Showing posts with label onions. Show all posts

Flowers & Fruits of July

The heat is on!  And with the heat of July comes many delightful things.

The first cicadas have been heard buzzing at the crowns of the treetops, a sound so synonymous in my mind with the heat and humidity of a Midwestern summer that I simply can't separate the two.  The days have finally become arduous and sweaty, where a good shower at the end of the day is in order.  Squashes are simply popping off the vines, zucchinis and yellow zephyrs are in big supply and are on their way to the CSA table.  You may also buy them from us at market!

The sun's rays have ripened this year's first sun gold tomatoes (not quite ready for CSA yet, though!) which we picked on Sunday; just a small helping so far but tasty and golden-orange, so hard to resist.  Peppers and eggplants are forming their first pre-ripe green fruits.  The borders of our woods are lush with black raspberries. 

The roadsides and our herb garden are alive with color as a whole new wave of flowers have bloomed....echinacea, yellow coneflower, cup-plant, marshmallows, yarrow, valerian, bee balms and sweet leaf, tiger lilies, bright yellow mullein, and more...and what with all the flowers opening and pollen flying through the air, almost everyone is struggling with sudden summer head colds and allergies!  So stay healthy, stock up on Vitamin-C, eat plenty of local honey to boost your immune system, and see if you can't find any nettle seeds out there in the wilds of your backyard, or a neighborhood park, etc...  A strong tea can make you forget your allergies ever plagued you....

.....and eat some delightful organic veggies!


What to look forward to this week:

  • Garlic Scapes
  • Leeks
  • Green Onions
  • Candy (white) Onions
  • Collard Greens
  • Bunch Mixed Kales (Winterbor, Redbor, Red Russian)
  • Carrots
  • Squash (zucchini or yellow zephyr summer squash)
  • Potatoes
...and more!  It'll be a surprise.

This week is a big showcasing to all you CSA members for our alliums!  Alliums are what we call a group of veggies that consist of garlic, onions, leeks, shallots, etc.; you know, the stinky and pungent bulbs that you chop up so small and throw into a delicious dish knowing that it just wouldn't taste the same without them.  Alliums are actually in the same family as lilies, grouped together in the big family Liliaceae.  They are super good for you, boasting great amounts of magnesium which is integral to your health, and also contain antioxidants and other chemical aspects that provide a great boost to your immune system!  (There you go...a help with your summer allergies right there!)

We know....how do you make a dish for dinner that somehow involves leeks, garlic scapes, and onions together?  Too stinky.  Don't do it.  Well, we suggest you just stock up!  Alliums store for longer periods of time (if stored correctly; keep your green onions, garlic scapes, and leeks in the fridge!) so you can hold onto these vegetables for use in a week or so.  That's the great thing about them!  We have plenty of scapes, onions, and leeks that you will probably receive some next week!  But no worries.  We will also provide a couple recipes that use alliums specifically as the main focus, turning your alliums into an awesome part of your dining experience.  Alliums don't just have to be something to throw into your stir-fry or your burrito anymore!

We are proud to have pulled up our first harvest of carrots today!  Yes, they made it this year!  Last summer was much too dry for them to flourish, but this summer has been the immense amount of wet that they love; their orange roots swell and grow deliciously sweet.  Did you know?: carrots were not originally orange!  The native wild carrot has a long white taproot, and other species had purple or scarlet roots.  It wasn't until a few hundred years ago, the Dutch got together and thought orange carrots should be the norm, and started breeding and growing them.  Now we're all eating orange carrots and think that that's normal, thanks to the Dutch.

Well, it looks like you'll be kept quite busy for the next week with so many veggies...and so much to learn about them.  We'll see you at market!



Recipes

 A big thank you to CSA Member Naomi Hertsberg for sending us the following two recipes!  They are a smart rhapsody of recipes with Echollective ingredients.  The original recipes you can find online, but these new versions have been a huge hit with her friends....so try them!

Kale Market Salad (inspired by www.101cookbooks.com recipe of same name)  

Garlic Scape Dressing:

  • Garlic scapes, rinsed and chopped (~1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup / 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons ripe avocado
  • 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste 

Salad:

  • fresh pepper to taste
  •  1/2 bunch kale, destemmed, torn into pieces
  • 1 cup / 5.5 oz cooked farro or wheat berries (semi-pearled or whole)
  • 4-5 farmers' market carrots, very thinly sliced
  • 1 small bulb of fennel, transparently sliced
  • 1 avocado, cut into small cubes
  • a big handful of almond slices, toasted
Make the dressing by using a hand blender or food processor to puree the scapes, salt, lemon juice, olive oil, avocado, honey, and pepper until smooth. Taste, and adjust with more salt, or honey, or lemon juice.
Before you're ready to serve, combine the kale with about half of the dressing in a large bowl use your hands to work the dressing into the kale, softening up the kale a bit in the process. Add the farro, carrots, and fennel, more dressing, and a couple pinches of salt, and toss again. Taste, and add the last of the dressing if needed. This is a salad I like quite heavily dressed. Add the avocados and almonds and give one last gentle toss.
Serves 2-4.

Prep time: 10 min 


 
 Collard Green Olive Pesto (inspired by www.epicurious.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 lb collard greens
  • 7 large brine-cured green olives (2 1/4 ounces), pitted
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped (or 2-3 garlic scapes, chopped!)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)

Preparation

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut stems and center ribs from collard greens and discard. Stir collards into water in batches, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer collards with tongs to a colander to drain, gently pressing on greens to extract excess water. (If making pasta, reserve water in pot for cooking pasta.) Coarsely chop collards.
Blend olives and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add collards, water, vinegar, salt, cayenne, and pepper and pulse until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream. Turn off motor, then add cheese and pulse to combine.
This recipe makes a large quantity of pesto. Use half the pesto for 1 pound of cooked pasta and chill the rest in an airtight container for up to 3 days.


 

Stuffed Leeks (foodcocktail.com)

  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 50 mins
  • Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Separate the green part of the leek , where the leaves are, and keep it for the sauce.
  2. Cut the white part of the leek in 2.5-3 inches pieces.
  3. With your fingers push the inside of the tubes out, keeping only two layers, so that the tubes won't be so fragile and break.
  4. Chop the inside of the tubes very finely.
  5. Mix the chopped leek with the meat, the egg and the spices.
  6. Feel the tubes with the meat mixture and arrange them in a baking dish.
  7. Chop the green part of the leek that you've kept and cook it for about 2 minutes in one tablespoon of vegetable oil, preheated.
  8. Add the tomato juice, some salt and maybe some sugar if you think it's too acid. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes and then, pour the sauce over stuffed leek tubes.
  9. Let it cook for 40 minutes covered, and then let it cook for another 10-15 minutes uncovered. Serve!
**********************
 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!

alliums candy onions carrots
Share:

Fair Weather and Friends

Hello everyone!

It's been a good start to the summer, with (fingers crossed) generally hot but pleasant weather; averages in the 70s and just enough rain to keep us farmers and our vegetables comfortable.  We couldn't ask for weather more ideal than what we've experienced, so far not like the typical Iowa July that is so famously brutal.  We know the drill, though....we're bracing ourselves for a heat wave, any week now!  Once you start to appreciate the weather, it changes.  Looks like some hotter temps are just around the corner, soon to visit us this weekend.  We just hope this doesn't mean that the rain is gone for good!

Like we've stated recently, the beginning of summer ushers in a new lineup of produce for our CSA members (and on our market table too, for that matter).  We are still holding on to some old favorites of spring for you all to enjoy, such as head lettuce (we're aiming to put you together another salad mix!); but with the intensity of the summer solstice still lingering, much of our lettuce crop and cool, leafy greens are beginning to lose their quality.  No worries though...we've got some new treats for you!

The spread this week:

  • Head Lettuce
  • Garlic Scapes
  • Mint
  • Onions (White Candy or Red Candy Apple)
  • Kale
  • Collards
  • Lavender
  • Basil
  • Broccoli
  • Potatoes

....and possibly more!

I know, you're probably saying to yourself "that is a nice addition of new stuff!"  We've pulled up our first candy onions from our meticulously pampered plots (if you don't know, our candy onions are the "classic" storage kind, big bulbs for slicing into onion rings) and my are they stunning....big and round, looking like big polished-smooth pearls, and they smell sweet, pungent, and delightful (I picked them in armfuls today to send to the New Pioneer Co-ops....they smell is so good your stomach growls and your mouth waters). Much thanks to anyone and everyone who has been out here and weeded our onions for hours on end, which would include our interns, farmers, and even CSA member work-traders.  Thanks to you, the onions turned out good this year!

We also have lavender for you this week, an herb you might not think of as culinary, but you'll be pleasantly surprised by how its subtle addition to a sauce or meat dish can really fancy things up a bit.  We will include some fantastic recipes for this aromatic flower.  Broccoli is on the table again, a nice little surprise you all received last week.  It is also a lovely flower like lavender, albeit much less aromatic, more crunchy, and full of vitamins and antioxidants...yes, don't forget that broccoli is a flower!  Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables....we'll also include recipes with broccoli!

Last but certainly not least....our potatoes are ready for the digging!  Farmer Derek and his adorable daughter Liliona unearthed the first red tubers this past week, and we made them into Echollective french fries.  Expect a helping of the very first Echollective potatoes of the year...Yum!

Kale and Collard greens are for the taking this week yet again (can't ever be without delicious cooked greens, am I right?)  We wanted to let everyone know that over time, the effects of last weekend's hailstorm have really manifested in our kale and collards....some of it will be a bit holy.  (Not ordained by a priest holy....covered with holes holy.)  We hope this is not a big issue; if it is, please contact us.  We cannot help the weather, though we do try.  Your greens will taste just as good and are still very pretty (we eat them all the time!), but you may very well be able to read the morning paper through them.  Hah, okay, that is an exaggeration, you wouldn't notice at first glance.  But just to warn you they are there!  We don't want any surprises.

A big thank you to CSA member (for more than one year!) Elizabeth Hinds for mentioning us in her blog!  She has given us the best CSA Member-engineered scape recipes to date.  A big shout out to her.  Go and check out her blog:  http://bethsbites.wordpress.com/.  We wish her luck on her journey through the wide world of culinary arts!

Well, that's all we've got for you folks....hope to see you at market, and take care!


Recipes


Ellen Sullivan's Lavender Tenderloin (www.epicurious.com)

Yield: Serves 8 to 10
 
Valley Center, California: In 1998, Ellen Sullivan purchased land in Northern San Diego County, California, named it The Lavender Fields, and planted, grew, and harvested fields of lavender. She also searched for culinary uses for the plant, which is still considered more of an aromatic flower than a herb. "The first modern culinary use I saw was a chef's recipe for lavender crème brûlée, and that got me thinking. Lavender's flavor is both tangy and floral, so it works as well in savory dishes as it does in sweet ones—I love what it does to beef tenderloin." This recipe remains one of Ms. Sullivan's favorite company meals.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons dried food-quality lavender buds
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • One 4 1/2-pound whole beef tenderloin, trimmed and silverskin removed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

1. The day before serving, grind the lavender, fennel, peppercorns, thyme, and salt to a powder with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Rub the tenderloin with the spice mixture, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
2. Remove the tenderloin from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Place an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a rack inside a roasting pan.
3. Remove the plastic wrap, brush off the spices from the tenderloin, and rub with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place the tenderloin on the rack and roast for 15 minutes, turning once halfway through.
4. Reduce the heat to 325°F and roast for 5 to 15 minutes longer, to the desired doneness (an instant-read thermometer will read 125°F for medium rare).
5. Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the remaining olive oil to the roasting pan, scrape well, and stir to combine the drippings.
6. Cut the tenderloin against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle the pan drippings over the meat and serve.

From One Big Table: A Portrait of American Cooking by Molly O'Neill. Copyright © 2010 by Molly O'Neill. Published by Simon & Schuster. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York.



Broccoli & Goat Cheese Souffle (www.eatingwell.com)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried *(or fresh) rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese *(substitute other kind of cheese if desired)
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
 *Echollective suggestions!

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat four 10-ounce ramekins (or a 2- to 2 1/2-quart soufflé dish) with cooking spray and place them on a baking sheet.
  2. Place broccoli in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Melt butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Adjust heat as needed to prevent the mixture from getting too dark; it should be the color of caramel. Add milk, mustard, rosemary and salt and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in goat cheese and 3 egg yolks until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl.
  4. Beat the 5 egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold half of the whipped whites into the milk mixture. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites and the reserved broccoli just until no white streaks remain. Transfer to the prepared ramekins or soufflé dish.
  5. Bake until puffed, firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, about 20 minutes in ramekins or 30 minutes in a soufflé dish. Serve immediately.


Potato Basil Puree (www.foodnetwork.com)


Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
  • 2 pounds large Yukon Gold or white boiling potatoes *any kind of potato works fine!
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*Echollective suggestion!
 Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and fill a bowl with ice water. Add the basil leaves to the boiling water and cook for exactly 15 seconds. Remove the basil with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge the leaves into the ice water to set the bright green color. Drain and set aside.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in quarters. Add the potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and return to a boil. Cook the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain well, return to the saucepan, and steam over low heat until any remaining water evaporates.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the half-and-half and Parmesan cheese until the cream simmers. Place the basil in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree. Add the hot cream mixture and process until smooth.

With a handheld mixer with the beater attachment, beat the hot potatoes in the pot until they are broken up. Slowly add the hot basil cream, the salt, and pepper and beat until smooth. If the potatoes need to be reheated, cover and cook gently over low heat for a few minutes. Pour into a serving bowl, sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese, season to taste, and serve hot.



**********************
 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!
broccoli candy onions collards
Share:

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.


*********************
 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!
 
 
2013 Spring CSA crop diseases heirloom garlic varieties
Share:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)