Category Archives: CSADist

Pesto

2016 CSA Fall December 17th

2016 CSA Fall December 17th

  • Fresh Dug Ginger
  • Delicata Squash
  • Field Arugula
  • Tatsoi Heads
  • Bay Laurel branches
  • Sage
  • Rosemary
  • Pineapple Sage
  • Lemon
  • Kumquats
  • Premium Tomatoes
  • Arugula Pesto

 

2016 CSA Fall December 17th: Citrus! this week in your CSA share… when exploring your lemon, please consider using the peel as a zest touch on dishes and in tea. All of your herbs can be used to add a subtle nuance to your teapot and would combine just fine with the lemon, but i especially recommend it to enhance a tea made with the pineapple sage. The kumquats are traditionally eaten whole, peel included. The bay laurel branches can embellish your décor, be stored fresh in the fridge (covered) for weeks on end, or hung up to dry to keep for the next year. The leaf is used whole in cooking but removed before eating as it is not of a good texture. However, if ground into a fine powder, ingesting it is just fine! Bay Laurel is categorized as an Underutilized Species and is the distinguishing ingredient in Aleppo soap. A compound it contains inhibits human melanoma in vitro. And lastly, pesto! Besides tossing a tablespoon with fresh pasta and tomatoes or smearing it on pizza topped with your arugula greens, it makes a great dip and salad dressing. Try adding a dollop to plain unflavored yogurt for a ranch dressing replacement. Whip into some eggs for a quiche with chopped arugula and topped with thin slices of tomato…there is a Mom whose child likes to eat it straight from the container using tortilla chips!  You can pop your pesto container back into the freezer for super long term storage, just let it sit out for about 20 minutes to defrost a bit(warm water works, too) and scrape around the edge for your dish and return back to the freezer. To your health and your pleasure, always! 

Signature Tomato

2016 CSA Fall December 10th

2016 CSA Fall December 10th

  • Rainbow Chard
  • Beet Tops
  • Red Veined Sorrel
  • Butternut Squash
  • Delicata Squash
  • Patty Pan Squash
  • Spearmint
  • Marjoram
  • Lavender
  • Reaper and Scorpion Peppers
  • Fresh Ginger
  • Papaya
  • Premium Tomatoes

2016 CSA Fall December 10th: More rare and exotic items in your share this week like a handful of the worlds hottest peppers, fresh dug ginger, sweet marjoram, lavender, red veined sorrel and a ripening papaya! We like to prepare the papaya in a traditional and simple way: remove skin, scrape the inside, cube and dress with a squeeze of lime. We leave the papaya in the fridge when we want it to ripen further to an all over golden color as it breaks down more quickly when left at room temp, although it will ripen more quickly that way. The peppers should be handled carefully, as they are extremely spicy! We use gloves as we chop and de-seed them, then we grind them to a paste, or dice and freeze them or dry them to crumble for storage as a spice. Just a drop or a dash will do! The red veined sorrel can be eaten raw or cooked; if raw, use less as more of an accent. When cooked, i use more as the flavor diminishes a bit. Kind of like a cross between green sorrel and dandelion, use as a replacement for those in recipes. Marjoram is one of my favorites and besides cooking with it,  i like to sleep with a bit tucked under my pillow or carry a bit in my pocket…same for the lavender. We thought that you might like to not only savor a bit of lavender mint tea but also tuck some into your seasonal decorations as a lighter aromatic emphasis. We would love to hear how you use your ingredients and what you like…call us anytime! Enjoy.

Red Veined Sorrel

Red Veined Sorrel

Roasted Delicata

Roasted Delicata

Signature Tomato

Signature Tomato

Papaya tree

2016 CSA Fall December 3rd

2016 CSA Fall December 3rd

  • Baby Ginger
  • Green Papaya
  • Butternut Squash
  • Green Tomatoes
  • Potato Medley
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Sage
  • Chervil
  • Field Arugula
  • Field Tatsoi

Papaya: A very rare and special treat this week: papayas! This tropical fruit is grown in one of our greenhouses and is one of the first of papayas grown in Virginia. Papayas are known for being a healthy food and for containing unique digestive enzymes that help the body process proteins. Papayas contain vitamins C, A, E, K, several of the B vitamins and many minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium. As an excellent source of these nutrients, papaya can be helpful to our health in prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Being a good source of fiber, papaya can help lower high cholesterol levels and may be beneficial in prevention of colon cancer. Immune support and anti-inflammatory effects can assist in cases of asthma and arthritis.  Stephanie, pictured above by her Dad, Bob Jones, explained from her experiences in Africa that green papaya is used for special occasions as a desert where the peel is removed, the body shaved into strands resembling pasta and then cooked with coconut milk and cardamom. I can’t wait to try it like that! Many thanks and gratitude to our two newest additions to the farm art, Dan and Stephanie, for their hard work and dedication to producing the finest quality, best tasting and nutritious food. We are so grateful to have you aboard! Have a great week everybody