CSA Week #4

July 2nd and 3rd

2 bunches greens

1 head lettuce

1 bunch salad turnips

1/2 pound garlic scapes

1 bunch parsley

summer squash

Tuesday means CSA harvest, whether the sun shines or the rain dumps, the veggies need to get out of the field every week and into your tote bags, salad bowls and lunch boxes.  With boots and rain pants that haven’t dried out for days we sloshed and slogged through it this morning.  It was a head down, snip the chard and keep going kind of silent harvest meditation amongst the crew.  But as we all know, everything is constantly in motion and this wet stretch soon shall pass.  The temps will rise, the skies will clear and the sloppy, gross, utterly saturated field will drain........we hope.  

In all honesty, this rain has given the Kettle a much needed breath from all that has happened in perhaps the most rockin’, action and farming packed June in the history of super rockin’ Junes.  As we finished out the month last week the farm participated in two major events that highlighted our strong community ties and fun connections in the ever dynamic world of agriculture in Maine.  The farm hosted a tour and pot luck dinner as a part of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) Farmer Training Project where apprentices and farm enthusiasts from all over Southern Maine visited the farm and participated in a discussion lead by MOFGA crop specialist, Eric Sideman, on the topic of pest management.  We talked bugs, looked at plants and made new friends.  It was such a pleasure to host a gathering where so much information was shared with the tangible backdrop of the farm and our very own pests to reference!  And of course, as always at farmer gatherings, the folks were real cute and the pot luck dishes were delicious and heavy on the leafy greens and garlic scapes! 

After having a fab time hosting, the BKF crew got to gussy itself up and attend the second annual Farm-A-Que put on by Slow Food Seacoast and the Heirloom Harvest Project held at Brandmoor Farm in Rollingsford, NH.  The Farm-A-Que is a collaboration between local growers and chefs highlighting the glorious flavors of the region and encouraging community and farm fun for all.  Black Kettle produce was featured with four of the participating chefs and it was great to sample the fancy concoctions that the pros came up with.  Pass the kohlrabi slaw with slow cooked medallions of rabbit loin!  Yum!  The event was a huge success, with over 300 attendees and it was super fun to hang with other farmers, get high fives from chefs praising our fantastic veggies and eat lots of fancy food.  Perhaps the highlight of the sweaty, smoldering day, was coming home to ol’ Lyman, grabbing our swimming togs and taking a much needed dip in non-other then the best lake, with the funnest name to say....Bunganut!  

So there is pretty much no denying it, summer is on.  It’s July, we are 4 weeks deep into the rhythm of CSA, the heavy hitting month of June is behind us, we all survived and are tougher, tanner and more kale infused for it.  It feels great to cruise on into real deal summer and look up from the weedy onion patch and the never ending things to do list and participate with our wonderful farm and food community.  It may be Independence Day for some, but here at BKF we celebrate our collaborations and interdependent connections that stretch out to all CSA members, farmer buddies, local yocals and veggie lovers every which where!

Happy Fourth, we love you!

Use garlic scapes just like you use garlic.  Chop off the flower end and discard and the sky is the limit with scapes!

Dice scapes, heat olive oil and sauté and add your favorite green, like kale, chard or collards.

Make a yummy vinaigrette with scapes, olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

Roast your scapes on a cookie sheet with olive oil and salt/pepper in the oven at 425 for 25 minutes for a fabulous pizza topping or easy addition to pasta.  

Eat scapes raw to boost your immunity!

Scapes will keep!  Our garlic is still out there growing in the field, and we won’t be eating it until August or so.  Scapes are special and delicious and will keep in a plastic bag in your fridge until then.

CANNELLINI BEAN DIP WITH GARLIC SCAPES

http://andreasrecipes.com/cannellini-bean-dip-with-garlic-scapes/

15 ounces cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup garlic scapes, chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Add the beans to the bowl of the food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times. Add the garlic scapes and olive oil and process for about 30 seconds.

Add the lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper and process until the dip is thick and creamy. If the dip is a little dry, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and process. Serve with whole grain crackers or sliced baguette. Optional:Add flat leaf parsley to balance the flavor.

Chard and Garlic Scape Pesto

adopted from many recipes on the internet and tested in the BKF kitchen

2 cups chopped garlic scapes

1 cup nuts - walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

1 cup olive oil

The juice of one lemon

1/2 a bunch of chard, stems and all

Salt to taste

In a food processor:

Start with the the garlic scapes and finely chop, then add your nut of choice, next the olive oil and the lemon, this will make a nice paste.  

Coarsely chop the chard leaves and stems and add to the garlic mixture.  Process at a high speed until all ingredients are blended and smooth.  Add salt to taste and adjust flavors to your liking.  If mixture is thick, add 1/4 cup of water and process.  Optional : Add 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Swirl into cooked pasta, use as a pizza topping or as a dip for raw vegetables.  YUM!