CSA Members 2009: Newsletter Archive

Autumn Delivery #3

Dear CSA Members,

We experienced the season's first flood watch this week. Seems too early for that kind of thing, but I suppose we're a little more nervous about the water rising these days. The mighty creek never even jumped its banks, though, and we were left feeling jittery, but reassured. We expect a bit of flooding each year -- the low ground always gets a bit of water from the river -- but we're less dismissive of the South Fork than we used to be. We've joked about raising the house and building a pontoon beneath it. From what I hear, a group of graduate students at UCLA, working with professor and architect Thom Mayne, have designed something called the "FLOAT house" for the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans.

An interesting idea?

As for produce, a little of everything is the theme for this week. My go-to Winter recipe to warm the house and satisfy my Winter vegetable cravings is a simple roasted vegetable medley:

What you'll need:

• 1 medium yellow onion (cipollini or standard yellow)
• 1/2 head garlic, minced or pressed
• A generous dollop of good olive oil
• 1/2 a carnival squash, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

A few each of:

• Carrots
• Beets
• Potatoes
• Parsnips
• Brussels sprouts
• A few sprigs of rosemary, removed from stems and minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400° (350° if your oven runs hot). Chop and sauté onions with garlic and olive until just soft. While onions are cooking, chop all vegetables into bite sized pieces, and add to a large bowl. Add cooked onions and garlic to the vegetables and toss. Add olive oil as needed to just coat the vegetables. Toss again. Add salt, pepper, and rosemary and toss once more.

Cover vegetables and bake, approximately one hour, until vegetables are tender.

Celery and celeriac (celery root) sneak in this week. My need for soup is much higher this time of year, and I can't seem to get enough celery, which is high in vitamin C and excellent in just about everything. I've included a simple soup recipe below.

Boistfort Valley Farm's gone Year-Round!

See our Winter offerings and sign up now!

Carnival Squash with Rosemary Butter

ingredients

• 1 carnival squash, halved, seeds removed, insides scraped clean
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp stemmed and minced rosemary

procedure

Place squash in baking dish, cut side down, and bake at 350° for about 50 minutes, or until outside of squash is soft. Melt butter in skillet over medium low heat. Add rosemary and cook, letting the butter color slightly. Drizzle over cooked squash and serve hot.

Escarole, Bean and Sausage Soup

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 pound Italian sausage, diced (or a flavorful sausage substitute)
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large head escarole, coarsely chopped
• 5 1/2 cups low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans)
• Grated Parmesan cheese

procedure

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and garlic and sauté until sausage is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add escarole and toss until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add broth and cannellini with their juices. Simmer until flavors blend and soup thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, March 1996, by Dawn Murray

Double Celery and Potato Soup

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 medium-sized potatoes (about 12 ounces), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium celeriac, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 5 celery stalks with leaves, stalks thinly sliced, leaves reserved
• 1/3 cup whipping cream

procedure

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onion and sauté until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes, celery roots, thyme, and bay leaf. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. Add celery stalks and simmer until all vegetables are very tender. Cool slightly.

Using handheld blender, puree soup in pot. Stir cream into soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with reserved celery leaves and serve.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, February 2003

Stir Fried Asian Broccoli

for the broccoli

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 bunch Asian broccoli

for the sauce

• 1/8 tsp ginger powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• Tiny pinch of cayenne
• 1 tsp hot water

procedure

Wash and chop broccoli into 1 inch lengths (leaves, stems, and buds are all edible). Add toasted sesame oil to a skillet. Warm oil and add broccoli, sautéing over medium heat, about 3 minutes.

Mix sauce ingredients and add hot water, stir quickly and pour over sautéing broccoli. Stir and remove from heat. Serve hot. Broccoli should be crisp.