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Author Archive for csa – Page 18

Recipes for CSA Week 2

Posted by csa on
 June 5, 2012

Oh those beautiful heads of lettuce and scallions. . .. and everything else! That lettuce needs nothing but a good wash and the lightest of lemony vinaigrettes to be perfect. But there are some other ideas below. And if you’re feeling brave, make this (Ginger Scallion Sauce) with all of your scallions!

I included lots of salad recipes this week. If you want something warm and simple to do with the lovely Lacinato Kale, quickly braise it with a little garlic, maybe some red pepper flakes and serve drizzled with plenty of good olive oil. And pile that on a piece of toasted bread you’ve rubbed with a fresh garlic clove for a hearty snack or first course. Enjoy!

Vegetable Washing Notes
Thai Green Curry with Broccoli and Turnips
Chopped Salad with Cabbage, Mizuna and Tahini Yogurt Dressing
Flank Steak Salad with Greens
Kale and Avocado Salad
Grated Turnip Salad

Vegetable Washing Notes

It’s important to wash your vegetables well. Especially the lettuce, mizuna and kale need a careful rinse. Separate the leaves and wash both sides under running water. Shake off the water and wrap in a clean dishtowel to dry (or spin dry). I tend to wash the quantity I need for whatever I happen to be cooking. Greens stay fresher longer if only washed right before use in my experience.

Thai Green Curry with Broccoli, Turnips & Turnip Greens

Serves 4

I have made variations of this Thai-inspired curry for 15 years. It is not an authentic Green Curry but a tasty, quick adaptation. It is suitable to a wide variety of vegetables: asparagus, new potatoes and green onions in the spring; summer squash and peas in early summer; green beans and eggplant in late summer, and pumpkin, leeks and potatoes in the fall/winter. You can easily add chicken or tofu to it for an even heartier dish though it’s wonderfully rich and satisfying without as well. Veggies like asparagus and peas cook quickly, about 5 minutes in the hot broth, but some of the other combinations take longer so just taste frequently as your cooking it.

When basil is in season (or you have it on hand) you want to add 1/3 – 1/2 cup of roughly torn leaves to this and then it’s perfect!

3-4 cups bit-sized broccoli florets and pieces of tender stem
2-3 turnips, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized wedges or dice
Turnips greens, washed carefully and roughly chopped
1 medium potato, cut into small dice (optional)
1 – 2 inch chunk of ginger, peeled and minced (can omit if you’re in a hurry)
2 cloves garlic or 1 stalk of green garlic, minced (can omit if in a hurry)
5-6 Kaffir lime leaves (totally optional but wonderful if you have them—they freeze well and are sometimes available at New Seasons or Whole Foods or any Asian market—and add so much flavor and fragrance)
1 1/2 heaping tsp (or to taste) green curry paste (Thai & True is a wonderful locally made brand and Mae Ploy is a readily available brand)
2 tsps soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce (can omit to make it vegetarian/vegan)
1 can coconut milk (full fat preferably but light will work too)
Juice of half a lemon or lime (optional)
White or brown cooked Jasmine or other long grain rice

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup of coconut milk (use the thickest, part usually at the top of the can), the curry paste, garlic and ginger and fry it for about 3-4 minutes until it’s fragrant and the oil starts separating out a bit. Then add the remainder of the coconut milk plus ½ can’s worth of water, soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and add the diced potato, if using, and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the turnips and broccoli. Toss in the turnip greens just a few minutes before the other vegetables are tender. The aim is to have all the vegetables tender at more or less the same time. Adjust seasoning with more soy sauce and/or fish sauce if needed and finish with a generous squeeze of lime or lemon juice, if using. Serve hot over rice.

Chopped Salad with Cabbage, Mizuna and Tahini Yogurt Dressing

This is a robust, bright salad that is begging for seasonal adaptations, protein additions (leftover chicken, tofu, shrimp) etc. And it’s just as good if not better the next day. If you don’t have any cabbage you can omit it and just use much less dressing. You can add grated turnips to this as well or use those instead of the carrot.

¼ of large head of green cabbage (or about 3-4 cups, chopped)
4 cups, chopped mizuna
2 carrots, grated (on large hole of box grater)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ Serrano chili, minced (with or without seeds depending on how spice you like things) or ½ teaspoon or more red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped mint (optional)
¼ cup toasted, chopped almonds or toasted sunflower seeds

Dressing
2 tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste)
2-3 tablespoons Greek Yogurt (or sour cream or mayonnaise)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 small clove of garlic, minced or mashed with side of knife
juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
salt and peppee

Place all chopped veggies in a large bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients until emulsified and smooth. Taste for seasoning. The dressing should be quite strong since it’s going to dress a lot of veggies. Toss veggies with dressing, mix well and adjust seasoning.

Flank Steak Salad with Greens

This is more of an idea than a real recipe. Grill or cook a flank or skirt steak to your liking. Let rest and cut against the grain into as thin a slices as possible.

Toss torn lettuce and mizuna and a bunch of thinly sliced green onions with a mustardy vinaigrette (Dijon-style mustard, minced garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, olive oil). Toss beef with a little dressing as well and toss with the greens. Add feta or blue cheese to this if you’d like and lots of roughly chopped parsley if you have it.

Raw Kale and Avocado Salad

This salad is also robust and begging for variations. Adjust quantities to your needs and taste. If you don’t have an avocado but have some feta, use that instead for a different but equally good effect.

5-6 cups Lacinato kale, well-washed, tough stems removed and finely chopped
1 diced avocado (see headnote)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds or walnuts, broken up.

Dressing
¼ cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon grated onion
¼ cup finely grated peeled apple (use small holes of box grater)
4 teaspoon soy sauce or Tamari
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

Mix all the dressing ingredients together thoroughly. Put the chopped kale in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing and work it in well. Then add the avocado, onions and seeds or nuts, toss well and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Grated Turnip Salad

This is more of a garnish than a salad. It’s sweet and bright and a lovely refreshing addition to any grilled or roasted meat or fish or heartier, warm dish.

Scrub your turnips. Grate however many turnips you want to use. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss with a little rice or champagne vinegar or lemon juice or a combination. Toss in a bunch of finely chopped parsley if you have it and some chili flakes if you’d like. Adjust seasoning and add some freshly ground black pepper.

Categories : Recipe

CSA News: Week 2- June 5 to June 7

Posted by csa on
 June 4, 2012
week2_share_2012

Family Share shown in photo above

This Week’s Share

Crop

Family  Share

Half Share

Broccoli 1 pound 1/2 pound
Kale, Lacinato 1 bunch 1/2 bunch
Lettuce 2 heads 1 head
Mizuna 1 bunch 1/2 bunch
Scallions (Green Onions) 1 bunch 1/2 bunch
Turnips, Japanese style 1 bunch 1/2 bunch

 

Remember to Return you CSA Share Container

Please remember to return your CSA container each week when you come to pick-up your next week’s share. We appreciate your effort on this step, as we are charged a fee for each container that is not returned.

Don’t want to take the container home with you? No problem. Just bring your own bags/box with you to pick-up, transfer your share, and leave your container behind (neatly collapsed and stacked*) at your site on the day you pick-up. *see video below for instructions on how to collapse and stack containers

Going on Vacation this Summer?

We offer one week of Vacation Rescheduling. If you know you will be away for a certain week of pick-up please let us know the date, and which week you would like to receive your double share (double shares exclude Thanksgiving Week and the last week of CSA). We need at least 24 hours notice to hold a share from delivery, and 1 week advance notice to schedule a double share.

If you will be away for more than one week we encourage you to contact a friend/family/co-worker to come pick-up in your place. If finding a replacement is not possible please let us know and we will donate your share.

Sharing the Harvest this Year?

Are you splitting your share with a friend/neighbor/co-worker/relative? That’s great, we love when eating local brings the community together. We want to make sure that all members who are eating our produce throughout the season have the option to receive farm emails ( including the Projected Share email, the weekly blog email, and other farm news). Please email us at csa@sauvieislandorganics.com with any email addresses you would like added to the weekly email list

 

 

Categories : Blogroll, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates, Uncategorized

Recipes for CSA Week 1

Posted by csa on
 May 29, 2012

I am thrilled to be writing weekly packets for you–Sauvie Island Organics members–with recipes, tips and notes about the beautiful produce you are receiving. I hope you find some inspiration here every week and I welcome your feedback.

A few introductory thoughts:

In many of the recipes I will be writing for you every week, quantities listed are approximations. There are so many variables for each household at any given time—how many mouths to feed, what else are you making, your own taste of how you like things, quantity of veg you want/need to use up, etc. So please feel free to adapt and use your own best judgment.

I often include “notes” and “tips” for certain vegetables with quick ideas and techniques for preparing them. If you’re in a hurry, these should be a good resource.

RECIPES

Green Garlic Notes
Radish Tips
Joi Choi and Green Garlic Stir-fry with Lime
Asian Noodle Salad with Toasted Sesame Dressing with Joi Choi
Green Garlic, Kale and Feta Frittata
Cook-With-What-You-Have Salad with Kale or Lettuce and Beans
Basic Bean Cooking Notes

Green Garlic Notes

I plant garlic in my own garden each fall so that I can exclusively use it as green garlic, in its immature state when it looks a bit like a green onion (scallion). I put it in just about everything—from salad dressings to pestos to egg dishes, and of course anywhere you would use a regular clove of garlic. Green garlic is sweet and milder than the mature cloves so you can use it generously. Depending on the size of the stalk you can basically use the whole thing, save the roots and outermost layer of the stalk. I usually cut the top few inches of green off but you’ll be able to tell how much to cut off depending on how tender it is. If it seems fibrous trim/peel it back a bit more.

Radish Tips

  • Radishes are wonderful, as the French eat them, with some good butter and good sea salt.
  • They add color, crunch, and sweet-spiciness to salads—you could make a lovely one with the lettuce and a dressing of some minced green garlic, Dijon-style mustard, red wine vinegar, olive oil, some fresh thyme if you have it and some hardboiled egg.
  • They are good sautéed or braised with other veggies (or stir-fried, see below).
  • The greens can be quickly blanched and made into a pesto by themselves or in combination with other herbs.

Joi Choi, Radish and Green Garlic Stir-Fry with Lime
–inspired by 101cookbooks.com

Serves 2-4 (main/side)

There are lots of ways to approach this technique and flavor combination. If you have ½ a bunch of asparagus on hand, by all means use it in this dish.

You can include extra-firm tofu or very thinly sliced flank steak or leftover chicken in this dish. Alternatively you can fry an egg on the side and top the stir-fry with it.

Whatever approach you take you want to have all your vegetables (and protein, if using) cut up and ready to go when you start. The dish just takes a few minutes cook.

**NOTE: If you are using meat or tofu (cut into small pieces or very thin slices respectively). Fry it briefly in toasted sesame oil in a wide skillet or wok over high heat. Then remove from pan while you proceed with the rest of the ingredients.

Toasted sesame oil
4 green onions (or chunk of regular onion), thinly sliced
scant 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 a bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
1 bunch radishes, cut in half (or quarters if large) and tops washed and roughly chopped
a couple big pinches of fine-grain sea salt
2 stalks green garlic, trimmed of tough ends and roots, finely chopped
1 big handful of toasted cashews, chopped up a bit or roasted peanuts or slivered, toasted almonds
4 cups (more or less) joi choi, washed and cut into 1-inch ribbons/chunks
zest and juice of one lime (or zest and juice of half a lemon)
1 tablespoon soy sauce sauce or Shoyu
1 small handful fresh mint, thinly sliced (optional but very good)

Add a (generous) splash of toasted sesame oil to the pan and, as soon as it is hot, add the onions, ginger, red pepper flakes, radishes, asparagus (if using), and salt. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, nuts, and bok choi and radish tops and stir-fry for another minute or 2, or until the greens wilt. Return tofu or meat (if using) to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the soy sauce sauce. Cook for another 30 seconds, stirring all the while.

Remove from heat and stir in the mint. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed. If not using meat or tofu top with fried egg or serves as is with rice or just as a side.

Asian Noodle Salad with Toasted Sesame Dressing and Joi Choi
–inspired by Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

This is fairly classic combination. It’s a perfect place for some green garlic and Joi Choi this week. You can adapt at will and actually some slivered radishes would be great too.

Serves 4-6 as a side and 2-3 as an entrée

1 (8-ounce) package soba noodles (or whole wheat spaghetti – Barilla is a brand for this)
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup chopped cilantro and/or mint (can omit in a pinch)
1 bunch joi choi, washed and cut into ½ inch ribbons
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons tamari (or regular soy sauce)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
2 teaspoons, minced green garlic
pinch or two of chili flakes (or more depending on your taste)

Cook soba noodles according to package directions. About 90 seconds before the noodles are done add the chopped greens to the noodles, bring back to a boil and cook until both are tender. Drain and rinse noodles and greens in colander.

Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat. Keep seeds moving until they give off aroma, pop, and begin to brown. This just takes 3-4 minutes. Remove and set aside. They burn easily so watch carefully.

Mix dressing ingredients in large bowl, add noodles, greens, sesame seeds and cilantro. Mix well.

Green Garlic, Kale and Feta Frittata

This is one of my quickest, go-to dinners for a busy day. The options are literally infinite as to what to include. In this version green garlic and kale are the core, with a bit of feta. You could add the radish tops here as well if you like. This is wonderful the next day in sandwiches or as a snack. It’s just as good at room temperature as it is cold or warm. To make this a bit heartier, you could add potatoes cut into small dice that you cook with the green garlic.

3 green garlic stalks, washed finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice (optional—see headnote)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
6-8 eggs (or whatever you have or want to use)
3-4 cups, chopped Kale (or kale and radish tops)
2 ounces feta or fresh goat cheese (optional—can omit choose or substitute some Parmesan or even sharp cheddar)
Salt, pepper

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy sauté pan or well-seasoned cast iron pan or non-stick (if it’s heatproof and can go in the oven). Add the green garlic and a few pinches of salt to pan and sauté over medium heat until they soften about 7-8 minutes. If you are using potatoes, dice them small and sauté them with the green garlic. Then add kale and turn up the heat to medium-high and add a small splash of water and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes minutes until just tender and wilted.

Set your oven to broil.

Lightly whisk the eggs until they’re just broken up—no need to get them frothy or really well mixed. Add a few generous pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper and crumbled feta or goat cheese. Pour eggs over the vegetables and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the eggs. Cover and cook on medium heat for a few minutes. When the eggs begin to set around the edge take the pan off the heat and set under the broiler (uncovered) until the eggs are cooked and slightly puffed and golden.

Let sit for a few minutes before cutting and serving. It will come out of the pan much more easily that way. Serve with a slice of bread and salad.

Cook-With-What-You-Have Salad with Kale or Lettuce and Beans

I am a bit of a bean evangelist (delicious, inexpensive, shelf stable, etc.) I love adding whatever cooked beans I have in the fridge to salads made of whatever I happened to have around. This is my favorite lunch or quick addition to dinner. This is less of a recipe and more of a general guide for you to use with what you have on hand and your tastes. You can use most any kind of bean and any fairly sturdy salad green. You can use either the lettuce or kale (raw) in this salad.

Serves 2-4 depending on whether it’s a side or main dish and of course how hungry you are. I can easily eat half this salad myself.

1 cup cooked, cooled beans (chickpeas, black beans, pinto or white beans or lentils—see bean cooking instructions below), well-drained
4 cups, finely sliced kale, tough stems removed or roughly torn lettuce
1 teaspoon finely chopped green garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
About a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar (red wine, champagne and sherry vinegar are my favorites)
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon honey
1-2 hardboiled eggs, roughly chopped (optional)
2-3 tablespoons toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Put beans and kale or lettuce in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix garlic, lemon juice (or vinegar), salt, pepper, honey and olive oil. Toss everything together well. Taste and adjust seasoning and then gently toss in egg and seeds, if using.

Basic Dry Bean Soaking/Cooking Instructions

If you aren’t in the habit of soaking and cooking dry beans here are the basic steps. The flavor of the beans is very good this way and they are much, much cheaper than cans. Once in the habit, it’s not much work at all. And I always soak and cook more than I need for any given recipe and freeze the rest in some of the cooking liquid. I also rarely cook beans for use in the moment. They improve so much if you can let them sit in their cooking liquid for an hour or so, or up to 8 hours. I usually cook them while I’m doing something else in the kitchen and then have them on hand for the next few days and/or freeze them for later use.

3-4 cups dried beans (garbanzo, white, black, pinto. . . ) Rinse beans if they look dusty and pick out any stones. Usually I don’t find anything like that. Place in a large bowl covered by about 4 inches of cold water. Soak over night or 6-8 hours. Drain and rinse beans.

Place soaked beans in a large pot and cover with cold water by several inches. Add a few whole, peeled garlic cloves, a bay leaf and a big chunk of peeled onion. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and let cook covered until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally (this helps prevent some beans from softening before others.) If your beans are old (hard to tell!) salting them at the beginning can prevent them from cooking properly, so salt mid-way through or at the end. When you do add salt, be generous, as in at least 3 teaspoons kosher salt to start if you’re cooking 4 cups or so of dried beans. They’ll probably need more still. The time it takes for the beans to cook will vary depending on the kind of bean and the freshness of the dried beans. Garbanzos take the longest, usually about 45 minutes.  Black, white and pinto can be done in 15-40 minutes. Let beans cool in their liquid (if you’re not in a rush) and then use, freeze, etc. If you’re freezing some, fill your container with the beans and then ladle in the cooking liquid until the beans are almost covered. Cooked beans also keep in the fridge for 5-6 days and for several months in the freezer.

 

Copyright (c) 2012 Cook With What You Have All rights reserved.

Categories : Recipe

CSA News: Week 1- May 29 to May 31

Posted by csa on
 May 28, 2012
week1_share

Family Share shown in photo above

 This Week’s Share

Crop

Family Share

Half Share

Bok Choi, Joi Choi 2 heads 1 head
Green Garlic 6 each 3 each
Kale, Red Ursa 1 bunch 1/2 bunch
Lettuce 2 heads 1 head
Radish 1 bunch 1/2 bunch

Welcome to the 2012 CSA Season

We are excited to start our 28 week culinary journey together. This year our blog will have an additional voice; we have teamed up with Katherine Duemling and her SE Portland based Cook With What You Have cooking school. Each Monday afternoon we will post CSA News, which will include a share photo, a list of the vegetables, and any farm notes for the week. This post will be followed on Tuesday morning by a CSA Recipe post from Katherine who will be providing you with weekly recipes and other cooking tips related to your share.

Washing Your Weekly Share

Please remember that all produce you receive in your shares is a raw product. Every vegetable should be washed before using.

New CSA Bins (watch the video below)

Each week your share is delivered in a reusable container. You are welcome to take the container with you and return it empty the next week, or you can transfer the items into a container/bags you’ve brought and leave behind the container at  your pick-up site. We are trialing a new CSA container option, and would appreciate your feedback. We are beginning the season working with IFCO, a company that makes RPCs (Reusable Plastic Containers). Each week we return the used containers to IFCO’s North Portland site and pick-up clean and sanitized containers for packing CSA shares. Please make sure to watch the short video below so you understand how to collapse and stack these RPC’s, as well as information on recycling the RPC lids. If you leave the lids in the designated recycling container at your pick-up site they will be brought to Agri-Plas Inc, an agricultural plastics recycling company. Alternately you can collect them at home and bring them to any location that accepts recyclable plastic films. If you bring your container home please be sure to return it to your pick-up site the following week. We are charged a fee for every container we do not bring back to IFCO.

We enjoyed meeting many of you at our Spring Farm Tour & Potluck event, and we hope to meet many more of you in the weeks to come. Enjoy your first share of 2012!

 

Categories : CSA Newsletter

Farm News: May Update

Posted by csa on
 May 1, 2012

Join Us at the Farm – Spring Farm Tour & Potluck at SIO

Join us Saturday, May 19th to kick-off the season with a tour of the farm and a CSA Community Potluck. This event is from 11am to 2pm. Tours of the farm will happen at 11am & 1pm and we will share a potluck lunch at noon. Bring your family, friends, kids, neighbors, and anyone you think would enjoy a day on the farm, and don’t forget to bring a potluck dish to share. The farm fields are located at 13615 NW Howell Park Rd, just a mile past the Sauvie Island Bridge.

A New Field Pack House

concrete_pour_blog
We were finally able to secure two small business loans to build a new pack shed and purchase a new walk-in cooler. Thank you dad and thank you Wells Fargo. At the end of April Shoreline construction poured a 30×50 foot concrete slab (photo above) and a week later NW Metal Buildings delivered and constructed our new vertical A frame building (photos below). The cooler will arrive May 17th just in time for the first CSA harvests.
new_packshed

Oregon Spring

In between the raindrops we have been doing bed prep, planting and weeding. Come walk the fields and see your lettuce, broccoli, radishes, turnips, bok choi, fennel, chard and kale. The greenhouse calls when the raindrops fall. Peek inside and you will see tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and summer squash starts bulking up for the summer months. We are excited that the CSA season is only 4 weeks away. Soon we will all be eating the bounty of an Oregon Spring.

fennel_transplant

Field Crew members (left to right) Noreen, Bernice, Kim and Carmelita transplant fennel on overcast day at the end of April.

SIO is Heating Up

Take a look at this video of Peter flame weeding a carrot bed after it has been seeded. Flame weeding is integral to our organic farming system here at SIO; we use this technique to kill weeds in their very early stages either before or soon after we direct seed a new crop. By reducing weed pressure, germinating seeds and infant plants have full access to the nutrients, water, and root development without having to compete with surrounding weeds.

Follow us on Facebook

Come visit Sauvie Island Organics on Facebook! Give us your “like,” and stay up to date with the most current happenings on the farm. This summer you will be the first to know what restaurants have fresh SIO produce on their menus, as well as links to even more recipe ideas for cooking up your CSA shares.

Categories : Blogroll, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates, Uncategorized

Farm News: March Update

Posted by csa on
 March 7, 2012

SIO Wins 2012 Local Hero Award, Thank You

LocalHeroAwards_logo_194

Sauvie Island Organics is proud to announce that we were awarded the EdiblePortland’s 2012 Local Hero Award for the Farm category. Edible Portland’s Local Hero Award recognizes outstanding members of our regional food community who are setting high standards with their environmental and social practices, high quality, economic impact, and commitment to building a robust food system in the Pacific Northwest. Edible Portland solicits nominations from its readers, and through an open voting process, the community selects the winners. This year, more than 2,000 community members cast their votes! We are honored to receive this award and send out thanks to the Portland community for voting SIO as your Local Hero.

What’s Sprouting Up at SIO?

scallion_gh_12

Young scallion seedlings inside the greenhouse.

The SIO greenhouse is bursting forth with spring seedlings. These will be some of the first vegetables you’ll be enjoying in your early CSA shares. Brian, longtime SIO employee and this season’ Greenhouse Manager has been busy seeding trays for starts since the first week of February. With the help of returning SIO farmer, Peter, they have seeded the seasons’ first parsley, fennel, onions, shallots, scallions, broccoli, head lettuce and kale. Throughout March they will be seeding celery, chard, cabbage, joi choi, peppers, eggplant, as well as more fennel, broccoli, and head lettuce. “Everything looks really happy and healthy, “ reports Brian. Weather permitting, we expect to begin transplanting out into the fields by the third week of March. Broccoli, fennel and head lettuce will be the first to go in, followed by kale in early April. We hope you are looking forward to your spring shares as much as we are enjoying growing them for you.

peter_gh_12

Peter preparing trays for seeding in the potting shed.

brianWood

Brian on the tractor tilling in cover crop, the first step in bed preparation.

seeds_gh_12

Kale seeds about to be seeded.

Save the Date: Come Join Us for the Spring Farm Tour & Potluck

Join us Saturday, May 19st to kick-off the season with a tour of the farm and a CSA Community Potluck. This event is from 11am to 2pm. Tours of the farm will happen at 11am & 1pm and we will share a potluck lunch at noon. Bring your family, friends, kids, neighbors, and anyone you think would enjoy a day on the farm, and don’t forget to bring a potluck dish to share. The farm fields are located at 13615 NW Howell Park Rd, just a mile past the Sauvie Island Bridge.

Categories : Blogroll, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates, Uncategorized

Farm News: February Update

Posted by csa on
 February 6, 2012

This Just In: Double Rainbow at SIO

double_rainbow_Feb_1_12

Spectacular double rainbow captured by Francesca on the afternoon of February 1. What a way to kick off a new month!

 

Weather Windows

With this splash of spectacular weather this week (see photo above) we thought it timely to share a bit about weather windows; what they are, and how we use them out at the farm in the winter. To a farm, a weather window is a limited period of time when weather conditions can be expected to be suitable for a particular project, such as cleaning up fall fields, turning in cover crop, or spreading fertility amendments. With a recorded 11.3 inches of rain on our property in the month of January we welcome this week’s weather window with open arms.

You know predicting the weather here in the winter is never easy, but when we see forecasts of two or more days of sunny clear skies we shift our energies from planning and maintenance to field clean up and tillage. We will remove irrigation line, trellis stakes, and floating row cover still left in the fields from last season. Once this is done cover crop will be planted. Fields that got cover cropped in the fall will begin to be tilled for spring planting. Planting begins mid-March but tilling happens about a month before to allow the cover crop to break down in the soil.

We will definitely be out working in and enjoying the sunny weather this week, and hope you too soak up some rays.

Join Now & tell a friend…

Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, its not too late to share in the harvest for 2012!  We still have Family, Half and Salad Shares available and signing-up is quick and easy! Just complete the Community Farm Agreement and submit on-line.

An added bonus to signing up now: everyone who sends in their deposit in February will receive a $5 gift card from Food Front Cooperate Grocery.

 

Categories : Blogroll, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates, Uncategorized

Happy New Year!

Posted by csa on
 January 6, 2012

JoinUS2012

Hope you have been enjoying all the winter weather both sun and rain. We are in the fields less and in the office more this time of year. We are crop planning for 2012, seed ordering and in just a few weeks the greenhouse will be turned back on. Outside we still have a few field clean up projects that keep us busy.

We look forward to growing for you in 2012. If you have not yet signed up for the 2012 CSA season now is a great time to do so. Sign up in January and you will receive a thank you from one of our partner businesses. Enjoy a free loaf of bread from Grand Central Bakery, free appetizers from Lincoln Restaurant, or 30% off a 2012 cooking class at Cook with What you Have. All you need to do is fill out the 2012 Community Farm Agreement and send in your $100 deposit to the address below.

Cooking Classes
Catherine Deumling of Cook with What you Have and Shari Raider will be teaching 3 classes together this season. The first, the Cook and the Farmer, class will be in February at her cooking studio in inner SE Portland. The other two, the Cook and the Farmer, classes will be out at the farm during the growing season. Here is a peek into the February class….

The Cook and the Farmer
Saturday, February 4, 2012 11AM – 1:30 PM — $75
Cook With What You Have (Inner SE PDX)

This class presents an opportunity to cook and learn about farming in our region with Shari Raider of Sauvie Island Organics as well as Katherine Deumling of Cook With What you Have. February is a good time to both look back and forward. We will cook with some of the produce that was preserved in earlier months as well as use fresh and storage crops from Sauvie Island Organics (and other local farms). Things like carrots, winter squash, potatoes and hearty greens are perfect this time of year. And while the choices might be fewer this time of year, the possibilities are not.

Do you still have any SIO Bins?

If you have any SIO bins please send us a quick email. We would like to be able to coordinate pick up of any bins that have not yet been returned. Thank you.

Categories : Blogroll, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates, Uncategorized

CSA Week 29 (& Week 30): December 13 to December 19

Posted by csa on
 December 13, 2011

week29_share_2011

This Week’s Share

 Crop

Family Share

Individual Share

 Beets  1 1/2 pounds  ——-
 Brussels Sprouts  2 3/4 pounds  1 1/4 pounds
 Carrots  1 1/2 pounds  1 pound
 Leeks  4 each  2 each
 Parsnips  4 pounds  2 pounds
 Potatoes  8 pounds  4 pounds
 Winter Squash, Delicata  8 each  4 each
 Winter Squash, Acorn  4 each  2 each

Share Notes

  • Salad Share: For the final Salad Share distribution you will receive one 1/2 pound bag of Salad Mix and one bag with cabbage and shallots. Due to difficult growing and harvest conditions for salad we are only able to distribute one bag of salad mix with the last distribution. The cabbage and shallots are making up the second Salad share for the week, and those will be in a separate bag. Try making a delicious shallot vinaigrette (recipe below) and have it over a fresh crisp bed of shredded cabbage.
  • Storage Tips: Carrots and parsnips store best in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or other cool dark location (garage, basement, cellar, etc), and should keep well if stored properly for 2 to 4 weeks. Winter squash and potatoes store best in cool, dry, dark place (garage, basement, cellar, etc), and should keep well if stored this way for 3 to 6 weeks.

2011 Season Comes to a Close: Thank You & See you Next Season

That’s right, it’s here, the last week of the 2011 CSA season has arrived. Thank you to you, our members, for another great season. Thank you to our generous and patient site hosts and site coordinators for offering their space and time for another season of successful pick-ups. And thank you to our awesome and hard working crew for seeding, planting, weeding, harvesting, irrigating, tractoring, washing, packing, and delivering all season long in order to bring you your share of the harvest each week.

Also, a final reminder to box share members to please return your final empty bin (and any others you may have collected) to your site within 1 week of your final pick-up. We will be by to collect them on or after your usual delivery day next week. Monday sites please return your empty bins by Friday, December 23rd.

From the Farm Owner Shari:

As you enjoy the last harvest of the season I would like to say thank you for another great season together. We are proud to be your farmers; to nourish you and your families. As you know, when you eat locally you help preserve farmland, create jobs, build community and above all eat well. Being a CSA member increases your sense of place by intimately connecting you to the land and weather of the greater Portland area.

We are already busy planning for the 2012 and could use your help in several ways:

  • Email us with any thoughts you would like to share with us about the 2011 season. We appreciate your feedback.
  • Please let friends, family and co-workers know about the joys of being an SIO CSA member.
  • Consider signing up early and paying early if your budget allows. It helps us cover our winter expenses and determine how much to time to put toward filling up the CSA this winter.

We at SIO wish you and your family a happy and peace filled New Year. We look forward to growing for you in 2012.
Shari Raider & the SIO Crew

Recipes

Brussels Sprouts Recipes

Garlic-Crumbed Roasted Brussels Sprouts
From Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

1 to 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, or quartered if large
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Lightly oil a half sheet pan (preferred) or large shallow roasting pan. Mound the Brussels sprouts on the sheet pan, drizzle the oil over them, and toss gently to coat. Arrange the sprouts in a single uncrowded layer. Roast for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking, until the sprouts are tender and lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine the butter, garlic, breadcrumbs, and cheese in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the Brussels sprouts, return to the oven, and roast for about 8 minutes longer, until the breadcrumbs are golden. Serve hot.

 

Chicken Saute with Brussels Sprouts
From Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

Note: This recipe is easily doubled to make 4 servings.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
1 large shallot, onion, or leek, minced
1/4 chicken broth
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

Remove any fat from the chicken, rinse, and pat dry. Using a meat mallet or heavy skillet, pound the chicken breast halves between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour until lightly coated. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the same skillet and heat through. Add the Brussels sprouts, carrots, shallots/onions/leeks, and sauté until partly tender, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and continue cooking until the vegetables are completely tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Add the vinegar; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among two plates and top with the chicken to serve.

Carrot Recipes

Whole Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
From Francesca Benedetti (CSA Coordinator)

Note: This is one of my favorite things to do because you get your main dish and a side dish all in one. Add a fresh kale salad and your set. The vegetables you can roast in the pan with the chicken and can be interchanged freely, so try using beets, winter squash, or parsnips too.

1 (3 1/2 -5 pound) whole chicken, gizzards removed (can save to make stock)
1 lemon, cut into quarters
2-4 tablespoons butter
2-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
1 leek, sliced in to 1/4-inch rounds (or onion quartered or shallots halved)
2-3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2-3 parsnips, cut into 1-inch rounds (could also use beets)
2-3 medium potatoes, cut into quarters or eighths (could also use Delicata winter squash)
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Rinse and clean chicken and pat dry. Prepare chicken for roasting by sliding slices of butter and sprigs of rosemary under skin. Salt and pepper all of chicken, and stuff 2 lemons slices inside the chicken. Choose a pan for roasting (I like to use a deep roasting dish or a roasting pan that has a rack layer and shallow drip pan. I cook the chicken on top of the rack, putting the veggies under the roasting chicken in the drip pan). Depending on which way you choose to roast you will either place the chicken in the deep roasting pan and spread the chopped vegetables and lemon slices in the pan around the chicken or you will place the vegetables and 2 remaining lemon slices in the bottom drip pan, place the rack layer on top and place the chicken on top of that. Which ever method you choose make you sure salt, pepper, and drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and baste both chicken and veggies with chicken broth at the beginning and every 20 minutes or so while its roasting. Roast at 350˚F for at least and hour, longer if it’s a larger chicken. Turn up the oven to 400˚F for the last 15-25 minutes of roasting, basting at least once during that time. Remove the roasting pan from the oven when chicken is cooked through (I check internal temperature with a meat thermometer). Let chicken and vegetables rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Best Ever Carrot Cake
From www.cooks.com

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup of ground walnuts
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour a 13×9-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients, including the walnuts, and set aside. In a large bowl cream together the sugar and vegetable oil. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then add the grated carrots and mix well. Slowly stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, and cool completely if frosting.

Cream Cheese Icing (optional, but delicious):

4 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt

Cream butter and cheese; add icing sugar, vanilla and salt. Spread over fully cooled carrot cake.

 

Leek Recipe

Turkey and Leek Shepard’s Pie
Adapted from Eating Well in Season by Jessie Price

Note: This is a great recipe for using leftover roasted turkey or chicken. You can also poach chicken breasts by placing boneless skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or sauce pan, adding lightly salted water to cover and bringing to a boil, and reducing heat and simmering gently until chicken cooks through and is no longer pink in the middle (10-12 minutes).

For Filling:

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks white and light green parts only, well washed and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots and/or parnsips
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
1 cup frozen peas optional
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

 

For Mashed Potatoes:

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 to 3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

To Prepare Filling: Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks and carrots and cook, stirring, until the leeks soften, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more.  Pour in wine and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add flour and sage and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour starts to turn light brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and the carrots are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add turkey (or chicken) and peas and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a deep 10-inch pie pan or other 2-quart baking dish and set aside.

To Mash Potatoes and Bake Pie: Place potatoes in a large sauce pan and add cold salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pan. Cover and shake the pan over low heat to dry the potatoes slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher, or whip with and electric mixer, adding enough buttermilk to make a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread the potatoes on top of the turkey mixture. With the back of the spoon, make decorative swirls. Set the dish on a baking sheet and bake until potatoes and filling are heated through and the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

 

Parsnip Recipes

Parsnip and Parmesan Soup
From Fine Cooking In Season

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds parsnips, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice (a scant 4 cups)
6 ounces shallots, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cups)
8 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano, plus tiny sprigs for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 1/2 cups homemade or reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Melt the butter in a 5-quart or larger stockpot set over medium heat. While the butter is still foaming, add the parsnips and cook until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes (resist the urge to stir too often or they won’t brown). Stir in the shallots, garlic, chopped oregano, salt and pepper, and cook until the shallot is very limp and the entire mixture is beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, and cook until the parsnips are soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool somewhat.

Puree the soup using a stand or hand-held immersion blender (you’ll need to work in batches if using a stand blender—be careful to fill the blender no more than 1/3 full and hold a towel over the lid while you turn it on). Return the soup to the pot and stir in the Parmigiano, soy sauce, and lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Reheat soup and garnish each serving with an oregano sprig.

 

Mashed Parsnips with Lemon and Herbs
From Eating Well in Season

Kosher salt
2 pounds parsnips, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 1/2-to 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup crème fraiche
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon, plus 1 tablespoon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, mint, parsley, dill or a mix (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the parsnips and cook until tender when pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the parsnips in a colander and let them steam under a clean kitchen towel for about 5 minutes. Return the parsnips to the pot and mash them with a potato masher, keeping them rather rough. Stir in the crème fraiche, butter, lemon zest, and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warm serving bowl and sprinkle with the chopped herbs if desired.

 

Potato Recipes

Turkey and Leek Shepard’s Pie
(see above in Leek Recipes)

Whole Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
(see above in Carrot Recipes)

 

Winter Squash Recipes

Winter Squash (or Pumpkin) Pancakes
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup squash puree (from any winter squash or pumpkins you have)
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/3-1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3-1/2 cup rolled oats (optional)

In a medium bowl mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir the liquid pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, just enough to combine. Add chopped walnuts and/or rolled oats if desired. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot with maple syrup.

 

Winter Squash Curry Soup
Adapted from www.cooks.com

5 tbsp. butter
3 1/2 cups winter squash puree (any type of squash you have will work)
2 cups leeks, chopped (white and pale-green parts only)
3/4 cups onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. salt
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 tsp. curry powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cayenne
6 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
pinch of sugar

To prepare soup, melt butter in a heavy 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and onion and sauté until onions are softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, winter squash, sugar and spices. Add stock and cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Purée soup in pan with immersion blender (or working in batches, purée soup in blender). This can be made up to 2 days before using. Just reheat soup slowly to a simmer when ready to use.

 

Shallot Recipe

Shallot Vinaigrette
From www.epicurious.com

1/2 cup chopped shallots
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk shallots, rice vinegar and Dijon mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Categories : Blogroll, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates, Recipe, Uncategorized

CSA News: Week 28- December 6 to December 12

Posted by csa on
 December 6, 2011

week28_share_2011

This Week’s Share

Crop

 Family Share

Individual Share

 Carrots  2 pounds  1 pound
 Collard Greens  1 bunch  1 bunch
 Leeks  2 each  2 each
 Onions, Copra  3 each  ——-
 Potatoes, Sangre  3 pounds  1 1/2 pounds
 Winter Squash, Delicata  6 each  3 each

 

SIO is Keeping it Local in 2012…right down to the Recipes!

katherine_duemling
As we begin to plan for 2012 we wanted to let you know about an exciting change we will be making to our Blog for next season. We will be teaming up with Katherine Duemling (pictured above) and her SE Portland based Cook with What you Have (www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com) to bring you weekly recipes and other cooking tips related to your weekly share.

Katherine says “I help people cook more often and have fun in the kitchen by becoming confident, creative cooks using what grows in our fertile region. By offering tips, recipes and simple and creative ways to use the produce I hope to eliminate any fear or guilt of not using all the produce or the boredom of making stir-fries every night”.

Katherine’s recipes and tips will appear weekly on our blog and you can also follow her on her blog (http://cookwithwhatyouhave.wordpress.com/) where she talks about the ups and downs and the whats and whys of feeding a family well in this busy world.

Katherine also teaches classes focusing on what’s in season. The classes typically focus on straightforward weeknight dinners. Her most popular class is a series called Eat Better: Kitchen Fundamentals, Pantry Stocking, and 30-minute dinners. Rather than focusing on how to cut an onion or make salad dressing the focus of this series is on an approach to ingredients and food and building confidence and technique to be creative and successful in the kitchen, i.e. comfort in adapting recipes; substituting when necessary; tasting and adjusting as you go; and learning lots of new recipes using what is in season in our region.

We look forward to having Katherine’s recipes and tips as part of our blog in 2012, but for now check out her recipe for Winter Veggie Hash below!

 

Recipes

Carrot Recipes

Quick Winter Veggie Hash with Salsa Verde and Poached Egg
From the Cook with What You Have Blog by Kathering Duemling

This is a quick way to use a variety of vegetables such as zucchini, potatoes, parsnips, all of which you can grate. You can also use veggies you can’t grate but cut into small dice like peppers, broccoli, etc. It’s a great brunch or dinner dish. It can be adapted in many ways. You can add any leftover meat or add bacon or sausage. It’s fabulous with the salsa verde but if you don’t have time or interest in that, toss in the herbs noted below.

Serves 4

3 medium carrots, scrubbed trimmed and grated on the large holes of box grater, or w/ food processor (could also use potatoes)
1 small delicata squash, cut in half, seeds and strings removed and grated
1/2 onion, diced or several scallions sliced into thin rounds (could also use leek)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Handful of basil or parsley, chopped, or 2 tablespoons chopped chives (optional–see note above)
4 eggs, poached (see below)

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the onions and veggies all at once. Add a couple of pinches of salt and stir well. Cook on high heat for several minutes and then turn down to medium-high as the veggies start to brown. Cook for about 7-10 minutes until veggies are tender and a bit browned. Just before the veggies are done add the chopped herbs, if using. Adjust for salt and add freshly ground pepper.

Poaching Eggs

Bring plenty of water to boil in a wide pot. Add about 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar to the water. The vinegar is the trick to pretty poached eggs so don t skimp on it. One at a time crack an egg into a small bowl and slide it gently into the boiling water. Continue until all eggs are in the water. Cook for about 4-5 minutes to get firm whites and runny yolks. Lift out of the water with a slotted spoon. You can trim the edges if they are really ratty.

Serve the hash topped with a poached egg and a tablespoon or so of Salsa Verde, see recipe below.

Salsa Verde

This is a versatile, zippy sauce. I often just make it with parsley garlic, lemon juice, oil and salt but the addition of capers, onions and egg make it even better.

You can use a food processor for this since (except the egg white which you add at the very end, chopped by hand) but you can also just chop everything by hand. It‘s not intended to have a smooth, uniform texture so don’t overprocess if you go that route.

1 1/2 cups finely chopped parsley (about one medium bunch)
Grated zest of 1-2 lemons
1 shallot or chunk of onion, finely diced (optional)
2-3 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)
1-2 small garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white or red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 hard-boiled egg (optional)

Combine all the ingredients except the egg, salt, and pepper. Mash the egg yolk until smooth, adding a little of the sauce to thin it. Finely chop the white. Stir the yolk and the white back into the sauce, season with salt and pepper and adjust lemon/vinegar as needed.

Collard Greens Recipes

Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens
From Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) black-eyed peas
1 pound smoked pork neck bones or ham hocks
2 dried cayenne peppers
1 pound collard greens, stems removed, cleaned and cut into 1-inch strips
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soak the peas in water to cover at room temperature for 6 hours. Drain. In a 4-quart pot, bring 3 cups water and the neck bones to a boil. Lower the heat to simmering. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the drained peas and the peppers. Cook and cover for 30 minutes. Stir in the collard greens. There should be enough liquid to cover the greens; if not, add water as needed. Simmer, stirring, until the greens and peas are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the peppers and pork bones or ham hocks; let the pork cool slightly. Set the pot aside. When the pork is cool enough to handle, remove the meat and coarsely shred it. Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper. This can be made up to 3 days ahead; reheat over low heat, adding water and seasoning as needed.

 

Collards with Potatoes
Adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

1 pound collard greens, thick stems removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely diced
3 or 4 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces (optional)
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 plump garlic cloves, finely chopped
Good pinch red pepper flakes
Hot pepper sauce or vinegar for the table

Stem and wash the greens. Bring a few quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and the greens, then simmer for 10 minutes. Scoop them into a bowl. Add the potatoes to the cooking water and simmer until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until browned. Set it on paper towels to drain, discard the fat, and wipe out the pan. Return the pan to the heat, add the oil, and when it’s hot, add the onion. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the cooked greens, then add them to the pan along with the garlic and pepper flakes. Scoop some of the potato water into the pan as well so that everything cooks in a little moisture, add more water as needed. When the potatoes are tender, scoop them out and add them to the greens. Add the bacon, then toss everything together. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Keep everything distinct or mash the potatoes in to the greens. It’s messy looking this way, but especially good. Season with pepper sauce or vinegar to taste. Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a side.

 

 

Leek Recipes

Potato Leek Soup
From www.simplyrecipes.com

2 large leeks, cut lengthwise and chopped (use only the white and pale green parts)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)*
2 pounds potatoes, peeled (if desired), diced into 1/2 inch pieces
Marjoram – dash
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Tabasco sauce or other red chili sauce
Salt & Pepper

Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover pan, cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Check often. Do not brown leeks! Browning will give leeks a burnt taste. Add water, broth, and potatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Scoop about half of the soup mixture into a blender, puree and return to pan. Add marjoram, parsley, and thyme. Add a few dashes of chili sauce to taste. Add some freshly ground pepper, 1-2 teaspoons salt or more to taste.

 

Lamb and Leek Flatbread
From Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

Note: Think of this as a Greek pizza, and you have some idea what’s to come.

1/2 recipe Basic Pizza Dough (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces ground lamb
1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoon pine nuts (optional)

Prepare the pizza dough and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the lamb to the skillet and sauté until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and combine with the leeks. Sprinkle with the rosemary and season generously with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 500˚F. Lightly oil a 10-inch or 12-inch round pizza pan or a 12-by 15-inch baking sheet. Stretch the dough to fit the pan. Brush the dough with a little olive oil. Scatter the lamb mixture over the pizza dough. Top with feta and pine nuts, if using. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven until the crust is golden, about 12 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

 

Potatoes Recipes

Potato Leek Soup
(see above in Leek Recipes)

Collards with Potatoes
(see above in Collard Greens Recipes)

 

Winter Squash Recipes

Curried Lentil-Stuffed Delicata Squash
From Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

1 cup channa dhal, or yellow split peas
7 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 larger or 3 smaller Delicata squashes
3 tablespoons sunflower, peanut, or canola oil
2 medium onions (or leeks), thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 cup buttermilk (or coconut milk)
Hot cooked rice, for serving

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Combine lentils, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, slices the squashes in half horizontally. Remove and discard the seeds and fiber. Place skin-side up in a baking dish and add 1-inch of water to the dish. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the squashes are partially tender. While the squashes are baking, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, and curry powder, and sauté gently until the onions are golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the lentils and return to the pan. Stir the onion mixture and buttermilk into lentils and cook over low heat, stirring, until the lentils are creamy, about 5 minutes. Drain the water from the baking dish that holds the squashes. Turn the squashes flesh-side up an fill with lentil mixture. Return to the oven to bake for 20 minutes, until the squashes are completely tender. Serve hot, accompanied by the rice.

 

Quick Winter Veggie Hash with Poached Egg and Salsa Verde
(see above in Carrot Recipes)

Categories : Blogroll, CSA Newsletter, Farm News & Updates, Recipe, Uncategorized
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