Summer CSA Begins!

It seems that, and to quote one of our farmers here: "we've just skipped May altogether and headed straight on into June!"  Somewhat true; the first blistering temps of Iowa summer are here, but at the same time spring showers aren't over, in spite of flowers popping and the leaves fully unfurling (and the fireflies emerging!)  Observing the plentiful rains, you would think it's still spring, for sure.  Our veggies have been blessed and sprinkled with plenty of moisture to keep them happy and growing without too much effort for us on the hot and dry days.  Eyeing the forecast, however, there are many more storms awaiting.  But who knows, perhaps they will only be the dry, crackly heat storms that stay true to the arrival of summer.  Maybe summer is already here.

But one thing we know for sure....Summer CSA begins this week!  Thus begins the reign of 20 weeks of delicious organic produce, as wide a variety as you can get and practically any veggie you can think of (well, mostly!). 

Whether you are a returning CSA member from Spring or just starting up anew this Summer, our pickups are staying the same as they have been through spring:

• Saturdays, 7:30 AM-12:00 PM at the Iowa City Farmers' Market
• Wednesdays, 5:00 PM-7:00 PM at same above location
• Thursdays, Around/After 5:30 PM at KirkwoodSchool for Children/Tim's Daycare
• Note: if you cannot make it for Thurs. pickup, the folks at the school can keep and look after your box in the fridge until you can pick it up on Fri. or the weekend!

 
If you have not signed up yet for Summer CSA and would like to, there is still time!!!  Sign up with us electronically by clicking the "Sign Up" tab above and following the prompts.  It only takes a few minutes!

This Wednesday (tomorrow!) at the Iowa City Farmer's Market will mark the first official day of our CSA.  We please ask that you plan to pay the CSA amount in full upon your arrival for your first share pick up (unless you are a Work-Trader).  If you do not know how much you owe and/or would like a balance reminder/update, please let us know, and we can send you one via email.

For those of you picking up at IC Farmer's Markets, please bring a bag, box, tote, or whatever you like to carry your produce in!  At the Farmer's Markets we do our big CSA shares "buffet style" where you can walk through and pick and choose what you like from the selection we give you.  *Note: you will not be able to "trade" part of your share for extra of another item in most cases....we only pack so much for everybody to have (or at least have the choice to have) a bit of everything.


What to expect for Week 1!:

• Braising Mix
• Arugula
• Bunch Spinach
• Head Lettuce
• Stinging Nettles
• Asparagus
• Spring Radishes
• Bunch Asian Greens
• Garlic
• Cilantro

Can't wait to see you at market!  We all look forward to being your CSA farmers this year!

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Recipes

The Modern Martini (www.bonappetit.com)

This lime- and cilantro-infused cocktail will appeal to both Gimlet and Martini drinkers. We like to use Tanqueray for its strong juniper and spice profile. 

 

Ingredients

Cilantro-Lime Gin

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 750-ml bottle London dry gin
• 3 cups fresh cilantro leaves with tender stems
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Assembly

• 8 lime twists or rounds

Preparation

Cilantro-Lime Gin

• Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons hot water in a large jar, cover, and shake until sugar is dissolved. Add gin, cilantro, and lime juice (save gin bottle for finished product). Cover and chill 2 days. Strain into a medium bowl; discard cilantro. Pour cilantro-lime gin back into reserved bottle.

Assembly

• For each cocktail, pour 3 ounces cilantro-lime gin into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Cover; shake until cocktail shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with lime.
• DO AHEAD: Cilantro-Lime Gin can be made 1 month ahead. Keep chilled.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2013/06/the-modern-martini#ixzz2TyffsO1G



Stuffed Head Lettuce (www.food.com)

This is so easy and so pretty. It makes a nice summer lunch, just add some fruit. I like Homemade french or Italian dressing on it.

 Ingredients

• 1 head lettuce
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated carrots
• 1 tablespoon minced green pepper
• 2 tablespoons diced tomatoes
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon minced onion

Directions:

1 Wash lettuce; remove core.
2 With a tablespoon, remove enough of the lettuce around core to leave a cavity 2 to 3 in diameter.
3 Save removed lettuce for another use.
4 Combine cheeses, carrot, green pepper, tomato, pepper, salt and onion, pack firmly into lettuce cavity.
5 Wrap lettuce head in foil or plastic wrap and chill until center is solid.
6 Slice lettuce into wedges.
7 Serve with dressing of your choice.
8 A few pieces of fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries or melon) placed on the salad plate is very nice.

Read more: <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/stuffed-head-lettuce-108868?oc=linkback">http://www.food.com/recipe/stuffed-head-lettuce-108868?oc=linkback</a>

 

 

 

Garlicky Asparagus Flatbread (www.bhg.com)

 

Ingredients

• 1 1 pound  loaf frozen pizza dough, thawed
• 2 tablespoons  butter
• 2 tablespoons  flour
• 1 cup  milk
• 1/2 cup  finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 6 ounces  mozzarella cheese, sliced or grated
• 1 - 1 1/4 pounds  green, white, and/or purple asparagus, trimmed and cut in 3-inch lengths
• 1 medium yellow squash, sliced
• 3 tablespoons  olive oil
• 5 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup  thinly sliced green onions
• Honey (optional)

 Directions

 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease two 15x10x1-inch baking pans; set aside. For flatbreads, cut thawed dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half to a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. (If dough becomes difficult to roll, let rest for 5 minutes, then resume rolling.) Press dough into prepared pans, pressing to sides of pans. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until very lightly browned.

2. Meanwhile, for white sauce, in a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat; stir in flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add Parmesan cheese; cook for 1 minute.

3. Spread the white sauce within 1/2 inch of dough edges. Top with mozzarella. Lightly toss asparagus and squash with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil. Spread asparagus on cheese layer. Bake for 10 minutes, until browned. Cool slightly.

4. Meanwhile, in a small skillet heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Cook sliced garlic in oil, stirring frequently, until tender and beginning to brown. Remove from heat. Spoon garlic and oil evenly on flatbreads. Sprinkle with green onions. Pass honey. 

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Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you! 

Spring CSA...Last Week!

That's right...Spring CSA will be delivering its last week this week!  And let us tell you...it won't end without a bang.  We've been giving you all the full array of spring greens possible, and we hope you've been enjoying it!

What to expect:

• Arugula
• Salad Mix
• Bunch Spinach
• Bunch Kale
• Bunch Choi
• Sunflower Sprouts
• Garlic
• Stinging Nettles
• Asparagus

It don't get much greener than that!

 Remember, CSA for the whole season doesn't have to be over....we still have our Summer CSA shares available!  There is still time to sign up and get veggies from us clear until October.  For more info, click CSA Info tab above or you can sign up above.

In some brief farm news.....we are busy!  With the spring leaves here in the trees the season for harvesting, washing, and packing all we got (all day sometimes) has also arrived.  Now when all it seemed that we did was plant, we're trying to figure out when we'll do that exactly!  We have flats and flats of parsley and lettuce that needs planting soon, and we have begun planting our tomatoes!

In fact we're so busy....I might have to stop writing this newsletter!

Hope to see you at market!


Recipes

Beryn's Sunflower Sprout Salad  (www.rawlicious.co.za)

• 1 Cup sunflower greens 
• 1 Cup mixed sprouts 
• 1⁄2 baby cabbage, grated 
• 2 carrots, grated 
• 1 handful walnuts 
• Sprinkling of chopped dried figs 
• 1 1⁄2 - 2 avocados, diced 
• 1⁄2 C baby tomatoes 
• 1 handful gooseberries 
• parsley to garnish

Grate the carrots and cabbage first.
Combine the carrot, cabbage, sprouts, dried fruit, baby tomatoes and walnuts.
Top with diced avocado and gooseberries.
Garnish with finely chopped parsley.
Optional: Drizzle with a simple salad dressing of olive oil, lemon juice and honey.

Arugula, Tomato, and Goat-Cheese Terrine (www.marthastewart.com)

Ingredients

• 2 heads garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 medium yellow tomatoes
• 6 medium red tomatoes
• 2 cups arugula leaves
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 package (1/4 ounce) powdered gelatin
• 2 cups fresh goat cheese, crumbled (13 1/2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic on a piece of parchment paper -- lined aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Wrap to enclose, and roast until soft, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool. Peel, slice, and set aside.
   
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Core tomatoes, and cut an X in the bottom of each. Working in batches, blanch tomatoes until skin begins to loosen at the X, about 15 seconds. Remove, and plunge into ice bath to cool; drain.
   
3. Peel tomatoes, and cut them into quarters. Place half of the red and half of the yellow tomatoes in a medium bowl for the salad. Add half of the sliced garlic, cover, and refrigerate.
   
4. Remove seeds and pulp from remaining tomatoes, leaving only the flesh. Measure 1/4 cup of the seeds and pulp; cover and refrigerate for salad dressing. Discard remaining pulp and seeds. In a medium bowl, combine seeded tomatoes and remaining garlic. Add 1 cup arugula and 1/2 cup basil, and stir to combine; set aside for terrine.
   
5. Place milk in a small saucepan, and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften. Bring milk to a simmer over low heat, whisking until gelatin has dissolved. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add goat cheese, and whisk until well blended.
   
6. Line an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap leaving a 4-inch overhang on long sides. Place 2 or 3 arugula leaves lengthwise in prepared pan. Spread one-quarter of the goat-cheese mixture in the bottom of the pan. Cover with one-third of the reserved tomato mixture. Repeat layering twice. Top with remaining goat cheese. Fold plastic over terrine to cover. Refrigerate for at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
   
7. Right before serving, in a small bowl whisk remaining 7 tablespoons oil with lime juice and vinegar. Add reserved tomato pulp and seeds. Pour over reserved refrigerated tomatoes, and stir gently to coat. Coarsely chop the remaining 1 cup arugula and 1/2 cup basil, and add to salad, stirring gently to combine.
   
8. To serve: Peel back the plastic wrap from the terrine, and invert onto a cutting board. Remove plastic wrap, and discard. Cut terrine into eight 1-inch-thick slices. Transfer to plates, and serve immediately with salad.
   

Making Rennet Cheese with Stinging Nettle (www.inspirewild.com)
  
*Native Americans as well as the Scottish discovered that stinging nettle can be used instead of stomach enzymes to make a very herbal softer to semi-hard cheese like a feta or gouda. 

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 pound stinging nettle (YOU MUST USE GLOVES OR YOU WILL BE SORRY!)
• Water
• Saucepan with lid
• Timer
• Spatula
• Colander
• Bowl
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Container

1. Place 1 pound of stinging nettle into the saucepan with gloves. Fill the saucepan with water until the water covers the stinging nettle. Set the saucepan on the stove top and bring the water to a boil.
2. Set a timer for 30 minutes. Turn down the temperature of the stove when the water begins to boil and cover the saucepan with the lid. Allow the water to bubble and simmer until the timer goes off.
3. Stir the stinging nettles with a spatula occasionally as the water boils and bubbles. As the nettles cook, the sharp hairs soften, making them safe for consumption. The water takes on a greenish tint and may appear foggy, which is only the excretion of the natural enzymes produced from boiling the nettles.
4. Place a bowl in the sink and the colander on top of the bowl. When the timer goes off, take the saucepan off the stove and pour the contents into the colander. The liquid will go straight through to the bowl, while the stinging nettle stays trapped in the colander. Remove the colander to expose the bowl and liquid.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the liquid in the bowl. If you notice that the salt is being absorbed immediately, add another tablespoon. Allow the mixture to cool.
Add the rennet to very hot not boiling milk and let it sit for several hours and you will have a nice soft spreadable cheese and curds.
If you are going to use the stinging nettle rennet with milk, use  1/2 cup of the rennet for every 1 gallon of milk you want to coagulate. Store leftover rennet in an air-tight glass or plastic container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Note: the high salt content of this rennet prevents cheeses that to be created that are ripened a significant length of time. After the rennet has been added the salt inhibits the ripening characteristics of the curd. It will work best for cheeses that are salted shortly after the curd has formed, and less salt will be needed during the salting step as well as less salt if you are brining.

Now that you have curds mold them and turn them into the cheese that you desire with the proper forming, weighing the cheese down adding additional flavors and aging. Basically now go forward with your favorite cheese recipe and enjoy!

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   Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you! 

 

Spring Greening....Spring Greens!

Greetings everyone!

It's true that they say April showers bring May flowers...boy was that a long shower. 

Well, the flowers have finally arrived, the leaves are popping, and the grass is green!  CSA members have received our first flush of lush, delicious, healthy greens....arugula, salad mixes, leaf spinach and bunch spinach, sunflower sprouts, as well as braising mix, a medley of hardy greens packed and ready-to-cook.  These typically feature a variety of kales and chards, and can include anything from dandelion greens to bok choi leaves....sometimes even carrot greens!  Spring is the time to munch on nature's greens in any form to get as many antioxidants and vitamins to make up for that sunless, green-less winter.  In our case, it's been months of roast turnips and winter squash!  Nice to get a splash of green in our meals these days.

Echollective's first week of market went swell!  It was quite evident that market-goers were poised and ready to pounce on the season's first asparagus shoots....we sold out in an hour on Wednesday!  We sold out our table completely on Saturday with the exception of some garlic and other things.  People simply swarmed in for greens and asparagus.

No changes to CSA pickups this week....they will remain the same.  It hasn't really been our intent to confuse you this much while getting you your delicious vegetables.  We hope you are happy to be among the first to be getting the freshest, tastiest organic greens you can get in the Iowa City area.  Only two weeks of Spring CSA remain!


"What should we expect?":

• Braising Mix
• Salad Mix
• Spinach
• Stinging Nettles
• Garlic
• Asparagus
• Spring Radishes
• ....and possibly more!

Yep, it's the return of those crazy stinging nettles again.  Don't be alarmed!  The very same plant you try to avoid on your beautiful hikes (or that inadvertently ruins a nice hike when you bump into it) is one of the most highly nutritional vegetables on land; the most nutritional green after seaweed!  (That's right...for you sushi lovers, it's time to try making sushi with nettle leaves.)  It is probably even more nutritious than your spinach....well, maybe that's stretching it.  Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is the highest source of iodine in any land-bound plant, which is imperative to healthy liver function.  Not to mention stinging nettles are chock-full of vitamins A, B and C, iron, calcium, magnesium....the list goes on.

No, we are not saying to take the Stinging Nettle out of your box and immediately chew on it.  That would hurt.  Traditionally, stinging nettles are boiled or sauteed immediately after picking, like spinach.  In the process, they lose their sting.  You may also dry nettles and save the dried herb for a hot tea.  We will include delicious recipes on how to prepare stinging nettles to your liking!  If you have any further questions about stinging nettles, please contact me at echofarmers879@gmail.com.

I should add, we had a delicious lunch the other day of cooked ground venison mixed with sauteed stinging nettles, with rice and beans in a tortilla.  We eat nettles out here, too!

In some brief farm news, any time we have not been picking, packing, and washing veggies for CSA, market, restaurants and Co-ops, we have been planting, planting, planting!  Onions, leeks, broccoli, kale, lettuces, greens.  Quite soon here we will be putting our first tomatoes in the ground!

Well, take care everybody and enjoy the week's bounty.  See you at market!

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Recipes

Spring Lasagna with Asparagus, Peas and Stinging Nettles
A Recipe from TheBittenWord.com, with inspiration from Martha Stewart Living and Gourmet
 Serves 6-8

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 5 cups loose stinging nettle leaves (see note); baby spinach can be substituted
• 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces mild goat cheese
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 lemons, very thinly sliced
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles

Note on preparing stinging nettles: Wearing gloves, place fresh nettles on a cutting board. Separate the leaves from the stalk. You can use the stems and leaves from the top 6 or 8 leaves on each stalk. You can also use the lower leaves, but discard the thicker stems as well as the main stalk, as they will be too thick and ready to eat.


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare stinging nettle leaves (see note above), and prepare asparagus: Cut the tips off of each asparagus spear and reserve them. Then cut asparagus spears into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, cook sausage, breaking up pieces, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate.

Into same saucepan, add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, then the pieces of asparagus spears. Sauté asparagus until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining olive oil to pan, then add diced onion and sauté until just softened and beginning to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add stinging nettle leaves and sauté until wilted and cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cover lemon slices with cold water by 3 inches in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon.

Make the roux: Melt butter in a different saucepan over high heat. Stir in flour; cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in Parmesan and goat cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Spread 1/4 cup of the roux in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then top with a layer of noodles. Top with sautéed asparagus, half the sausage, one third of the remaining roux, and another layer of noodles. Top that with sautéed nettles and onions, peas, half the remaining roux, half the lemon slices, the remaining sausage and another layer of noodles. Arrange the remaining lemon slices and the reserved asparagus tips on the top layer, then pour on the remaining roux.

Cover dish with parchment-lined aluminum foil and bake 28 minutes, until top is golden and bubbly. (You may want to finish it under a broiler for 2 minutes.) Let stand 10 minutes.

Sauteed Nettles with Green Garlic & Olive Oil (www.mariquita.com)

Created by: Armando "Tiny" Maes

serves 6

• 1 ¼ # Nettles, Cleaned
• 3T Green Garlic (Chopped)
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper (To Taste)

First preheat a large sauté pan on medium high heat, (one large enough to accommodate the nettles, you can even use a large pot as well). Second pour ¼ cup of the olive oil into the preheated pan. Then put all of the green garlic into the pan sauté briefly for about 30 seconds, just enough time for the green garlic to release its essential oils, being sure not to brown or burn the green garlic. Place the nettles into the pan and give it a good stir, let sit for just a second and then continue the stirring process. Once the nettles are completely wilted place them on a plate, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and place a couple of lemon wedges for garnish.

Note: The nettles do not have the water content like spinach or other similar greens. So it might help to put a couple Tablespoons of water into the pan after the nettles have started cooking, just to hurry the cooking process. Myself I do not put the water, because I like the texture of the nettles when you sauté them. It is like little crispy nettle leaves and it also brings about a certain nuttiness.

Potato Nettle Soup (www.mariquita.com)

• 2 cups Nettle Leaves (young shoots)
• 1 Onion
• 6 small Potatoes
• 8 cups Water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. Parsley
• 3 cloves Garlic OR 3 stalks green garlic

Puree onion, garlic, and nettles with 1 cup of water. Cut potatoes into small pieces. Simmer pureed mixture with potatoes and remaining water for 45 minutes or until tender. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes making the soup thick and creamy.

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  Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you!

The Dawning of the Age of Asparagus

Spring is seriously here....our asparagus is up, and it's enormous!  Last year's patches we planted are producing wonderfully...and a LOT.  Today was our first day picking it by the crate-ful.  Also, it appears that the moon is rising in the 7th house and Jupiter aligned with Mars.  Just kidding....we are not a biodynamic farm.  (Sure hope somebody gets that joke.)

An important update to everyone involved in Spring CSA and the soon-to-come Summer CSA!!!  CSA distribution days have been changed!  At least a little bit.  Wednesday and Saturday pick-ups at the Iowa City Farmer's Market remain unchanged.  Friday at Tim's/Kirkwood School for Children pickup has been moved to Thursday from 5 PM onward.  We have a new pickup available for Cedar Rapids New Bo Market on Saturday for you CR folks, if you need it....time to be announced.

Please contact us A.S.A.P. if you must hence change your pickup, or have a question or problem!  Thanks!!!
 
 
What to look forward to this week!:

• Sprouts
• Kale
• Bunched Spinach
• Salad Mix
• Arugula
• Asparagus
• Garlic
• Turnips

Yup....Spring greens and asparagus are on the menu!


In Echollective news, we have been hard at work and finally sweating now that the weather has decided to warm up!  The trees are at last greening and our first spring flowers and plants have popped up....dandelions, violets and stinging nettles to name your typical garden early-risers, not to mention our beautiful Iowa natives such as Purple Prairie Trillium, Troutlily, Hepatica, Dutchman's Breetches, Bloodroot, and Mayapples, just to boast a few.  Our first rounds of broccoli, kale, and lettuce have been transplanted out into the field!  Seeds we sowed weeks ago are starting to pop up, especially our sugar snap peas!  We are going to have a lot this year.

This week will be our first week of summer markets and we are excited and thrilled to be back at the stand again.  We plan on having a whole variety of spring greens ready for the eating!  Hope to see you there!


Recipes

Bacon-wrapped Asparagus Bundles (Rachael Ray, www.foodnetwork.com)

These bundles can be easily prepared on an outdoor grill or in a hot oven.
 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed 4 to 5 inches long tips
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• A few grinds black pepper
• 4 slices center cut bacon or pancetta
• Chopped chives or scallions, optional garnish

Directions

Preheat oven, if using, to 400 degrees F.

Lightly coat asparagus spears in extra-virgin olive oil. Season the asparagus with black pepper. Take a quick count of the spear tips. Divide the total number by four. Gather that number of spears and use a slice of bacon to wrap the bundle and secure the spears together. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

To grill, place bundles on hot grill and cover. Cook 10 to 12 minutes until bacon is crisp and asparagus bundles are tender.

For oven preparation, place bundles on slotted broiler pan. Bake 12 minutes.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/bacon-wrapped-asparagus-bundles-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

 

 

Strawberry-Arugula Salad with Lemon Ricotta (Faith Durand, www.thekitchn.com)

(Serves 8-10)

• 4 pints strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced into quarters 
• 1 pint raspberries, washed and blotted dry
• 1-2 cups sliced almonds
• 1 small bunch baby arugula, sliced into thin ribbons
• Kosher salt
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh, drained ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or more, to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Toss the strawberries, raspberries, almonds, and sliced arugula with a pinch of kosher salt and the zest of 1 lemon.

For the dressing:
In a separate bowl, mix the lemon juice and remaining lemon zest with the ricotta, sugar, and nutmeg. Taste and sweeten to taste, if necessary.
Serve the salad with the dressing on the side.

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 Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you!

Onions, Onions, Onions

Greetings Echollective followers!

Still pulling ourselves out of this post-monsoon sludge.  But it appears we have still been able to stay on top of things!

For those of you in the Spring 2013 CSA: we have some important updates!  CSA Pickups are changing next week as the Iowa City Farmer's Market begins downtown and becomes our new main pickup spot.  We need to know from all of you where and when works best for you to switch your pickups to.  Options are: 


-Saturdays, 7:30 AM-12:00 PM at the Iowa City Farmers' Market
-Wednesdays, 5:00 PM-7:00 PM at same above location
-Fridays, Around/After 5:30 PM at KirkwoodSchool for Children/Tim's Daycare

If you are a Spring CSA member please contact us A.S.A.P. (preferably before next Wednesday!) concerning which new pickup would work best for you.  We will no longer be having pick-ups at the Ginter house on Ginter Ave. in Iowa City.

Also, as a side note to all of you: We would like to improve/streamline our communication methods (especially between us farmers and you CSA members).  We would love to receive feedback on farm-to-member communication.  Which venue of communication works best for you?  Email?  Phone?  Facebook?  This Newsletter?  Have suggestions?  Please let us know in an email!

And without further ado....a CSA preview! 

 

-Garlic

-Salad Mix (new this week!!)

-Kale*

-Spinach*

-Turnips (Purple Top)

-Sprouts

-And possibly more!

 

*Due to weather complications, exaggerated wetness, and hence some pretty unwanted plant diseases, the quality (appearance-wise) is slightly compromised, while still tasting great.  There is some spottiness on our kales and spinaches.  We have talked with many of you and this does not appear to be a problem, but if we haven't talked to you and you may take an issue, please contact us A.S.A.P.!

 

Now that the rain has at least slowed down and the muck and mire has finally gone away.....we can finally actually do things outside!  We took advantage of the few nicer days here and there to get stuff done, and quickly get some plants in the ground.  What did we get in the ground?  Well....leeks.  Onions.  Asparagus.  More onions.  Potatoes.  Onions.  Onions.  Onions onions onions!

And today...we planted more onions.  Some of us have nothing but dreams about planting (and sometimes planting and eating them simultaneously) onions.  The onion planting is never-ending, but there's nothing like a nice reassuring rain at the end of the day to water them in.  Boy, watering has not been a worry at all so far this season!  Phew!  Last year, we missed the boat on our onion-planting and it was a real shame due to the drought, but not this year!  You will be getting leeks!  And onions!  And hey, onions are high in magnesium, a nutrient that most Americans don't get a whole lot of in their diet, surprisingly.

 

Also, shallots will be planted soon.  Basically, they are small onions.  Onion fever is not over.

 

Radishes, arugula, and bok choy are all getting big...and ready to eat soon!

Garlic's first greens are popping up in our mulched fields!  It appears as if all varieties seem to be doing something at least, although some are more behind than others.  We were a bit worried about them getting drowned in all this rain or nipped by the spotty frosts, but they seem to be doing ok....a little yellowed, but ok!  Speaking of, we still have heirloom garlic varieties available for sale at the New Pi Co-ops in individual baggies.  You can still get our Ukrainian, German, Korean, and Bogatyr varieties in plenty.  For more information on our garlic breeds, check out the column to the left and read our Echollective Garlic Varieties page!

 

This year's Echo piggies are settling in well....a little shaky from the cold and storms, but we have had plenty of delicious compost and veggie scraps to feed them.  Today they dined on a large dumping of kale leaves that have been tainted by sickness....they loved the stuff!  They have all been laying in a big pile in the hay on these sunny days, basking in the warmth of spring!

As our pick-up changes above bode, we will be at the Iowa City Farmer's Market next week.  Hope to see you there!

Recipes

 

Kale and Pink Grapefruit Salad (www.bonappetit.com)

Ingredients

• 1 pink grapefruit
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 cups thinly sliced kale (center ribs and stems removed)
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges

Preparation

• Using a sharp knife, cut peel and white pith from grapefruit; discard. Working over a small bowl, cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into another small bowl; add any accumulated juices from bowl with segments (there should be about 1/4 cup juice total). Whisk oil into juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle 3 Tbsp. dressing over. Toss to combine and let stand for 10 minutes while kale wilts slightly. Toss once more, then arrange grapefruit segments and avocado slices over kale. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

The Best Baked Spinach Au-Gratin (www.smittenkitchen.com)

Serves 6

• 3 pounds fresh spinach3 1/2 to 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup stock (your choice; Julia recommends beef) or cream (I used stock; it doesn’t *need* cream)
• 3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs

-Stem and wash your spinach (see Tips below) well but no need to spin or pat it dry. Place spinach in a large pot over high heat. Cook, covered, with just the water clinging to leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes for baby spinach and 4 to 6 minutes for regular spinach. Transfer to a colander, immediately fill pot with cold water, transfer it back to the pot of cold water to shock it (stop the cooking) and drain again. Squeeze a small amount of the spinach at a time in your hands to extract as much water as possible. Chop the spinach coarsely. You should have about 3 cups of chopped spinach, or about 1 cup per pound.
-Wipe out pot then melt 2 tablespoons butter over moderately high heat and stir in the spinach. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until all of the moisture from the spinach has boiled off — you’ll know you’re done when the spinach begins to stick to the pan.
-Lower the heat and sprinkle with flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour. Add 2/3 of your stock or cream, a tiny bit at a time, scraping up any stuck spinach as you do. Once the liquid is added, simmer for another minute or two, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. If you’re feeling especially indulgent, stir in one more tablespoon of butter. If needed, add all or part of remaining liquid. Season with salt (I found 1/2 teaspoon table salt about right) and pepper.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Stir 1/2 cup cheese into the spinach and pour it into the baking dish. Mix the remaining cheese with breadcrumbs and sprinkle on spinach. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons remaining butter and pour it over the top. Bake until heated through and slightly brown on the top, about 30 minutes.
-Serve with steaks, chops, veal, chicken, broiled fish or, if you’re us, eggs, glorious eggs.

Do ahead: Spinach can be blanched and chopped several hours or a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Gratin can be fully assembled and 30 minutes before needed, placed in a preheated 375 degree oven to bake, then served.

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 Please tell us if you can't identify something on the market table, don't know what to do with a particular item, have a food allergy we should know about, or if you have other questions or comments. We love to hear from you!