Henry’s CSA

Food & Farm Notes

Week 18 – September 24, 2007

 

In Your Share This Week:

(as always, there may be last-minute changes)

Mix of Baby Autumn Braising Greens

Potatoes or Green Beans

Garlic

Kale

Radish

Winter Squash or Pie Pumpkin

Choice of Herbs: Sage, Oregano, Thyme

 

e

ANNOUNCEMENTS . . .

 

1. CSA PICK-UP moves indoors NEXT WEEK, Tuesday, Oct. 2. Because of the encroaching darkness, this is the last week for the pick-up to be held at the Unitarian Church parking lot. Starting next week, come to Vitesse Cycle Shop, 206 S. Linden St., Normal. DO NOT PARK in the Liquor Shop next door, as they will tow. The best place to park is in the city lot across Linden. Thanks, as always, to Chris Koos for allowing us to use Vitesse as our Fall CSA Pick-up location.

 

2. Henry’s Farm Annual Farm Tour and Potluck THIS SAT.

 

Please join us THIS SATURDAY for our annual Tour and Potluck. You and your family are welcome any time after 1 p.m. The feast begins around 2, and the guided tours begin around 3.

 

This year we have something new – You can RSVP online! Simply go to the bottom of the homepage of www.Henrysfarm.com and click on the link under Events.

 

Directions to the farm are at the end of this email (you can also map-quest 432 Grimm Road, Congerville, IL 61729).

 

Ø      Bring your favorite dish (or more) along with your own tableware and drinks

Ø      Get a genuine Henry-guided tour of the farm where over 550 varieties of vegetables are raised each year

Ø      Take the "Name that Vegetable" quiz and win fabulous prizes

 

x

 

FOOD and FARM NOTES: Autumn Braising Greens

There’s a 70% chance of rain for tomorrow, and we are keeping our fingers crossed. Many of the fall greens were planted in mid-August, and without the irrigation provided by your trusty farmer, they would still just be seeds in the dry ground. But Henry has been watering for two weeks now, and that is the reason you’ll have a bag of delicious, tender baby greens in your share this week.

Braising greens are mainly the fall brassicas -- turnip greens and mustard greens, as well as Asian greens such as mizuna or tatsoi. You can fix them simply by boiling or steaming, and then stir-frying . . . either with garlic and olive oil for an Italian take, or with soy sauce and rice vinegar for an Asian flair. Or fuse the two by tossing the cooked greens with a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice, olive oil and minced, sauteed ginger and garlic.

You can also toss the braising greens into soup or scrambled eggs, or serve them sauteed with pancetta, pine nuts, and golden raisins and heaped atop crusty toasted bread rubbed with garlic for a fabulous bruschetta.

Any way you cook them, braising greens are a great source of calcium, iron, folic acid, vitamins A and C, and fiber.

Basic Braised Baby Fall Greens

1 bag Henry’s Baby Fall Greens, leaves and stems coarsely chopped
1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water

 

Blanch greens in 3-4 cups boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain greens in a colander and wipe pot dry.

Cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add greens and water and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Asian Style Fall Greens

1 bag Henry’s braising greens

2 Tb peanut oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp minced garlic

Soy sauce to taste

Sesame oil to taste

 

Wash greens and chop coarsely. Heat wok or heavy frying pan. Pour oil in. Add greens and toss over moderately high heat until somewhat softened, about 2 minutes. Add sugar, garlic, salt and soy sauce. Toss another 2 minutes. Add a few drops of sesame oil if desired. Serve.

 

Fall Greens Pasta with Bacon

1/4 pound bacon

1 onion or leek, diced

1 bag Henry’s Braising Greens

1/2 pound pasta – linguine or fusilli are nice – cooked per package directions

Parmesan Cheese

Dice up the bacon and fry until crispy. Drain, reserving 2 Tb of the bacon fat. Put the bacon fat in the pan and add the diced onion or leek. Saute until softened. Add the washed braising greens and cook until tender (4-5 min). Then toss with Pasta and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

x

 

KALE AND GARLIC

It’s been a hot September so far, but soon the weather will change and the kale will get sweeter and tenderer. Even if you think you are not a fan of kale, I bet you will like it in the fabulous recipe below. It is a little more complicated than the usual Food & Farm Notes recipes, but it uses the kale, garlic, and sage in your share this week, and it is WONDERFUL.

SAGE AND MILK-BRINED PORK LOIN WITH KALE

Recipe by Reed Hearon, chef/owner of Rose Pistola in San Francisco, published in ``Cooking Fresh from the Bay Area"

 

8 cloves garlic

12 sage leaves

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper

1/2 gallon milk

4 pork chops, uncut in a single rack (or get regular pork chops from the Wettsteins)

2 bunches kale (pick up an extra bunch from the Share Box)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, peeled and diced

2 sprigs marjoram

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 lemons (preferably Meyer lemons) cut in wedges

The day before cooking: Puree 6 cloves of garlic, the sage, salt and pepper in a food processor with the milk. Place the milk mixture in a glass or stainless steel pan large enough to hold the pork loin. Add the pork loin to the pan and coat it with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

The day of cooking: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the kale thoroughly and remove the large stems. Cut the kale into 1-inch pieces. Lightly crush the 2 remaining garlic cloves to release their juices.

Heat a large skillet and add the olive oil. Saute the onion, crushed garlic cloves and marjoram until the onion and garlic are translucent. Add the kale to the pan, and stir to coat with olive oil and seasonings. Stir in the 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Stir often to avoid scorching. Remove the pan from the heat and reserve.

Remove the pork loin from the marinade and pat it dry with a towel. Season the pork loin with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the pork in a small roasting pan or ovenproof skillet. Roast the pork for approximately 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees. Halfway through cooking the pork, squeeze the juice of one lemon over it and add the squeezed wedges to the pan.

Once the pork is cooked, remove the pan from the oven. Cover the pork with a clean kitchen towel or foil and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

To serve, carve the pork into 4 pieces by cutting between the bones. Gently reheat the braised kale over medium heat. Divide the kale onto 4 warmed dinner plates, place a pork chop on top of the kale, and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Serves 4.

x

 

Directions to Henry's Farm

From Bloomington or Peoria, take Interstate 74 (West from Blm, or East from Peoria) and get off at the Goodfield exit. Go through the stoplight (you’re heading North, toward Eureka) and continue about 2 miles down Route 117. Look for a small country road (475N) down off to your right.

Make the right off of Rt. 117 onto 475N. Follow it to a T junction, and turn right. Follow this road for a quarter mile or so, until you see about 4 mailboxes and a long gravel lane to your left. Turn here and go all the way back to the barn.  See you there!

e