CSA Week 7

1 head lettuce

1 bunch asian greens

1 bunch carrots

1 pound new red potatoes

1 bunch dill

cippolini onions

summer squash

cucumbers

Islander - Sweet Purple Pepper

Hungarian Hot Wax - Medium Heat

We are crank, crank, cranking it here at the farm, and the proof is in the share this week.  We’ve got greens to roots to herbs to onions, potatoes, to pep, pep peppers!!!!  July is a whacky whirlwind of weeding emergencies, bug bug outs and the onslaught of the glory days of sun baked bodies, rocking farmer’s markets and endless harvests.  If we had to choose, our absolute favorite color is green, but it does feel pretty wonderful to witness the rainbow of Kettle chow starting to unfold.  Celebrate a rockin’ summer!  Cook, eat, share, savor the glorious flavors and feel the local love, from this Kettle to yours. 

Major events happen at the farm each and every day!  For example, we officially evacuated the greenhouse and transplanted the last bit of lettuce for the season!  After firing it up back in March and having it kind of, sort of on my brain at any given time for the last 5 months, there are no more greenhouse chores of watering, seeding, or monitoring temps.  Fans are off, doors are open, but there is nobody home, the greenhouse is closed for business for the 2012 season.  Huge.

The greenhouse may be done, but the Kettle crew rages on!  Shannon is a veritable pro on the Farmall Cub tractor, a 1950’s gem that is no picnic to maneuver and even tougher to start.  She has mastered bed prep and weed management aboard the Cub, not to mention managing the deliveries to the local shelter and plugging in for runs to Portland and Portsmouth Farmer’s market.  Samantha, apprentice extraordinaire, is no longer the new girl on the farm.  A committed carrot thinner, irrigation expert, wizard on the hula hoe and super pro buncher of all things veggie, she now knows how to do most everything on the farm with at least one ear plugged into her iPod and a general swing in her step.

With all your well wishes and words of positivity, Steve appears to be on the mends. Still shaky on his feet, he doesn’t go outside yet and is clearly decompressing and collecting himself after his accident, but he still finds the strength and wear with all to sneakily attack me while I am petting him and then scratch and maul my already scratched and mauled furniture.  Here’s to your health dear friend and integral spirit of the Kettle!  Mean Kitty is still a major weirdo, what can I say, even with all this summer action, motion and activity some things never, ever, change.

Very Important Announcements:

Volunteer day @ Black Kettle Farm is not just for weeding the onions.....it’s for weeding any thing and every thing!  Open invite to come on down to the farm:

Mondays 1-5 or Thursdays 8-12 or 1-5.  Let me know when you are interested in coming and we can save you some extra fun tasks.  Bring a water bottle and a open mind and major fulfillment, extra veggies and a cool dip in the lake await!

Mark your calendar!  Plan your veggie pot luck dish!  Find a cute outfit and limber up that croquet elbow!  Black Kettle Farm CSA Appreciation and Friends of the Farm Gathering is Sunday (by which I mean Super Fun Day!!!!!) August 26th.  

Rain and/or shine.  Details to follow.

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad

www.101cookbooks.com

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (OR CIPPOLINI ONIONS)

more olive oil for cooking
2 cups sliced carrots
3 cups cooked white beans
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots/Cippolinis in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil.  Let them cook in a single layer - they'll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans as well heated through. You may need to add a bit more oil to the pan.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Hot-and-Sour Peanutty Noodles with Bok Choi

SELF  | April 2012

by Kerri Conan

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or rice noodles

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil

1 onion, sliced

1 piece (about 1 inch) ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 pound baby bok choi, leaves and stems separated, roughly chopped

1 bell pepper, sliced

3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock or water

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Cook pasta as directed on package with 2 teaspoons salt until just tender. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water. In a large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion and ginger, stirring, until just brown, 1 minute. Add bok choi stems, bell pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer contents of skillet to a plate. To same skillet, add bok choy leaves, stock, soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar. Cook, stirring, until leaves are soft and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bell pepper mixture, pasta, peanuts and pepper flakes to pan. Toss to combine; serve.

*****this could be really good cold with shredded carrot added and a perfect dish to add your Hungarian Hot Wax pepper to!  YUM.