- Baby Kale
- Baby Salad Mix
- Field Arugula
- 2 Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Chervil
- Thai Basil
- Mint
- Epazote
- Nasturtium Flowers
- Ghost Pepper
When considering this week’s ingredients, you can see my usual treatment for a sandwich using sliced tomato and cucumber, but i came across two recipe ideas i wanted to share that can give a more exotic use for your items, plus a few suggestions. First comes from Chef John of Food Wishes: smashed cucumber salad, https://youtu.be/kCJcD7fYPWg (or see the link to blog post) where he extracts cucumber juice with salt and sugar, after smashing it 
And a second shout out to http://vintagekitty.com/spicy-thai-basil-cucumber-cocktail for a recipe that i think fits many of your ingredients, though i would add a pinch of mint, and maybe some chervil for a touch of anise-like aroma and use a very tiny piece of the ghost pepper instead of jalapeno, with a nasturtium flower for garnish. Certainly keeping it basic and juicing the cucumbers and mint together is a very nice drink. Consider blending it with your next lemonade endeavor as summer approaches. If you don’t have a juicer, cucumbers can be pureed and then strained thru a cloth, twisting it closed tighter and tighter to extract the juice. Besides using the pepper and herbs fresh, they can be dried, chopped and frozen, made into a syrup, used to infuse liquor, made into tea, or included in staple dishes like beans or stir-fry. Don’t forget your gloves when handling the Ghost Pepper as it is one of the hottest peppers in the world! Cheers!
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- Bag of Arugula
- Fresh Ginger
- Baby Kale
- Beet Greens
- Green Sorrel
- Epazote
- Petite Tomatoes
- Pepper Paste
- Micro Color Mix
- Potatoes
- Mint
So many fresh flavors this week…lemony sorrel, pungent epazote, bracing mint. And of course, ginger. Try a combination of a few epazote leaves cooked in with your beans and towards the end, generously apply the pepper paste to taste. Or consider this combination for potato and egg casserole with cheese. The green sorrel can be chopped fresh, a few leaves with apple, raisin, honey, and nuts..we like walnut or pecan, and finished with a splash of balsamic vinegar for a palate-pleasing salad. Cooked, it is good for stuffing inside of fish or chicken and then baked or slightly wilted in the pan as a garnishing side. Classically it is used as a pureed soup, combined with onion and sometimes potato. Makes a fantastic pesto that can be stored in the freezer. Enjoy having micros on everything! from soups and sandwiches, side garnish, rice paper wrap, to omelets and quiches…Enjoy!
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- Papaya
- Fresh Ginger
- Baby Kale
- Field Arugula
- Tatsoi
- Tatsoi Florets
- Green Tomatoes
- Bay Laurel
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Chervil
2017 CSA Winter January 21st: The days are getting longer now! As of today, the sun is setting over 45 minutes later than at the 1st of the year. For a cool chart of day lengths, check out aa.usno.navy.mil online. Winter seems so long but spring will be here soon! For some plants, their growth habit turns around right after the day period begins to lenghten. But alas, you can see some of the struggle of growing all seasons in the picture of the tomato at right. It is worth it though, for that fresh fried green tomato in January! Or try a green tomato and pepper chutney instead. At the Inn at Little Washington, they would put a sprig of chervil between two very thin slices of potato to make a sort of window frame. The florets, or flowering tops of tatsoi, are a rare treat…try them just gently wilted in a buttery pan for a unique garnish, or with just a touch of your fresh ginger. PS: Wegmans is now carrying our greens! And Foods of All Nations is now featuring our eggs! Woot! Go team! Delicious healthy food for all…Cheers!
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- Fresh Ginger
- Fresh Turmeric
- Papaya
- Jalapenos
- Mixed Greens
- Baby Kale
- Arugula
- Chervil
- Delicata Squash
- Cherry Tomatoes
2017 CSA Winter January 14: Yes! there are some jalapenos in your share this week! A nice southwestern soup can be enhanced by these…just add one to a pureed squash base, adding a bit of cream, cumin, sage, garlic or onion, the jalapeno can be roasted or diced raw and then simmered until soft. We like to stuff the jalapenos with cheese and roast, leaving some unstuffed for future dishes. The soup can be topped with cheese and garnished with halves of the cherry tomatoes. Dip in with a nicely toasted bread or some tortilla chips. Speaking of tortilla chips, the jalapeno would also go well with the papaya for a salsa…To make quick work of the kale, Mike likes to roast up veggies into stew and add in the kale leaves at the end, so that they are just wilted when they reach his bowl. For an incredible fresh tea experience, grate the fresh ginger and turmeric into a pot of water (1½ in. of each, per serving) and boil. Add a dash of black pepper to enhance absorption. Strain into cups, using lemon and honey to taste. Powerful! Enjoy!
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- Papaya
- Tomatoes
- Chives
- Sage
- Pineapple Sage
- Rose Geranium
- Baby Red Sorrel
- Arugula
- Tatsoi
- Baby Red Kale
- 2 Delicata Squash
- Beet Tops
“These are a few of my favorite things…” Included is a photo of Michael with his very first tomato…the “love apple”. It sits above his Dad’s desk. We like to cook the squash and top it with pumpkin pie spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, but we also like it stuffed with tomato, arugula and cheese, giving it a nut topping. The beet tops make a very nice simple salad with goat cheese and a splash of balsamic. The rose geranium is one of my favorite cups of tea, infusing the leaves before the water comes to a boil to not lose much of its aroma. It also steeps in milk products very well, just be sure to not overcook it. It can flavor chilled yogurt in less than an hour for a unique dressing or dip that goes nicely with cheese and fruit plates. Then there is another cutting of the pineapple sage to soothe and comfort you. May peace and harmony be with you. To your health and your pleasure always! Enjoy
First Tomato
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- 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
Roasted Delicata
Signature Tomato