Community Supported Agriculture in Northern Virginia with Graceland Farm: Newsletter

« 10 Jun 2009

Weather is a great metaphor for life – sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and there’s nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.

Pepper Giardino

Food Notes:

If you have questions about what is in the bag, feel free to e-mail. I try to explain, but judging from comments at our open house, there is a lot of confusion about all the green leafy stuff. So, I’ll try to be more descriptive.

• Broccoli — more crowns from our last planting ( mostly ) after this any broccoli will be side shoots
• Loose leaf lettuce or Romaine — I have been trying not to overdo the lettuce this Spring but…
• Italian Parsley or Cilantro — they make look similar but the fragrance gives it away
• Cucumber — old-fashioned “Straight 8” cukes, I have tried the white cucumbers and nobody seemed to care for them, the long Armenian and Japanese will be later
• Radishes — cherry belle or French breakfast, ( not round and elongated )
• Radicchio — red and green heads that might look a little like a Romaine head, but thicker, leathery leaves that are round and thicker green or red stems
• CHINESE CABBAGE — Michili, is generally very long with a serrated leaf and green stems, bok choy has broad dark leaves and bright white stems ( on top of your bag )

Israeli Salad

It’s a great way to use up little bits of vegetables and herbs.

I put in mine, carrots, cukes, tomatoes, radishes, green onions. Any vegetable that does not need to be cooked. I don’t like raw squash but you could add that. The trick is to cut in small uniform pieces. Toss with 2 T good olive oil, fresh lemon, salt, pepper, cut up parsley. I make this salad towards the end of the CSA week It is the summer version of soup to use up vegetables. Very simple and easy. This is a very popular salad eaten all over Israel, and at every meal, even breakfast! -Lisa Rosenblum

Use your parsley ( or cilantro ) and cuke

In-a-Pinch Cucumber Salad

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

• 1 long or two short Armenian cucumbers or 3-4 lemon cukes
• salt and freshly milled white pepper
• 2 to 3 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• champagne vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. fresh dill or parsley, chopped
• Thinly slice cucumbers.

Toss the cucumbers with a few pinches salt, pepper to taste, and enough oil to coat lightly. Add a few drops vinegar and the herb of your choice. Serves 4.

Lots of Salad greens, try making your own dressing!

Sherry Vinaigrette

adapted from Mediterranean Fresh, by Joyce Goldstein

• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
• S & P to taste
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
• Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Raspberry Salad Dressing

(The Summer Book by Susan Branch)

• 1/2 C salad oil
• 3T raspberry vinegar
• 1T raspberry jam
• 1T minced green onions
• 1/2T Dijon mustard
• a few fresh raspberries

Whisk all together-great on fresh spinach.

Makes 1 Cup

Radicchio

An acquired taste and a little bitter, best when cooked

Shari C.‘s ideas:

• Radicchio is fantastic in risotto — I usually use red wine with the radicchio and lots of parmesan cheese.
• It’s also great in a tricolor salad — radicchio, endive and arugula with shaved parmesan cheese and a lemon vinaigrette.
• I love it roasted and drizzled with good balsamic or saba.

Though radicchio is undeniably a leafy green of the chicory family, it has the structure and character necessary to stand up to being fried, and if you don’t know what it is the first time you encounter it you may not guess. But you will want more.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound (300 g) radicchio
• 1 cup (100 g) flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) beer
• 1 egg, separated
• Oil for frying
• Salt & Pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Cut the radicchio into thin wedges. Prepare a thin batter with the beer, flour, yolk, salt and pepper. Whip the white to soft peaks and fold it into the batter. Dredge the radicchio in the batter, fry it until crisp golden brown, drain it well on absorbent paper, and serve it hot.