After two very hot weeks, it finally rained and we are thankful. The farm has no irrigation and it can be stressful on the fields and the farmer. Although, farmer Matt is very happy with how the crops are looking this season, especially our self blanching Frisee. This delightful relative of the endive is commonly called curly endive and has a peppery/nutty flavor. It is most frequently used as a salad green and is seen in mesclun mixes, but this subtly bitter green is great to experiment with. The bitterness is best, or most popularly, balanced with an emollient, a la eggs and bacon. The recipe this week is a very traditional French frisee salad and it’s amazing.
In your box this week:
Full Shares:
Potatoes
Frisee
Arrowhead Cabbage
Green Kohlrabi
Salad Turnips
Green Filet Beans
Scallions
Tuscano Kale
Baby Arugula
Half Shares:
Potatoes
Mesclun
Green Kohlrabi
Salad Turnips
Scallions
Zephyr Summer Squash
Baby Arugula
Frisée Salad with Lardons and Poached Eggs
1/2 pound frisée (French curly endive)
6 ounces slab bacon or thick-cut bacon slices
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped shallot
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
Tear frisée into bite-size pieces and put in a large bowl. If using slab bacon, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut bacon slices crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick sticks (lardons).
In a heavy skillet cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and remove skillet from heat.
Have ready another skillet with 1 inch warm water. Half-fill a 4-quart saucepan with water and stir in white vinegar. Bring liquid to a bare simmer. Break each egg into a teacup. Slide 1 egg into simmering liquid and immediately push white around yolk with a slotted spoon, moving egg gently. (Egg will become oval, with yolk completely covered by white.) Add remaining 3 eggs in same manner. Simmer eggs about 1 1/2 minutes for runny yolks to about 3 minutes for firm yolks. Immediately transfer eggs to skillet of warm water.
Reheat bacon in its skillet over moderate heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add red-wine vinegar and boil 5 seconds. Immediately pour hot dressing over frisée and toss with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide salad among 4 plates and top with drained poached eggs. Season eggs with salt and pepper and serve salad immediately.
Hooray for good food!
Matt and Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
CSA Newsletter 07.22.11
What an impressive heat wave this has been! Hope y’all have been able to stay cool. It’s salad weather for sure, and what veggie is more refreshing than the delicately sweet kohlrabi. Have you ever eaten this alien like veggie? It’s from the cabbage family and was a European favorite before broccoli, cauliflower, and asparagus upstaged the mild vegetable with their pungent flavors. Kohlrabi’s German name, meaning cabbage turnip, comes from the western part of the country where Charlemagne aka Karl des Grosses, Emperor of Roman Empire 800 AD, ordered the brassica to be grown. Commonly served in Indian cuisine, it also gained popularity in North Africa and China. Kohlrabi is common in the southern US, but only recently has it gained momentum in our area. It has many nutritional attributes; very high in fiber, low calories, and 245 grams of potassium per half cup. We usually eat them raw, peeled and sliced, or added to a salad. Try it cooked too!
In your box this week:
-Red Norland Potatoes
-Head Lettuce
-Kohlrabi
-Red Stem Turnips
-Summer Squash
-Topped Salad Turnips
Kohlrabi & Squash Empanadas
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated
2 medium kohlrabies, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large summer squash, cut into small cubes
2 large scallions, both white and green parts, finely cut
1 radish, minced (optional)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 box of pre-made pie crust or one batch homemade
1 egg
In a medium skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger to brown.
Add kohlrabi cubes, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Toss well and cook 3 or 4 minutes until kohlrabi are softening a bit. Add squash cubes and continue to cook for 4 more minutes. Add scallions, radish, nutmeg and another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for one minute before removing from heat. Set mixture to this side to cool.
Roll out dough to be a little thinner than pie crust typically is. If you are using pre-made crust from the store, run your rolling pin over it once or twice. Using a cereal bowl or large circular cookie cutter, cut out 6 inch-ish circles from the dough. It should yield about 15, give or take depending on your cutter and dough thickness.
Pre-heat oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Prepare egg wash by beating egg with a teaspoon of water and set to the side along with a small bowl of water.
To make the empanadas, spoon one tablespoon of kohlrabi and squash mixture into the center of a circle of dough. (It’s better to have less filling than too much or the empanadas won’t hold together. Feel out the right ratio that allows you to close off the dough without any filling popping out.) Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it around the outside edge of the dough. Fold dough over the filling to create a half circle. Press down edges. Carefully pick up the dough pocket and pinch edges (see photo) to seal them tightly. A fork can also be used to crimp the edges if you want a less tedious method.
Repeat above process to finish all the empanadas, laying them on the lined cookie sheet when done. With a fork, prick the tops once and brush with egg wash. Bake for 8 minutes and turn over. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes until deep golden brown and flaky. Best served straight from the oven.
"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." — Julia Child
~Matt and Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew
In your box this week:
-Red Norland Potatoes
-Head Lettuce
-Kohlrabi
-Red Stem Turnips
-Summer Squash
-Topped Salad Turnips
Kohlrabi & Squash Empanadas
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated
2 medium kohlrabies, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large summer squash, cut into small cubes
2 large scallions, both white and green parts, finely cut
1 radish, minced (optional)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 box of pre-made pie crust or one batch homemade
1 egg
In a medium skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger to brown.
Add kohlrabi cubes, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Toss well and cook 3 or 4 minutes until kohlrabi are softening a bit. Add squash cubes and continue to cook for 4 more minutes. Add scallions, radish, nutmeg and another pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for one minute before removing from heat. Set mixture to this side to cool.
Roll out dough to be a little thinner than pie crust typically is. If you are using pre-made crust from the store, run your rolling pin over it once or twice. Using a cereal bowl or large circular cookie cutter, cut out 6 inch-ish circles from the dough. It should yield about 15, give or take depending on your cutter and dough thickness.
Pre-heat oven to 425F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Prepare egg wash by beating egg with a teaspoon of water and set to the side along with a small bowl of water.
To make the empanadas, spoon one tablespoon of kohlrabi and squash mixture into the center of a circle of dough. (It’s better to have less filling than too much or the empanadas won’t hold together. Feel out the right ratio that allows you to close off the dough without any filling popping out.) Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it around the outside edge of the dough. Fold dough over the filling to create a half circle. Press down edges. Carefully pick up the dough pocket and pinch edges (see photo) to seal them tightly. A fork can also be used to crimp the edges if you want a less tedious method.
Repeat above process to finish all the empanadas, laying them on the lined cookie sheet when done. With a fork, prick the tops once and brush with egg wash. Bake for 8 minutes and turn over. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes until deep golden brown and flaky. Best served straight from the oven.
"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." — Julia Child
~Matt and Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew
Friday, July 15, 2011
CSA Newsletter 07.15
"What I stand for is what I stand on." Wendell Berry
It was another busy week on the farm, full of hand weeding, harvesting, and planting. The weeds seem to be just as busy as we are, popping up everywhere and refusing to die. There is lots of laughter on this farm and we are so thankful to our crew for coming to work every day with a kiss ass attitude! Each week there is something new to harvest and joining the list this week are scallions, potatoes, Scarlet Queen red stem turnips, escarole, and sea kale. Trying new vegetable varieties every season keeps the farm kitchen smelling good. We always look forward to the fennel, chard, and kales being ready. Hopefully you are all trying new recipes or enjoying old favorites!
In your boxes this week:
Full Shares:
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Siberian Kale
-Tuscano Kale
-Head Lettuce
-Fennel
-Scallions
-Scarlet Queen Turnips
-Frisee
Half Shares:
-Red Radishes
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Tuscano Kale
-Rainbow Chard
-Fennel
Shaved Fennel Salad
If you're using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly - not quite see through thin, but close
1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
2/3 cup / .5oz/ 15g loosely chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup / 80ml fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/3 cup / 80ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
fine grain sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey, if needed
1/2 cup / 2 oz/ 60g pine nuts, toasted (I used almonds)
1/3 cup / 2 oz / 60g / feta cheese, crumbled
Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BOXES: We would ask everyone to please return the boxes to your pick up site each week if you can, we do try to reuse them. If you are picking up from High Rise or Flour they requested that if you want to unload your boxes and leave them, please do so outside the bakery. Thank you for the extra help, we really appreciate it!
~Matt and Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew
It was another busy week on the farm, full of hand weeding, harvesting, and planting. The weeds seem to be just as busy as we are, popping up everywhere and refusing to die. There is lots of laughter on this farm and we are so thankful to our crew for coming to work every day with a kiss ass attitude! Each week there is something new to harvest and joining the list this week are scallions, potatoes, Scarlet Queen red stem turnips, escarole, and sea kale. Trying new vegetable varieties every season keeps the farm kitchen smelling good. We always look forward to the fennel, chard, and kales being ready. Hopefully you are all trying new recipes or enjoying old favorites!
In your boxes this week:
Full Shares:
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Siberian Kale
-Tuscano Kale
-Head Lettuce
-Fennel
-Scallions
-Scarlet Queen Turnips
-Frisee
Half Shares:
-Red Radishes
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Tuscano Kale
-Rainbow Chard
-Fennel
Shaved Fennel Salad
If you're using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly - not quite see through thin, but close
1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
2/3 cup / .5oz/ 15g loosely chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup / 80ml fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/3 cup / 80ml extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
fine grain sea salt
4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula
Honey, if needed
1/2 cup / 2 oz/ 60g pine nuts, toasted (I used almonds)
1/3 cup / 2 oz / 60g / feta cheese, crumbled
Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON BOXES: We would ask everyone to please return the boxes to your pick up site each week if you can, we do try to reuse them. If you are picking up from High Rise or Flour they requested that if you want to unload your boxes and leave them, please do so outside the bakery. Thank you for the extra help, we really appreciate it!
~Matt and Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew
Friday, July 8, 2011
CSA Newsletter 07.08.11
Welcome to the first CSA distribution of the 2011 farm season. Farmer Matt was busy this winter researching new vegetable varieties and deciding what the crop plan would look like this year. As a result there are many new and interesting things happening here on the farm. March and April were busy in the greenhouse and the spring rains seemed never-ending, but here we are in July and the fields are looking gorgeous. The crew has been working so hard and it’s showing as multiple crops are ready for harvest. The weekly seedings are humming along and the fall carrots and rutabagas went into the ground yesterday. We’ve had some exciting additions to the farm this year, a new tractor AND a baby girl! Louisa Marguerite was born June 5th and according to her big brother, Maceo, she is also going to be a farmer
Your box this week includes:
-Red Radishes
-Garlic Scapes
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Siberian Kale
-Tuscano Kale
-Rainbow Chard
-Head Lettuce
-Salad Turnip
-Fennel
Our featured vegetable this week is the Garlic Scape. Maybe some of you have never had them, if so you’re in for a treat. Scapes are the shoots that grow off of hard neck varieties of garlic. When they’re young and tender they look like curly pig tails with a tight flower bud on top. Farmers harvest them so they don’t drain nutrients from the garlic bulbs. There are many ways to eat them, think of scapes as a rowdy alternative to garlic. It’s grilling season and tossing the scapes with EVOO and salt and pepper for 2 minutes is excellent. Finish them off with a little more salt and lemon zest, delicious. They have the consistency of asparagus. Other tasty ideas are chopped on pizza, sautéed in stir fry, and scape pesto will blow your mind during the cold winter. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more farming adventures..
Farmer Matt & Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew
Your box this week includes:
-Red Radishes
-Garlic Scapes
-Mesclun
-Arugula
-Siberian Kale
-Tuscano Kale
-Rainbow Chard
-Head Lettuce
-Salad Turnip
-Fennel
Our featured vegetable this week is the Garlic Scape. Maybe some of you have never had them, if so you’re in for a treat. Scapes are the shoots that grow off of hard neck varieties of garlic. When they’re young and tender they look like curly pig tails with a tight flower bud on top. Farmers harvest them so they don’t drain nutrients from the garlic bulbs. There are many ways to eat them, think of scapes as a rowdy alternative to garlic. It’s grilling season and tossing the scapes with EVOO and salt and pepper for 2 minutes is excellent. Finish them off with a little more salt and lemon zest, delicious. They have the consistency of asparagus. Other tasty ideas are chopped on pizza, sautéed in stir fry, and scape pesto will blow your mind during the cold winter. Enjoy!
Stay tuned for more farming adventures..
Farmer Matt & Heather and the Sparrow Arc Crew
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