2012 CSA week 7
September 19, 20122012 CSA week 7 July 18th
In The Box 1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes 1 bunch Sugarsnax Carrots 2 heads ‘Little Gem’ Baby Romaine Lettuce 2 lbs Fava Beans 1 Bunch Broccoli or 2lbs Tomato 1 bunch Scallions 3 – 4 Zucchini 2 lbs New Potatoes (Red Norland or Yukon Gem) 1 bunch Sweet Basil __________________________________________________________________
Hello, The cherry tomatoes in your box this week suggests that it’s summer more than the weather has here for the last couple of days. Overcast skies and a cool breeze allowed for an ease of pace to the morning harvests. The normal sun warmed race to get the crops from the field to the walk in cooler replaced with a more relaxed vibe. With the sun rumored to return to the valley tomorrow, it’s difficult to prioritize the ‘to do’ list. In any summer week, the list is a beast, a constantly evolving spreadsheet of fields, crops, tasks and people. The old who? what? where? when? and how? (They all know better than to ask why? at this point.) playing itself out like some bizarre agricultural vaudeville juggling act. Sometimes I wonder why I even make a plan. The uncontrollable variables inherent to our work always seem to get in the way and the days streak off on their own trajectory. The Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka proposes in his book ‘One Straw Revolution’ something akin to a system whereby you simply cast your seeds to the wind and what grows is what is meant to be. (I don’t think he has a mortgage.) Then there are days, like today when everything seems to fall into place and the plan comes together. The tractors start when needed, the irrigation pump works first time and the crew seems to know where to be even before I do. There is an eeriness to it. The sense that something is about to go wrong, I just don’t know what. And then it doesn’t, it all works and all you can do is smile an almost giddy smile. Everything that needed to happen, happened. Hey, there’s always tomorrow. For a lucky few you will find beefsteak tomatoes instead of broccoli in your box this week. Those that didn’t, not to worry you’ll see them next week.
Enjoy,
Dave, Lori and the crew __________________________________________________________________
CROP NOTES AND RECIPES Green Onions/Scallions (two names same vegetable): fresh green onions store best in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Chinese Scallion Pancakes recipe by Elsa Chen Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for flouring the rolling surface 1 cup water 2 teaspoons oil A bunch of green onions, green and white parts, chopped medium-fine A few tablespoons of oil to brush on pancakes (a mix of canola or corn oil and sesame oil is good) some salt A few tablespoons sesame seeds (optional) Directions: Mix together the first three ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Flour a surface and knead the dough. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before continuing. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a well-floured surface into a big, flat square or rectangle 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Brush the pancake with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with spring onion pieces and a little salt. Starting at one short end, roll up the dough tightly, jelly-roll style, so you have a “snake.” Cut the “snake” crosswise into 8 – 10 pieces. Then flatten each piece again gently with your palm and rolling pin to make a little rectangle. Don’t flatten it too firmly, because you want a little air to remain trapped between the layers of the pancakes so they’ll puff up a bit between the layers and be lighter. Press one or both sides in sesame seeds (optional). Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large skillet. Shallow fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels. Serve plain or with dipping sauce. An easy sauce can be made by mixing soy sauce with a little minced garlic, scallion, and rice vinegar.
Scallions and Carrots
1 bunch scallions, roots trimmed and white part cut into a 4″ length 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into sticks 1 T olive oil 1 T butter 1/4 t sugar 2 T soy sauce
Saute the scallions in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the carrots and continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften and turn golden. Add butter, soy sauce and sugar and cook 30 seconds more.
Carrot Scallion Fritters
3/4 cup coarsely grated carrot 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion 1 large egg, beaten lightly 1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs vegetable oil for deep-frying
In a bowl combine well the carrot, the scallion, the egg, the bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet heat 1 inch of the oil until it registers 375¡F. on a deep-fat thermometer, in batches drop the carrot mixture into the oil by tablespoons, and fry the fritters for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until they are golden. Transfer the fritters to paper towels and let them drain. Serve the fritters as hors d’ oeuvres or as a side dish.
Makes about 10 fritters. Gourmet November 1990
New Potatoes: True new potatoes are a rare treat. A new potato is not a small potato but a fresh potato harvested from a green, growing potato plant. A somewhat scuffed, frayed appearance to the potato skin is a frequent consequence of harvesting such tender spuds and is unavoidable because the skin has not yet hardened. If left to mature new potatoes would get a little bigger and the skins would get tougher making for typical potatoes that are easier to harvest and ship. Unfortunately for the potato connoisseur the potato, once cured, always loses some of its tender moisture. New potatoes wilt and must be treated like green vegetables and stored in a bag in the fridge. When we get them as a first treat of the potato crop we never store them at all but eat them promptly. We like to steam them briefly and then roll the hot little potatoes in a little butter, a pinch of salt, and twist of pepper. Do potatoes get any better?
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