FarmShare C.S.A. Newsletter week of October 7th, 2014
What’s in this week’s box?
Broccoli
Beets
Head Lettuce
Green Beans
Salsa Kit:
- Salad Tomatoes
- Sweet mini peppers
- Hot peppers
- Storage onions, either red or yellow
Corn
Fruit:
Apples-McIntosh
Storage, handling and general cooking tips…
Beets
Storage – If your beets still have greens attached, cut them off, leaving an inch of stem. Keep these greens unwashed and refrigerated in a closed plastic bag. Store the beet roots, with the rootlets (or “tails”) attached, unwashed, in a plastic bag in the crisper bin of your refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks, but their sweetness diminishes with time; so try to use them within a week.
Handling – Just before cooking, scrub beets well and remove any scraggly leaves and rootlets. If your recipe calls for raw beets, peel them with a knife or vegetable peeler, then grate or cut them according to your needs.
Just before cooking or consuming, scrub beets well and remove any scraggly leaves and rootlets. If your recipe calls for raw beets, peel them with a knife or vegetable peeler, then grate or cut them according to your needs. Try baking beets at 350-400 degrees for an hour or until they are easily pierced with a fork. Cut the tops and bottoms off and the skin should easily slip off. Why not add some other root vegetables to the dish along with olive oil, garlic, herbs, and salt. I like to boil beets as well. Boil beets 45 minutes to an hour depending on size, they should easily pierce when done. Plunge them directly into cold water after boiling and the skins will slip right off. Then slice and top with fresh lime juice. Please don’t miss the opportunity to have your kids taste beets! My daughter loves them and they are chock full of fiber, vitamins (lots of Bs and C!), minerals (iron, magnesium), and antioxidants. Plus, they look beautiful on the plate.
Green Beans
This tasty bean is among one of the only ones that can be enjoyed fresh, plus it packs a punch full of benefits! Green beans are an excellent source of folate, fiber, and potassium. Surprisingly, green beans are also full of cancer fighting carotenoids. Toss it in with your salad, stir fry with some oil, or steam to go along with your chicken and rice.
Storage and Handling
Store unwashed fresh beans pods in a plastic bag kept in the refrigerator crisper. Whole beans stored this way should keep for about seven days. Wash in cold water right before using. Trim and cut the ends off right before using.
Salad Greens (Lettuce/Mesclun)
Storage- Store unwashed lettuce or mesclun in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To store lettuce or greens that you have already washed and dried, roll the leaves loosely in a kitchen towel, put the towel in a plastic bag, and place the package in the vegetable crisper bin. Wet greens will spoil quickly, so make sure they are truly dry before refrigerating them. If you have a salad spinner, wash and spin the greens before refrigerating them. Eat mesclun mix within three or four days, and use lettuce within a week.
Handling- Salad greens bruise easily, so be sure to handle them gently. For lettuce, slice the head at its base with a sharp knife and let the leaves fall open. Discard any damaged or leathery outer leaves and tear large leaves into bite sized pieces. Both lettuce and mesclun mix can be washed by swishing them around in a basin of cold water. If a lot of dirt collects in the water, wash them a second time. Dry the greens in a salad spinner, or if you don’t have one, place them loosely in a mesh bag or thin towel, then go outside and swing them around your head.
Broccoli
Storage-
Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Don’t use an airtight bag, because broccoli continues to respire after being harvested and needs some room to breather. It keeps for over a week but is firmest and tastiest if used within a few days.
Handling–
Part of eating sustainably involves tolerating a few bugs on your produce. Broccoli in particular sometimes comes with innocuous friends tagging along in its depths. Immediately before cooking, soak your broccoli, head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any critters will float to the top. If you soak your broccoli in salt water and then store it, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy. So wait until the last minute to salt and soak it.
After cutting or breaking off the florets, don’t discard the stem. Sliced stems are juicy, crunchy, and perfectly edible wherever the florets are called for. If the skin on the stem is particularly thick, you can remove it with a paring knife or vegetable peeler before adding the stem to your dish.
Apples
Our summer apples are in, and you guys are getting the cream of the crop. Jersey macs, related to the famous Mackintosh, are tart and tender. If you are a Mackintosh fan, you need not wait for them to ripen, these Jersey macs will keep you satisfied for now. Gravenstein apples are native to Denmark and were discovered in the 1600s as a chance seedling. These early guys are excellent for cooking and make fantastic cider and apple sauce.
Storage and Handling
Apples should be kept uncovered or in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator. Warm temperatures will cause apples to lose their crispness and flavor, so if they are kept out of the refrigerator, make sure it is in a cool, ventilated place far from direct sunlight. To prevent cut apples from turning brown, sprinkle with lemon juice or soak them in a bowl of ½ cup water and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
Corn
Corn is quintessential Americana, synonymous with BBQs, Summertime, and Grilling. There isn’t a red-checkered tablecloth on a picnic table that won’t see a bowl of these steaming ears. Sweet corn is not only tasty it also contains fiber, protein, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium and phosphorous. Fun fact: there is one silk for every kernel of corn, on average there are 800 kernels in 16 rows on each ear of corn. Here at Applecrest we grow about 5 acres of corn, which at the height of the season will remove about 40 tons of carbon dioxide from the air, talk about goin’ green!
Storage and Handling
Corn can be stored in its husk up to four days in the refrigerator but it will be at its sweetest the closer it is to the day it was picked. Corn can also be frozen. Boil your ears of corn for 4-6 minutes, cool in an ice bath, cut kernels off the cob, store in air tight container (bag or tupperware works), and stick in freezer. You’ll thank yourself on a cold February night, when you can taste these sun kissed kernels alongside your meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
Cook tips
Corn can be grilled, boiled, or roasted. Easily eaten directly off the cob, added to a salad, or frozen for later use.
Recipes of the Week!
- Roasted Beet and Apple Soup
- Broccoli Apple Soup
- Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans and Grape Tomatoes
- Pico De Gallo (Homemade Salsa)
- Homemade Applesauce
- Applesauce Oat Muffins
- Harvest Apple Cake
- Fudgy Beet Cupcakes
Roasted Beet and Apple Soup
1/2 pound red beets (about 3 medium)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 apple, cored, peeled and diced
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Cool. Peel beets. Dice
Heat oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek and garlic and cook 5-8 minutes until tender. Stir in apple, beets and ginger. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Add lemon juice. Cool soup slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender or puree with immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Broccoli Apple Soup
From Food52
- 1 large head of broccoli
- 3 large apples (Golden Delicious or McIntosh are good)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- plain yogurt to garnish (optional)
- Cut the broccoli florets off the stalk and set aside. Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces. Peel the apples, core and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and apple chunks. Saute about 6 minutes. Add the broth and the broccoli stalks. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the broccoli florets to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with yogurt if using
Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans and Grape Tomatoes
From Washington Post
Ingredients
- 6 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
- 4 cups broccoli florets, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pint grape tomatoes (2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have ready a large rimmed baking sheet.
Combine the beans, broccoli, tomatoes and oil in a large bowl; toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Add salt and pepper and toss again. Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet.
Rub the garlic slices around the inside of the bowl that held the vegetables, coating the garlic with any residual oil. Scatter the oiled garlic over the vegetables. Roast for 15 minutes, then stir and roast for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.
How To Make Pico de Gallo
From the Kitchn
Ingredients
1/4 whole onion (1/2 cup finely diced)
1 garlic clove
1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers (1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons minced)
4 to 6 plum tomatoes (2 cups medium-diced tomatoes)
About 1/2 bunch cilantro (1/2 cup chopped)
Equipment
Knife
Cutting board
Small bowl
Microplane or garlic press
Citrus juicer
Instructions
- Chop the onion and mince the garlic: Finely chop the onion and place it in a small bowl. Using a microplane, grate the garlic into the bowl (or use a garlic press or very finely chop it with a knife.)
- Marinate the onion and garlic in lime juice: Cut the lime in half and juice half of it. You should have about 2 tablespoons. Add the salt and the lime juice to the garlic and onions, stir, and set aside for a few minutes while chopping the other ingredients.
- Chop the jalapeño: Slice the pepper in half and nick off a small piece of the membrane or seed, and taste for heat. If the pepper isn’t too hot, finely mince it. If it is very hot, remove the seeds and membrane from one or both halves, and then mince. You should have about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of pepper. Add to to the onions.
- Chop the tomatoes and cilantro: Chop the tomatoes into medium chunks and add to the bowl. Roughly chop the cilantro and add to the bowl. Stir gently to combine.
- Adjust seasonings: Taste the pico de gallo. If needed, add more salt, more cilantro, or more lime juice from the remaining half of the lime.
- Rest and serve: If possible, cover and let rest for a few hours in the fridge or on the counter to blend the flavors. Best if used the day it is made.
Homemade Applesauce
From The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
- 6 pounds Apples, Peeled, Cored, And Cut Into 8 Slices
- 1 cup Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
- Juice Of 1 Lemon
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Packed
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon, More Or Less To Taste
- Optional Ingredients: Nutmeg, Maple Syrup, Allspice, Butter
Preparation Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
Carefully puree in a food processor or blender (don’t fill too full; split into two portions if needed) until smooth.
Store in the fridge and serve by itself, over pork chops, over ice cream, over pancakes…or any place where applesauce is needed!
Applesauce Oat Muffins
From Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled/old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins, optional
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or grease the muffin cups. Set aside..
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oatmeal, applesauce, milk, egg, vanilla, butter and sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt (and cranberries or raisins if using). Make a well in the center and pour in the applesauce mixture. Stir until just combined (don’t overmix or the muffins will be dense and dry). The muffin batter texture might be a bit different (wetter?) than other muffin batters but no fear, carry on!
- Distribute the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t overbake or the muffins will be dry.
Remove the muffins to a rack to cool completely. Once cool, I place 6-9 muffins in a large freezer ziploc bag, suck all the air out (oh yes I do) and seal the bag, then freeze, pulling them out one by one to stick in my kids lunches or warm slightly for a snack
Harvest Apple Cake
From CSA members David & JoLynne Johnson–Thank you!
4 c. sliced apples (don’t have to peel)
2 c. sugar (can use Splenda)
Combine and let stand 1 hour
2 eggs (can use Egg Beaters)
1 c. oil (I use Canola, but any is ok)
1 tsp. vanilla
Add to sliced apples and sugar
3 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
Fold into above mixture
1 c. nuts and/or dried cranberries can be added after the dry ingredients are folded in. Heat oven to 350. Grease& flour Bundt pan well. Bake 50-60 min or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 20-30 min in pan on wire rack before inverting onto rack to cool completely. Freezes well & travels well.
Fudgy Beet Cupcakes
From The Minimalist Baker
- 2 medium beets
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup raw turbinado OR granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup canola or melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 1 heaping Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- scant 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder + more for topping
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- Preheat oven to 375°F, remove the stem and most of the root from your beets, and scrub and wash them underwater until clean.
- Wrap beets in foil, drizzle on a bit of canola oil, wrap tightly, and roast for one hour or until a knife inserted falls out without resistance. They should be tender. Set in the fridge (in a bowl to catch juice) to cool to room temperature.
- Once cooled, either finely grate or puree beets in a blender (adding orange juice or water to encourage mixing). Measure out 1/2 cup and set aside.
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
- Whisk together the almond milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets and beat until foamy.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift it into the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. Beat until no large lumps remain.
- Pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Do not try and unwrap them or they’ll stick to the wrapper.
- Once cooled, dust with cocoa powder and store in an airtight container to keep fresh.
As a reminder, part of the fun of being a member of a CSA is collaborating with your community, so always feel free to post cooking suggestions or feedback on recipes that we post, or favorite recipes of your own that you’d like to share.
