BPF CSA Week 13: the lusciousness of life

This week: Semi-Asian Invasion (see "In Your Share This Week"), The Pig Project (pork shares available), Volunteer opportunities (see "Announcements")

In Your Share This Week:

Beautiful Bok Choi-the most elegant and versatile of Asian greens- use in a stirfry, sliced thinly inside eggrolls, tossed into a slaw (see my perennial favorite Asian-ish slaw recipe, below), or just eaten raw/plain- seriously, the crunchy, curved stalks make great dippers for just about anything- try Bob's Amazing Tofu Spread (watch this video of our pals Seth, May, and Bob waxing rapturous about tofu and local veg- the actual recipe is below).
When faced with a new Asian green, my go-to approach is a simple stirfry with onion and/or garlic, fresh ginger, red pepper flakes (or fresh hot chiles if they are in season), finished with a dressing of toasted sesame oil, tamari or soy sauce, and rice vinegar, and tossed with sesame seeds and/or toasted sunflower seeds. Add fried bits of protein of your choice, serve with rice or noodles, and voila! (remember the voila- very important)

Various Eggplant- everyone's familiar with the oblong purple ones, but have you tried Apple Green, Rosa Bianca, or the long, skinny Asian varieties? All are interchangeable in recipes; all are delicious. Yes, delicious- even if you are eggplant-averse, try this super simple approach: slice into 1/2" rounds (whatever size eggplant you've got, doesn't matter the diameter), spread on an olive-oiled baking sheet in a single layer, drizzle/brush on more olive oil than seems reasonable (they are sponges; don't hold back!), more salt than you think you'll like, and roast in the oven at 375 or so (whatever temp you're already baking anything at is fine, as long as it's over 350), for 30-60 min, CHECK for doneness. Doneness= brown crispy edges, soft spoonable insides. Then eat it as is; careful don't burn your tongue, OR mash onto a piece of toast with a little feta or goat cheese and a slice of tomato OR single lettuce/kale/arugula leaf. Then come back and tell me you don't like eggplant. I dare you ;)

MELONS! Watermelons OR muskmelon-style- you may get red, orange, yellow, or salmon-fleshed watermelon, OR orange or green-fleshed muskmelons. The green muskmelons aren't truly muskmelons at all; they are a galia, or tropical, melon called Diplomat; they look like honeydew, and taste every so slightly of banana or pineapple :)  The rest of the melons are pretty darn tasty, too. Hooray for sun and water! Melons and squash are so amazing to me-- the amount of photosynthesis that has to take place in those leaves to produce such a concentrated amount of food just blows my mind. Love me some cucurbits!

Parsley OR Cilantro *think Parsley-Potatoes* with butter. yum.

Sweet Onions

Bodacious BROCCOLI- full up on broccoli yet?  We were a little worried that folks were tired of broccoli but here's a tip: blanch and freeze if you can't use it all this week. Remove leaves (but eat them just like kale!), chop into bite sized pieces, blanch in boiling salted water for three minutes, cool in iced water, drain, then pop into freezer bags or containers, label, and you're good for a couple of winter frittatas!

Tomatoes- sweet orange Sungold cherry tomatoes and/or various heirloom slicers- enjoy summer; it's still here!

Potatoes- red and/or yellow; mixed varieties. Try buttered boiled potatoes with parsley, why not?

Hot peppers- always available. If you don't see them in your share, just ASK! We make them optional extras because some people love them and some hate them. Speak up if you love them -- spice up your life!

Announcements

1. PORK available by the whole or half hog.  See below for the entire rundown from Jae Gerhart about The Pig Project.  

2. Boxodus: seems like most of our boxes have up and left! If you have a stash of CSA boxes, PLEASE return them. We will be happy to get them back and use them. Thank you!

3. Heart of Summer Shares wrapped up last week- thanks for joining us! And look for an end-of-season survey via email soon. Your feedback will help us make an even better CSA for future seasons. p.s. your feedback is ALWAYS welcome- don't wait for a survey if you  have a question, idea, complaint, or suggestion. We are all in this together, and we do a better job of growing for you when we know what people want. (hint: except for chocolate. can't do that here. YET)

4. Three Volunteer Opportunities:

     1)Greenhouse Plastic Pulling: Want to help with a modern barn-raising?  We're replacing the plastic on the old hoophouse, and covering the new hoophouse.  The catch: we don't know when it will happen. It's completely weather dependent.  What we do know: sometime in the next two months, likely at the crack of dawn (least windy time of day), with no more than a week's notice, and more likely a day or two's notice. If you are a morning person with a super flexible schedule, able to work in a team, follow instructions, and keep your cool in the face of unexpected wind gusts (while holding onto a giant plastic sail), let me know-- I will add you to the email list to get the all-hands-on-deck call when the time is right! Email birchpointcsa@gmail.com with "hoophouse plastic pull volunteer" in the subject.

     2)Garlic Planting: It's almost time for garlic planting, and we're switching it up from past years' open house-style work day.  Volunteers will need to be here for training before we start. To join the garlic team, send an email with "garlic planting volunteer" in the subject, and we will let you know when we know the date. Likely: mid-October, a weekday afternoon, in good weather (fingers crossed).

     3)General Farm Work: It's fall clean-up time!  We have a to-do list; do you have a few hours?  Any and all skill/experience level welcome. Join us (or plug away on your own) in dragging branches to the burn pile, stacking wood, scraping and painting garage doors,weeding and mulching perennials, fixing the chicken coop door, and more. Call or email to schedule a volunteer shift. Thank you!

Recipes

Michelle's favorite Asian-ish Slaw

4-5 cups shredded/thinly sliced Bok choi,  Napa cabbage daikon greens, or any green Asian (or not) leafy thing you've got around
1-2 grated carrots OR beets (beets will turn the slaw pink!)
1 finely sliced sm. onion
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
equal amt of fresh ginger, also minced (if you have none, put in 1 tsp ground ginger to dressing)
at least 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 generous handful coarsely chopped fresh herbs: cilantro OR lemon basil OR Thai basil OR dill/parsley if you prefer
optional: 1-2 fresh hot chiles, minced 

toasted sesame oil
rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
soy sauce/tamari
cayenne and/or your favorite hot sauce (I like Ray's Polish Fire)
pinch ground coriander
salt and pepper

Mix slaw ingredients well.  Mix dressing ingredients well, then mix w/ slaw. Enjoy!  Top with a good squeeze of fresh lime and/or bean sprouts and/or pea shoots and/or fried tofu and/or anything else you like.

Bob's Famous Tofu Spread

1 pound firm tofu, drained and patted dry
2 cups finely diced veggies (red or green pepper,celery carrot, onion, etc.)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup (more or less to taste) nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

1 teaspoon wet mustard
Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Crumble the tofu, by hand, into a serving bowl and blend in all of the ingredients other than the vegetables. Fold those in last. Can be used as a dip or sandwich spread.

Baba Ghanoush, or How to Preserve Eggplant for Winter

1 large eggplant

1/4 c. tahini (easy on the tahini- it's easy to overdo it, and you can add more later if necessary)

1/4 c. tasty olive oil

2-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin (or 2 tsp toasted whole cumin seed)

generous dash of salt and pepper

juice of one lemon OR 1/4 c. verjus

handful chopped fresh parsley-- use stems, but keep leaves and stems separate for now

optional extra: 1-2 fresh hot chiles

1. Roast eggplant: cut off stem, and end scar if there is one, cut in half, place face down on a generously olive-oiled baking sheet, rub olive oil over the outside, and roast at 350/375ish for 20-45 min, depending on size of eggplant. Check for doneness: it should give easily to the touch when poked, but skin should not be dried out or crispy.  If skin is tender, use the whole thing (no need to peel or scoop; just toss the whole darn thing in the cuisinart, skin and all

2. Buzz in food processor ALL ingredients EXCEPT parsley leaves- save those for garnish, but toss the stems in for flavor.

3. Taste- is it tangy enough? If not, add more lemon and/or salt.  Is it nutty and thick enough? If not, add 1-2 more Tablespoons tahini.  Is it spicy enough? If not, add more garlic and/or hot chiles.  Buzz once more for good measure, and taste again.  Store in an airtight container, but drizzle olive oil over the top first to minimize oxidation/browning. Freezes well for several months. Or serve immediately, drizzled with super tasty olive oil and that handful of chopped parsley leaves on top. For a super special treat, caramelize 1/2 a sweet onion and sprinkle that on top- you've got savory dessert.

The Pig Project by Jae Gerhart  jagerhart@gmail.com

What It’s All About

It’s about the fact that some of us love eating meat, pig meat specifically, and we want a freezer full of tenderloin and bacon and ribs and ham hocks for the long winter ahead.  It’s about raising that meat with a holistic outlook on the ecological system - clearing land overrun by autumn olives and quack grass.  It’s about turning vegetable scraps into bacon, turning brew mash into bacon, turning whey from cheese-making into bacon.  It’s about fertilizing.  It’s about entertaining neighbors and friends.  But most of all, its about offering friends and family quality meat raised and distributed in a sustainable way.

You Are What You Eat… And Same Goes for the Pigs

Since they arrived as 40lb feeder pigs in May, these oinkers have dined primarily on a non-GMO corn and soy mix, provided by the excellent farmers over at Hall Farms.  They have also gorged on produce from Birch Point Farm, food scraps from local restaurants, whey from a local cheese maker, and spent grain mash from NorthPeak Brewery.

These pigs are not organic, but they’re pretty darn close.  

They have a huge beautiful pen to run around and root and forage.

-----------------------

How to it Works

This is a direct-to-consumer operation.  This means that customers order half and whole pigs from me at a certain price ($4.00/lb.).   Customers can opt to pick up their pig live and do the slaughtering themselves, but for most of us its safer, cleaner, and more efficient to have the processor do the work for us.  Here is what that looks like:

Hanging Weight* Meat Price: $4.00/lb.

Processor Fee: $0.44/lb.

Kill Fee: $25

For example:

For 180 lbs. of hanging weight on a pig:

180 x $4.00 = $720

180 x $0.44 =$79.20

Total: $720 + $79.20 + $25 = $824.20

Most of these pigs will be between 150 and 200 lbs. hanging weight

*Hanging Weight: The carcass without the head, non-usable organs, and hooves.  The hanging weight is roughly 60% of the live weight.

The Processor – RRR Meat Processing, Buckley MI

I chose RRR Meat Processing (USDA certified) in Buckley for a couple reasons.  Location – Buckley is one of the closer processors in area, making it convenient for customers to pick up their meat.  Reputation – my friend and pig-farming mentor Jess Piskor at Bare Knuckle Farm has been using this processor for years, as do local restaurants such as the Cooks House.  For the Pigs – the pigs get dropped off the night before so they aren’t as spooked and stressed when it comes time to do the deed.  This is better for the meat as well as for the pigs and humans involved that day.

Common Questions:

Bacon thickness: they do 1/8 inch slices.  Can be adjusted based on customers preferences

Sodium Nitrates: used only in the smoking process.

Breakfast sausage spice mix: does include MSG.  

If you would like to order a whole or half pig, I will send you the order form where you can designate preferences for specific cuts of meat.  The order form is confusing, as it is intended for the processor and therefore gives very little information to the consumer.  Essentially the pig is delineated into 5 categories: Picnic, Shoulder, Loin, Belly, and Ham, and once I send the form, I will go over the specifics of how to order what you want.

Post Processing

Once the animal is processed (mid-October), I will call each of my customers to let them know that their pig is ready.  You should plan to pick up your half or whole pig within 3-5 days.  I recommend bringing a huge cooler or multiple coolers and a strong back or two to help lift the cooler into your vehicle.  

If you would like to be a part of The Pig Project for the 2015 season, please get a hold of me through email. jagerhart@gmail.com Include in the email your name, whether you would like a half or whole pig, your phone number and your email address.  I will then contact you directly to confirm your pig order and send you the order form.

BPF CSA Week 10: grateful for the rain, but what's with the 50-degree temps?

In Your Share This Week:

Basil! it's pesto time! See recipe below.
Garlic- still relatively fresh (not cured)-- will keep best in fridge.
Scallions OR Sweet Onions- YES you can use the whole scallion, white, green, all of it. Slice on the diagonal for extra elegance.
Cherry Tomatoes- starting to come in earnest, though they want more HEAT! Same for big slicers-- there are tons of green fruit on the plants. I predict next week's heat wave will push them over the edge, and we'll be awash in tomatoes soon.
Kale- "No one can imagine a CSA without kale" -David Hambleton, farmer at Sisters Hill Farm, Stanfordville, NY (and who would question this guy?) And btw, have you tried massaged kale?
Lettuce heads- romaine,  Batavian, red leaf, or butterhead-- these cool weather-loving beauties are happy for the temporary respite from heat (they may be the only ones, though)
Summer Squash and/or Zucchini- yes they are interchangeable; they are just all different shapes and colors
Cucumbers-Either Marketmore or Ministro (classic dark green slicing cukes) or Diva (super smooth, light green skin, can grow apparently huge without a hint of bitterness- one of my faves). See below for Sweet and Sour Cucumbers with Fresh Dill, esp if you still have dill left over from last week!
Fennel- a lovely licorice-ish flavored member of the Umbel family (related to celery, parsley, carrot, etc), fennel lends a sweet anise flavor to any dish. Use the bulb and stems cooked or fresh (see below for salad recipe); use fronds chopped in salad dressing or as a bed for fish (or anything!) on the grill

Three Recipes

1. Zee Besto Pesto that I've found: 
2 cups basil- leaves AND tender stems, but not woody/fibrous stems
1/2 c. toasted pine nuts and/or walnuts and/or sunflower seeds
2-3 fat cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional; can be added at serving time)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil- the more pungent the better
2 Tbsp lemon juice
generous pinch salt and pepper

Buzz everything in the food processor or blender til as smooth or chunky as you like. Freeze for months if you like, or refrigerate for a week or so. But really, how can you resist eating it all right now? Yes, with a spoon. Or your finger :)

2. Sweet-and-Sour Cucumbers with Fresh Dill compliments of farm member Dave Borton

Ingredients
2-3 cucumbers (1 1/2 pounds total), partially peeled, seeded and very thinly sliced
1-2 smaller Zucchini, similarly prepared to the cucumbers
2-3 small to mid-sized onions, sliced similar to above
10-12 or so grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Place vegetable pieces/slices in colander. Sprinkle 
with salt; toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring 
occasionally. 
Meanwhile, for dressing, stir vinegar, dill, sugar, and 
pepper in large bowl until sugar is dissolved. 
Drain vegetables well; pat dry. Add cucumbers to 
dressing and stir to blend. Refrigerate at least 15 
minutes and up to 2 hours; serve cold.


3. Fennel-Orange Salad  MF note: There are lots of variations on this classic combo. I like to make a version of this salad with thick shaved parmesan or asiago cheese, a little thinly sliced sweet onion, and/or a handful of arugula tossed in. The point is sweet orange, pungent-sweet fennel, and piquant onion and dressing. The cheese and/or arugula just up the ante with saltiness and nutty-bitterness. See what your palate and family prefer!

compliments of Martha: http://www.marthastewart.com/342465/fennel-and-orange-salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 5 navel oranges

• 3 to 4 fennel bulbs (about 2 pounds total), ends trimmed, quartered lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced, crosswise, plus 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice off both ends of each orange. Following the curve of the fruit, cut away the peel and white pith. Halve orange from top to bottom; thinly slice crosswise. Transfer oranges, along with any juices that have accumulated on work surface, to bowl with dressing. Add fennel and, if desired, fronds. Toss to combine
   .

Birch Point CSA Week 9: Full-on summer!

Happy truly-summer (i.e. heat, humidity, and tomatoes!)  And so sorry for the lack of communication the past 3 weeks- it's been busy around here!
BANJO SHOW TONIGHT @ BPF: Your farmer Brenin Wertz-Roth in concert with his old pals Hazel Rickard and John Hansen. Join us in the red barn for beautiful old-time, bluegrass, and other music and dancing.  Suggested donation: $5-20 (sliding scale). Show starts at 8. Come at 7 for a friends-and-members potluck if you like! All ages. Bring your own folding chair/blanket.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELk8_LIwFK8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywv8QFJ5rs

In Your Share This Week:

Sweet Onions- our fave variety, Ailsa Craig, a large white juicy mellow onion
Cucumbers- mixed varieties. Time for refrigerator pickles!
Summer squash and/or Zucchini- throw on the grill in kebabs or toss w/ pasta for lovely primavera
The very first Cherry Tomatoes
New potatoes- mix of varieties- with butter and parsley... or dill... what could be better?
Lovely lettuce heads- mainly the heat-tolerant Batavians (a cross between green/red leaf lettuce and summercrisp, or iceberg, types), but perhaps a few red leaf, romaine, or butterhead
Apricots from Gary Frederickson in Northport. NOT organic- be sure to wash thoroughly.
Herbs: dill, basil, or parsley *think cuke-dill refrigerator pickles with sweet onion!*

Announcements:

1.BANJO SHOW TONIGHT @ BPF: Your farmer Brenin Wertz-Roth in concert with his old pals Hazel Rickard and John Hansen. Join us in the red barn for beautiful old-time, bluegrass, and other music and dancing.  Suggested donation: $5-20 (sliding scale). Show starts at 8. Come at 7 for a friends-and-members potluck if you like! All ages. Bring your own folding chair/blanket.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELk8_LIwFK8 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oywv8QFJ5rs

2. Pork is still available! Farmer Jae is taking orders for whole and half hogs -- many of you have "met" these pigs already; if not, be sure to ask next time you're at the farm.  They're free ranging on pasture, eating brush and weeds, veggie scraps, non-GMO grain, and (we suspect) occasional donuts from our neighbor Jake. Call Jae @ 989-430-0926 for ordering info.

3. A few Fall-Winter Shares are still available.  Sign up soon to save your spot! $250 gets you eight weeks of hearty storage crops (e.g. carrots, potatoes, parsnips,  beets, turnips, rutabaga, radishes cabbages, onions, leeks, garlic, winter squash/pumpkins), hoophouse-grown salad mix, spinach, and other delicacies, and luscious fall field crops like kale, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, collards, bok choi, and herbs. Starts the first Saturday of November and runs 8 weeks. Pick up at the Saturday indoor market at Bldg. 50 @ The Commons.

4. Storm damage update: For those who haven't been here lately, Birch Point Farm lost LOTS of branches in the Aug. 2 storm, along with a few entire trees tipped up and toppled.  Somehow the gigantic old box elders all survived, albeit with lots of branches gone. We sustained minor hail damage, most notably on  peppers, but hopefully the plants will grow out of it, and the next round of peppers will be unscarred..  Flowers, especially the tall sunflowers, were wind whipped and bent over, but most lived to tell about it.  THANKFULLY no structures or wires were hit by trees/branches-- somehow!  Brenin has been chainsawing like a madman in every spare moment, clearing access to fields and buildings, but the branch pick-up will be an on-going project.  See a downed branch at the farm?  Feel free to drag it to the fire pit or nearest brush pile.


Recipe: Quick Refrigerator Pickles, shamelessly cut and pasted from http://www.thekitchn.com/cooking-basics-very-easy-pickl-83971


We love pickles, and we especially love the variety of flavors and vegetables being used to make them these days. But we've tended to shy away from making them at home, thinking that pickling requires pounds of vegetables, special equipment, and an entire free weekend. Recently, we learned there's another way...
Enter refrigerator pickling! These pickles aren't intended for long-term storage, but rather for casual eating over the course of a week or so. They're incredibly easy to make, even on a weeknight, and are a novel way to use up the odd carrot or quarter-head of cabbage left in the drawer.
First, clean and prepare all your vegetables. If it's a vegetable you like to eat raw, you can leave them as is. If not, you can blanch them in boiling water, steam them lightly, or roast them beforehand. You want them edible but still a bit crunchy.
Pack all the vegetables tightly into jars - you can use old canning jars or any other heat-proof container with an air-tight lid. You can also combine more than one vegetable in the same jar if you don't have quite enough of one. Just make sure the combined vegetables actually "go" together because they'll take on a bit of each other's flavors.
We like to use a basic pickling brine (below) and then riff on the spices or use different vinegars depending on what we're in the mood for. Bring all the brine ingredients to a boil in a small pan and then pour the brine over the vegetables. Put the lids on the containers, cool them to room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating to give the flavors time to meld.
Refrigerator pickles will keep for about a month. If they develop any off flavors or smells, or if you notice fermentation, it's best to just discard the remaining pickles. Some kinds of fermentation are ok (like with kimchi), but we'll save that discussion for another time.
Many of these pickles are great as a snack right out the jar while standing at the counter! We also layer them on sandwiches, toss them in salads, or serve them as part of an appetizer plate.

Basic Pickling Brine
For every pound of vegetable:
1 cup vinegar (any kind except balsamic)
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
Extras: fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, mustard seed, cumin seed, pepper corns, cloves of garlic, or any other pickling spice

Birch Point CSA Week 5

In Your Share This Week: Starting to turn this Spring Ship Toward Summer!

Broccoli OR New Potatoes (whichever you don't get this week you'll get next week)- the very first potatoes of the season, or early broccoli. We leave the greens on broccoli because they're delicious (cook any way you'd do kale, and/or toss in with the broccoli head), but they do transpire moisture away from the head, leading to rubbery broccoli. If you won't use it in the next few days, remove the leaves before storing.
Kohlrabi--click though here for a huffpost series called "WTF, CSA?" starting with Kohlrabi :) And yes you CAN use the greens- cook them just like kale.
Beet greens OR mustard greens- or mix the two and make a spectacular sag paneer--you'll notice in this recipe from Saveur, the author specifically mentions that "sag" just means greens, and you CAN use any greens you have on hand for sag paneer. Go on, be adventurous :) Beet greens: super nutritious!
Lettuce- more beautiful reds, greens, butterhead/bibb, or romaines
Cilantro- perhaps tossed at the last minute into a spicy stirfry of kohlrabi, scallions, peas, and broccoli? Or perhaps you have a garlic scape and a few pine nuts or sunflower seeds hanging around the back of your fridge? try cilantro-garlic scape pesto: Yum!
Scallions- so delicious, so versatile, and please DO use the entire thing, greens and whites. All is tender.
Peas- snow or snap-- may be coming to an end :(  It's been a good pea run, but BEANS are almost ready to take over next week!

Announcements

1. Heart of Summer shares start THIS WEEK.  All Heart of Summer members should have gotten a reminder email- here's another one ;)  See you Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday!
2. Wednesday and Saturday shares- PLEASE remember your boxes--  bring back your empty box each week when you pick up your full one. If everyone remembers their boxes, it helps us keep costs and hassle down, AND helps keep your veggies happier than in a plastic bag (the fate of box-hoarders, if we run out of boxes).
3. Reminder: Dilly Bean canning workshop from ISLAND, here at Birch Point: Tuesday Aug. 4, 6-8:30 pm. Details and registration here. CSA members and general public welcome.

Recipes: 

Save these! and/or bookmark the blog entries, because you'll see a lot of these items again, and next time you'll be even more prepared.

Cilantro Pesto
Take a basil pesto recipe (for example, the one below). Swap out basil for cilantro. Voila.  Hint: you can make pesto out of ANY herb, and many green leafy veggies, too. Anything you enjoy the flavor of will make a delightful pesto. Try basil, cilantro, dill (one of my faves), parsley, sorrel, kale, chives, etc.
2 c. herbs/greens of your choice
1/2 c. toasted nuts/seeds (I like a combo of pine nuts and walnuts and/or sunflower seeds)
2 fat garlic cloves or 1-2 garlic scapes
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
1/2 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice or verjus.
 dash salt and pepper.
Whiz everything in the cuisinart or blender. Adjust salt, add optional heat (ground cayenne, fresh or dried hot pepper), whiz again, taste. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate for a week or so, or freeze for up to several months.

An amazing-sounding kohlrabi soup I found on the abovementioned huffpost kohlrabi article:
http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2011/09/sholeh-maash-persian-green-mung-bean.html
Sholeh Maash - Persian Green Mung Bean and Kohlrabi Hearty Soup
Ingredients:
Serves 6

1 1/2  cups green mung beans, rinse 2-3 times
1/2 cup rice, rinse well
3-4 medium-size kohlrabi, peel and cut into small cubes, leave one cubed kohlrabi for the topping
1 large bunch of fresh tareh or scallions (green parts only), washed and chopped
1 small bunch of fresh tarragon, stems removed and chopped
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, diced
1/3 teaspoon turmeric
1/3 teaspoon red pepper *optional
1/3 teaspoon cumin *optional
Oil

Method:

1. Place the beans and the rice in a large pot, add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
2. Add the small pieces of kohlrabi, salt, pepper, cover and cook for 45 minutes on low heat.
3. Periodically check to see if you need to add more water to the soup.
4. Add the chopped vegetables, taste and adjust the seasoning, add more hot water if needed and let it simmer for another 15 minutes for the flavors to blend in.
5. In the meantime, fry the sliced onions in 3-4 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil in a skillet until golden brown. Add the turmeric powder and the minced garlic to the oil, stir and saute further for another five minutes.
6. Add a large tablespoon of the fried onion to the soup and gently mix well.
7. Lightly fry the cubed kohlrabi in 2-3 tablespoons of hot vegetable oil until soft and golden on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt, turmeric, cumin and red pepper and stir well.

To serve ladle the soup into a soup bowl, top with the fried onions and kohlrabi. Serve hot with bread and yogurt.

Enjoy!

Birch Point CSA Week 4

In Your Share This Week: 

it's still a green, green harvest. If we EVER get a true warm spell, the peas and lettuces will slow down, but on the up side, the tomatoes and beans will LOVE it.  For now, enjoy the leafy goodness this extended cool weather has brought.

The sweetest little Napa Cabbage
Kale OR Swiss Chard
Italian Parsley
Lettuces, all kinds
Baby Salad Mix
Beets
Turnips
Peas! Snow or Snap

Announcements:

1. Heart-of-Summer shares start Tuesday July 21, or Wednesday July 22, or Saturday July 25, and run six weeks.  Heart of Summer shares ARE still available. Know someone on the fence about joining a CSA, or just up here for the summer?  Send them our way.
2. Dilly Bean pickling/preserving workshop here at Birch Point, in partnership with ISLAND. Tuesday Aug 4, 6-8:30 pm (during/after CSA pickup). $40 per person, learn the art of dilly bean preserving and pickling/canning safety, and take home jars of the end product! Oryana member discount. Pre-registration required. All details and how to register HERE
3. "Kaia's Cookies," made by our neighbor Kaia herself, are available to purchase at Tuesday CSA pickup. Kaia and her mom bake delicious gluten-free and dairy-free desserts. Support a young entrepreneur, and get a delectable treat next time you're here on Tuesday.
4. Upcoming: Children's Garden workday and events (e.g. cooking demo, fermenting, etc) on the way-  stay tuned!

Recipe:

Farm-ikopita (or Spanikopita made with whatever farmy green-ness you have on hand)
modified from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spanakopita-greek-spinach-pie/

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds spinach, rinsed and chopped OR Swiss Chard OR kale OR beet greens OR a combo of any greens you like. MF note: I also included 4 coarsely chopped turnips into ours- yum!
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  1. 
     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve
     while hot.

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 8 sheets phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
  
  
  

Birch Point CSA Week 3: The Aliens Have Landed

Q: "What IS that?"  (the most common response to encountering kohlrabi for the first time) 
A: It's the spaceship-shaped vegetable in your share this week-- either green or purple, a round or slightly flattened globe, a member of the broccoli/cabbage family, and soon to be one of your (and your kids') favorite veggies. 

In Your Share This Week

Kohlrabi- My fave way to enjoy: raw!  Peel off skin, slice into sticks or chunks, enjoy as is or with salt or dip of your choice.  OR grate onto salad/slaw. OR cook any way you do broccoli: steam, saute, roast, etc.  Leaves can be used just like kale; that's why we leave them on!

Beets-the first of the season!  You can expect a good variety of beets throughout the season-classic dark red, golden, Chioggia (red-white bullseye pattern inside), all kinds. Roots AND greens are delicious.  Roots: roast, boil, or saute (or GRILL whole beetroots wrapped in foil for a special treat).  Or grate raw into salad- yum.  Greens: saute or steam, or sub for spinach or swiss chard in any recipe.

Lettuce- more beautiful heads to make a salad, eat on sandwiches, etc. You know what to do with lettuce.

Either Arugula OR Baby Salad Mix- Some shares got baby salad mix, some got arugula.  We'll make sure everyone gets everything-- we'll keep the baby greens coming so you get a good mix throughout the season.  Note: all leafy greens have been washed to COOL and RINSE after harvest, but are NOT washed ready-to-eat (unless you don't mind a little grit) ;) If you're a fresh arugula person, excellent. If not, try it slightly wilted, tossed with hot pasta, or arugula pesto.  Note: this is VERY mild arugula-- not the high summer spicy stuff that only the hard core arugula lovers can handle. :)

Garlic Scapes- More!  hope you love garlic.  remember, you can use these ANY way you'd use fresh garlic- just chop/mince the whole thing. And they keep for weeks in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge. Try garlic scape pesto (Recipe below) for a pungent pasta sauce.

Turnips-Might be a new-ish thing for some people! If your only experience with turnips is the pungent purple-and-white kind, give these baby turnips a try-- you'll be delighted. The white ones are a Japanese variety called Hakurei, and the pink ones are called Scarlet Queen.  Both are more tender and mild than the old purple-tops, though the pinks are a little firmer and spicier than the whites.  Both can be used raw in salad (grated OR sliced, salted, and let "sweat" before tossing in) or on a crudite platter with salt or dip.  OR make a turnip-beet root roast (toss in the last of last week's radishes while you're at it), with a creamy bechamel sauce with blended garlic scapes.  Be sure to use the GREENS in any saute, soup, or pesto you might be making, too.

Peas -either sugarsnap (fat, sugary) OR snow peas (flat pods, more savory), both are for eating whole, NOT shelling.  We mostly just eat these raw as a snack, but they're delicious in stir-fries too. Hopefully last night's RAIN will crank up the next week's harvest..

Announcements

1. Market and CSA pickup (Wed and Sat) is still in the Old Town parking deck til Cherry festival is over. 

2. BREAD and COFFEE shares still available- please email or call for info if you're interested!

Recipes

Garlic Scape Pesto

1 bunch garlic scapes
1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. toasted walnuts, pine nuts, and/or toasted sunflower seeds- any combo works
1/4 c. grated parmesan (optional)
juice of 1/2 lemon
generous dashes salt and pepper
Optional: 1 c. any greens of your choice (kale, spinach, parsley, turnip greens, basil, etc)

In cuisinart or blender, process olive oil, lemon juice, garlic scapes, salt and pepper.  Add nuts, process til as smooth or chunky as you like (if you want it creamy not at all chunky, toss the nuts in with everything else and whiz away; if more texture is your thing, whiz til nuts are in tiny chunks, but not creamy- try different textures and see what you like best). Add cheese last and blend just to mix. Use immediately, refrigerate for at least a week,  OR freeze for up to several months.  This is a PUNGENT pasta topper, or dip for fries, or serious salad dressing, or sauce for roasted roots or meats.  To mellow it out a little (if you like), add other greens of your choice. Parsley is one of my faves, but any leafy green thing will do. Yes pesto IS adaptable to what's on hand! Check this blog post I found online for more garlic scape/etc. pesto suggestions.

Turnip-Beet-Any-Root Roast with Creamy Garlic Bechamel Sauce

Turnips
Beets
Kohlrabi (not technically a root, but goes GREAT in this dish)
Any other roots you have on hand

Scrub and chop roots into large bite sized chunks.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and roast at 375ish for 30-45 min (longer for larger chunks) or til edges are nicely browned and caramelized and centers are tender. 
Meanwhile, prepare this bechamel sauce (thanks Martha Stewart!), substituting 2-4 garlic SCAPES for the cloves in the recipe.

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small yellow onion, diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• coarse salt
• 4 1/2 cups whole milk 
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is soft, 4 minutes. Add flour, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until mixture is pale golden with a nutty aroma, 4 minutes. Whisking constantly, add half the milk. Add the remaining milk and whisk until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce comes to a boil and thickens, 10 minutes. Use immediately.

• Children's Corner

  By Ava Newell

  Hello! What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef!

   In the children`s garden, we previously have been planting in 5 different sections. Rainbow food garden, herb garden, three sisters garden (beans, squash and corn), Poncho`s pot pie garden and the flower garden. We`ve grown lots of vegetables, but not rhubarb. And I bring that up because my mom gave me a recipe for rhubarb custard cake. We made it for Fourth of July.
  Rhubarb Custard Cake
  *1 package yellow cake mix
  *4 cups fresh or frozen Rhubarb
  *1cup sugar
  *1cup heavy whipping cream
  *whipped cream and Mint, optional
• Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Pour into greased 13x9" pan. Sprinkle on rhubarb and sugar; slowly pour cream over top. Bake at 350 for 40-45 min or until golden brown.Cool for 15 min before serving; garnish with whipped cream and mint if desired. Refrigerate leftovers. Serves 12-15.
• MF note: sounds like we should plant some rhubarb in the children's garden!

Birch Point CSA 2015 Week 2 (Newsletter #1)

Welcome! or Welcome Back!
We are so glad you've joined our farm for the 2015 season.  Our first newsletter follows, and this is how newsletters normally go:
1. A list of this week's share items (what's in the box)
2. Announcements/ Need-to-Know important stuff (this is where you learn about changes to CSA pickup, optional extras available to order, on-farm events, etc)
3. Recipes featuring this week's items
and 4. (sometimes) Field Notes- what's up in the fields! Also occasional updates from the Children's Garden, "Meet your Farmers" interviews/profiles, photos from the farm this week, etc.

In Your Share This Week:  Lots of Green Loveliness, some Color, and some Sass

Peas! The very first snap peas of the season- there will be more, if the cool-ish weather holds. Peas love cool, moist times. We've got the cool; if we keep that and add the moist, we're rich in peas. Enjoy fresh (whole pod! these are NOT shelling peas) or tossed in a stir-fry at the last minute.

Baby salad mix- a lovely blend of baby lettuces, baby kales and chards, baby Asian greens, etc.  The salad mix composition changes every week, based on what looks best/what we have lots of.  See if you can identify all the different components!  *Note* All bagged or bunched greens have been rinsed but not washed ready-to-eat.  We recommend submerging in cool water, then spinning dry.

Radishes- more mild spring beauties- spring radishes, esp. those grown in the hoophouse or under row covers, are so much milder than the spicy summer versions of themselves-- the heat or moisture stress really "kicks it up" in the radish world. Enjoy the mellowness :)  If you think radishes are not your thing, give them two more chances: 1. Slice thinly or chop, then toss with a generous amount of SALT. Salt draws out the moisture, making them juicier and more tender, and also cuts the bitterness. Set for 5-20 min, then enjoy as is, or on a toasted bagel/baguette with cream cheese/goat cheese, or in your salad.  2. ROAST them just like potatoes- cut in half or leave whole, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, spread in a single layer in a cast iron skillet or on a cookie sheet, roast at 375ish for 30 min or so, til edges are brown and caramelized, and insides are soft and tender.  They'll taste of radish, but NOT of any bitterness. Mix with potatoes or other roots of your choice.

Bok Choy/Pac Choi (same thing, different spelling)- a most versatile leafy Asian vegetable.  My favorite preparation is a raw slaw (see recipe below), but any variation on stir-fry is a great use of choi as well. Some members will get green choi; others red. The red is starting to elongate, or bolt (send up a flower stalk), but we meticulously taste tested it, and it is still super tender and sweet, not stringy or spicy.  So go ahead and use the whole thing! Leaves, stalks, AND flower buds-- see below for the story of my introduction to "vegetable flower,"

Lettuces- lovely heads of red leaf, green romaine, butterhead, or red romaine.  Use for salad, sandwiches, on tacos, as lettuce wraps, etc. We love growing lettuces, so we hope you'll enjoy the rotating varieties we include with your share-- what are your favorites?

Garlic Scapes!  The flowering stalk of the garlic plant--- use just like fresh garlic, because it IS fresh garlic, just a part of the plant you don't see every day. That's because the scapes only grow in late spring/early summer for a 3-4 week window at most. We remove the scapes from the plants for two reasons: 1. They are DELICIOUS and tender, and a fun variation on garlic, one of our fave foods, and 2. Removing the flower stalk (before it flowers) allows the plant to redirect its energy into growing a bigger bulb instead of a flower, meaning more garlic (bigger bulbs) for us later in the summer.  This way we get two harvests of garlic from each plant!  My favorite preparation is on the grill: toss with olive oil, spread on the grill with anything else you happen to have on there, and let it go til blackened on the tips and soft/tender along the stem. Eat the whole thing. Or steam/blanch, then bread and deep fry, tempura-style, for the most decadent onion-ring-type-thing ever. Or just chop/mince and use in any recipe that calls for garlic.  AND they keep for weeks - just store in an airtight container, i.e. sealed plastic bag, in the fridge.

Locally-grown and milled FLOUR from Grand Traverse Culinary Flours. CSA member Bill Koucky produces both flours and culinary oils from locally grown ingredients!  The Record Eagle ran this story last year- check it out!  Flour AND oil will be available to order soon- this is just a sample to whet your baking whistles (and yes there IS buckwheat flour available for the gluten-averse of ye). Thanks Bill!


Announcements:

1. Cherry Festival Market Relocation: Starting Saturday, July 4, farmers' market is RELOCATED to the Old Town Parking Deck off Eighth or Lake St.  Saturday, July 4, Wed. July 8, and Saturday July 11, come find us and your CSA share on the ground level of the parking deck. As an incentive, the first 100 people to visit the market during festival days will receive $5 of their market purchases!

2. Bread and coffee shares ARE still available- you can start any week.  9 Bean Rows bread is $4 per week, bread is baker's choice- a rotating mix (one loaf per week).  Coffee is $10 per week, you sign up for light OR dark roast, and get a nice variety from within your roast preference each week (12 oz bag, whole beans).  Please email birchpointcsa@gmail.com to sign up or for more info.

3. Strawberries: if you (Tuesday people) ordered strawberries from Ware Farm, they are here today.  Sat and Wed people-- we are waiting, with baited breath, to hear if more berries will be available. The most reliable thing for you to do is to contact Bernie and Sandee Ware directly (warefarm@centurytel.net or 231 864 3242)and order flats for pick-up at market.  (Skip the Birch Point go-between entirely, since you'll be at market/in town for your CSA pickup anyway.)   I will let you know if we can take orders for more flats next week.

4. Tuesday people: remember BAGS and coolers or boxes to carry your share home.  We don't supply containers for on-farm pickups. However, we do accept donated stashes of used, clean plastic bags.  Bring your collection and leave it in the barn for when you (or fellow CSA members) forget your containers.




Recipe

Asian-ish Slaw, using Choi of your Choice, or any Asian leafy green, for that matter :)

1 head bok choi (or substitute a small napa cabbage, komatsuna, or a few tatsoi heads), finely chopped across the grain, stems,  leaves, and all.
1-3 garlic scapes, thinly sliced
1-3 dried hot peppers, crushed with the side of a knife or mortar-and-pestled, OR 1 tsp ground cayenne (optional)
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1 handful cilantro, coarsely chopped
1-2 sweet peppers, very thinly sliced (optional)
1 carrot, grated or julienned
4 Tbsp black sesame seeds (sub white if black unavailable)
1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 tsp ground ginger or one generous knob fresh ginger, minced
juice of one large or two small limes
generous sploosh of toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper

1. Make dressing: lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, cayenne, salt, pepper. Mix well in bottom of large bowl.
2. Add finely sliced/chopped vegetables: choi, scapes, peppers, carrots, onion. Toss with dressing.
3. Add seeds, toss.
4. Add cilantro just before serving, toss lightly-- keep that cilantro fresh til the last minute!
Enjoy room temperature or refrigerated.

"Vegetable Flower"
While I was the farm manager at the MSU Student Organic Farm, we hosted several student volunteer work parties. One spring day a class was ripping out the overgrown, weedy hoophouse that still harbored over-wintered Asian greens, among other things.   Blong, a Hmong student, questioned why we were ripping out the bolted Chinese cabbage, without distributing it to our CSA members. Upon investigation, it turned out that, at least in his family, bolted (flowering) Asian greens were a delicacy! And that there is a Hmong word for it, which translates to "vegetable flower."  We tried it, and he was right-- just as delicious as the non-bolting versions of themselves. Ever since, I've not hesitated to harvest and distribute to CSA members the bolting bok choi, napa, or other Asian greens-- they take a little explaining sometimes, but they are just long, there's nothing wrong!  I hope you enjoy whatever color and shape of bok choi you find in your share this week. And please do share your favorite recipe for bok choi or any other slightly uncommon veggie-- your fellow CSA members would love to hear from you.