August 1, 2012

CSA News for the Week of July 30th

This Week's Vegetable Harvest:
  • Green Beans
  • Zucchini
  • Tomatoes
  • Carrots
  • Swiss Chard
  • Bell Peppers
  • Cucumbers
  • Cipollini Onions
  • Tokyo Bekana for Wednesday pickup sites
  • Eggplant for Thursday pickup sites

This Week's Fruit Harvest
  • Peaches
  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries
  • Red Plums
Announcements
Empty Fruit Boxes
Please help us to reduce, reuse and recycle by remembering to return your empty fruit boxes each week. Thank you!

CSA Potlucks
Sunday, August 19th, 3 to 6 pm
Sunday, September 9th, 3 to 6 pm
For a number of years now our annual Tomato Jubilee has provided an opportunity for members to come out and pick their own tomatoes for freezing and canning. This year we're changing things up a bit. This year we're going more low-key by inviting members to attend one of 2 different potlucks at the Grayslake farm. Members who attend either potluck will have the opportunity to pick tomatoes before the meal. After we eat, we'll lead a walking tour of the farm. Since half of our tomato plants are in Grayslake and half are in Brodhead, the limit each CSA family may pick at the potluck will probably only be about 10 pounds. I know some of you would like more than that for canning and freezing, so there will be pre-picked 20 lb cases of tomatoes for sale at both potlucks. If you'd like to come to one or the other, please RSVP to info@sandhillorganics.com so I know how many will attend.
 
Notes from the Farm Kitchen
It's been a great run for blueberries this year. The plants outgrew some of the frost damage that had me so worried in May, and we actually ended up with a decent crop. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and we are rapidly approaching the end of blueberry season. The late varieties will probably keep producing for another couple of weeks. If you haven't done so already, I encourage you to freeze a few of these beauties so you can enjoy them this winter.
 
 
In the coming weeks we will be enjoying the last of certain crops such as blueberries, zucchini and cucumbers, but other crops are just getting started. The tomato crop looks amazing, and this week you will get your first real taste of the season with several tomatoes per share. Most of what we've picked to date has been the red slicing variety. Heirlooms typically start to ripen a little bit later than slicers. We expect to be giving out lots of heirlooms by the end of August and throughout the month of September.
 
 
 

In the meantime, Matt and I have been enjoying the few ripe heirlooms we've picked so far. Here's a photo of a platter we made up for a family gathering on Saturday. That's something to look forward to, isn't it?!


This Week's Recipes

Provençal Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart
adapted from a recipe in The New York Times, June 23, 2009

1 recipe whole wheat yeasted olive oil pie pastry
1 bunch Swiss chard
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cipollini onions, finely chopped
2 pounds zucchini, cut in small dice (1/4 to 1/3 inch)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves (to taste), minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary (to taste)
2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)
3 large eggs, beaten
Freshly ground pepper
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove the stems and dice them, then set aside. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water reaches a rolling boil, add a generous amount of salt and the chard leaves. Blanch for one minute, until just tender. Using a slotted spoon or deep-fry skimmer, transfer to the ice water, then drain. Squeeze out excess water and chop. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet, and add the onion and diced chard stems. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the zucchini. Season to taste with salt, and cook, stirring, until just tender and still bright green, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and rosemary, and cook with the zucchini and onion until the garlic is fragrant, about one or two minutes. Stir in the greens, toss everything together, and remove from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste), the zucchini mixture, and the Gruyère. Mix everything together, add pepper, taste once more and adjust seasoning.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 10-inch tart pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough and line the pan, with the edges of the dough overhanging. Freeze the remaining dough. Fill the lined pan with the zucchini mixture. Pinch the edges of the dough along the rim of the pan. Place in the oven and bake 50 minutes, until set and beginning to color. Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving (preferably longer). This can also be served at room temperature.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Plum Barbeque Sauce
 
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, grated
4 plums, sliced
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 pork tenderloins, silver skin removed
Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grill seasoning
1 tablespoon ground coriander
  1. Heat a grill pan, broiler or grill to high heat.
  2. Heat the sugar and water in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When the mixture reaches a bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the ginger, plums and five-spice powder. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Add the plum mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in the hoisin sauce. Reserve.
  3. While the plums are cooking, put the pork tenderloins on a sheet pan and coat with oil, grill seasoning and coriander. Grill, or broil 6 inches from heat, until just firm, about 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from the grill to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then slice and arrange on a platter. Top with the plum barbecue sauce and serve.
 
Fun Photos of the Week
 
 
This weekend we snuck away from the farm to attend an Amish quilt auction just north of Brodhead. Hundreds of quilts were auctioned throughout the day, and proceeds went to benefit the local Amish school.
 
 
The auction is an opportunity for folks from different communities to come together in support of a good cause.
 
 
It's also a chance to take a small step back in time and experience the way some things (like making ice cream) were done "way back when". Here a horse walking in circles turns the crank for the ice cream maker.
 
 
When the ice cream is ready, it is served along with homemade pies including black raspberry, cherry and pecan.
 
 
In this photo horses wait patiently at the end of the day to carry tired auction-goers home. It was a fun day and a wonderful diversion from the demands of the farm.
 
Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... sweet onions, garlic, parsley, green beans, watermelons, leeks, tomatoes, peppers, purple potatoes and more!