Store In The Fridge:
Red Leaf Lettuce- Hartland Vegetable Farm
Lacinato Kale- Hartland Vegetable Farm
Mustard Spinach- Hartland Vegetable Farm
Cameo Apples-New Morning Farm
Store In A Cool Dry Place:
Red Onions-Tuscarora Organic Coop
Recipes and Information
Thanks to long time CSA member Anna for reminding us that Kale Chips are an awesome way to use your kale! Here's a recipe from Smitten Kitchen which has the added bonus of Kale Chip Dusted Popcorn (delish!):
Baked Kale Chips
Adapted from a bunch of inspiring places
1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (I used Lacinato or “Dinosaur” Kale but I understand that the curlier stuff works, too, possibly even better)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.
Kale-Dusted Popcorn If you’re making the chips with the intention to grind them up for popcorn, I’d use less oil — perhaps half — so they grind without the “powder” clumping. I ground a handful of my chips (about half) in a mortar and pestle (well, actually the “pestle” was MIA so I used the handle of an OXO reamer, not that anyone asked) and sprinkled it over popcorn (1/4 cup popcorn kernels I’d cooked in a covered pot with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, shaking it about with potholders frequently). I seasoned the popcorn with salt. I liked this snack, but I think Parmesan and Kale-Dusted Popcorn would be even more delicious. Next time!
Mustard Spinach(Komatsuna) Information:
Also known as Tendergreen, they are sure to please anyone who loves fresh greens. Tastes great fresh, stir-fried, or steamed. A traditional Southern favorite.
An early maturing flavorful nutritious vegetable. Leaves are mild flavored, smooth and dark green. Usually cooked as greens but can be used raw in salads like spinach. Easy to grow and it is rich in vitamins and minerals.
As we learn more and more about the the health benefits of whole foods, Tom and I are amazed that specific combinations of certain foods yield very specific results. Here are some combinations for Mustard Spinach:
-Combined with dried sardine whiting, or with sakura ebi/Cherry blossom shrimp, or with scallops, or with konbu/seaweed, helps preserve human bones, and activate rejuvenation.
-Combined with tomatoes, or with wakame seaweed, or with carrots, or with green chili peppers, povides for extra stamina, and helps prevent cancer.
-Combined with rice vinegar, or with orange, or with lemon, or with strawberries, helps prevent stress, and sore back/articulations, and helps swift recovery.
-Combined with konnyaku/devil’s tongue tuber, or with mushrooms, or with celery, or with bamboo shoots, helps combat obesity and prevent high blood pressure. Helps lower down blood cholesterol.
Awesome!
Here's a recipe for Caramel Sauce that is really simple and great for dipping all those apples. Extra (yeah, right!) can be poured over ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of sugar
6 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
METHOD
1 First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first - make sure there are no children under foot and you may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water.
2 Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. Note that this recipe works best if you are using a thick-bottomed pan. If you find that you end up burning some of the sugar before the rest of it is melted, the next time you attempt it, add a half cup of water to the sugar at the beginning of the process, this will help the sugar to cook more evenly, though it will take longer as the water will need to evaporate before the sugar will caramelize.
3 As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.
4 Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big.
5 Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.
Makes a little over one cup of sauce.
