Week 21- August 30th/31st

Guest Blogger

This week we have a guest blogger.  Jenny Kalinowski (Greenfield pick up) has been kind enough to share her CSA experience with us as well as some great photos. 

In the making.

I share my Harvest Share CSA share with my neighbor up the street.  (That’s a lot of sharing!)  I wanted to have produce throughout the year

Final product.

but was unsure if my family would be able to eat all the bounty.  I really did not want to waste any of that beautiful produce.  A mutual friend suggested splitting the CSA share.  We decided on a pattern of picking up every other week.  So far this has worked beautifully.  I don’t get behind on eating the fruit and veggies and I get to experience all that the season has to offer.  Plus, it was a little easier on my wallet!

Last week was my week and our share included the ground cherry.  This little fruit is beautiful and I thought quite mild in flavor with just a hint of sweetness.  After tasting a few I set them in the fridge.  Today I knew I needed to eat them or they were sure to spoil.  I took out my trusty Deborah Madison Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone cookbook and turned to her basic buttermilk muffin recipe.  In the variations listed she describes a fresh fruit muffin and also a dried fruit muffin.  Both variations called for one total cup of fruit.  After cleaning and slicing the cherries in half, I had only ½ a cup.  I looked through the cupboards and came out with dried cranberries.  I figured their tart flavor would punch the muffins up a bit.

With the help of my nine year old I got those muffins into the oven.  My kids will eat most anything if I bake it into a muffin.  And the ground cherry was no exception!  Everyone enjoyed them as soon as they were cool enough to eat.  And I was pretty pleased with myself for getting such an uncommon fruit into my kids.

~ Jenny Kalinowski

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THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

Tuesday ~ Ivory Lace Cheese (harvarti style), Hidden Hills Dairy ~ 1# green beans, Becarri’s Farm ~ 1.5# heirloom tomatoes, Nu Way Farm, CF ~ 4 ears white corn, Becarri’s Farm ~ 1.5# russet potatoes, Clarion River Organics, OG ~ leek bunch, Blue Goose Farm, CNG ~ 1.5# peaches, Kistaco Farm ~ loose chioggia or red beets, Kistaco Farm

Wednesday ~ Ivory Lace Cheese (harvarti style), Hidden Hills Dairy ~ 2 bulbs garlic, Clubhouse Gardens, CF ~ 2# heirloom tomatoes, Nu Way Farm, CF ~ 1.5# prune plums, Dawson’s Orchards ~ 1# green tomatoes, Crighton’s Farm ~ leek bunch, Blue Goose Farm, CNG ~ 2# peaches, Dawson’s Orchard (for real this time!) ~ 2# russet potatoes, Weeping Willow Farm, CF ~ 1.5# eggplant, Matthew’s Farm or Sunny Meadow Farm, CF

OG- Certified Organic                                                              CNG- Certified Natural Grown                                                   CF- Chemical Free

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Fried Green Tomatoes with Milk Gravy

• 3 tbs Bacon grease
• 4 Tomatoes: green, firm, sliced into 1 cm pieces (discard ends)
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• Flour
• Milk
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Heat your bacon grease in a heavy frying pan. Dip tomatoes in eggs, then in bread crumbs. Slowly fry them in the bacon grease until golden brown on both sides. Put your tomatoes on a plate.

2. For each tablespoon of grease left in the pan, stir in one tablespoon of flour and blend well; then stir in one cup warm milk and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper till you like it.

3. Pour over the tomatoes and serve hot.

Sipsey Peavey, Whistle Stop Café
From the book “Fried Green Tomatoes” by Fannie Flagg

** while the recipe above sounds amazing green tomatoes are just as good simply dredged in egg and flour (seasoned with salt and pepper) and pan fried in just a small amount of oil.  I love to eat them with a spicy cocktail sauce.  Sounds a little strange, I know but the combination of the hot, tart tomatoes with the sweet, spicy cocktail sauce is dreamy.

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Creamed Leeks on Walnut Toast

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

4 small trimmed leeks — or 2 large sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup half-and-half or creme fraiche
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon OR parsley or rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan OR Gruyere or crumbled goat cheese
2 slices Walnut Bread toasted and lightly buttered

Makes 2 sandwiches

An American-style that’s homey yet extravagant. Although a walnut bread is particularly good with leeks, don’t let its absence deter you. Any rustic bread, including a rye bread, will go well.

Wash the leeks well, but don’t dry them. Melt the butter in a wide skillet, add the leeks, and toss with a little salt. Add the wine, cover, and cook over medium heat until the leeks are tender, about 20
minutes. Add the cream and herbs and simmer until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat, stir in the cheese, then spoon the leeks over the toast. Add pepper and serve.

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We’ve shared this recipe more than once with our members so if you are a returning member it will be familiar to you.  As far as baking goes, it doesn’t get any easier than this.  Pick a spoon, any spoon.  I dare you!

FRENCH PRUNE PLUM CAKE (SPOON CAKE)

10 spoons flour
8 spoons sugar
6 spoons milk
4 spoons oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoon baking powder
8 prune plums
Use a large tablespoon or metal serving spoon. Mix ingredients and pour batter into greased 9×9 or 9×13 pan. Halve the prune plums and remove pits. Place them on top, skin side
up or down. Bake 25 minutes at 350F. Mix ¼ cup butter, ½ cup sugar, and 1 egg. Pour mixture over cake. Bake additional 15 minutes at 375F.
(Other fruit like apricots may be substituted).

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Cheese

This week cheese will be in your CSA box rather than in the cooler at your site.  Temperatures are expected to be pretty mild.