pitchfork & crow

csa share – week 25 {november 8}

Welcome to the 25th week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Potatoes – Red & Blues this week
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Spicy Black Radishes
• Poblano Peppers & Green Peppers
• Collards
• Delicata Winter Squash
• Black Beans!
• Pears
• Shallots – from Persephone Farm!

Many thanks to those folks who have taken time to fill out and return the CSA survey we posted last week.  We had copies at the pick-up today and we will bring more copies and take any completed surveys at next week’s pick-up.  The season is rapidly drawing to a close and we’d really like your input as we get serious about our panning for next year.  In case you missed it last week, here’s a link to the survey:

P&C 2011 CSA Survey

This past weekend we finished threshing our dry bean crop.  Dry beans are a crop we love, but currently they are also a labor of love because they would be considered a money-loser if we did an analysis on the amount of time it takes to grow and process them.  We love them for being a fantastic local protein source, because they store so very well, and because there so many fun varieties to choose from.

Unlike crops that we sow multiple times each year, we get one shot with dry beans.  We plant them in late spring, rejoice when we see them poking up through the soil, and attempt to keep them weeded and watered through the summer.  In the fall, after the bean pods have begun to dry down but before the rains set in, we pull up the entire plant and lay them in the propagation house until they’re finished drying.  Then the fun begins.

We have yet to invest in any processing equipment, so our threshing is very low-tech.  First we beat the dried stalks inside a clean garbage can.  The fully dried beans drop into the can and the bulk of the plant material is discarded.  We then begin the trial-and-error process of cleaning the remaining chaff.  This final cleaning involves a box fan and an assortment of screens.  The fan helps to blow off the majority of dust and the lightweight plant debris.  We use various gauges of screens to separate the dry beans from the residual plant material and dirt chunks.  Each screening leaves the beans a bit cleaner.

It sounds like a lot of work, and it is, don’t get me wrong.  But it’s an engaging process with a fantastic reward at the end.  Last night we ate the last of our stored black beans from last year’s crop and they were delicious!  We think they’re so fabulous that we’ll continue to grow them, and continue to refine the processing to be able to handle greater quantities in the future.  This year we grew several hard-to-find types of heirloom beans and we’re excited to dedicate more space to them and eventually share them with you next year.  Unfortunately we only grew enough black beans and red chili beans to include in CSA shares.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Enjoy this week’s vegetables!

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

This recipe has been tested and given the thumbs up by a fellow CSA member:

Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze

• 2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm winter squash
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef’s knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.

2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.

3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.

From Epicurious.com via The Herbfarm Cookbook, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Delicata-Squash-with-Rosemary-Sage-and-Cider-Glaze-104125

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Aunt Sadie’s Cuban Black Bean Soup

Soup

Garnishes

Steps

1. Soak the beans overnight in 10 to 12 cups of water.
2. The next day, bring the beans to a boil and then simmer them for 2 to 3 hours with the smoked meat, 1 bell pepper, and 1 onion. When done, the beans should mash easily with a fork.
3. Make the sofrito: Dice and fry the salt pork. In the pork fat, sauté the garlic and the remaining onion and green pepper. (Add the andouille sausage here, if using.) Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Add the oregano.
4. Add the sofrito, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the beans. Bring to a boil and simmer in a covered saucepan for 1½ hours. Add more water if necessary; keep it soupy. When the cooking is done, add the sugar and mash the beans with a fork or potato masher until the soup is creamy.
5. Serve in soup bowls over a mound of white rice. Chopped raw onions, olive oil, and vinegar are traditional garnishes.

From Culinate, http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Contributors/anthony_boutard/aunt_sadies_cuban_black_bean_soup

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Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux

Coarse sea salt
2 large bunches collard greens, ribs removed, cut into a Chiffonade, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoons salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards.

Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander.

In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately. (This also makes a tasty filling for quesadillas.)

From Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine, Bryant Terry

Also available here: http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recipes/sides_citrus_collards.shtml

November 8, 2011 at 11:56 pm 2 comments

csa share – week 24 {november 1}

Welcome to the 24th week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Cabbage
• Green Tomatoes – fried green tomatoes anyone?
• Potatoes – fingerlings!
• Green Peppers & Jalapenos – Jeff has been putting jalapenos in vinegar and using the hot sauce on cooked greens
• Mostly Mustards Mix
• Parsley
• Cilantro
• Butternut or Uchi Kuri Winter Squash – two orange, faintly nutty tasting  squash to choose from this week
• Apples
• Sweet Onions – from Persephone Farm!

When we were members of a local CSA, not so long ago, we were the people who had never purchased kale, who weren’t sure what to do with fennel, and got easily overwhelmed with giant cabbages.  We joined the CSA to learn about new vegetables and to attempt to eat more seasonally and we trusted our farmers to provide us with the basics to accomplish those two goals.  In retrospect, those years as CSA members comprised our initial education in farming.  We learned to think about which vegetables are tastiest throughout the year and we learned about the diversity of food that can be grown locally.  Indeed, our experience with the CSA helped us to realize our farming dream and it inspired us to give it try.

Of all the things we learned during those years as CSA members, the one thing that most sticks with me, is Cabbage and Noodles.  I think we rarely made it through an entire giant cabbage before those farmers introduced us to their Cabbage and Noodles recipe.  We discovered sweet fall and winter cabbages cooked to perfection in butter and we learned to eat whole cabbages and love it!  It was a revelation!

As we count down the weeks toward the end of our second season of providing our own CSA program, we’ve begun to evaluate the past year and make plans for the upcoming season.  Of course we’re thinking about the farm and what next season will look like on the ground, but we’re also thinking about the CSA program structure.  We’d love to hear your thoughts on the season.  Please fill out the attached survey and let us know if you’ve had any “cabbage and noodle” moments this year.

Click on the link below to download the survey:

P&C 2011 CSA Survey

Enjoy this week’s vegetables!

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Butternut Squash Posole with Green Tomato Pico de Gallo

For the pico de gallo:

• 2 green tomatoes, small dice, about 1 cup
• 1/3 cup red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
• 1 garlic clove, peeled, trimmed and minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

For the posole:

• 1 onion, peeled, trimmed and small dice
• 1 poblano pepper, seed, cored and small dice
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, trimmed and minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground Mexican oregano
• 3 tablespoons red chile paste (see step one of the directions))
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cup butternut squash, cubed into 1/2 pieces
• 1 1/2 cup canned white hominy
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1. To make the chile paste place 3 dried and seeded new mexico peppers and 3 ancho peppers stemmed and seeded into a bowl of hot water. Make sure the peppers stay submerged. They need to soak for at least an hour. Process the chiles in a food processor adding about 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Process till smooth. Pass the paste through a coarse strainer set over a bowl by using a rubber spatula to push it through by rubbing the spatula back and forth. This will to remove any skins and leave you with about 1/3 of a cup of chile paste that will store nicely in the fridge.
2. Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a glug of oil to coat the pan. Add the onions and poblano. Season them with a two finger pinch of salt, some fresh ground pepper and sweat them till soft.
3. Add the garlic, Mexican oregano and the cumin. Saute until it is fragrant then add the chile paste and cook it for a minute before adding the tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Bring the pot to a boil.
4. Add the squash which will stop the boil. Bring the pot to a boil again and this time reduce the heat to a simmer. Just as the squash is becoming tender add the hominy and cilantro. Stir the pot, taste and adjust the seasoning. When it is hot serve garnished with the salsa.
5. To make the salsa: While the squash is cooking combine combine all the salsa ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary

From Food52 via thirschfeld, http://www.food52.com/recipes/14654_butternut_squash_posole_with_green_tomato_pico_de_gallo

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Fried Green Tomatoes

• 4 large, firm green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup finely ground cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon paprika or pimentón (a Spanish smoked paprika, available at latienda.com)
• 2 eggs
• Vegetable oil

1. Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.

2. Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs.

3. Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil, then place it over medium-high heat.

4. Coat the tomato slices in the egg, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture.

5. Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably in the pan until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a side.

6. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat until all the tomatoes are cooked.
From Epicurious.com via Cookie,  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fried-Green-Tomatoes-242647

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Sausage With Potato and Cabbage

2 Tbsp. bacon drippings, olive oil, lard, or other fat
2 whole fresh sausages in casings
2 leeks, sliced thin, including much of the green part, or 1 large onion, sliced thin
1 small head cabbage or ½ large head cabbage, shredded
½ tsp. caraway seeds (optional)
½ bunch greens (chard, kale, collards;or mustard, radish, or turnip greens), sliced into ribbons
3 medium potatoes (such as Yukon gold), diced
½ cup hot water or stock, or more as needed
~ Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup sauerkraut (optional)
~ Sour cream or crème fraîche

1. Heat the bacon drippings, oil, or fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the whole sausages and brown on both sides.
2. Add the leeks (or onions) to the pan around the sausage and sauté. When the sausage is cooked through, remove it from the pan and let it cool.
3. Add the shredded cabbage to the pan along with a pinch of salt and the optional caraway seeds. Continue to sauté a few minutes, until the cabbage begins to wilt.
4. Add the greens and stir gently.
5. Add the diced potatoes, another pinch of salt, and the hot water or stock. Cover, reduce the heat somewhat, and steam until potatoes are just tender. Add more water or stock if the pan gets too dry.
6. Slice the sausage into ½-inch-thick pieces and add it back to the pan, stirring to incorporate and heat through. You can also leave the sausage whole or cut it in half.
7. Add plenty of salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust.
8. Remove from the heat and stir in the optional sauerkraut.
9. Serve in a shallow bowl with a big dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.

From Culinate from the book Full Moon Feast by Jessica Prentice, http://www.culinate.com/content/1793/Sausage+with+Potatoes+and+Cabbage

November 1, 2011 at 11:02 pm 1 comment

csa share – week 23 {october 25}

Welcome to the 23rd week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Carrots
• Eggplant
• Potatoes
• Sweet Peppers – Jimmy Nardello’s all around
• Salad Mix
• Broccoli
• Garlic
• Cape Gooseberries
• Black Futzu Winter Squash – bake like any winter squash
• Mini Pumpkins – cute for decorations, or use for serving squash soup!
• Chanterelles Mushrooms – wild harvested in the Coast Range by a friend

One of the projects listed on last week’s to-do list was to survey the fields and decide just what vegetables will be included in each of the final shares.  As we wrap up the season we seek to continue to offer diversity both within each share and from week to week, but our choices become somewhat more limited.  Mostly it’s the weather that becomes the limiting factor.  Shorter days and lower temps generally slow the progress of most crops in the field.  We’ve been lucky the past couple of weeks to be enjoying a prolonged nice spell weather-wise.  We are nearing the end though, and the selection available each week continues to dwindle.  This week we bring you the last of the eggplant and the fully ripe colorful sweet peppers are getting more difficult to find.  We’re already relying on the staples of potatoes and squash each week, which will continue over the next few weeks.  Luckily, these both store well.

Last year we were able to offer an option for bulk purchasing at the end of the season.  The intention was to clear out our storage and provide as many vegetables for your holiday meals and winter storage as possible.  Unfortunately this year our storage crops aren’t as plentiful due to a rough spring and our new location.  That’s why we’d like to make sure you’re aware of the Fill Your Pantry Market happening in Shedd, south of Albany, on November 12^th.  The Market is an opportunity for folks to pre-order a large selection of storage crops from local farms including “grains, flour, beans, frozen meats, honey, cured produce (garlic, onions, potatoes, root crops) and more” according to the informational website and is being organized by the Ten Rivers Food Web, a group dedicated to linking local food producers with consumers in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln Counties and the farms involved in the project are from those three counties.  You can get the details on the Market and see a list of what items will be available for pre-order here: http://tenriversfoodweb.org/home/?p=9673.  We plan to make an order and may run into some of you there.

We’re gearing up for our last day at the Salem Saturday Market for the season this next Saturday.  Soon enough we’ll be looking at the end of the CSA season too.  It’s definitely time to be thinking about what we’re all going to each during the long months of winter just ahead.  Luckily, there’s still time to plan.

Enjoy this week’s vegetables!

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Cape Gooseberries may be something new for you this week.  They’re a new crop for us and we’re smitten with them.  Unfortunately we’ve only got enough for a handful for everyone, but we hope you’ll enjoy them as much as we do.  They’re about as tropical as we get around here.

CAPE GOOSEBERRY & RASPBERRY CLAFOUTI

1/2 Package Firm Silken Tofu, about 210g
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Soy Milk
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons Brandy
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Pint Cape Gooseberries, about 1/2 cups halved
1/2 Cup Raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tablespoons Demerra Sugar

Combine the soy milk, lemon juice and brandy; Stir and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
In a food processor, blend the tofu until very smooth
Add the sugar and vanilla, continuing to blend.
Pour in the soy milk mixture into the tofu.
Sift the flour and baking powder and add just to combine.
Pour the batter into a cast iron skillet, soufflé or oval baking dish.
Evenly top with fruit.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until the edges are browned and the center is set.
Cool and dust with confectioners sugar.

From Vegan Visitor, http://veganvisitor.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/cape-gooseberry-raspberry-clafouti/

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Sautéed Chanterelles, Russian Style

Serves 4 as a side dish

From Mycological Society of San Francisco Cookbook via Mary Keehner, http://www.mssf.org/cookbook/chanterelle.html

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Woodland Empanadas

Ingredients

Dough

Filling

Steps

1. Make the dough: Place the flour, rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or food processor, and mix with a fork or pulse until combined. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture, using a pastry blender (or old-fashioned cutter, as I did) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (about pea-size).
2. If using a food processor, transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Drizzle water over top and mix gently with a fork until the flour mixture is damp enough to form into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour. While the dough is resting, make the filling.
3. Make the filling: Heat the butter in a medium-hot skillet. Add the onion and savory (if using) and cook until the onion is translucent, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and fry until the mushrooms are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Try not to move the mushrooms too much in order to achieve caramelization. Add the potatoes to warm them. (Because the dough is high in fat, I have added few fats to the filling. To enrich the flavor, consider adding cream to the mushroom filling and simmering it until some liquid has evaporated.) Let the filling cool.
4. Make the empanadas: Shape the empanadas by making rounds (the size doesn’t really matter unless you’re unwilling to check inside the oven while the pies are baking; I pinch off a knob about the size of a egg). Place the filling in the center of a round — use a few spoonfuls of filling, not so much that you can’t seal the pastry. The Joy of Cooking calls for an egg-and-milk wash, but I tend to skip this step.
5. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (check after 20 minutes).

From Culinate via Joan Menefee, http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Contributors/joan_menefee/woodland_empanadas

October 25, 2011 at 3:40 pm Leave a comment