Tuesday, September 14, 2010

CSA - Week 14!


Posted by: Kristie

What was in your box this week? bush beans, garlic, eggplant, sweet peppers, tomatillos, pears, onions, apples, tomatoes, summer squash, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, dill, arugula, and basil.


What's happening at Camp Joy this week? Well, our most important news is that two of our cherished apprentices, Mika and Whitney, are leaving this week. They have been more than helpful on the farm, sharing their passion for gardening and preserving. Mika and Whitney have helped define this season at Camp Joy - it's hard to imagine the community without them. Though we're sad to see them go, we wish them well in their future endeavors. Mika is returning to UCSC for the last quarter of her undergraduate degree in Sustainable Agriculture. And Whitney is moving to the Bay Area to work for a dynamic Jewish environmental nonprofit.

CSA - Week 14 Recipes!

Tomatillo Salsa Verde Recipe

To cook the tomatillos, you can either roast them in the oven, or boil them. Roasting will deliver more flavor; boiling may be faster and use less energy. Either way works, though boiling is a more common way to cook the tomatillos.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 Jalapeño peppers OR 2 serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded and chopped
Salt to taste

Method
1 Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well.

2a Roasting method Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

2b Boiling method Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tomatillos with a slotted spoon.

2 Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Serve with chips or as a salsa accompaniment to Mexican dishes.


ZUCCHINI LATKES WITH ROASTED PEPPER SOUR CREAM TOPPING

1 1/2 lb zucchini, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, grated
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 eggs (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp. minced fresh basil
1/2 tsp. Tabasco
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

Grate zucchini using medium-fine grating disk of food processor or hand grater. Place zucchini in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let set 1 hour. Gently press out as much moisture as possible. Add grated onion and chopped pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly.
Combine eggs, Parmesan cheese, milk, basil, Tabasco, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Thoroughly whisk egg mixture until well combined.

Cooking instructions: Fold 1 1/4 cups egg mixture into 1 1/2 lb zucchini mixture. Combine 3/4 cup all purpose flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder; stir into egg/zucchini. Fold together gently until well blended.

Note: Adjust consistency of mixture as necessary, adding more liquid if mixture is too thick or more flour if mixture is too thin. Flour absorbs more or less moisture according to environmental humidity, so this adjustment for your conditions may be needed.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a grill or sauté pan. When hot, place a large scoop of the zucchini mixture onto hot oil. Press gently into 3-inch rounds.
Cook on both sides until golden brown (internal temperature should be at least 140°F).

Remove from pan and drain on absorbent towels. Serves 4.


Red Pepper Sour Cream Topping:

2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup red bell peppers, roasted & pureed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Brush peppers with olive oil. Roast peppers in a preheated 375°F oven until tender and streaks of brown appear. Combine ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For each Portion: Serve 3 latkes with 3 tablespoons Red Pepper Sour Cream or 1 or 2 Zucchini Latkes with 2 other vegetables as a vegetable or vegetarian entrée.

CSA week 13

Post by: Ivo

The Annual Harvest dinner has passed. We shared many moments of joy and indulgence. There were some great shots made by a few people who attended. Here are some samples.









A picture speaks a thousand words.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

CSA Week 12

Post by: Ivo

Hey dudes! Last three weeks I've been participating in cutting and mixing the bouquets. I've never been in such awe with our flowers before making bouquets. The most beautiful flowers and bouquets I've ever seen hands down! They make me feel like kissing someone! Here are the three I made this week, each one made my legs quiver more than the last.





CSA Week 12 - Recipes

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

7 ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon butter
5/8 onion, chopped
5/8 green bell pepper, chopped
1-1/4 carrots, chopped
2-3/4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons Burgundy wine
5/8 bay leaf
1-1/4 stalks celery
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon tomato paste


Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove peel and squeeze out seeds. Chop 4 tomatoes and puree in blender or food processor. Chop remaining three tomatoes and set aside.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in oil and butter until onion starts to soften, 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes. Stir in chopped tomato, basil, Italian seasoning and wine. Place bay leaf and whole celery stalks in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours. Stir in tomato paste and simmer an additional 2 hours. Discard bay leaf and celery and serve.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

CSA Week 11


What was in your basket this week? garlic, onions, apples, plums, tomatoes, bartlett pears, eggplant, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, kale, lettuce, basil, cucumbers, beans, hot pepper, and cut greens




The fruit trees are pumping! We've been very busy picking, sorting, and juicing. Soon, we'll be drying and canning applesauce and pear jam. We hope you enjoy your bounty of fruit in your baskets!



CSA - Week 11 Recipes

Baba Ganoush

3 medium-sized eggplants
1/2 cup tahini
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/8 teaspoon chile powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.)

3. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.

4. Remove from oven and let cool.

5. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.

6. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips.

Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.

Apple Crumb Bars

1 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 large egg, beaten
4 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Crumb Topping
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1) Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Prepare Crumb Topping (see Method #2); set aside.
2) For crumb topping: In medium bowl, combine flour, oats, and sugar. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
3) For cookie: In medium bowl, combine oats, 1 cup flour, the brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in beaten egg. Spread mixture evenly in pan.
4) Toss apples with sugar, remaining 1/4 cup flour, and the nutmeg. Spread apples over oatmeal layer. Sprinkle Crumb Topping in a diagonal pattern over apples. Bake 30to 35 minutes or until apples are tender. To yield 40 bars, divide the 15-inch-long side into 8 sections. Divide the perpendicular 10-inch-long side into 5 sections.