2010 Summer Newsletter 8
The Veggie Voice Village Acres Farm Summer CSA • July 6, 2010 • Distribution 8 of 28 address: 229 Cuba Mills Rd., Mifflintown, PA 17059 phone: 717-436-9477
email: [email protected] website: www.villageacresfarm.com
“I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.” – John Muir Farm Note • a word from the Village Acres Crew: Hello, I can hardly believe I’ve been here almost 3 months. Summer is definitely assuming warp speed. However, I must admit some fruits and vegetables aren’t ripening quite fast enough for me. The watermelons and cantaloupes look good enough to eat, but I’m still mystified by how to tell when they are actually ripe (Dave says they still have a while to go). Things I wish would slow down include the growth of weeds, even with the lack of rain, most seem to show no sign of decline. One thing for sure, we are never at a lack for things to work on here. I’m still continually astonished at how much work gets accomplished. Although, I must admit my productivity recently took a dip during the World Cup matches, taking odd lunch break times to catch the end of some games, and today we had a lovely potluck birthday breakfast for me and Jacob (Angela and Patrick’s son). Needless to say we were all a little slow starting work after that, but I think it will pay off in the end with bountiful extra energy from all the delicious food. Thanks for your support and have a wonderful week! Brosi Produce and Cooking Notes White Onions: Beautiful, clean onions with no rotten centers! You almost make me forget the misery of winter storage onions…. Head Lettuce: Any heads that have escaped the trimmings by our groundhogs are precious indeed. New Potatoes: I love digging these new potatoes by hand, even though we’ll probably use the tractor-mounted digger when they come in heavier in a few weeks. It’s always amazing to turn over a lump of soil and discover a potato inside. Cucumbers: As bacterial wilt spreads through the cucumber patch this year, it amazes me how variable disease pressures can be from year to year. Usually this wilting disease is a minor annoyance, but this year it’s seriously threatening our cucumber supply. Yet some of our other common annoyances (like the Mexican bean beetles that devastate our green beans) are yet to show this year. Zucchini: How long do you love zucchini in the summer? If we take a break in July and August, will your neighbors pick up the slack? Or do you count on us for a 16-week supply? I’m curious to find out. In the Box Blueberries: More of our own handpicked blueberries for our Selinsgrove members – White Onions you probably don’t need much help using these. Head Lettuce Chard: Dan and I had some raw chard recently at a farm tour, sliced thinly and mixed New Potatoes in a salad. I don’t usually eat mature leaves raw like that, but with a sharp enough Cucumbers dressing they tasted pretty good. Zucchini Beets: We still had some beets left over from last week, but not enough to use Blueberries effectively – so when the Swareys offered to sell us some this week, we took them up Chard on it. Now there should be enough for all! (Which with beets, means too many for Beets some).. Hot Peppers Hot Peppers: The first of many, I hope. Soak whole in a pot of soup if you just want a Sungolds Basil little spice or chop it all up with the seeds for the most spice. We’ll have a few bell Endive peppers and eggplants if you absolutely can’t stand spiciness, but we’ll also have a
range of hot pepper varieties to try out. Sungolds - Sweet, early cherry tomatoes to hold us over until the tomato overload in August. Basil- Tear it up on top of any cheese or tomato based dish or mix it in with lettuce leaves for an extra zesty salad! Just be gentle with it and never refrigerate it or else it will turn black. Endive – This bitter salad green is tasty with a little bit of heat or acid applied to it – don’t be afraid to wilt it a bit in preparation. This newsletter has often recommended a bacon-infused vinaigrette, or you can try some sautéed fresh onions, still hot, for a similar effect.
Recipes Falafel Burgers From Moosewood Restaurant New Classics ♦ 1 c. diced onions ♦ 2-3 garlic cloves, minced ♦ 1 T. olive oil ♦ 1 c. diced red bell pepper ♦ 1 t. turmeric ♦ 1 t. coriander ♦ hot pepper to taste ♦ 12 oz. firm tofu, pressed ♦ 1 ½ c. cooked chickpeas ♦ 3 T. lemon juice ♦ 1 T. soy sauce ♦ 1 t. sesame oil ♦ ¼ c. parsley ♦ ¼ c. tahini ♦ ½ t. salt ♦ ½ c. bread crumbs ♦ tomatoes ♦ cucumbers ♦ pita bread 1. Preheat oven to 350 and oil a baking sheet. 2. Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil 5 minutes. add bell pepper, turmeric, coriander, and hot pepper and sauté until all vegetables are tender. 3. In a food processor, combine tofu, chickpeas, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil until combined, but not a paste. 4. Transfer tofu mixture to a bowl and add spiced vegetables, parsley, tahini, and salt. Use up to ½ c. bread crumbs if the mixture is too sticky. 5. Shape into 8 patties on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pita bread.
Savory Vegetable Cheesecake From The Enchanted Broccoli Forest ♦ 3 c. grated zucchini ♦ 3 T. butter ♦ 1 c. onion, minced ♦ 2-3 cloves garlic, minced ♦ ½ t. salt ♦ 1 c. grated carrot ♦ 3 T. flour ♦ 1 T. fresh basil ♦ 1 T. fresh oregano ♦ ¼ c. minced parsley ♦ 1 T. lemon juice ♦ 3 c. ricotta ♦ 1 c. grated mozzarella ♦ ½ c., grated parmesan ♦ 4 large eggs ♦ black pepper ♦ 2 tomatoes, sliced 1. Set grated zucchini in a colander in the sink, lightly salt, and let stand 15 minutes. Squeeze out all excess moisture. 2. Sauté onions in butter and salt for 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, zucchini, flour and herbs and sauté another 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add parsley and lemon juice. 3. Beat together eggs and cheeses on high speed. Add sautéed vegetables and season with pepper. 4. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan (Or bake a layer of grated potatoes in the pan for 10 minutes), add egg, vegetable, cheese mixture and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. 5. Decorate top with sliced tomatoes, lower the heat in the oven to 350 and bake another 15 minutes. Turn the oven off, leave the cake in for 15 minutes, then remove, let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
The Veggie Voice is sponsored in part by:
State College, Pa 814.231.3927 www.envinity.com
Edited by Dave Ruggiero and Anna Mast Village Acres Farm is owned and operated by Roy & Hope Brubaker
email: [email protected] website: www.villageacresfarm.com
“I never saw a discontented tree. They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.” – John Muir Farm Note • a word from the Village Acres Crew: Hello, I can hardly believe I’ve been here almost 3 months. Summer is definitely assuming warp speed. However, I must admit some fruits and vegetables aren’t ripening quite fast enough for me. The watermelons and cantaloupes look good enough to eat, but I’m still mystified by how to tell when they are actually ripe (Dave says they still have a while to go). Things I wish would slow down include the growth of weeds, even with the lack of rain, most seem to show no sign of decline. One thing for sure, we are never at a lack for things to work on here. I’m still continually astonished at how much work gets accomplished. Although, I must admit my productivity recently took a dip during the World Cup matches, taking odd lunch break times to catch the end of some games, and today we had a lovely potluck birthday breakfast for me and Jacob (Angela and Patrick’s son). Needless to say we were all a little slow starting work after that, but I think it will pay off in the end with bountiful extra energy from all the delicious food. Thanks for your support and have a wonderful week! Brosi Produce and Cooking Notes White Onions: Beautiful, clean onions with no rotten centers! You almost make me forget the misery of winter storage onions…. Head Lettuce: Any heads that have escaped the trimmings by our groundhogs are precious indeed. New Potatoes: I love digging these new potatoes by hand, even though we’ll probably use the tractor-mounted digger when they come in heavier in a few weeks. It’s always amazing to turn over a lump of soil and discover a potato inside. Cucumbers: As bacterial wilt spreads through the cucumber patch this year, it amazes me how variable disease pressures can be from year to year. Usually this wilting disease is a minor annoyance, but this year it’s seriously threatening our cucumber supply. Yet some of our other common annoyances (like the Mexican bean beetles that devastate our green beans) are yet to show this year. Zucchini: How long do you love zucchini in the summer? If we take a break in July and August, will your neighbors pick up the slack? Or do you count on us for a 16-week supply? I’m curious to find out. In the Box Blueberries: More of our own handpicked blueberries for our Selinsgrove members – White Onions you probably don’t need much help using these. Head Lettuce Chard: Dan and I had some raw chard recently at a farm tour, sliced thinly and mixed New Potatoes in a salad. I don’t usually eat mature leaves raw like that, but with a sharp enough Cucumbers dressing they tasted pretty good. Zucchini Beets: We still had some beets left over from last week, but not enough to use Blueberries effectively – so when the Swareys offered to sell us some this week, we took them up Chard on it. Now there should be enough for all! (Which with beets, means too many for Beets some).. Hot Peppers Hot Peppers: The first of many, I hope. Soak whole in a pot of soup if you just want a Sungolds Basil little spice or chop it all up with the seeds for the most spice. We’ll have a few bell Endive peppers and eggplants if you absolutely can’t stand spiciness, but we’ll also have a
range of hot pepper varieties to try out. Sungolds - Sweet, early cherry tomatoes to hold us over until the tomato overload in August. Basil- Tear it up on top of any cheese or tomato based dish or mix it in with lettuce leaves for an extra zesty salad! Just be gentle with it and never refrigerate it or else it will turn black. Endive – This bitter salad green is tasty with a little bit of heat or acid applied to it – don’t be afraid to wilt it a bit in preparation. This newsletter has often recommended a bacon-infused vinaigrette, or you can try some sautéed fresh onions, still hot, for a similar effect.
Recipes Falafel Burgers From Moosewood Restaurant New Classics ♦ 1 c. diced onions ♦ 2-3 garlic cloves, minced ♦ 1 T. olive oil ♦ 1 c. diced red bell pepper ♦ 1 t. turmeric ♦ 1 t. coriander ♦ hot pepper to taste ♦ 12 oz. firm tofu, pressed ♦ 1 ½ c. cooked chickpeas ♦ 3 T. lemon juice ♦ 1 T. soy sauce ♦ 1 t. sesame oil ♦ ¼ c. parsley ♦ ¼ c. tahini ♦ ½ t. salt ♦ ½ c. bread crumbs ♦ tomatoes ♦ cucumbers ♦ pita bread 1. Preheat oven to 350 and oil a baking sheet. 2. Sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil 5 minutes. add bell pepper, turmeric, coriander, and hot pepper and sauté until all vegetables are tender. 3. In a food processor, combine tofu, chickpeas, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sesame oil until combined, but not a paste. 4. Transfer tofu mixture to a bowl and add spiced vegetables, parsley, tahini, and salt. Use up to ½ c. bread crumbs if the mixture is too sticky. 5. Shape into 8 patties on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and pita bread.
Savory Vegetable Cheesecake From The Enchanted Broccoli Forest ♦ 3 c. grated zucchini ♦ 3 T. butter ♦ 1 c. onion, minced ♦ 2-3 cloves garlic, minced ♦ ½ t. salt ♦ 1 c. grated carrot ♦ 3 T. flour ♦ 1 T. fresh basil ♦ 1 T. fresh oregano ♦ ¼ c. minced parsley ♦ 1 T. lemon juice ♦ 3 c. ricotta ♦ 1 c. grated mozzarella ♦ ½ c., grated parmesan ♦ 4 large eggs ♦ black pepper ♦ 2 tomatoes, sliced 1. Set grated zucchini in a colander in the sink, lightly salt, and let stand 15 minutes. Squeeze out all excess moisture. 2. Sauté onions in butter and salt for 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, zucchini, flour and herbs and sauté another 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add parsley and lemon juice. 3. Beat together eggs and cheeses on high speed. Add sautéed vegetables and season with pepper. 4. Butter and flour a 10 inch springform pan (Or bake a layer of grated potatoes in the pan for 10 minutes), add egg, vegetable, cheese mixture and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. 5. Decorate top with sliced tomatoes, lower the heat in the oven to 350 and bake another 15 minutes. Turn the oven off, leave the cake in for 15 minutes, then remove, let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
The Veggie Voice is sponsored in part by:
State College, Pa 814.231.3927 www.envinity.com
Edited by Dave Ruggiero and Anna Mast Village Acres Farm is owned and operated by Roy & Hope Brubaker
