2016 CSA Week 17

Hi everyone,
We're at Week 17! That means 3 more weeks of veggies, and then our season comes to a close. Of course, Sue and Claude will continue to have their farm stand open on weekends (Friday-Sunday, 9-6, I think) and they will be participating in the Cazenovia Winter Farmers Market as well, so the end of the CSA doesn't have to mean the end of fresh veggies!
But we've still got a lot of great things planned to give out before the CSA is through.
This week, you have:
Arugula
Kale
Summer Squash
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Red-Skin Potatoes
Celeriac (aka Celery Root)
Beets
Eggplant
Edamame (aka fresh soy beans)

Celeriac is an old-world root vegetable with a pleasant celery flavor. The root, once peeled, can be roasted, mashed or boiled and it's great in stews, soups, roasts and can be used anywhere you want some celery flavor. You definitely want to peel it first (though it's probably too much for the average vegetable peeler. You'll probably be better of slicing off the outer skin with a knife and getting down to the creamy white interior. Here's a website (thank you, BBC!) that talks about celeriac, how to store it and recipe ideas.

And our other new veggie this week is Edamame. If you've been out for sushi, you may have had Edamame as an appetizer. It's delicious when the pods are boiled up until tender, then salted and set on the table. Eat them by putting the pod up to your mouth, then popping the beans out with your teeth, and sucking a little of the salt of the pod at the same time. Try it, I bet you'll like it :) My husband loves edamame so much that he'll eat a whole plateful at a time.
Also, the shelled beans are great as a substitute for lima beans. They have a sweet, nutty flavor that I love in a veggie stew with corn and tomatoes.

For the beets, if you haven't tried it before, put them in a roasting pan with a lid in the oven (covered up to keep them moist and tender) and roast for an hour or so (could be shorter or longer depending on the size of your beets). You can skin them and chop them up before that, or just roast them whole with their tops and bottoms cut off. They'll slip right out of their skins once they're cooked. They are so delicious like that! If you'd like more detailed instructions than that (and I admit, those are pretty vague), here's a website with some good directions.

Here are some recipes:
1) Here's a great-looking Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Roasted Beets and Balsamic Reduction. My mom loves this, with as much balsamic as she can get on it.

2) If you find you have some eggplant piling up, try using it in this great Indian dish called Baingan Bharta. It's one of my favorites!

3) And a website with some more useful Eggplant recipes.

It's apple-picking time! Go out and support some of the smaller orchards who are working hard to offer organic apples. Two that I have been enjoying are Adams Acres in Jamesville and Deer Run Farm in Lafayette. And the fritters are Deer Run are superb...

Have a great week!
Sarah VanNorstrand
for Lucky Moon Farm

2016 CSA Week 16

Hi everyone!
It's hard to believe we're already to the middle of September... luckily we've been having some great warm weather, though the night-time temperature has definitely been getting cooler.
We picked some more beautiful peppers and eggplant today. They are some of my favorite vegetables to harvest- it's like picking jewels off the plants. The colors are amazing!
Things are doing pretty well at the farm. The drought conditions this summer and fall have definitely impacted some of the crops; in general the plants have been a bit less productive. But we've still been bringing in some excellent tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and squash. And there's plenty of great fall veggies still on their way. We have 4 more weeks left, so there will be lots of goodies still to come.

In your bags this week:
Salad Mix
Summer Squash (which includes zucchini and yellow squash)
Cucumbers (the last of these)
Red-Skin Potatoes
Yellow Onions
Garlic
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers (Hungarian Hot wax: red, pointed and shorter than the sweet peppers)
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Eggplant

Here are some pics of the peppers for this week:

Hot Pepper- Hungarian Hotwax

Sweet Peppers- Carmen, Escamillo, or Bell pepper

And now for some recipes:
1) Fresh Tomato Popover Pie- Kristen Byers

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

3 Tbsp oil, divided

2 medium tomatoes

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

2 tsp basil

2 C. shredded mozzarella (8 oz)

1/4 C. Parmesan

1 1/4 C. sliced mushrooms

To prepare crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat an ovenproof 8" skillet in the oven for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix flour, milk and eggs until well blended. Remove skillet from the oven and add 1 Tbsp oil. Pour batter into skillet and bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes more. Remove skillet from the oven and set aside. Crust should be puffed golden, then fall slightly as it cools.

To prepare filling:

Core and cut tomatoes into 1/4" slices, set aside.

In another large skillet, heat remaining 2 Tbsp of oil until hot. Add zucchini and cook until sightly softened, 1 - 2 minutes. Push to one side of skillet. Add mushrooms, then sprinkle veggies with basil and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently but still keeping mushrooms and zucchini separated. Remove from heat.

To assemble: preheat broiler

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the crust. Line the edge of the crust with tomato slices, overlapping slightly. Arrange zucchini and mushrooms in center of popover. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Broil 3 - 4 " from the heat for 1 - 2 minutes. Makes 4 -6 servings.   

2) Vegetarian Feijoada from the Moosewood Cooks

This is the national dish of Brazil, and this vegetarian version uses peppers, tomatoes, black beans, garlic, onions, and more. A lot of the ingredients are in your bag this week. Sounds like a fun dish!

3) Eggplant Meatballs

This comes highly recommended from one of our CSA members. And it sounds really delicious! Eggplant can be very meaty, so it makes a nice vegetarian equivalent of a meatball. 

1 large eggplant (do not peel)

2 beaten eggs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese or 1/3 cup Romano cheese

1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or sauteed garlic)

1 teaspoon onion powder (or sauteed onion)

black pepper, to taste

sea salt, to taste

1 cup breadcrumbs (may need more)

Directions:

• Slice eggplant and sprinkle with salt.
• Let sit 10 minutes to draw out water.
• Rinse and pat dry.
• Saute on stovetop with a splash of olive oil and about 1/4 cup water until eggplant is soft.
• Remove and chop finely. *rough chop then use food processor
• Whisk everything but the breadcrumbs when eggplant is cool.
• Then add breadcrumbs and mix until you get the consistency you want to form the balls.
• Place in a generously olive oiled pan about l inch apart and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 40-60 minutes.
• (Personal Note: Bake on the middle rack, flip at 18-20 min, take out at 25 - 30 min. 40-60 mins is too long)
• Turn halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

Have a great week!

2016 CSA Week 16

Hi everyone!
It's hard to believe we're already to the middle of September... luckily we've been having some great warm weather, though the night-time temperature has definitely been getting cooler.
We picked some more beautiful peppers and eggplant today. They are some of my favorite vegetables to harvest- it's like picking jewels off the plants. The colors are amazing!
Things are doing pretty well at the farm. The drought conditions this summer and fall have definitely impacted some of the crops; in general the plants have been a bit less productive. But we've still been bringing in some excellent tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and squash. And there's plenty of great fall veggies still on their way. We have 4 more weeks left, so there will be lots of goodies still to come.

In your bags this week:
Salad Mix
Summer Squash (which includes zucchini and yellow squash)
Cucumbers (the last of these)
Red-Skin Potatoes
Yellow Onions
Garlic
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers (Hungarian Hot wax: red, pointed and shorter than the sweet peppers)
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Eggplant

Here are some pics of the peppers for this week:

Hot Pepper- Hungarian Hotwax

Sweet Peppers- Carmen, Escamillo, or Bell pepper

And now for some recipes:
1) Fresh Tomato Popover Pie- Kristen Byers

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

3 Tbsp oil, divided

2 medium tomatoes

2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

2 tsp basil

2 C. shredded mozzarella (8 oz)

1/4 C. Parmesan

1 1/4 C. sliced mushrooms

To prepare crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat an ovenproof 8" skillet in the oven for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix flour, milk and eggs until well blended. Remove skillet from the oven and add 1 Tbsp oil. Pour batter into skillet and bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes more. Remove skillet from the oven and set aside. Crust should be puffed golden, then fall slightly as it cools.

To prepare filling:

Core and cut tomatoes into 1/4" slices, set aside.

In another large skillet, heat remaining 2 Tbsp of oil until hot. Add zucchini and cook until sightly softened, 1 - 2 minutes. Push to one side of skillet. Add mushrooms, then sprinkle veggies with basil and cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring frequently but still keeping mushrooms and zucchini separated. Remove from heat.

To assemble: preheat broiler

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the crust. Line the edge of the crust with tomato slices, overlapping slightly. Arrange zucchini and mushrooms in center of popover. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Broil 3 - 4 " from the heat for 1 - 2 minutes. Makes 4 -6 servings.   

2) Vegetarian Feijoada from the Moosewood Cooks

This is the national dish of Brazil, and this vegetarian version uses peppers, tomatoes, black beans, garlic, onions, and more. A lot of the ingredients are in your bag this week. Sounds like a fun dish!

3) Eggplant Meatballs

This comes highly recommended from one of our CSA members. And it sounds really delicious! Eggplant can be very meaty, so it makes a nice vegetarian equivalent of a meatball. 

1 large eggplant (do not peel)

2 beaten eggs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese or 1/3 cup Romano cheese

1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder (or sauteed garlic)

1 teaspoon onion powder (or sauteed onion)

black pepper, to taste

sea salt, to taste

1 cup breadcrumbs (may need more)

Directions:

• Slice eggplant and sprinkle with salt.
• Let sit 10 minutes to draw out water.
• Rinse and pat dry.
• Saute on stovetop with a splash of olive oil and about 1/4 cup water until eggplant is soft.
• Remove and chop finely. *rough chop then use food processor
• Whisk everything but the breadcrumbs when eggplant is cool.
• Then add breadcrumbs and mix until you get the consistency you want to form the balls.
• Place in a generously olive oiled pan about l inch apart and bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 40-60 minutes.
• (Personal Note: Bake on the middle rack, flip at 18-20 min, take out at 25 - 30 min. 40-60 mins is too long)
• Turn halfway through baking to ensure even browning.

Have a great week!

2016 CSA Week 15

Hi everyone,
I hope you all had a nice Labor Day Weekend. It looks like the summer weather isn't leaving us right away, which suits me just fine. Things are doing pretty well at the farm, though it's gotten quite dry again and in general, things aren't growing or producing at their typical rate because of the lack of water. We're hopeful that we'll get some rain on Thursday, but we'll see.

Claude picked the sweet corn this morning, and you'll find some in your bags this week. The first planting of the corn didn't germinate (the seed was bad) but Sue and Claude were able to get a second planting in. The corn didn't get very tall, and the ears are a bit small, but boy is it sweet! We hope you enjoy this limited, yet delectable, treat.

Here's the run down for this week:
Baby Kale
Arugula
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
White Potatoes
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Carrots
Beans
White Onions
Sweet Peppers
Eggplant
Sweet Corn

The bags are pretty hefty! The later end of summer and the early part of fall are just chock full of great vegetables.

Here are some recipes to try:
1) Potatoes, Green Beans and Corn with Lemon-Brown Butter Dressing
Wow, just typing those words is making me hungry...

2) Here's another bean and corn combination:
Green Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

3) And in case you're like me and you have some zucchini/summer squash piling up in the fridge, here's a handy site with 26 (!) ways to use that beautiful, healthy, tasty squash.
26 Zucchini Recipes

4) And a handy cooking tip: sweet corn, when it's good, really only needs a tiny bit of cooking. I usually put mine in boiling water for 3 mins, and get it right out when the time is up. That can help from it becoming tough and chewy.

Also, zucchini is really great on the grill! Brush it with a little oil, use a little salt and pepper, and grill it in crosscut or longways slices. It's kind of amazing.

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