Week 7: Burgundy Beans and Frogs

I like being a CSA farmer.

Frogs abound in my puddles. This photo shows four, if you're counting.

And, on any given day (during the growing season),
my daughter can sit and munch on fresh vegetables
to her heart's content.

Today it was burgundy beans (AKA purple podded
green beans)

This week some members will have the opportunity to munch burgundy beans too! 

We're still transitioning between peas and beans (I'm starting to think we might not actually switch all the way over to beans this year, we're supposed to have another 45 degree night tonight) so there will be a choice between snow peas, favas, and a mix of green and burgundy beans.

Along with beans or peas, members can expect: Beets, Head Lettuce, Cucumbers, Basil, Kale or Chard, Zucchini/Summer Squash or Radishes, and Sorrel or Parsley.

Before I forget, the purple beans turn green when you cook them. Eat them raw if you want full color impact.

I kind of struggled to come up with a recipe this week. If you haven't heard, we just purchased some new property on Thursday. Read about it here if you're curious. We also had friends and family in town and just general life happened.

While I have been able to keep up with a lot of things, I haven't been cooking as much as I usually do. So, the recipe this week is more of a method. I barely cooked at all and I ended up with a delicious lunch for two. It could also be the base of a more substantial meal.

Fried Basil over Noodles

I used Thai basil and rice noodles in this version. If you want to use Italian basil use olive oil instead of peanut oil, add freshly grated Parmesan cheese instead of soy sauce and rice vinegar for a salty/pungent kick, and serve it over pasta. Add any lightly cooked vegetables you want (green beans, zucchini, cauliflower...raw tomatoes...you could even use lettuce and cucumbers and make a salad) to either version. This technique can be used to fry any herb. Sage fried in butter served over egg noodles is a classic. Whatever combination of herb and oil you use, the result will be slightly crisp flavorful herbs and fragrant oil.

• 3 Tablespoons Peanut Oil
• About 4 ounces dried rice noodles (or enough to serve two)
• A handful of basil leaves (I used about half a share's worth of basil), chopped roughly
• Soy Sauce and Rice Vinegar to taste

Heat the oil in a small, high sided pan over medium/high heat. You want the oil to get very hot without reaching its smoke point, so watch it carefully.

While the oil is heating, prepare the noodles according to the package directions.

When the oil is hot, toss the chopped basil into the pan (be careful, it will definitely splatter - this is why I said to use a high sided pan) and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir to make sure that all of the basil is cooked.

When the noodles are drained, chop them into bite sized pieces and toss them with the basil and oil. Drizzle on soy sauce and rice vinegar to taste.

Week Eight: Summertime

I know it has been summer for a while already, I mean, every share has come with a pound of tomatoes for two weeks, but the summer squash and zucchini are coming on strong here so the season is now official at our place.

Sunburst pattypan, the most photogenic of our
summer squash.

As happened with the snow peas, they took us by surprise. They were trickling in. The harvest for last Wednesday's pick-up had a few nice zukes. The harvest for Saturday was a flood.

We'll be taking a lot to the Keweenaw Co-op this week, so as not to bury the members in summer squash, but members will definitely get some too and the squash should keep coming until frost. Start posting you favorite summer squash and zucchini recipes on the facebook page now!

This week's share will also include: Head Lettuce, Chard, Thai Basil, Beets, Fennel, Sorrel, Cucumber(s?), Tomatoes etc. from the hoophouse, and another selection of herbs or edible flowers.

Several people have asked about the Thai basil at pick-up. And because it is new to so many of you, we decided that everyone should have a chance to try it. That's just the way we CSA farmers roll. I LOVE to use Thai Basil in rice noodle dishes, especially with eggplant. Try sauteing some tomato, summer squash, and eggplant, if you have it, lightly in peanut oil and your favorite soy sauce (add a bit of five spice powder, ginger, garlic, fish sauce or other favorite Asian flavors as well). When the vegetables are just finished cooking, pull the pan off the heat and stir in a generous handful of coarsely chopped Thai Basil. Serve this over rice noodles that have soaked in hot water for ten minutes (or prepared according to the package) and dressed with peanut oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar or honey, and garlic. If you aren't a rice noodle fan, serve it over rice with the same sauce on the side for diners to season with.

Thai Basil, with its dusky purple hue.

Sorrel was heavily featured in the early weeks of the CSA. As summer progresses it gets a bit tough and unruly. Now that the nights are growing cooler (and we know they will continue to do so quickly) we want to clear out the sorrel plantings so that they will put on tender growth again in the fall. The tender spring and fall growth is good for cooking or salads. The summer growth is perfect for soup. So, we are including a generous quantity of sorrel in every share this week and passing along this traditional Polish sorrel soup recipe, which was shared with us by Eva, a member of ours who spent her childhood in Poland and says this recipe is particularly delicious.

U.P. Fennel is never quite as large and luxurious as
California grown, but it makes up for that with FLAVOR.

Finally, we have fennel from the field this week. When members had a choice of baby fennel from the hoophouse way back in the first share of the season I know many folks were unsure how to prepare it. If you need an idea, I suggest the following recipe. I've made it with local pork from the Kolpack's Family Farm and grocery store pork from who knows where. It is, of course, better with the Kolpack's meat, but it's delicious either way.

Glazed Pork Chops with Braised Fennel 

Use a jam that is fruity and acidic. Apricot, peach, and raspberry all work very well. Blueberry would not.  I've made this with homemade cherry tomato jam with particularly good results.

• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 4 pork loin chops
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup jam
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 medium fennel bulb, bulb and stalks chopped into bite sized pieces, fronds reserved

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a pan that is large enough to hold all four pork chops in a single layer.

Lay the pork chops in the pan, sprinkle both sides of each chop with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Briefly brown both sides of each chop, about 30 seconds per side.

Stir together the jam and balsamic vinegar. Turn the heat down to low. Spoon the jam and vinegar mixture evenly over the chops. Allow the pork to cook for approximately five minutes on each side, spooning glaze over the chops whenever they are turned, and frequently as they cook.

When the chops have reached your desired degree of doneness, remove them from the pan and keep them warm on a serving dish.

Turn the heat back up to medium and add the chopped fennel bulb and stalks to the glaze and pan drippings that remain in the cooking pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes or until the fennel is just tender. Overcooking the fennel will cause it to lose much of its unique flavor.

Meanwhile, finely chop about half a cup of the reserved fennel fronds.

Arrange the cooked fennel bulb and stalks over the pork chops and sprinkle the minced fennel fronds over the entire dish.

I have got to hook up with a food photographer...

Week 6: Pesto!

Hot and dry, again. No big surprise there.

But it has got me thinking. The weather has been "strange" ever since we started farming here, with no two years really looking the same. One of the first years we were here we experienced a July that barely broke out of the 50's. When we compare that to this July all we can do is scratch our heads.

A steamy scene, some volunteer cosmos, from last years planting,
amid the Brussels sprouts.

Can we ever expect to see standard Upper Peninsula weather (whatever that is)? We try to plan for every extreme. Which means something fails every year. This year it's the fava beans. They would much prefer it was in the 50's (though they could handle mid seventies) and in this heat they have turned to crispy brown sticks rather than bean plants. That year of the cold July, however, we didn't get more than ten ripe tomatoes out of the field. I just ate the first ripe field tomato today. So I guess it balances out.

What is really on my mind though is climate change. I know I'm not the only one wondering if this is it. Maybe all bets are off. Maybe the weather is going to continue to behave in this unpredictable manner for the rest of my farming career. This makes me wonder (as I sit at my laptop and listen to the walk-in cooler whirring away in the basement) how much I have contributed to (or mitigated) this possible change. I am a CSA farmer. Eating locally is tops on the carbon footprint reducing to-do list and I like to think I make that possible for many people in my community. But does it really make a difference? I wish that I could know for sure.

Heavy ponderings for a share description ;)

Which is to say, this week members can expect the following mix of cool weather and heat loving vegetables: Chard, Cauliflower or Kohlrabi, Salad Turnips, Leaf Lettuce, Basil, Cilantro, Garlic, Bunching Onions, Snow Peas, and Tomatoes/Peppers/Eggplant OR Ground Cherries.

We are beginning the harvest of a different kind of Kohlrabi this week.

It is called gigante and it is pretty much gigantic. Like, the size of a baby's head. It is meant to be a 130 day crop, which would put them ready to harvest in the fall. But, as we've seen in the cauliflower, some plants are maturing well ahead of schedule. Rather than let them go to waste, we are going to take the ready specimens now. We're not really sure if the others will continue maturing throughout the season or grow the long haul.

They are a bit different than the purple kohlibri kohlrabi of the earlier shares. Expect tough skin with a bit of woodiness that needs to be peeled away. The inner flesh should not be woody, please let us know if it is. The gigante we have eaten have been fine grained and nutty, with more rutabaga leanings than the kohlibri have. In short, exactly as we'd hoped they would be. We tried a different big kohlrabi last year (called kossack) that was supposed to stay tender when large but found it to be a bit woody. We'd like your feedback on this one so we know if we should stick with it.

If you're not sure what to do with a giant kohlrabi you can try this very basic recipe or use it in any dish that calls for root vegetables. I used some in a chicken pot pie the other day with excellent results.

The basil is coming on strong now.

Basil, basil, basil!!!

The plan is to give everyone about sixteen stems of basil, enough for a generous batch of pesto (see the recipe below) or several batches of this recipe for basil syrup. If you make basil syrup, please use it to make lemonade. It's luscious.

The cilantro is just starting to come on. We are crossing our fingers that if we keep it cut back and watered it will hold until the field tomatoes come on. We'll do out best. But those of you who want guaranteed cilantro come salsa time may want to freeze some to be one the safe side. I've actually never done this, but the first method in the link looks promising for salsa cilantro.

 Pesto

This is a very traditional pesto recipe. Note that basil oxidizes (turns an unattractive brown color) rapidly. If you want a lovely green pesto add a few sprigs of fresh parsley, which doesn't oxidize. Some people like to add salt to pesto, but I find the cheese brings enough salt to the recipe. You should taste this for salt at the end and add it if you think it's necessary. This recipe yielded a scant two cups for me.

• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• Six cloves of garlic
• 2.5 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into small chunks.
• Basil from the share, stripped from the large central stems (smaller stems are fine). For me this was about three cups of basil.
• 3/4 cup olive oil

Combine the pine nuts, garlic, and cheese in the small bowl of a food processor. Process until the nuts, garlic, and cheese are very finely chopped.

Add the basil, in batches in necessary, and process until a thick chunky puree is formed.

Drizzle in the olive oil, or add it a quarter cup at a time, processing until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Taste for salt.

To store the pesto place it in a jar with a thin layer of olive oil on the surface to reduce oxidation. It can be refrigerated or frozen for longer term storage.

Or just eat it up right away, lovely shades of brown and all.

Week 3: The First Tastes of Summer

It looks like we may get a break from this dry heat towards the end of the week. Phew!

The vegetables are responding well to the weather for the most part, thanks to the miracle of rotating sprinklers.

Irrigating in the peas among cover crop stubble earlier this spring. The process
is pretty much the same this time of year, except the plants are much bigger.

One crop that is doing particularly well for us this week, despite conventional wisdom's assertion that it shouldn't stand up to the heat, is head lettuce.

Members (and market customers) will have their choice between two excellent varieties of lettuce, prizehead and della catalogna radichetta.

Prizehead, a loose headed, relatively mild, and richly colored lettuce.

Della catalogna radichetta, an Italian heirloom lettuce with
sturdy leaves and lots of flavor.

In addition to lovely lettuce, this week's share will contain: Kale, Braising Mix, Spicy Salad Mix (arugula and mustard), Radishes, Kohlrabi, Sorrel or Parsley, Baby Pac Choi, Jalapenos, Bunching Onions, and Basil.

There won't be a lot of basil in the shares this week, just a taste (the first taste of summer!). We'll be pinching the tops off of our basil plants this week, both sweet and Thai, to encourage the plants to fill out and produce better so that later season shares will see more basil. 

Lots of little top sprigs like this one add up to just enough basil for everyone
to have a little.

You'll probably notice a bit of grit on your basil (more than you find on most of our other produce). That's because we won't be cleaning the basil at all. If basil gets wet before it goes into the cooler it will quickly turn limp and black. For that reason we recommend that you don't wash it off until just before you plan to use it.

The jalapenos, unlike the basil, could be doled out in massive quantities, far exceeding the needs of all but our spiciest members.  

One of about 50 similarly laden jalapeno plants in the hoophouse.

Because we know that not everyone likes jalapenos, we will not be forcing a flood of them upon you. The plan is to harvest them on the light side and offer them as an option with everyone allowed to take none to three peppers. If anyone knows now that they will want more than that let us know and we will take that into account during harvest.

The bunching onions are simply baby storage onions, something we actually never thought to harvest until Eva at Northwinds Co-op requested them. I'm glad she clued us in, because they're a very versatile vegetable. The small bulbs can be used like any cooking onion and the green tops can be used like scallions. They're handy to have around, as you'll see if you try out the recipe below.

Sesame Noodles with Basil and Onion

This dish is light enough to enjoy in the most oppressive heat and features the lovely summer flavors found in this week's share. It works equally well with sweet and Thai basil. It makes about four servings.

• Approximately 8 ounces of dry rice noodles (I used half a 16 ounce package of extra wide noodles)
• 3 Tablespoons plus 1/2 Tablespoon peanut oil
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon sugar, or other sweetener of your choosing
• Jalapeno peppers, minced, to taste (optional)
• 1 large handful of greens of your choosing (braising mix, mustard/arugula, or kale would all work well) chopped into bite sized pieces
•  6 large eggs
• 1-2 spring onions, greens and bulbs chopped finely
• 1 handful (about three sprigs) basil, cut into ribbons

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, remove from heat, add rice noodles and soak until the noodles are tender. My noodles take about 10 minutes of soaking but this will vary by noodle size and brand.

Combine the 3 tablespoons of peanut oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and optional jalapeno in a small bowl. Stir very well so that the ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Poor this sauce over the rice noodles immediately after draining to prevent them from sticking. Toss the noodles to coat them with sauce and set them aside.

Heat the remaining half tablespoon peanut oil in a frying pan over medium/high heat. Scramble together the chopped greens and eggs. Cook them in the peanut oil, forming large dry curds of scrambled egg.

Combine the sauce covered noodles, eggs, onion, and basil.

HEAT! and a versatile pasta recipe to keep your kitchen cool.

How is it this hot?

Hopefully everyone is keeping cool as we toil away growing vegetables. Surely the sweat dripping off my brow is good for those pea plants :)

Thank you Mike for visiting us and snapping
some lovely photos!
(Photo courtesy Mike Berkowitz)

So what have we grown this week? Another goody from the hoophouse, summer carrots, and one of the best flavors of summer, basil, are the new comers to the share this week. For week five the members will enjoy the following: Head Lettuce, Braising Mix, Cauliflower, Carrots, Parsley, Snow Peas, Kale or Chard, Basil, and Pac Choi.

Harvest day is always rewarding. It's fun to gather the fruits of one's labor, but I am especially looking forward to harvesting the basil for the shares this week. The smell is heavenly. There is nothing I like better than the lingering perfume that follows me after I've harvested dozens of basil stems. Mmm...

The Hoophouse Basils

The basil on the left is Genovese. On the right is Thai basil, which is possibly the only thing in the world that smells better than Genovese basil. Members will receive one or the other variety this week. It won't be enough basil for a batch of pesto but it will be more than enough for the following meal, based on a recipe in Nigel Slater's "Real Fast Food". Either Thai or Genovese basil will work well in this recipe.

Pasta with Peas, Basil, and Pecans

This recipe, like many in Nigel's book, is meant to be quick, delicious and serve only two. It could easily be doubled to serve more. I wanted to share this particular recipe because it is a great basic starting point to play off of. The combination of nutty pecans, sweet snow peas, and aromatic basil is not the only one that could be paired with pasta in this way. The same technique could be used with walnuts, baby beets, and rosemary, or even pepitas, sweet potatoes, and sage (though in that case I'd opt for butter instead of olive oil).

• 1/3 cup pecan pieces
• Dried pasta for two, he calls for fettuccine but any pasta you like will work
• 1 large handful snow peas, sliced into half inch pieces
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 8-10 basil leaves, torn to shreds
• salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Toast the pecan pieces in a dry pan over medium heat until they are very fragrant. It shouldn't take more than five minutes.
2. Put a pan of water to boil for the pasta, make the pasta according to the directions on the box.
3. In the meantime, add the olive oil, snow peas, basil, and salt and pepper to taste to the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the peas are tender. Again, this probably won't take more than five minutes.
4. Drain the pasta and toss it with the pecans and peas.