CSA Week 3

Vegetable List
Nufar Basil
Chioggia Beets
Broccoli
Bunch 'o' Carrots
Rainbow Chard
Green Garlic
Jericho Head Lettuce
Mizuna
Pint 'o' Peas
Purple Top Glob Turnips

Notes from the Farm

Navigating the summer can be tricky. It seems like the easiest season, but really, I think it's the hardest.
You know, summer, for me anyway, more than any other season, simultaneously embodies all the best forward leaning hopes and all the most cherished pure joyful memories... of my life...
There is a lot on the line in the summer... I know it, you know it, everyone knows it... and it's easy to panic and screw it up. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to manufacture a feeling or potential memory in the summer, and just ended up feeling all upset. Trying to get to that beach I've never been to, trying to visit that friend I never get to visit with anymore, trying to adventure in a way I've always wanted to adventure... “kids, we're going on this adventure and we're going to have fun (insert non-threatening, exasperated expletive here) .” Actually, now that I think about it, some of my favorite memories are of trying to do something in the summer, based in panic that I'm not doing enough, having it explode in my face and kind of cancling the whole thing. There is something amusing, charming, about looking back on shoe-horned attempts of having fun in the summer... its a time honored tradition.
These days, I try and just let the summer come to me. We're fortunate to work outside, to work with fun people and to have so many visitors everyday at the farm. We're on vacation everyday... and if every day is a vacation, I don't need to go anywhere.
oh, and Mizuna is my favorite sandwich green ever.


Recipes

Turnip Hash with Broccoli
1/2 pound plum tomatoes
1/2 pound medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 head broccoli, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath; set aside. Score an X on the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Add tomatoes to the pot. Boil until skins are loosened, about 30 seconds; remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon (keeping water at a boil), and immediately plunge them into the ice bath. Drain, peel, and seed tomatoes, then coarsely chop flesh.
2. Add turnips to pot; boil until just tender when pierced with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the turnips to a colander to drain. Repeat process with parsnips, then potatoes. Add broccoli to pot, and boil until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain in colander; set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion, garlic, salt, red-pepper flakes, thyme, and reserved turnips, parsnips, and potatoes; spread evenly to cover bottom of skillet. Cook, without stirring, until vegetables begin to brown on bottom, about 15 minutes.
4. Add reserved tomatoes and broccoli to skillet. Stir once; cook until vegetables are very tender and browned, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Beet Chips
2 medium beets
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Peel beets and slice 1/16 inch thick with a mandoline. In a large bowl, toss beets with extra-virgin olive oil.
2. On two rimmed baking sheets (or use one sheet and bake in two batches), arrange beets in a single layer. Stack another rimmed baking sheet on top of each. Bake until edges of beets begin to dry out, about 20 minutes. Uncover and rotate sheets. Bake 10 to 20 minutes, removing chips as they become lightened in color. Transfer to a wire rack; chips will crisp up as they cool.

Swiss Chard, Garlic, and Gruyere Pizza
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard (1 pound), stems removed and thinly sliced, leaves torn into pieces
Coarse salt
1 pound store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough or homemade pizza dough
1 cup grated Gruyere (2 ounces)
Pinch red-pepper flakes


1. Place pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in oven and heat to 500 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook garlic until just tender, about 1 minute. Add chard stems and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Working in batches, add leaves and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and set aside.
3. Stretch dough into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle and transfer to a piece of parchment. Brush with remaining oil and season with salt. Sprinkle with half the Gruyere, then top with chard and sprinkle with remaining Gruyere.
4. Transfer to the oven: Slide parchment onto stone or baking sheet and bake pizza until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper flakes.