Veggie Feast August 1, 2018

Notes from the Farm

More of the same.  Hay is up.  The hot weather crops such as tomatoes and peppers are setting fruit.  Green beans next week. Garlic harvest this week.  Life is full.

This Week’s Veggie Feast

Salad, cucumber, sweet onions, kale, beets, zucchini…..

New This Week

Lemon Basil

Lemon basil tastes just like it sounds, lemony basil.  It can be added to pastas, salads, chicken dishes, pesto, the list goes on.  Store in a plastic bag in the fridge. To use pick off the tender green leaves and rinse.

Roja garlic

Roja garlic is one of our favorite crops.  Compared to the softneck garlic you have been getting roja is way easier to peel.  This is more evident after the garlic is cured.  You can cure this garlic by letting it hang out in a dry, cool spot in your home for 2-3 weeks, or just eat it now, there is plenty more coming.  Roja is smaller than the softneck, making it not quite as popular at the farmer’s market table (people love big garlic), but in fact it is our go-to garlic for the user friendly aspect.  Roja also differs slightly in taste and pungency, some people find it a more flavorful garlic.

Recipes

 

Beet Risotto with Greens

beet risotto greens(Serves 4)

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

This recipe from Deborah Madison is delicious on its own or served with grilled salmon, lamb, or pork.

5 ½ to 6 ½ cups vegetable or chicken stock

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup finely diced onion

1 ½ cups Arborio rice

½ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

2 to 3 medium beets, peeled and grated,

about 2 cups 2 to 3 cups greens (beet, kale, chard, spinach) stems removed and finely chopped

Salt and freshly milled pepper

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Have the stock simmering on the stove. Heat the butter in a wide, heavy bottom pot, add the onion and cook over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice, stir to coat it well, and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until it’s absorbed, then stir in half the parsley, the basil, grated beets, and the chard or kale. Add 2 cups stock, cover, and cook at a simmer until the stock is absorbed. Begin adding the remaining stock in ½ cup increments, stirring constantly until each addition is absorbed before adding the next. When you have 1 cup left, add the beet greens or spinach. Taste for salt, season with pepper, then stir in the lemon zest and juice. Serve dusted with the cheese and remaining parsley.

Kale Chips

kale chipsAll the rage these days, this healthy snack has been around for years and is a fun kid friendly way to prepare the green. This is a basic recipe that can be altered to suit your favorite flavors. Be creative and change around the oil and spices used. The only thing that can go wrong is overcooking the kale. You don’t want to burn the kale so watch it closely near the end, removing smaller pieces that have cooked faster.

One bunch kale, stemmed and cut into pieces of equal size

2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt, to taste

Red pepper flakes or smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If needed, wash kale and dry well. Stem kale and cut into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss all with olive oil, salt, pepper, and desired spices. You want the kale lightly coated with oil. Bake kale on a non-insulated pan until crispy, about 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through. Pull from oven once they are lightly crispy.