Tag: aquaponic romaine lettuce

  • CSA 2023 Spring Week 8

    This week’s CSA share brings you the very best from our farm, as well as two partners!

    Frog Song Organics

    Green Beans

    Cantaloupe

    Celery

    Sweet Red (cured) Onions

    Parsley

    Yam Fingerling Sweet Potatoes

    Summer Squash Mix

    Little Pond Farm

    Cherry Tomatoes

    Organic Aqua Fresh

    Aquaponic Lettuce

    Quick Pickling

    Long hot days call for one of summer’s most refreshing treats: pickled veggies! They’re tasty and a great way to preserve the abundance of cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, and squash from our farm and your garden. Quick pickling is a method that preserves your haul for around two months in the fridge. It’s different from canning; the veggies won’t develop the deep flavor that comes from fermentation, but with quick pickling, they only need to marinate a few days in the brine before serving.

    Brine 101

    A basic brine is equal parts vinegar and water, but you can adjust the ratio to your preference. Any basic vinegar is game — white vinegar, apple cider, white wine, and rice vinegar. Just steer clear of aged or concentrated vinegars like balsamic or malt vinegar.

    How to Quick Pickle Any Vegetable

    Ingredients:

    • 1 pound fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, carrots, green beans, summer squash, or cherry tomatoes
    • 2 sprigs fresh herbs, such as thyme, dill, or rosemary (optional)
    • 1 to 2 teaspoons whole spices, such as black peppercorns, coriander, or mustard seeds (optional)
    • 1 teaspoon dried herbs or ground spices (optional)
    • 2 cloves garlic, smashed or sliced (optional)
    • 1 cup vinegar, such as white, apple cider, or rice
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or 2 teaspoons pickling salt
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

    Equipment:

    Chef’s knife and cutting board

    2 wide-mouth pint jars with rings and lids

    Canning funnel (optional)

    Instructions:

    1. Prepare the jars by washing in warm, soapy water and rinsing well. Set aside to dry, or dry completely by hand.
    2. Wash and dry the vegetables and prep (i.e. peel the carrots, trim the end of beans, cut into desired shapes and sizes).
    3. Add the flavorings. Divide the herbs, spices, or garlic you are using between the jars.
    4. Pack the vegetables into the jars, making sure there is a 1/2 inch of space from the rim of the jar to the tops of the vegetables. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing.
    5. Make the brine. Place the vinegar, water, salt, and sugar (if using) in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Pour the brine over the vegetables, filling each jar to within 1/2 inch of the top. You might not use all the brine.
    6. Remove air bubbles. Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles. Top off with more brine if necessary.
    7. Seal the jars. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
    8. Cool and refrigerate. Let the jars cool to room temperature. Store the pickles in the refrigerator. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.

    Recipes

    Cantaloupe Gazpacho

    Ingredients:

    2 cups cantaloupe, peeled and cubed

    1 cucumber, peeled and cubed

    1 sweet pepper or red bell pepper, diced

    ½ sweet red onion

    ½ cup cherry tomatoes

    1 ¼ teaspoons salt

    2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

    ¼ bunch fresh basil

    freshly cracked pepper, for garnish

    Instructions:

    1. In a blender, combine all ingredients except basil. Blend very well until extremely smooth. Strain into an air-tight container and allow to chill in the fridge for at least an hour (this can be made the day before serving as well).
    2. When ready to serve, portion the chilled soup evenly into bowls, then garnish with freshly picked basil. Served alongside prosciutto or one of our FSO pastured sausages takes this tasty, refreshing dish up a notch. Enjoy!

    Summer Corn and Squash Chowder – adapted from lifemadesimple.com

    Ingredients:

    • 4 strips FSO pastured bacon – cooked, chopped into bits
    • 1/2 large sweet yellow onion – diced
    • 2 ribs celery – finely diced
    • 3-5 ears sweet corn – cut off from the cob
    • 1 large zucchini – cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced (can substitute with the squash mix from this week’s CSA share!)
    • 1 large yellow squash – cut into quarters lengthwise, then sliced
    • 4 cloves garlic – minced
    • 5 cup chicken broth – low sodium
    • 4 red potatoes – peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
    • 1 1/4 tsp kosher sea salt
    • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp paprika
    • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
    • 1/4 tsp thyme
    • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 2 cup half and half – or whole milk

    Instructions:

    1. Set a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook crisp, about 5 minutes.
    2. Add onion and celery, cook for 3 minutes, then add corn and continue cooking for an additional 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    3. Pour in chicken broth and turn heat up to medium-high. Once the mixture is simmering, add the potatoes along with the salt, pepper, paprika, parsley, thyme and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes before adding the zucchini and yellow squash.
    4. Once the zucchini and yellow squash has been added, cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the zucchini and squash are fully cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
    5. Transfer 2 cups of chowder to a food processor or blender. Puree until silky smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Return the mixture to the pot and add the half and half. Stir to combine, then remove from the heat.
    6. Let the chowder sit for 10 minutes before serving.

     

  • CSA-Spring 2022 Week 10

    Week 10’s CSA will include the following, which we hope you enjoy!-

    • Basil
    • Green Beans
    • Cantaloupe
    • Dandelion Greens
    • Lettuce – Organic Aqua Fresh (aquaponic lettuce)
    • Cubanelle Peppers
    • Tri Color Potatoes
    • Green Tomatoes
    • Turmeric

    Featured recipe of the week!

    (FSO notes- Try substituting our Bulk Italian Sausage (order here) for the prosciutto. Simply add defrosted sausage to a medium hot pan, crumble, and fry to desired doneness. Top the Gazpacho for a delicious sweet and savory dish.)

    Cantaloupe Gazpacho with crispy Prosciutto (optional)- Tasty

    Ingredients
    • 2 cups cantaloupe, peeled and cubed
    • 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
    • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
    • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
    • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
    • 1 ¼ cups prosciutto, thinly sliced (optional)
    • ¼ bunch fresh basil, picked
    • freshly cracked pepper, for garnish
    Preparation
    • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment lined baking sheet, place your prosciutto slices in a single layer. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until the prosciutto.
    • In a blender, combine the cantaloupe, cucumber, bell pepper, salt, vinegar, and olive oil. Blend very well until extremely smooth. Strain into an air-tight container and allow to chill in the fridge for at least an hour (this can be made the day before serving as well).
    • When ready to serve, portion the chilled soup evenly into bowls, then garnish with freshly picked basil, a few pieces of the crisped prosciutto or tablespoons of cooked sausage, an extra drizzle of olive oil, and a fresh crack of black pepper.

    Note- To make this dish Vegan, simply omit prosciutto or sausage and top with a salty crunch, such as fried onions or roasted sunflower seeds.

    Green Tomato and Peach Relish- Frank Stitt’s Southern Table

    This relish is a great combination for “grilled fish, shrimp or scallops, soft-shell crabs, or with roast pork; it also makes a refreshing dip”

    Ingredients
    • 1/2 large sweet onion
    • 2 large firm green tomatoes
    • 1 lime
    • 1-2 not to ripe peach, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2 inch dice
    • 1 jalapeno, roasted , peeled, seeded and diced
    • 2 scallions, cut into 1/4 thick slices
    • 2 inch piece of turmeric, peeled and grated
    • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • Salt and Pepper to taste
    • 1 small bunch of basil, chopped
    Directions
    • Prepare a hot grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil the onion slices for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until blackened and charred.
    • Cut the tomatoes into wedges and remove the pulp and seeds, leaving the tomato flesh. Cut the flesh into 1/2 inch dice and place in a small bowl.
    • Grate the zest from 1/2 the lime, then halve the lime.
    • Add the peaches to the tomato’s, along with the lime zest and juice of 1/2 lime. Add the jalapeno, grilled onion, scallions, and ginger and toss to mix. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper. Adjust the seasonings as necessary- more lime juice may be needed. Add the fresh basil.

    GNOCCHI & SPRING PEAS WITH A BASIL CASHEW CREAM SAUCE- Carly Paige’s Fit Living Eats

    Ingridents

    •  1 package gnocchi (gluten-free varieties available)
    • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 1 cup frozen peas
    • 1 cup grape tomatoes

    BASIL CASHEW CREAM SAUCE:

    • 3/4 cups cashews, soaked
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1/2 lemon, juiced
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1/4 cup basil leaves (plus more for garnish)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    Directions

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Preheat oven to a low broil.
    • Place the grape tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until blistered (the skin starts to crack) in the oven, about 10 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and gnocchi to the pan. Sauté gnocchi for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until there is a nice golden crust on the exterior.
    • Add the peas and sauté for another 5 minutes.
    • While the gnocchi and peas are sautéing, add all of the ingredients for the basil cashew cream sauce in a high speed blender and blend on HIGH until smooth and creamy (scraping down the sides with a spatula occasionally) for about 5 minutes.
    • Add the roasted tomatoes to the gnocchi and peas, take the pan off the heat and stir in the basil cashew cream sauce.
    • Garnish with extra basil and enjoy!

  • Summer 1 CSA – Week 4

    • Lemon Basil, bunch
    • Napa or Green Cabbage – New Sprout Organic Farms
    • Fennel – New Sprout Organic Farms
    • Dandelion Greens, bunch – New Sprout Organic Farms
    • Baby Green Aquaponic Romaine Lettuce – Trader’s Hill Farm
    • Red Onions, cured
    • Slicer Tomatoes
    • Rainbow or Baby Carrots, loose
    • Florida Pears – We grow a few different varieties on the farm. The type in your CSA share is fine textured, and will be ripe when soft. You can keep a few at a time on the countertop to ripen (the rest in the fridge). We don’t ever spray our pears, so expect blemishes from weather and biotic factors. Feel free to peel the outer protective layer of skin with a potato peeler. We hope you enjoy!

    Warm Fennel Vinaigrette – Food & Wine

    Ingredients
    • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 medium fennel bulbs—halved, cored and finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fennel fronds
    • 2 tablespoons sweet wine vinegar, such as Late Harvest Riesling, or seasoned rice vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • Salt and freshly ground pepper
    Instructions

    In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chopped fennel bulbs and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until golden and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the chopped fennel cool in the skillet for 10 minutes, then stir in the vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Reheat and stir in the fennel fronds just before serving.

    Lemon Basil Cookies – Blue Bowl Recipes

    Ingredients
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 3/4 cup butter, softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
    • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbsp lemon zest
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 1/3 cup chopped lemon basil, or regular basil, if you can’t find lemon basil
    • 1/3 cup shelled and chopped pistachios
    • 3 tbsp sugar, cane sugar works well because of it’s coarser texture
    Instructions
    1. Make the cookie dough: Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, with a mixer, cream the softened butter well. Add the sugar and cream well. Add the egg, mixing until just combined. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil next, and mix until just combined. You can add a handful or two of the chopped pistachio nuts here to the dough for extra OOMPH (I like to do this). Add the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing between each. Form the dough into a slightly flattened disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for an hour, or in the freezer for 20 minutes. 
    2. Make the topping: While the dough is chilling, prepare the topping and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Shell and chop your pistachios – you can chop them with a knife or throw them in a food processor and pulse until you have small chunks – don’t pulse them into a powder. Mix the pistachios & sugar in a small bowl. 
    3. Bake: Shape the dough into small balls (about 1 tbsp each). Roll each ball in the sugar/pistachio mixture and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool a few minutes on pan before moving to a cooling rack. 
    4. Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-6 days. Make ahead: Cookie dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for 1 day before baking. Dough can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Move to the fridge the day before you plan to bake the cookies so the dough can soften a bit, but still stays chilled. 

    Easy Napa Cabbage Slaw – My Every Day Table

    Ingredients
    • 1 medium head of napa cabbage, thinly sliced
    • 4 oz blue cheese crumbles
    • 1/4 onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
    • 1 tsp. dijon mustard
    • 1 tsp. honey
    • 1/2 tsp. celery seed
    • 1/2 tsp. sea salt 
    • pinch black pepper

    Celery Seeds – This ingredient gives the napa cabbage slaw dressing a distinct flavor, but if you don’t have any, you can use celery salt 1/2 teaspoon of celery salt and omit the salt in the dressing. Add more salt to taste if necessary.
    Apple Cider Vinegar – Anything with a sweeter flavor, like a white balsamic or white wine vinegar will work here.

    Instructions
    1. Prep ingredients: Thinly slice cabbage and onion. Mince garlic. 
    2. Layer napa cabbage, onions, and blue cheese in serving bowl and chill until serving.
    3. Whisk together garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, celery seed, sea salt, and pepper until emulsified. 
    4. Toss dressing with cabbage and chill for 5-10 minutes before serving.

    Lebanese Dandelions with Caramelized Onions (Hindbeh) – Forager Chef

    Ingredients
    • 1 large onion
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
    • Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper
    • 8 ounces fresh dandelion greens or other strong-tasting (not necessarily bitter) wild greens
    • A good pinch of fresh ground cumin
    Instructions
    1. Cut the top and bottom from the onion, remove the skin, and halve it top-to-bottom. Set the halves, cut-sides down, on a cutting board, and halve them through the equator. Slice the onion into 1-inch (2.5 cm) julienne, as thin as you can.
    2. In a 10-inch skillet or similar wide pan, heat the lard or oil until very hot, then add the onion and turn the heat down to medium. Season with a pinch of salt and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is deeply browned and aromatic, deglazing with a tablespoon of water as needed if the pan threatens to dry out (I like my onion quite dark).
    3. Remove half of the onion and reserve.
    4. Meanwhile, cook the greens in salted water until they’re tender and taste good to you, then shock in cold water, drain, squeeze out excess water, and coarsely chop.
    5. Add the greens to the pan with the onion, mix and warm them through, adding the cumin and a little water if needed to moisten.
    6. Taste and correct the seasoning for salt and pepper, then top with the reserved onion and serve hot with lemon wedges and drizzles of extra virgin olive oil.