CSA news July 27

Lakes and Valley CSA news week 5
July 28 delivering to PR & DL, July 31 to Dilworth and Fargo
Anne’s cell number 218-252-5858

In your veggie boxes this week:
Raspberries
Mesclun lettuce with incredible, edible flowers and cherry tomatoes
Broccoli or cauliflower florets
First green beans
Green onions
Toscano and Red Russian Kale leaves mixed with Chard and Arugula for sautéing
kohlrabi
Beets with tops
Peas—snow and sugar snap in 1 bag, shell in another
Cutting celery (tastes like celery, looks like flat-leaf parsley) or Flat leaf parsley
Basil
Hoophouse Cucumber
Green or gold zucchini or patty pan squash or yellow crookneck squash* see attached photos to identity varieties
Fargo members – it’s your turn for eggs

Congratulations! You’ve eaten your way through the first act of the CSA season. Our first stars were a little green, but they smashed records for the number of salads delivered without bolting.

Now we’re transitioning into Act 2, entitled “Variety!” More greens will be attached to something, eg. beets with beet greens. We will harvest mesclun as successive plantings come ready, and are toying with the idea of a salad made with only edible flowers. The blooms are appearing in exponentially increasing numbers. Spinach will encore in September.

Beans, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes grow increasingly plentiful in late July and August. Grill sliced vegetables alongside burgers and buns, or treat yourself to a new cookbook and play in the kitchen. With truly fresh produce, everything you make will look like the pictures.

Then there are the raspberries, ambrosia for both plate and palate. Boyne and Nova ripen now. Both red, Boyne are softer, squishier, perfect for stirring into soft vanilla ice cream. Novas hold together. You can stick them on the tips of your fingers and pop them, one by one, into your mouth. Royalty raspberries come later, deep purple, lusty as a vintage red wine.

With so many things to harvest, we welcome help on delivery days. If you’ve been wanting to work in the garden, now is the time. We start at 7:00 am. Water-resistant footwear and a long-sleeved shirt that you can take off when the sun rises over the east woods are advised. You don’t have to be a CSA member. Call ahead 218-252-5858.

Loren and Andrea Haverinen have local organic pork for sale. Give them a call at
218-564-5480 or go to their website http://customer.wcta.net/theranch

Sautéed Chard and kale
1 bag CSA chard and kale (can add arugula)
1 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut tender stems into pieces and leaves into strips. Heat butter and oil in a skillet. Add stems and sauté for 1 minute. Add leaves, toss to coat, then cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste.

Kale contains high levels or beta carotene, vitamins A and E, folate, calcium and potassium. Like other brassicas, Kale is rich in bioflavonoids that help protect against cancer.

Summer Quiche
2 cups chopped mixture of chard, kale and summer squash
½ onion, chopped
3 whole eggs
1 egg white
½ cup milk
1 and ½ cups grated Swiss or cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (1/4 teaspoon dried)

Steam chard, kale and summer squash with onions until tender. Set aside to cool slightly. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat eggs thoroughly. Add milk, cheese, salt, pepper and herbs. Stir in cooled, steamed vegetables. Pour mixture into medium-sized oiled casserole dish. Cover. Bake until set, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Raspberry Salsa
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 peaches, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup minced red onion
1 or 2 hot peppers, seeded and finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey, turbinado or brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least half an hour to allow flavors to blend. Makes about 2 ½ cups salsa.

We’ve sown cilantro 2 in the bunching onions 1 bed. Hooray for successive sowing!

Cilantro Pesto
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup fresh parsley leaves
½ cup fresh basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 mild hot pepper, toasted, peeled and seeded (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
2 to 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 Tablespoons olive oil

Place cilantro, parsley, basil, garlic and optional pepper in food processor. Pulse until well blended. Add salt, cheese and lime juice. While food processor is running, add oil in a steady stream. Allow to process until a thick, smooth paste forms. Makes approximately 2 cups pesto.

Quick Grated Beets
4 medium-sized beets
1 Tablespoon butter or oil
1 to 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
3 to 6 Tablespoons water or vegetable stock
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh dill or parsley

Wash, peel and grate beets. Heat butter or oil in a skillet. Add beets and stir to coat. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and add water or stock as needed to prevent scorching. Cook until just tender. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with dill or parsley. Serves 4.


Salad with Eggs, Ham and Tomato Vinaigrette
2 heads csa lettuce
½ cup tomato vinaigrette (see recipe below)
2 hard boiled eggs
2 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ pound Serrano ham, cut in thin strips
¼ cup green or black olives

Tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces and put in salad bowl. Toss with some of the dressing. Arrange on a planter and top with eggs, ham, green onions and olives. Spoon remaining dressing on top. Serves 4

Tomato Vinaigrette:
1 ripe large tomato, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pimentón dulce (sweet Spanish paprika)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Combine tomato, paprika, cumin and salt in blender or food processor. Pulse to a purée. With motor running slowly, add vinegar, then oil.

Fattoush (Lebanese tabbouleh)
4 large or 8 small pita breads
3 mdium tomatoes, cut into half-inch dices
½ cup finely diced red onion
6 Tablespoons finely chopped white and green onions
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup thinly slivered fresh mint
1 to 1-1/2 cups basic citrus dressing (see recipe below)
4 cups loosely packed CSA lettuce, cut into 1-inch wide strips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pita breads in a baking sheet and bake until dry, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, break into large, bite-sized pieces.
In a large salad bowl, combine tomatoes, onions, parsley and mint, and toss with half the dressing. When ready to serve, add pita pieces and lettuce, and toss with remaining dressing.

Basic Citrus Dressing: 

Whisk together in a bowl:
1 cup olive oil
½ cup fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Pizza
Dough:
1 and 1/3 cups lukewarm water
2 Tablespoons oil
1 packet active dry yeast
1 and ½ Tablespoons coarse salt
1 and ½ teaspoons sugar
3 and ¼ cups unbleached flour
Combine water, oil, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl (or food processor or blender with dough hook attachment.) Stir in flour and mix until incorporated. Cover with a clean cloth or plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until dough rises and collapses, about 2 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Sauce:
1 Tablespoon oil
1 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely chopped fresh tomatoes (about 1 large) or 1 cups strained canned tomatoes
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (1/2 teaspoon dried)
optional; a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Heat oil in a small saucepan. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, oregano and optional pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Cool. Refrigerate if not using immediately in a covered jar for up to 3 days.

Assemble pizza:
Shred 1 cup mozzarella cheese
toppings of your choice

Preheat grill to high. Grease two baking sheets and dust each with 1 Tablespoon cornmeal. Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough into a 12-inch round and pinch a raised lip around the edge. Place rounds on baking sheets and brush with oil. Carefully slide into grill and cook until bottom is firm and “grill-marked,” about 5 minutes. Flip over, and working quickly, top each half with tomato sauce and cheese. Close grill cover and cook until cheese just melts, about 5 minutes more.

We will soon have for you heads of green and red cabbage. 

Here’s a recipe for freezing Cole Slaw:
8 to 10 cups shredded cabbage
1 carrot, grated
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup vinegar
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed, optional

Mix cabbage, carrot and salt. Let sit 1 hour. Drain. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Cool and stir into drained cabbage. Let sit 1 hour. Mix well and put into freezer containers.

How to freeze cabbage
Cut into coarse shreds or thin wedges. Blanch in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes. Cool immediately in cold water. Drain, package and freeze. Use in cooked dishes.

CSA Newsletter - July 20

Week 4 July 21 delivery to PR and DL; July 24 delivery to Dilworth and Fargo

No veggie processing at Fargo’s Messiah Lutheran Church this week.

In your CSA boxes this week:

Baby lettuce (mesclun) with radish, nasturtium, vetch, borage, calendula flowers
Heirloom head lettuce
The last of the Napa cabbage
Bunching salad onions
The triumphant culmination of Spinach 1
first yellow zucchini or young patty pan summer squashes OR hoophouse cucumbers
Baby broccoli
Kohlrabi
Basil herb
Cilantro herb
Cherry or Glacier early tomato
Peas—snow and sugar snap
Dinosaur kale and Swiss chard
Arugula that volunteered in the leek bed
Some eggs

The storm hit around seven this morning. Thunder rumbled loud and close. Rain pinged on our steel roof. Dewane turned on the weather radar. “Guess what?” he whispered loudly in my ear. “In the entire state of Minnesota, guess where it’s raining.”

“No,” I muttered, determined to claim fully the only slow morning I’d had in several weeks.

“The only rain in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin?” His voice mimicked the computer man’s. “Over us!”

I appreciated his glee. We’d missed the past few rains, and his oats needed rain to head out. More importantly, rain meant I’d not have to start another intense cycle of watering in the garden.

Then the hail started. I jumped out of bed and ran to the deck.
Dewane was already there. “Nickel size and bigger.” He reported the obvious. “It could miss the garden.”

“Nothing you can do about it,” Dewane said.
“It better rain a bunch,” I retorted. Wind or hail damage without the compensation of rain is unjust.
A mile to the east, the garden was looking fine. Green bean 1 plants were flowering profusely. After harvesting head lettuce and Chinese cabbage, we had planted mesclun 3 and 4, radish 3 and 4, spinach 2 and 3, green beans 3 and 4, bunching onions 2 and cilantro 2. Most had germinated, promising a taste of eternal spring.

I waited for the downpour to end, halfheartedly betting Dewane we’d get half an inch of rain.

We got exactly half an inch, but winning gave me no comfort. I drove to the garden, recalling the year hail flattened my sweet corn. It straightened after a few days. Shredded leaves generated enough energy for new ones to form. We got corn.

Here and there, tomato stalks were bent over, snapped. Cabbage leaves, especially the flat Dutch, have new holes. The biggest zucchini fruit was gouged along its exposed upper side. But the majority of the plants were fine.

Except for the eggplants. They are being attacked by Colorado potato beetles, who have abandoned their namesakes in favor of more exotic quarry. We examine the besieged plants daily. Today, the combined hit of insect and hail conjured an association with starving, wide-eyed Biafran children. I crawled down the rows, gently turning over each battered leaf, squishing adults, larvae and eggs, vowing to fight as long as the plants do.
Our other heat loving plants—squashes, melons and peppers—are still catching up from our late, cold spring, but show great promise.

Of course, the cool-season crops are supremely happy. What bounty! Fabulous salads!
If you are feeling force-fed, we’re doing our job. Your refrigerator shelves are stuffed with bags of mystery greens. Last Thursday, Brigitte von Budde’s helper, Nancy, offered a brilliant suggestion: take pictures. Ken immediately took textbook-quality photos of arugula, Toscano (dinosaur) kale, Red Russian kale and Swiss chard. They are attached to this newsletter.

The next hurdle is cooking greens. Mild, tender leaves “give a nice texture to a salad; no need for anything else other than a vinaigrette,” says Brigitte von Budde. Other greens are not typical Midwestern fare. We welcome our spinaches and lettuces, but often see kale only as a deli display garnish. Southern cuisine embraces collard and turnip greens. Up north, we raise more cold-tolerant kales, chards, and Asian greens. They are highly nutritious, prolific and—once you know how to cook them—delicious.

Our resident Greens Goddess has volunteered to write a Greens Primer, instructions to enable you to eat, freeze and post-thaw cook greens—and enjoy them. Here’s a teaser: blanch (par-boil) excess greens, cool in ice bath and freeze for later use, either in separate bags or serving sizes balled up in a gallon bag. Chop thawed greens and add to stir-fry, veggie dip, soups and casseroles, or saute with garlic.

We put a variety of herbs in your weekly CSA boxes. Once you’ve refilled your dried herb jars, what else can you do with them? Make herb jelly! I’ve enclosed two recipes for Basic Herb jelly as well as suggestions for variations. Herb jelly is delicious on scones or hot biscuits. You can spread it between layers of pound cake. Use as a filling for thumbprint cookies or as a glaze for ham. Melt and pour over baked or steamed vegetables.

Citrus Salad Dressing 4 Servings from Dr. Weir’s healthy eating newsletter
This tart, sweet salad dressing is wonderful on dark, leafy salad greens like romaine or leaf lettuce tossed with orange segments, black olives and red onion slivers.

1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake well. Keeps in the refrigerator 2 days.

Chris Thornbury’s Sour Cucumber Soup (what she did with her winning cucumber)

Peel, slice and salt a cucumber, mix in a small amount of onion, and let sit
unrefrigerated for several hours until limp.

Pour a small bowl of milk.
Salt milk to taste by stirring in the salt - adding a little at a time until it's
tasty to you). Then add small amount of vinegar (just a tiny bit at a time - using a teaspoon until it's tasty to you). Everyone likes it a little bit different. Once you add
the vinegar, it's too late to go back and add more salt, so make sure you do the
salt the way you like it first. Put the bowl of milk in the fridge until you're ready to eat.

Add the cucumbers to the milk, and enjoy each spoonful until gone. The cucumber I won made the best bowl I ever ate.

Cucumber Salsa makes 1 quart (make when CSA cucumbers are plentiful)
2 cups diced cucumber
1 diced young yellow or patty pan zucchini
1 large red tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
juice of 1 lime

In bowl, toss together all ingredients. Serve chilled with salsa or as a topping for a summer soup. Keep refrigerated.

Radish salsa makes about 2 cups
1 white radish
1 red radish
1 purple radish
3 Tablespoons finely diced celery
4 diced cherry tomatoes
1 Tablespoon chopped mint leaves
pinch salt
1 ½ teaspoons lime juice

Wash radishes and remove tops. Dice radishes. Toss with all ingredients. Chill. Tastes even better next day.

Chunky Garden Salsa makes about 2 cups
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup chipped sweet onion
2 cloves, minced
juice from ½ fresh lime
2/3 cups chopped fresh cilantro
¼ teaspoon salt
sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice

Mix all ingredients and chill. Serve with chips or as a side salad.

Basic Herb Jelly using liquid pectin makes 5 half pints
2 cups water or 2 ½ cups fruit juice
1 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled, or cider vinegar
4 cups sugar
optional 1 to 2 drops food coloring
3 ounces liquid pectin

1. Stir together water (or juice) and herbs. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep until cooled. Strain, pressing all liquid and flavor out of the herbs.
2. Measure liquid and add enough water to make 2 cups. Combine herb infusion with lemon juice, sugar and optional food coloring.
3. Bring to a boil. Add sugar. As soon as sugar dissolves, stir in pectin. Return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove from heat.
4. Skim off foam and pour into clean, sterilized jars. Add a small herb sprig to each jar.
5. Seal with new jar flats and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes. Cool on towels until sealed.

Basic Herb Jelly using powdered pectin makes 4 to 5 half pints
2 cups water
1 ¼ cups fresh herbs, finely chopped
¾ cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled
1 package powdered pectin
4 cups sugar

1. Stir together water and herbs. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cook. Strain.
2. Measure liquid and add enough water to make 2 cups. Combine herb infusion with lemon juice and pectin in a saucepan. Stir well to dissolve powder.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat stirring constantly. Add sugar. Bring back to a full, rolling boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Skim off foam and pour into clean, sterilized jars. Add a small herb sprig to each jar.
5. Seal with new jar flats and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

***possible combinations***
¼ cup each chives, thyme, oregano, basil, tarragon
orange juice and 1 cup loosely packed thyme (serve with cream cheese and crackers)
lemon juice and 1 cup loosely packed rosemary
apple juice and rosemary
cherry juice and thyme
equal parts thyme, marjoram, sage and rosemary (spread on roast turkey sandwiches)
parsley (good with poultry dishes)
dandelion flowers (no green parts) makes a beautiful yellow jelly
horseradish (serve with roast beef)
basil (good with soft cheese and crackers)
lavender and white wine vinegar
cinnamon basil with white wine vinegar
raspberry juice and rosemary
fennel jelly (good on fish and pork)
Hot peppers and garlic (½ cup only for a batch of jelly)
Apple juice and ¾ cup loosely packed sage
Strawberry and tarragon
If you have only dried herbs, use half of what is called for fresh per batch.

Spicy rosemary grape jelly makes 3 half pints
2 cups grape juice
1 cup water
1package powdered pectin
3 ½ cups sugar
¼ teaspoon whole cloves
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves

1. Combine juice and water and heat.
2. Add sugar and bring to a full rolling boil.
3. Add pectin, return to a boil, and add rosemary and cloves. Boil for a full minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
5. Pour into clean, hot jars. Put on lids and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Marjoram and lemon jelly
2 cups lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh marjoram leaves, tied in cheesecloth
4 cups sugar
½ cup liquid pectin

1. Bring lemon juice to a boil. Add marjoram leaves in cheesecloth. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove marjoram
2. Measure juice and add more juice or water to make 2 cups.
3. Add sugar and bring to a full boil.
4. Add pectin and bring back to a full boil. Boil for 30 seconds.
5. Remove from heat. Skim. Pour into jars to ½ inch from rim. Cover and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.


Sally's Summer Zucchini Pasta
From The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show (Clarkson Potter, 2008). Copyright 2008 by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift.

10 minutes prep time; 10 minutes stove time. Serves 4 as a main dish.
The pasta can be served hot, or at room temperature. While penne works nicely, there is nothing sacred about using that particular shape.

5 quarts salted water in a 6-quart pot
1 pound small zucchini, about 4 or 5
1 pound imported penne pasta
4 tablespoons good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, and more to taste
4 large garlic cloves, coarse chopped
2 cups grape tomatoes halved, or 2 cups fresh tomatoes, rough chopped
1 to 1-1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
1/3 tight-packed cup fresh basil leaves, rough chopped
Pan Fried Zucchini Flowers (optional; see recipe below)
1. Have the salted water boiling.

2. Trim off the ends of the zucchini. Cut the squash into matchsticks about the size of the penne.

3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water. In the last 3 minutes of boiling (check pasta package for timing), drop the zucchini into the pot. Boil, stirring often, until the penne are tender but still have a little bite. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and reserve. Immediately drain the pasta and zucchini in a colander.

4. Return the pasta pot to the heat, turning it down to low. Film the bottom of the pot with the olive oil. Add the hot pepper flakes and garlic, and gently saute just until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

5. Remove the pot from the heat, add the drained pasta and zucchini, the tomatoes, feta, basil, and as much of the reserved pasta water as necessary to lightly coat the pasta. Gently toss, taste for seasoning, and serve.

CSA Newsletter - July 14

Week 3: PR and DL Monday, July 14;  Dilworth and Fargo, Thursday July 17

In your veggie boxes this coming week:

Mesclun with borage (like cucumber), vetch, nasturtium, calendula, mustard flowers
Assorted head lettuces
Spinach
Napa cabbage
Snow peas, possibly some sugar snap peas
Bunch of salad onions
Arugula greens
Radish greens
Baby turnips
Baby kohlrabi OR a small head of open-pollinated Calabrese broccoli
Baby green or golden zucchini or patty pan summer squash OR early Glacier tomatoes
Basil and lemon balm herb tops

Accolades and high-fives to super-members Bill Steen and Chris Thornbury! Bill mowed deer-alert lines on both sides of the CSA electric fence and relief-station pathways into the woods. He also mowed close to the raspberry bushes, where our tractor’s big brush mower can’t reach.

Chris helped enthusiastically with Monday’s wet bagging and boxing and won (fairly) the first ripe hoophouse cucumber in the spontaneous lottery. A Diva, the precocious fruit was too small to divide. I encouraged her to take her winnings and run.

Raising peas is a labor of love. We love them. You love them. We raise three types. Oriental snow peas are long and flat, completely edible up to the stem. Sugar snap peas are 100% edible pods with yummy plump peas inside. If you don’t like the “string” on the seam, grasp the stem and pull down; the string will peel off. Snap peas are the old-fashioned English pea. Open the pod and pick out the peas. The pod is tough and chewy (as in gum), the nursery pod for the peas.

As one attached photo shows, our pea vines have grown 4 to 5 feet high in less than two months. They are flowering profusely now. The peas will come on fast, then will be done for the season. Never long enough, never in quantities enough. Most CSA’s don’t offer them because they are space and labor intensive, but I can’t imagine a season without peas. Enjoy!

Raspberries are forming now. Another attached photo shows a cluster of berries in their “green” stage.

Patty pan summer squash looks weird, as does kohlrabi. Harvested small, both are delicious sliced into thin wedges and sprinkled with sea salt, or grated into salads. To cook, cut in quarters, rounds or matchsticks, then steam or roast.

This week’s recipes should help you keep up with the greens season. Mild, tender greens like spinach and chard are delicious steamed quickly. High-calcium greens like kale and collards need more aggressive cooking.

Asian, Kale, Radish or Chard greens with crisped bread crumbs
½ cup coarse bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon butter
1 bunch or head of Greens
2 Tablespoons olive or peanut oil, or butter

Saute crumbs in butter in a small skillet until crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, cook greens by bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart of water used. Drop in the greens and cook, uncovered 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the variety of the greens and how you like them. Some people cook even longer. Drain and press out excess moisture, chop, then toss with oil or butter, salt and pepper. Top with toasted bread crumbs.

Basic Steamed Napa Cabbage
Chop entire head, including white base, into strips. Heat a few Tablespoons water or rice wine in a wide skillet. Add cabbage strips and sprinkle with salt. Cook over medium-high heat, turning cabbage with tongs until wilted. Drain, then toss with sesame oil, roasted peanut oil or butter. Garnish with chopped parsley or dill or snipped chives, and toasted sesame seeds.

Cabbage-stuffed Cabbage with Blue cheese
1 large Napa cabbage
1 ½ Tablespoons butter
1 onion or leek, diced
10 juniper berries
1/3 cup cream
8 ½-inch cubes Gorgonzola or Roquefort blue cheese

1. Select 8 large leaves for wrapping.
2. Cut rest of cabbage head into ribbons or squares. Boil until well wilted. Drain and rinse under cool water. Squeeze out excess moisture.
3. Melt butter in large skillet. Add leek or onion dices, juniper and 1 Tablespoon water. Cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage and cream. Cover pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
4. Blanch or steam 8 wrapping cabbage leaves over boiling water until tender. Cool.
5. Place ½ cup of stuffing mixture in the center of each softened cabbage wrap leaf. Set a cube of blue cheese on top.
6. Roll up each leaf, folding in sides as you go to make a plump, rounded shape.
7. Steam each roll until heated through, about 10 minutes. Serve.

Beet Greens with Potatoes
2 boiling potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
1 bunch baby beet greens
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon pepper flakes

Boil potato cubes until tender. Simmer green in skillet until tender, then drain.
Return skillet to stove. Heat olive oil and sauté garlic and pepper flakes. When you can smell the garlic, add cooked potatoes and greens. If desired, add a diced ripe tomato. Cook over medium heat, mashing potato into greens with a fork to make “hash.” Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle additional olive oil over serving portions.

Creamy New York Deli Coleslaw - serves 3 to . 

Use New York-style—as part of a roast beef on rye sandwich.

1 to 2 heads Chinese cabbage, shredded (6 to 7 cups)
Salt
1/4 teaspoon caraway or celery seeds
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pepper
1 carrot, peeled and grated

Toss the cabbage with salt and allow to sit in a colander for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours. Meanwhile, toast the caraway or celery seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Rinse the cabbage, then pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Whisk the toasted caraway seeds, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl large enough to hold the salad. Add the cabbage, carrots, and onion and toss. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



Trees (excerpt) by W. S. Merwin

I am looking at trees
they may be one of the things I will miss
most from the earth
though many of the ones I have seen
already I cannot remember
and though I seldom embrace the ones I see
and have never been able to speak
with one
I listen to them tenderly
their names have never touched them
they have stood round my sleep
and when it was forbidden to climb them
they have carried me in their branches.

CSA Newsletter - July 5

Week 2
Delivering to PR and DL July 7th, and to Dilworth and Fargo July 10th

Anne’s Cell phone 218-252-5858

During WWII, M.F.K. Fisher wrote of food rationing, "When the wolf is at the door one should invite him in and have him for dinner." I wonder if she meant, “Set out another plate” or “Fire up the grill.”

In your veggie boxes this coming week:
Head lettuces
Mesclun with purple vetch, orange nasturtium, yellow pac choi or blue borage flowers
Easter eggs radishes
Spinach
Baby bunching onions
Bag o’ baby beet and turnip greens
Eggs
Mint herbs
Please bring back last week’s veggie box!

Every morning, just before daybreak, a black bird caws loudly outside our bedroom window. He wakes me, and songbirds begin the first movement of their daily symphony. If I drift back to sleep, a woodpecker with a steel beak percussions on the metal roof of our firewood/storage shed. Rat-a-tat-tat. Rat-a-tat-tat.

I hear the snort of the doe urging her twin fawns to take quick bites of young bluestem in the front lawn. They slip into the nearby woods, their spots blending with the mottled morning light.

Cars and trucks whoosh by on the road, people on their way to work or play. I drive the mile to the garden and listen for the big rainbirds rhythmically breaking jets of water gushing from the big blue hose into crop circle rain. The brassica leaves reach up to receive beads of light-enlivened water that drip onto the once-thirsty soil.

The chickens scratch and cackle, peck at their tin feeders for freshly ground oats and barley. They jump up to snatch sweet clover leaves from tall, stiff stems, flap their wings and land with some dignity. Irregular, hard, gray pieces of oyster shells become gizzard grit and calcium for stronger shells. They notice the morning and me.

The breeze picks up, wind at the tops of the trees. The sounds blend into the day, but when I try, I can hear each separately, like a mother listening for the sound of her child on a Ferris wheel.

Stuffed Cabbage Yields 6 rolls
6 large outer Chinese cabbage leaves trimmed of thick bottom stem
1 T. butter
½ cup minced onion
1 stalk celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small carrot, diced
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup ricotta cheese (1/2 lb)
½ tart apple, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons raisins or craisins
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1. Heat a pot of water to boiling. Slide trimmed cabbage leaves into the boiling water and simmer about 1 minute. Remove from water and cool. Make sure the cabbage is cooked well enough so the leaves will not break when rolled, but not so well done that they disintegrate.
2. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Saute for about 10 minutes, then add sunflower seeds. Season with salt and pepper. When vegetables are tender, remove from heat.
3. Place ricotta in a bowl. Add sautéed veggies, apple, raisins, lemon juice and soy sauce. Mix filling well.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
5. Place 3 to 4 Tablespoons filling near the base of each cabbage leaf. Roll firmly, folding in the sides. Arrange rolls in an oblong baking pan. Pour Cashew-Ginger Sauce over them, cover and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Cashew-Ginger Sauce:
2 cups toasted cashews
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon honey or sugar
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
cayenne to taste

Puree everything together in a food processor or blender. Yields 2 ½ cups. Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator.


Asian Coleslaw from Dr. Andrew Weir’s newsletter 4 Servings

Cabbage is chock full of nutrients including vitamin C and indoles, important cancer-fighting compounds. In addition, red cabbage also contains anthocyanins, the purple pigment with strong antioxidant activity commonly found in blueberries. In the winter months, cabbage is an abundant nutritional resource when other fresh produce is either expensive or unavailable. This recipe calls for a lot of salt, but it is used in this dish to soften the cabbage. Then it is thoroughly rinsed off so the recipe doesn't provide too much sodium. This coleslaw is colorful and makes a delightful accompaniment to any meat, fish or vegetarian main dish. The garnish of minced scallions and toasted sesame seeds brings out the flavor of the slaw and adds additional crunch.

Ingredients:
1 medium head cabbage (Chinese, green or red)
1 ½ tablespoons sea salt
2 medium carrots
2 Tablespoons cup minced scallions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:
1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
3 teaspoons dark-roasted sesame oil

Directions
1. Discard the outer leaves of cabbage. Slice thinly or shred in a food processor. Layer the cabbage in a large bowl with the sea salt. Toss to distribute salt evenly and let sit for 1 hour to soften.
2. Scrub carrots. Cut or grate into thin shreds.
3. Drain cabbage and rinse well in several changes of cold water to remove excess salt. Taste the cabbage; if it is still too salty, rinse it again.
4. Add carrots to the cabbage and mix well.
5. Whisk the rice vinegar, brown sugar and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
6. Pour the dressing over the cabbage, mix well and chill. Garnish with minced scallions and toasted sesame seeds before serving.


Lettuce (Escarole) Soup 2 servings
Perfect for mid-July, when CSA lettuce heads are big, and it’s the day before the next CSA delivery, and you want something other than a salad. Escarole is a bitter European green related to endive.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 head escarole or lettuce
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese (optional), or add leftover pasta, rice or tofu.

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the reduced-sodium vegetable broth to a boil.
2. Wash the lettuce and shake dry. Coarsely chop and add to the broth.
3. Remove from the heat. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve in soup bowls garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.