CSA News for the Week of September 3rd

This Week's Vegetable Harvest:

• Carrots
• Shallots
• Head Lettuces
• Asian Greens (see 'Notes' for info on how to prepare)
• Sweet Corn (not from our farm. See 'Notes' for more info)
• Fresh Basil
• Red or Orange Sweet Italian Peppers
• Beefsteak Tomatoes
• Heirloom Tomatoes

This Week's Fruit Harvest:

• Raspberries
• Asian Pears
• Gala Apples
• Seedless Grapes

Farm Journal
Tuesday 7:30 a.m.

It's the first day of school and the kids have a look of nervous excitement on their freshly scrubbed faces. Sitting in a row in the backseat, they are unusually quiet as we make the 10-minute drive to school. Driving west toward Juda, we pass cornfields whose scorched leaves bear witness to this summer's drought.

 

Just after we cross the Sugar River, one of the most beautiful barns in Green County comes into view.  The Ten Eyck family has just opened their apple barn for the season and I make a mental note to stop by on Saturday to stock up.

 

 

Continuing on, we pass several dairy farms whose cows produce milk for the cheeses that make this part of southern Wisconsin well-known among local food enthusiasts. All too soon we are at school and the the kids are hugged and kissed goodbye as their parents try not to cry. I hop back in the car for the drive back, a drive that I can already tell I'm going to like doing every day. This is the new routine now that we're living at the Wisconsin farm. Matt and I will be working at the Grayslake farm one day a week, but most of the time we'll be here at the Wisconsin farm managing the production of peppers, eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, melons, pumpkins, squash and cucumbers.

 

The change that has made the move possible for us is the fact that we're partnering with the Miller family. We've known Jeff and Jen Miller for about 7 years, and Jeff has been our farm manager for the last 2. Our new partnership will allow the four of us to jointly manage the two farms as part of the same business.

Jeff, Owen, Gavin and Jen Miller

We're really excited about this new chapter of Sandhill Organics. Jeff, Jen, Matt and I remain dedicated to always putting CSA members first. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let us know. Have a good week. --Peg

Notes from the Farm Kitchen
Despite the fact that temperatures were back in the 80s and 90s last week, our greens--lettuces, kale, chard and Asian greens continue to look and taste great. This week you will receive either tokyo bekana (on the left) or tatsoi (on the right). Both can be used fresh in salads or lightly stir-fried with other veggies. They would also be especially good in a cold noodle salad. Try using soba noodles or rice noodles, chopped greens, matchstick carrots and peppers, a little bit of minced shallot and a spicy peanut dressing. Like all greens, they should be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

We love Italian frying peppers! The plants are healthy and vigorous, they are loaded with fruits, and the peppers are sweet and delicious. Although they are perfect for stuffing and frying (think Italian sausage and pepper sub sandwich), they can certainly also be used in any way you would use a 'regular' red or orange bell pepper, including on the grill or in salads.

This Week's Recipes

Sweet Corn Quesadillas
from www.realsimple.com

8 small (or fajita-style) tortillas
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Monterey Jack
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
sour cream and salsa (optional)

1. Heat oven or toaster oven to 400° F.
2. Brush one side of each tortilla with the oil. Turn the tortillas over and top with the Monterey Jack, shallot, corn, peppers, and cilantro. Sandwich with the remaining tortillas, oiled-side up.
3. Working in batches, if necessary, transfer the quesadillas to a foil-lined toaster-oven tray. Bake, turning once, until the cheese melts, 6 to 8 minutes total. Serve with the sour cream and salsa (if using).

Roasted Carrot and Tomato Soup with Basil
Bon Appétit, September 1999

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 pounds beefsteak tomatoes, quartered

1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds

2 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 1/2 cups water

2 3/4 cups (about) low-fat (1%) milk

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Arrange shallots, tomatoes, carrots and garlic cloves on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown, turning occasionally, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly. Peel garlic cloves. Transfer vegetables to large bowl (do not clean baking sheet).
2. Add 1 cup water to baking sheet, scraping up browned bits; add to blender, then add half of vegetables and puree until smooth. Transfer to large saucepan. Add remaining vegetables and 1 1/2 cups water to blender and puree. Transfer to same saucepan.
3. Gradually add enough milk to soup to thin to desired consistency. Stir in 1/4 cup basil. Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil and serve.

Asian Salad with Ginger Miso Dressing

 

for the dressing:

1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

for the salad:
4 cups chopped lettuce

3 cups chopped asian greens such as tokyo bekana or tatsoi

1 carrot, cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

1 large red pepper, cut into 2-inch-long matchsticks

 

1. For the dressing, place ginger, miso, tahini, water and lemon juice in a blender and blend until completely smooth. The consistency should be similar to cream. Strain the dressing through a fine sieve to remove ginger fiber.
2. For the salad, divide greens among serving plates. Arrange carrot and pepper on top.
3. Drizzle one to two tablespoons of dressing over each salad and serve.

Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... baby spinach, potatoes, eggplant, golden supreme apples, dinosaur kale, green peppers,  tomatoes and more!