CSA 2023 Summer Week 11

Orange Carrots (COG)

Muscadine Grapes (WAT)

Curly Green Kale (COG)

Romaine Lettuce (NSOF)

Jalapeno Peppers

Heirloom Persimmons

White & Purple Potatoes

Green Tomatoes (WAT)

Slicer Tomatoes (NSOF)

Welcome to week 11 of our summer season! Fall is just around the corner, so we’re gearing up for our October 4-December 31 season. Renewing is a piece of cake. In fact, you don’t need to do anything! We’ll automatically renew your membership unless you tell us otherwise (please contact us by email to cancel). There are a myriad of economic, environmental, and health benefits that go with a CSA membership, plus what really tickles us is getting to know our customers and seeing them nourished by healthy food. Here’s a preview of the goodness headed to your kitchen in the months to come: sweet potatoes, green beans, chestnuts, kale, roselle hibiscus, radishes, turnips, bok choy, arugula, collards, lettuces, mustard greens, and scallions, just to name a few. Thank you for supporting our farm and enjoying the harvest with us!

We’re delighted to include our heirloom persimmons in this week’s share. Handpicked by Farmer John, these babies are astringent varieties that have been grown for hundreds, if not thousands of years. We have Saijo and Giombo varieties that are sweeter than sweet when ripe and soft to the touch, like firm jelly or water balloons. Note: under-ripe fruits will need a few more days. Biting into a fresh ripe persimmon is one of the joys of summer! We’ve also tucked some sweet muscadine grapes into your box. While you’re snacking on your fresh fruit, check out recipes inspired by the other items in your week 11 box.

Our friends at Urban Harvest also want to see YOUR recipes! They’re publishing an e-cookbook, Rooted in Sunshine: Exploring the Vibrant World of Florida’s Heirloom Veggies, that uses Florida heirloom vegetables as a primary ingredient and want to know how you’ve adapted recipes to include native veggies/fruit. As a thank you for your contribution, you will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win some amazing prizes. Learn more and get involved here! 

Carrot Cream Soup – adapted from loveandlemons.com

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 pound carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh galangal
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon FSO cane syrup
• coconut milk for garnish, optional

Instructions:

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, salt and pepper and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the smashed garlic cloves (they’ll get blended later) and carrots to the pot and cook 8 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the ginger, apple cider vinegar, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Let cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add a little water. If you would like your soup a little sweeter, add the cane syrup.

Serve with a drizzle of coconut milk, if desired.

Kale and Pistachio Pesto – adapted from foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

• Sea salt
• 1 large bunch kale, stemmed and leaves torn (about 1 pound)
• 10 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons roasted salted pistachios
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges, for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add the kale to the boiling water and cook, stirring, until just wilted but still bright green, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the kale to the ice water (keep the water boiling). When cool, drain well and squeeze out as much water as possible. Coarsely chop the kale.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and then drain the pasta.

While the pasta cooks, pulse the pistachios and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the kale and parsley and pulse until very finely chopped. With the machine running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add the Parmesan, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to incorporate.

Toss the pasta with the pesto, adding a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water if it seems dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges on the side. This makes about 1-1 1/2 cups pesto, which would also be good on fish, chicken, pork, or steak.

Old Fashioned Potato Latkes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds potatoes
• 1 large onion, shredded
• 3/4 cup matzo meal or bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon potato starch, or more if needed
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Avocado, peanut or grapeseed oil for frying (about 1 1/2 cups – choose an oil with a high smoke point)

Instructions:

• Before you begin making the latkes, place your wire cooling rack close to the area where you will be frying the latkes. Place a layer of paper towels below the cooling rack to catch excess oil.
• Cut the potatoes into large chunks and shred using a hand grater or food processor shredding attachment with large holes (large shreds). A food processor is recommended to save a ton of time.
• Place grated potato into a bowl and immediately cover with cold water.
• Meanwhile, grate the onion using the grater or food processor attachment with fine holes (small shreds).
• Drain the potato shreds in a colander. Rinse and dry the bowl used to soak the shreds and set aside.
• Place drained potato shreds and grated onion in the center of a clean tea towel or multiple layers of cheesecloth.
• Wrap the shreds up in the cloth, twisting the cloth to secure the bundle, and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid from the shreds.
• Pour potato and onion into the clean dry bowl. Stir the shreds with a fork to make sure the grated onion is evenly mixed throughout the potato shreds.
• In a skillet, add oil to reach a depth of 1/8 inch. Heat slowly over medium to about 365 degrees F.
• While oil is heating, use the fork to stir the matzo meal, beaten eggs, potato starch, salt and pepper into the potato and onion shreds. Add salt and pepper to taste; I add about 1 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. You can sprinkle on more salt to taste after cooking, if desired. Take care to make sure the egg and seasonings are fully mixed throughout the potato shreds.
• Scoop up 3 tbsp of the potato mixture and shape into a tightly compacted disk.
• Place the disk carefully into the hot oil. Latkes can break apart at this point, they’re very delicate. If you can get them into the hot oil in one piece, chances are they will stick together – frying them is like the “glue” that holds them together. It takes a gentle touch, and it may take you some practice to get the “feel” for it.
• The oil should sizzle, but not pop when the latke hits it; if the oil jumps wildly or smokes, it is too hot. If it only bubbles weakly, the oil is not hot enough. Use the first latke to test the oil temperature, and don’t fry a whole batch until the temperature is right.
• Continue shaping the latkes in this way, using 3 tablespoons of potato mixture for each latke. Fry in batches of 4-5 latkes at a time (no more than that – don’t crowd the pan) for 2-3 minutes per side until brown and crispy.
• Remove the latkes from the pan using a metal spatula and place them on the wire cooling rack to drain.