CSA News for the Week of June 18th

This Week's Vegetable Harvest:

• Carrots
• Curly Kale (green or purple)
• Fresh Garlic Bulbs
• Scarlet Turnips
• Baby Leeks
• Zucchini
• Garlic Scapes
• Kohlrabi
• Head Lettuce
• Popcorn on the Cob

This Week's Fruit Harvest:

• Strawberries
• Red Raspberries 

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Notes from the Farm Kitchen
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Baby leeks are just what they sound like-- the immature version of full-grown leeks. They can be braised, roasted, or sauteed. You'll want to trim and discard about half of the fibrous green tops, just like you would on a larger leek.
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Kale is closely related to broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. The key to cooking kale is to let it simmer long enough so that it becomes tender. Before cooking with kale, take a sharp knife and slice out the tough center rib. Then tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and steam or simmer in water or broth until just tender. Add cooked kale to omelets, quiches, scrambled eggs, lasagnas, and casseroles. You can also add chopped raw kale to soups and pasta sauces mid-way through the cooking time. One of my favorite ways to prepare kale is actually one of the easiest. I saute lots of chopped garlic or garlic scapes in olive oil until golden. Then I add chopped kale leaves (stems and ribs removed) and a couple of big splashes of white wine. Simmer until tender and season with salt and pepper.

Kohlrabi is delicious peeled and eaten raw. Just peel the bulb, slice into match sticks and serve plain, with hummus or with your favorite vegetable dip. It also makes a nice slaw when shredded or thinly sliced. This week you could make a slaw by combining matchstick kohlrabi, grated carrot, and a little shredded scarlet turnip for color.  Add a small amount of minced garlic and some chopped green onion leftover from last week's share. Mix with a bit of mayonnaise, a splash of cider vinegar, a pinch of sugar and a dash of salt.

Scarlet turnips are both beautiful and tasty. Spring share members have had the opportunity to try white japanese turnips which can be eaten raw like radishes. In contrast to those little white ones, I think scarlet turnips are best eaten cooked. (The only exception would be when I grate part of a raw scarlet turnip and use it in a salad.) To cook your turnips, try slicing them thinly and sauteing in butter with 1-inch sections of baby leeks and garlic scapes. Season with salt and pepper. If you want to get really fancy, you could prepare your turnips this way, pile everything onto a pizza crust, finish with a little mozzarella and feta, and stick it in a hot oven for a few minutes.

 

The curly garlic scape is the flower stalk of the garlic plant. We snap the scapes off at this stage in the plant's development so that the plant will devote all of its energy to making a nice, big bulb rather than a flower stalk. The delicious side benefit is that we get to eat the scapes! Spring share members got to try this wonderful early-summer treat a couple of weeks ago. This week will be the last time we'll have scapes until next year, so enjoy them while they last! Chopped scapes can be used in place of chopped garlic cloves in most dishes. Another way to use garlic scapes is to cut them into 3-inch lengths and saute them lightly in olive oil. In terms of taste and texture, sauteed scapes are a lot like garlicky green beans.

 

 

Fresh strawberries can't be beat, but freezing some for later use is also a good option. To freeze strawberries, remove the stems and caps and wash them first. You can freeze whole strawberries by placing them on a cookie sheet in the freezer until frozen and then placing them in a freezer bag. (When I’m especially pressed for time, I skip the cookie sheet step.) I use frozen whole berries to make smoothies, yogurt parfaits for the kids, pies, cakes, ice cream topping, margaritas, strawberry lemonade, jam, fruit leather and much more. If you prefer to sweeten your berries first, simply slice them, sprinkle with sugar and place in a freezer container.
 
This week we're giving out the last of the popcorn that was harvested last fall. The ears have been stored all winter, and the kernels are now dry enough to pop. Making popcorn on the stovetop is a little more work than the microwave version, but the results are well worth the effort. Start by removing the kernels from the cob. I like to work over a dish towel, pushing the kernels off with my thumbs. (The towel prevents the kernels from bouncing all over the place!) Cover the bottom of a pot with vegetable oil. Add one layer of kernels to the bottom of the pot and cover with a lid. Place the pot over medium heat. Be sure to remove from heat as soon as the popping stops. Add salt to taste.


 
 

This Week's Featured Recipes

Fresh Strawberry Pie

from A Midwest Gardener’s Cookbook by Marian Towne

1 9-inch pie shell, baked
1 cup crushed strawberries
Fresh whole strawberries (about 1 pint)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch

1. Mix and boil until clear the crushed strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch.
2. Arrange fresh hulled strawberries in bottom of a baked pie shell, stem side down for the first layer, and fill in the spaces with berries tip side down.
3. Pour cooled filling over strawberries and chill. Serve with whipped cream.

 

Glazed Scarlet Turnips and Carrots

adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/

1 pound scarlet turnips

1 pound carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar

1. Trim turnips and carrots and cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. In a steamer set over boiling water steam turnips and carrots separately, covered, until just tender. Vegetables may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
3. In a large heavy skillet cook vegetables in butter with sugar and salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat, stirring, until heated through and glazed, about 4 minutes.

Roast Chicken with Leeks, Garlic Scapes and Turnips

adapted from www.countryliving.com

1 bunch baby leeks

6-8 garlic scapes, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 (4- to 5-pound) whole chicken
2-3 medium turnips, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups white wine
1/4 cups sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut off the top half of the leek greens and roughly chop; set aside. Cut remaining leeks into 3-inch-long sections; set aside.
2. Season cavity of chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stuff with reserved chopped leek tops. Place in a roasting pan and season skin with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place sliced turnips in pan around chicken. Roast chicken until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer reaches 167°F when inserted into thickest part of thigh, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to rest and turnips to a serving bowl.
3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon rendered fat. Place roasting pan over low heat on stovetop and add wine, vinegar, and mustard. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring to deglaze pan, until liquid is reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic scapes and cook 5 mintues. Add reserved leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are al dente, about 3 minutes more. Add leeks and scapes to turnip bowl and toss to combine. Serve with chicken.

White Bean and Sausage Ragout with Kale and Zucchini

adapted from Cooking Light, January 2005

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup baby leeks

2 (4-ounce) links chicken sausage, cut into (1/2-inch) slices
1 zucchini, quartered and cut into (1/2-inch) slices (about 2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
6 cups chopped trimmed kale (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup water
2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté leeks and sausage 4 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add zucchini and garlic; cook 2 minutes. Add kale and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately.

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Fun Photo of the Week: Barrel Train at the Rock River Thresheree!

Tis the season for fairs and festivals of all kinds. We love the Rock River Thresheree near Janesville. It's a celebration of old tractors and steam-powered farm equipment. There are blacksmith demonstrations, threshing demonstrations, a steam-powered calliope and much more. This year's thresheree will be held Labor Day weekend. Maybe we'll see you there!

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Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... carrots, green onions, mushrooms, parsley, zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, garlic, arugula and more!