CSA Members 2009: Newsletter Archive

Winter Delivery #5

Dear CSA Members,

Today is our final delivery for the January through May CSA. We have thoroughly enjoyed our voyage into Winter farming, and hope that we have contributed to a lovely Winter eating experience for everyone. As we reflect on this first chilly season of deliveries, we have also begun planning for next Winter. I have ordered some new and exciting over wintering crops to start this fall, and Mike has sourced and purchased hoops to make simple greenhouses for our tender Winter garden. Our first order of business for next January is to plan for and grow more Winter vegetables!

As always, we would love to hear from you about your experience -- next Winter's program will be shaped by your comments. I will send out a survey with the final delivery notes. Please take a moment and send us your thoughts!

Here on the farm, we have been seeding, transplanting, and planning for the Summer season. We are still accepting members for the Summer/Fall 2009 CSA -- you may sign up directly from our website. We anticipate our first delivery in mid-June. Here at the farm, the strawberries are flowering like crazy, we are harvesting lettuces, greens, and radishes from the field, and we look forward to seeing you at the Olympia market this week! Keep an eye on us with our new blogs, and keep in touch!

A quick note about our extra goodies in the delivery: the cheese is another favorite from Black Sheep Creamery in Chehalis. The delicious, fresh-baked bread comes from San Francisco Street Bakery in Olympia, a fellow Olympia Farmers Market vendor and an outstanding local bakery! We have a new egg supplier this month, MZM Farm. Rose of Sharon's girls are providing back up as their on-farm sales increase. We are thrilled to work with Stephen and George at MZM. I'll let their philosophy speak for itself: "Our Goal is to provide the highest quality, free range, naturally grown, antibiotic free, pure breed, poultry products and eggs to our valued customers while supporting local business and suppliers here in Lewis County and the surrounding areas."

Join us for the Summer Season!

See our Summer CSA offerings & sign up now!

Roasted Potatoes with Shallots and Sage

ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 pounds medium-size red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed, quartered
• 1-2 shallots, peeled and sliced

procedure

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook butter and sage in small saucepan over medium-heat until butter simmers and is well flavored with sage, about 4 minutes.

Toss potatoes with 2 Tbsp sage butter in bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes.

Toss shallots in same bowl with 1 tablespoon sage butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add shallots to baking sheet. Roast until potatoes and shallots are tender and golden, turning occasionally, about 35 minutes longer.

Transfer potatoes and shallots to large bowl. Add remaining sage butter; toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 1997

Dandelion Greens with Hot Olive Oil Dressing

ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds (1 ounce)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound tender young dandelion greens, any tough stems discarded

procedure

Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic and almonds, stirring frequently, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Add raisins and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden and raisins are plumped, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, stirring until combined. Pour hot dressing over dandelion greens in a bowl, tossing with tongs to coat.

Gourmet, April 2007

Rhubarb Tart with Orange Glaze

ingredients

• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 pound rhubarb stalks, thinly sliced diagonally (1/8 inch)
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-ounces package), thawed
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream

procedure

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Stir together orange juice, lime juice, and sugar in a bowl. Add rhubarb and let stand, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut pastry in half lengthwise, then roll out each piece into an 11-by 7-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Arrange pastry rectangles on an ungreased baking sheet.

Make a 1/2-inch border around each pastry rectangle by lightly scoring a line parallel to each edge (do not cut all the way through). Prick pastry inside border all over with a fork.

Strain rhubarb mixture through a sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Top 1 pastry rectangle (within border) with half of rhubarb, overlapping slices slightly. Repeat with remaining pastry and rhubarb.

Bake until pastry is puffed and golden (underside of pastry should also be golden), about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil reserved rhubarb liquid in a small saucepan, skimming foam if necessary, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 15 to 18 minutes.

Transfer tarts to a rack. Brush rhubarb and pastry with glaze and sprinkle with zest.

Gourmet, April 2009, by Paul Grimes

Spaghetti with Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms

ingredients

• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 4)
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake, stemmed, sliced
• 3 ounces shaved Asiago cheese*
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 3/4 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut crosswise in thirds
• a sprinkling of chopped fresh chives

procedure

Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer pasta to large wide bowl.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add shiitake mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté shiitake mixture until soft, about 6 minutes. Add lemon juice; cook 1 minute. Add broth and lemon peel. Bring to boil, then reduce to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add asparagus to mushroom mixture; simmer until asparagus turns bright green, about 2 minutes. Add chives and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and stir until butter melts. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over pasta; toss to coat. Top with shaved Asiago and serve.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, April 2006, Tina Miller