CSA Week 7

Vegetable List

OH Boy! Beets!
Napa Cabbage
Savoy Cabbage
Swiss Chard
Cucumbers
Eggplants!
Lacinato Kale
Lincoln Leeks
Muir Head Lettuce
New Red Fire Lettuce
Ailsa Craig Sweet Onions
Bell Peppers
Hatch Green Chile Peppers
Serrano Peppers
Ride The Red Bull Radishes
Sundgolds
Tomatoes
PYO Herbs
PYO Flowers


Notes from the Farm

It's been a bit steamy... the grass is a little crispy... the plants are a little wilty... and there doesn't seem to be a rainy stretch in the works.
I don't wish for one set of weather or another. I don't wish for a diversity of weather... I don't really think about weather at all. I can't control the weather, and so weather doesn't bother me.
We can irrigate when it's dry, we can manage disease when it's wet, we can eat popsicles when it's hot... to be honest, I like not knowing what weather is ahead, because it's more fun reacting that it is dreading.
I love the guessing and responding that is involved with farming... I mean, that's all of life I suppose, but I particularly love the challenge of trying to manifest food.
Sometimes this whole farming thing feels a lot like one of those cooking shows where they reveal a half dozen incongruous ingredients and then you have to make a meal... but the ingredients are the uncontrollables: weather, farmer moral, customer interest, cost of production, health.
Generally, we can farm... we can make food. And maybe I'm a little broken, but I feel like if it weren't for the uncontrollables, I'd enjoy farming way less.
I love the challenge of a season. I love the adversity of navigating weather. I love balancing people in the ecosystem of our farm. I like not having advanced warning, and I love the uncertainty...
I love this year long time-lapse puzzle... it never looks like it says it would on the box, and I wouldn't have it any other way.


Recipes

Cabbages Explained (ripped straight from Martha Stewart)

Red Cabbage
Ranging from red to purple, this head cabbage has a stronger flavor than green and can be eaten cooked or raw, adding texture and snap to dishes.  Crunch is a big benefit of cabbage, especially when diced; even shredded, it has great crunch.
Raw, it is great for coleslaw and salads—hearty enough to be dressed ahead of serving. Cooked, it is a traditional element of German cooking, commonly braised or roasted.
In coleslaw, it adds beautiful color, and in salads, it complements more mild greens like Romaine and iceberg lettuces. Try it shredded in a slaw with ginger vinaigrette, braised with onions and apples, or simply sauteed.

Green Cabbage
A common variety, green cabbage has densely packed green leaves that grow lighter towards the center. Though not as robust as red cabbage, it's equally adaptable, and can be consumed raw, or cooked. Eaten most commonly in Eastern European cuisine, green cabbage can be sautéed, braised, roasted, added to soups and stews, and steamed.
Green cabbage is excellent diced in chopped salads, shredded as a topper for fish tacos, and as a complement to shredded carrots in a classic coleslaw. Added to stews, or soups like classic minestrone and kapusniak (Polish cabbage-and-bacon soup), it becomes tender, with a subtle sweetness.
Another way to enjoy its texture and flavor, is to quarter the cabbage, brush the hunks with cooking oil, sprinkle on salt and pepper, and grill for 8-10 minutes per side.

Savoy Cabbage
With its loose layers of frilly leaves, this thick-ribbed head cabbage, also called curly cabbage, stands apart from its tightly packed relations. Sliced raw into salads, it has a slightly peppery flavor. Stir-fried, stuffed, or braised, its mild, sweet undertones take center stage.
Savoy cabbage's nutty flavor pairs well with bacon, and lends itself to two updated old recipes, stuffed cabbage and slow-cooker corned beef and cabbage. When braised, its delicate leaves turn buttery; roasted, its edges become caramelized.
Remove the thick ribs from the outer leaves, then core the cabbage before cooking.

Napa Cabbage
Oblong, with wrinkled leaves and a mild flavor, napa cabbage is an outlier. While not technically a cabbage (Brassica oleracea) like traditional cabbage, napa cabbage (Brassica rapa, also known as Chinese cabbage or white cabbage) is more closely related to bok choy.
We use Napa like lettuce! It's as good, or better, than lettuce. Napa is like a flavorful iceberg!
Frequently fermented, napa cabbage, says Davies, can also be used raw in salads and wraps, cooked in soup, or simply steamed. Try it pickled, for a refreshing take on sauerkraut, in a chicken, edamame, and noodle stir-fry (Napa cabbage complements many Asian dishes), or with gochujang for a traditional Korean kimchi. 


Roasted Eggplant Sandwich with Soy-Lime Glaze

2 medium eggplants (1 ½ pounds total), stems trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch rounds (about 12 slices)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
2 radishes, julienned
1 mini cucumber, thinly sliced
1 loaf soft French bread
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves or small sprigs
Sprinkle eggplant slices generously with salt; arrange on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Let stand 30 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. In a bowl, stir together soy sauce, lime juice, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and garlic.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with oil. Roast, flipping halfway, until golden brown and very tender, about 30 minutes. Brush both sides of eggplant with soy mixture; continue roasting until caramelized, 7 to 10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, toss together carrot, radishes, cucumber, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 4 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Slice bread into quarters and halve lengthwise. Spread mayonnaise on cut sides and top with roasted eggplant, pickled vegetables, jalapeño, and cilantro. Serve immediately.


How to Eat Hatch Chiles

Many of the flavors found in Southwestern cooking are inspired by the cuisines found south of the border—and offer a great direction for eating these delicious peppers.
Hatch chiles work beautifully in dishes like enchiladas, chile rellenos, and huevos rancheros, adding a subtle but different flavor than you’d get from jalapeño or serrano chiles. 
Quick breads like cornbread and flaky biscuits can only be improved by adding a few tablespoons of diced hatch chiles—especially if you stir some sharp grated cheddar into the batter. 
Serve diced roasted chiles with other condiments for burgers and hot dogs, or mix some of the chiles into the ground meat mixture before grilling. 
Hatch chiles love to share the stage with corn; add them to your favorite corn dishes—we love them in our Hatch Chile Corn Pudding.
Add some to scrambled eggs with cheese and eat with tortillas for the perfect breakfast tacos.
Stir some into rice with fresh cilantro and lime juice—burrito bowls will never be the same. 
Instead of using poblanos or jalapeños, turn the roasted chiles into homemade green salsa.
Add a few spoonfuls of diced chiles to pesto to add a touch of heat—it's great drizzled over chicken or shrimp kebabs. 
Mix with softened butter to make a spreadable compound butter for other seasonal vegetables, such as corn, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. 
Finally, anywhere you’d use everyday canned chiles, you can use hatch chiles. Reach for a jar of roasted hatch chiles when making creamy queso, nachos, tortilla soup, or pork stew.