2019 Week 11 CSA Newsletter
Week 11 | September 1-7, 2019 | “A” Week
You’ll be seeing the winners of our 2019 Herb Photo Challenge sprinkled throughout this week’s newsletter. Thank you to all of you who participated. I was blown away by the artistry and creativity you all showed.
1ST PLACE: JESS ELEY ~ BASIL ICE CREAM
2ND PLACE: JIM HERTZFELD ~ SIMPLE SYRUP MADE WITH ROSEMARY
3RD PLACE: MARY DAVIES ~ HERB BREAD & BUTTER
This was our first place winner for the Herb Challenge, submitted by Jess Eley. I love the innovative use of fresh basil in this dish. Who would think to try ICE CREAM?! That’s what this contest was all about — challenging us to try new ways to cook with herbs. Jess nailed it!
IN YOUR VEGGIE BOX THIS WEEK:
CHERRY TOMATOES ~ Store these in your fridge! (Normally tomatoes should be stored on the counter, but we recommend the fridge for the little guys). They are great for eating out of hand or in a salad. But you can also chop them up and add them to dishes. Super sweet!!
GOLDEN BEETS (no tops) ~ Oh yes. At last, the golden beet. If you’ve never tried these — get ready for a beautiful coppery gold color that is so delicious. Store these in a Green Bag in your fridge — they will last for a LOOONG time, so no rush. Grate them for a salad. Refrigerator pickle them. Roast them on the grill.
KALE ~ Store this green in a Debbie Meyer Green bag and place in your fridge. Use this within 7 days. Cut out the spine of the kale. Then slice the kale into shreds, or “massage” the leaves for a salad. You can also blanch and freeze kale for later use.
POTATOES ~ These were bought in from our partner farm Wayward Seed Farm in Fremont (certified organic). These potatoes haven’t been cured yet. So try to use them within 5-7 days. Leave them on your countertop in the netted bag until ready to use.
ITALIAN FRYING PEPPER ~ Store this in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze! These look like they’re spicy, but they’re NOT! Use them like you would any other sweet pepper.
SWEET CORN (not organic) ~ Standard boxes get 4 ears. Large boxes get 8 ears this week. This sweet corn comes from our parents David and Cindy Bench. They farm this crop conventionally. That’s why we make it an optional item on the extras table, so you will have to pack it yourself. Sweet corn turns starchy the longer you store it, so for best taste, eat this within a few days. Keep the cobs in their husk until ready to use in your fridge. Take off the outer leaves and silks inside when ready to eat. Then remove any worm-damaged tip with a knife. You can also eat this corn raw. Just cut the kernels off the cob with a knife, and add to salads.
RED ONIONS (B-GRADE) (Extras) ~ So we’ll be bagging up 2# portions of B-grade red onions for the extras table. You can grab a batch and take them home to freeze! Just cut off any small soft spot or scarred area. No one will ever be the wiser. Because these have soft spots, you’ll want to process them within a week. Leave them in the fridge in the meantime to keep them from spoiling faster.
SUMMER SQUASH (extras) ~ This could take the form of zucchini or yellow squash. Store in your fridge crisper drawer in a Green bag. When you’re ready to eat it, cut the ends off. Peel if desired. If the zucchini is large, cut long-ways, and scoop out the seeds inside. Then dice.
CUCUMBERS (extras) ~ These are coming out of our ears!! You’ll find them on the extras table. Store these in your fridge in a bag and use them within 7 days. You don’t need to peel them, but you will want to wash them to get the spines off.
EGGPLANT (extras) ~ These purple beauties will be on the extras table since not everyone likes these! There should be enough for those of you who like them! Store this in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peel the skin off before eating.
JALAPENOS (extras) ~ Store this in the fridge in a plastic bag. Peppers can also be flash frozen. Just throw them in a Ziploc bag (whole or chopped) and freeze!
FRUIT SHARE
(runs through Week 16 of the CSA)
MELON ~ These are coming from our parents at Bench Farms. We’re not sure if we have enough of one type for everyone to get, so we can’t exactly specify which melon variety it will be. It could be Lambkin (pictured above), Crenshaw, Canary, Honeydew, or Muskmelon (aka cantaloupe).
ZESTAR APPLES ~ From Quarry Hill Orchard in Berlin Heights. Get ready for a sweet punch! These are in high demand at the orchard — so much so that it was hard to get Farmer Ben to part with them for our 127 fruit bags each week! Put these in the fridge in a plastic bag and they’ll store for several weeks. They are a great eating apple.
BARTLETT PEARS ~ From Quarry Hill Orchard. Pear season begins in September, and you’ll likely see it ONE more time after this week. These are picked unripe so that they will not bruise during travel. Keep them out on the counter until they ripen (turn softer), and THEN refrigerate the in the crisper drawer in a bag.
MADDIE & BELLA COFFEE: Guatemala Antigua ~ aromatic, sweet, smokey
WEBER RANCH EGGS: It’s “B” week! Remember, because we doubled up on eggs a few weeks ago to catch up on our over-supply — we will be ending the egg share earlier than the rest of the CSA season. A and B members will finish up their eggs on Week 15 and 16. Weekly members get their final egg on Week 17.
CHEESE ~ Cheese Curds (onion and dill) from Turkeyfoot Creek Creamery, Lacey AuGlaize and mmBossie Cheddar from Canal Junction Cheese
This was our first place winner for the Herb Challenge, submitted by Jess Eley. I love the innovative use of fresh basil in this dish. Who would think to try ICE CREAM?! That’s what this contest was all about — challenging us to try new ways to cook with herbs. Jess nailed it!
HOW TO PRE-ORDER BULK TOMATOES, ONIONS, GRAPES, HONEYCRISP, CABBAGE, AND BEETS
Are you secretly wondering when the heck are we ever going to open the online store so you can buy stuff to freeze or can for the winter?
You are not alone.
As you may have noticed if you are a returning CSA member, we haven’t been offering a lot of “extra” produce in our online store this year as in years past. That’s because we had that rainy patch back in the spring, and it kept us from planting things during that window. That translates to fewer vegetables to sell.
And it’s leaving some gaps in our supply pipeline.
- For example, we are out of carrots. The last patch was planted 4 weeks ago, and won’t be ready until November. So we won’t have bulk carrots to sell until late in the fall after the CSA is over. We’ve been buying in carrots for the CSA boxes from Great River Organics (our partner farm in our local co-op).
- The tomatoes (which are usually coming on strong now) were planted 4 weeks behind schedule. So they are ripening 4 weeks behind schedule. The Romas look great and we are confident we’ll have a huge crop. The globes are okay — some are showing “black spot” which makes us worry that we won’t have a great crop of those.
- The melons (normally in the fruit shares by week 8) are just now making an appearance.
- And our beets weren’t able to be re-seeded in that rainy spell, so we have a gap in production there too.
Wondering if you’ll ever be able to order bulk tomatoes? The answer is YES. We’re taking pre-orders now.
Many of you are nervously emailing us: “Will I be able to buy bulk tomatoes from you this year?”
(In other words… “Should I get them from another farm just to be safe?”)
We WILL have quite a few veggies to buy in bulk, so here’s the plan.
So how can you get your bulk veggies?
Kurt and I have decided to let you “pre-order” these bulk vegetable and fruit items that we’re confident we’ll have in large amounts — even though they may not be ready now. We’ll operate it like we have with the peaches and the sweet corn… You pre-order what you want in the online store. Then, as soon as we have it ready, we’ll deliver it to your pickup site. You’ll get an email letting you know it’s coming a few days before.
Starting this week, you can go to the online store and place your pre-order for all kinds of items we will have ready for you this year. Things like:
- Cabbage (sold in 10 lb increments) – sourced from Wayward Seed Farm, Fremont (organic)
- Roma tomatoes (25 lb hamper) – $25
- NO GLOBE TOMATOES WILL BE OFFERED YET — we aren’t sure of their yield, and the CSA comes first
- Red or Yellow Cured Onions (5# bags) – $7
- Kale (in batches of 5 bunches) – $12
- Concord grapes (for grape juice) – not organic – by the peck basket $25 – Eshleman Orchard in Clyde
- Apples (by the half bushel) – 20 lbs (Honeycrisp ($35) and Gala ($20) – Eshleman Orchard in Clyde
- Red beets, no tops, in 12 lb. peck baskets ~ $20 – sourced from Wayward Seed Farm, Fremont (organic)
NOTE: Our first priority is to serve our CSA boxes each week and give them the value of their share.
If that leaves us with a shortage for filling bulk orders, we can source the extra through our partnership with Great River Organics (the local co-op we are a part of). If for some reason we cannot fill your order, you will get a refund.
Remember, your order is a “reservation.” Due to space restrictions on our truck and harvest timing, you will receive your product as soon as it becomes available — which may be several weeks.
Head to our online store now to place your BULK PRE-ORDER.
NOTE: Due to the status of our GLOBE TOMATOES, we are not comfortable pre-selling those in bulk yet. If you’re really worried about getting your globe tomatoes, and you can’t wait a couple weeks for ours to ripen, I recommend you order them from somewhere else to be safe. We’ll have a better idea of our bulk supply for those in 2-3 weeks.
2ND PLACE HERB CHALLENGE WINNER…This entry comes from Jim Hertzfeld and Esther Hertzfeld. Jim smoked some rosemary on a cedar plank and then added it to a simple syrup. He let the rosemary wilt and dry — but pulled it off the grill before it started to char. Then he strained it from the syrup after letting it soak a few days.
~ WEEK 11 ANNOUNCEMENTS ~
- Taste of the Farm Dinner is next Sunday, Sept. 8 at 6 PM. We have 108 people coming! We are unbelievably excited! And there is still so much to do! There are no paper tickets. Kurt and Corinna will greet you at the end of their driveway and take you to the dining area! Please look for an email this coming Tuesday with details for what to bring, directions, end time, and what to wear. (hint: NOT HEELS). Remember it’s BYO wine/beer. We’ll provide the wine glass though!
- Kurt and Corinna will be taking another vacation Sept 13-16 — this time to Portland, OR, to see Corinna’s brother Sven. This will not affect CSA delivery as Kurt will be returning early to be sure to pack the shares. But it does mean we will not have a newsletter that week — just a simple email with the recipes and box list.
- NOW TAKING ORDERS FOR FALL BOOSTER VEGGIE BOXES $30 — This will be taking the place of our “Thanksgiving Share” concept and will likely include many staples like onions, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and fall storage crops. Read below for details on what this product is, when you get one, and how you can reserve one. We have a limited supply so don’t delay!
3RD PLACE WINNER: HERB BREAD & BUTTERS This is an entry from Mary Koch Davies whose 8 year old son Paul is pictured here with scallion herb bread that he baked himself using basil, tarragon, parsley, and mint. It was also topped with a lemon garlic herb butter. I liked this photo for so many reasons… first– because it showcased a child being mentored through the herb challenge. Our kids are learning from us every day. YOU are setting a standard for healthy and creative eating in your homes. And when I see pictures of kids loving to cook — it lights me up. Second, I also loved how Paul used herbs in baking — and he used a LOT of herbs. Plus he thought to create an herb butter. BONUS points!! And third… who doesn’t love the chef hat? Nice touch. I can tell you had some fun with this!!
- PRE-ORDER: BULK BEETS, Honeycrisp and Gala APPLES, CABBAGE, CONCORD GRAPES, KALE, ROMA TOMATOES, AND ONIONS ~ Pre-order your bulk items in our online store now and we’ll make sure we reserve one for you when they are ready (sometime in the next few weeks…) Read our special article above about what we plan to offer.
- STILL TAKING BULK CORN ORDERS – $28 for 5 dozen ears. Visit our online store link to order.
- Watch our weekly Live Unboxing video this Tuesday around 8 PM inside the private Facebook group. Cadie Jardin, our CSA coach and dietitian, will show you what’s in the box, share storage tips and ideas for how to use your product. You can find the Facebook group at this link.Only CSA members or paying members of the Academy can access this group.
Honorable Mention: Summer Squash tart. This zucchini squash tart was posted by Melinda Bahnsen Fluckinger — it is an INCREDIBLE photo! Unfortunately, it wasn’t officially entered into the contest with a hashtag, so I couldn’t technically consider it. But it’s so beautiful that I wanted to mention it. Melinda said she spread a pesto around the slices of squash and then just rolled them into this rose formation, and baked it. It’s an innovative use of basil pesto! And looks like a great way to move all that zucchini we’re piling on top of you in the summer. I seriously feel like it belongs on the cover of Cooking Light magazine. Totally deserved an honorable mention. Thank you for inspiring our audience with this picture!
PRE-ORDER YOUR FALL BOOSTER SHARES NOW
Wait…WHAT?!!
A fall booster share?!
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that we’ve always taken the winter off from growing. But this year, since we got such a late start to the season, we predict we’ll still have some product to sell once the 18 week CSA season is actually over.
So we’re trying out a NEW product line called “The Fall Booster Share.”
This is essentially a “Mystery Box” of fall storage veggies valued at $30. We’ll offer the product TWICE. The dates are:
- November 9 – pick up at the Toledo Farmer’s Market OR the Elmore home farm –> 9-11 am –> Cost $30
- November 24 – pick up at Weber Ranch (coinciding with the Thanksgiving Turkey pickup Time TBA) OR the Elmore home farm in afternoon (no turkeys will be available at this pickup) –> Cost $30
This product is designed for all of you who “miss us” after a couple weeks and go into post-traumatic CSA withdrawal. This Booster Pack will refresh your fridge with a nice portion size of fall-friendly farm-fresh goodies.
This is celebration winter squash. It might be in the Booster Share… it might not! It’s a surprise!
What’s in the Booster Pack?
Well… we don’t know yet exactly. We will build a box with whatever variety we have left in our fields as well as our long-term cold storage. It could be just 4 beefy items like onions, carrots, winter squash, and sweet potatoes… It could include 6-8 items of regular portion sizes — onions, sweet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, hakurei turnips, and radishes. It all depends on what we’ve got.
Cost: $30 each in our online store.
You can order JUST the first Booster Pack, JUST the second Booster Pack (ideal for Thanksgiving), or BOTH. You can also order more than one Booster pack each time.
As we get closer to each delivery, we’ll let you know exactly what’s going to be inside. And if we have EXTRA stuff (like more carrots for example), we’ll let you customize your order in the week prior with more items of your choice.
We have a limited number of Booster Shares available.
So order yours NOW in the online store.
If you want to get BOTH Booster Packs, be sure to put BOTH of them into your cart. I will reach out to you in November to find out which pick up site you would like.
Thank you for supporting us!
KURT’S FIELD NOTES ~ WEEK 11
Hey everyone! Lots to talk about this week. We took last week off from writing my Field Notes, so let me catch you up to speed on how things are looking in the fields.
First, I’ve been getting a LOT of questions about the tomatoes. Like… “Hey, where are they?” In case you missed the video Corinna did a while back, we actually do have a LOT of tomatoes growing on the vines. The Romas are especially loaded. They’re just running late. That’s because they were planted 4 weeks behind schedule. Remember all that rain in the spring when we were trying to plant the transplants? Well, tomatoes were one of the crops that were affected. Anyway… that’s why things are late.
The cherry tomatoes have been first to ripen. You’re getting those in your box this week. I picked my first heirlooms for the Toledo Market last Friday. So God-willing, my globes and Romas will eventually turn red too. This time of year the nights are getting cooler which are not ideal tomato ripening. Who knows how long they’ll last? It all depends on when the first frost comes. In theory, the tomatoes should run later than usual as long as the weather doesn’t turn too cold. If you’re wondering about buying bulk tomatoes for canning — please read the article in this newsletter about how you can pre-order those tomatoes now.
My onions are curing like a charm. I’ve got them all pulled now. The crew spends any extra time they have “processing onions.” That means cleaning up the skins, cutting off the tops, and grading them. I’ve shipped off several boxes to a holding dock, destined for Whole Foods and will continue through the fall and winter. I’ll be asking you to place your pre-orders for bulk onions this week and next — just so I can have a good idea of how much I can sell wholesale this fall.
It’s been a fun adventure this year making process and system updates to move large amounts (1.2 acres) of onions through the farm for wholesale. Some things have worked as planned and others not so much. I’m trying to bill myself as “the onion guy” in our organic co-op, since my ground seems to grow them really well.
Speaking of alliums, a quick garlic update. I have purchased a small amount of seed and plan to restart our garlic patch this year. It looks like we will be getting some insurance (NAPP) money to help us recoup our loss this season but we will not receive it till next fall. So I am only planting a small amount this year and plan to plant more next season.
The fields are starting to empty out. With the onions gone the task of pulling up all the poly and seeding cover crops is at hand. So what is left in the fields: eggplant, ground cherries, peppers, tomatoes, kale, Delicata squash, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, green beans, celeriac, radishes, turnips, kohlrabi and even some CAULIFLOWER (one of my “WTF crops”). Only time will tell if I have cracked the cauliflower code this year — stay tuned, they all look really great. The boys and I just finished seeding some more cut lettuce, mesclun mix in the field — plus some Napa cabbage, spinach and head lettuce transplants in the greenhouse.
Cross your fingers. All farmers in the area are hoping and praying for a late fall this year!
My dad started harvesting his melons last week. Cantaloupe, Gallia, Crenshaw, Honeydews… They will not be around for long as they got hurt by the crazy spring and summer we had. The watermelons will come a few weeks behind. It’s not as abundant a crop as we’d hoped. But we’re glad we have something!
Corinna and the boys went camping last weekend at East Harbor State Park. We upgraded and got this new humongous tent with all kinds of rooms. The boys set up their 2 hanging hammocks and Jed brought half his stuffed animal zoo along for the ride. We enjoyed eating “fancy” camp food. (Corinna does such a good job with meals). Went swimming on the beach. The boys played with the campfire. I was able to get away for an afternoon and one night with them. We decided not to take a vacation week this year just because we got started so late with our season. Not wanting to go into November, we opted to just push through and try to take a couple weekend getaways to relax. Our next vacay will be in two weekends when we fly to Portland to visit Corinna’s brother for 3 days.
The boys started school this week. Jed is now in Middle School, which means he gets up an hour earlier than Josiah, rides a different bus, and comes home an hour earlier. I miss my boys and all the help they provide on the farm. We recently switched the boys’ chores around. Since Jed leaves so early, Josiah now has to feed the chickens every morning — a 20-25 minute job. He’s adjusted to this duty better than I expected.
We had a mishap in the Chicken Palace last week. Our automatic door is supposed to shut at sundown and come up at sunrise. Josiah went out to find a dead chicken stuck in the doorway. It had apparently gotten trapped as the door was closing. Now all the ladies are spooked about the door. And it continues to go up and down randomly, so something’s up. Looks like I need to replace it.
We also transitioned our “teenager” hens to the “big house” out in the back field shortly after this incident. If you pick up in Elmore and are wondering where they went, that’s where. They had outgrown their small Chicken Tractor house. Now they have plenty of room to move around and graze outside in the Chicken Palace. Funny though… there’s definitely a “pecking order” among the ladies. The new chickens are sticking together in the new coop — like a bunch of new rookies.
Our baby chickens are all grown up! We moved them into the “adult” Chicken Palace this week. You can see them huddled in the corner. They’re all low-woman-on-the-totem-pole, so they have to stick together.
Our Field to Table dinner is next weekend, so I’ve started preparing the farm for that — moving equipment, mowing, filling in ruts, cleaning the place up, delivering produce to our chefs in advance. Corinna and her team have been working really hard to organize that fundraiser If you’re coming, you’ll get to meet all our partner farmers at one place. Be sure to wear comfy clothes.
As for the well generator... I’ve decided to put that on the back burner until winter. I couldn’t get it to work, and I was bleeding time and resources (that I didn’t have) trying to figure it out. My buddy Jack Bradshaw and I will figure it out this fall/winter.
This weekend, I’m hoping to take a small break and go do some dove hunting with Jack and my boys. Corinna will be freezing corn with my extended Bench family all day Sunday. And maybe if I’m lucky… I’ll get a nap.
Appreciate all of you more than you know, and am blessed to call you all My Farm Family!
Till next week! Farmer Kurt (liven the dream)
The crew harvests leeks. I used a special digger to pull them out of the soil. That made harvesting pretty simple.
Freezer Challenge Starts in 8 Days!
Now that you’ve had a chance to recover from the Herb Challenge, we’re throwing something else at you!
It’s called the “Freezer Challenge.” And I can’t wait…
This is the time of the season when we encourage our members to start finding ways to freeze veggies for the winter.
So if you’re getting sick of corn or kale… don’t compost them or let them waste away in the back of your fridge.
What if you could learn a way to freeze them? Then enjoy them all winter?
Over the past seasons, we’ve shared a lot of ways to freeze your produce. We’ve seen our CSA members post ideas for freezer meals in our private Facebook group. We even had an “Empty Your Freezer” Challenge last winter to showcase how people were clearing out their freezer veggies.
Now we want to bring focus to this topic and HELP YOU FREEZE MORE VEGGIES FOR THE WINTER.
The Freezer Challenge will run from Sept. 9 through Oct. 6.
Your challenge is to find unique (or not so unique) ways to freeze your veggies for later use. And share them in our private Facebook group using the hashtag #slffreezerchallenge19
To be Eligible:
- You must be a member of our CSA and be 18 years or older
- You must post a total of 4 times inside our private Facebook group to be eligible for the prize.
- Your post must show a way that you are freezing your veggies for later use. It can be a freezer meal or simply freezing veggies. Be sure to explain what you did or include a recipe if possible.
- You must hashtag your entry “slffreezerchallenge19”
- You may enter pictures you have already posted this year. Just repost them.
Danielle Kuhl recently posted a great example of a Freezer Challenge-type post. Freezer Burritos! Have fun with this challenge and let it inspire you!
I will choose 3 winners on October 8, to win the following prizes:
1st Place: 2 Fall Booster Shares OR a 4 Piece Tupperware Fridgesmart Storage System ($80 value)
2nd Place: one Fall Booster Share of your choice
3rd Place: $20 Amazon Gift Card
My winners will be chosen based on the quality of the picture, uniqueness of the idea, and/or community engagement on that post. I also reserve the right to choose the winner “just because.”
Along the way, we’ll be teaching you little tips and tricks for freezing veggies. We’ll share ideas for freezer meals you can be making now, freezer equipment, and freezer storage hacks.
But here’s what I’m REALLY counting on… I’m hoping YOU will teach EACH OTHER some cool tips.
It’s true that Cadie and I go into these challenges with a game plan for how to coach you to foodie greatness. Every time, we are blown away by the creative ideas you post in the group that we would never have thought of.
That’s where the magic is.
So join the Freezer Challenge! Let’s show each other different ways we are freezing stuff from our share.
HONORABLE MENTION: Ratatouille. This post was also submitted by our 1st place winner Jess Lynn Eley. It’s a ratatouille baked in a cast iron skillet using lots of herbs — basil, thyme and dried carrot tops. For me, it was a simple reminder of how herbs can be used so simply to pack a powerful flavor boost and make an old dish new. Plus, it’s lovely to look at. Bright colors, contrast, symmetry. My mouth starts to water. I think to myself: “My food could look like THAT?” One of the things I love about all you guys is that you truly make our food look like art. For me, eating is more than just a process of “feeding calories to my family.” It’s an expression of my creativity. And so when it looks beautiful — like something out of a restaurant — it elevates the whole dining experience.
WEEK 11 RECIPES
Members: You can download these recipes separately as a PDF inside the Membership Academy. Look under the RECIPES section, Week 11.
Zuppa Toscana (Sausage, Bacon, Potato and Kale Soup)
Adapted from Salt and Lavender (www.saltandlavender.com)
Total time ~40 minutes
Serves 6
I made this for the first time 2 years ago and I don’t think I’ve ever seen my husband eat soup so fast. It will forever be a seasonal staple for us; I usually only make it when we get kale and potatoes this time of year. I’ve never added the bacon and it still turns out perfect!
Ingredients:
1 (17.6 ounce) pack Italian sausages
5 strips of bacon (thick cut works best)
2 cups chicken broth (beef works too)
4 cups water
1 medium onion chopped
4 large red potatoes roughly cubed (leave skins on)
5 cloves garlic minced
1 dash Italian seasoning
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
1 small bunch of kale torn into bite-size pieces (remove stems)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Using kitchen shears (or a knife), cut the bacon into small pieces and put them into the pot. Cook the bacon for a few minutes over medium-high heat. I like to give the bacon a bit of a head start so it gets nice and crispy.
Take the sausages out of their casings. I lightly slice the sausages length-wise with a sharp knife to make a slit in the casings, and then it’s really easy to get them out. I then use my fingers to break the meat into bite-size pieces and add them to the soup pot as I go.
While the sausages and bacon cook, I chop the onion and potatoes, making sure to stir the bacon and sausages occasionally.
When the sausages and bacon are nicely browned and crispy, add in your chicken stock and water.
Add onion, potatoes, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat to simmer.
Cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes and onions are tender.
Add kale, cream, and salt and pepper and cook for a further 5-10 minutes or until the kale is soft and wilted.
Golden Beet and Potato Breakfast Bake
Adapted from Southern Living (www.southernliving.com)
Total time ~ 40 minutes
Serves 4
If you like breakfast- DO THIS. If you don’t have time in the morning, have this for dinner!
Ingredients:
1 pound potatoes
½ pound golden beets
1 small sweet onion
4 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into lardons (small strips or cubes)
2 Tbs salted butter
1 Tbs oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 Tbs kosher salt, divided
½ tsp black pepper, divided
4 large eggs
1 Tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grate potatoes, beets, and onion with the grating blade of a food processor or on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer grated vegetables to a strainer lined with a lint-free towel. Using your hands, squeeze vegetables to remove as much liquid as possible.
Cook bacon in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels; reserve 1 teaspoon drippings in skillet. Increase heat to high; add butter and oil, and stir until warm
Add garlic to skillet, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add grated vegetables; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring and tossing the vegetables occasionally, until vegetables start to become tender, about 5 minutes.
Gently pat vegetables down into an even layer in skillet, and cook 5 minutes. Stir vegetables, and pat down again into an even layer. Cook until a crust forms on bottom, about 8 minutes.
Remove from heat. Using the back of a spoon, make 4 indentations (nests) in beet mixture in skillet. Break 1 egg into each indentation.
Sprinkle eggs evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Bake in preheated oven until whites are set and yolks are still runny, about 8 minutes, or to desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle top with bacon and parsley, and serve immediately.
Honorable Mention: Chicken Soup This entry comes from Erin House. And I liked it for two reasons: Chicken soup and/or DIY veggie broth is one of the biggest “exit strategies” we teach to CSA prospects and newbies. The fact that Erin reminds us that you can toss all kinds of herbs into this staple meal was what caught my eye. And BECAUSE I bring up this exit strategy so much all year long, I was actively LOOKING for a good photo of a picture of broth/soup that I can use whenever I post about it. This picture will become a valuable marketing asset for me to help me promote what we do here at SLFarms. Thank you, Erin for your good work! I like the splash of purple color for added effect!
Roasted Golden Beets with Balsamic Glaze
Adapted from Hip Foodie Mom (www.hipfoodiemom.com)
Serves 4
Super simple way to enjoy these golden gems!
Ingredients:
2 medium sized yellow beets
2 to 3 Tbs EVOO + more when serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Balsamic glaze
Serve with fresh greens
Directions:
Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375° F.
Rinse and dry your beets and trim off the leafy tops. Place each beet on a sheet of foil and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, then wrap each beet in the aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Roast until tender, for about 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, using a spoon, gently scrape the skin off and cut them crosswise into thin slices. Place on a platter, season with salt and pepper, drizzle some more extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic glaze.
Warm Golden Beet Salad with Greens and Almonds
Adapted from The Kitchn (www.thekitchn.com)
I know this says with greens, but just use your KALE this week! Bonus for the cheese share folks who have goat cheese!
Ingredients:
1 bunch beets, both tops and roots
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup toasted almond slivers
Directions:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan or cake tin with a big square of foil, large enough to complete enclose the beet roots. Lightly rinse the beet roots to remove any really clumpy dirt and pat them dry.
Place them in the foil square and lightly drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil and crease to seal. Bake the beets for 60 minutes or until they can be just pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, chop the beet greens into bite-size ribbons. Discard the stalks between the roots and where the leaves start, but chop the leaf ribs along with the leaves. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of dirt and grit.
In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Add the chopped leaves and stir to coat with the garlic. Cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until the leaves are soft and tender. Remove from the heat.
When the beets are cool, rub them with a paper towel to remove the skin. Then chop into bite sized pieces and toss with the cooked greens, goat cheese, and almonds. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm or cold. (This also makes an excellent pressed sandwich filling, especially with some extra goat cheese.)
Cast Iron Charred Peppers with Parmesan
Adapted from Food Fanatic
Serves 2
Only 3 ingredients, and SO tasty!
Ingredients:
4 Italian frying peppers, large
2-4 Tbs EVOO, as needed – start with 2
2 Tbs grated parmesan cheese, plus more to taste
Directions:
Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the stem and any seeds. If there are any large, thick ribs, remove them as well.
Heat a large, seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until searingly hot. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Add the peppers cut side down in a single layer — you may need to fry the peppers in two batches if you can’t fit all the peppers in the skillet at once with breathing room around them, so hold on to that extra 2 tablespoons olive oil
Cook without stirring or moving the peppers for 5 minutes, letting the steam building up under the peppers’ “domes” soften them. Flip the peppers with tongs and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes more, letting the skin of the peppers blister and char in the oil.
Continue to cook and flip until the peppers are as soft and blackened as you’d like, anywhere from 5-10 minutes more.
Repeat with the remaining peppers and olive oil as needed. Transfer the charred peppers to a plate and blanket generously with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
HONORABLE MENTION: Zucchini Quesadillas submitted by Danielle Kuhl.Another FANTASTIC photo that ALMOST made it in! Danielle posted a LOT of great photos. (She must have a killer camera or awesome kitchen lighting). I thought this one could also pose on the cover of a cooking magazine. So many bright colors, so well-plated… love the splash of color in those tomatoes. Danielle used zucchini, red onions, Bench corn, and lots of cilantro. A classic way to use that herb… She even managed (impressively) not to burn the quesadilla’s tortilla (What’s your secret?)
Corn, Tomato, Avocado Salad
Adapted from Feel Good Foodie (www.feelgoodfoodie.com)
Total time ~ 20 minutes
Serves 4
I know, I know…another corn salad. But you’ve got cherry tomatoes this week! Make some extra dressing and add some more veggies- chopped up kale, peppers, zucchini or cucumbers!
Ingredients:
1 cup romaine lettuce chopped (optional)
2 ears corn or about 1 ½ cups (corn removed from the cob)
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
1 avocado diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tbs red onion finely diced
2 Tbs EVOO
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2 Tbs fresh cilantro chopped
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Directions:
Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes and onion. In a large glass bowl, mix together the dressing ingredients in a glass bowl.
Pour over the salad and toss gently to mix. Great for several days in the refrigerator!
Stir Fried Kale with Tomatoes
Adapted from Food and Wine (www.foodandwine.com)
Total time ~ 15 minutes
Serves 4
A great fast side dish that can pair with most proteins!
Ingredients:
2 Tbs EVOO
½ medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp sesame seed oil
½ tsp dried thyme
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and then stir in the onions. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the onions are soft.
Add the garlic and kale and stir occasionally cook until the kale is softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and thyme. Cook until heated through
Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Stuffed Italian Sweet Peppers
Adapted from Ciao Chow Bambina (www.ciaochowbambina.com)
Love these peppers stuffed! You can also freeze!
Ingredients:
1½ lbs Italian sweet peppers (or sub any other kind of bell pepper)
5 Tbs olive oilsea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbs capers, rinsed and chopped
½ – 1 small dried chili pepper, chopped
1 Tbs dry oregano
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated Romano, and more for sprinkling
Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the cores, ribs, and seeds.
Heat 4 Tbs of the oil in a large frying pan until very hot and then add the peppers, skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan a few times.
Mix together the remaining ingredients in a bowl. When the peppers are just soft, place them in an oiled baking dish, cut side up.
Pour the juices from the pan into the breadcrumb mixture and mix well. Taste to check the seasoning
Place a small mound of stuffing into each piece of pepper, drizzle with the remaining oil and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from oven and shave some Romano on top.
Grilled Eggplant with Cherry Tomatoes
Adapted from Sunset (www.sunset.com)
Total time ~ 40 minutes
Serves 4
Great easy meal for any night of the week!
Ingredients:
1 qt. cherry tomatoes
About ¼ cup EVOO, divided
1 tsp dried oregano
1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
2 large globe eggplants (about 1 lb. each), sliced ½ in. thick lengthwise
½ tsp pepper
8 ounces smoked mozzarella, coarsely shredded
Directions:
Heat a grill to medium (about 400°). In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, 2 tbs oil, the oregano, and 1/2 tsp salt. Divide tomatoes between two pieces of foil (each about 12 in. by 15 in.) and wrap foil up and around tomatoes to seal. Pinch foil together to completely enclose tomatoes.
Set tomato packets on grill, lower lid, and cook until skins of most of the tomatoes begin to split (open packet to check), about 20 minutes. Transfer tomato packets to a rimmed baking sheet, being careful not to spill any juices.
Meanwhile, coat eggplant slices all over with remaining 2 tbsp. oil, 1 tsp salt, and the pepper. Grill eggplant slices until lightly charred and tender, turning once, 12 to 15 minutes total. Top with mozzarella, close lid, and allow cheese to melt, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer eggplant to rimmed baking pan with tomatoes and top with warm tomatoes and their juices. For each serving, stack 3 or 4 slices of tomato-topped eggplant. Drizzle with any tomato juices on the baking pan or foil.
Zucchini Parmesan
Adapted from Food Network (www.foodnetwork.com)
Serves 6
This tastes amazing; feel free to add in some eggplant if you’ve got some!
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
2 Tbs EVOO
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ tsp fennel seeds, chopped
¼ to ½ tsp red pepper flakes
3 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
Kosher salt
½ cup chopped fresh basil
For the zucchini:
2 medium-to-large zucchini
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup EVOO, for frying
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced into 12 pieces
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 12 pieces, plus more for topping (optional)
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
Directions:
Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to sizzle, about 5 minutes. Add half of the basil and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally and smashing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon, 25 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil and season with salt.
Prepare the zucchini: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Trim the zucchini and halve crosswise, then slice lengthwise into 18 strips, about 1/4 inch thick. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Whisk the eggs and milk in another dish. In a third dish, combine the panko, parmesan, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Working in batches, dredge the zucchini in the flour and shake off the excess.
Dip in the egg mixture, turning to coat; let the excess drip off, then dredge in the panko mixture, pressing to help it stick. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the zucchini in a single layer and fry until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; season with salt.
HONORABLE MENTION: Marinara sauce Tara Baranowski submitted this photo of her daughter, helping her make canned marinara sauce. SLF onions, eggplant, green pepper, carrots, and basil — plus tomatoes and garlic. Once again, I love any photos you guys take of your kids learning to cook alongside you. It’s hugely inspiring for me. I am so incredibly passionate about training our kids’ palettes early. We must coach their brains to want to eat “well” at an early age. This photo also caught my eye because of her quirky look. It’s like she’s teasing the camera: “Look what I know how to do…” I can tell she had fun with her mom. Plus, I loved how Tara showcased the fact that we can be using our herbs for cooking in bulk. This marinara will be enjoyed later this winter because she had the foresight to squirrel it away now. I’ll be able to use this photo in the future to encourage people to learn how to can. Good job, Tara!
Pineapple Cucumber Jalapeno Salad
Adapted from Eat Well 101 (www.eatwell101.com)
Serves 4-6
This is SO good, the jalapeno gives it such a kick!
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups diced pineapple
1 cup diced cucumber
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
¼ cup diced red onion
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine pineapple, cucumber, jalapeño, onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve immediately, or keep in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Apple Pear Puff Pancake
Adapted from Taste of Home (www.tasteofhome.com)
Total time ~ 30 minutes
Serves 6
You guys inspired me with these pancakes last year!
Ingredients:
Pancakes:
3 Tbs butter
4 large eggs
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
3 medium apples, sliced
3 medium pears, sliced
3 Tbs sugar
Maple syrup, optional
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Place butter in a 10-in. ovenproof skillet; heat in oven until butter is melted, 2-3 minutes. Tilt pan to coat evenly with butter.
Place eggs, milk, flour, sugar and nutmeg in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour into hot skillet. Bake until puffed and browned. 17-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, for topping, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, pears and sugar; cook until fruit is tender, stirring occasionally, 12-15 minutes.
Remove pancake from oven; fill with fruit mixture and serve immediately. If desired, serve with syrup.
Cantaloupe and Black Pepper Granita
Adapted from Bon Appetit (www.bonappetit.com)
Serves 8
Sub in any melon you’re getting this week! Such a cocktail loving group!
Ingredients:
2 pounds cantaloupe, rind and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
½ cup sugar
¼ cup Muscat de Beaumes de Venise or other sweet dessert wine
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus coarsely ground for serving
Directions:
Purée cantaloupe, sugar, Muscat, and ¼ tsp pepper in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a shallow baking dish and freeze mixture until edges begin to set, about 30 minutes.
Using a fork, scrape mixture to break up frozen portions. Freeze, scraping and breaking up every 20–30 minutes, until mixture resembles fluffy shaved ice, 2–4 hours. Serve granita topped with coarsely ground pepper.
Make ahead: Granita can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and keep frozen. Scrape before serving.
Apple Muffins
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven (www.gimmesomeoven.com)
Total time ~ 30 minutes
Makes 12 muffins Freezer Friendly
Make these now and enjoy later! Freeze for up to 6 months and have all winter! Great way to prep for this school year.
Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned oats*
1 Tbs pumpkin pie spice
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp fine sea salt
1 medium apple, finely diced
2 eggs
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, plain or vanilla
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup maple syrup
3 Tbs melted coconut oil (or any mild-flavored oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract
optional: turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment or cupcake liners, or lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
Puree oats in a blender or food processor until they reach a fine flour-like consistency. Add in the pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and sea salt, and pulse until the mixture is evenly combined. With the power turned off, add in the diced apple. Then use a spoon to toss until the apple is completely coated in the flour mixture. Set aside.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract until evenly combined. Fold the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredient mixture, and stir until the mixture is just combined. (Try to avoid over-mixing.)
Portion the batter evenly into the prepared baking cups. Then sprinkle a generous pinch of turbinado sugar on top of each muffin, if you would like.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes.
Serve warm. Or let the muffins cool to room temperature, then store in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.