Summer Newsletter
Week 18
Greetings!

 

Thank you again to all of you who came out to the picnic and potluck last weekend in Medina.  We had over 300 attend and lots of great dishes!  Most importantly, thank you for eating everything!  It made cleanup a breeze. 

 

Our summer event schedule is winding down.  There are only a few more classes and dinners coming up.  Watch your email for updates and invites.  

 

This week I don't have very much to talk about.  Fall is in full swing and we are just trying to keep up with putting away produce for our winter shares, including lots of beans, corn, and tomatoes.  We have also recently picked up a few big new accounts with the Guernsey milk.  If you have children who are students at either Case Western or Oberlin, they are now enjoying the healthy and delicious Guernsey milk in their cafeterias!  

 

This week you'll notice a few items showing up that should have been in last week's bag.  We got shorted big time last week on red peppers, and a few routes were shorted eggplant as they came in enormous.  We buy this product by the box, not the count, and it is a guessing game to figure out how many to get sometimes.  

 

Red peppers still seem to be slow coming on (and it has all of us scratching our heads since the weather has been so nice), but we are starting to see a strong supply of our purple bell peppers, so some of you may see those in your bag this week.  

 

Thanks

Trevor 

Trevor's Corner

Beer Bratwursts.  Last year's customers probably remember the opportunity to help us tweak the recipe on the beer brats.  These brats are large (1.25# packages, 4 links) Berkshire pork bratwursts made with local beer from Market Garden Brewery.  We chose a hoppier beer that shined through.  We use the Wallace Tavern Scotch Ale. 

 

This week's brats can be showcased nicely next to some creamy yukon gold potatoes and braised sweet potato greens. 

 

Sweet Potato Greens.  Trevor, what on earth are sweet potato greens?  Well, I'm thrilled about this one.  As most of you know, I love making braised greens and find them to be one of the most versatile dishes.  They can be enjoyed for breakfast with a fried egg on top, served with pasta, or simply as a side dish to almost anything from chicken to pork to beef.  

 

Well one under-utilized green is the sweet potato green.  If you ever see a field of sweet potatoes growing, the greens grow dark green on long vines that cover the ground.  The farmer usually just chops these off and leaves them in the field to rot.  


 

I got to talking to David, our grower, about the greens.  He packaged up a few boxes for me to play with.  They are quite tasty and from my research, they appear to be a trending item on the menus of fancy restaurants down south.


The leaves taste  a little like spinach and kale crossed.  They are tender enough to use in a salad, but they also cook down well.  

 

This is exceptionally exciting for the farmer.  Sweet potatoes aren't the most profitable crop because of how variable they are in size.  It is hard to tell if you are going to get a nice 1# potato or a bunch of index finger sized ones and then a large potato on the end.  By being able to sell the greens, he now increases the attractiveness of growing sweet potatoes.  

 

See below for some suggested recipes.  

 

Sauerkraut:  We've been out of the kraut for a while now.  It is now back in stock and for the new subscribers this year, here is what makes it special. 


 

Sauerkraut is a fermented food made from cabbage and salt.  In our case, it is organic cabbage and fully mineralized pink Himalayan salt.  To make it, the producer simply shreds cabbage, adds salt, and pounds it down to extract moisture.  The cabbage eventually will be submerged below a "brine."  Lactic bacteria in the air react with the cabbage to form lactic acid. This creates a safe environment for preserving the food.  


 

Because our kraut has not been canned (heat processed), the good bacteria is still alive. This means it will continue to ferment and continue to release gas.  Refrigerating the kraut slows, but does not end, this process.  

 

Your kraut will come in a glass jar.   There should be some pressure on the lid.  If you can't twist it off, try puncturing the lid to release the gas.  

 

The kraut will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months before it starts to get softer.  The trick is to keep the cabbage below the brine.  If your brine drains off, add some purified water or a mixture of water and kosher/sea salt.  Regular table salt and tap water can kill the good bacteria and ruin the fermentation.  

 

Try enjoying your kraut raw for maximum health benefits. If that isn't your style, heat it gently with the beer brats this week and enjoy a tasty fall meal.  

 

Additional jars of the kraut are available for $6 per quart.  

What's In The Bag?
Small Omnivore 
1 package beer bratwursts
3# yukon gold potatoes
1 sweet candy onion
1 bunch celery
1 head broccoli
1 half gallon apple cider
1 quarter peck jonathon apples
1 winter squash, acorn or butternut
1 bunch sweet potato greens
1 bunch radishes

Small Vegetarian
Small bag, leave out the bratwursts, add:
1 cantaloupe
1 jar sauerkraut

Small Vegan
Same as small vegetarian

Large Omnivore
1 package beer bratwursts
3# yukon gold potatoes
1 sweet candy onion
1 bunch celery
1 head broccoli
1 half gallon apple cider
1 quarter peck jonathon apples
1 winter squash, acorn or butternut
1 bunch sweet potato greens
1 bunch radishes
1 spaghetti squash
1 jar sauerkraut
1 bunch beets with tops
1 bunch swiss chard


Large Vegetarian
3# yukon gold potatoes
1 sweet candy onion
1 bunch celery
1 head broccoli
1 half gallon apple cider
1 quarter peck jonathon apples
1 winter squash, acorn or butternut
1 bunch sweet potato greens
1 bunch radishes
1 jar sauerkraut
1 cantaloupe
1 spaghatti squash
1 bunch beets with tops
1 bunch swiss chard
1 quarter peck bartlett pears
Approx 1.5 lb slicing tomatoes


Recipes
Braised Greens (standard recipe)

Ingredients:

Greens

Onion

Garlic

Hot pepper (finely diced) or red pepper flakes.  

Honey/Sugar

Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

 

There really isn't a way to give you measurements for this recipe.  It's more of a process.  The cook must determine when the greens are to his/her liking.


 

Start by removing the center vein on hardier greens like collards and kale. For spinach, you can leave the small, tender vein that connects the leaf to the plant.  For sweet potato greens, remove the greens from the vine and it is up to you if you want to remove the little "tail."  It is tender and will cook down, but it will be stringier in your finished product. 


 

I usually mix greens like kale, broccoli leaves, mustards, etc.  Whatever I have. 


 

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, get some sunflower oil hot over medium heat.  Add onion and chopped hot peppers (finely diced) or red pepper flakes. Saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. 


 

Add the greens and minced garlic.  Reduce heat and cover.  Let the greens start to wilt, turning occasionally until some moisture cooks out.  If they start to stick, add some water, just a little.  


 

As the greens are wilted, stir in some honey and a few splashes of vinegar.  Continue to cook until desired consistency.  They will cook down quite a bit.  

Green Eggs and Ham Souffle
Ingredients:
Sweet Potato Greens
1 c heavy cream
4 eggs
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 to 4 slices bacon, chopped
Vinegar (sherry is a good fit or balsamic)
Mustard, 1 tbsp
Salt

This is a recipe I found in this  month's edition of a magazine called Garden and Gun.  

Copied:
"Blend 6 cups of blanched sweet potato greens with 1 c heavy cream and 4 eggs.  Pour custard into 12   4 oz ramekins (I personally don't have that many of these, so this can be done in a baking dish or casserole with similar results).  Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees in a water bath (inside another pan full of hot water) for 15 to 25 minutes (until it sets up completely, depending on how deep you pour the batter). 

Allow the dish to cool before cutting.  

Before serving, saute yellow onions with chopped bacon until bacon caramelizes.  Add 3 tbsp sherry vinegar, 1 tbsp mustard, and a pinch of salt.  Stir and serve on top of the egg custard as a "bacon jam."  
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Fresh Fork Market | 800-861-8582 | [email protected] | http://www.freshforkmarket.com
PO Box 609612
Cleveland, OH 44109