FarmShare CSA Newsletter, week of October 13th, 2015
Hi Folks!
We have three more weeks of CSA shares to go out, our last week will be the week of Halloween.
Make sure you’re canning, freezing and sauce-ing all of your extras so that you can continue to enjoy the bounty over the winter time!
What’s in this week’s box?
Veggies:
Brussel Sprouts
Swiss Chard
Kale
Tomatoes
Crunchy Royale Radishes
Scallions
Eggplant
Full & Locavore Share only: Head Lettuce
Fruit:
Apples
Storage, handling and general cooking tips…
Radishes
Storage- Remove radish leaves if they are still attached. Store the unwashed greens in a loosely wrapped plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Because of their high water content,
radishes deteriorate quickly. Store them dry and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Young turnips and most radishes should keep for a week. Black radishes will keep slightly longer.
Handling– Scrub radishes and young turnips well to remove any lingering dirt. Trim off he stems and rootlets. Slice, chop, or mince the roots or leave
Scallions
Store in a jar filled with inch or two of water. We’ve tried wrapping them in paper, plastic, and cloth, placing them in a bag or in a drawer … and finally discovered that the best way to keep them fresh seems to be in a jar filled with an inch or two of water. We remove the rubber band, stand the scallions in the jar, cover the whole thing with a plastic bag, and keep it in the fridge. Stored this way, the scallions stay crisp for about a week.
Apples
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.
Eggplant
Storage- Eggplant prefers to be kept at about 50 degrees F, which is warmer than most refrigerators and cooler than most kitchen counters. Wrap unwashed eggplant in a towel (not in plastic) to absorb any moistrue and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. Used within a week, it should still be fresh and mild.
Handling- Rinse eggplant in cool water and cut off the stem. Many people like to peel, salt, and drain their eggplant to draw out any bitter flavor; however, bitterness develops only in eggplant that has been stored for a while, so with farm fresh specimens this is generally not necessary. Many recipes call for salting in order to make the vegetable less watery and more absorbent– much like draining tofu. Salting is not an essential step, but it can greatly enhance the taste and texture of your dish and is well worth the extra effort.
Eggplant’s thick skin can be difficult to cut. Do so carefully with a sharp knife. The shape of an eggplant determines how it is best prepared. Slice a straight, narrow eggplant into rounds for grilling or broiling, and cut a rounded, bulbous eggplant into cubes for stews and stir-fries.
Tomatoes
The sun-loving tomato’s arrival could mean only one thing—Summer is definitely here! This delectable, heart healthy summer fruit, beyond being a palate pleaser is fantastic in so many ways. Tomatoes can be eaten raw, stewed, sun dried, in soup, as a snack, with balsamic vinegar and fresh mozzarella, chopped into salsa, on sandwiches and burgers. The possibilities are endless.
FYI-Tomato paste will remove chlorine from hair, especially if you have blond hair and the recent heat wave has turned you into a pool diving mermaid and your locks are now greenish.
Did you know that tomatoes are thought to originate in Peru where their Aztec name “xitomatl’ means “plump thing with a navel”.
Storage
Tomatoes bruise easily, so handle them with care. Wash and dry your tomatoes before storing. Unless you’re planning to store your tomatoes for over a week, a windowsill, counter-top or bowl, stem side down, works fine. If you know you won’t use them in the next few days, then lower temperatures (a cool entryway) will help to preserve the fruit. Contrary to our common practice in the US, storing in a refrigerator is not otherwise recommended, as the cooler temperatures can reduce flavor and cause mushiness and mealyness. Your fresh-picked tomatoes will last longer on the kitchen counter than store-bought ones anyways, which are probably a few days old when you get them.
Recipes of the Week!
Take a fancy foodie picture with your Applecrest fruit and veggies? Let us know and post it on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter with #applecrest !
- Sauteed Chard with Apples and Bacon
- Shredded Brussel Sprouts and Scallion Salad
- Apple, Radish, and Brussel Sprouts
- Gratin with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Chard
- Breakfast Apple Granola Crisp
Sauteed Chard with Apples and Bacon
one bunch of Chard, washed and chopped
2-3 large apples
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4-5 strips of bacon, chopped
salt to taste
Heat a large skillet or wok to med heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is crisp. When it’s done, you can decipher how much of the fat you want to leave in the pan to sauté the rest of the veggies. About a tablespoon or two is good, save the extra bacon fat in case you want to use it later. Take out the bacon and set aside so it doesn’t get burned. Add in the onions and garlic and sauté until soft 5-10 min. Next add in the chard and cook for 2-3 min, stirring frequently, until glazed looking. Next add the apples and add back the bacon. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, until the apples are warm and have melded with the rest of mixture.
Voila! Serve with some meat. Yum
Shredded Brussel Sprouts and Scallion Salad
From Epicurious
- a pint Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 scallions, sliced thin diagonally
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
Cut sprouts in half and slice thin lengthwise. In a heavy skillet melt butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and sauté sprouts and scallions, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. In a bowl toss vegetables with lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Apple, Radish, and Brussel Sprout Salad with Blue Cheese Honey Vinaigrette
From The Local Palate
Blue Cheese Honey Vinaigrette
½ high-quality blue cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup grapeseed or sunflower oil
Apple, Radish, and Brussels Sprout Salad
3 medium sweet eating apples
Juice of 1 lemon
3 medium radishes of your choice (sliced super thin on a mandoline)
12–16 large Brussels sprouts (separated into individual leaves and roughly chopped)
3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
2 tablespoons torn mint
1½ teaspoons salt
1 cup blue cheese honey vinaigrette
½ cup pomegranate seeds
Directions
Blue Cheese Honey Vinaigrette
- Whisk together the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl until the blue cheese is mostly broken up.
- Slowly whisk in the oil.
Apple, Radish, and Brussels Sprout Salad
- Just before building the salad, dice the apples and toss them with the lemon juice. To the apples add the radish, Brussels sprouts, scallion, mint, salt, and enough dressing to suit you.
- Just before serving top with the pomegranate seeds and another drizzle of dressing.
Gratin with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Chard
- 1 lb eggplant
- sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for eggplant
- 1 small finely diced onion
- 1 bunch chard leaves, chopped
- freshly ground black pepper
- several large basil leaves, torn
- 2 tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- Slice the eggplants into rounds that are about ½-inch thick. If the eggplant isn’t super fresh, salt the slices and let stand for 30 minutes to remove bitterness. Blot dry with paper towels.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Toss eggplant slices with olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the slices and cook for about 6 minutes or until a bit charred. Turn the slices over and cook on the second side for another 6 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chard and a bit of salt. Cover and cook until the chard is wilted, about 3-4 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350.
- Cover a gratin dish with half the eggplant slices. Season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and half the tomato slices. Top with half the mozzarella. Scatter the chard over the cheese. Layer the remaining eggplant, tomato slices and cheese. Scatter the cherry tomatoes on top.
- Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the gratin. Bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.
Breakfast Apple Granola Crisp
From Smitten Kitchen
3 pounds* of whatever apples, or mix of apples, you like to bake with, peeled, cored and cut into medium chunks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup flour
2 cups oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, as you wish; I used unsweetened)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix apple chunks with lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and pinch of salt in a 9×13-inch baking dish until apples are evenly coated. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the honey. Stir in the flour, oats, almonds, coconut and another pinch of salt until clumps form. Sprinkle evenly over the apple mixture and bake in the oven for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until the apples are softened and bubbly. Should the granola brown before you wish it to, cover the baking dish carefully with foil for all but the last few minutes of baking time, when removing the foil will help the granola recrisp. Cool to room temperature and then stash in the fridge to eat with your morning yogurt.
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.
