In Your Share . . .

on this 3^rd to the last pick-up

 

Green Peppers (from the greenhouse)

2 Heads of Lettuce

2 Asian Greens

Mesclun

Arugula

Celery Root, or Beets, or Fennel

 

 

Farm Notes

 

Bringing the dogs down to guard the lettuce on a recent night, I heard the tinkling sound that thin ice over puddles makes as boots break through.  I thought for a moment that the ground must have somehow frozen already. Then the sound ended abruptly, and with it the thought. It’s not ice, I realized, but the brittle locust tree pods suddenly shed from the tree that shades the lettuces during the heat of August.  They pods crunch lightly underfoot, crisp as potato chips.

 

Lettuce, which is often assumed to be a fragile, tender green, is one of the most cold-hardy.  Long after the chard and turnip greens have been damaged by the frost, the lettuce is looking beautiful and tasting even better.  One year an intern asked Henry which was better, the spring lettuce or the fall lettuce.  Henry immediately said the fall lettuce, and explained that it was thicker, crunchier, sweeter, and had an all-around better character.  Our gourmet deer seem to have come to the same conclusion, and without the dogs guarding the lettuce and radicchio each night, there would be none left for the last markets and CSA shares.

 

Luckily the dogs have been keeping the deer away each night, so you’ll be seeing some more beautiful greens this week. We did get a couple of hard frosts over the past week or two.  They killed the cold-sensitive crops, but didn’t damage the hardy greens like the lettuces and Asian greens. We’re grateful for this, and for the comfortable working conditions in these Indian Summery days.  

 

Sign up for Henry’s CSA 2009 – deadline is Nov. 18

Henry will try and work on the 2008 Sign-up Form tomorrow after harvesting your vegetables.  If he gets it done, he’ll bring it with him and hand it out as you pick up your share.  If not, then you’ll get it next week for sure. Bring along your pen and checkbook if you want to guarantee that you are a member next year.  Henry has a long waiting list of new members wanting to get into the CSA, but current members get priority.  The deadline to give Henry your sign-up form and your check is the last pick-up, Tuesday, Nov. 18^th.     

l

 

 

Food Notes:  Fennel, Celery Root, Green Peppers, Asian Greens

 

Fennel was well known to the Ancients and was cultivated by the ancient Romans. Pliny had much faith in its medicinal properties, according no less than twenty-two remedies to it.  William Coles in Nature's Paradise (1650) affirms that “both the seeds, leaves and root of our Garden Fennel are much used in drinks and broths for those that are grown fat, to abate their unwieldiness and cause them to grow more gaunt and lank.” The ancient Greek name of the herb, Marathron, from maraino, to grow thin, probably refers to this property.  In addition to helping with weight loss, it was also said to convey longevity, and to give strength and courage.  For all these reasons, and because it is delicious to boot, give it a try this week.  I love to put it into soups of any sort, and my next most favorite thing to do is braise it, as in the following recipe.

 

FENNEL BRAISED WITH GARLIC

(FINOCCHI ALLA GIUDIA)

6 small or 3 large fennel bulbs

6 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable broth or water

Trim fennel stalks flush with bulbs, reserving stalks for another use. Cut bulbs lengthwise

in half or into quarters. In a heavy skillet warm oil over moderate heat and cook garlic until pale golden. Remove garlic and cook fennel, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth or water and salt to taste and simmer, partially covered, stirring

FRIED FENNEL

Lovely with fish dishes, but also good served with chicken or lamb or scattered over a soup, salad or pasta.

 

3 large fennel bulbs, trimmed, thinly sliced

9 tablespoons flour

3/4 cup vegetable oil

Pre-heat oven to 200°F. Line baking sheet with paper towels. Place 1/3 of fennel in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons flour and toss to coat. Heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fennel and fry until golden brown, turning with tongs, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer fennel to paper towels; drain. Keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining fennel, flour and oil in 2 more batches. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Baked Fennel

From Israeli Cooking on a Budget, by Sybil Zimmerman

 

2 fennel bulbs

1/4 cup butter

1 oz Parmesan Cheese, grated (1/4 cup)

 

Clean fennel bulbs, removing ferny leaves, stems and stalk.  Cook in 1 qt. boiling salted water until tender.  Drain and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place in baking dish, cover with melted butter blended with cheese.  Bake in moderate oven until surface is brown. 

 

 

Celery Root is excellent raw or cooked.  My favorite thing to do is put chunks of it into soups so that the light herbal/celery flavor infuses the whole soup and fills up your kitchen.  When braised alongside meat, it creates a tasty two-way street, lending a complex flavor to the meat juices, and a meaty richness to the vegetable.  For the same reasons, celery root makes a great poultry stuffing.

 

Simple Celery Root in Mustard Sauce

This is a lighter version of the classic, creamy céleri rémoulade.

 

2 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tb imported Dijon mustard

1 cup crème fraiche or heavy cream

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound celery root (about 2 medium sized roots)

 

1.      In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice, mustard, crème fraiche, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

2.      Quarter the celery root and peel it. Grate coarsely. Immediately add the celery root to the mustard sauce and toss to coat. Season to taste.

 

Potato and Celery Root Gratin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots

2 pounds celery root, peeled, halved, thinly sliced

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced

2 cups whipping cream

1 cup canned chicken broth

 

8 ounces Fontina cheese, grated

 

1.      Preheat oven to 400° F. Mix salt, pepper and nutmeg in small bowl.

2.      Sprinkle half of shallots in 16-cup oval gratin dish or 15x10 glass baking dish. Top with half of celery root, half of potatoes, and half of spice mixture. Repeat layering with remaining shallots, celery root, potatoes and spice mixture.

3.      Bring cream and broth to simmer in a medium saucepan. Pour over the vegetables. Cover tightly with foil.

4.      Place in oven and bake until vegetables are almost tender, about 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450° F. Press potatoes with spatula to even thickness. Bake uncovered until juices thicken, about 10 minutes. Top with cheese. Bake until cheese melts and browns, about 15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

 

Celery Root and Apple Salad with Arugula and Toasted Walnuts

2 medium celery roots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

2 medium apples, cored and cut into matchsticks

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 bunch arugula

Dressing:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon mustard seed

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

salt and pepper

1 cup walnut halves, toasted

 

1.      Combine the celery root and apple in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Toss with the arugula.

2.      Whisk the vinegar, mustard seed, mustard, honey and oil until well combined. Toss with the celery root mixture. Taste for salt and pepper and garnish with walnuts. 

Green Peppers

The end of a season is the time to clean house . . .  greenhouse, that is.  Henry and the crew went through and picked every last tomato and pepper, so this week you’ll see a lot of green peppers, which are wonderful raw in salads or cooked into soups or sautees or stir-fries.  They are also perfect in pasta sauces and on pizzas.  

And nothing is better on a chilly autumn night than stuffed peppers.  If you want less (or no) meat in the following recipe, cook up some rice and use that as the main part of the filling.

 

STUFFED PEPPERS
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 large egg
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
4 medium-size peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients (except peppers) in a large bowl until well blended. Fill pepper halves with sausage mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange in 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Bake peppers uncovered until tops are browned, about 1 hour. Transfer peppers to platter and serve.

 

QUICK GREEN PEPPER PIZZA

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 10-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough, rolled to 12-inch square (or make your own)

1 garlic clove, minced

18-ounce shredded pizza cheeses (your choice or parmesan, romano, mozzarella)

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/3 cup sliced black olives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or marjoram

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Ease dough into skillet (dough will extend partially up sides). Cook until golden on bottom, about 4 minutes. Turn dough over. Top with remaining ingredients. Transfer skillet to oven; bake until cheese melts and toppings are hot, about 10 minutes. Cut into quarters and serve.

Asian Greens – one last recipe . . .

 

Stir-Fried Chinese Greens with Ginger, Oyster and Soy Sauce

from Jamie Oliver

 

1 pound of mixed Chinese greens--bok choy, tah tsai, komatsuna, etc
3 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon thinly sliced ginger
4 scallions, finely shredded
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 pinches of sugar
juice of 1 lime
salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Cut the Chinese broccoli into 2-inch chunks, and the bok choy into quarters. Plunge the greens into boiling water for about 1 1/2 minutes until just tender, and drain well.

Put the oil and the ginger into a very large, hot wok or other suitable pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the scallions and the rest of the ingredients apart from the seasoning. Toss so that everything is coated in sauce. The vegetables will sizzle and stir-fry. The oyster and soy sauce will reduce, just coating the greens. At this point season to taste. Stir-fry for a further minute and serve immediately.