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Strawberry Season is Almost Over!
We had such a great turnout for last weekend’s Berries, Brews & BBQ’s! The weather was amazing and it was so great to see so many people out enjoying the farm! If you happened to miss this great festival, there is still one weekend left to enjoy the fun!!
Fresh out of the fields this week are our Strawberries, Shell Peas, Sugar Snap Peas, Butter Lettuce, Basil, & Spinach.
I found some great tips for Freezing Strawberries off of simplebites.net!
Whole Strawberries
Bags of whole, frozen strawberries are handy to have around for adding to smoothies or baking. This method of freezing on a tray or sheet ensures the berries freeze individually, rather than in an inconvenient brick.
They can be frozen without adding sugar, at a higher risk of getting freezer burn, so it is best to use them up within six months if they are indeed sugar free. Otherwise, a light dusting of sugar before freezing will both help preserve their color and prevent freezer burn.
HOW TO FREEZE WHOLE STRAWBERRIES
- Wash and gently dry the strawberries. Don’t soak them long in water as this will result in a loss of flavor and nutrients!
- Hull the berries.
- Place the strawberries on a baking sheet, not touching one another, and freeze until solid.
- Transfer the strawberries to plastic resealable bags or airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to six months.
I also found some yummy recipes to try this week!
A new kind of lettuce that we are growing this year is butter lettuce! It has great flavor and holds up really well when used for lettuce wraps!
Spinach Basil Pesto
Ingredients
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, well-washed and stemmed
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 garlic cloves
¼ – ½ cup extra virgin olive oil {depends on preference}
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon red crushed pepper flakes {totally optional}
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Toss the spinach, basil, garlic, salt, pepper, Parmesan, red crushed pepper and pine nuts into a food processor and pulse, slowly adding oil until the mixture is nice and smooth. Recipe & Photo courtesy of onehundreddollarsamonth.com.
Asian Pork Lettuce Wraps
For the chunk of meat:
2-3 lbs of pork shoulder - Liberally salt and pepper and if you’re feeling really crazy throw in 3-4 smashed whole garlic cloves. If you don’t feel crazy, just sprinkle on some garlic powder.
For the sauce
Mix all of the following:
4 TBS Coconut Aminos/Soy Sauce
2 TBS Almond Butter or Peanut Butter
1 TBS Honey
2 TBS Vinegar
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 TBS Sriracha
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper
1 TBS minced ginger
1 cup of mixed Peas
Butter Lettuce
Recipe Steps
1. Put prepared chunk of meat in crockpot
2. Pour sauce over it
3. Resist the urge to add more liquid
4. Set and forget (for 4-6 hours on low setting)
When it is done cooking shred with a fork and serve atop your favorite lettuce and add the garnish of your choice. You could do any toppings you want — chopped mixed peas, peanuts, jicama, cilantro, shredded carrots. Enjoy!
Spinach & Peas
Ingredients
1 pound (about 1 cup) English peas, shelled
1 pound baby spinach, trimmed and well washed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Freshly ground pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt and the peas. Cook until bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to ice water bath to stop the peas from cooking. Drain, shaking off excess liquid; set aside. Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook, just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain, squeezing out excess moisture, and transfer to wire rack to dry.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in peas, and cook 1 minute. Add the spinach, tossing to combine, and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Enjoy all of our tasty treats out of the garden this week! Until next week! :) Farmer Stacy
Summer Fruits & Veggies Have Arrived!
Hello all! Farmer Stacy here!
I can’t believe it! June is already here! And with June comes all of our great Fruits and Veggies! We had a pleasant surprise this year, and started picking our Strawberries early! Two weeks early in fact! In years past we have barely had enough coming out of the fields to fill up our first week’s CSA bags. But this year is definitely going to be different! The sun has been shining a whole lot more this Spring and all of our customers, like you have been loving it!!
We are getting ready this week for our 4th Annual Berries, Brews, & BBQ’s! Join us for our the two things that Dad loves, BBQ & Brew! Bring the whole family out to enjoy a fun family friendly festival featuring: U-pick Strawberries, Hay/Wagon Rides, Slides & much more! Free Admission and Parking! Come visit this weekend for some tasty treats and some farm fun!!
This year I have decided to include a Storage Tip of the Week for our CSA members!
Storage Tip of the Week: Snap & Snow Peas
Preparing to Eat, Cook or Freeze~
Pinch off the ends and pull to remove the strings along the seams of the pods before eating or freezing. The fresh peas can now be eaten raw, stir-fried, steamed, stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for two weeks or frozen.
Freezing~
The peas must be blanched before storing in the freezer. To blanch, add 4 quarts of water to a pot and bring to a boil. While water is heating, prepare the pods as instructed in previous paragraph. Add 2 to 3 cups of pea pods to the boiling water and cover. Time for exactly 2 minutes and remove promptly from heat. Drain off water and place the pea pods immediately in a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes. Remove from bowl and dry pea pods on paper towels. Place snow peas or sugar snap peas into freezer bags or containers, seal, label and store in freezer. Information courtesy of: http://www.farmersalmanac.com/
I have also found some tasty recipes to try for a salad, entree & even a dessert! I can tell you that the torte recipe is to DIE FOR good!
Flourless Chocolate Torte
Serves: 8 to 10
Preheat oven to 300° F. Grease a 10-inch cake pan and line with Parchment Paper.
Ingredients:
1 lb. unsalted butter (4 sticks)
1 cup coffee (already brewed)
1 cup sugar
1 lb. quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped in pieces
8 whole eggs
Fresh Strawberries for garnish
Directions:
Combine butter, coffee and sugar in a pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Be sure to whisk and melt the butter. Turn off the heat and whisk in the chocolate until it is incorporated into the mixture. Add the eggs one at a time, aggressively whisking after each one until the batter is smooth. Pour into greased and lined 10-inch cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 300ºF.
Cut into pieces and serve with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. You can also create a vanilla sauce by melting a high-quality vanilla ice cream. This is a great compliment to the cake.
To Store: Cover and refrigerate for up to one week.
Simple Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Chicken6-8 ounces of button mushrooms, roughly chopped
5 strips of bacon
4-5 cups fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
Then place a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the five strips of bacon and cook on both sides until crispy, then place bacon on a paper towel to soak up the excess fat. When cooled, dice up the bacon.
Pour out the excess fat from the bacon, leaving behind about 3 tablespoons in the pan.
While the pan is still over medium-high, toss in the garlic cloves then add diced mushrooms.
Sprinkle in a bit of salt and pepper on the mushrooms.
Once mushrooms have begun to soften, add the spinach and a bit more salt and pepper.
Cover and let steam until spinach has begun to wilt. When the spinach has wilted, remove the pan from heat and add in diced bacon. Mix with mushrooms and spinach until well combined.
Place mixture into the middle of your butterflied chicken, fold chicken over to make a little “pocket” and use a two toothpicks to keep it closed while cooking.
Place stuffed chicken breasts on a parchment lined baking sheet and put in oven to bake for 18-20 minutes or until there is no longer pink in the chicken. The time will range depending on how thin you pound the chicken. It may take a bit longer.
Love moist chicken. Don’t overcook it, don’t you do it! Recipe & Photo Courtesy of PaleOMG.com.
STRAWBERRY & SUGAR SNAP PEA SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of water to boil and place a steamer insert in the pot. Place peas in steamer, cover, and cook until bright green, about 30 seconds. Drain and run under cold water until peas are cool; set aside.
Whisk olive oil, raspberry vinegar, and Dijon mustard in a bowl until well blended. Allow vinegar dressing to rest for a few minutes.
Combine sugar snap peas and strawberry slices in a large bowl. Pour dressing over pea mixture, gently tossing to combine. Serve immediately or chill for up to 1 hour. Recipe & Photo Courtesy of AllRecipes.com
I am definitely trying the salad recipe this week! It looks super tasty! I hope you all enjoy this amazing weather and hopefully we’ll see you out at Berries, Brews, & BBQ’s this weekend or next!
Until Next Week!
Farmer Stacy 
October has arrived!!!
Everyone giving Emily High-Fives in Heaven!!
It’s crazy to believe that October has arrived! We had such an amazing turnout for our Fight For Your Life 5K!!! We are so blessed that so many people came to take part in remembering Emily! Here’s a great photo from the start line…MORE TO COME! We had 207 people sign-up for the race and we had around 200 run!! We had some amazing sponsors that helped make the day possible. We also had some amazing volunteers which we couldn’t have done it without you!!
This is the last week for Harvest Boxes! It’s crazy that the season is already over!! This week I had a recipe for Stuffed Peppers and Beef and Tater Casserole. Two great recipes for cooler nights and busy days!!
Beef & Tater Casserole Photo & Recipes Courtesy of All Recipes.com
1 pound ground beef
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of
mushroom soup
2-2/3 cups skim milk
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 lb French style green beans
1 (32 ounce) package tater tots
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- In a large skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef and drain fat. Stir in condensed cream of mushroom soup, skim milk, garlic salt and green beans. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish and layer with the tater tots.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until tater tots are browned and crispy.
Crock-pot Stuffed Peppers
Photo & Recipe Courtesy of: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/crock-pot-pork-stuffed-peppers/#ixzz28FrJazR9
2 pounds ground pork (or a combination of pork and beef)
4 large green peppers
1 large onion
2 carrots
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 head of cauliflower
6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon dry or fresh tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Cut the tops of the peppers and clean the seeds out.
Arrange peppers in the Crock-Pot standing up and make sure they fit securely.
Grate onion, carrots, garlic and cauliflower in the food processor. You can also just chop them into small pieces with a knife if you don’t have a food processor.
In a big bowl, combine ground pork, shredded vegetables, seasonings and tomato paste.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and arrange leftover meat between the peppers. Add half a cup of water, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
If you don’t have a slow-cooker, the dish can be cooked in the oven, covered, for 1-2 hours.
Thanks to those of you for participating in the 2012 CSA Program!! If you are interested in joining for next year please let us know!!
Fall Harvest Festival kicks off this weekend!!
This weekend is the start of our Fall Harvest Festival!! Come join us for all of the great fun we have planned!!
CSA Harvest Boxes are winding down and ending next week. This week’s newsletter includes an Apple Crisp recipe along with tips for storing peppers and freezing them to use in the winter!!
Do you have a lot of extra peppers?
Chop bell peppers in 1 cup piles & freeze in ziploc bags for winter! Roast Anaheims on the BBQ to add to Egg Scrambles, Pasta Dishes & more! Feel free to to do the same with jalapenos, anaheims, onions and even zucchini!
Apple Crisp Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Betty Crocker
4 medium apples
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 c oats
1/3 c butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening.
Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.
Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.
Off to set things up for the Fall Harvest Festival!! It’s going to be a great day!!
Until next time Farmer Stacy
Fall Harvest Festival is ALMOST HERE!!
Where did the summer go? October is less than two weeks away! And with that so is the kick-off of our Fall Harvest Festival!! We are hoping this great weather hangs on through October to make it a fun and dry month!
Last week I sorted through my veggies and I realized I had a serious collection of Cue Ball Zucchinis. So last night, I cored them and julienne sliced them into noodles. I grabbed a package of frozen shrimp and whipped up some pesto and a delicious dinner was made! Here is an adaptation of the recipe that I made, with a Creamy Pesto sauce. If creamy isn’t your style, omit the Coconut milk and use Olive oil in the pesto instead!
Another great recipe is a flavored butter to top your corn. Sometimes it’s a little boring to throw it in a pot and smear butter on it. So next time try grilling it and whipping up this great butter recipe.
Last, a recipe that my sister came up with for beets. She decided to roast the beets with garlic and potatoes for a simple side!!
Creamy Pesto Pasta & Shrimp Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Paleo Gurl’s Kitchen
Pesto
Cilantro Lime Butter for Sweet Corn Recipe Courtesy of Sunshine Sweet Corn & Photo Courtesy of Feasting at Home
½ cup lightly-packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon grated lime peel
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
In the bowl of food processor fitted with a metal wing blade, place cilantro, lime peel, salt and hot pepper sauce; process using on and off motions until cilantro is finely chopped, scrapping sides of bowl if necessary. Add butter; process until combined, about 30 seconds. (Or, finely chop cilantro leaves; place in a medium bowl with remaining ingredients; stir until combined.) Serve over hot cooked corn on the cob or other steamed vegetables.
YIELD: ½ cup
Roasted Potatoes & Beets Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Katey Meza
2 – 3 Med Potatoes, quartered
1 – 2 Beets, peeled & quartered
1 T Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh Thyme
1 tsp fresh oregano
salt & pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients above and mix until the potatoes and beets are covered in oil. Lay out on foil sheet and roll into a packet so that there are no holes in the foil. Place on BBQ at medium/high heat for 30minutes. Unwrap and check softness of the beets & potatoes. Once they reach the desired softness, let them cool & enjoy!
Register for Fight For Your Life 5K before the price goes up!!
Don’t forget Register before Sunday, Sept 16th, the price goes up from $25 to $35!! Don’t like running but still want to support? There will be a special $5 admission opening weekend for Harvest Festival Sept 29 & 30! 50% of the admission sales will go towards a foundation we have formed in Emily’s memory to help support local Women in our Community called Em’s Fight! The foundation will help pay for treatment, transportation to treatment, seeking the best doctor in their field, new clothing, or even help purchasing a wig. All of the race proceeds will go towards Em’s Fight!!
Why Em’s Fight? Emily was an extraordinary athlete and fought through every single struggle in her life whether it was on the court, on the javelin runway or with her cancer!
Here is a link to our sign-up sheet if you would like to mail it in with a check http://www.fpgardens.com/pdf/
Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw Recipe & Photo Courtesy of myRecipes.com.
1 head green cabbage, shredded
1 c tomatoes, chopped
1/3 c thinly sliced green onions
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
5 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 pound Tilapia/Halibut fillets
1 tsp chili powder
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
- Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.
- Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish evenly with chili powder and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add fish to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat, and cut fish into bite-sized pieces.
- Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/4 cup cabbage mixture down the center of each tortilla. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; fold in half. Serve tacos with remaining cabbage mixture.
Thai Lettuce Wraps Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Everyday Paleo
2 lb ground beef
1 large bell pepper
1 medium onion
2 bunches sweet
basil leaves
3 garlic cloves
2-3 T coconut aminos
2 tsp fish sauce
1-2 tsp hot chili sauce
Juice from 1 a lime
2 tsp sesame oil
1 T coconut oil
Lettuce Leaves for Wraps
1. In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the bell peppers and onions and saute until tender.
2. Remove the bell peppers and onions from the pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, brown the ground beef.
4. While the ground beef is cooking, whisk together the coconut aminos, fish sauce, lime juice, hot chili sauce, sesame oil and garlic.
5. Add the bell peppers and onions back to the pan with the ground beef, pour in the sauce, add the Thai basil leaves, and stir just until the basil leaves are wilted.
6. Turn off the heat and you are ready to serve!
7. Fill lettuce leaves with big scoops of the meat mixture topped with chopped cilantro and more basil leaves for garnish. Top with more hot chili sauce if you want it spicier.
Serves 5-6
Oven Home Fries Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Rachael Ray.com
2 1/2 lb. potatoes
3 T olive oil
1 green bell pepper
1 medium onion
1 T grill seasoning
2 tsp sweet paprika
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Coarsely chop potatoes and transfer to a nonstick cookie sheet. Toss with oil, peppers, onions and seasonings and place in the oven 25 minutes, turning twice with spatula. Serve hot.
Until next week!! Farmer Stacy
Register NOW for Fight For Your Life 5K!! Price goes up after Sept. 15!
You have 10 more days to register for Fight For Your Life 5K before the price goes up after September 15.
We would love to have as many people as possible here to remember Emily but also to raise awareness about her disease, help tell her story and raise some money to help local women with cancer!
Click through to the link here to register today!!
The summer fruits and veggies are starting to turn into Fall fruits and veggies with the arrival of Haney Crisp Apples in both our CSA shares and the store. There is starting to be a little nip in the air and pretty soon October will be here before we know it!!
For this weeks round of recipes I used a broccoli and cauliflower soup, which could prove to be the perfect addition to this weekends chance of showers. I also featured a Summer Veggie Frittata, which is a great way to use up all of your veggies and also an easy breakfast meal that you can prepare in advance! Not only are you getting a great source of protein and veggies for the morning but it will help keep you full throughout your morning and focused to get through your day! The last recipe I featured is Bacon & Apple Stuffed Pork Chops! They are super delicious and a great way to end your summer grilling season!!
Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness Blog
3 cups broccoli, chopped
3 cups cauliflower, chopped
4 cups turkey or chicken broth
1/2 or whole onion
1 sm. potato, diced
4 oz. cheddar
1/2 c. milk
1 garlic clove, minced
pepper to taste
Saute onions in a tablespoon of butter until golden. Add broth, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, and potato to a boil in a 4 quart saucepan. Reduce heat, cook covered, 15 minutes. Remove about 1 cup broccoli and cauliflower pieces, set aside. Cook soup 10 minutes longer. Add shredded cheese and heat until melted Pour into blender and puree until very smooth. Return pureed soup to pan with reserved vegetables and heat through, but do not boil or cheese will curdle. Add milk, salt and pepper.
Summer Veggie Frittata
Recipe Courtesy of Paleo Plan Blog Photo Credit: graceac.tumblr.com
1 1/2 Tbs olive or coconut oil
1 Cueball Zucchini, diced
1/2 green or white bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 Tbs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
9 large eggs
- Heat coconut oil in a 10″ oven-proof skillet over medium heat. When hot, add zucchini, pepper, onion, thyme, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/8 tsp pepper and garlic.
- Cover and cook until vegetables are tender (about 5-7 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Stir in tomato. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes more or until liquid evaporates.
- Combine eggs and remaining salt and pepper and whisk until frothy.
- Pour eggs over vegetable mixture and stir gently. Cover, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat broiler to low. Finish frittata with 3 minutes under the broiler (until fully set).
- Invert onto a plate, slice and serve warm or cold.
Apple & Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops
Recipe & Photo Courtesy of PaleoParents.com
6 1″ thick pork chops
2 Tbsp lard
2 medium apples, peeled, cored & diced
10 strips of bacon, diced
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minces
4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp paprika
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
- Ask your butcher to “pocket” your baking chops. If you need to do it yourself, use a 4-6″ knife and pierce the fatty side of the chop. Wiggle your knife side to side until your “pocket” is about 5″ long and 3″ wide (70% of the chop)
- In a medium pan (we recommend a cast iron skillet or dutch oven), melt lard over medium-high heat
- Cook apples, bacon and onion until onion is softened and bacon is crispy, about 8 minutes
- Add garlic, sage, paprika and lemon juice and toss for 2 minutes
- Remove stuffing from heat, transfer to bowl and set-aside
- ♥ Salt and pepper each side of pork chop, stuff it with as much stuffing as you can fit and use a skewer or toothpick to close and prevent spilling (about half of the stuffing will be leftover)
- Insert pork chops into the hot pan to sear on each side, cook each side of the chops for 5 minutes in hot pan over medium-high heat
- Transfer pan/dutch oven to 350 degree oven and bake uncovered for 35 minutes
- To serve, warm remaining stuffing and spoon on top of each chop
Labor Day is almost here!!!
Oh my, this summer has just passed us by! Labor Day is this weekend, and pretty soon those kid’s will be back in school! Here’s some great easy recipes to help all of your families stay healthy during the school week. The first is a Chicken with Blueberry/Blackberry Ginger Chutney. It looks amazing, and could even be done in a crockpot or as a quick dish to throw in the oven. There is some sugar in the sauce, but the berries are so sweet you might not even need it! Our second recipe is a favorite in our family. It is an Easy Summer Stew to use up all of those extra potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and corn. Feel free to add whatever protein you would like, it is great with chicken or sausage!! The last recipe is for Garlic Cauliflower Mashed ” Potatoes”, a recipe that in fact doesn’t have any potatoes in it at all but just mashed cauliflower. It is great to use as a side instead of heavy mashed potatoes!
GARLIC CAULIFLOWER “MASHED POTATOES”
Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Nom Nom Paleo
Serves 6-8.
1 large head cauliflower
5 large cloves garlic
Salt
2 tablespoons grassfed butter
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
I started by filling up a large (6-quart) stock pot with an inch or two of water. I put the pot on a burner set on high, dumped in a steamer insert, and put on the lid.
While waiting for the water to boil, I washed and trimmed a large head of cauliflower and cut up the florets and stem. I then grabbed a packet of Trader Joe’s peeled garlic from the fridge and sliced up all the cloves. Don’t worry about how everything looks because it’ll get pulverized later in the Cuisinart.
Once the water in the pot was boiling, I threw in the stems, half of the florets, and all of the garlic. I salted everything liberally.
Then, I put in the rest of the cauliflower, seasoned with more salt, replaced the lid, and steamed everything until it was soft (~10 minutes). You won’t overcook it — trust me.
Once the florets were done, I dumped everything into a colander and let it drain.
I dumped everything into my Cuisinart food processor (fitted with the steel knife), and added some fresh cracked pepper, microplaned nutmeg, and the butter.
Final step: I processed everything until smooth. After one last taste for seasoning, I put my faux “mashed potatoes” in a big bowl, covered it and popped it in my fridge. These faux “mashed potatoes” reheat beautifully in the microwave!
Chicken with Blueberry Ginger Chutney
Photo & Recipe Courtesy of Cooking Whims Blog
Serves 6
Chutney:
2 cups fresh blueberries or Blackberries
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup golden raisins
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger OR 1/4 + 1/8 tsp dried ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Chicken:
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried oregano
6 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
1. To make the chutney: Combine all of the chutney ingredients in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally.
2. To prepare the chicken: Combine the oil, basil, oregano, chicken, and garlic in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours, turning occasionally. Remove chicken from bag. Discard extra marinade.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5 minutes on each side until done. Serve with chutney, green veggies, and a nice hunk of sourdough bread from your local farmer’s market!
Easy Summer Stew
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion
1 bay leaf
2 medium-sized zucchini (about ¾ lb)
2 large sweet green peppers, halved, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
4 large tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped or ½ pint cherry Tomatoes
½ tsp salt
½ pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and grated
1 ½ cups of whole corn kernels (2 ears)
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 ¾ tsp dried marjoram
*For a heartier stew, add 2 cups cooked cubed chicken or turkey
1. Heat olive oil in large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and bay leaf; sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is slightly golden and almost tender. Add sweet pepper, zucchini and garlic; sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until pepper and squash are almost tender.
2. While vegetables are cooking, place ½ the tomatoes in the blender. Whirl until puréed.
3. Add pureed tomatoes, remaining chopped tomatoes, potato, corn, salt and black pepper to vegetables in saucepan. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 -15 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. Stir in marjoram. Serve.
Until next week!! Farmer Stacy
Cue Ball Zucchini are growing like crazy!!!
Another week has passed us by and yay for the lower temperatures!!! One of our Garden Favorites are the Cueball Zucchini. They are really prolific growers and have came on like crazy in the past few weeks! It makes our other zucchini plants look like they don’t know what they are doing!! It’s hard to believe that Labor Day is only a couple weeks away! Where has this summer gone? All of you CSA members checking out our blog for those great recipes, you have 6 weeks left! It feels like we just started!!
This week we gave our CSA members both Cherry and regular Garden Tomatoes. We also included some Jalapeno peppers for everyone! Sounds like the making of some great fresh salsa! Need a recipe? I’ll include one here that is an easy favorite for the whole family!
We also have cabbage that is starting to grow in the garden. One of the great recipes that we always use is coleslaw, to top tacos, pulled park, or simply as an easy summer side to those hot dogs and hamburgers!! Below is one of my favorites. Want to mix it up? Make your own mayo and throw in a little cayenne pepper to add a little heat!
The last recipe that I have included is for those Cue Ball Zucchini. Along with simply grilling them with some olive oil, many of you may still have one or two of these babies in your crisper drawer. I know I do! Tonight I’m going to make a Paleo-fied recipe of the Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, that sounds amazing!!! Here’s the regular recipe for those of you who aren’t afraid of breadcrumbs!
Fresh Tomato Salsa Recipe
Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes
2-3 tomatoes stems removed, finely diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced
1 anaheim pepper, finely diced
Juice of one lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Start with chopping up 2 medium sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn’t hot enough, you can add a few for heat.
2 Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.
Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.
Makes approximately 3-4 cups.
Creamy Coleslaw
Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Better Homes & Garden
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 – 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1 cup finely shredded carrot
Directions:
Stir together mayonnaise or salad dressing, vinegar, sugar, celery seeds, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Combine green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrot in bowl; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill before serving. Makes 6 servings.
Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Ellie Krieger, Food Network.com
1 Cue Ball zucchini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (3/4-ounce)
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick rounds. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the oil. In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, salt, and a few turns of pepper. Dip each round into the Parmesan mixture, coating it evenly on both sides, pressing the coating on to stick, and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the zucchini rounds until browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove with spatula. Serve immediately.
Until next week! Farmer Stacy
The Summer Heat has arrived!!
Wow…the weather forecast is 102 degrees on Thursday! It is going to be a warm one! This week I chose quick and easy recipes that you can use for a family get-together and summer BBQ’s! This last week we started getting in our crop of Super Sweet Corn! I am so excited for this time of the year!
When Tomatoes come on, usually they all come on at once! The Tomato Evolution salad is perfect for using up a bunch of tomatoes!! I also included a family favorite, Potato Salad! It can’t be a summer BBQ without the Potato Salad! For the last recipe I chose a simple Pasta and Broccoli Recipe, with can be used as a side, or you can also add chicken for an entree dish.
Evolution Tomato Salad Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Jaime Oliver
¾ pound of ripe grape or cherry, vine, and regular tomatoes
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
a few sprigs of fresh basil
¼ tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Cut the larger tomatoes into wedges, halve the grape or cherry tomatoes, and leave the smaller ones whole.
- Put them into a bowl with the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss well to coat all the tomatoes with the dressing.
- Pick the leaves off the basil and scatter them over the salad. Season with the salt and pepper.
Dad’s Potato Salad Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Simply Recipes
3-4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 Tbsp juice from Kosher dill pickles
3 Tbsp finely chopped dill pickles
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1chopped onion, including the greens
1-2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place peeled, cut potatoes in a large pot. Cover with an inch of salted water. Bring a pot of water to boil. Simmer for 10-20 minutes until just fork tender. Remove from pot. Let cool enough to handle, but still warm.
2 Put potatoes in to a large bowl. Add the juice from the Kosher dill pickles. Add the finely chopped pickles themselves. Add parsley, onions, celery, scallions and, if using, the hard boiled egg, carrots, and red bell pepper.
3 In a separate small bowl, mix mayonnaise with mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the dressing with the potato mixture. Again, salt and pepper to taste.
Pasta with Roasted Broccoli Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Cuisinart
Ingredients
12 ounces of short pasta
1 lb broccoli, cut into small florets
1/2 c walnuts, chopped
1/4 c olive oil
2 cloves garlic chopped
Kosher salt and pepper
2 Tbs. butter
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss broccoli and walnuts with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and roast, tossing once, for 18 to 20 minutes (keep on eye out that the nuts don’t start burning!). Meanwhile cook pasta and reserve 1/3 c. of pasta water after draining. Toss pasta, broccoli, nuts, parmesan cheese and reserved pasta water in a big bowl and serve.
Try to stay cool! Until next week!
