Mustard Greens and much more . . . at Vitesse

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Date: October 5th 2009

In Your Share

Arugula

Garlic

Spaghetti Squash

Radishes – Regular and French Breakfast

Japanese Turnips OR Daikon Radish

Peppers – Sweet (green and red) and Hot

Choice of any of the fall Mustard Greens – see below for details

REMEMBER that this is the week to GO TO VITESSE Cycle Shop for your B-N CSA pick-up! From now until the last CSA (Nov. 24), we’ll be meeting at Vitesse, 206 S. Linden in Normal. Thank you to CSA member Chris Koos for letting us distribute these last few months of vegetables in comfort.

TIMING -- Henry asks you to space yourselves out over the hour so that there isn’t a big line at the beginning. He always brings enough for everyone, so no matter when you come, your full share will be there waiting for you.

PARKING -- Since there is not much room in front of the store, please park directly across Linden in the public lot. Do not park at the Liquor Store next door (unless you are also buying wine for dinner)– as they are fond of towing.

CSA Cooking Classes -- It seems another lifetime, but you’ll remember that way back in JUNE, Chef Bill Turney of “From the Field Cooking School” in Morton offered special CSA cooking classes. Those classes are coming up again – so be sure and register online now. The class originally scheduled for this Thursday has been cancelled (and will be re-scheduled - stay tuned), but the one for Saturday is still taking registrants.

For the upcoming classes, Henry will supply Bill with Kale, Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem Artichokes), Jalapeno Peppers, and (most likely) Parsnips and Celery Root. If you are unfamiliar with any of these, or simply want to learn a few more things to do with them, sign up NOW.

Where: From the Field Cooking School, 2029 S. Main, Morton, IL

When: Oct 10 (Sat), 9-noon (kids welcome!), and a weekday evening, TBA

Sign up now – Go to www.fromthefieldcookingschool.com and click on class schedule. Go to the bottom of the calendar and click on “pay for cooking classes.” Follow the registration process. When you get to PayPal, make sure you note the class name (Henry’s CSA Exclusive), date and time. Since Henry is supplying the produce, Bill has reduced the price per class to $35/person.

Limited to 20 students per class, so don’t delay!

Thanks to everyone who braved the cool, damp weather to attend our Annual Tour and Potluck. The clouds and intermittent light rain couldn’t dampen our spirits though, as people brought delicious food to share, and Henry took small groups on guided tours, and revealed the answers to the “Name that Vegetable” quiz. The winner, by the way, put only his first name, “Bill,” on his winning answer sheet. So if that Bill could identify himself (to Henry at the CSA or by replying to this email), we will get you your prize, a dozen fresh farm eggs, plus a copy of The Seasons on Henry’s Farm.

Those of you who stayed until evening got the real prize, though . . . when the cloud cover finally lifted, revealing the huge and brilliant Harvest Moon.

The just barely waning Harvest Moon is rising as I write. It signals that summer is over. We’ve finally reached the last of the tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, basil, okra, beans, and edamame. But the fall greens (salad and cooking) are coming on strong, as are lots of different winter squashes. This week you’ll see the spaghetti squash again, but soon you’ll be seeing acorn, butternut, delicata, buttercup, kuri, kabocha, and many more. So far every single one I've had has been unbelievably flavorful – so lots to look forward to.

FOOD NOTES – Japanese Turnips, and Mustard Greens of every color

The Japanese Turnips of autumn are even better than the spring ones. And don’t let the word “turnip” put you off. In fact, you can use them as you would potatoes, and they are particularly good in a gratin -- their mild sweetness complementing the creamy gratin.

Alain Passard's Turnip Gratin

Patricia Wells writes: Each Saturday morning in Le Figaro, chef Alain Passard offers an incredible assortment of recipe ideas revolving around a particular ingredient. One day in February the subject was Cantal, the rich golden cheese of the Aubergne mountains. He suggested this preparation, which I promptly followed. This vegetable gratin is delicious on its own with a tossed green salad, or as a vegetable accompaniment to a roast chicken or roast pork.

1 1/2 pounds Japanese turnips, peeled and cut into thin rounds

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces cow's-milk cheese, such as Cantal or Cheddar, coarsely grated

1 1/2 cups whole milk (or heavy cream if you want to be decadent)

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), optional

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish, and in it layer half the turnips. Season well with sea salt and black pepper, and then layer half the cheese. Season that layer. Repeat with the remaining turnips and the remaining cheese, seasoning well after each layer. Add milk just to cover. Sprinkle with the thyme and more sea salt and pepper. Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake until the turnips are soft and have absorbed most of the milk, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. If you desire, sprinkle with the panko breadcrumbs and broil for a minute or two until browned. Serve immediately.

MUSTARDs of many colors. Mustard greens are thought to have originated in the high altitude region of the Himalayas about 5000 years ago, and have many well known health benefits due to the high levels of Vitamin C, E, and A, as well as folic acid, calcium, and magnesium. Less well known are the high levels of glucosinolates, which are converted into isothiocyanates that are believed to protect against carcinogens.

This week you can choose from Green Mustard, Red Mustard, Mizuna, Red Mizuna (Ruby Streaks), Golden Frill, Pizzo Mustard (serrated leaves),and Mizpoona (a new Frank Morton cross between Mizuna and Tatsoi). These are all young and tender, and so can be used either raw in salads, or as a cooked green.

Quick Mizuna Salad with Sweet Vinaigrette

½ bunch mizuna

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey mustard

Trim, wash and dry mizuna; cut into small pieces. Whisk oil, vinegar and mustard in serving bowl; stir in greens, and mix well.

Mustard Green Salad with Aged Gouda and Mushrooms

3/4 pounds sliced portabella mushrooms
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 cups mixed spicy greens such as mustard, arugula, mizuna, and mizpoona
1 cup coarsely grated aged Gouda cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Toss mushrooms with 3 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl. Roast in 1 layer in a 4-sided sheet pan, turning once, until golden-brown and tender, about 15 minutes. Cool mushrooms.

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 5 tablespoons oil in a bowl until combined. Toss mushrooms, greens, and cheese with enough dressing to coat.

Potato Salad with Cooked Greens

5 or 6 Medium to Large Potatoes (Boiled until tender, then cooled)

1/2 Onion

2 Bunches Mizuna or other Mustard Green

2 Eggs, Hardboiled

1 Chili Pepper (optional)

Sea Salt

1 1/2 Cups Mayonnaise (follow Julia Child’s recipe for making your own!)

1 Tablespoon Prepared Mustard

Chop the boiled potatoes into small (1/2-inch) pieces. Set them aside in a big bowl.
Rinse the greens and spin them dry. Then mince finely and put into the bowl with the potatoes.
Chop the onion and finely dice the chili pepper, and add to the bowl.
Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mix the whole thing up. Salt to taste.

Pasta with Mustard Greens and Walnuts

1 pound of your choice of cooked pasta (linguine is good)

3 slices thick-sliced bacon, diced

1 bunch mizuna, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)

1 tomato, chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

3 tbsp mustard

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the diced bacon in a pan and drain. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan, and add onion, garlic, and red wine vinegar. Cook for five or six minutes, or until onions begin to caramelize. Add mustard, walnuts, lemon juice, and tomato; cook until tomato begins to dissolve. Add mizuna, and cook until it starts to wilt. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve vegetables over pasta, and sprinkle with shaved Parmesan.

It’s still out there, brighter than ever, so Shine on, shine on harvest moon . . . .

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