Weekly CSA Newsletter: October 8-14, 2006 (Week #18)

In This Issue:

1. This week's share may include: ...
2. Pick-Your-Own Crops and Information
3. Notes from the Field - The Art of Blessing the Day
4. Recipes
   • Hot Pepper Edition II (Yes, there is more!)
   • White Bean, Kale, and Roasted Vegetable Soup
   • Delicata Squash with Herbs
   • Massaman Curry
5. Upcoming Events: Third Sunday Gathering October 15th at 4 PM
6. CFO Contact Information

1. This week's share may include

• Fennel
• Carrots or Beets
• Leeks
• Potatoes
• Winter Squash
• Greens
• Cabbage
• Collard Greens
• Kale

2. Pick-Your-Own Crops

• Cilantro / Dill / Parsley

All shareholders are invited to pick your own from 9 AM to 7:30 PM on Sundays and from 3 PM to 7:30 PM on Thursdays. Please visit the PYO station near the red shed for locations of crops and all PYO tools and materials.

3. Notes from the Field

The Art of Blessing the Day

from THE ART OF BLESSING THE DAY

This is the blessing for rain after drought:
Come down, wash the air so it shimmers,
a perfumed shawl of lavender chiffon.
Let the parched leaves suckle and swell.
Enter my skin, wash me for the little
chrysalis of sleep rocked in your plashing.
In the morning the world is peeled to shining.

This is the blessing for sun after long rain:
Now everything shakes itself free and rises.
The trees are bright as pushcart ices.
Every last lily opens its satin thighs.
The bees dance and roll in pollen
and the cardinal at the top of the pine
sings at full throttle, fountaining.

This is the blessing for a ripe peach:
This is luck made round. Frost can nip
the blossom, kill the bee. It can drop,
a hard green useless nut. Brown fungus,
the burrowing worm that coils in rot can
blemish it and wind crush it on the ground.
Yet this peach fills my mouth with juicy sun.

This is the blessing for the first garden tomato:
Those green boxes of tasteless acid the store
sells in January, those red things with the savor
of wet chalk, they mock your fragrant name.
How fat and sweet you are weighing down my palm,
warm as the flank of a cow in the sun.
You are the savor of summer in a thin red skin.

This is the blessing for a political victory:
Although I shall not forget that things
work in increments and epicycles and sometime
leaps that half the time fall back down,
let's not relinquish dancing while the music
fits into our hips and bounces our heels.
We must never forget, pleasure is real as pain.

The blessing for the return of a favorite cat,
the blessing for love returned, for friends'
return, for money received unexpected,
the blessing for the rising of the bread,
the sun, the oppressed. I am not sentimental
about old men mumbling the Hebrew by rote
with no more feeling than one says gesundheit.

But the discipline of blessings is to taste
each moment, the bitter, the sour, the sweet
and the salty, and be glad for what does not
hurt. The art is in compressing attention
to each little and big blossom of the tree
of life, to let the tongue sing each fruit,
its savor, its aroma and its use.

Attention is love, what we must give
children, mothers, fathers, pets,
our friends, the news, the woes of others.
What we want to change we curse and then
pick up a tool. Bless whatever you can
with eyes and hands and tongue. If you
can't bless it, get ready to make it new.

Marge Piercy

4. Recipes

Hot Pepper Edition II (Yes, there is more!)

Hot Pepper Edition II (sorry, I misplaced this batch earlier).

Salsa

They're great in salsa if you still have some tomatoes--here's what I usually put in: tomato, tomatillo, onion, pepper, juice of 1/2 lime, splash of olive oil, salt

Of course, depending on how hot they are you can only put so many in salsa!

Roasted

I'm also planning to roast peppers and then freeze for use in the winter. I haven't tried this yet but here's some info I found on fabulousfoods.com:

You can roast whole peppers (sweet or hot, depending on what you intend to use them for) over a very hot wood or charcoal fire. Place peppers directly on the grill (if it's still flaming a bit, so much the better!) and turn frequently with tongs to allow the skins to blister and blacken. Roasted peppers are wonderful on their own or as a recipe ingredients.

When the peppers are charred, remove them from the fire and place in a food grade plastic bag. Allow some air to remain in the bag and loosely tie. The steam that will form in the bag will help to remove the skin. Let cool for about fifteen minutes or until you can easily handle the peppers. Remove from bag and use your hands to peel off the skins. Cut off the stem end and slice the peppers open. Remove the core and seeds and cut into strips. [website editor's note: You can also save the plastic and put the cooked peppers on a plate and cover with an upside down plate. -Liz]

Alternatively, you can use one of these other methods to roast peppers:

• You can roast and blacken the pepper on the burner directly over the gas flame on your stovetop (have a fire extinguisher nearby and never try this with an electric stove).
• If you don't have an open fire, you can also roast peppers in the oven or under a broiler. Put the peppers directly on the oven rack and roast until blistered and charred. Proceed as above. Quarter, core and seed larger peppers before roasting this way.

Good luck! Stephanie

stir fries & Chili

Dear Jen;

I am also a little bit unsure about those peppers but I have just put a little into things like stir fry or one day I made chili, that was good, used a whole one.

Sincerely, Kerri

Use hot peppers - "to taste".

Hi Jen --

I love hot peppers and will put them into pretty much everything. The trick is to not make the dish hotter than you are comfortable eating. So, if you're unaccustomed to eating hot food at restaurants (like Indian, Thai, or Mexican places where they often ask you how hot you like it), I would only use a little bit at a time until you figure out how much heat you enjoy. Unlike bell peppers, the little hot guys aren't a significant addition to any dish, they are used more like salt and pepper, as they say in recipes "to taste". Chop them fine, then toss them into whatever you like from salsa to soup, to pretty much any dish you like that could use a little kick.

Have fun with them!
Carolyn Jordan

Curry!

Here's a recipe that sounds tasty that I had planned to try: Combine: 5 T Veg. oil, 2 t mustard seeds, 1 t fenugreek seeds, 3 green chilis (deseeded and chopped), 1 handful of curry leaves (found in Indian/Asian stores or maybe Whole Foods), 2 thumb size pieces of ginger (peeled and minced), 3 onions, 1 t chili powder, 1 t turmeric, 6 tomatoes, 1 14oz. can of coconut milk.

then add either chicken, fish or veggies...

ají - Ecuadorian hot sauce

I don't cook with them, I make ají, Ecuadorian hot sauce. Serve this in a small bowl at the table and let everyone add their own fire to their meals...

• 2-3 hot peppers (in Ecuador, they use a long, skinny, red pepper, but any hot pepper will do), stem and seeds removed
• 1 tomato
• 2 scallions, white part only, or 1/2 a small white onion
• 1/3 c water
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 2 tsp cilantro
• Salt to taste

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until they form a chunky sauce.

White Bean, Kale, and Roasted Vegetable Soup

Provided by Jared Shaw

Many dark, leafy greens, like kale, contain calcium. The beans have it, too.

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered
• 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
• 4 cups finely chopped kale
• 3 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• One 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with oil spray. Arrange carrots, tomatoes, onion, squash and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake until vegetables are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Transfer carrots and squash to work surface. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes.

Add beans and reserved carrots and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Per serving: calories, 191; total fat, 4 g; saturated fat, 0.5 g; cholesterol, 0

Makes 6 servings. Bon Appétit - Cooking for Health, January 2000

Delicata Squash with Herbs

from Vegetable Love, by Barbara Kafka (provided by Kathy Diamond)

Since we got 2 squash in the share today, I scaled the recipe down. I used the herbs in my garden-sage and rosemary.

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3 delicata squash (about 1.5 lbs), trimmed (I think that means peeled), halved, seeds removed, and cut into ˝-inch dice (about 4 cups)
• 1 ˝ teaspoons chopped savory
• 1 ˝ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 ˝ teaspoons chopped fresh sage
• ˝ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Cook the squash over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, 7 to 12 minutes. Add the herbs. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 3 cups.

Massaman Curry

provided by Andrew Ward

This curry can use any of the potatoes, carrots and similar root vegetables grown at the farm. It's simple to prepare and makes a hardy meal when combined with jasmine rice. Masaman means "Muslim" in Thai as this curry originates from southern Thailand - a region that abuts Malaysia. I learned this authentic recipe from a Thai gentleman who taught a class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

Ingredients:

• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
• 1 ˝ lbs. chicken, beef or tofu
• 2 to 2 ˝ T masaman curry paste *
• 4 to 5 potatoes
• ˝ cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 2 ˝ to 3 T fish sauce (nam pla)*
• 1 ˝ to 2 T lime juice
• 1 T palm sugar (brown sugar can be substituted)
• 3 to 4 T fried shallots (optional)*

* These ingredients can be purchased at most Asian food stores. In particular, the masaman curry paste, fish sauce, and palm sugar are difficult to find in traditional supermarkets. Also, the Asian food markets tend to charge a fraction of the price for coconut milk compared with chain supermarkets.

Note: There now seems to be an Asian food market on Waverly Oaks Road about 1/4 mile from the farm (between Trapelo Road and Beaver Street). I have not been there, but there are chinese (?) signs directing you to the store. Saskia

Preparation:

1. Dice the meat or tofu into 1 ˝ - 2 inch cubes. Heat some oil (canola, vegetable) in a wok or large non-stick pan. Brown the meat or tofu on all sides. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel.
2. Place the meat or tofu into a large pot and add the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat. Cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender - about 5 minutes.
3. Skim about 1 cup of the coconut milk from the pot and place it in a small pan. Mix the curry paste into the coconut milk over a medium heat in the small pot for several minutes. Then, pour the curry paste mixture into the larger pot with the meat or tofu. (Start cooking the rice at this time too - see below).
4. Add the fish sauce, sugar, onions, potatoes, (other root veggies), peanuts and lime juice. Cover and cook over a low heat for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Serve with plain or jasmine rice.

Rice Preparation:

This is a slam dunk recipe for the rice-challenged cooks in our midst.

1. Separately measure ˝ cup of white or jasmine rice, and 1 cup water. (Tip: always use these proportions 1 part rice to 2 parts water).
2. In a pan with a tight fitting lid, bring the water to a boil.
3. Add the rice, stir for a minute to prevent the rice from immediately sticking to the pan bottom.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer. This is key, that you reduce it to the lowest possible setting while maintaining the simmer. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Cover the pan.
5. Check the mixture after a few minutes to ensure it is simmering, but not boiling. Again, reduce the heat if you can.
6. After the timer "chimes", turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove. Wait 10 minutes. Then stir the rice and serve

5. Upcoming events

Sunday, October15th, 4:00 pm Third Sunday Gathering (the last of the season!)

Third Sunday Gatherings: The third Sunday of every month we host an informal gathering of members, shareholders and supporters. This is a chance to connect with other farm-friendly folks. The gatherings are scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM. Meet near the distribution shelter. Third Sunday Gatherings begin in May and are held through the third Sunday in October. The Third Sunday of November will be a harvest potluck and CFO's Annual Meeting will now be held in January 2007 (date TBD).

6. Contact Information

• Farm Staff: csainfo@communityfarms.org
• Meg Coward: megcoward@communityfarms.org
• Volunteer Coordinators: volunteer@communityfarms.org
• Newsletter Submissions: soosting@yahoo.com
• CFO Board of Directors: board@communityfarms.org

Community Farms Outreach is a nonprofit organization dedicated to farmland preservation, hunger relief, and education.