Author Archives: webmaster

2017 CSA Fall November 4th Chervil

2017 CSA Fall November 4th Chervil

  • Rosemary
  • Sorrel
  • Red Sorrel
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Butternut Squash
  • Dill
  • Delicata Squash
  • Watercress
  • Collard Bunch
  • Chervil
  • mint

Well, it looks like we might have avoided the killing frost yet again – the latest we have ever seen – so we are still waiting to harvest purple sweet potatoes to let them grow more flavorful.

A different herb for you to try this week: Chervil. “Chervil is used, particularly in France, to season poultry, seafood, vegetable soups, and sauces. More delicate than parsley, it has a faint taste of licorice or aniseed. Chervil is one of the four traditional French fines herbes, along with tarragon, chives, and parsley, which are essential to French cooking. Unlike the more pungent, robust herbs, thyme, rosemary, etc., which can take prolonged cooking, the fines herbes are added at the last minute, to salads, omelets, and soups.” (partial quote from Wikipedia page)

Watercress is one of the world’s healthiest foods…from the way we grow the watercress to the way we cut and chill it, great care is given to create the most potentiality for taste and nutrition. Known for being a peppery, dark, leafy green that grows with a wet foot along creeks and ditches, we bring it up off the ground and grow it on benches…it cascades over the sides, looking for more footing.  This herb brought a happy smile to my face whilst i was hiking high in Western New Mexico…the excruciating altitude change had brought on a massive headache and i sought comfort in shaded wet rocks along a creek run. There, nestled calmly and absolutely was the watercress. What a relief to see such a welcome plant from home! I checked upstream and around about, found the land to be in use for cattle, probably a land management deal, and set about getting a clean cut. That cut was just magnificent. With time, water, watercress and rest, i was able to move onward. To your health and pleasure, always, love, Leslie.

CSA_Oct_28_2017

2017 CSA Fall October 28th Amaranth

2017 CSA Fall October 28th Amaranth

  • Tomatoes
  • Anaheim Peppers
  • Eggplant
  • Baby Salad Mix
  • Micro Celery
  • Amaranth Leaves
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Spearmint
  • Butternut Squash
  • Delicata Squash
  • chervil
  • Pumpkin

 

 Harvesting amaranth seed from our composted micro greens soil – todays treat amaranth leaves.  In addtion to heirloom pumpkins and seasonal winter squash lots of tasty herbs and the wonderful micro celery.

http://www.organicauthority.com/7-reasons-amaranth-greens-are-the-new-kale  and From wikipedia: In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called bayam. In the Philippines, the Ilocano word for the plant is kalunay; the Tagalog word for the plant is kilitis or kulitis. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India, it is called chaulai and is a popular green leafy vegetable (referred to in the class of vegetable preparations called saag). It is called chua in Kumaun area of Uttarakhand, where it is a popular red-green vegetable. In Karnataka in India, it is called harive. It is used to prepare curries such as hulee, palya, majjigay-hulee, and so on. In Kerala, it is called cheera and is consumed by stir-frying the leaves with spices and red chillies to make cheera thoran. In Tamil Nadu, it is called mulaikkira and is regularly consumed as a favourite dish, where the greens are steamed, and mashed, with light seasoning of salt, red chili, and cumin. It is called keerai masial. In Andhra Pradesh, this leaf is added in preparation of a popular dal called thotakura pappu in (Telugu). In Maharashtra, it is called shravani maath and is available in both red and white colour. In Orissa, it is called khada saga, it is used to prepare saga bhaja, in which the leaf is fried with chili and onions.

 

 

CSA_10_21_17

2017 CSA Fall October 21, 2017 Sorrel Winter Squash Peppers

Sorrel Winter Squash Peppers

Sorrel is a leaf vegetable that is tart and tangy. This green can be eaten raw or cooked. Worldwide it can be found as the main ingredient in sorrel soups, served warm or chilled. There are curry recipes that include sorrel. It is very popular to combine with cream as a sauce. A simple sauce can be made to top off fish, chicken, potatoes, and other veggies. Here is a simple recipe to make use of all of your sorrel and ½ a cup of cream. Heat a skillet and melt butter. Chop your sorrel as large or as fine as you like and add to heat, just wilting the leaves. Pour in your cream and when it approaches a boil, reduce until the cream sauce coats the back of a spoon. Slather this on your cooked meat or veggies. Sorrel makes a yummy pesto which is also great for fish and potatoes. The onions included in your share this week go well as a pan roasted start for soup and you can utilize your garlic by making pesto. Try combining sorrel sauce with a garnish of sliced tomatoes for a nice twist. More rare are recipes combining fruits such as strawberries or peaches with sorrel. It adds a punch to smoothies and is a welcome addition to salads. I like to cut it into a salad of apples with nuts. When the peaches come, I want to try a recipe suggestion from whiteonricecouple.com: peach and sorrel salad, which is torn sorrel leaves topped with peaches and dressed with a vinaigrette salad dressing of honey, grapeseed oil, balsamic vinegar and vanilla. Yum!
Our sorrel won in an international cooking competition when the Inn at Little Washington took it to France with them. We hope you will enjoy a little extra zing this week in your meal preparations! Bon appétit!