What’s in this week’s boxes?

Veggies:

1 bunch Red Rover Radishes

1 bunch Purple Easter Egg Radishes

1  head Green Romaine Lettuce

1 bag Baby Spinach

1 bag Salad Greens- “Red Russian” Kale, Tatsoi, “Mei Qing” Pac Choi, “Tango” Green Leaf Lettuce, “Amaze” Red Leaf Lettuce, Red Veined Sorrel, “Five Star Mix (Green Oak Leaf Lettuce, Red Oak Leaf Lettuce, Green and Red Romaine, Lollo Rossa.

1 bag Mesclun Mix- Green and Red Mustard Greens, Chinese Cabbage, Pac Choi, Tatsoi, Mizuna, “Red Russian” Kale, Arugula

1 bag Braising Mix-“Red Russian” Kale, “Bright Lights” Swiss Chard, “Merlin” and “Touchstone Gold” Beet Greens, “Mei Qing Choi” Bok Choy

Fruit:

2 quarts Strawberries- “All-Star”, “Wendy”, “Nor’Easter”, “Evangeline”, “Itasca” (Early Varieties)

What’s happening on the farm this week?

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL: Sunday, June 19, 2011 (10a to 3p)

Four rolling acres of juicy berries and a cool spring-fed pond provide the backdrop for a fun-filled day of Pick-Your-Own strawberries, free live bluegrass music, tractor drawn hayrides, face painting, gourmet sausage grill, cider donuts and a bevy of strawberry inspired delicacies from our very own scratch kitchen and bakery.

Storage, handling and general cooking tips…

Strawberries:

Storage and Handling– Use your strawberries as soon as possible (this usually isn’t a problem for me) as they stop ripening as soon as they’re picked.  Don’t wash your strawberries until you’re ready to use them, as moisture causes them to spoil more quickly.  Leave the caps on and store your strawberries in an uncovered container in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge about an hour before you’re ready to use them, as they tend to have the best flavor and texture at room temperature. Rinse your strawberries gently in cold water and then pat them dry with a towel.  Finally, remove the tops with a paring knife or with a slight twist of the wrist, and they’re ready to eat or use in your favorite strawberry recipe.

Radishes and Radish Greens:

Storage- Remove the leaves from your radishes and store them unwashed in a loosely wrapped plastic bag in the vegetable  crisper bin of your refrigerator. Radishes have a high water content, and thus tend to deteriorate rather quickly so store them dry and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and make sure to use them within a week, or two weeks at the most.

Handling– It’s not necessary to peel radishes, just give them a good scrubbing and trim off any damaged areas, or rootlets that might be sticking out.  Most of the hot spicy flavor that radishes are known for is found in the skin however, so if you’d like to make your dish a little bit milder, you can always peel them before use.

Cook Tips– Try eating raw radishes as is, or sliced up into slaws or for dipping.

Steamed radishes can be delicious rolled in butter with a dash of salt and pepper.

Toss those radish greens into mixed vegetable, soups, stir-fries, or green salads.

Cook radish leaves just like your other greens, and try mixing them in with some milder varieties as they tend to be a little on the spicy side.

It’s a little known fact… that there are illustrations of radishes on the walls inside Egyptian pyramids dating all the way back to 2000 B.C.

Lettuce, Salad Greens and Mesclun:

Storage- Store unwashed lettuce, greens 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 wilt quickly, so make sure they are good and 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 are fragile, so make sure to be gentle with them.  For lettuce, slice the head at the base to allow the leaves to separate from each other.  Tear your leaves into smaller more manageable pieces for use.  Lettuce, greens and mesclun mix can be washed by swishing them around in a basin of cold water.  If you see a lot of dirt settling in the water, wash them again, until they’re nice and clean.  The best way to dry your greens is in a salad spinner if you’ve got one, or if not, you can always pat them dry with a towel.

Cook Tips- Salad greens taste great lightly braised or stir-fried, but keep an eye on them, as they cook very quickly.

Try adding salad greens into sandwiches, tacos, burritos, omelets, or whatever else you can think of!

Salad greens are a great addition to quiches, lasagna, and other baked dishes.

Braising Mix:

Storage– Store your cooking greens unwashed, in a plastic bag in the vegetable bin of your fridge.  They’ll keep for about a week like this, but the sooner you use them, the better they’ll taste.

Handling– Wash your greens in cold water to get rid of any remaining dirt.

Cook Tips- Overcooked greens lose a lot of their flavor, texture, and nutritional value, so keep a sharp eye out while they’re on the stove. Greens boil in about 2 to 4 minutes and steam in about 5 to 8.  You know your greens are done cooking when their color turns very bright. If they start to darken, they’re in danger of being overcooked. Greens are also excellent sauteed or in a stir-fry.

Cooked greens can be very tasty served simply with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper; or sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce; or for the true greens enthusiast cooked greens can even be enjoyed plain or with butter.

Cooking greens, despite their title, are also great raw.  Try mixing them with lettuce or other greens in a salad, or adding them to a sandwich.

 

Spinach:

Storage– Store your spinach in a damp towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to about a week.

Handling– Rinse your spinach leaves the same way you would lettuce, make sure any dirt from the field rinses off and then dry them with a salad spinner, or pat dry with a towel.

Cook Tips-Spinach, like most greens, cooks very quickly so make sure to keep an eye on it! When your spinach turns a nice bright green color, you will know that its done cooking. Much like other greens, spinach can be added to sandwiches, burritos, soups, stir-fries, quiche, lasagna, and any number of other tasty dishes.

 

 

RECIPES OF THE WEEK!

Strawberry and Spinach Salad:

Ingredients:

1 bunch baby spinach

10 strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup sugar

1 tspn salt

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup vegetable or olive oil

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Gently toss spinach and strawberries in a large bowl.

2. Place sugar, salt, vinegar and oil in a blender and blend until smooth.  Vigorous mixing will suffice if you don’t have a blender.

3. Stir in the poppy seeds and then pour dressing over the spinach and strawberries. Toss and serve!

 

Radish Sandwiches:

A quick, simple, and delicious way to eat radishes

Ingredients:

6 radishes

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (optional)

salt

baguette slices

1. Wash your radishes and then chop off the greens. Thinly slice the radishes into rounds and then crosswise into small strips. Chop the greens into small pieces. About 1/2 cup of greens works best for this, so if you have excess try saving them for a salad.

2. Mix the butter and lemon zest until its nice and soft, then gently mix in radish strips, greens, and a few pinches of salt. Spread your mixture on slices of fresh baguette and enjoy.

 

Simple Braised Greens:

Cooking greens in oil or butter over high heat until they are just wilted is a great way to give them an added richness while preserving their fresh taste and delicate texture. Wilted greens mix well with almost anything. They add sophistication to cooked grain or pasta. Topped with grated cheese, a cream sauce, or toasted nuts, they make a complete side dish; dressed with a vinaigrette they become a delicious warm salad. Wilted greens also make a great bed for any meat. They are also wonderful served on their own, simple and elegant, as in this recipe. If you are using greens with hearty stems, such as Swiss chard, cut out the stems, chip them, and saute them before cooking the leaves to give them enough time to cook.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves) (optional)

1 pound greens, rinsed, torn or chopped into bite-size pieces

salt, freshly ground black pepper, extra virgin olive oil

 

1. Heat the butter or olive in in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the garlic; saute for 1 minute.
2. Add the greens immediately after rinsing them, with the water still clinging to the leaves. Cover; cook for 1 minute. (If you are using heartier greens like kale, add a cup of water to the skillet. Cover; cook for 5 minutes.)
3. Uncover the skillet, add salt to taste (this will ensure the greens stay a bright green color), and give the greens a good flip and stir. Cover the skillet again and continue cooking the greens until they are bright green, tender, and wilted to your taste. (For Swiss chard 3 to 5 minutes; for kale up to 20 minutes, depending on maturity. Be sure to add more water if it boils away.) Season with pepper and olive oil to taste.

From Farmer John’s Cookbook by John Peterson and Angelic Organics

 

Strawberries with Sour Cream and Brown Sugar: 

from culinate.com

A simple and absolutely delicious way to enjoy your fresh strawberries.

Ingredients:

2 pints strawberries washed and dried

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup brown sugar

 

1.  Place your strawberries, sour cream, and brown sugar each in their own bowl.

2.  Take a strawberry and dip it in sour cream, dip it in brown sugar. Eat and repeat!

 

Farmer Todd’s Super Caesar:

Ingredients:

2 tblsp dijon

2 tblsp anchovy paste (or several anchovies mashed whole)

2 tblsp Worcester sauce

8 drops tabasco

1 large garlic clove, minced

black pepper, course ground

juice 1 lemon

1 egg

1/3 cup olive oil

Parmesan cheese, both grated and shaved

1 or 2 heads green romaine lettuce

1. Make paste of first 6 ingredients.

2. Whisk in lemon, then egg, then oil, and then Parmesan to taste.

3. Wash romaine, tear off whole leaves, and pat dry, well.

4. Toss leaves with small portion of dressing.  Arrange on a plate.  Drizzle with desired additional dressing.  Add several shavings Parmesan and additional ground black pepper to taste.  If you’re an anchovy fan (like Farmer Todd) drape 2 anchovy filets over top and serve.

 

 

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.