Welcome to the 12th and final week of the Pitchfork & Crow 2015/2016 Winter CSA!
Here’s what’s in the share:
- Fava Leaves – Though we’ve heard farmer friends rave about the leaves of the fava bean plant for years, this is the first time we’ve harvested them. They do seem to have slight fava bean taste to them and they can be substituted in any recipe calling for greens. Click here for more details.
- French Breakfast Radishes
- Cauliflower! – Overwintering cauliflower is the best kind of cauliflower. Started last July and transplanted last August into the field, these plants have made it through the long months of rain and cold this winter to head up. This is the last of the overwintered cauliflower until next year. Whoa.
- German Butterball Potatoes
- Small Bok Choi
- Baby Dill
- Giant Spinach! – Spinach wraps anyone?!
- Spring Onions – These are overwintered onions that made it through the winter in the field and are now bolting, on their way to going to seed. You can eat it all – bolt and leaves to root.
- Hakurei Salad Turnips – The smoothest, mildest, most delicious turnip around. You don’t have to cook them, but you can if you want. The greens are great sauteed!
- Salad Mix – Lettuce has returned! A mix of three types of leaf lettuces, a little arugula, and mizuna this week.
- Dried Apples
We’ve made it to the last share of the Winter CSA! Thanks for joining us for the last 5+ months of seasonal, organic vegetables. We hope you’ve enjoyed the Winter CSA experience and that you might consider joining us again for the next go around. We’ll send out an email in August regarding sign-ups for the 2016/2017 Winter CSA.
We thank you for your support this past season. Winter is an especially unpredictable season and winter vegetables can be less varied than summer vegetables. It’s a real commitment to join a Winter CSA and we very much appreciate that you chose to make that commitment with us. The CSA model links us, you are our farm community, and we couldn’t do this without you. Thank you.
April was a busy month of long days in the field. In between the big rainstorms we planted, weeded, irrigated, mowed, disked, spread compost and organic fertilizer, tilled, and planted some more. Although we begin sowing seeds in February and work in the field houses to get cold tolerant crops established in March, our real farming season begins in April when our soil is finally dried out enough from the winter rains and cover crops are ready to be worked into the soil. After a winter of short day lengths and minimal field work, April arrives in force and the To Do list feels like it grows exponentially overnight. Suddenly it’s time to do all the things at once. Slowly but surely we’re getting them done.
The milestone that is the end of the Winter CSA can easily be lost to us as we’re already looking ahead to the beginning of the Summer CSA. But it is a milestone we should not take for granted. We made it through another winter and there were enough vegetables to go around. That’s something to be celebrated! Once again, thanks for joining us.
Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see some of you in three weeks for the first Summer CSA pick-up!
Your farmers,
Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler
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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:
Cauliflower with Bacon and Dill
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets (about 3 cups)
- 2 slices of lean bacon, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
In a steamer set over boiling water steam the cauliflower, covered, for 5 minutes, or until it is just tender. While the cauliflower is steaming, in a skillet cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp and transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, to the skillet add the cauliflower, the dill, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste, and heat the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, until the cauliflower is coated well with the dill mixture. Sprinkle the cauliflower mixture with the bacon bits.
From Epicurious via Gourmet, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cauliflower-with-bacon-and-dill-10625
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Flatbread with Smoked Trout, Radishes, and Herbs
- 3 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- Vegetable oil (for grill)
- 1/2 Garlic-Herb Naan or 1 pound store-bought pizza dough, room temperature, halved
- 2 (5-ounce packages) smoked trout, coarsely flaked
- 4 radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced on a mandoline
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped dill
- 2 tablespoons sliced chives
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon wedges (for serving)
- Cheesecloth
Line a fine-mesh sieve with cheesecloth and set over a medium bowl. Place yogurt in sieve, cover with plastic wrap, and let drain in refrigerator at least 1 day and up to 2 days if you want it slightly thicker. Discard excess liquid. (Or skip this step entirely and use 1 1/2 cups store-bought labneh instead.)
Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off); lightly oil grate. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, gently stretch to about a 10×8″ oval. Grill over direct heat, turning and rotating as needed, until bread is stiff and both sides are lightly charred, about 3 minutes total. Move to indirect heat to keep warm while you grill remaining piece of dough.
Transfer both flatbreads to a work surface and spread drained yogurt over. Top with trout, radishes, dill, and chives. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
Do Ahead
Yogurt can be drained 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
From Epicurious via Bon Appétit by
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Sumo Stew (*Chanko-Nabe*) with Shrimp, Meatballs, and Bok Choy
- 8 ounces udon noodles
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 4–6 large eggs (optional)
- 8 ounces sliced maitake or shiitake mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (6×5-inch) piece dried kombu (optional)
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- Chicken Meatballs with Ginger and Miso
- 1 medium carrot, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
- 3/4 pound baby bok choy, trimmed, cut crosswise in 2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (optional)
- 8 ounces skinless flaky white fish (such as bass, halibut, branzino, or cod), cut into 3×3/4-inch pieces
- 8 ounces peeled, deveined, tail-on large shrimp
- 2 tablespoons sliced scallions
Cook udon in a medium pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Transfer udon to a colander to drain; reserve cooking liquid in pot. Transfer udon to a large bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil.
If using eggs, cover pot and return cooking liquid to a boil. Add eggs and cook at a low boil until soft-boiled, about 6 minutes. Transfer eggs to a large bowl of ice water to cool, then peel and reserve.
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium-high. Sauté mushrooms and 1/4 tsp. salt until lightly browned and moisture releases, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds. Stir in miso, then add chicken broth. Stir in kombu, if using, soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes.
Add meatballs and carrots. Cover and continue to simmer until meatballs are just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove kombu from broth and discard.
Stir in bok choy and vinegar, if using. Place fish on top of stew, then cover and cook 3 minutes. Gently fold in shrimp (try to avoid breaking up fish) and cook, covered, until shrimp is pink and fish is opaque and cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
Divide stew among bowls. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and top each bowl with 2 halves. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve udon in large bowl for sharing alongside.
From Epicurious b, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sumo-stew-chanko-nabe-with-shrimp-meatballs-and-bok-choy
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pitchfork & crow 