Spoutwood Farm CSA Harvest Guide: Week 14: September 11, 2008
To return to the 2008 Harvest Guide page, click here
Greetings, Spoutwood Farm friends!
Welcome to the fourteenth week of the 2008 Community Supported Agriculture season, here at Spoutwood Farm. We are proud to present another bumper harvest of “vegetables so fresh, they almost dance” from our well-tended gardens. As always, we are grateful for the excellent work of our apprentices, Dana Hunting, Derek McGeehan, and Zach Trimble, as well as the working and regular shareholders who have helped them. We are particularly grateful for our many shareholders who came out to help with the Harvest, since Derek and Dana are on a well-deserved vacation this week.
This week we are also very happy to welcome our newest apprentice, Kerry Gaydos, who started this week and will be with us for the remainder of the season. Kerry comes to us from Michigan, by way of Pittsburgh, with AmeriCorps experience and a desire to do something meaningful and hopeful for the future. She believes there is “something inherently wrong with our current first world society, and i want to start taking steps back.” That could be said about most of us, here at Spoutwood, and we are very hapy to welcome her to our CSA team.
A foretaste of Fall today, as cool temperatures remind us that this is September, and therefore meteoro¬logical Autumn. Blue Jays contribute their raucous calls, and a few leaves spiral down. There are more than a few hints of color on the trees, and both woods and fields have begun to develop that slightly frowsy, worked-over look they take on at this time of year, as the exuberance and abundance of Light Half of the Wheel of the Year shades into the scarcity and inward-looking of the Dark Half.
Appropriately, this is a transition week, as the classic hot-weather crops of summer (tomatoes, green peppers) are joined by cool-weather greens (kale, spinach, and arugula) and root crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, and garlic). Please feel free to drop us a line if you discover a new recipe, have any cooking tips, or would like to share your favorite way to eat the veggies from our harvest - email us and we’ll share with everyone else! Please note our “new/official” e-mail address, csa@spoutwood.com. As the old commercial used to say, “please make a note of it.” Thanks!
Today is also an add-on day! If you placed an order with Farmstead Fresh for cheese, or Breakaway Farms for meat & value added, dairy, or egg shares, don’t forget to pick them up!
And of course, since this is 9/11, I cannot help but pause a moment to remember the horrific events of seven years ago, and the heroes and victims of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the brave passengers who forced down the third plane – apparently bound for the Capitol – in that field near Shanksville, PA. May we be kept safe from a repeat of such terrorism, may the perpetrators be brought to justice… and may we not be so overcome by fear that we sacrifice the very freedoms that make us who we are as a nation. If that happens, the terrorists will have won, even if they never succeed in another attack.
Tomatoes: Rich with flavor and health benefits, tomatoes are one of the true joys of summer. Dana asks me to remind our shareholders that if your tomatoes are slightly under-ripe, just letting them sit on the counter or windowsill for a few days will take care of the situation. But watch them, because some (like the large Brandywines) can ripen unevenly. Don’t let them rot! Also please note, Green Zebras (striped) and orange Valencias will not turn red, not matter how ripe you let ’em get… As Derek and Dana have noted these last two weeks, our tomatoes suffered from a blight this year, and production is tapering off. But we should still have a few for the next couple of weeks. Let’s enjoy them while we can!
Onions, Red and Yellow: Cooking and slicing onions. I don’t have to tell you how to use these! Good in almost any savory dish, cooked or raw.
Carrots: A good assortment of these luscious root vegetables, a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and beta carotene, as well as flavor! Our new apprentice, Kerry, had never enjoyed a carrot fresh from the ground before and was amazed at the difference from the supermarket variety!
Potatoes: Not technically a root vegetable, potatoes are actually tubers. Call ’em roots or call ’em tubers, however, I call ’em delicious! A mix of several varieties of these delicious below-ground dwellers. Delicious roasted, boiled, steamed, fried, hashed, mashed, in salads, soups, and casseroles, and just about any other way you can imagine! Store in a dark place, and cook before eating.
Peppers, Green: One of the classic Summer vegetables, green peppers find their way into all sorts of salads, stir fries, soups, casseroles, and many other dishes, or may just be eaten out of hand. Also great for stuffing with a vegetarian or meat-based filling!
Peppers, Hot Paper Lantern: A colorful and hot chili pepper – use with caution!
Beans, Green and Burgundy: Despite attacks by Mexican bean beetles, our bean plants continue to produce a bounteous harvest. Mostly green beans, but some will receive a few burgundy beans. This attractive purple variety sadly loses its color when cooled, so don’t be surprised! It yields a slightly darker green than traditional green beans.
Summer Squash: A variety of varieties for your munching pleasure: Zephyr, yellow and green zucchi¬ni, patty-pan (both white and green-yellow “sunburst”) and yellow crook-neck. Enjoy lightly steamed, broiled or grilled, etc.
Kale: Curly Kale appears today in great abundance. A nutrious green leafy vegetable in the brassica (cruci¬ferous) family, kale is excellent in soups or cooked as a pot-herb; smaller and more tender leaves can be enjoyed in salads.
Arugula: Often considered a “gourmet” green, arugula’s slightly bitter, nutty, and peppery, some-
awhat mustard-like flavor is a favorite of many people. May be used raw or cooked; see this week’s “Vegetable of the Week” for more details and suggestions.
Spinach: We are excited to have spinach back again, encouraged by the cooling temperatures and increased rain of recent days. Use by itself or in blends for salads, steam lightly, or include in quiche, casseroles, lasagna, various Florentine dishes, and much more. A very versatile green, spinach turns bitter if overcooked.
Garlic: This “holy herb” not only provides great flavor but significant health benefits, having both anti-bacterial and blood-thinning properties. One of the bases for Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Use liberally and share with friends… especially any friends you’re planning to kiss after eating it!
Basil: A delicious and fragrant herb – add to pasta sauces, make a fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad (toss in olive oil), or blend your own pesto. Please note: Basil should be placed in a vase with water, as you would cut flowers. Most refrigerators are too cold and tend to blacken the leaves.
Sage: Most commonly associated with turkey and other poultry, sage can be used to flavor soups, salads, casseroles, and much else.
Flowers: Today our flowers include Jerusalem artichoke, tansy, zinnias, and African marigolds, Sweet Annie, African blue basil, Mexican sunflowers, and plume celosia.
Bread: For those who purchased bread shares, today’s selection from Atwaters bakery in Baltimore is a classic French baguette.
Except for the last, cited separately, these were from http://www.seasonalchef.com/recipe0106c.htm or http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/arugula.html (several appeared both places).
If the taste of arugula by itself is too much for you, cut it half-and-half with spinach.
Linguine with Arugula, Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese
1 pound linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
4 ounces arugula, trimmed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
additional freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add arugula and toss well. Add 1 cup Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste; toss well.
4. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve immediately, adding additional Parmesan, if desired.
Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese Sauce
from A Complete Menu Cookbook for All Occasions by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette
4 servings
a bunch of fresh arugula
4 springs fresh parsley
1 8 ounce container low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
S and P to taste
1 pound fusilli noodles
Grated parmesan cheese, as garnish
1. Before preparing sauce, fill a large casserole with water, and bring the water to a boil.
2 Wash and clean well the arugula and parsley. Dry thoroughly. Trim and chop both the arugula and the parsley.
3. Place the arugula and the parsley in a food processor. Add the yogurt or sour cream, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Blend the ingredients thoroughly. Keep the sauce at room temperature until ready to use.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water, and cook the fusilli noodles following the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked, drain them, and place them in four serving dishes. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of each serving and add some cheese to each dish. Serve immediately.
Two Simple Arugula Salads
ARUGULA SALAD
The Victory Garden Cookbook, Marian Morash
Wash and dry the arugula. Chop garlic and toss with arugula. Use a good strong green olive oil and red wine vinegar. Dress with oil, a bit of vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.
ARUGULA AND TOMATO SALAD
from Debbie's kitchen
Wash and dry the arugula; tear into bite size pieces. Toss arugula with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add chopped tomatoes and serve.
Arugula and Pear Salad
Dressing:
2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Salad:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 firm red Bartlett pears
5 cups butterhead lettuce (Bibb or Boston)
washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
4 cups arugula, trimmed, washed and dried
1. To prepare dressing, whisk shallots, broth, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
2. To prepare salad, toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
3. Just before serving, cut pears into 16 slices each. Place in a large bowl. Spoon on 1 tablespoon of the dressing and toss to coat. Add lettuce, arugula and the remaining dressing; toss well. Divide among 8 plates. Top with walnuts.
Arugula, Orange and Red Onion Salad
2 bunches arugula, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 large navel oranges, peel and white pith removed, cut into segments
8 very thin slices red onion, separated into rings
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Drizzle the arugula with half of the olive oil and the lemon juice; toss to coat and divide among 4 salad plates.
2. Arrange the orange segments and onions on top, dividing evenly. Drizzle with remaining oil and season with black pepper.
Apple Vinaigrette
This is an excellent dressing for an arugula and/or spinach salad. For more layers of flavor complexity, add walnuts and/or feta cheese and/or crumbled bacon.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons grated sweet or purple onion
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup finely chopped apple
1. Whisk together sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard, salt, oil, and apple, or pulse a few times in blender.
2. Refrigerate salad greens and dressing separately until serving time.
Chicken, Wild Rice And Pecan Salad In Romaine Spears
adapted from Bon Apetit
3 Cups chicken broth
4 oz. wild rice
1 pound cooked chicken
1 bunch arugula -- chopped
1/4 cup green onions -- chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup walnuts or pecans -- toasted and chopped
1 large or 2 small heads romaine lettuce, or 3 cups baby lettuce greens
For chicken - roasted chicken, skinned, boned, meat cut into 1/-inch pieces Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan. Add rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until just tender, about 50 minutes. Drain well.
Transfer the rice to a large bowl. Mix in chicken, arugula and green onions. Mix soy sauce, vinegar and oil in small bowl. Pour over salad and mix to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)
Mix nuts into salad. Place salad in center of platter. Reserve outer romaine leaves for another use. Arrange inner leaves on platter around salad.
Arugula Pesto
Ingredients:
2 cups of packed arugula leaves
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced
Method:
1. Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
2. Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.
3.a. Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
3.b. Mortar and pestle method (photo pictures pesto produced this way): Combine the nuts and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.
Because the pesto is so dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to taste.
4. Mix with freshly prepared pasta of your choice. You may need to add a little bit of water or more olive oil to mix the pesto more evenly with the pasta.
Makes enough pesto sauce for an ample serving of pasta for four people.
I prefer a mild garlic flavor that you can achieve by using roasted garlic. The 1/2 raw garlic clove is added for a little kicker. The first time I made this pesto it was with only raw garlic and it was a little overwhelmingly garlicy. Using roasted garlic is a great way to still have the garlic flavor but without the intensity.
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001055arugula_pesto.php
Revised e-mail address: As we gradually work toward updating and revising our online presence, please take note of our “official” CSA e-mail address, as indicated above: csa@spoutwood.com. Although the address we have been using will continue to reach us, we encourage you to make use of the csa@spoutwood.com one when communicating with us at the CSA. Thank you!
Rescheduled: Final CSA Potluck & Core Group Meeting for the season: Saturday, September 28th – 4:00 Core Group, 5:00 Potluck
Help put the “community” in “community supported agriculture”… and help use up some of these copious vegetables at the same time. Bring yourself and your favorite dish to Spoutwood for our third CSAPotluck and Core Group Meeting this year. Not too late to participate! Bring a dish and come out, whether you’re interested in the core group or not. Be there or be trapezoidal!
Next Mother Earth Harvest Festival meeting: Saturday, September 20th @ 4:00 p.m.
Just under a month to our 4th Annual Mother Earth Harvest Fair, October 5th!
It’s not too soon to start making plans for Spoutwood’s 4th annual Mother Earth Harvest Fair, to be held here on the Farm on Sunday, October 5th, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Combining the charm of an old-fashioned country fair, time¬less traditional arts and crafts, and cutting-edge ad¬vances in green building and renewable energy, the MEHF is a celebration and showcase of healthy, sustainable, and balanced living in the Chesapeake bioregion.
• Green Building, Alternative Energy, the Sustainable Household, Food and Farming, Nature and the Environment, Health and Healing, BALLEs, Sustainable Communities, Wisdom Traditions, and much more.
• Farmers Market with produce and products from local farms.
• A Children’s Village with crafts and fun for our younger guests.
• Farm animals and wildlife
• Food and drink vendors galore
• Music, storytelling, and dramatic presentations, including special appearances by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter
Adrienne Young and her band, Little Sadie
http://www.adrienneyoung.com
Information: greenman@spoutwood.com 717-235-6610 http://www.motherearthharvestfair.com
Volunteers are still welcomed and encouraged!
BAGS: Requested, Recycling of Same (including paper bags)
As most of you will know, there are various share items which must be bagged even within your usual share bag. And frankly, we’re low on appropriate bags. Thus, we’re asking our shareholders to please bring in plastic bags that you might have at home. We are looking for both standard grocery-sized bags, and smaller plastic bags such as those used for produce in supermarkets, to keep news¬papers dry, etc. If at all possible, please help us by bringing them in pre-sorted as to size.
Also, please be aware (if you aren’t already) that your plastic share bags can be re-used the following week! Better yet, invest in a cloth “market bag” that can be used over and over again. We are in the process of investigating Spoutwood-themed practical items to offer for sale, including Market Bags -- stay tuned to this space! In the meantime, if you bring back your plastic ones, you’ll help us and Mother Earth alike. Many thanks, from us and the Home Planet.
Need your rubber bands? Fine… but if you don’t, we would be pleased if you could bring those (or any excess beyond your needs) back with you when you come. We’d be happy to reuse them to bundle your produce in the weeks to come.
If your small paper bags (used for potatoes, etc.) are in reasonably good shape, we’d be grateful if you’d bring those back, too, so we can reuse them. Help us save money and resources! Thanks.
Called “roquette” in France or “rocket salad” (yes, really!) in England, arugula is an ancient Italian green which was virtually unknown in America before the 1970, according to the website Seasonal¬Chef.com (minus the hypen). Dating back to Roman times, it became known in this country with the advent of “California cuisine,” and, says Mariquita Farms’ website, which continues,
"Here's a traditional Italian recipe for arugula that I've never seen or heard of anywhere except in Tuscany – and, for that matter, in Volterra. It can get a little pricey because of the bresceaola and reggiano, but my oh my it's good! Place a layer of arugula on a plate. Cover it with one layer of thin-thin-thin sliced bresceaola (or, to make the bresceaola go farther, I cut the sliced bresceaola into strips about 1/4" wide and generously scatter them). Then shave off pieces of parmigiano reggiano (and you DO need the good stuff for this) and scatter them over the top. Generously splash on a good amount of e.v. oil [e.g., extra-virgin olive oil), the greener the better. And squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice over the top. (It's not authentic, but I truly think Meyer lemon tastes better in this context.) Grind on some pepper and toss the whole thing."
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