CSA Members 2007: Newsletter Archive

Dear CSA Members,

This week brings the last of the cherries. These are from an orchard in their third year of transitioning to organic (the organic certifying process takes three years). It's exciting to see more orchardists making the move to organic. . . plus, they are delicious! Enjoy them. . . next week should be the first raspberries!

Arugula is a spicy little salad green with a taste a bit like toasted peanuts. It adds zip to salad or serves as a wilted bed for grilled chicken.

The curly bunch of dark greens is kale. Easy to fix, just wash, remove stems, and toss in a skillet with a little olive oil. Cover and let wilt, then remove the lid and toss lightly, sautéing a bit. Add a sprinkling of garlic powder, salt, and a grating of parmesan.

By now you are probably puzzling over the odd little vegetable that looks rather like a spaceship with leaves. This is kohlrabi. A member of the broccoli family, I have heard it compared to an apple meets cabbage. It is delicious just peeled and eaten raw, or may be cooked lightly. The skin tends to be a bit tough (like large broccoli stems) and should be carefully peeled off with a paring knife.

As our little one's arrival date approaches, we are busily planning for the birth and preparing our employees. We anticipate that our delivery schedule will continue smoothly, but because we cannot estimate when the baby will arrive, it is possible that we may miss a delivery. We will be certain to notify you in advance if this needs to happen, and will make up for any vegetables missed. Thank you for understanding!

Please remember to bring your produce boxes back to the drop site when you pick up your veggies!

Vegetable Miso

A quick, easy soup for summer evenings

ingredients

• 4-6 Garlic flowers (or a pinch of garlic powder if you've eaten them all)
• 1 lb tofu, crumbled or diced
• 1/4 to 1/2 head cabbage (or a bunch of joi choi), rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 bunch carrots, sliced on diagonal
• 1 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp Ginger powder, or to taste
• 1 cup or more vegetable broth
• 5-6 cups water, or as desired
• Soy sauce (shoyu) and pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 3 Tbsp fresh yellow miso (or more to taste)
• 1/2 bunch green onions (or 2 sprigs basil, added at the end), chopped
• 2 Tbsp safflower or canola oil

procedure

Trim tips from garlic flowers and slice stems and buds. Sauté with 2 Tbsp safflower or canola oil over medium heat until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add carrots, kohlrabi and green onions. Cover, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and put in large pot. Add vegetable broth and water, and simmer lightly.

Meanwhile, sauté tofu in same skillet, adding a bit of sesame oil, half the ginger powder, 2 Tbsp of soy sauce (or to taste), and a grinding of pepper. Brown lightly, then add to pot. Turn down heat to low. In a small bowl, take 1 cup of liquid from soup and mix with the miso until blended. Add to soup and remove from heat.

TEXAS SLAW

ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar (or cider vinegar)
• 1/8 cup vegetable oil
• 4 cups coarsely shredded green cabbage
• 1 cup thinly sliced bell peppers (optional)
• half a bunch (or more if preferred) green onions, thinly sliced
• 1-2 carrots, coarsely shredded

procedure

Whisk sugar, vinegar, and oil to blend in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 4 hours, tossing occasionally.

(Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Bon Appétit, November 1993 (from Epicurious.com)

CABBAGE, FRESH FENNEL, AND CARROT SLAW

ingredients

• 1 cabbage, quartered, cored, very thinly sliced
• 1 fresh fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, very thinly sliced
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced (or 1/2 bunch green onions)
• 2 carrots, peeled, coarsely shredded
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

procedure

Combine cabbage, fennel, onion, and carrot in large bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, and hot sauce in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Add dressing to cabbage mixture; toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours, tossing occasionally. Transfer to serving bowl.

Bon Appétit, July 2004