Week 10 2013 CSA Newsletter

This week on Eight Mile Creek Farm, we had a wonderful opportunity! The Times Union newspaper called me and wanted to come out to the farm to include my farm in a story they were doing about modern, industrialized farmed food versus the food produced on diversified family farms. They came out last Wednesday, then again on Friday. The story appeared in the Sunday issue of the Times Union on the front page! It gave me an opportunity to talk about theimportance of family farms in our communities and how important your support of us is. You can view the article here.

We hope you will enjoy this week’s produce:

• Escarole
• Heirloom Tomato Mix
• Cherry Tomato Mix
• Lime Basil
• Golden String Beans
• Kohlrabi
• Yellow Summer Squash
• Zucchini

Recipes:

Orzo With Feta and Cherry Tomatoes

• 1 lb orzo
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1⁄2 cup packed parsley leaves or 1 Tbsp dried
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1⁄2 lb feta cheese
• 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook orzo until al dente. In a heavy skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Saute’ pine nuts with salt to taste, stirring frequently, until golden about 2 min. Transfer nuts to a paper towel to drain and cool. Mince garlic and chop parsley. Quarter tomatoes and coarsely crumble feta. In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, parsley, vinegar, remaining oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add tomatoes with feta and gently toss to combine. Drain orzo and rinse until just warm. Add tomato mixture, tossing until combined. Serve topped with nuts.

Oven Roasted Escarole

• 1 large head escarole
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Split the escarole into quarters lengthwise. Rinse well but do not dry. Lay cut side up in a baking dish. Brush most of the olive oil over the leaves and season well with salt and pepper. Bake for 12- 15 minutes, then Turn and bake for another 5-8 minutes. Turn one more time so the cut side is facing up. When done, the edges of the leaves should be nicely browned. Brush with the remaining oil and serve.

Lime Basil Pesto

• Leaves from one bunch of lime basil
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1⁄4 cup pine nuts, walnuts or almonds
• 1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheese

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender. You can add any lemon basil leaves you may have left over from previous weeks. Blend until smooth. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. This pesto goes great with pasta, spread on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise, or spread on toast.

Next week……………….Savoy Cabbage and Radicchio