Week #2
- • Turnips
- • Lettuce
- • Purple sprouting broccoli or Chinese Broccoli
- • Kale
- • Chard
- • Spinach
- • Arugula or mizuna
- • Bok Choi or Chinese Kale
- • Shallots
Well that was quick. It took all of one harvest for Juvencio and I to feel worried about what we will give “next week”. Last week we had a whole greenhouse full of overwintered greens and they all either got harvested for the first harvest or bolted (went to seed). So Juvencio, in his typical style, cleared the 4 beds, added compost, tilled and I replanted it yesterday. It is great to have that done, but it sure makes our ready supply of veggies shrink!
The aphids (some of our most hated pests, that basically make vegetables look bad and misshapen)are back. They made quick order of one of our kale beds inside the hoop house. So now we need all the winter planted vegetables to get growing. We will finish off the spinach from last fall and next week move onto the new supply. You will taste some of our new lettuce and spicy arugula. What seemed like a never ending abundance of lettuce is now a race for the new lettuce to form heads. Alas, the struggles of the CSA farmer. Always thinking about next week, next month and planning for the winter!
We managed to get three beds of early tomatoes in the ground, among the lettuce in the greenhouses. The peppers are next, but with the cool nights and barely warm enough days they are stunted and look like they will never be big enough to survive the slugs. The cucumbers are just germinating, along with the zucchini. I spend time thinking about how we will outsmart the cucumber beetles this year. My new old plan to plant a “trap” plant is somewhat foiled. A few years back I got the idea to plant some cucumber beetle favorites. They just love banana squash, so plant the squash first and put it out in the corners of the garden, a bit hard to do with so much space to cover, but still possible. As the squash grows, the beetles flock to taste the tender leaves and mate on the flowers, enter the diligent farmer, time to squish them.
Problem: poor germination of the “trap” plant. So back to plant more of the banana squash and hope they take off before it is truly time to plant the squash, beans and cucumbers that our members will want to eat.
This week the weather is supposed to be in our favor. We will get some more potatoes in the ground, replant the broccoli that the ravenous sparrows demolished and prep the beds for the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and the winter squash.
Chinese Broccoli
(Lyn’s Quick Stir Fry)
1 bunch Chinese Broccoli (flower, stem and leaves) – remove any hard end of the stem
2-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 – 2 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup water
Olive oil
Heat a wok or frying pan and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. Add minced garlic until aromatic (about 1 minute) then add the broccoli and toss to coat with oil and garlic for about 1 minute. Add soy sauce and coat then add the water and cover for 3-5 minutes until tender and still bright green. Serve by itself or over rice. . . YUM!
ARUGULA SALAD WITH MANCHEGO, APPLES, AND CARAMELIZED WALNUTS
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup walnut oil
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 8 cups arugula
• 2 Red Delicious or Fuji apples, unpeeled, cored, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces Spanish Manchego cheese or sharp white cheddar cheese, shaved
• 1 1/2 cups pitted dates, sliced
• 1 cup Caramelized Walnuts
• 4 large shallots, mince.
Boil balsamic vinegar in small saucepan over medium-high heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes.
Whisk oil and Champagne vinegar in bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead) Keep at room temperature. Re-warm balsamic syrup before using. Re-whisk vinaigrette before using.)
Toss arugula, apples, half of cheese, dates, walnuts, and shallots in large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper.
Mound salad in center of each plate. Drizzle balsamic syrup around salads. Sprinkle remaining cheese atop salads.
Swiss Chard and Garbanzo Bean Soup
Published May 25, 2010
Makes 8 servings
This soup is super easy to make because you only have to chop one vegetable — the onion — which allows you to put it together in less than an hour. Serve with baguette slices and a green salad to round out the meal.
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon nonhydrogenated margarine
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
• 1 bunch (approximately 1 pound) Swiss chard, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
• 4 cups (24 ounces) chopped canned tomatoes
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili sauce, such as sriracha or Frank’s Red Hot
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• Soy sour cream substitute for garnish
Instructions
In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and margarine until they melt together. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion turns translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the chard to the pot. The leaves should come almost to the top of the pot but will shrink when they cook. Cook until greens begin to wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chili sauce and garbanzo beans. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Add the broth and bring soup to a boil; lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Serve, garnishing each serving with a couple of teaspoon-sized dollops of soy sour cream substitute.
Adapted from Blue Earth Farms, Chehalis, Wash.
Whole-Wheat Penne With Walnut Pesto and Kale
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Lacinato kale, also called Tuscan, black or dinosaur kale, is narrow leafed, dark blue-green and crinkly. Other varieties of kale may be substituted if lacinato is unavailable. Be sure not to toast the nuts too long; burned nuts will make the pesto taste very acrid. Whole-wheat pasta varies widely in flavor and texture; Imported Bionaturale brand, which is sold at New Seasons Markets, is one of my favorites. If you prefer, regular pasta may be substituted for whole-wheat.
• 11/2 cups walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (divided; see note)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• Pinch granulated sugar
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces), plus additional for serving
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bunches fresh lacinato kale, stemmed, coarsely chopped and rinsed well
• 1 pound whole-wheat penne rigate pasta
Combine 1 cup walnuts, garlic, thyme and pinch sugar in food processor and process until evenly ground, about 15 seconds. Add cheese and oil and process just until blended, about 4 seconds, scraping down sides of work bowl as necessary. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper; set pesto aside.
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add salt and greens and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Leaving the boiling water on the heat, use tongs or long-handled strainer to transfer greens to large bowl of cold water to stop cooking. When greens are cool, drain and squeeze firmly between hands to remove excess moisture. Coarsely chop greens and set aside.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to directions on package. Drain pasta through colander, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Return pasta to pot and toss with pesto until well-coated. Add reserved pasta water, as necessary, to moisten pasta. Using tongs, distribute cooked greens through pasta; season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide pasta among bowls and serve garnished with remaining 1/2 cup walnuts and additional grated parmesan as desired. Note: To toast nuts, spread on baking sheet and bake in 350-degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until they start to brown.
Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
Chinese Cuisine, Huang Su-Huei
12 stalks Chinese broccoli (5-inch lengths)
2 T oyster sauce
1 T Grape seed oil
Bring ½ pot of water to a boil; add a dash of salt. Place the Chinese broccoli in the water and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and drain. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with oyster sauce and oil. Serve.
MORROCAN TURNIP AND CHICKEN STEW
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas
• 2 small (2 1/2 lb) chickens
• 3 Tb butter
• 1 Tb oil
• 2 onions
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp powdered saffron
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 lb small turnips
• 2 cups chopped turnip leaves and stems
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
Rinse chickpeas in water and rub lightly to remove skins; drain and set aside. Cut chickens into quarters, removing wing tips and backbones; put them aside for stock. Melt butter and oil in a casserole and lightly brown chicken on all sides, cooking in two batches if necessary. Slice onions and stir into butter and oil to color. Then add the chickpeas, stock, pepper, ginger, saffron, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add turnips and greens and simmer 20 minutes more. Remove chicken and turnips to a covered warm dish. Boil sauce to reduce, mashing some of the chickpeas against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce; it may take 10-15 minutes to produce a nice thick sauce. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the chicken and turnips in the sauce and serve. Serves 6 to 8. From The Victory Garden Cookbook.