Greetings!
Greetings from your farm. Another busy week here as we're in full late summer harvest mode. We've had a spectacular crew this year and this week we had to say goodbye to some of our workers who are going back to school. We already miss them terribly and will be saying goodbye to 2 more folks next week so the change in staffing will be an adjustment as well as the reason for the short newsletter. We have created a partnership with a local ranch and will be offering a Grass-Fed Beef Share to be delivered on September 14th. We will be sending out a newsletter tomorrow with more information. Here are the details: Grass-Fed Beef Share5 1lb Ground Beef
1 Pkg (2) Sirloin Tip Steaks
1 Pkg (2) Ribeye Steaks
1 Pkg (2) NY Strip Steaks
1 Pkg (2) Tenderloin Steaks $132.93 (price includes tax and delivery on 9/14/11) Enjoy your week and we're looking forward to seeing many of you at the farm for the Harvest Party. We're also hoping to schedule an event in Chicago in October and will be sending details soon. |
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Beets
 Good news; nice, large bunches of beets! You'll get (randomly) either Red Ace, Chioggia, or Golden. Bad news, some of the greens aren't in great shape cosmetically. They should be fine to eat. We try to clean the greens up but if you see brown or tattered leaves take them off. Leaves with tiny spots are actually fine to eat, it's just sun damage. If you haven't tried beet greens before give them a try. They are delicious AND super nutritious. Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Walnuts and Feta Cheese Salad: 1 pound cooked beets (roasted, steamed, or boiled) About 1/3 cup Orange Walnut Vinaigrette (see recipe below) 5 ounces (about 6 cups) Arugula 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup candied or toasted walnuts 2 blood oranges (if available) or navel oranges, segmented Orange-Walnut Vinaigrette: Makes about 1-1/4 cups 1/2 cup good-quality roasted walnut oil 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 TBS orange juice or blood orange juice 1 tsp finely grated orange zest 5 TBS sherry vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 TBS finely minced shallots 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
To make the vinaigrette, place all the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and close the lid tightly. Shake vigorously to combine. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Allow the dressing to sit at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop before serving. (Store any leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator, tightly covered) Cut the beets in half or quarters (if you're using larger beets, cut into 1/2-inch dice) so they're bite-size. Place the beets in a small bowl, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette, and toss until the beets are coated. (This step can be done a day in advance, if desired.) Just before serving, place the arugula in a large salad bowl. Add about 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Toss to coat the leaves lightly, then taste and add more vinaigrette if needed. Transfer the arugula to a platter or individual salad plates. Arrange the beets and orange segments (if using) on the greens and sprinkle them with the feta and nuts. Serve immediately.
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Chard
Swiss Chard Smoothie
3-5 Chard leaves, stems removed
½ banana
1½ cup pineapple
½ cup ice
1 cup water
2 TBS lemon juice
Blend - Enjoy.
Chard Cakes with Basil Spinach Sauce 2 cups basil leaves, packed
1 cup spinach leaves
½ cup Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 garlic clove, crushed
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 bunch chard (leaves and stalks), cut into ½-inch strips
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
4 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
1 egg
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Olive oil, for frying Place the basil leaves, spinach, yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, garlic, mustard and ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper in a blender. Blend until fully incorporated and bright green. Taste and add salt, if desired. Refrigerate until needed. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the chard and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain the chard and allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop the leaves and stalks again and squeeze out any remaining water. Place the chard in a large bowl. Add the almonds, cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, cayenne, and the remaining salt and pepper to the chard. Combine with your hands or a spatula until well incorporated. Form the mixture into 8 patties, which should measure about 3-inches wide and 1-inch thick. Pour enough frying oil into a large skillet to come ¼-inch up the sides. Fry the patties for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Place on paper towels to absorb oil. Serve warm or at room temperature, with sauce on the side. |
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Cucumbers
Chilled Cucumber Soup 3 Cup prepared cucumbers* 2 each green onions 1 green bell pepper cleaned and chopped 1 TBS minced ginger 1 Cup plain yoghurt 2 tsp vinegar (any wine vinegar or cider vinegar is fine-do not use balsamic) 1 TBS minced mint leaf 1 TBS minced dill 1 TBS minced basil (you can use any herbs you like if these are not on hand-parsley, cilantro, lemon balm, tarragon etc-stay away from the hard herbs like rosemary and thyme) 2 tsp lemon zest as much hot sauce as you can handle *Or use one of your hot peppers salt and pepper to taste quite easy to prepare-put everything in a blender and puree until smooth-adjust seasoning and put in refrigerator until well chilled-serves 2-4 people. For added richness garnish with some minced cooked shrimp or minced smoked salmon. *cut the cucumber in half, scoop out seeds, sprinkle with a bit of salt and let sit in a colander for 30 minutes, squeeze out the excess water and give a quick rinse under water-proceed from there. To peel or not to peel, that is entirely up to your taste- We leave the peel on, good flavor, color and nutrition. |
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Assorted Heirloom Tomatoes
 There are more Sungolds and Jelly Bean cherry tomatoes on the way. Thanks for all of the great feedback on how much you're enjoying these. We didn't have enough harvested to get a full pint for each share but it's close. If your container looks a little slight it's not because someone grabbed a handful, we just ran bit short. This week we will also have Roma tomatoes for each share. Roma tomatoes are Italian sauce tomatoes and are BEST WHEN COOKED. They will be in a bag with this week's heirlooms. Our heirlooms range in size and weight. Every box will get the same amount and we do have a few varieties that can weigh in at over a pound so we'll adjust the bags accordingly. Most will have some scarring and be mis-shapen but we think they're all beautiful. Heirlooms are very fragile and don't ship well. We're constantly experimenting with when to harvest them so they hold up until they reach you. Some varieties ripen more quickly than others so you might find that you have some more ripe than others. Unripe tomatoes should be ready to eat in a day or 2. Just set them on your counter, and please, for the love of God, don't refrigerate them! It destroys the flavor. Tomatoes are best with fresh cheese!
Stop into Provenance Food & Wine at their Logan Square or Lincoln Square location to pick up some fresh ricotta, mozzarella & burrata. Slice tomatoes, finish with a drizzle of sustainably-harvested extra virgin olive oil & a crunchy sea salt...Viola - simplicity at its best!Roma Tomato Sauce Roma tomatoes are best cooked and not eaten raw. This sauce is quick and freezes well, can be used by itself as a pasta sauce or as a base for many other things-for example. Add 1 c cream at the end of cooking, blend until you have a smooth texture and there you have a quick cream of tomato soup. 1lb roma tomatoes, diced (there might not be 1lb exactly of Roma's. Simply use one or two of the heirlooms if you'd like to make the sauce). 1 Cup white wine 2 bay leaf 1 onion diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 TBS olive oil salt and pepper to tasted chile flakes parmesan cheese miced basil for garnish heat a medium sauce pot and add the olive oil, add the garlic, and onions and cook until soft (about 5 minutes) add the tomatoes, bay leaf and wine, cook for 30 minutes until the tomatoes and broken down and released their juice. Adjust seasoning and go from there.
White Bean and Roasted Tomato Fideos
Makes 4 servings
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced to 1/2 inch
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
8 ounces fine fideos (feel free to substitute any type of pasta here)
1 15-ounce can of white beans (we use cannellini)
**If you'd like to make your own sauce (recipe above) we would recommend adding 1/2-1 cup of cream
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
shaved Parmesan for garnish
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lay tomato slices on a cooking tray covered with parchment paper. Pour olive oil in a bowl, and use a pastry brush to coat each tomato slice. Sprinkle a pinch of thyme, salt, and pepper on each slice. Place tray in the middle of the oven and roast for 50-60 minutes (Check on them at about 45 minutes. The width of your slices will determine when they are done... thinner slices will burn more quickly than thick slices. You don't want them to be black-- or even brown, really. Just wrinkled.
Fideos only take 3-4 minutes to cook. When the noodles are tender, drain them and rinse with water.
Add white beans to the tomato sauce, homemade (recipe above) or if you've run out of tomatoes a prepared sauce will work just fine. Stir to combine. Keep the mix on low heat, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add fideos to the pan, and stir to combine.
After spooning pasta into each bowl, add walnuts and shaved Parmesan. Place 3-4 roasted tomatoes on top, and serve immediately.
Wine Pairing Courtesy of LUSH Wine & Spirits
2009 Ermacora, Colli Orientali del Friuli, Italy, Pinot Grigio--$24.50
There's a tendency to think of pasta and tomatoes and Italian red wine all going together beautifully: the tomatoes are red, the wine is red, you've got the pasta, what could be more Italian or more perfect together? Well, while the Perrazzeta Sangiovese would certainly be a lovely choice with this pasta dish as well, you could also take things in a different direction and try a white wine. Keep in mind that tomatoes are a fruit--and a high acid one at that--pairing a tomato-focused dish with a brightly acidic white is a natural choice. That being said, We'll stick with Italy for this one, but veer in the direction of a white wine and suggest the Ermacora Pinot Grigio. Another small, family run winery, the Ermacora Estate is located in the northern reaches of Italy in a region that actually borders Slovenia. The Ermacora brothers' winemaking techniques coax the best flavor out of the grapes, resulting in this elegant, surprisingly complex pinot grigio. Its acidity will certainly be a good match for those tomatoes, but, rather than just the typical citrus fruits one often associates with pinot grigio, the Ermacora also reveals hints of pear and melon, with some lovely floral notes on the nose and a silky feel on the palate. An intriguing mineral backdrop rounds out this truly delicious pinot grigio--it's everything an Italian pinot grigio should be, plus some. |
Assorted Hot Peppers 
 Each share will be receiving a mix of hot peppers; Serrano, Jalapeno, and Anaheim. We also started harvesting the first red bell peppers. They are mixed in randomly and we expect them to really start ripening and should have more next week. The bell peppers developed blight and we have sprayed them with a trace amount of copper. Copper spray is approved for organic production and we have washed them but we suggest that you do so as well. We've packed them with your potatoes to save on using more plastic bags. 
The first harvest of red bell peppers. Roasting Peppers:
It's simple really; the idea is to blister the thin, cellophane-like skin on the surface of the peppers and then remove it. This process also enhances the flavor of the peppers. So, put your peppers, whole, onto your barbecue grill, or in your oven. Cook them, turning as needed, until mostly blackened and blistered on all sides.
Once the peppers' skins are blistered, put them inside a paper bag and close it up. Set it somewhere to rest 10 - 15 minutes or so. This does two things: the heated moist flesh of the peppers 'steams' the skins, further loosening them, plus the wait allows the peppers to cool enough for you to handle.
Next, remove the stems and seeds (we like to leave them in, since roasting them sweetens the taste). Remove the blackened skin.
Slit one side of the pepper, open it up and lay it out skin-side up, then with a knife or fingers, scrape/peel the skin away. Sometimes you can grab an edge of skin and peel off largish pieces.
After roasting them you can puree the peppers with olive oil for a sauce over pasta, dipping sauce for bread or rice.
Freezing Roasted Peppers:
Once that's done, they're ready to use! Not ready to use them now? Want to save them for later use? Easy. They freeze well.
Either lay them flat on waxed paper on a cookie sheet, freeze, then place them into another bag or container and store in the freezer. |
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Red Potatoes
 Vinegary Potato salad 1lb potatoes 3 green onions-minced ¼ Cup red wine vinegar ¼ minced herbs of your liking (thyme, rosemary and parsley is a nice combination) ¼ c good olive oil salt and pepper to taste cover the potatoes with cold water and 3 TBS of salt, bring to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes-keep them a bit al dente as if they are too soft they will break apart and become sticky. Once cooked-drain, let come to room temperature and cut into bite size pieces. Add all the other ingredients and adjust seasoning. For more flavor add ¼ c crispy crumbled bacon and 1 TBS of the bacon fat. Serve at room temperature.
Potato Crust Quiche
4-5 medium potatoes (to make 1 1/2 cups mashed)
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups mixed, chopped, cooked vegetables
1/2 cup shredded Munster cheese (or your favorite)
2 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender; drain. Heat oven to 375. Mash hot potatoes with butter. Line bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate with potato mixture. Spread vegetables over potatoes; sprinkle cheese over vegetables. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over quiche; top with bread crumbs. Bake 40-50 minutes. |
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Celery
 We had some positive feedback regarding the celery from week 10. It is indeed different from the conventional celery you'll find in the supermarkets. If you are adding the celery to a dish or salad we recommend dicing the stalks into smaller pieces. Despite celery's common appearance, it is not easy to grow. Its special soil and water requirements can prove challenging. Large scale celery growers constantly irrigate their celery resulting in light green, tender stalks. You'll notice our celery is darker green than what you're likely to see in the grocery store and not quite as tender but we think it has a better flavor and crunch.
Celery is 94% water, however, does contain vitamins A, C, E, B-Complex and is high in fiber. Celery is very low in calories, and makes a great snack. Just chewing celery burns nearly as many calories as the celery contains. Cream of Celery Soup
5 cups minced celery and leaves
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 slice onion
2 tablespoons. butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cup milk
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine celery, stock and 2 cups boiling water in saucepan; simmer until celery is tender. Saute onion in butter; blend in flour. Stir in milk; cook, stirring, until thick. Add celery mixture and cream; season with salt and pepper. Process in blender or a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. Reheat to serve. The celery adds a really nice flavor to this egg salad without being too overpowering. Eggsalad 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped ¼ cup Light Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Celery, chopped
1/2 cup Red Pepper, chopped
1/4 cup Sweet white onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Green Olives, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Dill, or more to taste
To taste: Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper (about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of each)
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, dill. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix well.
Season to taste with salt & the ground black pepper. Chill for at least one hour before serving to help the flavors combine. |
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Assorted Summer Squash
 Swiss Chard and Summer Squash Frittata 1 bunch chard
1 summer squash, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp. Olive oil
6 egg whites
2 whole eggs
3 Tbs. Chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ground black pepper
grated Parmesan cheese
Wash the kale, remove and discard the large stems, and finely chop the leaves. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, saute the garlic, summer squash and onions in 1 teaspoon of the oil for 3 minutes on medium heat. Add the kale, stir, cover, lower the heat, and cook for a bout 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, eggs, basil, salt, and pepper until blended. Stir in the sauteed vegetables. Coat the bottom of the skillet with the remaining tsp. of oil and return it to medium heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in the vegetable - egg mixture. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the edges are firm and the bottom is golden and beginning to brown. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven and cook for about 5 minutes, until the eggs are fully cooked. Serve immediately or at room temperature, topped with grated Parmesan if you wish.Simmered Yellow Squash with Oregano, Tomato & Capers
Serves 4
2 small summer squash, sliced ¼-inch thick
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 sprig oregano or basil
½ cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon capers
2 tablespoon toasted bread crumbs
Heat the butter in a small skillet. Add the butter and heat until melted. Stir in the squash. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add oregano and diced tomato. Cover and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Add drained capers, salt, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Serve warm. Recipe courtesy of Melissa Graham, CSA Member and the founding executive director of Purple Asparagus, a non-profit that educates children, families and the community about eating that's good for the body and the planet. She is also the author of the popular blog Little Locavores, which focuses on family fare fresh from the farm. In recognition of her contributions to the community, Melissa was awarded a 2011 Good Eating Award from the Chicago Tribune. |
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Cantaloupe
Chilled Cantaloupe soup One of our favorite chilled summer soups-worth the effort to make-start the day before you need it as this will let all the flavors of the various components mature. 1 melon-peeled, seeded and diced, reserve -take half the diced melon, puree till smooth and cook in medium sauce pan for 5 minutes until a bit thick. Chill and reserve -puree the other half of the melon and leave raw in a covered bowl in the fridge Soup base: 2 TBS sliced ginger 2 strips lime zest 2 strips orange zest 1 TBS coriander seeds 1 piece star anise 1 Cup apple juice 1 Cup heavy cream Bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, chill down, let sit over night in the fridge. The next day strain and reserve. To assemble, combine the soup base with the 2 melon puree's and adjust the seasoning. At this point you can eat the soup as is or: add more diced melon for added texture, top with some lemon zest and yoghurt for added richness, add some minded parma ham for a new way to eat the classic combination of melon and ham.
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