BUG Farms CSA Week 3 (Week A) Newsletter!

Hi BUG Farmy Friends!

Now that all of the long season crops have been planted, our irrigation systems are in place, and the kinks on our CSA deliveries have been (mostly) worked out, we've been able to pay attention to all of the WEEDS that have been sneaking up on many of our crops : )We also are very thankful for the well timed rain we had last weekend, just in time to help water our newly planted beds of squash, cucumber, basil, green beans, and others. We are also happily watching our onions (mini, bunching, and bulbing), beets, and carrots grow- soon to be ready to harvest in the coming weeks. I keep marvelling at how much farther ahead we are this year compared to last, this time last year we weren't even starting our deliveries yet! Speaking of deliveries, let's move on to what you will get in them this week ; )

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CSA Week 3 (A) Includes:

1 bag Lettuce Mix

1 bag Microgreens

1 bag Arugula

1 bunch Radish

1 bunch Swiss Chard OR Collard Greens

1 bag Spinach OR 1 bunch Lovage

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Bean Share: Petite Golden Lentils

Description from Zursun Beans

Lemony-colored and delicate, petite golden lentils have a sweet flavor and smooth texture. Combine with pungent Indian spices for a delicious vegetarian meal with steamed rice or use as a side dish to meat.

Description From Purcell Mountain Farms Website
Petite Golden Lentils (Lens Esculenta) are small firm, golden Lentil that is rounder in shape than many other types of lentils; one of the reasons that this lentil holds its shape so well when cooked. Petite Golden Lentils are 1/2 cm. wide with a mild, earthly flavor and soft texture. This tiny lens shaped pulse has traditionally been used as a meat substitute (a pulse is the dried seed of any legume, such as beans and peas). Lentils are the seed of a small shrub and are dried after harvesting. Lentils have been eaten for over 8,000 years and originated in Southwestern Masa along the Indus River. They are a staple food for many South Asian cultures. The Latin word for Lentil, Lens, was used in the 17th century to describe eye glasses because of the similarity in shape. 

Basic Cooking Directions

Lentils do not require soaking. Simmer 1 cup lentils with 4 cups water 12 minutes for salads, 15-20 minutes for main dishes and 20 minutes for soups and purees. Skim the water while cooking. One cup dry yields 2 cups cooked.

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Grain Share: Rye Flour!

Here is a good description of rye flour and it's benefits:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=65

When I searched for good rye flour recipes, this one seemed quite tasty to try!

http://www.oprah.com/food/Coconut-Muffins-Recipe-Rye-Flour-Recipes

Rye Coconut Muffins

Muffins:

• 12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup rye flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
• 4 egg whites

Topping:

• 3/4 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 3 egg whites

Directions

Active time: 35 minutes 
Total time: 1¼ hours 

Preheat oven to 350° and place a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 12-muffin tin. In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, coconut, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, coconut milk, and egg whites. Gently fold butter mixture into flour mixture. 

To make topping: In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients; set aside. 

Spoon batter into muffin cups and scoop about 1 Tbsp. reserved topping on each muffin. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until muffin springs to the touch. Twist out muffins and place on their sides in tin to cool.

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Recipes and Storage Tips

As always, you can visit my Recipes Page on my website for a bunch of recipes using the veggies in you CSA Share!

This week some of you will be recieving Lovage, which is a perennial herb/vegetable that tastes kind of like a cross between celery and fennel. I have been chopping up the stems and using it as a base for soup stock. To store it you can either leave it whole and put it in a plastic bag in the fridge, or strip the leaves off and store the leaves and stem in a plastic bag in the fridge. You can also put the stem ends in a glass of water like a boquet and store it in the fridge, or on the counter if you don't have fridge space.

Lovage Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch green onions (white and light green parts, chopped)
• 1 medium yellow onion (peeled and chopped)
• 2 quarts stock
• 3 medium Russet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
• 1 bunch (1 oz) lovage leaves (chopped fine)
• heavy cream (to serve)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. When it froths, reduce the heat to medium and stir in green and yellow onions. Fry until fragrant, about five minutes.
2. Pour in chicken stock and stir in chopped potatoes. Simmer, covered, about thirty minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in lovage and simmer, covered, a further five or six minutes.
3. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with unrefined sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in a spoonful of heavy cream and serve.

http://nourishedkitchen.com/lovage-soup/

Lovage, Pea, and Cucumber Soup

This is from a British Webpage, check it out for more info on lovage and extra recipes

20g butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few young lovage stalks, chopped
700ml chicken or vegetable stock
2 little gem lettuces, finely shredded
100g peas
½ cucumber, cut into 5mm dice
1 small handful lovage leaves, shredded
A few tablespoons of crème fraîche or thick yoghurt, to finish

Warm the butter in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion, thyme and a pinch of salt, and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the lovage stalks and sauté for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the veg (keep back some lovage leaves to garnish) and simmer for five minutes. Season and serve with dollops of crème fraîche and a scattering of lovage leaves.

Here is an excerpt from the above mentioned webpage about cooking lovage:

The green leaves, cut into fine ribbons, are very good with lightly cooked summer veg. Or add them, chopped, to salads or stuffings for pork or chicken, or to fish chowder, or to just-boiled new potatoes in a mustardy vinaigrette. Lovage is delicious with eggs, too – stir leaves into omelettes, scrambled egg or frittata. Tender young stems (from the centre of the plant) can be steamed and served as a side vegetable – lovely with a summer roast chicken.

You can even peel the large tap roots and use them in stews, or cook them as you would salsify. When the seeds start to turn brown, harvest them and use in place of celery seeds in pickling mixtures, breads or in savoury biscuits to go with cheese. You can even use the hollow stems as a peppery, tongue-tingling stirrer for bloody mary – and if that doesn't make you fall for this most lovely of herbs, I don't know what will.

Pear and Arugula Smoothie with Ginger and Walnuts

From this NY Times page

Arugula may seem like a strange ingredient for a smoothie, but this combination is a real winner, a great lunchtime smoothie.

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 cup arugula, tightly packed (about 30 grams)

1 tablespoon walnuts (7 grams)

1/2 ripe pear, cored and peeled (100 grams)

1 quarter-size piece of fresh ginger, peeled

2 to 4 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt (to taste)

3 ice cubes

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 full minute.

Arugula and Radish Salad

http://www.marthastewart.com/314629/arugula-and-radish-salad

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Ok, that's it! Looking forward to your deliveries tomorrow, I hope you enjoy this week's bounty ; )

Sharon