CSA Week 6

Vegetable List
Nufar Basil
Booya Broccoli
Gonzales Cabbage
Yaya Carrots
Rainbow Chard
Cucumborama
Ailsa Craig Sweet Onion
Green Bell Pepper
Sungolds
Tomato(es?)
Some Kind Of Zucchini and/or Summer Squash


Notes from the Farm
I was goofing around with some members at the Bridgton Pickup last week and we started talking about our old apprentice Mikey Two-Stroke... Two-Stroke has a wonderful way of making the complicated seem easy... specifically, they brought up his culinary advice, “just eat it.” The members were telling me how they were trying to hatch some kind of plan for attacking kohlrabi... says Two-Stroke “just eat it”... and he was right, they did, and they enjoyed it...
It is that easy. Sometimes the share may seem perfect, sometimes it may seem overwhelming, and from time to time it can feel confounding... it's natural. And it's natural when you look at your freshly stocked fridge to feel a little daunted by the number of meals you'll have to cook to use it all up... but it's actually easy... you just eat it.
Cabbage doesn't have to be coleslaw, corn doesn't have to be corn on the cob, eggplant doesn't have to be eggplant parm... all those things are good, but it can be easier. We always attach a few recipes for you to try out, but we're not expecting all the food to end up in some new and fancy dish...
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper... and repeat. We have very little time for cooking food here... we cut up whatever happens to not have sold in the farmstand, olive oil, salt, pepper and put it over rice or pasta... add meat and do it all again tomorrow. It's not the fanciest way to cook, but we don't have time for fancy cooking, and I'm sure that there are days when you all don't have time for fancy cooking either. It's ok, just eat it.
We eat cucumbers on the run... I prefer green peppers to apples for a snack... try some thinly sliced onion on a grape jelly and peanut butter sandwich, it's amazing, I swear...
The share should never feel overwhelming... you have to eat anyway... just eat it, and if you don't like the flavor, add cheese, or bacon... that's what we do.


Recipes
Roasted Cabbage Wedges 1 tablespoon plus 2 more tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Place 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds, in a single layer on sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds. Roast until cabbage is tender and edges are golden, 40 to 45 minutes.


Creamed Swiss Chard 2 tablespoons water
4 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and ground pepper
In a large pot, bring water to a boil over medium-high. Gradually add chard and cook until it is just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain, pressing out as much liquid as possible.
In pot, melt butter. Whisking constantly, add flour and cook 1 minute. Whisking constantly, slowly add milk. Cook, whisking along bottom of pot, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chard and stir until coated. Stir in nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
Beer-Battered Onion Rings 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Cayenne pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup beer, preferably lager or pilsner
1 large egg
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Vegetable oil, for frying (about 4 cups)
2 large white onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, separated into rings
Sea salt, preferably Maldon
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
Combine flour, salt, and a pinch of cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, beer, egg, and lemon zest, and let stand for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a baking sheet on middle rack of oven. Heat oil to 380 degrees in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Dip a few slices of onion in batter, turning to coat. Gently drop slices into oil. Cook, turning once with a wire-mesh skimmer, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer rings to paper towels, season with salt immediately, then transfer onions to the baking sheet to keep warm. Repeat with remaining onions. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep oil at a steady temperature.) Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.