Week Five and Counting

270 Bonno Road
Hi Folks,

Hard to believe another week has flown by. We just finished picking for the Tuesday boxes. You will find a fennel this week, as well as other veggies that you have not seen yet this season. Yes, I am including some links to recipes. You can use the bulb as well as the green feathery part (Ian actually likes the leaves the best and often comes down from the gardens with a frond in his mouth.)

Fantastic Fennel

By: Krista Winjum

The Whole Shebang

Related Links

• Porcini Pork Tenderloin
• Fennel in Wine and Honey
• Baked Fennel with Parmesan
• Garbanzos with Fennel
• Carrot and Fennel
• Andrew's Herb Risotto
• Fennel and Celery Root Casserole
• Insalata Cotta e Cruda
• Grilled Beets in Rosemary Vinegar
• Fennel Soup
• Fennel and Mustard Seed Chicken
• Sicilian Sausage Soup
• Gramma Good's Fennel Bread
• Fennel and Watercress Salad

One of the few plants where the roots, stalk, seeds, fronds and pollen are all used, fennel adds a new flavor twist to meals.

What’s That Flavor?

That unusual flavor in your meal could be fennel. Originating in the Mediterranean, then carried north from Italy by monks, it’s used in nearly every cuisine, flavoring dishes from Indian curries to French stews.

The Raw and the Cooked

The flavor of the bulb is more pronounced when used raw, and is refreshing in salads with citrus. Thick slices grill or bake beautifully, with the heat creating a more subtle and complex flavor.

Take It from the Top

Fennel fronds can substitute for dill, and the seeds are used for meat and baked goods or in spice mixes including Herbes de Provence, Chinese five spice powder and Indian curry powder.

Homestead Pictures

Our off grid homestead consists of 37, mostly forested, acres on the end of Bonno Road, a dirt road in Pierrepont, NY. We have several gardens cultivated in between the forested areas. Our family uses sustainable practices to produce our veggies. Compost is a main ingredient in our soil. The blackberries are growing wild throughout the woods. We will harvest those and bring them to farmers market, when they are ready. MacKenzie and Ian love the sugar snap peas!

Here is a collard recipe as promised, from RecipeZaar.com:

Ingredients

• 3 cups collard greens
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped (or 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic from a jar)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. 1

   Use a sharp knife to cut out the central rib and stem from each collard leaf. Rinse the leaves in a sink of cool water, lifting them into a colander to drain a bit (you want some water to remain on the leaves).

2. 2

   Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes or until golden.

3. 3

   Shake the pan often to keep the pine nuts from burning. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.

4. 4

   Place the garlic and oil in a large skillet, and saute over medium heat for 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the damp collards and stir, then cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes longer.

6. 6

   Add the raisins and pine nuts, and stir. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

7. 7

   Stir in the balsamic vinegar, cover, and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Week Three: Another Recipe and More Pictures

Hi all,

We just finished picking for the Tuesday CSA boxes and discovered a lot of herbs and peas. I am posting a recipe that I found on-line that uses: your shallot scallions, snap peas, dill, and radishes. Hope you enjoy it.


Sauteed Radishes and Snap Peas with Dill

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 12 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, strings removed
• 2 cups thinly sliced radishes (about 1 large bunch)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon dill seeds
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Preparation

This side dish would pair beautifully with roast lamb or salmon. To remove strings from fresh peas, just snap off the stem end and pull string lengthwise down each pod. Melt butter with oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and radishes; sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add orange juice and dill seeds; stir 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped dill. Transfer to bowl; serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Radishes-and-Sugar-Snap-Peas-with-Dill-109402#ixzz0sA83RL00

Kolhrabi: How to Eat it.

So. Kolhrabi, the alien vegetable that shares an uncanny resemblance to "Wilson the volleyball" from the Tom Hank's film Castaway. Believe it or not, this thing is edible.

Here are several recipes and links to get you started on your Great Kohlrabi Adventure.

ROASTED KOHLRABI

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 4 (smallish servings since roasted vegetables shrink so much)

1 1/2 pounds fresh kohlrabi, ends trimmed, thick green skin sliced off with a knife, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic (garlic is optional, to my taste)
Salt
Good vinegar

Set oven to 450F. Toss the diced kohlrabi with olive oil, garlic and salt in a bowl. (The kohlrabi can be tossed with oil and seasonings right on the pan but uses more oil.) Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven (it needn't be fully preheated) and roast for 30 - 35 minutes, stirring every five minutes after about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a good vinegar (probably at the table so the kohlrabi doesn't get squishy).

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 64 Cal (45% from Fat, 12% from Protein, 44% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 8 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb 4; 31 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 23 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

Here is a website that offers some background information, along with recipes:http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/kohlrabi.html


...and here is a little bit of Kohlrabi nutritional info. http://www.ehow.com/about_5108248_kohlrabi-nutrition-information.html

Incredible Diversity

Hi folks,

We have just finished picking for our first week. The Tuesday and Friday boxes have the same contents and amounts. We were pretty proud of the diversity and bulk for our first week.
Hope everyone has tried and enjoyed the salad dressing recipes. Someone mentioned that they were not sure how to use Swiss Chard. I am including a couple of recipes in this blog.

Next weeks box should be pretty similar. We are hoping the peas start coming along. The plants grew huge, but took a while to get some peas on the vines.

I am getting ready for a board meeting at Little River. We are hosting several other alternative school teachers, from around the country, that are on the National Coalition for Alternative Community Schools, board. They will be eating plenty of fresh veggies.

Here are two chard recipes I found at Cooks.com. Play around with these basic ideas and see what you get. Have fun! If anyone has suggestions or recipes, pass them on!

SWISS CHARD OR SPINACH PIE

2 1/4 lbs. Swiss chard or 2 1/2 lbs. spinach 6 eggs 2 1/2 or 3 dry onions, sliced, sauteed in 1/4 c. olive oil until soft 2 bunches green onions, chopped 1 1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. white pepper 1/2 tsp. dill (optional) 1 lb. filo 3 squares butter, melted 1/4 c. olive oil Mix oil and melted butter together after butter has cooled. Clean and wash Swiss chard or spinach, drain, dry completely. Chop Swiss chard or spinach, green onions, put in large mixing bowl with the sauteed onions. Add crumbled cheese, Parmesan, add slightly beaten eggs to mixture, white pepper and dill. Mix well. Grease an 11 1/2 x 17 1/2 inch baking pan with butter and oil mixture. Add 6 pastry sheets on bottom of greased pan, spread each with the oil and butter mixture, sprinkle with the Swiss chard or spinach mixture alternating the pastry sheets and spinach or Swiss chard mixture. Cover with 6 individually buttered sheets. Pour the remaining butter and oil on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool and cut in squares.

PASTA WITH BITTER GREENS AND CHICK - PEAS

12 oz. pasta (bow ties or ziti) 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 sm. onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 carrot, finely chopped 2 tbsp. Italian parsley, minced 1/4 c. tomato paste 1 (15 oz.) can chick peas, drained 1 lb. assorted bitter greens, such as arugula, Swiss chard, or kale, coarsely chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper Freshly grated Parmesan cheese Cook pasta according to directions. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, carrot, and parsley. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until tender. Add the tomato paste, chick peas, greens, and 1 cup of water. Add the tomato paste, chick peas, greens, and 1 cup of water. Toss well; cover and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add pasta and toss well. Yield: 4 servings.

Cooking Class Anyone?

Hello,

I was having a brainstorm the other day...some people have mentioned to me that they would like to learn how to preserve produce from the garden. My mind jumped immediately to the fact that the knowledge from my Grandmother's generation is nearly extinct. People in previous generations survived, literally, from local (if not self) production of most everything they used or needed in their everyday life.

Many people are amazed when I tell them that most everything my family eats comes from a local source, is preserved by us, or is baked or cooked by Mike, the kids or me. Unfortunately, coffee, chocolate and Indian spices will never (at least, hopefully, in my lifetime) grow in Northern NY. Oranges, pineapples and MacKenzie's favorite, grapefruit, will also forever be tropical fruits. So, there are a few purchases made from the grocery store. Almost, everything else is either grown on our land or by people we know. In short, we cook and thrive on the knowledge that we know how to feed ourselves wholesome, healthful food. Ian and MacKenzie will go out into the world with this knowledge to pass onto another generation.


So back to the brainstorm, I was thinking it would be fun to offer cooking classes, to teach people how to cook with basic, non-processed, unboxed ingredients. I would offer a class in late June or early July to teach folks how to use fresh veggies from the garden at the height of the season. There would be a canning class in August, to demystify the pressure canning process. Many folks have told me they are truly frightened of the pressure canner because of some story they heard about their grandmother or great grandmother having one blow up. Todays canners are so much safer. If used properly, there are no worries. I would hold a third class in the late fall to show folks how to use the food they have on hand in their kitchens, that has been preserved from the harvest or purchased in bulk.

I need some feedback, now. Is this a good idea? How many people would sign up? Let's start a dialog.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Maria

Farmers Markets

Zen Garden Gate

This coming Saturday, May 15th, is the grand opening of the Potsdam Farmer's Market. The market has moved,this year, to the back of the parking lot next to Ives Park.

Up until Saturday when it got cold and snowed on the gardens, again, we had planned to have quite a selection (for early May) available for sale.

We will have: wild leeks, rhubarb, mint, chives and eggs for sure. We were hoping for radishes and lettuce. Unless it gets really hot in the next few days, don't count on those.

See you at Market