2016 CSA Week 14

Hi everyone,
It's hard to believe we're already at the end of August. Personally, it feels like we were just picking peas and planting potatoes... but my summer feels more like a time warp than the orderly succession of days. One day I'm just waiting for the summer to really get going, and before I know it, the daylight is changing and the pumpkins are ripening.
But we've still got plenty of wonderful summer vegetables for you. We dug some potatoes to round out the bags, and cut the first of the fall arugula.

Here's what you have this week:
Arugula
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Purple Viking Potatoes (purple/pink skin with white flesh)
Jalapenos
Sweet Peppers (anything that's not a dark green jalapeno is sweet this week)
Cilantro
Rosemary

Here are some pics for identification purposes:

Jalapenos

Rosemary

And aren't these the most incredible looking potatoes! I love them. And super tasty, to boot.

Purple Viking Potatoes

Some recipes:

1) Potato, Red Onion, Arugula and Brie Pizza

-"From the Earth to the Table" cook book

Makes enough topping for one 14 inch pizza or two 8-10 inch pizzas

Pizza dough, either homemade or dough from the store (check in the section with the cheese)

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 c. sliced red onions

salt and pepper

12 oz red potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

6 oz Brie, thinly sliced

1 c. loosely packed arugula leaves

1 medium red bell pepper, charred, peeled and finely chopped

• Prepare pizza dough. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. In a deep, heavy-bottomed pan, heat the olice oil and saute the onions until crisp-tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a medium sauce pan, blanch the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water until crisp-tender, ~ 3 mins. Cool in ice water to stop cooking, drain and pat dry.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the dough. Layer the potatoes evenly on top, followed by the onions and slices of Brie. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bake the pizza for 12 to 15 minutes on the top rack. Scatter the arugula and red pepper on top and serve immediately.

2) Quinoa Risotto w/ Arugula & Parmesan

from the New Mayo Clinic cookbook

Serves 6 as a side, double to serve as the main dish

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup quinoa, well rinsed

2 1/4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or broth

2 cups chopped arugula (~ 3 oz)

1 small carrot, shredded

1/2 cup thinly sliced shitake mushrooms

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and quinoa and cook about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Do not let the garlic brown.
• Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa is almost tender to the bite, but slightly heard in the center, about 12 minutes. The mixture will be brothy. Stir in the arugula, carrot and mushrooms and simmer until the quinoa grains have turned from white to translucent, about 2 minutes longer. 
• Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

3) Turlu Turlu

Here's a flexible Turkish recipe that uses eggplant, potatoes and tomatoes. Sue made it and it's quite tasty; the flavors get better every day! 

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/turlu-turlu

Hope you all have a great week and a nice Labor Day.

Best,

Sarah VanNorstrand 

for Lucky Moon Farm

2016 CSA Week 13

Hi everyone,

I hope you've been enjoying the weather the past couple of days. It's been really beautiful out at the farm. The cut flower garden is absolutely spectacular right now! There are tall rows of sunflowers, crowds of zinnias and neat lines of gladiolas in flashy colors. In case you didn't know, Sue makes really gorgeous bouquets weekly or monthly for people who subscribed, but also does some special orders as well. If you have a party and need some flowers or need a bouquet for a gift, depending on the season she is able to make some really lovely and unique arrangements. I highly recommend them.


The tomatoes are pouring in right now, and we've got a nice steady stream of summer squash and cucumbers. All in all, things are going pretty well!

Here's what's in your bags this week:
Cucumbers
Summer Squash
Garlic
Red Onion
Beets with Greens
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Beans
Sweet Peppers
Poblano Pepper (mildly hot)
Eggplant
Arugula- Large Shares only this week

And now for some recipes:

1) Heirloom Tomato & Cucumber Salad
I found this recipe on the Wegman's website- it looks like a nice simple mix of tomatoes and cucumbers. No fuss, no muss.

2) Tabbouleh
This is a Mediterranean salad with Bulgar wheat, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley and mint. It's quite refreshing and makes a great side dish at cook outs, or you can eat it as the main meal. Try using cherry tomatoes, if you like in addition to the big tomatoes.

3) Summer Vegetable Lasagna with Zucchini, Eggplant and Tomato
This is a great way to use lots of the summer veggies!

4) Sarah's Summer Pasta
This is meal of my own making, and it's been well received my family.
Here's the general idea:
Ingredients: 3 cloves garlic, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1-2 small zucchini/summer squash, 1 can cannellini beans, mozzarella, pasta of your choice

• Saute garlic slices in oil in a skillet until they are slightly browned. Remove the garlic and set aside. 
• In the same skillet, saute zucchini and/or summer squash (cut into matchsticks, half moons, or chunks) until tender. 
• Add canellini beans, with a little of their liquid, and cook with the squash. 
• Meanwhile, lightly salt some cherry tomatoes before cooking them in a separate skillet. Cook the cherry tomatoes until they are wrinkled, browned and delicious-looking. 
• Cook pasta (I like farfalle or linguine with this meal)
• Toss the zucchini/bean mixture with the cherry tomatoes and add some cubed up mozzarella, to make it a little decadent. Sprinkle the top with the crispy garlic slices.

Enjoy!

Sarah VanNorstrand

for Lucky Moon Farm

2016 CSA Week 12

Hi everyone,
Hope you all are doing well. Things are doing pretty well at the farm. We harvested the first of our cucumbers this week and so far, it's looking like a good crop! The tomatoes are producing really well and the peppers are ripening up.

Here's what's in your bags this week:
Beans
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Red-Skin (Chieftan) Potatoes
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Red Onions
Carrots
Herb Bundle: Basil, Thyme and Sage
-Some people get Eggplant (pretty much any given week, someone is getting eggplant. We're keeping track so that everyone gets the same amount over the season.)

Here are some pics of the herbs for identification purposes:

Basil

Thyme

Sage

Here are some recipes to try:

1) So you may or may not be receiving eggplant this week, but whenever you do get it, you should try this recipe. One of our CSA members sent it to me with rave reviews. After reading it through, I can't wait to try it myself. It looks incredible! Here's the link: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-roasted-eggplant-salad-with-smoked-almonds-goat-cheese-164756

And the recipe

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds & Goat Cheese

serves 4

2 large eggplants, about 2 pounds

Kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cumin

4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped 

Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup flat parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup smoked almonds, roughly chopped

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled and divided

1/4 cup finely chopped scallions

Heat the oven to 400°F. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and set aside while making the marinade.

Whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, and cumin. Dab away any extra water that has beaded up on the eggplant and toss with the marinade. Stir in the garlic. Spread the eggplant on a large baking sheet, lined with parchment and slide onto a rack placed in the center of the oven. Roast at 400°F for 40 minutes, or until very tender and slightly browned. (Stir every 15 minutes and check after 30 minutes to make sure it isn't burning.) Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Whisk together the lemon juice and soy sauce. Return the eggplant to the bowl and toss with the lemon juice mixture. Stir in the parsley leaves, smoked almonds, and most of the goat cheese, reserving a little.

Spread the finished salad in a serving bowl and sprinkle the reserved goat cheese crumbles and scallions on top.

2)  Sauteed Green Beans and Corn

I had dinner at a friend's house the other night, and she made a delicious dish of green beans and corn. She sauteed and steamed the green beans, added some garlic, salt and pepper, and corn. Then a few gobs of butter and some cream or half and half. That simmered a bit, and it was unbelievable! I found this recipe online, and it's similar. But I love this concept, because it brings together two of my favorite vegetables when both are seasonally available! We'll have corn in a couple weeks, but there are plenty of farm stands around selling corn right now, so go find some fresh ears and throw this together. Your kids will thank you. 

http://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/sauteed-green-beans-corn/

Happy cooking!

Best,

Sarah VanNorstrand

for Lucky Moon Farm

2016 CSA Week 11

Hi folks!
I hope you're doing well and weathering the heat with ease. Things have been pretty warm at the farm and it's quite dry, so we're looking forward to the chance of rain and cooler temperatures later this week. Cross your fingers for us!

We have some nice full bags for you this week:

Salad Mix
Green and Yellow Beans
Beet Greens
Mixed Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Scallions
Mixed Hot Peppers (Poblanos: dark green, big and blocky, Jalafuegos: dark green, smaller, jalapeno-type, Hungarian Hotwax: bright yellow, pointed, Czech Black: little black pointed peppers)
Cilantro
Egglplant- Regular Shares only this week

Pepper Identification Pics:

Poblanos

Jalafuego

Hungarian Hotwax

Czech Black

Our tables are full of tomatoes now, in the barn. It's quite impressive looking! We have a nice mix of heirloom and some newer varieties as well. Some of my favorites are Striped German, Hungarian Heart, Jubilee, Cosmonaut Volkov, Black Krim and Striped Bumblebee. And the names are fun too :) These tomatoes are really special varieties that you won't find in most stores. Generally, that's because the heriloom tomatoes are too fragile to make the trip to the store in big trucks. They are easily bruised and squished, so please handle with care. We work really hard to deliver them to you a their peak of perfection, so just go easy on your bags until you get home and can set out the tomatoes on a towel on your counter. Even sitting in the carton for more than a day or two can damage some of these tomatoes. But it's worth the extra effort! Just make yourself a tomato sandwich with one of them and you'll see what I mean.

Also, we try hard to reduce, reuse and recycle at the farm, and we'd love it if you would help us out by returning the green tomato cartons in your bags each week. Thanks!

Here are some recipes to try this week:

Eggplant... a lot of people assume they don't like eggplant, but if you're like me, you probably just haven't been exposed to it very often, or in one of it's tastier forms. Recently, I've become an Eggie convert. When cooked long enough, it becomes incredibly tender and flavorful. Here are some ways to try preparing it:

1) Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick rounds or slices, brush with olive oil, then coat with (spiced) bread crumbs. Bake them on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven until tender and browned. Serve with pasta and tomato sauce, or just eat them up as a side dish!

2) You can also take the whole eggplant, skip peeling it, but rub it with oil and poke it a few times with a fork. Stick it under the broiler and cook it about 20 minutes, turning it occasionally, until it's charred on all sides and the insides are soft. Remove it from the oven, allow it to cool, then cut it open and the insides can be scooped out and used to make Baba Ghanoush (Greek) or Baingan Bharta (Indian), both of which are excellent.

3) This is a recipe Sue gave me. Actually, it's more like a cooking method, and it uses the veggies you received this week. It's sort of like a ratatouille (rat-ah-too-ee, I think) but super quick and simple. And it's really really delicious. I spooned ours on top of rice, but feel free to experiment. I bet it'd be delicious on polenta, or maybe even pasta.

Lucky Moon Ratatouille

Prepare a deep roasting pan or oven-safe casserole dish by coating the bottom with olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 450, and chop up some garlic (3-4 cloves is nice). Put the garlic in the pan, and place in the oven as it's preheating. Let the garlic cook for a few minutes until golden brown, but check it so it doesn't burn.

Remove the pan from the oven, and shake some bread crumbs to coat the bottom. Toss in some chopped onion, then place a layer of eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch -1/4 inch rounds, across the bottom of the roasting pan. Drizzle with some olive oil and shake on some more bread crumbs.

Cut zucchini into rounds (about the same thickness) and layer on top of the eggplant/breadcrumbs. Repeat the olive oil and breadcrumbs. Cut thick slices of tomato and layer on top, adding some more bread crumbs on top (and maybe some cheese? Mozzarella? Parmesan?)

Bake in the oven about 45 minutes, covered, until all the layers are soft.

Have a great week!

Best,

Sarah VanNorstrand

2016 CSA Week 10

Hi everybody!
I hope you all are doing well. It was great to see some of you out at the farm on Saturday for Open Farm Day. We had pretty decent weather, with only a light sprinkle or two, and we had about 330 people out to see the farm. Thanks for coming! But now the crowds have left, and we're back to our usual combination of planting, harvesting, and weeding. We'll be digging the garlic this week, and we got just enough rain that the bulbs sized up pretty well! Tomatoes are coming in steadily from both the greenhouse and our outdoor planting. The peppers are loaded and the eggplant are sizing up in the greenhouse. Also, Claude dug the first potatoes today, and they look great! It bodes well for the rest of the potato harvest.

Here's what's in your bags:
Salad Mix
Green & Yellow (Wax) Beans
Summer Squash (assorted kinds)
Red Bunching Onions
New Potatoes
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Basil
Green/Purple Bell Peppers (both taste like green peppers)
Large shares only:
Spinach
Eggplant

People are often surprised by the purple peppers that we grow. Our two main varieties are Islander and Purple Beauty. Both produce bell peppers that are purple in the "green" stage. Peppers form after the flowers are pollinated, and start growing to their mature size. At any point before they are full size, they are green (or in this case, purple). Once they are full size, they slowly turn from their "green" stage to their ripe color. Generally, that is red, orange or yellow, depending on the variety. The same is true for the hot peppers. Luckily, we don't have to wait until they are fully ripe before we can enjoy them. Sometimes it can be a long wait, in our climate! But all green peppers, if left on the plant and the weather was warm enough, would eventually turn a different color. Even jalapenos and poblanos turn red, eventually. 

I'm trying to post useful recipes every week to help you plan some meals with the veggies you receive. But I'd love it if any of you have a recipe or a cooking method that you'd like to share with the rest of the CSA! I really enjoy learning how you all use your vegetables, so feel free to send an email with suggestions if you have a chance. 

Here are some to try this week:
This one came from a CSA member. They said "Here's a really good simple recipe! Had it tonight with burgers and a side of sliced cold beets"

Marinated Green Beans with Cilantro and Garlic

Serves:4-8 servings

Prep time:4 hours 15 mins

Cook time:5 mins

Total time:4 hours 20 mins

For the best flavor, this recipe requires at least 4 hours of marinating time so be sure to leave yourself enough time to prepare this easy dish before serving!

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ⅔ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 pounds tender young fresh green beans, trimmed and washed
• Salted water to boil
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place minced garlic and chopped cilantro in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Bring water to a boil and plunge in green beans. Cook just until tender, about 5-10 minutes, do not overcook. Drain well and place beans back in hot pan, turn on stove burner and shake for 30 seconds to dry the beans out. Pour hot beans in the bowl with the garlic and cilantro mixture and stir briefly, then let sit untouched for ten full minutes. Add olive oil, toss and place in refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.
3. Before you are ready to serve, remove beans from refrigeration and let sit for 45 minutes at room temperature. Add lemon juice, vinegar and pepper. Toss, taste for seasoning and serve.

And this is what I made for dinner the other night- it was incredible...

Baked Eggs with Chorizo and Potatoes

And this looks like a great way to eat up a bunch of squash!

Smitten Kitchen Summer Squash Pizza

Enjoy!

Sarah VanNorstrand

for Lucky Moon Farm

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