie crust and baked til melted and yummy,

I used this recipe from Midwest Living, but you can certainly make it up depending on what's hanging around. For some reason (probably testing of some recipe), I had one half of a package of Pillsbury Pie Crust in the fridge. Definitely tomatoes, including some nice yellow ones, which got lost under the cheese. The only thing I'd say about the recipe: Use a mini food processor, no need to drag out the big mama for garlic and basil.

I'm thinking leftovers for breakfast.

Next up - a nice container of tipped and tailed green beans ready to cook. My last couple of dinner parties have gotten steamed green beans with sun-dried tomatoes and toasted almonds. Plus I found my few green bean plants happily producing despite being dwarfed by the squash planted too close to them.

Roasted green beans are not the prettiest dish, but they sure are delicious. And easy. Toss them on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil (lemon flavored if you have it). Zest a lemon with a microplane over them. Season with salt and pepper - I used roasted garlic sea salt and a little of Penzey's Trinidad seasoning. Then throw in some pine nuts. I had a handful leftover from friday's dinner. Roast in a hot oven - 425 at least. Toss after about 8 minutes. Then keep an eye (and nose) on them, You want them slightly blackened, but don't burn the pine nuts. Toss with some parmesan cheese as soon as you take them out of the oven.

These are good hot or cold.

Then I found some sliced zucchini and red onion from a kebab party last week. Roasted those with a little olive oil and I decided to try the Penzey's prime rib seasoning on them. Interesting with a bit of celery seed in there.

Ok that's only the inside fridge. Tomorrow I am tackling the garage fridge....

Bread Painting Blog

2009-08-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am not a baker, but this blog makes me want to create some edible art.

What is everyone making with their shares? I'm thinking grilled ratatouille tonight....

Grilled Pizza

2009-08-09T17:23:00.001-07:00

Got veggies? Got some pizza dough? Need to clean out the fridge? Grill some pizza!

First I fired up the grill. Then I cut up some veggies, spritzed 'em with olive oil and seasoned them with salt, pepper and good sprinkle of Penzey's Tuscan Seasoning. Grilled 'til they were tender and charred.

I buy par-baked crusts from Frickaccio's Pizza Stand at The West Side Market. I love them! They also sell whole wheat and gluten free dough for the do-it-yourself crowd.

I spritzed both sides of my dough with a little olive oil. Then I cleaned out the fridge: A few spoonfuls of pesto, a half container of ricotta cheese formed a nice base. Then layered with grilled veggies and topped with some leftover prosciutto and fennel salami. A few Kalamata olives, some tomato slices in olive oil from the market. A few torn basil leaves from the share box.

A sprinkle of parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Time for the grill.

You turn one burner off and leave the other at med-low. Put it on the med-low side and close to get the crust cooking and the toppings melting. Then switch to the burner off side for a few minutees until done.

Smoky and delicious! With leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

CSA Bounty: Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

2009-08-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of the year - the CSA box is hitting it's peak. This week's share: carrots, radishes, basil, lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes of many sizes and colors - heirlooms, hot peppers and some green peppers.

I ate most of the radishes and handful of carrots straight from the box.

Then I made a big batch of Stuffed Green Pepper Soup with my friend and fellow personal chef, Laura Whalen's recipe: It looks, and tastes, like stuffed peppers, in soup form. I doubled the recipe and used a 2.5# package of lean ground turkey. You could use ground beef, if you prefer.

Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

Yield: 5 quart

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
26 ounces tomato basil tomato sauce -- Newman's works well.
1 C rice cooked (I buy the Uncle Ben's Ready Rice -- Brown)

1 C onions chopped
2/3 C green pepper, chopped
2/3 C red bell pepper chopped
2/3 C yellow bell pepper, chopped
2/3 C Celery, chopped
1/2 C carrot chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T oregano
1 1/2 T chili powder, adjust as needed
1/8 C soy sauce
1/4 C dark brown sugar, add as needed for taste
2 quarts beef stock
16 ounces Italian style tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper as needed
1 T olive oil

Directions:
1 Cook rice according to directions and set aside.
2 Heat oil in large saucepan till very hot. Add ground beef and brown, stirring once in awhile till well browned.
3 Drain beef and remove from pan, saving 1 T of oil then add chopped vegetables and garlic and sautéed till vegetables are starting to soften.

4 Add ground beef back to pot with vegetables. Add oregano and chili powder, cook 2 minutes stirring once.
5 Add stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce and brown sugar; bring pot to a boil. When boiling, turn down to a simmer. Simmer 1 hour, and then adjust seasonings according to taste. Adjust herbs, salt, pepper and brown sugar as needed.
6 When ready to serve, stir rice into pot. Serve in warmed soup bowls.
7 If desired, you may add chopped green onions and cheese to top when serving.

Week #8 Healthy Facts

2009-08-06T17:20:00.000-07:00

Today I think that we will look at two of Italy's favorite crops: tomatoes and basil.

Tomatoes

Ah, it is tomato season, isn't it! Well, lycopene makes them red and lycopene is a what? An antioxidant! And antioxidants do what? Did someone say fight cancer and other diseases, including heart disease? YES! And that great tomato sauce that you put on your whole wheat pasta is going to help your body even more because cooking concentrates the lycopene and makes it easier for your body to break down. Lycopene is absorbed better with fats, so be sure to top off your pasta with a little olive oil.

Vegetables and fruits have complex biodynamic structures that contain so many minerals, nutrients and vitamins that work harmoniously together and many times we don't even know why their benefits are so great. That is why it is so important to eat a diet of whole foods and not just take supplements. Tomatoes and broccoli are a good example of this. Studies have shown that when eaten together daily, tomatoes and broccoli can shrink prostate tumors by up to 52%. This is higher than any prescription drug by far! Both tomatoes and broccoli eaten alone were also helpful, but not as much. Green tea and tomatoes together also had a similar effect in other studies.

Tomatoes are often thought of as a highly acidic food, when in reality they're pH level is higher (less acidic) than most fruits, which tomatoes are technically considered. In Macrobiotics tomatoes are considered non-acid forming foods and even used to lower highly acidic blood levels. The riper the tomato the less acidic it will be and the more Vitamin C it will contain.

Tomato juice can help with morning sickness (add a little salt and pepper), diarrhea, eczema, anemia (when mixed with apple juice...ewww), and even sores in your mouth if you gargle with it. The pulp can help alleviate a variety of skin ailments including wounds, sun burn, acne scars, even dark eye circles. It's the Vitamin A and C and the antioxidants that rejuvenate dead skin cells.

Basil

Basil gets it's name from the Greek word basileus, which means king and in summer, basil is definitely king! The health benefits come from the volatile oils and flavenoids it contains. The volatile oils have a strong antibacterial effect. Several studies have shown that the volatile oils found in basil work together to suppress the growth of some very common bacteria that has become resistant to antibiotics. Basil acts ike aspirin by blocking enzymes that cause inflammation and therfore reducing inflammation, which is often the root cause of most illnesses. The flavenoids protect your body's cells.

Basil doesn't stay fresh too long. But, that does not mean it should go to waste. Here are some suggestions for other uses.

Ease mouth aches - swish mouth with basil tea or apply a basil leaf directly to a sore in the mouth
Burn leaves to repel mosquitoes and flies
Ease skin issues like eczema, rashes and ringworm - put a handful of leaves in a hot bath and relax
Aromatherapy - Use as potpourri for stress relief
Digestion - Add to freshly squeezed juice for improved digestion
Improve the memory - grind a handful of basil leaves with almond, honey and pepper YUM ;)
Sleep aid - make into a tea and drink before bed

Healthy Facts

2009-07-23T18:06:00.000-07:00

I can only handle two this week! But these are two really amazing foods that you are going to love. ENJOY them!

Swiss Chard

If swiss chard had a dollar for every nutrient it contained, it would be paying for the health care crisis. Which brings up an interesting point. Hippocrates said let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be food, or something along those lines. Which is attainable when you are eating your CSA veggies every week! And it is something to remember when you go to the doctor or are trying to treat an ailment. Food is a huge reason for many chronic illnesses and health conditions, but alternatively can be used to treat many diseases.

Healthy Facts:

Often called the healthiest vegetable because it contains so many important nutrients. This is why - Rating system awards Swiss chard with excellent marks for its concentrations of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron, vitamin E, and dietary fiber. Swiss chard also emerges as a very good or good source of copper, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, protein, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, folate, biotin, niacin and pantothenic acid. That’s a TON! I could spend all day talking about each of those benefits, but instead I encourage you to eat it up and feel this for yourself.
Good for your bones - One cup contains over 300% of your daily recommended value of Vitamin K. It is necessary for cell growth and blood clotting. More recent studies are finding that Vitamin K is essential for bone development and some say even more important than calcium. Swiss chard also contains magnesium, which is also an essential ingredient for strong bones. It gives bones their structure.
Vitamin A - Contains 109.9% of your daily recommended value of Vitamin A. The body converts the beta carotene into Vitamin A, so it is like getting two nutrients in one. Vitamin A is good for vision, lung health, immune system, and your skin. Vitamin A is sometimes called the miracle vitamin!

Parsley

I mentioned last week that cucumbers are my favorite vegetable to juice. Parsley is my favorite herb and juicing it is a really good way to get nutrients from parsley, since most of the time it is only used as a garnish and not a main ingredient. Parsley juice is very potent and can be a strong stimulant and diuretic - so don’t drink it before bed! Being so green also makes it a good blood cleanser and it is also helps with liver, bladder and kidney problems. I also would not suggest drinking it by itself or in large amounts. You can throw a little bit of it in pretty much any juice that you make, but my absolute favorite is cucumber, parsley and red grapes. Proportions can vary based on how sweet you want it. I make this for Rafi and he really likes it!

Interesting thing about parsley – in ancient times it was used to decorate tombstones. Please decorate my tombstone with parsley and swiss chard :).

Healthy Facts:

Considered a “chemoprotective” food – Parsley contains volatile oils which are known to neutralize carcinogens (particularly from cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke) and even inhibit tumor formation.
Rich in antioxidants – flavonoids combined with oxygen containing molecules help prevent oxygen-based damage. Have you heard of oxidative stress? It causes chronic illnesses and AGING. Parsley also increases your body’s ability to absorb antioxidants.
3 times as much vitamin C as oranges – more than any other herb or vegetable! This offers strong protection against rheumatoid arthritis.
Great for your heart – excellent source of folic acid, which converts homocysteine into benign molecules. Homocysteine damages blood vessels and at high doses is related to heart attack and stroke.

Eat your garnish!

Greens Recipes

2009-07-23T03:28:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to a post that has over 200 recipes for various and sundry greens.

Don't forget to check your teeth afterwards ;0

Healthy Facts on This Week's Share..and News!

2009-07-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I have not posted for a few weeks, I know. But it is for very good reasons! Mainly, finishing up school and starting my newest venture – I am going to be a Pilates instructor! But it was too bad that I missed the last few weeks since there were a lot of really good veggies like swiss chard, cabbage, and beets! I hope that these will come up again this season so we can talk about them then. The best news? I am now a certified holistic health counselor who is ready to go out and help make the world a healthier place one day at a time. Know anyone who wants some help in this area? Send them my way!

Red Beets

First - don’t throw away the greens! They contain a large amount of nutrients and have strong cleansing properties. I hesitantly say that the greens aren’t something that should be eaten everyday due to the high level of oxalic acid, which can take the calcium straight from your bones. The United States has the highest rate of osteoporosis and so we definitely don't want to do anything to heighten our risk. So just don’t eat beet greens everyday for the rest of your life, DO eat them when you get the chance.

Red Beets get their color from Betacyanin, which contains powerful antioxidants.

Antioxidants = cancer prevention, don’t forget that.

Beets have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times and it is clear why. Some people say beets are magical(that would be me saying that). They are used for so many things: as a laxative, to fight bad breath, cleanse the body and clear up coughs and headaches…and even as an aphrodisiac. They could even help your mental health. Beets are a good source of betaine, which is a mood modifier because it produces relaxation effects and is used to treat depression. Betaine affects the serotonin, which affects mood and appetite. Hmmm, anyone see a food-mood connection here?

Cucumbers

Cucumbers are my favorite veggie to juice. They are so mild because they are mostly water, but still full of helpful things. But don’t peel them because most of the fiber and minerals are in the outer skin. The inner flesh is good, too. This is where the silica lives. Silica is a mineral that aids bone and connective tissue growth and development and enhances the bodies use of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and boron. You are born with a certain amount of silica, which slowly dissipates as you age. Silica is a critical element for our bodies, but is not as recognized like it should. There are a ton of things it does for your body, too many for me to get into today. But, I will say that it is one of the most important building blocks for your body's structure, so lets give Silica some props and eat some cucumbers!

Green Onions

Green onions are kinda like baby onions that aren’t full grown, but have already developed a nutritional name of their own. Their benefits are pretty much a cross breed of greens and onions. In one cup, you will get about a third of your daily Vitamin C and about a quarter of the Vitamin A that you body needs. Both good vitamins for your immune system and cell growth. Green onions are also good for Vitamin K and Folate. Folate is essential during rapid cell growth, such as pregnancy, and can help prevent anemia. Many processed foods are enriched with folate (think white flour), but it is always best to get things in their natural forms.

Alternative medicine uses green onions to normalize blood pressure, promote sweat, prevent diarrhea, increase blood circulation, increase appetite, and many more. Colon cancer prevention is probably what it is best known for in the alternative therapy world. There are a few different ways that green onions are used to heal. You can make a hot compress, grind it into a paste, or even put it in a bag near your bed if you cannot sleep!

A guy I used to know once told me to try a green onion, butter and salt sandwich. Not sure if he thought I had diarrhea or my blood wasn't moving fast enough or what, but it definitely gave me heart burn…I don’t recommend it, but I will put some next to my bed next time I can't sleep!

Fresh From the Garden Sliders

2009-07-08T08:40:00.001-07:00

I made some cute and tasty, vegetarian sliders. Check them out here.

CSA Crudite with Herbed Creme Fraiche Dip

2009-07-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sure, you could pick up one of those sad, limp, tasteless, pre-made veggie trays at the grocery, but doesn't this look a lot more appetizing?

Remember last week's turnips? I used a wavy cutter and sliced them to look like chips. This week's broccoli and cauliflower - blanched for a minute or so in boiling water, then plunged into ice water. Same for that pretty handful of green beans I picked up at the farmer's market yesterday.

The carrots and radishes just needed a quick wash. I peeled the carrots, but left a little bit of the greens on to use as a handle.

For the dip, I took a container of creme fraiche (like sour cream, but with a richer flavor - look for it in the either the cheese or dairy case, depending on the market) then I took a trip through my herb garden, which yielded a bunch of chives, some lemon basil, some lemon balm, a little mint, and some parsley. I chopped the herbs, added some salt and pepper, and instant fresh dip.

Farmer's Market Demo: July 4th, 2009

2009-07-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July! Another beautiful day in the Cuyahoga Valley, and there were plenty of folks out enjoying the day and visiting the farmer's market.

I made a Sweet Onion Relish with Dill, and a Fresh Snap Pea & Radish Salad with Mint and Feta.

Sweet Onion Relish with Dill (adapted from a recipe on The Sweet Onion Source )

2 large sweet onions, peeled, and chopped

3 T olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T honey

S&P

2-3 T fresh dill, chopped

Heat oil in large skillet over low heat. Saute the onions for about 15 minutes, 'til soft, but not brown. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook for a few minutes. Off heat add honey, s&p, and dill.

Great served over hot dogs, sausage, turkey or veggie burgers.

Snap Pea Salad with Radishes, Mint and Feta Cheese (based on recipe from NY Times)

1 basket of snap peas, remove strings and slice thinly on the bias

1 bunch of radishes, thinly sliced

1/2 bunch of fresh mint, chopped

1 container of feta crumbles from Lake Erie Creamery

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 t balsamic vinegar

3 T olive oil

S&P

Toss peas, radishes, mint and cheese in large bowl. Whisk oil into lemon and vinegar, season with s&P. Pour dressing over salad. Taste - add more s&p if needed.

All We Are Saying: Give Beets a Chance

2009-07-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

Beets are at the farmer's market, and in your CSA box. Red ones, yellow ones, and the pretty red and white striped, Chiogga.

Today for the Stan Hywet market demo I did a Raw Beet Salad, then I sauteed the greens in olive oil with some chopped garlic. Many people told me they didn't realize that you could eat beets raw, so the salad was a hit.

Pictured are a few of my samplers who were nice enough to offer me some of their cooking experience. They actually inspired the use of the maple syrup which balanced out my overaggressive squeeze of lemon juice.

Raw Beet Salad with Cumin & Coriander Dressing

4 medium to large beets, peeled, then julienned or finely grated (wear gloves and an apron unless you want to look like a ax murderer)

1 small bunch of fresh green onions, thinly sliced, including green tops

1 t red wine vinegar

1 t fresh lemon juice

1/4 t ground cumin

1/4 t ground coriander

3-4 T extra virgin olive oil

2 t maple syrup

Coarse kosher salt

and freshly ground black pepper

Place beets and onions in glass serving bowl. Combine vinegar, lemon, cumin, coriander in small bowl. Whisk in olive oil until it emulsifies. Taste and season. Add maple syrup if desired.

*if you are feeling really ambitious, toast whole cumin seeds and coriander in a small skillet over medium heat until they smelly fragrant, then grind in spice grinder or w/mortar and pestle

Sauteed Beet Greens with Garlic and Olive Oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

beet greens, rinsed

1 T extra virgin olive oil.

Chop stems, then leaves of beet greens. Heat oil in large saute pan. Add stems, saute a few minutes to soften, then add leaves and garlic and saute a few minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

White House Gardens Week #3

2009-07-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Shareholders:

This week is a bumper crop. Doesn't matter how much I plan, the vegetables are ready when they are ready and there's nothing I can do about it. In your share this week you will find Swiss chard, beets (red, gold, or chioggia), cabbage (green and/or red), broccoli, cauliflower, and shelling peas.

The amount of broccoli and cauliflower is disappointing. They are hard to grow in the summer, but I plant much more to be harvested in the fall when the weather is cooler and they taste much better. (The cooler temperatures really make them sweeter). I don't really like to grow them this time of year, but I thought I would try it again. I am convinced that cauliflower should be left for the fall, and that's that! The heads are tiny for the most part and some may be past their prime because of the hot temperatures. The cooler fall temperatures have an effect on lots of vegetables by increasing their sugar content, such as spinach, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli raab, mustard greens, turnips, etc. They taste different than the ones grown in the summer. Just thought I'd mention that so you could compare the taste with what you are experiencing now and what you receive in the fall. My favorite time of year to grow is late August through October. The weed pressure is less, there is more rain and less heat, and the vegetables taste spectacular.

If you got a small head of green cabbage, then you also got a small red cabbage. There will be more red cabbage for everyone next week.

This week is probably the last for the peas. I hope you enjoyed them, I know I did. I especially like eating them right out of the pod while standing in the garden.

I will attach some recipes from home tonight, as soon as I figure out how to attach them to a post from my word documents. Any suggestions internet/blog fairy?

Debbie

EDITED To ADD Recipes:

Cole Slaw

10 cup cabbage tossed with salt
½ t. salt – let cabbage drain tossed with salt for a couple of hours

Dressing
1 cup cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar – white or apple cider

Creamed Swiss Chard With Prosciutto

This recipe is one of my sister’s favorites. You can use prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon. They all work great.

2 T. olive oil
¼ cup diced prosciutto
¼ cup minced yellow onion
1 T. minced garlic
8 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (you can use the stems also, separate them from the leaves and cook the stems first, then add the leaves)
1/3 heavy cream
Salt and pepper as needed
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ t. grated nutmeg

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and sauté until aromatic, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high and add the onion and garlic. Saute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 minute more.
Add the Swiss chard, sautéing just until the leaves wilt, about five minutes. Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook the Swiss chard until it is tender, about 5 minutes.
Season generously with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan and nutmeg. Serve immediately ina heated bowl or on heated plates.

Swiss Chard Spanakopita with French Feta

2009-06-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

Here's another one that I've adapted from Dinner at Your Door . It was so good, I just might eat the leftovers for breakfast.

Swiss Chard will be in this week's box. I'll let Mary address the nutritional properties - there are plenty to brag about.

French feta, if you are not familiar, is creamier and a little less sharp and salty than Greek Feta. Phyllo (aka Filo), is widely available frozen in packages, which will require an overnight defrost in fridge).

I picked up a package of fresh filo from the deli store at West Side Market, along with the feta, and a fresh package of pine nuts, which add a nice, buttery crunch in this recipe. Keep your pine nuts in the freezer; they go rancid quickly.

Swiss Chard Spanakopita with Feta (adapted from Dinner at Your Door)

1 bunch of Swiss Chard (use more if you have it, the leaves shrink a lot, like spinach)

1 onion, diced

1 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 oz French Feta, crumbled

3 eggs, beaten

S&P to taste

2 T butter, melted

2 T olive oil

1 package of frozen phyllo dough, thawed overnight in frig, then bring to room temp before using

1/4 c pine nuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Fold Swiss Chard in half and strip off leaves. Separate leaves and stems, rough chop leaves, then chop stems.

Fill soup pot with a quart of water. Cook the chard leaves, covered, over medium heat 'til wilted, five minutes or so. Rinse with cold water and drain in colander. Press out excess water - I use a metal potato ricer to squeeze out the water. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat 1 T oil in large saute pan. Add onions and chard stems, saute til translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook a few more minutes. Add to chard in bowl. Stir in feta, eggs, salt and pepper into chard mix in bowl.

Combine melted butter and olive oil. Use a pastry brush to apply butter to the bottom of a baking dish (I used 9x13 with 2 bunches of chard, if you only have one bunch, I'd say use a 9" square dish. Have a clean, damp dish towel ready to cover the dough.

Unfold the dough on the counter and cover with the towel. (If you are using a 9" dish, use a pair of kitchen shears and cut the sheets in half before covering) Unfold one sheet of dough in half and lay it in the dish. Brush with butter/oil. Layer second sheet on top of first and brush with butter. Repeat twice more.

Spread chard mixture evenly over dough and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts (toast in small skillet on the stove, or on a sheet pan in the oven, til golden - don't go anywhere or multi-task during toasting; pine nuts are expensive and burn the minute you ignore them ;)

Layer 4 more sheets of dough, brushing with butter, including the top layer. Bake about 25-30 minutes, or until top is browned and golden.

Farmer's Market Demo: Strawberry Salsa

2009-06-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone that stopped by this morning and sampled the goodies I made using the bounty of the market.

First we did Strawberry Salsa with Lake Erie Creamery Goat Cheese over Baguette slices from Great Lakes Baking Company.

2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries

2 T white balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 T minced fresh basil

1 1/2 t minced fresh chives

1 t sugar

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c. soft goat cheese

Baguette, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Combine 1st six ingredients. Let stand 30 minutes to blend flavors. Spread cheese on baguette slices and top with strawberry mixture.

The "Kohl" Slaw was also a big hit, the recipe for it is in the prior post.

Finally, I made a Green Garlic Vinaigrette with a huge green garlic donated by Baker's Fresh Produce. I wish I had a photo of it, it was huge! I chopped the bulb and most of the stalk and sauteed it in a cast iron skillet with a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil. That drew a crowd.

To finish I put a few tablespoons of champagne vinegar in a bowl, most of the juice from one half of a lemon, seasoned with salt and pepper, and added enough extra virgin olive oil to emulsify, then added fresh chopped parsley. We sampled with baguette at the market, but I think this would be excellent on chicken or fish. Do a search on-line if you never seen or used green garlic; there's a lot of good info.

I'll be back behind the demo table Thursday at Stan Hywet and Howe Meadow, next Saturday, July 4th. I'm thinking maybe something with Lake Erie Creamery's fantastic raw milk feta....

Thanks to my capable assistant, who was at the market for the first time, and got to help me :-), and to all of the vendors who generously donated goods for the demo.

"Kohl" Slaw

2009-06-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

Pondering what to do with your kohlrabi? Here's what I did with mine, sans the pea shoots, which I like in moderation, but don't go out of my way to eat. And Debbie and Sally know how much fun it is trying to eat pea shoots, since we were served some at yesterday's demo at the Stan Hywet farmer's market.

Don't skip toasting and grinding the fennel seeds, it adds a really nice, subtle taste. You could pass this off to a whole lot of unsuspecting folks as "Kohl Slaw".

You need a mandolin/v-slicer, or a lot of patience with your knife, for this one. Reminder: The knife sharpening lady will be at the farmer's market tomorrow.

Kohlrabi Salad with Pea Shoots

From the book The Farm to Table Cookbook by Ivy Manning

Serves 6

Total Time 15 minutes

Kohlrabi is a member of the odiferous brassica family (a cousin of cabbage), but it has a rather benign flavor, something like a cross between green cabbage and broccoli, yet milder and crisper. This recipe — from chef Fearn Smith of Portland’s Farm Café — should change your mind if you ever thought of kohlrabi as an “ick” vegetable.

Ingredients

2 large red or green kohlrabi bulbs

1 large carrot, peeled

1 tsp. fennel seeds

2 Tbsp. rice-wine vinegar

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

2 cups pea shoots (optional)

Steps

1. With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the tough outer skin and stems from the kohlrabi. Julienne the kohlrabi with a mandoline or sharp knife (you will have about 4 cups), and then julienne the carrot.

2. Toast the fennel seeds in a small dry sauté pan over medium heat until they begin to brown slightly and smell toasty. Transfer them to a mortar and pestle or clean spice grinder and grind into a coarse powder.

3. Combine the fennel powder, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oils. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.

4. Chop the pea shoots into 1-inch pieces and toss into the salad immediately before serving.

Notes

Kohlrabi is available almost year-round, but you’ll find it most often in late spring to early summer. Small to medium kohlrabi (no bigger than a fist) have the mildest flavor. If possible, buy them with the leaves still attached, as the leaves are tasty when cooked. Don’t buy kohlrabi with yellow or wilting leaves.

Greens, Greens, Greens!!!!!!

2009-06-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

I love this week's share because it is sooo green! Did you know that green vegetables are the #1 missing food in Americans diets these days? Their calorie density (calories per pound) is really low and they offer so many extra benefits to your body. Blood purification, improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function, and on and on. Greens are more than just lettuce for salads!

Today I am going to look at kohlrabi, mustard greens and Hakurei turnips.

Kohlrabi

Doesn't it seem like cabbage has a lot of relatives? Well, kohlrabi is another cousin. It may be a little alien-spaceship-like to us, but it is the most common eaten veggie is Kashmir. Kohlrabi is a German word, from Kohl - cabbage, and Rabi - turnip.

One cup of kohlrabi will provide almost 100% of your daily vitamin C intake! It is also cleansing and helps your cells detoxify. Cleansing is a natural process that our bodies do on their own, but with toxins in close to everything we come in contact with, it is important to give it a hand when you can. And the green veggies definitely help this!

Mustard Greens

When not being sauteed and eaten, mustard greens are sometimes used to extract heavy metals from soil in hazardous waste sites. These greens have a high tolerance for toxins and store the hazardous substances in it's cells. It is called Phytoremediation and I think that it is pretty cool and tells a lot about this vegetable's ability to cleanse our bodies. If it can remove hazardous waste, think about what it can remove from your body! (Is that gross? Sorry... I think it is so interesting and perfect in a very natural way!!!)

Mustard greens have a huge concentration of antioxidants - cancer prevention! Also vitamins B6, C and E, folic acid, calcium, carotenes, manganese, copper, and fiber.

Hakurei Turnips

What's with all of these vegetables having multiple names??? Hakurei turnips - aka the Japanese turnip and the salad turnip or kabu....OK enough already. These things are clean, white and great eaten raw! Which by the way will keep the most nutrients in tact. Speaking of nutrients, turnips in general are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, manganese, pantothenic acid, and copper. Turnips are considered a "starch vegetable", BUT with only 1/2 the calories of a potato.

Don't throw away the greens! They are a great way to get your daily fix of vitamins A, B6, C, E, folic acid, calcium, copper, fiber, and manganese!

Hakurei turnips are said to be the best tasting and smoothest of the white turnips, so eat them up while they last!

Nutrition Info in This Week's Share

2009-06-21T18:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! My name is Mary Tramonte and I am a certified holistic health counselor in training. I will be done with school in July and am now ready to start helping others feel amazing by teaching them healthy habits, relaxation techniques, and nutrient packed, easy and fun recipes! It is a very exciting time and if you would like to learn more about how my 6 month program can help you or for a free health consultation, please let me know! I can be reached at mjacquelinet@yahoo.com.

I am going to post the nutritional benefits of the veggies in the share, so check back weekly for new information on how this week’s share is improving your health!

This week I am going to focus on Broccoli Rabe, Arugula and Pac Choi. They all are great sources of Vitamins A and C, among many other things. I also want to mention that Oregano is fabulous because it has more antioxidants than any other herb!

Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli Rabe is actually not related to broccoli at all. It is closely related to turnips and is a descendent of a wild herb. This green veggie is the most popular vegetable in Hong Kong and for many reasons. Besides its many uses, it has many health benefits. Broccoli Rabe is a great source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as potassium, calcium and iron. According to macrobiotic beliefs, it can be grounding and help you feel centered.
Green vegetables have so many great benefits for your physical and mental health, just to name a few: Blood purification, cancer prevention, improved circulation, strengthened immune system, detoxification, etc. The list goes on and on, but unfortunately this food group is missing most often in Americans diets.

Arugula
Arugula is part of the cabbage family and was known to Ancient Romans and Egyptians as an aphrodisiac. It is said to help clear the mind and is helpful, especially in the spring and early summer, because it is light and energizing and will help you forget about the long winter and get ready for the summer! Like most greens, arugula is very low in calories, but high in Vitamins A , C and E and a good source of calcium and folate. A half cup serving is only 2 calories! Arugula contains glucosinates, which are anticancer compounds and strongly promote natural detoxifying enzymes.

Pac choi
Pac choi has so many different names because of the different dialects in Asia, where it originates. Literally translated, pac choi means white vegetable. The entire plant is edible, including the green leaves, which are a good source of calcium and fiber. It is also high in Vitamin A, B6 and C. It is high in beta-carotene and anti-oxidants, both which are known to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Shrimp w/Sauteed Red Onion, Rapini & Purple Cauliflower

2009-06-19T16:26:00.001-07:00

This one is a Dine-In Diva original and it was delicious!

I sauteed a half of a chopped red onion and a couple of the share green onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Seasoned with S&P. Then I added several big handfuls of washed broccoli rabe aka rapini, and sauteed til wilted.

Add a handful of chopped purple cauliflower - isn't it pretty?

Then I pushed everything to the side and added a handful of thawed shrimp (you might as well purchase frozen and thaw under cold water for a few minutes; if you purchase "fresh" you are just paying the store to thaw it for you). I seasoned the shrimp with S&P, a shake of crushed red pepper flakes and a shake of Penzey's Northwoods Fire Seasoning.

After a few minutes I tossed in a rinsed can of cannellini (white kidney beans) and a can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes.

Pretty, easy, fresh and fast. What more could you ask for?

Bok Choi/Pac Choi

2009-06-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a recipe for Stir-Fried Bok Choi. The variety in your box is known as Pac Choi or Shanghai Bok Choi. The recipe calls for baby heads, which you do not have, but I'm sure you could cut up the larger head and substitute it for the smaller heads. What I like about this recipe is it has all the flavors that I like and it is simple, very few ingredients. I haven't tried it yet, but I will tonight.

2009-06-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

My favorite way to cook broccoli raab is to saute in olive oil with garlic and a little crushed red pepper. Many vegetables can be cooked this way such as spinach, arugula, mustard greens, etc. If the broccoli raab has thick stems, the stems should be peeled to remove the tough outer skin of the stem. Take a stem, make a fresh cut at the bottom, and pull back the outer skin, sort of like peeling celery or rhubarb. Pull up to the first group of leaves, if some of the lower leaves come off, that's OK. The lower leaves tend to be tough, also. The smaller stems probably don't need to be peeled. Cut the stem and leaves into managable pieces, 4"-5", or smaller. Wash in a sink of cold water by letting the broccoli raab soak for a few mintues. (You could wash first, and then trim. It doesn't matter.) The dirt will sink to the bottom. Drain in a colander but don't spin, the small amount of water still clinging to the leaves will help the broccoli raab steam a little. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, add garlic slices or chunks, and cook until they just start to color. Add the broccoli raab, some salt, and crushed red pepper to taste. Toss the broccoli raab as it cooks, it will wilt fairly quickly. Saute until tender, if there is too much liquid, turn up the heat to let it cook off. I have discovered that cooking with really fresh produce reduces the amount of cooking time considerably with some vegetables, and this is one of them! So watch carefully so that you don't over cook, the broccoli raab could turn to mush! (Which I have done!)

Radishes

2009-06-18T04:07:00.001-07:00

I got this beautiful bunch of Easter Egg radishes last week at the farmer's market. 90% of the time I end up eating the radishes as a snack, with a little sea salt.

Cooking them does take a little bit of the bite out, but the amount of heat depends on the variety, and on the growing condition.

If you think you don't like radishes, I found a recipe that you might enjoy, since it isn't really the focus:

Red Radish Salad

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons sugar

* 1 lemon, juiced

* 1/2 cup sour cream

* 8 red radishes, thinly sliced

* 2 Delicious apples, quartered cored and thinly sliced

* 1/2 European seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

* Salt and black pepper

Directions

Combine sugar, lemon juice, and sour cream in a medium bowl with a fork. Add radishes, apple, and cucumber.

Turn vegetables and fruit in dressing to coat. Season with dill, salt, and pepper, toss again; serve.

Click the title to go to the printable version from Food Network.

I always get a review out of reading the reviews, especially the ones that state: " I didn't have any radishes, so I used an onion, I didn't have any apples, so I used a pear, and I didn't have any dill, so I used tarragon. And this recipe was terrible!". Ok - I made that one up, but there seems to be a fair amount of reviewers, especially on the FN and Cooking Light sites, that feel compelled to leave a pretty much useless review. They might make better use of their time actually acquiring the ingredients to make the actual recipe.

Broccoli Rabe

2009-06-18T03:56:00.000-07:00

Everything you ever wanted to know about Broccoli Rabe, but were afraid to ask:

Gourmet Sleuth

Simply Sauteed from Chow

Spaghetti with Broccoli Rabe from Mark Bittman

Cornbread and Broccoli Rabe Strata

What did you do with your broccoli rabe?

2009-06-17T20:10:00.001-07:00

Dear Shareholders:

Well, here we are, the first week of White House Gardens CSA! This week your share contains lettuce, arugula, broccoli raab, pac choi, radishes, green onions, and oregano.

Last year I put individual names on the boxes. I have decided not to do that this year. All the boxes are the same, so just take any one of them. Please try to remember to return your empty box next week. Please check your name off the list after you get your box. That way I will know who has been there, and who I need to call if they forgot.

Please try and pick up your box as soon as possible. If you know that you are going to be picking up in the afternoon or evening please let me know so that I can put your box in the refrigerator in the garage before I go to work.
(Kate & Michelle, your box is in the big silver refrigerator!)

I clean all the produce the best I can, but you should still wash everything before eating. Lettuce and other greens keep fresh longest if washed and then spun dry with a salad spinner. If you don't have one, I think it's worth purchasing.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call me or email me.

Debbie Fox

Swiss Chard and Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese

2009-06-15T10:39:00.001-07:00

Another one from the book Dinner at Your Door - Tips and Recipes for Starting a Neighborhood Cooking Co-op.

This was delicious! I could not stop eating it. No photos - next time! And there will be a next time. I adapted the recipe to make one pan and I clarified some of the instructions.

The garlicky bread crumb topping was fantastic and this smelled phenomenal when it was baking. There is a Swiss Chard Spanakopita recipe in this book as well. Used copies are available on Amazon - check it out.

Bring on the Swiss Chard!

Swiss Chard and Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese

Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds yukon gold or other thin-skinned waxy potatoes (I used the rose skinned yellow potatoes that were on sale at Marcs - shaped like small baking potatoes)

3 T butter

1 onion, sliced (I used Vidalia)

3 cloves, garlic, minced

1 1/2# swiss chard, stems and leaves chopped, separately (fold in half over the stem and cut off the leaves, chop; then chop the stems separately)

6 oz goat cheese, crumbled (if you are making several recipes calling for goat cheese, Sam's Club sells a 16 oz log that works perfectly and is reasonably priced)

1 T salt

Gratin Topping

1 1/2 T butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 c whole wheat bread crumbs (whirl a couple pieces/the heels of bread in food processor)

Sauce:

1 1/2 T butter

1 1/2 T flour

1 1/2 c hot milk (whole preferably, do not use non-fat)

S&P

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Parboil potatoes in skins til barely tender, cool and slice into 1/4# slices. (took 25 minutes or so - I then used a silicone potholder to hold and sliced lengthwise on my V-slicer).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Heat butter in large soup pot over medium heat. Saute onions, garlic and only half of chard stems til nearly soft. Stir occasionally til leaves are uniformly wilted and bright green. Remove from heat. Stir cheese into chard mixture and season to taste with salt. (You can do this step while the potatoes are cooking).

Topping: Heat butter in large saute pan over medium. Saute garlic a minute or so then add bread crumbs, stirring constantly for a minute. Remove and place in bowl.

Wipe out large skillet and melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour and cook for a minute, stirring so it doesn't brown. Whisk in hot milk and cook over medium 6-10 minutes til thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir sauce into chard mix. (I poured over the top of everything after I layered and it was fine).

Assemble: Layer half of chard mix into 9x13 or oval gratin dish. Layer all of the potatoes on top of chard. Place remaining chard on potatoes and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes til bubbling and golden on top.

Spinach, Lavender & Goat Cheese Strata

2009-06-14T13:01:00.001-07:00

This is second recipe this week I made from a cookbook called 'Dinner at Your Door: Tips and Recipes for Starting a Neighborhood Cooking Co-Op' by Alex Davis, Diana Ellis and Andy Remeis.

It's a easy and slightly different vegetarian main dish featuring fresh lavender blossoms, an herb not often used in savory applications. Use only unsprayed, organic blossoms. If you don't grow your own, check at the farmer's markets. I'm sure you could substitute dried blossoms, which are available in the spice aisle; I would probably scale back to 2 t. if using dried.

The book is scaled to make 12 servings of each dish to facilitate the co-op concept; I adapted to make a single 9x13 pan.

Spinach, Lavender and Goat Cheese Strata

Spinach Layer

10-16 oz fresh spinach, large stems removed, chopped

1 t. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

s&p to taste

Custard

4 cups milk (do not use nonfat)

6 eggs

1 T dijon mustard

1 T fresh lavender flowers, finely minced

1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

Strata

1 long French bread baguettes - day old or slightly stale

6 oz goat cheese, crumbled

1/4 c chopped fresh chives

Garnish suggestions (choose 2): Fresh chive strands, fresh chive blossoms, fresh lavender flowers, chopped Italian parsley.

Spinach layer: Place spinach in soup pot with a little water and cook, covered, til spinach wilts. Remove spinach and drain. (Use metal ricer to squeeze water out, or spin in salad spinner, then blot dry).

In dry soup pot, heat oil over medium. Add onions and cook til barely translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute, stirring. Combine spinach w/onion and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Custard: Whisk together in large bowl til well blended.

Strata: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray bottom of 9x13 with non-stick spray. Slice bread in 1/2" thick slices. Place in single layer to cover the bottom of the dish. Next distribute spinach mixture evenly over bread. Top with goat cheese then sprinkle on chives. Gently pour custard over strata and let rest 30 minutes at room temp (can rest overnight in the frig if you wish).

Bake 30-40 minutes, or til puffed and golden.

This is what it looked like before I popped it into the oven - sorry, didn't get an "after" shot.

Crunchy Cucumber, Celery, & Red Bell Pepper Salad with Cumin & Fresh Mint

2009-06-10T04:50:00.000-07:00

This salad is cool, crunchy and refreshing. Perfect for a hot day, or when you need something colorful to brighten things up a bit. The original recipe comes from a popular NY cafe, Once Upon A Tart.

A simple, but uniquely flavored, thanks to the cumin, vinaigrette, livens things up a bit.

This would be good with some shaved radishes, or julienned sticks of jicama.

I found that it tasted best after it sat for awhile. I also added a pinch of sugar to the dressing to cut the acidity a bit.

2009-06-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Shareholders:

It's been a long time since I have contacted you. We are less than two weeks away from the first pick up. I have been very busy planting, tilling, seeding, laying out irrigation lines, fertilizing, cultivating, and who knows what else! Most of the crops are in the ground and doing well despite all the rain. We have had over 5" inches since the end of May. Things are starting to dry out now and are looking good.

I will be at the farm all this week, June 8 - June 14, so it's a good time to come out to the farm if you haven't already, and see what's going on. Also, if we haven't met each other yet, I would really like to place a face with a name! Please let me know when, via email or cell 330-714-5008, and schedule a time. I am also in need of help in planting the 600 or so tomato plants, 330+ pepper plants, and eggplant (don't remember how many). If you would like to help, I will be planting Tues, Wed., and Thurs. this week. I am flexible as far as what time, but I would prefer to have only 2-3 people at a time. If you can't make it during the day, then perhaps in the evening. I'm asking for just a couple of hours per volunteer. This is not mandatory, just a request for volunteers if you are able.

I will be sending emails on the night before pick up and posting the same email to the blog. Recipes will be found at the blog only.

I also have extra tomato and pepper plants for sale, in quart pots. They are $3.00 each. I grow mostly heirlooms and unusual varieties from Seeds of Italy. Let me know if you want any or get them when you come out to the farm. I hope to see many of you this week!

Debbie Fox

Strawberry Season

2009-06-03T04:37:00.001-07:00

Fresh, local strawberries are one of the best things to hit Ohio in June. These sweet, aromatic gems taste nothing like their imported or California counterparts.

Believe or not, this handful is left from my quart scored at the Cuyahoga Countryside Conservancy's opening farmer's market in Howe Meadow on Saturday.

They haven't seen the inside of the fridge. I keep the bowl next to me for snacking, or dipping in Greek yogurt right next my computer. I ate about half of them walking around the market (I shared a few with my sister, who didn't move fast enough to get her own, and one with Debbie).

The Plain Dealer has a nice article today about strawberries with recipes. (I can't locate an on-line link; I'll try to find it and edit). The article also has a nice list of u-pick farms.

I loved picking strawberries as a kid. Many berries never made it out of the field. Unlike blueberries, which grow in mosquito infested swampy areas, and ripen in the oppressive, humid heat of late July, strawberries have the good sense to ripen in late spring when you actually don't mind trolling through a field and looking for the little red jewels.

One of the farms listed, Boughton Farms, is actually about 1 mile from my house. I have stopped by when they have the farm stand open, but I haven't done any pick your own (they have other crops you can pick during the summer). It's off of Schogalog Road, almost to Copley Road, past the railroad tracks. I love their pictorial directions on the website - beats that annoying GPS lady anyday! Check them out.

Other places to find u-pick farms is pick your own.org.

Here are some links to some great sounding recipes to go with your berries:

Toasted Oatmeal Shortbread

Sweetened Sour Cream with Brown-Sugar Caramel and Balsamic Reduction

Lemon Ricotta Cream with Lavender and Lemon Zest

Rich Mascarpone Cream with Dark Chocolate Bits

Also, I made this cake and sauce for a client luncheon recently and it was fantastic. The cake is light, not too sweet, and the sauce with just a hint of champagne, was delicious. Diabetic-friendly and easy to make if you have a Kitchen-aid mixer, because yes, you do have to beat it for 15 minutes on high. Olive Oil Genoise in Strawberry Champagne Sauce

Garlic Scape Pesto

2009-05-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

See recipe here.

Other links with garlic scape info and recipes:

NY Times

Star Chefs - note Dante Bocuzzi is now in Cleveland and moving his restaurant to Tremont

Tigers and Strawberries - a great Ohio blogger

Fava Beans Make Me Want to Drink Chianti

2009-05-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

To see my recent experience with Fava Beans, go to this link.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme. Oh, and Dill and Cilantro and Tarragon...

2009-05-28T03:53:00.000-07:00

Fresh herbs are one of my secret weapons for transforming food from frumpy to fabulous. Even the humble parsley, chopped, and added to a dish, provides a bright, verdant kick in most dishes.

The CSA boxes will contain generous bunches of fresh herbs. After using a sprig or two in your favorite recipe, are you stumped as to what to do with the rest of that beautiful bunch?

I just stumbled on this post, which helpfully lists recipes, by herb, and in combination, with amount of herbage required, so you can plan accordingly.

This list will also be handy if you end up spending $2.29 for a package of herbs out of season at the store (ouch, that really kills me).

I grow plenty of my own in season, and set my clients up with a fresh supply. My out of season tip: Buy at the West Side Market. You can get large, fresh, organic bunches for $1. Basketeria packages in small plastic containers and will give you a credit for returning them. Two stands to the left packages in small cello bags, which I prefer.

Do I have you humming Simon and Garfunkel yet?

Asian Greens

2009-05-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

It's almost time to start picking up the CSA boxes. I just checked in with Debbie and she sent the following:

There will be pac choi, (a light green variety of bok choi), red and green mustards, arugula, French Breakfast radishes, green onions, red, green, or speckled lettuce, chinese cabbage, Hakuri white turnips, mizuna. Herbs will be thyme, oregano, chives, tarragon. This will not all be in the first pick up, but possibly the first 3 pick ups. The turnips are a variety that are better eaten raw or lightly cooked, as compared to a regular turnip that can be tough and needs to be cooked thoroughly. The spinach should be in this first group, but again I am having trouble getting it to germinate properly.

I know that most people aren't familiar with the Asian greens, so here are a few links to study before the season starts. I will also try and develop some recipes as time permits.

Asian Greens Guide Saveur Magazine

Stir Fried Chicken and Asian Greens Recipe

Steamed Asian Greens with Honey Soy Sesame Dressing - Tyler Florence

Asian Greens Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing from Whole Foods

Great blog with Asian influenced recipes: Steamy Kitchen

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Feta Vinaigrette

2009-05-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here's one for spinach, which will be one of the earliest crops you'll see in your share box. The original recipe comes courtesy of Cooking Light, and couldn't be easier.

Using part of the artichoke marinade as the dressing boosts the flavor and saves time.

Because pasta salads tend to absorb the dressing and dry out if made ahead, save the reserved marinade that you don't use in the jar and refrigerate; use more dressing the next day to refresh any leftovers.

To pit the olives, whack them with the side of your chef's knife to release the pit prior to chopping.

The ingredients, except for the olives, can be picked up at Marcs and kept in the pantry. Get a scoop of olives from an in-store olive bar or deli for a fresher flavor than canned or jarred.

I'd hold up on adding salt until you've added the feta and checked the seasoning. Add salt afterwards if needed.

All-Clad Factory Outlet Sale

2009-05-11T03:50:00.001-07:00

The All-Clad Factory is located in Canonsburg, PA, near Pittsburgh. Twice a year (first week of June and December) they have a 3 day outlet sale at the Washington County Fairgrounds.

The next sale is June 5-7th. It's a little over 2 hour drive from Akron. Expect to stand in line for a bit before being let into the sale building. It's all pretty orderly.

If you have a wheeled cart, it's a good idea to take it with you. They provide boxes, and people get plenty creative by attaching bungee cords and dragging them around, but it's a hassle.

These are factory seconds, so expect some imperfections. There are tables for you to inspect your items before going through the check-out.

Tables are arranged by type: Copper-Clad, Stainless, Non-Stick, with stock-pots and odd stuff on the opposite side. Center tables have utensils and smalls. Lids are purchased separately for the most part. Do some research and plan out what you'd like to purchase ahead of time, but be prepared to see things you didn't know existed. One year I went for skillets; last trip I went for saucepans.

Prices are 60% or more off typical retail. These pans are definitely an investment, but will probably be the last ones you ever have to buy.

Pastured Eggs

2009-05-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

If any of you are interested in local, pastured eggs please contact Brunty Farms. They farm in the Cuyahoga Valley Park and will be selling at the farmers' market run by the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy.

Article on Freezing Foods

2009-05-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Excellent article in today's New York Times by Mark Bittman with some great tips on freezing food.

Barbecue Portobello Quesadillas

2009-05-06T17:26:00.000-07:00

Another one from Eating Well Magazine - Barbecue Portobello Quesadillas.

Smoky, filling, and easy to put together quickly.

I didn't take a picture of the finished dish because it isn't the prettiest one on the plate.

I had some leftover chipotle in adobo in the fridge - you can keep the extras in a glass jar tightly covered for awhile; most recipes only call for a little at a time. I used a whole pepper, chopped, and a bit of sauce and it really had a kick. Opt for the chipotle pepper powder for less heat. Penzey's carries a nice one.

This would be delicious with some freshly made coleslaw when cabbage shows up in your share box. Some guacamole and fresh salsa would be a nice complement as well.

Greek Bison Burgers and Sweet & Spiced Herb Radish Saute

2009-05-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try the Greek Bison Burgers since the issue of Eating Well Magazine featuring them arrived. Bison is a healthy alternative for red meat lovers - it's lower in fat and cholesterol. Bison is available directly from the farmer at The Countryside Conservancy Farmer's Markets, from Mustard Seed (call meat dept ahead; they don't stock as frequently in Montrose as in Solon, and at West Side Market).

I got my package, which comes vacuum sealed, at West Side Market. The fresh herbs, spinach, tomatoes, Greek Yogurt, and Feta also came from the market. I am not a big fan of Greek Feta; I prefer the milder, French. If you find Greek too salty or twangy, give the French Feta a try. Greek Yogurt, now that, I love.

Burgers were good, but the sauce and toppings are what make it excellent. Bison is very lean and you need to take care not to overcook. The patties stuck to the grill when I tried to flip. In retrospect, I should have taken the package of meat out of the package and let it warm a bit before making the patties, and I should have rubbed an oiled paper towel over the grill grates prior to putting them on. I got one nice pretty one and three pretty sad, but still tasty ones.

The final recipe from last week's Splendid Table newsletter called for radishes, one of my spring favorites, but one I rarely cook.

Sweet and Spiced Herb Radish Saute - Splendid Table

1 1/1 - 2 T unsalted butter
about 24 multi-colored small radishes, trimmed, washed and dried
1/8 t sugar
generous pinch hot pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2-3 T water
1/4 c snipped chives or thin-sliced scallion tops
3 basil leaves, torn
2 T sour cream

Heat butter in 10" saute pan over medium high. Add radishes and sugar, saute about 2 min.

Lower heat to medium. Sprinkle radishes with s & p and water. Cover and cook 1 minute. Uncover and boil off liquid, stirring all the time. Taste for seasoning and fold in herbs. Serve warm with dollops of sour cream.

Verdict: I thought I would really love this one. I wasn't crazy about it, and probably wouldn't repeat. Cooking the radishes and the pinch of sugar takes the bite out of them, but I would have rather enjoyed this nice bunch of small ones with a little salt and a dip in a little butter.

2009-05-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Bob and I planted broccoli (3 kinds), cauliflower (3 kinds), pac choi, kohlrabi, beets, and swiss chard. Bob Anthony is my helper in the garden. It only took us 2 1/2 hours to plant just over 600 plants! That is actually a record, I think. I also planted 100 green onion clumps in some raised beds.

On Sunday, in the greenhouse, I planted 288 lettuce plants, beets, cucumbers, summer squash, winter squash, and basil. These will be transplanted in the field in about 4 weeks.

If you are reading this post, then you subscribed to the blog. I would like some feedback from any of you about how you like (or not like) this format. I am still comtemplating a web site where you, as shareholders, would go to get your information, such as what is in the share, recipes, etc.

Chicken Pasta with Thyme-Mint Cream Sauce

2009-05-04T06:32:00.001-07:00

I don't eat a lot of pasta, especially two days in a row, but this was the next recipe in the 'to try' pile that I just happened to have all of the ingredients on hand.

Because it was just for me, I only used a pint of whipping cream that I had in the fridge, and I kept some of the chicken separate after I sauteed for lunch today, but I followed the rest of the recipe as written. This is from Simply Recipes.

It was fairly easy, and the flavor was good. The mint added a fresh, clean flavor.

Future tweaks: I would saute some shredded carrots, and/or julienned zucchini or yellow squash before the chicken. Have you seen the julienne peelers? Home Goods carries them and they make prep of a small amount of veggies a whiz. Use a mandolin or V-slicer (with the guard only, please and before enjoying a glass of wine) for larger amounts.

I'd also probably sub some half and half for the whipping cream.

For small amounts of white wine for deglazing, I always keep a bottle of dry vermouth in the fridge. Very handy if you don't happen to have white wine open, or don't want to open a bottle for a recipe. For personal chef clients I buy the small, single serve bottles and keep them in my chef kit.

Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Prosciutto

2009-05-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

Made this recipe last night and it was outstanding. I used the version posted by Simply Recipes, a blog I follow whose recipes I love. The original recipe was from Fine Cooking, also a favorite of mine. (FYI - there is a jar of Panko in the photo that doesn't belong with this recipe; I was going to make something different until I discovered my lone onion was well past it's prime).

I've had trouble finding the pasta called for, orecchiette, or "little ears" in regular grocery stores, but have had success at Italian markets. I bought the pasta, prosciutto and cheese from the Mediterranean Imported Foods at the West Side Market. The cauliflower and baby spinach came from my favorite stand, The Basketeria.

For out of season grape tomatoes, which I eat a lot of, I like the ones from Sam's Club the best. Check the package, though, the ones grown in Texas are a lot tastier than the ones grown in Mexico.

Until I discovered roasted cauliflower, I have to confess I wasn't a huge fan of the vegetable. Roasting gives a nice, nutty flavor.

This went together quickly and would make a great weeknight dish. Be sure to save some of the pasta water to moisten your sauce. I thought pulsing the prosciutto in the food processor to chop it was a stroke of genius. Much easier than mincing with a knife. The dried sage blends in and doesn't have an overly herby flavor.

Remember this one when the fresh cauliflower, spinach and arugula come in your share box.

Will You Supplement Your CSA Share with Your Own Garden?

2009-05-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a note from member Pat Brannon. Feel free to respond via the comments.

Only 9 more weeks 'til our first pick-up day!

I wanted to share this site kitchengardeners.org - which promotes "the localest" food of all. Lots of interest here for those of us for whom eating fresh and local is important.

I hope the Yahoo group will generate a lively exchange of ideas, recipes, comments, and items of interest for us locavores throughout the season.

I'll begin by asking: Are you are supplementing your shares with small gardens of your own. What do you plan to plant? or have already planted? in a small plot? or in containers?

I have a small plot that grows smaller every year as I transition to more containers. Last summer I had success with patio kebob tomato plants (from Hirt's), brilliant red Swiss chard, and red bell peppers in big ol' whiskey barrels. We recycled old storm windows to build two small cold frames, enabling us to enjoy four varieties of early lettuce and another fall crop that carried us through Thanksgiving.

I fashioned some bamboo stakes (from an old trellis that self-destructed) into a tiny trellis to grow a small crop of pea pods. I like to try something different each year. This year I am trying snow peas and cress.

There was space for a few odd tomato plants - some off-the-wall varieties which made for interesting dinner salad conversation!

But the real bonus was a bumper crop of renegade acorn squash that popped up all over the place - the result of composted garbage tossed on the garden the previous winter.

I also have a small herb patch - just the basics- sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives, tarragon, mint, lemon, and for my garden companion, Annie, some catnip. If you would like to start your own oregano, thyme, or tarragon, I have lots to share.

Hope to hear from some of you soon.

Pat Brannon

Not very many of the group joined the Yahoo group. I did, but have to confess that I don't find the interface very user friendly, and it's easy to lose the notifications, or forget to check the group.

Hopefully the blog will get a little more interaction going, and since it's on the internet and is not closed, there is potential to share with a larger audience of like minded local food lovers. Feel free to forward the link and invite anyone who might be interested to follow and participate.

Once you have a Google ID, or whatever other ones that Blogger accepts, leaving a comment is as simple as clicking on the comment link at the end of each post and typing what you want. I will moderate and approve them before they are published to ensure that nothing unintended ends up there.

If you have a recipe, or discussion that should have it's on post, or photos, shoot me an e-mail and I will put it in a separate post.

Debbie was considering making a website, but it takes a lot of work to build and maintain one, and they cost money, unlike this blog, which is free.

I, too am a member of Kitchen Gardeners; this group organized a petition to get the Obamas to plant the White House garden. I don't visit or participate often because I am active in several other groups and boards. Check out Local Food Cleveland.org as well.

I continue to maintain my own organic vegetable and herb garden for my own use, as well as for my chef clients and as a demonstration/class forum for my cooking and gardening classes.

I have a large, thriving red and yellow raspberry patch, a few struggling, but promising asparagus plants, and every year I do about 20 Heirloom Tomatoes, with a focus on the black varieties which are my favorite. I'll post when the raspberries are ripe; you are welcome to come and pick some.

I am also officially garden coaching for hire. I have several clients already. The focus is now shifting to more of a teaching and guiding business vs. planting and weeding, which I've also done.

I was interviewed and quoted in today's Beacon Journal article, and last Saturday as well.

First Vegetables of Spring

2009-05-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

I could hardly contain my excitement yesterday when I went to the West Side Market and my favorite stand, The Basketeria, and saw they had fresh, local asparagus.

I love roasted asparagus. Preheat the oven to 450. Wash and trim the asparagus. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, a clove of minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Roll it around to coat. Roast for about 3-4 minutes for fresh, thin spears. Toss with some fresh lemon juice and use a vegetable peeler to shave some fresh parmigano-reggiano. Perfection.

I also picked up some turnips and fresh, organic new potatoes so I could try out a recipe in this week's Splendid Table newsletter.

Spring Turnips with Mellowed Garlic

Turnips never get the strokes that potatoes, tomatoes and other vegetables get all the time. Try this dish of new potatoes, spring turnips, mellowed garlic and fresh grated nutmeg. So French it practically speaks with an accent.

This recipe evolved over the years from one created by Michele Urvater and David Liederman in their Cooking the Nouvelle Cuisine in America (Workman Publishing, 1979). It's our favorite partner with everything from simply a salad or other vegetables to any seafood or meat you can imagine.

Serves 4 to 6 and halves easily

* 2-1/4 pounds small organic turnips, peeled and quartered
* 3/4 pound organic new potatoes (Yellow Finns, red skins, White Rose or Desiree), peeled and cut in to 1-inch chunks
* 6 quarts boiling salted water
* 1-1/2 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (homemade preferred)
* 20 large cloves garlic, peeled but not crushed
* A generous pinch freshly ground nutmeg
* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 3 tablespoons snipped chives

1. Boil turnips and potatoes 8 minutes and drain. Turn into a 12-inch sauté pan, adding the garlic, 1-1/2 cups broth, nutmeg, a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook at a very slow bubble over medium-low heat, adding more broth if sticking is a problem. Stir often with a wooden spatula.

2. After about 25 minutes, when garlic is soft, cook off any excess broth until mixture is almost dry. Puree with the butter in a food processor, tasting for seasoning.

3. Serve hot sprinkled with chives, or refrigerate up to 24 hours. Reheat puree in a bowl set over a pot of boiling water.

If your turnips are a little larger than called for, be sure to cut them into smaller pieces and give them a little more cooking time.

I served it with the roasted asparagus and a nice, fresh piece of Alaskan Halibut that I simply seasoned and seared on the stovetop in a little butter and olive oil and finished in the oven for about 8 minutes. Not the most photogenic meal, but delicious.

The garlic does indeed mellow and you could probably pass this off to non-turnip eaters as garlic mashed potatoes and no one would be the wiser.

If anyone wants a chunk of chive plant, mine are in need of some dividing.

Looking forward to a new CSA season

2009-05-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to White House Gardens CSA blog. This is my second year as a member, and I purchased from Debbie Fox at the farmer's markets before I joined. The selection last year was outstanding. I still remember helping plant all of those tomato plants on a searing hot day last year, that was not unlike our freak hot spell at the beginning of this week.

To enhance the enjoyment of the shares for everyone, I will be developing some original recipes as well as testing and tweaking some from other sources, then posting them with photos here. Debbie or I will also post updates on what to expect in the upcoming shares.

Feel free to leave comments, which I'll moderate and publish as soon as I can.

Here's a note from Debbie:

Dear Shareholders:

I have been planting the first crops in the ground. Spinach, arugula, mustard greens, turnips, peas, cabbage, and onions went in the ground during the hot spell last week. Thank goodness it finally cooled down! This weekend we will plant Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, chinese cabbage, poc choi, and beets.

The CSA is almost full. I have 2 or 3 shares left, and several people have expressed an interest, so it should be finalized by this weekend.

I have a friend who grows asparagus. I picked up some today, and it is very good and very fresh. He wanted to know if any of my shareholders would be interested in some. He is taking orders, which you can place through me. The cost is $2.50 per pound. Asparagus grows pretty fast, so if you want some please let me know as soon as possible. Depending on how much all of you order, it can be picked up at my farm on Sat. or Sun. Please email me with your orders by noon on Friday so he has time to pick it. If you can't get some now, he will have it for a couple of weeks.

Debbie

Here's to a great season of fresh, local produce. Pray for pleasant weather, just enough rain, but not too much, and good bugs and not many bad ones.