veggies

Midsummer Farm CSA  

Weekly Newsletter:  

Share Pick Up #2


Greetings!

We are planning to harvest Chard, Welsh Onions, Flat Leaf Parsley, Lettuces of Various Sorts, Celery, and Some Chicory and Radicchio...


RECIPE: Simple Dark Greens Saut�  

This is a great way to utilize almost any dark leafy green you may find in your baskets! Changing fresh herbs to match flavors - adding peppers, mushrooms, other veggies gives added dimension. 

 

1-2 cups of various finely-chopped seasonal greens (parsley, dandelion, sorrel, lamb's quarters, clover, spinach, arugula, mustards, mints, oregano, etc.)


1 lb shrimp or sliced chicken breast or thigh (you can also use scallops, clams, or pork for different effects)
5-6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5-6 tbsp Clam Juice, Chicken Broth, or White Wine
A sprinkle red pepper flakes
4 bulbs garlic - chopped coarsely
� onion - chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: cooked pasta or rice can be added as well
Seasonal: as the season progresses, you can add chopped summer squash, peppers, green beans to this saut�.


Heat Olive Oil in a saut� pan. Saut� onion, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic. Add meats and any large vegetable pieces. Get nice a sizzling going where the meat starts to brown and brown bits start to form on pan bottom, then add clam juice, chicken broth, or white wine and deglaze pan, scraping the bottom and stirring vigorously. Once everything is cooked through, you can add the optional pasta/rice and cook another minute.  Take off the heat and add the chopped seasonal greens and serve.

 


RECIPE: "FAMOUS FRENCH" PAPRIKA DRESSING

Here's my Family's Favorite Salad Dressing - it is basically a Traditional French Dressing: 

This dressing is hearty and makes a great accompaniment to tangy spring greens:

 

2/3 cup of Olive oil

1/3 cup of Apple Cider vinegar (Eden and Bragg both make a wonderful Apple Cider vinegar complete with 'mother' and enzymes.)

2 tbsp of organic sugar

2 overflowing globs of organic ketcup

black pepper to taste

1 tsp of salt

and at least 2 tbsp of Paprika - I've been using about � cup lately actually!

 

Put all ingredients into a bowl or large measuring cup with room to whisk. 

Whisk all together well. And then pour over your salad and enjoy. 

We always enjoyed this dressing over slices of avocado and romaine lettuce.



I'm adding a another bunch of flat-leafed chives and a bunch of mint to your baskets this week - here's my hummus recipe, which is just such a great hot-summer-day food.

 

The trick with a good hummus or bean dip or pesto for that matter, is a good foof processor. If you don't have one, it is a great and healthy investment to make for your kitchen. A not-so-great food processor can handle salad dressing, but you willfind that when you are making a bean dip or hummus or pesto, you will end up adding too much oil to the recipe to keep the blades moving smoothly. A good food processor should be able to evenly grind up the beans and herbs even before you add the oil...



RECIPE: Hummus

 

2 cups of cooked chick peas (or one can)

1 cup tahini paste

5 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp or more ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves plus save  a sprig or two for garnish!

Possible - Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil

 

Put all ingredients together in a food processor and blend until smooth. If more liquid is needed, add dashes of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil. Garnish with the mint sprig! Hummus always tastes best after the flavors mell for a day in the fridge.



Swiss Chard is one of the healthiest of foods - if you grow one green in your garden - make it chard! We grow traditional white stemmed Chard, Rainbow Chard, and a dark red stemmed chard called Rhubarb Chard, although it is not related in any way to Rhubarb. You'll see all three in your baskets through out the summer - they can all be prepared the same way.

 

A rule of thumb with cooking chard and all other dark leafy greens with big tough stalks, is to strip the leaves from the stalks, chop and cook the stalks first, so they get tender, and then add the leaves right at the end of cooking time.



Here's a recipe for Frittata Verdura from my grandmother that I always loved as a child using tons of chard!

 

As a child, calling this "Frittata Verdura" was a bit much for me and I was really into swamp wildlife, so I called this "Fenoke" instead of "Frittata" after the Oke-fenoke swamp!  It does look like a swamp!

 

RECIPE - Fenoke or Frittata Verdura

5 or 6 eggs

1 big bunch of Chard

1/4 cup of grated Romano cheese (or parmesan would work ok too.)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

About 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

About 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 - 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 tbsp olive oil

Optional - dried seaweed flakes - I've been adding 1/4 cup dulce flakes.

 

Wash swiss chard, remove heavy stems. Put wet leaves into a cover sauce pan until wilted. Pour into a strainer, and let cool.

Chop heavy stems finely. Heat oil in a non-stock frying pan. Add stems and onions and a little salt. Saut� until onions and stems are tender, but not brown. Pour into a big bowl. Reserve oil in pan.

After leaves are cool enough to handle, squeeze them in small bunches to remove excess water.

Chop leaves.

Add chopped leaves, herbs, black pepper, Romano cheese, salt, and eggs into the bowl with the onions. Stir and Beat until mixed thoroughly.

Start to reheat the pan with the oil in it on low. Once warm, pour the mixture into the frying pan, cover pan, and cook until center is firm.

To finish top side, you can either flip the frittata (which can be tricky), or you can also please it under the broiler for a moment or two.

 

I like it both hot and cold. Cold slices make a great easy breakfast or lunch. I've used a cookie cutter to cut cute little bite-sized shapes of the cold frittata and served them as hors devours...

 


You'll find parsley in your basket a lot this summer - we are addicted to parsley ...  It seems that almost every summer meal is better if you throw a big handful of chopped parsley in right at the end of cooking. Parsley is an intense super-food with a wonderful - and not ever overpowering flavor. It is so green - it literally brings sunlight right into your food. Don't be skimpy with adding it to meals - throw it in in heaps! I add it while something is cooking as well as at the end. You get different phyto-nutrients from the cooked and not-so-cooked parsley.      

 

And Parsley is great as a Pesto - basil season isn't quite upon us yet,  but I am definitely in the mood for summer pestos.     

  

Here are two of my favorite Parsley Pesto recipes :      




   

RECIPE: Parsley-Pumpkin Seed Pesto   

2 cups parsley leaves   

2 garlic cloves   

2 tbsp pumpkin seeds   

2 tbsp fresh lime juice   

1/2 cup or less extra virgin olive oil   

Salt and pepper to taste.     

 

Combine all ingredients except Olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. With processor running, slowly add the olive oil until a good smooth consistency is reached. I almost never have to add the full amount of olive oil to a pesto recipe - I always pour it in very gradually and stop as soon as the pesto is of a spreadable consistency.    

 




 

RECIPE: Parsley-Walnut Pesto   

2 cups parsley leaves   

3/4 cup of chopped walnuts (lightly toasting them brings out flavor)   

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese   

2 garlic cloves   

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup or less extra virgin olive oil   

2 tbsp of lemon juice   

2 tsp of lemon zest      

 

Combine all ingredients except Olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth. Then, with motor running, slowly add the olive oil until a good smooth consistency is reached. I almost never have to add the full amount of olive oil to a pesto recipe - I always pour it in very gradually and stop as soon as the pesto is of a spreadable consistency.     



   

Pestos can be frozen for several months. They are fun to freeze in ice-cube holders and then you can them to sauces in small amounts....    I also add lots of parsley to Salmon (or Tuna) Salad - just finely chop a big bunch and add to two cans of pink salmon. The canned salmon is wild-caught in Alaska and is safe and super healthy. It has only been heated lightly so the Omega 3 EPA/DHA oils are still intact. The soft bones are an excellent source of calcium and minerals. I usually remove the darker pieces of skin and larger bones and then mush it up to a nice consistency with a fork. Then add the chopped parsley and mix it thoroughly - it usually turns the whole salad green! Then I add a small dollop of mayo and maybe a dash of lemon juice and that's it! Makes a great lunch sandwich!

 

 

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 845-986-9699

Thanks very much and we look forward to seeing you each week! Here's to a Summer of vibrant health and energy!

~Barbara and Mark
Midsummer Farm  

 


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Upcoming Late Spring and Early Summer Workshops and Events at Midsummer Farm:   

 

You can register for workshops and events by emailing us or by filling out our registration form, which you can download here!    

 

Our summer schedule for workshops is not final - we'll be updating and adding more sessions of various workshops soon!

Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing WorkshopChick

Sunday, June 12th 2011, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. They also provide backyard joy. They are easy to take care of, are not noisy or smelly, and are an important part of the Organic garden. We may also have young birds available for sale at the end of the workshop. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Workshop takes place mostly outside (dress appropriately - wear boots) and is weather permitting. Cost is $36 | registration closes 6/9/11

 

Legumes! Cooking with Beans Workshop

Friday, June 17th 2011, 11 am - 1pm

Beans are one of those things that can make a huge difference in your health and well-being just by adding them to your weekly eating plan. And we'll go over a bunch of different ways to integrate them into your every day life easily. This workshop will lead to better overall health. Beans have been missing from the typical American diet and people have strange opinions of them, but they are delicious, easy to digest when prepared properly, and nourishing on many, many levels. We'll do a selection of fabulous bean dips, nourishing bean soups, refreshing bean salads (great for packing for work or school lunches), minestrone, and a variety of other recipes, as well as bean spouting. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - it takes place in the kitchen at Midsummer Farm | Cost is $36 | Registration closes 6/14/11.

 

Crafting Herbal-Infused Salves, Ointments, and Lip Balms  

Friday, June 24th 2011, 10 am - 12 noon

 

With a focus on organic, fair-trade, medicinal herbs and spices, we'll construct a variety of healing and soothing salves and lip balms. We'll also discuss different types of healing herbs, what they can do for us, and where to get them. You'll never want to be without a jar of Anti-itch salve made with white willow bark and plantain or Dry-skin healing Calendula salve made with self heal and chickweed once you see how fun they are to make and how effectively they work. Workshop takes place in the farm kitchen | Cost is $36 | registration closes 6/22/11

 

Pestos and Salsas Workshop

Friday, July 8th 2011, 11 am - 1 pm

Creating Pesto and Salsa Verde is truly an art in the artisanal kitchen. And although we'll do a great traditional Basil pesto, we also have a whole range of absolutely wonderful and creative mixtures using arugula, parsley, cilantro, lovage, chervil, dandelion, unusual heirloom Italian chicories, and more. All the Pestos and Salsa Verdes we will be making will also be fully balanced using nuts and seeds and can be thought of as the main course as well as the appetizers. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged | Cost is $36 | registration closes 7/5/11

 

Too Many Zucchini! WorkshopZucchini Harvest

Saturday, July 9th 2011, 11 am - 1 pm

By popular request - I'm doing a workshop on what to do with all your summer squash. I also used to feel overwhelmed and even bored by summer squash, but now I can't wait to get my hands on as many as possible! I have a wide range of truly delicious recipes that I am thrilled to share with you so you too can fully enjoy all those zucchini you're pulling out of your garden this time of year! As with my other cooking workshops, you'll take home a variety of recipes and building outlines for creatively designing your own meals. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged | $36.00 | registration closes 7/6/11

 

Processing Meat from Your Own Poultry

July 16th 2011, 9:30 am to 12 noon

Workshop takes place at Two Pond Farm in West Milford, NJ and is taught by Allison and Randy Hosford.

This workshop focuses on how to humanely and properly process your own poultry for meat. There are two ways to participate: Hands-On: limited number of spaces available. You will slaughter and butcher 2 humanely and pasture-raised birds from Two Pond Farm with the option to take home your freshly dressed birds at $2.80 per pound! Or you can take it as an Observer-Only. (You can still purchase humanely and pasture-raised meat from Two Pond Farm.) Two Pond Farm is located at 176 Weaver Road, West Milford, NJ 07480. There is a 'Fresh Eggs' sign at the end of the driveway. Please dress appropriately, this is a messy process. Wear something over your hair as the feathers will be flying. Cost is $36 | Registration closes July 12th 2011.


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Workshops at Midsummer Farm: Classes are taught from a strictly Holistic and Organic standpoint. Class size is kept small to ensure individual attention. Fees include all materials and supplies needed. Children are welcome; children under 5 are free. If more than one person from a single household is taking the workshop together, the second person may deduct $5 from the cost of the workshop. Many classes take place outside in the gardens and are weather-permitting. Participants must register in advance. Cooking classes are hands-on and tasting is encouraged. NOTE: times and dates of workshops are subject to change.

You can register for workshops and events by emailing us or by filling out our registration form, which you can download here!

If you haven't been to our farm yet, we're located at 156 East Ridge Road, Warwick, NY 10990. And welcome!    
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Midsummer Farm Contact Info:
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
[email protected]

Holistic Health Counseling Contact Info:
Barbara Taylor-Laino
Barbara Taylor Health
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
[email protected]

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