A wonderful, simple recipe from our dear friend Mary.  These are great hot or cold.  They are great with toasted almonds slivers or sesame seeds too.

Szechwan Green Beans – Molly Katzen
Yield: 4 – 6 servings

Once the beans are trimmed, all you need is a large hot pan, and the rest is one big, quick sizzling action!

These will keep for up to a week in a tightly covered container (or a zip-style plastic bag) in the refrigerator.

 2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 pound whole green beans, trimmed
Salt
5-10 crushed garlic cloves
Red pepper flakes

1. Place a large, deep skillet or wok over medium heat. After about two minutes, add the oil, and swirl to coat the pan.
2. Turn the heat to high, and wait another 30 seconds or so, then add the green beans and a big pinch of salt.
3. Cook over high heat , shaking the pan and/or using tongs to turn and move the beans so they cook quickly and evenly.
4. After about 3 minutes, take a taste test and see if the beans are done to your liking. They should be relatively crunchy, but you get to decide. If you like them cooked a little more, keep going another 2 minutes or so.
5. Sprinkle in the garlic and some red pepper flakes, and cook for just a minute longer. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Well, magical probably not, but they are darned good for your body and your taste buds.   At the recommendation of a jolly man at the market today, I cooked my Swiss Chard this evening and added nutritional yeast at the end to make Creamed Greens. Oh man, I just entered  a whole new world.  I imagine this recipe would work with all cooking greens.  Here is the recipe I made up, but absolutely tweak it to your taste.

1lb Swiss Chard, Beet Tops, Turnip Greens, Kale, Collards, etc.  washed and torn into bite sized pieces.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 leek/ or bunch of scallions chopped

1/2 tsp lemon pepper (optional)

1/2 tsp porcini mushroom powder (optional)

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2tbsp water

Heat large pan to low/medium, add olive oil, heat, then add spices and leek/scallions.  Cook for a few minutes, until scallions begin to wilt.  Add swiss chard, soy sauce, water and cover for 5 minutes to steam.  Remove lid and continue to cook until wilted.  Add nutritional yeast, mix, add cornstarch, mix and let sauce thicken.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Yum.

Rita’s Roots and Thackeray Farms are back in the swing of things- we made it through the heat waves of the Summer and mustard ourselves up for a planting repeat of the Spring.  The growing season in our area is truly one of a kind (correct me if I’m wrong and hopefully I can learn from that area!) in which we are capable of having two complete seasons with a hot break in the middle.  We can actually grow right through the Winter, which is why we run the CSA until the end of January.  How amazing to have local, fresh food throughout a time when most are hunkered down in their frosty homes with only store bought produce from California to get them through (or whatever they put up from their CSAs .

The boxes each week will contain a decent amount of greens.  Get creative and don’t be afraid to eat them all raw, use them as wraps, in wraps, as salad greens, braised, quiched, omletted, chopped finely in a sautee, stir-fried, steamed, on pizza, or even fed to the pet rabbit!  If you can’t get them down fresh, I strongly encourage you to take the 30 minutes out of the week to pop them into freezer bags.   It is the best way to make the most out of your farm share.  We strive for diversity in the boxes, but sometimes the weather and Mother Nature- with her entourage of insects- happen, and what we planned does not work out.

Making a living from small-scale organic agriculture is no easy feat.  The farmers I know are some of the most brilliant, hard-headed, determined folks I have ever come in contact with.  They persevere through rain storms, crop failures, hail, floods, blights, worker shortages, broken machinery and so on, somehow making it to the next season, seeing it as a challenge to do better next time.  If you question the challenges of spending “days in the sun picking veggies at the farm,” join us on a rainy one like today!  We don’t get volunteers when there are clouds.

Most importantly, thank you all for placing your faith in us to provide you and your families with sustenance.  We are working to do our best, and would like any and all feedback from you about our program.  Happy and healthy eating to all, and fill us in on your cooking suggestions for the vegetables too.

Best and Bless!

Rita’s Roots and Thackeray Farms present:

2009-2010 Fall and Winter CSA

A Great Way to Support Local Sustainable Agriculture

What is CSA?  CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  It is a program designed to help preserve and support small farms, while bringing the community the bounty of each season’s harvest.  It can be a great way to receive healthy, sustainable food at a value to the customer.  Our customers purchase a “share” in the farm at the beginning of each season (Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter), and receive a ¾ bushel portion of the harvest each week for the duration of the CSA.  With the purchase of the CSA share, the customer also accepts the risks associated with farming- hurricane, wind, water, pest, and disease destruction. Should a natural disaster occur, that could mean no harvest (and no refund!)  We will strive to provide each shareholder with vegetables aplenty.  We want you to come back year after year!

Rita’s Roots and Thackeray Farms formed a partnership in the Fall of 2008, forged between a landless organic farmer, and an experienced conventional flower farmer. Rita’s  Roots works  intricately with Thackeray  Farms to heal the soils and design a sustainable organic farming system for the benefit of the consumers, the Earth and all of the creatures living and working on the farm.  Even the flowers are grown using organic amendments!

What to expect for the Fall/Winter session:  The ¾ bushel box each week will contain 8-12 different kinds of vegetables, fruits or herbs, enough for a family of two to four.  The crops planned for Fall 2009 include Radish, Arugula, Onions, Lettuce, Spring mix, Broccoli Raab, Kale, Turnips, Carrots, Beets, Spinach, Swiss Chard,  Red Mustard, Broccoli, Red and Green Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bush Beans, Edamame, Snow and Snap Peas,  Summer Squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Heirloom Tomatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, Sweet Corn, Winter Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Collards, Tat Soi, Bok Choy, Grapefruit and fresh Herbs such as Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley, Cilantro, Sage, and Dill.

Each week will include a farm update listing the contents of your box as well as cooking and preservation suggestions.  We have a blog which permanently lists many of our recipes, too.  We are also offering a 6 week flower share running from October 11-November 21 in which you receive a beautiful bouquet of flowers from our farm each week.

Dates, Costs, etc:  The CSA will begin the week of October  11th and run through the last week in January for a total of 15 weeks.  We will be taking the latter part of Thanksgiving week off and the whole week between Christmas and New Years.  The cost is $375 for the season, which also covers the costs for packaging, fuel and administration, to be paid in full before the start of the CSA.  The flower share is an additional $60.  Please mail your checks and the sign up form to reserve your spot early.   Registration is open to current members and wait-listers as of July 16 and will be opened to the public on August 15, 2009.

Totals:                                Vegetable share: $375

Vegetable share picked up at Thackeray Farms: $350

Vegetable and Flower Share: $435

Vegetable and Flower Share picked up at Thackeray Farms: $410

How it works:

As the customer it is your responsibility to select a pick up location you can make it to every week to pick up your share of vegetables.  We are unable to make special arrangements or change pick up locations for travel, forgetting, etc.  We recommend having a friend pick up your share if you are unable to make it.  Any shares remaining after the pick- up time will be donated.   You must pick up at the same location each week- we pick each share to order!  It is our responsibility to grow the produce to the best of our ability and deliver it to your location on time each week.

Fall 2009 Pick up Location Options:

>Tuesday afternoon from 3pm-8pm “Bring Your Own Bag” to Edisto Ave. in Riverland Terrace on James Island to select your produce from large bins.  The produce in this location will not come in a box , so bring your own reusable bags to cart it home in.

>Wednesday from 12pm-7pm at Ted’s Butcherblock on East Bay St.  in downtown Charleston

>Thursday in Mt Pleasant from 4pm-7pm, with an emergency rollover to Friday morning until 12pm at the Sprout next to Eco-Fitness.

>Friday at Thackeray Farms on Wadmalaw Island from 10am-5pm.  We are offering a special discount to those who come to the farm to pick up their boxes- $25 off!  Thackeray Farms is a 10 minute drive from the intersection of Maybank and Main/Bohicket Roads on Johns Island.

Please print out the small form and sign below to agree to the terms of the CSA and mail your checks to Rita’s Roots P.O. Box 12568 Charleston, SC 29422.  The first 150 checks and forms received will fill up the CSA.  If you need to work out a payment plan or have any questions feel free to contact Rita or Riad at vegitup@yahoo.com.

NAME:

ADDRESS:

PHONE NUMBER:

E-MAIL ADDRESS (one that is checked regularly and any additional addresses to receive weekly CSA updates):

PICKUP LOCATION:  James Island                     Ted’s Butcherblock

Sprout                                 Thackeray Farms

FLOWER SHARE:         YES       NO

I have read and understand the above information about the risks and rewards entailed in participating in a CSA program.  I also understand that it is my responsibility to pick up my produce each week at my specified pick up location.

X______________________________________________ Date_________________

Freezing Tomatoes

Storing these guys is quite easy.  The more time you spend now on preparing the tomatoes. the less time you will spend later.  Frozen tomatoes can be used later in sauce, soups or stews.

To freeze whole tomatoes, wash fruit, remove all brown parts, and place on a cookie sheet to set in the freezer.  When the tomatoes are frozen, pack them into zip lock bags.

If you would like to remove skins (recommended), dunk tomatoes in boiling water for one minute, just until the skin splits, remove, let cool for a minute and slide skins off.  Then you can quarter or chop and pack into bags.

They are here at last!  Most of what we grow are heirlooms, some people know them as the funny looking ones.  They come in all shapes, sizes and colors, tie-dyes and stripes.  To know when they are ready, look for the deep color and a slight softness to the touch.  When you are buying tomatoes at the market or the store, it is best to NOT squeeze, because if you don’t want that one, no one else will want it either with fingerprint dents left behind.

Tomatoes are best stored on your counter.  They will ripen there nicely and they are delightful to look at.  Storing toms in the fridge tends to make them mushy.  If you have a cracked one, eat is as soon as possible or refrigerate to prevent fruit flies.  The ones from the fridge are still great to cook with.  A tomato can be enjoyed simply sliced with a little salt.

Cucumber, Tomato and Squash Salad

Simple and healthy, refreshing on a hot day.

Dice one cucumber, one patty pan and one large tomato

Add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped basil, minced onion, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or chill to blend the flavors even more.  The squash is optional, cukes and toms are great on their own.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

We had this tonight with some fresh chanterelle mushrooms and Rio Bertolini’s raviolis.

You will need:

3-5 ripe heirloom tomatoes, diced

3 spring onions, chopped

1 clove garlic

handful or fresh basil leaves, chopped

thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley or any other herb of choice

salt and pepper

Sautee onions and garlic until fragrant, add tomatoes and herbs, simmer until sauce-like, about 10-15 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  This sauce can be used on pizza, pasta, lasagna, or dipping any breads.  Feel free to add squash or eggplant too.

Wow!  Are the cukes coming in!  I can see how one might end up with a pantry full of pickles!  Most any kind of cucumber will work for these recipes.

Refrigerator Pickles

Slice peeled or unpeeled cucmbers into 1/4″ rounds.  Cover with 1/2 water and 1/2 red wine, apple cider, or white wine vinegar.  Add chopped herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, sage or dill) and salt and pepper.  Let marinate for at least an hour, will keep for a few weeks.  You can also add sliced carrots or turnips to the recipe.

Canned Pickles

Sweet, Dill and Butter.  Detailed description of how to can all of these Cucumbers, pictures too.  Make your own pickles to have for years!  Click below:

http://www.pickyourown.org/pdfs/making%20pickles.pdf

Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 large seedless cucumbers (about 1 lb each)
• 1 1/2 quarts low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• Optional garnishes:
  - smoked salmon, diced
  - cucumber, sliced thin
  - radishes, sliced
  - rye bread croutons
  - fresh dill

Preparation:
1. Peel cucumbers and cut into chunks.
2. Place in food processor and process until pureed.
3. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
4. Add yogurt, dill, garlic and seasoning; stir until blended.
5. Chill until served.

Yield:
12 servings

Nutritional Information:
Per serving: 97 calories, 7 g protein, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 7 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 25% Daily Value of calcium, 476 mg sodium.

Freezing Summer Squash

Freezing the squash is super simple.  Grate a fresh, washed zucchini or patty pan on a cheese grater, pack into a freezer bag into the serving size you will eventually use, label the bag and stick in the freezer. Voila!

A yummy, simple recipe to use the grated squash contributed by my apprentice Clara, is to sautee onion and garlic in olive oil or butter, add the grated squash and cook until the water evaporates.  You can cook until mushy, or until crispy, your choice.  Serve hot.

I made some Squash and Potato Pancakes the other day that were awesome.  Use equal parts grated potato and squash, and enough egg  just to bind it together.  I added sage and thyme, salt and pepper, and a little cayenne to the mix.  Pour into pancake sized portions in a hot pan and cook until browned on both sides.  Eat with lots of ketchup!

A couple of kid-friendly squash recipes approved by my very selective two-year old Godchild Eliza contributed by her mother Sarah.

Summer Squash Bake
6-7 cups zucchini or yellow squash (shredded or chopped; remove spongy seedy part if using mature squash)
1 small onion (minced)
Combine with enough water to cook or microwave until tender, 3-4 minutes (shredded zucchini may be used without cooking).
Drain

1 can condensed cream soup
1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 cup shredded carrot
Mix together in a separate bowl.

2 tablespoons fresh oregano (chopped; 2 teaspoons dried)
1 cup cooked chicken (optional)
1 cup cheese (optional)
Add and mix thoroughly. Stir into squash mixture.

1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)
2-3 cups herbed croutons or herb stuffing mix
Mix together in a separate bowl.  Put half into the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan or a deep casserole dish.  Add the squash mixture and top with the reserved croutons.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Carolyn Beyer, Leola, Pennsylvania
Lois Loftin, Halstead, Kansas
Myrna Kaufman, Goshen, Indiana

Cheese and Zucchini Sausages
Delicious vegetarian sausages are quick and easy to prepare.  If you have time, you can form the mixture into sausage shape and then set aside in the fridge to firm up before frying.

3 slices bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 1/4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 egg, separated
A little salt and freshly ground black pepper (I bet minced sage would be good in this too!)
Vegetable oil for frying

Make bread crumbs by tearing the bread into pieces and blitzing it in a food processor.

These recipes are cut and pasted from Mariquita Farms CSA website.  Sorrel is traditionally used with fish and in soups- the sauce for the fish below sounds delightful!

Lore and Legend of Sorrel from The Good Herb by J. Benn Hurley

Some Irish historians say that sorrel, not clover, may have been the original shamrock, and that it may have been the arrow-shaped, three-cornered sorrel leaf that St. Patrick used as a model for the trinity. Early Egyptians and Romans nibbled on fresh sorrel leaves after overeating, both for their soothing effect on the digestive system and for their diuretic properties. In North America, 200 years ago, sorrel was eaten as “lemonade in a leaf.” It’s a good source of vitamin C, and used to be taken to prevent scurvy.

“Sorrel” Musings from Everyone Eats Well in Belgium by Ruth Van Waerebeek

In the United States, sorrel is usually considered an herb, but it is really a leafy green vegetable not unlike spinach. It is much prized in Belgium for its tart, acidic taste, and we grow it in our kitchen gardens right next to the spinach.

from The Oxford Companion to Food by Alan Davidson: An old English accompaniment to meat and fish was greensauce made from sorrel pounded to a paste with vinegar or lemon juice and sugar; and this name was also applied to the plant itself.

Sorrel Risotto idea from Susan K:

I used the sorrel last night it was fabulous–I sauted the leaves in olive oil with chopped garlic until it was kind of mushy. Then I stirred it into risotto just before serving.I hope to see some more of it in the next box

Penne with Mushrooms and Fresh Sorrel from The Good Herb by J. Benn Hurley

1 Tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, mashed through a press
1 medium onion, sliced
1 small chile pepper
1 cup chopped tomatoes
6 cups hot cooked penne or other pasta, about 3/4 pound dried
1/3 cup minced sorrel leaves

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat, then pour in the oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic, onion and hot pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until saucy and fragrant, about 7 minutes more. In a large bowl, toss the penne with the sauce and sorrel. Serve warm.

Leek and Sorrel Pancakes with Smoked Salmon
adapted from Big Oven.com

1/4 c Unsalted butter; (1/2 stick)
Salt; optional
4 c Chopped leeks; (cleaned and chopped)
Vegetable oil
2 c Sorrel or spinach; washed
4 oz Smoked salmon; (4 to
2 Eggs
Sour cream; for garnish
1/4 c All-purpose flour
Chopped chives; for garnish

Heat saute pan over medium-high heat. Add butter when pan is hot. After butter melts, add leeks and saute until tender but not brown. Add sorrel; cook briefly to wilt sorrel. Remove from heat; let cool. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add flour; whisk until smooth. Add cooled leek mixture. Heat griddle over medium-high heat. Film with oil. When oil is hot, drop about 2 tablespoons batter for each pancake on griddle. Cook until brown. Turn and continue to cook until brown on other side. Remove from griddle and top with salmon, sour cream and chives. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 to 10 appetizer servings.

Split Pea Soup with Sorrel Stir chopped fresh sorrel greens into hot pea soup just before serving.

Carrot Sorrel Juice

2# carrots
1-2 stalks of celery
1 apple
1/2-1 whole bunch sorrel

Clean the carrots and remove any green parts. Wash the celery but do not remove the leaves. Cut the granny smith apple into 1/8th segments and remove the bitter seed pod. Rinse the sorrel leaves. Run everything through the juicer starting with the carrots. After one or two carrots have been run through the machine put the celery and sorrel through and then alternate carrots and apples until they are gone. Strain the juice through a couple layers of cheesecloth or a fine strainer to remove the pulp that makes it through the juicer screen if desired (this will produce a clear juice devoid of the grittyness, that some people do like).

Apple Sorbet With Sorrel Recipe
From Victory Garden. via the RecipeZaar
SERVES 4

* 2 cups  apples
* 2 cups apple juice
* 2 cups french sorrel, firmly packed

1. The apples should be peeled and diced into cubes.
2. Bring the apples and apple juice to a boil over high heat.
3. When it boils, turn the heat to medium and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Pour the apple mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until it is cold [approximately 1 hour].
5. Process apple mixture and sorrel leaves in a blender at high speed, until smooth.
6. Freeze according to ice cream machine makers directions for Sorbet.
7. You can also place in casserole dish and freeze in freezer for 2 to 3 hours.
8. Serve

Sorrel Soup

Chop the stems and leaves from one bunch of sorrel. Melt some butter and sweat some chopped onion or leek, then add the stems and leaves of the sorrel. Add a few cups of stock(vegetable or chicken) with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. To get fancier: you can add milk or creme fraiche or half and half and pureé this soup… It can be eaten hot or chilled.

Sorrel is classic as a sauce for fish:
Sorrel Sauce for Fish from The Peppermill Rest. in Clearwater, FL

1/2 cup chopped fresh sorrel
2 T dry white wine
3 T minced green onions
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 t fresh lime juice
Ground white pepper

Combine sorrel, wine and shallots in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sorrel wilts, about 2 minutes. Add cream and lime juice. Boil until reduced to sauce consistency, about 12 minutes. Transfer sauce to blender. Puree until almost smooth. Return sauce to same saucepan. Season with ground white pepper and salt.

SORREL VICHYSSOISE from Gourmet 1992

1 cup finely chopped white and pale green part of leek, washed well
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound boiling potatoes
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 pound fresh sorrel, stems discarded and shredded coarse
1/2 cup heavy cream(I used milk successfully)
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives, or to taste

In a large saucepan cook the leek and the onion with salt and pepper to taste in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened, add the potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, the broth, and the water, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender. Stir in the sorrel and simmer the mixture for 1 minute. Purée the mixture in a blender in batches, transferring it as it is puréed to a bowl, and let it cool. Stir in the cream or milk, the chives, and salt and pepper to taste, chill the soup, covered, for at least 4 hours or overnight, and serve it sprinkled with the additional chives.

Sorrel and Goat Cheese Quiche
A Luna Circle Farm original recipe

2-3 cups sorrel, coarsely chopped
a few scallions, chopped
3-4 ounces goat cheese (chevre)
3 eggs
1½ cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread goat cheese (or any strong flavored cheese) in the bottom of a piecrust. Cover with chopped sorrel and scallions. Beat eggs, salt and milk together. Pour over greens. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.ps.

Cream of Sorrel Soup

Clean, shred from the midrib and chop:
½ cup sorrel leaves
1½ cups leaf lettuce
Sauté them until wilted in:
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
When they are sufficiently wilted, there will be only about 3 tablespoons of leaves.
Add:
5 cups poultry or vegetable stock
Simmer about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add a small amount of the soup to: ½ cup cream
3 beaten egg yolks
Combine all ingredients and heat until the soup thickens slightly, but do no boil. Makes 5 to 6 cups.

Source: Joy of Cooking

Sorrel Pesto: great as an interesting pasta coating or a thick sauce for fish.

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh sorrel, ribs removed
1/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
In a food processor or blender puree the sorrel, the parsley, the garlic,
the parmesan, the pine nuts and the oil, transfer the pesto to a jar with
a tight fitting lid and chill it, covered. The pesto keeps, covered and
chilled, for 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup.

To use the pesto: For every pound of dried pasta cooking in a kettle of
boiling water, stir together in a heated serving bowl 3/4 cup of the pesto
and 2/3 cup of the hot cooking water. When the pasta is al dente, drain it
in a colander, add it to the pesto mixture, and toss the mixture until the
pasta is coated well. Vermicelli works very well with this recipe.

___________________________

If you’ve never used sorrel, try adding small amounts to your salads. In any recipe that calls for spinach you can substitute a small amount of sorrel-try 1/4 sorrel, 3/4 spinach as a start. Place a sprig or two on sandwiches with the lettuce or in place of watercress. Shred sorrel into soups with a tomato or fish base. It is one of the herbs that is best added at the last minute instead of cooking for longer periods of time. Sorrel does not dry well, but you can puree the leaves and store in the freezer to use as seasoning. For salads and when using raw choose leaves that are less than 6 inches, but save the larger ones for cooking.

When adding sorrel cut back on the amount of lemon and vinegar in the recipe. It’s a good herb for those on salt free diets because it adds seasoning without salt.

These are simple sorrel recipes that can be adapted to your tastes. Remember that you can add sorrel to any fresh salad, or combine with spinach in any of your favorite recipes!

Greens and Fish
An old authentic French recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 pound chard
1/2 pound spinach
few leaves of sorrel
one garlic clove
2 pounds thin fish fillets
Crusty bread

Place the greens and one peeled, crushed garlic clove in a pot and cook for ten minutes, then chop. Add the fish, and cook for 10-15 minutes until done-NO longer. Place piece of crusty bread on a plate and serve the fish and the chopped greens beside one another with the liquid.

Sorrel Omelet

4 eggs
1 tablespoon cream
1 cup sorrel, cleaned and trimmed
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/4 tsp salt

Shred sorrel. In a heavy pan, heat half the butter and add sorrel and salt. Cook for about ten minutes, while stirring. Combine the eggs and cream in a bowl, beating gently. Add the sorrel mixture and combine. Add the remaining butter to a skillet and heat until butter is slightly browned. Add the egg mixture and stir briskly with the back of a fork or spoon until the eggs are evenly spread on the bottom of the skillet. Keep moving the unset eggs around with the utensil smoothly until there is no liquid left. Do not overcook. Shake the pan gently over the heat a few times. Fold the omelet over in half and serve.

Sorrel Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 pound sorrel
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups water
1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk

Clean and shred sorrel, then chop. In a large heavy pan, heat butter. Add sorrel and cook, stirring, for ten minutes until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Add the water, potatoes and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Strain and mash or puree the vegetables. Stir the cooking liquid into vegetables and return to pan. Bring to boil. Stir in milk and yolk. Cook until hot, but do not boil. Serve with French Bread.

My roommates/apprentices/friends and I made the BEST dinner the other night and realized during the meal that it included most everything from this weeks CSA box.   Here was our menu:

Larry’s Roasted Beet Salad (see below) over a Romaine salad with Smoked Yellow Tomato dressing made by another friend in his smoker.

Sauteed Shredded Summer Squash with Spring Onions and Garlic- grate zuccinis or pattypans and sautee with above ingredients and olive oil until water cooks off or crispy- your preference!

Smashed Red New Potatoes with Dill and Burden Creek Dairy’s goats milk to make it nice and creamy.

Sauteed Baby Bok Choy and Grated Carrots with horseradish, tamari and cashews.  Of course this had garlic and onions in it.  What that we cook does not?

We were very satisfied at the end of the meal and feeling healthy and light too!

Risotto with Beet Greens and Roasted Beets

submitted by CSA member Nikki

This rich-tasting risotto is decidedly pink (maybe it will be the key to getting your picky daughter to eat vegetables!). Use a full-bodied vegetable stock if you are vegetarian; otherwise use a well seasoned chicken or turkey stock.

3/4 pound beets (1 bunch small), roasted

1 bunch beet greens, stemmed and washed

6 to 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock, as needed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnarolli rice

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 cup red, rose, or dry white wine

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 to 1/2 cup, to taste)

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Season well and turn the heat to low. Stack the stemmed, washed greens and cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or wide, heavy saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes, and add the rice and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice are separate and beginning to crackle, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The wine should bubble, but not too quickly. You want some of the flavor to cook into the rice before it evaporates. When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in a ladleful or two of the simmering stock (about 1/2 cup), enough to just cover the rice. The stock should bubble slowly (adjust heat accordingly). Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, for 10 minutes.

4. Stir in the greens and the diced beets, and continue adding more stock, enough to barely cover the rice, and stirring often, for another 10 to 15 minutes. Taste a bit of the rice. Is it cooked through? It should taste chewy but not hard in the middle. Definitely not soft like steamed rice. If it is still hard in the middle, you need to continue adding stock and stirring for another 5 minutes or so. Now is the time to ascertain if there is enough salt. Add if necessary.

5. When the rice is cooked through, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stir in another half cup of stock, the Parmesan and the parsley. Remove from the heat. The rice should be creamy; if it isn’t, add a little more stock. Stir once, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.

Variation: I often blanch greens when I get them home from the market so that they won’t wilt or rot in the refrigerator if I don’t get around to cooking them right away. If you do this, and want to use them for this risotto, chop the blanched greens and set aside. Add them to the risotto during the last few minutes of cooking, just to heat them through and amalgamate into the dish.

Advance preparation: The roasted beets will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator. You can get ahead on the risotto, cooking it just through Step 3, then spreading the rice out in the pan or on a baking sheet. Reheat and proceed with Step 4 shortly before serving.

Yield: Serves 4 to 5 generously as a main dish

Approximate Nutritional Information: 585 calories per serving; 114 calories from fat; total fat: 12.6g; saturated fat 3.3g; cholesterol 134mg; sodium 282mg; total carbohydrates 53.6g; dietary fiber: 2.4g; sugars 6.2g; protein 56.2g (Data provided by calorie-count.com.)

Larry’s Beet Salad

When I was working in New York on Mountain Dell Farm, our neighbor Larry would collect our mouse-bitten beets and return the next day with this wonderful salad.  So simple and so good.  Let it marinate for a day for the best flavor. 

5-10 Beets, roasted in the oven for 50 minutes, until you can just slide a fork through them.

2 tbsp olive oil

2tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh oregano (you will get some in your box soon!)

2 thinly sliced Spring Onions

salt and pepper.

Roast beets, peel skins while beets are still very warm- using a paper towel helps with gripping the skins and from preventing burns.  Slice into 1″ by 1/4″ pieces, add above ingredients and let marinate for a little while, or just eat right then.

Enjoy~ Rita