13 August 2010

NU-WAY FARM CSA
News from the Farm this Week:
August13, 2010

This Week You'll Receive Some of the Following:

Sting Beans and/or Roma Beans
Heirloom Tomatoes
Sweet Italian Basil
Swiss chard
Sweet Corn
Eggs

Successes and…

David describes it as “a pretty tough year overall.” Though we measure success by the fullness of our produce boxes, David takes a wider view. The beginning of the summer was extremely hot and dry and many of his crops just refused to germinate properly. He lost whole plantings of some crops and has begun to re-evaluate the condition of his soil on several parts of the farm. Even after a lot of foliar feeding, huge compost infusions, and the spreading of calcium, he’s got some “blank spots” that tend to under-perform. David’s peppers and squash are doing very well, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, and this late summer chard is looking very nice. We can expect a good crop of eggplant and the heirloom tomatoes are looking good (though David is worried about some of the “blossom end rot” he sees on certain varieties: the fruit forms, but then a soft, black spot develops where the blossom end was—a condition caused by calcium insufficiencies in the soil).

His biggest loss of the season was the sweet corn. Several staggered plantings just didn’t come up and he’s left with virtually no sweet corn crop. Since he knows summer is incomplete without some corn, he’s purchased a bit of local sweet corn from the farm auction on Hwy. 19 (you’ll see that in your boxes this week) and is making arrangements with another organic farmer to purchase some corn for the coming weeks.

These are, of course, part of the ups and downs of farming—and as investors we share in his risks as well as his bounty. David spent this week putting in fall crops and thanks to some nice overnight rains, he’s encouraged to see new lettuce, carrots and other crops coming up just as they should. Enjoy the fruits of his labor in the meantime!


Bruschetta Pomodoro

6-10 very ripe medium tomatoes, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded or sliced very thinly
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher (coarse) Salt, freshly ground pepper & cracked red (hot) pepper

In a colander, toss the diced tomatoes with 2 tsp. kosher salt. Let drain into a sink, tossing with a spoon periodically, for at least one hour, until the tomatoes have purged much of their liquid. Meanwhile, in a deep bowl, combine the olive oil with the garlic and 1 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. cracked red pepper. Set aside to let the garlic and peppers infuse the oil. When the tomatoes are finished draining, add them to the bowl with the oil, toss in the fresh basil, and serve immediately over pieces of grilled or toasted bread or toss (raw) with perfectly cooked spaghetti for a simple, “uncooked” pasta sauce.

Instant Tomato-Ricotta ‘Soup” with Capers
From Melissa Clark

2 fat ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and cubed
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1.5 T. fresh chopped basil
Large pinch coarse sea salt)
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup top-quality ricotta, lightly broken into clumps

In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, oil, basil and salt. Let sit 5 minutes. Gently scatter ricotta on top. (Do not stir in.) Garnish with capers, and serve.

Charcoal Grilled Corn with Sour Cream and Chili Powder
6 ears fresh sweet corn, in their husks
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 T. mild chili powder
1/3 cup grated romano cheese
1/2 cup sour cream, whisked with 1 tablespoon milk to thin

Pull all of the husks back from the corn without removing it. Pull off and remove all the silk, using a soft brush to get the last stubborn strands. Return the husks to their original position and twist the tops. In a large deep bowl, cover the corn with cold water and weight down with a plate to keep them all submerged. Let the corn soak for 1 hour. Meanwhile, light a charcoal fire and let it burn until the coals are medium hot. Set the grill rack 4 inches from the hot coals. Lay the corn on the grill rack and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently with tongs. Pull back some husks to test the kernels for doneness if desired. Remove from the grill, let cool for a few minutes and pull the husks back to the base again so that you can use them as a handle for picking up the corn. Set aside until ready to serve the rest of the meal. Brush the corn with the butter and return it to the grill rack for about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until nicely browned. Sprinkle the corn with the chile powder and pass the sour cream and cheese at the table for guests to help themselves.

Farfalle with Swiss chard “pesto” and Heirloom Tomatoes

1 pound farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 bunch Swiss chard
3 ripe heirloom tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Extra virgin olive oil
5 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. In the meantime, cut out the thick white stems from each leaf of chard and discard. Chop the green portions coarsely, then blanch in the boiling, salted water for four minutes. Remove from the water with a tongs and return the water to a boil for the pasta. Cook farfalle until al dente according to package directions. While it cooks, assemble the sauce.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil into the hot pan. Toss in the garlic cloves whole and cook them slowly (turning down the heat if necessary), until all the surfaces of the garlic are very lightly browned and the cloves have softened a little. Remove the garlic from the pan and add the pine nuts to the hot oil; toast the pine nuts just until they take on a little bit of color, then remove the nuts from the skillet. On a cutting board, pile the blanched chard, pine nuts, and garlic cloves. Run a knife through the pile for two or three minutes, until you have a coarse but more or less uniform mixture. Toss with the grated Parmigiano and transfer to the skillet (which is probably still warm). When the pasta is cooked, add it to the skillet with the pesto. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add the basil and the diced tomatoes. Toss well to combine and serve immediately garnished with a bit more cheese.