Greetings!
Greetings from your farm. Thanks to all of you who came out to Chipotle's Cultivate event in Lincoln Park on Saturday, it was great to see you all. Luckily the weather was reasonably cooperative and it turned out to be a fun day with great food and music and thanks to CSA members Chris and Amelia who showed their support for their local farmers by bringing us a lovely bottle of 2000 Medoc which we uncorked when the sun went down to help keep warm. 
Field work is winding down here and the plants, including the weeds, are dying off. Without weeding to worry about we've moved on to crossing off other tasks on the to-do list. Tim got to work on fixing the power washer, no longer known as Old Faithful. One of tomorrow's tasks includes making a hitching post for our Amish friend's horses. 
Old Faithful, the power washer. We have more hot peppers for you this week and have heard from a few of you that they're piling up. The keep pretty well stored in the fridge but they can also be quickly pickled or frozen. You'll also be getting what is likely our last delivery of tomatoes for the season. They are all different varieties and at different stages of ripeness. If you get one that's not nicely ripe just set it on the counter or in a sunny windowsill. |
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Pumpkin
Savory Pumpkin Quiche
1/2 cup low-fat Gruyère cheese
1 cup low-fat milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
3-4 green onions, diced
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh pumpkin purée
1 9-inch prepared pie crust
For Pumpkin Puree: Wash the outside of the pumpkin and cut the pumpkin open and scoop out the seeds. Place pumpkin halves facedown in a baking dish. Add 1/2" of water to pan, this helps keep the pumpkin flesh moist. Bake at 450º until you can pierce the skin with a fork (about 45 minutes to an hour). Scoop flesh out of shell with a spoon. For Quiche:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle cheese over bottom of piecrust.
Whisk together milk, eggs, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend in pumpkin. Pour mixture over cheese in crust.
Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F, and bake 45 to 50 minutes more, or until pie filling has set and tip of knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Suggested Pairing Courtesy of LUSH Wine & Spirits: 2009 Hoopla Chardonnay, Napa, CA--$19.50Spencer Hoopes, proprietor of Hoopla wines, left a successful career as a lawyer behind in order to pursue his passion for wine. Hoopes believes that wine should be fun and approachable and this attitude finds expression in this lively Chardonnay. This Chardonnay doesn't cloak itself in heavy layers of oak and butter. Lively and bright, it does show plenty of ripe fruit--pear, melon, maybe a hint of something tropical, with just a subtle touch of oak in the background to round everything out. It's full enough and fruit-forward enough to match the inherent sweetness of the pumpkin, with just enough oak to meld with that hint of nutmeg and the creaminess of the quiche. At the same time it stays bright enough not to overwhelm--and there you have it, approachable, fun California Chardonnay.
Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
2 14.5 oz canned black beans,
7 oz canned diced tomatoes
16 oz canned pumpkin
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
Place oil, red onion, garlic and seasonings into a large pot.
Cook on low-medium heat until onion and garlic brown.
Puree (to your preference) the beans and tomatoes with half the chicken broth to desired consistency. Add pureed ingredients, pumpkin and rest of broth to pot.
Simmer uncovered until thick, about 40-45 minutes.
Stir in balsamic vinegar before serving. Recipe courtesy of Marne Turner, Harvest Moon CSA Shareholder
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Green Onions
 Know your target audience. Who are your most important customers, clients or prospects, and why? Know what is important to them and address their needs in your newsletter each month. Include a photo to make your newsletter even more appealing. Insert a "read on" link at the bottom of your article to drive traffic to your website. Links are tracked, allowing you to see which articles create the most interest for your readers. Braised Green Onions with Bacon 5 new onions cleaned and sliced in half (lengthwise) 5 slices of bacon cut into matchsticks ¼ c white wine 2 TBS white wine vinegar 1 TBS olive oil ¼ c butter vegetable stock, chicken stock or water as needed salt and pepper to taste (you need a sauté pan that is large enough to hold all the onions in one layer)-heat the sauté pan over medium heat, add the bacon and cook until crispy-remove from the pan, drain on paper towels and reserve (discard bacon fat-but do not clean pan). Put the pan back on the fire, add the olive oil and put the onions in the pan-cut side down. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, pour in the wine and cook until dry, add the butter, bacon and enough stock to almost cover the onions-cook over low heat until the onions are soft and there is nice creamy pan sauce. Add salt, pepper and vinegar to adjust taste. (You can omit the bacon for a vegetarian version). Great as a side dish or as a warm appetizer with good French bread to mop up the baconey butter. |
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Collard Greens
Freezing Collard Greens:
Wash collards well, remove large & tough stems. Cut the collard greens into pieces. Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling blanch greens for 2 minutes. Cool immediately under cold water and drain well. Place collards into a freezer safe bag leaving 1/2 inch of head space.
Collard Green Olive Pesto 1 bunch collard greens 7 large brine-cured green olives (2 1/4 ounces), pitted 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/3 cup water 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup) Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut stems and center ribs from collard greens and discard. Stir collards into water in batches, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer collards with tongs to a colander to drain, gently pressing on greens to extract excess water. (If making pasta, reserve water in pot for cooking pasta.) Coarsely chop collards.
Blend olives and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add collards, water, vinegar, salt, cayenne, and pepper and pulse until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream. Turn off motor, then add cheese and pulse to combine.
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Watermelon & Black Spanish Radishes
 Watermelon Radish Black Spanish Radish Both of these radishes are winter varieties and are much larger than the French Breakfast radishes that have been in your share. The watermelon radish is an heirloom variety of daikon radishes which originated in China where it is called shinrimei. Green on the outside and pink on the inside. It's a bit milder and sweeter than regular radishes, and much larger. The Black Spanish Radishes have a crisp hot white flesh. These radishes can be braised or roasted like a turnip, or mashed like a rutabaga. We personally don't like to cook the watermelon radishes because it causes them to lose their beautiful colors, so we serve them raw. Black Spanish Radish Remoulade
2 medium or 1 large black Spanish radishes
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon wine vinegar
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves Coarsely grate the radishes. Rinse a large bowl with hot water, dry them, and whisk in the mustard with 3 tablespoons hot water. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified, and whisk in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the grated radish and the parsley and toss the mixture well. Serves 6. Radish Mint Salsa Collard Green Wrap
1 cup sliced watermelon or black Spanish radish
2 tablespoons mint leaves, chiffonade cut (stack leaves, lay them flat then cut into ribbons)
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
pinch sea salt (to taste)
if you want more of a kick add a little diced jalepeno Toss all ingredients well. Let marinate 5 minutes. Toss again and serve. This is great with served with chips, although we really enjoy it wrapped in a collard green or over a nice bed of mixed greens. Sierra Nevada Ovila Saison--$13.25/750ml btl Many American craft breweries have made Abbey style ales--beers brewed in the manner that monks--mostly in Belgium--have been brewing beer for centuries. Some American craft breweries have even managed to obtain a Belgian yeast strain to give their beers a little extra authenticity. Sierra Nevada, however, has taken things one step farther by working with an actual monastery. The Ovila project is the result of a collaboration between Sierra Nevada, located in Chico, CA, and the monks of California's New Clairvaux Abbey. So, Sierra Nevada looks to the past to make these very traditional style beers, but is still keeping things local by working with a monastery not so far away from their brewery. A portion of the proceeds from the Ovila beers will go towards the restoration of a historic chapter house, dating back to 1190 (!), that was shipped over to the States in the early 20th century and now is located on the New Clairvaux grounds.
This Saison style beer in some ways drinks more like a wine than a beer with its dry complexity, however, it is quenching and refreshing in a way that wine seldom is. Notes of citrus, grass and pepper should make it a particularly excellent pairing for the very peppery Spanish Radish, but Saisons in general are fantastic with salads and other vegetably dishes. |
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Red Bell Pepper
Bell peppers can be frozen the same as the hot peppers. Please see hot pepper section for freezing information.
Red Pepper and Walnut Spread
Serve with pita triangles or thin rounds of French bread. 1/2 cup walnuts
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
2 Tbs. dry breadcrumbs
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. raspberry vinegar
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped parsley, optional Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, or until browned and fragrant. Remove from pan, and cool. Place all ingredients except parsley in bowl of food processor. Purée until smooth. Spoon into small bowl. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.
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Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash can be stored at room temperature for about a month. After cutting, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Spaghetti squash also freezes well. Pack cooked squash into freezer bags, seal, label and freeze. Partially thaw before re-using, then steam until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes.
You can either cut the squash before or after cooking.
Bake for about an hour (depending on size) if you are cooking it whole, just be sure to pierce it with a knife prior to cooking. If you cut it before cooking the seeds will be a little bit trickier to get out. Bake at 375.
Baked Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan Bake squash at 350 for 40 minutes or until tender. Use a fork to pull out a few of the spaghetti-like strands in the center of each to make room for filling.
Herb Butter: 1 stick butter 3 tablespoons mixed herbs - parsley, chives and oregano 1 garlic clove 1 shallot 1 teaspoon lemon juice Mix ingredients above in a blender. Add a dollop of herb butter and sprinkle with a little of Parmesan onto the Spaghetti Squash.
Middle Eastern Style Spaghetti Squash
1 spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
salt and white pepper to taste
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
zest of 1 orange
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter and oil then stir in spices, except salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute. Stir in squash and sauté until well coated, adding white pepper and salt to taste. Remove to serving dish. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and orange zest just before serving.
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Assorted Hot Peppers
 We have had a few questions regarding the Jalapenos and the brown markings on them. Sometimes tiny brown lines will form on the peppers. These are growth lines and indicate the pepper is done growing. So this is the sure tell sign that they are ripe. There are few different options for freezing peppers. You can make a simple puree which is great for sauces and soups or you can freeze them diced or sliced which is great if you want to use them a little bit at a time. Pepper Puree: To freeze, remove stem with a sharp knife and puree with a little olive oil to form a paste. Put paste in small freezer bags, press out air and seal. Mark bag with a sharpie so you know what it is and use in sauces, soups, etc. Freezing Chopped Peppers: Chopped peppers freeze well without blanching. Upon thawing the peppers, they still retain some crispness and can be used in cooked dishes or raw in uncooked preparations. - Wash and core peppers. Chop, dice or slice according to how you plan to use them.
- Spread in a single layer on a tray of a cookie sheet. Place tray in the freezer for an hour or longer.
- Loosen pepper pieces from the tray and pour into zip closure freezer bags. Immediately place sealed bags in the freezer. The pepper pieces will remain separated for ease of measuring. Simply remove as many as you need, reseal the bag and return to the freezer.
Refrigerator Pickled Peppers
fresh jalapeno peppers, washed
1 part water
1 part white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons coarse salt
1 bay leaves
1 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Stab each pepper three times with a sharp paring knife and place them in a large glass preserving jar. In a non-reactive saucepan, bring the other ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and pour the brine over the peppers. Place the lid on the jar and let cool. Once cool, refrigerate for at least a week before using. These can be kept in the refrigerator for a few weeks. **You can choose to season these however you wish. We provided a simple pickle recipe above. However, lemongrass and garlic would also be a good combination. |
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Tomatoes
Roasted Heirloom Tomato SauceHeirloom Tomatoes cut into large chunks
Fresh Thyme Fresh Oregano Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt and pepper Garlic, Minced Take all the ingredients in whatever quantities *feel* right to you. Its near impossible to go wrong with these ingredients together. Arrange them in an oven proof dish and roast them at 400 degrees for about an hour and a half. Keep on eye on them from time to time, you can leave them in longer for a more savory taste. Once done pour over pasta, mix together so the roasted tomatoes and the juices coat the noodles and then toss in some fresh basil over it. |
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