Blue Gate Farm News – Volume VII , Number 18
– September 30, 2008
In
this week’s box:
Apples: red unknown variety
Tapestry Salad Mix (next group)
or
Cucumbers: Suyo Long
or
Spinach
Pac Choi
Leeks
Sweet Peppers – assorted varieties (courtesy of our
friends at
For
those with the Egg option: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)
For
those with the Herb option: Basil: Dark Opal, Parsley, Garlic Chives
Featured Recipe(s) (see below): Choi with Gingery Butter
Spinach Leek Frittata
Rain this week: 0.75” (from 9/23 – 9/29)
What’s up on the farm?
Whew! It finally
feels like fall again! We were beginning
to wonder if summer was just going to continue until snow this year. Not that we are pushing for an early winter,
we’re not at all ready for that yet!
This past week has
really started bringing out the fall foliage colors. Only a small percentage of the trees are
changing yet, but the fields of corn and beans are certainly looking like fall.
We’ve even seen the start of some soybean
harvesting here and there. It was a week
of cleaning and sprucing up as we start the preparations for this year’s Farm
Crawl. The big event is this Sunday
(10/5) from
There are some
interesting things in the boxes this week. The most obvious will be the big, beautiful,
red apples that were a gift from our cheese-maker extraordinaire Lois Reichert.
She isn’t sure of the variety name, so
not only are they a nice surprise, but a mystery as well! Some of the apples have some black, surface
spotting on the skin. Don’t worry, it
comes right off with a little water and a scrubbie. We haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but we
think they would make great baking apples. What could be better on a cool fall
night than a warm apple crisp, topped with a little ice cream, of course! Yum - thanks Lois!
Also in the boxes this week is the first fall pac
choi. Its been a while since we put choi
in your boxes, so here’s a little reminder of how to handle it: Choi is practically two vegetables in one: the leaves can
be cooked and eaten like spinach, while the crisp stems—sweet and mild in
flavor—can be used like celery or asparagus.
Refrigerate unwashed choi in a plastic container or
loosely wrapped in a plastic bag. Choi
keeps for over a week but is firmest and tastiest if used within a few days. Just before using, rinse choi under cold
running water and gently shake it dry. Cut
the stems into 1-inch pieces and slice, shred, or tear the leaves. If you will be eating the stems raw, slice or
julienne them.
Young leeks are
making their first appearance as well. Leeks,
which look like large, flat-leaved scallions,
can seem
intimidating and exotic in their green headdresses. They are easy to use, and their delicate, irreplaceable
flavor makes a meal special. The subtle,
buttery taste of leeks imparts elegance
to many dishes,
including old standbys that call for onions. Cut the leek about 1 inch above the white
part, where the leaves begin changing from dark to light green. Save the unused greens; they’ll give great
flavor to your next vegetable stock. Fan
the leaves under running water to dislodge any dirt collected there, then pat
thoroughly dry. You can julienne a leek
by cutting it lengthwise, or slice it crosswise. If you want to clean a leek that you will be
cooking whole, make a slit down one side to within an inch or two of the root
end. Then spread the leaves under
running lukewarm water to clean the leek. During cooking the leek will stay whole. When
serving, arrange the leek with the cut side down.
Finally, the first
harvest of fall spinach is showing up in a few boxes this week. It is growing very nicely and we expect that
everyone will get a bag of spinach in the next couple of weeks.
Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean
Choi with Gingery Butter
This sauce has characteristically Asian inspired
flavors, but this recipe uses butter instead of oil for added richness. Don’t
be fooled by how simple this is; it is an interesting and wonderfully flavorful
side dish. Serves 4 to 6
2 medium choi (any kind),
sliced crosswise into 1-inch strips
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon grated or finely chopped
fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
(about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh
cilantro (or flat leaf parsley)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the choi;
cook until the choi is tender but still crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the choi
in a colander and immediately run under cold water. Drain well.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and choi; cook, stirring constantly, until the
choi is well coated and heated through.
Remove the skillet from heat.
Stir in the cilantro.
Recipe Source: Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt
on Vegetables
Spinach Leek Frittata
serves 6
1 tbsp. butter
3 leeks, thinly sliced
1 large bunch of fresh spinach, approx. 3/4 lb., washed and chopped
1 tbsp. fresh oregano, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C low fat milk
4 oz. Gruyere cheese (or other Swiss), grated
1/2 tsp. salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper
2 C fresh bread cubes, cut into 1/4" cubes (French or Italian bread is
best)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over
medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and
oregano, and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set
aside. Beat the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper together. Stir in the bread
cubes and spinach-leek mixture. Mix well. Pour into an oiled 9 1/2" baking
dish or cast iron skillet. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden and
firm.
Recipe Source: Rolling
Prairie Cookbook