This Week's Delivery Saturday August 20, 2011

Welcome back after a week of vacation! Thanks to all of you who volunteered to cover a shift this week. We have the day completely covered and some of you will also be joining us at Discovery Woods for our Crop Mob work day!

Please continue to let us know you will be out of town by Wednesday of the week you'll be gone. We continue to have a number of excess bags each week.

Here's what we've got going on this week:

Please return Kombucha and Yogurt Bottles.

In addition to shares we have

Medium Eggs* (smaller and cheaper) at $2.50 a dozen- *please go by Farmer-Attached label that says medium

Kombucha $6.00 for 750 ml- Glad to see so many of your trying it!

Checks can be made out to Tom or Christy Przystawik or pay cash, leave money in the provided box.

And in your bags this week:

Store In the Fridge:

Bell Peppers - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Fennel - Path Valley Farms

Peaches - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Jalapenos - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Store In A Cool Dry Place:

Vine Ripe Tomatoes - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Walla Walla Onions - Whipple Farm

Recipes and Information

Fennel Baked in Milk

1 medium bulb fennel, fronds reserved

1 1/3 cups milk

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,

to taste

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 475°. Remove tough outer layer of fennel. Halve bulbs lengthwise and

cut into 1⁄2" wedges. Combine fennel, milk, and 2

tbsp. butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring

occasionally, until fennel is just tender, 30–45 minutes. Add

fennel seeds and season with salt and pepper. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fennel

to a 2-quart oval baking dish; pour 1 cup of the

milk mixture over fennel. Sprinkle with Parmesan, dot with remaining butter, and

bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20

minutes. Serve fennel garnished with some of the fronds.

Cabbage and Fennel Coleslaw

If you're a fennel fan (that alone is fun to say), you'll love this easy and delicious

coleslaw. To me, plain old cabbage slaws are too often

boring, drenched in mayo, or both. This version has the lovely sweet crispness of

fennel and the creaminess of Greek yogurt. For best

results, allow it to macerate a bit in the fridge before the final dressing.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked white rice (starting from about 3/4 to 1 cup raw white rice)

• 4 to 6 bell peppers (red, yellow, or green), use 4 large, or 6 medium sized

• 1 to 1 1/4 lb of ground beef (ground chuck, 16% fat)

• 6 large fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil)

• 1/2 teaspoon dry summer savory

• 1/2 teaspoon ground marjoram (or 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped)

• (Can substitute herbs with other herbs such as an Italian herb mix)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Paprika

1 If you haven't already made the rice, start cooking the rice following the package

instructions (usually 1 cup of raw white rice plus 1 1/2

cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and

cook for 15 minutes.)

2 Cut the tops off of the bell peppers. Remove and discard (compost) the stem and

seeds. Place bell peppers cut side up on a steaming

rack over an inch of water in a large covered pot. Bring to boil, let steam for 10

minutes.

3 Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, basil, summer

savory, marjoram, salt, several turns of black

pepper, and rice.

4 Remove bell peppers from steamer pan. Place cut side up in a pyrex or other oven-

proof casserole. Gently stuff the peppers with the

ground beef rice mixture. Drizzle olive oil over the stuffed peppers, along the outside of

the peppers, and into the pan. Rub the oil over

the outside of the peppers; it will help with browning. Sprinkle the tops generously

with paprika.

5 Place on middle rack and cook for 35-50 minutes, or longer, until the meat is cooked

through.

with thanks,

christy and tom

This Week's Delivery Saturday August 6, 2011

Welcome Back! Couple of things:

1. One of our farmers that Tom mentioned last week, Barry Argento of Papa's Orchard, is still very seriously ill and in the hospital. We tried to meet up with his son at the West End Farmer's market last Sunday to find out how he was but his son was unable to make it to the market. We cannot tell you how much we really have come to love Barry and we are especially sad about his illness. Daniel, one of our CSA Members, so graciously suggested that we have a card out on the pick up table for folks to sign. What a wonderful and loving idea! So tomorrow, if you are so inclined, please take a moment to sign Barry's card so that he knows how much is loved.

2. Our family is vacationing after tomorrow night so we will not have CSA pick up on Saturday August 13th. Please make a note of this so you don't show up to a closed garage:)

3. Thirteen people did not pick up last week. Please let us know by Wednesday if you cannot pick up your share. This way will not spend the money to order that much food. As you know, it is not inexpensive.

4. If you have kombucha or yogurt jars please return them so that we can avoid charging a deposit in the future.

Store In the Fridge

Slicing Cucumber - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Patty Pan Squash - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Peaches White or Yellow - Weakley Farms or Yowell Farms

Store In A Cool Dry Place

Tomatillos - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Red Roma Tomatoes - Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Walla Walla Onions - Whipple Farms

Also Available:

Kombucha- $6 for 750ml bottle

Eggs- $4/dozen

Recipes and Information

Tomatillos-

The tomatillo vegetable is surrounded by an inedible, paper-like husk formed from the calyx. As the fruit matures, it fills the husk and can split it open by harvest. The husk turns brown, and the fruit can be any of a number of colors when ripe, including yellow, red, green, or even purple. Tomatillos are the key ingredient in fresh and cooked Latin American green sauces. The freshness and greenness of the husk are quality criteria. Fruit should be firm and bright green, as the green colour and tart flavor are the main culinary contributions of the fruit. Purple and red-ripening cultivars often have a slight sweetness, unlike the green- and yellow-ripening cultivars, and are therefore somewhat more suitable for fruit-like uses like jams and preserves. Like their close relatives cape gooseberries, tomatillos have a high pectin content.

Tomatillo plants are highly self-incompatible (two or more plants are needed for proper pollination; thus isolated tomatillo plants rarely set fruit).

Cooked Tomatillo Chile Sauce

1 lb tomatillos, husked and washed

2 jalapeños

6 sprigs chopped cilantro

1/2 cup onions chopped

1 cloves chopped garlic

1 T oil

2C quart chicken or vegetable broth, or water

Boil tomatillos and jalapenos for 10 – 15 minutes. Drain.

Blend in foodprocessor with cilantro, onion and garlic. Not too smooth.

Heat oil in pan. Add sauce all at once and cook 4 – 5 minutes. Sauce should get darker. Add broth or water and simmer 10 minutes until thicker.

Chef Tom's Fresh Tomato Salsa

2C Fresh ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced

1/2C Onion(red, white or yellow) chopped fine

1 Chile Pepper, chopped fine

2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped

1 Tablespoon Salt

Juice of 1 Lime(optional)

Mix everything together and let site for about half an hour. If you like salsa a little more tangy - add the lime juice. Sometimes the tomatoes have enough acidity on their own.

Enjoy with tortilla chips, scrambled eggs, fish, pork chops, also delicious on top of hummus!

with thanks,

christy and tom

This Week's Delivery Saturday July 30, 2011

Last week, when our farmer's were making their deliveries I promised them that it couldn't get any hotter. As is often the case, I was wrong! I think we can agree that 104 degrees is a bit much.

The relationship with our some farmer's is curious particularly now that they come to our home. They let us know via email or phone what is available for the next delivery. I then reply via email or phone to let them know what I would like. The exception is Farmer Steve from Northern Neck Fresh Fruits and Vegetables whom I meet at a new undisclosed location early Thursday mornings. Anyway, it takes, at most, 15 minutes for the produce to be unloaded put away, and paperwork to be completed. We don't have have much time to talk, yet week by week you get to know them better. They become our friends. Which brings me to Barry Argento. He's been providing us with fruit for over 3 years. He is presently hospitalized and is waiting to hear about options for treatment. From the hospital, he called me to let me know what was happening with him and that for the time being deliveries would be on hold.

Please keep Barry Argento from Papa's Orchard in your thoughts and prayers.

-Chef Tom

This week's offerings:

Store In The Fridge:

Sweet Corn - Miller Farm

Store In A Cool Dry Place:

Yellow Peaches - Yowell Family Farm

Gold Potatoes - Northern Neck Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Carolina Gold Tomatoes - Northern Neck FreshFruit andVegetables

Jalapeno Peppers - Northern Neck Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Romanian Red Garlic -Path Valley Farms

Ailsa Craig Onions - Whipple Farm

In addition we have for sale:

Pastured Eggs $4/dozen

Amish Chickens - Only have 6! - $14.50 each

Kombucha - it's ready! 750ml Bottle for $6

Homemade Whole Milk(from grass-fed cows) Plain Yogurt - 32oz Jar for $6.

Cash or check and place payments in payment box. checks can be made out to Christy or Tom Przystawik

For those of you who have purchased yogurt or kombucha please remember to return your jars and bottles. We are low and they are expensive.

Recipes and Information

Spiced Tomato Gratin

I don't bother to peel the potatoes, but you can if you like. You're going to want to use a mandoline, if you have one, to slice the potatoes. If not, you can use a knife, it just takes a bit longer.

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (about 2 pounds / 32 oz / 910 g)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/4 pounds / 20 ounces / 570 g Yukon Gold potatoes

1/2 cup / 120 ml heavy cream

2 pounds / 32 oz / 910 g ripe tomatoes

a small handful of basil leaves, slivered

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C with a rack in the top third.

Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside.

You can get a jump start on the onions while you slice the potatoes and tomatoes. Heat half of the olive oil, 2 tablespoons, in your largest skillet or dutch oven over high heat. When hot, stir in the onions along with a few pinches of salt. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the onions soften up - 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and stir in the butter. Stirring regularly, cook another 10 - 15 minutes at this temperature, or until the onions just begin to caramelize a bit. Dial the heat back a shade more, and cook until the onions are deeply golden, this might take another 20 minutes. A minute before the onions are finished cooking stir in the spice mixture. Remove the pan from heat and set aside the onions.

In the meantime, use a mandoline to slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Place in a medium bowl along with the cream, 1 teaspoon of salt, and bit of pepper. Toss well, and set aside.

Use a knife to cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. Arrange across a large plate and sprinkle with another teaspoon of salt and some pepper.

Smear half the caramelized onions across the bottom of a 10x10 inch (or equivalent) gratin or baking dish. Take half of the potatoes and half of the tomatoes and arrange on top of the onion layer (see photo). Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of cream from the potatoes and a tablespoon of olive oil. Season the layer with a pinch of salt and half the basil.

Scatter the remaining onions across the potatoes and tomatoes already in the pan. Then arrange another layer of tomatoes and potatoes on top. This will be the top of your gratin, so do your best to make it look nice. Pour the remaining cream, from the potatoes, and last tablespoon of olive oil across the top. Season with another pinch of salt and the remaining basil. Gently press down on the vegetables so the cream comes up through the layers of vegetables evenly.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender throughout. Increase the oven to 450F / 230C, carefully uncover the gratin, and cook another 30 minutes, or until the top takes on a nice golden color.

Serves 10 as a side.

Recipe inspired by the Tomato Potato Gratin in Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin, Knopf 2005.

Prep time: 30 min - Cook time: 180 min

with thanks,

christy and tom

Jalepeno Breakfast Casserole form the Homesick Texan

This Week's Delivery Saturday July 23, 2011

Gonna be a scorcher. Again.

But our farmers are working hard and here's what they have provided for us this week:

Store In The Fridge:

Ambrosia Melon-Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Green Beans-Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Cucumbers-Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Corn-Miller Farm

Store In A Cool Dry Place:

Roma Tomatoes-Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Sweet Ring Onions-Miller Farm

If you have a kombucha bottle to return, you can just leave it on the table.

Also Available:

Organic Pastured Chicken Eggs: $4 a dozen

Whole Milk Plain Yogurt, Made by Christy (Ingredients: Local Pasteurized Grass Fed Whole Milk, Yogurt Culture (from Local Grass Fed Biodynamic Yogurt)-Please Return The Glass Jar

$3 for a 16 oz jar, $6 for a 32 oz. jar

The yogurt is tangy and there is no sweetener added. If you have little ones this is a great flavor to them accustomed to early on, as early as 7 or 8 months. Our kids will eat an entire bowl of plain yogurt without blinking. For a treat we may add homemade granola, fresh fruit, or raw honey. We also use it to top oatmeal, put it in smoothies, or for dressing and dips.

Kombucha is not quite ready-still fermenting. Each batch is tasted and tested until it's at the proper pH before I bottle it for a second fermentation. Hopefully you guys who got some last week enjoyed it! Lots available next week.

Recipes and Information

Ambrosia Melon:

Ambrosia melon is an exotic melon hybrid that might be confused with a cantaloupe, but it’s quite different. Its flesh is very sweet, tender and pale orange in color with a flavor described as “a combination of all melons plus flowers.”

• 
  

Quick Picked Cucumber Melon Salad

from food52.com

4 small or 2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thin (if using large remove seeds)

3 cups sweet melon, cubed

2 tablespoons plus two teaspoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

black pepper, to taste

2 slices proscuitto or favorite cured meat or 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a bowl, mix together the cucumbers and melon. Sprinkle over with the sugar and salt. The salad will begin to expel liquid almost immediately. Let sit 10-20 minutes and drain well. Return to the fridge until ready to serve.

Before your picnic/casual lunch/classy dinner party, drain the salad again and remove to a serving bowl. Add a grind of black pepper and sprinkle over the prosciutto or feta (using both will add too much salt; not recommended). Spoon into bowls or eat straight from the serving dish with your fingers, trying to keep the cucumber-melon juice off your chin.

Chili Oil Green Beans

1/2 LB green beans (washed and make sure the stem end it snapped or cut off)

2-3 TBS of Chinese chili oil (depending on how much heat you like)
2 TBS soy sauce or Tamari sauce (Tamari is a Japanese version of soy sauce that is deeper, richer and earthier, and gluten-free)


1 TBS sesame oil


Heat the oven up to 450 degrees.
Mix together the soy sauce, chili oil and sesame oil.
 Put your green beans in a big bowl and toss with the sauce mixture.
Pour out into a baking tray lined with foil, pop in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Once in a while you can go in an toss the green beans around to avoid the bottom layer burning.
 Enjoy!

with thanks,

christy and tom

This Week's Delivery Saturday July 15, 2011

Ahem...bags. We need bags.

Just want to thank all of the volunteers who covered pickups last week while we were at Polyface Farm. What an incredible experience! We attended a whole day of workshops on raising rabbits, raising chickens, gardening, composting, growing mushrooms, and marketing. Our kids spent most of the day in the chicken house. Yep. We had an incredible lunch and sat and ate on bales of hay with 1500 other people! Such and amazing inspiring day and we were thankful to have been there. You helped make that possible. Here are some pictures:

This is Dan, a former Polyface apprentice, who now gets space to garden at the farm for free. He grows produce to sell to local chefs and in exchange he cooks for a team of 25 people weeknights at the farm. His daughter and wife were there with him and he spoke of how his daughter gave him absolute purpose and confidence in his mission at the farm.

Our youngest Harper takes a break under a tree and enjoys a peach.

All four of our kids on the porch swing at Polyface. Ha! Not fighting!

Lunch in the main barn. We sat on bales of hay that were lined up on top of, yes, manure! Seriously fertile land! Barbeque pork, chicken, and beef, sliced cucumbers, sliced peaches, and buttermilk chocolate cake-yum!

Store In the Fridge:

Apricots (unless you are eating them right away-also, let them come to room temp before eating)-Papa's Orchard

Summer Squash-Hartland Farm

Japanese Eggplant-Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Gypsy Peppers-Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Store In A Cool Dry Place:

Tomatoes-Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables

Also Available This Week:

These items will be located in the fridge in the garage. If we're not there just grab what you want and leave your money on the box on the table. By the way, we're looking for an old cigar box if you have one laying around.

Eggs! Yahoo!: $4/dozen, cash or check

Kombucha! Yahoo!: $6 for 75o ml (Please Return the Bottle!) cash or check

Kombucha Ingredients Are: Organic Fair Trade Black Tea, Organic Cane Sugar, Kombucha Culture Started By Christy

There is only a little Kombucha available but production will increase, especially if you like it! Please give me feedback if possible. I have been making Kombucha at home since December of last year and we all drink it regularly (kids, too!) Sometimes I mess around with flavors-look out- but apparently the sign of a good Kombucha Brewer is their ability to make a great unflavored Kombucha.

Just sayin'.

New to the world of Kombucha? Here's a great site to learn more.

If you have questions, please e-mail me. I love to talk.

Checks can be made out To Tom and/or Christy Przystawik

Recipes and Information

Whole Grilled Japanese Eggplant with Lemon and Soy Sauce Epicurious | May 2011

by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat

The Japanese Grill

Japanese eggplants have thin skins and few seeds, just meaty, flavorful flesh that transforms into tender, creamy textured, fragrant, smoky goodness when grilled. The classic way to enjoy this dish is with just soy sauce or Ponzu and a mound of katsuobushi, dried shaved bonito flakes (a type of tuna). The dressing below is more contemporary but also fantastic. Either way, get your hands on these eggplants and grill them. Yield: Serves 4 2 tablespoons soy sauce 4 teaspoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons olive oil 4 Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound) 1/4 cup katsuobushi, dried, shaved bonito flakes (a type of tuna), optional Whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl to make the dressing; set aside. Score the stem end of each eggplant, making a circular cut in the skin (this will make the eggplant easier to peel). Poke a few holes into the eggplants with a skewer or fork to allow steam to escape as they grill. Preheat a grill to medium. Grill for about 8 minutes, turning the eggplants a quarter turn every 2 minutes. Try to grill the eggplant all around. Test the eggplants for doneness by pressing against their sides with a pair of tongs. If the eggplants give easily, they're ready. Transfer the eggplants to a plate. As soon as the eggplants are cool enough to handle, carefully peel off the skin (the skin comes off more easily if the eggplant is warm; don't let it cool completely). Once you've removed the skin, remove the stems, and slice each eggplant into 4 pieces, cutting on an angle. Transfer the eggplant slices to a platter. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with the bonito, and serve.

Best Way Ever To Eat A Tomato

(btw, I publish this every year)

a tomato, at least one

salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

a loaf of quality crusty bread, sliced

Ok first prepare to wonder why you've never done this with a tomato because it's so delicious and simple.

Grate the whole tomato on a box grater over a bowl. It will seem weird at first but just trust me and keep grating until you have nothing but peel left. Eat, freeze, or compost that peel. Now you have the grated tomato in a bowl. Season that with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Next, toast your really delicious bread until nice and crispy. Spoon your tomato mixture over the bread. (Do not do this ahead or things get soggy.)

Eat.

That's it. So, so good.

Extra bonus experience: Top tomato bread with really good quality anchovies, or chile peppers from your garden, or fresh picked and ripped up herbs, or your favorite olives, or schmear with grassfed butter before the tomato.

with thanks,

christy and tom