May 3, 2018 - This Week's Box Contents

Cooking with this Week’s Box

Black Spanish Radishes:  Black Radish Salad or Roasted Black Radishes with Brown Butter, Chives & Rice (See Below)

Overwintered Spinach:  Creamed Spinach and Ramps & Spring Spinach Chop Salad with Creamy Buttermilk Ramp Dressing

Overwintered Sunchokes:  Chili Roasted Sunchokes (See Below) or Chile and Lime Sunchoke Salsa

Overwintered Parsnips:  Parsnip Muffins or Parsnip Spice Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting 

Chives:  Spring Parsnip Mash or Curried Egg Salad 

Ramps:  Chef Bonnie’s Ramp Deviled Eggs or Creamed Spinach and Ramps or Spring Spinach Chop Salad with Creamy Buttermilk Ramp Dressing   

I don’t know about you, but I know I’m ready to start cooking with fresh food again!  I hope you had an enjoyable winter and are ready to jump back into some seasonal CSA cooking.  If you aren’t familiar with the items in this week’s box, please take a little time to read this week’s main article.  I also want to mention that we have an awesome Facebook Group that all CSA members are welcome to join.  This is a great place to share recipes with other members as well as learn from and encourage each other.  We also have all of our previous years’ newsletters archived on our website and have a searchable recipe database as well.  Please use these resources to learn more about your food and find tasty recipes.

Lets get cooking.  Black Spanish radishes may be a bit intimidating at first, but they are really quite manageable.  If you like the crisp radish flavor, I’d recommend trying the Black Radish Salad  featured back in one of our early 2007 newsletters.  This is one of my original recipes and calls for mint and basil.  If you don’t have these herbs available right now, you could also use some chives or any other fresh herbs of your choosing.  If you are not much of a radish eater, try cooking them.  You’ll likely be surprised by their sweet, mellow flavor.  Try the recipe featured in this week’s newsletter for Roasted Black Radishes with Brown Butter, Chives & Rice.  (See Below)

This week is Richard’s birthday week, so perhaps we should include some of his favorite recipes.  For starters, he is a good Midwestern man who loves ranch dressing.  One of his favorite ramp recipes is for Spring Spinach Chop Salad with Creamy Buttermilk Ramp Dressing.   It’s reminiscent of ranch dressing, but much better!  He’s also a fan of Creamed Spinach and Ramps and if there are any ramps left over, a batch of Chef Bonnie’s Ramp Deviled Eggs are always a hit with Richard!  We’ll finish off the week with a German Chocolate Cake as we celebrate another year of Richard’s life!

We always enjoy overwintered parsnips and usually eat them several times as simple oven-roasted parsnips that are sweet as candy.  This is also a good time of year to turn them into a baked good such as Parsnip Muffins or Parsnip Spice Cake with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting.

Just in case you didn’t have a chance to read the newsletter, I’m going to mention here that some people do have some abdominal discomfort when they eat sunchokes while others are unaffected.  If you are eating them for the first time, try a small serving to start with.  You may find a small quantity is well-tolerated.  Roasted sunchokes are my favorite way to eat this vegetable because they get crispy on the exterior and are moist and fluffy inside.  This week’s newsletter features my recipe for Chili Roasted Sunchokes (See Below).  You can eat them on their own or make a combination of roasted sunchokes and black radishes.  I also like to make sunchoke croutons to eat on top of a spinach salad.  It’s a great way to eat a small portion where you can enjoy their flavor and crunch.  I also like to make this Chile and Lime Sunchoke Salsa that is great on top of a piece of salmon or chicken tacos.  Yes, I think chili and lime are great flavor complements for sunchokes! 

Last but not least, we need to find a use for the pretty little bunch of chives.  Andrea Beming has a great recipe for a Spring Parsnip Mash that includes fresh chives or check out Heidi Swanson’s recipe for Curried Egg Salad.  Her version includes bits of apples & fresh chives to complement the curry seasonings. 

Enjoy cooking out of the first box of the season and I look forward to meeting you back here next week with more delicious spring recipe ideas!—Chef Andrea

Roasted Black Radishes with Brown Butter, Chives & Rice

Yield:  4 servings as a side or 2 servings as a main


1-1¼ pound black radishes
2-3 tsp olive oil
Salt & black pepper, to taste
1 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter
¼ tsp red chile flakes
3 cups cooked rice
2 Tbsp minced chives
1 ½ tsp honey
1 tsp white wine vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Cut the black radishes into medium dice.  Put the black radishes in a bowl and drizzle with 2-3 tsp olive oil.  You will need just enough oil to thoroughly coat all the pieces.  Season the radishes with salt and pepper and toss to evenly distribute the oil and seasonings.  Place the radishes in a skillet or pan with an ovenproof handle.
2. Roast the black radish in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the pieces are starting to brown and are tender.  You may have to turn the radishes once or twice during the cooking time.  Remove the pan from the oven and put on the stovetop.  Turn the burner on to medium heat.  Add the butter and red chile flakes to the pan.  Once the butter is melted, cook until it starts to turn golden brown and nutty smelling, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to combine.  Continue to cook the rice, stirring it frequently, until the rice is heated through.  
3. Remove the pan from heat and add the chives, vinegar and honey.  Stir to combine, then adjust seasoning to your tastes by adding more salt, pepper, honey and/or vinegar as needed.  Serve hot as a side dish or as a main item.  If you have leftovers, consider reheating and serving with a fried egg on top!

Recipe developed by Chef Andrea Yoder

Chili-Roasted Sunchokes (with a Crouton Variation)

By Chef Andrea Yoder
This is one of my original HVF recipes that I developed back in 2007!  It’s still a favorite, so I thought I’d share it again along with a few variations you might want to consider.

Serves 3-4

1# sunchokes
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
⅛ tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.  Cut sunchokes into 1” pieces and put in a medium bowl.
2. Combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and pour over the sunchokes.  Toss sunchokes in oil mixture until well coated.
3. Transfer the sunchokes to a baking dish or sheet tray and roast until tender, about 30-35 minutes.  Remove from the oven and toss with the lime juice just before serving.

Variations:

• Croutons:  If you cut the sunchoke pieces into a small dice size and roast them until they are crispy, you can use them as a “crouton” to garnish a spinach salad or a warm bowl of soup.
• Roasted sunchokes & black Spanish radishes.  Consider using using ½ pound sunchokes and ½ pound black radishes.  This is a good option for individuals who prefer to eat smaller quantities of sunchokes at a time.
• If you aren’t a fan of the chili and lime combination, make up your own spice blend or use something that is already blended such as Madras curry powder.

April Spring Update!

By Andrea Yoder

Spring is always an exciting time in our valley and this year is no different.  While we’re grateful for the bounty of fall root crops which nourish us through the winter months, we always breathe a sigh of relief when we finally have something fresh and green to eat again!  Last week we pulled the row cover off the overwintered spinach and were happy to see a sea of green leaves!  Couple that with the pretty little ramps growing in the woods and thus marks the start of our spring season.

Manuel and Juan Pablo planting the first Salad mix crop!

 Every year we anxiously await the transition from winter to spring.  It seems like nothing is happening and then suddenly everything is happening!  We’re excited to be attending our first farmer’s market in Madison this weekend and our first CSA delivery is only 3 weeks away.  This week we’re harvesting the first of our overwintered spinach and the first ramps of the season!  Soon the asparagus will be poking through the ground and before we know it May will roll into June and we’ll start picking strawberries!  Here’s a little snippet of just a few things happening on the farm.

Field of overwintered Spinach

First ramp harvest of the year!

       Last week our first group of field crew members returned after spending a few months in Mexico with their families.  The pace and energy of the farm changed overnight and we’re thankful that everyone made it back to Wisconsin safely.  Juan has been staying busy managing repairs in the shop.  Rafael got right to work spreading minerals on fields.  Jose Ramon wasted no time subsoiling

Jose Alejandro taking a turn at correctly putting out a fire!

some of the fields that were still a little wet so they’d dry out faster.  Rogelio has split his time between helping Juan with repairs in the shop and spreading compost on the dry days.  We've also taken advantage of these first few weeks of spring to put fresh coats of paint on our harvest wagons and to some of the rooms in our employee housing.  We managed to squeeze in a few safety trainings including how to use a fire extinguisher and an entire day devoted to chainsaw safety.

Benjamin helping to unload a bin of overwintered sunchokes.

       Chef Martin Clark, our summer farm chef for the 2015 season, joined our team this week.  The crew is anxious for him to start preparing lunch next week.  We’re excited to share all of our wonderful vegetables with Martin to see what kinds of creative things he can make with them!
The greenhouses are quickly filling up.  This week we’re transplanting celeriac and pepper plants into larger trays.  The jicama just started poking through & I’m happy to say the ginger plants are the healthiest looking sprouts I've ever seen!  Within the next several weeks we’ll be planting the herb packs so they are ready to send to CSA members in May!

Overwintered parsnip crew!

While we were able to plant some things last week, the rain held us back from doing very much.  We’re anxious to get some important plantings done this week.  Beets, carrots, peas, chard and even onion transplants are on the list for Friday and Saturday.  The guys have been busy preparing the fields and we have our fingers crossed that the rain will hold off until we can get some more seeds into the ground.

Juan Pablo with new baby goat!

Earlier this week the harvest crew finished the overwintered sunchoke harvest and quickly moved onto planting potatoes.  The packing shed crew has been diligently moving through each of our packing areas as they do our annual spring cleaning. Every corner gets cleaned, equipment is being repaired, and we’re getting everything ready to start a new season.  There’s nothing that makes me happier than a clean, neat and organized packing shed!
As for the pasture update, we’re happy to announce the birth of our first little baby goat of the spring.  He’s a healthy little guy who had enough strength to walk to himself from the pasture where he was born to his cozy little goat house!  Juan Pablo & Angel are back as our resident animal care-takers.  The chickens were so happy to see Juan Pablo that they laid 17 eggs one day last week!

       Needless to say we’re staying busy.  We’re happy to be back in the swing of farming and are looking forward to the growing season.  Thank you for your continued support of our farm and we look forward to growing delicious food for you this season!

Creamed Ramps and Overwintered Spinach

Chef Andrea Yoder, Harmony Valley Farm

Serves 4
2 bunches ramps,  ½ lb.
4 oz spinach
3-4 quarts water
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pint cream
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp ground black pepper, or to taste

1. Bring 3-4 quarts of water to a boil.  Cut ramps into 1-2” pieces keeping the  bulbs separate from the leaves.  Blanch the ramp leaves by boiling just until wilted and bright green.  Remove from water and put in a colander.  Rinse with cold water and squeeze off excess water.  Repeat the same procedure with the spinach.
2. In an 8-inch oven proof skillet, heat oil.  Saute ramp bulbs just until slightly tender.  Remove from heat and top with ramp leaves.  Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of black pepper.  Layer spinach on top of ramps and season with ¼ teaspoon salt and pinch of black pepper.  Pour cream over vegetables and top with cheese.  
3. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes or until cream is bubbling and has thickened, and the top is golden brown.

Ramp Butter

Chef Andrea Yoder, Harmony Valley Farm

Ramp butter on bread served with soup!

Yield ½ cup

1 stick unsalted butter, softened 

½ bunch ramps

1. Soften butter to room temperature.  
2. Clean ramps and remove the root end.  Roughly chop the ramps (white bulb and green tops) into 1-inch pieces.  Place ramps in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the butter to the ramps and process just long enough to evenly incorporate the ramps into the butter.
4. Put into a covered bowl and refrigerate until ready for use. Will store for about 1 week in the refrigerator, or put some in the freezer to enjoy this winter!
5. This is a super simple, yet delicious way to enjoy the flavor of ramps and can be used in a lot of different ways.  Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Melt ramp butter in a saute pan and cook your morning eggs in it.
• Put a pat of ramp butter on top of a grilled steak.
• Spread ramp butter on bread and bake it in the oven until the bread is toasted. Serve it as a side with your favorite soup!
• Melt ramp butter on grilled asparagus spears.
• Stir ramp butter into warm rice or pasta.