July 31, 2008
Summer stand
Yum!
'mate-os!! Red 'maters, yellow 'maters, green zebra 'maters, yum, yum!
Anna weighing out arugula
July 29, 2008
CSA Week Seven
News from the field:
Well, now we have had enough rain, thank you!
Seriously, this has been the wettest July on record, and it has started to affect our crops. First the rain interrupted our regular plantings of greens because we could not prepare the ground we need each week. Now, the rain is rotting what lettuce and greens we do have in the field.
Keep the faith! We will get back to mesclun and lettuce someday, but it’s not this week. For now you will need to enjoy the stuff that isn’t affected so badly by the rain. Which is why it is good we try to grow 30-40 different veggies – the weather every year is bound to be good for some of them!
In the Basket:
This is an especially large basket this week. Summer’s bounty is in!!
Zucchini or Zephyr (bicolored summer squash) – Try Sarah’s stuffed zucchini recipe on the back!!
Potatoes and arugula – Try Zach’s mashed potatoes with arugula recipe also on the back!!
Eggplant – There are lots of great recipes on the blog – Andrea Searls’ eggplant caponata and eggplant parmesan, fire roasted eggplant from Dana. I gotta get Eli Emerson’s sweet and sour eggplant recipe . . .
Blueberries from Knoll Farm at the Center for Whole Communities
Tomatoes AND cherry tomatoes – The NY Times has a whole Times Topic forum dedicated to tomatoes with lots and lots of recipes. “Of all the produce that tastes amazingly better in season . . . none inspires the same cultish devotion as summer tomatoes.” For new ideas to add to your tomato repertoire, check it out!
Zach Hatch’s Golden Mashed Potatoes and Arugula
2.5 lb Yukon gold potatoes quartered
1 bunch arugula, about 4 oz. stemmed
1 cup lowfat buttermilk or sour milk.
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp minced fresh chives
-Steam potatoes in steamer basket until very tender 25-30 min.
-Cut arugula leaves crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
-Combine potatoes, buttermilk, and pepper. Mash to a coarse puree. Stir in the arugula and chives.
Zucchini!
The summer vegetables are in! The kitchen, cooler, and fields are full of delicious veggies and I decided to combine a bunch of them for dinner last night.
Adapting my mom's recipe for the season, I made stuffed zucchini using tomatoes, garlic, carrots, and (of course) zukes from the farm. Thanks to Anna for the photo!
- Sarah
Sarah Elichko’s Stuffed Zucchini
2 zucchini (or more, if desired)
1 ripe tomato, chopped
At least 2 large cloves of garlic (fresh or cured), more if they're smaller
A few small carrots, or one larger one, chopped
Homemade bread crumbs (Toast thin slices of bread and tear into tiny pieces)
A few green onions, and/or scallions
Fresh thyme (or another herb if you prefer)
Olive oil for drizzling
Butter
Salt and pepper
Slice the zucchini length-wise in half. Using a sharp knife, cut along the seeds inside the zucchini halves. Remove the seeds & center section with a spoon. Pre-heat the oven to 375* F. Put some bread-crumbs into each zucchini shell. Add some chopped carrot, green onion/scallions, and tomato to each shell. Slice the garlic into thin slices, and place the garlic slices in between the veggies and bread-crumbs. Drizzle olive oil liberally over each stuffed zucchini, and bake at 375* for 30 min. Every 7-10 minutes, baste the zucchini with a small amount of water or veggie stock (make sure to keep the bread-crumbs somewhat moist). 5 minutes before removing zucchini from the oven, put a small amount of butter onto a spoon or knife and lightly coat the top edge of the zucchini and the top of the veggie stuffing.
July 24, 2008
Garlic
Lots of rain this week. I mean, a lot. So we pulled the garlic a little early to prevent it from rotting. Now we have garlic hanging in the shed and the barn. It smells nice with the rain. And this rain is tropical rain, from a storm that came up the coast. It is always funny, but sometimes with these storms you can smell the ocean. And now the garlic too.
July 23, 2008
CSA Week Six
News from the field:
Rain, rain, rain. And then some more rain. We have actually had a hard time getting our plantings in this year because of the consistent rain. Right now, the concern is getting our final plantings in for fall, and we need some dry weather, soon. But there is only so much you can do about the weather, and it always seems to work out some way, some how.
In other news, we harvested our garlic in advance of the rains, and now are working on getting it all up to dry. The tomatoes continue to boom, and our warm weather field crops, like eggplants, peppers, and melons are chugging along. High summer has come to the farm, and that is nice.
In the Basket:
Zucchini – Try them grilled or grated, raw or sliced thin and sauted with garlic then tossed with some fresh thyme or lemon.
Cucumber – Field cucumbers are in!! The ones you had been getting before had been hothouse ones, which taste delicious, but are more expensive to grow. Garden cukes we can be more liberal with. So now we celebrate the abundance of the field cukes with 6 for each basket!
Fresh garlic – Please keep this in the refrigerator. You can cut the stick off and discard it.
Eggplant – We grow two varieties of eggplant – a long thin purple Asian eggplant and a small white and purple striped eggplant called fairytale. They are both awesome. Not bitter at all. Please don’t refrigerate them though, or they will get bitter. Check out Anna’s recipe on the back!!
Tomatoes AND cherry tomatoes – Enjoy!
Anna’s Fresh Tomato and Eggplant with Pasta
Two or three tomatoes
One or two eggplant
One onion or a bunch of scallions
A handful of basil
Olive oil
Chop the tomatoes and the scallions and put them into a pan with a fair amount of olive oil. Gently mash the tomatoes once they have begun to simmer. Chop the eggplant into small pieces and add it to the tomato and scallion sauce. Cook over a medium heat for several minutes, or until the eggplant is soft. Turn off the heat and add a handful of fresh chopped basil.
Note: for a thicker sauce, mash the tomatoes and pour off extra liquid before cooking them.
July 22, 2008
July 17, 2008
CSA Week Five
News from the field:
Whoa!! We are riding the tomato wave and right now the wave is cresting!! We have tomatoes coming out of our ears, they are under the chair, and in the back seat of the car. They are everywhere! And they are pretty good, if we do say so ourselves. Big red ones, little cherry ones, we have them, and now you do too in your basket. Tomatoes are by far the biggest proportion of our sales on the farm each year, and with our greenhouses, this is the peak of our tomato production.
In other news July is actually when we begin to set up our fall plantings. It seems funny to be thinking about fall when it is so summery, but we need to always be thinking a season ahead around here. So we are preparing ground and planting carrots, beets, kale, collards, turnips and cabbage for fall. Plant, plant, plant, pick, pick, pick. That is about all we do in July. And hope that the weeds don't catch us!
In the Basket:
Yukon gold potatoes – The first of the yukons. These are a yellow, buttery, firm potato. Yukons are excellent for roasting and (though this point is hotly debated) probably the best mashing potato we grow.
English cucumber – These are crisper, drier, and more seedless than regular garden cukes. Plus the fancy ridges!
Fresh garlic – Keep this garlic in the fridge, not the cupboard. It’s fresh, not cured. Peel back the layers on the bulb for fresh, great tasting garlic.
Scallions – Check out Sarah’s scallion butter sauce recipe idea on the back.
Arugula – Try Andrew’s arugula pizza recipe idea on the back.
Tomatoes AND Cherry tomatoes – Tomatoes are IN! Enjoy!
Intern recipes
Sarah’s Scallion Sauce
Melt half a stick of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Chop a handful of scallions and toss them into the butter.
Saute the scallions for several minutes then remove from heat.
Scallion sauce can be poured over roasted or boiled potatoes.
It is also delicious on broccoli or pasta.
Andrew’s Arugula Pizza Idea
Andrew suggested adding arugula to pizza. The secret is adding the arugula just AFTER the pizza comes out of the oven. The heat of the pizza will wilt the arugula slightly and enhance the delicious taste.
You can do this on pizza with or without tomato sauce. Epicurious suggests making a regular mozzarella and red sauce pizza then scattering prosciutto and arugula over the top right when you pull it from the oven. Other potential things from the basket to use as toppings in combination or not as you see fit: garlic, sliced boiled potatoes, or thin slices of tomato.
July 16, 2008
Tomato time
Mmmmmmm . . . 'maters.
The surfboard that is Old Shaw Farm is riding the tomato wave right now, and it is cresting!! Tomatoes, tomatoes, everywhere!! Red and yellowy ones from the heated greenhouses, cherry tomatoes, red ones, orange ones, green stripy ones from the unheated hoophouses, and even the beginning of our field tomatoes!
Emily picking tomatoes in the greenhouse.
We are not an intensely religious family, but we do occasionally say grace at dinner, and tonight Maryellen said the following grace, "Dear God, thank you for tomatoes, and for making them so yummy and good for you. And for all the other vegetables too. Amen." That kind of sums it up around here. We try to do lots of veggies well, but we literally grow and sell tons of tomatoes each year. Each year we grow more tomatoes and think, "We can't possible sell all these!" And sure enough, they go like hotcakes this time of year. So thank you God for tomatoes! They sure are yummy!
Sarah picking tomatoes in the greenhouse.
More 'maters.
July 15, 2008
Anna organized the seeds
Anna came up with a great system for organizing our seeds. Anna said that at Free Bird Farm, where she worked last summer, they kept seeds in an old (and unplugged) refrigerator in the barn both because it kept the seeds at a more stable temperature and because it was pest proof. We had old refrigerators in the stand that we weren't using any more (ever since we got the glass fronted fridge), so the crew moved them into the barn, and Anna organized all the seed by family.
We really do have a great crop of interns this year. Thank you Anna!!!
July 09, 2008
CSA Week Four
News from the field:
High season! This is the time of year things start popping around here. The tomatoes are starting to crest, and we are starting to harvest things from the field besides greens. The soil is drying out a little and we should be able to get caught up on our plantings in the next week or so. The only down side are the weeds weeds weeds. This heat, along with moisture in the soil, means that the weeds have been going gang-busters. But with some luck, we should be able to get those under control soon too. In the meantime, enjoy summer! It's here!
In the Basket:
The very first of the new potatoes are in. These are sweet, tender and delicious. We ate them boiled with butter, which were awesome. But as I walked through the kitchen just now, I munched on some of the roasted ones Andrew, our intern, made, and they were great. He said he sliced them mostly in half, tossed them with olive oil, some onion sprouts that never got planted, garlic scapes, some beets and then put them in the pan with just a little water (which evaporated). He cooked them at 425, and tossed in more olive oil and rosemary at the end.
You’ve also got a cucumber which Sarah and Anna, our other interns, also had a great recipe for. Anna called it “Sort of Turkish Yogurt and Cucumber Thing.” Peel and grate the cuke and then let it drain. Saute garlic (scapes), oregano and mint, then added the drained cuke and yogurt (not on heat). Add salt, pepper and olive oil. Eat warm or chilled. This is a side dish/salad/sauce that goes well with Indian food but is also good just as is.
Broccoli is also in this week. Everyone expects local tomatoes to taste way better than supermarket tomatoes, which they of course do, but broccoli is one of those veggies that sometimes surprise people – how much better local, fresh broccoli tastes. One CSAer said her kids refuse to eat supermarket broccoli but love CSA broccoli. Our kids like to eat broccoli raw with dip (salad dressing). It can also be fun to heat an iron pan as hot as you can, add oil, then throw in the broccoli pieces, and sear. Once it starts to turn brown, throw in minced garlic, hot pepper flakes, and a healthy pinch of salt. Cover and turn heat down heat for about few minutes until broccoli is tender.
Two lovely leafy heads of lettuce to round out your basket.
And the grand finale: Tomatoes and basil for the yummy recipe from Janet McConnell on the back. Thank you Janet!!!!
Janet McConnell’s Fettuccine with Marinated Tomatoes, Basil & Cream
1 /2 pounds ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped basil.....20-25 leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 pound pasta ('tho it can easily be more)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
2-3 ounces Gorgonzola (or feta) cheese
Cut the tomatoes into large chunks and toss with the oil, garlic, basil 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper (I add lots more).
Heat the cream in a large skillet...reduce to about 1/2 cup (give or take). Lower the heat and add the tomatoes...cook together 3-4 minutes gently.
Add drained pasta and cheeses to the cream..toss together and serve.
I never have Gorgonzola on hand...have substituted feta with great results! (add it to the cream first and let it begin to melt (stirring) before adding the pasta.
It's from the Fields of Green (Somerville). Quick & delish !
July 02, 2008
CSA Week Three
News from the field:
Boy, what a frustrating string of weather. We prepare fields and plant crops every week to insure a continuous harvest of veggies for your basket. But the rain that we have had every day for the past three weeks has meant that we haven't been able to prepare ground and get our plantings in. If we prep the ground when it is too wet, it compacts the soil and prevents growth. The wet weather has also let the weeds grow like crazy, and prevented us from using our tractors to mechanically cultivate the weeds. So right now, the field is a mess! Hopefully we will get some dry weather soon and be able to catch up, but for the next few weeks, the greens in particular may be somewhat spotty in terms of their availability.
On the upside, the greenhouses have been doing great and we are about to hit our tomato high season. We love July around here, and yummy yummy tomatoes. Hope you enjoy the ones you have in your basket this week!
In the Basket:
Summertime is here. Tomatoes, basil, mesclun, cucumbers and . . .
Strawberries!!! This week’s strawberries are getting from Too Little Farm, in West Barnet. Too Little Farm is a diversified, certified organic farm, run by Elizabeth and Peter Everts, about a half a mile from our farm, as the crow flies. You can go there and pick your own strawberries starting Sunday, every day from 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon (or whenever they are picked out).
And direct from the Dining pages of the New York Times, beets and chard!! No but seriously the number one most emailed article on the Times tonight is The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating. Number 1 and 3 are beets and chard!! To quote “Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters” and “Chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes. How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.” Or just cooked with butter is good (my opinion, not the Times’s), or check out the meatloaf recipe on the back.
Finally, two reminders: I’m always looking for recipes – so if you have any good ones for the newsletter, I would love to get them. And trading out remains an option for CSAers. So, for example, if you don’t care for beets two weeks in a row, feel free to trade out! We’re starting to have more and more on the stand so there are better trade out choices now.
Happy 4th of July!!
Farmers Market Meatloaf
1 pound ground beef, preferably Badger Brook
3/4 cup torn up pieces of day old country style bread
½ cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
½ cup cheese (I used a combo of mozzarella and romano because that’s what I had, the original recipe said parmesan)
Salt and pepper
Veggies (substitute freely)**
1 bunch garlic scapes, finely chopped
1 cup or more chopped chard
A few sprigs oregano, destemmed and chopped
Put the bread in a bowl and pour the milk on it to soak while you chop veggies etc. Stir a few times so it gets all soaked.
Mix everything up. Don’t overmix or it makes the meatloaf tough. Put in a buttered loaf pan and bake at 350 for about an hour. Enjoy.
*** This was loosely based on the meatball recipe in Alice Waters’ Book The Art of Simple Food. I like this recipe as a way to use up miscellaneous veggies. You can use all sorts of combos, but use at least one allium (garlic, onion, etc.), at least one green (chard, parsley, spinach, etc.). The original recipe I based it on called for a small onion, grated, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon each chopped oregano and parsley, plus cayenne. I made it with the combo listed above and it was awesome (Deb and Vince’s beef helped a lot I think). I used a whole big bunch of chard, choppe (6 cups maybe?). I think that was too much chard for a true meatloaf, and so it fell apart when sliced. Using less chard or maybe cooking it first probably would’ve helped the meatloaf hold together better. But it was still really, really good. The kids ate it up and asked for seconds.