Wednesday, December 15, 2021

December 16, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Horseradish!

 

Cooking With This Week's Box

Horseradish Whips:  
Prepared Horseradish (See Below)
Fresh Horseradish Roasted Potato Salad (See Below)
Norwegian-Style Cod (See Below)

Red and Yellow Onions:  

Italian and/or Porcelain Garlic:  

Covington Sweet Potatoes:  

Potatoes (Russets, German Butterball, Gold Carola or Asterix):  

Tetsukabuto Squash: 
Kohlrabi or Heart of Gold Squash:  

Orange Carrots:  

Red Beets: 

Celeriac:  

Beauty Heart Radishes:
Photo from halfbakedharvest

Scarlet Turnips:  
Root Vegetable Casserole (Freezer Friendly) 
Cornish Pasties (Meat Hand Pies) 


Green Savoy Cabbage:  


Hello Everyone—

This is it, the 30th vegetable box of the 2021 CSA Season!  Can you believe it?!  We’ve gone all the way from ramps and asparagus to fresh sweet corn and tomatoes and now we’re wrapping up the season with a box full of storage vegetables to carry you into a new year!  Thank you for journeying through another CSA season.  I truly hope you’ve enjoyed the meals you’ve created and perhaps you’ve gathered some new recipes to add to your collection of favorites!

We’re going to wrap up this season with a bold feature vegetable—horseradish!  My top suggestion is the same every year we put this item in the box.  I think the easiest thing to do is make Prepared Horseradish (See Below) that you can keep in your refrigerator and use as needed.  But this week I challenged myself to find some other interesting recipes and included this Fresh Horseradish Roasted Potato Salad (See Below) and Norwegian-Style Cod (See Below).  

Root vegetables is the name of the game for the next few months, so here’s a few recipes I wanted to share with you.  First, if you don’t know what to do with celeriac, check out this article entitled 26 of the Best Celeriac Recipes.  Make a big pot of Classic Beef Borscht and put those red beets to use!  I think it’s time to switch from cold sandwiches for lunch to these Cornish Pasties (Meat Hand Pies).   They are easy to make and you can put nearly any root you have in them!

Photo from allthatjas.com
I also wanted to highlight a few recipes that were shared in the Facebook Group lately.  I can’t wait to try this recipe for Palestinian Style Stuffed Savoy Cabbage Rolls.  I’m also looking forward to trying this Polish Kohlrabi Soup.  Thank you to everyone who participates in the group.  I love seeing what you’re cooking and it’s exciting to find new recipe resources!

Finally, as I sign off for the winter, I want to wish you a winter full of rejuvenation, rest and good health.  Keep eating your vegetables, every day.  They are our nourishment, but they are also our daily medicine.  If you feel like you need a little extra immune boost, maybe garlic is what your body needs.  I have this recipe for Raw Honey Garlic Lemon Shot and also this 
Garlic-Honey Toddy for Cold & Flu Season tucked away and plan to pull them out with the first sniffle!

Ok, that’s a wrap!  We look forward to growing for you again in 2022, so don’t delay.  Take care of that 2022 CSA Sign up in January or February and you’ll earn our Early Bird Coupon to use for a future HVF purchase!  Have a great winter and I’ll see you back her in 4 short months!

--Chef Andrea 


Vegetable Feature: Horseradish

by Andrea Yoder

Description: Horseradish is a bold, pungent vegetable that has the power to make you cry, take your breath away and open every nasal passage you have—that is if you work with and/or eat it in large quantities.  The powerful plant compounds in horseradish that make you do all those things are also the compounds that give horseradish its peppery flavor, have the ability to attack cancer cells and boost our immune systems. 

Harvesting Horseradish
Growing Information: Horseradish is a perennial that we plant in the fall from seed pieces that are taken from cuttings when the previous crop is harvested.  A nice seed piece is a straight piece usually about 8-10 inches long with the diameter of a fat pencil or a thin marker.  Seed pieces grow off the main horseradish root which is the most saleable portion of the plant on the wholesale market.  Any pieces that are smaller than is needed for wholesale or seed are called whips.  Whips are usually thrown away, but this is actually the part of the root I prefer to work with for several reasons.  First of all, I think the skin is thin and tender enough on these pieces that you don’t need to peel it.  The less you have to handle horseradish, the better!  I also think the whips are a more manageable size to deal with instead of a big root.  This week your box contains a 4 ounce bundle of horseradish whips.  

Richard in the Horseradish field
Preparation & Use: Horseradish is intended to be used in small quantities, as a condiment or an accompaniment to enhance foods.  It may be freshly grated or chopped and added to foods, however once you start cutting, grating or chopping horseradish you release the volatile oils that give horseradish its bite.  This is when you need to make sure you have adequate ventilation to decrease the chances of your eyes tearing up.  Also, make sure you wash your hands after handling horseradish so you don’t accidently get these peppery oils in your eyes.  While many recipes tell you to grate the horseradish on a box grater, this is difficult to do with the smaller whips.  My recommendation is to just cut the whips into 1-2 inch pieces and chop them finely in a food processor.  You could also use a blender, a hand chopper or a basic chef’s knife.  

When using fresh horseradish, it’s important to chop or grate it as close to when you’re going to eat it as the volatile oils will dissipate into the air and disappear.  Once it’s chopped, you either need to eat it right away or stabilize the oils so the flavor and spice remains.  Often times you’ll see a recipe that calls for “Prepared Horseradish.”  This refers to horseradish that is pre-chopped/grated and stabilized in a vinegar solution which sets the flavor and prevents it from dissipating.  This week I’ve included a recipe for prepared horseradish.  You can keep prepared horseradish in the refrigerator for several weeks in a sealed jar before it will start to lose its pungency.  This can be super handy to have as you can just take a teaspoon or two as needed for different recipes without having to chop it fresh every time.  
Horseradish Whips

Horseradish goes well with rich and fattier foods such as salmon, beef, sausage and ham.  It also goes well with more acidic foods such as tomatoes, apples, lemons and other citrus.  It’s a good accompaniment to bland foods that give it a base, but make horseradish look and taste good—foods such as sour cream, cream, butter, seafood, potatoes and root vegetables.    

Lastly, if you don’t like spicy things or don’t think you’ll like horseradish, just start small.  Stir a little bit of freshly chopped horseradish into mayonnaise and spread it on a sandwich or make horseradish cream and drizzle it lightly over roasted root vegetables.  

Storage: On the internet you’ll see references that say horseradish should be eaten within 1-2 weeks…..my friends, I think that’s wrong.  Your horseradish whips will store much, much longer than 1-2 weeks if you keep them in a bag in the refrigerator.  To give you a frame of reference, we harvest horseradish the latter part of October.  In many years, we’ve held horseradish in cold storage for months and sell it all throughout the winter!  Don’t be afraid of a little fuzzy white mold on the surface either.  It’s not uncommon to see this after extended time in the refrigerator.  If you see that happening, but the integrity of the root is still good, just wash it off. 


Prepared Horseradish

Yield:  1—half pint jar 

3 oz fresh horseradish whips
4 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
¼ tsp salt
Sugar, pinch
  1. Cut the horseradish whips into chunks and place them in the food processor.  Pulse to grind.  It will be a bit dry, something like coconut.  Add the vinegar, salt and sugar.  
  2. Have a clean and sterilized jar with a lid and canning ring available nearby.
  3. Add the vinegar, salt and sugar.  Blend to combine well.
  4. Pack the horseradish into the jar and refrigerate.  
Recipe adapted from The Kitchen Ecosystem by Eugenia Bone.


Norwegian-Style Cod with Horseradish

Yield:  2-4 servings

2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 pound cod fillet
1 tsp salt
½ cup freshly grated horseradish
  1. Heat the butter and oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the butter begins to brown.  Throw down ½ tsp of salt into the hot pan and immediately place the fish over it.  Sprinkle the top of the fish with the remaining ½ tsp of salt.  Cover the skillet (if your skillet does not have a lid, use a lid from another pot or just a piece of aluminum foil) and cook over medium-high heat until the fish begins to look opaque, about 4 minutes.
  2. Remove the lid, and with a spatula as long as the fillet, carefully flip the fish.  Sprinkle the horseradish over the fish and lower the heat to medium.  To be sure the fish doesn’t burn, it’s a good idea to check that there is enough fat remaining in the pan;  add a bit more butter if necessary.  Re-cover the pan and continue to cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until the fish is flaky but still moist.  Using the large spatula, carefully transfer the fish to a platter.  Serve immediately.
This recipe comes from Darra Goldstein’s book, Fire & Ice:  Classic Nordic Cooking.  


Fresh Horseradish Roasted Potato Salad


Yield:  4 servings 

1 pound potatoes, cut into ¾” cubes
1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into ¾” cubes
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp sour cream or crème fraiche, plus more if needed
1-2 Tbsp freshly grated horseradish
1 handful fresh dill, chopped or 2 Tbsp dried dill
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.  In a large bowl, combine both kinds of potatoes, 1 tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper, and olive oil.  Stir or toss to coat well.  Pour onto a sheet pan and spread out into a single layer.  Roast on the middle rack, turning every so often until nicely caramelized, about 30-40 minutes.  
  2. When the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and let cool for about five minutes.  In the meantime, grate the horseradish into the sour cream and stir.  Pour over the potatoes and combine well.  Adjust for salt and pepper and dill.  Serve immediately at room temperature or eat it chilled.
Recipe borrowed from food52.com.
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Wednesday, December 1, 2021

December 2, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Shallots!

 



Cooking With This Week's Box

Shallots:
Roasted Beets with Shallot & Mustard Vinaigrette (See Below)
Butternut Squash, Shallot and Coconut Milk Soup (See Below)
Roasted Garlic Potato Soup
Photo from familystylefood.com
How To Cut Shallots

Italian Garlic:

Burgundy Sweet Potatoes:

German Butterball or Red-Gold Potatoes:

Autumn Frost or Butterkin Squash: 

Orange Carrots:

Red and/or Gold Beets:
Fresh Ginger Cookies
Photo from allrecipes.com

Brussels Sprouts:

Baby Ginger:

Kohlrabi:

Red or Purple Daikon Radishes:

Can you believe it?  We’re down to the last two deliveries of the 2021 season.  Think back on all the different vegetables and delicious meals you’ve enjoyed over the past seven months!  I haven’t counted yet, but I’m sure you’ve enjoyed 60-70 different vegetables, or more!  But we’re not done yet!  This week’s box was a tricky one for us to pack.  Simon came to me on Monday and said “Andrea, we have a problem.”  I went to look at the sample box he was packing and saw what the problem was.  Three of the vegetables didn’t even fit in the box!  It’s a good day when you have so much bounty it doesn’t all fit in the box!  Ok, lets get started cooking!

This week’s featured vegetable is a quiet, subtle one, Shallots.  This week’s featured recipes include Roasted Beets with Shallot & Mustard Vinaigrette (See Below) and Butternut Squash, Shallot and Coconut Milk Soup (See Below).  Both of these are simple, nourishing recipes where shallots don’t stand out as the main attraction, but rather lay a gentle foundation of flavor.  You can also put those shallots to use in this recipe for Brussels Sprouts Risotto Ottolenghi.  I’ve never made risotto with Brussels Sprouts, but any Ottolenghi recipe I’ve ever made has been excellent, so guess we’d better give this one a try!


I was reminded of a few favorite recipes from past newsletters and thought I’d pull them out and highlight them for you this week.  Some of you may remember them from past years, but in case you aren’t familiar with them I recommend you check them out.  This recipe for Ginger Coconut Sweet Potatoes is one of my all-time favorite sweet potato recipes, especially using baby ginger.  I also really enjoy this very flavorful Peanut & Sweet Potato Soup.  A member in our Facebook group recently reminded me of this delicious recipe for Chai Spiced Squash Bread.  I also included the recipe for Kohlrabi Custard that was shared with us by a longtime member several years ago.  It’s a nice, cozy, silky dish that really accents the flavor of the Kohlrabi.

Speaking of the Facebook Group, there’ve been a few recipe recommendations that popped up recently that caught my eye.  You have one more chance to use your fresh ginger to make these Fresh Ginger Cookies!  I’ve added this recommended recipe for Butternut Squash Pancakes to the winter brunch list!  Of course you can use Butterkin or Autumn Frost Squash in place of butternut.  

Ok friends, it might take you a little longer to get to the bottom of the CSA box this week, but that’s ok.  Take a little extra time and attention to make sure your vegetables are stored properly and you’ll be eating them well into the new year!  As always, please share your recipe and meal ideas in our Facebook Group.  We love to see what everyone else is cooking and eating!  Have a good week—Chef Andrea


Vegetable Feature: Shallots

by Andrea Yoder

Description:  Shallots are similar in appearance to an onion, but they are not “just another onion.”  The variety we grow has a rosy pink skin with thin, purple layers on the inside.  Shallots are both strong and delicate at the same time.  We like to describe it as elegant and sophisticated, meaning the flavor remains bold, but balanced and soft around the edges.  It’s kind of hard to explain, but pay attention when you start to use them and I think you’ll understand what I’m talking about!  

Preparation & Use:  Shallots are a key ingredient in many French sauces such as Hollandaise, Béarnaise, and Bordelaise as well as vinaigrettes. Shallots really shine in these applications, not so much as the main event, but rather for the flavorful foundation they lay for these preparations.  The flavor of the shallots infuses into the sauce and while you can’t specifically taste the shallot, you would know if it were missing.  Shallots may be eaten both raw and cooked.  When cooking, keep the heat gentle so as not to burn them.  They do have a natural sweetness to them that can turn bitter if you burn them.  That natural sweetness also makes them a great candidate for roasting and caramelizing!  They are tasty incorporated into egg dishes, braised meats, sliced thinly and added to fresh vegetables, and incorporated into marinades.  Crispy fried shallots also make a delicious garnish for soups, sautéed greens, and mashed roots. 

Storage:  Shallots store well throughout the fall and winter if kept in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location.  If you notice a sprout starting to shoot up, just remove it and use the remainder of the shallot.


Roasted Beets with Shallot & Mustard Vinaigrette

Yield:  4 servings

For Roasting the Beets:
4 medium to large raw beets, peeled and cut into small wedges
Photo from irenamacri.com
½ tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt

For the Vinaigrette:
2 small or 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 clove garlic, grated or finely diced
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar
8 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp water
¼ tsp salt
Pinch, freshly ground black pepper

To Serve:
¼ cup toasted almonds or other nuts, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Peel the beets and trim the ends.  Cut them into small wedges.
  3. Transfer the beets to a bowl and toss with olive oil, cumin and salt.  Transfer onto a flat baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased with olive oil.  Roast for 45 minutes, or until tender.  Rotate the tray and stir the beets about halfway through the cooking time.
  4. In the meantime, prepare the dressing by mixing all the of the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl.  Set aside to marinate at room temperature.
  5. Once cooked, transfer the beets to a large plate and drizzle all over with the shallot dressing.  You can use half, to begin with, and serve the rest on the table.  Garnish with nuts and chopped herbs.
Recipe borrowed from https://irenamacri.com/recipes.


Butternut Squash, Shallot & Coconut Milk Soup

Photo from food52.com
Yield:  4-6 servings

2 Tbsp coconut oil
½ cup chopped shallot
½ cup chopped scallion, white and greens kept separate*
1 cup peeled potato, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 ½ cups vegetable broth
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped
¼ to ½ cup coconut milk, plus more, for drizzling (optional)
Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
  1. Heat the coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the shallot and scallion whites (if using) and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the potato, ginger, cayenne, bay leaf, ½ tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, until the potatoes are well coated, 2 to 3 minutes.  Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.
  2. Add the butternut squash and simmer until the potatoes and squash are tender, about 20 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.  Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf and let cool at least 5 minutes.  Carefully puree until smooth using either an immersion blender or a blender.  
  3. Stir in the coconut milk and reheat the soup if necessary, adjusting the consistency with water and seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
  4. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped cilantro and scallion greens and a drizzle of coconut milk if desired.
*Chef Andrea Note:  Scallions are not typically available as a seasonal ingredient in the Midwest at the time of year when we may typically make this soup.  It would be appropriate to either substitute an additional ½ cup of chopped shallot or yellow onion in place of the scallions.

Recipe borrowed from www.foodnetwork.com
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Wrapping up 2021 and Rolling Out 2022!

By Farmer Richard

Rolling out row covers on the Strawberry Field!
Here we are, ushering in the final month of the year and wrapping up yet another bountiful CSA season.  We have already started working towards the next growing season and as we look ahead to 2022, it’s a promising outlook.  We have had a very busy, but very productive fall.  About 90% of our fields are going into winter with established cover crops.  We value cover crops greatly and rely on them to keep our soil in place over the winter while also building fertility for next year!  We are hopeful for next year’s garlic crop which was planted using very nice bulbs we selected from this year’s harvest.  We are confident we’ve given it a good start and we’re happy to report it already has 2 inches of roots protected under a nice layer of mulch!   We also have a nice field of spinach to overwinter for harvest next spring.  It is covered with a big field blanket for a little extra protection over the winter and we anxiously await that day in the spring when we can peel it back and look for that sweet, new growth!  Nearby we also have a very nice, new field of strawberries that we will harvest for the first time in only about 7 ½ short months!  That crop is also nicely mulched and all of these fields are surrounded by deer fencing to deter our four-legged friends from entering them over the winter!

Compost Temperature Reading
We’ve also spent a considerable amount of time doing some field and land maintenance in preparation for next year.  Earlier this year we had the opportunity to purchase a new piece of land that gained us a very nice 12-acre organic field.  Having a secure land base upon which to grow vegetables well into the future is always at the forefront of our minds.  As we go into next year we will be losing some land that we have leased for many years, but we also have some new land we’ll be leasing.  We’ve invested some time this fall into cleaning up the perimeters of some of these new parcels of land as well as making sure roads are accessible for the work we’re going to need to do early in the spring.  We did soil tests this fall and will use that valuable information to formulate a solid management plan we’ll implement next spring including applications of compost, minerals, etc.  On that note, Silvestre has been diligently managing our compost windrows this fall.  He’s closely monitored the temperatures and has been very timely in turning the rows to keep the piles “hot” to make some very nice compost.  These are just a few of the many things we’ve been working on in the luxury of this very nice, mild fall.  We know the snow will be flying soon, so we’re just trying to maximize every nice day!

Compost Turning

The pace of the farm is changing as we slowly say good-bye to our H2A visa crew.  We’re down to the final group of crewmembers who will help us put the finishing touches on this year with our final CSA deliveries before they return to their homes in Mexico for the winter.  We are hopeful that each and every one of them will be returning to work with us again next year.  Labor shortages are a very real struggle in the produce industry and have only become worse in recent years.  We hear stories about produce rotting in the field because there aren’t enough hands to pick it and we are even more grateful to have a skillful, experienced, longtime crew that is dependable and an overall joy to work with.

As we prepare for the new growing season, of course it’s time to also start signing up for the 2022 CSA Season!  This week our “Rollover” email will go out to all of our CSA members who pay through our monthly electronic withdrawal option.  If you are one of those individuals, watch for that email to land in your inbox!   As we put together our offerings for 2022, we are not making too many changes.  The majority of our CSA site hosts will be working with us again next year, however there are a few changes to our delivery sites.  We are also not making any changes to our Vegetable share offerings and a few minor changes to our meat share packages.  While most things will remain consistent with this year, we have decided to increase pricing for both our vegetable shares and meat shares for the 2022 growing season. This is the time of year that we have to assess profitability as we project (guess) what next year will hold.  It’s very difficult to set a price and make a one-year commitment to deliver on that price and it’s no secret that the cost of many things in our economy have increased, and in some cases may continue to rise.  In our business, we’ve seen significant increases in packaging costs this year, but also fuel, fertilizer, and the list goes on.  Just this week I saw reports coming from AgWeb that fertilizer costs are up 43% and seed cost is up 7%.  We don’t want to fuel inflation with increased prices, but we also want to remain profitable and viable so we can continue to feed families into the future.  

It is also worth mentioning that labor is almost half of our annual expenses.  I mentioned earlier how much we value our crew members and they deserve to earn a fair wage for the work they do.  Their wages are set by the government and have increased each year since 2018 with annual increases ranging from 2% to 6.3%.  The 2022 wage rates will be announced soon, but initial thoughts in the industry based on labor surveys are that we’ll see another significant wage increase of as much as 6% for 2022.  This next wage increase will take them over $15 per hour, plus with the H2A visa program we are also responsible for providing free housing, cover all their visa fees and transportation.  

2020 Fall CSA share box

The last time we increased our vegetable CSA share prices was in 2018.  Each year since then we’ve chosen to hold our price and instead focus on building efficiencies and increasing our membership so we can defer the overhead costs of operating a CSA program over more shares.  While we didn’t plan for a pandemic to be the catalyst that brought our CSA numbers back up to a sustainable level, it did make a huge difference in the profitability of the CSA portion of our business.  Unfortunately, we can’t absorb wage and input costs forever and still remain viable.  Thus, for the 2022 season we did increase our vegetable share prices by 5%.  While we haven’t finalized our meat share pricing for 2022 yet, we are planning to increase our meat prices as well.  We are thankful to have a dependable processor, but they raised their processing costs earlier this year and we anticipate we’ll see another increase after the first of the year.  

As we confidently move forward into another growing season, we acknowledge there is a big unknown on our shoulders.  We know the pandemic brought us many new customers and, thankfully, many of you stayed with us for a second season!  But the unknown we face is whether those members will come back for a second or third season.  Will people continue to value CSA as a safe, reliable way to source their food and recognize the value in sourcing locally or will a large percentage of individuals choose to go back to “business as usual?”  We also hope members will consider the actual value of produce packed in the boxes this year.  Based on our secret shopper pricing data to date, if you were to purchase the items in your CSA box at a local food co-op or a national natural food store, you would have paid an average of 32% more for the same quantity of food.  Of course, some items are not always available organic and there are some items we include in boxes that you will seldom to never find on a store shelf.    This is the nature of CSA—when there is bounty, members reap the benefits of a bountiful year by receiving full boxes packed with so much goodness!  Plus, you receive weekly communications, recipes, the opportunity to take advantage of special offers, and most importantly a connection with the source of your food.  This is a very precarious time for our business, but it is also a precarious time for our nation, our economy and our supply chain.  The pandemic has shown us the vulnerabilities in our supply chain and, at the same time, it has become even more evident that a local food system is a more sustainable and reliable system to support.

Gerardo packing CSA boxes 2021!

I suppose any conversation about a new growing season and a new year would not be complete with out mentioning COVID.  What will 2022 hold for us from the perspective of the pandemic?  It’s been a long and challenging two years for all of us.  As business owners, the amount of pandemic-induced decisions, considerations and costs has been overwhelming at times.  Thankfully, we have been able to move forward in good health and continue to do the best we can to make decisions that are in the best interest of our employees as well as our customers.  We’ve done due diligence in minimizing risks of exposure on the farm, but also at our CSA sites.  We know there are differing levels of comfort and opinions about what is necessary.  We continue to assess our practices on the farm as well as the protocols for our CSA sites.  We will be sending out a short survey within the next week or two and would value a few minutes of your time to gather your input.  We want to get your feedback about our COVID related protocols for CSA sites and what your opinions are about what is necessary moving forward into a new year.  

We know many of you would like to see the use of the plastic liner bag be discontinued.  We agree and hope we can resume our previous method of packing vegetables directly into the boxes with members doing a quick transfer of the contents to their own reusable bag, cooler, etc when they pick up their box.  Over the past two years we’ve received some emails from members who are concerned about the amount of plastic and packaging we use to pack our CSA shares.  Couple this with the worldwide use of single-use plastic due to the pandemic and we agree, we can do better.  Over the winter we will be looking at ways we can decrease plastic use in our CSA shares as well as other ways on our farm.  There are some new packaging products available now that are more eco-friendly and may be appropriate for packaging some items we now put in plastic.  One example is a new recyclable cardboard clamshell some growers are using to package small items like grape tomatoes and berries.   Of course, if you have suggestions for packaging vegetables in a CSA box, we’ll gladly consider your input!  

Every year holds a new set of opportunities and I am certain 2022 will not disappoint.  Regardless of what evolves with the pandemic, wage rates, the cost of fuel, etc, we plan to remain steadfast to our goal.  That is to produce the healthiest food we can for our community so all of you can continue to contribute to our world in positive ways.  We hope you enjoy the final deliveries of 2021 and we look forward to growing for you again in 2022! 

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

November 18, 2021 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Tat Soi!

 


Cooking With This Week's Box

Red & Yellow Onions:

Garlic:

Covington Sweet Potatoes:
Photo from food52.com

Asterix Potatoes:

Autumn Frost Squash:

Orange Carrots:

Red or Chioggia Beets:

Celeriac:

Beauty Heart Radishes:

Brussels Sprouts:
Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples (Substitute fresh baby ginger for ground ginger!)

Tat Soi:
Photo from theroastedroot.net
Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad with Tat Soi (See Below)

Fresh Baby Ginger:

Collards:


Happy Thanksgiving!  

As a kid, Thanksgiving was always my favorite holiday of the year.  I loved to help my Mom make Thanksgiving dinner, complete with all the family favorites such as Prune Dressing (my mom’s side) and Cranberry Jello Salad (my dad’s side).  As I got older and started subscribing to food magazines, the Thanksgiving issues were always my favorites.  Of course the pretty pictures that made all the Thanksgiving spreads look so beautiful and inviting were fun to look at, but these issues were packed full of tasty recipes that were fun to cook all winter!  So whether you’re making a big dinner or not, this is a great time of the year to pick up some new recipes in magazines, on blogs, etc.  Over the past week my inbox has been flooded with notices of blog posts packed full of great Thanksgiving recipes.  So, there’s a few more recipe suggestions on this week’s Cooking With the Box list because I just couldn’t let a good idea pass you by!

Photo from brooklynsupper.com
Before we go any further, we need to talk about this week’s featured vegetable, Tat Soi!  If this is your first time using tat soi, let me remind you to never be intimidated by a vegetable!  It’s a big, gorgeous fall green that can be eaten both raw and cooked, but as far as using it it’s very similar to other greens such as spinach and bok choi. This week’s featured recipe is for Wild Rice and Roasted Squash Salad with Tat Soi (See Below).  This recipe is my slightly adapted version of Amanda Paa’s original recipe featured on her blog, heartbeetkitchen.com.  Her recipe called for spinach.  Tat soi is very similar to spinach when eaten raw, and when you swap it out for the spinach this recipe is a beautiful example of how lovely fall salads can come together!  If you live in one of those households that is still learning to like greens, perhaps you’ll appreciate this recipe for Mac & Cheese with Greens.  

We have been blessed with an abundant ginger crop this year!  If you want to include it in your Thanksgiving dinner, consider making this Cranberry Sauce with Ginger and Maple.  If you are looking for an interesting cocktail to share with friends, check out this Spicy Ginger Pomegranate Paloma.   If you have a little extra time over this long holiday weekend, have a little fun making these Ginger Sesame Chicken Potstickers.  And lastly, if you want to just cuddle up on the couch and enjoy some peace and quiet after all the festivities, make yourself a cup of Hot Ginger Lemon Tea.

This week’s squash variety is the beautiful Autumn Frost.  It’s very similar in use to a butternut squash, but may also be substituted for pumpkin in most recipes.  I’ve given you several dessert suggestions this week that would be tasty to make using Autumn Frost.  If your oven is full of other Thanksgiving dishes, consider making this No Bake Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.  If you’re more if a traditional pie person, perhaps you’ll enjoy this Butternut Squash Pie.  Of course, you could skip dessert and use the squash to make these Fluffy Butternut Squash Rolls with Sage.

There is quite a pile of sweet potatoes in this week’s box!  Does anyone else think this recipe for Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet N Savory Bacon Pecans sounds good!?  I recently had a member ask me about eating the sweet potato skins.  I typically don’t eat the skins, but this recipe for Simple, Salty Sweet Potato Skin Chips may change that going forward!  Turn the sweet potato skins into fried or baked chips!  They may not look terribly pretty, but I guarantee they’ll be tasty!

I hope some of this week’s suggestions inspire your culinary creations this week, whether on your table for Thanksgiving or every day.   We still have two more vegetable share deliveries coming up after Thanksgiving, so be sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss anything! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  Chef Andrea 


Vegetable Feature: Tat Soi

by Andrea Yoder

Description:  Tat soi is a gorgeous fall green with spoon shaped dark green leaves and light green stems extending from the base.  It is related to bok choi and has a mild mustard flavor.  We reserve it for the very end of our season because it is more cold hardy and, in our opinion, the flavor is best after a bit of cold treatment!  Nearly the entire plant, leaves and stems, are edible and you’ll find both to be tender enough to eat raw as well as cooked.  

Growing Information:  While tat soi can take some cold weather and frosty nights, repeated cold exposure can result in frost damage.  Each fall we take a little extra time to put wire hoops in the field to support a large cover that drapes over the crop, anchored with lots of sandbags to keep it in place.  The tat soi may still freeze under the cover if the temperatures are cold enough, but it isn’t as hard of a freeze and thus it recovers more favorably.  You may notice some discoloration on the tips of some of the leaves.  This is from a little bit of frost damage, typically where the cover may have been resting on the plant.  It can sometimes be tricky to harvest it as you have to time the harvest to coincide with a warm afternoon when the tat soi have thawed!  

Preparation & Use: Prior to use, turn it over and use a paring knife to cut the stems away from the base.  Wash the stems and leaves vigorously in a sink of cold water.  If you’re using it to make a salad or stir-fry, make sure you pat the leaves dry or dry them in a salad spinner. If you’re using them in a soup or just wilting them, just shake a little water off of them.  

Spaghetti with Roasted Butternut Squash & Tat Soi
As mentioned above, tat soi may be eaten both raw and cooked.  It is very similar to spinach and bok choi, so consider using it in recipes or preparations where you may use greens such as these.  In its raw form, I like to use tat soi in tasty salads with lots of fall vegetables such as winter radishes (daikon or beauty heart), carrots, cabbage, etc and a simple, light vinaigrette.  Turn it into a meal itself by adding nuts, seeds and/or meat such as grilled steak, roasted chicken or seared salmon.  

Tat soi is one of nature’s fast foods, as are most greens, and it can be stir-fried, steamed and sautéed in just a few minutes.  The stems may need a slightly longer cooking time, so it’s best to add those to the pan first.  The leaves cook very quickly and need just a few minutes to become silky and tender.

I tend to use tat soi in dishes with some Asian influences, and rightfully so as it pairs well with ginger, miso, soy, sesame, etc.  But it also pairs well with other ingredients including lemon, beans, grains, pasta, winter root vegetables, etc.  Of course you may also choose to incorporate it into casseroles, hot dishes, egg preparations such as quiche and scrambled eggs, pasta dishes, etc.

Storage:  It’s best to store tat soi in a plastic bag or a covered container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.  



Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad with Tat Soi

Yield:  6 servings

               Dressing:
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or sunflower oil
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp sea salt
Scant ½ tsp ground black pepper
½ Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced


                Salad:
5 cups peeled and diced butternut squash*
2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil
Sea Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste
3 cups thinly sliced tat soi (or spinach)
½ cup thinly sliced red onions
½ cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
3 cups cooked wild rice, room temperature to slightly warm
¾ cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts or almonds
  1. To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a jar and use an immersion blender to puree.  Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly by hand.  Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F.  In a bowl, toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, stirring once, until fork tender and slightly golden on the edges.  Remove from oven and cool to room temperature
  3. Just before serving, combine the following ingredients in a large serving bowl:  tatsoi, onions, cherries or cranberries, wild rice and roasted squash.  Drizzle with salad dressing and toss to combine.  You want enough dressing to lightly coat all of the components, but not so much that it gets soggy.  Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper to your liking.  
  4. Garnish with chopped nuts and serve at room temperature.  

*Note:  May substitute other similar squash varieties such as Butterkin and Autumn Frost.

This recipe was adapted from Amanda Paa’s version as featured on her blog, heartbeetkitchen.com.  We had the pleasure of spending some time with Amanda when she came to the farm to do a photoshoot several years ago.   If you aren’t familiar with Amanda’s blog, go check it out!  She has a lot of really great, healthy recipes AND she is a dynamic person so you can absorb some of her good energy!  
  
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