Silver Lake Farms

Parslied Potato Salad

2012-01-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

Potatoes love parsley. One of the simplest ways to prepare potatoes is to boil them until tender, slice, dot with butter, and spinkle on a little salt and chopped fresh parsley. Parsley's bright green color and flavor are perfect complements to the slightly sweet starchiness of potatoes.

Parslied potato salad involves just slightly more preparation than boiled potatoes with parsley and butter. You can serve this potato salad warm immediately after you mix it up; or you can let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight and the flavors will meld together nicely. It'll keep for several days in the fridge, so make extra to serve with another meal later in the week.

For 4 side dish servings:

4 medium potatoes (approx 1 #)
2-3 green onions, finely chopped
2-3 T finely chopped red onion
3-4 T finely chopped celery
3-4 T finely chopped fresh parsley
juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste
A pinch of fresh lemon zest, or to taste
3 T olive oil, or more to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the unpeeled potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Add 1/2 t salt to the water, if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes for medium potatoes, but cooking times will vary depending on the size of the potatoes.

2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, you can remove the peels if you like (I prefer to keep them in their jackets). Dice the potatoes in approximately 1/3 to 1/2 inch dice. Place in a large bowl.

3. Add the chopped onions, celery, and parsley. Stir well. Add the lemon juice, zest, and olive oil. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add a little olive oil, lemon juice, zest, salt, and/or pepper to your taste.

4. Serve warm or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Today's bounty included produce from four farms:

From Underwood Family Farms: Napa cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, Japanese turnips, fennel, celery, orange carrots, tatsoi, Hass avocados, and parsley;

From Weiser Family Farms: French fingerling potatoes, butternut squash, parsnips, and Rustic Nantes cooking carrots;

From Sage Mountain Farms: radishes, spicy salad greens mix, and green Russian kale;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Bacon avocados, pomelos, and Satsuma mandarins.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Two Deliciously Simple Brussels Sprouts Sides Dishes

2012-01-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Brussels sprouts have a delicate and slightly nutty flavor that's wonderful in many different preparations. Today's recipes, two of them, highlight Brussel sprouts' versatility. Best of all, they're both a cinch to make.

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

2 C Brussels sprouts
1-2 T finely chopped onion
1-2 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellowed leaves. Compost the trimmings. Cut the sprouts in half and place in a medium bowl.

3. Add the chopped onion, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to coat.

4. Pour onto a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in a 375 degree F oven until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Makes 2 generous side dish servings.

Mashed Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese

2 C Brussels sprouts
2 T butter
1/4 C finely grated parmesan cheese, or more to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. While the water is coming to a boil, trim the ends and any yellow leaves off the Brussels sprouts. Compost the trimmings.

3. When the water comes to a boil, add the Brussels sprouts and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Drain the Brussels sprouts. Place them in a bowl with the butter and the parmesan cheese, and mash it all together with a fork. Add a little more butter or cheese, if desired.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2 generous side dish servings.

Both of these dishes would be lovely with some toasted nuts, such as walnuts or almonds.

Today's bounty included produce from five different farms:

From Underwood Family Farms: bok choy, tatsoi, romaine, rainbow chard, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, fennel, celery root, Hass avocados, and navel oranges;

From Sage Mountain Farm: collards, radishes and yellowstone carrots;

From Weiser Family Farms: Ruby Crescent potatoes and Chioggia beets;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins; and

From urban farmer Russel Wightman/LA Farmhands: Fuerte avocados.

And from Jill and Patrick Dempsey: lemongrass, chard and lemons

Enjoy!

Shelley

Oven Roasted Winter Vegetable Hash

2012-01-13T15:33:00.001-08:00

Making hash is a great way to used up little odds and ends in your fridge, but it can be even better when you design a combination of complementary ingredients and flavors as in this delicious roasted winter vegetable hash.

This recipe, which combines winter squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, and parsnips, has a perfect balance of sweet and savory elements. Best of all, it's a cinch to make - just a little peeling, chopping, and roasting.

I like to cut the vegetables into relatively small dice - about 1/4 inch or smaller - but you can use larger dice if you prefer. You may have to roast the vegetables a little longer if you cut them into bigger pieces. I use a hot oven, about 425 degrees F, so the edges of the veggies get nice and browned and carmelized.

Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables

1/4 to 1/2 butternut or acorn squash
2-3 medium to large carrots
1-2 medium to large parsnips
1-2 small to medium potatoes
1/2 medium onion
1 pinch nutmeg
2 pinches ground sage
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Peel all the vegetables and cut into 1/4 inch dice. Put the diced veggies in a large bowl. You should have about 4-5 C of diced veggies. Compost the peels.

3. Add the olive oil to the veggies and stir to coat. Stir in the nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper.

4. Pour out the veggies onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven. Gently stir the veggies and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and lightly carmelized.

Serve this hash with poached eggs for brunch or supper, or as a side dish without eggs if you prefer. Try it on toast with melted cheese on top; or dress it up with hollandaise sauce for a special treat.

This week's box included bounty from six farms!

From Underwood Family Farms: butter lettuce, Japanese turnips, purple kale, rainbow chard, white cauliflower, candy beets, Pinkerton avocados, spinach, black kale, broccoli, and navel oranges;

From Weiser Family Farms: parsnips, celery root, Romanesco, and Russian Banana potatoes;

From Sage Mountain Farm: spicy salad greens, arugula, and baby carrots;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins;

From Drake Family Farms: Chevre;

And from urban farmer, Russell Wightman: avocados and sapote.

Plus bonus citrus from Sallie Hernandez in Eagle Rock: Meyer lemons and super juicy little oranges.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Satsuma Mandarin Marmalade

2012-01-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

Citrus fruit is abundant right now. Trees all over the neighborhood are heavy with ripe oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes, as well as some of the more exotic varieties such as blood oranges, Meyer lemons, kumquats, and yuzus.

Now is the perfect time to preserve the season's bright citrus flavors by making marmalade. Marmalade is usually a softly jelled spread with pieces of peel and fruit suspended in a transparent jelly.

You can make marmalade from just about any citrus fruit and your marmalade will keep in the fridge for weeks, if not months, without canning. If you can it using a hot water bath canner, you can make a shelf-stable product that will keep for at least a year, if it doesn't get eaten up before then.

Making marmalade doesn't take long. There are just three basic steps: chopping the fruit, cooking it briefly to soften the peel, and adding the sugar and cooking it until it's done. If you don't have time to do this all at once, you can spread out the work over two or even three days.

Our Satsumas make a delicious marmalade with just three ingredients: fruit, water, and sugar. Added commercial pectin is not necessary because most citrus peels, pith, membranes, and seeds are high in pectin.

When you make your own marmalade, you can choose to cut the rind thick or thin and you can opt for a slightly higher or lower fruit to jelly ratio depending on your taste. You can make flavor combinations that you might not find at your local market. You can even add dried herbs such as rosemary, lavender, or lemon verbena.

I use a basic recipe that's essentially a 1:1:1 ratio of fruit to water to sugar. There's room for a little variation, such as reducing the sugar slightly or adding a little more liquid, but reducing the sugar too much will result in a product that will not jell.

Step 1, Chopping the Fruit: I like to leave the fruit on the peel. I simply quarter the fruit lengthwise, trim the ends and a little of the membrane from the center, and slice each quarter crosswise, capturing as much of the juice as possible. Put it all in a bowl, or better yet, a large measuring cup, if you have one.

I save the ends, center membranes, and any seeds for their juice and to put into a pectin bag (pictured below), which simply involves wrapping them in cheesecloth. The pectin bag goes into the pot during the peel-softening stage.

You can separate the pulp from the peel if you like, but that adds another step - chopping the pulp; and most of the pulp gets cooked off the peel anyway. Besides, I like the look of the fruit on the peel suspended in the jelly when I get that effect.

Once the fruit is chopped, squeeze the juice out of the saved ends and membranes before wrapping them in cheesecloth.

For a nice small batch of marmalade, chop up about 3-4 C of loosely packed fruit and juice.

Step 2, Softening the Peel: I find that Satsuma mandarin peels are pretty soft to begin with, so they don't require much softening. [This is not true of all citrus. Some will require longer cooking and perhaps even an overnight soak.] Still, I cook the Satsumas in water for about 20 minutes with the pectin bag.

Measure out your loosely packed peels and juice and place in a large, wide pot. Add the same amount of water and the pectin bag. Bring to a boil and simmer softly for 20 minutes. Remove the pectin bag when it's cool enough to handle and squeeze it out into the pot before discarding it.

Step 3, Making the Marmalade: Measure out the same amount of white granulated sugar as the fruit in Step 2 (not the fruit plus the water). Add the sugar to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly to make sure it doesn't burn, until it reaches the jell point.

The jell point is about 220 degree F at sea level. You can check this with a jelly thermometer, or you can use a lower tech jell test by placing a teaspoon of the marmalade on a plate and putting in the freezer for a minute. Take the plate out of the freezer and push in one edge of the marmalade. If it wrinkles and folds, it's at the jell point.

Turn off the marmalade and pour it into glass jars with lids. Cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. This recipe yields approximately 3-4, 8-ounce jars.

If you'd like to can it so that it's shelf-stable, you'll need canning jars, new canning lids, rings, a jar lifter, and a pot with a lid, a rack at the bottom, and tall enough to cover the tops of the jars with at least an inch of water. You can buy a hot water bath canner that comes with a rack or you can improvise your own if you have a big enough pot.

Fill your canning pot with enough water to cover the jars and heat to nearly a boil. Wash the canning jars well. You may want to warm up the jars before pouring the hot marmalade into them, but they do not need to be pre-sterilized. You can do this by putting the jars in your canning pot filled with hot water. Also, place the lids in a separate pot of hot, but not boiling water.

When your marmalade is done. Remove the jars from the hot water and fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top with hot marmalade. Wipe the rims of the jars well. Place lids on the jars and screw on the rings until their just tightened, not too tight. Using a jar lifter, place the jars in your canner. Bring the water to a full boil and process, covered, for 10 minutes. When done, turn off the heat and uncover the pot. Allow the jars to stay in the pot for 5-10 minutes before removing them with a jar lifter. Place them on a kitchen towel and allow them to cool before labelling and storing. The marmalade may not set completely for 8-12 hours, so be patient.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: White icicle radishes, red leaf lettuce, orange carrots, fennel, broccoli, bok choy, green kale, and Brussels sprouts;

From Weiser Family Farms: Watermelon radishes, parsnips, celery root, and Romanesco cauliflower;

From Sage Mountain Farm: Arugula, Russian green kale, broccoli raab, Swiss chard, and white carrots;

And from Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Carmelized Onion, Potato and Goat Cheese Tarts

2011-12-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

Savory tarts are wonderful. You can make them in a wide range of sizes from bite-sized mini-tarts that make nice appetizers to large tarts that you cut in slices to serve. You can make them in any shape you like, and the topping combinations are endless.

The toppings I used for today's recipe include carmelized onions and potatoes. These ingredients require a little advance preparation, but once you have them (and your crust), it takes only a few minutes to assemble and bake the tarts.

Carmelized onions are super delicious and very versatile. In addition to these tarts, carmelized onions add great depth of flavor to many dishes. It takes an hour or so to properly carmelized onions, but you can do this step ahead. Cook up a big batch of carmelized onions and store them in your fridge. They'll keep for about a week. Mix them into mashed potatoes; add them to grilled cheese sandwiches; toss them into an omelet. You'll find myriad uses for them.

To carmelize onions: Peel and slice 2-5 onions thinly lengthwise. Melt 1-2 t butter per onion in a large, heavy skillet over low heat. Add the sliced onions and cook over low heat, stirring regularly, until the onions turn a deep brown color. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

The potatoes I used in this tart were boiled ahead of time, chilled and sliced. It's easier to thinly slice a cold potato. You can cook up the potatoes when you're making this recipe, just allow them to cool before slicing them.

These tarts start with the same pie crust recipe I used last week. But you can use your favorite short pastry crust. I rolled out my crust to approximately 1/4" thickness and cut it with a round, fluted-edge form that's five inches in diameter. This size makes a great individual tart.

I like making flat tarts that I bake on cookie sheets, but you can make this recipe in a tart pan if you prefer. The flat tarts are a little easier, but be sure to let them cool before lifting them off the cookie sheet, as the pastry dough is delicate when it just comes out of the oven.

To make crust for six, five-inch diameter, round individual tarts: Take 7 T cold butter, cut into pieces, plus 1/2 T salt, and 1-1/3 C flour. Put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the flour under it resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in a little ice water and continue to mix until the dough just comes together. Form into a flat disk and refrigerate for 10-30 minutes. You can refrigerate this dough longer, but it might be harder to roll if it's colder.

For six individual tarts:

Crust recipe above (or your favorite crust)
1-2 medium Russian Banana or Fingerling potatoes, boiled and cooled
1 C Carmelized onions, or more to taste
1/2 C crumbled goat cheese
1/2 C washed, dried, and finely sliced fresh arugula

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degree F.

2. Roll out pastry dough 1/4" thick and cut six circles, each five inches in diameter.

3. Divide and spread the carmelized onions over each piece of dough.

4. Slice the potatoes thinly and arrange 2-3 slices over the onions on each tart.

5. Sprinkle a little crumbled goat cheese over each tart.

6. Bake in pre-heated, 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are golden.

7. Cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before lifting off with a metal spatula. Garnish with finely sliced arugula before serving.

Variations: Grated gruyere cheese is a nice alternative to goat cheese. Omnivores may like to add a little cooked and crumbled chorizo to these tarts.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwod Family Farms: Butter lettuce, rainbow chard, sugar snap peas, carrots, candy beets, mizuna, celery, and navel oranges.

From Weiser family Farms: Parsnips, mixed beets, and Russian Banana potatoes.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Salad mix, white and orange carrots, arugula, spaghetti squash, turnips, and Russian kale.

Urban farmer, Russell Wightman, provided the Fuerte avocados from Highland Park.

Happy New Year everyone!

Shelley

Butternut Squash Pie

2011-12-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

Did you know you can make a "pumpkin pie" from butternut squash? In my opinion, butternut squash pie is even better than pumpkin pie because butternut squash is sweeter and creamier than pumpkin.

With a little bit of prep, which you can do in advance, you can make a delicious squash pie filling that you can pour into your favorite pie crust, homemade or store bought.

There are two ways to prepare the squash for a pie filling: bake it or boil it. To bake the squash, cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place it cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until soft, 45-75 minutes depending on the side of the squash. When it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the pulp and mash it, or puree it in a blender or food processor, or put it through a food mill or chinois, or use an immersion blender to turn it into a smooth puree.

To boil it: peel it and cut it into 1-inch chunks. Place the chunks in a saucepan with about 2 inches of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain well and proceed as above to turn the chunks into a smooth puree. You can do this step in advance and keep the puree in your fridge for up to 3 days before making your pie.

Here's the pie recipe for a 9-inch diameter, 1-1/2 inch deep pie dish:

1-1/2 C pureed butternut squash
1 C evaporated milk
2 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C white sugar
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1 pie crust (see recipe below if you don't have your own)

1. Mix the squash puree and the evaporated milk together until smooth and combined.

2. Beat the eggs and mix into the squash mixture until combined.

3. Mix in the sugar, spices, and salt and mix until well combined.

4. Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn down the heat to 350 degrees and bake until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes longer.

5. Allow pie to cool completely or refrigerate before serving.

Easy Pie Crust for a 9" Pie:
Cut 7 T of cold butter into cubes. Place 1-1/3 C flour and 1/2 t salt in a large bowl or in a food processor. Add the cold, cubed butter. Process or cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or 2 forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Process, or cut in, enough ice water until the mixture just comes together. Quickly form the crust into a flat disk and refrigerate for 10 minutes (or longer). Then roll out the crust on a pastry cloth and fit it into the pie dish.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: lettuce, orange carrots, mizuna, Japanese turnips, purple kale, cilantro, French radishes, tatsoi, butternut squash, avocado, and arugula.

From Weiser Family Farms: German Butterball potatoes.

And from Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Shelley

Maple Glazed Parsnips and Carrots

2011-12-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

Parsnips are so sweet all by themselves you might think they wouldn't benefit from being glazed. But this simple and delicious recipe confirms the saying that too much of a good thing can be wonderful.

This recipe calls for a pound of parsnips and a pound of carrots, but you can cut the recipe in half or change the proportion of parsnips to carrots to suit your taste.

1 T vegetable oil
1 lb parsnips, peeled, trimmed and sliced into chunks
1 lb carrots, peeled, trimmed and sliced into chunks
1 C broth (chicken or vegetable) or water
1/2 C maple syrup
1 T rice vinegar
2 T butter
salt and pepper to taste
rosemary, optional

1. Heat oil in a non-reactive skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add chopped parsnips and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown slightly, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the broth, syrup and vinegar. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Uncover the pan and turn up the heat a little. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is like syrup, another 8-10 minutes.

4. Stir in the butter. Season with salt and peppper to taste. Add a little snipped fresh rosemary, if you'd like, or garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Serve.

Don't throw away those carrot and parsnip peels. Put them in the compost or make a quick broth from them.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Round carrots, red and green leaf lettuce, arugula, tatsoi, black kale, candy beets, French Breakfast radishes, celery, acorn squash, and butternut squash;

From Weiser Family Farms: Rustic cooking Nantes carrots, beets, parsnips, and Romanesco cauliflower;

From Sage Mountain Farm: Collard greens, Torpedo Baby Spring onions, New England pie pumpkin, and Red Gold potatoes;

From Rancho Santa Celicia: Satsuma mandarins and limes;

And from Drake Family Farms: Chevre.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Glacé Satsuma Mandarin Orange Segments

2011-12-09T15:54:00.000-08:00

There's something perfectly delightful about gifts from the kitchen, and the holiday season offers many opportunities to make something wonderful and delicious for family and friends.

Today's recipe uses one of our favorite winter fruits, Satsuma mandarins, to make beautiful candied orange segments that taste like orange honey and will keep for months, if they're not eaten up before then.

Making glacé fruit takes a little time, most of which is simply allowing the fruit to soak. Whole fruit or pieces of fruit are soaked in a sugar syrup for several days until they become saturated. Each day you add a little more sugar to the syrup, increasing the concentration and allowing the fruit to soak up more syrup. Once the fruit is saturated, you let it dry for a day or two and that's it.

You can use practically any fruit. The amount of time needed to fully saturate the fruit will vary depending on the size of the pieces and the type of fruit. I allowed the mandarin orange segments to soak in the syrup for a total of 10 days, adding sugar each of the first six days then allowing them to soak in the syrup at room temperature for four more days. Then I dried them on a rack for two days.

This recipe calls for a little bit of dextrose, also known as brewer's sugar. Dextrose is an invert sugar, so called because its molecular structure is inverted as compared to glucose. What's important is that it prevents the sugar from crystallizing during the the multi-day process of making glacé fruit. You can get dextrose at a home brewing (beer-making) store. There's one in Eagle Rock.

This recipe calls for 1/2 lb. of mandarin segments, but you can double the recipe if you have more mandarins.

Glacé Satsuma Mandarin Orange Segments

1/2 lb peeled Satsuma mandarin oranges
1/2 C dextrose
2 to 2-1/4 C sugar
water

1. Carefully separate the peeled mandarins into segments and carefully remove as much of the pith and membrane as possible.

2. Place segments in a small to medium saucepan. Cover with plenty of water and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and gently cook for 5-10 minutes, until fruit is just barely cooked through and not falling apart. Drain and discard the water.

3. In the same pot, heat 1/2 C dextrose, 3/4 C sugar, and 3 C water over medium low heat until it comes to a boil, stirring occasionally and gently, only to combine. Reduce the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Add the fruit to the hot syrup. Cook for 1 minute, until just heated through. Then remove from the heat and let stand overnight, uncovered, at room temperature.

4. The next day: Remove fruit from the syrup with a slotted spoon. Add 2-3 T sugar to the syrup and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add fruit back to the syrup. Remove from the heat and let stand overnight, uncovered, at room temperature.

5. For the next 4-6 days, repeat step 4 until all the sugar is used or until the mandarin segments are fully saturated with sugar.

6. After the last addition of sugar, allow the mandarin segments to soak in the syrup for another 3-4 days. Then remove the segments from the syrup. Place them on a wire rack with a pan underneath to catch the drips and allow them to dry for 8 hours or overnight, preferably in a warm dry place.

Don't discard the syrup. It'll taste like orange honey. Put it on pancakes or waffles, or stir it into tea.

You can toss the glacéed segments in fine sugar after drying or dip them in tempered chocolate to create an extra special treat.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Green leaf lettuce, red chard, bok choy, arugula, yellow carrots, turnips, celery, Kabocha squash, parsley, and Beefsteak tomatoes;

From Sage Mountain Farm: Collard greens, Red Russian kale, Red Gold tomatoes, Cherry Belle radishes, and Spring Torpedo onions;

From Weiser Family Farms: Rustic Nantes carrots, parsnips, German Butterball potatoes, and Romanesco cauliflower;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Braised Lamb with Carrots and Potatoes

2011-12-02T15:44:00.000-08:00

Carrots, celery, and potatoes are mainstays of savory cooking, and this week's recipe uses them in a delicious braised lamb dish.

The lamb I used is local, from Tehachapi, and sustainably farmed. It was raised by Nancee Siebert, who I met through the Master Food Preserver training program. Nancee has been raising lambs since she was a little girl. The lambs are born early in the year, and Nancee starts selling them in late summer until they're gone.

I bought a whole lamb from Nancee and served the leg at Thanksgiving. It was some of the most delicious lamb I've eaten. Nancee raises her lambs with love and you can taste it. As of this blog post, Nancee still has a few lambs left, so if you're interested in one, you can contact me through Silver Lake Farms for more information.

If you don't want to use lamb in this dish, you can use beef or chicken instead. The cooking times may vary, but braise until fork tender.

Braised Lamb with Carrots and Potatoes

1 T olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
4 lamb shoulder chops
salt and pepper
2 C water or stock
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped in 6-8 pieces
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 rib celery, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 bay leaf
4-6 small potatoes, peeled
1 small celery root, peeled and chopped into 4-6 chunks
paprika

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan with a lid. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic and slightly golden.

2. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Brown them on both sides in the pan with the garlic over medium heat.

3. Add the water or stock. Scatter the chopped onion, carrots, and celery in the pan. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then turn the heat down and slowly simmer, covered, until the meat is just tender, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

4. Add the potatoes and celery root. Sprinkle them with a little paprika and continue braising until the celery root is tender, about another 30-45 minutes.

5. Do not allow all the liquid to cook off. Add a little more water or stock, if necessary. If you end up with too much liquid, uncover and reduce on a low simmer.

Don't Throw Away Those Veggie Scraps!

Waste not, want not is one of my mottos. Between the hens, the worms, and the compost, we don't have much food waste. Still, when I have the time, I like to make a vegetable broth from the peels and scraps of vegetables that I'm using for another purpose, and this braise provides just that tasty opportunty.

Be sure to scrub the vegetables well before peeling. Put all the peels and scraps in a medium saucepan. Add a bay leaf, some salt and a couple of peppercorns. Add 4 C of water and bring to a very low simmer. The secrets to a clear broth are do not stir and never let it boil. Simmer, barely bubbling, until reduced by half, about 45minutes. Cool and strain through a fine mesh strainer. Do not press the solids. Feed the remaining solids to the hens or the worms.

You can freeze this broth for use later. It's a good idea to cool it in the fridge before freezing.

This week's bounty came from four farms:

From Underwood Family Farms: White cauliflower, tatsoi, mizuna, broccoli, Celebrity tomatoes, romaine, carrots, French Breakfast radishes, celery root, and artichokes;

From Weiser family Farms: Potatoes, carrots, Watermelon radishes, rutabagas, and beets;

From Sage Mountain Farm: Spaghetti squash, green heirloom tomatoes, arugula, and collard greens; and

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Satsuma mandarins and limes.

Enjoy!

Shelley

pictured here are scraps ready for making broth, and below, the broth itself. Delicious!

Creamed Collards

2011-11-25T16:50:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a delightful Thanksgiving feasting with family and friends. I'm still in a thrall over the myriad tastes and treats that were part of my Thanksgiving meal.

My dear friend, John Barrentine, is the best non-professional cook I know. He made a collard dish that was so luxuriously delicious; when I saw collards in today's box, I knew I had to share this recipe.

Turns out, it's a recipe that appeared in this month's issue of Bon Appetit. Of course, John enhanced it a little with a few additions of his own. I'm not sure there is any higher calling for collards than this luscious and creamy dish.

1 bunch collard greens, center stems removed and cut into 1/2" strips
1/4 C cider vinegar
1 t vegetable oil
1/2 C thick-cut smoked bacon, cut into 1/3# pieces
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
1 T + 1 t flour
1 t smoked paprika (or to taste)
3/4 C whole milk
3/4 C heavy cream
salt and pepper

1. Blanch the chopped collards in a large pot of boiling salted water with 1/4 C cider vinegar until bright green and beginning to soften, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook untiol crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel, reserving the rendered bacon fat.

3. Remove all but 1 T bacon fat and save the rest for another use.

4. Over medium heat, add the chopped shallot and leek to the bacon fat and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the flour and the smoked paprika. Stir constantly for 2 minutes.

6. Whisk in the milk and cream and bring to a soft boil, whisking often.

7. Stir in the blanched greens. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the greens are tender and the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.

8. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Garnish with the bacon before serving.

Vegetarians may omit the bacon and use vegetable oil instead.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: colored cauliflower, red leaf lettuce, orange carrots, Easter radishes, spinach, red bell pepper, celery, Satsuma tangerines, and Fuji apples;

From Sage Mountain Farms: baby Torpedo spring onions, collard greens, and acorn squash;

And from Silver Lake Farms: fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Spiced Butternut Squash with Apples

2011-11-18T15:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is coming. It's next week. If you haven't already done so, it's time to start planning your Thanksgiving table. Here's a super easy and delicious alternative to candied sweet potatoes that uses two fall favorites: butternut squash and apples.

1 butternut squash
3-4 apples
1/2 C brown sugar
1 T flour
1/2 t salt, or to taste
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
4 T cold butter + extra to butter the pan

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Butter a 2-3 qt baking dish and set aside.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and put them in the compost, or feed them to the chickens. Peel and slice the squash crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Put in a large bowl

3. Cut the apples in quarters lengthwise. Remove the cores and peel. Compost the peels and cores. Cut each quarter into 3 or 4 slices lengthwise. Add to the bowl. Stir the apples and squash to evenly distribute.

4. In a separate small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, salt and spices until well combined.

5. Chop the cold butter into 6-8 pieces and cut the butter into the sugar and spice mixture with a folk or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles.

6. Pour the peeled and sliced squash and apples into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the crumb mixture on top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350 F for 60 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove the foil carefully as steam has built up inside and cool at least 2-3 minutes before serving.

This dish makes its own lovely sweet sauce. In fact, this dish is so sweet you might want to serve it for dessert. No kidding. Serve it hot with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream; or serve room temperature or cold with a dollop of whipped cream.

It was a wow week at the CSA. What a bounty! Today's box included:

From Underwood Family Farms: iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, purple kale, fennel, red beets, French Breakfast radishes, purple carrots, mizuna, bok choy, Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, and butternut squash;

From Sage Mountain Farm: collard greens, summer squash, arugula, winter squash, and green heirloom tomatoes;

From Weiser Family Farms: golden beets, watermelon radishes, orange carrots, German Butterball potatoes, DeCiccio broccoli, dried Dragon Tongue beans, and purple cauliflower;

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Hass avocados and Satsuma mandarins;

And from Silver Lake Farms: bunch fresh herbs; Meyer lemons and Swiss Chard from the Dempsey's Tin House Farm.

Plus extras: Thai Guavas and some sapote. Thank you Shareholder Brian for picking and sharing from your trees.

If you're wondering what to do with kohlrabi, check out the blog post from March 19, 2010 on Minty Kohlrabi Slaw.

Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Shelley

Purple caulis from Weiser Family Farm, and pictured below that, Shareholder Brian's Thai Guavas

Roasted Cauliflower Dip

2011-11-11T16:44:00.001-08:00

I love cauliflower and I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to prepare it. This dip is my adaptation of a recipe I saw on the Food & Wine website. The recipe calls for slicing and roasting the cauliflower with ginger, salt and coriander. The roasted cauliflower was so delicious when I took it out of the oven, it would make a wonderful dish just like that. So if you're looking for a hot cauliflower side dish, just follow this recipe until you take the cauliflower out of the oven.

Making the dip requires just a few more steps, but you'll be rewarded with a delicious and distinctively different dip.

1 large cauliflower
3-4 T vegetable oil
2 T grated fresh ginger
1 T ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tahini (sesame paste)
3 T fresh-squezed lemon juice
3 T toasted sesame seeds, or to taste
1/4 C plain yogurt
finely chopped fresh cilantro to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Trim the leaves and tough stem off the cauliflower and compost them.

3. Cut the caulflower in half and cut each half into 1/2" slices. Place the sliced cauliflower in a large bowl. Toss with the oil, ginger, coriander, salt, and pepper.

4. Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast until tender and lightly browned in spots. [Stop here for a wonderful side dish.] Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

5. Transfer the cooled cauliflower to a food processor and process to a chucky puree. Add the tahini and lemon juice and process until just incorporated.

6. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in the yogurt, sesame seeds, and cilantro. Adjust the salt, if necessary. Chill before serving. This dip is great with pita chips.

My New Frontier Family Farm chicken is roasting in my oven right now and the aroma is delicious. It was a beautiful bird to prepare; lovely taut skin, pretty pink color, and a very fresh smell. I simply rubbed my bird with olive oil, seasoned it with lots of salt and pepper and some smashed fresh garlic. I cut up half a lemon and stuffed it in its cavity, and I sliced half a brown onion and scatter the slices inside and outside the bird. I can't wait to eat it.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Artichokes, acorn squash, green leaf lettuce, broccoflower, cauliflower, Japanese turnips, red bell pepper, yellow carrots, and Fuyu persimmons.

From Weiser Family Farms: white carrots, beets, German Butterball potatoes, and Dragon Tongue beans.

From Sage Mountain Farm: arugula, summer squash, Red Kuri squash, spaghetti squash, and collard greens.

And from Rancho Santa Cecilia: Hachiya persimmons and Satsuma mandarins.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Green Bean Casserole

2011-11-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is less than three weeks away; and if you're thinking about how you might make green bean casserole - that Thanksgiving staple - healthier and fresher, then today's recipe is for you.

Green bean casserole is a traditional dish on many Thanksgiving tables. It's usually made with canned or frozen string beans, cream of mushroom soup, and canned fried onions. With just a little extra effort, you can made a healthier version from scratch with all of the creamy delicious-ness of original version.

Start with the Blue Lake string beans in today's CSA box, add fresh mushrooms, make a quick cream sauce, and use fresh, sliced onions to make your own tastier and healthier fried onions. And since you're starting from scratch, you can adjust the ingredients to your taste.

Prep the Beans: Trim the string beans and cut them into bite-sized pieces if you wish. Blanch them in a pot of boiling water or steam them for about 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Thinly slice fresh mushrooms and saute them in a little bit of butter or olive oil. I like to throw in some sliced shiitake mushrooms for added flavor. Covering the mushrooms while they're sauteing over low to medium heat will prevent them from sticking to the pan, as the water they exude will not evaporate. Once the mushrooms are cooked, remove the cover and cook off the liquid, or pour it off and set it aside to use in your sauce.

I'm being vague about the amounts of beans and mushrooms on purpose. I tend to go heavy on the mushrooms, but you can adjust the proportion of beans to mushrooms to suit your taste. The amount of sauce you need depends on the volume of cooked beans and mushrooms combined. For a 1 qt casserole, you'll need 4 C of cooked beans and mushrooms. For a 2 qt casserole, you'll need 8 C.

While the beans and mushrooms are cooking, make the crispy fried onions by slicing 1 large onion in quarters lengthwise, then very thinly slice each quarter crosswise. In a large skillet, heat 1-2 t olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and stir to break apart the rings. Use a skillet that's large enough for the onions to be spread thinly on the bottom or work in batches. Cook the onions until they get crispy and brown, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

You need about 2 C of white sauce for a 1 qt casserole or 4 C of white sauce for a 2 qt casserole. Make your favorite white sauce or use this simple recipe:

Melt 2 T butter over medium low heat in a small saucepan. Stir in 2 T flour, 1 T at a time, and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 C hot milk, 1/2 C at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps and sticking. Add salt and pepper to taste. A little nutmeg is also good. Cook over medium low heat, whisking constantly until the sauce just starts to boil. Remove from the heat. Double this recipe for a 2 qt casserole.

Canned condensed milk makes a particularly creamy sauce. Whole milk is also good.

Now you can assemble the casserole: Put the beans and mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour the white sauce over them and stir to coat. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary and pour into a greased casserole dish. Spread your crispy fried onions on top and bake in a preheated 375 F degree oven for 20-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

You can blanch and freeze the Blue Lake beans you got in today's box to use on Thanksgiving. You can prepare the different elements of this recipe the day before Thanksgiving. Defrost the beans, cook up the mushrooms, stir them together and store them in the refrigerator. Make the crispy fried onions and the white sauce. You can leave the onions in a covered container on the counter but refrigerate the white sauce. On Thanksgiving day, follow the steps in the paragraph above on assembling the casserole. You may have to cook it a little longer if all the ingredients are cold when you put it in the oven.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Tatsoi, bok choy, celery, Blue Lake beans, red leaf lettuce, fennel, French Breakfast radishes, summer squash, bi-color corn, kale, arugula, broccoli, and Cherokee tomatoes

From Weiser Family Farms: Kabocha squash, golden beets, German Butterball potatoes, and dried Dragon Tongue beans

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Hass avocados, limes and Satsuma mandarins

From Silver Lake Farms: arugula, basil, and cilantro microgreens and thyme

Enjoy!

Shelley

Butternut Squash and Mixed Bean Salad

2011-10-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

Butternut squash is a beautiful and delicious vegetable. With bright orange flesh, a lighty starchy texture, and remarkably sweet flavor, this great fall vegetable can be used in so many ways. Butternut squash is a terrific roasting vegetable. Just cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, brush the cut side with oil, and roast, cut side down, on a baking sheet at 350 F until tender.

From here you can scoop the pulp out of its skin and mash it with a little butter for a side dish that's particularly tasty with roast pork or fowl. Roasted butternut squash makes a rich and flavorful soup (see recipe from October 15, 2010). I like to peel, seed, and slice butternut squash before throwing it into a stir-fry.

For today's recipe, butternut squash is peeled, seeded, cubed and roasted until tender before tossing into a salad of mixed legumes. Cubed and roasted butternut squash is a lovely side dish all by itself. However, you can take these golden morsels and mix them with a variety of vegetables to make many wonderful combinations.

I used kidney beans, edamame, and garbanzo beans, but you can use whatever combination of legumes you like. I tossed the roasted squash cubes with the beans and added chopped red onion, green onion, parsley, and fennel. I made a light vinaigrette and tossed in some finely grated orange peel to jazz it up.

Here's the recipe:

2 C peeled and cubed butternut squash, approx 3/4" cubes
2 C kidney beans, canned or prepared from dry beans
2 C shelled edamame, prepared per directions
2 C garbanzo beans, canned or prepared from dry beans
1/4 C finely chopped red onion
2-3 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 C very finely sliced fresh fennel (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 T olive oil
3-4 T rice vinegar
1 t finely grated orange rind
1-2 T fresh squeezed orange juice (optional)

1. To prepare the squash: Cut in half lengthwise, scoop out and compost the seeds, cut crosswise into 3/4" slices, trim off the peel and cut slices into 3/4" cubes to make 2 C. Toss with a little olive oil. Sprinkle on a little salt. Roast in a pre-heated 350 degree oven until just tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. If you're using dried beans, prepare them according to directions (usually soaking overnight and boiling for about an hour) before measuring them and proceeding with this recipe. Canned beans are fine for this recipe. Rinse them before adding them to the bowl.

3. Toss the cooled squash cubes together with the kidney beans, edamame, and garbanzos in a large bowl. Stir in the red onion, green onions, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar until combined. Pour over the salad. Add the grated orange rind and juice and toss until all the vegetables are coated with the dressing. Adjust the seasoning. Chill until you're ready to serve.

This recipe makes a lot of salad. You can cut the amounts in half to make a smaller salad.

Even if you make the full recipe of this salad, you're likely to have some unused butternut squash leftover. If you're feeling a little adventurous, you might consider making Sweet Winter Squash Pickles and canning them, like I did in my Master Food Preserver course last Tuesday evening.

Since September, I've been enrolled in a 12-week Master Food Preserver training program through the University of California Cooperative Extension; and I'm having a great time! We've been learning all kinds of food preservation methods, including canning, pressure canning, pickling, drying, fermenting, cheese-making and we haven't even gotten to freezing and charcuterie yet.

If you're familiar with hot water bath canning, you should have no trouble following this recipe. You'll also need more butternut squash, but that's easy to come by at this time of year. Just check out your local farmer's market. If you don't have a canner, you can still make the pickles, but you'll have to keep them in the fridge as opposed to on the shelf.

Sweet Winter Squash Pickles

2 cinnamon sticks
12 whole allspice berries
10 whole cloves
zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 C granulated sugar
4 C distilled vinegar
24 C peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash (3/4" cubes)

Yield: About six 16-oz jars

1. Prepare a sachet with the cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves. Set aside.

2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, zest, sugar and spice sachet. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the squash, return to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Discard spice bag.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the canner and jars. Fill the canner about 2/3 full with water and bring to a boil. Prepare another pan or kettle with hot water in case it's needed to cover the jars once they're in the canner. Wash the canning jars, lids, and rings well in hot water. Make sure there are no chips or cracks on the jars. Keep warm.

4. Pack the hot squash into hot jars, leaving a generous 1/2" of headspace. Ladle the hot syrup into the jars leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove the air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars. Center the lids on the jars. Screw down the band to fingertip-tight.

5. Place the jars in the canner. Ensure they are completely covered with water. Add water to the canner if necessary. Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Wait 5 minutes, then remove the jars, cool, wipe clean, label, and store.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: green cabbage, white cauliflower, artichokes, butternut squash, butter lettuce, romaine, mizuna, spinach, Celebrity tomatoes, easter radishes, yellow bell peppers, and Hachiya persimmons.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Fingerling potatoes, summer squash, and pie-making pumpkin.

From Weiser Family Farms: rutabagas (yum!).

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: avocados and Satsuma mandarins.

And from Silver Lake Farms: arugula, basil, and cilantro micro-greens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Acorn Squash Ravioli

2011-10-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

Making ravioli at home is a fun activity that you can do with friends, or with children, or on a rainy afternoon. It's actually pretty easy, especially if you buy fresh pasta sheets. Bristol Farms carries fresh pasta sheets, as do several other stores around town. For the more adventurous cook, I've provided a recipe for making your own pasta below.

For the filling:

1 acorn squash
freshly grated salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Compost them or put them in the green trash bin. Place the squash halves cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake until soft, 45-60 minutes.

3. Remove from the oven and cool. Scoop the cooked squash into a bowl. Compost the skins or put it in the green bin.

4. Mash the squash until smooth. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Mixture should be thick.

5. Preparing the filling can be done in advance. Refrigerate the filling to use within 3-5 days, otherwise, freeze the filling until ready to use. If frozen, defrost the filling before proceeding with this recipe.

One medium acorn squash will produce a fair amount of filling. You can freeze any leftovers or turn the leftover filling into a soup by thinning it with broth.

Assemble the ravioli:

4 sheets fresh semolina pasta
Prepared filling

1. Using a hand-crank pasta machine or a rolling pin, roll the pasta to desired thickness (or thinness). [Most fresh pasta sheets are intended for lasagna or to be cut into noodles. Since ravioli has 2 layers of pasta, I like to roll it thinner, but this is a matter of preference.]

2. Starting with a sheet of pasta that's about 3-4" wide, place spoons of prepared filling down the midline of the pasta sheet, spacing them about 3" apart. Leave an inch at the top, the bottom, and on either side of the spoons of filling.

3. Fold the pasta sheet lengthwise so that the 2 long sides come together. Press down in between the filling so that the dough sticks together. Squeeze out any air so that the filling is well encapsulated. If you're having trouble getting the pasta to stick together, it helps to dip your finger in water and run it where the pasta comes together.

4. Using a knife or a pasta cutter, cut between each spoon of filling leaving enough dough on either side to create a generous edge of pasta. You can cut each piece into half-moons to give the ravioli a decorative shape.

Alternatively, you cut your pasta sheets into 3" wide lengths. Place spoons of filling 3" apart down one sheet, then cover with another sheet and cut.

5. At this point, you can freeze the ravioli for later use. To do this, arrange the ravioli in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. Once frozen, you can pack the ravioli in a plastic freezer bag or a freezer container.

Frozen ravioli can go right from the freezer into a pot of boiling water. In fact, you don't want to defrost them, as they might stick together.

6. To cook: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently add the ravioli. Cook in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until done.

Sauces:

Acorn squash ravioli are delicious with a creamy tomato sauce. If you have any delicious home-made sauce like the Slow Cooked Tomato Sauce from Septmber 24, 2010, heat it up and stir in a little cream before saucing the ravioli.

I like to make a simple sauce using melted and lightly browned butter, ground toasted walnuts, and sage.

Omnivores might enjoy these ravioli with a classic Bolognese sauce. Whatever you decide to do, these ravioli are delicious and keep well in the freezer, so make extra to enjoy at another meal.

To make your own pasta:

Making your own pasta isn't hard, but an experienced hand produces a better result. Here's an easy recipe you can play with, if you'd like:

3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 large egg at room temperature

In a large bowl or on the kitchen counter, mound the flour and make a well in the center. Break the egg into the center of the well and begin to "scramble" the egg, incorporating a little bit of flour at a time as you continue to stir the egg with a circular motion, adding more and more flour as your go. Once the mixture holds together, you can use your hands to incorporate the flour. Knead the dough for 6-7 minutes, incorporating as much of the flour as possible. The dough will have a shiny appearance when properly kneaded. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, unwrap the dough. Pat or roll into an oblong disc. then roll into a thin sheet with a pasta machine. You may want to cut this dough in half before rolling it with the pasta machine in order to make it more manageable.

Some people prefer to use fancy durum wheat or semolina instead of all-purpose flour. These flours are wonderful and produce a more toothsome pasta, but they are also more difficult to work with.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: green leaf lettuce, green bell pepper, broccoli, Cherokee heirloom tomato, golden beets, rainbow chard, Sugar Baby pumpkin, fennel, and Acorn squash.

From Weiser Family Farms: celery root.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: mandarins.

And from Silver Lake Farms: arugula and mustard microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Risi e Bisi

2011-10-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

Fresh peas are one of spring and fall's true delicacies. They have such a short season, you have to snatch them up as soon as they're available, because in a few weeks, they'll be gone.

Risi e Bisi, or rice and peas, is a classic Italian dish. It's a cross between risotto and a thick soup. To get the right consistency, you have to use a short grain rice. Arborio rice, or one of its cousins, like Carnaroli, is best.

You can use either home-made or store-bought chicken broth or vegetable broth. You can make a vegetable broth from the pea pods if you don't mind this extra step. Place the empty pods (after you've shelled the peas) in a stock pot. Add 2 carrots, 2 ribs celery, 1 small onion, 1/2-1 t salt, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, and 6 C cold water. Heat it to almost boiling. Turn down the heat and simmer slowly for about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Then strain and discard the spent vegetables.

Risi E Bisi

2 T butter
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1 C Arborio rice
3-4 C broth
1 C shelled fresh peas
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley for a garnish

1. In a medium to large stock pot, melt 2 T butter. Add the onion and saute until barely translucent.

2. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter.

3. Stir in 1 C broth. Add the shelled peas. Continue stirring until the broth is nearly all absorbed.

4. Stir in remaining broth 1/2-1 C at a time, waiting until the broth is nearly absorbed before adding the next cup.

5. Continue stirring in broth until the rice and peas are tender and the dish is creamy or even a little soupy.

6. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley to serve.

Some recipes for Risi e Bisi call for a little chopped pancetta Omnivores may enjoy this tasty addition. You can add the chopped pancetta at the beginning when you're sauteing the onions in the butter.

Some folks like to garnish Risi e Bisi with finely chopped basil instead of parsley. Try it if you have some nice fresh basil.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Romaine lettuce, summer squash, leeks, sugar snap peas, bi-color corn, artichokes, jalapeno, and Sharlyn melon.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: limes, mandarins, and Hass avocados.

And from Silver Lake Farms: mustard and arugula microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Mixed Squash Galette

2011-10-07T17:29:00.000-07:00

A galette is like a pie or tart only not as fancy. Most people think of galettes as dessert, but they can just as easily be made with savory ingredients like the one I made today.

I love that there's no wasted dough with a galette, and you can made it whatever shape you like. You just roll out the dough, arrange the filling, fold up the sides, and bake. Also, you can put almost anything you want inside, so long as it isn't too wet. So it's a great vehicle for creativity in the kitchen.

You can use any pie crust dough recipe you're comfortable with or you can buy an unbaked, frozen crust. You can even substitute filo dough and produce a similar product.

For my galette, I used slices of zucchini, butternut squash, onion, and tomato, as well as two leaves of kale. I sauteed all of the vegetables, except the tomato, to soften them a little. However, with the exception of the kale, this step is not necessary if you like your vegetables crunchy.

For the crust:

1-1/2 C flour
1 t salt
1 stick very cold butter, cut into small pieces
3-4 T ice water

1. Place the flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and process for 1-2 seconds until combined.

2. Add the butter and process until the butter is evenly distributed in small pebbles throughout the flour.

3. Add 2-3 T ice water and process just until the dough will hold together. Test this by pinching a small amount of dough between your fingers. If it sticks together, it's been processed enough. If not, process in a little more ice water and test again.

4. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and press the dough together. Wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to fill the galette.

For the galette:

1-2 T olive oil
1-2 medium zucchini, sliced in 1/4" slices
1/3 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced in 1/4" slices
1 medium onion, sliced crosswise in 1/4" slices
2-3 leaves kale, sliced crosswise 1/4-1/2"
1 large tomato, cut crosswise in 1/4" slices
salt and pepper to taste
1 recipe pie crust (see above)
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. In a large skillet, heat the oil and briefly saute the zucchini, butternut squash, and onion slices in a single layer on both slices until barely tender. Sprinkle them with a little salt while they're cooking. Cook slices in several batches, if necessary. Remove from the skillet and cool.

3. In the same skillet, adding a little extra oil if necessary, saute the kale until wilted. Season with a little salt and pepper while cooking. When done, remove from the skillet to cool.

4. Remove the pie crust dough from the fridge and roll out on a floured pastry cloth or cheet of wax paper. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet.

5. Layer the slices of zucchini, butternut squash, and onions, slightly overlapping each other in the center of the dough, leaving about 2" of dough all the way around. Mix in the wilted kale. Top with a layer of sliced tomatoes.

6. Carefully fold up the edges of the dough. It's fine if the dough pleats a little.

7. Beat the egg in a cup and brush the dough with the beaten egg. Sprinkle a little kosher or large grain salt on the dough, if desired, and back at 425 F for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 375 F and bake until the crust is golden, above 30-40 minutes longer.

Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold. This recipe makes 4 generous servings.

You can sprinkle in any herbs you like when you're arranging the vegetables. You can also sprinkle grated cheese over the vegetables for more protein and flavor.

Don't hesitate to experiment with fillings of your own. It's all good.

Today's bounty included:

From Sage Mountain Farm: Hybrid tomatoes, sweet candy onions, Fingerling potatoes, Rainbow Swiss chard, and garlic.

From Underwood Family Farms: Galia melon, zucchini, Brandywine tomatoes, green cabbage, kale, yellow zucchini, butternut squash, green leaf lettuce, Blue Lake beans, round carrots, golden beets and candy beets.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Hass avocados and lemons.

And from Silver Lake Farms: mustard and arugula microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Fingerling Potato Salad

2011-09-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

Potato salad is like a blank slate. There are so many flavors that work well with potatoes, there are literally hundreds of variations on this classic dish.

Let's start with the potatoes: Fingerlings retain their shape, while Russets are inclined to break apart resulting in a creamier texture. However, you can mash the Fingerlings a little and end up with exactly the amount of potato chunky-ness you prefer. Redskins are more like Fingerlings in that they retain their shape, but they mash up well too.

I like to leave the potatoes in their jackets because it provides a little more nutrition and fiber. I also like the look of it. But if you want to peel your potatoes, I suggest doing so after you cook them. You'll find it easier to remove their papery skins. Wait until they're cool enough to handle, though.

As for additions, a classic version of potato salad includes chopped celery, chopped onion, mashed hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and of course, mayonnaise. However, you can add peppers, both sweet and/or hot, fresh English peas (in season), fresh corn kernels, grated carrots, grated zucchini, or chopped kale. And you don't have to use a mayo-based dressing. Vinaigrettes are lovely on potato salad.

Salt, pepper, and paprika are classic seasonings. But you can get adventurous and season your potato salad with cumin or curry powder. I adore smoked paprika, both sweet and hot. Lemon juice and/or grated lemon peel will add a little zing. For even more zing, try Dijon mustard, horseradish, or wasabi.

I made my potato salad today with the Fingerlings in our box, as well as sweet onion, red onion, grated carrots, chopped celery, pickle relish, and mayo. Here's my recipe, but don't hesitate to try your own variations. Potato salad is such a popular dish at my house, I'm sure I'll be postiong more variations in the future.

1 lb. Fingerling potatoes
1/2 small sweet onion, finely chopped
1-2 T finely chopped red onion
1-2 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1-2 T sweet pickle relish, or dill relish, if you prefer
4 T mayonnaise, or more to taste
salt, pepper and paprika to taste

1. Scrub the potatoes. Put in a pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until potatoes are just tender. The cooking time will vary with the size of the potatoes.

2. While the potatoes are cooking, place the chopped onions, celery, grated carrots and relish in a large bowl.

3. When the potatoes are done, drain them and allow them to cool. When they're cool enough to handle, remove the skins, if desired.

4. Cut the cooked and cooled potatoes into small chunks. For a slightly creamier texture, use a potato masher to mash the potatoes lightly.

5. Stir in the mayo. Add more, if desired. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika to taste.

Potato salad tastes even better after a few hours of refrigeration, so it's a great make-ahead dish.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Artichokes, Cherokee tomatoes, green bell peppers, jalapenos, yellow carrots, yellow wax beans, bi-color corn, Romaine lettuce, and yellow summer squash.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Hybrid tomatoes, eggplant, sweet candy onions, zucchini, Fingerling potatoes, and melons.

From Silver Lake Farms: cilantro, arugula, and mustard microgreens, lemons, and sunflower seedlings.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Massaged Kale Salad

2011-09-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

Jennie Cook, a local caterer who catered our July 4, 2010 party for the Food & Flowers Freedom Act, recently introduced me to Massaged Kale Salad. What a revelation it was! By simply spending a few minutes literally playing with your food, you can create an amazingly delicious raw kale salad which serves as a blank slate for any number of additional ingredients.

A little crumbled blue cheese, toasted walnuts, and diced fresh apple or pear adds up to one tasty version. Vegans might prefer chopped sun-dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. Sprinkle in a bit of garam masala and toss in peeled and sliced mango and a handful of raisins and you've got something with Indian flavors. Whatever you decide to do, it won't take more than a few minutes to pull the whole salad together.My recipe uses another of today's CSA bounty - grapes.

Their sweetness is a nice counterpoint to the tartness of the lemon juice and the slight bitterness of the kale.

1 bunch kale (6 large leaves or more)
2 t extra virgin olive oil
scant 1/2 t salt
1 generous t lemon juice
1/2 C halved grapes, or more to taste
3-4 T shelled toasted pistachio nuts
pepper to taste

1. Wash and dry the kale leaves. Remove the leaves from the stalks. Slice the leaves crosswise in approximately 1/2 inch pieces. [This is called a chiffonade.] Compost the stems.

2. Turn the kale leaves into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. With clean hands, gently massage the salt, oil, and juice into the kale leaves for 1-3 minutes, until the kale is approximately half the volume it started out. You can massage a little more or less to your taste.

3. Toss in the sliced grapes and nuts. Grate in a little fresh pepper. Add the salt, if necessary.

That's it! You can add a little crumbled goat cheese if you'd like. This recipe makes 2 very generous servings or 4 smaller ones.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Romaine and red leaf lettuce, red and purple bell peppers, Brandywine tomatoes, green cabbage, bi-color corn, kale, Easter radishes, Galia melons, round carrots, and raspberries.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Cucumbers, collard greens, Cherry Belle radishes, heirloom melons, and mixed heirloom tomatoes.

From Sweet Tree Farm: Red Flame grapes, white nectarines, and yellow peaches.

And from Silver Lake Farms: Mustard and basil microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Cheese-y Stuffed Summer Squash

2011-09-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

I love the patty pan squash we've been getting lately. It's so pretty, I hate to cut it up and ruin its attractive scalloped edge. If I must cut it, I prefer to slice it crosswise, that way at least some of the slices retain their distinctive scallop.

This recipe is great because the squash is kept whole, maintaining its lovely shape. The squash is scooped out, stuffed and cooked until tender. While the recipe may sound complicated, it's really quite easy and the finished dish looks like something special.

I like the combination of vegetables in the recipe below, but one of the wonderful features of stuffing is you can add whatever you like. Vegans can replace the cheese with quinoa or bulgher; carnivores might like to include a little crumbled bacon, sausage, or chorizo. Whatever your tastes, I encourage you to try this delicious recipe with patty pan squash or any other summer squash such as zucchini.

Cheese-y Stuffed Summer Squash

2 medium patty pan squash
1 T butter
2-3 T chopped red onion
3-4 leaves finely chopped chard
1/4 C chopped shiitake mushrooms
1/4 C grated cheddar or jack cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree. Wash and dry the squash.

2. Using a sharp knife, slice a very small piece (crosswise) off the rounded bottom of the squash so that it is stable when standing. Then, with the squash standing, using a melon baller or a small ice cream scoop, cut into the top of the squash and scoop out the flesh (and seeds) leaving about 1/2 inch along the sides and bottom.

3. Finely chop the squash flesh that you've removed. There's no need to peel the skin. However, you may want to cut away and compost any tough stems.

4. Place the hollowed out squash in a small saucepan, bottoms down. Fill with about 1 inch of water. Cover and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Cook the squash in the covered pan until barely tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

5. While the squash is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped squash flesh and saute 1 minute. Add the chopped chard and shiitake mushrooms and saute until tender and dry.

6. Spoon the cooked vegetables into a small mixing bowl and add the grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese is well combined. It's fine with the grated cheese melts from the heat of the cooked vegetables.

7. Divide the stuffing into two portions and spoon it into the hollowed out, parboiled squash, mounding it into a nicely rounded top.

8. Place the stuffed squash on a slightly greased, small cookie sheet and place in the hot oven. Bake until the top is well-browned, about 10 minutes. Serve whole, or using a sharp knife, slice in half lengthwise.

If you'd like, you can season the stuffing with a little sage or oregano. A little parsley is also nice.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: bi-color corn, Blue Lake green beans, golden beets, Japanese turnips, green bell peppers, chard, Valencia oranges, patty pan squash, red and green leaf lettuce, and Orange Gem tomatoes.

From Sage Mountain Farm: heirloom melons, white carrots, cucumber, collard greens, garlic, and hybrid tomatoes.

And from Silver Lake Farms: parsley, cilantro, arugula, and mustard microgreens.

Enjoy,

Shelley

Baba Ghanouj

2011-09-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

I love eggplant. It's shiny blackish purple skin and curvaceous shape are enticing enough. But its delicate flavor and super creamy texture make it a wonderfully versatile vegetable.

Eggplant is delicious simply sliced and grilled, then brushed with a little balsamic vinaigrette. Prepared this way, it makes a great veggie sandwich with some roasted red pepper, red onion, a little arugula and goat cheese. Eggplant is great in stews such as Ratatouille as well as in layered casseroles such as Eggplant Parmesan and Moussaka.

Today's recipe for Baba Ghanouj is a delicious and easy eggplant and tahini dip. It's wonderful served with fresh pita bread or chips. You can also eat it in a sandwich. Try spreading a thick layer of Baba Ghanouj on whole wheat bread or in a pita pocket. Add sliced tomato, a few cucumber slices, thinly sliced red onion, and some microgreens or sprouts for a tasty meal.

Baba Ghanouj

1 1 lb eggplant
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped and pounded to a coarse paste
4-5 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
2-3 T tahini (sesame paste)
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t salt, or to taste
1/4 t pepper, or to taste
2-4 T chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Using the tines of a fork, prick the skin of eggplant in a couple of places. Place on a baking sheet and roast the whole eggplant in the oven until it is very soft. About 45 minutes. Set aside to cool. [If you're firing up the grill, roasting the eggplant on the grill is a delicious alternative.]

3. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, cut it in half and scoop out the soft flesh into a bowl. Compost the peel.

4. In a food processor, or with a fork, mash the eggplant until smooth. If you prefer to have your eggplant a little chunky, that's fine, too.

5. Stir in (or process in) all of the remaining ingredients. Stir until well-combined and smooth.

6. Adjust the seasoning. Add more lemon juice ir tahini, if you prefer. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I like to use a food mill for step 3 as it grinds the eggplant to a coarse texture, but food mills aren't common kitchen utensils anymore. If you have one, do try it with this recipe.

Using roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic is a nice way to mellow out the strong garlic flavor of this dish. Sometimes I like to add some smoked paprika, too.

You can find tahini in the Middle Eastern section of most markets. If yours doesn't carry it, there are dozens of little Armenian markets in Hollywood and Glendale that are very likely to carry tahini.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: blackberries, Valencia oranges, romaine, red leaf lettuce, carrots, Cherokee heirloom tomatoes, Hass avocados, yellow wax beans, eggplant, bi-color corn, and Blue Lake green beans.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Roma tomatoes, mixed heirloom tomatoes, green scallions, Russian kale, and cucumber.

From Sweet Tree Farm: Nectarines and pluots.

From Weiser Family Farms: French Fingerling potatoes.

And from Silver Lake Farms: Basil, arugula, and mustard microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

2011-09-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Tomatillos are making their first appearance in our box this week; and if you've never had them, you're in for a treat. These pleasingly tart fruits make a wonderful salsa that's great with chips and as a condiment for grilled fish or meat. I like to serve it with carne asada, grilled chicken, and grilled salmon or mahi mahi. It's also wonderful with all kinds of Mexican foods such as tamales, enchiladas, chiles rellenos, and taco

I like to roast a couple of serrano peppers for this recipe, but I don't always use both of them. Unless you really like it hot, start with about 1/2 serrano pepper when you mix up the salsa. Then add more to your taste until you achieve the desired level of hotness.

1 lb tomatillos
1 medium onion
2 serrano peppers
1 T olive oil
1 bunch cilantro (about 1 C loosely packed leaves)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Remove the papery skins from the tomatillos and set aside for the compost. Wash and dry the tomatillos and place them whole in a large bowl.

3. Remove the papery skin from the onion and set aside for the compost. Quarter the onion and place in the bowl the the tomatillo.

4. Wash and dry 2 serrano peppers. Add to the bowl.

5. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and turn out onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until the skins of the tomatillos are slightly blistered and the edges of the onions are slightly browned.

6. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

7. Place the roasted tomatillos, onions, and about 1/2 serrano pepper in a blender or food processor and process for about 15-20 seconds. Taste and process in more serrano pepper, if desired. Then add cilantro and process until salsa gets to the desired thickness.

8. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve or store in the fridge.

If you're firing up the grill, you can roast the tomatillos, onions, and serranos in a grill pan over a charcoal or gas flame. In fact, I think it's even better this way. But the oven is fine, too.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Seedless yellow watermelon, red leaf lettuce, green romaine lettuce, golden beets, Easter radishes, Brandywine heirloom tomato, bi-color corn, Blue Lake green beans, summer squash, yellow bell pepper, and Hass avocado.

From Sage Mountain Farms: tomatillos, green scallions, Cherry Belle radishes, Russian kale and mixed heirloom tomatoes.

From Sweet Trees Farms: White nectarines and pluots.

From Silver Lake Farms: arugula, basil and mustard microgreens.

And lemons from the garden of Silver Lake Farms farmhand, Susie.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Stone Fruit

2011-08-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a friendly reminder to treat your stone fruit with care. The fruit from Sweet Tree Farms is ripe when we pick it up on Fridays. You might want to bring a separate bag for your fruit so that they don't get bruised on the way home.

Slow-Cooked String Beans with Tomato and Onion

2011-08-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

These days most people eat their vegetables on the crunchy side. If not entirely raw, they're usually minimally cooked. While some vegetables are certainly best when they're cooked lightly, other vegetables can withstand longer cooking, and string beans are one of those vegetables. In fact, string beans are so versatile you find them in salads, soups, and stews; and of course as a side dish.

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare string beans as a side dish. The lovely Blue Lake beans that were in our box today are delicious prepared this way. It's also a great way to use the tougher wide beans that are best well-cooked.

2-3 T olive oil
1 medium red or brown onion
1 lb string beans
1 C chopped red tomato
1 T dried oregano or 2 T chopped fresh oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet with a lid.

2. Cut onion in half lengthwise and the cut lengthwise into strips. Add to skill and saute, stirring periodically, until translucent.

3. Trim the ends off the string beans and pull off any tough strings, but leave beans whole. Add beans to skillet and stir to coat with oil. Cook over medium-low heat, partially covered for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow both the onions and the beans to get a little browned.

4. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and chopped oregano. Continue cooking, uncovered, until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated, usually another 5-10 minutes.

5. Turn heat down. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Yellow zucchini, bi-color corn, raspberries, eggplant, Hungarian bell pepper, red and green leaf lettuce, Blue Lake beans, Texas sweet onion, and chard.

From Sage Mountain Farm: yellow patty pan squash, cucumbers, Easter Egg radishes, Chantennay carrots, green scallions, and collard greens.

From Sweet Tree Farms: white nectarines, pluots, and heirloom tomatoes.

And from Silver Lake Farms: arugula, cilantro and mustard microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Spaghetti alla Checca

2011-08-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

I was inspired today by the fabulous basil microgreens from Silver Lake Farms and the amazing assortment of tomatoes in our box. Spaghetti alla Checca is a simple and delicious way to use late summer's abundance of tomatoes. This dish is made with just a few ingredients, so use the very best olive oil, garlic, basil, tomatoes, and pasta you can find. I used red tomatoes, but you can use any color fresh, ripe tomatoes.

Spaghetti works well in this dish, but you can substitute many other pasta shapes. Farfalle work nicely, as do linguine and angel hair.

Spaghetti alla Checca

Assemble the following ingredients:

1 lb dry spaghetti
4-6 T extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped
handful of basil microgreens or 1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper
grated parmesan cheese, optional

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti 1 minute less than the package directions indicate.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic and slightly golden. [If the pasta isn't done yet, turn off the heat until the pasta is ready. Turn the heat on again before adding the pasta in Step 4 below.]

3. Just before draining the pasta, remove about 1/2 C of the pasta cooking water and set it aside.

4. Drain the pasta and add it and the pasta water to the skillet with the garlic. Cook on medium heat until, stirring to coat the pasta, until the water is gone. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir to distribute.

5. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then stir in the basil microgreens or chopped fresh basil. Garnish with microgreens and serve warm or at room temperature.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: yellow and green sweet bell peppers, red and green leaf lettuce, Japanese turnips, mizuna, bok choy, sharlyn and ambrosia melons, avocado, zucchini, Cherokee tomatoes, garlic, and collard greens.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Easter radishes, patty pan squash, heirloom tomatoes, and Swiss chard.

From Sweet Tree Farms: Peaches, pluots, and heirloom tomatoes.

And from Silver Lake Farms: Basil and mustard microgreens and sweet green sherry tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta

2011-08-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

If you love tomatoes like I do, this is your time of year. It's peak tomato season and gardens and farms are brimming with this glorious fruit.

I've been putting up quarts of my slow-cooked tomato sauce (see blog post for September 24, 2010 for this recipe) and eating juicy, fresh tomatoes every day. There's nothing like a fresh-picked, vine-ripened heirloom for great tomato flavor and texture.

Here's another bread and tomato combination that's very easy. Many bruschetta recipes call for chopped tomatoes, but this recipe uses sliced tomatoes. It saves you a step and I think it's easier to eat, too; you don't have all those tomato pieces falling off the bread.

Grilling the bread adds a wonderful flavor component, but you can toast the bread on a cookie sheet or rack in your oven, if you don't feel like grilling.

Heirloom Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Bruschetta

12 1/2-inch slices of a hearty, round baguette
2-3 T olive oil

Pre-heat the grill or oven (to about 350 degrees, if using an oven). Brush the bread slices with olive oil on both sides. Grill until lightly browned on one side, then turn over and grill on the other side. You can do this step ahead, but it's best to use the grilled bread the same day that you grill it.

12 1/2-inch slices ripe heirloom tomato about the same diameter as the bread slices
12 slices fresh mozzarella a little smaller than the tomato and bread slices
sea salt
handful of Silver Lake Farms microgreens

Place a slice of tomato atop the grilled bread. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Top with mozzarella and a small bunch of microgreens. Serve immediately or set aside for an hour or two to allow the tomato juices to soak into the grilled bread.

Occasionally, I like to substitute burrata for the fresh mozzarella. And you can use finely chopped basil instead of microgreens, if you prefer.

Today's bounty included: Green leaf lettuce, red chard, corn, green beans, pluots, nectarines, raspberries, French morning melon, arugula shoots and heirloom tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Pappa di Pomodoro

2011-07-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

There are so many delicious ways to combine tomatoes and bread; and Pappa di Pomodoro, or Tuscan tomato soup, is one of them. This soup is so easy to make and it's a great way to use tasty summer tomatoes and stale bread. A hearty wheat bread, like Mark Stambler's pagnol loaves, do best in this recipe. Avoid any bread that's too soft or spongy. If you don't have any stale bread, coarsely chop up fresh bread into cubes and toast in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
4 C chopped red tomatoes
4 T chopped fresh basil
3-4 C vegetable or chicken stock
3-4 C cubed stales bread
2-4 T grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot and saute the garlic until golden and aromatic, being careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

3. Add the bread. Bring to boil. Turn down the heat and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes.

4. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil before serving.

Today's bounty included the following:

From Underwood Family Farms: Bi-color corn, green bell peppers, purple bell peppers, Hungarian bell peppers, bok choy, mizuna, yellow seedless watermelon, cucumbers, and summer squash.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Asian heirloom radishes, purple scallions, organic garlic, yellow carrots, arugula, broccoli florets, and zucchini.

From Sweet Tree Farms: nectarines, peaches, and heirloom tomatoes.

Also, goat cheese from Drake Family Farms and arugula and mustard microgreens from Silver Lake Farms.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Peach and Arugula Salad

2011-07-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

It's peak season for stone fruit and we're getting beautiful peaches and nectarines lately. Sinking your teeth into a sweet and juicy ripe peach is one of summer's great pleasures. Sweet, ripe peaches can also star in a lovely light summer salad; and practically all of the ingredients for this salad were in today's box.

1 bunch arugula
1/2 - 1 C microgreens
1-2 peaches
1-2 T thinly sliced sweet or red onion
2 T toasted walnuts or pecans
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1-2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 - 1/2 C crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper

1. Wash and dry the arugula and microgreens. Trim off the tough stems from the arugula and break into bite-sized pieces. Put the arugula and microgreens in a large bowl.

2. Halve the peach(es) lengthwise. Remove and discard the pit. Slice the peaches lengthwise. Add to the bowl.

3. Add the thinly sliced onion and the nuts. Drizzle the oil and balsamic over the salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the crumbled goat cheese and toss again. Serve.

You can substitute blue cheese for the goat cheese, if you'd like. You can also substitute toasted pine nuts for the walnuts. I like to add a little fresh mint to this salad sometimes. It gives it a bright and fresh taste.

If you're firing up the grill this weekend. You might try grilling the peaches for this salad. Cut them in half. Rub with a little olive oil and grill, cut side down for a few minutes. Cool before slicing for the salad.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Ofelia eggplants, heirloom crookneck squash, Valencia oranges, romaine lettuce, arugula, spring onions, French breakfast radishes, jalapeno, broccoli florets, and yellow carrots.

From Sage Mountain Farm: yellow zucchini, yellow wax beans, green bell pepper, Hungarian pepper, bi-color corn, and orange carrots.

From Sweet Tree Farms: peaches, nectarines and mixed heirloom tomatoes (Cherry, Armani Orange, Red Zebra and Purple Russian).

And arugula and mustard microgreens from Silver Lake Farms.

Enjoy!

Shelley

24 Carat Cake

2011-07-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Carrots are such a versatile vegetable. They can be used in sweet as well as savory recipes. They're wonderful either raw or cooked. They can be chopped, sliced, grated, pureed, or eaten whole. They're super nutritious and they keep for quite a while in the fridge.

I like to add grated carrots as a nutritious extender in potato salad, egg salad, tuna salad, and macaroni or pasta salad. Just mix some finely grated carrots into any of these old standards for a healthy dose of color and vitamin A.

On the sweeter side, here's a delicious carrot cake recipe adapted from an old edition of the Farm Journal cookbook that was given to me by a dear friend. This recipe makes a two-layer cake, but you can increase the recipe by 50% and make a spectacular three-layer cake fit for a special event.

24 Carat Cake

1-1/3 C sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/3 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1-1/3 C granulated sugar
1 C vegetable oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 C finely grated carrots
2/3 C crushed pineapple, well drained
2 t finely grated orange rind
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C flaked coconut, lighted toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans and sprinkle them lightly with flour. Set aside.

3. Sift together the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

4. Add the oil and eggs and beat until well combined.

5. Mix in the remaining ingredients and blend thoroughly.

6. Pour the batter evenly into the 2 prepared pans and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean .

7. Cool the cakes in their pans for a few minutes. Then run a thin knife around the edge to loosen the cake, if necessary, and turn out the cakes onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting between the layers and on the top and sides with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Cream together 1 stick butter with 8 oz cream cheese. Mix in 1 t vanilla. Gradually beat in about 1 lb confectioner's sugar, until frosting is of spreading consistency. If it's a little too thick, add some milk, orange juice, or orange-flavored liqueur. You can also add finely grated orange rind to the frosting.

Going on Vacation? Don't Toss Those Veggies!

Summertime is vacation time for many, and clearing out the refrigerator is a pre-vacation ritual in my house. With our compost pile and our chickens, not much food goes to waste. But between our garden and the CSA, I can still find my refrigerator full of beautiful fresh produce just days before I leave town. Lately, I've taken to figuring out ways I can preserve my fruits and veggies for later use. Here are a few tips you might find helpful if you find yourself in the same situation.

Summer squashes, eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, and leeks can be sliced and sauteed in a little olive oil until just tender. When cool, pack them in freezer containers and freeze. Use them later in soups, stews, or as toppings for pizza. Remember, they've already been cooked, so add them toward the end of cooking. Defrost and pat dry before using as a pizza topping.

Corn kernels can be cut off the cob raw or after lightly steaming the corn. Allow the corn to cool before packing in freezer containers and freezing. Use the corn in corn chowder, corn pudding, soups, and stews.

Tomatoes lose their structural integrity when frozen, but they can still be used for tomato sauce. If you don't have time to make a slow-cooked tomato sauce before you leave, peel the tomatoes and freeze them whole. They'll be just fine for sauce when you return.

Berries can be frozen whole on a cookie sheet, then packed into freezer containers and frozen. They'll be mushy when you defrost them, but they're fine for smoothies and for mixing into yogurt or oatmeal. Or use them to make jam or preserves.

Stone fruit should be pitted, peeled and sliced into sections, then frozen on a cookie sheet and packed just like berries. They'll be mushy, too, when defrosted, so use as you would berries.

Turn fresh herbs into pesto and freeze the pesto. Don't add cheese until you defrost it.

Root veggies keep for weeks in your fridge, so carrots, parsnips, potatoes, onions and the like will probably been fine while you're gone. However, sometimes I chop and cook carrots and parsnips in a little broth or water until very tender. When cool, I puree them until smooth and pack in freezer containers. I'll turn these purees into soups when the weather turns cooler.

Of course, you might be able to take some of your fresh produce with you when you travel. I frequently pick green tomatoes from my garden and let them ripen on my trip. I'll eat them days later when they're ripe with some locally-bought fresh bread.

If you're really pressed for time, just pass along your fresh fruits and veggies to to friends and neighbors. Who wouldn't love to get some of summer's best.

Today's bounty included the following:

From Underwood Family Farms: Romaine lettuce, Blue Lake green beans, bi-color corn, round carrots, summer squash, pickling cukes, Texas sweet onions, and Cherokee heirloom tomatoes.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Arugula, carrots, pattypan squash, collard greens, heirloom purplette onions, and rainbow chard.

From Sweet Tree Farms: Yellow nectarines and plums.

Enjoy!

Shelley

biology

2011-07-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

I'm going to San Rafael on Thursday to take another soil biology class with Dr. Elaine Ingham. If there is such a thing as a Soil Food-Webby, I've become it.

We've been producing compost at Silver Lake Farms for years now but what's lighting my candle at the moment is making just the right kind of compost.

Since taking Elaine's classes, I can't help thinking N:P:K is "out" and F:B ratios are "in".

We're going to start producing different kinds of composts here at Silver Lake Farms. One that is more fungal (F) in nature, and one that is more bacterial (B).

Why?

These two pictures show brussels sprouts seedlings. Both seedlings come from the same batch of seed; they germinated at the same time and followed the same path from a nursery in Lake View Terrace to Tin House Farm in Malibu (Thank you Jill and Patrick Dempsey for supporting Silver Lake Farms!) .

We transplanted the brussels sprouts seedlings into different raised beds at Tin House Farm. The raised bed with the huge specimen next to my hand is filled with soil that has a balanced F:B ratio, perfect for growing vegetables. The bed with the puny seedling is filled with soil that is too fungal in nature for growing vegetables in successfully. Again, both seedlings come from the same stock and were transplanted at the same time.

The difference, as you can see, is amazing.

Thank you Sherry, Rachel, Matt, Beat and Stephanie for coming to the "Grapes of Wrath" screening tonight. Thank you Wild Goodness. We love tending the Bike Farm @ Geffen @ MoCA.

tara

Fattoush Salad

2011-07-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Fatoush is a wonderful Lebanese salad made with many of summer's best vegetables: tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. And we got all of them in today's box!

The thing I love most about fattoush is that it has toasted pita chips in it to give it a fabulous crunch. You can buy pita chips at most markets; or you can make them yourself by separating the two halves of the pita bread, brushing them with a little olive oil, and toasting them in a 375 degree oven until brown and crisp. I like using the whole wheat sesame pita, but you can use any flavor you like.

Another wonderful things about this salad is that you can use a variety of greens. I like using romaine lettuce and mixing in some arugula or dandelion greens. Sorrel, with its bright, lemon-y flavor, also goes nicely in the mix.

Fattoush Salad

4-6 C washed and dried salad greens, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 large tomato chopped
1 cucumber, quartered, seeded and chopped
1/4 C chopped sweet onion
1-2 green onions, chopped
1/2 C chopped bell pepper (green, red or yellow - your choice)
3/4 C cubed feta cheese
2-4 T chopped Italian parsley
1-2 C pita chips
salt and pepper to taste
dried Moroccan olives or Kalamata olives, optional

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl, except the pita chips, salt and pepper.

Mix up the dressing:

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T finely minced shallot or 1 T mashed roasted garlic
1/4 t salt
pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Pour over salad and toss. Add pita chips and toss again. Serve immediately.

By the way, sumac is a wonderful herb to add to a fattoush salad. Get some at the Spice Station on Sunset.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: romaine lettuce, bi-color corn, orange carrots, Hungarian bell pepper (pic above), yellow zucchini, cucumbers, bok choy, and avocados.

From Sage Mountain: Broccoli florets, collard greens, dandelion greens, arugula, and chard.

Cottage Grove provided the tomatoes - Early Girls pictured above. And Sweet Tree Farms provided peaches, plums, and nectarines.

And Silver Lake Farms provided arugula and mustard micro-greens, as well as new basil and cilantro micro-greens (cilantro pictured above). Sprinkle some of those basil micro-greens over your next Caprese Salad.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Arugula Pesto

2011-06-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

Pesto is an easy and delicious sauce with myriad uses. It's traditionally made by grinding fresh basil leaves with garlic, pine nuts, and olive oil using a mortar ans pestle. However, pesto can be made from almost any fresh herb or spicy green. Arugula certainly fits that bill. Replace the mortar and pestle with a blender or food processor and you can make wonderful pesto in a matter of minutes.

The proportion of the ingredients is, to a certain extent, a matter of taste. So, feel free to adjust the ingredients to your liking. Here are a few things to consider: Don't let the garlic overpower the fresh taste of the herbs. You might want to consider using milder green garlic or even roasted garlic for a mellower taste. Always, always toast the nuts, no matter which nuts you use. Toasting brings out the flavor of the nut. Use the very best extra virgin olive oil that you have. Olive oil is such an important component of the pesto, you'll want to use your best oil for this.

Arugula Pesto

1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 C toasted pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 - 1 t salt
2 C packed arugula leaves (no stems)
1/2 to 2/3 C extra virgin olive oil

Blender or Food Processor Method: Place the garlic and nuts in the processor or blender and process until finely chopped and nearly a paste. Add the salt and arugula leaves and process until chopped. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream and process until the mixture has an even consistency and resembles a smooth paste. You may need to stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl or blender once or twice.

Mortar and Pestle Method: Chop the garlic and nuts coarsely. Grind them in the mortar with the pestle using a circular motion until they resemble a paste. You can add a little olive oil to make the grinding easier. Stir in the salt. Coarsely chop the arugula leaves and grind them into the garlic nuts paste, one-half cup at a time, adding olive oil as needed, until you've incorporated all the arugula and oil and the mixture is a smooth paste.

Once made, you can use your pesto as a pasta sauce - just stir it into freshly cooked hot pasta with 1/2 c (or more) freshly grated parmesan cheese. As an alternative, you might try substituting crumbled chevre (goat cheese) for the parmesan. A little grated lemon or orange zest adds a little zing. You can get an even bigger zing from some red pepper flakes.

You can also use pesto as a spread on sandwiches such as fresh mozzarella (or chevre) with sun-dried tomatoes on focaccia. Omnivores will find pesto to be a delicious relish for grilled steak, chicken, and fish. Best of all, if you have any left over, you can cover it with a thin layer of olive oil and keep it in your fridge for at least a week, or you can freeze it for months.

The beautiful green color of fresh pesto doesn't last very long. If the darkening of your pesto bothers you, you can avoid it by eating your pesto soon after you mix it up or by blanching the leaves in a pot of boiling water for just a few seconds before grinding. Be sure to dry the leaves as best you can before grinding.

Today's bounty included the following:

From Underwood Family Farms: Yukon and Norland potatoes, blood oranges, strawberries, blackberries, green leaf lettuce, purple carrots, Easter radishes, mizuna and arugula.

From Cottage Grove Farm: Romaine lettuce, cherries, asparagus, and white nectarines.

From Drake Family Farms: Plain or Herbs de Provence chevre.

Thank you Julie, Rachel and Jordan (pictured above) and Amanda, Nik and Willow, for helping distribute the bounty at pickup.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Stuffed French Toast

2011-06-10T16:45:00.000-07:00

If you happened to get some of those super ripe white peaches this afternoon and you don't eat them up in the car on the way home, you might want to use them to make this lovely dish over the weekend.

Stuffed French Toast is a simple and delicious treat that makes a wonderful breakfast or brunch dish. This version uses the peaches from today's box, but you can substitute your favorite fruit. If you don't have any fruit, you can substitute jam; and if you want to make this dish even richer, you can add a few crumbles of cream cheese or goat cheese to the filling.

For 4 servings:

Start by preparing the fruit for the filling. If you're using peaches, peel 1-2 peaches with a knife or use the blanching method described in last week's recipe on Peach Clafouti. Thinly slice the peaches and set them aside.

4-5 large eggs
1/2 C whole milk
1/2 t vanilla
pinch salt
butter for frying

1. Beat the eggs with a fork in a small bowl until well blended. Beat in the milk, vanilla, and salt.

2. Pour this mixture into a shallow flat-bottomed dish. Arrange 4 slices of bread in the dish (or work in batches - 1-2 slices at a time).

3. Place several thin slices of peeled peach on top of each slice of bread. Cover fruit with another slice of bread.

4. When the bottom slice of bread has become well-soaked with the egg mixture, gently flip each piece so that the top slice of bread can soak up the remaining egg mixture. Be sure each slice of bread is soaked through.

5. Melt 1 T butter in a large skillet. Using a spatula, gently place as many pieces of stuffed French toast in the skillet as will fit without crowding. Fry on medium heat until the bottom is brown. Gently flip and fry until the other side is brown. Add more butter if necessary to fry the remaining pieces of stuffed French toast.

Serve hot with syrup or powdered sugar.

This recipe is wonderful with slightly mashed bananas and/or berries instead of peaches.

A Few Thoughts on Goat Cheese

There are so many things you can do with goat cheese:

Crumble it into salad (it's great with roasted beets)

Crumble it into an omelet (it's delicious eith asparagus)

Stir some crumbles into hot pasta with cooked crumbled Italian sausage and/or your favorite sauteed vegetables

Spread it on little toasts and top with chopped fresh herbs for a delicious crostini

Make wonderful sandwiches such as goat cheese with roasted red pepper and basil pesto on your favorite bread

Here's today's harvest:

From Underwood Family Farms: red leaf lettuce, green cabbage, Japanese turnips, yellow carrots, Texas sweet onions, zucchini, mizuna, French radishes, leeks, and blackberries.

From Cottgae Grove Farms: white corn, asparagus, pluots and peaches.

Chevre from Drake Family Farms; and mustard microgreens and edible flowers from Silver Lake farms.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Peach Clafouti

2011-06-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

Don't be daunted by the name of this wonderful dish. A clafouti is a lovely, fruity, custard-y dessert that's great plain or with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. It's easy to make and works well with many fruits. In the fall, it's often made with apples or pears. In the summer, stone fruit such as cherries, peaches and apricots are delicious with this batter.

It's best to peel the peaches for this dessert. The easiest way to accomplish this is to blanch them in a pot of boiling water for about 60-90 seconds. Drain. When cool enopugh to handle, remove the skins. If your peaches are hard, they may require slightly longer blanching or you just may want to wait until your peaches have ripened a bit. Don't use peaches that are super soft; between the blanching and the baking, they'll just disintegrate.

1-2 t butter

1/3 C + 1 T granulated sugar

4-6 medium peaches, peeled, pit removed, and sliced into eighths

3 large eggs

1 t vanilla

1 C whole milk or half and half

pinch salt

1/3 C flour

1 t amaretto (optional)

powdered sugar

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Generously butter a 9" pie pan with 1-2 t butter and sprinkle 1 T sugar over the bottom of the pan.

3. Arrange the peeled and pitted peaches artfully in the bottom of the prepared pie pan.

4. Beat together the eggs, vanilla, milk (or half and half), salt, flour and amaretto. You can do this in a blender, or in a bowl with an immersion blender or an electric mixer, or simply by hand, beating vigorously until the ingredients are very well combined to make a smooth batter.

5. Pour the batter over the peaches in the pie pan and bake until set (when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean) - about 35 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Dust the top generously with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.

If there's any leftover, it's great for breakfast, too.

Here's today's bounty:

From Underwood Family Farms: romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, orange carrots, sugar snap peas, arugula, bok choy, Easter radishes, Napa cabbage and blueberries.

From Sage Mountain Farm: yellow carrots, Swiss chard, Tuscan kale, fresh green garlic, baby leeks, collard greens, and green onions.

From Cottage Grove Farms: strawberries, peaches and apricots.

From dear SLF friend Zan: lemons and tangerines

and from Silver Lake Farms: mustard and arugula micro-greens.

Tara says: Welcome back Rachel and Katy-Kate-Kate and welcome on board Nik! To Sherry, our conductor: you are THE BEST! Thank you for finding Cottage Grove.

Middle pic: Rachel and Sherry (R)

3rd pic: Nik

Enjoy!

Shelley

Track 1 bi-weekly CSA shares available now !

2011-06-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

We have some Track 1 bi-weekly CSA shares available. Pickup dates: 6/10, 6/24, 7/8 & 7/22. Share value: $100 (pro-rated).

Would you like one? Come and get it!!

Track 2 bi-weekly shares sold out - yay!!

See blog and facebook for an idea of what to expect each week.

We offer separate bread and cookie programs. For bread, check out this article in LA Times. For cookies, contact Marilyn at cookiefarm.la@gmail.com

Happy Wednesday!

Tara

Sort of Quick Pickled Fennel

2011-05-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

Shareholder Dan with his bounty, which this week included blueberries, yum.

Pickling is pretty simple, especially if you make "quick" pickles, which usually means that they're not canned. Canning requires special canning jars and lids and a large kettle or canner. The advantage is that canned pickles will keep on the shelf for a very long time, until you open them that is.

Canning isn't very

difficult, but quick pickles are even easier. However, quick pickles must be stored in the refrigerator and will keep only for a week or two, if they last that long. Quick pickles are less of a production and are often made in small batches.

I adapted this Pickled Fennel recipe from one that appeared in the February/March 2011 issue of Fine Cooking magazine. It's a lovely pickle that's nice on a relish tray. It's delicious with poached salmon, either hot or cold. Fine Cooking uses it in an orange juice and brown sugar sauce with skillet-fried pork chops.

Quick Pickled Fennel takes just a few minutes to make, but the pickle needs to marinate in the refrigerator for 3 days before it's ready to eat.

Quick Pickled Fennel

1/2 t yellow mustard seed

1/2 t whole black peppercorns

1 fennel bulb, trimmed

1 C rice vinegar

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C water

1 T salt

2 T olive oil

1. Toast the mustard seeds and peppercorns in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Then grind them with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder.

2. Thinly slice with white part of the fennel bulb and pack a wide-mouth pint jar with a screw-on lid with the fennel and spices, alternating layers of fennel and sprinkling the spice mixture.

3. Bring all of the remaining ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and pour the liquid over the fennel and spices in the jar, covering the fennel entirely. Press the fennel down if necessary. Screw on the lid. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 3 days before using.

If you have a big bulb of fennel you can double this recipe. You might have a little excess pickling liquid, but probably not much. Remember to compost the green and fibrous parts of the fennel bulb.

You can get yellow mustard seeds and peppercorns at the Spice Station on Sunset Blvd.

If you're interested in more pickle recipes, check out my Silver Lake Farms blog posts from January 23, 2010 for Quick Radish Pickles and October 1, 2010 for Cucumber Pickles. Cucumbers aren't quite in season yet, but radishes are.

A Word or Two About Micro-Greens

If you'd like some ideas for using your micro-greens, here are a few:

Lately, I've been putting a handful of micro-greens, instead of lettuce, on my sandwiches. I've found micro-greens to be an absolutely delicious accompaniment to egg salad, tuna salad, smoked turkey, ham and cheese, hummus on pita, and even hamburgers!

Another wonderful way to use micro-greens is in a Vietnamese summer roll. Summer rolls are simple to make - they're just a bunch of vegetables rolled up in a rice paper wrapper. You can find rice paper wrappers at most Asian markets. They come as thin, dry disks, usually in a round container. Just soak them one at a time in warm water for 30-60 seconds, until pliable and fill with your favorite ingredients, such as lettuce leaves, chopped Napa cabbage, micro-greens, mint, cilantro, Thai basil, chopped green onion, shredded carrots, sliced jalapenos, shredded pickled ginger, avocado. You can add some protein if you'd like in the form of chopped grilled tofu, sliced hard-boiled egg, or grilled and chopped chicken, beef, pork or shrimp. A peanut dipping sauce is a very tasty accompaniment.

Today's harvest included the following:

From Underwood Family Farms: Fennel, red leaf lettuce, yellow carrots, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, green kale, mizuna, and green cabbage.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Easter radishes, romaine, Chantennay carrots, collard greens, purple scallions, rainbow chard, baby leeks, and green garlic.

And from Silver Lake Farms: Pak Choi and arugula micro-greens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

2011-05-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'll bet that most of the first blueberries of the season will be eaten fresh, right out of their carton. But here's a delicious alternative: lemon blueberry muffins. You can make and serve them warm for breakfast tomorrow morning, or whip them up tonight and serve them warm, split open, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle for a homey dessert.

For 6 regular sized muffins:

1/2 stick butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the muffin tin

1/2 C sugar + 1 T for sprinkling on top

1 large egg

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 t baking powder

1/8 t salt

1 generous C fresh blueberries, very slightly mashed

1/4 t grated lemon zest, divided

1 C flour

1/4 c milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 6-muffin tin, including the top of the tin. Set aside.

2. Beat butter in a medium bowl until creamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the slightly mashed blueberries and about half the lemon zest.

3. Fold in half the flour, then half the milk, then repeat with the remaining flour and the remaining milk. Fold until just combined, don't stir vigorously.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each cup equally.

5. In a little prep bowl, stir together the remaining 1 T sugar and the remaining lemon zest. Sprinkle a little of this mixture on the top of each muffin.

6. Bake until golden, about 25-30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool 20-30 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm.

This week's harvest included the following:

From Underwood Family Farms: Texas sweet onions, green leaf lettuce, kohlrabi, purple carrots, Easter radishes, French radishes, blueberries, rainbow chard, and arugula.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Candy spring onions, red fire lettuce, baby leeks, yellow carrots, Russian kale, broccoli leaves, and green garlic.

Thai guavas from Rancho Santa Cecilia; and mustard, radish, and arugula microgreens from Silver Lake Farms.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Lemon Basil Guacamole

2011-05-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting take on a popular dip - Lemon Basil Guacamole. It's simple to whip up and goes great with the traditional dipper, corn chips, as well as pita chips or crudites. I like to snip a bit of fresh basil from my garden. Basil is easy to grow and is happy either in the ground or in a pot. If you aren't growing any of your own, you can find fresh basil at many markets.

Lemon Basil Guacamole

1 large or 2 small ripe avocados
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 heaping T thinly chopped fresh basil
1/4 t salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Remove the pit. Scoop out the flesh of the avocado into a small bowl and mash it with a fork until smooth (or you can leave it a little lumpy, if you prefer).

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or chill, but serve within 1-2 hours.

If you're not serving the guacamole immediately, place a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate. This will keep it from oxidizing (turning brown). Avocado turns brown quickly when exposed to oxygen. The lemon juice in this recipe works as an anti-oxidant, but creating a physical barrier between the dip and the air will help keep it looking fresh until you're ready to serve it.

By the way, if you're wondering what to do with the beautiful, fresh rosemary from Silver Lake Farms, here's an easy way to use it:

Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub 2 (or more) of your favorite potatoes and cut them into wedges. I like to leave the skins on, but you can peel them if you prefer. Place them in a medium bowl and toss them with 1-2 T olive oil, 1/2 t salt (or to taste), and 1 T snipped fresh rosemary (or to taste). You can snip the rosemary with any scissors. Snip just the green leaves, discard the woody stem. Spread out the potatoes on a baking sheet and place in a hot oven. Roast for about 35-40 minutes, until the potatoes wedges are golden brown. Serve hot.

Today's bounty included the following:

From Underwood Family Farms: Round orange carrots, green kale, candy beets, arugula, Easter radishes, red leaf lettuce, blood oranges, tangerines, strawberries, avocado, and candy spring onions.

From Sage Mountain Farms: Chantennay heirloom carrots, Seiss chard, baby celery, dandelion greens, white radishes, butter lettuce, and Italian green garlic.

From Silver Lake Farms: arugula, mustard, and radish microgreens and fresh rosemary.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Curried Peas and Potatoes with Mint Raita

2011-05-06T15:24:00.000-07:00

This week's recipe is a version of a classic Indian recipe called Aloo Mutter, or curried peas and potatoes. It uses several of the wonderful vegetables in today's CSA box - potatoes, peas, and the beautiful fresh mint from Silver Lake Farms for the raita, or yogurt sauce.

There are many ways to make curry. I enjoy mixing and toasting whole spices to make my own aromatic curry powder. Then I grind them with a mortar and pestle. However, for today's recipe, I'm using a fabulous curry blend made at the Spice Station called Vadouvan.

If you haven't been to the Spice Station yet, this recipe is a great reason to check it out. They have an amazing array of spices from all over the world as well as their own wonderful spice blends made on the premises. And if you'd prefer to mix up your own curry powder, you can get everything you need at the Spice Station.

Spice Station owner and CSA shareholder, Brownwen, says their Vadouvan contains domestically-grown curry leaves. She gets them from a grower at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. Imported curry leaves are currently banned by the FDA in an attempt to stop the spread of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, so they're apparently quite hard to come by.

I like to use ghee, which is clarified butter, in this curry. Making clarified butter is easy. Slowly melt a stick of butter and remove all of the milk solids that rise to the top. Clarified butter has a higher burning point. It also keeps for quite a while in the fridge. Just pour it into a covered jar or crock. If you don't want to make clarified butter, you can buy it at most Indian markets and some full-service grocery stores. If you prefer, you can substitute olive oil for the ghee.

Curried Peas and Potatoes

4 T ghee
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
2-3 T Vadouvan
2 T tomato paste
2 # potatoes, cubed, with or without peels
1 # sugar snap peas, shell the peas and compost the pods
2 C vegetable stock or water
1 t sugar (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet with a cover, heat the ghee over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until the garlic is slightly golden.

2. Stir in the Vadouvan and the tomato paste. Add the cubed potatoes and the shelled peas. Stir to coat with the spices.

3. Stir in the stock or water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Check once or twice while simmering. and add a little more liquid, if necessary.

4. When potatoes are tender, check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. You can also adjust the seasoning by adding 1 t sugar. If you'd prefer a thicker sauce, you can add 1-2 T cream or you can take 1 t corn starch or arrowroot powder in a small cup and stir in 2-3 T of the sauce until smooth, then add this mixture to the curry and re-heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens.

5. Serve the curry over basmati rice with raita (recipe below) on the side.

By the way, it's best not to use the Texas Sweet Onions in this dish. Sweet onions in general are best eaten raw. They tend to get mushy when cooked and the qualities that make them sweet and delicious raw work against them when exposed to heat.

Mint Raita

2 C thick yogurt
1 T toasted cumin seed
1 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped
1-2 t fresh lime juice
1-2 green onions, finely chopped (optional)

Stir all the ingredients together in a medium bowl and chill until ready to serve. It's nice to make the raita ahead of time to allow the flavors to blend.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: rainbow chard, fennel, sugar snap peas, mizuna, yellow carrots, Texas sweet onions, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, asparagus, spinach, and Navel oranges.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: pumello, Golden Nugget tangerines, and avocados.

From Weiser Family Farms: Russian Banana and French Baker potatoes.

And from Silver Lake Farms: mint and mustard and radish microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Fava Bean Puree

2011-04-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

What a delight to find that great harbinger of spring - fresh fava beans - in our CSA box today! I could hardly contain my excitement, as it's been nearly a year since I enjoyed the wonderful recipe I'm sharing with you today.

Fresh fava beans require a little prep work, but they're well worth the effort. Your time and energy will be rewarded with a delicious and beautiful puree that you can serve as a dip, spread on crostini or crackers, or thin slightly (with stock) and use as a sauce for grilled shrimp, scallops, or tofu.

Fava Bean Puree

2 C shelled fava beans
1-2 cloves minced garlic
4-6 T olive oil
1/2 C water
1/2 - 1 t salt, or to taste
1/4 t pepper, or to taste

1. Remove the fava beans from their pods. Compost the pods. Measure out about 2 C shelled favas (removed from their pods).

2. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a large bowl half way with ice and covering the ice with cold water. Set aside.

3. Fill a stock pot with water about 2/3 full. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the shelled fava beans and cook (blanch) for about 2-3 minutes. Drain the beans, discarding the water, and immediately add the drained beans to the ice water bath, which will loosen their tough outer shell and lock in a beautiful bright green color.

4. When the beans have cooled, drain off the water, and slip the beans out of their tough outer shell. Compost the outer shells.

5. Heat 4 T of olive oil in a large skillet with a cover. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant and very slightly golden, about 1 minute (do not burn the garlic).

6. Add the blanched fava beans. Stir to coat with the oil. Add 1/2 t salt. Stir again.

7. Add the water and cook over medium heat, partially covered, until the water is evaporated, about 10 minutes, and the beans are just tender. If necessary, add more water so the favas do not burn (or turn down the heat). Add a little more olive oil if desired.

8. Cool to room temperature. Then puree in a food processor (or with an immersion blender) until pureed. Season with more salt, if desired and 1/4 t pepper, or to taste.

Freshly grated lemon zest or freshly grated parmesan cheese are nice flavor additions to this puree, but it's delicious just the way it is.

Here's what was in today's box:

From Underwood Family Farms: tatsoi, Japanese turnips, artichokes, iceberg lettuce, Texas sweet onions, purple carrots, and Easter radishes.

From Sage Mountain Farm: Bloomsdale heirloom spinach, Chioggia beets, Red Fire lettuce, purple scallions, baby purple carrots, Tuscan kale, broccolini, and cilantro.

Rancho Santa Cecilia provided Golden Nugget mandarins.

We had anabolic favas from the Metabolic Studio.

And Silver Lake Farms provided radish and mustard microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Simple Asparagus Recipes

2011-04-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

I just returned from two weeks in the midwest where spring has not quite put down firm roots. When I left Los Angeles, I took with me a wave of warm weather culminating in an 80-degree day two weeks ago Sunday. Sadly, it was downhill from there - a precipitous fall - with two inches of snow this past Monday!

I went to the farmer's market in Cleveland's Shaker Square last Saturday. There were cellar-grown mushrooms, fresh eggs, potted plants, Ohio maple syrup and candy, a wide selection of baked goods, locally-farmed meats and some very delicious locally-produced goat cheese. However, the only fresh produce was ramps, which are wild leeks, and local apples which have been in cold storage since last fall. We're so lucky to have such an amazing assortment of fresh, locally-grown vegetables and fruits in Southern California. It's easy to eat seasonally here.

And speaking of eating seasonally, asparagus is a great spring vegetable that's versatile and delicious. Asparagus is best lightly sauteed or roasted until it's just tender. Asparagus loves citrus-y flavors like lemon and orange. It also tastes great with garlic or sesame and ginger.

Here are a few quick and tasty ways to prepare asparagus:

Prep the asparagus by cutting off the woody part of the stalks. Throw the woody ends in the compost. If your asparagus are thick, you may want to peel off the tough, outer skin with a vegetable peeler. You can skip this step for thinner spears.

Sauteed Asparagus with Hard-Boiled Egg

2 T butter
1 bunch asparagus
2 hard-boiled eggs
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt 2 T butter over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add the trimmed asparagus and toss to coat with butter. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover and cook until the asparagus are just tender, about 4-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears.

2. While the asparagus cooks, peel the shells off the hard-boiled eggs (the shells can go in the compost). Mash the eggs with a fork and set the eggs aside.

3. When the asparagus is done, remove them to a warm plate. Drizzle any melted butter from the skillet over the asparagus. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Then sprinkle the mashed up, hard-boiled egg over the asparagus.

Sauteed Asparagus with Lemon Butter Sauce

Melt 2 T butter over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add the trimmed asparagus and toss to coat with butter. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover and cook until the asparagus are just tender, about 4-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Remove the asparagus to a warm plate, sprinkle with a little salt and set aside. Add 2-3 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice to the skillet. Quickly whisk in 2-4 T butter, whisking until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Pour over the warm asparagus and serve.

This afternoon, I was chatting with Rachel, who grows Silver Lake Farms' fantastic micro-greens. We both agreed that slow-cooked scrambled eggs are fabulous with lightly sauteed asparagus tips.

Slow Scrambled Eggs with Sauteed Asparagus Tips

1 T butter
1 C asparagus tips
6 extra-large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter over low heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add asparagus tips. Toss to coat with butter. Cover and cook 1-2 minutes.

2. While the asparagus tips are cooking, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl.

3. Add the eggs to the skillet with the asparagus and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the eggs are just set (or to your liking). This might take as long as 10 minutes, but it will produce very creamy scrambled eggs.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You might want to add some finely chopped onion to the skillet at the beginning with the asparagus tips. Saute until the onion is translucent.

Another delicious addition is crumbled goat cheese. Stir this in toward the end, just before the eggs set.

Enjoy!

This week's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Napa cabbage, candy-striped beets, rainbow chard, purple kale, green romaine lettuce, orange carrots, fennel, oranges, and asparagus.

From Sage Mountain Farm: heirloom spinach, golden heirloom beets, Tuscan kale, fire red leaf lettuce, purple scallions, baby heirloom leeks, Joi Choi Pak Choi (pictured above), and heirloom Italian green garlic.

Rancho Santa Cecilia supplied the Hass avocados.

And Silver Lake Farms provided radish micro-greens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Friday 4/15 Bounty

2011-04-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Never a dull day at Silver Lake Farms. The pace changes with the weather and it keeps us on our toes. Saturday afternoon, all I want to be is horizontal. I watched "Towering Inferno," then Tiffany and I went to check out Culver City. I really want to sell my flowers there when they come in. Hard to tell right now when that will be. I can't believe it took Beat just a few months to establish the growing ground at the Paramour, and it's taking me a year to establish Groovy Canyon. He did it alone. I have some super dedicated, committed, amazing people helping me. I'm getting caught up so I hope to have flowers again soon.

I can't help thinking that's two springs at market missed since my neighbors began their shenanigans. Whatever, I'm slowly getting over it. That crater in my head caused by the bomb they threw is being filled with new experiences that are full of love and light. In the long run, it will all be fine. I'm impatient but I'm really thankful and enjoying this journey. I've learned a lot, accomplished a lot. With Sherry and Sebastian helping now, everything is coming together in a quality way and it's really very exciting.

Graham picked me up and got me back on my feet. Sherry lives three doors down. She is the only one on the street not involved in all that nonsense. She is our lovely conductor. Sebastian works for local beekeeping hero Kirk Anderson in the mornings, and at Groovy Canyon in the afternoons. He nags me in his Argentinian accent, "Tara, when are we going to plant?" I love it. Rachel grows the microgreens and keeps us in compost. Myesha is re-organizing the office I abandoned. I'm moving back in next week. Yay! We get the dining table back! I feel blessed.

New compost tea brewer arrived from Earthfort. Very excited about that. Up til now, Beat and I had been using a homemade contraption to make compost tea. It did the job but it took too long to clean all the nooks and crannies. Earthfort's design is so simple, I love it. And it comes with goodies!

Here's a list of the week's bounty:

From Sage Mountain Farm: Simpson heirloom lettuce with Jordan volunteering at pickup (top left pic). Thank you Jordan! purple scallions (top right pic), Italian heirloom fresh green garlic, red Russian kale, Chantennay carrots, White Icicle radishes (bottom right pic), Joi Choi Pak Choi, Tuscan kale, golden heirloom beets

From Underwood Family Farms: tangerines, red leaf lettuce, leeks, green curly kale, cabbage, broccoli, yellow carrots (bottom left pic), radishes, sugar snap peas

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: pomellos and Golden Nugget mandarins

From Silver Lake Farms: mustard, pok choi and radish microgreens. Looking good Rachel!

Enjoy! I know I will...

Tara

CSA Microgreens + Bibimbap + Tax Day = Eron's Bargain-Friendly Experiment

2011-04-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this recipe from Eron at Curio:

Eron: Thank you!!!

Tara

Recipes from Shareholder Eron

2011-04-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Shareholder Eron is posting recipes on his Curio blog featuring CSA goodies. Love it!

"Hello!" he says, "I posted up the first recipe that I came up with using the produce I got from your CSA. A fun dinner salad with micro greens, fried bread, eggs and goat cheese. Feel free to share it :)

Here it is: Microgreens, eggs, and Fried Bread Salad

And here's another one from Eron: Tuscan kale, cauliflower and caramelized onion Pizza

Eron, you are an inspiration! Thank you!

Tara

Spring Season Recipes for asparagus, celeriac, cauli and peas...

2011-04-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

It's our second week with Sage Mountain Farm and I'm loving it. Phil, pictured here, makes the drive from Temecula. The traffic is awful but he's still smiling. Crops are coming in. Soil is warming...

Phil tells us the news - what the weather is doing and how things are going at the farm. The weather's been so crazy. Cold and frost have caused some damage. Farmers' markets make long, long days, in part because of Sage Mountain's rural location. It's all good tho. The work is rewarding. What Sage Mountain would love is a restaurant account or two Downtown/Eastside, delivering Fridays.

Elf? Local? Forage? Palate? Corina and Jane at Canele! Please check out Sage Mountain Farm!

Graham and I help Phil unload the veggies while he tells us a story about how NOT to erect a hoop house. He's funny.

It's a good week. Here's the scoop re the week's bounty:

From Sage Mountain Farm: Red Fire lettuce, golden beets, baby heirloom leeks, green scallions, tuscan kale, Chantennay carrots, broccoli leaves, Italian heirloom green garlic

From Underwood Family Farms: Romaine lettuce, celery root, asparagus, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, mizuna, purple carrots, blood oranges

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: grapefruits, Golden Nugget mandarins

From Silver Lake Farms: arugula and radish microgreens

This week's recipes comes from my dear, dear friend Sherry, who found them in a book. Sherry? What was the book?

She says: This vinaigrette is delicious with fennel, beets and carrots or on a citrus or avocado salad.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette

1 tsp finely grated orange zest

1/4 c fresh orange juice

2 tsp white wine or balsamic vinegar

Salt + Pepper

3 Tablespoons light olive or sunflower oil

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Combine orange juice + zest, vinegar and 1/8 tsp salt - let stand for 15 min. Whisk in the oils and season w/ a little pepper.

This is an exceptional recipe but you do need a few spices which are available at the Spice Station.

Curried Cauliflower & Peas

1/4 C vegetable oil

1/2 tsp toasted ground cumin

1/4 tsp asafetida

1/4 C peeled + diced ginger

4 tsp toasted ground coriander

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp turmeric

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 large cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces w/stems

Salt

1/2 lb sugar snap peas, strings removed

2 tsp ground amchoor (green mango) powder

1 tsp garam masala

In wide pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add cumin and asafetida and cook for 3o seconds, stirring constantly. Add the ginger, coriander, chile, and turmeric and cook for 30 seconds more. Add onion, lower the heat, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally about 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Mix everything together, then pour in 1/2 c water, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the peas and cook for a few minutes more, until they're bright green. Add the amchoor powder and garam masala, stir together, taste for salt and serve over steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Tara

PS. Hello Shelley!!

Shareholder Trevor's CSA meal

2011-04-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

Shareholder Trevor made this fabulous salad using CSA veggies and a few complementary items. He says: The beets are slow roasted in olive oil at 375 degrees. Then I peel and puree with the juice from one orange. For the balsamic, I wish I could say that I used a 100 year old vintage, but really, I just cooked down some Trader Joe's balsamic with lemon juice and a little bit of honey.

There is bacon included in the dish, and the cheese is Roquefort. The dish also includes celery root fries arranged in a nice pattern, and pea shoots from Silver Lake Farms.

It looks delicious and beautiful! Thank you Trevor!!

Shareholders: What creative things are you doing with CSA bounty?

Tara

What to do with Green Garlic, Broccoli Leaves, Cabbage and Iceberg Lettuce

2011-04-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful afternoon at the CSA pick-up today and there were lots of wonderful vegetable choices. It was great to see green garlic again. Its delicate, fresh flavor is a real harbinger of spring. Be careful not to overcook it. It's delicious raw or sauteed lightly. Use a generous amount of olive oil or butter and toss this mixture with hot, cooked pasta. You might throw in some sauteed spinach, chard or kale and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese for a lovely meal. Omnivores might enjoy adding some cooked and crumbled Italian sausage and/or some hot red pepper flakes.

Broccoli leaves made their first appearance in our CSA box. I hope they become a regular choice. They're beautiful, delicious and simple to prepare. Just wash, chop, and saute them in olive oil for a tasty and nutritious dish. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and a little finely chopped green garlic, either raw or lightly sauteed would go nicely here, too. Some toasted pine nuts or walnuts would be a wonderful addition to this dish as well (or instead). You can substitute saute'd broccoli leaves for any of the greens mentioned in the above pasta preparation.

No worries if you missed the broccoli leaves. Make a delicious cole slaw with a light vinaigrette dressing from that beautiful head of green cabbage. Finely chop up 6 C of green cabbage, grate 1-2 C of carrots, chop 1 C of fresh Italian parsley, and finely chop 1 C of sweet onion or about 3/4 C red onion. If you find raw onion a little sharp, try rinsing the chopped onion under cold water. Drain well. Toss all of these ingredients in a large bowl. Then mix up a vinaigrette with 1/2 C olive oil, 3/4 T cider vinegar, 1 T sugar or agave syrup, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Pour over the vegetables and toss until everything is well coated. This cole slaw benefits from spending an hour or two in the fridge, but it's fine to eat right after you mix it up, too.

By the way, the iceberg lettuce that was among today's choices was some of the most beautiful iceberg around. Iceberg is the crispiest lettuce and makes a beautiful wedge salad. Douse it in blue cheese dressing and crumble some crisp bacon on top for a great mid-century classic.

Today's bounty included an amazing assortment of vegetables and fruit, all grown with love in Southern California:

From Sage Mountain Farm, a USDA Organic grower in Temecula, we had: baby heirloom leeks, butter lettuce, scallions, green garlic, orange Chantennay carrots, Tuscan kale, heirloom spinach, broccoli leaves, and heirloom bulls blood beets. Welcome on board Sage Mountain Farm!!

From Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark: celery, iceberg lettuce, yellow carrots, purple kale, Easter radishes, green cabbage, lemons and cilantro.

From Weiser Family Farms: savoy spinach.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: golden nugget tangerines

From Silver Lake Farms: pea shoots and radish microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Roasted Parsnips & Carrots with Ras el Hanout

2011-03-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

If you've never had Ras el Hanout, you're missing something delicious. It's a wonderful, aromatic spice blend that's used throughout Northern Africa. Like curry powder, every version is a little different, but most have some combination of cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, chili, cumin, clove and other spices. I picked up a lovely blend from the Spice Station on Sunset Blvd. this afternoon.

We're so lucky to have the Spice Station in our neighborhood. They have an amazing selection of herbs and spices from around the world. The Spice Station also makes a huge variety of spice blends, such as Ras el Hanout, from their own recipes. Every blend I've tried has been delicious.

It's so easy to turn simple roasted vegetables into something special with a tasty and exotic spice, and that's exactly what I did this afternoon. I washed and trimmed the beautiful red carrots and parsnips from today's box, tossed them in 1T olive oil, added 1 T Ras el Hanout and a little salt. Then I tossed everything again to evenly spread the spices and I roasted them on a cookie sheet in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes, until done. My kitchen smelled divine while they were roasting, too.

By the way, if you're wondering how to prepare tatsoi, treat it just like spinach. It sautes up quickly, and it's great with a variety of Asian flavors like soy sauce, freshly grated ginger, and sesame oil. You can eat it raw, too.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Lola Rosa lettuce, tatsoi, red carrots, celery, Italian parsley, golden beets, leeks, celery root, and Navel oranges;

Pea and mustard microgreens and a little rosemary from Silver Lake Farms;

Parsnips from Weiser Family Farms;

And satsuma mandarins from Rancho Santa Cecilia.

Thank you so much to shareholders Amanda and Josh (pictured above) for helping distribute the bounty today. Also, to dear little Willow (who isn't so little any more!) for coming to help at pickup.

And Happy Birthday Rachel!!

Enjoy!

Shelley

CSA - general definition

2011-03-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

Community Supported Agriculture.

“In basic terms, CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Members or shareholders of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover costs. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land. Members also share in risks, including poor harvest due to unfavorable weather or pests.”

- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition

CSA Shares Available Now!

2011-03-22T02:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Spring!!

Shares are available now for Round 8 of our CSA program. (pic above taken last Fall).

Round 8 began on Friday, March 18. It's a 10-week program ending May 20.

If you're interested in owning a Track 2 biweekly share, it means making a commitment to picking up your produce every other Friday for 5 pickups total starting this coming Friday, March 25th. I have 8 Track 2 shares available now. Share cost: $125.

I also have 11 Track 1 shares available. Means committing to picking up every other Friday for 4 pickups total starting Friday, April 1. Share cost: $100.

Pickups take place in Silver Lake near the corner of Rowena and Hyperion from 3pm to 7pm.

If you are interested, especially in Track 2, please let me know by noon on Wednesday (3/23)

If you would like to pick up every Friday for the next 9 weeks starting 3/25, this is totally do-able. Just please let me know you want Track 1 and Track 2 for a total of 9 pickups - share cost: $225. And please let me know by noon on Wednesday 3/23.

For an idea of what to expect, we post a list of the week's goodies + a recipe here. See previous entries.

Shoot me an email at info@silverlakefarms.com if you'd like to sign up or have any questions. Please specify which Track you'd like to be on (1, 2 or 1&2).

Thank you!

Tara

Spinach, Kale and Feta Pie

2011-03-18T16:47:00.000-07:00

It's high season for leafy greens, and today's box was over-flowing with many beautiful examples. You just may want to enjoy a lovely salad made from red leaf lettuce, mizuna, spinach, parsley, radish, carrots, and one of last week's avocados that may be ripe by now. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of fine olive oil, some crusty bread and a glass of wine might be the perfect dinner this evening.

If you you'd like to have a little more adventure in the kitchen, try this Spinach, Kale and Feta pie based on Spanakopita, a traditional Middle Eastern dish. It's a little bit of a production, but well worth the effort.

2 T olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
1-1/2 lbs spinach and kale, washed, mostly dried and chopped
1/2 C chopped green onion
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/3 lb crumbled feta cheese
1/2 C ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
freshly ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
melted butter (about 1/2 stick, more if necessary)
10 sheets (12" x 18") phyllo*

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" x 12" baking dish. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chopped onion in olive oil until translucent, about 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't let the onion brown.

3. Add the chopped spinach and kale and saute until well-wilted. Add the green onions and parsley and continue cooking, turning the heat down, if necessary, until all or most of the water has evaporated. The mixture should still be moist, not completely dry. Cool slightly.

4. Add the crumbled feta, ricotta, and eggs. Season with freshly ground nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well to combine. Set the filling aside while you prepare the phyllo.

5. Take 10 12"x 18" pieces of fresh phyllo dough. Cut them in half to make 20 12" x 9" pieces, and stack them. [Or cut phyllo to fit your pan. Whatever size, you'll need 20 sheets cut to fit.] Phyllo dries out easily, so work quickly and keep the phyllo stack covered with a dish cloth while you work.

6. Line the buttered baking dish with 1 piece of phyllo. Brush some melted butter on the phyllo, then stack another piece of phyllo on top and brush it with butter. Repeat until you've put 10 sheets of phyllo in the pan.

7. Spread the prepared filling on the buttered phyllo. Smooth the top, then cover with the remaining 10 pieces of phyllo, brushing more melted butter in between each piece and on top.

8. Bake at 350 until the top is golden brown and the center is cooked through about 30-40 minutes. Cut into squares and serve hot, room temperature, or cold. Leftovers, if there are any, make a nice lunch; or they freeze well, too.

**Phyllo, also called filo dough, is available frozen in most markets and fresh in some Middle eastern markets. If you are using frozen dough, be sure to defrost it thoroughly in the refrigerator before you use it.

At the pick-up this afternoon, I heard that some avocados are taking a long time to get ripe. That's normal. However, you can hasten ripening by putting avocados in a brown paper bag with a banana. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas which is a ripening agent. Bananas are picked unripe, so they emit a fair amount of ethylene gas while they ripen in your fruit basket. You can capture this natural ripening agent and put it to good use with your avocados. It'll still take days to ripen a hard avocado, but you can cut the ripening time by a third or even in half.

This week's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: red leaf lettuce, kale, spinach, mizuna, baby bok choy, napa cabbage, Easter radishes, yellow carrots, Cilantro, parsley, tangerines and a Zutano avocado.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: those divine satsuma mandarines and 2 Haas avocados.

And from Silver Lake Farms: radish shoots and 2 kinds of chard shoots. Yum!

Enjoy!

Shelley

Rutabaga Butternut Stovetop Tajine

2011-03-12T15:01:00.001-08:00

Here's another rutabaga recipe you might enjoy. It's a wonderful Moroccan-spiced vegetable stew called a tajine. Traditionally, a tajine is a stew made in a special clay pot also called a tajine. The pot is a beautiful round baking dish with a tall conical lid. I love making slow-cooked stews in my tajine, but they bake for several hours. Here's a delicious stovetop adaptation that takes less than half the time of a traditional tajine.

Prepare the spice mixture:

1 t cumin seeds
1 t coriander seeds
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t salt

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until aromative and lightly browned, 1-2 minutes. Cool, then grind in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle. Stir in cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

2-3 T olive oil
1 C chopped onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C carrots chopped in about 3/4-inch chunks
2 ribs celery chopped in about 1/2-inch chunks
2 C rutabaga chopped in 3/4-inch cubes
2 C butternut squash chopped in 3/4-inch cubes
Peel from 1/2 orange, pith removed
2 C water
1 C canned garbanzo beans
1 t agave syrup
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet or saucepan with a lid. Add onions and garlic. Stir to coat with oil. Add spice mixture and cook until onions are translucent, but do no brown.

2. Add carrot, celery, rutabaga, and butternut squash. Stir to coat with spices.

3. Coarsely chop orange peel and add it to the pot with 2C water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down slightly and cook on a medium simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.

4. Add the garbanzo beans and agave syrup. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very tender and the liquid has cooked off enough to make a very thick sauce, about another 15-20 minutes.

5. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve over couscous or rice.

Enjoy!

Shelley

What to Do with a Rutabaga

2011-03-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Given the regular appearance of roots vegetables in our CSA box, it's odd that we haven't had any rutabagas until now. I'm thrilled that this lovely vegetable (aka swede) with a beautiful yellow-orange color and a flavor that's a sweeter cross between between cabbage and turnips was included in today's bounty.

Anything you do with a turnip, you can do with a rutabaga. You can boil it, mash it, or roast it. You can even make oven-baked fries - they're delicious.

My favorite way to eat rutabaga is mashed with lots of butter and salt. Peel away the tough outer skin. Chop into medium to large chunks. Put the chunks in a pot of salted water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tender. Drain well. Mash. If the rutabag has retained excess water, you can return the mash to the same pot and boil it off. Otherwise, add butter, salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.

A close second to mashed rutabaga for me is oven roasted. Peel and chop into desired shapes. I like to make thick julienne. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in a 375 degree oven until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The time will vary depending on how thick you've chopped your rutabaga. Some people like to par-boil the rutabaga until nearly tender before roasting. You might like to toss red pepper flakes and/or chopped fresh parsley on the roasted rutabaga before serving.

It's probably no accident that rutabagas turned up right before St. Patrick's Day. They're a wonderful addition to the traditional meal of boiled corned beef and cabbage. If you start with a beef brisket that has already been "corned," or cured in brine, follow the directions on the package or put the beef in a pot with water. I like to add a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and cider vinegar, a bay leaf, 1 minced clove of garlic, some freshly ground pepper, and a little allspice (as well as any seasoning packet that might come with the corned beef). Cover and simmer until nearly tender. This could take 2 to 2-1/2 hours for a 3 pound corned beef.

When the corned beef is nearly tender, add 1 coarsely chopped onion, 1 lb of peeled potatoes, 1 C peeled carrots chunks, and 1 rutabaga peeled and cut into large chunks. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add 1 small cabbage, cored and cut into large wedges or chunks. Cover and simmer 15 minutes more. By now the corned beef should be fork tender. Remove from the heat. Let sit about 10 minutes. Then slice the meat and serve with the boiled vegetables. A chewy, grainy bread and some nice mustard are excellent accompaniments.

This week's box included:

From Underwood Family Farms: Japanese turnips, red chard, butter lettuce, fennel, 5# navel oranges, purple carrots, purple kale, celery root, French Breakfast radishes, and rutabagas.

Rancho Santa Cecilia proivded Hass avocados and satsuma mandarins.

From Silver Lake Farms: Pea shoots.

Enjoy!

Shelley

CSA Potluck Pics !

2011-03-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Good Times!!

Thank you everyone for coming to our first CSA potluck. The food was amazing; it was a really lovely day.

Thank you Nikos for entertaining us with your homegrown songs, especially the one about summer coming. Did you write the words down yet? They are all too good to forget.

Thanks Bruce and Jacquelyn for sending in pics. There's Jacquelyn with Rodney, pictured below.

And thanks to everyone behind the scenes at SLF for working so hard to get the garden ready.

with love,

tara

Fried Cauliflower and Onions

2011-03-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

My friends, Susan and Kirk, are visiting from Portland. They joined me this fine afternoon when I picked up my veggies. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, Susan started talking about how she prepares cauliflower. She chops it into very small pieces, much smaller than the typical florets, and sautes them with finely chopped onions in olive oil until brown and somewhat crispy. She got this idea from the chef, Caprial Pence's, blog.

As we drove home, we riffed on the many delicious possibilities that this basic preparation might lead to. Tossing in some toasted pine nuts and finishing the dish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley sounds like a terrific side dish. Susan says that Caprial Pence mixes the cauliflower with pasta, like pappardelle, and adds some cooked and crumbled Italian sausage. What a wonderful main course.

Here's how I'm going to make this dish:

2-3 T olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 medium cauliflower, trimmed and chopped into approximately 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 C toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
2-4 T finely grated parmesan cheese
2 T chopped parsley

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.

2. Add the onions and saute for 1 minute.

3. Add the chopped cauliflower and saute until brown and somewhat crispy.

4. Stir in the toasted pine nuts.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.

It wouldn't hurt to add a little heat to this dish in the form of red pepper flakes. Or you can go a different direction entirely and add raisins and a little finely grated orange peel. Whatever you do, have fun.

Here's what we had in our box this week:

From Underwood Family Farms: carrots, golden beets, Zintano avocado, broccoli, red leaf lettuce, French breakfast radishes, rainbow chard, lemon and butternut squash.

From Silver Lake Farms: arugula and mustard shoots.

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: those divine satsuma mandarins and Hass avocados.

And shareholder Debra brought in beautiful pink grapefruit. Thanks Debra!

Enjoy!

Shelley

Leek and Cheese Tart

2011-02-25T15:57:00.001-08:00

It's a cold and rainy weekend, in other words, a perfect weekend for staying in and cooking something delicious. That fat leek in today's box made me think of Leek and Cheese Tart. It's easier than quiche and just as tasty.

There are only 3 basic steps to making a fabulous Leek and Cheese Tart:
1. Make the crust
2. Saute the leeks
3. Grate the cheese.
Then you just assemble and bake.

You'll need a tart pan for this recipe. Don't use a pie pan instead. Pie pans are deeper than the shallower tart pan. If you don't have a tart pan, I suggest using a cookie sheet and making this tart flat, like a pizza.

1. Start by making a pie crust. I use a very simple recipe:

1-1/2 C flour
1 t salt
1 cold stick butter, cut into pieces
ice water

Pre-heat over to 400 degrees. Mix the salt into the flour until well distributed. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like little pebbles. Add enough ice water until the mixture just barely comes together. Form the dough into a ball. Knead once or twice and roll out on a floured surface.

A few tips on pie crust: Work quickly with cold ingredients. You don't want the butter to melt (until the crust bakes). You can use a food processor to mix up the dough; just be careful not to over mix. I love using a pastry cloth, which is just a piece of canvas, to roll out dough. The dough never sticks (because the cloth is saturated with flour); and it's simple to turn the rolled dough into a pie or tart pan.

Roll the dough out to fill a 10-inch tart pan. Press the dough into the tart pan. Poke a few small "pin-holes" in the crust with the tines of a fork. Bake the empty crust for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven. Set aside. Turn the oven heat down to 375.

2. Prepare the leeks while the crust cooks: Wash the leek(s) and thinly slice the white portion of the leek. You can use some of the lighter green portion, too, but the dark green part is less flavorful and much tougher. Saute the sliced leeks in a little butter, stirring occasionally, until very soft. You can season them with a little salt and pepper, if you'd like, but remember that cheese is pretty salty.

3. While the leeks are cooking, grate the cheese. I particularly like using a good Gruyere for this tart. Sometimes I mix in some Emmenthaler, too. However, you can use any hard, meltable cheese that you'd like. You'll need about 2 C of grated cheese for a 10-inch tart.

Assemble and bake: Mix the sauteed leeks with the grated cheese and spread evenly over the partially baked crust. Return to the oven and bake an additional 35-40 minutes. The crust and cheese should be golden.

If the cheese seems to be burning, you can cover the tart loosely with a piece of foil.

Omnivores might like to add some chopped ham, prosciutto, or cooked and crumbled bacon to the cheese and leek mix. You can change the character of this tart entirely by using a combination of cheddar and jack cheese and stirring in some cooked and crumbled chorizo into the filling. Feel free to get creative.

This tart is delicious hot, room temperature, or cold. Mix up a green salad with today's lovely head of lettuce and microgreens and you have a wonderful meal.

Today's bounty included:

From Underwood: celery, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, broccoli, artichokes, leek, lettuce, and cilantro.

Radish, mustard, and arugula micro-greens from Silver Lake Farms.

Satsuma mandarins and Hass avocadoes from Rancho Santa Cecilia.

And thanks to shareholder Anselm for donating Yuzu fruit from his tree.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Candied Tangerine Peel

2011-02-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

pictured left - sapote fruit, and below that, celery root/celeriac at pickup today.

Citrus is abundantly in season right now as evidenced by the weekly inclusion of tangerines and oranges in our CSA box. The fruit and juice are delicious. But don't throw away those peels. You can make wonderful candy from them.

Candied orange peel is probably most common, but I like to candy tangerine and grapefruit peel, too. The technique is the same; and it's so simple. It's a fun thing to do on a rainy afternoon.

Most recipes call for the fruit to be cut into quarters, the flesh removed, and the peel (pith attached) cut into strips. This is a fine way to prepare your fruit. However, I like to peel the fruit by hand, pulling off odd-shaped pieces. I also like to remove some of the pith with a sharp knife. Whatever you decide to do, you can't go wrong.

Candied citrus peel is delicious all by itself. It can chopped and added to fruit salad, yogurt, breakfast cereal, or your favorite muffin recipe. It can be used decoratively on cakes and other baked goods. Dip the candied peel in tempered chocolate and let it harden for an elegant treat.

It takes a day or two for the peel to fully dry. Wait until the peel is dry to dip in chocolate.

Start with about 1-2 C of peel. Place in a medium saucepan. Add water to the pan to cover peels completely and have about an inch of water on top. Bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse well and drain again.

Then bring 3 C of granulated suagr and 3 C of water to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the peel. Return to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the peel is very soft, about 45 minutes.

Remove pan from the heat. Drain the peel and toss in 1 C granulated sugar until peel is well-coated. Separate any pieces that stick together and place candied peel on a cooling rack set inside (or over) a cookie sheet. The rack allows for air circulation so the peel will dry on all sides. Let stand for 1-2 days until the peel drys.

This weeks harvest included:

From Underwood: celery root, 1 bunch purple kale, 1 bunch golden beets, 1# tangerines, 1 bunch tatsoi, 1 Napa cabbage, 1 bunch spinach, and 1 butter lettuce, 1 Pinkerton avocado

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: 1 Bacon avocado, and 1# sapote fruit.

From Weiser Family Farms: 1# Russian banana potatoes.

From Silver Lake Farms: radish, arugula and mustard microgreens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Carrot Raisin Muffins

2011-02-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

left, SLF mustard microgreens + Mark Stambler's freshly baked CSA loaves delivered to pickup by Erik Knutzen on his bicycle.

Carrots are so naturally sweet, it's hard to believe they're good for you, too. Even simply prepared steamed carrots, glazed or mashed, can taste practically like dessert. That's probably why you find carrots included in many sweet baked goods.

I particularly like carrot muffins because they are both tasty and versatile. You can serve them up hot out of the oven with breakfast or lunch; or you can spoon a little orange glaze or spread a little cream cheese frosting on top and turn them into a relatively healthy dessert.

Another thing I like about carrot muffins is that you can add raisins or dried cranberries to the batter and/or nuts such as chopped walnuts or pecans.

Many muffin recipes instruct you to use paper or foil baking cups. While they may lend an attractive professional look to your muffins, they're really just more trash for the landfill, so I recommend greasing your muffin pan well and foregoing the extra paper.

This recipe is adapted from Elizabeth Alston's cookbook, Muffins. She suggests slathering them with honey butter while still warm. Now that sounds delicious!

Carrot Raisin Muffins

For approximately 12 regular-sized muffins:

1-1/2 C flour or 1 C all purpose flour + 1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C milk
4 T (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 C grated carrots
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tin(s).

2. Mix flour(s), baking powder, spices and salt together in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in milk and melted butter. Then stir in grated carrots, raisins, and nuts.

4. Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and fold until just combined. Do not over-mix.

5. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until springy when touched in the center. Turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz pkg cream cheese, cold
4T (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1-1/2 to 2 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 t vanilla flavoring

Cream the butter and cream cheese together until combined. Gradually add confectioner's sugar beating until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Spread the frosting with a knife on cooled muffins or pipe out of a pastry bag fitted with a rosette tip.

Orange Glaze

2 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/4 C fresh-squeezed orange juice, strained
1/4 t finely grated orange rind

Combine all ingredients and whisk or stir until smooth. Spoon or drizzle over cooled muffins.

Honey Butter

Stir 2-3 T honey into 1 stci slightly softened butter. Re-chill, if desired.

This week's bounty included:

From Underwood Family Farms: 2# broccoli, 1 fennel bulb, 1 bunch Easter radishes, 1 bunch purple carrots, 1 bunch mizuna, 2 bunches spinach, 4# navel oranges, and 1 bunch arugula.

Mustard microgreens from Silver Lake Farms.

From Weiser Family Farms : 1 medium onion and 1 # parsnips.

And from Rancho Santa Cecilia: 2 avocados and 1 # of delicious satsuma mandarins.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

2011-02-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

Kale and cannellini beans are a great match. The creamy beans balance the mild bitterness of the kale; and the two contrasting colors - light and dark - make for a visually attractive combination. This hearty soup, based on a Tuscan soup called Ribollita, makes a delicious one-dish meal.

A little advanced planning is needed if you want to start with dried cannellini beans, but the enhanced flavor is worth the extra effort. Canned cannellini beans are a fine, time-saving alternative. Once you've prepared the beans, the soup is a cinch to make.

To start with dried beans: Place 1 C dried cannellini beans in a pot large enough to cover the beans with 3 inches of cold water. That's 3 inches over the beans. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Then drain the beans and return them to the pot. Add 5 C water, 1/2 C chopped onion, 2 whole garlic cloves (peeled), 1 bay leaf, and 1/2 T salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 hour, maybe a little longer. Drain the beans, but keep the cooking liquid.

For the soup:
1 T olive oil
1/2 C chopped onion
2 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 C chopped celery
1 C chopped carrots
2-3 C cooked cannellini beans
3 C cooking liquid from the cannellini beans or stock
1 C canned diced Italian tomatoes in juice
1 bay leaf
1 t dried oregano
2-3 C chopped kale
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and garlic for about 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the celery and carrots and cook for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the cannellini beans, cooking liquid or stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano and kale. Simmer partially covered, stirring occassionally, for about 30 minutes or until the soup thickens.

4. Add the cheese and stir until melted and mixed well into the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a grainy bread.

I like to smash some of the cannellini beans when stirring to thicken the soup. Omnivores might like to add some crumbled Italian sausage, but it's plenty hearty without meat.

Here's what this week's harvest brought us:

Young radish and chard micro-greens from Silver Lake Farms
Satsuma mandarins and Mexican white guavas from Rancho Santa Cecilia
And from Underwood Family Farms: celery, iceberg lettuce, purple kale, white carrots, leeks, French radishes. golden beets, Japanese turnips, and butternut squash.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Celeriac Slaw

2011-01-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Celeriac, also know as celery root, is a vegetable we don't see very often in our CSA box. Too bad, it's delicious and quite versatile. Don't be put off by it's homely look. It has a wonderful celery flavor and a texture that's fine cooked or raw.

A little bit of preparation is all that's required to discover its many uses. First, cut away the small celery-like stalks and leaves. You can save them for another use. They add nice flavoring to soups and stews. Or you can throw them into the compost pile or feed them to the chickens. My girls love anything that's green and leafy.

Next, remove the tough outer skin of the root. I find it's easiest to cut the root into quarters and then peel with a knife. Now you're ready to make any number of tasty treats. Try a smooth and creamy soup by chopping the root, boiling it in water or broth until soft and pureeing it until smooth. Add a little onion and/or potato to the boiling mix for a little more complexity of flavor and finish it off with a little cream.

Celeriac is great roasted, too. Cut the trimmed and peeled root into wedges, toss with a little olive oil and roast in the oven until tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.

One of my favorite ways to eat celeriac is in this crunchy slaw. You can double this recipe if you like.

3 C trimmed, peeled and grated celeriac
1 C trimmed, peeled and grated carrot
2 T finely minced onion (or more to taste)
1/4 C chopped parsley
1/3 C mayonnaise
3-4 T rice vinegar
1/2 - 1 t sugar or agave syrup (optional)
1-2 t prepared hoseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a bowl, toss together the grated celeriac, carrots, onion and parsley.

2. In a separate small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sugar and horseradish until well combined.

3. Pour the dressing over the slaw. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

You can serve this slaw immmediately, but it's better if it's allowed to chilled for a couple of hours.

Here's what we had in our box today:

Meyer lemons from shareholder Celia - thank you Celia!!

Silver Lake Farms microgreens: arugula, mustard (pictured above) and pea shoots

Golden or candy cane beets and Russian banana potatoes from Weiser Family Farms

Bacon avocados from Rancho Santa Cecilia

From Underwood: 1 # broccoli, 1 head cauliflower, 1 bunch green kale, 1 green cabbage, 1 red leaf lettuce, bunch carrots, 2 # Navel oranges, celeriac, and celery.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Silver Lake Farms CSA Quinoa Salad

2011-01-21T16:58:00.000-08:00

Quinoa is a delicious and nutritious grain with a slightly nutty flavor. By itself, it's a great side dish. However, you can toss it with all kinds of vegetables to make fabulous salads. This week's CSA box has just what you need to make a super tasty quinoa salad.

Start with 4-5 C of cooked quinoa, fluffed and cooled. Cook the quinoa according to the directions of the package. Like rice, quinoa approximately doubles in size when cooked.

Then take:
1 C peeled and thinly sliced carrots
3/4 C thinly sliced celery
1/2 C chopped onion
2 C chopped kale or chard

You can add these ingredients raw to the quinoa, but I like to cook them briefly, both to soften them and to bring out their flavors. To cook: Heat 1 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion first, cook for 1 minute. Then add the remaining ingredients. Stir to coat them with the oil. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper, if desired. Then cover and cook until they reach the desired softness, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the quinoa and stir to combine. Then make the dressing:

1/2 C olive oil
1/3 C rice vinegar
juice of 1 satsuma tangerine
1/4 C finely chopped fresh parsley (or any combination of herbs that you like)
2 T finely sliced green onion
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the dressing ingredients briskly until well-combined. You should have about 1 C of dressing. Pour as much dressing as desired over the quinoa and toss to coat. Unused dressing will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. I like to add mashed roasted shallot (or garlic) to this dressing. It deepens the flavor of the dressing. Sometimes, I add a pinch of sugar or 1/4 t agave syrup to cut the sharpness.

Enjoy!

Shelley

And here's what was in our box this afternoon:

bunch red beets or butternut squash
bunch carrots or delicata squash
Napa cabbage or rhubarb
white cauliflower or tuffy acorn squash
butter lettuce or bunch chard
1# broccoli or 1# onions
celery or cilantro + parsley
2 leeks or 1# parsnips
bunch purple kale or bunch dill
SLF mustard and radish microgreens
Russian banana spuds
1# satsuma mandarins
2 black Hass avocados

Kale and Onion Quesadillas

2011-01-14T16:00:00.000-08:00

Pictured left is a perfectly perfect Romanesco cauliflower from our pickup today, courtesy Weiser Family Farms.

Quesadillas are one of the easiest things you can make for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I just love filling a flour tortilla with freshly scrambled eggs and grated cheese and frying it in a hot cast iron skillet (my substitute for a comal) until the tortilla is golden and slightly crisp and the cheese is oozing out the sides. Sometimes I add crisp, crumbled bacon or sauteed red onion, or mushrooms and peppers - whatever is fresh and in season.

For lunch and dinner, I usually skip the eggs and turn to savory vegetables. The combination of kale and onions is wonderful in a quesadilla. Slice the onion thinly lengthwise and saute it in a little oil until the onion is translucent. Chop the kale in thin slices and add it to the onions. Cook until soft. In the meantime, grate some jack cheese. You can use pepper jack if you'd like some spice, or try asadero cheese, which is a Mexican cheese available in most markets.

You can use flour or corn tortillas, but for this quesadilla, I prefer corn tortillas. If you have access to thicker, hand-made style tortillas, even better.

To cook the quesadillas: Heat a cast iron or heavy-duty skillet (or a comal, which is essentially a cast iron flat griddle pan) over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with a small amount of oil. Place a tortilla on the pan. Let it warm up for a moment. Then put some kale-onion mixture on the tortilla and sprinkle a generous amount (or to taste) of grated cheese on top. When the tortilla is soft, fold it over, being careful not to spill out the ingredients. Brown it on one side, then flip it over and brown it on the other. The cheese should be fully melted when the quesadilla is browned on both sides. If the tortilla is browning too quickly, then turn down the heat a bit.

You can make as many quesadillas at a time as your pan will hold. They're best served hot, but be careful to let the cheese cool down a bit before biting into it so you don't get burned.

Another wonderful addition to this basic recipe is potatoes and our Weiser Farms spuds are perfect for this dish. It's best for the potatoes to be slightly par-boiled before adding them to the skillet with the onions. And they should be diced no larger than 1/4 inch or thinly sliced. I really like seasoning them with a little smoked paprika, too. Make sure you cook the potatoes until they're nearly done before adding the kale to the pan.

Omnivores might enjoy adding some browned and crumbled sausage, too. Quesadillas offer endless possibilities for creativity so have some fun and enjoy this recipe. By the way, you can substitute chard for kale if you prefer.

A few words about cherimoyas: Don't cut into that cherimoya until it softens a bit. It should yield to slight pressure like an avocado when ripe. If you've never tasted a cherimoya, you're in for a treat. When ripe, this exotic fruit has a sweet and slightly tropical flavor. It best enjoyed sliced in half and scooped out (sans pits) or peeled, pitted and chopped in chunks. There are quite a few pits.

I like cherimoya best as is, but you can do a few things with it other than adding it to a fruit salad. Try it with yogurt and a little honey. Puree the peeled and pitted fruit and make a sorbet or use it in ice cream, add it to your favorite custard recipe, mix it into a smoothie or a cocktail, or use it as a base for a salad dressing. Slices or chunks of cherimoya can adorn a fruit tart along with other seasonal fruits.

This week's bounty included the following:

Either 1 butternut squash or a delicata and a Tuffy acorn squash
Either a bunch of yellow carrots or a bunch of red carrots
1 # parsnips
4# navel oranges or 1 cherimoya
1 bunch purple kale or 1 bunch chard
1 bunch Easter radishes or 1/2 # Jerusalem arichokes
1 red leaf lettuce or 1 bunch dandelion greens
1 bunch candy beets or a Romanesco cauliflower
lemons or herbs (cilantro and parsley)
1 # Russian banana potatoes
1 # satsuma tangerines or 2 black Hass avocados
1 # medium onions

Enjoy!

Shelley

Elizabeth is Back!

2011-01-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

Fun first day back at CSA, meeting new shareholders, catching up. Feels good to be back. The potluck Sunday idea is a definite go. (Thanks Bruce and Rachel aka Brachel.) Lots of great feedback. We'll hold the first one at SLF. We've started getting the garden ready with Josh Marcuson of Marcuson Tree Management giving us a leg up. He is lovely, delivered big fragrant piles of fresh mulch, wood shavings like sawdust for the compost pile, and gorgeous wooden steps in the form of dozens of thick circular slices cut from the trunk of a huge pine tree that fell over in the wind in Los Feliz. The steps are going in the new berry and kiwi fruit area of the garden.

Elizabeth is back! One of my lovely flower girls. When I had a flower stand at the Silverlake Farmers' Market, Elizabeth and Sherry and I created bouquets on the fly for customers who loved my organic blooms. I miss those days. I can't wait to get back. Nearly there. We just have a lot to do at Glassell Park first. Beat's installed the irrigation valves; the Blu-Lock system that Scott Kleinrock introduced me to at the Hungtington's experimental ag station, the Ranch, is nearly all in. I just have to send soil samples off to Wallace Labs and Soil Foodweb. Then I'll take it from there. The soil is a real challenge at the new growing ground but I'm looking forward to applying the Soil Foodweb approach, and studying the results under a microscope.

It was fun having Elizabeth back, helping out at CSA. I asked Elizabeth, "what do you prefer: working with flowers or vegetables?" She said she likes both. Creating bouquets on the spot at market in front of all the customers is demanding; you have to be really good, very creative, thoughtful about everyone's needs, and very fast under pressure. Distributing vegetables at CSA pickup makes you want to linger, discuss flavors, share recipes, compare styles, TALK. Engage in group conversation.

I love CSA Fridays.

Here's what we had today:

From Underwood

head of iceberg lettuce (yeah, it's cold)

bunch of turnips

bunch of curly kale

Napa cabbage

purple or chartreuse cauli

leeks

broccoli

arugula

mizuna

From Rancho Santa Cecilia

tangerine satsumas

avocados

From Weiser Family Farms

mixed bunches of beets

From Silver Lake Farms

meyer lemons (which ain't much I know but the tree was dripping and these lemons are so good and what else am I going to do with so many? Rachel! When are we making lemony things?)

Microgreens will return as soon as I stop forgetting to hand shower the flats we grow them in. I turned the irrigation system off when it first started raining weeks ago. The sun came out, and I forgot about the microgreens. Plus it's cold and growth has slowed drastically on the north side of the hill where we are. All this to say: microgreens back soon!

Tara

Full Moon Chicken Salad

2011-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

I've been making this chicken salad since graduate school. My roommate loved this recipe and insisted I make it at least once a month - sometimes more often. She dubbed it Full Moon Chicken Salad and the name stuck. Even though the full moon is nearly two weeks away, you can enjoy it now or during phase of the moon.

It's a great blueprint recipe. You can add or omit ingredients. Vegetarians can replace the chicken with grilled tofu, or skip it altogether. I use avocado and tangerine, especially in winter when they're in season. In summer, I add thinly sliced red bell pepper. Feel free to be creative. Thin, julienned pickled ginger gives the salad a nice tang. Thinly sliced or shredded red cabbage is another attractive addition.

Here's the basic recipe:

5-6 C finely sliced Napa Cabbage
2 C grated carrots
1 C thinly sliced green onion
1/2 C loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/2 coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
1 C tangerine segments (or supremes with the membranes removed)
1 large avocado, not overly ripe, diced**
2 C chopped or sliced grilled chicken breast
1 finely sliced serrano chili, or less to taste (optional)

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Then make the dressing.

**To dice an avocado: Cut it in half lengthwise. Remove (and compost) the pit. Holding one half in your hand peel side down, score the flesh lengthwise and crosswise being careful to cut to the peel, but not through the peel. Then scoop out the flesh and separate the dice. Compost the skin. Repeat with the other half.

Dressing:
1/2 C rice vinegar
2-4 T sesame oil (or half sesame oil and half canola oil)
2 T soy sauce
1-2 T honey or agave syrup
1 T fresh finely grated ginger
1/2 t black pepper
2-3 T sesame seeds

Whisk together all the ingredients (except sesame seeds) until well combined. Pour over the salad and toss until well coated. Season with a little salt if desired. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and toss to mix in.

This week's CSA box included: iceberg lettuce, turnips, green kale, green or purple cauliflower, leeks, broccoli, arugula, mizuna, beets, Meyer lemons, avocados and tangerines.

Here's a bonus recipe from Rachel at Silver Lake Farms. She shared this with me when I picked up my veggies this afternoon. It sounds delicious.

Rachel's Kale and Cauliflower Salad

Wash and dry the cauliflower. Remove (and compost) the leaves. Break into florets and thinly slice the florets with a mandoline.

Wash and dry the kale. Remove (and compost) the tough stems. Chop finely.

Toss the cauliflower and kale together with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

Rachel didn't give me the proportions, but you can probably figure them out. Just use whatever amounts seem good to you.

Enjoy!

Shelley

CSA Shares Available now !

2011-01-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year !!

Shares are available now for Round 7 of our CSA program starting this coming Friday, Jan 7th. It's a 10-week program ending March 11.

If you're interested in owning a Track 1 share it means committing to picking up your produce every other Friday for 5 pickups total starting this coming Friday, Jan 7. I only have 4 Track 1 shares available so get in now! Share cost: $125.

I also have 8 Track 2 shares available. Means committing to picking up every other Friday for 5 pickups total starting Friday, Jan 14. Share cost: $125.

Pickups take place in Silver Lake near the corner of Rowena and Hyperion from 3pm to 7pm.

If you are interested, especially in Track 1, please let me know by noon on Wednesday (1/5).

If you would like to pick up every Friday for the next 10 weeks starting 1/7, this is totally do-able. Just please let me know you want Track 1 and Track 2 for a total of 10 pickups - share cost: $250. And please let me know by noon on Wednesday 1/5.

For an idea of what to expect, we post a list of the week's goodies + a recipe here. See previous entries.

Shoot me an email at info@silverlakefarms.com if you'd like to sign up or have any questions. Please indicate which Track you'd like to be on.

Thank you!

Tara

Butternut Squash and Roasted Poblano Casserole

2010-12-17T18:44:00.000-08:00

I celebrated Thanksgiving this year with friends in Culver City. Everyone brought a dish. My friend, Mary Beth Puffer, made a fabulous squash and roasted poblano casserole. She said it was a variation of a recipe from the Food and Wine website. Food and Wine gives credit to chef, Julie Robles, at Tavern restaurant.

It's a little work, but so worth the effort. At Thanksgiving it was a hearty side dish, but it makes a rich and beautiful vegetarian entree as well. Here's a version that serves six.

3 large poblano peppers (about 3/4 lb)
1 large butternut squash (about 2 lbs)
4-5 T extra virgin olive oil
3/4 t coarsely chopped thyme
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 t coarsely chopped oregano
1/4 C heavy cream
1/3 C sour cream or creme fraiche
2 T finely diced jalapenos
4 oz Monterey Jack or Manchego cheese, shredded
4 oz farmer cheese
toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under the broiler until they are charred all over. Transfer them to a bowl. Cover and allow them to cool. When cool, peel, stem, and seed the peppers (compost the discards) and cut the peppers into thin strips.

2. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Peel the squash. Compost the seeds and peels. Cut the squash crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices.

3. Brush the squash slices with 2-3 T olive oil. Spread them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1/2 t thyme, salt and pepper. Roast squash at 400 degrees until tender, about 25 minutes.

4. While squash is roasting, heat 1-2 T olive oil in a deep skillet. Add the onion, garlic, oregano and 1/4 t thyme. Cook over moderate heat until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes.

5. Add the roasted poblano strips and cook until very tender, about 5 minutes.

6. Add the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.

7. Remove from the heat and stir in the sour cream or creme fraiche and the jalapenos. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Spoon half of the poblano mixture into a large baking dish. Top with half the butternut squash and half the shredded cheese and farmer cheese. Repeat the same layers.

9. Bake at 425 degrees until the gratin is golden and bubbling, about 20-30 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds before serving.

Mary Beth added 1T of pickled persimmon juice to her casserole. She said it added a little zing. If you don't happen to have pickled persimmon juice, you can try 1-2 t rice vinegar. Stir it into the poblano mixture.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Today's harvest included:

romaine lettuce or cilantro
2 # broccoli or 2 # onions
carrots
turnips or beets
cabbage or 3 avocados
cauliflower or 1 # limes
butternut squash
satsuma mandarins
1 # parsnips
1 # potatoes
microgreens

Cream of Celery Soup

2010-12-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

Last week's warm weather was a nice treat, but we're back to winter again. A soothing and warm soup is just the ticket for these cool days. And this soup is super simple to make.

Scrub and peel 1 lb potatoes. Compost the peels. Cut the potatoes in large chunks.

Wash and trim (if necessary) 1 lb celery. Compost any trimmings. Cut the celery in large chunks.

Peel 1/2 medium onion. Compost peel. Cut into large chunks.

Place potatoes, celery, and onion in a medium stockpot. Add 2-3 C vegetable stock, chicken stock or water. Cover tightly. Bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until all vegetables are very soft, about 20 minutes.

Cool slightly. Then puree with an immersion blender, in a food processor, or in a regular blender. Stir in additional stock (1-2 C) to achieve desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/4 C (or more to taste) heavy cream. Re-heat to hot before serving.

This soup is delicious as is, or you can season it with a little thyme or dill. Lemon thyme is also very nice if you have it.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Thoughts of The Soil Foodweb at pickup today

2010-12-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ronnie did the honors today, driving to collect the various harvests for our CSA. He picked up all sorts of things, including me from the airport! Thanks Ronnie!

I just got back from Oregon. I spent four days learning about soil biology from scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham. She is a genius, deserves a Nobel Prize. If more farmers adopted her biological approach, icky agrichemicals - and the demand for them - would be vastly reduced. The world doesn't need NPK, it needs B. BIOLOGY. She has data, case studies and proof that good soil biology produces robust, healthy crops. If farmers focused on maintaining that - a soil teeming with a diverse range of carefully farmed microorganisms - then application after application of NPK wouldn't be necessary, nor would tilling or discing. Dr. Elaine Ingham is to Good, what Monsanto is to Evil.

Ingham's Soil Foodweb approach is all I plan to use at our new growing ground in Glassell Park. It's chez Laura and Andrew Avery (and thank goodness for them!) I'm going to feed and monitor the biology in the soil there, grow flowers without adding any blood or bone meal - nothing but compost and compost teas - and log the progress. A new 400 x microscope and Earthfort tea brewer now rank as VITs (Very Important Tools) in my still non-exitent toolshed.

Here's what we had at CSA pickup today:

Tierra Miguel Foundation: red kuri, butternut and tuffy squashes; cilantro; oregano; gorgeous carrots; persimmons. Big hug to the team at Tierra Miguel. They've been dealing with some harsh weather conditions that have damaged crops yet they still deliver and always with a smile and friendly warmth. Thank you Erin + team!!

Underwood Family Farms: purple kale, red leaf lettuce, fennel bulb, spaghetti squash, leek, French breakfast radish, artichokes, celery, nappa cabbage.

Weiser Family Farms: Russian Banana potatoes, beets, watermelon radishes, heirloom carrots.

Rancho Santa Cecilia: mandarin satsumas, limes

Silver Lake Farms: pea shoot microgreens and red and yellow chard microgreens mix.

Thanks everyone and see you soon!

Tara

Green Chile Pork Stew

2010-12-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

I picked up my CSA box yesterday along with my pork package from Silver Lake Farms' pig share program. This week's box had just about everything I needed to make a fabulous green chile pork stew!

I cut my stewing pork (about 3 lbs) into about 1-inch chunks and browned them in a little olive oil. While they were browning, I chopped some onion, carrots, parsnips, celery, and 1 clove of garlic. I sauteed the veggies and garlic in a big stew pot, using a little more oil. Then I added the browned pork, a large can of green chile sauce, a can of water, a bay leaf, a little salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. I simmered this stew on very low heat, covered for the first hour and partially covered for the second hour.

When the meat was barely tender, I added big chunks of potatoes and finished cooking until the meat was completely tender (another 30-45 minutes). I'm taking this stew to a holiday pot-luck this evening.

I like to make my own green chile sauce from scratch, fire-roasting green anaheim chiles (plus 1-2 serranos for heat), then peeling, pureeing, and cooking the anaheims with the serranos, garlic, cumin, bay leaf, oregano, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a little epazote, too. This sauce freezes well. But I didn't have any home-made sauce, so I used a can. Either way, it's a hearty and delicious meal.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Dilly Mac 'n Cheese

2010-12-05T08:09:00.000-08:00

The minute I saw that big bunch of fresh dill in my CSA box I couldn't wait to get home and make one of my favorite mac 'n cheese variations. With just three main ingredients, this recipe is so easy you can whip it up in a few minutes more than it takes to boil pasta.

Dilly Mac 'n Cheese makes a great vegetarian main dish; just add a salad. Omnivores might like it as a side dish with chicken or fish. It's a particularly good complement for lemony flavors so you might want to use a lemon vinaigrette on your salad or lemon pepper or a lemony piccata sauce on your chicken or fish. Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you're going to enjoy this quick and tasty dish.

1 lb orzo pasta
1 large bunch fresh dill
3/4 - 1 lb feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook orzo per directions on package.

2. While waiting for the water to boil (or while orzo is cooking), trim the stems off the dill and compost them. Chop the dill finely and set aside.

3. Crumble the feta and set aside.

4. When the orzo is done cooking, quickly drain it well. Do not rinse. Return it to the hot pan (but don't turn on the heat). Add the crumbled feta and chopped dill. Stir until the cheese melts and everything is well mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

You can use a different pasta shape if you'd like, but I find that orzo works especially well for this dish.

I like this dish on the cheese-y side, but you can add more or less cheese, or dill for that matter, to taste.

Feta cheese can be somewhat salty so taste before adding salt.

You can doll up this dish by adding chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Sometimes I grate a little bit of lemon zest into it for extra zing. In the summertime when my garden is overrun with zucchini squash, I'll thinly slice and saute some zucchini and stir it in with the cheese and dill.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Sapote !

2010-12-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

Last summer, Ronnie came to Los Angeles as a w.w.o.o.f 'er (world wide opportunities on organic farms). He stayed at Edendale Farm just up the road, and volunteered in exchange for a place to kip. Just before returning to the East Coast, he helped me out for a day in Glassell Park, prepping soil and beds at our new growing ground. He worked on a couple of farms in Vermont, and kept in touch.

Ronnie really likes L.A., being outdoors, working with plants and soil, growing food. So now he's back! Helping out at Silver Lake Farms, especially with the CSA. Thank you so much Ronnie!

This week, Ronnie went to Underwood in Moorpark and brought back:

Butter lettuce

Purple carrots

Golden beets

Japanese turnips

Kale

Mizuna

Chard

Arugula

Cauliflower

Valencia oranges

We were supposed to get broccoli but, well, we didn't!

From Winnetka Farms: Italian heirloom salad greens

From Weiser Family Farms: onions, parsnips, Russian banana bakers

From Tierra Miguel: dill, cilantro, carrots, beets, chard

From Rancho Santa Cecilia: Sapotes and avocados.

Anyone got a recipe for sapotes?

Bruce and Rachel at Silver Lake Farms supplied the most beautiful mustard microgreens. Mild spicy and good-looking with their green leaves blushing with burgundy flecks.

Shelley will post a recipe soon.

Have a lovely weekend and see you soon.

Tara

PS. We did it! We controlled our own food source !! More on that later.

Soothing Potato and Leek Soup

2010-11-26T17:49:00.000-08:00

Here's what was available at the Silver Lake pick-up this afternoon:

From Weiser Family Farms there were parsnips and Russian Banana spuds.

From Underwood Family Farm there were broccoli, celery, orange carrots, leeks, red chard. green leaf lettuce, candy beets, butternut squash, and hachiya persimmons.

Potato and Leek Soup

A simple and soothing soup is the perfect antidote to the indulgences of Thanksgiving and our CSA box today included the perfect fixings for such a soup: leeks and potatoes. There are many versions of this classic combination. I like my recipe because it's not only delicious, but super easy and quick, too.

1 T butter
2 medium leeks
1 to 1-1/2 lb potatoes
3-4 C chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
1/4 C cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped Italian parsley for garnish

1. Melt butter in medium stock pot on very low heat.

2. Wash the leeks. Trim off the root ends and put in the compost. Thinly slice the white and very light green parts of the leeks. You'll probably have to re-wash the leeks as you pull off the outer layers, as dirt often lodges in them.

3. Put the sliced leeks in the stock pot and cook on very low heat. Do not brown. Compost the remaining tough leek stalks.

4. Peel the potatoes and chop into chunks. Add to the stock pot. Compost the peels.

5. Add the stock or water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until leeks and potatoes are very tender, about 15-20 minutes.

6. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. [Alternatively, you can puree the soup in a food processor or blender, but let it cool a little before doing so.]

7. Stir in cream, if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley.

A nice crusty bread and this soup make a lovely meal.

Enjoy!

Shelley

What to Do with Red Kuri Squash

2010-11-19T17:58:00.000-08:00

Six different farmers and a shareholder provided today's bounty. Here's what was available at the Silver Lake pick-up this evening:

From Underwood Family Farms, there were valencia oranges, spaghetti squash, romaine lettuce, fennel, kale, and boy choy or boy toy or bok choi (depending on where you're at in life)

Tierra Miguel Foundation provided red kuri squash, horehound mint (native to California), cilantro, dill, beets, chard and carrots.

From Weiser Farms there Russian banana potatoes, brown onions.

Winnetka Farms provided salad greens.

Rancho Santa Cecilia in Carpenteria provided limes, Satsuma tangerines, and Hass avocados.

Shareholder Brian Lee provided beautiful and fragrant guavas from his garden. Thank you Brian!

Silver Lake Farms provided delicious microgreens: arugula and pak choi.

Also this week, there were 2 special items: Sriracha sauce "made with jalapeno peppers exclusively grown by Underwood Ranch" and cured, smoked and carmelized pork belly from the fabulous Rashida Purifoy, chef/owner of Cast Iron Gourmet.

I'm fine with the swine, so I couldn't wait to get home to open my container of carmelized pork belly. In fact, I had to exercise extraordinary will-power not to eat the entire container before pulling into my driveway!

I met Rashida Purifoy, chef/owner of Cast Iron Gourmet, at the Eagle Rock Brewery recently where I tasted (and purchased) her fine pork products. In fact, I had some delicious Cast Iron Gourmet bacon for breakfast this morning. I cooked the thick slices crisp and served them with fresh eggs I got from my chickens. Earlier this week, I served her divine bacon chutney on crackers to a visiting friend. What a treat!

Red Kuri Squash

If you're wondering about red kuri squash, so was I. I've seen it in stores, but never cooked with it. So, the first thing I did when I got home was cut it in half, seeded it (compost those seeds) and roasted it in the oven (along with an acorn squash I had in my fridge) until it was soft, about an hour.

My roasted kuri squash had a rich and slightly nutty flavor. It was less sweet and more starchy than the acorn squash. It reminded me a lot in texture of potato, so I mashed it with butter and a little milk and seasoned it with salt, pepper and freshly-ground nutmeg. It turned out to be a wonderful alternative to ordinary mashed potatoes and would make a deliciously different addition to the Thanksgiving table.

Red kuri squash is a variety of winter squash, so called because unlike summer squash, you can store it for many months. Most winter squashes can be used interchangeably, so you can certainly substitute red kuri squash for the butternut squash in the recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup I posted on October 15; and you can probably use red kuri in shareholder Christina's Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe that was posted on January 11, 2010.

More Thanksgiving Sides: Sauteed Kale and Orange Fennel Salad

Sauteed kale and/or chard make a wonderful side dish for Thanksgiving. Here's a quick recipe using several of today's CSA products:

Chop 1/4 onion finely and saute in a heavy skillet with a lid on low heat in 1 T olive oil or bacon grease. Add 1/4 to 1/2 C chopped carmelized pork belly. Cook until onion is translucent and pork belly is as soft or crisp as desired. While onions are cooking, chop the kale and/or chard (leaf and stem) cross-wise into 1/2 to 3/4" slices. Add to skillet and cook slowly on low heat, covered, until desired doneness. I like my kale to be soft, but some folks like it with a little bite. It's up to you. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you're looking for a tasty salad, try this Orange Fennel Salad:

2 bunches arugula
extra virgin olive oil
white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2-3 fresh oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise, save juice
chopped walnuts or pinenuts (optional)

1. Wash arugula, spin dry, remove stems and compost them. Put dry arugula in a large bowl.

2. Mix together 2-3 T olive oil, 1-2 t white balsamic and 1 T reserved orange juice. Drizzle over greens, reserving 1-2 t dresseing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat.

3. Arrange greens on a platter. Arrange orange and fennel slices over dressed greens.

4. Drizzle remaining dressing over salad and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Drying Persimmons

2010-11-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

Six different farms provided produce for this week's CSA box!

Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark provided:
Butternut squash
Carrots
Pomegranates
Fuyu Persimmons
Fuji apples
Napa cabbage
Red leaf lettuce
Spinach
Tomatoes

Rancho Santa Cecilia provided:
Hass Avocados
Satsuma tangerines
Limes

Tierra Miguel Foundation, a biodynamic grower, provided:
Beets
Chard
Cucumbers
Cilantro
Dill
Horehound mint

Weiser Farms provided carrots and Russian Banana potatoes.

Winnetka Farms provided Italian salad greens.

And Silver Lake Farms provided microgreens: pea shoot, radish shoots, and arugula shoots.

Fuyu and Hachiya are the two most common varieties of persimmons. Fuyus are firm when ripe, while Hachiyas are best when soft. Hachiyas are great for things like persimmon pudding, bread and cake because the pulp can be easily mashed (think banana bread). You can make baked goods from Fuyus, too. However, because they're firm, they're usually peeled and chopped and they remain discreet bits in your baked goods.

Fuyus are perfect for drying. They're quite beautiful when dried and can be eaten like any other dried fruit: plain as a snack, mixed into oatmeal or granola, even chopped and added to savory dishes like rice pilaf or stewed chicken. I like them in salads, too.

It's unbelievably easy to dry persimmons. Simply wash and dry the fruit and slice them crosswise (horizontally) into 1-4 to 1/8 inch slices. A little lemon or lime juice will prevent them from turning brown and enhance their flavor. Then use the drying method or your choice.

I like to dry fruit in my oven. You'll need an oven thermometer to ensure that the temperature stays around 150 degrees F. Place the slices on cookie sheets lined with racks so that air can circulate. Turn the slices every 2-3 hours. They'll take about 10-12 hours to dry, depending on the thickness of your slices and the temperature of your oven. Convection ovens might be a little quicker because of the circulating air. You want them to be deep orange in color and not sticky. Let the dried persimmons cool before storing them. Well-dried persimmons can be stored in a can or a jar and do not need refrigeration.

If you have a solar dehydrator, you can use that instead. Erik Knutzen and Kelly Coyne discuss solar dehydrators in their wonderful book, The Urban Homestead.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Wild Kauai Boar

2010-11-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Shelley here - your intrepid traveling recipe blogger. I just got back from Kauai. When most people think about Hawaii, they think sun, sand, and surf; I think about wild boar. In fact, I dream about the wild boar on Kauai. There's a man in Anahola about half way between Lihue and Hanalei who traps young wild boars, butchers them, and roasts them at a roadside stand on weekends. You can smell the wafting aroma of succulent pig on an open fire from blocks away. He sells slices or chunks of any size with well-seasoned, roasted red skin potatoes, island grown sweet corn, and of course, his secret sauce, which is a smoky barbeque sauce with a hint of sweet and touch of tart. It's about as local as you can get on an island where there are very few mammals suitable for eating.

I usually pick up a few pounds of the tender, smoky meat. It's a slice of heaven right off the grill. It's also great cold on sandwiches, chopped and folded into scrambled eggs for breakfast, diced and made into hash with potatoes and onions, or just plain re-heated gently for another great meal.

Being a locavore on Kauai is much easier than it used to be. There's a "sunshine market" every day somewhere on the island and a passel of other privately-run farmer's markets. Competition for island-grown greens, such as arugula and mizuna, can be fierce, but tropical fruits such as papayas, pineapples, and bananas are abundant, as are sweet potatoes, taro, and giant avocados. Island-grown carrots, tomatoes, onions and herbs are also available, as well as eggs from local farms.

Of course, there's wonderful, locally-caught fish, especially ahi tuna. I discovered locally-caught shrimp on this trip. They were so fresh and minimally-processed with their shells, heads, and long antennae still attached! They tasted sweet and juicy sauteed quickly in butter and lime juice with a little salt.

There's a goat farm in Kilauea where a lovely, mild, soft goat cheese is produced. It's sometimes available in local markets but restaurants on Kauai apparently have first dibs. Coffee is grown on many of the Hawaiian Islands and there's a nascent chocolate industry on Kauai, too.

I remember a time when fine food on Hawaii meant steak and lobster shipped over frozen from the mainland. That's still available, but there's no need to settle for that when there's so much locally-grown, organic, fresh food available from small farms and artisan producers. So, wherever you go, take a moment to seek out the local delicacies and you'll take home the memory of these special treats as your souvenir.

Shelley

Persimmon & Spinach Salad - From Jennifer's son's school lunch program

2010-11-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

From shareholder Jennifer:

Hi Tara,
I'll be picking up my first box today with my kids, I'm looking forward to it.
I've been searching for a good way to use persimmons. Mostly I find desserts but this recipe (I'll be trying it this weekend) comes from, believe it or not, the lunch program from my son's public school:

Persimmon and Spinach Salad

3 cups spinach, washed
3 medium "Fuyus" Persimmons, sliced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons 100% orange juice
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, combine oil, orange juice, rice vinegar and salt for dressing
In a large bowl, combine spinach, persimmon and cranberries
Toss with dressing and serve

Jennifer: yay to the good peeps at your son's school for feeding developing brains with real food. Tara

Kelley's fall fruit cocktails

2010-11-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

This from shareholder Kelley:

Soooo excited for the fruit. Amazing.

So many great recipes, but since it's holiday season, some of my favorites for those are party-friendly:

Persimmon cocktails: http://www.drinkoftheweek.com/drink-of-the-week/golden-gate-persimmon-cocktail/

Pomegranate mojitos: http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/11/17/pomegranate-mojitos/

Pomegranate seeds are easily mixed into tons of dishes: guacamole, yogurt, ice cream, pumpkin butter (over toast- yum) ... also, for a great salsa that I like to put over grilled fish: pomegranate seeds, lime juice, salt, cilantro, onion, maybe some ginger, maybe some peppers, and voila. :)

See you in a bit!

Kelley: Thanks for being a shareholder since the start. Love ya! And I'm coming to any cocktail party you ever have at your house. oh yeah.

Jess' savory galette with pomegranate seeds

2010-11-06T13:08:00.001-07:00

From Shareholder Jess: my favorite way to use pomegranate seeds is on a savory galette, to add a little crunch and tartness. They're not the primary ingredient, but the way I heap them on, they might as well be. This is great for the holidays. I adapted this recipe from smittenkitchen.com

Dough:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Combine butter with a pastry mixer or two knives until mixture resembles a coarse cornmeal. Add the water a tablespoon at a time. Toss with hands until you can roll dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk and store in the fridge for half an hour.

Filling:

1 small squash (butternut or kabocha work well)

olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, halved and thinly-sliced

salt

Pinch of sugar

3/4 cup cheese of choice (gruyere or parmesan work well)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

pomegranate seeds

Cut squash into half-inch cubes and roast with a little olive oil and salt at 375 for 30 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, caramelize the onions with the tablespoon of butter, about a half teaspoon of salt and a pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally over medium heat until golden brown (about 20 min).

Turn the oven up to 400. Mix cooled squash, onions, cheese, and sage together in a bowl. On a lightly-floured, ungreased baking pan (or on parchment paper), roll your dough out to about a 12-inch round. Spread your squash/veggie mixture over the round, leaving an inch border. Fold the edges over, crimping as you go.

Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with a generous handful of pomegranate seeds, and garnish with a fresh sage leaf. Serves 6.

Jess' savory galette with pomegranate seeds

2010-11-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Dough:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water

Filling:

1 small squash (butternut or kabocha work well)

olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, halved and thinly-sliced

salt

Pinch of sugar

3/4 cup cheese of choice (gruyere or parmesan work well)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

pomegranate seeds

Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with a generous handful of pomegranate seeds, and garnish with a fresh sage leaf. Serves 6.

fall fruit at pickup

2010-11-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

We are having so much fun with the CSA program. Today we scored 150 pounds of Fuyu persimmons, and 150 pounds of pomegranates from Rancho Santa Cecilia in Carpinteria. It's fun cos it's new. We didn't have fruit in the CSA this time last year.

Then someone posted a video link to our facebook page showing Martha Stewart smacking a pomegranate on the bottom with a right- no-left handed lady. Cracked up laughing at it.

I picked up from Underwood this morning. They never fail to deliver, and they are such nice people to work with.

On my way home from their farm, I meet Craig from Winnetka Farms and pick up the Italian salad greens he grows. I love this guy. He so knows his stuff. And he's a laugh and a joy to work with. We cannot stop talking and he keeps making me late for things.

Here's what we had at pickup today:

From Underwood:

Cauliflower

green butter lettuce

mizuna

french breakfast radish

broccoli

corn

spaghetti squash

Cherokee tomato

From Tierra Miguel Foundation:

biodynamically-grown, organic carrots, chard, basil and rhubarb

From Weiser Family Farm: heirloom spuds, tons of garlic, carrots

From Winnetka Farms: Italian salad greens

From Rancho Santa Cecilia in Carpinteria: pomegranates and persimmons

From Silver Lake Farms: "shier than mamma" arrrugula, and radish microgreens.

Recipes coming up next: I'm posting each one received from shareholders.

See you soon!

tara

Yellow Coconut Curry

2010-10-29T16:12:00.001-07:00

What amazing choices we had today from six local farmers!

From Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark, there was:

Yellow seedless watermelon
Kabocha squash
Japanese turnips
Yellow carrots
Corn
Romaine lettuce
Red chard
Green cabbage
Green peppers
Baby pumpkins
Red cherry tomatoes
Pink and yellow Brandywine tomatoes

Tierra Miguel Foundation provided biodynamically grown:
Strawberries
Orange carrots
Green chard
Flat leaf parsley
Yellow pear-shaped cherry tomatoes
Dill

Grandpa Weiser and Weiser Family Farms provided onions, mixed heirloom potatoes, and parsnips.

One of our choices at pickup today: turnips or parsnips. Brent says add a little brown sugar to turnips to sweeten them up a bit. Parsnips are sweet enough on their own.

Winnetka Farms provided beautiful Italian salad greens: Three kinds of Cicoria: Treviso, Mantovano, and Castel Franco; Cornetto di Bordeaux endive; and Riccia rossa or Curly Red lettuce. Craig gave us a recipe as well; posting it pronto.

But first, Tara says: Loved having Winnetka Farms contribute to the harvest today. Craig and I have had many conversations on the phone. Finally we met in person last weekend at Artisanal LA. He is such a passionate grower. A dream to have for our CSA. Those amazing pumpkins were his as well. Huge Italian heirlooms, dopey happy and orange and plump, and sort of hungover. Kate? I hope yours made you smile.... It sure had character.

At Silver Lake Farms, our little microgreens department - Bruce and Rachel - scored a major breakthrough this week, conquering arugula. We'd been having trouble getting it to germinate and take off well. Now we know the trick. Arugula at pickup soon ! Today it was radish microgreens and pea shoots, grown with biodymamic compost. We love love love our compost pile as you can see above.

David Davis and his lovely lady, Flora Ito, provided the gorgeous avocados today. They have huge trees producing on an amazing piece of land in Glassell Park. We're talking about having me grow there. Very exciting! A third growing ground...

Back in the kitchen, and today's recipe from Shelley is inspired by Thai cooking and uses many of the vegetables in today's box. There are many complex and wonderful flavors in Thai cuisine. However, this simple and delicious coconut curry is super easy to make.

What I like best about this recipe is its flexibility. You can make it with many different kinds of vegetables and/or meats. Sometimes, I use just onions, carrots, celery, and chicken. In the summer, when zucchini squash is over-running my garden, I'll add zucchini to the mix.

My favorite way to make this curry is with five or six different vegetables and no meat. And while I vary the ingredients frequently, I always start with onions and include carrots. From there, you can be creative. You'll want to start with 5-6 C of chopped vegetables in addition to the onion.

As for the curry spice: You can mix up your own curry powder if you'd like. I simply use a very generous amount of pre-mixed sweet curry powder. If you prefer hot, you can use that instead. Let your taste be your guide.

Yellow Coconut Curry

1 onion
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced lengthwise
2-3 parsnips, peeled and sliced into coins
1/4 green cabbage, coarsely chopped into large pieces
1 kabocha squash, scrubbed, seeded, partially peeled and chopped into 1" cubes**
1-2 spring Thai basil (optional)
1-2 T oil
2-4 T prepared curry powder, or more to taste
1 can (about 14 oz) coconut milk + 1/2 can water
salt to taste

1. Slice the onion lengthwise and set aside.

2. Prepare 5-6 C chopped vegetables and set aside. Use the vegetables listed above or substitute (or add) others to your taste, such as broccoli, zucchini or other summer squash, red pepper, eggplant, Thai eggplant, potatoes. Most vegetables work, but tomatoes tend to disintegrate with long cooking. If you want to use tomatoes, add them when the curry is nearly cooked through.

3. Heat the oil in a large saute pan with a tight fitting lid. Add the curry powder and toast slightly.

4. Add the onions, cover and cook until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the remaining 5-6 C chopped vegetables, Thai basil (if you're using it), 1 can coconut milk, 1/2 can water and 1/2 t salt.

6. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender - 10 to 20 minutes depending on the type of vegetables and how you chopped them.

7. Uncover, check seasoning, adding more curry or salt, if desired. I sometimes add 1-2 t sugar, honey, or agave syrup. If the sauce is too watery, cook uncovered for a few minutes to thicken the sauce. If it's too thick, add a little water.

I like garnishing this curry with cilantro sprigs and serving it over brown rice, but Jasmine rice is also delicious. You can skip the rice altogether and eat it like a soup if you prefer.

If you're so inclined, you can add some peeled and sliced mango. Pick a firm, but ripe mango and add it when the curry is nearly done.

**The kabocha squash skin may be too tough to eat even after cooking, but keeping the skin on prevents the squash from turning to mush during cooking.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Artisanal LA

2010-10-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Artisanal LA was so much fun this weekend with Christina Wong and Graham Keegan, and the hundreds and hundreds of people who stopped by our stand. 400 CSA flyers flew out - whoosh! Cool!

Lindy & Grundy, female butchers, are today's "it" girls in my book - the stars of the show, embodying where everything's at today in terms of street culture, food and the local movement. They should be on the cover of Time! Pure joy meeting this rockin' duo. Butcher shops are making a comeback! I love it! I'm looking forward to collaborating with Lindy & Grundy on super cool things for our CSA.

More highlights: Christina paired Fuji apple with biodynamic tomatoes from Tierra Miguel and Booya! Caramel-tasting treats. Who'd a thunk?

I saw jaws drop, eyes widen and cameras click at Graham Keegan's display of madder plant roots, backlit to accentuate their color red. Graham dye-designs natural fabrics using plant materials he grows and forages locally. I'm growing indigo and madder for him, adding these extraordinary plants to the cotton and loofah sponges in the garden. The stories these plants tell....!

Loved meeting Gloria Putnam and seeing Nysha Dalhgren and Amelia Saltsman again. And super excited about meeting Cast Iron Gourmet and Cafe De Leche.

Shawna: thanks for organizing such a super event. Artisanal LA rocks!

Tara

Apple Crisp

2010-10-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

Four farms contributed to today's bountiful box:

Underwood Family Farms provided:
Broccoli
Organic fuji apples
Valencia oranges
Yellow zucchini
Eggplant
Round carrots
Radishes
Lettuce
Curly kale
Bok choy
Sweet corn
Peppers

Weiser Family Farms provided:
Butternut squash
Carrots
Parsnips
Potatoes

Tierra Miguel Foundation, a biodynamic grower provided:
Biodynamic carrots
Mixed summer squash
Yellow pear-shaped cherry tomatoes
Biodynamic chard

tomatoes

And Silver Lake Farms provided delicious microgreens: pea shoots and radish greens.

It's fall and apple season is upon us. I grew up in Michigan with a cider mill practically in my back yard. From September to December, I could smell the sweet aroma of apples being pressed into pure, unfiltered cider. There's nothing quite like it here. It's one of the few flavors of my childhood I can't quite replicate in sunny southern California.

Fortunately, there are many other wonderful apple treats that are just as easy to make here as anywhere else. And apple crisp is one of them. I've been making my own apple crisp since I was a teenager. It's much easier than apple pie and just as delicious. It's great hot out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If there's any leftover, it's also delicious at breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.

Here's my recipe that I've been making for years:

6-8 apples
1 C sugar
1 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/8 t salt
1 stick (1/4 lb) cold butter, cut into pieces

1. Butter a glass baking dish such as a 9-inch deep dish pie plate or an 8-inch square. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut the apples into quarters lengthwise. Peel and core each quarter and slice each quarter lengthwise into 2-3 pieces. Put cut apples into prepared dish.

3. Using a pastry cutter or a food processor, blend the other ingredients together until it resembles a very coarse meal. Sprinkle on top of the apples.

4. Bake at 375 degree for 45-60 minutes until the crumb crust is well-browned and the apples are bubbling.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2010-10-15T16:53:00.001-07:00

Here's what Tara brought down from Underwood Family Farms today:

Butternut squash
Fuji apples
Dragon carrots
Sweet corn
Kale
Red leaf lettuce
Spinach
Yellow pear-shaped cherry tomatoes
Pink Brandywine tomatoes
Pickling cucumbers

And Silver Lake Farms provided pea shoots this week.

When the weather turns cool, I think of soup; and one of my fall favorites is roasted butternut squash soup. It's delicious and so easy to make - simply roast the squash, puree it, and thin it with the liquid of your choice: water, stock, milk and/or cream. Season it with salt and pepper and you've got a wonderful starter; add a nice salad and/or some grainy bread and you have a lovely meal.

If you want to get fancy, you can add some flaked Dungeness cake or shrimp. You can cut the kernels off the ears of corn from today's box and add them, too. I like to add a little freshly ground nutmeg to my soup; squash seems to love that sweet spice.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash
3-4 C chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 C cream (more or less to taste)
3/4 C flaked Dungeness crab
3/4 C fresh corn kernels
freshly ground salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and compost them. Place squash, cut side down on a lightly greased baking an and roast in oven until very tender.

3. Remove from oven and set squash aside until cool enough to handle. Then scoop out squash; compost them skin. [You can roast the squash in advance and refrigerate it for several days before making the soup.]

4. In a blender or food processor (or with a fork), puree the squash. Pour it into a stock pot and add 3 C stock. Heat to a simmer, stirring often. Turn down heat, add remining stock and/or cream, if desired.

5. Stir in crab and corn. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Enjoy!

Shelley

CSA Shares Available Now !!

2010-10-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

CSA shares are available for Round 6 of our program.

Pickups are in Silver Lake near the corner of Rowena and Hyperion between 3pm and 7pm every Friday.

It's a 10-week program starting Friday October 15, ending Friday December 17.

As a shareholder you can pick up every week (weekly share) for 10 weeks - $250.

Or you can pick up every other week on Track 1 starting Friday October 15.

5 pickups = $125.

Or you can pick up every other week on Track 2 starting Friday October 22. Also $125.

Payment is required upfront as a show of commitment.

There are three local farmers involved: John Sweredoski grows all sorts of vegetables and greens, which he is famous for, in Bell Gardens. You might know him from the Echo Park Farmers' Market. He is pesticide-free. John also supplies fruit - mostly citrus and avocados.

Craig Underwood in Moorpark: Always great. (see previous blog posts for the full list). Great quality, consistent quantity, and plus they are really nice people.

Silver Lake Farms: I supply the CSA with micro-greens grown by Rachel Klein and Bruce Chan, both shareholders also.

All the produce is freshly picked for CSA pick-ups on Fridays.

Fresh local bread - the best in LA says Tasting Table - is also available, baked by local artisanal baker, Mark Stambler, on Friday mornings. It's a separate program.

Shoot me an email at info@silverlakefarms.com if you want to sign up or have any questions.

Please indicate full share or half share - and which Track (1 or 2).

Thank you !!

Tara

323-644-3700

Lovely CSA birthday !

2010-10-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

What a great Friday! Teamwork, productivity, harmony and kindness. Beat did the honors and drove to Moorpark to pick up the veggies. Bruce and Rachel harvested radish microgreens to the sound of some great tunes while Ruby, who just moved in, helped clear up the mess in my office. Thank you everyone!! It feels so good to be part of a team, to be growing again, get organized and create space for new and exciting things ahead.

The lovely Danielle, aided by Willow and Sophia, distributed veggies at pick-up today. Thank you so much!

This CSA just turned a year old. What a big milestone! We started with only veggies but now we have fruit, bread and microgreens as well. And a pig is on the way! Next spring, I'll offer flowers. Yay!

Thank you shareholders past and present for your support, and a big extra thank you to shareholders who've been members since the start. It is so wonderful to be a part of this small community that comes together every week, making Fridays so special. I feel honored to be a part of your life.

Thank you for the handmade gifts! Jennifer and Barry brought pickled beans and cukes, Vi and Dieu brought soap made with one of my loofahs, and Mariana brought a beautiful hand-sketched thank you card that Carolyn made. I am so touched by your kindness. Thank you!

Here's what Farmer John had for us this week:

oranges
bag of baby lettuce (red oak, green romaine)
bunch of dill
bunch of dandelion greens
bunch of mixed herbs (thyme, sage, sweet marjoram)
bunch of basil
celery head
broccoli head
bag of green beans
green bell peppers

And here's what Beat brought back from Underwood:

bunch of mizuna
bunch of japanese turnips
romaine lettuce head
bunch of carrots
Kobacha squash
green zucchini squash
green bell peppers
bi-color ears of corn
yellow Brandy heirloom tomatoes
bunch of Easter radishes
cucumbers
acorn squash
mini pumpkins

Have a wonderful weekend and see you next week for Round 6!

tara

Fresh Quick Sweet Cucumber Pickles

2010-10-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Pickling Cucumbers. See Shelley's recipe below for how to pickle them.

Spaghetti Squash. (In my fuzzy head it was a watermelon, sorry! Best I get back to flowers... Tara)

Here's what Farmer John had for us in Silver Lake this week:

Oranges
Brown onions
Patty pan squash
Iceberg lettuce head
Green chard
Green peppers
Dandelion greens
Mixed herbs: sage, thyme and sweet marjoram
Dill
Garlic chives
Broccoli

And here's what Tara picked up from Underwood Family Farms today:

Sharlyn melon
Corn
Valencia oranges
Candy beets
Yellow zucchini
Green leaf lettuce
Purple carrots
Red peppers
Pickling cukes
Pink Brandywine tomatoes
Spaghetti squash (err, sorry, i called it a watermelon before Mr. Loewen straightened me out. Thank you Bret! Tara)

Fresh pickles, also known as quick pickles, are quite the rage now and for good reason. They're super easy to make and delicious to eat. They're quick because they don't involve any canning. This cuts the time it takes to make them, but also means they don't last for months on the shelf and they require refrigeration.

You can pickle many different vegetables, but cucumbers are among the most common. You can pickle some fruits, too, just make sure you select something that can stand up to the process without turning to mush.

Here's a simple recipe that I modified to use with the four cucumbers we got in our CSA box today. You'll probably get more brine than you actually need, but it's important that the cukes are covered with the brine during the pickling process. if you want to add more cukes, be sure to get pickling cucumbers, as the regular, eating variety don't work quite as well.

Fresh Quick Sweet Cucumber Pickles

Prepare the cucumbers:
4 pickling cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 T kosher salt
1 C ice cubes
water

Place sliced cucumbers in a non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Add ice cubes and enough cold water to cover. Let stand 2-3 hours at room temperature.

Prepare the brine:
2 C white vinegar
1-1/4 C granulated sugar
1 t each turmeric, whole cloves, yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes (optional)

Combine all brine ingredients in a non-corrosive pot and bring to a boil. Drain and rinse cucumbers. Add to hot brine. Bring to a simmer, but do not boil. Turn off the heat and allow cucumbers to soak in the hot brine until they reach the desired pickled-ness. I like to let mine soak about 45 minutes. When done, drain and chill uncovered in the fridge until cold. Cover and keep in fridge up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

Silver Lake Farms would be happy to host a class on pickling, either quick pickles, canned pickles, or both. We would need a minimum of eight people (though we'd happily accommodate more). The cost would be $48 per person. Let Tara know if you're interested. Home-made pickles look great on a holiday table and they make beautiful and delicious holiday gifts.

Shelley

Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce

2010-09-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here's what Farmer John had for us in Silver Lake this week:

Oranges
Zucchini
Celery
Red chard
Dandelion greens
Cilantro
Dill
Mixed Herbs: Thyme, Sage and Sweet Marjoram
Red leaf lettuce
Red tomatoes
Red bell peppers

And here's what Tara brought down from Underwood Family Farms today:

Saticoy melon
Acorn squash
Corn
Carrots
Blue lake beans
Zucchini
Jalapenos
Pineapple heirloom tomato
Romaine lettuce
Cherokee heirloom tomato
Yellow pear cherry tomatoes

And Silver Lake Farms provided delicious microgreens: pea shoots (pictured above) and radish greens. Thanks Rachel and Bruce! (I love those lanterns Graham made.)

Don't forgot to bring your re-usable container for the microgreens!

It's late tomato season; and I'm in high gear preserving the flavors of summer to enjoy all winter long. One of my favorite recipes is slow-cooked tomato sauce. I learned this recipe years ago from one of my cooking teachers, Carlo Middione. Over the years, I've made a few small changes, but the recipe is essentially his.

It's a cinch to prepare. Just a little work is involved in getting it started; then it bubbles slowly on your stove-top for three (yes three) hours. But once it's slowly simmering, you only need give it a stir now and then. While it's cooking, you can do some gardening, read a book, watch a movie, just plain slow down...

This recipe makes about a quart of sauce, and it freezes beautifully. I re-use quart-sized plastic yogurt containers to freeze batches of this sauce. But you can use quart-sized glass jars if you prefer. In either case, be sure to leave a little head room at the top, as the sauce will expand a little as it freezes. I prefer freezing to canning, mostly because it's a small batch recipe. However, the pH is a little too high to safely can in a hot water bath canner, so I don't recommend it.

Slow-Cooked Tomato Sauce

3-1/2 lbs fresh ripe whole tomatoes
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
6 oz. (1 small can) tomato paste
2 C dry red wine
1-1/2 t salt
1/4 to 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
6-8 sprigs fresh oregano or 1 T dried oregano
red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Start with the most delicious tomatoes you can find. Delicious tomatoes will make a delicious sauce. I like to use a variety of different tomatoes, mixing up the flavors and colors to get a balance of sweetness, tartness, and acidity.

2. Peel the tomatoes: This is easier than you think. Fill with water a pot big enough to hold your largest tomato and bring the water to a boil. In the meantime, remove the stems and cores of the tomatoes. With a sharp knife, score an X on the bottom of each tomato. Once the water boils, turn the heat down, gently drop one tomato into the water with a slotted spoon and leave it there for 20-30 seconds. Remove the tomato with a slotted spoon. Wait until it's cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin and put the tomato in a large bowl. The skin should come off very easily. If it doesn't, your tomatoes may not be quite ripe. Repeat with remaining tomatoes.

3. When the tomatoes are peeled, chop them coarsely and process them in batches in a food processor until pureed.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir to coat with oil. Cook about 1 minute. Add the chopped garlic and continue cooking until the garlic just starts to turn slightly golden.

5. Turn down the heat. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, and seasonings. Stir to combine. [You can substitute water if you don't want to use wine, though you might want to add 1-2 t sugar as well.]

6. Let the sauce come to a very slow simmer, just barely bubbling. Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce should be thick and deep red. Allow the sauce to cool before storing in the fridge or packing for the freezer.

I use this sauce as the base for all of my cooked tomato-based pasta sauces as well as last week's stuffed peppers. When I re-heat the sauce, I usually check the seasoning and add more salt, pepper, and/or oregano, if necessary.

Enjoy!

Shelley