Welcome to the 6^th week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share:

• Peas  –everyone gets snap peas this week!
• Garlic Scapes – the last of the scapes until next spring
• Red Iceburg Lettuce  – crunchy sandwich lettuce!
• Carrots
• Cooking Greens Mix – mostly chard with a touch of lacinato and red ursa kale
• Salad Mix
• French Breakfast Radishes
• Strawberries – more organic berries from Fairfield Farm in S. Corvallis.  Two pints this week!

First off, many thanks to the folks who made it out to the farm this past Sunday for the open house.  We had a good time showing off the place a little and appreciate everyone who made the drive.  The CSA pick-ups are often fairly quick these days and it was fun to get to chat with folks a bit more and for members to meet other members.  We’re already looking forward to the August potluck and hope we’ll see you there.  The farm should really be in full-swing by then.

One of the interesting topics that came up at the open house was sourcing other local products including meat and milk.  I thought I might share a few of the options discussed on Sunday and sources we’re personally familiar with.  Note to vegans in the crowd, feel free to skip the next couple of paragraphs.

We have our milk delivered by Noris Dairy, located in Crabtree.  They are an organic dairy that does home delivery throughout the valley with Salem delivery on Tuesday afternoons.  Their milk, which comes in glass bottles, is pasteurized but not homogenized and is delicious!  They also have a long list of other items you can buy including meats, cheeses, sour cream, eggs etc.  I know a few CSA members also use this service and love it too.  I’ve seen their milk available at EZ Orchards if you’d like to try it out for yourself.

I’m sure you know that both La Terra Vita and Persephone have eggs available at the Saturday Market.  Some folks mentioned they also purchase their beef at the Saturday Market from Ling Farm and we’ve had some amazing burgers from Cascade Buffalo, also available at the market.  I recently saw that Afton Field Farm, located in Corvallis, will be forming a Salem buying club for monthly drops of their tasty meat including chicken, pork, beef and more.  They have an interesting and diverse farm that follows Salatin methods of raising animals and we were excited to hear they will be expanding to the Salem area.  Finally, if you’re interested in purchasing a whole/half/quarter of a beef, we have friends in Yamhill County who sell their grass-fed cattle that way.  Check out Mossback Farm for information about their farm and their tasty beef.

I’m sure there are more options for purchasing local meat and dairy products out there.  We’ve had amazing local goat cheese and cow cheese and I know more folks must be around that haven’t made it on our radar yet.  We’d love to hear where you’re sourcing your meat and dairy products from so leave a comment if you’d like to share.  Hopefully one day we’ll have eggs and maybe even meat from our farm to share with you.  For now though, we offer you some tasty vegetables!

Enjoy this week’s vegetables!

Your farmers,

Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Looking for new garlic scape inspiration?  Check out this article by the “Crisper Whisperer”: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/06/the-crisper-whisperer-what-to-do-with-garlic-scapes-recipe.html

and these recipes on the 2 Sisters Garlic site: http://www.2sistersgarlic.com/articles/garlic_scape_recipes.htm

 

Kyle Bailey’s Butter-Poached Radishes

1 bunch French breakfast radishes (about 3/4 lb.), greens and bottoms discarded
3 tbs. unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
3 dashes raspberry wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tsp. fresh tarragon

(1) Depending on size, halve or quarter radishes lengthwise. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet until melted. (2) Toss in the chopped radishes and season with salt and pepper. Sauté over low-medium heat until they become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the raspberry wine vinegar and sauté approximately another minute until the radishes turn a vibrant pink. Add the vegetable stock and the remaining tablespoon of butter and cook for another minute to glaze the radishes. (3) Remove from heat and tear fresh tarragon leaves directly onto the radishes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve as an accompaniment to roast chicken, pan-seared duck breast, or meaty fish like striped bass.

From New York Magazine by Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite, http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/56730/

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Carrot Salad with Moroccan Flavors

Ingredients

	1	large bunch carrots with tops
	1	tsp. cumin seeds
	¼	tsp. smoked paprika
	1	garlic clove
	3	Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
	½	tsp. sugar
	2	Tbsp. olive oil
	¼	cup cilantro, finely chopped

Steps

1. Cut carrot tops away from carrots and set aside. Peel carrots and leave them whole. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the whole carrots and boil until the carrots are just tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 10 minutes, depending on size and age of carrots. Drain in a large colander and allow to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, roast the cumin seeds in a small, dry sauté pan over medium heat until they are fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer seeds to a mortar and pestle. Pound the cumin seeds, paprika, and garlic together into a paste. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and oil, and stir to combine.
3. Cut the carrots on the bias into ½-inch slices. Pick the feathery carrot leaves away from their stems and roughly chop; you will need one cup.
4. Toss the carrots, dressing, carrot tops, and cilantro together gently in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature.

From Culinate via Ivy Manning, http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Contributors/Ivy+Manning/Carrot+Salad+with+Moroccan+Flavors

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Mixed Greens Frittata

2 cups chopped greens (spinach, collards, Swiss chard, kale etc.)
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup grated feta, Parmesan, or Cheddar cheese

In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, stir-fry the greens, parsley, and basil in 1 teaspoon of the oil until wilted and tender.  Transfer the greens to a bowl.  Rinse the skillet and set aside.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, and salt and stir in ¼ cup of the cheese.

Lightly oil the skillet with the remaining ½ teaspoon of oil and place it on medium-high heat.  Stir the egg and cheese mixture into the greens and pour into the hot skillet.  Sprinkle the top with the rest of the grated cheese.  Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, without stirring, until the edges are firm and pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 5 minutes.  The frittata should be mostly cooked, but with the top still slightly undercooked.  Place the skillet under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, until the top is firm and beginning to turn golden brown.

Cut into wedges and serve, either directly from the skillet or turned out onto a large plate.

Serves 4

Total time: 30 minutes

Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, The Moosewood Collective