October 31st, 2012
What to do with the butternut squash and beets that are in season now? Well try this recipe found recently in the NY Times. Guessing you could rest it on top of our spring salad mix as well. Already used your winter squash? Consider substituting sweet potatoes, found in this week's share.
2 pounds kabocha or butternut squash 1 bunch beets, with greens 2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 small garlic clove, minced or put through a press 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons walnut oil 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (about 1 1/2 ounces) 2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, mint, tarragon, chives 1. Roast the beets. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the greens off of the beets, leaving about 1/2 inch of the stems attached. Scrub the beets and place in a baking dish or ovenproof casserole. Add about 1/4 inch water to the dish. Cover tightly with a lid or foil, and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the beets are tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. If not using right away, refrigerate in a covered bowl. 2. Line another roasting pan with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Peel the squash and cut in 1/2-inch thick slices. Toss with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and salt to taste and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly browned and tender. You can do this at the same time that you roast the beets, but watch carefully if you need to put the baking sheet on a lower shelf. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem and wash the greens. Add salt to the water, and blanch the greens for 1 minute or until tender. Transfer the greens to a bowl of cold water, then drain and squeeze out the water. Chop coarsely. 4. Mix together the vinegars, garlic, salt, pepper, the remaining olive oil and the walnut oil. When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the ends off, slip off their skins, cut in half, then slice into half-moon shapes. Toss with half the salad dressing. In a separate bowl, toss the roasted squash with the remaining dressing. 5. Place the greens on a platter, leaving a space in the middle. Arrange the beets and squash in alternating rows in the middle of the platter. Sprinkle on the fresh herbs and the walnuts. If desired, sprinkle on crumbled feta. Serve. Yield: 6 servings. Photo Above by Andrew Scrivani for The New York TimesArticle by By MARTHA ROSE SHULMANMORE INFO ABOUT PREPARING BEETS AND USING THEIR TOPS? Read further as provided by Susan Russo is a food writer in San Diego.
When you're ready to eat beets, wash them thoroughly, scrubbing the skin to dislodge any dirt, then cut off the stem. You can boil, steam, microwave and even grill beets, yet roasting is the kindest cooking method, as the heat gently caramelizes the vegetable's natural sugars. Plus, the skins practically slide off after roasting. Of course, you can also enjoy beets in all their raw glory. Grated, shaved or sliced paper-thin, they're bursting with color and crunch. As for the beet greens, whatever you do, don't throw them away unless they're mildewed, browned or full of holes. Fresh beet greens should be unwilted and richly colored. They're similar in taste to Swiss chard and are a delicious alternative to more prosaic spinach
To prepare them, cut off any thick stalks. Submerge in a large bowl of water to loosen the dirt. Drain, rinse and repeat as necessary, then pat dry. Par-boil them by dropping in boiling water for one minute. Remove and plunge into a bowl of ice water. "Shocking" the greens will keep them bright and beautiful. Drain, and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Beet greens are wonderful simply sauteed in olive oil and garlic, tossed into scrambled eggs and pasta or added to soups and stews. They're also delicious raw, thinly sliced and added to salads and sandwiches.
As for flavor pairings, beets have an affinity for tangy, pungent foods such as goat, blue and feta cheeses, sour cream, yogurt, horseradish and onions; acidic foods such as oranges, lemons and vinegars; and smoky foods such as bacon, smoked fish and smoked meats. They also pair well with legumes, especially lentils; whole grains such as barley, bulgur and quinoa; and most nuts, particularly pistachios and walnuts.
If you have a tenuous relationship with beets, consider starting simply. Roasted beets sprinkled with good olive oil, salt, black pepper and fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme are one of the tastiest ways to enjoy beets. So, too, is crostini topped with goat cheese, sliced roasted beets, lemon juice, sea salt and olive oil. Crunchy raw beet salads are an attractive option as well, especially when tossed with shredded carrots, apples, raisins and walnuts and coated with a creamy tahini or yogurt dressing.
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Desire Some Local Pork? No we're not talking politics here! We're talking the real deal, as in oink oink! Yep. we've got some piggies that are ready for processing. Don't worry if you don't want a whole pig, you can have quarter or half as well. If interested just let me know by email and we can visit. On a similar note, we will be providing details about our upcoming pork/poultry program in the near future. (For those that have already contacted me, we will be in touch with this coming week.)
Whole Foods Houston? WDF is now a "bona fide Whole Food produce vendor." The WF locations that we are currently servicing are the following: - Kirby
- Bellaire
- Woodway
- Montrose
Fall CSA Program This week our shares should include green beans, baby salad greens, cilantro, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and more. Our first delivery was four weeks ago, but not to worry as we still have share openings available and registration prices are prorated accordingly each week. Thus you can still join and pay for just the deliveries that remain in the program. (Ordering Cut off's are Sunday's at midnight.) So to receive a delivery for next week, you need to register by Sunday night.) Items expected to be harvested within the Fall program include Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Green beans, Kale, Arugula , Basil, Peppers , Eggplant, Salad mix, Summer Squash, Dill, Zucchini, Bunching Onions, Winter Squash, Carrots, Beets, Micro Greens, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach and more.. For more info and registration visit this link Fall CSA Program & Registration
For a short registration tutorial, consider reviewing the instructions located at the bottom of this update.
Like To Participate In Our CSA, But Will Be Gone Some This Fall? Consider our Alternating Week Share and/or splitting a share with a friend/relative. An easy way to split is for you take the whole share one week and defer it to your partner another week. Just include their email address when you register. Sorry, we don't have provisions for splitting credit card payments.
Woodlands Home Delivery For You? For those of you living in zip codes 77380,77381,77382,77384 consider, at a slightly higher coast, trying our home delivery service. Delivery days are Thursday's, normally after 3 pm. Just go to the CSA link at Fall CSA Program & Registration
Farm Dinner Set For Saturday December 1st. We've heard about how great Justin Turner is as a chef and now we're ecstatic that he will be joining us in hosting another one of our farm dinners. It will likely be a little chilly by then, so we will probably begin early afternoon. For those that will like to stay into the evening, a nice campfire may be inviting. This will be an adult oriented event. More details to come.
Thanks for reading, Van Cell 713 876 8645 www.woodduckfarm.com csa@woodduckfarm.com PS If you have moved or not interested in receiving our updates, please click the "unsubscribe" link above to "option out" of any future emails. CSA Online Registration Tutorial , i.e. the Heights etc. select continue, this will take you to our shopping cart. 2) Choose your desired share size where you select "add to order." 3) Place your mouse over the first available date, i.e. Sept. 26th etc.The date should turn yellow, left click your mouse and all the dates should light up green. 4) Select "CONTINUE" , and/or scroll down to add items to your CSA pick up order for any particular week, i.e. eggs, honey etc. (FYI not all locations can receive 100% of our "add on orders."
5) Once your selections are determined and dates highlighted in green, go to "check out."
6) This should take you to our registration page where existing customers can log in or new customers can provide info, i.e. name(s) email(s) etc.
7) Follow the prompts at the bottom of the page to complete your purchase via PayPal. FYI, your credit card payment is with PayPal on a secure PayPal server, not our website.
8) Should your payment be successful, you should receive a prompt email confirmation from PayPal.
9) Delivery reminders will be sent out a day or so prior to your scheduled delivery week-day. If you received a registration/pmt confirmation from PayPal, but do not get an weekly email pick up reminder, please contact us so we can insure your weekly notification.
FYI Sunday Midnight Is Our Typical Weekly Cut-off Time. With this in mind, please consider ordering by midnight Sunday; this will insure orders being delivered the immediate coming week. Reading this email too late? Not to worry, our prices are prorated each week to reflect correct prices; so orders and registrations received later will begin the following week.
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