2016 CSA Week 3

Hi Folks!
Another week at the farm, and things are progressing nicely. Claude started cutting hay yesterday, and the weather is looking promising for getting in some really nice hay in the next few days. Most of the vegetables have been transplanted or seeded into the ground (except for the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbages- they'll be next week) and everything's growing! The peas are coming along, the beans are up, the summer and winter squash are growing fast, and the onions are looking healthy. It'll be a little while before all those crops are ready, but one of my favorite things about farming is the hopeful anticipation of things to come; a delayed gratification. 

But for this week, we have a nice bagful:

Salad Mix
Spinach
Baby Carrots
Asian Greens
Rainbow Swiss Chard 

All lovely veggies from the greenhouse, but it won't be long before the field crops start coming in. 
Also, if your bag of veggies is simple not enough, then feel free to come by the farm stand on the weekends. The stand will be stocked from Friday through Sunday, 9AM - 6PM. It's at 4976 Lincklaen Road, Cazenovia. 


Here are some recipes to consider:

Swiss Chard with Chick Peas (aka Garbanzo beans) and Fresh Tomatoes 

from Allrecipes.com 

Serves 4

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 shallot or small onion, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup chickpeas, drained

salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped

1 tomato, sliced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1) Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Stir in shallot/onion and scallions. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Stir in garbanzo beans, season with salt and pepper, and heat through.

2) Place chopped chard in the skillet, and cook until wilted. Add tomato slices, squeeze lemon juice over greens and heat through. Serve immediately. 

Baked Swiss Chard and Spinach w/ Chickpeas and Feta Cheese

4-6 servings

4 Tbsp olive oil

10 oz Swiss Chard, heavy stems removed

1 Lb Spinach, heavy stems removed

One 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained

4 scallions (white and green) chopped

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped dill

salt and pepper to taste

3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spread 1 Tbsp oil around a 12x9x2- inch casserole dish

2) In a steamer pot, steam Swiss chard until it wilts, about 4 mins. Add the spinach to the steamed chard and steam another 4 minutes until the spinach wilts, too. Remove both greens and drain, squeezing out excess water once they are cool enough to handle.

3) Chop greens and toss with remaining 3 Tbsp of oil, chickpeas, scallions, garlic, dill and season w/ salt and pepper.

4) Transfer to the casserole dish Push the feta cheese down into the mixture and bake until it's sizzling, about 35 mins. Serve hot. 

Spinach Salad w/ Strawberries and Pecans

8-oz Spinach

1 c. strawberry halves

1 c. pecan halves (or walnuts, or almonds)

Dressing:

1/2 c. cider vinegar

1/3 c. oil

1/4 c. sugar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 small onion

2 tsp poppy seeds

In a large bowl, combine spinach, strawberries and pecans.

Dressing: mix cider vinegar, oil, sugar, dijon mustard, salt pepper and onion in a food processor until smooth. Add poppy seeds and mix