Wednesday, June 27, 2012

What is Swiss Chard!

Chard, is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. While the leaves are always green, chard stalks vary in color. Chard has been bred to have highly nutritious leaves at the expense of the root. 

swiss chard


C.S.A Week 4 Items!!!

Well another cooker this week!

Items:

Zuc
Swiss Chard
Kale Or Lettuce
Radish
Kohlrabi
Garlic
Brocoli

Thanks Chris

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Pan Fried Swiss Chard




Ingredients
         4 slices bacon, chopped
         2 tablespoons butter
         3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
         1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
         1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces,
         salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place the chopped bacon in the skillet and cook until the fat separates from the meat. Melt the butter in the skillet. Stir in the lemon juice and garlic paste. Add the Swiss chard to the butter mixture. When the leaves begin to wilt, place a cover on the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Allow the chard to cook while covered for about 4 minutes. Stir the chard leaves to coat with the butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 333 | Total Fat: 31.6g | Cholesterol: 60mg

Monday, June 25, 2012

Broccoli Casserole




Ingredients
         2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
         2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
         2 cups instant rice
         3/4 cup chopped onion
         1/4 cup butter
         1 (16 ounce) jar process cheese sauce
         salt to taste,
      black pepper to taste
Directions
Cook rice as directed on box.
Saute onions in margarine until done.
Cook broccoli as directed on package and drain.
Mix together broccoli, soup, rice, onion, butter or margarine, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in a 9 by 13 inch oven proof dish.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 258 | Total Fat: 14.8g | Cholesterol: 38mg

Garlic Chicken




Ingredients
         2 teaspoons crushed garlic
         1/4 cup olive oil
         1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
         1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
         4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 299 | Total Fat: 16.8g | Cholesterol: 73mg

Garlic Kale




Ingredients
         1 bunch kale
         2 tablespoons olive oil
         4 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
Tear the kale leaves into bite size pieces from the thick stems; discard the stems.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the garlic in the hot oil until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the kale and continue cooking and stirring until the kale is bright green and wilted, about 5 minutes more.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 120 | Total Fat: 7.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg

Friday, June 22, 2012

Member Submitted Recipe: Bok Choi & Kale

I don't remember where I got the kale recipe online, but I got the bok choy recipe out of a Thai cookbook.  Here they are if you can use them:

Marinated Winter Kale Salad


  • 4 cups kale, destemmed and cut in a chiffonade
  • 1 teaspoon best quality sea salt (smoked salt would be fabulous here!)
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon orange zest
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup chopped red cabbage
  • ½ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons minced red onion
  • ½ cup chopped green olives
  • 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 1 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 Tablespoon best quality extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt/pepper to taste if needed

Method:
• In a large mixing bowl, add the kale, salt, orange juice, vinegar and garlic powder. Massage well with your hands for several minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and massage well

Let salad sit for 10 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings and enjoy!

Serves 4
 
Bok Choy with Crabmeat
2 T. oil (I use peanut)
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 large or 2 small heads of bok choy, chopped in 1-inch pieces
2 T. oyster sauce
1 6 oz. can of crabmeat, drained
6-7 cherry tomatoes, halved

Stir-fry the garlic for 1 minute, then add bok choy.  
Fry for 2-3 minutes until the leaves wilt but the stems are still crisp.  Add the oyster sauce and tomatoes, and cook for 1 additional minute.  Add crabmeat and stir well to break up clumps.  (To make this vegetarian, leave out the crabmeat and substitute soy sauce for the oyster sauce.)

Member Submitted Recipe! (Tuscan Kale Soup)

Chris,

Here is the Tuscan soup I was telling you about on Friday.  It serves 8, but freezes really well.  I make it and freeze in individual servings.

1 pound dried cannellini Beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin oil. Plus extra for drizzling
6 oz pancetta, cut into π inch pieces (We also use bacon instead of pancetta)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 ∏ cups)
2 medium celery ribs, cut into ∏ inch pieces (about ≤ cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ∏ inch pieces (about 1 cup)
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 bunch kale or collared greens (about 1 pound) stems trimmed and leaves chopped into 1 inch pieces (about 8 cups loosely packed)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Ground black pepper

Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container.  Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.  Drain and rinse well.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees.  Heat oil and pancetta in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered.  Add onion, celery, and carrots.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant about 1 minute.  Stir in broth, water, bay leaves, and soaked beans.  Increase heat to high and bring to simmer.  Cover pot, transfer to oven and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm) about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove pot from oven and stir in greens and tomatoes, return pot to oven and cook until beans and greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer

Remove pot from oven and submerge rosemary sprig in stew.  Cover and let stand 15 minutes.  Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig and season stew with salt and pepper to taste.  If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken stew.


See you on Friday!

Member Submitted Recipe! (Kale Shake)

Thanks to one of our members for this submitted recipe~


Here is the Kale Shake Recipe I promised you:

1 Cup Kale
2 Cups Fruit (fresh, frozen or a combination)
Ice Cubes
Water

Combine above ingredients in a blender. (I've used coconut water and fruit juice (orange, grapefruit, cranberry etc.) which is good.) Is also a great way to use up older apples or even frozen bananas. You can let your imagination go wild! Don't let the color discourage you. It can look a little "green" depending on what fruit you use. This is so easy and a great shake for on the go! I've even cut the recipe down a bit for a one serving size. Enjoy!


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Holy Heat (Farm Update) C.S.A

Hello All,

Well I haven't posted a farm update recently. Sorry the first couple weeks of the season I am extremely busy. So where to begin...The first issue I will be addressing is the heat. It has been so hot & dry. Normally this would speak disaster for a veggie farm. Nothing grows when their is no rain. Thankfully we have an irrigation system that puts out 100 g.p.m.! We have been using it frequently. Our well is 298 feet deep and is plugged into a massive aquifer! The pumpkins and the squash are all up and look quite nicely. We are approaching a transitional phase on the farm right now where we will start distributing more summer veggie's. We are getting ready to replant more lettuce. Also we started pulling the garlic and it is quite amazing. We are only distributing one bulb or head per member this week. Garlic is very strong so use this with care. The tomato's are flowering and fruiting and so are the peppers. This is great news as they are just around the corner. The eggplant is also growing nicely. Their is nothing on the farm currently that is not going well from a growing standpoint. The cabbage looks beautiful and I can't wait to get it to you. It is almost their. The purple cabbage is truly purple all the way through. It will look great mixed with the green in slaw. We had our first tour this week and it went great! The students had a blast and learned a lot about vegetables. I am pretty sure we over planted on the yellow and green zuc's! This will be fun, I promise I will try to get them all before they get to big. I have been seeing some baby frogs around the farm recently. This shocked me because the pond is only half full due to the lack of moisture! So if any of you want to come look around the farm for them, you can. Also please remember to wash all your veggie's before consumption. I always soak my lettuce and broccoli in the sink for ten to fifteen minute's in lukewarm water. The bugs rise to top and the produce is cleaned! 

Thz for Reading 

Chris 

C.S.A. Week 3!!!! (Items)

Dear C.S.A Members,

Well week three has arrived already. Things seem to be flying by in this heat.

Week 3 Items:

Kohlrabi
Bok Choi
Lettuce
Brocoli
Kale
Green Onions
One Head of Garlic

Thz Chris

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Spicy Bok Choy Slaw

Spicy Bok Choy Slaw Recipe












Ingredients

  • 1 head bok choy, finely shredded
  • 1 cucumber, seeded and finely shredded
  • 3 carrots, peeled and finely shredded
  • 5 hot cherry peppers, seeded and finely shredded
  •  
  • 5 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coarse-grain brown mustard
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons agave syrup
  • 1/8 teaspoon roasted ground ginger
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place the shredded bok choy, cucumber, carrots, and cherry peppers into a large salad bowl. Place the jalapeno peppers into the work bowl of a food processor, then pour in the apple cider vinegar, brown mustard, soy sauce, and agave syrup. Pulse several times, then process for a few seconds to combine. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss. Refrigerate from 1 hour to overnight. Before serving, sprinkle with roasted ginger and black pepper; toss again to serve.

Rosy Radishes


Rosy Radishes Recipe










Rosy Radishes



Ingredients

  • 3 bunches radishes
  • 1/3 cup plum vinegar
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

  1. Trim stems and roots from radishes. Slice into 1/4 inch rounds. Place in 2-quart non-reactive saucepan along with vinegar and water. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer over medium heat until radishes are somewhat tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer radishes to bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve cooking liquid. Let cool separately to preserve crispness of radishes. When both have cooled, combine in airtight container and refrigerate overnight. Serve the next day for best crispness. Makes 3 cups.

Grilled Radishes


Grilled Radishes Recipe








Grilled Radishes


Ingredients

  • 20 ounces radishes, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cube ice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
  2. Place the radishes, garlic, butter, and ice cube on a double layer of aluminum foil large enough to wrap contents. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly seal foil around contents.
  3. Place foil packet on the grill, and cook 20 minutes, or until radishes are tender.
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