CSA Report: Dancing Hen Farms Week Four

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Check out week four of my share from the Dancing Hen CSA*. Nothing makes it more clear that we’re now officially in summer than the fact that we’re seeing more squash and less delicate lettuces (the heads of lettuce I did get this week are hearty and crunchy). I got a pound of string beans (which I promptly combined with another bundle from the Fair Food Farmstand and turned into four pints of Dilly Beans), a bag of mixed lettuces, one bundle cookable greens (I’m not sure what kind I got, and I’ve misplaced the paper that could tell me), one bag of mixed braising greens (which I braised with onion and a splash of white wine), a bundle of swiss chard, several heads of lettuce, three yellow squashes and two cucumbers (that still have those lovely prickles that mean they’re straight from the field).

Some of you might remember that when I posted my CSA report last week, I expressed some unhappiness with my share. Since then, I’ve been reminded of an important CSA membership truth. At its core, CSA membership is not about the vegetables. You buy a share because you’re committed to supporting local agriculture and the survival of the independent family farm. The produce just happens to be a nice perk of that pledge of support. If your farmers do well during your membership, you benefit. If they don’t do as well during your season, well, that’s just the risk you run when it comes to agriculture. If you’re not willing to take that risk, save your money and shop at your local farmers market instead.

I feel ashamed that it took a call from Don, my CSA’s farmer, to be reminded of this essential CSA fact. He and his wife came across my blog post, and were so dismayed that one of their members was unhappy that they called to check in, at the end of what was for them a very long day. Don, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that I very much appreciated that you reached out. Your action renewed my faith in the Dancing Hen CSA and has helped recommit me to the act that is joining a farm share.

*I pick up my share on Thursdays, the holiday weekend totally threw off my rhythm as far as posting a report is concerned.

CSA report Lancaster Farm Fresh

1 head green cabbage – certified organic – Goshen View Organics
4 green zucchini – certified organic – Autumn Blend Organics
2 green slicing cucumbers – certified organic – Elm Tree Organics
1 bunch Detroit red beets – certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 bunch dandelion greens – certified organic – Hillside Organics
1 bunch shallots – certified organic – Busy Bee Acres
1 bunch Swiss chard – certified organic – Organic Willow Acres
1 head green leaf lettuce – certified organic – Back 40 Ranch

This week’s Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA offered a few new items. I’m not wild about the bitterness of Dandelion Greens, but I’m willing to give them a try. We got some beautiful zucchinis and bumpy slicing cucumbers, and more beets! I’m still not tired of them. Last week I tried a new recipe from http://www.epicurious.com (originally in the Sept. 1998 Gourmet) that utilized both the beets and the greens. I added extra horseradish for more kick and loved the rich color. I’ve reprinted the recipe below.

Beet and Beet Green Risotto with Horseradish

  *  1 small onion
  * 1 pound red beets with greens (about 3 medium)
  * 4 cups water
  * 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
  * 1 cup Arborio or long-grain rice
  * 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 ounces)
  * 1 tablespoon bottled horseradish

Finely chop onion and trim stems close to tops of beets. Cut greens into 1/4-inch-wide slices and chop stems. Peel beets and cut into fine dice. In a small saucepan bring water to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook onion in butter over moderate heat until softened. Add beets and stems and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup simmering water and cook, stirring constantly and keeping at a strong simmer, until absorbed. Continue cooking at a strong simmer and adding water, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next. After 10 minutes, stir in greens and continue cooking and adding water, about 1/2 cup at a time, in same manner until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 8 minutes more. (There may be water left over.) Remove pan from heat and stir in Parmesan.

Serve risotto topped with horseradish.

Fifth and Sixth Charlestown Farm Pickups

Thursday, July 02, 2009

I’ve been so busy cooking with the veggies in our CSA shares (and working in the garden) that June just flew by!

Last week we picked up more lettuce (both loose leaf and head), some arugula, some young kale, bok choy, broccoli, garlic scrapes and some carrots. Off to the left you can see some of the strawberry jam we made two weeks ago.

Broccoli was not one of my favorites as a kid, and my husband used to only eat it with cheese sauce.  Actually, it was more like he’d eat cheese sauce with a sprinkle of broccoli.  But last fall we tried out Heidi’s recipe from Super Natural Cooking - and now we both love broccoli and it gets eaten up right away! It’s really hardly a recipe at all, just cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces, leaving plenty of stem. Then toss them with olive oil and a little salt. Grill for a few minutes until they are crisp-tender, then toss with lemon juice and ground flax seeds. Yummy!

This week marked the beginning of summer with our first tomato! I’ve been craving tomato salad for months and I can’t wait to devour this one! The share also had one head of lettuce and some bok choy (boy am I glad to get down to a sane level of greens), broccoli, celery, scallions, beets, turnips, garlic ramps, and herbs. We also got to pick one sunflower and a small bouquet from the u-pick flower garden.

Off to the left is one jar of black raspberry jam that we made last weekend. We went out to Linvilla and picked 7 qts of black raspberries. I’m a huge berry lover - we used two qts for jam, two qts for a crumble and the rest were just for eating straight   We also got a few early summer peaches (not nearly as good as the later ones, but still tasty), and about 4 qts of the last strawberries of the season.

CSA Report: Blooming Glen Farm

How excited was I to see tomatoes and potatoes in the share this week?  Very!  We’re growing both at home, but have yet to harvest either.  I put a tomato right to work, as a bright spot in my salad this afternoon and it was simply divine. Maybe it’s all the colors or the fun variety, or simple the thrill of having the first tomatoes of the season, but I’m feeling the urge to simply eat everything raw this week. 

Keystone Farm CSA Update Week 4

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Can it really be the fourth week of this CSA? Is this the last week of June? The days are flying by, but thanks to all of the rains we HAD (they are over now right? From now on the sun will consistently shine? Please?), the growing season is a bit behind. This translates into a no fruit week. The strawberries were done at Keystone, but the next set of berries and melons wasn’t quite ready yet.

This week’s half vegetarian share included a big head of lettuce, two tomatoes, a crookneck yellow summer squash, new red potatoes, shelling peas, cheese (I swapped my garlic cheddar for xx-sharp cheddar—my favorite amongst their selection), half dozen eggs, and granola.

I really hope watermelons make an appearance before the 4th of July….

Red Earth Farm CSA weeks 2, 3, 4

Friday, June 26, 2009

I’m not doing too well with the CSA updates! I tend to get repetitious with the vegetables I order so that I know that my 3 year old will eat at least some of them. Over the past 3 weeks we’ve gotten:

3 bunches Swiss Chard
3 small yellow squash
4 medium zucchini
2 bunches green onions
1 bunch green garlic
4 red tropea onions
3 pints snap peas
1 bunch red russian kale
1 bunch beets
1 bunch basil
2 bags garlic scapes
3 heads of baby Pak Choy

We were supposed to get cherries and a dozen eggs through our fruit and egg shares last week but didn’t. Hopefully they’ll make up for that later in the season. We also ordered two quarts of Pequea Valley Farms Yogurt- plain and strawberry through the buying club, and now that it’s summer we can pick up our meat order from Meadow Run at the same site as our Red Earth Farm pickup in Roxborough instead of driving to Mt. Airy to get it.

To make room for the new vegetables I made Zucchini Fritters with a side of snap peas for dinner the other night. The zucchini fritters are a summer favorite since they don’t heat up the kitchen too much. The snap pea recipe is one I modified from the recipe I submitted to the June/July issue of Grid Magazine. I substituted green garlic for the green onions.

Zucchini-Bacon Fritters

1 medium zucchini, grated (Red Earth Farm)
2 spring onions, chopped, including 1-inch of the green parts (Red Earth Farm)
Six slices thick cut bacon (Meadow Run Farm)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, slightly beaten (Meadow Run Farm)
1 and 1/2 tbs. maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste

Use a kitchen towel to squeeze as much of the moisture out of the zucchini as you can.

Pan fry,  or cook the bacon in the microwave between paper towels to soak up grease, for about five minutes or until crisp.

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Crumble the bacon into the mixing bowl adding the other ingredients. Mix to combine. Mixture will not seem like it will hold together, but it will. I forgot to drain the zucchini and the mix was very wet, but it still worked.

Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat, sprayed with cooking spray. (Or use the pan that you fried the bacon in.) Spoon batter into the skillet about a tablespoon at a time for small fritters. Flatten slightly to cook. Cook each batch about 2 minutes per side, til golden and cooked through. Makes about 10 small fritters or 6-8 medium. Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt.

Sugar Snap Peas with Bacon and Green Garlic

4 slices thick cut bacon (Meadow Run Farm)
2-3 spring garlic, chopped small (Red Earth Farm)
1 pint sugar snap peas (Red Earth Farm)
1/4 cup cold water
Salt and pepper

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Crumble when cool. Remove all but a tablespoon of drippings from the pan, add garlic and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and water to the pan, lower heat to medium low, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and cook off most of the remaining liquid. Stir in crumbled bacon and remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

CSA Report: Dancing Hen Farms Week Three

I want to be raving about my farm share this week, but instead, I just feel sort of disappointed by it. Looking at the picture, you might thing it looks lovely, but each week, I’ve noticed that the portions of veg are getting smaller. The farmers at Dancing Hen have been very upfront in their weekly newsletters, admitting that they’ve had a tough season, including burnt down greenhouses and health problems and I feel for them, I really do. And yet, I can’t help but be a little bummed by the shares I’ve gotten so far (it might be that I’ve just spent too much time looking at Mikaela’s shares from Blooming Glen Farm).

That said, there’s still some good stuff there. I’m delighted by the garlic scapes and I love both kale and swiss chard, so those are easy for me to use. The lemon basil is amazingly fragrant and I am more than ready for the onslaught of summer squash. I haven’t used my beets from last week either, so I’m going to combine the two weeks of beets for a quick pickle. And the salad greens always disappear quickly.

Here’s hoping that Dancing Hen shakes off their spell of bad luck and finds their groove soon!

CSA Report: Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I’m loving the Summer squashes this week from Blooming Glen Farm—such a variety!  New this week was the green cabbage, and we also received more kohlrabi.  More often than not, I eat kohlrabi raw in salads, however, I noticed a little stockpile growing in the fridge and decided to add a side dish for dinner.  I used the fabulously simple Sautéed Kohlrabi recipe from Asparagus to Zucchini, and because they’re so abundant this time of year, I sliced up some collards and scapes to mix in.  The scapes were added with the onion (I substituted Spring onion, of course) and collards with the kohlrabi.

Sautéed Kohlrabi from Asparagus to Zucchini

2 kohlrabi          
4 Tbsp butter or light oil
1 medium onion, diced      
1 Tbsp fresh herbs (thyme, chives, sage)
1 tsp salt

Grate kohlrabi, place in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes to drain. Heat butter over medium heat, add onions and sauté a few minutes. Stir in kohlrabi, reduce heat to low, stir in fresh herbs Makes 2-4 servings.

I was pressed for time and skipped the draining/salting part, adding salt to the kohlrabi after I put it in the pan for sautéing.  It turned out great, and since I tripled the recipe, we had enough for lunch—yum!

CSA Report: Lancaster Farm Fresh

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

All the heavy rains and lack of sunshine have prolonged our early Spring crops and the CSA this weeks was again full of lettuce and greens. I was excited to finally get some garlic scapes, which I’ve been eyeing eagerly in the markets. I received:

1 head Napa Cabbage – transitional – Green Acres
1 bag snow peas – certified organic – White Swan Acres – .75 lbs
1 box new red Norland potatoes – certified organic – Green Valley Organics
1 bag rainbow chard – certified organic – Elm Tree Organics - .5 lbs
1 bunch red bor kale – certified organic – Windy Hollow Organics
1 bunch garlic scapes – certified organic - Life Enhancing Acres
1 head green leaf lettuce – certified organic – Back 40 Ranch
1 head green butter head lettuce – certified organic – Goshen View Organics

CSA Report: Dancing Hen Farms Week Two

Monday, June 22, 2009

While the second week of the Dancing Farm CSA didn’t feel quite as magical as the first week, it was still quite abundant. I had been hoping for more baby arugula or salad greens, but instead got lots of greens for cooking, including kale, dandelion greens, collards and a head of escarole so large that it took up more than half the box. Additionally, my share included bok choy, oregano, rhubarb (yay!), beets, strawberries and eggs. The eggs were a nice surprise, as I when I signed up for this CSA, I was under the impression that it was produce only. However, I’ll never turn down pastured eggs and these have particularly brilliant yellow yolks.

Because I don’t have a huge refrigerator, using that enormous head of kale was my first priority as it was occupying a whole lot of real estate. I made my version of an Italian Wedding Soup in order to do so. I simmered a batch of chicken stock, strained it out the spent chicken and bits, sauteed up some aromatic veggies, added the stock back in and and wilted all the escarole into the soup (making sure to clean it first in several changes of water, because it was really sandy). I cooked up a batch of meatballs (1 pound of Meadow Run Farms ground beef with an egg, parmesan cheese and oregano) in the oven and spooned them into the soup once they were finished. It’s an easy, variable soup and is a great way to use up all those summer greens.

Keystone CSA Week 3

Sunday, June 21, 2009

I’m sure no one else has noticed that this has been an incredibly rainy spring. But it’s summer now, so let the sun shine!!
On yet another rainy Saturday, I picked up my half vegetarian share from Keystone Farm at Clark Park. I still have cheese from the last few weeks, so I skipped the cheese and got extra strawberries. Additionally, my share had lettuce, a zucchini, tomatoes, shelling peas, granola and half a dozen eggs. I still have a few peas from last week and a LOT of onions from the winter shares (oops! but they last forever, along with the garlic I’ve been collecting all winter). I think I am going to try to make a “spring pea soup” à la Alice Waters. I meant to make it today, but didn’t get around to it. I’ll post the recipe today, and I’ll report back when I actually make the soup!

Spring Pea Soup
from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food

3 tbsp butter
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 tsp salt
5 cups water
3 cups shelled sweet peas (ca 2 pounds)

Heat butter and over medium heat cook onion and salt, stirring often. When soft but not brown poor in water and bring to boil. When boiling add peas. Cook at simmer, stirring occasionally until tender, ca 5 minutes. Purée soup in blender (in batches) or carefully with immersion blender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve. OR: pour puréed soup into bowl and set over ice bath to preserve color (I would most likely pour into bowl and throw in freezer for 10 minutes, as I have no ice). Stir frequently when reheating to prevent scorching. You can serve this soup hot or cold.

note: I doubt I have 3 full cups of shelled peas, so I will be dialing back the water when I make this.

Enjoy!!

Fourth Charlestown Farm Pickup

Friday, June 19, 2009

This week at Charlestown Farm, we got lots of greens again - mixed loose leaf lettuce, Asian greens, arugula, two heads of butter lettuce and some baby bok choy. We also took home more turnips, radishes, and garlic scrapes. We also picked a pint of strawberries. New for this week, the share featured beets. My husband and I aren’t really beet people, but we seem to be in the minority. There are many beet dishes that we’ve tried, and generally we like them just fine - the first time. It’s the leftovers that get us. However, I haven’t given up hope yet (and of course we can always make pickled and canned beets for my mother-in-law). These are small baby beets, and I’m planning on roasting them and serving them on a salad - something we haven’t tried yet.

The bok choy have already been eaten - in a risotto.

Bok Choy and Pinto Bean Risotto
1/2 - 1 lb of bok choy (or cabbage)
1/2 c pinto beans (or other red beans)
1 c arborio rice
1 onion, diced
2 oz pancetta, diced
1/2 c carrot, diced
4 garlic scrapes, diced
1/2 c white wine (preferably dry)
3 c stock
3 T oil
2 T butter
1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh Sage Leaves

1. Soak the beans for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the beans and cook in about 6 cups of water with a handful of fresh sage leaves for 45-60 minutes until done.
3. Slice the bok choy in to 1/4 inch ribbons
4. Either steam the bok choy separately, or be lazy like me and put them in a metal colander over the simmering beans (it’s the environmentally friendly way - just keep in mind that this will turn the water a not-so-attractive color). Steam for 5 - 10 minutes until bright green, keeping the stems crisp.
5. Heat up the oil in a large sauce pan. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 - 10 minutes until brown. Add the onions and carrots and cook until soft. Add the garlic scrapes and cook 2 more minutes.
6. Put stock into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
7. Add the rice, and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes making sure the rice is coated with oil.
8. Add the white wine, and simmer until the liquid is almost gone.
9 . Add 1/2 cup of the stock, the beans, and bok choy. Cook, stirring frequently until the liquid is almost gone. Repeat the stirring until liquid is absorbed process with the rest of the stock, 1/2 cup at a time.
10. Test the rice to make sure it’s done, then add the butter and Parmesan cheese, cook until melted.
11. Serve. Makes excellent leftovers.

CSA Report: Blooming Glen Farm

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Blooming Glen Farm has been offering three varieties of kale, of which the Tuscan, or cavolo nero (“black cabbage”), is new this season.  I’m a kale lover, though I’ve heard there are many kale not-so-lovers out there.  If that’s you, I encourage you to lay down the arms and give this sweeter, more tender variety a shot. 

Also called dinosaur kale due to it’s leathery and rippled dinosaur skin-like feel (pictured above in the photo at about 7 o’clock), it packs the same nutritional punch as regular kale, providing lots of antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C and calcium.  Chefs in California are singing its praises in Chefs hail Tuscan kale at SFGate.com:

“It’s a meat eater’s kind of green,” says Steven Levine, chef of Cosmopolitan Cafe in San Francisco. “I can’t wait for it to come out every year. Spinach and Swiss chard are a little grassy to me, but this is hearty.”

In addition to recipes on the page linked above, Martha Stewart posts a mouth watering Tuscan Kale with Caramelized Onions and Red-Wine Vinegar on her site, Seasonal Chef offers up a Braised Tuscan Kale recipe that sounds right up my alley—nice and simple—and I’m hoping that like most of the greens, Tuscan will be making a reappearance in the fall, so I can try this hearty Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup. 

Although, with this unseasonably chilly, wet weather, maybe tonight is a good night for that soup…!

Keystone CSA Update

Monday, June 15, 2009

Last week I was out of town and could not pick up my half vegetarian share from Clark Park, so instead of my half share, on Saturday I picked up a full vegetarian share from the Keystone Farm stand at Clark Park. Summer really has come! This week’s share found a gigantic head of lettuce, leeks, beautiful ripe tomatoes, peas and strawberries. On top of this there was the usual granola, cheese (Swiss this week) and dozen eggs (the half share usually has half a dozen eggs—obviously!). I love all of this fresh, organic, local produce! Sunday I made a strawberry cake for a “Mueslifest” adapting a recipe from “Smitten Kitchen.” I used Pequea Farms yogurt instead of buttermilk, and, of course, strawberries instead of raspberries.

CSA Report: Dancing Hen Farms Week One

Friday, June 12, 2009

After many weeks of great anticipation (at least on my part), the Dancing Hen Farms CSA season kicked off today. I trekked up to the pick-up location at the Arch Street United Methodist Church during my lunch hour and found the boxes full of farm fresh goodies stacked on a table in the chapel. I quickly transferred the bags of lettuce, heads of joi choi and other goodies into my grocery bag and walked home, carrying the small, purple basil plant that had been at the very bottom of the box.

You can see everything that was in the box in the picture above (you can check out a larger version of the picture, complete with labels, over on Flickr). It included two heads of merlot lettuce, one bag of salad mix, one bag of baby arugula, a bunch of radishes, three heads of joi choi, a pint of sugar snap peas (they are so, so sweet), a bunch of scallions, a cluster of leafy kale, a bunch of dill and that little basil plant (according to the farm newsletter, it is a Red Robin Opal Basil plant. It smells delicious).

All in all, a very satisfying and delicious share. It’s got me excited for the weeks to come!