20 July 2012

 After a month without a drop, David reports that an inch and a half of rain fell on the farm yesterday.  All his soil conditioning and composting had kept his soil fairly moist during that drought, but they did need rain and he swears his “tomato plants all grew about six inches overnight.”

Things are ripening suddenly and the tomato harvest is just about to begin, about a month ahead of schedule.   The peppers and eggplants are about to come on as well, so prepare your kitchens for a deluge of late summer crops.

In your boxes this week, you’ll find:

Blueberries

Blackberries

Garlic (organically-grown by one of David’s Amish neighbors)

Green Peppers

String beans or Roma beans

Chayoga beets

Cucumbers

Red Potatoes

Roasted Beets and String Beans with Greek Yogurt and Garlic Oil

1 bunch beets, stemmed and peeled

1 pound string beans, stemmed

2 cloves fresh garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

½ cup plain Greek yogurt (preferably Fage “Total”)

Salt and Pepper

Thinly slice the garlic and add it to 1/3 cup of olive oil in a shallow pan or skillet over medium low heat.  Heat just until the garlic begins to cook slightly, then turn off the heat and allow the garlic to soften in the oil.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the peeled beets with a splash of the garlic olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper, then wrap in two layers of aluminum foil, crimp tightly, and place on a sheet pan.  Roast until the beets are fork-tender, about thirty minutes.   Unwrap them from the foil and allow them to cool.  Then cut them into halves or quarters.  

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil.  While the beets are cooling, boil the string beans just until tender (about five minutes), then transfer them to a colander to drain.  They will continue to cook slightly in the colander, out of the boiling water. 

Re-season the beets with salt and pepper and then toss with the yogurt.  Toss the green beans in the remaining garlic oil and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange the dressed green beans on a pile in the center of a serving plate, then add the beets on top.  Serve while still slightly warm.

13 July 2012

Friday, July 13th, 2012

In your boxes this week:

Blueberries

Blackberries

Zucchini

Cucumbers

Roma beans

Swiss chard

Chayoga beets

Potatoes

Basil

Roasted Chayoga Beets 

with Basil & Greek yogurt

Trim beets of their root end and lop off the stems (reserve greens for braising or chopping into a salad).  Drizzle them with a little olive oil and then wrap them in aluminum foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about one hour, until they are very tender.

Remove them from the oven and rinse them under cold water, using light pressure to remove their peels (they should come off easily).   Cut the roasted beets into halves or quarters and place in a bowl.  

In a small bowl, whisk together one tiny garlic clove (finely minced), six leaves of very thinly sliced basil, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and two tablespoons of your very best extra virgin olive oil.  Toss the roasted beets with the dressing, then top with a dollop of Greek yogurt.  Serve while still warm.

June 1st, 2012

David expressed some worry about this season's produce becoming a little redundant (greens, greens, onions, greens), but he needn't worry, given what he has coming our way in June.  You'll soon be seeing: baby beets, Swiss chard, broccoli, zucchini (he has 2,000 plants, so get ready), snap peas, and red potatoes.  He also expects a massive crop of blackberries.

He just finished planting 1,500 Brussels sprouts, not to mention new rows of edamame, leeks, and spinach.

And then there are the tomatoes!   He's got what looks to be a "tremendous crop" of 7,000 plants, representing about twelve heirloom varieties, including: "Old German," "Mr. Stripey," "Boxcar Willie," and even one called "Mortgage Lifter."  But he's most proud to be growing a local heirloom given to him by an 80-year-old neighbor who got the seeds himself from an even more ancient neighbor many years ago.  It's an unnamed pink heirloom tomato and David plans to isolate those plants and begin a seed bank to perpetuate the variety.

In your boxes this week, you'll be receiving:

Spinach

Leaf lettuce

Rhubarb

Pullet eggs

Cilantro

Green Onions

and

Strawberries

(The strawberries were organically grown by David's neighbor, Chester Detweiller.  And David says this is one of the earliest strawberry crops he's ever seen in this region.)

*

A quick tip for washing greens:

Our good organic greens have already had one quick rinse out on the farm, but they'll still need some good washing before use.  Fill a huge pot with very cold water and then submerge the greens, stir them with your hand, and let them sit for a few minutes.  Then gently scoop up the greens with your fingers and transfer them to a collander.  You'll see that any dirt will have sunk to the bottom of the pot.  Discard that water and repeat until the rinse water is clear.   Then spin your greens dry before dressing them.  If you need to revive slightly wilted greens, add a splash of simple vinegar to the rinse water and let the greens sit in that slightly acidulated water for five minutes.  That usually perks them up.

*

Green Onion, Cilantro, and Spinach 

Salsa Verde

In case the green onions are piling up on you, here's my very easy and pungent take on a classic salsa verde.  It is excellent served upon grilled meat, smeared upon grilled bread, or tossed with perfectly al dente pasta and a bit of mozzarella.  The addition of spinach (normally you'd use a huge mound of parsley) and the best extra virgin olive oil you can find makes it a nutrition bomb.  Don't omit the anchovy, which is what really brings this together!

4 cups spinach, rinsed

6 green onions  with their greens (root end removed)

3 anchovy fillets

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon capers

Small bunch cilantro

1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Bring a small pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Plunge the spinach leaves into the water for ten seconds, then drain immediately and allow to cool.  When cool, gently squeeze out some of the water from the spinach and set the spinach aside.  

In a mortar and pestle (or in a food processor), grind the anchovy, garlic, and green onions until finely minced.   Then add the wilted spinach, mustard, cilantro, capers, and lemon juice.  Grind or pulse until you have a thick green paste.  Then add a few grinds of black pepper and begin adding olive oil slowly, while stirring with the mortar (or with the food processor running on low), until the mixture appears loose. Taste for salt (the anchovies will have provided some, but it may need another pinch or two).  

This keeps well in the refrigerator in a sealed jar.  Cover it with a thin layer of olive oil to ensure that it keeps its lively green color.

*

Strawberry and Rhubarb often come into season at the same time, which means they are a natural pair.  

Here's a link to a good cobbler recipe:

Strawberry & Rhubarb Cobbler

May 25, 2012

In Your Boxes This Week, You'll Receive:

Eggs

Rhubarb

Green Onions

Leaf Lettuce

Spinach

Radishes

Cilantro

David reports that things are "really growing" out on the farm, thanks to the May "heat wave."  Things are "getting a little dry," he said, but a few showers in the coming days should take care of that.  He's still doing a lot of planting and is really optimistic about the growing season.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

1 recipe of your favorite pie crust
4 cups diced rhubarb                                                          

1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tablespoon flour                                                               

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                

2 teaspoons vanilla
Sugar to sprinkle over crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide pie crust in two equal batches.

Roll the dough into a round 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface, drape it over a rolling pin, and fit it into a 10-inch pie dish. Press the dough firmly into the pan and cut off any excess with the floured rolling pin. Reserve the other dough half and refrigerate.

Pour boiling water over rhubarb and let stand about 5 minutes. Drain off water. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add beaten eggs, salt and vanilla.
Blend into drained rhubarb. Fill pie crust. Cover with a top crust. Pierce holes with fork. Bake 45 to 50 minutes.  Sprinkle top with sugar while pie is still hot. 

Rustic “Chortopita”

The Meadville Market House stocks both goat and sheep's milk feta imported from Greece by Stamoolis Bros. on the Pittsburgh strip.  The domestic feta (made from cow's milk) they sell in the grocery story is just not the same thing.

You are probably familiar with “spanakopita,” the famous Greek spinach pies made with phyllo dough.  In Greece, the more typical home-made version involves a simple dough in place of phyllo and any greens (“chorta”) available at the moment—the more pungent the better. 

The dough:  In a large bowl, put 2 cups flour.  Make a “well” in the center and into the well pour3/4 cup of very cold water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Stir the well with a fork, drawing the flour in slowly until the flour and water mixture is nicely combined (adding a little flour or water as needed), then remove to a cutting board and knead the dough until it has a smooth consistency.  You may need to flour your surface lightly to keep it from sticking.  Wrap the finished ball of dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

The filling:

4-6 cups greens**—turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, chard, spinach, etc.    Wash the greens carefully and spin or pat them dry. 

1 carrot, finely diced                                                         

5 green onions, thinly sliced

2 pieces bacon (optional) diced                                           

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz. Feta cheese                                                              

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. fresh dill or cilantro, minced                                    

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add the bacon and cook a few minutes, until some of the fat renders and it just begins to crisp.  Add the onions and carrots with a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds. Now add the greens.  Toss lightly, just to coat the greens with the onion mixture, and then wilt the greens for about four minutes.  Allow to cool completely, then drain off any water that has gathered in the pan.  Stir in the feta,eggs and dill or cilantro and set aside.

Lightly oil a pie dish.  Remove the dough from the fridge, cut off a third of it and set aside.  Roll the larger piece out on a lightly floured board into a thin circle, one large enough to fit into the pie dish.  Arrange the piece in the dish, just as if you were making a pie, with the edges of the dough overlapping the edges of the dish.  Press down to remove any air bubbles, then add the filling.  Roll out the other piece of dough into a “lid” for the pie; place on top of the filling and then seal the two pieces of dough together with your fingers, making a seam along the edge.  Brush the top lightly with olive oil and puncture in a few places with a sharp knife.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until the pie begins to turn golden.  Remove from the oven and let cool at least fifteen minutes before slicing.

**If using a very bitter green (like turnip greens), it’s best to mix in another less strong green like spinach.  About 50/50 is what I’d recommend.

May 18, 2012

May 18, 2012

Poet-Farmer 

Wendell Berry 

is in Meadville and will be speaking tonight at the Vukovich Auditorium at Allegheny College (7pm).

See:  http://foundationforsustainableforests.org/new

IN YOUR BOXES THIS WEEK:

Rhubarb

Romaine Lettuce

Green Onions

Radishes

(lots of) Spinach

(possibly some) Eggs

Arugula

A note about the arugula: David hesitates to send it, since it's not pretty.  But I encouraged him to anyway, since the stuff's unreasonably healthy and delicious.  If it's too ugly for your salad bowl, you might consider tossing it in a hot pan with a little garlic and olive oil (with a generous grating of good cheese and some spaghetti you have a great meal).  Or there's this:

Arugula Pesto

One bunch arugula                                  

1 –2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper                  

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
Juice of half a lemon                        

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Olive oil

Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl, and bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Put the arugula in a large sieve and plunge it into the boiling water. Immediately immerse all the arugula and stir so that it blanches evenly. Blanch for about 15 seconds. Remove, shake off the excess water, then plunge the arugula into the ice water bath and stir again so it cools as fast as possible. Drain well.

Squeeze the water out of the arugula with your hands until very dry. Roughly chop the arugula. Add the chopped arugula to a food processor along with the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts, and the lemon juice. Blend for at least 30 seconds. In this way the green of the arugula will thoroughly color the oil. Add the cheese and pulse to combine. The pesto will keep several days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.  Toss with pasta or smear on toasted bread for very good crostini.

May 11, 2012

In your boxes this week, you'll find: 

Rhubarb
Pullet eggs
Spinach
Lettuce
Green onions
Radishes
& Asparagus (David doesn't have enough to give to everyone all at once.  So he's keeping track and will aim to give everyone a portion in the upcoming weeks).

As you can see from the photos above, the sun shining and David's been out readying his fields for planting, and everything is growing really well.  The last photo is of the Yoder's new house, which they built themselves.  I like to call it the "house arugula built."  Click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Enjoy the produce,

Christopher

May 4th, 2012

SEVENTEEN ACRES

David will be sowing seventeen acres this year: that's more crops than he's ever planted.  And he hopes we'll be seeing more produce in our boxes as a result.  This week's warm weather has him itching to plant his tomato seedlings (which, he complained, are getting too big), but he thinks it is prudent to wait another week.  He'll be putting in over a dozen varieties of heirloom tomatoes this year.

In the meantime, he's planted loads of zucchini, leeks, celeriac, and many other summer crops.  And we'll soon be seeing lots of lettuce, arugula, spinach and radishes.  Time to dust off the salad spinner.

In this week's boxes, you'll receive:

2 dozen eggs

Romaine lettuce

Green onions

Rhubarb

Puffed spelt breakfast cereal

Here's a modified version of quick, blender-friendly Caesar-style dressing using green onions instead of garlic.  Don't skip the anchovies, which provide a big dose of flavor (not to mention calcium).  

Green Caesar Dressing

3 pullet egg yolks (save the whites for tomorrow's breakfast)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 green onions with their greens, chopped into smaller pieces

3 anchovy fillets

2 T. red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil

Salt and pepper

Finely grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Put the egg yolks, mustard, green onions and anchovy fillets in the blender and pulse until the ingredients begin to break up.  Then add the vinegar and run until you have a smooth paste.  Then, with the blender running on low, slowly drizzle in both oils, then season with freshly ground pepper.  The anchovies will have already provided some salt, but add a bit more to taste.

Toss with large pieces of Romaine, the grated cheese, and some freshly toasted croutons.