Thursday, November 2, 2017

Notes from Your Farm: Bonus Harvest!



Hello from the Farm,   

Hours for Pick Up:
Thursday - 3:00pm till 7:00pm
Friday - 11:00am till 7:00pm
Saturday - 9:00am till 1:00pm 
 

Bonus Harvest! - November 16, 17, & 18
We are adding another harvest to the 2017 Season.  Your last harvest will be on Nov. 16, 17, and 18 with pick up hours remaining the same.  We will be able to harvest Asian Greens, Radishes, Turnips, and more for the bonus harvest.  Since the bonus harvest is the week before Thanksgiving you could add some of our produce to your dinner!  { I will be posting gleaning information in a later newsletter }


 Fall Harvest Evening Event 
Thanks to everyone that came out to our Fall Harvest Evening Event last Friday!  We were able to enjoy delicious food made by many shareholders and fellow Homefield residents, amped up our potato carving skills by adding colorful glow sticks instead of a candle, were able to sit around a cozy campfire in the perfect fall weather, and experienced the new wagon by taking three hay rides around the farm!    

 It is exactly what your Farmers envisioned when planning the Fall Harvest Evening event for the 2017 Season!  Thanks for celebrating the harvest and season with all of us :)

A full hay ride loaded with excitement!


 It is time to fill out surveys!  Filling out your survey will help us better your experience here at your CSA.  There will be surveys on the sign in table for you to fill out or you can choose to fill out the online version by following this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9LLTMWK    
  

Abendessen Bread
Sun-dried Tomato Bagels - $5 a half dozen  ---  The favorite on the survey list!
Keep voting for your favorite Abendessen Bread on the Survey at the sign in table to see if your favorite bread will be sold at the last 2 harvest.
 

 Harvest List - New Recipes! 
- Kale - storage: same as lettuce
Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients: 1 large bunch of kale, 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, freshly ground pepper
Directions: preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove stems of kale. Place in bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and massage into leaves. Add pepper to taste and spread kale out in single layer on baking sheets. Place in oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until kale is dry and crispy and barely browned on edges.
Recipe from: "Eat Clean Live Well" By: Terry Walters

 - Popcorn - storage: can let it sit on your table or anywhere in the house for decoration up to 2 months.  Just keep it in a dry room temperature environment.
How to Pop the Corn!
Remove kernels from the cob and then put kernels in a brown paper bag.  Place brown paper bag filled with kernels into microwave and let the kernels pop!  Remove when you think most kernels are popped.  Add butter and salt as you like. 

 - Arugula - storage: same as lettuce
Eating: has a tangy flavor with tender leaves - has a nick name "rocket salad" - same health benefits as broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
Cooking: can be put into a salad with balsamic vinaigrette with cut lettuce and Asian greens add your favorite nut and possibly dried cranberries and goat cheese (my favorite way to eat Arugula).  Could also be sauteed with garlic and onions or added to soups. 

 - Collards - storage: same as lettuce
Sauteed Collard Greens and Garlic
Ingredients: kosher salt and black pepper, 3 bunches collard greens stems discarded and leaves cut into 1-inch strips, 1/2 cup olive oil, 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
Directions: Step 1 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the collard greens in batches and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the greens in a colander and rinse under cold water to cool; squeeze to remove any excess water.  Step 2 - Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the greens, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing often, until wilted and tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

 - Turnip - storage: keep in refrigerator wrapped in plastic bag or damp towel. Keep greens separate and stored like lettuce.  
Raw: They make a great snack sliced thinly and served with salt and are a great addition to a salad.  
Cooked: they can be roasted, steamed, added to soups or stews.
Greens turnip tops: are delicious and can be cooked with other greens. 
Roasted Turnips with Ginger

Directions: Cut turnips into wedges. Toss with sliced fresh ginger, canola oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with honey and roast at 400° F until tender.
-Bok Choy- storage: keep in refrigerator wrapped in plastic bag or damp towel.
Easy Bok Choy Recipe
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped, bok choy, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces, salt to taste
Directions: 1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat, and cook the garlic in the hot oil until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.  2. Mix in the bok choy, and cook and stir until the green parts of the leaves turn bright green and the stalks become slightly translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to serve.

- Lettuce - storage: if in a plastic bag make sure you poke holes throughout the bag and keep in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator.  Or invest in a Produce Keeper that can be found on Amazon, they work very well.

 - Asian Greens - storage: same as lettuce.
Eating: Asian Greens have a mustard flavor to them which gives them a little kick.  If steaming them it might be best to mix with lettuce which has a mild flavor.  
Cooking: Asian Greens are good steamed or sauteed with garlic, onions, herbs as a side dish.  Could also be added to soups that have lentils and potatoes in the mixture.

 - Radishes - storage: keep in refrigerator wrapped in plastic bag or damp towel. Keep greens separate and stored like lettuce.  
Roasted Radishes with brown butter, lemon, & radish tops
Ingredients: 2 bunches medium radishes, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, Coarse kosher salt, 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Directions: 1. Preheat oven 450°F. Brush large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Cut off all but 1/2 inch of green radish tops; reserve trimmed tops and rinse them well, checking for grit. Coarsely chop radish tops and set aside. Cut radishes lengthwise in half and place in medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and toss thoroughly to coat. Place radishes, cut side down, on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Roast until radishes are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Season to taste with more coarse kosher salt, if desired.  2. Melt butter in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Add pinch of coarse kosher salt to skillet and cook until butter browns, swirling skillet frequently to keep butter solids from burning, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice.  3. Transfer roasted radishes to warmed shallow serving bowl and drizzle brown butter over. Sprinkle with chopped radish tops and serve.
Note - could use Asian Greens instead of Radish Tops

 - Potatoes - storage: keep potatoes in refrigerator or in a cool dark area of your home.  Potatoes have always lasted a very long time for me in my refrigerator. 
Creamy Potato Kale Soup
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons butter, 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped, 3 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped, 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth, 2-3 cups chopped kale, stems removed, 2 cups milk, salt and pepper to taste
Directions: 1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onions and potatoes and saute until golden brown, 5-8 minutes, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Add 6 cups of the broth and the kale; simmer for 5-10 minutes until the kale softens and becomes a darker green.  2. Transfer the soup to a heavy-duty blender. Puree for 2-3 minutes or until the soup is completely smooth. Transfer the pureed soup back the pan and stir in the milk and the remaining 2 cups broth depending on how thick you want the soup to be. Season with salt and pepper and serve with yummy paninis, toasted wheat bread, or crackers, cheese, and hummus.

NOTES: This recipe is very adaptable – add more herbs, use more potatoes, more kale, more broth, etc. Also note: the more kale you add, the more bright green your soup will be! Also, the longer you cook the onions and potatoes the more it “dulls” the flavor. You want them to be sauteed and golden, but not totally mushy.


 - Garlic - storage: place in mesh bag, bowl or paper bag. Do not place in plastic bag, will encourage rot.
  
- Most of the storage ideas were found in our Goodwill at Homefields Farm "A Mostly Vegetarian Cookbook".  Which can be found at our sign in desk at the distribution center 


 Only 2 more harvest after this week,
Your Farmers
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