Hello All!

Week 6 CSA box has been delivered! And the contents in this box are looking different than the last few weeks. Less spring greens and more summer time produce. 

This week in your box you’ll find: Zucchini, cucumber, yellow onions, bag-o-green beans, parsley and kale. These are all on our top 10 list to eat fresh from the garden during the summer. Here’s a few of our favorite recipes....

Green Bean Casserole 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, Ends Cut Off
• 4 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Half-and-half
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentoes, Drained
• Extra Milk For Thinning If Necessary
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

 Instructions

Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.

Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow green beans to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain beans once they're cool and set aside.

Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.

Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and panko crumbs are golden.

Sautéed Green Beans

1 lb green beans
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons bacon grease (can substitute 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt (can substitute regular table salt; use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
Ground black pepper

Snap the stem ends of green beans, or cut them off in a big bunch with a knife if you’d like. Melt bacon grease in a skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and onions and cook for a minute. Then add green beans and cook for a minute until beans turn bright green. Add the chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Turn heat to low and cover with a lid, leaving lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until liquid evaporates and beans are fairly soft, yet still a bit crisp. You can add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can caramelize.

Grilled Zucchini

• 6 whole Zucchini (medium Sized)
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 3 whole Lemons, Zested
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (additional)
• Extra Olive Oil If Needed For Brushing

 Instructions

Lop off the tops and bottoms of the zucchini and slice them into quarters, lengthwise. Place them all in a very large (or two regular sized) plastic zipper bag. Drizzle in olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the juice of two lemons. Seal the bag(s) and smush them around a bit so that the zucchini is coated. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes to marinate.

Prepare the indoor or outdoor grill to medium to medium-low heat. Grill the zucchini on all three sides until nice and tender, being careful not to burn them. Remove the zucchini to a plate as it gets done.

Pile up the rest of the lemon zest and sprinkle 1 tablespoon kosher salt on top. Use a knife to chop the salt and zest together until it becomes...well, lemon salt! Add more salt if it needs it. Sprinkle the lemon salt over the plate of grilled zucchini and serve.

Pan-fried Kale

• 1 whole Large Bunch Of Kale, Or 2 Regular Bunches
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/2 Lemon, Optional

 Instructions

Thoroughly rinse the kale in cold water, soaking if necessary to remove grit. Tear the kale into chunks.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and quickly stir it around to avoid burning.

Throw in the kale and use tongs to move it around the skillet. Sprinkle in salt and pepper and continue cooking until slightly wilted but still crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove the kale to a plate and serve!

Option: Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the top.

Onion rings

1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup milk, or as needed

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

seasoned salt to taste

1 quart oil for frying, or as needed

Instructions

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).

Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up. Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.

Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.

Happy 4th!!!!!!!

Happy 4th of July everybody! We hope you have a safe and wonderful day celebrating with your friends and family. In the spirit of patriotic reflection we hope you also celebrate your freedom to choose how you source your food, and our ability to grow and raise it for you!

So here's a few sweet Holiday weekend BBQ salad recipes!


Sweet and Sour Kale Salad

What you will need:
1 bunch of Kale
2 nectarines
1/4 lb. of dried cranberries
1/4 lb. pine nuts
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
The key to any kale salad is to chop it as finely as possible, so spend some time chopping, it’s worth it!
Cut the nectarines into small chunks.
Add the pine nuts and cranberries
Add the olive oil and vinegar
Add some salt and pepper
Toss the salad and enjoy!

The great thing about kale is that it holds up a lot longer than lettuce once it’s dressed, so if your end up getting a late start to dinner the salad won’t be soggy…still delicious!




Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients
5 cups water
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 malt vinegar, plus more for serving
Coarse salt
1 + 1/2 pounds potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
1 teaspoon cornstarch
fresh black pepper

Instructions

In a large saucepan bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in both vinegars and 1 tbsp salt. Stir to dissolve the salt then add the potatoes and cover with a lid. Let sit 1 hour.
After an hour preheat over to 425F. Grease a large baking sheet with oil or line with parchment first then grease.
Drain potatoes and blot dry with paper towels. Add them to the baking sheet and sprinkle with cornstarch. Toss
Drizzle 2 tbsp of oil over top and massage into the potatoes with your hands. Spread them out in one layer and sprinkle generously with salt and lightly with pepper.
Bake 20 minutes then toss and spread out again. Bake 15-20 minutes more until for tender and lightly golden.
Serve with additional malt vinegar if desired.





 Kale Chips (Jamie’s favorite!!)

Heat your oven up to 425F, get the kale ready (washed, chopped into 1” squares, coated with olive oil and salted or seasoned). Spread out over a cookie sheet. Then the minute you put the kale into the oven turn the over OFF.
Let the kale sit in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Result: Delicious, perfect evenly cooked crisp kale chips. Nothing burned.

What is your favorite summer salad recipe?

Week 3 is here already!

Hey Everybody! We can’t believe it’s week 3 already! Were so sorry about missing our post last week…! Things are going gangbusters around here. On top of all the day to day farm stuff we have also been tearing out carpet, cleaning, painting, and moving into the big house! So needless to say we haven’t had much time to research exciting meals , much less cook them ;) Which got us thinking… This is a community, and as such we would love to get everyone involved! Please share any recipes you’ve used and enjoyed so everyone can continue for find fun ways to eat healthy and seasonally! Love you all, see you next week!

                                

Please don't throw away those fresh beet greens when cooking fresh beets. Cook the beet greens and enjoy a delicious and nutritious dish just like your grandparents grew up with. Beet greens contain a large amount of vitamins A and K, plus anti-oxidants Beta Carotene and Lutein. Beet greens can be substituted in any recipe that calls for spinach. Also any of you who are into juicing, don’t overlook the beet greens! Super healthy shot of goodness!

But here’s a cool recipe we’ve had stored, seems like a cool way to spice up an old comfort food, and it works for vegetarians!

Beet Green Au Gratin

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound beet greens, cleaned and picked
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 egg yolks, beaten
1 cups ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup crumbled crackers  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sweat. Add the beet greens and mix well. Remove pan from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Combine everything and put into a lightly oiled 9 by 11-inch baking dish. Top with the crumbled crackers and bake for 30 minutes covered. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

This sounds like an awesome summer BBQ salad!

Parsley and Fennel Salad

• 4 baby fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces) orange juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon seeded mustard
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place the fennel and parsley in a serving bowl and toss to combine. Place the orange juice, oil, mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the salad and serve

This is one thing we do in the spring in big batches, put it in the freezer and use it all summer… Freeze it in ice cube trays and you’ll be amazed at how many dishes you add this peppery dash of freshness in! We love it over noodles for a super fast dinner or snack…

Chimichurri

1 bunch parsley, leaves finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, leaves finely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

 
Put the parsley, cilantro, capers and garlic in a medium mixing bowl and toss to combine. Add the vinegar, salt, red and black pepper and stir. Pour in the olive oil and mix until well combined. Let sit for 30 minutes so that the flavors blend.

With the almost 90 degree days coming up this weekend this is one dessert to make for sure for a warm evening around a small fire! Add more cherries if needed, or scale down the recipe for small custard cup bite sized servings…

Cherry Cobbler

Ingredients

• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
• 2 cups cold heavy cream, plus more for brushing
• 3 pounds fresh cherries, pitted, or 2 1/4 pounds frozen cherries
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar. Using large holes on a box grater, grate butter into flour mixture. With a fork, stir in cream until dough just comes together. On a floured work surface, roll out dough to a 3/4-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. With a knife or biscuit cutter, cut out 8 to 12 rounds or squares of dough.
2. In a bowl, combine cherries, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and vanilla. Divide mixture among four 1- to 1 1/2-cup ramekins; top each with 2 to 3 dough pieces. Brush tops with cream. Bake cobblers on a rimmed baking sheet until biscuits are golden and juices are bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Week 1 Baskets!

It’s the first week of our first season, and the food harvest has begun! And we couldn't be more excited!

We wanted to express our gratitude again for all your support in helping us to achieve our dreams of growing and raising food for us, and our family, and friends, and more and more you all are becoming our family!

You can expect to find a Farm update here every week after you pick up your baskets. We are also going to try to include as many recipes as we can using the food in the baskets. This will also be another way to share photos and fun farm stuff that happens around here.

We have had some great weather of late, but some of this heat is a little early and has caused some of our early spring crops to be a little stunted. But they are catching up quick! We wanted to share a quote that we have found that we thought summed up the anticipation felt every spring...

But I have never tasted meat, nor cabbage, nor corn, nor beans, nor fluid food on half as sweet as that first mess of greens.
James T. Cotton Noe (1912)

 So as you look in your basket this week you will notice the majority of it is greens. With some smattering of delicious raspberries....! And one delicious antioxidant filled beet... There's more where that came from too, and should be ready soon. Greens in all varieties are natures way of kick starting the growing season with a nutrient and vitamin rich, fresh, easily digestible food source. But if your like the rest of us you sometimes can get bored with the same old sauteed greens and onions... :) So here are a few recipes we have tried, or have been really wanting to try... 

With that first beet of the season we recommend roasting it in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and topping a salad with it and some goat cheese maybe....? Makes that 15 dollar salad at the restaurant taste bland...! ;)  

Pak Choi

Sesame Stir Fried Pak Choi

Ingredients

• oil
• Shredded ginger
• 1 garlic clove , sliced
• 4 pak choi , trimmed and cut into halves or long wedges

Sesame Sauce

•  1 Tbl sesame seeds
•   1 tsp sugar
• 1 garlic clove , crushed
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• sesame oil
• chilli oil to serve 

Make the sauce first. Toast the seeds in a pan and then add them, the sugar, garlic, and soy sauce and make a paste. Then add the Sesame oil until it becomes saucy.

For the greens heat some oil in a pan or wok, fry the sliced garlic and ginger, add the pak choi and stir-fry until just tender. Put on a plate sauce and enjoy!

Collard Greens

Collards and Ham

Ingredients:

Collard greens (whole collard heads or leaves)
2 to 3 ham hocks (which Whiskey Fork Farm should have some available soon!!!!)
Water (we like to use chicken stock whenever possible)
Salt to taste
Toppings (suggestions follow)

Preparation:

Wash greens thoroughly, tear each leaf from its thick center stems; discard stems.  Set collard greens aside until ready to cook.

Place ham hocks in an extra-large pot with enough water to completely cover them. Add salt and cook ham hocks 30 to 60 minutes before adding the collards greens. You want the ham hocks to be falling apart before you add the collard greens.

Add prepared collard greens, large leaves first (let the water start boiling first), then add remainder of greens. Note that young collard greens will cook up rather quickly. and the older greens may take upwards of 45 minutes to tenderize. Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once about midway to ensure thorough cooking. Throughout the cooking process, check the water level and add more as needed to replace what's lost through evaporation. Test for tenderness at 45 minutes by piercing with a sharp knife. Cook additional time if necessary.

Remove from heat and drain in a colander, reserving the juice.

Chop collards, leaving no large leaves or pieces. Add some of the pot liquor if the greens are too dry. Salt to taste.

Serve hot or at room temperature with your choice of toppings.

Topping Ideas:

Onions

Salsa 

Cherry Tomatoes

Kale

 Garbanzo beans and Kale

• 2 center-cut bacon slices
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 4 lemon wedges (optional) 

Preparation

• 1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, and crumble. Add 1 cup carrot and chopped onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

• 2. Add 4 cups kale to bean mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups bean mixture into each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.  

Enjoy! And we look forward to seeing you next week!