BUG Farms CSA Week 4 (Week B) Newsletter!
Hi BUG Farm Friends!
This is the anniversary of our first CSA delivery last year, and this season we've already had 4 weeks of veggies, I am very thankful for the bounty this spring, I hope you have all enjoyed it too : )Like I mentioned last week, the onions are growing fast, and this week we harvesterd the first of our onion repretoire, the tasty fresh Green Onions, yay! This week at the farm we spent Monday hilling our potatoes (which are putting on lots of green growth) and started trellacing the tomatoes after we transplanted them out 2 weeks ago. They seem to be settling in nicely and are already blossoming. We hope for a good tomato year to share with all of you.
CSA Week 4 (B) Includes:
1 bag Lettuce Mix
1 bag Microgreens
1 bag Brassica Mix
1 bunch Green Onions
1 bunch Cilantro
1 bunch Chard OR Kale OR Collard Greens
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Bean Share: Scarlet Runner Beans: An American heirloom cultivated in the 1750's, Scarlet Runner is named after the plants glowing red flowers. The dried bean's coloring - purple with black mottling - make it a standout. Its dense texture and nutty flavor is best enjoyed with a simple enhancement of butter, garlic and fresh herbs.
Scarlet Runner Beans with Chard and Goat Cheese
Adapted from allrecipes.com recipe. I would also top this off with a spoonful of Lime-Cilantro Chutney(recipe below!)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 bunch Swiss chard - rinsed, stems removed and cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 1/2 cups cooked Scarlet Runner Beans
- 1 small tomato, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons goat cheese
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add Swiss chard, cover and cook for 4 minutes. Uncover and mix in the beans, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Cover and continue cooking until the chard is wilted, about 4 more minutes.
- Transfer the chard to the baking dish and dot with goat cheese, pushing it down into the dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the goat cheese is warmed.
- Top with Lime-Cilantro Chutney and serve.
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Grain Share:
Half Shares: Rye Flour (see the recipe and description in last week's newsletter)
Full Shares: Multicolored Popcorn
I would try dressing your popcorn with the cilantro-lime chutney and some turmeric for a tasty treat, or even use flax oil or melted ghee(clarified butter) instead of butter, yum!
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Recipes and Storage Tips!
For the collard greens, kale, chard, green onions and cilantro a good way to store them is to put them stem end down in a glass or vase of water like a bouquet and store it in the fridge. Otherwise put them in a plastic bag in a fridge.
Cilantro Lime Chutney
I made this chutney on Tuesday and served it with cooked beans, greens, and radishes on toasted corn tortillas for our farm lunch. I then used the leftover chutney for a salad dressing today by diluting it with more oil and lime juice- it was so good and fresh!
One 1-inch piece 1-inch diameter fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into coins
2 to 3 serrano peppers, or 2 small jalapeño peppers, seeded
Three green onions, chopped
2 cups very tightly packed fresh cilantro, with thin stems, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seed
3/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Spice Blend (recipe follows)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients except the lime juice in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped, pulsing and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (this make take a few tries as the herbs can be stubborn). Add the lime juice and process until a bright green paste forms. It should be spreadable but not quite fluid.
Pulse in small amounts of lime juice, oil, or water to thin, if necessary. Serve or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Garam Masala Spice Blend
Makes 1 1/2 teaspoons
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
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That's it for this week, let me know if you have any questions!
Best,
Sharon
