Steep Creek WeeklyCSA Newsletter Volume 3 Issue 3

WEEK 3 - July 6, 2011

THIS WEEK’S SHARE CONTAINS:

• HEAD LETTUCE

• “New” Potatoes - A mix

• Garlic Scapes - The curly things

• Snow Peas

• Italian PArsley & Dill

• Swiss Chard

• Cilantro

• Strawberries -From DeBaker Acres

• Kohlrabi

• Broccoli- a small bunch

FARM HAPPENINGS:

It has been a fast and furious week out here. Between a 9th birthday for our son and the holiday weekend, it doesn’t seem like a week could have possibly gone

by! I guess that’s what summer is usually like. We certainly could not have asked for a more pleasant weekend. I hope you all got a chance to enjoy it.

Our snow peas are ready for harvesting! It will take several hours to pick the peas each week. First the snow peas develop and usually a week or 2 later, the

snap peas are ready. I over-planted both snow and snap peas this year so I could offer them as pick-your-own here at the farm. If you’d like to come out and pick, just drop me an email or give me a call. There is no charge for the peas, but

it’s on a first come first serve basis.

Peas, along with strawberries seem to be the first signs of true summer weather being upon us. The strawberries are from DeBaker Acres on Shiloh Road (about

2 miles from our farm). You can pick your own strawberries or grab some that have already been picked. The berries look wonderful this year. You’ll also find purple or green kohlrabi in your shares this week. This is a tasty veggie eaten raw or cooked. Simply peel the outer skin and cut it up into chunks to eat with

dip. Another great way to use kohlrabi is by shredding and turning it into a coleslaw. Or you can steam it and mash it with butter and salt. Yum! The small bunch of broccoli was sort of a bonus this week. I wasn’t expecting so much to be ready, but with the rain last Thursday and the sunshine and heat all weekend

it really did well.

I will be posting the newsletters on our website on Thursdays following pick up day. For those of you who are every-other week members, I suggest taking a peak at these for some additional storage tips and recipes. For example, I put

on a recipe for garlic scape pesto last week that I would highly recommend.

Till Later,Meg

Marcia Wilde, a sharemember, inspired me to take this picture of last week’s veggies.

What you can expect in the next couple of weeks:

Snow & Snap PeasFennel

Chinese CabbageBeans

CarrotsBeets

*New potatoes are best stored

unrefrigerated.

Meg & Adam Goettelman 1902 county road u sturgeon bay, wi (920)743-5527 steepcreekfarm.com

Swiss Chard is one of my favorite vegetables. Like early potatoes, early chard needs little more than cooking until tender and serving in a bowl with the cooking juice, butter and salt. You can also add any other quick cooking greens, like spinach or beet greens to the mix. Wash chard leaves and stems. Do not dry. Chop the stems into 1 inch pieces and place in the bottom of a heavy bottomed sauce pan.

Cut the leaves into bite sized pieces and place on top of the stems.

Add 1-2 TBL of water and cook gently until the stems are tender.

Pour all into a soup bowl; add butter and salt. If you don’t eat butter, try drizzling with olive, or your favorite oil. - Helen -

Welcome to Week 3 – summer is here and the house is filled with the scent of antique roses and mock orange. Flowers are beautiful to look at, but a vegetable garden is just as appealing. I love to pick up my box at Steep Creek and gaze at the pattern made by the rows and the variety of colors in the fields. Framed by the cedars lining the creek, it really does make a beautiful picture. One of the milestones of the summer is the beginning of July and the first local Strawberries. This is the perfect recipe to take to a party – prepare ahead of time, but keep the ingredients separate and combine at the last moment in a beautiful bowl.

Spinach and Strawberry Toss 1-2 # of fresh spinach. Wash, remove stems and dry. Keep refrigerated in a covered container.1 Quart of ripe strawberries. Rinse quickly, dry gently and hull. Place in covered container. Refrigerate or keep cool. Slice onto the spinach just before serving.Topping

1/2 cup of sliced almonds 2 TBL sugar 1 TBL light vegetable oilIn a heavy frying pan over medium heat, stir constantly until lightly toasted. Remove from pan to prevent further browning. Cool, store in an airtight container until ready to top the salad. Dressing Mix in a pint jar: 1/3 cup red wine vinegar ½ cup light vegetable oil ½ cup sugar ¾ tsp salt 1 ½ TBL minced onion 1 ½ TBL poppy seedsShake until well mixed. Refrigerate if not using within a few hours.

Martha Rose Shulman has another make ahead recipe. You can assemble several hours before baking, or bake and reheat gently in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Potato and Chard Gratin with Goat Cheese 3 large cloves garlic - substitute 3 TBL of chopped garlic scapes if in season ½ to 1 pound Swiss Chard or beet greens – washed, stemmed Salt to taste 1 to 1½ pounds of new potatoes, red or white –scrubbed and sliced ¼ inch thick 2 large eggs – beaten 2 ½ cups low-fat milk 4 ounces or 1 cup fresh mild goat cheese Salt Freshly ground black pepper Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub the inside of a 2 ½ - 3 quart gratin, or baking dish, with cut garlic clove or ends of garlic scapes. Brush with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. 2. Precook the greens in a large pot of boiling salted water. Cook for 1 minute, drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze out any water and chop coarsely. 3. Toss together the greens and potatoes with a little salt and pepper in a large bowl.4. In a food processor process the garlic until it adheres to the side of the bowl. Add the eggs, milk, cheese and ½ tsp of salt. Process until smooth. 5. Combine with the potatoes and grens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add pinch of nutmeg. 5. Turn into the gratin or baking dish. Bake for 1-1 ½ hours until all of the milk is absorbed and the gratin is brown and crusty on the top. During the first 40 minutes, stir every 10 minutes or so, to bring the potatoes up from the bottom. Serve hot or warm.

And a vinaigrette from Martha Rose Shulman; Yogurt or Buttermilk Vinaigrette 2 TBL red, sherry, or Champagne vinegar Or substitute 1 TBL lemon juice and 1TBL vinegar, or substitute 2 TBL of lemon juice – see tip below 1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed Salt to taste 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 TBL extra virgin olive oil 1 TBL plain, non flavored yogurt or Greek yogurt, or 5 TBL buttermilk Freshly ground black pepper to tasteMix together the vinegar, garlic, salt and Dijon mustard using a fork or wisk. Stir in the olive oil, yogurt and 1 TBL water. If using the buttermilk, add but omit the water. Add the black pepper to taste. Thin with water as desired.

Yogurt based dressings are lower in calories but are tart and need a little oil to balance out the tartness. Lemon juice vinaigrette becomes harsh if made too far in advance and should be used within several hours. Vinaigrettes made with vinegar will hold for a week in the fridge.Garlic in vinaigrette will become more pungent the longer it is kept. If planning on using throughout the week, you may want to reduce the initial amount of garlic.

And to end: Rules of Plain Cooking from my 1969 copy of Chinese Gastronomy. “Leave the bones in, do not beautify the dish and add no seasoning but salt”…when working with fresh and beautiful food, less is often more.Have a great week - Helen

Meg & Adam Goettelman 1902 county road u sturgeon bay, wi (920)743-5527 steepcreekfarm.com