Henry’s Farm -- Food & Farm Notes

 

In Your Share . . .

(Next to the last CSA pick-up!)

 

2 Heads of Lettuce

2 heads of Choi (various kinds)

Your choice: Turnip Greens or Mustard Greens

Arugula

Parsnips

Your choice of Sweet Potatoes (Japanese or White) or Regular Potatoes (Russets)

One Last Big Green Pepper!

 

 

 

Farm Notes

 

Yesterday morning I glanced at the oak tree just outside my kitchen window and saw something I’d never seen before -- the tree was alive with brilliant blue twittering and flittering – a whole flock of bluebirds were passing through.  Then, as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone. 

 

A few hours later, I went down to the field to pick some salad greens and noticed that the fall migration was indeed in full swing.  The woods all around the field echoed with song.  I saw flocks of fat robins picking rose hips, flickers rising and falling across the field in their undulating flight, juncos lighting and alighting like butterflies – a river of birds moving happily across our fields, stocking up on organic seeds, fruits, insect – and moving on.

 

Return Your Sign-up Form!

Everyone should have gotten the Sign-up Form from Henry at last week’s CSA pick up.  Please return it tomorrow, indicating whether you are signing up or not.  If you are, then bring a check for $390.   Your check will not be cashed until next February, but it ensures you have a space reserved in the 2009 CSA.  And remember, “he who hesitates is lost.” If you decide in April or May that you want to re-sign up, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up on the waiting list instead of in the CSA. (Final deadline to reserve your slot in Henry’s CSA 2009 will be Nov. 18, 2008.)

 

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Food Notes:  Turnip/Mustard Greens; Parsnips; Sweet Potatoes

All of the greens in your share were harvested just before the hard frost last night, and are super-crisp and super-sweet.

Turnip greens are sometimes considered the “poor cousin” to the classier broccoli raab, or rapini . . . but they are virtually the same plant (without the little blossoms), just as delicious, and even more nutritious. 

One of the simplest and most delicious things to do with turnip greens is to blanch them, and then sauté in olive oil with garlic, then serve on toast . . . a lovely “buschetta” to serve as a snack or appetizer.  Here’s a recipe . . .

Simple Turnip/Mustard Greens with Olive Oil and Garlic

1. Rinse the greens, chop coarsely, and then blanch for 3-5 minutes in boiling salted water.  Remove and drain, squeezing out most of the water.
2. Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan.  Add 3-4 cloves of garlic and cook 1-2 minutes.  Add greens, and sauté until tender.
3. Serve on toasted Ciabatta, French, or Italian bread.  Drizzle with olive oil, and add salt and pepper if you like.  (Red pepper flakes are also good.)

 

Caldo Gallego – Spanish Galician Soup

(from Mucho Mario – Mario Batali in Spain)

1/2 pound thickly sliced pancetta or slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight in water to cover
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 pound Spanish chorizo, casings removed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 pound turnip greens (or other dark leafy green), stemmed and coarsely chopped

Cook the pancetta in a large heavy pot over medium heat until most of the fat is rendered, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the beans, add them to the pot, along with enough water to cover them by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partially covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beans are beginning to soften.

Add the onion and potatoes and cook for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Add the chorizo and greens and cook for 10 minutes, or until the greens are tender.

 

 

Holiday Parsnips, Sweet and Savory

 

You don’t often hear “holiday” and “parsnips” in the same sentence these days, but since Roman times, roasted parsnips have been an essential feature at holiday dinners throughout northern Europe.  And for good reason--parsnips develop their full flavor and sweetness only after temperatures sink below 32 degrees.

 

The parsnip originated in the Mediterranean, but there is was a very small root, about the size of a baby carrot when fully grown. The Romans took parsnips seeds with them as the Empire expanded north, and they discovered a curious thing: the further north they went, the bigger and sweeter the parsnips grew.   Now we know that freezing temperatures cause the starch in the parsnip root to change into sugar, resulting in a strong, sweet taste. A California parsnip may look large and lovely in the store, but it won’t be nearly as tasty as the parsnip in your CSA share. 

 

Simple Parsnips with Parsley

Teresa made these for Thanksgiving last year, and everyone, even the kids, loved them.

2 Tb Butter

1 pound parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

2 Tb chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Scrub and slice the parsnips. (Peeling is optional).
2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet.  When it is bubbling nicely and just starting to brown, throw in the parsnips. 
3. Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring and flipping the pieces over as they begin to brown.  Let them brown a little, as they absorb the butter and get tender. 
4. As soon as they are fork-tender, stir in the parsley, salt and pepper, and serve.

 

 

Parsnip Spice Cake

Sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, spread with a buttercream frosting, or left plain, this is a lovely, moist, exotic cake.  

 

1/2 cup butter

2 medium parsnips

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup raisins

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and grease a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Peel the parsnips and grate about one cup’s worth. Set aside.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Put the sugar, raisins, parsnip, butter, salt, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the butter has melted and raisins are plump. Remove from the heat and let stand until cooled to lukewarm.
5. Pour the parsnip-raisin mixture into the flour mixture and stir just enough to moisten the dry ingredients; do not over-mix. Pour into the baking dish.
6. Bake until the edges of the cake start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool.

 

 

SWEET POTATOES So many potatoes; so little time!  Henry says that you are getting the small sweet potatoes this week, because, sadly, the large ones rotted as a result of the flooding we had in September. But these petite potatoes are just as delicious as the big ones, and you can boil, roast, steam or grill them . . .  the peel is very thin, so there is no need to peel them.

 

The Japanese sweet potatoes have a beautiful purply-pink skin and a light cream color inside.  The white sweet potatoes are similar but with a white flesh

Japanese Style Sweet Potatoes

• 1 pound sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Vegetable oil for frying

Cut sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Heat the oil and fry the sweet potatoes at 350F until brown. Mix water, sugar, and soy sauce in a pan. Put the pan on low heat. When the liquid turns sticky, remove from the heat and add fried sweet potatoes. Quickly mix the potatoes with the sticky sugar. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the coated sweet potatoes.