Weeks 3 & 4 2013 CSA Newsletter

This is a combined week 3 and week 4 newsletter.

Due to the extreme heat, we will not be processing chickens again this week.  We keep our chickens in a natural environment and they receive only 100% certified organic feed, so there is no way to speed up their growth through these extremely hot, humid days.  You will be receiving the chicken(s) you missed the last couple of weeks in the weeks to come,  when the weather will hopefully break.

 

Week 3 Veggies:

• Red leaf Lettuce
• Mustard Greens
• Spinach or Rhubarb
• Rainbow Chard
• Tarragon
• Radishes

Week 4 Veggies:

• Green Leaf Lettuce
• Swiss Chard
• Escarole
• Beets
• Parsley
• Radishes
• Cilantro

Recipes:

Radish Green Soup

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 quart water or chicken broth
• Tops from 2 bunches of radishes
• 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper

Rinse greens.  Coarsely chop potatoes and onion.  Remove zest from lemon, then juice the lemon.  In a large pot, heat oil and butter.  Add onion and potatoes and cook for 5 min.  Add water or stock, radish greens and 1 tsp salt.  Cook until greens are wilted and potatoes are soft, about 10 min.  Stir in lemon juice and zest.  Puree’.  Taste for salt and pepper.  Serve hot or cold.  Garnish with radish slices.

Swiss chard with garlic

• 1 bunch Swiss chard
•  olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Tear leves from stems of chard and chop stems as you would celery.  Heat a large pot over mediium heat and add the olive oil and garlic.  Add chard stems.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes.  Rough chop chard leaves and add to pot.  Mix to coat with olive oil.  Turn heat to low and cover pot.  Stir frequently to cook evenly, another 4 minutes, until tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

Tarragon Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup shallots, chopped
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• ¼ cup champaigne vinegar
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 bunch fresh tarragon leaves
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup grpeseed oil

Puree’ all but oils in blender.  Slowly add oils and blend until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper .

marthastewart.com

Sauteed Lettuce

• 3-4 Tbsp butter
• 1 large head lettuce
• Cut crosswise into thin strips
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp snipped fresh or 1 tsp dried chives

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat.  Stir in lettuce and season with salt and pepper.  Stir gently until just wilted, 3-4 minutes.  Serve with chives as a garnish.

Radish Butter

• Great spread on crusty, whole grain bread
• ½ cup chopeed radishes
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (with optional lemon zest)
• Salt

Wash radishes and chop medium fine.  Mash butter with herbs and zest if using.  Add cut-up radishes.  Mix well.  Add salt to taste.

Cilantro pesto

This pesto can be used on pasta, about 2 Tbsp per portion, with equal parts olive oil.  It can be made in advance and stored in fridge.  Run a film of olive oil over the top before storing in fridge.

Puree’ in blender or food processor:

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• Add until it forms a thick puree’:
• ¾  cup grated Parmesan cheese.

When the mixture is really thick, add very slowly, stirring constantly: About ¾ cup olive oil until the consistency of creamed butter.

Beans and Greens Tacos with Goat Cheese

Escarole is a bitter green which is often found in Italian-inspired salads.  It makes a great green sauteed with garlic and olive oil and also does wonderful in beans and greens recipes.  Here’s a good one:

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 red onions, sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
• 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 head escarole, washed and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 8 white corn tortillas
• 1/3 cup soft goat cheese
• 8 cilantro sprigs

Heat oil in large high-sided skillet over mdm heat.  Cook onions until soft, about 6 min.  Add garlic, and cook for 1 min.  Stir in escarole, beans and stock.  Cook until greens are wilted and beans are warmed through, about 4 min.  Season with salt and pepper.  Using tongs, hod each tortilla directly over a gas flame, turning, until heated through, about 5 seconds.  Or, wrap tortillas in foil and warm in a 350 degree oven.  Spoon filling onto tortillas.  Top with cheese and cilantro.

Adapted from marthastewart.com

Please return all glass jars.  Thank you!