Mountain Harvest CSA Newsletter: September 2012

Friday, September 21, 2012

Friday, September 21st

What's in the Box:

Acorn Squash

Celeriac

Collards/Kale

Fingerling Potatoes

Kohlrabi

Onions

Poblano Peppers

Pumpkin

Spicy Mesclun Salad Mix

Tomatoes

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Tuesday, September 18th

What's in the Box:

Celeriac

Chard

Cucumbers

Leeks

Potatoes

Pumpkin

Salad Mix

Anaheim Chile Peppers

Tomatoes

Recipes:

Celeriac Potato Green Chili Soup

1 large onion or leek bunch, sliced

2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil

Celeriac bulbs, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 1/2 teaspoons thyme

3 baking potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped poblanos or Anaheim chiles

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Sweat onions in butter or oil over low heat until onion is completely cooked but not yet carmelized (15 minutes).
Add celeriac and thyme; cook, stirring frequently, 5-10 minutes.
Add potatoes, milk, and chiles; simmer until potatoes and celeriac are cooked through.
Blend smooth in food processor.
Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and rice wine vinegar.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Friday, September 14th

Comice are among the sweetest and juiciest of all pear varieties. The sweet buttery flesh of Comice is best served with cheese, especially soft ripening cheeses like Brie, Camembert, or any of the blues.

What's in the Box:

Basil

Comice Pears

Mesclun Salad Mix

Red Cherokee Lettuce

Red Russian Kale

Southwestern Frying Peppers

Onions

Tomatoes

Recipes:

Mesclun Lettuce Wrap

Rice, flour, or wheat tortilla

Mesclun salad mix

1 tomato, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Chopped basil leaves

Spread a thin layer of hummus on each tortilla.
Place a handful of Mesclun mix down the center of each wrap.
For the filling: add slices of tomato, onion, and basil.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar or creamy basil vinaigrette (see 7/31 for recipe) over the mix.
Sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese on top.
Place flat in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
Remove from pan and wrap the tortilla around the filling.

Basic Chile Sauce

This delicious hot sauce can be used to spice up just about any dish!

½ cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups chopped chile peppers (roasted, peeled, seeded)

½ cup chopped tomato, fresh or canned

½ teaspoon cumin

Salt to taste

Heat the oil and saute the onion a few minutes, then add the garlic and cook until softened.
Stir in the flour, cook 2 minutes, then slowly add the stock. Add the peppers, tomato and cumin.
Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add water or stock if sauce gets too thick.
Add salt to taste.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Tuesday, September 11th

What's in the Box:

Arugula

Collards or Kale

Onions

Mesclun Salad Mix

Squash or Zucchini

Sweet Peppers

Thompson Seedless Grapes

Tomatoes

Recipes:

Mesclun Lettuce Wrap

Rice, flour, or wheat tortilla
Mesclun salad mix and/or arugula
1 tomato, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 sweet pepper, sliced

Spread a thin layer of hummus on each tortilla.
Place a handful of Mesclun mix and arugula down the center of each wrap.
For the filling: add slices of tomato, onion, and sweet pepper.
Drizzle balsamic vinegar or creamy basil vinaigrette (see 7/31 for recipe) over the mix.
Sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese on top.
Place flat in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
Remove from pan and wrap the tortilla around the filling.

Summer Squash (Zucchini) Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine above ingredients in a bowl.

1 egg

1 cup milk or soy milk

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups shredded summer squash or zucchini

In another bowl combine and mix well. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.
Fill well greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.
Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Friday, September 7, 2012

Friday, September 7th

You received a sample of Farmer Freed's Everyday Herb Salt in your box today, compliments of our friend Emily Freed. The recipes below incorporate the salt so you can give it a try in your cooking.

What's in the Box:

Arugula

Bay Leaves

Kohlrabi

Leeks

Sweet Peppers

Potatoes

Red Cherokee Lettuce

Thompson Seedless Grapes

Tomatoes

Recipes:

See Tuesday 9/4 for Potato Leek Soup and Roasted Potatoes recipes

Leek Mashed Potatoes

3-4 leeks

1-2 pounds potatoes

1/4 stick butter

1 cup milk or soymilk

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Farmer Freed's Everyday Herb Salt

Quarter potatoes; boil in water with salt and garlic until potatoes can be pierced through with a fork.
Strain water and move potatoes and garlic to mixing bowl.
While potatoes are cooking, dice leeks and simmer in butter until clear.
Add potatoes, garlic, butter and leeks to mixing bowl.
Mash potatoes slowly adding milk until desired consistency.
Add Farmer Freed's salt and pepper to taste.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Farmer Freed's Everyday Herb Salt can be used in everyday cooking. This scrumptious blend is excellent with poultry, seafood, vegetables, stuffing, roasted potatoes, eggs, popcorn, homemade croutons, soup, and so much more. Ingredients: Kosher salt, parsley, sage, rosemary, & thyme, and herbs are certified organic.

Farmer Freed Bio: Farmer Freed's culinary salt blends feature organic & seasonal ingredients from local farms located along the California central coast. Use Farmer Freed’s culinary salts in two ways: add a pinch when cooking to bring out the flavor of your food or as a finishing salt to hot and cold dishes when you sit down to enjoy a meal. For more information about Farmer Freed's culinary salts, visit www.farmerfreed.com

You received a sample of Farmer Freed's Everyday Herb Salt in your box today, compliments of our friend Emily Freed. The recipes below incorporate the salt so you can give it a try in your cooking.

What's in the Box:

Basil

Bay Leaves

Chard

Cucumbers

Fingerling Potatoes

Leeks

Pears

Red Cherokee Lettuce

Tomatoes

Recipes:

Potato Leek Soup
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 leeks, chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 cup swiss chard, washed and chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 Bay leaf
1 1/2 cups whole milk (soy milk or milk substitute)
1/2 teaspoon Farmer Freed's Everyday Herb Salt

In a medium saucepan combine the cubed russet potatoes and 1 cup of the chicken stock. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender; do not drain.
Cool slightly.
Transfer potato mixture to a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until smooth; set aside.
Meanwhile, wash leeks and chard. Cut leek into thin slices and chop swiss chard into fine pieces.
In a large saucepan, cook leek, chard, and garlic in butter for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
Add the remaining soup stock or broth, pepper, paprika, bay leaf and nutmeg. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.
Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Stir in pureed potato mixture, milk, and salt. Cook and stir about 5 minutes more or until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove bay leaf.
Top with shredded Jack or Cheddar cheese.

Cook’s note: This is good cold or hot! Serve with crusty whole grain bread and butter. For extra protein, add 1 1/2 cups cubed pre-cooked boneless ham.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Herb Salt
Sample packet of Farmer Freed's Everyday Salt (~2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large ovenproof gratin dish or skillet in the oven 15 minutes.
Toss potatoes in a medium bowl with the olive oil.
Sprinkle generously with seasoned-salt mixture, and arrange potatoes in a single layer in preheated pan.
Roast until they are golden on the outside and tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, and serve hot with additional herb salt on the side.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Friday, August 31st

What's in the Box

Bartlett Pears

Rainbow Chard

Carrots

Cherokee Red Lettuce

Jalapeño Peppers

Onions

Tomatillos

Tomatoes

Turnips

Recipes:
Please see Recipe from Tuesday for Tomatillo Salsa Verde.
Pear Crisp with Oatmeal Topping
4-6 pears, sliced
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place fruit in buttered shallow baking dish.
In small bowl, mix until crumbly all remaining ingredients.
Spread over fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until fruit is tender.

CELERIAC

Celeriac, also known as celery root, has an obvious but unusual kinship to the common celery. Its stalks and foliage are similar to those of celery and are edible. However, the celeriac is cultivated for its edible bulbous root crown. Do not be put off by the celery root's rough exterior. Inside, a surprisingly delicious and versatile vegetable waits to be added to your culinary repertoire. Its excellent storage capability is coming back into style as many of us shift our diets to local and seasonal produce. Celeriac has an excellent crisp texture raw or cooked, and super-concentrated celery flavor, enhancing its usefulness as both vegetable and seasoning.

TOMATILLO

The Aztecs domesticated the tomatillo and the fruit dates back to at least 800 B.C. The tomatillo is a plant of the solanaceae or nightshade family (along with potato, tomato and eggplant). Even though tomatillos are sometimes called "green tomatoes," they should not be confused with green, unripe tomatoes.

The tomatillo fruit is surrounded by an inedible, paper-like husk formed from the calyx. As the fruit matures, it fills the husk and can split it open by harvest. The husk turns brown, and the fruit can be any of a number of colors when ripe, including yellow, red, green, or even purple. Tomatillos are the key ingredient in fresh and cooked Latin American green sauces.

Use in the bright green stage for the tartest flavor, or allow to ripen further at room temperature, indicated by a yellow color and softer fruit, for a sweeter taste. We prefer the latter for our recipes.

Ripe tomatillos will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks. They will keep even longer if the husks are removed and the fruits are placed in sealed plastic bags stored in the refrigerator. They may also be frozen whole or sliced.

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KOHLRABI

Kohlrabi shares its botanical name, brassica oleracea, with its close relative, broccoli. But kohl, meaning "cabbage," and rabi, meaning "turnip," better describes this delicate but unusual vegetable. Many botanists believe kohlrabi is actually a hybridization of these two vegetables. Kohlrabi resembles a root vegetable, but actually the edible globe portion is the modified swollen stem. The edible leaves jut from the globe portion of the kohlrabi like sparse hairs on a head, giving this vegetable its distinctive look.

Kohlrabi, like other brassicas, thrives in cool weather. it is very fast growing and will usually be available locally by late spring. Depending on the growing season, kohlrabi may be available all summer and well into the fall. Purple and green varieties are often grown.

Kohlrabi also mimics its brassica relatives nutritionally. It offers generous amounts of vitamins A and C, and emphasizes the minerals potassium ad calcium. It is high in fiber and contains only 40 calories per cup.

COOKING TIPS:

-After washing, trim away any woody or tough portions of skin. Kohlrabi does not have to be peeled after cooking.

-Kohlabi is excellent cooked or raw. Try it both ways to familiarize yourself with its flavors.

-Grate kohlrabi raw into salads, or make a non-traditional coleslaw with grated kohlrabi and radish, chopped parsley, green onion, and dressing of your choice.

-Try raw kohlrabi, thinly sliced, alone or with a dip. Peel kohlrabi and eat it raw like an apple.

-Steam kohlrabi whole 25-30 minutes or thinly sliced 5-10 minutes. Dress slices simply with oil, lemon juice, and fresh dill weed, or dip in flour and briefly fry.

-Saute grated kohlrabi in butter; add herbs or curry for enhanced flavor.

-Add sliced or cubed kohlrabi to hearty soups, stews, or a mixed vegetable stir-fry.

-Chill and marinate cooked kohlrabi for a summer salad. Add fresh herbs.

-Mash cooked kohlrabi, mix with cooked potato, form into patties, and fry in butter.

-Larger, older kohlrabi are good stuffed. Scoop out center, fill with chosen stuffing mixture, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

-Kohlrabi leaves can be used like other greens. You may want to remove center rib.

STORAGE TIPS:

-Store kohlrabi globe ad leaves separately. The globe will last for 1 month refrigerated in a plastic bag. Wrap leaves in a damp towel or place in a plastic bag and keep in hydrator drawer of refrigerator. Use greens as soon as possible.

Excerpted from "From Asparagus to Zucchini (2004)."