It's Fun to Eat This Way!
Having your CSA farm share with Elmwood Stock Farm, in part, helps us
manage the production and harvest of our crops. Another very important part is
the experience you have trying different recipes with your favorite vegetables,
and even eating things you may not be familiar with. Eating seasonal and eating local is not just
a trend, it is part of our evolution.
Though our American culture seemed to forget for a while with the ease
and availability of refrigeration, transportation, and new packaging
technologies, many are returning to the ideas of eating whole foods,
well-balanced meals that include vegetables, and locally produced organic items
bursting with nutritional benefits.
Hopefully when you explore each week’s bounty there is a bit of an
adrenaline rush like a surprise or receiving a gift. Since even we do not know
exactly what will be ready to be harvested for the shares until the morning of
your pick-up, how could you? We do know the secure feeling we get when the
barns are well stocked with hay for the winter, so it must feel pretty good to
have your kitchen well stocked for the week.
While managing a busy schedule, at least you know there is something
good to eat at home, and you can avoid the trappings of processed foods away
from home. We have enjoyed the stories you relay to us, and we can picture you
opening the box or bag, reading the riveting
newsletter cover to cover, planning a menu for the week, and properly
storing your items in their best environment, or prepping and cooking ahead for
the week. We appreciate knowing that our
efforts to provide really good food are rewarded with you having a fun eating
experience.
As your farmers, we see the seasonal abundance of certified organic food
at the farm. Since we have access to all of it every day, we don’t have to plan
out too far in advance what we eat, and we don’t need to purchase many off-farm
items. Almost everything we eat is organic and for that we feel very
fortunate. When we travel, or when we
purchase fruits that we don’t grow, we stick with organic as much as we can.
Naturally, we encourage you to support other organic farmers as well, wherever
or whenever you can. Certified organic is more readily available these days,
and the health benefits are documented. It is really too important not to do
it.
At the time of the year, with all the different shapes and sizes of hard
squash being harvested and stored, and the various colors and types of potatoes
about, be sure to try different recipes as the days get shorter and you find
more time in the kitchen. You might want to think about getting some extra
greens for the freezer, get some spuds tucked away, or get the freezer secured
with beef or chicken while access for you is easy. When attendance it down on a
cold farmers market day, we ask “what are people gonna eat this week, because
they missed the market?” By having your share conveniently delivered near your
home, we know that all of you will eat well no matter the weather. If you need
any extras now for stocking up, please email or call to let us know and we’ll
pack a special order for you to collect with your share.
Next week is the last week for
your summer CSA share. (Round up those extra boxes to return!) If you are
considering the fall season, now is a good time to sign up. If you plan to shop
the farmers market instead, know we will be in downtown Lexington every Saturday morning, forever.
Whatever you do, keep your kitchen stocked with local organic food if you can,
and you will find it easy to eat well year-round. Have some fun with it, try
some new recipe ideas. Be well nourished! Our hope is that you have as much fun
as we do when it’s time to look around the larder and see what there is to eat.
In Your Share:
Delicata
Squash
Kale
Greens
Hot
Pepper
Sweet
Pepper
Potatoes
Yellow Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Green Onion
Lettuce
Recipes:
Kale Citrus
Salad
1
bunch kale, leaves torn off the stalk
1
jalapeno, seeded and sliced very thin
3
whole tangerines/clementines OR 1 orange, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
4
oz goat cheese
¼
C orange juice
2
T olive oil
1
clove garlic, pressed or grated
1
teaspoon sugar
salt
and black pepper, to taste
1
heaping T sour Cream OR plain Greek yogurt
Grab
bunches of the kale leaves and use a sharp knife to thinly slice them. Keep
going until you have a big pile of finely shredded kale. To make the dressing,
combine the orange juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper in a small
mason jar. Shake vigorously until all combined, then add the sour cream or
yogurt and shake again until it's nice and creamy. Toss the kale in half the dressing for a
minute or so, then add the jalapeno slices and citrus pieces. Toss again until
combined. Add a little more dressing if it needs it (extra dressing can be
stored in the fridge and used for any salad.) At the last minute, break the goat
cheese into chunks with a fork and toss it into the salad. Serve!
Stuffed Bell
Peppers
3-4 green bell peppers, cut tops off and remove seeds
3-4 green bell peppers, cut tops off and remove seeds
2
T vegetable oil
1
lb ground beef (you could probably make 4-5 peppers with this amount)
1
C finely chopped onions
½
C finely chopped peppers (use the excess from the tops of the peppers)
1
clove minced garlic
Parsley
or celery leaf, to taste
1
tsp salt
½
tsp ground black pepper
2
C of cooked rice
8
oz tomato sauce
shredded
cheese
Preheat
oven to 350°F. Cut tops of peppers off and remove all the insides. In a large
pot of boiling water, boil peppers for 2-3 minutes, lay on paper towels to dry.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and chopped
peppers, cook until soft. Add beef,
garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is browned. Add cooked rice
and tomato sauce, mix well. Pour just enough water in a baking dish to cover
the bottom. Stuff peppers with mixture
and cook until tender and heated through, about 25-30 min. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle
with shredded cheese.
Kale
Enchiladas,
Simply in Season, serves 4
1
pound kale greens, stemmed and finely chopped; finely chop stems also, set
aside
2
tsp oil
2
diced onions
2
garlic cloves, minced
1
tsp ground cumin
¼
tsp pepper
1
½ C ricotta or cottage cheese
3
C tomato sauce
2
T taco seasoning
8
corn or flour tortillas
1
C shredded cheese
In
a deep frypan, sauté onions and garlic in oil with chopped kale stems until
softened, 10 minutes. Add cumin, pepper
and greens and cook until greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add water if necessary. Remove from heat. Mix in ricotta cheese and set aside. Combine
tomato sauce and taco seasoning and pour 1 C in bottom of 9 x 13 baking sheet.
Spoon greens/cheese mixture into tortillas, roll up, and place seam side down
in baking pan. Pour remaining sauce
evenly on top, covering all edges. Cover
and bake in preheated 350° oven for 40 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top
and bake uncovered another 10 minutes.
Yellow Squash
Patties
6-8
medium yellow squash, shredded
1
onion, shredded
1
½ T salt
1
C all-purpose flour
½
C organic cornmeal
1
egg, lightly beaten
1
C shredded Cheddar cheese
ground
black pepper to taste
1
T vegetable oil
In a bowl, mix the squash and onion,
flour, cornmeal, egg, and cheese. Season with pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Drop squash mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls into the skillet, and cook 3
minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Crash Hot
Potatoes, adapted from
The Pioneer Woman
10-12
small round potatoes
3
T olive oil
Kosher
salt, to taste
black
pepper, to taste
rosemary,
or other herb of choice
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are
fork-tender. On a sheet pan, generously
drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of
room between each potato. With a potato
masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the
potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato
generously with more olive oil. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh
ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever
herb you have available.) Bake in a 450
degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Sweet
Potato Wedges
adapted from Lorna Sass
2
lb sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2
T olive oil
1
tsp chili powder
1
tsp soy sauce
salt
and freshly ground black pepper
Set two racks in middle section of
oven. Line baking sheets or large, shallow roasting pans with foil. Preheat
oven to 450°F. Halve potatoes crosswise
(no need to peel). Cut each piece in half lengthwise. Then cut each piece into
wedges about ½ -inch thick. Spread out on baking sheets. In a small bowl, blend
oil, chili powder, and soy sauce. Dribble half of oil mixture over each batch
of sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Arrange wedges in one layer with a little
space between them. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 12
minutes. Turn slices over. Reverse shelves for baking sheets. Continue roasting
until potatoes are tender, 8 to 12 minutes more. If needed, sprinkle with
additional salt, serve hot.
