Two Small Farms Newsletter #398

Issue Number 398, May 30th 2007

In your box this week

Salad Mix
Strawberries
Green Onions
Summer Squash OR Artichokes
Lacinato Kale
Loose Spinach
Basil
Mystery*

*why a mystery? Andy thought he'd put carrots in this week, but then the cauliflower decided to be PERFECT. But cauliflower is funny, when it's ready you have to cut it, there's no wiggle room. So some will get cauliflower, others possibly broccoli di cicco, and still others round carrots. it's like a surprise. -julia

From Jeanne and Steve at High Ground Organics:

We loved meeting so many of you this weekend at Kids' Day! Somebody left a little black and brown stuffed bear at the farm. Let us know who you are and we will send it back to you.

This Is Not A Problem by Andy

My alibi was airtight-at the time of the crime, on March 3rd, 2007, I was with my wife and children in a minivan, driving westward on the 10, traveling from Palm Springs to Los Angeles. But while we were rolling past the Morongo Indian Casino in Cabezon some perverse soul set a small plastic bag full of ladybugs on the floor inside in the gallery of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. There was an exhibition of Belgian artist Rene Magritte's work going on at the time. A security guard observed the ladybugs escaping the bag. The crowded museum galleries were evacuated, and the ladybugs were apprehended. The March fourth edition of the LA Times reported that "no one was injured and no artworks were damaged."

What did the L.A. Times expect? Were the ladybugs likely to jump on museum patrons and suck their blood? Obviously no, because ladybugs eat insects that feed on plants. Just imagine the predicament the poor ladybugs found themselves in, stuck in a sterile museum environment with hard floors and threatened by humans in squeaky shoes milling about as they gazed at weird paintings. I can see a ladybug flying towards a "window" only to discover that it's no window to the outside at all, but a framed painting of an open window, with blue skies in the background and ranks of impassive, black-suited men in bowler hats painted shoulder to shoulder outside staring at the viewer, obstructing their "view"-The Month Of The Grape Harvest, Rene Magritte1959 reads the caption.

My farm is named after the ladybug-mariquita means ladybug in Spanish-and I count on beneficial insects like the ladybug to control the insect pests on my farm. I can hardly imagine a cuter or more useful insect friend than the ladybug. If I didn't have ladybugs on my farm I'd have to buy some. I'm proud to say that I'm gradually creating an environment on the farm that attracts ladybugs from around the area and convinces them to stay. We had an open house at our farm last year. Children came to the fields and they were excited to find ladybugs crawling around . I wanted to tell the curator at the L.A. County Museum of Art and the editor at the L.A. Times that "no one was injured."

I also wanted to see the Magritte exhibit, so the next day I went to the museum. Too late. The woman selling tickets said the show was closed for good. I was expressing my heartfelt disappointment when I saw that she was observing me with a wary eye. It occurred to me that I was wearing my Mariquita Farm T shirt printed with a patter that has a number of ladybugs crawling about upon it and I had my Mariquita Farm hat on that is dotted with ladybugs. Did she think that the criminal was returning to the scene of the crime? I scuttled off before she called security. Reality would be hard for me to explain. There's a famous painting by Magritte of an apple with the words "Ceci n'est pas une pomme," meaning "this is not an apple." If I'd been in the gallery the day the ladybugs were crawling amok I would've taken a photo of a ladybug walking across the apple and titled it "This is not a problem."

Isn't it amazing that the public gets so freaked out about bugs and nature that (in)security guards feel they have to treat a hand full of ladybugs like a terrorist threat. People talk a lot about the dangers posed to public health by farmers using agricultural chemicals but you don't hear a lot about how homeowners recklessly contaminate their yards as they indulge their fear of insects. I'm hoping that the guards vacated the museum and inconvenienced the patrons just so they could save the ladybugs from getting trod on by careless visitors. I want to believe that the security guards took the ladybugs into the sculpture gardens outside of the museum and gently blew them aloft into LA's yellow skies, chanting "ladybugs, ladybugs, fly away home." Rene Magritte was a confirmed surrealistic, so he would probably have been amused at the chaos provoked by the ladybugs. I can handle surrealism-it's what passes for "realism" that's got me worried.

Copyright 2007 Andy Griffin

Where to keep the vegetables once their home

Everything should go into the fridge except maybe the basil. There are many basil storage theories out there: the important thing is that it not get *too* cold: if there are warmer parts of your fridge (for some that's the door) that might work. Some folks have put the basil in a jar with water and then covered it with a bag: that might work. You can change the water like a bouquet of flowers. I prefer to just make pesto or another dish and not fuss, but then again I'm married to the basil farmer. -julia (oh: and make sure to remove the carrot greens when you return home, the carrots store better without their greens.)

What to do with this week's box? From Nina S.

Here's my plan for the box:
Basil: My husband will make pesto. His favorite breakfast is a slice of wheat toast spread with pesto and topped with a fried egg. I'll also make pasta with pesto.
Salad Mix: I'll serve a green salad (probably with some nuts, chicken and/or cheese in it) with the pesto pasta.
Spinach: Spinach salad with hard boiled eggs, toasted pecans, and chopped bacon with a honey-mustard dressing and wheat rolls.
Strawberries: Sliced for dessert for as long as they last (never long enough!)
Green Onions, Carrots, Kale, and Squash or Artichokes: I'll put these in soup with chicken stock, chicken and potatoes, plus some sauteed onions, garlic, and fresh herbs from my garden.

Trade Box Theories

We began the 'trade box' (nearly all pick up sites have a trade box) as a way for members to easily trade certain items that their families especially enjoy or don't like so much. We begin each trade box with an item from our farms... the *theory* is that if someone loves fennel but doesn't like onions, they can remove the fennel we left in the box and leave their onions.

THIS IS NOT A FREEBIE box, please please only take something if you leave something. It's not 100% failsafe, if the item you don't want is the same as the only one in there, we suggest you find a neighbor or colleague who would love to take it home to eat. Occasionally someone may just leave an item there so there's more than one, we still ask that you only take one if you're leaving one: it's a nice 'extra' for the pick up site hosts. Thanks much from all of us at 2SF.

Photos

Lacinato Kale

Salad Mix

Spinach

Basil

Parisian Round Carrots

Recipes from Gail, Nina, Phyllis and Julia

SQUASH AND PEPPER SKILLET, from Taste of Home Magazine by Gail Davies

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
5 medium zucchini, sliced
3 medium yellow summer squash, sliced
1 small sweet red or green pepper, julienned
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and garlic; stir-fry for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper. Yield: 8 servings

Kale with cream (Irish) 4-5 servings

1 3/4 lbs Kale
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp double cream (I used heavy whipping cream)
a pinch or so of nutmeg, salt, pepper
2 Tbsp stock (I dissolved a vegetable bouillon)
Wash kale and strip leaves from stalk, then plunge into heavily boiling water. Cook 'til tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain well and chop finely. In saucepan, combine butter, cream spices, then add kale and stock.Mix well. Cook until well heated and sauce is slightly reduced.
(The sauce is just enough to offer flavor but not drown the kale.)
-Phyllis Mosher

Hot and Sour Soup with Spinach
adapted from Great Greens by Georgeanne Brennan

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth (high quality as this is a brothy soup!)
6 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bunch spinach, stemmed and leaves sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
3 Tablespoons light soy sauce
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3/4 Tablespoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil
5 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
5 Tablespoons water mixed with:
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, including half the green part, minced

In a large saucepan or a soup pot over high heat, bring the broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add the mushrooms and spinach, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, sesame oil, chile oil, and tofu and stir. Then stir in the water and cornstarch mixture and the eg, and cook for 1 minute.

Ladle soup into soup bowls, and garnish with the cilantro and green onions.

Five Spice Scallion Soba Noodles
adapted from Spices of Life by Nina Simonds 6-8 servings

1 recipe 5 spice hoisin tofu (recipe is below)
4 cups good quality vegetable broth (or chicken broth!)
2 cups water
1/2 cup sake or wine
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups scallions (about 10 scallions), mainly greens, cut finely into diagonal slices
1/2 pound young spinach, rinsed and spun dry
1/2 pound soba noodles

First: Prepare the Five Spice Tofu (recipe below) Let cool and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices that are about 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, making sure that the slices are still coated with the hoisin marinade.

Second: While the tofu is baking, mix the broth, water, rice wine, minced ginger, and soy sauce together in a large pot and heat until very hot. Cook for about 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add the tofu slices and scallions and cook until the liquid comes back to a boil. Add the spinach and stir carefully. Cook briefly until the spinach leaves are slightly wilted and then turn off the heat. Taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary.

Third: Meanwhile bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add the soba noodles, and stir to separate. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse under warm water, and portion into serving bowls Spoon some of the broth, tofu, and spinach over the noodles and serve.

Five Spice Hoisin Tofu
adapted from Spices of Life by Nina Simonds

Mix together the marinade:

3/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup rice wine or sake
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon five spice powder*
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

pour marinade over: 1 1/2 pounds firm tofu, drained and cut in half through the thickness

Let tofu sit for an hour at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Then arrange tofu on a rimmed cookie sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil. Pour the marinade on top and bake for 35 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool slightly. Cut into pieces that are 1/2 inch thick, 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Spoon some of the cooked marinade on top and serve, or use as directed in recipes.

Fresh Basil Dressing

1 Tablespoon fresh minced garlic
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
S & P to taste
2 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Whirl everything together in a blender.

Green Onion Drop Biscuits

Tips: Use a food processor to combine dry ingredients and shortening. Pulse a few times until the mixture is the size of peas. If you don't have buttermilk, you can substitute plain yogurt.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in green onions. Add buttermilk, stirring just until flour mixture is moist.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 biscuit)

CALORIES 111 (26% from fat); FAT 3.2g (sat 1g,mono 1g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 2.9g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 74mg; SODIUM 135mg; FIBER 0.6g; IRON 1.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17.2g

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1996

Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta Cheese, and Green Onions

8 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, divided
3 cups thinly sliced spinach
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Combine water and quinoa in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain in a sieve over a bowl, reserving cooking liquid; add enough water to cooking liquid to measure 6 cups. Set quinoa aside.
Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add jalapeño and garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in potato, salt, cumin, and black pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 6 cups cooking liquid, quinoa, and 1/3 cup onions; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in 1/3 cup onions and spinach; cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and cilantro.

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 165(29% from fat); FAT 5.3g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 6g; CHOLESTEROL 13mg; CALCIUM 116mg; SODIUM 484mg; FIBER 4.1g; IRON 2.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 24.2g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1999

Basil Beer Bread

Olive oil for the baking sheet
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmesan
1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably ale
Flour for the work surface
1 cup chopped or torn fresh basil

Heat oven to 400° F. Oil a baking sheet.

In the bowl of a standing mixer on low, or in a large bowl using a spoon, combine the flour, yeast, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Add the beer and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with the basil and knead gently just until incorporated. Shape the dough into a round loaf and transfer to the prepared sheet. Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the loaf onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Tip: This dense, hearty bread is best when it's thickly sliced and served with a plate of fresh tomatoes or a bowl of summer minestrone. You can also toast it and drizzle it with olive oil.

Yield: Makes 1 loaf

CALORIES 336 (8% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 2g); SUGAR 0g; PROTEIN 12g; CHOLESTEROL 3mg; SODIUM 977mg; FIBER 3g; CARBOHYDRATE 63g
Real Simple, AUGUST 2006

Italian Pork Chops with Kale

2 lbs kale
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 thick pork chops
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 cup hot water
1 small can tomato paste

1. Soak kale and rinse it thoroughly then simmer for 20 minutes in pot of salted water.

2. While kale is cooking, heat oil in large, deep skillet. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes over low heat. Add pork chops and saute for 5 minutes on each side, then season with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds.

3. Dissolve tomato paste in hot water and add to pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes, adding water if sauce gets too thick.

4. Drain kale and stir into tomato sauce. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Kale-and-Cannellini Wrapinis
julia's note: an unfortunate name for an interesting looking recipe!

3 bacon slices
12 cups water
12 cups chopped kale (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 (19-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Romano cheese
Preparation
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot; add kale. Cook 6 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside. Drain the beans in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/3 cup liquid.

Heat the drippings in pan over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and garlic, and sauté 3 minutes. Add the crumbled bacon, reserved bean liquid, carrots, sage, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Uncover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in kale; cook 2 minutes.

Warm the tortillas according to the package directions. Spoon 1 cup kale mixture onto each tortilla; top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese, and roll up.
Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 wrap)
Nutritional Information

CALORIES 422(24% from fat); FAT 11.3g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.7g,poly 2.2g);
PROTEIN 19.2g; CHOLESTEROL 13mg; CALCIUM 255mg; SODIUM 862mg;
FIBER 6.9g; IRON 5.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 64.4g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2000

Which Farm?

From High Ground: Berries, Artichokes, Salad Summer Squash, Flowers
From Mariquita: Basil, Green Onions, Kale, Carrots, Spinach

To see a picture of the 2 farm families:
http://www.mariquita.com/images/photogallery/twosmallfarmers.hg.jpg

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Unsubscribe/Subscribe From/To This Newsletter
http://www.mariquita.com/news/newsletter.signup.html

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http://twosmallfarms.blogspot.com/
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9) Two Small Farms Contact Information

Two Small Farms
Mariquita Farm/High Ground Organics
Organically Grown Vegetables
831-786-0625
P.O. Box 2065
Watsonville, CA 95077
csa@twosmallfarms.com
http://www.twosmallfarms.com/
http://www.mariquita.com/
http://www.highgroundorganics.com/

Two Small Farms Newsletter #397

Two Small Farms Newsletter
Issue Number 397, May 23rd 2007

In your box this week: Carrots (yellow or 'round Parisian'), Chard, Basil, Lettuce, Strawberries, Baby Turnips, Fennel, Summer Squash, wild arugula or regular arugula

This blog:

What the deal with the blog? you ask... I started the blog as a way to get the newsletter out to you. The advantages of the blog are many: I can include a photo, I can make text into links instead of having the whole http... .com address for links, I can edit it as I see mistakes or changes that need to be made, I can do it from any computer, and the BEST: *They* manage the email list so I don’t have to do it by hand! So sign up: you’ll get a notice when I update with the list of that week’s vegetables: go to the following page and sign up by typing in your email address in the box on the right. Follow the instructions (you have to enter some letters they give you to make sure spammers don’t sign up for it and slow everything down.) -julia
sign up in the little box to the right.

For Sylvia from Andy

Loony Tunes afficionados know Sylvester The Cat, who eternally stalks Tweety, the caged (and cagey ) little, yellow canary. The name Sylvester comes to us from the Latin silvestris, meaning “of the woods,” or “wild.” Silvanus was the god of the forest. Sylvia was the nymph who danced to the music of pan pipes in the sylvan glade, and I grow a variety of wild arugula called Sylvetta takes Sylvia’s secret meadow as its natural habitat.

Sylvetta means “the little wild one” in Italian, but my crop is cultivated. I have a reliable harvest of Sylvetta from late spring thru first frost, but for a wintertime harvest I would need tp to sow this “wild” arugula in a greenhouse if I wanted to make sure that its tender leaves wouldn’t be toughened by rain or frost.

There are two botanically different herbs popularly known as Sylvetta that grow wild across Italy, Diplotaxis muralis and Diplotaxis erucoides. They are both distantly related to the common horticultural form of arugula, Eruca sativa, but compared to the domesticated arugula the wild arugulas are more pungently flavored. Even in cultivation wild arugulas grow slower than their “improved” cousin, and they go to seed faster; two traits that make wild arugulas a problematical crop to cultivate.

I grow Diplotaxis muralis, the Sylvetta type known in English as “Wall Rocket”.This wild arugula has the advantage of being a perennial herb that lends itself to repeated harvests. There are still people who forage for Sylvetta in the Italian countryside, but even in Italy most of the “wild arugula” that’s consumed is farmed.

American consumers who hunger for Sylvetta can’t go forage the crop in the woods the way a frugal Italian gourmet might because we don’t have this plant growing wild—yet! Sylvetta could become a feral herb that can be foraged for in the woods. It may happen like this.

Suppose I plant wild arugula at the edge of our field and harvest the crop for months until hard rains left the leaves battered and moldy. And suppose that the field stays wet and we can’t turn it under and plant a cover crop. The wild arugulas will continue to grow and flower. Before the soil is dry enough to turn over with the disk harrow for replanting some Sylvetta plants will have fully formed seed pods. When we go to prepare the field for the new year’s crops our tractor will inadvertently drag some of the Sylvetta seeds to the margin of the field where they will sprout and flourish.

Our climate in California is Mediterranean so rains come in the winter, just like in Italy. Any Sylvetta seeds that sprout at the borders of my field will find themselves perfectly adapted to the wilds of the Santa Cruz mountains beyond. As birds and mice spread their tiny, mustard-like seeds the wild arugulas will sprout to find themselves at home among other Mediterranean refugees like wild oats.

Sylvester The Cat won’t ever catch Tweety, but that’s because he’s gone Hollywood .You’ve got Sylvetta The Arugula in your box this week, but this is an herb that can hear the call of the wild, so in couple of hundred years you could have it in your yard.

(News flash: half the patch of wild arugula needs to be weeded, so some will get the wild arugula today and others will get arugula, we’ll switch it in a couple weeks.)
Copyright 2007 Andy Griffin

What to do with this week’s box? From Carolyn

The carrots will probably be cooked up as honey carrots. Slice thickly (1 1/2" thick). Throw in a small heavy saucepan w/a tablespoon or two of butter, salt, a good sprinkle of cinnamon, a big squeeze of honey and about 2 inches of water. Cover, bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer until tender (or until the rest of the dinner is ready.) Add more water if necessary and make sure not to let the sweet stuff burn! If there is still water in the bottom at the end, uncover and turn up the heat. Cook until nicely glazed.

The chard and turnip tops will be cooked with garlic and olive oil.

Romaine lettuce means Ceasar salad in our house. I use a recipe at Cooks.com Only difference is that I make the croutons in the oven by tossing cubed crusty bread with olive oil, chopped garlic, herbes de provences and salt and bake at 400 degrees on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes (or until nicely browned), tossing once or twice while baking.

The fennel will be sliced thinly and tossed with pitted oil cured olives, olive oil, lemon juice and maybe orange segments and red onion. Shaved parmesan on top.

Summer squash is quartered and sliced about an inch thick and sauteed over fairly high heat with olive oil, crushed garlic and chopped mint with a splash of balsamic vinegar added at the end.

Strawberries go in lunch boxes.

And the arugula. I adore arugula! It goes in a salad with chopped tomatoes, red onion and calamata olives. Olive oil and white balsamic vinegar as a dressing. You can get the white balsamic vinegar at most grocery stores and it's nice because it's not too harsh and it doesn't overpower the arugula like regular balsamic would.

Baby turnips will be quartered and slowly sauteed in butter.

from Julia:

you will get one kind of carrot or another: Yellow Imperator (long, sweet yellow carrots for raw or cooking applications) or Round Parisian carrots.

You’ll get either Genovese basil or Greek Basil: the genovese is the classic sweet basil. The Greek is a favorite among chefs for it’s intense smell and flavor. Pluck the leaves and add to a salad or cooked dish or fruit salad.... use just about anywhere you would ‘regular’ basil.
If you don’t get summer squash you’ll likely get artichokes. Both of these crops are hard to determine amount available when looking at a field: so Steve is using both of them to make sure that portion of your share is filled.

Basil Photo! Greek is on the left, genovese on the right

You’ll get either wild arugula or ‘directions to High Ground Organics

Photos
fennel
Young Turnips
Erbette Chard
Parisian Round Carrots
Yellow Carrots

Recipes from Nina, Eve and Julia

Salad of wild arugula, shaved baby artichokes and fennel
Total time: About 20 minutes
Servings: 4

Note: From chef Amy Sweeney at Ammo
(julia's note: I only read about 'food culture' in LA, when I visit family we eat at all the non glamorous restaurants: I'm lucky if I can convince my dad to eat at the local Jewish deli! It's delicious when I succeed. BUT Andy and I have been to Ammo thanks to Andy's friend from high school now living there: it's her favorite restuarant: it's a GREAT restaurant in case you're in LA! -julia)

Juice of 1 1/2 lemons, divided
1/3 cup best-quality olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 baby artichokes
1 head fennel
Small wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 pound wild arugula, washed and dried
Leaves from 4 parsley sprigs

1. Place the juice from one lemon into a large bowl. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
2. Place the remaining lemon juice in a medium bowl and fill with cold water. Peel the artichokes down to the tender core, and slice them lengthwise on a mandoline or as thinly as possible. Place the slices in the acidulated water to keep them from turning brown. Trim the fennel and also slice lengthwise, reserving in the acidulated water.
3. Shave the Parmigiano-Reggiano with a vegetable peeler (four pieces of shaved cheese per serving) and set aside.
4. Toss the arugula into the large bowl with the dressing. Drain the artichokes and fennel, pat dry and toss them into the bowl with the arugula. 5. Divide the salad among four salad plates and top with the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and parsley. Serve immediately.
Each serving: 276 calories; 4 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams fiber; 22 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 196 mg. sodium.

Wild arugula (also called wall rocket; botanically Diplotaxis muralis) has small, fleshy leaves and tastes peppery, clean, and sharp, quite different from the more familiar cultivated arugula, which can become medicinal and bitter when it's too mature. Substitute either young arugula or the inner leaves of curly endive or mesclun.

Puttanesca with wild arugula

Puttanesca is a forgiving recipe that's basically a rather doctored up version of 'Red Spaghetti': that's what our friend Bill calls red spaghetti sauce that so many Americans know. below is one version of puttanesca, the opportunities for substituting with what's in your kitchen are vast.

1-2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tablespoons basil, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch hot red pepper flakes
S & P to taste
2-3 anchovies, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives (many stores now sell them already pitted)
at least 2 32 ounce cans chopped tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
grated or crumbled parmesan-type cheese
1/3 tightly packed cup wild arugula (wall rocket), or young arugula,chopped
Hot cooked noodles (orichette or other)

Cook the onions in a large pot with the oil until transluscent. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook for another 20 seconds or so. Add the tomatoes and sauce and cook for 15-20 minutes on medium low, stirring once in while. (now would be a good time to cook up the pasta!) Add the basil, S & P, and olives and cook for another few minutes while you set the table and perhaps throw together a salad.
Add the wild arugula just before serving and pass the cheese for eaters to add or not as they choose. Enjoy!

Bruschette con Pesto di Rucola
Makes about 1 cup

The Bruschette
Cut into squares: slices of sturdy bread. Brush with olive oil and rub with a clove of garlic. Then grill or broil until light brown.

The Spread:
In a food processor or blender, combine til smooth:
A handful of arugula or wild arugula (the wild will be spicier)S & P to taste2 small garlic cloves1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts1/4 cup olive oil
Blend together to make a thick paste. Add: 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Top the bruschette.
Adapted from The Simple Grande Gardening Cookbook by Jean Ann Pollard

Julia’s take on Wild Arugula
I didn’t grow up eating wild arugula, or any arugula. I’m now a HUGE fan of both. Wild arugula is the spicier more assertive big sister to arugula. It’s a plant that grows more slowly (hence the higher prices in markets); and you don’t need as much of it in most applications. You can make a plain arugula salad with no lettuce at all and succeed with most eaters. Wild arugula is best chopped up with other salad greens to add a kick to salads. Andy and I love spicy food so I can put quite a bit of wild arugula in our salads.

Wild arugula can be added to all kinds of dishes both cooked and salad-ish. I love pestos of most varieties: arugula pesto is one of my favorites. Try a basil recipe and just use the wild arugula instead: toss this pesto with noodles or top crackers for a delicious finger food. Another of my arugula abundance standbys works with both varieties of arugula:

Prepare pasta of choice (I often use whole wheat); toss the hot noodles with chopped wild or ‘regular’ arugula along with chopped green onions and a hard grated cheese. Add S & P and possibly some lemon or a very light vinegar and you’ve got dinner!

For Chard or Spinach or Collards:

Soy Sauce Noodles with Beef and Greens From Quick and Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott
This is a classic Thai lunchtime dish: it would be great for a simple supper too. I’d eat the leftovers for breakfast! -julia

½ pound dried rice noodles
3 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons dark or other soy sauce
1 Tablespoon molasses, honey or brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
½ pound boneless beef, such as tri tip, flank steak, or rib eye, thinly sliced crosswise into 2 inch strips
5 cups loosely packed fresh chard or spinach or turnip greens or other cooking green leaves, cut up into big bite-sized pieces, or 3 cups broccoli florets
¼ to ½ cup water or broth, as needed, to cook up the broccoli or greens if using collards
2 eggs, lightly beaten

To prepare the dried rice noodles, bring a large saucepan of water to a rolling boil, add the noodles, and remove from heat. Let the noodles steep 5 minutes, and then drain and rinse well in cold water. Transfer the drained rice noodles to a med. Bowl and place it by the bowl.
In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, molasses, salt, and pepper. Place it by the stove, spoon and all, along with a serving platter, a pair of long-handled tongs or a spatula, and a slotted spoon for tossing the noodles. Have all the remaining ingredients ready and handy.
Heat a large, deep skillet or a wok over med-high heat and add 2 Tablespoons of the oil. Swirl to coat the surface, add the garlic, and toss for 30 seconds. Scatter in the beef and toss well. Add the spinach and cook, tossing often, until it is shiny, bright green, and tender and the beef is cooked, 1-2 minutes (collards and broccoli will need a splash of water and an extra minute to two of cooking.) Transfer the beef and spinach to the serving platter.
Reduce heat to medium, scatter in the noodles, and toss well. Cook 2 minutes or so, tossing and pulling the noodles apart so they cook evenly, and adding splashes of water as needed to keep them moist and prevent sticking. When the noodles have softened, curled up, and turned white, push them to the side of the pan.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Pour in the eggs and when they are almost set, toss to scramble, and mix them in with the noodles.
Return the beef and spinach to the pan. Add the soy sauce-molasses mixture, using the spoon to get every sticky drop. Toss everything well for about 1 minute until the noodles are a handsome brown. Transfer to the serving platter and serve hot or warm. Serves 2 to 4.

Silq bi’l-TahinaChard Stalk and Tahini
Adapted from Mediterranean Vegetables by Clifford Wright and Submitted by Eve N.!

This is an excellent idea for using Swiss chard stalks. Our erbette chard doesn’t have as much stalk, but you could still try this recipe with the stalks: or wait until you have a red, white, or gold Swiss chard bunch in your life! –julia

1 bunch Swiss or Erbette chard stalks, very roughly chopped(save leaves for another preparation)
1 teaspoon salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup tahini, stirred if oil and seed paste have separated
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 Tablespoons pine nuts fried for 1 minute in 1 teaspoon hot olive oil
1 teaspoon dried or 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped mint
6 loaves pita bread

Place chard stalks in a pot of boiling water to cover and steam/boil til soft, about 10-20 minutes. Drain well and chop. In a mortar, mash the salt and garlic together until they form a paste.
Place the chard stems in a food processor and run continuously until the consistency is smooth. Add the tahini paste and mashed garlic and run the food processor until they have been incorporated. Pour the lemon juice into the feed tube as the processor is running and process the mixture until the juice has been absorb ed. Remove the dip from the food processor and correct the seasoning if necessary.
Transfer to a serving bowl or platter; spreading it out with the back of a spoon and making fan-shaped furrows with the flat of a knife. Drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with the fried pine nuts and mint. Serve with pita bread. Serves 6

Recipe Index

RECIPE HINT: if you click on our blog page, the vegetable list words are links to the recipe pages:http://twosmallfarms.blogspot.com/(And! I can change it if there are changes made as Steve and Andy walk the fields on Monday, Tuesday, Wed, and so on.)

Which Farm? From High Ground: Berries, Turnips, Summer Squash, FlowersFrom Mariquita: Wild Arugula, arugula, Carrots, Basil, Chard
From Lakeside Organic Gardens: Lettuce
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8) csa@twosmallfarms.comhttp://www.twosmallfarms.com/http://www.mariquita.com/http://www.highgroundorganics/.

Newsletter #396

Two Small Farms Newsletter

Issue Number 396, May 16th 2007

In the box this week: Baby Carrots Chard (red or gold) Little Gem Lettuce Red Leaf Lettuce Beets: Red or Chioggia Sugar Snap Peas Strawberries Summer Squash

BEETS by Andy

In this week’s box you will get either a bunch of red or Chioggia beets. The red beet is the only beet I remember from childhood. It wasn’t until I grew up, moved away, and started working on vegetable farms that I learned that there were also gold beets, flat Egyptian beets, Danish carrot beets, Black skinned Crapudine beets, white beets, Chioggia beets, and huge yellow beets called mangles. None of these “different” beets are modern inventions or mere “decorator varieties”—they’ve all been around for ages in different parts of the world. This season we’ll give you some of these different beets to try out, but no mangles. I’ve always been curious to grow mangles, but they can weigh over ten pounds apiece when fully mature, and I don’t want to beet you up too bad. Maybe I’ll grow a crop of mangles some day and feed them to my goats. I can’t say that my kids love beets, but my does do, and so does my buck!

Having grown so many different kinds of beets over the years I can’t say that any particular variety is THE BEST. Sometimes chefs ask me to grow the white beet because they want a beety flavor for a soup but they don’t want the red of the typical beet to distract the eye from the presentation that they have in mind. The Chioggia beet is kind of a mix between the red and the white beet, since it’s skin is pink and a cross sectional cut shows that it’s flesh is marked by alternating red and white rings, like a target. I’ve heard people say that the Chioggia beet is the sweetest beet of all, but I don’t agree. The Chioggia beet doesn’t have the earthy a flavor as the red beet, so the sweetness is more obvious. The gold beet isn’t as vigorous in the field as the red beet or the Chioggia beet, but it is a very popular beet among consumers.

Beets aren’t hard to grow. I like to plant beets on ground that has already hosted another crop. Beets aren’t heavy feeders, and if the soil is too rich with nitrogen beets will develop a disfiguring black crack that splits the root. One way to avoid this malady is to plant a heavy feeding crop, like lettuce, to consume a lot of the fertility ahead of the beets. Then follow the beet harvest with a cover crop to build up the soil once again.

Beets are more than a major crop for us—they’re also a major weed. During the forties and fifties sugar beets were a major crop along the central coast. The crop was harvested and shipped by rail car to Spreckles where there was a large sugar refinery. Some of the rail cars were overloaded, so loose sugar beets rolled off the trains and into the ditches. Those beets sprouted. There’s enough sugar and water in the tissue of a sugar beet to sustain a plant from the sprout all the way to the flowering stage, so soon beet seeds were being spread by rodents and birds all over the place. It didn’t take long for feral beets to lose all their cultivated gloss and revert to being tough weedy herbs with woody roots. The beet weeds that infest our fields probably don’t look much different than the original plants that the early farmers started improving to create all the different kinds of beets that we enjoy today. And speaking of enjoyment, don’t toss those beet greens away! Strip the foliage from the stems and cook them just like chard.

Copyright 2007 Andy Griffin

Julia’s Beet Preparation Photo Essay

This is the first week of the Second Cycle
Second 9 week session starts this week! If you want to continue and have not contacted us or have not received a confirmation of payment – call or email us by Tuesday afternoon! Nine weeks is $180, or $234 with flowers. Call or email Zelda, 831-786-0625 or csa@twosmallfarms.com

Kids day on May 26th

Jeanne and Steve at High Ground Organics will be hosting the annual Kid’s Day at their farm in Watsonville on Saturday May 26th, 1-4 pm.
Kids Day Saturday, May 26th at High Ground Organics, 1-4PM. We'll have lots of good educational kid activities (bugs, birds, farm art), plus open space, great views, a couple cute calves to look at (from a distance, they're not tame yet)

http://www.blogger.com/www.highgroundorganics.com/farmevents.html
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5) Photos
Red Chard: (you'll get red or gold)

Beet Photo Essay (includes photos of the beets)
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6) Recipes from Jennifer and Julia

What Jennifer Grillo (CSA member) would do with this week's box:

Lettuce Cups with Minced Chicken

Gem Lettuce leaves, washed & spun dry (NOTE: Can also use Red Leaf Lettuce; just break 'em in half)
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 skinless boneless chicken breast, chilled (about 12 ounces)
3 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons dry white wine
Scant cup canned water chestnuts (about 4-6 ounces), rinsed, drained and chopped fine
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, cleaned and cut into small strips
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg white, beaten lightly
For sauce
8 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 small garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Preparation
Brush inside of each lettuce leaf with 1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce and chill.
In a food processor pulse chicken until chopped fine. In a small cup stir together cornstarch and wine and in a bowl stir together chicken, cornstarch mixture, water chestnuts, bell pepper, salt and egg white. Marinate chicken mixture 5 minutes.

Make sauce: In a small bowl, stir together sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
In a large saucepan with 6 cups salted boiling water cook chicken mixture, stirring constantly to break up lumps, until chicken is no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Drain chicken mixture in sieve.
In a large non-stick skillet heat vegetable oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook garlic, stirring until softened. Add chicken mixture and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add sauce and cook, stirring, until mixture is coated, about 2 minutes.
Divide chicken mixture among prepared lettuce leaves and sprinkle with pine nuts. Wrap leaves loosely around filling.

adapted from epicurious recipe

****Sinigang Na Manok****

2 1/2 to 3 lb chicken pieces, preferably with bones (I like a mix with mostly thighs)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 med tomatoes, sliced into wedges

1 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspon salt

1 tablespoon patis (fish sauce)

5 cups waterbeet greens, cleaned and cut into manageable strips

chard, cleaned, 'bone' removed, and cut into manageable strips

turnips, cut into ~1 inch chunks

1/3 pkg tamarind paste (or some other souring agent like lemon)

cooking oil

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the garlic until lightly brown.Add the onions, tomatoes and salt. Cook until the tomato skins are loose and the onions translucent.Add the chicken and cook for about 10 mins or until chicken colors slightly.Add the water and simmer for about 30 minutes until chicken is tender.

NOTE: If your tamarind paste still has seeds, remove about a cup of the cooking water and place it into a separate saucepan. Add the tamarind paste and boil it until the paste loosens and you can see the seeds.Use a mesh strainer to pour the cooked tamarind solution back into the chicken.There will be some paste in the strainer; just use a cooking spoon to stir it up in the strainer. The paste will come out on the other side, leaving the seeds in the mesh strainer.
Add the tamarind paste or souring agent and patis (fish sauce). Add the turnip, greens (chard and beet greens) and cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender.Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper or additional lemon (if it's not sour enough).
Serve alone or over steaming jasmine rice.

NOTES: - can add green beans (chinese or american) if you like - can use radishes in place of turnips - can use almost any green (spinach, for example) - I usually make this by taste; this recipe is my best guess on amounts. This is a very common recipe in the Philippines; you should be able to find a bunch of them online. Every family has a different variation!

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Julia’s Fastest Way to use this week’s box:

Many of my friends with kids are complaining it’s that special time in May when every event, every project, every fundraiser, every extra curricular everything: it’s all happening this week and next. So: here’s my Fastest Way to Cook Up and Eat this week’s box!

Strawberries: Eat them.

On a night you have 15 minutes to turn on the radio and prepare something: wash up and cook up the beet greens with the chard and some garlic in a bit of oil or just a bit of broth. Eat with a squeeze of lemon. Store leftovers for future addition to soup or melted cheese sandwich.

Beets: remove from greens and store til your schedule is a bit calmer: then bake them and let cool and make a simple make ahead salad with some crumbly cheese, green herb and a vinaigrette.

Lettuce: ask your family/room mates to prepare the lettuce into a salad everynight for dinner and or every morning to take to lunch at work.

Summer Squash: make a soup or saute for a quick lunch.

Sugar Snap Peas: these are delightful cooked up but since this is the quickest way to use the box: eat these as is like popcorn. YUM, and eeeeasy!

Carrots: see Sugar Snap Peas! There, you’re done, with little cooking if your schedule is busy.

And for the rest of you: real live recipes:

Sugar Snap Peas:

Roasted Sugar Snap Peas

1/2 lb sugar snap peas

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs shallots, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

S & P to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 2. Cut off rough edge of peas and a bit of the string along the side (your preference how much). 3. Spread peas onto baking sheet so that they are in a single layer. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with shallots, thyme and salt. 4. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Servings: 4

Sugar Snap Peas with Mint
Serves: 6

6 c. sugar snap peas

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 Tbs. fresh chopped mint

Bring 6 qt. of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add peas and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until bright green. Drain, place back in pan and add butter, stirring to coat evenly. Add mint and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Beets:

Salade de Betterave et de Mâche ~ Beet and Mache Salad

From Debra Fioritto Weber

Pronounced: sah lahd / duh / bet trahv / eh / duh / mahsh

2-3 chioggia or golden or red beets, roasted

1 lb. tender spring greens: lettuce or mâche

2 hardboiled eggs

roasted walnuts

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:

6 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons walnut oil

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground pepper

fleur de sel (optional)

PREPARATION:To roast the beets: Wrap the beets in foil. Place in a preheated 425F oven. Cook for 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Rub off the skins.
Place the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to dissolve the salt.
2. While whisking, pour in the oils and continue to whisk until the vinaigrette is completely blended.To serve:Just before serving, slice the beets. Toss the beets and greens together in a bowl. Drizzle on the vinaigrette and toss again. Serve garnished with the hard boiled eggs and walnuts. (You'll have extra vinaigrette.)

Chiogga beet salad

adapted from the LA Times: November 15, 2006

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus 1 hour standing time
Servings: 4
Note: From Christian Shaffer. Red and golden beets may be used instead of the chiogga beets.
1 bunch beets: any color
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 Tablespoons good-quality olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (scant) toasted ground coriander seeds
1 shallot, minced
4 ounces (1/2 cup) crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 tablespoons fresh mint or chervil or parsley, whole leaves or rough chopped

1. Boil the beets in enough water to cover, with 2 tablespoons salt, until tender, about 30 minutes, depending on the size of beet.
2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, coriander and shallot and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes. In another bowl, combine the crème fraîche, horseradish, one-half teaspoon salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Drain the beets and, while still warm, peel them. Slice them into wedges, about 8 to 10 per beet, and cool.
4. Pour the vinegar mixture over the beets and let stand, covered, at room temperature for an hour. Spoon the horseradish cream onto a platter, covering the bottom. Using a slotted spoon, mound the beets over the cream. Garnish the beets with the chervil and serve.
Each serving: 152 calories; 2 grams protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 13 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 12 mg. cholesterol; 285 mg. sodium.

Teriyaki Beets from Fresh from the Farm and Garden by The Friends of the UCSC Farm and Garden

julia’s note: you can add one finely minced clove of garlic to this sauce if you like. Any color beet will do quite nicely in this recipe.

12 small beets (or one bunch full sized, beets quartered)

4 Tablespoons butter or canola oil

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Boil or steam beets until almost tender (10-15 minutes). Rinse in cold water and cut in half. Combine rest of ingredients in small pan. Heat gently, stirring, until sauce is smooth. Brush sauce on beets and heat under broiler 5-10 minutes, basting frequently.

Sauteed Chard with Garlic and Red Pepper

Deborah Madison--Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves (or green garlic)

2 pinches red pepper flakes

1 large bunch chard

Salt

Juice of 1/2 lemon or a few teaspoons red wine vinegar

Heat the oil with the garlic and pepper flakes in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic begins to color. Add the cooked chard and toss to coat it with the oil. Add 1/2 cup water and cook until it's absorbed and the greens are heated through. Season with salt and a little lemon juice or vinegar.

http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/index.htmlhttp://www.twosmallfarms.com/http://www.mariquita.com/http://www.highgroundorganics.com/

Two Small Farms Newsletter #395

Issue Number 395, May 7th 2007
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1) In your box this week
2) Farming in Paradise
3) Renewal Time is now
4) Kids Day at High Ground now on May 26th!
5) Photos
6) Recipes
7) Which Farm?
8) Unsubscribe
9) Two Small Farms Contact Information
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1) In your box this week: Everyone gets baby carrots, arugula, kale, salad mix, radishes, mystery. Wednesday: bacon avocados and berries; Thursday and Friday: Fava beans and shitake mushrooms.

Quick notes on this week's box begins the recipe section: #6

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2) Farming in Paradise

No matter where I live it’s hard not want to eat like I’m living in Santa Barbara. I lived there once, for a year and a half. My first impressions have remained my best memories of that period—driving into town under blue skies a week before Christmas and seeing Poinsettia shrubs eight feet tall in full bloom at the edge of green lawns, with sprinklers swishing and palm trees waving.

Santa Barbara can be a tough place if you don’t have money. Working on a farm helped me eat like James Beard though, or better. The vegetable farm I was working on was between a lemon orchard and an avocado grove. At lunch some of the guys would go steal some lemons, and othe guys would pick up ripe avocados off the ground. We’d split the avocados in half, squeeze a lemon into the seed cavity, and eat them with our tacos.

I quit that job because, after rent, I didn’t have enough money left over to buy beans, and I went to work as a gardener. My boss let me move into his driveway, and for several winter months I slept in “mi bochito,” my V.W. bug. (I’m 6'1"!) I took care of his garden for “rent.” What I remember about that time was that someone threw a pineapple crown on the compost heap and it grew a big, vigorous plant that yielded a pineapple. I ate it. There were oranges, grapefruits, and kumquats hanging from low branches, and the banana plants in the yard yielded small, yellow bananas.

The climate in Santa Barbara is so mild that it’s almost cheating to farm there. Every crop seems possible, and every crop comes earlier than it does here in the north. Steven and I have developed a system at Two Small Farms to compensate for the disadvantages of farming beyond the gates of Eden. High Ground Organics and Mariquita Farm divide up the planting schedule between his farm on the coast and my farm inland; we take advantage of our different climates to grow a wide range of crops and we pass the responsibility back and forth so that we’re always getting seeds in the ground.

Here’s an update on how we’re doing at Mariquita Farm on getting the crops sown for you. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I’m hoping it will explain what we’re up to. I’ve divided the crops up into plant families because I always have crop rotations in mind. The differences between the demands that different varieties of any given plant family make on the soil are rather superficial. I always make my plans around the families, not the specific breeds, and I thought it would be fun for at least a few of you to see some of the surprising relationships between seemingly disparate vegetables.

Allium: In heaven every meal has an Allium in it. I’m stuck in San Benito County, but I’m doing the best that I can. Our first wave of onions are about a foot high, and the second and third waves are set to be transplanted out soon. High Ground Organics will be doing the scallions this year, and the leeks are their responsibility for the rest of the season. My chives are established, but I’m waiting to harvest until I have enough to give everyone a bunch. Our garlic is trucking along, with harvest projected for mid August.

Brassica: I’ve got purple, white, and yellow cauliflower planted, with harvest expected next month. I like to have the cauliflower harvest over before our weather gets too deadly hot. Spigarello was an experimental crop for us this year, and I’ve got one later crop in the ground to see how it fares under summer conditions. Rapini is done for Mariquita Farm until late Fall, but we have arugula getting bigger by the day.

Chenopodium: The Latin word for goosefoot is Chenopodium, and it’s the official name of the spinach family. High Ground Organic Farm grows the spinach for the Two Small Farms C.S.A. but we share the duties on some of the other vegetables in this family. We have regular plantings of Erbette chard going in the ground, and a series of red, gold, and Chioggia beet sowings. We’re also planting the namesake plant of the Chenopodium family this week, the antique vegetable Red Orach, or purple Goosefoot.

Solanaceae: The first potatoes are about six inches high and growing fast. The early crop will be all French fingerlings. Our second crop just got planted, including Austrian Crescent, Rose Finn, and Russets. The first wave of tomatoes is in the ground and growing. This week we transplant out the second wave. Eggplants go in when we’re finished with the tomatoes. I’ve found it’s a mistake to plant the eggplants too early, since they sulk in the ground when the temperatures are anything less that toasty warm. Finally, the first wave of peppers are all in and happy. They’re sweet peppers. I’m doing a pepper seed trial for Seeds Of Change, an organic seed company, so some odd-ball peppers will be available for aficionados at the U-picks.

Compositae: Steven is going to handle most of the lettuce chores this season, but I’ll start planting escarole in July. I’ve already got a crop of Jerusalem artichokes for fall harvest is roaring along.

Labiatae: Basil is just around the corner. The mint is growing back after our first harvests, an we’re waiting for the tomato harvest to begin harvesting the oregano. We’re propagating beds o Nepitella, and Savory for harvest in future years.

Cucurbita: Our summer squash are in the ground, but the first squash you taste will have come from High Ground. We’re putting in winter squash already, including Butternut, Delicata, and Tromba d’Albenga (a long, skinny heirloom butternut). Several kinds of cucumber are waiting to get transplanted, including the Armenian cucumber, and several pickling kinds that g well in salads too. We’re putting in the very unusual Chilacayote for a fall U-pick.

Umbelliferae: Our carrots are doing well. I have a crop of the funny, little round Parisian carrots that I’m waiting to fatten into cherry sized balls, and some orange Chantenay carrots are getting near to harvest. Red, yellow, white and purple carrots get planted out in July for Fall harvest. My crew likes cilantro, so the plantings are lined up like folks buying bus tickets. But don’t worry—we’re not going to overwhelm you. Parsley is slow to grow, but our next crop is now two inches high, and our herbal celery is growing too, but we’re going to count on High Ground for the stalk celery.

Our fields are full but I’m leaving lots of room open in my planting schedule so that I can respond to the inevitable surprises. Farming is never paradise, after all—it’s more like “pair of dice!”

Copyright 2007 Andy Griffin
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3) Renewal Time Is Now!

For those of you on our nine week schedule, this week is your last scheduled delivery! The second nine week session is NEXT WEEK, on May 16th/17th/18th.

Just veggies is $180; with flowers it's $234.

Please call or email the office with your intentions! You can mail a check to Two Small Farms, PO Box 2065, Watsonville, CA 95077-2065. Contact Zelda at

csa@twosmallfarms.com or 831-786-0625.

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4) Kids day on May 26th

Jeanne and Steve at High Ground Organics will be hosting the annual Kid's Day at their farm in Watsonville on Saturday May 26th, 1-4 pm. Stay tuned for details: they will be in next week’s newsletter.
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5) Photos & Vegetable storage

Arugula

Fava Beans: this is a picture of the beans maturing on the stem

Kale: Lacinato, or sometimes called 'dino' kale, we prefer the Italian name. This kale has thinner ribs and is excellent for cooking.

storage of vegetables:

all should be kept in the fridge except the avocados. Once the avocado is ripe you can extend it’s eating life a bit by then keeping it in the fridge.

Separate greens from roots (radishes and carrots). Store all in fridge.

To eat first: greens of radishes! They are great but they don’t hang out long. To eat second and third: salad, mushrooms. The kale should last at least 4-5 days in it’s sweetest state but should be consumed for best taste within 3-4 days. Berries: within 2 days, but many csa members have told me they successfully nurse their berry consumption with paper towels, single layers in Tupperware. Other members tell me the berries rarely make it home. :)

Mushrooms: eat within 2-3 days.


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6) Recipes from Julia

What I would do with the box:

Radishes and Kale:

I would cook up the radish greens together with garlic, because I'm a little boring and that's all I do. This could easily include the kale if you don't have other plans for it. If you just want to cook the radish greens, try washing and chopping them, then stirring them into soup: many kinds would accept these greens: pea, lentil, chicken, vegetable, etc. You can then use them in any recipe: wash and cut them up into ribbons ( I don't remove the kale stems, I just make sure they are chopped fairly finely chopped.) Kale can also be used in many chard applications, especially when spices are being called for, such as in Indian or other cuisines. The radish roots? remove from greens then eat them at your leisure. Excellent potato chip substitute!

ARUGULA: I love this in a green salad, with or without lettuce. If your family doesn't like the arugula salad thing your arugula can be cooked: see above! Or stir washed chopped arugula into a hot pasta dish with toasted nuts and green onions, the hot noodles will wilt the arugula. Feta or blue cheese would make it even better, in my opinion.

Fava beans: either shell them in while listening to a favorite radio or TV program, or get your family or visitors to help. Then proceed with a recipe from this page

Mushrooms: I don’t have a bunch of shitake recipes! I’m boring with these like my cooking greens: I tend to just sautee with garlic or make a simple soup out of them. Let me know you YOU use your shitakes! Thanks.


Couscous Salad with Arugula
adapted from Chef Ellen Ecker Ogden Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 cup green lentils
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cup couscous
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed into a paste with a sprinkle of salt
6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
2 cups packed coarsely chopped arugula or mesclun (salad mix)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese or rindless chevre


1. Place the lentils in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the lentils are just tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and transfer to a bowl.
3. In the meantime, bring 1 1/4 cups water and the salt to a boil over high heat. Stir in the couscous, remove from the heat, and cover tightly.
4. Let stand until the couscous is tender and has absorbed the water, about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir into the lentils.
5. Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, and garlic in a small bowl to combine. Pour over the lentils and couscous and mix well.
6. Add the scallions, arugula, and cherry tomatoes and mix. Season with the salt.
7. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours. Just before serving, mix in the cheese. Serve chilled.

Julia's note: I make something like this nearly every week. It's endlessly adaptable. vegan? leave out the cheese. Counting calories? ditto: leave out the cheese and use whole wheat couscous. You could also add cherry tomatoes sliced in half if you have a source, or grated carrot, leave out the lentils, etc.

LINGUINE WITH PECAN ARUGULA PESTO

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

3/4 cup pecans (3 oz), toasted
1 large garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 oz arugula, coarse stems discarded
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 1/2 oz)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb dried linguine

Finely chop 1/4 cup pecans (preferably with a knife).

Mash garlic to a paste with salt using a mortar and pestle (or mince and mash with a large heavy knife). Blend remaining 1/2cup pecans, arugula, cheese, oil, pepper, and garlic paste in a food processor until smooth, about 1 minute.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water. Drain pasta in a colander, then return to pot and toss with pesto, 1/2 cup cooking water, and chopped pecans, adding more cooking water as necessary if pasta seems dry.

Cooks' note:
• You can substitute 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley for the arugula, but then you should use only 1/3 cup olive oil (instead of 1/2 cup) in the pesto.

Makes 4 to 6 main-course servings.

Gourmet
November 2002

SPICED BEEF STEW WITH CARROTS AND MINT

This North African-inspired stew is good over couscous with a little lemon juice and chopped mint. Because it's made with beef tenderloin, it's ready in minutes instead of hours.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 ounces beef tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup sliced shallots (about 3 large, but you can substitute a brown or white onion or leeks here)
1 bunch baby carrots
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint, divided


Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Add beef to skillet and sauté until cooked to desired doneness, about 2 minutes for medium-rare. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add shallots and carrots and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Add all spices; stir 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour over; stir 30 seconds. Stir in broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until carrots are just tender, about 8 minutes. Return beef to skillet; cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Season stew to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped mint. Transfer stew to bowls. Sprinkle with remaining chopped mint and serve.

One serving contains the following: 568.44 Calories (kcal), 57.5% Calories from Fat, 36.33 g Fat, 10.34 g Saturated Fat, 110.53 mg Cholesterol, 19.64 g Carbohydrates, 5.68 g Dietary Fiber, 8.07 g Total Sugars, 13.96 g Net Carbs, 37.16 g Protein.

Makes 2 servings.

Bon Appétit
March 2007

KALE AND CHICKPEA SOUP

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large boiling potato(3/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 lb kale, stems and center ribs cut out and discarded, then leaves very finely chopped in a food processor (4 cups)
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 fl oz)
2 cups water
1 (14-oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 lb Spanish chorizo (cured spiced pork sausage), casing discarded and sausage cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)

Cook onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and pepper in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until onion and garlic are softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add potato, kale, broth, and water and cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, then add chickpeas and chorizo and gently simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 main-course or 8 first-course servings.

Gourmet
Quick Kitchen
November 2004

Recipe Index
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7) Which Farm?

From High Ground: salad mix, radishes, mystery item, berries, flowers
From Mariquita: baby carrots, kale, fava beans, mystery item
From Steve Marsalisi: Bacon Avocados
From Far West Fungi: Shitake Mushrooms

__________________________________________________________________________

8) Unsubscribe/Subscribe From/To This Newsletter

__________________________________________________________________________

9) Two Small Farms Contact Information

Two Small Farms
Mariquita Farm/High Ground Organics
Organically Grown Vegetables
831-786-0625
P.O. Box 2065
Watsonville, CA 95077
csa@twosmallfarms.com
http://www.twosmallfarms.com
http://www.mariquita.com
http://www.highgroundorganics.com

Two Small Farms Newsletter #394

Issue Number 394, May 2nd 2007

Table of Contents:

1) In your box this week
2) Buzzing Off
3) Renewal Time is here
4) Kids Day at High Ground now on May 26th!
5) Photos
6) Recipes
7) Which Farm?
8) Unsubscribe
9) Two Small Farms Contact Information
___________________________________

1) In your box this week: yellow carrots, baby carrots, spigariello, erbette chard, salad mix, green cabbage, either cauliflower or little gem lettuce, and a mystery item

Quick notes on this week's box begins the recipe section: #6

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2) Buzzing Off by Andy Griffin

This winter all the honey bees on our farm died. We weren't alone. All across the U.S. the honey bees from flew off from their hives, one by one, and never returned. It appears as though some condition caused foraging bees to become disoriented so that they couldn't find their way home. Scientists do not yet know why this is happening but they have a coined a name for the nationwide buzz-off -"Colony Collapse Disorder." This past weekend, at our farm's fava bean u-pick, I had a chance to talk to Greg Muck, our bee-keeper, and get an informed opinion on what's going on.

First of all, there is no scientific certainty about what has occurred. And the sky isn't falling either. According to Greg, the bee die-off was going on last year too, but the media didn't notice. Part of the seeming gravity of the situation may be due to that fact that the bee industry is doing a better job about publicizing its woes than it did before, and the press is playing catch-up in freaking out. But Greg's not discounting the problem. His hives did die, and he has replaced them with ten new hives. There is a swirl of theories as to what might be going on.

1. "The radioactive waves from the cell phone towers are killing all the bees."

This theory has a certain Luddite appeal to those of us who curse phones, and it is too soon to discount the potential hazards of cell phone towers, but Greg read the original studies and he found them to be seriously flawed as far as bee behavior was concerned. He hopes that the studies can be repeated by people who have bee-keeping experience so that the results are more meaningful. It's worth noting that we do have a new cell phone tower in our neighborhood.

2. "The bees are hungry."

This theory doesn't work for us, because our bee hives were surrounded by rapini flowers, eucalyptus blooms, borage blossoms, wid mustards etc. all winter long. I love honey, and I need the bees, so I'm not going to let them go hungry.

3. "The bees are stressed from being moved."

Some bee keepers follow the nectar flow from Canada to Mexico, but from the time Greg's bees moved from their original backyard hive in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury to Mariquita Farm they have never left the ranch, nor are they moved around the farm.

4. "Insecticide"

We use no insecticide on our farm. There is a large turf sod farm a mile away, and they may use systemic pesticides that could contaminate pollen. Bees do travel up to several miles to forage, but even our conventional neighbors don't use much insecticide in the winter. Greg has an interesting idea that the wax foundations that bee keepers buy for their bees to fill with honey might be contaminated with insecticide. Waxes and other lipids store toxins. The big companies making the wax combs for the bee industry may be buying tainted wax. Perhaps the answer is to back off on the productive demands made of the bees and let them use some of their time an resources to make their own natural wax again.

5. "Bio-engineered crops with pesticides spliced into the gene code."

This could be a problem. There are crops that have had pesticides, like B.T., spliced into their genetic code. Bacillus Thuringiensis affects moths and butterflies, not bees, but you can see the potential horror. If a pesticide is introduced into a crop's gene pool so that it is produced by that plant and is systemic within that plant, and if the toxin is expressed in that plant's pollen, then any potential pollinator eating the pollen or nectar could be destroyed. Since bees are only one of nature's pollinators, and we depend on them all, it would be wise for scientists to consider the full range of possible consequences before they go releasing bio-engineered organisms into the biosphere.

6. "The Australians."

Following the devastation of American apiculture by the Varroa mite infestation of the past few years the government opened up U.S. markets to bee importations from foreign countries. Lots of bees are being imported into the U.S. from Australia, and these new comers could be the vectors for bacteria, protozoa, and fungi that our American bees are not resistant to.

There may be even more theories to explain the massive bee buzz-off. Since bees are important to all kinds of industries, it's past time to do some research on how we can maintain their well being. Honey bees are an introduced species. It's also important to remember that native insects pollinate our crops and flowers from their refuges in the remaining wild lands. Farmers need to be encouraged to preserve habitat for native insects too, and the public needs to be taught to get past it's immature attitude that "bugs are bad."

We're keeping an eye on our new bees and waiting to see what science can learn about the problem. The bees seem happy, and I'm looking forward to having Greg sell their honey at our next farm field day.

Copyright 2007 Andy Griffin
__________________________________

3) Renewal time is here

The second nine week session is coming up soon! It starts on May 16th/17th/18th. Just veggies
is $180; with flowers as well it's $234. Please call or email the office with your intentions!
You can mail a check to
Two Small Farms
PO Box 2065
Watsonville, CA 95077-2065.
Contact Zelda at csa@twosmallfarms.com or 831-786-0625
_____________________________

4) Kids day on May 26th
Jeanne and Steve at High Ground Organics will be hosting the annual Kid's Day at their farm in
Watsonville on Saturday May 26th. Stay tuned for details. NOTE: this day is changed because Jeanne has family committments on May 19th, sorry for any inconvenience.

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5) Photos

Erbette Chard

Spigariello

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6) Recipes

Recipe Index

Spigariello note from Julia: can be steamed, sauteed, stir-fried, or boiled. Mix it in when cooking other greens such as kale, chard, collards, and mustard greens. It's great in any recipe calling for kale. How I like spigariello: First: this is truly called spigariello, I've been mistakenly dropping
the second "i" for months. Spigarello, also known in Italian as cavolo broccolo, is a relative of
kale, with softer leaves, more succulent stems, and a broccoli flavor.

Andy's note: I got turned onto spigarello by my friends at A-16 restaurant in San Francisco. I really like this green vegetable, and it grows well for us. A-16 restaurant took its name from highway A-16 in southern Italy. Follow the latitude line around the world from Mariquita Farm to Italy and you will cross highway A-16, so it is no wonder the cavolo broccolo plants feel right at home-the climate is the same, the hours of sunlight are the same, and they are surrounded by people who love them. I hope you do too.

Julia again:
I like this vegetable roughly chopped then cooked up as you would a big pile of broccoli florets.
There are more greens in the spigariello, so it will cook down a little bit more. Another good
cousin to it would be lacinato kale. How do you like to cook kale? Try the spiariello that way!
Chopped with garlic and pepper flakes of course. Or chopped then stirred into a bean or lentil or
split pea soup the last 10 or so minutes of cooking. Or steamed then added to a grain salad: I like
to make a 'main course, great for lunches too- salad with couscous, quinoa, brown rice, or
tabbouleh. Cook the grain and then let cool. Add a bit of olive oil or a vinaigrette of your choice
and plenty of chopped up vegetables: cooked (chopped) spigariello or kale, grated raw carrot,
roasted just about anything, herbs, and I like a crumbled cheese and toasted nuts. This is a
GREAT thing to have around when you need to pack a quick lunch. You can also make a whole
meal around this: you can add some meat (cooked of course) or not. Green salad, crusty bread,
wine or juice, and dessert and you've just made a memorable and healthy meal.

Chard Recipes

Braised Chard with Currants and Feta - Gourmet, December 2006

1 bunch erbette chard
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons dried currants
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 oz feta, crumbled (1/3 cup)
Cut stems and center ribs from chard, discarding any tough parts near base, then cut stems and
ribs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Coarsely chop leaves.

Cook garlic in oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chard stems and ribs, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add currants and cook, stirring, until plump, about 1 minute. Add chard leaves and water and increase heat to moderate, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in feta. Goes nicely served over couscous with toasted pinenuts.

Barley and Lentil Soup with Chard, Bon Appétit, February 2005

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled carrots
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
10 cups (or more) low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup pearl barley
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2/3 cup dried lentils
4 cups (packed) coarsely chopped Erbette chard (about 1/2 large bunch)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried

Heat oil in heavy large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots; sauté
until onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir 1 minute. Mix in cumin; stir
30 seconds. Add 10 cups broth and barley; bring to boil. Reduce heat; partially cover and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice and lentils; cover and simmer until barley and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Add chard to soup; cover and simmer until chard is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill. Season soup with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth, if desired.

Or here's a meat version.....
Lentils with Sausage and Chard, Bon Appétit, May 2000

8 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage (about 2 links), casings removed,
sausage finely crumbled
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/3 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 1/2 cups (or more) water
1 pound Erbette chard (about 1 large bunch), thick stems and ribs cut away and used in another dish, leaves coarsely chopped

Sauté sausage in large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat from skillet. Add carrot, onion and garlic to skillet; sauté until
vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, bay leaf, fennel seeds and rosemary.
Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until
lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Place chard atop lentils; cover and cook until lentils are tender and chard is wilted and tender, adding more water if mixture is dry, about 7 minutes. Stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.

Cabbage recipes

Thai Style Cabbage Salad, Gourmet October 1990

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup grated carrot
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves or 3/4 teaspoon crumbled dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or 1 tsp dried coriander
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a bowl stir together the lemon juice, the sugar, and the salt until the sugar and salt are
dissolved, add the cabbage, the onion, the carrot, the mint, the coriander, and the oil, and toss the salad well.


CABBAGE SESAME SALAD, Joy with Honey, Doris Mech

2 cups finely sliced green cabbage
1 or 2 sliced green onions
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

1/2 cup oil
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. vinegar

A few nice lettuce leaves

Marinate the cabbage with the onions and parsley in the oil-honey-vinegar mixture for at least 10 minutes in the refrigerator. Serve it up with a slotted spoon, placing individual portions on a nice bed of green lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serves 3


Roast Pork with Cabbage and Caraway, Bon Appétit, March 1995

4 teaspoons caraway seeds, crushed in mortar with pestle (or run them through a coffee grinder)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1, 3-pound boneless double-loin center-cut pork roast (or use pork tenderloin)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 carrots, peeled, sliced on diagonal
2 bay leaves
1, 2 1/2-pound head green cabbage, quartered, cored, sliced
1 12-ounce can beer
2 tablespoons light unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup canned beef broth

*Boneless double-loin center-cut pork roast is made by tying two boneless pork loins together. If you can't find one, ask your butcher to prepare it for you. Combine 2 teaspoons caraway, garlic, salt and pepper in bowl. Place pork in glass baking dish. Rub pork with spice mixture.
Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over
medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon caraway; sauté until softened,
about 8 minutes. Transfer to roasting pan. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat.
Add half of cabbage and 1/2 teaspoon caraway; sautéuntil cabbage begins to wilt, about 4 minutes. Repeat with 1/2 tablespoon oil, half of cabbage and 1/2 teaspoon caraway. Add to onion mixture; mix to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat. Add pork; brown on all sides, about 10
minutes. Set atop vegetables in pan. Add beer and molasses to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up
browned bits. Pour over vegetables. Add broth. Roast pork and vegetables 45 minutes. Turn pork over and roast until thermometer inserted into thick part registers 150°F., about 45 minutes or less Place pork on work surface. Discard bay leaves. Using slotted spoon, place vegetables on platter. Slice pork; place atop vegetables. Transfer Cooking juices to small saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Spoon over pork.


CABBAGE, CARROTS, AND ONIONS WITH SESAME

6 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 bunch green onions
1 lg. or two medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 head green cabbage coarsely chopped

Combine the sesame seeds and salt in a blender. Grind until they achieve the consistency of coarse meal. This is called gomasio or sesame salt. Set aside. Heat a medium-sized wok or large deep skillet. Add the sesame oil and the onions. Stir-fry over med-high heat for a couple of minutes. Add about a tablespoon of the gomasio. Keep stir-frying until the onions are soft and translucent (5-8 minutes). Add carrots and the cabbage, and sprinkle in about half the remaining gomasio. Keep stir- frying until everything is tender (another 10-15 minutes).
Sprinkle in the remaining gomasio, and serve. Serves 4 Still Life with Menu, Mollie Katzen

Carrot recipes


Natalie's Gingered Baked Carrots
I first sliced the carrots and roasted them in a glass baking dish with a little bit of butter at about
400 degrees. After 10 minutes in the oven, I sprinkled fresh chopped ginger, soy sauce, and
sesame oil over the veggies, added a little bit of water to the pan, and kept them in the oven for
another 15 minutes. When I took them out, I sprinkled them with chopped herbs from the CSA
box. [If you don't have cilantro left from last week, try your favorite combo of dried herbs] They
were very tasty and very easy to prepare! -Natalie S.


CARROT WITH TOASTED ALMOND SOUP, Gourmet, November 2006
1 cup sliced shallots (about 4 large)
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Rounded 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 small boiling potato (3 oz)
1 1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
1 cup apple cider (preferably unfiltered)
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Cook shallots, bay leaf, ginger, curry powder, and thyme in butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy
saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are softened and pale
golden, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add potato to shallot mixture along with
carrots, broth, cider, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Purée soup in 2 batches in a blender until smooth, transferring as blended to a large bowl (use
caution when blending hot liquids). Return to saucepan to reheat if necessary. Serve soup
sprinkled with almonds.

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7) Which Farm?

From High Ground: salad mix, mystery item, flowers
From Mariquita:yellow carrots, baby carrots, spigariello, erbette chard, cauliflower, Little Gem
Lettuces
From Lakeside Organic: green cabbage

_______________________________________

8) Unsubscribe/Subscribe From/To This Newsletter
__________________________________________________________________________

9) Two Small Farms Contact Information

Two Small Farms
Mariquita Farm/High Ground Organics
Organically Grown Vegetables
831-786-0625
P.O. Box 2065
Watsonville, CA 95077
csa@twosmallfarms.com
http://www.twosmallfarms.com
http://www.mariquita.com
http://www.highgroundorganics.com