CSA Week 1

Vegetable List

Astro Arugula
Nufar Basil
Swiss Chard
Green Garlic
Gold Frill Baby Greens
Sweet & Light Kale
Red Tide Head Lettuce
Jeicho Head Lettuce
Aji Amarillo Hot Pepper
Ring The Red Bell Radishes


Notes from the Farm

It took a lot of effort to hold back my enthusiasm for the season this spring... and here we are, and I couldn't be more tickled.
This has got to have been one of the most mild springs I've ever had farming. I haven't been doing this for that long, but long enough to not get too eager with a mild spring (remembering the snowstorm of May 13th 2020)... but it stayed mild, if not a little mildly hot...
The greatest thing about my uncharacteristically well managed excitement this spring, is that we took the time to get ourselves situated... our situation is in order, the plants are where they should be, the weeds have been put in their place, and our fields are ready to explode... in a good way, not in a destroy everything way...
This week, per the usual, we've got your greens covered. Statistically, you likely should be eating more greens anyway...
Gold Frill is similar to arugula, but a little more mustardy... they are both great over pasta. Drain the hot al dente pasta (I like fusilli or radiatori) and put it in a bowl, a drizzle of olive oil salt & pepper, and toss the fresh Gold Frill and Arugula and let it wilt in the hot pasta... cheese to taste.
Radishes, humbly, are best served soaked in one cup of water, with one teaspoon of salt, and half a tray of ice cubes. Cut the radishes in half and put them in the cold salt water bath for a bit... trust me.
The Aji Amarillo is a hot pepper, but if you cut it in half and run in under hot water, it is not a very hot pepper at all... the national chili of Peru, perfect for all your Peruvian Calamari dishes.
The Garlic is green, meaning it is fresh, not dried. It will have a cheesier more mild taste... use it as you'd use it.
Long of the short, all this food is easy to cook, it's just greens... and if you don't know what to do, just add cheese, butter or bacon...
So glad to have you all back.




Recipes

Swiss Chard Quiche

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 recipe Flaky Tart Dough
10 large eggs
2 cups creme fraiche
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 heaping cups torn Swiss chard leaves
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 16-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off any excess flour; fit dough into a 2-inch deep-dish tart pan with a removable bottom, gently pressing it into the sides. Using a sharp knife, trim the dough evenly with the edge of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap; chill tart shell until firm, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line the tart dough with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Transfer to oven and bake until light brown, about 25 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix together 1 egg and flour on high speed until smooth. Add the remaining 9 eggs and continue mixing until well blended.
Place creme fraiche in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; add milk and continue whisking until well combined. Add to mixer along with salt, pepper, and thyme; mix until well combined. Strain mixture into a large bowl through a fine mesh sieve.
Tightly pack Swiss chard leaves and cheese into prepared tart shell. Pour over egg mixture until tart shell is full (you may not need to use all of the egg mixture). Bake 20 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees, and continue baking until filling is slightly firm, rather than liquid, and crust is a deep golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer quiche to a wire rack to cool until set, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. To reheat, cover quiche with aluminum foil and bake in an oven heated to 325 degrees for about 15 minutes.



Sauteed Swiss Chard with Raisins and Pine Nuts

1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces (keep stalks and leaves separate)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1. Wash chard, leaving some water clinging to stalks and leaves; set aside. In a large saucepan with a lid, toast the pine nuts over medium-high heat, shaking pan to brown evenly, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside.
2. In same saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add stalks, and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add leaves, raisins, and garlic. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until tender, 6 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pull lid back slightly, and tilt pan to pour off water. Stir in vinegar and pine nuts; season with salt and pepper. Serve.



Kale Pesto
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 bunch kale
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
1. In a food processor, pulse garlic and almonds until finely chopped. Add cheese and half of kale; pulse until combined. Add remaining kale; pulse to a paste. With motor running, pour in oil. Season with salt.