NEWSLETTERS Back To All Newsletters JULY 24 2013 NEWSLETTER Select A Different Newsletter: Date www.denisonfarm.com Tuesday July 23, 2013 Greetings CSA Members, The intense heat and humidity of last week is now a memory and the crew joyfully trims garlic this afternoon inside the barn, drying off from a very wet morning. All I have to say is Alleluia! John O Donohue: Irish poet, author, priest, and philosopher, writes in this excerpt from his piece: A Morning Offering I place on the altar of dawn The quiet loyalty of breath, The tent of thought where I shelter, Wave of desire I am shore to And all beauty drawn to the eye. May my mind come alive today To the invisible geography That invites me to new frontiers, To break the dead shell of yesterdays, To risk being disturbed and changed. May I have the courage today To live the life that I would love, To postpone my dream no longer But do at last what I came here for And waste my heart on fear no more. Enjoy Justine This week in your share, you will most likely receive: Lettuce Tomatoes Cucumbers Summer Squash/Zucchini Sweet Onions
Sweet Onions Garlic Green Peppers Fairytale Eggplant (great for grilling!) And some combination of the following: Fennel Scallions Basil Chives Parsley Fruit Share: 2 pints of Blueberries Bread Share: Country White Week 8 at Denison Farm CSA Step 1: Triage Short Life: Lettuce, Chives, Basil, Tomatoes Medium Life: Eggplant, Green Peppers, Cucumbers, Summer Squash Long Life: Sweet Onions The herbs kept by the lonesome will go and be gone quickly if not properly cared for. Try wrapping them in a moist towel or placing the quick snipped tips in a container of clean water. Step 2: Divide and Conquer There is not much official dividing that needs to happen this week. Lettuce can be removed from its core and washed and prepped immediately for use, stored wrapped in paper towel, though this will shorten its shelf life. The question does arise whether to peel or not to peel eggplant. If you do not peel, each piece will be noticeable in the texture of your dish, though less so with the smaller fairy eggplants pictured above. If you do peel, the eggplant will easily meld into the dish that is perfect for sauce or a cooked salad. My favorite use for eggplant in hot weather is to combine it into a Ratatouille that cooks up in your crockpot and is served beautifully with feta crumbled over the top: Half Day Fairytale Eggplant Ratatouille 1 bag of fairytale eggplants or two large standard eggplants, 1/2 inch dice 1 green pepper, 1/2 inch dice 2 zucchini, 1/2 inch dice 2 summer squash, 1/2 inch dice 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped 1 or 2 large onions, according to taste, diced 2 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice 2 T olive oil 6 T pesto, homemade with basil or store bought 1. Heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add eggplant. Cook until it releases its moisture, about 5 minutes Note: Fairytale eggplant won't have that much to lose. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and place in crock-pot. 2. Add second T of olive oil to pan. Add onions and green pepper. Cover, and cook until onion is softened, stirring occasionally, about 5-10 minutes. 3. Add all ingredients to crock-pot and combine. Cook on low for 4 hrs. Immediately before serving, stir through pesto. Serve over rice or couscous or as a side dish. For a complete meal, add 2 rinsed cans of chickpeas 1/2 hour before the end of cooking time. Share and enjoy. Step 3: Everything in its Place This week, the majority of ingredients are conventional to the American palate. I urge you to hold off putting zucchini in your macaroni and cheese - that desperate time will come, but it is not today. In the meanwhile, make a cucumber and tomato salad with balsamic dressing, salt and pepper. Slice up your peppers and give in to a ranch dressing afternoon snack. Add your fresh herbs to your eggs or your salad. Step 4: Storage
Step 4: Storage All of your herbs can be stored in a cool, dark place to dry, ideally hanging in a plastic bag. Your summer squash can be frozen right after a quick blanching, as can your zucchini. Everything else is going to need to be cooked before it can be frozen, but don't worry - it will all fit into your Ratatouille. Pickle of the Week - Italian Pickled Raw Eggplant Adapted from Joy of Pickling Serve as part of an antipasto or as part of a relish tray before the meal 1 1/2 lbs slender eggplants, peeled, sliced crosswise into 1 inch pieces, then sliced lengthwise 3/16 inch thick 2 tsp pickling salt 1/2 cup red wine vinegar 3 garlic cloves, sliced 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes 8 fresh basil leaves, each torn in half About 1/4 cup olive oil. 1. Toss the eggplant strips with the salt and put them into a colander. Let them drain for 6 to 12 hours. 2. Press each eggplant slice between your palms to remove and remaining excess moisture. Put them into a wide bowl and toss them with the vinegar and garlic. Let them stand for 1 hour, turning them occasionally. 3. In a pint jar, layer the eggplant and garlic with the hot pepper flakes and basil, pressing the eggplant down to fit. Add any liquid remaining in the bowl. Pour over the eggplant enough olive oil to cover it well. Cap the jar and refrigerate it. 4. After several hours, add more olive oil if the eggplant isn't covered well. 5. The eggplant will be ready to eat after several days, and it will keep well, refrigerated, for several weeks. Bring it to room temperature before serving. However you enjoy your veg this week, enjoy it with good weather and good company. Leah the Nosher And a few more from the farm: Halibut with Tomatoes and Fennel 2 cups couscous 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced lengthwise, plus fronds (optional) for serving Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 garlic clove, minced 4 large tomatoes, diced large 1 1/2 pounds halibut, skin removed, cut into 8 small fillets Cook couscous according to package instructions. In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium. Add fennel and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften and release their juices, 3 to 4 minutes. Nestle halibut in tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until fillets are opaque throughout, 8 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Reserve 2 1/4 cups for another meal. To serve, divide remaining couscous and halibut-tomato mixture among four shallow bowls and sprinkle with fennel fronds, if desired. Fairytale Eggplant Sauté with Polenta "What s great about the below recipe is that it is super simple, and you can substitute almost any fresh vegetables you have on hand to make it your own. It works great both as a side, and as a hearty vegetarian supper. Enjoy!" Kate Smith at food52.com Serves 4 as an entree, or 6 sides For the Polenta 1 cup Polenta (I like Bob's red mill)
1 cup Polenta (I like Bob's red mill) 2 cups whole milk 1 cup (plus extra as needed) Water 2 tablespoons Butter 1/2 cup Parmesan (Or Pecorino if you prefer it) Salt to taste Eggplant Sauté 1 pint Fairy Tale Eggplants, Halved 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Onion, Finely Chopped 3 Cloves of Garlic, Minces 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, Halved 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar Handfuls Chopped Fresh Basil Salt and Pepper to Taste For the Polenta: add the milk and water with a pinch of salt, to a deep pot and bring to a boil. Add the polenta and lower to a simmer, stirring regularly so it doesn't burn to your pan. Cook about 30 minutes. If you prefer stiff polenta, this should be perfect. If you like your polenta a little looser, add additional water until desired texture is achieved. Finish off with butter and take off the heat. Stir in Parmesan. For the Vegetables: While the polenta is cooking, add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add eggplant and toss together with onion/garlic mixture, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and toss. Add Balsamic vinegar and stir to coat. Add salt and pepper and cook until tomatoes just start to blister, but still maintain their shape (about 3 minutes depending on their size/variety). At the last second toss in basil. Scoop polenta onto a large plate and spoon the eggplant mixture on top. Top with additional Parmesan and basil and enjoy!
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Denison Farm 333 Buttermilk Falls Road Schaghticoke, NY 12154 518.664.2510 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a unique collaboration connecting people to a local farm and farmer. When you become a CSA member, you agree to support the costs of running the farm in exchange for a share of the harvest. Denison Farm - 333 Buttermilk Falls Rd - Schaghticoke, NY 12154 Copyright 2011 DenisonFarm.com Website Developed By Mae Communications Web Development by PixelRazor.com and Asp.net Website CMS by Joopk.com