CSA Newsletter 08.05.11

Another lovely week here on the farm and the rain keeps falling. August and September are my favorite months to eat on the farm, since July is usually too hot I’m glad to see it go. We lost one of our core crew members this week, due to family illness, and will be losing three more once school starts. The crew this year has been amazing and once again the farm season is flying by!
In your box this week:
Full Shares:
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Frisee
-Golden Beets
-Ailsa Craig Onions
-Summer Squash
-Scallions
-Arrowhead Cabbage
-French Breakfast Radishes
Half Shares
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Ailsa Craig Onions
-Green Filet Beans
-Summer Squash
-Scallions
-Arrowhead Cabbage
-French Breakfast Radishes
Roasted Stuffed Onions
• 10 medium red and yellow onions (4 lb)
• 1 lb sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces
• 3 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 15 oz baby spinach, trimmed and coarsely chopped (14 cups)
• 1 (9-inch) round loaf country-style bread (1 1/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (10 cups), lightly toasted
• 2 cups salted roasted cashews (10 oz), coarsely chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 chicken or vegetable stock
Preparation
Make onion shells:
Cut a 1/2-inch-thick slice from tops of onions, discarding tops, and trim just enough from bottoms for onions to stand upright. Scoop out all but outer 2 or 3 layers from each using a small ice cream scoop or spoon (don't worry if you make a hole in the bottom), reserving scooped-out onion and onion shells separately.
Make stuffing:
Coarsely chop enough scooped-out onion to measure 3 cups.
Cook bacon in 2 batches in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 10 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving about 1/3 cup fat in skillet.
Add chopped onion, celery, salt, and pepper to skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in spinach, bread, cashews, butter, 1 cup stock, and bacon, then cool completely.
Roast onions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Arrange onion shells, open sides up, in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then add 1/2cup water and cover pan tightly with foil. Roast onions in middle of oven until tender but not falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes.
Stuff and bake onions:
Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Transfer shells to a work surface and pour off water in pan. Fill shells with stuffing, mounding it, and return to pan. Reserve 5 to 7 cups stuffing for turkey cavity, then put remaining stuffing in a buttered shallow 3 1/2-quart baking dish and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup stock. Bake stuffed onions and stuffing in dish in middle of oven, uncovered, until heated through, about 25 minutes.


~Matt and Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew