Tag: tricolor potatoes

  • CSA Summer 2023 Week 5

    Frog Song Organics

    Fairy Tale Eggplant

    Pineapple Pears

    Shishito Peppers

    Tricolor Potatoes

    Malabar Spinach on the stem

    Watsonia Organic Farm

    Green Cabbage

    Zucchini Squash Mix

    Clem’s Organic Gardens

    Carrots

    New Sprout Organic Farm

    Grape Tomatoes

    Tis the season for peppers! We’ve included a mix of sweet and spicy in recent shares, and this week brings the return of our mild Shishitos. An over-abundance of fresh peppers is a great problem to have this time of year. If you’re looking for ways to savor this taste of summer later in the year but don’t have canning equipment, we suggest these methods:

    Pickling is a great alternative to canning. You don’t need any special equipment, and the process is similar to canning regular pickles. Steep sliced peppers in a 50:50 mixture of vinegar and water, with 1 teaspoon salt per pint. The peppers stay crisp because they are never heated, and after a few days in the fridge they taste like pickled peppers.

    To freeze ‘em,  wash and drying thoroughly before stashing in the freezer. We also recommend removing the stem and seeds, unless you need them for later. For larger varieties, like bell peppers, cut them in half, in fourths, or in strips, and remove the stem and seeds. Put the pieces on a cookie sheet so they aren’t touching, then flash freeze for about 15-30 minutes. This will keep them from sticking together later. Once solid, you can store peppers in a baggie, or any other freezer safe container.

    Then there’s drying. The nice part about this is that reduces storage space. Pop them into your dehydrator, or put them into the oven on the lowest setting. Be patient, it can take several hours for them to dry completely. With smaller peppers, the thin walls lend themselves to stringing whole peppers together by passing a needle and thread through their caps, and hanging them in a warm, well-ventilated space for about two weeks. Remember, the thicker the pepper, the longer this will take.

    Once dried, peppers can be pulverized into flakes in a food processor, or steeped in vinegar to make sauce for sprinkling over cooked greens and other veggies. Dried hot peppers are also great for making homemade chili paste! Place a few dried hot peppers in a dry pan, and toast them over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, for four to five minutes. Then cover with warm water for an hour. Add some salt and a couple of cloves of finely minced garlic, pulverize into a paste.

    Here at the farm, we love the taste and simplicity of this blistered Shishito pepper recipe. Scroll for more recipes inspired by this week’s share below!

    Also, those long stalks long stalks in this week’s share are Malabar Spinach. On a rare occasion our Malabar crop jumps up with some abundant, succulent shoots. Instead of picking just the leaves we bunch these shoots, traditional style. The stalks are fibrous but can be sauteed. We recommend snacking on just the new tendrils and the leaves themselves. 🙂

    Mozzarella, Basil & Zucchini Frittata

    Ingredients:

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1 ½ cups thinly sliced red onion
    • 1 ½ cups chopped zucchini or squash
    • 7 large eggs, beaten
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
    • ⅔ cup pearl-size or baby fresh mozzarella balls (about 4 ounces)
    • 3 tablespoons chopped soft sun-dried tomatoes (or substitute 2 fresh grape tomatoes, chopped)
    • ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

    Instructions:

    • Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
    • Heat oil in a large broiler-safe nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, whisk eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour the eggs over the vegetables in the pan. Cook, lifting the edges to allow uncooked egg from the middle to flow underneath, until nearly set, about 2 minutes. Arrange mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes on top and place the skillet under the broiler until the eggs are slightly browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Let stand for 3 minutes. Top with basil.
    • To release the frittata from the pan, run a spatula around the edge, then underneath, until you can slide or lift it out onto a cutting board or serving plate. Cut into 4 slices and serve.

    Carrot Soup

    Ingredients:

    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil or lard
    • 6 medium carrots, chopped
    • 2 teaspoons dried dill
    • 4 cups vegetable stock
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Garnish with basil or fresh mint (optional)

    Instructions:

    • Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil or lard over medium-low heat. Add carrots, dill, turmeric, pepper, and salt. Sauté 10 minutes.
    • Add stock, bring to a boil, and reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
    • In a blender, puree soup, return to pot, simmer for 30 minutes.
    • Can garnish with basil or fresh mint.

     

  • CSA 2023 Spring Week 10

    This week’s CSA share brings the best of our farm as well as our partner-growers!

    • Italian Basil
    • Cabbage (New Sprout Organic Farm)
    • Collard Greens (New Sprout Organic Farm)
    • Elderberries
    • Fennel
    • Sweet Cured Onions
    • Shishito Peppers
    • Tricolor Potatoes
    • Cherry Tomatoes

    Every week’s CSA box brings something special, and this week we’re especially excited to share the first elderberries of the season. Chock full of vitamins and minerals, they’re gems. Healthy skin? Check. Boosted immunity? Check. Heart health? Check. Here at FSO, we’re huge fans of these little berries! We use ’em in tea, recipes, and even make our own Elderberry syrup to share with those who need a tonic for occasional illness or pesky allergies. If you’d like to try your hand at making some at home, we share a recipe below. We also have recipes for Elderberry-Fig Galettes and Elderberry tea. A cup of tea brewed from last week’s Tulsi basil is also the perfect complement to the galette… in other words, if you’re looking for hygge – we’ve got you covered!

    The collards and cabbage in this week’s share are from Justin and the team at Cottle Organics, our partner through New Sprout Organic Farms in North Carolina. We’ve commenced our summer trips to the Asheville area to bring back fresh loads of produce from our partner producers up there. Shout out to our team member Miles for making the trip there and back safely! We use our own refrigerated truck to pick up direct and get the freshest possible veggies. For this first trip, we also picked up sweet potato slips to plant out our crop to harvest for you this fall. 🙂

    Homemade Elderberry Syrup

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup dried elderberries
    • 3 cups water
    • 1 teaspoon dried cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
    • 1 teaspoon dried cloves or 4 whole cloves or 1 drop clove essential oil
    • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ginger or 1 drop ginger essential oil
    • 1 cup raw honey

    Instructions:

    • The first step will be to dry your berries using one of three methods: sun drying, oven drying, or using a dehydrator.
    • In a large pot, bring the dried elderberries, water, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger to a boil.
    • Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 40-45 minutes.
    • Allow the liquid to cool, and then drain the liquid using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth.
    • Press all liquid out of the berries using the back of a wooden spoon.
    • Add the raw honey and mix well.
    • Store in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to two months.

    Elderberry-Fig Galettes

    Ingredients:

    Gluten-Free Pie Crust

    • 2 cups gluten free flour
    • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 8 tablespoons butter, chopped into 1/2″ cubes & chilled
    • 1/2 cup water, ice ice cold
    • 1 tablespoon milk (dairy or non-dairy) for brushing dough edges before baking

    Filling

    • 1 cup fresh elderberries
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 3 tablespoons honey
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoons tapioca flour (or arrowroot starch or cornstarch)
    • pinch salt
    • 1 cup fresh figs, cut into halves or wedges

    Instructions:

    Pie Crust

    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
    • Add the chilled cubes of butter and toss to coat in the flour. Then use your fingers to flatten each chuck of butter to ~1/8 inch thick.
    • Create a well in the enter of the mixture and slowly add in the ice cold water, mixing to combine until the dough begins to come together. If needed, add more water, one teaspoon at a time, until the dough sticks together. It should hold together well, but be dry and slightly sticky, not wet.
    • Form dough into a disk, then on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle a little bit more flour onto the top of the dough, and roll into a rectangle ~1 inch thick. Then, fold the rectangle into thirds. Repeat the process of rolling to an inch thick and folding into thirds once more.
    • Tightly wrap the folded dough in plastic wrap and set in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour.

    Prepare the Elderberry-Fig Filling

    • Combine all ingredients for the Elderberry-Fig filling except for the figs into a small mixing bowl. Set aside with sliced figs.

    Assembling the Mini Galettes

    • Preheat oven to 375F. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper.
    • Take your chilled dough, unwrap it, and cut it into 4 equal sections. On a lightly floured surface, roll each section into a rough circle measuring about a 1/4″ in thickness.
    • Transfer the rolled circle of dough to the parchment lined baking sheet.
    • In the center of your dough circle, spoon 1/4 of the elderberries and spread until about 1 1/2-2″ away from the edge of the dough. Then arrange 1/4 of the sliced figs on top of the elderberries.
    • Carefully fold the edges of the dough over the fruit filling. Work your way around until the dough fully encases the filling. (It’s okay if your filling starts to leak out the sides, just do your best to pinch the dough back together.)
    • Repeat this process (steps 2-5) 3 more times with the remaining portions of dough.
    • Once all 4 mini galettes are assembled, use a pastry brush to gently brush the crust edges with milk (dairy or plant-based.) Then drizzle each galette with a little honey.
    • Place baking sheet in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until crust is a golden brown.
    • Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy fresh or let cool completely to store in an air-tight container. Reheat in a toaster oven. Enjoy within 2-4 days.

    Elderberry Tea adapted from yummmummykichen.com

    Ingredients:

    • 4 tablespoons fresh or frozen elderberries
    • 3 cups water
    • 1/4 lemon or orange
    • honey to taste*

    *Agave or organic liquid stevia would be good vegan options to replace honey. For allergies, use a local honey. For immune support, cold/flu try manuka honey.

    Other flavor additions: slice of fresh ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, orange peel, 2 cloves, or 1 star anise can be simmered in along with the elderberries and water.

    Instructions:

    • In a small saucepan, combine the water and elderberries. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
    • Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tea has reached a deep color.
    • Remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh sieve set over a tea cup, or into a teapot. Discard the elderberry solids, or save to reuse for more tea.
    • Sweeten your elderberry tea with honey, agave, or stevia to taste. Add a squeeze of lemon or orange juice for more flavor.

  • CSA 2023 Spring Week 3

    Week 3 of our Spring CSA season brings:

    • Baby Green Cabbage
    • Celery
    • Baby Carrots
    • Dandelion
    • Dill
    • Romaine Lettuce
    • Scallions
    • Tricolor Potatoes
    • Daikon Radishes

    This week’s CSA box brings a hearty mix of greens, herbs, and root crops. Your daikon radish (which literal translates to “big root”) is a mainstay of sushi restaurants, but when it’s simply relegated as garnish, folks are missing out big time! This veggie is a superfood, packed with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. The two recipes we share below illustrate its versatility, and also it’s yummy raw. If you prefer to stash them away for now, here’s a few storage tips to keep ’em fresh: Daikon will last up to 2 weeks stored in the fridge in plastic bag or wrapped in damp towel in fridge, sans greens.  You can also freeze it by cutting into smaller pieces, blanching in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and placing in a freezer-safe container after it cools.

    State of the Strawberry Report

    Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who joined us last weekend. We loved sharing the day and the farm with you! We especially appreciate everybody rolling with the strawberry situation at our April 15 Spring Festival. After monitoring the situation for weeks, we made the difficult decision to limit our strawberry U-Pick to pre-registered guests only. We are experiencing our most challenging strawberry crop in a decade. We attribute this mainly to the freeze that we had at the end of December, where we used water to save our citrus trees. The days of running sprinklers saved our trees, but it reduced the fertility in the soil. We traded off a strawberry crop for 2023 for the potential of citrus over the next decade.

    We also experienced pest pressure which caused cosmetic damage to the fruit that did grow. Our yields are the lowest we have ever seen. Those who have visited our U-Pick before will recall that previous years were much more abundant. After watching field conditions carefully without an abundant yield, we knew closing reservations to the field was the right decision.

    Normally this time of year we are swimming in strawberries, sometimes picking over two hundred pounds at a time. This year is a bit different but we will make the best of it. As farmers we are at the mercy of the weather and natural cycles, and in control of very little beyond how we interact with our soil and crops. We are still making a limited amount of jam with the berries that we are harvesting, so make sure to pick up a jar while it lasts. We’ll enjoy this sweet treat and look forward to a more abundant strawberry crop next year!

    Recipes

    Dandelion Greens ‘n Beans Skillet  – adapted from runningtothekitchen.com 

    Ingredients:

    • Large bunch of dandelion greens, washed and chopped
    • Sliced scallions
    • Fresh thyme or rosemary
    • Ground nutmeg
    • Salt & pepper to taste
    • 2 cups white beans (cooked)
    • Splash balsamic vinegar

    Instructions:

    1. Sauté the scallions until softened.
    2. Add the herbs and spices and stir.
    3. Add the dandelion greens, cover and let them steam until tender.
    4. Remove the cover, add the beans and continue cooking until they’re just warmed through.
    5. Turn off the heat, add the balsamic vinegar.
    6. Season to taste and serve!

    Tri-Colored Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette – adapted from cuisineathome.com

    Ingredients:

    • 6 strips FSO bacon, diced
    • 1 lb. tricolor potatoes, quartered
    • ¼ cup each extra-virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar
    • 3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
    • 1 cup minced scallion whites 1 cup sliced scallion greens
    • ¼ cup dry white wine
    • Salt and black pepper to taste

    Instructions:

    1. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
    2. Whisk together oil, vinegar, Dijon, and scallion whites for the vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper.
    3. Place potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove lid and boil potatoes until fork-tender, 6  Drain potatoes and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Pour wine over warm potatoes and toss. Let potatoes cool to room temperature, 15–20 minutes.
    4. Gently stir together potatoes, bacon, vinaigrette, and scallion greens; season with salt and pepper.

    Pan Fried Daikon Cake

    Ingredients:

    • 1 ½ cups grated daikon radish
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • ½ cup scallions, chopped
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha)
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil for frying

    Instructions:

    • Place daikon in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    • Drain daikon. Stir in garlic, onion, egg, bread crumbs, pepper, paprika, and chili garlic sauce; mix well. Form into 8 patties.
    • Pour oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Fry patties in hot oil until firm and nicely brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

    Daikon Fettucine with Tomato Basil Sauce

    Ingredients:

    • 1 pound daikon
    • 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) plum tomatoes
    • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving (optional)
    1. Using a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, remove outer skin of the daikon and discard. Continue peeling down the length of the daikon, creating long ribbons that look like fettucine noodles. Place daikon noodles in a large bowl and cover with salted water; let soak 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, drain tomatoes, reserving half the juice in a medium bowl. Squeeze tomatoes with hands into the bowl of reserved juice; mash to combine. There should be around 2 cups.
    2. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain daikon noodles and dry them using a kitchen towel. Gently add noodles to sauce; reduce heat to medium. Cook until noodles are just heated through, about 1 minute. Divide among 3 or 4 serving plates; serve immediately, with cheese, if desired.