Blue Gate Farm News – Volume XVI, Number 2 – November
22, 2011
In
this week’s box:
Baby Beets:
Braising Greens Mix:
Broccoli:
Carrots: Bolero (orange),
Chard: Bright Lights Mix
Chinese Cabbage (napa)
Hot Peppers: Ancho Gigantea
Kale Mix: Red Russian,
Shallots: Ambition (tan) & Prisma (red)
Sweet Peppers:asst
Sweet Potatoes: Beauregard & Georgia Jet
Tapestry Salad Mix
For
those with the Egg option: one dozen free-range eggs (assorted colors)
For
those with the Cheese option: Blackberry-Sage infused Chevre & Classic Feta
Featured Recipe(s) (see below): Chorizo and Greens Quiche
Creamy
Braising Greens Soup
Roasted
Baby Beets
Sweet Potato, Kale and
Cheese Soup
Black
Bean Soup with Pan-Roasted Poblano Peppers
Shallot
Vinaigrette
Precipitation last month: .6”
Precipitation to date this month: Rain:2.25” (and counting)
Snow:
3.5”
What’s up on the farm?
Things are
definitely slowing down as we reach the back side of November. The majority of the garden chores are done,
though there is still a lot of produce in the fields. Our greatest challenge now is keeping the row
covers on those crops and harvesting them for as long as possible. After the surprise 3.5” of heavy, wet snow two
weeks ago, all of the row covers were completely flattened so once the snow
melted off we had to go out and reset nearly every hoop (that adds up to nearly
400 hoops). It wasn’t a very pleasant
job and we are really glad that that situation is a rare one! And speaking of row covers and surprises, we
were afraid the 20° lows last week would be too much for the Chinese cabbage so
they were all harvested off and stored in the cooler. That is why you are getting them in your boxes
again this week, as there isn’t room to keep them all until the December
delivery. Our new favorite use of the
Chinese cabbage is to shred it finely and add to homemade chicken soup at the
last minute. The added flavor and bulk
puts it right over the top! The cooler
space issue is also why you are getting peppers this week. There is only so much space, so you get to
reap the benefits of our storage shortage! The less-than-pleasant weather has encouraged
us to get a number of indoor chores done as well, including re-claiming the
sunroom from its mid-summer disaster status, book-keeping and even a little
fiber spinning.
A few details on new stuff in the box:
Everything except the shallots
and sweet potatoes can go into plastic bags and store in your produce drawers.
Hot Peppers: these are a poblano-type and are the peppers
traditionally used for chile rellenos. They are perfect for cutting in half, removing
the innards and filling with cheese, rice, meat or anything else and baking.
Carrots: remove tops before storing them in a plastic bag in
the fridge. These cold-weather carrots
are one of the favorite things that we grow all year. You just can’t beat their sweet flavor.
Baby beets: yes, we know these are pretty small, but they are
truly a gourmet treat at this stage (roots and leaves both) and we were afraid
that the upcoming colder temperatures would damage them before the next
delivery, so you get to enjoy them now. The
same is true with the broccoli, the
heads are very young, but better to get a little bit to enjoy now than to lose
the chance due to an overnight low!
Shallots: the grown-up cousins of onions, shallots have a rich
flavor that really shines in soups, sauces, salad dressings and egg dishes. Store in a cool, dark place with good air
circulation.
Sweet
Potatoes: sweet potatoes don’t like
water, so for best storage, don’t wash until ready to use. Store in a room-temperature area and unlike Irish
potatoes, they don’t need to be kept in the dark.
Upcoming Events:
Downtown Winter
Market: Friday & Saturday, December 16th & 17th,
Next CSA Delivery:
Tuesday, December 6
Is a weekly
newsletter not enough for you and you want to read more about our daily
adventures? Follow us at our blog
at http://beyondthebluegate.blogspot.com
and on Facebook (just search Blue Gate Farm) and “Like” us.
That’s about it
this week, if you have any questions or comments be sure to let us know.
Best from the farm,
Jill & Sean (and Blue & Luci)
Chorizo and Greens Quiche
Serves:
6-8
1 unbaked pie crust (homemade, bought, whatever you like)
1/2 pound chorizo (taken out of the casings if that's how you bought it)
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 cups roughly chopped greens (beet greens, radish greens, etc)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup shredded cheddar
Preheat your oven 375 degrees.
Place your pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan. Prick the bottom with a fork. Cover
the dough with a sheet of parchment paper. Fill the crust with pie weights or
dried beans. Place into your preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes until the
crust is a touch golden and partially baked. Take out of the oven, set aside to
cool on a baking race. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
In a large skillet oven medium heat, brown your chorizo, transfer to a
paper-towel lined plate and set aside.
In that same skillet, over medium heat again, add your onions and cook until
tender. Add your teaspoon of minced garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant.
You can now add your greens to the mix. Salt and pepper to taste and then add
in your crushed red pepper. Cook the mixture until greens are soft and softly
wilted. Set aside to cool.
Now, in a large bowl, beat together eggs, egg yolk, milk, heavy cream, salt,
white pepper, and nutmeg. Next, add the chorizo, greens, and cheddar cheese to
the egg mixture and stir until combined.
Pour the mixture into your cooled, partially-baked pie crust. Place into the
oven and bake until the top is golden brown and the quiche is set in the
middle. This will take about 30-35 minutes.
Allow to cool five minutes before serving.
Recipe Source: www.lighterandlocal.com
Creamy Braising Greens Soup
1 slice thick-cut
bacon, diced
1 large onion, peeled
and diced
1 large carrot, peeled
and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound sausage,
dried chorizo or smoked sausage, diced
6 medium potatoes,
peeled and diced
7 1/2 cups
reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cups mixed
braising greens, such as kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens and dandelion
greens, thoroughly washed, stems removed, and cut into very fine strips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher
salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
(optional)
Coarsely ground black pepper
Sauté bacon in a large pot or
Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and
set aside, reserving drippings in pan. Crumble bacon when cool.
Add onion and carrot to pan;
cook over medium heat until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add
garlic and sausage; cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly
browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add potatoes and broth; stir
to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer,
uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender, about 15
minutes.
Add greens, cream and salt
and continue to simmer until soup is thoroughly heated, about 5 minutes. Add
hot sauce, if using, and black pepper to taste.
Ladle into soup bowls and
garnish with reserved bacon.
Recipe Source: www.relish.com
Roasted Baby Beets
2 pounds trimmed red and/or
yellow baby beets or small beets
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1 large orange
3 tablespoons white wine
vinegar
2 tablespoons thinly sliced
shallot
2 teaspoons Dijon-style
mustard
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If using small beets,
cut them into 1- to 1-1/2-inch wedges. Place beets in a single layer in a
shallow baking pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil; toss to coat.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Cover with foil and roast for
25 minutes. Uncover and roast about 15 minutes more or until beets are tender;
cool. If using small beets, peel the beets. (Baby beets do not need to be
peeled.)
2. Meanwhile, using a small sharp knife or citrus tool,
remove long shreds of peel from the orange, taking care not to remove the white
pith; measure 2 tablespoons peel. Squeeze juice from orange; measure 1/3 cup
juice.
3. In a glass dish, whisk together the 1/3 cup orange
juice, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, vinegar, shallot, and
Recipe
Source: www.bhg.com
Sweet Potato, Kale and Cheese Soup
2 medium
sweet potatoes (3 cups diced)
1 large
onion, chopped
2 cups
water
1/2
teaspoon nutmeg
3-4
teaspoons
1 cup sharp
Cheddar cheese, grated and lightly packed
1-2 cups
finely shredded kale
1/2 cup
skim milk (approximately)
1 teaspoon
sea salt
1. Place the sweet potatoes, onion, and water in a
large kettle. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until tender. 2.
Transfer the cooked vegetables and the liquid to a food processor or blender
and blend until creamy. In a blender,
this will have to be done in two or three batches. 3. Return the creamed
mixture to the kettle. Add the nutmeg, mustard, kale and cheese. Stir over
medium heat until the cheese is melted. Add as much milk as needed to achieve
the desired consistency. Season to taste with sea salt.
Recipe Source: Cooking with the Right Side of the
Brain
Black Bean Soup with Pan-Roasted Poblano Peppers and
Crispy Shoestring Tortillas
serves 6
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium poblano peppers (12
oz) (340g) – seeded and cut in 1/4” dices (2 cups)
1 medium Spanish onion –
peeled and cut in 1/4” dices (2 cups)
4 garlic cloves – skinned and
minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground
chipotle to taste
2 medium carrots (4 oz)
(115g) – seeded and cut in 1/4” dices (3/4 cup)
5 cups cooked black
beans
6 cups reserved cooking
liquid from the beans or water
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon Tequila
For the garnishes
4 corn tortillas
3 tablespoons sunflower or
canola oil
large pinch sea salt
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
or low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh
cilantro
Step 1: Heat a large, heavy-bottom soup pot at medium-high
heat. Add the olive oil and poblano peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes until the
peppers soften. Add the onions and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, until
golden-brown. Add the garlic, chili powder, chipotle and carrots. Sauté for 1
minute. Add the black beans, reserved cooking liquid and salt.
Step 2: Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to
medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until carrots are tender.
Purée the soup with a stick blender or food processor so that it’s creamy, but
still a bit chunky. Add the lime juice and Tequila. Adjust the salt and thin
the soup with additional water if needed.
Step 3: Cut the corn tortillas in half. Cut each half in 1/8”
julienne strips. Heat a large skillet to high heat. Add the oil and the
tortilla strips and reduce the heat to medium-high. Toss well so that the
tortilla strips are well coated with the oil and spread them over the whole surface
of the pan. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until the strips are golden, tossing
occasionally. Remove from heat and spread on a tray lined with paper towels.
Sprinkle with sea salt and let cool to room temperature.
Cook’s note: The tortilla
strips can be made up to 3 days ahead. Store at room temperature in a sealed
container.
Step 4: Ladle soup in bowls. Spoon a small dollop of crème fraîche
or sour cream in the center of each bowl. Sprinkle with the cilantro, top with
the shoestring tortillas and serve.
Recipe Source: www.foodandstyle.com
SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup finely chopped
shallot
1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil (preferably French) or safflower oil