7/22/2009

CSA Newsletter
July 21, 2009

Consumers will soon realize that the best way to be assured of food quality is, in the words of the old quotation, “to know the first name of the grower.”
Eliot Coleman from The New Organic Grower

The Harvest
1# salad greens
½# Asian greens mix (Mizuna and Giant Red Mustard)
¼# Arugula
2.5 oz basil
1 bunch carrots (Dragon and Yellowstone)
1 bunch beets
1 bunch scallions (Evergreen Hardy White)
1 bunch herbs
Bag ‘O Broccoli
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic scapes
Not everyone will get the following:
1 bunch turnips
Sweet Bell Pepper
Eggplant
Jalapeno Pepper
Edible Flowers
U-Pick – Check the board to see if you are on the list for U-Pick.
Lavender – Lavender will be labeled and available in a box in the cooler. Please take a bunch if you would like one.

Dragon Carrot – This is the carrot with the purple skin and the orange inside –beautiful! They are good for fresh eating (especially when smaller), but best when lightly cooked. They do hold their color through cooking.
Yellowstone Carrot – This one is yellow in and out with a mild pleasing flavor.
Evergreen Hardy White Scallions – Last week you got the purple bunching scallions, and this week it’s a white variety.

Heirloom Tomatoes – I know I have gone over some of the varieties in past newsletters, but I’m going to do them all (again or for the first time this year) right now….since we are in the heart of the tomato season.
Striped German: Bicolor red and yellow fruit. Complex fruity flavor and smooth texture. Medium tall vines - indeterminate
Red Brandywine: One of the best tasting tomatoes. Very rich, loud and distinctively spicy. Deep pink skin and smooth red flesh. Ours actually look a bit orange this year… Indeterminate
Yellow Brandywine: Similar to the Red Brandywine but yellow in color.
Cherokee Purple: Medium-Large, flattened globe fruits. Color is dusky pink with dark shoulders. Multilocular interior ranges from purple to brown to green. Indeterminate.
Green Zebra: green 1.5-2.5" fruits with various shades of yellow to yellowish-green stripes. Sweet zingy flavor. Indeterminate.
Aunt Ruby’s German Green: Green Beefsteak fruits, 5" to 4" deep, weigh one pound or more. Sweet juicy flesh, refreshing spicy flavor. Intederminate.
Double Rich: This is not an heirloom! as much vit C as an orange (2x that of other toms). Rich full bodied fruit that grows in variety of conditions. Indt.

You may notice the word indeterminate at the end of all those descriptions….Indeterminate refers to the growth habit of the plant. An indeterminate variety will just keep growing until it dies (whether from predation, sickness, or someone pulling them out of the ground!). Determinate varieties have a set amount of growth they will do in their lives, where a semi-determinate variety will grow for a longer period than the determinate, but not nearly as long as an indeterminate.

Nutritional Tip (and other random factioids)
The word Broccoli comes from the Italian words piccolo bracci, which mean “little arms”. Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae). Broccoli is high in vitamins C, K, and A as well as dietary fiber, it also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties (there are a lot of these in broccoli, so I actually won’t get into them all – you can look it up!). The benefits of broccoli are greatly reduced if boiled for more than 10 minutes. Steaming and stir frying have been shown not to reduce the presence of these anti-cancer properties. And of course eating it raw is a good option also. Broccoli leaf is also edible and contains far more betacarotene than the florets.

The News
We had a great pickling workshop on Saturday! Thanks to those of you for coming out for it. Your beautiful jars of pickled beets and carrots will be waiting here for you tomorrow.
Our canning workshop is coming up on August 15th – sign up now. There is more info about it on our website at: http://www.coppermoosefarm.com/education.html
If you have any friends out there who have been wondering about what we are doing out here, Saturday August 1st is our Community Open House from 2-5. I’d love to see any of you here also who feel like you really haven’t gotten an in-depth tour of the place. We will have experts here talking about our solar array, our bees, our greenhouse, and of course our gardens.

The Recipes

BEET SALAD WITH FETA (brought to you by Kelly and Kari of DIsh : dishparkcity.com)
Beets are a root vegetable rich in iron, potassium, niacin, copper and vitamin C. When you get a bunch of beets, don’t toss the green tops! They are very nutritious and particularly high in vitamin A, folic acid, iron and calcium. This recipe uses both the root and greens. A great antioxidant-rich salad to serve in place of a traditional lettuce salad.
1-2 bunches of beets (red or golden, or mixture) with greens (equal to 4 large beets, 8-10 small)
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds

DRESSING:
3 TBSP unrefined extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

4 oz feta cheese
sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Remove the greens from the beet roots. Scrub the beets to remove any dirt. Leave the skins on the beets (helps retain nutrients while cooking). Using a saucepan, cover the beets with water and bring to a boil, simmering for approximately 35-40 minutes for small beets, or 45-55 minutes for large beets, or until tender. Drain and let cool. Peel the skins from the beet roots, they should peel off easily by hand, or use a vegetable peeler. Cut beets into bite-sized cubes.

While the beets are cooking, pull away the greens from the tough main stem. Wash the greens by filling the sink with cool water and submerging the greens. Agitate the greens and let them soak for several minutes; any dirt present will settle in the bottom of the sink. Remove the greens. Using a vegetable steamer, steam the greens for 1-2 minutes. Remove and let cool. Finely chop the greens.

Make the dressing by mixing olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup and garlic.

Toast the raw pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for several minutes, stirring constantly, until they are light brown and begin to pop.

Mix the beet roots, greens, scallions, pumpkin seeds and dressing together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill the salad. Stir in feta prior to serving.

Wilted Greens with Toasted Sesame Seeds & Mango ( i found this one on the internet – try the asian greens mix with this)
¼ cup water¼ cup tamari (or soy sauce)2Tbs rice vinegar2 Tbs rice wine (mirin)1 Tbs dark sesame oil1 tsp vegetable oil1 garlic clove, minced6 cups Asian greens (mizuna, mustard, bok choy, chinese celery)1 mango, pitted, peeled, julienned¼ cup red onion, thinly slicedToasted sesame seedsWhisk together water, tamari, vinegar, rice wine & sesame oil. Set aside. Heat vegetable oil in saucepan. Cook garlic for 1 minute. Add vinegar mixture; heat 2 minutes. Toss greens, mango & onion in a large serving bow. Pour warm dressing over salad; sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip (I had a couple people send this recipe to me; Meg, Alayne….someone else too…)
Time: 15 minutes
1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.
1. In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.
2. With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.
3. Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups.
That’s all for this week. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy

7/15/2009

CSA Newsletter
July 14, 2009

The most widely grown GMO crop is Monsanto’s Roundup Ready soybean, a soybean engineered to withstand being sprayed with Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide, Roundup. When farmers spray their herbicide-resistant crops, the weeds die but the crop survives. Getting plants to do this trick means fewer weeds for farmers and more sales of Roundup for Monsanto. As of August 2006, 89% of the soybeans, 65% of the cotton, and 36% of the corn planted in the United Stated were herbicide-resistant (HR). In the first nine years HR crops were planted, herbicide use increased dramatically. A study done by the former head of the Board of Agriculture for the National Academy of Sciences found that farmers who plated Roundup Ready soybeans used 2 to 5 times more herbicides than farmers who planted conventional soybeans.
Uncertain Peril, Claire Hope Cummings

The Harvest
¾# salad mix
½# spinach
¼# arugula
½# stir fry mix
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch scallions (Purple Bunching)
Garlic scapes
1 bunch mint
1 bunch lavender
Not everyone will get:
1 bunch beets
1 bunch turnips
Sweet pepper (Sweet Cal Wonder Orange Bell or Ace Bell)
Eggplant (Rosa Bianca)
2 oz basil

Carrots – Two varieties went out this week: Napoli (orange) and White Satin (pale yellow). White Satin is new for us this year and I am quite impressed. It is a very sweet and crunchy carrot, basically coreless and my new favorite!
These will store best in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Scallions (or bunching onions) – The variety this week is Deep Purple Bunching. These will store best in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Nutritional Tip and other random factoid
Carrots: The cultivation of carrots dates back thousands of years to cultures in Central Asia and the Middle East. They were also grown by ancient Greeks and Romans for medicinal uses. They became popular in Europe during the Renaissance, making their way to the US with the early settlers. Carrots were such a popular vegetable that they became the first vegetable to be canned for winter storage and sales in local markets in the US.

Carrots belong to the Umbelliferae family, along with parsnips, fennel, caraway, cumin, and dill. They are the richest source of the antioxidant, pro-vitamin A. This nutrient has been linked to cardiovascular health, cancer prevention, and healthy eyes. Fresh carrots are a great add to salads and stir-fry. They make a great snack and are easy to pickle.

The News
Our Pickling Class is this Saturday from 2-5 (the class will be taught by Becca Brenner of Park City Holistic Health). Come learn a fabulous way to store the summer harvest for later use. You must sign up ahead of time, and you must do it by Thursday. If we do not get enough people signed up we will have to cancel the class. The cost is $50 and you will go home with at least 2 jars of veggies you pickled, and the knowledge to pickle your way into winter! Email me if you would like to sign up.
The ducks have finally discovered that there is a creek flowing about 10.5 feet away from their pen. They disappeared on Lorin the other day, only to be found happily floating upstream. Who can blame them? I’m only surprised it took then so long. Unfortunately they don’t like to come home until just before dark…..and we do have lives around here….sometimes…..so Craig has been working on putting chicken wire around the chicken yard so no one can sneak out anymore. That’s the big news around here this week.

The Recipe
This comes from Becca, and can also be found on her blog (playfulnoshings.blogspot.com), along with many other recipes.
I found the recipe in one of my new favorite cookbooks, Chefs on the Farm by Shannon Borg and Lora Lea Misterly. We adjusted some of the ingredients and the presentation (they suggested serving it in a soup bowl, but I wanted to see all of the summer colors). The only extra ingredients we needed were some organic lasagna noodles, Utah's own White Wine, and homemade ricotta cheese.
This is a delightful, fresh summer dish. It is so easy to make and the white wine makes the dish a bit more festive.
Pasta with Beets, Stir Fry Mix, and Parsley
4 medium beets, trimmedUtah salt1/2 cup local unsalted butterBlack pepper2 shallots, minced2 cloves local garlic minced16 large stir fry mix leaves, leaves chopped, stems finely diced1/2 cup white wine12 pieces of uncooked lasagna pasta, cooked and cut into 4 inch squares1/2 cup homemade ricotta1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the beets in a shallow baking dish. Pour in water about halfway up the level of the beets, and add a sprinkling of salt. Cover. Put in the oven and roast until fork-tender, about 40 minutes. Remove and cool the beets in the dish until ready to handle, then peel, dice, and reserve.
3. Set some salted water to boil for the pasta. In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and add the reserved beets. Toss and heat just through, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set cover askew and keep warm over low heat.
4. In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Cook the shallots, garlic, and chard stems until soft, about 3 minutes. add 2 more tablespoons of butter. After the butter melts, stir in the chard leaves and cook gently for about 3 minutes, or until soft. Season with salt, then stir in 2 more tablespoons of butter and the white wine. Cook the mixture for about 5 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 3 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Drain and toss the pasta with the remaining butter.
6. Assemble the meal: Begin with a layer of the chard mixture, then lay a pasta square on the mixture and fill with more of the hard mixture, beets, and a sprinkle of ricotta. Continue stacking and top with chard, beets, and ricotta.

That’s it for this week. Hope you’ve had a fabulous one so far, and we’ll see you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy

7/07/2009

CSA Newsletter
July 7, 2009

When Organic and conventional crops are contaminated with GMO’s, they have to be pulled up, burned, or sold as transgenic crops, which bring the lowest prices. Organic and conventional farmers now have to pay more for their seed to be certified GMO-free. They have to install elaborate systems of separation to keep the GMO’s out of their crops and bear the costs of testing – which can amount to $300 per test. And they lose export markets that shun GMO’s. The American Farm Bureau estimates that U.S. farmers loose $300 million a year because the European Union will not accept U.S. corn.
Uncertain Peril, Claire Hope Cummings


The Harvest
1# salad mix
¾# spinach
¼# arugula
Garlic scapes
1 bunch herbs (cilantro or dill)
1 bunch lavender
Not everyone will get the following:
1 bunch turnips (if you didn’t get them last week, you got ‘em this week)
1 bunch beets
Heirloom tomatoes (check the board)
U-Pick tomatoes (check the board)
2 oz basil
Edible flowers
Bell Pepper
Rosa Bianca Eggplant
Jalapeno pepper

Lavender – What joy lavender is! And so much you can do with it. As with all the herbs it is going to store best in a little bit of water on your counter, out of the sun. If you don’t want to use it right away hang it upside down and dry it for later use (whether that be for cooking or just for its scent throughout the house). Both of the recipes this week have to do with lavender, so I hope you have some fun with it.
Beets – I’m trying not to be too effusive here, but YEAH! It’s beet season! Lorin was just mentioning how effusive I was over the scapes also, but I can’t help it, I love it when new crops are ready. The best way to store the beets is to cut their tops off and store them both in a plastic bag in the fridge. Yes, the greens are edible also, and so very good for you. Steam or sauté the greens. My favorite way to prepare the beets themselves is to toss in a little oil (coconut is my favorite), herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme are my favorite), garlic (or garlic scapes), salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Yumm.
We grow 3 varieties of beets here at Copper Moose Farm: Chioggia (the red ones), Red Ace (the purple ones), and Golden (the yellow ones).
U-Pick – The u-pick season is slowly starting. For right now there are not enough cherry tomatoes for everyone to pick every week, so I will put a list up on the white board. I will have the correct sized baggies in the greenhouse for you to grab for harvesting. Please use our baggies. All of the u-pick items are in the cold frame (the little greenhouse structure out in the field). There will be signs out there to help you figure it out in case we are not around. Please do read the signs, there are different varieties of cherry tomatoes out there, so you need to know what color means ripe for each variety.

The Nutritional Tip and other random factoids (from Becca)
Arugula: Arugula is a peppery, aromatic green that may look like other leafy greens, but is truly a cruciferous veggie. It is also known as rocket, roquette, and rucola. The use of arugula dates back to the first century, AD as a main ingredient in oils and aphrodisiac tinctures. Today, it is used mainly in Italian cooking as well as spring salad mixes (much like ours here at Copper Moose). Arugula is high in the immune boosting vitamins A and C and the minerals calcium and potassium. It is also high in phytonutrients, free-radical fighting compounds, which have been shown to aid in fighting several kinds of cancer.All of it's amazing nutrition-qualities aside, Arugula features well in pesto, fresh salads, and stir-fries.

The News
If you are a flower share member, it is official, the season has started. Unless something random happens, I will have a bouquet for you each week until it slows down again later in the season (September).
Yoga was beautiful last Thursday morning. Join us at 7 am Thursday mornings for yoga on the lawn with Becca, with baked treats and tea afterwards!

The Recipe
From the Gardener’s Community Cookbook:

Lavender Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream pinch of salt
1 cup milk Blossoms from 10 sprigs of lavender
1/4 cup honey 4 extra large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1. Combine the cream, milk, honey, sugar, salt, and lavender in the top of a double boiler. Set over simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally, unti beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes.
2. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk in half the warm cream mixture. Whisk this mixture back into the double boiler. Continue cooking over the simmering water, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes more.
3. Strain the cream mixture into a clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, and chill. Serve as a sauce for berries, chocolate cake, plain pound cake, or sponge cake. Or spoon into side bowls and accompany with cookies.

This one comes from the internet (I have made it, it’s great):
Lemon-Lavender Shortbread
· SERVINGS: MAKES ABOUT 1 1/2 DOZEN COOKIES
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix the sugar with the chopped lavender and grated lemon zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat in the butter at moderate speed. At low speed, beat in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Form the dough into a 4-inch log and chill for at least 45 minutes longer.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice the shortbread dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and place the rounds on ungreased baking sheets. Freeze the rounds for 10 minutes.
Bake the shortbread for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Transfer the baked shortbread to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make Ahead
The cookie-dough log can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw slightly before slicing. The baked shortbread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

I just want to remind everyone that all of the recipes from past years are on our website. If you are looking for something to do with your beets, turnips, spinach, you name it – you can find a recipe on our website.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow between 8-6 - Daisy

6/30/2009

CSA Newsletter
June 30th, 2009

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and depending upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.
- Galileo

The Harvest
¾# salad mix
½ # baby spinach
Pac Choi
Herb bunch (dill, cilantro, oregano or chives)
2 oz basil
½# stir fry mix (if you didn’t get it last week you’re getting it this week)
Garlic Scapes (the long curly green bean looking things)
Not everyone will get:
1 bunch turnips
1# tomatoes
Jalapeno Pepper
Beans
Edible Flowers

Garlic Scapes – If you haven’t had these before boy are you in for a treat! You can use them any way you would use garlic. They are milder than a garlic clove would be, so if you are using it as a substitute for garlic you may need to use more. One of my favorite ways to cook garlic scapes is to cut them up to about the size of a green bean and then sauté in butter – that’s it! They are fabulous. You can use the entire scape, you may want to cut off the last two inches or so (the little flat end), just cause the shape and texture isn’t quite as pleasant as the rest of it.
Garlic Scapes will keep for a very long time in a sealed plastic bag in your fridge.
Garlic Scapes are a reproductive part of the garlic plant. Basically it’s the garlic flower, before it’s had time to mature. If we were to let it do its thing, it would form a ball on top that would be filled with little garlic pearls (not a technical name, it’s just what they look like). If a garlic pearl were planted, in two years you would get a small bulb of garlic. We snap these scapes off for two reasons: 1 – they are fabulous to eat. 2 – once we take the scape off the plant, the garlic focuses on it’s secondary reproductive part which is the bulb. Garlic plants that have had the scapes removed have larger bulbs at harvest time.
Enjoy!

Nutritional Tip (and other random factoids) From Becca this week:
Beans: The ancestor of most beans originated in Peru and spread throughout South and Central America by migrating Indian tribes. Beans were brought to Europe by Spanish and Portuguese traders in the 16th century and spread to North America by early settlers.

Most bean varieties are high in antioxidants, fiber, minerals, and protein. These nutrients act as anti-inflammatory and immune boosting compounds. They also help with cardiovascular and brain health. Beans are a great snack on their own, as well as delightful adds to salads, sautés, and casseroles.

The News
Don’t forget to join us for Yoga starting this Thursday. Class starts at 7 am out on our events lawn (just south of the greenhouse, in between the flower shed and the field). Bring a mat if you have one, otherwise Becca will have some extra’s here. It’s $15 for drop in. Then stay for some muffins and tea all made with CMF delights. Hope to see you here.
There will be extra bags of salad, pac choi, herb bunches, and flower bouquets available for sale tomorrow.
Don’t forget to bring you bags back.

The Recipe
Candied Turnips (off the web somewhere)
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 pound(s) turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt
• 2 tablespoon(s) (1/4 stick) margarine or butter
• 1/3 cup(s) sugar
•
________________________________________
Directions
1. In 12-inch skillet, heat turnips with salt and enough water to cover to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 7 to 10 minutes, just until turnips are tender when pierced with knife. Drain. Wipe skillet dry.
2. In same skillet, melt margarine or butter over high heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until amber in color, about 2 minutes. Add turnips and cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until well coated.

I candied my turnips last week, but couldn’t remember this recipe so I just cut the tips off, cut the greens off, made sure they were all around the same size (1” squares) and sautéed in butter and brown sugar at low heat for….10- 15 minutes (until they had softened). It worked quite well and was very tasty.

Pac Choi Egg Rolls with Sweet-and-Sour Dipping Sauce (From the Gardener’s Community Cookbook)
½ cup sweet-and-sour dipping sauce (recipe follows)
¾# pac choi, finely chopped, washed and patted or spun dry
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped
1 large garlic clove (or 2 garlic scapes) minced
2 tbsp minced cilantro leaves
½ tbsp soy sauce
10 egg roll wrappers
veggie old for deep frying

Prepare the dipping sauce and set aside
Place the pac choi, spring onions, garlic, cilantro, and ginger in a bowl and toss to mix. Add the soy sauce and toss again. Set aside.
To form the egg rolls, place a wrapper on the counter. Spread about 2 tbsp of the greens mixture in the center. Rill up the wrapper, envelope style, and if necessary, seal the final fold with a little water to keep the envelope from springing open. Continue with the remaining wrappers until you have 10 egg rolls. Set aside.
Pour ¾ inch of oil into a wok or heavy skillet and heat until smoking. Place as many egg rolls in the wok as will fit without crowding and fry, turning once, until lightly browned and crispy, about 1 minute. Lift the rolls out of the oil and transfer to paper towels to drain. Continue with another batch until all the rolls are fried.
Serve right away, accompanied by the dipping sauce.

The rolls may be wrapped and set aside for up to several hours before deep-frying. Longer than that and they get soggy.
Sweet-and-Sour Dipping Sauce:
1 cup ketchup ½ tbsp ground ginger
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup granulated sugar pinch of ground nutmeg

Place all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes, until the consistency is slightly sticky and the spices no longer taste raw.
Remove and cool. Use right away or store, covered, in the fridge for up to 6 weeks!

That’s all for this week. See you tomorrow between 8-6, and if I miss you…have a fabulous 4th of July Holiday!
Daisy