Hi everyone!!

It's Christina here, one of your interns for the season. I'm super excited to tell you about the wonderful wonders that are in your box. As I mentioned in my last segment in the newsletter, I am very interested in acquiring new tidbits of knowledge throughout the course of my day, and I like taking the opportunity to share it with others. One thing that I've learned so far throughout my time as an intern is about the growing process of onions. I guess you could say that I dug up some DIRT on onions!! Ha! Evan, your excellent farm manager, shared with me back in May that onions are a part of the amaryllidaceae family (we shorten it to alliums), which is also inclusive of garlic. These plants are fantastic at preventing pests from seeking out other more desirable crops because the smell from this family is so pungent. Therefore, it is a good idea to plant onions or garlic around the perimeter of any garden (or amongst other plants) to prevent damage to other plants throughout the season.  Onions are also to be planted in the ground as soon as possible, primarily because the green leaves of the plant multiply and grow until the summer solstice, and afterwards the bulb begins to increase in size. So the earlier it is planted, the more green the plant has to work with, and the larger the onions are for all of you! This week we are happy to provide you with vibrant red onions (which I must admit were so much fun to harvest!). Onions are one of my favorite veggies because you can pair them with such an assortment of dishes, and they are so SO good for you!!  It is going to be an exciting week of cooking indeed!

CROP                          FRIDGE?            NOTES/VARIETY

 

Carrots:  One of my all-time favorite crops to harvest. We fork the beds to pop the carrots out of the ground and then bunch them. It is always exciting (and an announcement should always promptly be made to the group) when you pull those unconventionally-shaped carrots out of the ground...ones with legs that look like they're dancing, ones that are entwined with another carrot in a loving hug, ones with three legs! We put them all in the bunches, no matter how goofy they look, because you know what? They all taste delicious.

 Speaking of tasting good, are you peeling your carrots? Can I try to convince you to stop doing that, please? It is time-consuming and wasteful (unless you are composting those peels), but perhaps more convincing is that much of the flavor AND nutrition (vitamin A, C, B6, folate, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and more!) resides in the skin or just under the skin! I promise if you give these guys a good scrub and then toss them with chopped, fresh herbs, you will hardly notice those "unsightly" skins. And they will taste better and be better for you! Go forth and don't peel.

 

Polish Carrot Pancakes - Karotenki

adapted from The World Carrot Museum (yes, that is a real thing. warning - you will get sucked in.)

1/2 lb carrots
1/2 cup flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
a pinch of salt 
cinnamon & sugar for dusting on top

coconut oil for frying

Grate carrots, very finely, using smallest "eye" on grater or a microplane. Whisk eggs with salt, sieve flour mixed with baking powder. It should be ready to fry but if you find it too loose, add a bit more flour. Deep-fry or pan-fry just until crisp on outside, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

 

carrot green chimichurri (yes you can eat the greens! they are super good for you too. vitamin K galore.)

from Love & Lemons

1 cup finely chopped carrot greens 

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil (a good fruity one)

 

Wash and dry your carrot greens well. Roast carrots in a 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes (or until tender but not mushy). Finely chop your carrot greens and mix them with all of the dried spices and minced garlic. Stir in the vinegar and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings. (tip: taste it with a carrot or a piece of bread rather than by the spoonful)  Serve with roasted carrots (or other veggies), toasted bread, or over grilled fish or meat.

 

Heart Beet Ravioli
adapted from My New Roots

*This recipe is fancy. Fancy can be good, but I don't usually do tedious-fancy because who has time for that? Until now. I mean, LOOK at that picture. That visual feast and the fact that it is a beet recipe that also involves cheese is my reasoning for sharing this extravagance. 

3 - 4 large beetroots (red, golden, or chioggia beets)
juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 � Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
sea salt
about 1 cup soft cheese like ricotta or quark

1 Tbsp. minced shallot or onion
2 Tbsp. minced chives
Pesto Oil
extra virgin olive oil, smoked sea salt, and chives for garnish

Begin by cutting the ends of the beets, then peel them. Using a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife, slice the beets as thinly as possible (this can be fiddly, so take your time.) When you have a bunch of slices, use a cookie cutter to make heart shapes. Alternatively, stack the beet slices and cut the rounded edges off to turn them into squares. 
In a large bowl, whisk together the juice of half the lemon, one and a half tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt. Add the prepared beet slices and toss to coat. Marinate for 1-2 hours. 
In a bowl, combine the cheese, shallot, chives, 2 Tbs of lemon juice, the lemon zest, and salt & pepper to taste. Place about a teaspoon of cheese mixture on one beet slice, then top with another. Repeat until you have the amount of raviolis you desire. Drizzle some Green Pesto Oil and extra virgin olive oil over top. Garnish with chives and smoked sea salt.  Serve immediately.

 

Pesto Oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. minced chives
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. water
� tsp. agave or raw liquid honey
pinch of sea salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend on high to mix. The pesto oil should be quite fluid and runny.

 

Tomatoes: Not to burst anyone's sungold, but in case you haven't heard yet, this year will not be the year of the tomato. All of our early rain and cooler temperatures, have really put a damper on the tomato party that we tried so hard to cultivate in our fields this season. I find solace in knowing we are not alone. Many farmers I've talked to in our area and even further south from here have tomato plants that are half the size they normally are this time of year and/or are seeing serious signs of disease on their plants. Most of the tomatoes in the boxes this week came from the hoop house, so they are hybrid, slicer varieties (big beef, lemon boy, new girl). All of the beautiful heirlooms are in the field and while many of them have decent amounts of fruit on them, we still wait patiently for them to ripen in hopes that disease doesn't get to them first. But rest assured shareholders, I'm fairly confident that all of those pep talks I have been giving the heirlooms are going to pay off, and soon enough, we will be rolling CSA boxes containing those beauts down the roller tables to the Rocky theme song.

No recipe here. Just enjoy that tomato with some salt, olive oil, and maybe a bit of basil. 

For more information and to register for classes, please visit www.wellspringinc.org or call (847) 946-5565