CSA Week 5

1 Head Lettuce

1/2 pound salad mix

1 Bunch Collards

1 Bunch French Radish

Purple Kohlrabi

Summer Squash

Cucumbers
1 bunch basil

This is for real.  It’s not just a novelty anymore.  It’s week 5 of the BKF CSA and you are in deep.  Just like the farm, as the season progresses, members find their veggie rhythm.  At this point, you’ve marveled at the flavor of garlic scapes, you can’t remember a day when you didn’t have a fresh salad, you’ve swapped chips for turnips, you think greens in eggs every day is normal, you’ve shredded kohlrabi, and you’ve wilted mustard greens.  You cook and love fresh food.  Not to mention you are obsessed with the health and well being of your farmer’s cat and you secretly do a mini-rain dance every now and again because you know the Kettle fields could use a drink.  You are  a full fledged, full on CSA member, with a link to a community of folks and one specific farm.  We are all in it together, come collards, come cabbage!

Before we go any further, let’s be real, we didn’t invent this amazing concept, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) has been on the scene across the globe for many, many moons, involving many, many farms, eaters, pieces of land, visions and intentions.  Here’s some super fast CSA history:

In the 1960’s a group of women in Japan contacted local farmers and sought out their produce in response to a growing concern about the use of pesticides and the safety of imported food from distance places.  They coined the term “Teiki” which meant putting the farmer’s face on food, and joined producers and consumers and aimed to stimulate the local economies and promote healthy, safe eating in Japan.  Similar concepts in co-operative based agriculture were also popping up in Western Europe at that time and eventually made there way over the Atlantic in the 1980’s and specifically to western Massachusetts to Indian Line Farm, which is considered the first CSA in the ol’ U.S. of A.  

Currently there are over 4,000 CSA farms in the U.S., according to Local Harvest (www.localharvest.com) and close to 200 in Maine, accroding to the Maine Organic Farmer’s and Gardeners Association (www.mofga.org).  Now that’s a lot of kohlrabi, no??  

CSA drives the intention of this farm.  We are here to grow safe food for folks (that’s you!!!) that want to eat it (and a whole lot of it), all the while highlighting the amazing flavors of our home zone.  Tomatoes in August and no sooner, rutabaga come October and kale throughout.  The economics of CSA make this farm function.  As a small business of growing vegetables, the farm relies on the contributions of CSA members in the off months and the guaranteed income throughout the season.  So even though we didn’t invent it, we sure do love it!  Yay CSA, thanks so much for being a part of the farm, your energy, positivity and enthusiasm keep these Kettle fires a burnin’!!!

Balsamic Zucchini/Summer Squash

Gourmet  | July 2004

4 lb medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick slices

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)

1/3 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and finely chopped

Toss zucchini/squash with oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange zucchini in 1 layer in 2 shallow baking pans (1 inch deep). Broil 1 pan of zucchini 3 to 5 inches from heat, without turning, until browned in spots and beginning to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle 2 tablespoons vinegar over broiled zucchini and shake pan a few times, then continue to broil until most of vinegar is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over broiled zucchini and broil until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Cook remaining pan of zucchini in same manner. Cool to room temperature and serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Radishes, Cucumbers, and Tarragon Pesto

Bon Appétit  | April 2009

by Janet Taylor McCracken

1/4 cup (packed) fresh tarragon leaves plus 2 teaspoons chopped

1/4 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves

4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided

5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided

2 teaspoons chopped shallot

6 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing

4 boneless chicken breast halves

4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French or sourdough bread

1/4 pound mixed baby greens

1 cup thinly sliced radishes 

1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers 

Place 1/4 cup tarragon leaves, parsley, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and shallot in mini processor; chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil by teaspoonfuls to thin, if necessary.

Whisk 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon, remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush chicken breasts on both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until grill marks form, skin is crisp, and chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; let rest 5 minutes. Using clean brush, brush both sides of bread with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until dark-brown grill marks appear on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Place greens, radishes, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 4 plates.

Cut grilled chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 sliced chicken breast atop salad on each plate. Spoon tarragon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts over salads. Serve with grilled bread slices.