Summer Newsletter
Week 9
Greetings!

For those of you who are new, we would like you to bring back your bags. We do keep track and when you come, please bring back your old bags and we will swap them for a new bag. If you have more than one, please bring them all back.  If you have any that are especially dirty, feel free to pop them in the wash with your regular laundry-we won't complain and your fellow customers will love you for it.

Weather Delays

This week we were very excited to have some new items, like cantaloupe and sweet corn.  But sadly, the cool, wet weather is delaying a lot of crops.  Our farmers are simply disgusted with the weather lately.  One farm in Hartville was hoping to have radishes and green onions for us this week. Then Sunday he had 2.9 inches of rain.  You can just barely see the tops of the onions as they are under water.  This will be his third planting of both crops that has been ruined by excessive rains. 

 

Our corn producer in Wooster this week is fighting raccoons and the cold.  It was 47 degrees on her farm this morning.  Sadly, corn doesn't ripen with such cool conditions.  We are hoping to get some heat at the end of the week and have corn for you next week.  

 


Trevor's Corner

Threshing Day

This weekend is one of my favorite Fresh Fork events.  It is also our most family friendly event.  We still have some spots left so please be sure to register ASAP.  Tickets may be purchased at this link:  Register now

 

The Threshing Day event is an all-day event at one of our farms.  In the morning, guests can expect to witness a horse-drawn reaping event in which we harvest oats.  Next, the Amish gentlemen will demonstrate how they build shocks and caps and dry the grain in the field.  Finally, the grain is loaded onto a wagon and fed into a steam powered threshing machine via pitch fork.  Guests will be invited to climb on the wagon and pitch the oats into the threshing machine where the straw and the seed (oat groat) will be separated. 

 

After the demo, we have a fantastic lunch prepared by the Amish ladies.  Come with empty stomachs because there is no shortage of food.

 

Following lunch, there are supervised activities for the kids, including a corn pit (like a sand box), a pony train, and even egg collecting.  For adults, we have three educational workshops setup:  canning, whole grain bread baking, and lacto fermentation.

 

The event is on a farm and transportation is not included.  The drive is approximately an hour from downtown Cleveland and is easy to get to.  Tickets are $35 for adults and $20 for children.  Registration closes this Thursday.

 

Photos from previous year's event can be found here:   Thresher's Day 2012

 

Freezer Sale

On Monday Lauren and I were organizing the freezer.  We decided we had a few things that may be of interest to you this week. 

 

Available for preorder online, sale items include: 

Berkshire pork tenderloins, whole approx 1 to 1.25 lb each.   $5 each 

All Beef, No Nitrate Hot Dogs.  1# packages, approx. 8 ct.  $5 each

Beef and Pork Hot Dogs, No Nitrate.  1# packages.  $5 each

Spicy Lamb Merguez.  1# packages, in links.  $8 per pack

 

Order Now! 

 

Available at the back of the truck: 

Grassfed Beef Steak Sale - assorted bone-in ribeye steaks and T-bones for $10 per lb

 

The hot dogs and merguez are the result of a partnership we started over the winter with Melissa Khoury of Saucisson.  These are recipes she has developed just for Fresh Fork Market.  This is our first batch of them that Melissa and I made with Galen at Newswangers. 

 

The all-beef hot dog is very lean and lends itself best to poaching.  The beef and pork grills up just fine and has a slight hint of cumin that I really enjoy.  Both are nitrate free so they will not be pink.  Your kids might disagree that it is a hot dog, but we think the flavor profile and shape certainly fits.

 

The merguez is a combination of Melissa's recipe and Parker Bosley's.  It is made with a Moroccan pepper spread called harissa.  While I'm writing this I'm grinning thinking of when we made these.  I sent Kevin over to one of the local import stores to get some harrisa.  I called ahead first and told them what I was looking for.  The gentleman at the store informed me that he had 12 left.  I said I'd take all of them. 

 

I sent Kevin to pick them up on his way into work.  I explained that it was a canned pepper paste we were going to use for making sausage.  That day he came into work and hit the road for farm pickups.  I went out into the breakroom and saw four grocery bags with approximately 12 inch by 12 inch tin pans in them with cake.  I got excited.  Who brought cake!?  What occasion is this?  Then, I looked closer.  The cake had an almond in each piece.  I'm allergic so my high hopes sunk immediately.  Then I looked at the label.  Harisha Cake.  OMG, I thought. He picked up a cake, not pepper spread.   Imagine if we sent this to the butcher to make sausage out of. 

 

I called the import store and explained what I was looking for. They laughed.  Apparently harisha cake is an Egyptian cake made with semolina and almond flours and is to celebrate a religious holiday that just happened to be coming up. 

What's In The Bag?
Small Omnivore
1 bunch Tuscan kale
1 bulb fennel with fronds
1 head red cabbage
1 pound garlic scape linguine
2 zucchini or yellow squash
1 large leek
1 pound slicing tomatoes
1 quart dragon tongue beans
1 bunch carrots

Small Vegetarian
1 bunch Tuscan kale
1 bulb fennel with fronds
1 head red cabbage
1 pound garlic scape linguine
2 zucchini or yellow squash
1 large leek
1 pound slicing tomatoes
1 quart dragon tongue beans
1 bunch carrots

Small Vegan
1 bunch Tuscan kale
1 bulb fennel with fronds
1 head red cabbage
2 zucchini or yellow squash
1 large leek
1 pound slicing tomatoes
1 quart dragon tongue beans
1 bunch carrots
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 head lettuce
1 pint blueberries

Large Omnivore
small omnivore plus:
1 pork roast
1 head lettuce
1 head broccoli

Large Vegetarian
small vegetarian plus:
1 jar heirloom tomato sauce
1 head broccoli
1 head lettuce 
1 pint blueberries
1 pint cherry tomatoes
Recipes
Fennel and Cabbage Slaw
INGREDIENTS
  • 1/4 small head red cabbage (about 1 pound), shredded
  • 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, and sliced very thin
  • 2 large carrots, shredded
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
  1. STEP 1

    In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, fennel, carrots, and green onions. In a small bowl, whisk together ginger, orange juice, oil, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat completely. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 1/2 hours). Toss slaw before serving.

Fennel and Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, plus more for pan
  • 2 medium fennel bulbs, (8 ounces each)
  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons grated hard cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS
  1. STEP 1

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

  2. STEP 2

    Trim fennel bulbs; halve, and core. Slice bulbs and potatoes very thin (1/8 inch thick).

  3. STEP 3

    Add potatoes to prepared dish in three layers, alternating with two layers of fennel; season each layer with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese, and dot with 1/2 tablespoon butter. (Omit cheese from final layer.)

  4. STEP 4

    Pour cream over top. Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup grated cheese bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

adapted from Everyday Food
Simple Dragon Tongue Beans

2 ½ cups Dragon's Tongue Beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek chopped
1 tsp dried or fresh basil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Steam the beans for 3-4 minutes, then immediately toss with the remaining ingredients and serve.

 

Fennel and Beans
1/2  cup pine nuts 

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/2 pound dragon tongue beans, trimmed

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1 large fennel bulbs (about 1 pound), cored and thinly sliced, fronds reserved (optional)

 

Place 1/2 inch water in a large skillet with a lid. Bring to a boil; salt generously. Add beans, cover skillet, and cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer immediately to ice water. Drain; pat dry with paper towels. (Cover and refrigerate up to 10 hours.)

 

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil. (Cover and refrigerate up to 10 hours.) To serve, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and toss with dressing; garnish with fennel fronds, if desired.

Red Cabbage with Apples and Raisins

1 red cabbage, chopped
2 apples
1 onion
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup sunflower oil
2 cloves garlic
2 oz pine nuts
2 oz raisins
3 tbsp vinegar for soaking
Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp vinegar

Preparation:

Cook the red cabbages in boiling salted water with 1 tbsp sugar for 30 minutes, drain off some of the water leaving them just covered and add the vinegar to give them a shine. Drain, cover and keep warm. Finely slice the onion and apple and fry with butter in a frying-pan until golden. They can also be cooked for 10 minutes in the microwave, in which case boil off any excess liquid and brown over heat if necessary. Fry the garlic in the oil and lightly brown the pine nuts. Remove from heat and add the raisins after first soaking them in the vinegar. Place a layer of apple and onion on each plate, top with some of the red cabbage and sprinkle with the fried garlic, pine nuts, raisin and vinegar mixture.


adapted from La Tineda
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Ingredient Spotlight
Fennel
Fennel is a cool weather crop. We generally don't have availability in July, but that goes to show you just how wacky this summer's weather has been. 

Fennel is a unique vegetable. It looks a lot like celery, but from the moment that you smell it, you will know it is not. It has a rich licorice smell, similar to anise. It is most often associated with Mediterranean cooking.  

All parts of the plant are edible, from the bulb to the tips. We recommend separating the stocks and fronds from the bulb while storing.  High in nutrition, a cup of raw fennel has only 27 calories, but packs nearly 14% of your daily vitamin C. It is also a very good of dietary fiber, potassium, molybdenum, manganese, copper, phosphorus, and folate. In addition, fennel is a good source of calcium, pantothenic acid, magnesium, iron, and niacin.

The fronds can be used in salads, but the main attraction of fennel is the bulb itself. It's very firm and crunchy, and it tastes a bit like licorice and anise. It has a fresh, bright taste and it's one of our favorite vegetables for salads and slaws. It can also be grilled or braised until tender.

The bulb is made of overlapping layers of vegetable, almost like a cabbage - but very firm and hard. To be used in salads, fennel should be sliced very thin.  Check out these fennel recipes from our website:

Fennel Recipes
 

Leeks

Leeks, like garlic and onions, belong to a vegetable family called the Allium vegetables. Since leeks are related to garlic and onions, they contain many of the same beneficial compounds found in these well-researched, health-promoting vegetables.

Leeks are delicious braised in stock, sauteed in oil, grilled, raw on salads, or used in soups, stews and other dishes.


Dragon Tongue Beans
These are the most fun beans we get in our bags. I had never heard of them before Fresh Fork Market enlightened me.  These beans come in a long pod and both the bean and the pod are cream colored with purple spots.  I like them because the bean is completely edible-pod included-and the seed parts have a wonderfully nutty and sweet flavor. Great raw, in salads, or cooked, but cooked beans lose their fun colors.  

Prepare them the same way you would any fresh bean.  Try this recipe with bacon:

Red Cabbage
Red cabbage is completely different from the green variety. While it can be used in some of the same ways, it features a denser texture. This makes it ideal for braising and sauteing. 

A staple for us, there are lots of recipes on our website.  Check them out:
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