CSA Members 2011: Newsletter Archive

Summer Delivery #17

Dear CSA Members,

Organic CSA Share: September 13, 2011 (click for a larger image)

We are still accepting members for our November through May Winter shares!

These days of sunny weather are allowing us to catch up a bit on field preparations for Winter. The crops that we have harvested can be mowed and tilled into the soil, and fields need to be seeded in with rye and other cover crops to improve fertility and minimize soil loss. Although we still harvest, wash, and pack heavy loads each day, the tractor work is winding down. Everything we hope to have for Winter harvest has already been seeded and transplanted. So Mike's work now shifts to cover cropping, equipment maintenance, and more general farm work.

We still have three weeks remaining in the Summer/Fall delivery season. Final deliveries will take place the week of November 7th, and Winter shares will begin in mid-November.

As for today's box, we have a few Autumn goodies, including the first winter squash. The buttercup squash, like all Winter squashes, will keep for several weeks to months, and its flavor will improve with storage. Due to the rain and our late harvest, I would not recommend trying to store the squash long term, it will be best enjoyed in the next few weeks.

Our shallots, sadly, did not finish maturing to dry this season. We have included a fresh bunch today -- just use them like you would onions.

The green beans are still growing, to my surprise. This is the latest date in history (at least, that I can recall) that we have not yet experienced a killing frost. The clear days usually bring on cold nights, but so far, so good! Our coolest night has been in the upper 30s.

We have included escarole with this week's share as well. It is a mild, kind of lemony-tasting green, perfect for braising or sautéing. I have listed a recipe below, but encourage you to check out recipes online at Epicurious.com or at our website. You may find one that truly inspires you. Search Epicurious.com or search our recipe collection for ideas.

Winter shares are now available!

See our CSA offerings & sign up now!

Baked Escarole

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 head escarole
• 2 ounces (at least) gorgonzola
• bread crumbs
• salt & pepper to taste

procedure

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low heat and stir in flour until a thick paste forms. Slowly add the milk to the flour stirring constantly to make a simple white sauce. Simmer while you cut escarole in half, rinse, and steam in a double boiler until wilted, about 5 min. Arrange escarole, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish, and cover with white sauce. Break the cheese into small pieces and sprinkle over sauce, top with bread crumbs, then bake in a preheated oven at 400° for about ten minutes or until lightly browned.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Green Onions

Feel free to use different root vegetables for this recipe!

ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 large beets, peeled, quartered
• 2 potatoes, quartered
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 2-inch-long pieces
• 2 parsnips, peeled, cut diagonally into 2-inch-long pieces
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 rutabaga, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, peeled, quartered through root end
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions

procedure

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix oil, syrup and garlic in small bowl. Place all remaining ingredients except butter and green onions on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. Pour oil mixture over; toss to coat. Spread out vegetables in single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer vegetables to platter. Drizzle vegetables with butter. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve immediately.

Bon Appétit, March 1997

Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots

ingredients

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and halved
• 1/2 pound medium shallots
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sprig fresh thyme leaves or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

procedure

Cook beans in boiling salted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well. Cut off and discard ends from shallots, and slice shallots thinly. Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until shallots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add beans to shallots in skillet and stir over medium-high heat until heated through, about 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, December 2006

Squash Miso Soup

ingredients

• 1 kabocha squash
• 2-4 carrots sliced into 1/8 inch rings
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/2-1 cup minced onion
• 2-3 tbsp. red miso
• 2 tsp olive oil
• A pinch of cayenne (optional)

procedure

Peel squash and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in large saucepan. Add enough water to just cover. Simmer until squash is tender. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic. Sautee until onion is soft. Add carrots, cover and cook about ten minutes. When squash is tender, pour squash and liquid into food processor and blend until smooth. Return to saucepan and add sautéed vegetables. Dissolve miso in 1/2 cup warm water and blend into soup. Heat gently (about 20 minutes) until flavors blend. Add cilantro. Add cayenne to taste.