Week 17 CSA Newsletter ~ Oct. 13-20

Week 17  |  October 13-20, 2019  | “A” Week

We are on week 17 of 18 this week. Final week is Oct. 20-26

Farm Kurt is a big goof-ball at heart. (And he has big ears)

IN YOUR VEGGIE BOX THIS WEEK:

SWEET POTATOES ~ These will not be cured. Store them on our counter — the longer you let them sit, the sweeter they will get. Use within a couple weeks.

SWEET ITALIAN FRYING PEPPER ~ Store these 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!

MINI SWEET SNACK SIZE PEPPERS – ORANGE (1 pint) ~ 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 are great snacking peppers for kid lunches.

HAKUREI TURNIPS ~ Take the tops off when you get home (or the root will get soft). Store the greens in a green bag. Use them in scrambled eggs or sauces. Store the roots in a bag in the fridge separately.

RED ONIONS  ~ store these on your counter or in a cool, dark place – preferably not next to the potatoes.

JICAMA (extra, limited quantity) ~ These should be stored at room temperature like a potato. DO NOT GET THESE WET or they will mold. Before eating, peel the skin. Can be eaten raw or cooked.

CHERRY TOMATOES (1 pint) ~ store these in your fridge to keep them lasting longer. Before use, I like to bring them to room temperature.

KALE ~ Store this green in a Debbie Meyer green bag in your fridge and use within a week. Wilt these down in sauces or soups. If you’re using it for a kale salad, I recommend “massaging” the kale with some salt or olive oil to soften the leaves.

BEET GREENS (extras) ~ If we can get a good crop of these, you’ll see them on the extras table. Store this green in a Debbie Meyer green bag in your fridge and use within a week. Wilt these down in sauces or soups. Treat similar to kale.

JALAPENOS (extras) ~ store these in your fridge in a plastic bag. Or freeze them whole and grate as needed.

ROMA TOMATOES (Extras) ~ store these on your counter top for best flavor.

GLOBE TOMATOES (extras) ~ store these on your counter top for best flavor.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES (extras) ~ store these on your counter top for best flavor.

CHEESE SHARE: Wabash Erie Canal, Lacey AuGlaize (hard cheeses); Pineapple Chevre (goat)

MADDIE & BELLA COFFEE: “Bella’s Breakfast Blend” – check out the cover design, from a local artist

WEBER RANCH EGGS FINAL WEEK: This is the final week for weekly egg share members.

Freezer Challenge Winners!

We announced the winners of the 2019 Freezer Challenge this week. Peppered throughout this newsletter, you’ll find their winning pictures!

1st Place: Karen Ayers for her Tomato Sauce

2nd Place: Val Washeck for her frozen, grated jalapenos

3rd place: Tammy Koefpler for her frozen soups

Honorable Mentions: Danielle Furniss (frozen green pepper soup) and Danielle Kuhl (caramelized onions)

Karen Ayers won first place with her entry for Freezer Roasted Tomato/Veggie Sauce. It’s featured in the recipe section this week.

1. Early Bird Sign up for next year’s CSA will begins TODAY and runs through Oct 26 at 11:59 PM. Renew your membership before the deadline and you’ll receive a free voucher for a pint of Knueven’s ice cream OR a half-gallon of their milk.
2. Our final week of CSA is October 20-26th. On that week, you must return all veggie bins you’ve been secretly collecting in your house, all hampers, black crates, wooden crates — anything that belongs to us! Please bring your own boxes or bags on the final week so you can transfer the contents of the final veggie bin into them. You will not be allowed to take home the final bin.
3. Help us say good-bye to Lucero, Manuel, Catalina, and Yuriana! This year, we’d like to send them off with a special surprise “thank you tip” for all the great work they’ve done for us. We’d like to invite you to show your appreciation by “tipping the crew” — whatever you feel led to give. We’ve created a MoneyPool on PayPal, which you can access here.
4. 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 the week 11 newsletter 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!
5. HAMPERS OF PEPPERS now for sale ~ Order your bulk items in our online store.

FROM THE ACADEMY VAULT

Karen Ayers Famous CSA Freezer Marina Sauce

Adapted from our CSA Facebook Group    

Our lovely Karen posted this a few weeks ago and since so many of you have posted that you’re LOVING it. What a great way to enjoy all these veggies in the winter months, and its pretty EASY!

Ingredients: 

This is what Karen used, although she does mention you can “adapt” as needed. You could include squashes, more or less of things, etc. 

~6# mixed tomatoes

4 onions

3 carrots

2 peppers

2 whole heads of garlic (roasted in foil)

Lots of basil (Karen used ~60 leaves)

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Roast all veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 for 60-70 minutes. If you’re including summer squash you would want to add it towards the end.

Cool slightly and then puree in food processor in batches, adding lots of basil leaves and squeezing the roasted garlic into each batch.

Salt to taste. Karen mixed all the batches together and then salted, another great idea. 

Freeze in sip locks or mason jars. If you don’t have a lot you can use this as a booster to other sauces. 

Val Washeck won 2nd place for this entry… She freezes jalapenos in a Ziploc. What was new to me was the idea to use a microplane to grate a portion of the pepper at a time. That way you don’t waste!

Tomato, Chickpea and Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen (www.ambitouskitchen.com)     

Total time 35 minutes

Serves 4 

Love this simple soup, use your fresh tomatoes (peel if you prefer).

Ingredients: 

1 tsp EVOO

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small white onion, chopped

1 orange pepper, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1- (16 oz. can) chickpeas

1- (16 oz can) diced tomatoes

2 cups broth

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbs fresh chopped basil

½ tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

salt and pepper for seasoning

fresh chopped basil, for garnish

1 sliced avocado, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt; saute for 2 minute. 

Add the diced orange pepper and carrots to the pot and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the entire can of tomatoes to the pot. Next add the chickpeas, vegetarian broth, cumin, basil, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and salt. 

Bring to a simmer; reduce the heat to medium, add diced sweet potatoes. 

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve garnished with additional basil and/or avocado slices if desired.

Chicken Sweet Potato and Kale Soup

Adapted from Skinny Taste (www.skinnytaste.com) 

Serves 6

Kale and sweet potatoes are such a great combination! If you still have cauliflower greens you could sub in those as well.

Ingredients: 

2 chicken breasts, on the bone, skin removed (about 26 oz total with bone)

1 tsp seasoning salt, such as adobo

½ tsp EVOO

1 large onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp ground cumin

6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced 1-inch cubes

3 cups kale, roughly chopped

1 fresh jalapeno, sliced in half lengthwise

¼ cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

Season the chicken with the adobo and set aside while you prep all your vegetables.

Heat a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the oil and the onions and celery and cook until soft and golden, about 8 to 10 minutes, then add the garlic and dry spices and cook 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, chicken, jalapeno and cilantro.

Cover and cook 20 minutes, then add the sweet potato and kale and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken, shred or cut up and discard the bones.

Return to the pot, discard the jalapeno and serve the soup into 6 bowls.

Sweet Potato and Kale Hash

Adapted from Shared Appetite (www.sharedappetite.com)     

What’s better than a CSA loaded hash? Adding eggs to it!

Ingredients: 

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a fine 1/4″ dice

2 shallots, finely sliced

1 red bell pepper, cut into a fine 1/4″ dice (optional)

2-3 cups frozen kale or fresh kale

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

Pinch red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 eggs

Olive Oil 

Directions:

Heat 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in the finely diced sweet potatoes, finely sliced shallot, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, and season very generously with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. You could also add in 1 finely diced red bell pepper if you have one (I didn’t have one, but I will probably add this next time).

Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are cooked through and tender, about 15-18 minutes.

If using frozen kale (recommended, it’s so quick and easy!), heat it according to package directions, then wrap kale in a couple paper towels and wring out any excess moisture. If using fresh kale, remove ribs and stems and roughly chop leaves.

Add kale into the skillet approximately during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste the hash and season with additional salt or pepper if needed.

As the hash is finishing up cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter (or a mixture of both) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot (adding a droplet of water to the pan should make it sizzle), crack open eggs and add them, one at a time, into the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cover with a lid. This will help the tops of the whites to set before overcooking the bottom of the eggs. The eggs are done cooking once the whites are just set (the yolk will still be runny).

Divide the hash among four plates, topping each with one of sunny-side up eggs. Sprinkle the egg with some freshly ground pepper, drizzle with some sriracha (completely optional), and enjoy immediately!

Pickled Hakurei Turnips 

Adapted from Serious Eats (www.seriouseats.com)     

Makes 1 pint

Super easy fast pickle that can used on salads, burgers or as an edible garnish. 

Ingredients: 

1 bunch hakurei turnips (approximately six)

1 tsp salt 

½ cup rice wine vinegar 

1 tsp sugar 

½ tsp black peppercorns, crushed

3 thin slices of ginger

Directions:

Wash turnips well and slice them thinly on a mandolin. Place turnip slices in a small bowl and toss with the salt. Let rest until there is a pool of liquid on the bottom of the bowl, about 30 minutes. Drain turnips of the salty water and pack into a pint sized mason jar.

Add vinegar, sugar, pepper and ginger slices. Apply a watertight lid and shake to combine. Place pickled turnips in the fridge and chill before eating. Pickles can be eaten within an hour of being made and will keep for at least a week.

Tammy Koepfler won 3rd place for freezing these chowders and stews in Mason jars.

Baked Jicama Fries

Adapted from Healthier Steps (www.healthiersteps.com)     

Eat all the jicama, it’s super great for gut health!

Ingredients: 

1 medium jicama

1 Tbs olive oil

½ tsp paprika, (preferably smoked paprika)

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

Pinch of Cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt, or to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven 425°F. Peel jicama and cut into 1/4 inch matchsticks. Bring water to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add jicama and cook for 10 minutes until jicama is less crunchy.

Drain water using a colander, transfer jicama slices in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and sea salt.

Place in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until crispy, turning halfway. Delicious served with vegan ranch dip or guacamole.

Jicama Salad

Adapted from Simply Recipes (www.simplyrecipes.com)     

Serves 4

This is a great slaw salad, you could also use kohlrabi as a sub if you don’t have jicama!

Ingredients: 

1 large jicama (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled, then julienned or cubed (easiest to work with if you cut the jicama in half first)

½ red bell pepper, finely diced

½ yellow bell pepper, finely diced

½ green bell pepper, finely diced

½ cup chopped red onion

½ a large cucumber, seeded, chopped

1 navel orange, peel cut away, sliced crosswise, then each round quartered

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup lime juice

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of paprika

Salt

Optional:

½ avocado chopped

2 Tbs EVOO

Directions:

Toss together the jicama, bell peppers, red onion, cucumber, orange, and cilantro in a large serving bowl.

Pour lime juice over all. Sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne and paprika. Season generously with salt.

Let sit a half an hour before serving.

Roasted Hakurei Turnips and Radishes 

Adapted from Just a Little Bit of Bacon (www.justalittlebitofbacon.com)     

Total time ~25 minutes

Serves 4

I know a lot you still have radishes floating around….

Ingredients: 

1 bunch radishes

1 bunch Hakurei turnips, or other mild salad turnips

3 Tbs

1 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Move the rack in the oven to the lower middle position. Place the roasting pan in the oven. Preheat oven to 425F.

Slice the greens off the turnips and radishes. Scrub the turnips and radishes well to remove all the dirt and grit from the vegetables, and rinse the greens repeatedly until they are grit free. If you left a little bit of the stem on the radishes and turnips, make sure you clean around it well since dirt collects there. I find scraping around the stem as I wash cleans it up nicely.

Cut the turnips and radishes into wedges. Halve the small ones, and quarter or sixth the larger ones. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of salt. Pour the vegetables into the roasting pan, arranging them so most have a flat side down in the pan. Roast for 15 minutes, stirring and turning the vegetables at 7 minutes.

Dry the washed greens to remove most of the water. Roughly chop the greens into bite-sized pieces, then toss them in the large bowl with the rest of the olive oil and the salt. Pull the roasting pan out of the oven, turn and stir the vegetables again and then make a space for the greens. Spread out the greens in the space and return the pan to the oven. Roast for 5 minutes more.

Danielle Furniss earned an honorable mention for this cute photo of her dog drooling over her pepper soup containers.

Peperonata 

Adapted from Serious Eats (www.seriouseats.com)     

Serves 4-8

Huge exit strategy here! Great flavor and you’ve got all these goodies, sub in those frying peppers if you need to.

Ingredients: 

¾ cup EVOO, divided

6 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 medium yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 pounds red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers (about 6 large bell peppers), stemmed, seeded, and sliced lengthwise ½ inch thick

1 cup pureed tomatoes (see note)

2 sprigs basil or oregano

Kosher salt

1 Tbs white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until just starting to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in onions, increase heat to medium-high, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 20 minutes.

Add tomato and basil or oregano sprigs and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, then lower heat to maintain simmer. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers are very soft, about 1 hour. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt. Stir in vinegar (see note). Discard herb sprigs. Serve right away, or chill, then serve reheated, slightly chilled, or at room temperature.

For the pureed tomatoes, you can use a puree of fresh peeled and seeded tomatoes that have been briefly cooked to concentrate their flavor, or canned whole tomatoes that you’ve blended with their juices. (Canned tomatoes are often the better choice, since they are usually top-quality.) If you make this with beautiful, ripe summer bell peppers, they should provide enough sweetness to balance the small amount of vinegar. If your peppers are less sweet and the peperonata tastes a little too tart, add a tiny bit of sugar, a pinch at a time, until the flavor is balanced.

Balsamic Glazed Grilled Sweet Onions

Adapted from Fine Cooking (www.finecooking.com)     

Serves 2-4

Sweet, smoky and tangy! Lot’s of flavor with this dish!

Ingredients:

2 lb. sweet onions

EVOO for grilling

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme leaves

½ tsp crushed pink peppercorns (optional)

½ tsp kosher salt; more to taste

Directions:

Peel and trim the onions. Cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Insert a toothpick or poultry lacer horizontally halfway into each slice to hold the onion rings together.

Prepare a medium-low charcoal fire or heat a gas grill on medium low for 10 minutes. Brush the grill grate clean and wipe it with a paper towel dipped in oil. Brush both sides of the onion slices with olive oil and grill, covered, turning every 10 minutes, until very soft and well browned on the outside, 35 to 40 minutes total. (A little blackening is OK, but try not to char the onions.) Stack the onions on a large sheet of foil and wrap loosely. Set aside while you make the glaze.

Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and add the thyme leaves, pink peppercorns (if using), and salt. Boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat until the vinegar has reduced to about 1/4 cup and has a syrupy texture, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool briefly and season to taste with salt, if necessary.

Transfer the onions to a dish. Remove the toothpicks and any extremely charred layers, if necessary. If the balsamic glaze has thickened, reheat it gently until pourable. Pour the glaze over the onions and brush to distribute it evenly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Kale Sweet Potato Stew

Adapted from Real Food Whole Food Life (www.realfoodwholelife.com)               

Serves 4

This recipe screams fall! If you don’t have kale, sub in your greens from this week…and it has EASY written all over it. 

Ingredients: 

2 large or 4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 bunch kale, stems removed and thinly sliced (2 packed cups)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

2 32-oz boxes chicken stock

2-3 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp Italian seasoning

Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked through and very tender.

Remove the chicken and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Taste and add additional salt to taste. Serve hot with a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Danielle Kuhl earned honorable mention for catching this shot of caramelizing onions in her slow cooker. These are great frozen and added to soups or sauces later.

Bell Peppers Baked with Tomatoes

Adapted from Williams Sonoma (www.williams-sonoma.com)  

Total time ~40 minutes        

Serves 6

Serve this warm or at room temperature. Great as a side dish along side roasted meats or over pasta! Would be great on a toasted sandwich as well!

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips or bite-size pieces

12 oz. cherry tomatoes, stemmed

4 to 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

¼ cup EVOO

2 T red wine vinegar or 2 tsp each balsamic and red wine vinegar

2 tsp minced fresh oregano, marjoram or thyme leaves

1 tsp sugar, or to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 T fresh basil leaves, torn or finely shredded

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400°F. 

In a large bowl, mix together the bell peppers, tomatoes, half of the garlic, the olive oil, half of the vinegar, the oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well and spread out in a single layer in a large baking pan.

Roast the vegetables for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn the vegetables so that they will brown evenly, and return them to the oven. Continue to roast until the peppers are slightly charred at the edges and the tomatoes are soft and tender and have begun to form a sauce, about 10 minutes more.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining garlic to taste and the remaining vinegar. Let cool until warm or room temperature. Garnish with the basil just before serving. 

Broiled Top Blade Steak with Herb-Flecked Tomato Salad

Adapted from Rachael Ray Mag (www.rachaelraymag.com)     

Serves 4

What a great main dish!

Ingredients: 

4 boneless top blade steaks (3/4-inch thick, about 6 oz. each), at room temperature and patted dry

1 Ybs plus 2 tsp EVOO

1 clove garlic, halved

Salt and pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 Tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 Tbs chopped fresh basil

1 Tbs finely chopped shallot

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Position an oven rack 4 inches from the broiler; preheat the broiler. Heat a large ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron) in the oven for 10 minutes.

Rub the steaks with 2 tsp. EVOO and the cut sides of the garlic clove; season generously. Broil the steaks in the heated skillet, flipping halfway through, 5 to 7 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tbsp. EVOO, the parsley, basil, shallot and lemon juice; season. Serve alongside the sliced steak.