Newsletter #402

June 27th 2007

Table of Contents:

1) In your box this week
2) July 4th deliveries on July 4th
3) Pigweed Festival
4) 3 takes on how to use this week’s box
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: Green Onions, Summer Squash, Strawberries, Lamb's Quarters, New Potatoes, Little Gem Lettuce, Carrots, Basil

This week’s vegetable list: I try to have it updated by Monday night, sometimes by Mon. am

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2) July 4th is on a Wednesday! WE WILL DELIVER ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 4th AS USUAL, even though it’s “July 4th.” If you will be out of town, we encourage you to find a friend to pick up the veggies for you. If no one can pick up the veggies for you, call or email us at least a day in advance and we can donate your veggies to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.

and:

Renewal time is here again:
The third nine week session is coming up soon! For renewing members on the 9 week schedule, your last paid share is July 11/12/13. Our third nine week session starts on July 18th/19th/20th. Please call or email the office with your intentions! Just veggies is $180. Veggies with flowers is $234. 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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3) Pigweed Festival

I’m not a native Spanish speaker, so I pick up what I can by listening. I read road signs, too. A trip down Highway 101 to King City had me wondering about Chualar. In Spanish an “ar” ending to a noun often denotes “place of.” A salar, for example, is a place where sal, or salt, is found. Chualar, then, would be place of the chual, but what is chual? Back home, I checked my battered copy of California Place Names by William Bright. Chual turns out to be the Costanoan Indian word for Chenopodium album, a common farm weed we farmers know and loathe as pigweed.


Chual was appreciated by Native Americans as a green vegetable. The nutritious chual seeds were used as a grain. The workers on my farm gather tender sprigs of pigweed, which they call quelites de ceniza, to cook with pork and serve as a side dish. In rural Mexican parlance, quelite, an Aztec word taken up by Spanish, means cooking green, and can refer to any number of edible herbs. Ceniza means ash in Castillian. Quelite de ceniza is the pigweed that has a silvery color to the leaves. There are other quelites in our fields that could be eaten if a person was hungry enough, but they are not preferred.


Then there’s the pigweed we grow on purpose, called orach. Orach is a fancy, red, old-world cooking green that is a close relative of quelite de ceniza. If you look at the world through rose colored glasses the two herbs look alike. Orach is also called “purple goosefoot.” The scientific Latin name for quelite, Chenopodium album, simply means white goosefoot. When we are between orach harvests I tell our customers who are orach fans to put on their own rose colored spectacles and buy some quelites de ceniza. If you don’t think you can eat quelites because you’re not fond of Mexican food think of them by their English names as “fat hen” or “lambs quarters.” Be careful how you think in English, though. The British have also been known to refer to pigweed as “dung-weed”or “dirty dick”.


I suppose that so many of our common names for quelite de ceniza reference animals because the plants are a very attractive and nutritious feed for barnyard animals, just as they should be for Homo sapiens. My fields at home are free of pigweed because my goats are quick to eat any that sprout. Animals, given the choice, seem to intuitively select the most nutritious foods.


The citizens of Chualar, California, could benefit from this nutritious weed, too, and rescue their town from its obscurity along Highway 101 by calling attention to their historical association with pigweed. Chualar is just a few miles to the south of Salinas, which puts it the town near the heart of America’s head lettuce industry. For years the farmers in Chualar have sprayed every weed they could reach with powerful herbicides, but maybe, if they saw the profit of tempering their farming practices, they might change.


Just as Gilroy has a garlic festival, and Watsonville has a strawberry festival, Chualar could have a festival to honor the virtues of Chenopodium album. I can see it now; “Welcome to the First Annual Pigweed Festival.” Taking into account the predominantly Hispanic character of the town these days maybe it would be more appropriate to call such an event the “Quelite Fiesta.” Driving down the freeway past Chualar I’m moved to appreciate the sonority of the Spanish language. What if the English had invaded California first? Can you imagine a road sign indicating the off-ramp to Dungweedville?


copyright 2007 Andy Griffin

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4) 3 takes on how to use this week’s box from Laura, Julie, and Nina

Fastest Way to use this week’s box from Laura

Here's my fast way to use up the box: the strawberries will be cut up and eaten with either ice cream or yogurt. I'll steam the new potatoes and dress them with some melted butter and herbs, probably rosemary. I'll saute some of the green onions in olive oil with garlic and almonds, add the lamb's quarters to wilt and grate some carrot over at the end. More of the green onions will be stir fried with summer squash, some of the carrots, and either tofu or chicken, then topped with peanut sauce and some of the basil. Any additional green onions and summer squash will be sauteed in olive oil and topped with basil. The lettuce will be used for simple salads, with grated carrot if I still have any.

How Julie would use this week’s box:

I get a kick out of using every last bit of what comes in the box every week. Here's what I'll probably do with this week's treasure:

First, I'll wash the strawberries and put them on the counter. They'll be gone in 5 minutes.

I'll cut the greens off the carrots and separate the leaves from the stems. I'll separate the basil leaves from the stems. Then I'll make a pot of vegetable stock with all the stems, some carrot peels, a green onion, a few dried tomatoes and a handful of dry garbanzo beans. I'll throw in some thyme and oregano from the last couple weeks. I'll freeze the stock for now.

I'll roast the potatoes with some green onions and toss with minced basil and carrot leaves before serving.

I'll use some squash and green onions in zucchini-feta pancakes, using the recipe in the original Moosewood cookbook. I'll throw in a handful of carrot leaves.

I'll make a scramble with green onions, grated squash, lambs quarters, basil and eggs and/or tofu.

We'll have lots of salads, using combinations of lettuce, lambs quarters, carrots, green onions and some leftover beet and cabbage from the last couple weeks.

That's the plan!

Nina’a Plan:
Here's my possible plan for the box:

Pesto, of course. Art's been pining for basil the last couple of weeks!
Oven roast the green onions, summer squash (thick slices topped with some parmesan cheese), carrots and potatoes. Serve with fish or steak.
Left-over roasted veggies can go in a pita sandwich with meat and/or cheese and lettuce.
Strawberries sliced with bananas for breakfast or topped with orange liqueur for dessert.
Spinach salad with beets, hard boiled eggs, crumbled bacon and toasted pecans and a honey-mustard dressing.

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5) Photos

Lamb’s Quarters: an heirloom spinach

Basil Bunches

A csa member who loves our carrots!: (photo courtesy of mom Tracy)

Lambs Quarters Spread photo (recipe is below)
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6) Recipes from Brigid, Sara, and Julia

Brigid submitted this:
It's from Cooking Light, and I make it all through the summer, adding other seasonal ingredients:

Strawberry Spring Salad

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups quartered strawberries
1 (10-ounce) bag Italian-blend salad greens (about 6 cups)
4 teaspoons toasted pine nuts

Combine first 6 ingredients, and stir well with a whisk.
Combine strawberries and greens. Add vinegar mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with nuts.

Sara’s Great Frittata Recipe:

The summer squash, green onions, and basil make a wonderful frittata. In the main bowl of a food processor, grate about two pounds of summer squash. Put the squash in a colander and lightly salt. Leave to drain, and put the chopping blade in the food processor. Add a healthy fistful of onions and the leaves from a bunch of basil. Toss in a couple garlic cloves if you have them, and pulse until well chopped. In a big bowl, mix around a cup of flour with a couple teaspoons of baking powder and about a half cup of grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese. Lightly beat four eggs and a quarter cup of oil (if you're feeling decadent and there are no vegetarians in the crowd, add a couple spoonfuls of bacon grease). Put the grated squash in a thin clean dishtowel or heavy duty paper towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Combine all the ingredients in the big bowl. You should have a thick, fragrant batter. Pour the batter into a greased 13x9 baking pan and sprinkle a little more cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees until golden, about 30-45 minutes (it depends on the moisture left in the squash). When cool, cut into squares and serve. These make great appetizers or savory treats at a tea or coffee.

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A few weeks ago I put a basil ice cream recipe in the newsletter and someone asked about in the comments on the blog version of the newsletter. So I purchased my pint of whipping cream and made it. Here's my reply, with the recipe as I made it underneath. Enjoy!

julia's basil ice cream post:

I finally made the basil ice cream. I followed the recipe as closely as I could, except I halved it. (that way I only purchased 8 ounces of heavy cream, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with that much basil ice cream except eat it all!)

I used 3 egg yolks instead of 3 and a half or 4 yolks. I left the mint liqueur out.

The ice cream was a dull green, I can see why it helps to serve in a frozen lemon half with a fresh basil leaf as a garnish. It was delicious as most ice cream can be, especially home made. I used our small Donvier maker, it's very simple.

The ice cream had a pronounced basil flavor, but it took well to the cream/sugar theme and didn't remind me of the usual garlic/cheese theme that basil finds in our kitchen.

This would be a GREAT dessert for any party where you want to impress your guests with something a bit adventurous, try serving with a more mundane cookie, like shortbread.

The Recipe:

Basil Ice Cream
Julia's adaptation, from a recipe originally gathered from Chowhound
This is an herbacious ice cream that would do well with a simple sugar or shortbread cookie. My 10 year old daughter enjoyed it. I plan to substitute pure mint leaves the next time I allow myself to purchase a pint of whipping cream! Mint ice cream = heaven in our household. I use a small Donvier ice cream maker (the kind that has a canister you freeze; when it's time to make the ice cream you assemble the frozen canister with the holder and cover and just do a few twists of the handle while doing everything else in the kitchen: it's VERY easy and no salt is necessary. I've successfully found one of these Donvier makers at thrift stores/garage sales whenever I've needed one in last 10 years. (I've purchased them for friends too.)

1 cup milk, divided
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cups whipping cream (8 ounces, one half pint)
1/2 cup sugar, divided
3 large or 4 small egg yolks
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

COOK 1/2 cup milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat until bubbly. Stir in basil leaves, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
PROCESS basil mixture in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding solids. Set aside.
COOK remaining 1/2 cup milk, whipping cream, and 1/4 cup sugar in saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, just until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat.
BEAT egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot milk mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in basil mixture and, if desired, liqueur; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Cover and chill 4 hours.
POUR chilled mixture into ice cream maker of choice and follow their directions. Serve in frozen lemon shells, and garnish, if desired. This recipe can easily be doubled or quadrupled for larger ice cream makers/crowds.

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Lamb's-quarters Spread
adapted From THE WILD VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK

Julia’s note: wow. This was REALLY good. I didn’t even have the avocado, that would have likely made it even better. I highly recommend this recipe.

2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 small red or white onion, peeled
2 cups lamb's-quarters leaves
1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted (I didn’t have one so I used 1/3 cup olive oil)
1/2 cup toasted nuts (I used almonds, the original called for 1 cup walnuts)
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives (the original called for: One 6-ounce jar low-sodium pitted olives, drained)
3 tablespoons hedge mustard leaves or seed pods(I left this out)
2 tablespoons mellow (light-colored) miso
1 tablespoon chili paste or 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1. Chop the garlic in a food processor or by hand.

2. Add the onion and chop.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and process or chop until finely chopped.

Lamb's-quarters Spread will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

julia’s note: this was a big hit with the three adults at table. We ate it with cucumber slices. You could eat it with crackers, or as a sandwich spread or a pasta topping.

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LAMBS QUARTERS (POULET GRAS)

Lambs Quarters or Pigweed is a common garden weed that grows abundantly in all parts of Maine. It is best gathered when about 6 inches high. But you can also strip the upper leaves of taller plants. Wash thoroughly and cook in a small amount of boiling, salted water until tender. It will cook bright green and taste much like spinach. You can also use Lambs Quarters or Pigweed in salads or soups.

LAMBS QUARTER SOUP (SOUPE AUX POULET GRAS) :

3 tbsp. butter
2 or 3 med. size onion slices
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Few grains pepper
3 c. milk
About 2 c. cooked, young lambs quarters, chopped lightly and cooking liquid

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Lamb's Quarter Quiche
Submitted By Jamie Schlemm

1 9" unbaked pie crust
1/2 t Salt
4 c Young lambs quarter leaves -cut up
3 Eggs
1 3/4 c Milk
1/4 c Chopped onion
2 c Grated Natural Swiss-cheese (8 oz) 2 T Butter
1 T Flour

Partially bake pie crust at 450 degrees for 5-7 min. or until light brown. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cook onion and leaves until tender and limp. Stir in flour and salt. Beat together eggs and milk; add vegetables. Sprinkle cheese in pie shell; pour in eggs. Bake 40-45 min. or until knife comes out clean when its inserted off center. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

NOTE: This is really good and don't tell people you made it with weeds.

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Steamed Lambsquarters
I found this on this website

Tribal Affiliation : German-American White Folk

Origin of Recipe : Offered by Carla J. Striegel... who learned this from learned through an urge to live simply and organically.

Type of Dish : Contemporary & Traditional

* Water
* Olive Oil
* As much Lamb's Quarter (Chenopodium species) as you'd like to eat.(a large, double handful makes a nice side serving per person)
* Fresh Minced Garlic
* Bragg

Directions

Lamb's Quarter is a common, non-native weed in waste places. If you are lucky, it grows in your garden. Although this recipe is really not too exciting for someone already familiar with this excellent green, I couldn't help but share it with those who have never tried it. It is my absolute favorite vegetable.

Gather any of the tender leaves and stalk--I prefer to let some keep growing in my garden and keep its tender shoots well trimmed. It is also nice to use the small plants that you have just weeded from around your "garden plants".
Steam these greens for several minutes (less than ten minutes, because you do not want them mushy).
Remove the greens from the steamer and place onto serving dish.
Pour a dash of olive oil onto each serving.
Top with minced fresh garlic and a bit of Bragg's.
Voila, you have the best meal this world could offer!

Note: Lamb's Quarter is a very common "weed" that is extremely nutritious. The seeds are also edible. To learn more about the plant, look in almost any book about wild edibles.

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lambsquaters note from blogger Mental Masala

In Mexico, these greens are called quelites (as are many other edible greens). According to Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, the word derives from theAztec word quelitl, which was used for any culinary green or herb. Since my first introduction to the use of lamb's quarters was by Bayless in Mexican cuisine, I cooked my bunch of lamb's quarters in two Mexican dishes. The first was in soft tacos, with the greens lightly steamed and topped with hot sauce and cheese.

The second was in a tortilla casserole, combined with cheese, corn, squash and crema (a relative of sour cream). The greens were excellent in both dishes, with a pleasing tenderness, a mild spinach-like flavor and none of the lingering astringency that I find in spinach.

Recipe Links:

Lambs Quarters

Greens Recipes (these would work with the lambs quarters too)

Basil

Salad Dressings

Summer Squash

Strawberries

Green Onions

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7) Which Farm?

From High Ground: Potatoes, Berries, Lettuce, Flowers
From Mariquita: Basil, Lambs Quarters, Carrots, Squash, Green Onions

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

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

Two Small Farms Blog:
http://twosmallfarms.blogspot.com/

BLOG ADVANTAGES: I can change mistakes after I post them. I don’t have to subscribe/unsubscribe folks. Old newsletters easily accessed. Links! (I send this newsletter out as plain text so more folks with differently-abled computer systems can easily read it.) You can sign up for email updates to the Two Small Farms Blog on the main blog page:
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

In the Box week of June 28th

Hello, I just got the *probable* list from Andy and Steve. If any of you are inspired to tell me what you would do with the box, email away: julia@mariquita.com thanks! the photo to the right is of a bunch of lambs quarters, an old fashioned spinach.

Green Onions

Summer Squash

Strawberries

Lamb's Quarters

New Potatoes

Little Gem Lettuce

Carrots

Basil

Farmers Who Write

Andy was one of several farmers featured in an article in the New York Times today:

Farmers Who Write.

Andy and I were gently chided by a CSA member who saw an article in the LA Times about him and asked that we let folks know when he shows up in an article like this. It's not 100% factual (Andy and I still do our every other week 'market' newsletter even though we no longer attend any farmers markets) but we're not complaining!

Happy June to all.

julia

Newsletter #401

Table of Contents:

1) In your box this week
2) Community of Food
3) Fastest Box Preparation
4) July 4th deliveries on July 4th
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: Gold Beets, Cauliflower, Spinach, Radishes, Romaine Lettuce, Spring Onions, Oregano, Collards OR Spigariello greens, Mystery

This week’s vegetable list: I try to have it updated by Monday night, sometimes by Mon. am:

**Wed. July 4th we will deliver our Wednesday deliveries as usual, even though it’s the 4th. Please find someone to pick up for you if you’ll be out of town or contact Zelda if you want to donate your share. Thank you.
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2) Community of Food by Zelda S.

(Julia’s note: Andy’s been bugging Zelda to write this article. She comes to us with a wealth of experience in working with CSA farms, including her own! Here’s a bit of her story.)

I first met Tim and John as the new, slightly panicked operations manager for a small food co-op in a small town in northern Indiana. “Operations manager” was a catch-all phrase that was to include cleaning the bathroom (a toilet next to the rickety ladder stairs leading to the storage area in the basement; later to be flooded as I was closing up one night by the upstairs neighbor’s washer. But that’s another story) as well as organizing the working members – members who volunteered a few hours a month at the co-op. This was the forum for meeting Tim and John, a wonderful breath of eccentricity. Tim was at first quiet and always eager to please. John was more interested in talking local politics or explaining why I needed a new bike helmet than in wrapping cheddar cheese. But they regularly came in two times a week to do their shopping and were faithful, monthly volunteers. I gradually came to match dozens of names with faces and we developed a wonderful working community around food.

Two years later, I left the food co-op to embark on a small business venture – farming! I and another woman, Beth, would work a small 6 acre plot at the edge of town and start a Community Supported Agriculture program. This was viewed with some suspicion – “must be some sort of new-age hippie thing.” And Tim and John were right there with us, still eager to please and still rattling on about the mayoral election (can someone really be elected on an anti-mosquito platform?). I saw more of Tim than John over the next five years. Tim worked as an organist for hire and had a pretty flexible schedule. He loved to see what we were up to and talk about what to do with flea beetles, when it is safe to set out his tomatoes and why in the world would I plant okra. Every week, he set off around the garden, taking in all the changes: the ground hog damage to the lettuce, the row cover blown off into the trees, the rust on the green beans, and the mysterious case of the disappearing cauliflower plants (ground hogs again). He also saw the superb spinach, the snap peas billowing in their rows, and the sensual okra flower. I so appreciated Tim and his interest.

Our CSA was quite small by California standards, only 45 members. Members came to the farm to pick up their veggies. Either Beth or I greeted them each week and they were welcome to walk the farm. We were initially surprised with how few took the trip around the gardens. A few enjoyed bringing their children or grandchildren to visit the goats and chickens. But aside from Tim, most were content to look out at the patchwork of vegetables and weeds and know that this is where just a few hours earlier their food had been harvested.

When I’ve spoken in recent years about Community Supported Agriculture to UCSC students at the Farm and Garden program, I have come away with a sense that they expect there to be an intense communal relationship with the members of their future CSA program. There is an expectation that you shouldn’t get “too big” as a CSA or you’ll lose the sense of “community.” I think I initially held that view as well, but I have come to see that community comes in many forms and facets. The community is formed among the co-workers or neighbors sharing a box of veggies. It’s when you sit down at your table and read our newsletter and the shared recipes and stories from the farmers and other members. Or when friends take turns holding a weekly dinner party made up of food from the veggie box and the farmers market. It is formed when a family starts cooking and eating together every week. This is how a community of people gathers to support local agriculture – you eat in community.

Seven years went by, and I had never been to Tim and John’s house. For awhile when he would stop by for his veggies and weekly stroll, his little Festiva would be loaded down with rocks for his path or more plants to go in the back yard. Tim had been reporting over the years on how he had slowly gotten rid of his lawn and what had gone in its place – rock lined paths leading through an edible landscape. And in the meantime, the business relationship with my partner had run its course, and I was through with farming and heading to California. Tim and John came into the bakery where I was working and presented me with an invitation to a bon voyage dinner. I accepted, with a lump in my throat.

When I arrived at their home, it was my turn to take a walking tour. Tim gave me the play by play of what and when he had put things in. “You remember, the year you had the eight foot high okra.” John had typed up the menu for the evening, trying to buy as much as they could from the local growers at the farmers market. It was May, so the variety was limited, but it did include a fresh greens salad with radishes and snow peas, roasted asparagus, and free-range chicken. Of course, since I would be moving to California, they decided we better top the evening off with a trip to Dairy Queen down the street. Who knew when I would again be able to indulge in a peanut buster parfait.

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3) Fastest Way to use this week’s box from Julia:

for all cooking greens: radish and beet tops, collards, and spinach if you’re not going to saladize it: rinse and then roughly chop greens. Cook up with garlic in a bit of oil. Then eat that as a side dish with a squeeze of lemon, or take it further and mix it into a quiche, top a pizza, stir into a hearty bean soup, or just tuck into a quesadilla. Cook up the radish and beet tops in the first day or two, they are delicious but don’t hang out very long. You can store their roots longer in the fridge in a bag.

Cauliflower: steam and eat. Dip in salad dressing if you like.

Lettuce: simple green salads every day til it’s gone!

Onions: use anywhere you use onions, or slice thin into a salad

Oregano: dry or use one of the recipes below.

Radishes: eat if you’re a radish fan, cook if you want to tame the spiciness.

Beets: roast and eat or grate raw into a salad.

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4) Wednesday, July 4th

Week of July 4th: Please note, this year July 4th falls on a Wednesday! We will deliver to the Wednesday pick up sites on July 4th. If you are to be out of town, we encourage you to find a friend to pick up the veggies for you. If no one can pick up the veggies for you, call or email us at least a day in advance and we can donate your veggies to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.

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5) Photos

Gold Beets

Radishes (you’ll get EITHER plum purple or candela)

Candela Fuoco Radishes

Purple Plum Radishes

Spring Onions

Spigariello Greens: (for recipes, these work well in any kale recipe)

Oregano

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6) Recipes by Robert, Crystal, and Julia

Oregano Before Tomatoes! It's got some of the same theories as Basil Before Tomatoes. You can easily try drying the oregano. (Basil doesn't dry well AT ALL: it's best to pestoize it and freeze it to keep it for the future.) But oregano is great dried. If you have a gas oven you can arrange the oregano stems evenly over a baking pan (undo the bunch). Put it in the oven with just the pilot light and it should dry nicely. You can also try hanging the bunch (possibly make a couple of smaller bunches) upside down in a dark, dry place. If you have a food dehydrator, try that, using the instructions. OR! Try one of the recipes below: all using fresh oregano, before tomatoes show up!

FISH FILLETS WITH OLIVES AND OREGANO

Elegant but easy, this fast fish dinner is simple enough to prepare on a weeknight and special enough to serve to company.

4 (1 1/4-inch-thick) pieces white-fleshed skinless fish fillets, such as halibut (6 oz each)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 very thin lemon slices
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup pitted brine-cured green olives such as picholine, halved lengthwise (2 oz)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

Special equipment: a 2 1/2-qt shallow ceramic or glass baking dish

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450̊F.

Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear fillets, skinned sides down, until browned well, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer, seared sides up, to baking dish (reserve skillet), then top each fillet with a slice of lemon.

Add wine to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits. Boil 30 seconds, then pour around fish. Scatter olives around fish and bake, uncovered, until fish is just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes.

Transfer fish to a platter, then whisk lemon juice, oregano, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil into cooking liquid in baking dish. Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over fish.

Makes 4 main-course servings.

Gourmet
Quick Kitchen
May 2006

Creamy Yogurt Oregano Dip

This would make a great sauce for falafel, hamburgers, or just crackers/vegetables as dip delivery devices. This recipe can be halved.

2 Cups Plain Lowfat Greek (strained) yogurt (see note below)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small onion, finely chopped (or two green onions)
juice from 1 garlic clove, (I used a microplane, you can also try a garlic press and just add the juice)
2 quick dashes of worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate to develop flavors, at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Serve as a thick sauce for lamb burgers, falafel, as a dip plate, etc.

Makes 6 Servings (About 1 3/4 Cups of Dip).

Greek Yogurt Note: it's a strained therefore thicker yogurt. You can use nonfat or full fat if you like. Trader Joe's sells a Greek brand and their own brand of Greek yogurt. You can make your own too: Set strainer over 4-cup measuring cup. Line strainer with paper towel. Add yogurt to strainer; chill until yogurt is thick (about 1 cup liquid will drain from yogurt), at least 2 hours or overnight.

CARROT SALAD WITH OREGANO AND CUMIN
I know there are no carrots in this week's box, but some of you may still have carrots waiting to be eaten in the fridge...

2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped fine
a rounded 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound carrots (about 8 medium), peeled and shredded fine

In a bowl whisk together oregano, cumin, zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste and whisk in oil in a stream until dressing is emulsified. Add carrots and toss to combine well.

Serves 8 to 10 as part of a tapas buffet.

Gourmet
January 1996

GRILLED JUMBO SHRIMP WITH LEMON AND OREGANO

Julia's note: I've made this dish: it's simply delicious. Plan to double the recipe if you have very many shrimp lovers at your table! I've successfully used smaller shrimp as well. I've made this in the oven using the broiler instead of the grill as well....

Gourmet's note: The citrusy dressing makes this dish a standout, and there's plenty extra to be sopped up with rice or crusty bread. Cooking shrimp in their shells keeps them juicy and tender. It all makes for casual finger food that requires plenty of napkins — which is part of the fun.

3 lb jumbo shrimp in shell (7 or 8 per lb)
4 large garlic cloves
3/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh oregano (from 1 bunch)
3 lemons, each cut into 6 wedges

Snip through shells of shrimp along middle of back using kitchen shears, exposing vein and leaving tail and adjoining segment of shell intact. Devein shrimp, leaving shells in place.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife or a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a blender along with lemon juice and pepper and blend until smooth. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream, blending until emulsified. Transfer dressing to a bowl and stir in chopped oregano.

Prepare grill for cooking over direct heat with medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Toss shrimp with 1/4 cup dressing in a large bowl and marinate no more than 15 minutes. (Texture of shrimp will change if marinated too long.)

Lightly brush lemon wedges with some of remaining dressing and grill, turning over once, until grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a large platter.

Grill shrimp on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using a gas grill), turning over once, until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to platter with lemons as grilled. Serve with remaining dressing.

Cooks' note:
If you aren't able to grill outdoors, preheat a lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) cast-iron grill pan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook lemon wedges and shrimp (in batches if necessary) in same manner as above.

Makes 6 servings.

Culinary Uses
Leaf: Blend with chili and garlic. Add to pizza, tomatoes, egg and
cheese dishes. Stuff fresh haddock with oregano and breadcrumbs. Rub
into roasting meat.
Stem: Give food a faint oregano flavor by laying stems on barbecue
embers.

Spanakorizo
Spinach and Rice
adapted from Meditteranean Vegetables by Clifford A. Wright.

note from author of recipe:
Some cooks like to slide several sunny-side-up eggs on top of the finished dish, and you can do the same if you like. Kefalotyri is a Greek cheese that can usually be found in Middle Eastern or Greek markets; replace it with provolone or mild cheddar if you must. (That's Clifford's opinion, use what you like! -julia)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup uncooked short-grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground if available)
3 Tablespoons freshly chopped mint leaves, divided
3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano or marjoram, divided
2 pounds spinach, washed will and trimmed of heavy stems (can combine with other cooking greens)
1/2 cup freshly grated kefalotyri cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over medium heat and cook the onion until yellow, 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook until coated with oil, about 2 minutes. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil. REduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice has absorbed most of the water, about 20 minutes.

2. Season with pepper, nutmeg, and half the herbs. Place half the spinachon top of the rice and season with the remaining herbs. PLace the remaining spinach into the casserole and cover. Cook until the spinach is slightly wilted, about 15 minutes, and stir to mix together the rice, spinach, and herbs. Cover and continue cooking, checking the casserole frequently, until the water is absorbed, another 30 to 45 minutes. Correct the seasoning, cover with the cheese, allow it to melt, and serve hot.

makes 6 to 8 servings.

spigariello idea from Crystal, gleaned from Michelle's blog "Getting Your Share"

Crystal said...

Hi. I am new to CSA. I found the
Spigariello delicious. I chopped it up, steamed it, then added it an already sauteed garlic and crushed red pepper in olive oil. Then served it over pasta. It was yummy.

in case you still have cabbage in your fridge: 2 recipes submitted by Robert Gupta

Sesame Cabbage

1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1 dried red chili

1 head Cabbage, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 tsp salt

"Popu"
1 1/2 tbsp oil (olive, sesame, canola, etc.)
1 dried red chili, cracked
1 pinch fenugreek
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seed

Dry roast sesame seeds and dried red chili in a pan over medium heat. Stir often until majority seeds are brown. Remove from heat and cool. Once cool, grind in a food processor or blender with 1/2 tsp of salt. Excess ground sesame can be stored in the refrigerator for further use.

To cook cabbage over medium heat, add chopped cabbage to 3/4 cup boiling water + 1 tsp salt. Cook until cabbage is desired texture. Once cooked, drain excess liquid. Add 1/4-1/2 cup ground sesame. Turn off heat.

Prepare the "popu" in a separate pan by combing all ingredients, heating over medium heat, and waiting for mustard seeds to crackle. Once ready, add to cabbage, stir and heat over low heat for 1 minute. The "popu" can be prepared when the cabbage is nearly finished.

Potato Scallion Curry

1 inch ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion,chopped
1 bunch scallions or spring onions, chopped
4-6 potatoes boiled, chopped (big pieces) optionally remove peel
2 small green chilis
2 tsp curry powder

"Popu"
1 1/2 tbsp oil (olive, sesame, canola, etc.)
1 pinch fenugreek
1/4 tsp mustard seed1 tsp cumin seed

In a large saucepan, prepare the popu. When the seeds crackle, add garlic and stir until aroma emerges. Add scallions,onion and green chilis. Stir until onions soften and become transulcent. Add potatoes and ginger. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add curry powder, stir for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Can be served as a filling for dosas, with rice, or chappatis.

Radish, Cauliflower, and Beet Recipe Seekers: please refer to the links below, I used my Recipe Energy this week on the oregano-before-tomatoes recipes, they are above and on my oregano webpage too. Thank you.

Recipe Links:

Radishes

Spinach

Oregano

Beets

Salad Dressings

Summer Squash

Strawberries

Cauliflower
____________________________________

7) Which Farm?

From High Ground: Mystery, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Flowers
From Mariquita: Onions, Radishes, Oregano, Beets, Spinach, Collards, Spigariello
_________________________________

8) Unsubscribe/Subscribe From/To This Newsletter

BLOG ADVANTAGES: I can change mistakes after I post them. I don’t have to subscribe/unsubscribe folks. Old newsletters easily accessed. Links! (I send this newsletter out as plain text so more folks with differently-abled computer systems can easily read it.) You can sign up for email updates to the Two Small Farms Blog on the main blog page
________________________________________________

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

Carrot uses, avocado care, and next week

Hello:

It's a gorgeous Friday in Watsonville and I wanted to share 3 things with you:

1) uses for any possible Carrot Fridge Backups
2) Avocado Care
3) Sneak Peek at Next Week

Carrot Backups? Some households easily go through their carrot allotment, others find them piling up in the fridge. I am going to post a few carrot recipes below to inspire you to make room in your fridge this weekend. It's a good goal at any rate. I hope I can follow my own advice! :-) Please do post your own favorite carrot recipes. thank you. -julia

Carrot Cake! What's not to like?
This recipe is adapted from Too Many Tomatoes... by Lois Landau

Sift together in a large bowl:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix together and add to dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten

Add to batter:
2 cups grated raw carrots
1 cup drained crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped nuts

Pour all this into a greased bundt pan and bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Or use greased 13 x 9 inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes.

if you like: frost cake when cool:
Cream together:
8 ounces room temp. cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups butter at room temp.

(help! any lighter creamcheese frosting recipes out there!?)

-------

Gingered Carrot Casserole
adapted from Too Many Tomatoes... by Lois Landau

Saute together:
12 medium carrots cut in 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup butter

Mix, then stir into the carrots:
1/2 cup light cream (half and half?)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Place into buttered casserole, cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

--------

Carrot Preparation Tip Andy learned long ago while delivering vegetables for Star Route Farm to Chez Panisse (I'm talking over 20 years ago!):

Andy ran into a high school friend who was interning at Chez Panisse (this would have been sometime in the 'early 80's) and she had mouthed off and therefore was put onto Carrot Jullienne Patrol, at least that's the way Andy tells the story. He remarked he didn't care for cooked carrots, recalling unfortunate huge chunks of cooked carrot in his grandmother's mutton stew. His friend taught him to always GRATE the carrots when adding to a soup or stew: they give flavor and body and heft and vitamins, but no unfortunate floating mushy chunks.

---------

Sweet Carrot Salad
adapted from 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat by Ellison & Gray

1 1/2 cups shredded raw carrots
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh preferred)
1 teaspoon grated root ginger
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Grate the carrot into long, even shreds, in a food processor if available. Measure the mustard and honey into a shallow serving bowl. Mix in the lemon juice. Grate the root ginger finely into a little pile, then pick up and squeeze it, so it's juice runs into the mustard mixture. Discard the fibers. Turn the grated carrot in the dressing until it is evenly coated. Add peanuts. Season with S & P if necessary and or desired. Serves 4.

AVOCADOS:

some of you got them in your box a few weeks ago, the rest got them this week. We ship them hard, they aren't ready to eat yet. You can store them in one of the following ways:

1) to ripen the fastest: place in a paper sack and leave at room temp. eat when slightly soft when you gently squeeze.

2) leave at room temp without the sack. Eat when slightly soft when gently squeezed

3) store in your fridge: they will still ripen but not as fast.

Sneak Peak for next Week:
June 20th through 22nd. Steve and Andy may change this list, check back on Monday and Tuesday of next week in case of changes; Please do email me or post here your "what I'd do with the box" ideas! thanks. -julia julia at marquita dot com

Radishes
Spinach 1 bunch
Collard Greens OR Spigariello Greens
Onions
Gold Beets
Oregano
Romaine Lettuce
Cauliflower
mystery

Two Small Farms Newsletter #400

In your box this week: Spring Onions, Strawberries, Thyme, Yellow Carrots, Salad Mix, Summer Squash OR Cabbage, Cauliflower OR Potatoes** (Wed); Avocados: Thursday and Friday. (A few weeks ago Wed received avocados.)

** A few of you might receive potatoes: use them within 3-5 days! Store in fridge! These have not been cured like store bought potatoes: they are truly fresh-dug. They will taste great (try a salad dressed with a simple oil and vinegar). They will not keep if left outside. Eat them up! More fresh dug potatoes coming for everyone in a few weeks.

Loaves and Fishes

Anyone who believes that world hunger is a production problem can get a different perspective by growing a zucchini plant. Yes, there are droughts, hard frosts, floods, meteors, plagues etc., but nature is usually fecund to the point of being profligate. Framing hunger as a production problem is a convenient way for policy makers takes the public’s focus off of how often famine and hunger come from inequities in the distribution of food.

At Two Small Farms food distribution is our business, so we’ve learned what kinds of problems stand in the way of spreading the wealth of the fields around. For our success we depend on the trust and support of our underwriters, so when members can’t pick up their share boxes we’re happy to pass on their boxes to charitable organizations in the community that can use the produce.

For quite a while we’ve donated share boxes to the Santa Cruz AIDS project when subscribers have alerted us that they won’t be able to pick their veggies up. But the Santa Cruz AIDS project isn’t close to our farm and their volunteer isn’t able to trek down to our farm any longer. SCAP is a vibrant non profit doing great work in Santa Cruz county with HIV positive folks. We wish them the best and hope to find other ways to partner with them. Starting this week we are working with Loaves and Fishes in Watsonville.

Loaves and Fishes is a soup kitchen in Watsonville (just one block from the post office!) that serves 40-100 people a home cooked meal every Monday through Friday, rain or shine. They also offer a food pantry. They are a 5013c and we have letters for anyone who is donating their share box and would like that for their taxes. (Ask Zelda if you need one of these.) Two Small Farms matches all donations, and we also donate leftovers from our packing.

Last Thursday I took some of Mariquita’s extra vegetables to Loaves And Fishes and snapped a couple of photos. I met the Executive director, Brooke, the head Chef, Maria, and three of their daily volunteers. What I loved was when I drove up with 10 totes of freshly harvested vegetables the people inside the kitchen were all excited, and so were the people outside waiting for a meal. Loaves And Fishes is doing good work and we’re happy to help as we can.

From their website:
"In 2006, we served almost 15,000 meals through our hot lunch program, including special holiday meals for over 200 people at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our pantry distributed over 190,000 pounds of food in nearly 4,000 client visits throughout the year. We received over 28% of all emergency food assistance referrals from Second Harvest's Community Food Hotline, making us the largest emergency food assistance responder in the county. We provided emergency food assistance to over 14% more households than in 2005."

For more information: here's a link to their website

-this piece was written by Julia and Andy

Fastest Way to use this week's box from Julia:
Eat the salad within three days so it's super fresh. Dress with toasted nuts, grated carrots, crumbled cheese....

Use the onions chopped raw in tuna salad or pasta salad or green salad. Cut in half lengthwise and grill.

Save the thyme in a bag in the fridge for genuine cooking projects: it will keep in there for at least 2 weeks, maybe 4 or 5!

Eat the strawberries.

Eat the yellow carrots as sticks or cook with them. They are perfect grated into a soup so there aren't mushy carrot chunks floating around.

Try the new cabbage recipe below from Robert Gupta: it's below. Andy's favorite cabbage is quick too.

Grate carrots and add to any stew or salad.

July 4th

Week of July 4th: Please note, this year July 4th falls on a Wednesday! We will deliver to the Wednesday pick up sites on July 4th. If you are to be out of town, we encourage you to find a friend to pick up the veggies for you. If no one can pick up the veggies for you, call or email us at least a day in advance and we can donate your veggies to the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.

Recipes from Ronda W., Robert G., Ileana, Lena, and Julia

Cabbage and Potato Curry

recipe by Robert Gupta

Base
1/4 tsp mustard seed

pinch of fenugreek

two dried red chillis, cracked

1 tsp of cumin seed

1-2 tbsp of oil (olive, canola, or other)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 head of cabbage chopped in 2 inch strips, 1/2 inch wide

1 # new potatoes chopped roughly 1 inch pieces (peeled or unpeeled)

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of curry powder

1/2 tsp of ginger

First prepare the base, by adding oil, mustard seed, fenugreek, chillis, cumin seed to a large pot. Heat over medium heat and wait for seeds to crack.Add minced garlic and fry until aroma emerges. Add potatoes and onion and stir for about 1 minute until onions began to become brown and translucent. Add cabbage, and salt. Cover and cook on medium heat until potatoes are soft. Remove lid, and let some of the water evaporate. Add ginger and curry powder, stir, and remove from heat. Let stand for a couple of minutes.

More Cabbage Recipes:

Cabbage, Carrots, and Onions with Sesame

(Still Life with Menu by Mollie Katzen)
6T sesame seeds
3/4t salt
3T toasted sesame oil
1 bunch green onions
1 large carrot thinly sliced
1 head of 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

Andy’s Favorite Cabbage

1 head sliced green cabbage
1 large sliced onion
3 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup white wine
Sauté the onion and cabbage in oil over medium high heat until softened, about 10
minutes. Add wine, salt and pepper. This is a magnificent dish.

Thyme Recipes:
All three of these from: Osage Gardens

GLAZED CARROTS WITH PISTACHIOS AND THYME
Serves 4
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into ½" slices on the bias
Salt and pepper
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pistachios, shelled and unsalted and toasted in the oven (10 min. at 350º F)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, picked from stems
Cook carrots uncovered in 2" of boiling water about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in skillet. over medium heat, stir in brown sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Add cooked carrots. Cook slowly until well glazed. Toss with roasted pistachios. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

THYME-BRAISED ZUCCHINI IN CRÈME FRAICHE
Braising zucchini brings out their subtle, delicate flavor.Serves 4
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium zucchini, about 1-1/4 lbs., trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of one lemon and juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme
¾ cup crème fraîche
Melt butter over low heat in skillet. Add zucchini, salt, pepper, lemon juice and thyme. Cover skillet and braise over low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until just tender. Uncover skillet. Gently fold in crème fraîche and just heat through. Correct seasoning and serve at once.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND THYME
There is nothing more satisfying than a simple roasted chicken. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.
1 natural or organic chicken
1 lemon
Fresh thyme
3 tablespoons softened butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425º F. Dry chicken inside and out. Rub under the breast skin and all over with softened butter, which has been mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme. Place several sprigs of thyme and the remainder of the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. Roast on a rack 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º F and continue to roast until chicken registers 160º F on an instant read thermometer. Let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

from Wikipedia:
A brief history of thyme
Ancient Egyptians used thyme in embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage. It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms. In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. (Huxley 1992). In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Add thyme to your favorite pasta sauce recipe.
Fresh thyme adds a wonderful fragrance to omelets and scrambled eggs.
Hearty beans such as kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans taste exceptionally good when seasoned with thyme.
When poaching fish, place some sprigs of thyme on top of the fish and in the poaching liquid.
Season soups and stocks by adding fresh thyme.

Two Recipes submitted by Rhonda:

BLANQUETTE DE VEAU
Rhonda’s Notes: Veal Stew (I don't actually use veal for this - Trader Joe's has Niman Ranch stew beef that works perfectly, and it's already cut up - I'll use the carrots and thyme for this):

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef or veal stew meat (cut into approximately 2-inch pieces)
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, crumbled
3 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 10-ounce package frozen petite peas, thawed, drained, (or cauliflower!)
Steamed rice

Season veal with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add veal to Dutch oven in batches and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer veal to plate. Add onion and remaining 2 tablespoon butter to Dutch oven and sauté until onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Return veal and any juices on plate to Dutch oven. Sprinkle flour over veal and stir 2 minutes. Pour in wine and bring to boil. Add chicken broth and thyme.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes.
Mix in carrots and continue simmering until carrots and veal are tender, about 25 minutes. Add cream and boil until liquids are reduced to sauce consistency, about 15 minutes. Stir in peas and bring to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with rice.
Serves 6.
Adapted from Bon Appétit

ORZO PILAF WITH GREEN ONIONS AND PARMESAN CHEESE
This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
The rice-shaped pasta orzo is sometimes labeled riso or rosamarina.
3 1/4 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
5 green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 3 1/4 cups broth to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Mix in orzo and simmer uncovered until just tender but still firm to bite and some broth still remains, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add green onions and cheese and stir to blend. Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper. Rewarm over low heat, if necessary, and mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if pilaf is dry. Transfer pilaf to large bowl and serve.
Serves 6.
Bon Appétit
April 1999

History of Cauliflower from Alan Davidson in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food
It’s a variety of cabbage in which the flowers have begun to form but have stopped growing at the bud stage. It is generally believed that it was the Arabs who introduced the cauliflower to Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire.

Tibetan Cauliflower Curry

2 Tbsp canola oil

2 lg onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lg. head cauliflower, chopped

1 lg. carrots, cubed

3 potatoes, cubed

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 chili peppers, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 cups, peas

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp honey

1 cup coconut milk

Saute onions with garlic in oil until transparent. Add spices and cookgently for a few minutes. Add celery, carrots, tomatoes, and chilis, thencook for a couple minutes stirring often. Add 1 * cups of water andcontinue to cook until vegetables begin to get tender. Add potatoes andenough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil. Maintain a low boiluntil potatoes are tender, but not overcooked. Add cauliflower. Whenthoroughly heated, add coconut milk, honey, and chopped cilantro. Add salt to taste.

"Strawberry Flakes"
an original recipe created by Lena Wiley and Ileana Conviser
2 cups frozen strawberries
1/5 cup sugar
7 Tbsp chocolate sauce
1. Cut strawberries when still frozen into little flakes about the size of 4 mm.
2. Sprinkle on sugar in different places. Mix well.
3. Pour chocolate sauce on.
4. Let strawberries defrost.
5. Eat.

Recipe Links:

Avocados
Salad Dressings
Carrots

http://www.mariquita.com/recipes/cauliflower.html
BLOG ADVANTAGES: I can change mistakes after I post them. I don’t have to subscribe/unsubscribe folks. Old newsletters easily accessed. Links! (I send this newsletter out as plain text so more folks with differently-abled computer systems can easily read it.) You can sign up for email updates to the Two Small Farms Blog on the main blog page:
http://twosmallfarms.blogspot.com/
____________________________________
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 #399

June 6th 2007
Table of Contents:

1) In your box this week
2) The Bane of Beelzebub
3) What to do with this week's box?
4) Grassland Restoration at High Ground
5) Photos
6) Recipes
7) Which Farm?
8) Unsubscribe
9) Two Small Farms Contact Information
_________________________________

1) In this week's CSA box:

Fennel
Strawberries
Spring Onions
Red Beets
Carrots
Basil
Mystery
Bok Choy OR Spinach
Summer Squash (Thurs & Fri)
Cabbage (Wednesday)

This week's vegetable list:
I try to have it updated by Monday night, sometimes by Mon. am:

__________________________________

2) The Bane Of Beelzebub

If our government ever finds out about the intoxicating qualities of basil, they'll want to regulate it. Actually, the word "intoxicating" misleads since it implies that the herb contains toxins. A whiff of basil lifts the spirits so that it's practically the perfume of good health. In India the fragrance of basil is said to invite sattva, or harmony.

In the Greek Orthodox tradition, basil is said to have sprouted around the tomb of Jesus after he rose from the dead. The word basil comes to us from the Greek, meaning kingly, so it's no coincidence that this herb should be associated with the man some people considered to be the King Of The Jews. Basil is widely recognized as a medicinal herb and resurrection from the dead is an ultimate cure.

Some kinds of basil are understood to be holy in and of themselves. Tulsi, a perennial basil from India, is sacred to Vishnu, revered as the incarnation of the Goddess Tulsi ,and valued as a potent demon repellant. All the different kinds of basil originated in South East Asia before being disseminated by trade throughout the rest of the world, so it is likely that basil arrived in the Mediterranean already crowned with its divine reputation.

Because basil is credited with being able to drive off flies, vases of the pungent herb have been placed at times around the altar in Greek Orthodox churches. Evil takes on many identities and one name for the Devil is Beelzebub, which means Lord of the flies. Sometimes tradition considers Beelzebub to be different spirit than Satan, a mere demonic lieutenant, but no one thinks of Basil as an herb of secondary importance. Besides being the herbal base for pesto, basil is a good accent for summer squash dishes, rice or pasta salads, and as a leafy ingredient in savory sandwiches.

One book of mine says that basil tea makes for a perfect hair conditioner and one basil rinse will leave your coiffeur bouncing like the Breck Girl's mane. Some traditions consider basil to be an aphrodisiac. I've heard that Mexican curanderas recommend tucking a sprig of basil into your pocket to recapture a bored lover's wandering eye. Do any of these quasi-magical tricks work? I wouldn't know. But I do grow basil, and I like to think I'm doing my part for world peace by supplying an herb that sanctifies life and flavors food even as it attracts women and repels flies.

Copyright 2007 Andy Griffin

____________________________________________

3) What to do with this week's box? From Carolyn Fox

First, I'll cut off the beet greens. I will saute a chopped shallot in bacon fat until soft then add the washed coarsely chopped greens and cook until wilted. Add a splash of balsamic or cider vinegar and if I have any bacon left over from the weekend, crumble it on top before serving. I will wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast in a 400 degree oven for about an hour. Let them cool then peel them. Slice them about 1/4 inch thick and toss with seasoned rice vinegar, a little olive oil and chopped mint.

The carrots will become Arabian Nights Carrots: Arabian Nights Carrots (adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Carrots with Raisins and Dates)

5 medium sized Carrots (or the equivalent thereof) peeled and cut on the bias 1/4 inch thick
1/2 medium sized onion peeled and thinly sliced
4 T unsalted butter
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pitted dates chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. orange flower water (available in liquor stores or the liquor
department of supermarkets)
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger

Melt the butter in an 8 inch skillet over a medium flame. Put in the carrots, onions, raisins and dates. Stir and fry for 5 minutes. Add the salt, honey, orange flower water and ginger. Stir and fry for another five minutes or so until the carrots are tender and the onions are soft.

The secret ingredient is the orange flower water. Be sure not to use too much or it will taste like perfume. In this amount, it just adds a flowery aftertaste that will leave everyone guessing.

The strawberries go in lunch boxes.

The spinach will probably become a salad with thinly sliced red onion and a dressing made of three parts olive oil, one part cider vinegar, honey, stoneground mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Chopped hardboiled eggs and crumbled bacon on top.

The fennel, cabbage and spring onions will go into a variation on Super Slaw:

Super Slaw (from Epicurious)

6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 large red or yellow bell peppers, cut into matchstick-size strips
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
8 large green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk first 7 ingredients in small bowl to blend. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before continuing.)

Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

This is a very flexible recipe. I will use whatever crunchy vegetables I have and leave out the ones that I don't have. As long as there's a couple of different kinds and approximately the same volume as the recipe calls for, it always turns out well. Since my daughter is allergic to peanuts, I use Trader
Joe's crunchy soy butter in place of the peanut butter. I also substitute one tablespoon of Asian sesame oil for one of the tablespoons of vegetable oil. You can make the dressing and the salad ahead of time but don't mix them
together until shortly before serving.

The basil will either become pesto or just tossed into anything with tomatoes in it.

A fun thing to do with fennel stalks: My Italian grandmother used to use the fennel stalks as a straw.

Instructions: Cut fennel stalks to a reasonable length. Sip cold red "paisan" wine through it. Sit on the front stoop on a hot night and gossip with your neighbors. Repeat as necessary.

Seriously, it's really good. I would not use a fine nuanced Cabernet though.
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4) Grassland Restoration Event: Sunday June 24, 2007 (10am-1pm)

Come lend a hand and get to know the High Ground Organics restoration project. As the grassland sinks in to its golden hues of summer dormancy, we will plant a myriad of local sedges, grasses and rushes in to division beds on the farm. These plants will be grown up through the summer and than planted out into the grassland at the onset of the winter rains. We will work together from 10 am-12pm with a potluck lunch and bird watching to follow. Please call Laura Kummerer at 831-761-8694 for details.

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5) Photos

Fennel

Spring Onions (yours might be slightly smaller than this photo)

Carrots

Bok Choy

Spinach

Basil

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6) Recipes from Carolyn and Julia

Some of Carolyn's recipes are above in #3.

My take on fennel, by Julia:

We grow lots more fennel than celery. WHY?: Celery is a selfish vegetable and easily depletes the soil: it also requires lots and lots of fertilizer and water. Fennel is much heartier and easier to grow in a smaller farm setting where many crops are being grown and harvested at all different times.

Fennel can be used in many many places that celery is used. When cooked the anise flavor is almost nil. I saute chopped fennel with onion in the first stages of preparing many different soups, spaghetti sauce, and chili. No one has ever noticed.

The moral of this story: if your family loves fennel chopped in green salad, shaved into it's own salad, or just the sliced bulb eaten with olive oil and a great goat cheese, you're all set. IF you have fennel phobes at home try cooking it when no one is looking, then continue with the casserole/soup/ etc. No one will notice it's not celery!

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Tender Mixed Salad Insalata mista Tenera from Verdura by V. La Place

1 head tender lettuce
2 small carrots, peeled and grated
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into fine julienne
3-4 green onions, trimmed and cut into fine julienne
2 carrots, grated (Or when it's tomato season: 1 large, crisp tomato, cut into small chunks)
salt and pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil
Good quality red wine vinegar

Detach lettuce leaves from the core. Wash and dry well. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in a salad bowl. Add the remaining prepared vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, and toss. Correct the seasonings and serve immediately.

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Fennel: popular as a vegetable in Italy: it can be thinly sliced and eaten plain or as part of a vegetable platter. It is often served with just salt and olive oil as a simple appetizer or salad course. It can be chopped up into salad as celery. I once saw it added to chili -it was delicious.

It was a popular herb in the ancient world of the Greeks and Romans. A recipe from Columella, a Spaniard who served in the Roman army in Syria in AD 60: "Mix fennel with toasted sesame, anise, and cumin then mix that with pur‚ed dried fig and wrap in fig leaves and then store in jars to preserve." (From Spencers The Vegetable Book)

Fennel is high is vitamins A and E, calcium and potassium. Fennel and ginger make a good digestive tea. (Steep the fresh leaves with a bit of sliced ginger for 5 minutes in boiling water.)

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CREAMY FENNEL SOUP from Recipeland.com

2 cups stock (chicken, beef, vegetable....)
1 full sized Fennel bulb, about 1 pound
1 Sliver garlic
2 T Chopped onions
1 T Lemon juice (or more to-taste)
1 t Lemon zest, chopped
1/2 t Dried dillweed (or 1 1/2 -t fresh)
1 t Ground coriander
1 qt Nonfat yogurt

Clean and slice the fennel bulb, reserving any greens for garnish. Cook the fennel in the stock with the garlic and shallots until soft. Puree in a blender with the lemon juice and zest, and the spices. Strain the puree if you wish a smoother texture. Combine well with the yogurt and chill. Serve garnished with chopped fennel greens or chopped cilantro.

Beets: eat the greens first as a cooking green. They are great just like chard, but they don't store well. Then get around to the beets when you have time.

Chocolate Beet Brownies
from: PlanTea
These brownies are rich, chewy and secretly nutritious!

1/2 cup butter (or 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup applesauce)
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup cooked beets or 15 oz. can beets packed in water, drained and mashed;
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup wheat germ

Melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, beat eggs until light in color and foamy. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until well creamed. Stir in chocolate mixture, followed by applesauce and beets. Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture. Fold in wheat germ and almonds. Turn into greased 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares.
While I had fun developing the chocolate beet recipe, it's a treat to see the expression on people's faces when I tell them what's in the recipe. - a note from the author of this recipe.

Honeyed Beet Quinoa Summer Salad, with variations
from Fresh from the Farm and Garden by The Friends of the UCSC Farm and Garden

julia's note: I make many variations of this salad, with whatever vegetables/alliums/dressing I have on hand. I love using quinoa, but brown rice and couscous also work nicely. Likely other grains too. For this much salad I usually use half the amount of cheese they recommend and half the amount of nuts. Any mixture of the below herbs work well: just parsley, just cilantro, just basil, or any combo... chives, tarragon for a different flavor..... the possibilities are endless and having a salad like this on hand makes healthy lunches/dinners much easier.

6 beets, roasted
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups orange juice
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fruity olive oil
3 cups cooked quinoa, or another grain such as brown rice or couscous or??
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, or shredded parmesan, or??, optional
1 cup toasted walnuts or almonds, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped basil OR cilantro
1/2 cup chopped parsley
6 minced green onions or 3 shallots or other mild allium
lettuce greens, ready for eating as salad

Dice roasted beets and marinate in orange and lemon juice and honey at least one hour. (Julia's note: I warm up my honey a bit before mixing it in the juices/oil... but don't make it too hot or it will 'cook' the juice and fruity oil!) Combine with other ingredients except salad greens. Chill at least one hour to allow flavors to blend. Serve on bed of salad greens.


Roasted Beets with Walnuts and Blue Cheese
from California Home Cooking by Michele Anna Jordan

1 pound small beets, golden, white or chioggia (or red!)
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
2 T extra virgin olive oil
preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wash and trim beets but do not peel them. Toss them with the olive oil in a bowl, and transfer them to a baking sheet. Roast them until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 40 to 90 minutes, depending on their size. Remove the beets from the oven and set them aside until they are cool enough to handle. Using your fingers, remove and discard the beet skins. Cut the beets into wedges, and place the wedges in a small serving bowl. Add the walnuts and extra virgin olive oil, toss ad several turns of pepper (from a pepper mill), and toss again. Scatter the blue cheese over the beets, and serve.

Balsamic-Dressed Roasted Beets
A simple sweet-and-sour dressing complements earthy roasted beets. Its bright flavors make this dish a fitting accompaniment for roasted meats.
6 medium beets (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 .
Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Wrap beets in foil. Bake at 400 for 1 hour or until tender. Cool beets to room temperature. Peel and cut each beet into 8 wedges.
Combine juice, vinegar, sugar, and star anise in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 10 minutes). Discard star anise. Combine beets, vinegar mixture, salt, and pepper; toss well.
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 79(3% from fat); FAT 0.3g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 2.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 27mg; SODIUM 258mg; FIBER 4g; IRON 1.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 17.9g
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2005

Roasted Beets
Kitchen Garden Magazine Sept. 1997

Scrub beets under cold water, rub them with vegetable oil and sprinkle them with a little kosher salt. Roast them on a baking sheet at 350 F. Small to medium beets take 30-60 minutes. You may want to cut large beets in half to shorten the baking time. When the beets can be pierced easily with a fork, they're done. Once the beets are cool, the skins slip off easily.

I have no trouble finding ways to use leftover, cooked beets. In my beet vinaigrette, pureed cooked beets take the place of some of the oil, so this dressing has more nutrients and less fat than traditional vinaigrettes. The vibrant color really dresses up garden salads, pasta salads, and fish. One of my favorite salads is a mixture of greens topped with cubes of roasted beets, slices of tart green apple, and pats of goat cheese, all drizzled with sweet-tangy beet vinaigrette.

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Grated Carrot or Beet Salad with Cumin
Deborah Madison--Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Grate or hand-cut carrots or beets, blanch them briefly in boiling salted water, then drain and towel-dry. Dress while warm with Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette, plus 1 teaspoon orange flower water if you like.

Grated Beet Salad with Cumin
Deborah Madison--Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Grate or hand-cut carrots or beets, blanch them briefly in boiling salted water, then drain and towel-dry. Dress while warm with Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette, plus 1 teaspoon orange flower water if you like.

Basil Ice Cream
gathered from Chowhound

2 cups milk, divided
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup sugar, divided
7 egg yolks 1 teaspoon mint liqueur (optional)
Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

COOK 1 cup milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat until bubbly. Stir in 1 cup basil leaves, and remove from heat. Cover and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
PROCESS basil mixture in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding solids. Set aside.
COOK remaining 1 cup milk, whipping cream, and 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, just until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat.
BEAT egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot milk mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in basil mixture and, if desired, liqueur; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Cover and chill 4 hours.
POUR chilled mixture into freezer container of a 1-gallon electric ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
Pack with additional ice and rock salt, and let stand 1 hour. Serve in frozen lemon shells, and garnish, if desired. I think I got this recipe years ago from Chowhound.com

another basil idea that I think came from Chowhound.com

Stuff a handful of basil with some other fresh herbs and a half lemon and maybe a couple cloves of garlic into a chicken before roasting. Simple and good.

Basil Guacamole

I know you're thinking "avocados and basil?!" but trust me, it works very well, especially on top of toasted french bread slices. Kind of like a sophisticated, grown-up guacamole.

Italian Guacamole

Juice of 1 lemon
scant tsp. kosher salt
2 cloves of garlic (more if you like garlic)
2 medium ripe avocados
1 c. basil leaves, chopped
1/4 c. finely chopped scallions

Mash the avocados and stir everything else in to taste. Adjust as desired.

Bean Salad Recipe from Michelle Russell

I've been wanting to share how I've been using my Mariquita herbs and purplette onions lately. It's a very simple bean salad that I never tire of, guests have been happy too. First, I get four or so different cans of beans and put them in a bowl. I like to mix colors, so my salad includes garbanzo, black, navy and red. Then I splash balsamic and olive oil over the beans, letting it sit while I wash and chop whatever herbs I have at hand. I like to add at least a half of cup of herbs. My last salad featured parsley and basil. Delicious! Thinly slice the purplette onions and add those too. Stir everything adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve over whatever salad greens
you have. That's it.

I've also made a tasty version by making the vinaigrette separately, in a blender, with dried tomatoes added. The tomatoes get ground up and the vinaigrette emulsifies nicely.

This salad travels well and makes great leftovers.

BOK CHOY: The most commonly found Chinese vegetable is also one of the oldest bok choy has been cultivated in China since the fifth century a.d. You can find many kinds of bok choy at Asian markets, all differing in shape and size; this recipe works well with any mature variety.

BOK CHOY GRATIN

The most commonly found Chinese vegetable is also one of the oldest bok choy has been cultivated in China since the fifth century a.d. You can find many kinds of bok choy at Asian markets, all differing in shape and size; this recipe works well with any mature variety.
Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 hr

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
2 1/2 lb bok choy (not baby), tough stem ends trimmed
1 shallot, finely chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 oz GruyŠre, coarsely grated (1/2 cup)
1/2 oz finely grated parmesan (1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly butter a 2-quart gratin dish and dust with 2 tablespoons bread crumbs.

Cut bok choy stems and center ribs into 1/2-inch pieces and coarsely chop leaves. Cook stems and ribs in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes, then add leaves and cook 30 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Squeeze out excess water by handfuls.

Cook shallot in 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add bok choy and cook, stirring, until greens are coated with butter and shallot, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread bok choy in baking dish.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour and cook roux, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring, 5 minutes. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper, then stir in GruyŠre and 2 tablespoons parmesan and pour evenly over bok choy.

Toss remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs with remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan in a small bowl and blend in remaining 2 tablespoons butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mixture evenly over gratin and bake in upper third of oven until bubbly and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Makes 6 side-dish servings.

Gourmet
February 2003

GRILLED ZUCCHINI AND SUMMER SQUASH SALAD WITH BASIL-PARMESAN DRESSING

4 medium-large zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise
4 medium-large yellow crookneck squash, trimmed, halved lengthwise
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place zucchini and crookneck squash on large baking sheet; brush all over with 3 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until tender and brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate and cool.

Cut vegetables diagonally into 1-inch-wide pieces. Place in large bowl. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 6.

Bon Appetit
July 1999

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7) Which Farm?

From High Ground: Berries, Spinach, Bok Choy, Cabbage Summer Squash, Flowers
From Mariquita: Basil, Beets, Carrots, Spring Onions, Mystery

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8) Unsubscribe/Subscribe From/To This Newsletter

Two Small Farms Blog

BLOG ADVANTAGES: I can change mistakes after I post them. I don't have to subscribe/unsubscribe folks. Old newsletters easily accessed. Links! (I send this newsletter out as plain text so more folks with differently-abled computer systems can easily read it.) You can sign up for email updates to the Two Small Farms Blog on the main blog page: above on the right.

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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