Applesauce

I hope everyone had a happy and delicious Thanksgiving.

I like to eat what's in season.  Most things taste better if they're grown when they can thrive.  Plus, you frequently get a wider range of varieties when you stick to seasonal produce.  We're fortunate here in California.  Our growing seasons are long and there's something wonderful coming ripe almost any time of the year.  But some things are truly seasonal, even here in Southern California, and apples are a fall crop.

We see apples year-round in the grocery stores because many varieties have been developed that respond well to cold storage and are hard enough to withstand shipping from far away.  The Granny Smith apples you buy in May and June usually are shipped from somewhere in the southern hemisphere.  That's a long way for an apple to travel.

Personally, I prefer to save the flavor of the apple season by preserving a variety of apple products made from fresh local apples.  Did you know there are over 25 varieties of apples available less than a two hour drive from Los Angeles?  And the Pink Lady and Fuji apples we're been getting in our CSA box are perfect for making your own apple butter, dried apple slices, apple chutney, and apple sauce, one of the easiest ways to preserve apples.

If you've never made your own applesauce, you're in for a treat.  You can tweak the flavor by using different apple varieties and you can control the sugar, from adding none at all to as sweet as you like.

Unless you want your applesauce chunky, you don't have to peel the apples.  And if you have a food mill, you don't even have to core them.  But you don't need anything more than a stockpot and a knife to make a chunky applesauce.  And if you like your applesauce smooth, a food mill, immersion blender, regular blender or food processor will do the trick.

Personally, I prefer the food mill approach.  I just cut my apples in 4-8 pieces each, put them in a stock pot with 1/2 C water and cook them covered over medium-low heat until they're very soft.  I let them cool a bit; then I run them through a food mill, return the puree to the pot, sweeten to taste and cook to my desired thickness, which isn't very long.  From here, I can cool the applesauce, pack it into freezer containers and freeze it, or preferably, can it in a boiling water bath canner.  Pints process for 15 minutes.  I like the rosy color imparted by the peel.  Sometimes I add a little lemon juice, if I want some tartness, too.

No food mill.  No problem.  A blender or food process will pulverize the peels, but you might want to seed and core the apples first.  Or you can peel and core the apples and cook them in a stock pot with 1/2 C water until soft.  Then mash the apples with a fork for a chunky style sauce or use a blender or processor to make a smoother sauce.  Again, sweeten to your taste.

Cut apples turn brown when exposed to air.  You can minimize browning by soaking the apples in a lemon juice and water solution.  But I usually don't bother with this step.

Making your own applesauce is easy.  You can mix varieties or make a sauce from a single variety.  Best of all, you can control what's in it.  So, extend the season for our own local apples by making this simple and delicious treat.

Wednesday's box included the following:

From Drake Family Farms:  Chevre;

From Jaime Farms:  Tarrgon, parsley, red leaf lettuce, kale, leeks, and celery;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Cilantro, winter squash, russet potatoes, bell peppers, and spinach;

From K and K Ranch:  Pink Lady apples, pomegranates, Chandler walnuts, and fuyu persimmons; and

From Weiser Family Farms:  Russian banana potatoes and mixed carrots.

Enjoy!


Shelley

Oven Roasted Whole Cauliflower

Are you looking for a super simple side dish for Thanksgiving?  This oven roasted cauliflower recipe may be just the thing.  It's delicious and dramatic, and it couldn't be easier.

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Remove the outer leaves and cut out the tough core of the cauliflower.  Wash the cauliflower and pat it dry.  Rub it with a generous amount (2-3 T) of olive oil.  [If you prefer, you can brush it on.]  Sprinkle it generously with salt (about 1/2-1 t) and pepper (1/4 t or to taste).  Place it on a cookie sheet or in a shallow-sided roasting pan and roast it for about an 60-90 minutes until it's tender when pierced with a fork and golden brown on the outside.

You can stop right there and you have a simple and beautiful side dish, but I like to remove the cauliflower from the oven and sprinkle it generously with smoked paprika.  Then I return it to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  If you want to get even fancier, you can make a simple sauce to serve with the roasted cauliflower.  I like this one:

4 cloves finely chopped garlic
4-6 T capers, drained
1 stick butter

Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until the butter is melted and the garlic is just beginning to color, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and serve with roasted cauliflower.

You can roast a head of garlic while the cauliflower is in the oven.  It should only take about 20 minutes.  Then you can substitute roasted garlic for the finely chopped garlic.  Chopped parsley makes a nice garnish.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Cauliflower and red and green peppers;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Rainbow chard, winter squash, strawberries, dill, and cilantro;

From K & K Ranch:  Pick Lady apples and grapes;

From Maggie's Farm:  Garden salad mix, spicy salad mix, and tatsoi;

From Weiser Family Farm:  Potatoes and beets;

From Silver Lake Farms:  Oregano, rosemary, and mint.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread

This marvelous quick bread comes courtesy of Food & Wine magazine.  I've been making it for years, and it never fails to please.  It's essentially a biscuit dough baked as a loaf with a super delicious filling of sauteed onions, poppy seeds and cheese.  While it's best fresh and warm, do let it cool down for about 15-20 minutes before breaking into it.  You can also make it a day or two in advance and re-heat it before serving.

Make the cheesy onion filling:

1 T butter
1 med onion, finely chopped
1 T poppy seeds
1 C grated Gruyere cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Melt the butter in a skillet.  Add the onions and saute until soft and transparent, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.  Remove from heat.  Stir in poppy seeds.  Cool to room temperature.

3.  Stir in grated cheese.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside until assembling the bread.

Make the bread:

2 C flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 stick chilled butter, cut into 8-10 chunks
1 C buttermilk
1 recipe cheesy onion filling (see above)
2 T melted butter

1.  Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.  Butter a 9" x 4" metal loaf pan.  Set aside.

3.  In a food processor or a bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) until well mixed.

4.  Add the butter and pulse the food processor or cut in the butter with two knives until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

5.  Add the buttermilk and pulse 5-6 times in the food processor or gently stir just until a dough begins to form.  Do not over mix.

6.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a few times until the dough comes together.  Then shape into a 2" x 20" rectangle.

7.  Spread the cooled onion cheese mixture on top of the dough.

8.  Cut into 10 pieces.  Stack 9 pieces of dough on top of one another with the onion cheese mixture on top.  Place the tenth piece on top, onion mixture down.

9.  Carefully lay the stack in the prepared loaf pan and brush with the melted butter.

10.  Bake at 425 degrees F for about 30 minutes until golden on top.

11.  Cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from pan and and serve warm or wrap and store for later use.  Re-heat in oven before serving.

Today's bounty included:

From Cuyama Orchard:  Gala apples;

From Jaime Farms:  Radishes, green leaf lettuce, broccoli, and kale;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Carrots, leeks, rainbow swiss chard, dill, cilantro, Albion strawberries, and winter squash;

From K and K Ranch:  Thompson grapes, Chandler walnuts, and yellow onions; and

From Polito Ranch:  Hass avocados.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Chiles en Nogada

I just came back from San Miguel de Allende in Central Mexico where I enjoyed a classic seasonal Mexican dish called Chiles en Nogada.  Chiles en Nogada are roasted poblano peppers stuffed with picadillo, covered with a rich and creamy pureed walnut sauce, and garnished with parsley and pomegranate seeds.  The red pomegranate seeds and the fresh green parsley leaves against the creamy white sauce are said to symbolize the red, green and white of the Mexican flag.

Chiles en Nogada are often served cold or at room temperature, but personally, I prefer this dish warm.  It's a little bit of a production to make.  Fortunately, you can roast the peppers and make the picadillo ahead of time.  That way, you simply have to make the walnut sauce and assemble the dish.

Picadillo is a sweet-savory filling that's used in tacos and tamales as well as these stuffed peppers; and there are probably hundreds of recipes for picadillo.  It's typically made with ground meat, onions, garlic, raisins or currents, nuts, olives or capers, and spices.  I made my picadillo with ground lamb, but you can use ground beef or pork, shredded meat, or even tofu, if you prefer.

To roast the peppers:

On a gas stove with an open flame, lay the peppers across the burner in direct contact with the flame.  Turn the peppers as the skin blisters.  When completely charred, put the peppers in a bowl or paper bag until cool enough to handle.  Then rub or peel off the charred skin.

You can roast peppers on a barbeque grill or in a hot oven instead.  Follow the same steps as above, turning the peppers as the skins blisters and chars.  Cool before peeling.

Make a 2-3 inch lengthwise slit in each pepper and carefully remove the seeds without tearing the peppers.  Set aside or refrigerate for later use.

To make the picadillo (for 2-3 medium poblano peppers):

1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1/2 lb ground lamb (or beef)
1/2 medium Fuji apple cut in 1/4" dice
1-2 T chopped golden raisins
1 T chopped slivered almonds
1-2 T sliced olives (black or green)
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cumin
pinch ground cloves
1 T tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat olive oil in 10" skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and onions and saute until translucent.

2.  Add ground lamb and continue cooking, breaking the lamb into crumbles as it cooks.

3.  Stir in the diced apple, raisins, almonds, and olives and continue cooking until the lamb is nearly done.

4.  Stir in the spices and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Use immediately to stuff the roasted poblanos or cool, cover and refrigerate for later use.

To make the nogada sauce:

1/2 C roasted walnut halves and pieces
1/2 C milk
1/2 - 3/4 cream
1-2 T sherry
salt to taste
pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley for garnish

1.  Pour boiling water to cover over the walnuts.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Rub walnuts in a dish towel to remove their brown, papery skins.

2.  Soak skinned walnuts in 1/2 C milk for 1 hour.  Drain.

3.  Put walnuts and cream in a blender and blend on a low speed until the walnuts are pureed into the cream to make a sauce.  Be careful not to over-process to turn the cream into butter.

4.  Pour from blender into a small saucepan.  Stir in sherry.  Season with salt.

5.  Just before you're ready to assemble the dish, heat the sauce, whisking constantly.  If desired, you can reduce the sauce over medium-low heat to desired thickness.  Some people like to add a little cream cheese or goat cheese to the sauce for flavor.  Stir the cheese in while your heating the sauce and make sure it's fully melted and mixed into the sauce.

To assemble Chiles en Nogada:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Stuff the roasted poblanos with picadillo and place in a shallow baking dish or on a baking sheet.  Cover with foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes, until heated through.

3.  Heat nogada sauce.

4.  Place a heated stuffed pepper on a plate.  Cover with the warm nogada sauce.  Garnish generously with pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Green leaf lettuce, kale, cabbage, beets, and celery;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Leeks, tomatoes, green beans, winter squash, carrots, chard, mixed peppers, basil, and dill;

From K and K Ranch:  Grapes and pomegranates; and

From Silver Lake Farms:  Oregano and thyme.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Baked Apples

It's apple season; and the apples we've been getting most weeks in our box have been delicious.  Usually, I eat them whole or chop them into a salad.  But this week, I decided to make baked apples as a light dessert to a rich meal.

One of the things I truly love about baked apples is the infinite variations there are to this simple and healthy dish.  You can bake apples entirely plain, of course, but it's much more fun to dig out the core and fill them with a sweet and crunchy filling that enhances their sweet-tart flavor and soft texture.

Dried fruit, such as cherries, cranberries, and raisins are great, as is candied ginger; and walnuts, pecans, and/or oatmeal give the filling a nice crunch.  Personally, I like to use brown sugar to sweeten the mixture, but you can use maple syrup, honey, granulated sugar, a combination of these, or none at all if you prefer.  A little finely grated lemon or orange zest will add some zing.  And don't forget the spices.  Cinnamon is practically required, but nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves add even more depth of flavor.

You can eat baked apples hot or cold.  I like to pour a little cream and maple syrup on them.  Leftovers are great for breakfast.  If the apples are large, you can serve half an apple instead of a whole.  Just cut them down the middle lengthwise to attractively reveal the filling.

One more thing:  The baking time depends on the apple's variety, size, and your taste.  Denser and larger apples need to be baked longer.  Also, the softer you prefer your baked apples, the longer they will need to bake.  I baked the large, dense apples from our box for 50 minutes at 350 degrees F and they were still relatively firm.  Some varieties, such as McIntosh, become quite soft the longer they are baked.

To start:  Wash and dry the apples.  With a sharp paring knife or a melon-baller, cut or scoop out the stem, core, and seeds, making a well, but being careful not to cut all the way through the bottom of the apples.

For each large apple, mix together:

1 T brown sugar
1 T chopped toasted walnuts
1 T chopped dried cherries
1/8 t cinnamon
A little finely grated lemon peel
A pinch grated nutmeg
Butter

Mix until combined and pack into the cavity that you scooped out of the apple.

Pack apples snugly in a buttered glass or non-reactive baking dish.  Add a little apple cider or water to the bottom of the baking dish (about 1/2 inch).  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until done, 30-60 minutes.  If the apples won't stand straight, you can take a small slice off the bottom to create a flat surface.  Just be careful not to cut open the cavity on the bottom, or the filling might spill out of the bottom when baking.

Friday's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Red leaf lettuce, broccoli, kale, and cauliflower;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Tomatoes, bell peppers, rainbow chard, cilantro, basil, and winter squash;

From K and K Ranch:  Grapes and apples; and

From Weiser Family Farm:  Russian banana potatoes, beets, carrots, garlic, and Lucerne Valley onions.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Best Brownies Ever!

Locally-grown walnuts are a special fall treat.  An early sign of the approaching holidays, they make me think of all the goodies I'll be cooking up in the months to come - cookies, cakes, pies, and of course, these brownies - all with some kind of nut to add toasty richness.

And speaking of toasty, I've never met a nut I didn't like better toasted; so do go to the trouble of toasting them in a 350 degree oven for about 12-16 minutes after you shell them.  Watch them carefully.  There's probably not more than a minute between well-toasted and burned.

All nuts get rancid pretty quickly at room temperature.  Keep unshelled walnuts in a cool, dark place for no more than three months.  Personally, I like to shell walnuts and freeze them raw.  If you wrap them well, they'll keep in the freezer for six months or longer.  I like to toast them as I need them for cookies and brownies.  If you make a little extra, you can toss them into salads.

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked for this brownie recipe.  Every time I serve them or bring them to a potluck, folks ask for the recipe.  The best part is this recipe is super easy.  What's important is the quality of the ingredients, especially the chocolate.  These brownies will taste like the chocolate you use, so use something you like to eat.

1 stick unsalted butter
3 oz dark chocolate
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 C flour
pinch salt
1/3 C chopped, toasted walnuts

1.  Line the bottom of an 8x8-inch metal baking dish with parchment paper.  Butter the top of the parchment and the sides of the pan.  Set aside.

2.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

3.  Put 1 stick butter in a 1-1/2 qt heavy saucepan over very low heat.  When the butter is partially melted, add the chocolate and allow the chocolate and the butter to fully melt.  Stir gently to combine completely.  Remove from heat.

4.  Allow to cool slightly.  Add 1 C sugar and 1 t vanilla.  Stir well to combine completely.

5.  Mix in one egg at a time.  Stir to combine completely.

6.  Sift in 3/4 C flour.  Add pinch salt and nuts.  Stir to combine completely.

7.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 28-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Tester inserted into the center of the brownies should not come out completely clean, but not too gooey either.

8.  Allow brownies to cool in pan.  Turn out onto a cutting board.  Peel away the parchment and cut into desired sizes.

Makes 8 large brownies, 16 small brownies, or 32 bite-sized brownies.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Green onions, cabbage, and red leaf lettuce;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Strawberries, basil, cilantro, delicata squash, summer squash, chard, and tomatoes;

From K and K Ranch:  Walnuts, butternut squash, plums, and apples:

From Moua's Farm:  Long beans and Asian greens; and

From Silver Lake Farms:  Micro-greens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Thank you Volunteers!

Hello Farm Volunteers!

Fieldwork for Food - A Volunteer Work Incentive program from Silver Lake Farms

If you are interested in volunteering at Silver Lake Farms in exchange for a CSA share, please call Tara at 323-644-3700. I will send you information  about how to sign up.

Here's what the main tasks of the coming weeks in October will look like: 

Monday - Tending to the compost with Adam in Silver Lake

Tuesday - Compost tea application at our Glassel Park growing grounds with Faye and/or micro greens work with Adam

Thursday - Flower Harvest for the Sunset Strip Farmers Market

Friday - General tasks at either our Silver Lake or Glassel Park growing grounds

Saturday - Flower Harvest for the Hollywood Farmers Market

Things are looking really good at the flower growing grounds. A lot of the garden pathways have been mulched, and it's been nice to walk along their weed free, clean, clear, and cushiony lanes as I look around and see all the changes happening at the growing grounds. The Celosia that were once so vibrant and bright are now starting to take on a slightly brown hue as they begin to shed their seeds. We are sad to see them beginning to fall out of the bouquet spotlight, but the little birds around town are DELIGHTED! If you're still you can see and hear little groups of them (some kind of field tit) twitting about from stem to stem gobbling up those yummy black seeds to get their winter fat on. 

And then there are the butterflies. I'm not sure what it is, and I was not expecting it, but there's all kinds of butterfly activity right now. They seem to really like the Globe Amaranth and the Scabiosa, so if you're harvesting, don't be surprised to have a few winged friends by your side and a praying mantis or two peeking out from the stems.

Besides the wildlife, there's the process of it all. Since we began the volunteer program in September, we have seen flower beds go through big transitions. You cut down the spent plants and added them to the compost heap, you ripped out the nasty weeds, you loosened the bed with a garden fork, you added compost, you straightened out the sides of the bed and widened it, you raked the bed clean and flattened out the planting area, you deep-watered the bed, and you weeded and mulched the paths around it. Now I have had the pleasure of planting these beautiful and nutrient rich beds (see pic) with our anemone and ranunculus corms. Come Spring, those beds that you worked will be transformed into lush oceans of color. I can't wait for you to see it as you burst with pride for a job well done.

Thanks for all you do and a big welcome to the new volunteers who recently signed up! Please let me know if you have any questions at all.

Faye and Tara