Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 cups chopped white onions

1 chopped red pepper

1 cup quinoa rinsed, drained

2 tsp chili powder

½ tsp salt

1 ½ cups water

1 15 ounce can of black beans

½ c chopped fresh cilantro

crumbled feta cheese




Instructions:

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro; cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and cheese, if desired.

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quinoa-with-Black-Beans-and-Cilantro-243392

Sautéed Kale with Kohlrabi

1 lb kohlrabi

½ tsp grated lime zest

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

¼ c olive oil

2 lbs kale, stems discarded

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/3 c salted pistachios, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste.





Instructions:

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. 3Toss kale with kohlrabi and pistachios.

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

Mom's Summer Squash

2 lbs summer squash

1 large green bell pepper

2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/2 yellow onion, peeled and sliced

Olive oil

5 or 6 slices of cheese- jack or cheddar

Basil: dry or chopped fresh

Salt and pepper to taste.





Instructions:

1 Put onion, garlic, squash, bell pepper into a large saucepan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Put on high heat and brown the vegetables slightly to develop flavor. As you are browning, sprinkle either dried basil or chopped fresh basil on the vegetables. When vegetables are slightly browned, remove from heat, add the slices of cheese, and cover the pan.

2 In a separate stick-free fry pan, put the tomatoes and cook at medium hi heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want to let the juice from the tomatoes evaporate some. After 5 minutes, add the tomatoes to the rest of the vegetables and stir. Salt and pepper to taste.

Source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moms_summer_squash/

Q and A...

Q:

We  are struggling to keep our greens from wilting. Aside from the crunchy lettuce, they all seem to wilt in 3-4 days. We're keeping them in the fridge in breathable bags, and not washing them until we use them. Are we doing something wrong? Do you have any tips for extending their life by a few more days?

A:

I've found that the method that best works for me is to wash and prep all veggies immediately after getting them from the CSA. After you wash the lettuce/greens stick a paper towel in with them to capture the extra water and keep them damp. I put them in a plastic bag or container in the crisper drawer.

Sometimes the breathable bags can backfire in that the circulating air in your frig will wilt them, as if from being in the wind. This is why the crisper drawer is a wonderful thing!

If your greens really get a beating… say they were left on the dashboard for your car for half an hour at 2:00pm when its 90 degrees out while you pick your herbs at the farm and chat with the farmers in the field…you can actually breathe new life into a seemingly “dead” green with prolonged soaking. Leave your wilted friend submerged in water for half an hour, or even overnight and the pores should take up the water. There is a point of no return, but it is surprisingly far along the road of wilting!

Q:

My mustard greens were WAY too spicy, how do people eat them?
A:

Cooking mustards will significantly water down their spice factor. Or try mixing them with other greens as a medley.

Education Corner Update

This week I want to give a big shout out to our fabulous intern - Erika Reinhard. Erika has lots of experience working with youth and enjoys spending time outside, especially on the farm. She's been working with us every Friday and has grown tremendously as an educator. Please say hello if you see her around the farm! 

Also, I'd like to give a big thanks to intern Samantha Kelly who will be working with us again in the fall. Sam is helping us build a cob pizza oven as well as working with youth. Sam is currently working for the Food Trust as a market manager but will return to volunteering at HGC's when school starts!

Potluck at the Farm

Thank you to everyone who came to the potluck on Saturday. It was perfect weather and we had a great turn out. We shared delicious dishes, got to know one another a bit better, and soaked in the beautiful setting of the farm. For me, it is also really refreshing to spend some quality time on the farm what is relaxing and not just work! Just before we sat down to eat I quickly harvested a salad from the field. I was proud to share the first 6 cherry tomatoes and beet harvest in that salad! The cherry tomatoes are in one of our hoop houses and will be U-pick, when they come on in full swing. Soon there will be more than only 6! At the table we asked people to write down what they love about the farm or are looking forward to in being a CSA member.  Here are the great responses:

Judy Freed: I love that my produce is grown ten minutes from my home- doesn’t get more “local: than that!

Hollie Holcombe: The CSA gives me many opportunities to “MacGuyver” dinners that I never thought to make before.

I know where my food was grown, and I even have a hand in growing it! I feel like this is “my farm,” which is especially nice since I live in a small apartment with no yard!

Ann Keiser: I am excited to have met so many wonderful people in my community. And I am looking forward to seeing Monarch butterflies at the farm.

Matt Rupert: Feeding my child food that is healthy, tasty, and safe.

Broccoli Salad

2 Bunches Broccoli, cut into florets

1 medium red onion, chopped

½ c raisins

10-12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing:

1 c mayonnaise

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Instructions:

Separate florets from broccoli stalks. Save the remainder of the broccoli for another use or freeze for later. Combine salad ingredients; top with dressing mixture. Chill and serve.

Source:

http://southernfood.about.com/od/broccolisaladrecipes/r/bl30321h.htm

Red Potato and Radish Salad

28 small red new potatoes

12 radishes

2 celery stalks, sliced

½ c thinly sliced red onions

¼ c chopped fresh dill

Dressing:

½ c vegetable oil

¼ c lemon juice

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.     In a saucepan of boiling salted water cover and cook the potatoes just until tender about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and let cool.

2.     Cut radishes in half and thinly slice; place in a large bowl. Add celery, onion and half of the dill. Cut potatoes into quarters and add to bowl.

3.     In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. Serve sprinkled with remaining dill.

Source: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/red_potato_and_radish_salad.php

Collard Green and Olive Pesto

6 large collard green leaves, center stems removed


12-15 large pitted Greek olive


2 large garlic cloves, peeled


1/2 c water


1 t balsamic vinegar


3 T pine nuts


1/3 c sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped


1/4 t cayenne pepper


1/4 t black pepper


1/2 t salt


1/3 c olive oil





Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add collards, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain, pressing to extract excess water. Coarsely chop. In a food processor, blend olives and garlic until finely chopped. Add collards, water, vinegar, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, cayenne, pepper and salt, and pulse until well chopped. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, until well blended. Season to taste.

Source: http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2009/6/23/collard-green-olive-pesto.html

Blanching

During the volunteer day on Saturday my coworker Nancy asked what I was doing that night. Perhaps the long week was catching up with me and I replied, “Blanch.” She inquired who my new friend was who I was hanging out with named Blanch. I laughed and replied that I was actually planning on spending the night in my kitchen, blanching the plethora of greens coming out of the farm this time of year. Blanching is probably my favorite form of food preservation because it is so fast and simple. Blanching is the step before freezing. It is not always necessary, depending on the vegetable, and how long you want to keep it.

“Blanching destroys enzymes that cause food spoilage. Don’t blanch chopped onions, green peppers, sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini or fresh herbs [It’s just not necessary, they can simply be frozen…or dried]. It also isn’t necessary to blanch vegetables that are to be stored less than 3 months. For longer storage it’s not a matter of life or death, but color and texture will turn out better if you blanch…At first there’s no difference, but after 4 or 5 months, blanched foods are much nicer.

1.     Put vegetable in colander and sink into boiling water

2.     Leave in just long enough for water to return to a boil, then start counting. For kale, leave in 2 minutes, for collards, three. If it takes longer than 2 minutes for the water to return to a boil, you are trying to blanch too much at once. The exact time in the boiling water is not a science, you can leave them in there until they change color and become bright and vibrant.

3.     Lift out the colander and let drip a moment. Then immerse in a bowl of ice water.

4.     After a minute or two, immerse in a second bowl of ice water.

5.     When fully chilled, drain, pat dry, and place in a package for freezing (I use ziplock freezer bags).

6.     When you are ready for a taste of spring in the dead of winter, simply thaw and use for cooking like usual.

Source: The Encyclopedia of Country Living, Carla Emery, 9^th Ed.

What is a Braising Mix Bunch?

Braising is the process of lightly cooking something, typically with oil and water. It is sort of a cross between sautéing and steaming. This week you’ll receive a bunch of mixed greens that are sometimes seen in a smaller form in a salad mix. These greens are all in the brassicaceae family and if grown to be full size, you would recognize them as kale, mustard, bok choi, tat soi and mizuna.

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches fresh summer greens, about 8 cups, washed and coarsely chopped. This could include a mixture of Asian greens, or mustard, collards, turnip greens, beet greens, kale – any toothy substantial green will do.
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 cup water or vegetable broth
Salt to taste
Optional flavorings: Sesame oil, ume plum vinegar, tamari
Optional toppings: sesame seeds, chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add greens and garlic, stirring to coat with oil. Stir occasionally until greens are barely wilted, just a few minutes.

2. Add vegetable broth or water and stir, allowing greens to steam until barely tender. Salt to taste.

3. Add flavorings and toppings as desired and serve.

Serves 4.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/simple-braised-greens-garlic.html

Education Corner Update By: Clare Hyre, Education Coordinator

This week energy has been high with the students as they only have a couple weeks of school left! They have been busy mowing and weed-whacking the pathways, which goes SO far in keeping the appearance of the farm neat and tidy, as well as keeping weed seed from blowing into the beds. One class learned how potatoes grow when they hilled the potatoes, and another learned that beans are both seeds and the food we eat, when they seeded a string bean bed. We certainly couldn’t get all the work done to keep this farm operating without the help and participation from Saul students and teachers! Thank you!

Volunteer Day

I would like to give a big “thank you!” to everyone who came out on Saturday to help clean up our fence line! The next time you go to harvest mint for U-pick, you won’t recognize it! We got about a third of the whole perimeter of the farm done, which is quite an undertaking! Blaise, Virginia, Caitlin, Skyler, Mike and Nancy really pulled off a herculean task! Especially with the weeds we have- knot weed , stinging nettle and perennial grasses! The weather could not have been more perfect. Good snacks and good stories were shared all around!  Thanks again!