Good Eats Newsletter January 30, 2008

Pete’s Greens Good Eats Newsletter January 30

This week’s Vegetable Localvore share includes: beets, onions, carrots, valentine radish, potatoes, frozen strawberries, cranberry apple cider, ricotta cheese, bread, eggs, and sprouts

Root share: turnip, carrots, beets, valentine radish, celeriac, and fingerling potatoes

Bread ingredients: Organic fresh milled wheat flour, mixed cracked grains (from Michel Gaudreau in Qc), wheat flakes, oat flakes, salt, water, sourdough starter

Notes and Localvore Goodies

Wow! Only two more weeks left after this delivery! Don’t miss out on the Feb-Jun share. Contact nancy@petesgreens.com to sign up and keep the deliveries coming.

Pete's so busy with the greenhouse project, trying to get it finished before Isaac leaves for the Peace Corps. Melissa, the wash house manager, and her husband Isaac are leaving at the end of February. Isaac, his father Chris, Pete, Steve, and Andrew have been at it since before the first snow. Thanks to all their hard and cold and snowy work, it looks like we'll be able to start seedlings and have spring vegetables and greens in there! I'm trying to picture the lush green carpet growing where it's now a frozen solid construction site.

Stowe Site Update: Laughing Moon Chocolate pickup will move to their new location on Feb. 6. The address is 78 Main St. , Stowe; Rt. 100 S before Mac’s.

Maplebrook Ricotta is a joint venture made with milk from the Vermont Milk Company in Hardwick. Their milk is all produced in the Northeast Kingdom and rBGH free. This ricotta looks so rich and creamy; I can’t wait to try it. I’ve been looking forward to including this in the share. Enjoy!

Another collaborative treat is the Cranberry Apple Cider from Champlain Orchards. It is made with their apples and cranberry juice from Vermont Cranberry. Bill (Champlain) made the arrangements with Bob (VT Cranberry), and produced the cider just for us. Good Eats members are the first to try this new cider. Please let us know how you like it. Bill is eager to hear you feedback!

The other items this week are Pete’s eggs, Patchwork Bread, and Gourmet Greens Sprouts.

Last week we had some frozen sprouts. We are investigating how that happened. It was probably either on our truck early Wednesday morning or before they arrived at Pete’s on Tuesday. Please contact us if you receive frozen sprouts again this week.

Last Wednesday I went on a road trip to see the drop sites. I was fortunate to meet many hosts who graciously allow us to use their space. We couldn’t do this without the commitment of these members and businesses. This week I will stop by the last three; Hen of the Wood, Laughing Moon and Concept II.

Storage and Use Tips

Valentine Radishes: These Asian radishes are also known as Beauty Heart or Watermelon. They have a distinctive bright pink interior with a white, green and pink skin. Sweet with just a hint of a radish bite, valentines are great in salads, slaw, or as crudités. You can also add to soups or sauté thinly sliced or shredded radish in butter with a pinch of salt. Cook lightly without browning. A stunning bright pink addition to any meal!

Roots: The rest of the roots you have seen before! Except the onions and potatoes, keep them in the fridge in a bag. They’ll keep a week or two at least. The potatoes and onions are best in a dark, cool, dry place.

Frozen Strawberries: Another bit of summer frozen at peak ripeness for you to enjoy now in a smoothie or pie or a strawberry sauce for your Sunday brunch!

Recipes

Ready for some ideas to take ricotta beyond lasagna? Here are just a few of the many delicious sounding recipes Nancy from Maplebrook sent to me. Another idea I had is to make some crepes with the whole wheat pastry flour from Ben Gleason. Then, I’m going to make a filling, maybe like the broccoli or spinach ideas below (without the pasta or baking it first), fill the crepes, roll up and bake 20-30minutes. You could serve with a simple tomato sauce or a roasted red pepper sauce.

EASY RICOTTA DESSERT CRÈME

1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons honey

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 to 3 drops of pure almond extract, to your taste

Fresh berries of your choice

Or make a sauce of the frozen strawberries sweetened with maple syrup or honey

Place all the ingredients except the berries in a blender, cover, and blend on medium speed until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then spoon over the berries and serve.

FARFALLE WITH BABY SPINACH, WALNUTS, AND RICOTTA

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped walnuts

¼ cup drained and thinly sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoons dried crushed red pepper

3 6-ounce bags baby spinach

1 LB. farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

Grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and sauté until slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer nuts to small bowl; set aside. Add sun-dried tomatoes .garlic, and crushed red pepper to same skillet. Sauté until garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add spinach in 3 batches and cook until just wilted, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons cooking liquid. Transfer reserved cooking liquid to large bowl; whisk in ricotta. Add walnuts, spinach mixture and pasta; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6

DILLED FETA RICOTTA SPREAD

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cups)

1 cup whole milk fresh ricotta cheese

¼ cup finely chopped scallion

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted lightly and cooled

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or to taste

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or to taste

In a food processor or blender, blend cheeses until smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and pulse motor until combined well but still chunky.

Spread may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Serve spread chilled or at room temperature with crackers or toast points.

Makes about 2 cups.

BROCCOLI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

4 medium –size heads broccoli

3 eggs. Beaten

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in ½ cup milk

1 medium onion, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Buttered seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Steam broccoli briefly until just bright green. Drain them, and then chop them coarsely, including stems.

Beat eggs in a deep bowl; add the ricotta and cheddar cheeses and the cornstarch-milk mixture. Mix thoroughly. Add the chopped onions, salt and pepper. Add the drained broccoli, mix again and blend the ingredients well.

Butter thoroughly an ovenproof baking dish and place the broccoli mixture in it. Dust with bread crumbs. Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 6

Happy Cooking!

Heather

Good Eats Newsletter January 23, 2008

Pete’s Greens Good Eats Newsletter January 23

This week’s Vegetable Localvore share includes: Rainbow Roots, celeriac, winter squash, frozen tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, Elmore Mt baguette, Bonnieview Ewe’s Feta, sprouts, Butterworks black beans, Gebbie maple cream

Bread ingredients: Organic sifted wheat flour, salt, water, sourdough starter

Notes and Localvore Goodies

Look for the new signup brochures in your bag this week. We give priority to current members, and expect this share to fill up quickly. If you know you are going to sign up, don’t delay! The brochure is also posted on the website petesgreens.com

Stowe Site Update: Laughing Moon Chocolate pickup will move to their new location on Feb. 6. The address is 78 Main St. , Stowe.

This is the last of our winter squash. The soon-to-be kitchen has been filled with glorious piles of squash since October. Last week, Laura and Jen sorted out the remaining butternut and red kuri, sending the spotty ones with Salvation Farms to the food bank. I have enjoyed many squash meals, and hope you all have, too! The upside of clearing out the squash is that our new kitchen equipment should be arriving soon!

We are distributing 1 more cake of tofu to all sites except Craftsbury (you guys already got 2!) So, if you took one tofu last week, take another one this week. Sorry again for the delay.

I asked Sandy Gebbie, of Greensboro , to tell me about how Maple Cream is made, and about the Gebbie Farm. Here’s what she wrote:

Maplehurst Farm has been owned and operated by the Gebbie family for five generations. We have approx 5000 taps and produce more than 1000 gallons of syrup. Maple Cream is made by taking the fanciest syrup (color, flavor, testing for quantity and type of invert sugars) and boiling it up to 22 degrees above boiling water and then cooling rapidly without disturbing it until it reaches room temperature. If you agitate it at all before it is cooled, it will form larger crystals. The goal is to have a light and creamy consistency....not grainy. When it reaches room temp, you stir it until it changes from a dark mahogany color to light sand, looses its glossy sheen and starts to "set up." At this point you package it and refrigerate until sold. You can keep maple cream for ages in the freezer or refrigerator. If you find some maple liquid on top of the cream, it is a natural settling process and can be stirred back into the cream. It's really important to test for invert sugars as not all maple syrup is able to be turned into maple cream. You can't tell by looking at it or tasting it. Hope this helps.... Sandy

Storage and Use Tips

Tofu Vt Soy tofu in the vacuum sealed packages has a 3 week shelf life. It was made on 1/15, so you have until 2/5 to enjoy yours.

Celeriac (from Angelic Organics website)

Celeriac, also called celery root, is a vegetable that cleans up well. Once you peel away its gnarled outer layer, you find a sparkling-white interior with a clean, refreshing taste that has wide appeal. Once prepared, it shows no signs of its humble past. Personally, this is my new favorite winter root vegetable!

Store unwashed celeriac in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks.

Soak celeriac briefly in warm water and then scrub it with a stiff brush. Take a thin slice off the top and bottom and peel it with a sharp paring knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler. A few deep crevices will remain; leave them, or slice them out. Remove the core if it seems pithy or hollow. Like apples, celeriac will darken if exposed to the air for too long. If you don’t plan to cook it immediately, submerge the celeriac in a bowl of water with lemon juice squeezed in.

Winter Squash This is getting to be the end of squash keeping season, so use this quickly. Keep in a cool, not cold, place.

Black Beans Sort for stones, soak overnight in water to cover. Drain, add fresh water and simmer or pressure cook until tender. Do not add salt or seasonings until completely cooked. Excellent in quesadillas, soup, burritos, and nachos. Season with garlic, onions, cumin, red chile pepper flakes, generous salt.

Recipes

Celeriac and Apple Salad with Tarragon and Roasted Walnuts

It probably isn’t often that you think ooooh, celeriac, and your mouth waters. But this recipe could change all that. The key here is to be sure to cut the celeriac to matchstick-size, no bigger; it will hold the sauce better. Also, don’t be tempted to skimp on the pepper, as pepper and apples have a certain unexplored appeal. Angelic Organics Kitchen.

Serves 4 to 6

4 cups water

juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

2 tart apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4-inch strips

1 large celeriac, peeled, cut into matchstick-sized strips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

salt

1. Combine water and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the apple slices and celeriac strips and let stand for 15 minutes (this acidified water will keep the celeriac and apple from turning brown).

2. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over high heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to darken in spots, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.

3. Drain the celeriac and apple mixture; return to the bowl, add the vinegar, and toss.

4. Combine the mayonnaise, cream, mustard, tarragon, pepper, and salt to taste in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the celeriac and apple mixture; toss to coat. Add the walnuts and toss again. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving (2 or 3 hours is even better).

Scalloped Celeriac and Potatoes

Here’s a variation on a classic that just might be better than the original. Traditionally, scalloped potatoes are cooked in milk or cream; here, however, we cook them in stock, and the result is a more flavorful and delightfully lighter dish. The celeriac adds a brightness that assertively sets the dish apart from its classic cousin. Friend of the Farm.

Serves 6

butter for greasing the baking dish

1 pound celeriac, peeled, halved, sliced about 1/8 inch thick

1 pound baking potatoes, peeled, sliced about 1/8 inch thick

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup grated Gruyère or domestic Swiss cheese, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable stock

2 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter.

2. Place the celeriac and potatoes in alternating layers in the baking dish, seasoning every few layers with salt and pepper. At about the halfway point, add 1/3 cup cheese in an even layer; sprinkle with the thyme. Continue with the celeriac and potatoes, until you have used all of your slices (don’t go all the way to the top edge; leave a little room to allow the liquid to boil).

3. Pour the stock over the celeriac and potatoes. Dot with butter. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup cheese over the top layer, add several grindings of fresh pepper, and bake until the cheese turns golden, about 15 minutes.

4. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

A Shareholder

Every week I come home with the box and put all of the

vegetables onto the kitchen table to marvel at their beauty.

Then I call my husband in to check out their beauty. Then I

say to him, very gravely, “I love that farm,” and he says back,

“I know you do.”

Excerpted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability. Additional recipes, charts, signed copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com/cookbook.

And now for a dish I love to make with squash and black beans, using your tomatoes, too. Just run under warm water to slip off the skins, then chop when slightly thawed.

Black Beans & Squash Skillet

1 c dry beans, soaked and cooked until tender, drained

1 winter squash, peeled and diced ½” pieces

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

Pinch red pepper flakes

Red or green bell pepper, diced

2 c chopped tomatoes

1 c corn (frozen)

Mince fresh cilantro

Salt

Pepper

Lime juice

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet; sauté onions, garlic. Add in spices, cook 2 minutes. Add squash and a pinch of salt. Sauté a bit, then give a splash of water. Cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Stir; add more water to prevent sticking, but not too much. Cover and cook another 5 minutes, or until squash is almost tender. Avoid overcooking or you’ll have mush by the end. Now add the tomatoes, peppers, corn, and beans. Sir and cook until corn and peppers are tender. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a splash of lime juice. Garnish with cilantro. Yummy served with grated cheddar, sour cream and/or hot sauce on the side.

This makes a delish burrito, too!

Happy Cooking!

Heather

Splitting a CSA Share

We are now trying to pair people up who are interested in splitting a share on the Members Seeking page of our website. Have a look to see if there is somebody there who you would like to split with. If you have any questions, please contact Nancy@PetesGreens.com.

Thanks!

Newsletter Jauary 16

Pete’s Greens Good Eats Newsletter January 16

This week’s Vegetable Localvore share includes:

Sugarsnax carrots, potatoes, parsnips, frozen tomatoes, popcorn, sprouts, tofu, bread, applesauce, sauerkraut

This week’s root share includes:

Potatoes, carrots, mixed beets, parsnips, red cabbage, turnips

Bread ingredients: organic fresh milled whole wheat flour, organic rolled oats, organic rolled barley, organic oat flour, organic fresh milled spelt flour, sourdough, well water, and sea salt.

Notes and Localvore Goodies

After some logistical challenges, Vermont Soy has their new tofu equipment up and running. This is good news for us, too! Enjoy the tofu; sorry for the delay. Look for the next issue of Edible Vermont, due out by the end of January, for an article about Vermont Soy.

Sprouts again from Gourmet Greens. They are able to supply us with a mix of varieties for now. We will try to switch them around for each site, so you can try them all.

Organic applesauce from Champlain Orchards. This is fresh, made just for Good Eats. Eat it up quick!

Bread this week is from Patchwork Farm. Charlie is using the organic grains we purchased from Michel Gaudreau in Quebec. Clearly he’s having fun making new breads! He’s calling this one “Charley’s Oats and Barley”, and is baking it exclusively for Good Eats at this time. Let us know how you like it; he may consider making it a regular offering. I can’t wait to try it tonight!

Our most exciting localvore treat is the sauerkraut made right here on the farm. Meg, along with a couple other crew members, spent quality time this fall shredding cabbage and salting it down in a huge 55 gallon drum. Then she covered it and it has been percolating in the commercial kitchen for a couple months. Last Friday, Melissa and Meg packed it into the containers for Good Eats. Next on the agenda is Kim Chee, a spicy Korean fermented cabbage. We’ll have to wait until April for that one!

For next week, look forward to Elmore Mt Baguette and Blythedale Camembert and a couple other items to be decided. With the end of the share fast approaching, I'm trying to squeeze in the rest of the great localvore items I've been sourcing!

I spent the day Saturday at the NOFA VT Direct Marketing conference. It was great to meet face to face with many other producers. Some are new acquaintances; others are our localvore partners who I had previously only spoken with by phone and email. It was a great chance to network and source even more localvore products for upcoming shares. I was also inspired to think about ways to keep our remote customers connected to the farm. I am hatching some plans for summer events on the farm. Stay tuned!

Heather

Pete's musings: Thanks to all the responses to the inquiries about a meat share and including coffee in Good Eats. These seem to be hot button issues that inspired many of you to write. Coffee first. The majority of the responders (we heard from about 30 folks) drink and enjoy coffee but feel that it is not an appropriate addition to Good Eats because the raw ingredients are not sourced locally. I agree. Including products that are not substantially local has never sat well with me and I'm pleased that as a group we are mostly on the same page on this issue. Some of you would really like to receive coffee and might want to seek out Fresh Coffee Now, run by Matt Sutte. Matt is a Good Eats member and approached us about offering coffee in Good Eats. By all accounts he offers an excellent product and we wish him well in his growing business.
The responses about the meat share have helped us to make a plan. Most of you feel that about $35 of meat every other week is an appropriate amount for your family. We are not sure if we can get this organized in time for the next share period, but if not we definately plan to offer a meat share by the June share period.
Do any of you have objections to your name and contact info being shared with other Good Eats members? A Montpelier area member would like a list of all Montpelier members in order to invite you all to a localvore meal. I suspect that similar requests might come from other sites in the future. So, if you have objections to your name and contact information being shared with other Good Eats members let us know.
Seeking a member to split a veg/localvore share with a person for next share period. Pickup location Laughing Moon Chocolates.
There has been a bit of confusion surrounding the Montpelier pickup site. We were looking for a site to replace Nutty Steph's as there was a sense that it was becoming too crowded there. Steph has reorganized creating more space for us and we have have agreed to stay at Nutty Steph's at least through the next share period (until mid June). Thanks Steph, and thanks to all of you who offered space or ideas about space in Montpelier. Keep the possibility of a future move in mind and don't be shy about passing on ideas for locations.
Full signup information for the next share period (beginning Feb. 20) will be ready by next week at the latest. You will be receiving an e-mail about it. First dibs are given to current Vegetable/Localvore and Root Share members. Our sense is that it is going to fill up fast so if you want to be included get your signup in quickly.

Check out the new website stowetoday.com created by one of our members, Marina Knight. It features a lovely picture of Pete's Greens carrots on the main page.

Pete

Storage and Use Tips

Tomatoes: These are a little bag of summer! To remove the skins, just run them under warm water. Then, when they have thawed a bit, chop them up for use in soups and sauce. I think you could make a terrific quick pizza sauce with garlic, olive oil, a pinch of salt and the tomatoes. Maybe you froze some pesto or basil? Perfect!

Sprouts: Use these fresh as a green addition to slaw and sandwiches. Store in the crisper drawer. Perishable, use quickly!

Sauerkraut: According to my Rodale Stocking Up III, sauerkraut used to be one of the only winter sources of vitamin C, and was used to treat scurvy at sea. It also contains beneficial lactic acid. It can be kept in a cold, but not frozen, place without canning. Low temperatures will discourage the growth of surface scum.

Popcorn: We’re psyched about this popcorn! Melissa told me she’s been taking it off the cob and popping it in her hand crank stove top popper. You can twist it off, starting at the wide end. With a microwave you can put the whole ear in a brown paper bag, tape it closed and pop. The other day she & my son made some at Pete’s and ate it with Cabot shake cheddar. Yum!

The following is information from the Farmer John’s web site. I hope it’s helpful. Their book is a wealth of information. I use the farm’s copy all the time!

Parsnips

Contrary to appearances, parsnips are not pale versions of carrots. In fact, they have a nutty-sweet taste and a tender-hearty texture that is entirely distinct from carrots. For centuries, parsnips were a more common staple than the potato—and deservedly so. Satisfying, versatile, and highly nutritious, these delicious roots make a terrific base to any meal.

Storage

Refrigerate unwashed parsnips in a loosely wrapped or perforated plastic bag for up to two weeks.

Handling

Young parsnips don’t need to be peeled. Simply scrub them under running water with a vegetable brush. Peel larger parsnips, and cut out the core if it seems woody. However you slice or chop parsnips, be sure to make all the pieces relatively the same size, ensuring an evenly cooked dish.

Steamed Parsnips with Sweet Butter Sauce

The parsnip’s humble appearance conceals its luscious taste; it needs very little fuss in order to be sweet and delicious. Simply steamed and topped with just a touch of maple syrup or honey, parsnips are irresistibly good. The tender strips in this recipe can be served whole, sliced, or even mashed. Friend of the Farm.

Serves 3 to 4

3 large parsnips, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick strips

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the parsnips in a steamer basket set over 1 1/2 inches boiling water and cover. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size. Transfer to a serving bowl.

2. Melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the maple syrup or honey.

3. Pour the butter mixture over the parsnips. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Excerpted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability. Additional recipes, charts, signed copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com/cookbook.

Good Eats Newsletter Jan 9, 2008

Pete's Greens Good Eats Newsletter January 9, 2008



This week's vegetable localvore share includes: Turnips, onions, beets, butternut squash, red cabbage, sweet potatoes, pea, radish or sunflower sprouts, miso, yogurt, cranberry juice, tofu. The tofu may not get here in time, so perhaps next week.

We have sprouts again from Gourmet Greens, and will continue to include them through the next few weeks. Yogurt again from Butterworks of Westfield, miso from Quebec, tofu from Vermont Soy in Hardwick, and cranberry juice from Vermont Cranberry Company round out the share.

The cranberry juice is a special treat. This is just the juice, unsweetened and undiluted! It is pasteurized and should keep well in the refrigerator. You can make some delicious spritzers with juice, honey or maple, and seltzer water. Have fun experimenting with this one.

I went to North Hatley, Quebec to pick up the miso. It was quite a trip, with other stops and slick snowy roads, but well worth it. North Hatley is a lovely lake town with a few shops on the main street and a waterfront park. I look forward to returning in the summer! Suzanne Dionne and Gilbert Boulay greeted me warmly at their home and miso production facility, Les Aliments Massawippi. After I loaded the buckets into the truck, they offered me a drink and we visited for a few minutes. I glimpsed the production area, but was not able to go in due to very strict sanitation practices. They also produce tamari, which is a byproduct of miso fermentation. The fermentation process seems to take daily care and monitoring. There are several varieties of miso made from oats, barley, soy and age it for 2 or 3 years, as well as flavored miso with herbs and garlic or mushrooms and seaweed. We chose the oat and soy miso for this share. Let us know what you think.

Pete's musings; We have been approached by a local coffee roaster that would like us to offer their coffee in Good Eats. It is a great company and from what I hear the coffee is superb (I'm not a coffee drinker), but I must admit to mixed feelings about offering a product in Good Eats for which the raw ingredients are not local. Members, what do you think about this? Are you all drinking coffee anyway and would just as soon get it from a company affiliated with Good Eats, or does this break a major principle of Good Eats to offer a substantially un-local product?
Thanks to all of you who responded to the query about raw milk and raw cider a few weeks back. Out of 20 responses, 16 of you were excited about receiving raw versions of both through Good Eats, 3 had health concerns but were open minded about both products being offered through Good Eats as long as it is optional, and one of you was completely opposed to the idea. Contact Rural Vermont if you would like to learn more about raw milk and learn about a bill that is being introduced to the Vermont legislature this year that will make it legal for farms to sell more that 24 quarts of raw milk daily. Here at Good Eats we are pondering what to do about raw milk as soon as the next share period and will keep you posted.
Are you interested in a meat share? As I envision it it would include chicken, beef, lamb, and pork. It seems like a value of about $30 per week would be appropriate for most families. We're considering starting a meat share sourcing alot of meat from other farms and then as we develop meat production at Pete's Greens eventually most if not all would come from here. Any feedback about a meat share would be appreciated.
Things are going great on our greenhouse project. Our headhouse building is nearly done and tomorrow we'll begin putting up greenhouse rafters. We know this is a tough time of year to be a local eater due to the lack of greenery but be sure that this project will improve things in future years.

Storage and Use Tips

Onions: keep in a dry, cool dark bin or drawer. As days lengthen onions may sprout, but not to worry. They are still fine.

Turnips and beets: In the fridge in a bag, they should keep a couple weeks.

Cabbage: Will keep several weeks in loose bag in the fridge. If the outer leaves wilt or deteriorate, the under layers should still be fine. Make slaw!

Sweet potatoes and squash: Use these soon, as their storage time is coming to an end.

Recipes

Angela Kehler, Mateo’s wife of Jasper Hill Cheese fame, generously shared this recipe. She wrote in her email “I don't measure anything.” It looks fabulous, no matter the lack of measurements.

you need:
squash or pumpkin
apple cider
ham
some sort of spicy dried sausage
salt
red pepper flakes
bayley hazen or bartlett blue cheese

So peel and cut the squash (or pumpkin) up, put it in a pot and just cover it with apple cider. Boil until soft. Blend it up (with the cider). Put back in the pot and salt to taste. Add red pepper flakes according to your liking (they can be pretty spicy, so be careful) I usually add no more than about a quarter to a half teaspoon for a large pot of soup. Add cubed ham and sausage and cook on low for about 45 min. serve with grated blue cheese on top and crusty bread.

And now some help with those turnips!

According to Elizabeth Schneider’s Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini, turnips are best cooked until just tender. Over cooking will make them bland and flabby. Instead of boiling for hours, try them fresh. Shred or julienne and then salt and drain 30 minutes. Rinse and dry, then mix into slaws with fresh herbs and a tangy dressing. To cook turnips, steam for 15 minutes, or sauté until tender in butter with a pinch of salt and pepper. Of course, turnip is also perfect for soups and stews. Add during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Mashed potatoes and turnip is another delicious comfort food when winter comes back around.

CREAMY TURNIP SOUP

Serves 4

2 tbsp butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 c celery chopped

2 lb turnips, peeled and quartered

½ tsp salt

2 c vegetable broth

1 c water

1 c milk

3 tbsp oats

2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice

pepper

2 tsp dill

Melt butter in a large stockpot. Sauté onion and celery for about 5 minutes. Add turnip and salt and sauté 5 minutes more. Add broth, water, milk and oats. Bring to a simmer and cook about 30 minutes. Puree until smooth with a stick blender or in a food processor. Return to a simmer, season with lemon, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with dill in bowls.

Adapted from Amaranth to Zucchini by Elizabeth Schneider

Pete's Greens at Craftsbury Village Farm

266 S. Craftsbury Rd, Craftsbury, Vermont 05826

802-586-2882, #4

www.petesgreens.com

Good Eats Newsletter December 19, 2007

Pete's Greens Good Eats Newsletter Dec. 19, 2007

This week's vegetable localvore share includes: rainbow roots, sweet potatoes, cabbage, 1 butternut squash, 1 garlic, onions, cippolini onions, fingerling potatoes, sunflower sprouts from Gourmet Greens, Cabot Clothbound cheddar cheese from Jasper Hill in Greensboro, bread from Patchwork Bakery, organic apple cider from Champlain Orchards, cranberries from Vermont Cranberry Co., organic butter from Compton, QC, and organic barley and yellow peas from Michel Gaudreau's mill, also of Compton.

Root share contains: rainbow roots, cabbage, fingerling potatoes, sugarsnax carrots
Bread ingredients: Organic fresh milled whole wheat flour, organic unbleached wheat flour, organic wheat and barley flakes, deep well water, sourdough, salt

Notes and Localvore Goodies

This is quite a share! We hope you have a wonderful holiday week. Don't forget, there is no Good Eats next Wednesday Dec. 26 The next share is January 2, 2008.
Please return bags and egg cartons to pickup sites for us to reuse and please cross you name off the pickup sheet when picking up your share.

Great progress is happening on our new greenhouse project. Our 40 by 60 ft headhouse (building attached to a greenhouse containing utilities, workspace, sprouting room, seed storage) is framed and hopefully the roof will be on by the time you read this. After that we will focus on installing a waste restaurant grease burning boiler to heat the headhouse and the 40 by 150 ft greenhouse attached to it. This greenhouse will be for growing starts to be transplanted to the field and to other greenhouses. Later in the winter we will construct two 35 by 200 ft. moveable greenhouses. In a future newsletter I'll explain the rationale behind a moveable greenhouse.
The main goal of the greenhouse construction project is to produce more greens for Good Eats members, Dec.-Mar. While we never expect to harvest large quantities of greens in the month of January, with a proper facility we can do alot better than we are now. We are disappointed by how early our greens ended this December-a real old fashioned early winter has really shown the weaknesses of our current facilities. We hope you enjoy the sunflower sprouts from Gourmet Greens. We intend to offer their sprouts regularly until our new facility is up and running.
It is important to understand that the those of you who signed up for this share period are funding our new greenhouse project. Rather than taking out a sizable loan from a bank we are able to cash flow this project thanks to the support of our members. This is direct evidence that spending money on local food production is the best way to increase local food production. Because all of you were willing to join Good Eats this period even without much for greens in the winter months, next year there will be alot more greenery in the winter months. Your signup dollars will have a lasting impact on your family's ability to eat a high quality local diet year-round in the future. Thanks for your support.

Best, Pete

The butter is from Diane Groleau at the Beurrerie du Patrimoine in Compton , QC. Diane makes butter, as well as a number of cheeses, real buttermilk, cottage cheese, yogurt, and goats milk products too, exclusively from milk produced on their farm. They have a large and very tidy organic dairy operation with a sweet little retail shop out front, complete with a couple of plywood cows you can pose with for a photo. The shop has other local products and crafts, as well as a window to watch the cheese production. The whole family, including her three sons and two daughters-in-law, helps on the farm in some way. Even her 6 month old grandson was upstairs. Meeting another producer and connecting you with them is the best part of my job.

So I was glad to be at the farm last Thursday when Bob stopped by to drop off the cranberries. He pulled up in a bright green little Scion and we chatted a bit while unloading. It turns out he has two other regular jobs and they work the cranberries on the side. He is a wine maker at Boyden Valley and a ski instructor at Smuggs. This explains the cranberry wine connection, as well as how he "keeps busy" during the off season. Bob hopes you'll stop by the winery to use your coupon for a bottle of wine for the holidays. Betsy (Bob's wife) also helps with the cranberries and is working on a maple sweetened dried cranberry. And ,no, Betsy just has one job as a forester for Burlington Electric. Growers for 12 years now, they have 3 1/2 acres of cranberries producing 22,000 pounds of fruit. It sounded like a great yield to me, but Bob was modest and said really productive bogs can produce three times that! They use IPM methods, meaning they use conventional fertilizers and some pesticides as needed, with careful monitoring. He explained to me that it's necessary to use conventional fertilizers because they cannot drive on the bogs so they are unable to spread compost. Agricultural cranberries are grown in beds to avoid wetland drainage and impacts. According to Bob, the fruit is relatively pest free, and so pesticide use is minimal. Probably by next season they will be able to host visitors. Field trip, anyone?

A last note about localvore items. Charlie Emers, of Patchwork Bakery in Hardwick has been making bread regularly for Good Eats this share. The barley and wheat flakes in this week's bread are from Michel Gaudreau. He gets organic whole wheat berries from a grower in Glover and grinds the flour fresh when he makes our bread. Wow, that's local! Now, he's trying out a new unbleached flour from Quebec. Charlie is excited about making a wider variety of breads and we are looking forward to tasting them! Meunerie Milanaise grows and mills organic grains and flours. You can check out their company at www.lamilanaise.com


Storage tips

• The bag of roots will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks, as will the cabbage and cippolini onions.
• The sweet potatoes are not washed because they store better with the dirt on. Keep in a bin or drawer at room temperature. These will continue to sweeten with storage.
• The regular onions and fingerlings can also be stored at room temperature in a bin or drawer, in the dark, with a shark. Just kidding.
  

Recipes

I found this recipe in The New American Cooking by Joan Nathan. I love this book, and the soup is tasty, too. If you have a localvore foodie on your list, here's the cookbook you've been searching for. There's even a mention on Pete's in here, plus a photo of the Jasper Hill brothers on the cover. Posing with a cow, no less. This book has delicious recipes and interviews with a wide range of growers and cooks across the country.

It turns out this traditional Haitian New Years' dish is perfect for the Vermont localvore. The primary vegetable ingredients are right in your share, and local beef should be readily available. I get mine here from Marjorie and Brett Urie. My family all loved this; I hope you will too.

HAITIAN SOUPE JAUNE "YELLOW SOUP"

1 butternut squash, 3 1/2 #
salt
pepper
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 # cubed stew beef
1 Tbsp Creole seasoning (follows)
2 c diced onion
4 c shredded cabbage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
3 Qt chicken broth or water
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp allspice
3 cups carrots, cut in 1" pieces
1 tbsp dry parsley

Creole Seasoning:
21/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cayenne
1 Tbsp oregano, dry
1 Tbsp thyme, dry
Combine and store in a jar with a tight fitting lid

Cut squash in half, brush with 2 tbsp oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast at 400 for an hour, until tender. Cool and remove pulp; set aside.(I did this the day before)

Combine beef with 1 Tbsp Creole seasoning. Sear beef in remaining oil in a large stock pot. Add onions, garlic, and cabbage. Saute about 5 minutes. Add ginger, allspice, thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Stir around a couple of minutes more, then add the squash and broth. Bring to a simmer, cook covered for about an hour. Stir occasionally and taste for seasonings. Add in carrots and cook 30 minutes more. Stir in parsley at the end.

A couple notes: I wasn't sure my beef would be tender in an hour, so I cooked it for 30 minutes with some of the broth in my pressure cooker. I still browned it, but then removed it from the stockpot. Then I added it back in with the carrots, and it was perfect. Also, we wanted it to be a bit spicier, and added red pepper flakes. The batch I made wasn't really yellow, I wonder if I used enough squash. No matter, it was a warming hearty bowl of goodness.

As always, Happy Cooking!

Heather

Good Eats Newsletter Jan 2, 2008

Good Eats Newsletter January 2, 2008
Happy New Year!

Localvore Vegetable Share

This week’s share includes purple potatoes, rutabaga, shallots, daikon radish, mixed carrots, 1 sugar pumpkin, 1 loaf Elmore Mt Bread, Pete's Eggs, 5# tote Organic Empire apples, organic oat flour and organic mixed cracked grains.

Root Share

This week’s root share includes potatoes, rutabaga, carrots, sweet potatoes, daikon radish, and celeriac.

Bread ingredients: Anadama Bread Organic flour, organic cornmeal (Butterworks), maple syrup (Butternut Mt), water, sea salt, yeast

Mixed Cracked Grains: wheat, barley, rye, oat, flax

Notes and Localvore Goodies

It’s been a quiet here, with most of us gone for at least a few days and Pete in California on a bike trip for the whole week. Steve was busy around the farm with maintenance projects. He built a new barrel for the root washer, made some insulation improvements on the chicken house and worked on his endless list of repairs. Thanks Steve!

We hope you all enjoyed your last share and are looking forward to 2008. We are already halfway through this share and are thinking about the next share period. Stay tuned for more info about signups!

The localvore items this week are Pete's Eggs, Elmore Mt bread made with organic flour from Quebec , Champlain Orchards organic empire apples, and the last of the organic grains from Michel Gaudreau: oat flour and mixed cracked grains.

I was able to chat with Blaire a little when she brought in the bread this afternoon. She and Andrew have been baking Elmore Mt Bread for the past 3 1/2 years. They moved to Elmore from Hyde Park and bought the business from their good friend and neighbor, David. She says his 15 year old daughter loves to bake and comes to help them on school breaks, and whenever else she can. This morning, she shaped the loaves. David also helps them out with developing new varieties. Otherwise, it's just the two of them cranking out 1500 loaves a week! In the summer they bake an additional 400 for the Stowe Farmer's Market, but do have some help from David's daughter. Blaire was so excited about the Anadam bread because they've been baking small test batches of it for the past few weeks, with flat results! This batch certainly looks and smells incredible. Enjoy and let us know how you like it so we can pass on your comments.

Storage and Use Tips

Pumpkin preheat oven to 350. Get a large baking pan. Cut the pumpkin in half and place cut side down in the pan. Add one inch of hot water. Bake until tender, about an hour. Cool, then discard seed pulp. Scoop out flesh into a bowl, discard skin. Now you have pumpkin to use for soup or pie or muffins or pancakes. To make it a smooth puree, blend in a food processor or run through a food mill.

Potatoes Keep in a cool dark place. Any light will turn them green, which is not edible. It’s ok to cut off a small green spot, but eating a quantity of green potatoes can make you sick.

Sweet potatoes keep these in a warmer, room temp, dark place. Make some great sweet potato oven fries by scrubbing and cutting them into sticks. Toss to coat with olive oil, salt, pepper, pinch of cumin and 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning. Roast in a 400 oven for 30-45 minutes, turning with a spatula a couple times.

Mixed roots the rest of the roots should be kept in the fridge in a bag. They’ll be good at least a week to 10 days.

Mixed cracked grains Soak 1 c over night in 3 cups water. Drain excess water in am, then add 1 c fresh water and pinch of salt. Simmer 20-30 minutes. I ate mine with cinnamon, dried cranberries and maple syrup. Also, you can use soaked grain in yeast bread.

Recipes

This is an idea more than a recipe; you could make a yummy root chowder. Chop shallots, onion, and garlic; sauté in oil. Add diced roots, cover with broth or water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender. You can puree a bit of it to make a thicker broth. You could also add any frozen vegetables you might have, like corn, peas, green beans, zucchini, etc. Add some milk or cream, salt, pepper and, parsley, thyme and/or dill to taste. Heat through over low heat so the soup does not boil again.

PUMPKIN PANCAKES

1 c Flour

½ c Oat flour

2 tsp Baking powder

½ tsp Baking soda

¼ tsp Salt

½ Cinnamon

½ tsp Ginger powder

1 Egg

1 c Buttermilk

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Maple syrup

½ c Pumpkin

In a mixing bowl whisk together the wet ingredients until well blended. Sift together the dry ingredients and quickly mix into the wet mixture with just a few quick strokes. The batter should be thick and a bit lumpy. Add a bit more buttermilk to thin or more flour if it seems to thin. Cook on a hot greased griddle. Excellent with maple syrup, of course!

Daikon Radishes

Here is some info and a few recipes I got from the Farmer John’s website.

Although daikon radishes are actually members of the far-flung cabbage family, they look like overgrown white carrots and taste like mild radishes. Unchecked, daikon radishes have been known to weigh in at 50 pounds. Since daikon radishes are milder in flavor than regular radishes, they can be used like any other root vegetable in cooking.

Storage

If the greens are still attached, remove and refrigerate them in a plastic bag and use them within a week. Wrap the unwashed root in a separate plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to two weeks.

Handling

There usually is no need to peel daikon radishes. Wash them thoroughly in cold running water to remove any lingering dirt. Slice, dice, chop, or grate the daikon according to the directions of your recipe.

Daikon with Tahini Dressing

This is an attention-getting dish: it’s unique, it’s attractive, and it tastes wonderful. Mix in some cooked shredded chicken and an extra 1/4 cup tahini, and you have a delicious, unique chicken salad. Angelic Organics Kitchen (adapted from Recipes from a Kitchen Garden).

Serves 4

4 inches daikon, cut into matchstick-sized strips

3/4 cup thinly sliced red radishes

1 medium carrot, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup tahini

4 scallions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

1 tablespoon dry sherry or vermouth

dash salt

sugar

1/4 cup chopped almonds (optional)

1. Combine daikon, red radish, and carrots in a medium bowl.

2. Whisk the tahini, scallions, lemon juice, sherry, salt, and sugar to taste in a small bowl until well combined. Thin the dressing with a few tablespoons of water until the mixture is a smooth paste.

3. Toss the dressing with radishes until well combined. Garnish with almonds if desired.

Daikon in Plum Sauce

This fast and delightful recipe makes for a great introduction to the daikon. It’s sweet and savory with a pleasing texture, and the daikon’s distinct flavor shines through. Angelic Organics Kitchen.

Serves 3 to 4

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons plum sauce

1 tablespoon minced scallion

3 tablespoons peanut oil

1 daikon, peeled, cut into matchstick-sized strips

2 tablespoons water

1. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until cornstarch dissolves. Stir in the plum sauce and scallions.

2. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Swirl the oil around the wok so that it covers the cooking area, then add the daikon; cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

3. Add the water and cover. Cook until the daikon is tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Add the soy sauce mixture and continue cooking, stirring vigorously, until the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir-Fried Daikon

Simple, satisfying, and whipped up in minutes, this makes a great meal with teriyaki salmon and a bowl of rice. Angelic Organics Kitchen (adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini).

Serves 4

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1 medium daikon, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

10–12 red radishes, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon hot chili oil or more to taste (optional)

1. Heat the peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add the scallions; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the daikon and red radishes; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the water and continue stir-frying until all the water has all evaporated.

2. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and chili oil, mixing everything together vigorously and cooking for 30 seconds more. Immediately transfer to a serving platter. Serve hot.

A Shareholder

When I was growing up in the Bay Area, my Uncle George used to go out salmon fishing. Quite often during the season, he’d stop by unannounced on his way home, and as soon as I saw his truck pull into the driveway, I’d start grating the daikon root. We would drop our dinner plans and put the fish right into the broiler. Gorgeous fresh salmon with lemon juice, soy sauce, grated ginger, and loads of daikon. It was my favorite meal then, and still is now.

Excerpted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farm by Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability. Additional recipes, charts, signed copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com/cookbook.

Keep those happy cooking fires going!

Heather