The pictures show the Liberty environmental AP class helping the ABC school transplant the pumpkins and wintersquash on May 16th.
Week #7
- • Lettuce Mix (try our new favorite: “Salanova” it has been rinsed, but please do wash it again at home)
- • Kale or chard
- • Chinese broccoli
- • Sugar snap peas (eat the pod and all)
- • Green onions
- • Carrots
- • Potatoes
- • Parsley or dill
We decided to make salad mix this week and share with you our new favorite lettuce, “Salanova”. She was created by Johnny’s seeds after years of special breeding (not genetic modification). The heads mature to full size, but the leaves stay small and sweet. When you remove the core you are left with tons of small perfect salad mix. We are really excited about this new type of lettuce and hope to feature it several times over the season. Note the green leaves with bright red stems are beet thinning, thanks to Donna, who helped out in that department.
Sue and Kindel were the master pea pickers on Sunday helping bring in over 50# of sugar snaps. We will see what Wednesday brings, but they are a labor of love and a lot of work to harvest, but worth every bite. I am always tempted to grow the shorter version of this sugar snap, but Sue reminded me that it does not have the same sweetness.
“Men love cement”, said Polly. Juvencio has proven that dictum this week. He started with a new roof on the pump house and then made a cement ramp to get from the outdoor kitchen to the pizza oven. The cement kept pouring and now we have a new cement floor over the equipment shed. We have kept Rosario busy this month with farm improvements, and men really do love cement.
We are running out of space. We are at the point that most of the area on the farm and across the road in the field is planted. We still have fall crops to plant (Brussels sprouts, cabbage, fennel, celery etc.) but those will have to wait for lettuce and other spring crops to come out. The hoop houses have been transformed again. Carrots and beets are out and cucumbers are in. As the first potatoes come out we will seed more beets and carrots in their place and be ready for fall. It is hard to believe that in three months we will be entering fall and then thinking about overwintering crops once again.
The rain has been good, but enough is enough. We had more rain on Thursday, May 23rd than ever recorded on that day before. The weather threatened to drop below freezing but made it into the high 30s. We had already decided it was time to plant the stuffing peppers, eggplants and shelling beans in the ground. The winter squash, summer squash and pumpkins had been put out the week before. Farming is always a challenge and Mother Nature never ceases to throw another curve ball. We know how lucky we are as we witnessed the destruction in Oklahoma. Our hearts go out to those families who lost everything and whose lives were turned upside down.
Most of the meat has been spoken for. The 10 pigs have been sold. The beef is all but divided up. We will have 7 animals go to the butcher this year. There is still four steer that can be purchased. Send an email to Juvencio and a deposit on $100 to reserve your ¼ to ½. The calves have just started to be born. We have three newborn calves. All white like their father, born to black mothers. They look like they have been painted, with black tipped ears, black noses and black eyelashes and black feet.
Have a great week!
Kale with Garlic and Bacon
1 slice of bacon chopped (I use pancetta)
1 garlic clove
6 cups (or what you have) chopped kale, washed
1 cup water (I used chicken broth)
In al large heavy skillet cook the bacon over the moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp and transfer it to paper towels to drain. In te fat remaining in the skillet cook the garlic, stirring, until it is golden, add the kale and the water and simmer the mixture, covered for 10 minutes or until the kale is wilted and tender. Simmer the mixture, uncovered until most of the liquid is evaporated, add the bacon, salt and pepper to taste. Serves 2.
Sugar Snap Peas with shallots and Thyme
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• kosher salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Spread sugar snap peas in a single layer on a medium baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with shallots, thyme, and kosher salt.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender but firm.
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Sweet Lemon and Mustard Dressing
Fresh From the Garden, Perla Meyers
Salt
1 ½ pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
juice of 1 large lemon
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons finely minced scallions
Freshly ground white pepper
Spring Onion Sandwiches
from Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters
Onion Sandwiches were an old favorite of James Beard’s. These are best made in may when onions are very sweet. Trim the crusts off thin slices of good white bread. Spread two slices of bread with mayonnaise, on one side. Slice fresh onion very thinly and make a layer of onion slices on one slice of bread. Top that with the other slice of bread. Dip the four side edges of the sandwich into thin mayonnaise and then into chopped parsley.
from Marcella, a CSA member:
One of our favorite ways to enjoy scallions is as a vegetable side dish.
Scallions and Carrots
1 bunch scallions, roots trimmed and white part cut into a 4″ length
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/4 t sugar
2 T soy sauce
Saute the scallions in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften and turn golden. Add butter, soy sauce and sugar and cook 30 seconds more.
Milanese-Style Chard
from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Shepherd and Raboff
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1 Tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks green garlic, chopped
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped basil
pinch nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped prosciutto or ham
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
salt and pepper to taste
garnish: toasted pine nuts or walnuts
Trim the chard, discarding tough stems, and coarsely chop.
In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil, add garlic and scallions and saute until softened and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chard, parsley, basil, nutmeg, prosciutto or ham and mix well together. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat until tender and wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in Parmesan Cheese and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with pine nuts or walnuts.
Chinese Scallion Pancakes
recipe by Elsa Chen
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for flouring the rolling surface
1 cup water
2 teaspoons oil
A bunch of green onions, green and white parts, chopped medium-fine
A few tablespoons of oil to brush on pancakes (a mix of canola or corn oil and sesame oil is good) some salt A few tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
Mix together the first three ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Flour a surface and knead the dough. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before continuing.
With a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a big, flat square or rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
Brush the pancake with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with spring onion pieces and a little salt. Starting at one short end, roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, so you have a “snake.”
Cut the “snake” crosswise into 8 – 10 pieces. Then flatten each piece again gently with your palm and rolling pin to make a little rectangle. Don’t flatten it too firmly, because you want a little air to remain trapped between the layers of the pancakes so they’ll puff up a bit between the layers and be lighter.
Press one or both sides in sesame seeds (optional).
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet. Shallow fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Serve plain or with dipping sauce. An easy sauce can be made by mixing soy sauce with a little minced garlic, scallion, and rice vinegar.
Green Onion Pancake by Stella Fong
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water
vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup minced green onions
Mix together flour and boiling water. Add 1/3 cup cold water and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Add more water if necessary. Cover and let dough rest for about 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, salt and green onions. Set aside. Divide dough into 10 pieces. Flatten each piece in the palm of your hand. Then roll out into a 6-inch circle. Spread each piece with the green onion mixture.
Roll up dough into a jellyroll. Then wind up into a snail shape. Flatten slightly; roll on lightly floured surface to 5-inch circle. Spray pan with vegetable oil spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Fry pancake until golden brown, about 2 minutes, turn and cook other side. Serve hot. Makes 10 pancakes
SCALLION AND ANISE PITA TOASTS
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 scallion, minced
1/4 teaspoon aniseed, crushed
two 6-inch pita loaves, halved horizontally
Preheat broiler.
In a small saucepan, heat butter over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add scallion and aniseed and
cook, stirring until scallion is slightly softened. Arrange pita halves, rough sides up, on a baking sheet
and brush with butter mixture. Season pita halves with salt and pepper. Broil pita halves about 4
inches from heat 30 seconds, or until golden. Transfer pita toasts to a cutting board and immediately
cut each into 6 wedges.
Makes 24 toasts. Gourmet February 1995
TUNA DIP WITH LEMON AND CAPERS
two 6-ounce cans solid white tuna packed in oil, drained well
a 10 1/4-ounce package soft tofu, drained
3 scallions, minced
1 carrot, shredded fine
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Accompaniment: crackers or assorted crudites
In a bowl stir tuna with a fork until finely flaked. In another bowl whisk tofu until smooth. Stir tofu
and remaining ingredients into tuna until combined and season with salt and pepper. Serve dip with
crackers or crudites.
Makes about 3 cups. Gourmet July 1995 The Last Touch
CARROT SCALLION FRITTERS
3/4 cup coarsely grated carrot
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
vegetable oil for deep-frying
In a bowl combine well the carrot, the scallion, the egg, the bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to
taste. In a large skillet heat 1 inch of the oil until it registers 375¡F. on a deep-fat thermometer, in
batches drop the carrot mixture into the oil by tablespoons, and fry the fritters for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes,
or until they are golden. Transfer the fritters to paper towels and let them drain. Serve the fritters as
hors d’ oeuvres or as a side dish.
Makes about 10 fritters. Gourmet November 1990
SCALLION GOAT CHEESE MUFFINS
1 cup whole milk
4 ounces soft mild goat cheese
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 bunch scallions
Preheat oven to 400¡F. and butter twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups.
In a small bowl stir together 2 tablespoons milk and goat cheese until combined. Into a bowl sift
together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Melt butter and in another small bowl whisk together
with remaining milk and egg. Finely chop enough scallions to measure 1 cup. Stir butter mixture and
scallions into flour mixture until just combined. Divide half of batter evenly among muffin cups and
top each with about 2 teaspoons goat cheese filling. Divide remaining batter over filling. Bake muffins
in middle of oven until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins. Gourmet
Lydias Ladybug