Week 7A July 26th, 2018
Hi Threshing Table Farm Members,
In your box this week:
Potatoes Savoy Cabbage Turnip Greens Kale
Summer Squash
Green Beans Onions Savory Oregano Cucumbers
Beets Fennel
We are enjoying all the smells of summer. The herbs are delicious, the hay near us has been cut and the pigs… well, they are adding their own flavor to the air. It is hard to believe that the County fair is behind us and the reluctant countdown to school starting is ahead of us. We had a great time at the fair. Some great awards were earned, some disappointments were handled well and a lot of growth and learning happened. We also treated ourselves to plenty of fair food and enjoyed visiting with old friends and making new ones. One particular high note is that Claudia’s “Chicken” art work earned her a grand champion.
Fair week is always pretty exhausting, as we have to juggle that with the farm work. We are still trying to catch up on sleep. A quick nap here or there is all that we can do, but that’s what winter is for.
The late summer crops of cabbage, greens, kohlrabi and more are looking lovely in the field. We are looking forward to those as well as the tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc. We’re still a few weeks away from tomatoes, but we’re seeing a fair amount of green ones on the plants. Cucumbers and summer squash are at their peak right now and keeping us very busy with every other day pickings. The potatoes have sized up nicely and the summer carrots are nearing maturity.
We planted the fall carrots just before the fair. The most exciting thing about fall carrots is that they are plagued by very few weeds. This is the opposite of the summer carrots which we spend a ridiculous amount of time weeding and never quite win the battle. It’s only because the weeds know they won’t be able to grow to maturity and set seed, so they just don’t show up. Smart buggers!!
Storage Tips:
Potatoes: Cool, dark place. These are not cured, so these are not for real long storage.
Savoy Cabbage: Great cooked, raw, in any recipe calling for a green cabbage. Savoy leaves are easier to use when making cabbage rolls, etc. than other green cabbage. Store in the crisper drawer. Place in plastic bag for longer storage.
Turnip Greens and Kale: Covered container in fridge (Or plastic bag)
Summer Squash, cucumber, fennel, beets: Refrigerator, crisper drawer. A Great way to use the fennel: Cut up the bulb into chunks and place in the slow cooker with a beef roast and quartered onion. Sprinkle on some Savory and Yum!
Herbs: A covered jar in the fridge.
Onions: They are starting to cure. You can keep these on the counter, but keep an eye on them. If they seem to not be growing a new stem, use them fast or stick them in the fridge.
Kale and Turnip Green Gratin
2 cups heavy whipping cream
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh savory
1¼ cups shredded fontina cheese, divided
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
1 bunch turnip greens, trimmed and chopped
2 cups day-old cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Garnish: chopped fresh savory
Preheat oven to 375°.
In a small Dutch oven, bring cream, garlic, and savory to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup fontina, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper until smooth. Remove from heat.
In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Working in batches, stir in kale and turnip greens; cook until wilted. Stir in cream mixture until combined. Top with cornbread. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup fontina.
Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Garnish with savory, if desired.
Cucumber Sandwich Spread
1 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
1 T.
minced onion
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chopped parsley
Partially peel and remove seeds from cucumber before chopping. Drain well by squeezing between two layers of clean cloth. Combine cucumber with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Spread on buttered bread.
Zucchini Potato Patties
1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1 1/2 cup shredded potatoes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 eggs, slightly beaten
Squeeze excess liquid out of zucchini. In a large bowl, toss zucchini, potatoes and onion with flour. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drop zucchini mixture about 1/4 cup