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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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!
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