CSA Newsletter and Recipes 4-13
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Farm News and Recipes from Natalie (recipes below)
If I can, you can.
I just came across an apron with this scripted on it. Easier said than done.
 Putting up Tomatoes (this is NOT a guide)
Canning is a great way to preserve food. The Presto website identifies four basic agents of food spoilage - enzymes, mold, yeast, and bacteria. Canning interrupts the natural spoilage cycle, so food can be preserved safely. Molds, yeast, and enzymes are destroyed at temperatures below 212° F, the temperature at which water boils (except in mountainous regions). Therefore, boiling water processing is sufficient to destroy those agents.
Bacteria, however, are not as easily destroyed. The bacteria, Clostridium botulinum produces a spore that makes a poisonous toxin which causes botulism (this word botulism even sounds horrid). This spore is not destroyed at 212° F. In addition, bacteria thrive on low acids in the absence of air. Therefore, for a safe food product, low-acid foods need to be processed at 240° F. This temperature can only be achieved with a pressure canner.
Pressure canning is the only recommended safe way for canning low-acid foods (vegetable, meat, poultry and seafood) according to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). Tomatoes and fruits are high acid foods and can be prepared by simply submerging jars in boiling water called a hot water bath for the time allotted by the recipe used. There is a science to the art of preserving and it's generally a good idea to follow the recipes.
Yesterday, I spent a good deal of time introducing myself to the pressure canner. I replaced my usual learn-by-youtube method with the Ball's Complete Book fo Home Preserving reinforced with my Presto 23 qt canner pressure cooker instruction manual. I needed a break from the more complicated mess of sorting through too much information on the web. For a first time canning something other than pickles and jams, I should have stuck to the videos.
The book instructions seemed so easy: I cut up the second class tomatoes, blanched, peeled, cored and packed them into 7 sterile mason jars - each filled with 2 T lemon juice and 1 t salt. I poured 3 quarts of water into the pressure canner and loaded them up. I read the manual of my pressure canner (a rare occasion for me) and started the process as indicated, let the vent release vapor for 10 minutes, and after the weight was on, it sealed itself up and the pressure started to build. It took a long time to build. 23 qt was an overkill purchase, but I'm thinking in the long term, I'm set. It was at least an hour and half, factoring in heating and cooling time before I removed the lid before I removed the lid to find:
Although the jars are well sealed, the extra space there. "Failure to remove air bubbles can cause seal failure (not the case here) and will influence the color and storage quality of the preserved product". Not risking chance, the jars are now in the fridge, awaiting for immediate consumption. After several videos and articles, the solution is becoming clear: when packing the jars, keep pouring off excess liquid until the jar is sardine-ingly full of tomatoes and put the lemon juice and salt on top -- leaving only 1/2 " headspace at the top). Interestingly enough, in the tip section of the tomato canning section, I came across the following:Botanically, tomatoes are a fruit (a berry, the edible seed-containing part of a plant). Legally, however, tomatoes are vegetables, thanks to a US Supreme Court ruling that favored their "common use" over their botanical origin.
The Nix vs Hedden case in 1893, addressing the Tariff law of March 3, 1883, (which taxed imported vegetable but not imported fruit) brought the tomato classification to light. John Nix, a tomato importer brought Hedden, a collector of the port of New York to court to regain the taxes he had collected under protest. The Justice decided in Hedden's favor, thus making the tomato, legally, a vegetable.
Ohio, however in April of this year, passed a law that made the tomato the official fruit of the state of Ohio. It is the official state vegetable of New Jersey. And politically correct Arkansas has named the "Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato" to be both the state fruit and vegetable in the same law, covering both its legal its culinary and botanical bases.
Fruit or vegetable, I'm ready to try again for a successful round of canning in the near future.
Highlights of the week: Volunteers Christina (a week-long volunteer!), John and his wife Sonia (who also inspired homemade mayonnaise making, see recipe below) made for a great team at market on Saturday. While weeding the sorrel field, we discovered some baby turtles on Wednesday.  Also on Wednesday, Sweetwater Brewing Co. picked up 750 lbs of blueberries Wednesday - so look out for the label "Big Blue Balls".
This weekend: Mark your calendars for this Saturday's Salsa Fest here at the Farmer's market! Now onto recipes! | |
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This week's share:
1 bunch edamame
3 lb tomatoes
1 bunch sweet potato greens
1 bunch basil
1/4 lb blueberries
2 bell peppers
3 jalapenos
3/4 lb cherry tomatoes
1 bunch sage or parsley
5 cloves garlic
PYO flowers |
Yoga at Serenbe with Farms Volunteer Stephanie Pearce
(Note: Yoga is cancelled on the 28th and will resume the following week.)
Yoga at Serenbe Tuesdays, 12:00 to 1:15 Serenbe Institute (just below Harris & Clark Grocery)
What to bring with you: sticky yoga mat, water bottle, wear loose comfortable clothing that will not restrict your breath or movement, experiential attitude
Classes are Drop-in. Serenbe residents $10.00; Non-residents $12.00. If you have a family of 4 or more, then each additional person will be $8.00.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Namaste, Stephanie Pearce, instructor 678-772-5192
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We're on Facebook!!
Become a fan of Serenbe Farms on Facebook (www.facebook.com).
You must have a page to become a fan of SF. Search for Serenbe Farms and you'll find our page.
I'd love to see the site grow as a place for CSA members to discuss the produce, recipes, and other food topics.
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Jay Swift's
Gazpacho
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Chef Jay Swift from 4th and Swift Restaurant in Atlanta shared the following Gazpacho recipe and samples at the farmers market on Saturday... (serves 8) Ingredients: 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 purple onion, finely chopped 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped 1 sweet red bell pepper (or green), seeded and chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 1 clove garlic, minced 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped ¼ cup red wine vinegar ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 teaspoons sugar 4 cups tomato juice Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Method: 1. combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. 2. place in non-metal, non 0reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend. |
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Homemade
Mayonnaise
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For those tomato sandwiches... Ingredients for 7/8 cups of mayo:
1 egg yolk from a large egg*
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp table salt
3/4 cup canola oil, divided (alternatively, you an use 1/2 cup olive and 1/4 cup coconut oil)
Preparation 1. Whisk** together egg yolk, vinegar, lemon juice and salt in a heavy medium bowl, that can sit sturdily on the counter, for about a minute. 2. Have a 1/2 cup of canola. Continue whisking with your good hand and hold the oil-filled measuring cup with your other hand above the bowl. The oil "spill" from the cup is enough to start you off with incorporating oil into the mixture. Continue to add oil little by little, by tipping the measuring cup slightly to "spill" some more oil as you continue to whisk. Use your 1/4 measuring cup to slowly add the rest of the canola oil, whisking thoroughly before adding more. It will take a good 10 to 15 minutes of whisking until you get the desired thickness, but it will be worth it. Don't despair if it doesn't look like mayo or become light in color and creamy for what seems like a long time, it will.
* According to Sonia and her Cooking Light magazine, you can also add the egg white in for a more whipped texture.
** You can also use your hand or stand mixer to make your life a lot easier. |
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Clafoutis
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Clafoutis...a French custard desert that's a lot of fun to say (kla - fu - tea). This recipe was a hit at the CSA potluck, made with the fruit I had on hand: blueberries and bananas (not so local). The great thing about this recipe is that you can substitute any dish. Traditionally (and one of my grandmother's regulars) is the cherry clafoutis. Delicious in the summertime, and any other times really. Should the blueberries make it home.... Blueberry and Banana Clafoutis: Recipe by "The King Arthur Flour" and adapted by Rosa's blog and then myself.
Ingredients: 3 Bananas (not too ripe), sliced 1 ½ Cup Blueberries 1 Lemon, juiced 1/4 Tsp Ground cinnamon 2 Tbs Light brown sugar For the batter: 3/4 Cup (~85g) Plain white flour (unbleached all-purpose flour) 1/3 Cup (~67g) Castor sugar 1/2 Tsp Salt 3 Large eggs (~50g) 1 1/4 Cups (~285g) Milk 3/4 Tsp Vanilla extract A few drops of lemon extract or the grated rind of one lemon Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F). 2. Thoroughly butter a 22-25cm (10 inches) round pan or ovenproof skillet. 3. Mix together the sliced bananas, the lemon juice, the cinnamon and brown sugar, then arrange the mixture on the bottom of the pan. 4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. 5. In a separate small bowl or large mixing cup, combine the eggs, milk and vanilla/almond extract. 6. Beat until thoroughly combined, then whisk into the flour mixture, smoothing ou the lumps. 7. Pour the batter over the fruit in the prepared baking pan. 8. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. 9. Serve. |
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Sage or Parsley
Butter |
1 stick of butter, softened, take leaves off the sprig of sage or parsley and cut into very fine pieces. Add the salt (to taste) and sage to the butter and mix together with a rubber spatula. Put in a shallow tub and enjoy. |
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Sweet Potato
Greens
Once
Italian
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Save this one for the many rounds of sweet potato greens to come!
Sweet potato greens, Once Italian
1 bunch sweet potato leaves 1 clove garlic 3 tablespoons pine nuts 3 tablespoons currants (or golden raisins) ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ tsp chile flakes salt and pepper to taste
Cut stalks away from leafy greens. Chiffonade the stalks (or cut in strips as with collards) and dice the stems to small pieces of uniform size.
To a preheated skillet or saute pan, add oil, raisins and pine nuts. Cook on medium heat until oil begins to sizzle, about 2 minutes.
At this point, add the stems and a pinch of salt and the chile flakes. Cook until the greens are just tender, stirring or tossing about when needed, about 2 minutes.
Add the greens and continue to cook and toss things about for a minute or three.
Taste for seasonsoning, plate it up and garnish with a twisty of ground pepper and fresh (i.e. uncooked) olive oil. |
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