last Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA of the season

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

I can’t believe that it’s already the end of the CSA season. I just couldn’t think about Fall without my weekly vegetables, so I extended the CSA through early December. I received so much wonderful and exciting and beautiful produce this week, I wish that I was going to be home more to cook it! I couldn’t help but eat the lettuce mix before I took the photo.

1 bag Jewel sweet potatoes – certified organic – White Swan Acres – 3 lbs
3 carnival acorn squash – certified organic – Elm Tree Organics
1 bunch sparkler radishes – certified organic – Maple Lawn Organics
1 green bell pepper – certified organic – Bellview Organics
1 bag yummy peppers – certified organic – Farmdale Organics
1 bunch sweet Hakurai turnips – certified organic – Goshen View Organics
2 head green or red radicchio – certified organic – Bellview Organics
1 bunch tatsoi (Japanese spinach) – certified organic – Hillside Organics
1 lg head boc choi – certified organic – Scarecrow Hill Farm
1 head green leaf lettuce – certified organic – Back 40 Ranch
1 bag lettuce mix – certified organic – Farmdale Organics - .5 lbs

It’s Not Too Late to go to the Orchard!

Monday, November 02, 2009

If’ you thought that you missed orchard season - you’re wrong! While most local orchards have ended their U-Pick apple season, you can still purchase apples, pumpkins, squash, decorative cabbages, mums, and more. This weekend I made a trip to Linvilla Orchards (in Media, PA) and was surprised at both the selection - so many different apples I lost count, cider, cider donuts, plants, gourds galore! A great trip for a sunny Fall afternoon, you can still stock up on Fall’s bounty (and enjoy a hay ride) before Thanksgiving.

More photos to follow!

Autumn Is Here

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Although it is unseasonably warm today, things have turned undeniably autumnal.  The leaves have changed colors, the produce at the farmer’s market has narrowed to apples, resilient greens, and various tubers.  We’ve even taken to using the fireplace on some nights.  Obviously, huddling by the fire, keeping out the damp and cold, demands a different kind of food.  In the summer you want things bright, acidic, fresh.  You want meals that taste as though you plucked the vegetables from a garden in arm’s reach of your outdoor table.  Autumn is different.  Things are now roasted and poached for longer periods, had indoors when the light has gone so early.

In this case, it is also a time for experimentation.  Squash are always available, and I am always looking for different ways to use them.  Here, it was sage, onions, squash and cranberries.  The idea was to make a “salad” of crispy sage, caramelized onions, and roasted squash, using a cranberry sauce as the “dressing.” First, I roasted the squash at 400 for 45 minutes, cutting it into wedges and drizzling with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, I caramelized onions with some fresh sage.  After removing the squash from the oven and letting it cool slightly, I cut it from the skin and left it in bite-size chunks, much as I might cut watermelon for a salad.  Next, I heated a mix of butter and olive oil and added the pieces of squash, browning on all sides.  Removing the squash from the heat, I tossed it with the onions and sage.  I then made a cranberry sauce by bringing to a boil a pint of beautiful, marbled heirloom cranberries from the Fair Food Farmstand, honey, 1/4 c. of bourbon, and 1/3 c. of water to a boil and cooking for a fifteen minutes.  This was poured over the plated squash, onions and sage.

In the summer, a lightly dressed salad of tender greens accompanied nearly every meal.  Here is another salad, reflective of what we eat and what we feel like eating, now, in autumn. 

A warm, welcoming reminder that Thanksgiving is not so far away - get those turkeys ordered. 

Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA

Thursday, October 29, 2009

I can’t believe that it is almost the end of this year’s CSA. I’ve been so impressed with Lancaster Farm Fresh, and had so much fun learning to cook with new vegetables, that I’ve decided to extend my CSA through the winter months. Expect more photos of root vegetables, squash, and greens to come!

This week I received:

1 bag Jewel sweet potatoes – certified organic – Autumn Blend Organics – 3 lbs

2 spaghetti squash – certified organic – Elm Tree Organics

4 yellow storage onions – certified organic – Green Acres Organics

3 daikon radishes – certified organic – Elm Tree Organics

3 poblano peppers – certified organic – Farmdale Organics

1 head radicchio – certified organic – Bellview Organics

1 bunch tatsoi – certified organic – Hillside Organics

1 bunch green kale – certified organic – Goshen View Organics

1 head red Romaine lettuce – certified organics – Misty Meadow Organics

1 bag mustard greens – certified organic – Green Valley Organics - .25 lbs

I actually traded in the tatsoi (which I just can’t seem to like) for three extra peppers, then forgot them on my site host’s porch. Oh no!

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

Another Long Island Cheese pumpkin this week—how fun!  Fennel, leeks and bok choy are back, and the cauliflower and radicchio are new.  It was rainy and chilly, so no pick-your-owns at Blooming Glen Farm this week, but, as you can see, we still made our like bandits

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

I can’t believe it’s the third week of October and we’re still picking up such a beautiful share from Blooming Glen Farm.  There are four kinds of greens (lettuce, kale, collards, arugula), two types of radishes (French breakfast and watermelon), red and yellow onions—and we’re still harvesting pick-your-own herbs!  As a testament to the bounty, family dinner (for ten) at my house this Sunday was made almost entirely of the farm’s produce:  Root Vegetable and Barley Soup (with celeriac, turnips, carrots, potatoes, onion and garlic), and Curry Butternut Squash Soup.  We served ten people and still had leftovers for lunch.  With this much variety still coming in, it’s hard to believe that in just a couple weeks, our visits to the farm will be over for the season.

CA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

I’m so grateful for the continued variety Blooming Glen Farm is still able to offer this time of year.  Sweet squash and potatoes, spicy arugula and radishes, crunchy cabbage and rutabaga and, of course, savory herbs and onions.  Though I must admit, my heart broke just a little bit when I didn’t see the vibrant Swiss chard, kale and collards waiting for me this week.  Sniff, sniff.  My breakfasts just won’t be the same!

CSA Report: Lancaster Farm Fresh

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The fall crops are in - and boy are they full of greens! I’m using the peppers, kale, and onions tonight in a chili casserole, and will use the lettuce and radishes in a salad to accompany it! I’m also so excited about squash! I can’t wait to make soups. Alongside my regular vegetable share, I also ordered some garlic and chive cheddar, a dozen eggs, yogurt and a gallon of cider with has plans to heat itself up and marry some whiskey.

1 green kabocha squash – certified organic – Orchard View Organics

4 yellow storage onions – transitional – Green Acres Organics

1 bunch sparkler radishes – certified organic – Maple Lawn Farm

1 Italian eggplant – certified organic – Farmdale Organics

1 head broccoli – certified organic – Pleasant Valley Organics

2 yellow bell peppers – certified organic – Bellview Organics

1 bunch green kale – certified organic – Goshen View Organics

1 bunch tatsoi (Vitamin Green) – certified organic – Hillside Organics

1 bag sylvetta arugula – certified organic – Farmdale Organics - .5 lbs

1 head green leaf lettuce – certified organic – Misty Meadow Farm

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

Well look at that—a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin.  Those farmers at Blooming Glen Farm seem to always have a surprise for us!  I have no idea what te future has in store for that pumpkin, but it’ll have to wait, as my kitchen is chock-full of wonderful, vitamin-rich, hearty and delicious root vegetables right now.  Here’s my go-to recipe for celeriac, rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, etc.:

Root Stew with Barley

3 tbs olive oil
2 onions, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pearled barley
4 cups vegetable stock
4 - 6 cups of scrubbed, but unpeeled* diced root veggies
1/2 - 1 cup of chopped fresh herbs (dill works well, but any one or two will work)

*Except the celeriac. Go ahead and peel those gnarly, dirty bad boys. Most of the nutrients in root vegetables live close to the surface; by peeling them you’ll inadvertently loose the good stuff.

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened (about five minutes). Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in barley and vegetable stock. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low, skim off any froth, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add root veggies.  Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes more, or until barley and vegetables are tender. Just before serving, stir in herbs. Salt and pepper to taste

.

So delicious and easy!

Trying out a fall planting

Sunday, October 04, 2009

I’ve always been a summer gardener, in part because I used to live somewhere that started to get snow in November. This year, I’m going for it by growing collards (one shares pot with parsley) and beets.

As you can see, I have a critter problem on the collards (whiteflies? I admit that I haven’t taken a good look), and the beets have been in the ground about a month. I bought both as starters at Greensgrow. I’ll keep everyone posted. In summer garden news, I’m down to the last tomatoes and peppers and have been snipping off any new shoots and flowers on both so that that plants can finish what they started. Also, the basil is still trucking—I should get another batch of pesto in the freezer before they head to the compost heap in the sky. 

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Thursday, October 01, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

The Blooming Glen farmers surprised us with raspberries this week!  The crop is not yet mature enough to provide for CSA members, but they opened the bushes for gleaning.  I happily braved the wind and mud for a healthy handful of these sweet red berries.  Also new this week were sweet potatoes and celeriac, and the return of lettuce and cabbage. 

Generally, I’ve shied away from tomatillos.  They look neat, but other than salsa, I never knew what to do with them.  However, since trying the Tomatillo Soup with White Beans and Jalapeño recipe over the weekend, I was more than happy to take more tomatillos and hot peppers this week.  The soup is absolutely fantastic—enough so that I plan to put some up for the Winter months.

fall fruits + summer stuff in the freezer

Monday, September 28, 2009

This is a sour cherry cobbler from my new favorite cookbook, Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More, by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson.

It tastes as good as it looks. I had a few cups of sour cherries that I spent a night in June pitting—this made it worth the effort. There are many, many recipes to make (and riff from) in this book, so I thought I’d share with all of you. And, it’s organized by season. Sure, some of the recipes call for berries available only in the Northwest where the authors are from, but we are all champions at substituting, I think! I have apples from Rittenhouse Farmers Market in the fridge ready for apple pandowdy this weekend.

CSA Report:  Blooming Glen Farm

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

(Click photo to read notes at flick’r regarding names/quantities of share.)

I’ve been so happy to find my favorite salad green, arugula, at Blooming Glen Farm over the past two weeks.  We’re still picking herbs and flowers, and radishes made a reappearance this week.

That beautiful Cinderella squash and those tomatillos are going to become soups for a family dinner this Sunday night.

Cinderella Pumpkin Soup with Apples and Sage Oil
(From Whole Food Whole Family)
Ingredients
1 leek, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
about 1/3 of a large Cinderella pumpkin (or other variety), peeled and diced
4 apples, preferably Winesap or another sweet-tart variety, diced
enough vegetable broth or water to barely cover
2 T. maple syrup
1 T. cumin
2 t. coriander
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 c. chives, minced for garnish
Sage oil:
3 T. olive oil
large handful of sage leaves, stripped from the stem

Directions
1. Heat 1 T. oil in a soup pot and add the leek and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened, stirring regularly.
2. Add the squash and apples. Add broth to within an inch of the squash and apples. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the squash is very soft.
3. Stir in the spices and maple syrup and turn off the heat under the soup.
4. Heat the oil at a low temperature in a small pan. Add the sage leaves and infuse them for about 1 minute, until the have released their flavor and scent into the oil. Turn off the heat and allow the sage to continue infusing while the rest of the soup is prepared.
5. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and process until smooth.
6. Return the soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Strain out the leaves from the oil.
8. Serve the soup drizzled with sage oil and sprinkled with chives.

Tomatillo Soup
(From Vegan Diva)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, sliced thin
4 jalapeno peppers, sliced in thin rounds (use less for a milder soup)
2 heaping teaspoons ground cumin
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
Green Tabasco Sauce to taste
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cans chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup water
2 15-oz. cans Cannelli Beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add garlic, onion, jalapenos, cumin, and coriander. Cook, stirring often until onions are lightly golden, about 7 – 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in 5- to 6-quart pot, combine tomatillos, sea salt, sugar, vegetable broth, green chilies, Green Tabasco sauce, and water. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the onion mixture and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in beans and cilantro until beans are heated through.

Served with fresh bread from our local bakery, Bakers on Broad, and a green salad, I think our taste buds and belies will be satisfied!

Fried Green Tomato Bonanza

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Here’s some Fried Green Tomato Pillows from Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Heaven M. made today from our own green toms.  Yummy and hearty!  She used water instead of the milk the recipe calls for, and put three small eggs instead of two large ones.  I dipped mine into our homemade, local (red!) tomato ketchup.  Mollie Katzen suggests topping with sour cream or yogurt.

Fried Green Tomato Pillows

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup milk (we used water)
2 large eggs
a little oil or butter for the pan

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a bowl and mix.  Make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl, beat milk and eggs until frothy; pour into the well in the center of the flour mixture.  Stir until thoroughly combined, but don’t overmix.

Core the tomatoes and cut them into 1/2-inch rounds.  Begin heating oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the tom slices to the batter one by one, pushing them around gently with a spoon until well coated.  Add gently to hot skillet.  (You may want to add batter to the top of each tom to avoid bald spots.) Fry on both sides untl crispy and golden, and serve hot.

FLOTUS Shops at DC Farmers’ Market!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Hooray! Read the story on the New York Times website.