Newsletter, August 13th

NICK’S FARM REPORT

August 13, 2010

Greetings to everyone, and we are hoping that you are finding creative ways to beat the heat this week. As I write this, we’re watching the lightening and rain out of our living room window, so maybe we are in for some cooler weather in the next few days. At least it is cool right now, anyways!

The featured item in your bags this week is the TOMATO, a fruit that has just started ripening in earnest. If all goes well, and if we avoid the late-season diseases to which tomatoes are so susceptible, we hope to be providing many more tomatoes in weeks to come. You’ll notice that we grow tomatoes of all shapes and sizes – some which are ripe when golden, and some, when red; some are pear shaped, some are more fleshy than others, some stay small and some grow to be giants.

You may ask, why do we grow all these different tomato varieties? Where do they even come from? Most of the tomatoes that we grow are varieties known as “heirloom” – varieties which have been known to breed true for more than 50 years. There are heirloom varieties of every vegetable and fruit known to humans! These seeds have been passed down through families, between neighbors, and across oceans as immigrants to the US have brought with them their most beloved vegetables from the old country.

Often, heirloom varieties have been found unsuitable for large-scale production, because of irregular shape and size, ability to withstand shipping, or for having a shorter shelf life. However, we think heirloom varieties are super, and we are not alone! Heirloom varieties often yield fruits or leaves that are funky shapes and colors, which just makes them fun to grow. In addition, heirlooms offer a wider variety of delicious flavors, vegetables suitable for specific purposes (like the Amish Paste tomato), and vegetables that can do very well in small scale production. Heirlooms can also have regional disease resistance, heat tolerance or drought tolerance, that makes them especially suited for specific regions.

The potatoes in your bag this week are “German Butterball”, a variety that we got from the Baker Creek Seed Company this spring. Baker Creek not only provides a huge selection of heirloom seeds, but is also committed to discovering and propagating new and lost varieties of heirlooms. Their catalogs are amazing to look at, even if you’re not buying anything. We’d highly suggest checking them out!

In the CSA Bag This Week:

German Butterball potatoes – These potatoes have been partially cured, and will store for a few weeks in a cool place. They should be eaten as a new potato, however, as they have not been fully cured!

Cippolini Onions –These onions have not been cured, so they should be stored in the fridge and used within a few weeks.

Tokyo Bekana – This bright green, delicate mustard can be included in salads as a raw green, as an excellent substitute for lettuce. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Baby beets and greens – These baby beet greens are tender and delicious, and can be sautéed or used as a salad green. The baby beets can be grilled, boiled, steamed, or roasted in a 350°F oven until tender. We recommend removing the baby beets from the greens and storing both separately, in your fridge, in a plastic bag.

Tomatoes – Store tomatoes on your kitchen counter. See the recipes for gazpacho!

Green Peppers – Store in your fridge.

Slicing cucumbers – Cucumbers keep best in the warm part of your fridge.

Summer Squash – These also store best in the warmer parts of your fridge.

Before we get to the recipes, let me first just say that many of the recipes, serving, and storing suggestions from the newsletter are lifted directly from my mother’s kitchen. She is an amazing cook who relishes vegetables like none else I know, and has fostered a great love for veggies in both myself and my sister over the years. One of my favorite dishes she makes in the summer is gazpacho. This year, she has tried a recipe slightly different from the one she made when we were little – I think it’s great, and have included both the classic and modern recipes for your enjoyment! - Becky

Mom’s Classic Gazpacho

(from the Moosewood Cookbook)

4 cups cold tomato juice

1 small, minced onion

2 cups freshly diced tomatoes

1 cup minced green pepper

1 tsp. honey

1 clove crushed garlic

1 diced cucumber

juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1 lime

2 Tbs. wine vinegar

dash of ground cumin

dash of tabasco sauce

2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt & black pepper to taste

1 tsp. basil dill, parsley, or other fresh herbs, if desired

Combine all ingredients, puree, and chill for at least 2 hours.

Mom’s Modern Gazpacho

(from the Wall Street Journal)

3 large tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 bell pepper, cored and chopped

4-5 inches stale baguette, no crust

1 small garlic clove

1/3 c. olive oil

2 tsp sherry or red wine vinegar

½ tsp salt

(Tomatoes and peppers can be roasted beforehand if desired)

1. Soak the bread in cold water for 10 minutes.

2. Peel the garlic and chop in a blender until finely minced.

3. Squeeze as much water out of the bread as possible, and add it to the blender, along with the cucumber.

4. Blend until smooth, adding a little olive oil if the mixture does not liquefy.

5. Once smooth, add peppers and blend again until smooth.

6. Add tomatoes, oil, sherry or vinegar, and salt, and blend.

7. Taste, season to taste, and chill. Serve chilled, over ice, if desired.

Newsletter, August 6th

NICK’S FARM REPORT

August 6, 2010

We’ve made it to the midway point of our CSA program! We sincerely hope that you are all pleased with the vegetables you receive each week, and encourage you all to keep contacting us with questions and comments. It has been very helpful to receive feedback so far. This week’s bag was especially exciting to pack (maybe it is the tomatoes?) and we hope it is exciting to receive.

You might notice this week that the leaves of the red bok choi in your bags have small holes in them. Don’t worry – they are still edible, and still taste great. These little holes are caused by flea beetles, an insect pest that targets mostly vegetables in the mustard family (broccoli, cabbage, kale, and boc choi!). While the odd spot on a leaf can be sort of a badge of honor for organically grown vegetables, we do as much as we can to prevent the insects from completely taking over our garden! Not only do non-moth-eaten plants tend to look a little better in your bag, but insect damage can also affect the growth of the plants.

Interestingly, the types of pests that we experience here are very different from those seen in other parts of the country. Some insects require specific weather patterns to propagate during the summer, and others don’t overwinter well in cold climates. Some have natural predators in certain areas, and others are still in the process of spreading across the country, aided by the transport of produce across hundreds and thousands of miles.

There are a few methods that we use to deter pest insects in our garden. In the case of bok choi, arugula, and other tender mustard greens, we use row cover (kind of like a light blanket) to physically block the insects from access to the plants. Some people use sticky traps around their susceptible crops to trap pests, or plant “trap crops” – plants that are more attractive to the pest insects than the crops that we are trying to grow. There are even some companion plants that can be grown which have natural insecticidal or insect-deterring properties and which can help protect food plants from insect damage.

Even given all these tools, an organic farm field is really teeming with bug life. In turn, this draws birds, frogs, and many other creatures to our fields to seek food. I love seeing a new type of bug every day – most of them are non-pests and super fun to observe as they go about their business.

In the CSA Bag This Week:

Kale – I’ve included a recipe below for kale chips! This recipe is one that we hear over and over again, and it is one of our favorites. Store kale in a plastic bag in your fridge.

Cippolini Onions – The variety name for these onions is “Gold Coin” – they aren’t as golden once we remove the peels, but the coin shape is still very evident. These onions have not been cured, so they should be stored in the fridge and used within a few weeks.

Bok choi – This variety of dwarf red bok choi can be included in salads as a raw green, and in a sauté or stir fry. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Celery – This celery has smaller stalks and a much stronger flavor than that which you typically find in the grocery store. We love it! Store in your fridge, in a plastic bag.

Tomatoes – These first early varieties are “Firecracker” and “Jersey Giant”. Store tomatoes on your kitchen counter. Enjoy with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and basil!

Broccoli – To store, place in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Basil – Store in a glass of water on your kitchen counter.

Slicing cucumbers – Cucumbers keep best in the warm part of your fridge.

Summer Squash – These also store best in the warmer parts of your fridge.

Kale Chips

Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Wash kale well, and remove the stems of the leaves. Tear or chop kale into bite-sized pieces (about 1” square). Toss with olive oil, sesame oil, or any other flavored oil to coat, and spread, in layers 1 leaf deep, on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, and pepper or any other seasoning that is desired. Bake for 15-25 minutes, stirring frequently, until kale begins to brown and becomes crisp. Remove from the oven, cool, and enjoy!!

Cucumber Water

We enjoyed some of this at the market last week, courtesy of the learning tent guru, Ann. She sliced some cucumbers into a jug of ice water, allowed it all to sit for a few hours, and poured. It was amazing to really taste the subtle flavor of the cucumber. You can add mint or basil leaves to the water as well, to impart a more complex flavor.

Stuffed Summer Squash or Zucchini

This recipe is adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

2. Cut squash in half, and scrape out the middle part of the squash (with all the seeds) with a spoon, leaving the shell intact. This was easier for me to do when I scored the inside of the squash length lengthwise and widthwise, to make little squares, which I then scooped out with a spoon.

3. Heat 1-2 tbsp. oil or butter in a heavy skillet. Sauté the inside of the squash with 2-3 chopped cippolini onions, 5-6 stalks of celery (leaves included), and some sausage, ground beef, or other meat, if desired. Stir frequently.

4. Cook until onions and squash are tender, then add 3-4 tsp. of chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. You can also add about ½ c. bread crumbs at this point, if desired.

5. Fill hollow squash halves with the mixture, and top with shredded cheese.

6. Place filled squash halves on a baking sheet in 1/8 inch of water. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the squash shells are tender.

Newsletter, July 30th

NICK’S FARM REPORT

July 30, 2010

Hello to all at the end of one of the longest hot streaks in Illinois history! It seems like the 80-plus temperatures are finally beginning to subside, at least for a short time. Ironically, the end of the hot weather brings with it the first inclusion of some hot-weather crops in the CSA bag… tomatoes and peppers (Woo-hoo!). I hope you are as excited about receiving these first few treats as we are about harvesting them!

We spend a significant amount of time caring for our tomatoes and peppers, from greenhouse to field. Seeds get planted in the early spring, in flats that are often heated in chambers or on top of heat-mats to encourage germination. The seedlings themselves get transplanted several times during their early life, in order to give them room to grow as large as possible before we plant them in the field.

Tomato and pepper planting time comes after the last chance of frost (mid May around here), and is a busy time for all of the farmers at Prairie Crossing. Folks take great care when planting their tomato starts, planting them with supplemental nutrients from calcium meal, earthworm castings, or compost, and irrigating them well right out of the gate. Once the seedlings begin to grow in the field, they must be staked or tied to keep them growing upright and to keep their fruits from resting on the ground. All the time that they are growing, we take care to enter the tomato patch only when the plants are dry (to avoid spreading disease) and try to minimize the plant’s exposure to tobacco smoke or smokers (tobacco mosaic virus is a tomato disease that can be spread via cigarettes!). The pepper plants are slightly more hardy, but still require lots of nutrients to produce those big, tasty fruits! After all this work, we are quite happy to see the tomatoes and peppers begin to ripen.

Tonight, we’re also happy because we got to take the night off to go to the Lake County Fair (which is open through Sunday, if you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend). We had a blast checking out the vegetable entries, flower arrangements, and all of the animals (OK, maybe Nick wasn’t too taken with the flowers, but I was). They have some great looking bunnies and chickens there, as well as at least one very friendly goat, some MASSIVE cows, and some antique tractors. The fair is an important part of Lake County’s agricultural heritage, and we were glad to be able to attend.

In the CSA Bag This Week:

Carrots – To store, cut the remainder of the tops off of the carrots (we’ve trimmed them significantly this week already). Store in a plastic bag in your fridge.

Jalapeno and banana peppers – These first peppers of the season are of the hot variety, and can be used in dips, salsas, and main dishes to add some spice. Store in the fridge, and they should keep for several weeks.

Tatsoi – Like bok choi, tatsoi is a very mild green, and a member of the mustard family. Tatsoi is delicious included in salads as a raw green, and also holds up in a light sauté or stir fry, or in any other dish where bok choi is used. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Arugula – Yum! This planting of arugula really features that awesome, characteristic arugula flavor. Store it in a plastic bag in your fridge – if it looks wilted, dunk it in cold water before refrigeration, and it should perk right up. See below for a recipe for arugula and tomato salad, which you can make using the….

First tomato of the season!!!! – It may be small, but this first tomato brings with it the promise of many more to come. Store this newcomer on your kitchen counter.

Broccoli – See the recipe below for broccoli and potato curry. To store, place in a plastic bag in the fridge.

New potatoes – Store in a cool, dry place, and use within the next week or two.

Slicing cucumbers – I’ve included a few more cucumber ideas below to help incorporate these great summer veggies into your meals. They keep best in the warm part of your fridge.

Summer Squash – These also store best in the warmer parts of your fridge.

Arugula and Tomato Salad
(Adapted from the website “Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska” by Laurie Constantino)

2 cups or more shredded arugula
Salt
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
8 - 16 anchovy fillets (if desired)

Sliced or cubed tomato

1. Whisk the olive oil into the red wine vinegar and season with freshly ground black pepper.

2. Mince the anchovy fillets (if desired) and mix them into the dressing.

3. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper or salt as needed.

4. Toss the dressing and arugula, and mound the tomatoes on top of the greens (there may be leftover dressing). Serve immediately.

Potato and Broccoli Curry

1 can of coconut milk
3-4 tbsp. of yellow curry paste (you can find this at imported foods stores) or 2 tbsp. or more of curry powder (to taste)

1 head broccoli, cut into florets and stem peeled and cubed
3 large potatoes
½ c. sliced or cubed carrots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked rice

1. Chop the potatoes into small pieces and place into a large pot of boiling water.

2. Heat 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet.

3. Add the curry paste or powder to the pan, and fry for about a minute while mixing with a spatula.

4. Pour the coconut milk into pan with the curry paste and stir.

5. When the potatoes are tender, drain them and add the broccoli and carrots to the potato pan.

6. Pour the curry/coconut milk sauce into the larger pot over the vegetables.

7. Cook at a lower temperature until the carrots and broccoli are tender.

8. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot over rice.

More Cucumber Recipes

Yogurt-Cucumber Salad

Mix thinly sliced cucumbers with yogurt, salt, pepper, a small amount of honey, and fresh dill, mint, basil, in any other herbs. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Quick Refrigerator Pickles

(From Edible Chicago Magazine. For more details, see http://www.ediblecommunities.com/chicago/summer-2010/cooking-fresh.htm)

Vegetables to pickle: beet, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, corn, fennel bulb, okra, onion, pepper, string bean, turnip

Basic Pickling Brine

1½ cups white wine vinegar
1¾ cups water
2½ tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt

Optional seasonings: bay leaf, celery seed, cilantro, dill, garlic (sliced cloves), mustard seed, peppercorn, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Place the vegetables, sliced thinly and uniformly, into jars or plastic containers, pour the pickling brine over the top, and refrigerate. The pickles will be ready to use in 3 to 6 hours, but they are best if given a night to absorb all the flavors.

July 23rd Newsletter

NICK’S FARM REPORT

July 23, 2010

Another hot one this week, hardly remarkable for the middle of July, but we are glad to finally get a little rain. The major push has been to consolidate the irrigation so all the recent plantings and seedings can get some of that good H2O, while staying on top of the harvest and other cultivation jobs.

One lucky stroke we are thankful for finding this year is that our fields have a fairly minimal weed seed bank. This means that the concentration of weed seeds in the soil that we tilled is low, and compared to other fields we have worked in, we have a lot less hand weeding and hoeing to do. The current theory is that since the field we are working has been in alfalfa for decades, the wide variety of weeds we would normally finds has over the years been pushed out by the more tenacious perennial grasses and clover. What this means for us is more time for planting and harvesting!

One fruit of the garden that is coming on in a big way for us is cucumber (“cukes” in the business), so hopefully you feel taken care of in that department. Of course, the zucchini is coming in distressingly large quantities as well. In fact, at our market in Rogers Park there is loose talk of organizing a summer squash-aganza type celebration, including such delights as singing squash-o-grams, and ding-dong-ditching the local businesses with a gift basket of zucchini. We’ve included a recipe for cool zucchini-buttermilk soup and several cooling cucumber recipes below to head off this kind of behavior.

Also, I do recall receiving a few requests for such as pickling cucumbers, of which the garden is still providing a plentitude. Please feel free to call or email anytime if there is something you would like to arrange to receive a quantity of for your canning and preserving needs.

Another big deal for the operation this week was securing out egg license, which allows us to sell eggs at farmer’s markets. Over the last couple of weeks, we have been adding a some eggs to the bags according to what the chickens have been able to provide (they are still laying slowly). Now we are able to sell the eggs at market and start recouping the costs of feeding the layers for the last twenty weeks. A big thank-you goes out to all our CSA members, whose early-season investment made the chicken project possible. We will provide more eggs to the CSA as the season progresses!

In the CSA Bag This Week:

Red Ace Beets – To store, cut or twist off tops of beets. Store tops and bottoms in plastic bags in your fridge. The beet greens are delicious cooked as you would any other green, and I’ve included a recipe for beet-orange salad below.

New potatoes –Store in a cool, dry place, and use within the next week or two.

Green Beans – Remove the stem ends, rinse well, and boil or steam until tender. Store in your fridge for about a week.

Basil – Place your basil in a glass of water on the kitchen counter, cutting the stems fresh each day. Since basil does not keep well after being cut and wetted, we do not usually wash the basil thoroughly, so you will want to do this before you use it. This might be a good week to make pesto (see below).

Broccoli – Broccoli is a vegetable that matures all at once, which is why we’ve included it the past few weeks. I made “broccoli-green chips” last night by chopping and sautéing the greens in a heavy skillet with olive oil and salt until crisp and a little bit brown. Delicious! To store, place in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Summer Squash – To beat the heat, try the chilled summer-squash-buttermilk soup recipe below!

Suyo cucumbers

Slicing cucumbers – Cucumbers are plentiful during the heat of the summer, which is convenient, as they are renowned by many cultures as a cooling food. I’ve included a few recipes below that should help you beat the heat in the kitchen. Cucumbers can also be sliced into water jugs or glasses and are used as garnishes on many mixed drinks (who knew that cucumbers got around so much?).

Beet salad with orange-basil vinaigrette

Salad:

2 c. beets

½ c. finely chopped red onion

1 orange, peeled, sectioned and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Prepare the beets in one of two ways:

Suggested by my mother: Scrub the beets well and place in a baking pan covered in foil. Roast at 350°F until tender. Cool, peel (the peels should slip right off) and slice.

-or-

Suggested by Ann from the Glenwood Market: Peel the beets and grate them raw.

Vinaigrette:

1 c. olive or canola oil

Juice of 1 orange

¼ c. white wine or red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. chopped basil leaves

Combine ingredients for vinaigrette.

Combine beets with chopped orange, onion, and vinaigrette to coat, and chill for at least one hour. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Basic Pesto Recipe

2 c. fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan- Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. pine nuts or walnuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine basil, nuts, and garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times. Slowly add the olive oil while the food processor is on, then add the grated cheese and pulse a few times more. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pesto can be tossed with pasta, used as a topping for chicken and egg dishes, or spread on sandwiches. Yum!

Curried Zucchini Buttermilk Soup

1 tsp. olive oil

1 c. onion, chopped

4 c. zucchini, unpeeled and chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. curry powder

2 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth

11/2 c. Buttermilk

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and cook onion until soft, stirring occasionally.

2. Add zucchini and salt, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.

3. Add black pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, and curry; increase heat to medium-high and cook about 1 minute. Add broth and cook about 1 minute more.

4. Working in batches, puree zucchini mixture in blender or food processor. Pour into large, non reactive bowl, and stir in buttermilk. Let cool, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours. Serve cold.

What do I do with Cucumbers?

Cold cucumber yogurt soup (from the Moosewood cookbook)

4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber

2 cups water

2 cups yogurt

1 clove garlic

Several fresh mint or basil leaves

1 tbsp. honey

1 ½ tsp. salt

Fresh dill to taste

Puree everything together in a blender. Serve cold! Serves 4-6 people.

Cucumber smoothie (lassi in India, where it is highly regarded as a cooling drink)

Combine about 1 peeled, chopped cucumber with about 1 cup plain yogurt and 1 tsp. salt in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Season with pepper, honey or sugar, and/or fresh herbs (such as dill, mint, or basil).