Week 18 
Greetings!


Greetings from your farm. We're winding down the season here and looking forward to taking care of the fun tasks on the list like ripping up the plastic mulch, removing tomato stakes, and picking up and wrapping our irrigation lines...the list goes on! If we're lucky the weather will stay on the warm side which makes for much more pleasant working conditions.

 

We finally got the hoophouse up and the plastic cover on which will allow us to get a good jump on the 2012 season since we can transplant directly into the ground about 5 weeks earlier than if they were not under the hoophouse. It's a project we have been looking forward to getting finished all season and we're happy it's finally done.

Our fall crops are looking good so we hope to have nice variety and quantities in your final 2011 boxes. New this week is our scarlet turnips. The crop varied in size with some being almost 3 pounds. The size won't affect the flavor or texture. We think they're a bit more mild and sweeter than the purple top, which we hope to get you next week. The greens on the scarlets weren't in good shape so we removed them. We also dug our last crop of potatoes last week.
 

Harvesting Potatoes
Scarlet Turnips  


Turnips are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. Turnips have a creamy white flesh that is crisp textured and sharp flavored when raw, which mellows when cooked.

The Scarlet turnip is a mild yet sweet variety that is cooked with its thin scarlet skins intact. As the turnip increases in size, their flavor intensifies. Sometimes called "Japanese radishes" because of their mild, radishy flavor. They're bright pink on the outside, almost like beets, and white with pink striations on the inside.

Cooking Tips
  • Scrub Turnips with a stiff-bristled vegetable brush - No need to peel - simply trim away damaged areas.  
  • Create a delicious raw snack - Slice or shred into salads or slaws
  • Steam 1/2 to 1 inch slices or cubes for 12-15 minutes
  • Dice or cube turnips into hearty soups or stews, or thinly slice for stir-fries.  
  • Mash or scallop turnips, just as you would potatoes   
Hearty Turnip Herb Dip 
2 cups Lemon Juice
2/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sunflower seeds
3-5 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups boiling water
3 cups shredded turnips
1 1/2 cups very thinly sliced or shredded onion
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
6 bay leaves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Combine lemon juice, vegetable oil, flour, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, soy sauce.

Stir in spices and boiling water.  Add vegetables; stir until well combined. Pour mixture into baking dish; arrange bay leaves on top and press them lightly into the mixture.  Bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve warm or cold with crackers (Rye Crackers are great).

This recipe is flexible - can be made with a variety of shredded root vegetables (Turnips, beets, potatoes, carrots, onions)    



Mashed Turnips with Cream and Crispy Shallots
1 1/2 -2 pounds Turnips, coarsely chopped
3 tbs Butter, divided
1 cup thinly sliced shallots (or substitute onion)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
1-3 tsp minced Italian Parsley

Place chopped turnips in large pot of cold water. Bring to boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and puree turnips in a food processor ( or mash them with a hand-held masher). Heat 2 tbs of the butter in  small skillet over medium flame, add shallots (onions) and cook stirring often, until shallots are tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove shallots from skillet and drain them on paper towels. Combine the cream and remaining 1 tbs butter; bring to a simmer and stir into the pureed turnips. Season with nutmeg; add salt and pepper to taste. Place in a serving dish, garnish with shallots and parsley, and serve immediately.
 


 

Leeks 

Leeks are a very good source of manganese, vitamin C, iron, folate, and vitamin B6.

Leeks are a great alternative to onions in a stew, saut� or risotto. Leeks don't contain as much moisture as onions, so you'll need to add extra oil or butter to prevent burning. Leeks need vigilant cleaning too. Wrapping them loosely in a plastic bag will help them to retain moisture.   

 

 

Grecian Leek Pie  
1 Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Butter
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3-4 Leeks, washed and chopped about 1/2" thick
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
11 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
4 oz. Parmesean cheese, freshly grated
3-4 Tbsp. Fresh dill or 1 Tbsp. dried
Salt/Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" spring form pan. Saute onion until lightly golden, add leeks and sautee for 10-12 minutes longer. Remove from heat when cooked to slightly cool. Sift flour and baking soda, stir in eggs, then add yogurt, feta, and half the parmesean cheese. Stir well while slowly adding leek/onion mix. Lastly add the dill, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour into pan, sift slightly to even batter, top with remaining parmesean, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Allow to cool in pan until set up. Serve warm and enjoy.

Suggested Wine Pairing Courtesy of LUSH Wine & Spirits:

Pierre Delize Blanc de Blancs Brut NV, Loire Valley, France--$10
Bubbles, bubbles, bubbles. Not only fun to drink, and fun to say, bubbles are also perfect for cutting richness--which is what you want with a rich, egg-based dish like this one. The Pierre Delize Blanc de Blancs is a champagne-style bubbly at a non-champagne price. It's a blanc de blancs meaning 'white of whites' which refers to the fact that it is made from white grapes only--sparkling wine can be made from either white or red grapes since all grape juice runs clear (well, with a minor exception or two). Since chardonnay is the only white grape varietal allowed in Champagne, even sparklings from other regions that use the term 'blanc de blancs' usually do so to indicate that the wine is all chardonnay. What this means flavor profile-wise is a sparkling with great acidity and a dry minerality. Not only will those elements work splendidly to balance the richness of the dish, they also should work nicely with the leeks.  
  

Potatoes

This week you'll be getting Kennebecs

or Red Norlands as we ran a bit short on the Kennebecs. Generally we don't wash our potatoes until we use them as they store much better when unwashed. If we do wash them they need to dry completely before we pack them or they will spoil. It's best to store them (unwashed) in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and wash them right before cooking. We're having potato leek soup for lunch today and have the recipe for you below.

 

Kennebec potatoes are a robust looking potato; with earth toned skin  and a mild ivory colored flesh. The skin's texture is semi-rough and thin. Its flesh is firm and moist, yet starchy, making it a versatile potato for culinary use.These potatoes 'hold together' well when cooked. Kennebec potatoes have a rich, earthy and nutty flavor when cooked.

 


Red Norland are great baked, boiled, or roasted. Norland potatoes have a smooth red skin, white flesh, and size rapidly. Introduced in 1957 from North Dakota, Norland has been the standard of early red potatoes for many years.


Harvest Moon Potato Leek Soup

Serves 4 generously

1 cup leeks, white and pale green parts, split lengthwise, washed well, and chopped

3 T butter

3 C water (if you like your soup very thick use less)

3 cups chicken stock

2 pounds potatoes, washed, peeled and cut in to 1 inch pieces

1 t sea salt

Optional, 2 T chopped parsley or other herb. Sage or chives are nice

1 C heavy cream

 

Melt butter in a large soup pot and saut� over medium heat leeks until soft, about 8 minutes. Don't let them brown. If you have bacon grease on hand (we always have a pickle jar full in the fridge) add a generous teaspoon with the butter; it will the give the soup a subtle, smoky flavor. Add water, broth, and potatoes and simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Puree using an immersion blender or let cool a bit and blend in a food processor. Add cream if you like and garnish with fresh herbs.

 

For a silky textured soup run the pureed soup through a strainer, pushing liquid with a spatula. This soup can be served hot or cold (Vichyssoise) In either case it's good to have your soup bowls at the proper temperature. If serving hot place bowls in a warm (200 degrees) oven for about 10 minutes or place in freezer for at least an hour.

 

 

Kale 











Raw Kale Salad with Root Vegetables   

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves cut into thin strips or chiffonade
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 cup whole pecans
1/8 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. canola oil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup turnip, peeled and grated
1 cup medium kohlrabi, peeled and grated
1/2 cup carrot, grated
2 leeks, cut thinly

Dressing:
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce
2 tsp. honey

Place kale in large bowl, and pour olive oil, vinegar, and 1/2 tsp. salt over top. Gently massage mixture into kale about 2 to 3 minutes by hand, or until kale starts to wilt. Let rest 30 minutes.

 

Preheat oven to 375�F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss together pecans, maple syrup, canola oil, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and cayenne in medium bowl. Spread nut mixture in single layer on prepared baking sheet; bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until pecans are brown and fragrant, stirring frequently. Cool in pan.

 

To make Dressing:

Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, soy sauce, and agave nectar in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

 

Stir turnip, kohlrabi, carrot, and leeks into kale mixture. Toss with Dressing. Garnish with pecans.


 

Tomatillos  







Guacamole with Roasted Tomatillos
6-8 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

4 serrano chiles, seeded, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 avocados, peeled, pitted, coarsely chopped


Preheat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place tomatillos on prepared baking sheet. Broil until tomatillos are just blackened in spots and tender, about 8 minutes per side.

Combine onion, cilantro, chiles, and lime juice in large bowl. Add roasted tomatillos and any juices from baking sheet to onion mixture. Using fork, mash coarsely. Add avocados and mash with fork until mixture is very coarsely pureed and some chunks remain. Season guacamole to taste with salt. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)     

  

  

 

Tomatillo Chicken  

1 lb tomatillos (husks removed), washed and halved
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces (wings reserved for another use)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 jalapenos, chopped
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (15 ounces) hominy (optional), drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a food processor, puree tomatillos; set aside. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down. Cook until browned on one side, 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

  

Add jalapenos and onion to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatillo puree and hominy, if using; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken, skin side up, in sauce. Cover pot; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 22 to 25 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper.

Recipe adapted from PBS and courtesy of Maureen Gainer Reilly, CSA Shareholder
 

 

 

 

 


Acorn Squash  
Acorn squash is sweeter than summer squash, with a nut-like flavor. It is shaped like a ribbed acorn, hence its nickname.

Winter squash will last up to a month in a cool (50 to 55 degrees F.) dark storage area. Cut or cooked acorn squash should be refrigerated.

Acorn squash is an excellent source of dietary fiber and contains vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium and manganese plus a substantial amount of potassium. Squash is one of the easiest vegetables to digest, is low in calories, and makes a filling dish.


Baked Winter Squash with Kale and White beans 

1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded 
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 bunch kale leaves, chopped  
1 15 oz can white beans
1/4 c chopped kalamata olives
1/3 c coarse dry whole-wheat breadcrumbs
1/3 c grated parmesan

Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each side so that they sit flat. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place squash in a shallow baking pan, cut side down.  Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Over medium heat place 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion to the skillet and and stir until the onion starts to brown.  This should take 2-3 minutes.  When the onion is browned add in the garlic and stir for a minute.  Then add the water, tomato paste, salt and pepper.  Add in the kale and cover for about 3-5 minutes.  Stir in white beans and olives and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Preheat the boiler.  In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan and a tablespoon of olive oil.  Fill each squash with kale mixture and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Broil 1-2 minutes in center of the oven until the breadcrumbs are browned.
 


Pairing Courtesy of LUSH Wine & Spirits:

2010 Klassen Wines Big Mouth White, California, viognier/sauvignon blanc/muscat/vermentino/albari�o
A side-project of the fun-loving folks at Newsome-Harlow winery, this is definitely a big mouthful of wine. Luscious, palate-filling, rich with notes of white peach, and melon, it will work well with the natural sweetness of the baked squash, but still has plenty of good acidity and a dry finish.
 

 

  Kohlrabi 














We included this recipe 2 weeks ago, however, have come up with a new delicious serving option. We made the creamed kohlrabi and had leftovers; the next day we turned it into creamed kohlrabi stuffed raviolis. 

Creamed Kohlrabi
1-2 kohlrabi bulbs plus greens, diced bulb into 1 inch pieces
1 onion
2 cloves garlic


Peel the kohlrabi bulbs and dice in to 1inch pieces, slice the greens (stems included) simmer for about 10 minutes and drain. Saut� onion until tender, about 8 minutes over medium low heat, add the garlic with 1-2 minutes left. Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Gently warm � cup of heavy cream or half and half and blend in to the puree mixture. Season with salt and a dash of white pepper (be careful as white pepper can easily overwhelm other flavors) and grate fresh nutmeg (fresh is key) to taste. Can be made ahead and reheated.

  

To Make Ravioli:  

Cut the wonton wrappers into quarters.  Place 1 TBS filling on a wonton wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with water (using your finger or pastry brush). Place another wonton wrapper atop the wrapper with the filling and seal shut around the filling, pinching shut. Repeat until all the filling is used.

In a large pot of salted slowly boiling water, cook the ravioli until they float to the top, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to serving bowls (to avoid them from sticking together drizzle them with a little olive oil).   
   

 

 

Potato-Kohlrabi Pancakes

Serves 4

 

1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled

1 kohlrabi bulb, peeled

1/2 yellow onion, peeled

2 large eggs

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

vegetable oil or clarified butter

sour cream for garnish

 

Coarsely grate the potato, kohlrabi, and onion in a food processor. Wring out any excess liquid from the vegetables by wrapping them in a clean, lint-free dish towel and squeezing it out. Dump the drained vegetables into a medium bowl. Add the eggs, flour, and salt and mix until combined. Heat a large saut� pan over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil or clarified butter. When hot, drop 1/4 cup sized dollops of the batter into the pan. Press down on the cakes with a spatula to flatten. Cook until browned, a few minutes. Flip and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from the ban to a plate or a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter. The pancakes can be reheated in a 350� F oven. Serve warm, garnished with sour cream.

 

Recipe courtesy of Melissa Graham of Purple Asparagus and Little Locavores
 
Mixed Bell Peppers
We are trying to get the last of our peppers into the shares, you may notice that some of the peppers have a tiny soft spot on them, simply chop it off and discard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweet and Spicy Mango Salsa  

1/2 cup hot jalape�o jelly

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 1/2 cups chopped peeled pitted mango

1 1/4 cups chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalape�o chili, minced

 

Whisk jelly and lime juice in large bowl. Mix in all remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

 


Grilled Pepper Tapenade
Mixed Bell Peppers (2-3 bell peppers plus 2-3 small hot peppers)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp. olive oil

Grill the peppers until all sides are blackened and charred. Seal the peppers in a paper bag for 15 to 20 minutes to steam. Peel and seed the peppers. Put all ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped.

In your share...
Scarlet Turnips
Leeks
Potatoes
Kale
Tomatillos
Acorn Squash
Kohlrabi
Bell Peppers
Like us on Facebook  Follow us on Twitter

Quick Links
Enjoy your week,

Jen, Bob & The Harvest Moon Crew