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What MAY be in your share this week:
(you can click on each vegetable to learn more!)
Dear Katchkie Farm CSA Members,
A man named Homer once said to his daughter, "If I went to a barbeque and there was no meat, I would say 'Yo Goober! Where's the meat?' I'm trying to impress people here. You don't win friends with salad."
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Kj17oVHAk
While we sometimes subscribe to the wisdom of Mr. Simpson on matters of occasional gluttony and the like, we're going to side with Lisa on this one. We'd argue that you actually can impress people and even make some friends with a well made salad. To that end, we're fond of thinking of salads in terms of a general formula rather than specific recipes. Here is a list of basic guidelines to follow when creating a delicious and filling salad based on what you have on hand:
- Follow a 4:1 ratio of oil to acid when making a vinaigrette. Adding a teaspoon of mustard helps keep the dressing emulsified
- Use a base lettuce such as romaine or mesclun mix and add thinly shaved vegetables like carrots or turnips for contrasting textures.
- Add some crunch. Croutons or toasted bread are traditional, but nuts or even chips work just as well.
- Include something fatty/salty. If you're going to be eating a salad on its own it has to have something that draws you back for another bite. Bacon, aged cheeses like parmesan, or pieces of avocado accomplish this.
- Bulk it up with some grains or protein. Adding precooked grains like quinoa or a legume like lentils are a great way to make a salad more filling.
What's your go-to salad combination? Let us know at @KatchkieFarm on Facebook or Twitter
News Flash!
Tips and Tricks from Our Members
" I found great ways to use the veggies for on-the-go snacks while traveling. I also made a fantastic salad with mint dressing I wanted to share.
I made kale chips prepared with nutritional yeast, amino acids, cayenne, and sea salt. I also made Beet juice with lemon and ginger. Finally, the salad (pictured below) is a beet fennel citrusy salad with mint dressing."
- Nicole Schaner
Send your moments of culinary genius to Suzannah at suzannah.schneider@katchkiefarm.com
Field Notes From The Farm
"The zucchinis require a lot of attention since harvesting has begun here on Katchkie Farm. They just keep on producing. Relentlessly. This last week, however, fruit production does seem to have slowed slightly and instead of an enormous amount of fruit they are flowering like nobody's business, which in my estimation may lead to another couple weeks of vast zucchini production. This, of course, is mere speculation on my part.
"One solid piece of evidence I have, excluding the presence of both male and female flowers as already sort of implied above, are the ones who live off their sweet nectar and pollen and in turn are put to work by the zucchini. These are the pollinators, and the pollinator I find most appealing is of course the honey bee.
"This morning's harvest was a test in bravery like no other because of this wonderful bee. The more traditional zucchinis weren't being feasted on quite as vehemently as were the Patty Pans. When walking between the rows clumsily carrying a bucket growing heavier the further down the row I go, I end up jostling the plants with an increasing degree of severity as the weight of the bucket grows. Not only is there the bucket aspect of the harvest but also my hand and arm pushing aside leaf and stalk in order to get at the wonderful meaty fruit and fill said bucket further all the while testing the patience of the Bees. The Honey Bees must fear retribution from the movement and take their leave from feasting and to my delight I am not punished for interrupting their meal.
"I'm sure as I move down the row, life returns to normal in the wake of my duty on the farm. Once the Bees have had their fill and after unassumingly carrying around pollen on their bodies from male to female flower making the life of the zucchini possible and the zucchini casserole it may become, they return to their hive on the other side of the farm. I find the sight of the bees and the thought of their amazing role in nature delightful. Not to mention the thought of the amazing by-product of all their hard work - honey! In a time when colony collapse disorder is an enormous problem these bees seem to be thriving on Katchkie. An exciting prospect for sure." -Adam
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