Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Radishes:)

This week's Box

Cauliflower
Broccoli
Lettuce
Radishes
Less Kohlrabi

I know we are all chomping at the bit for the summer crops. As am I. I love cucumbers. They are just around the corner. They are growing nicely. Cucumbers are about one inch long. I will be posting images on twitter & face-book within 24hrs. Tomatoes have fruit on them which is great. They are tiny and all over. This is good. Also the peppers are developing nicely as well. Today we flamed & mowed between the row's. This is a weekly task. Quite a daunting process. We first mow between the row's then I follow behind with a torch. Very Effective but daunting none the less. Worth not spraying!! The toads seem to be continuing to pour out of the pond because I continue to seem them all over. It is kinda funny. I even found one hopping in the store today. Ben checked on the new potatoes as well today they are getting close. We ran the irrigation today for the first time and gave our lettuce and peppers a little drink. We like to give the plants an environment that encourages growth. Still have not had to run the kelp yet but we will be giving them a kelp feeding soon.

Hope everyone enjoys this wonderful week of Sunshine & gets to spend some time outdoors.

Chris

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Steamed Broccoli :)

Steamed Broccoli

Steamed Broccoli Recipe

Ingredients:

1 bunch of broccoli

Many options here:

Olive oil, butter, flax seed oil, or mayonnaise

Lemon zest or juice, balsamic vinegar

Tossed almonds, toasted sesame seeds

Method:

  1. Rinse out well your broccoli, and break into large, bite-sized florets. Cut off the stem and peel off the thick skin around the stem. Quarter or halve the stem lengthwise.
  2. Bring 3/4 to 1 inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with a steamer. (Note that is you don't have a steamer, you can simply put the broccoli directly into an inch of boiling water.) Add the broccoli to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to medium and let cook for 5-6 minutes. The broccoli is done when you can pierce it with a fork. But be careful not to overcook the broccoli. As soon as it is pierce-able, remove from heat, place in serving dish.
  3. Dress to taste with butter, olive oil, flax seed oil, mayonnaise, lemon zest or juice, balsamic vinegar, toasted almonds, or sesame seeds.
Yield: Serves 2-4

Another Easy Cabbage Recipe!


COOKED CABBAGE

1/2 head of cabbage (chopped)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. water
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large skillet add chopped cabbage and toss until cabbage is coated. Add salt and pepper, and water, cover. Cook until cabbage is done about 15 minutes.

Wilted Kohlrabi Greens

First & Foremost I am excited to post a member submitted recipe. I am even more excited that someone found a way to eat KOHLRABI LEAVES...Thanks

Wilted Kohlrabi Greens

In a large Skillet with a lid.

4-6 slices thick bacon (cut into one inch strips)
Large bowl of Kohlrabi Greens (from two kohlrabi)
2-teaspoons real maple syrup

Brown Bacon & drain as desired.
Mix in Kohlrabi greens and cover, until they steam, low to medium heat (seven to ten minutes) (stir as required)
When greens are wilted add maple syrup & stir.
Serve Hot

Sauteed Cabbage Delight!!! MUST READ!!!!

Slim-fried Cabbage with garlic, onion, & red pepper flakes


 Minutes to Prepare 



Ingredients

    1 head of cabbage, large 1/2 red onion 3 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp (or to your taste) red pepper flakes 1 T olive oil salt & pepper to taste


Directions

Chop cabbage, onion, and garlic.
Saute onion in olive oil in large skillet or wok on med-high temp.
Once onion is soft, add garlic, then chopped cabbage & seasonings.
Simmer on MedHigh rotating cabbage top to bottom in pan every few minutes. Prepare to your liking - we like ours soft with a touch of crisp - that's about 10 minutes. Less for crispy, more for soft.

Number of Servings: 8

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user NEP2NFLY.

Number of Servings: 8

Simple Cabbage Recipe!

Just preparing everyone for the season. When I have time I will post recipe's for items even that have not come up yet so we are prepared. Sometime's I get so busy it is hard to get time to do this. So when I have time I will get some stuff done in advance.

Thanks Chris


COOKED GREEN CABBAGE 
Cut up 2 pounds of cabbage. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar or 2 packages of Sweet & Low and 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Cook for 45 minutes until done. You can add 1 or 2 slices of bacon if you wish. This is should be cooked in a pan on low with the lid on.

I think I can do it......SauerKraut

Making Sauerkraut is Easy!

Sandor Ellix Katz, the author of Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods (Chelsea Green, 2003) has earned the nickname "Sandorkraut" for his love of sauerkraut. This is Sandorkaut's easy sauerkraut recipe, one of more than 90 ferments included in his book.
Timeframe: 1-4 weeks (or more)
Special Equipment:
  • Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket, one-gallon capacity or greater
  • Plate that fits inside crock or bucket
  • One-gallon jug filled with water (or a scrubbed and boiled rock)
  • Cloth cover (like a pillowcase or towel)
Ingredients (for 1 gallon):
  • 5 pounds cabbage
  • 3 tablespoons sea salt
Process:
  1. Chop or grate cabbage, finely or coarsely, with or without hearts, however you like it. I love to mix green and red cabbage to end up with bright pink kraut. Place cabbage in a large bowl as you chop it.
  2. Sprinkle salt on the cabbage as you go. The salt pulls water out of the cabbage (through osmosis), and this creates the brine in which the cabbage can ferment and sour without rotting. The salt also has the effect of keeping the cabbage crunchy, by inhibiting organisms and enzymes that soften it. 3 tablespoons of salt is a rough guideline for 5 pounds of cabbage. I never measure the salt; I just shake some on after I chop up each cabbage. I use more salt in summer, less in winter.
  3. Add other vegetables. Grate carrots for a coleslaw-like kraut. Other vegetables I’ve added include onions, garlic, seaweed, greens, Brussels sprouts, small whole heads of cabbage, turnips, beets, and burdock roots. You can also add fruits (apples, whole or sliced, are classic), and herbs and spices (caraway seeds, dill seeds, celery seeds, and juniper berries are classic, but anything you like will work). Experiment.
  4. Mix ingredients together and pack into crock. Pack just a bit into the crock at a time and tamp it down hard using your fists or any (other) sturdy kitchen implement. The tamping packs the kraut tight in the crock and helps force water out of the cabbage.
  5. 5. Cover kraut with a plate or some other lid that fits snugly inside the crock. Place a clean weight (a glass jug filled with water) on the cover. This weight is to force water out of the cabbage and then keep the cabbage submerged under the brine. Cover the whole thing with a cloth to keep dust and flies out.
  6. Press down on the weight to add pressure to the cabbage and help force water out of it. Continue doing this periodically (as often as you think of it, every few hours), until the brine rises above the cover. This can take up to about 24 hours, as the salt draws water out of the cabbage slowly. Some cabbage, particularly if it is old, simply contains less water. If the brine does not rise above the plate level by the next day, add enough salt water to bring the brine level above the plate. Add about a teaspoon of salt to a cup of water and stir until it’s completely dissolved.
  7. Leave the crock to ferment. I generally store the crock in an unobtrusive corner of the kitchen where I won’t forget about it, but where it won’t be in anybody’s way. You could also store it in a cool basement if you want a slower fermentation that will preserve for longer.
  8. Check the kraut every day or two. The volume reduces as the fermentation proceeds. Sometimes mold appears on the surface. Many books refer to this mold as “scum,” but I prefer to think of it as a bloom. Skim what you can off of the surface; it will break up and you will probably not be able to remove all of it. Don’t worry about this. It’s just a surface phenomenon, a result of contact with the air. The kraut itself is under the anaerobic protection of the brine. Rinse off the plate and the weight. Taste the kraut. Generally it starts to be tangy after a few days, and the taste gets stronger as time passes. In the cool temperatures of a cellar in winter, kraut can keep improving for months and months. In the summer or in a heated room, its life cycle is more rapid. Eventually it becomes soft and the flavor turns less pleasant.
  9. Enjoy. I generally scoop out a bowl- or jarful at a time and keep it in the fridge. I start when the kraut is young and enjoy its evolving flavor over the course of a few weeks. Try the sauerkraut juice that will be left in the bowl after the kraut is eaten. Sauerkraut juice is a rare delicacy and unparalleled digestive tonic. Each time you scoop some kraut out of the crock, you have to repack it carefully. Make sure the kraut is packed tight in the crock, the surface is level, and the cover and weight are clean. Sometimes brine evaporates, so if the kraut is not submerged below brine just add salted water as necessary. Some people preserve kraut by canning and heat-processing it. This can be done; but so much of the power of sauerkraut is its aliveness that I wonder: Why kill it?
  10. Develop a rhythm. I try to start a new batch before the previous batch runs out. I remove the remaining kraut from the crock, repack it with fresh salted cabbage, then pour the old kraut and its juices over the new kraut. This gives the new batch a boost with an active culture starter.

Friday, June 24, 2011

Growth Explosion!

Their has been lots of growth on the farm, everything is looking great. The pumpkins & winter squash have really started to grow. It is cool to watch the daily growth. The summer squash & cucumbers have really started to grow as well. Their are not cucumber's out, but we are close. Their is a lot of Cabbage,  LOTS. So prepare for some cabbage. It might not be next week but hopefully the week after. We have been extremely busy on the farm managing our crop of weeds as well as our crop of veggies. The tomatoes look amazing. So far it is the best crop I have ever grown, they are flowering and their are tomatoes developing already. Some are about the size of a golfball. Very cool! Lettuce crop is still looking good although we are exhausting our crop so we have replanted some. It is great lettuce this year. I am very pleased with the results. The netting we have been using over it has made all the difference.

Hope Everyone Has A Great Weekend

Chris

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews!



Broccoli with Garlic Butter and Cashews Recipe

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup chopped salted cashews

Directions

  1. Place the broccoli into a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain, and arrange broccoli on a serving platter.
  2. While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and garlic. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews, and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 187 | Total Fat: 14.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I Know, more Kohlrabi!! Yikes (Soup)


Kohlrabi Soup


Serving Size: 4
Ingredients:
  • 3-4 small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into pieces
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • salt
  • white pepper
  • cayenne pepper
  • nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup soy cream
Directions:
  1. Peel the kohlrabi and cut in to thin slices.
  2. Place in a pot with water and vegetable bouillon and cook until soft.
  3. Pour the liquid in a bowl and reserve.
  4. Puree the kohlrabi and using the liquid to make a thick soup consistency.
  5. Pour the soup back into the pot and gently simmer.
  6. Season with a dash of cayenne and nutmeg, salt and white pepper.
  7. Shortly before serving add the soy cream.

More Cauliflower Suggestions:) THIS IS A GOOD ONE!!!


Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Recipe



Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish.
  2. Place the olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake to mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 118 | Total Fat: 8.2g | Cholesterol: 4mg

Cauliflower Info:

This food is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese.


This is a great vegetable and it is amazing to see it grow. One of my favorites to watch. I would like to remind everyone to properly clean your cauliflower and broccoli. As you know we don't use any pesticides on the farm. So occasionally their is a tiny bug on the broc. florets and the cauliflower. I clean mine first by soaking them in the sink in luke warm water with a touch of salt for maybe ten minutes or so. This seems to draw out any bugs and cleans the produce. Once I take it out of the sink, I simply just wash it with cold water and then enjoy.


Happy Eating This Week,


Chris

Cauliflower Suggestion:)

Cauliflower Au Gratin Recipe


Ingredients for Cauliflower Au Gratin Recipe

  • 1 Large Cauliflower
  • 1 ounce brown bread crumbs
  • 1 ounce butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 gill milk
  • 3 ounces grated cheese
  • Pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Clean, and partly boil the cauliflower, and drain it well.
  2. Make a sauce as follows: Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, pour the milk in, and let it boil for ten minutes, stirring all the time; then add the cheese and pepper.
  3. Pour this sauce over the cauliflower, broken into flowerets, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, and put into a Dutch oven for fifteen minutes, until browned all over.
  4. It must be served very hot.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

C.S.A. Week 3

This week we will be continuing to harvest our back field. We will continue our Kohlrabi tradition that we have going. Just a few less. Other items, Lettuce, Cauliflower, Broccoli. I will be updating recipe's shortly.

Thz. Chris

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Grilling Greens!


Try something new on the Grill, it is that time of the year to get the grill out if you have not already.....I have;)


Grilling on the Rack

  • 1
    Buy a stalk of fresh broccoli, looking for tight green buds. Pre-packaged broccoli doesn't work well on the grill because companies chop it into small pieces for packaging.
  • 2
    Slice the broccoli stalk lengthwise cutting it into three or four stalks. If your main broccoli stalk is thick, you may need more than three or four smaller stalks.
  • 3
    Blanch the broccoli for approximately 3 to 5 minutes or until the broccoli turns bright green. This reduces grill time and helps the broccoli absorb marinades and seasonings.
  • 4
    Season the broccoli by using a marinade or sprinkling it with salts. Grocery stores sell marinades for grilling, or you can make a simple marinade of olive oil and lemon juice at home.
  • 5
    Spray the broccoli with cooking spray or rub it down with olive oil before sprinkling on seasonings. Use regular salt and pepper, seasoned salt, garlic salt or onion salt instead of a marinade.
  • 6
    Place the broccoli directly on the grill over medium to low heat. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, basting with extra marinade. The broccoli is done when it is tender and slightly charred.

Brocoli Salad: Suggestion


Fresh Broccoli Salad


Ingredients

  • 10 slices bacon
  • 1 head fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds

Directions

  1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the broccoli, onion and raisins. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over broccoli mixture, and toss until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
  3. Before serving, toss salad with crumbled bacon and sunflower seeds.

Can substitute bacon or not use bacon if you are not a meat eater.

Thanks Chris 
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