Caramelized Fennel Tarts

Ingredients:

2 medium fennel bulbs, quartered and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed

Preparation: 

In a large skillet, saute fennel in oil until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in the thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Unfold each puff pastry sheet onto an ungreased baking sheet. Using a knife, score 1 in. from the edges of each pastry. Spread fennel mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cut each tart into 12 pieces.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/caramelized-fennel-tarts_n_1061390.html

Butter Braised Kohlrabi

This recipe may be availble for tasting at the pick up this week. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. kohlrabi, trimmed but unpeeled and cut into 1″ cubes
1 cup chicken stock
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Put kohlrabi, chicken stock, 2 tbsp. butter, and thyme into a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper and cover with a parchment-paper circle cut to fit inside rim of skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until kohlrabi is tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover, remove pan from heat, and add the remaining butter, swirling skillet until butter melts. Serve warm.

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Saveur-100-2011-Butter-Braised-Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi Salad with Nectarines and Beets

This recipe may be available for taste testing at the Pick-up this week, thanks to shareholder Tanya Rotenberg!

Ingredients:
1 bunch baby kohlrabi
2 nectarines
1 chioggia beet
2 radishes
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup toasted (slivered or sliced) almonds
1 ounce semifirm cheese (I like one that combines cow, sheep and goat's milk)
mint (for garnish)

Instructions:
Peel kohlrabi & beet and thinly slice with a mandoline. Thinly slice radish and nectarine.
Using the whisking attachment of immersion blender, combine shallots, ginger, olive oil, lemon, mustard, honey and salt & pepper. Taste test and add more ingredients to your liking if necessary.
Toss vegetables with dressing and top with almonds and cheese. Garnish with sprig of fresh mint.

http://eisforeat.blogspot.com/2012/06/k-is-for-kohlrabi-salad-shaved-with.html

Early Season Carrots

If you have been a part of this CSA before, you know that the carrots you received in week #3 were the earliest carrots we’ve ever harvested. Carrots are typically a slow growing crop that need between 55 and 75 days to reach maturity. They might take even longer during the early spring and fall when the days are shorter. However, the carrots that were harvested two weeks ago were available early in the season because they were seeded in our hoop houses over the winter. A hoop house (or high tunnel) is like a greenhouse, in that it creates a warmer growing environment than what is occurring outside. The carrots you ate were seeded in February, under the protection of these plastic structures. In February seeds grow REALLY slowly, even in a hoop house. The heat of the sun is trapped in the plastic enclosure and warms the air and the soil, such that you can grow plants when you otherwise wouldn’t be able to grow them outside. This is called “season extension.” We have three hoop houses on our farm. The one by the driveway was recently built to replace the old one that was in the same location but falling down. This hoop house was made possible by a grant from the FFA (Future Farmers of America), and was constructed by shareholder Scott Blunk, with the help of Saul students. The big hoop house in the field was also funded by a grant and we hope to some day get electricity in that structure such that we can run heaters and fans and use it to start our seedlings.  The smallest of our hoop houses is also located in the field, near the bottom of the hill, and was donated by Penn State Extension. This hoop house was the first one constructed in Philadelphia with the help of Penn State Extension, and now they have erected over ten across the city, and have created a “High Tunnel Alliance” of urban farmers who use these structures. Your carrots came from the two hoop houses in the field. Hope you enjoyed them! Now we’ll have to be patient and wait until mid summer for our first planting of field carrots to be ready.

Sauerkraut Workshop

Sally McCabe, who works for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), led our Sauerkraut workshop last Wednesday at the picnic table under the cherry tree at the farm. She started things off by harvesting a cabbage that was growing in a pot with her new machete! The rest of the cabbages were harvested fresh from the farm, minutes before chopping. Sally is a proud parent of a Saul alumnus, and leads many workshops in Philadelphia through the PHS City Harvest Program. About fifteen people attended our event and everyone was able to take home a jar of sauerkraut, after chipping to help make it. Thanks to everyone who attended!

Sauteed Kale and Kohlrabi

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pound kohlrabi, bulbs peeled
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds kale (2 bunches), stems and center ribs discarded
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, chopped

Preparation: 

Very thinly slice kohlrabi with slicer.
Whisk together lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi with dressing.
Finely chop kale. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté garlic until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add kale by the handful, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more kale as volume in skillet reduces. When all of kale is wilted, sauté with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Toss kale with kohlrabi and pistachios.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Kale-with-Kohlrabi-354974

Radish Tea Sandwhiches

Ingredients:

1/2 bar (4 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
8 slices (sandwich-size) whole-grain pumpernickel bread
4 large red radishes, ends trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 leaves Bibb lettuce, or butter lettuce, ribs removed

Preparation:

STEP 1
Spoon 1 tablespoon cream cheese in center of each slice of bread, spreading to the top and bottom, leaving a 3/4-inch border on sides. Layer half of bread slices with radish slices, overlapping slightly.

STEP 2
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper; top with lettuce and remaining bread slices (cream cheese side down) to make 4 sandwiches. With a serrated knife, trim off crusts; cut each sandwich in half. Serve.

http://www.marthastewart.com/338663/radish-tea-sandwiches