Weekly Newsletter 13

Casalegno Family Farm Weekly

The pears are in full peak right now – hope you all are enjoying every juicy bite of them! This is the time of year that we begin to plan our crops for the cooler weather, and give some of the beds a chance to rest before the next planting.  We are planning for lots if broccolini, greens and lettuces, more carrots, potatoes, beets and radishes and may even try something we have never grown before – leeks!

In this weeks full share box:

Pears

Apples

Blue Lake and Romano Beans

Squash and zucchini

Cucumbers

Heirloom tomatoes!

Cherry Tomatoes

Potatoes

Basil

Parsley

PEAR PIE

This pie is hands down, no doubt about it PHENOMENALLY good.  Even I think so, and I am not really a “pie person”.  But I LOVE this pear pie!!! And I know you will too.  If you would rather use the fruit in your box for eating fresh rather than baking, let us know and we can sell you some seconds (imperfect, over ripe or partly bruised) at a cheap price for the pie, or you can always buy extra fruit at the farm stand!   It is definitely worth it - trust me this recipe is amazing, and easy!

                                     INGREDIENTS

5 or 6 very ripe Bartlett pears, cored, peeled and halved

1 unbaked pie shell (homemade or store bought)

¼ c butter           ½ c sugar            ¼ c flour                

2 eggs          1 tsp vanilla extract

                               INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325°

Arrange pear halves in pie shell, rounded side up, with small ends pointed toward the center. (see photo at right)

Beat butter, sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla on high until well blended.

Pour over pears and sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds (optional, but really nice)

Bake 45-50 minutes, til light golden brown on top.

Grandma’s Marinated Romano Beans

This is a favorite family recipe that people rave about every time I serve it! I honestly never measure the ingredients, just use lots of garlic and you can’t go wrong!

1.       Rinse desired amount of beans and trim stem end off.

2.      Steam for 7-10 minutes, or until very tender.

3.      Place in shallow bowl or large dish and dress with good olive oil and red wine vinegar, a few cloves of pressed or minced garlic, a sprinkling of freshly snipped Italian parsley and sea salt to taste.

4.      Mix well and let marinate on the counter for 15-30 minutes and enjoy at room temperature.

 

 

Pesto Topped Grilled Summer Squash

·         1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

·         1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, (see Tip)

·         1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

·         1 clove garlic, minced

·         2 teaspoons lemon juice

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·          About 1 pound summer squash, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick

·         Canola or olive oil cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Combine basil, pine nuts, oil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl.  Coat both sides of squash slices with cooking spray. Grill the squash until browned and tender, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve topped with the pesto.

Tip : To toast pine nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

 

 

RED ONION AND CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients

·        2 red onions, julienned

·        Salt

·        5 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (can be seeded too, if desired)

·        2 teaspoons peeled, grated fresh ginger

·        2 cloves garlic, minced

·        2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

·        2 tablespoons rice vinegar

·        1/4 cup vegetable oil, preferably canola

·        Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

·        Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the onions in a large bowl; set aside.

In a colander, lightly salt the cucumbers and let drain for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the ginger, garlic, chives, and vinegar in a small bowl. While whisking, slowly add the oil and whisk until smooth. Add the pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the cucumbers to the onions and toss well. Add the dressing and toss well. Adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving. Serve chilled.

Thanks everyone! See you next week~              
~Casalegno Family Farm

Weekly Newsletter 9

Casalegno Family Farm Weekly

July 24 – 30, 2011 

This week our 4–year–old son Wyatt ate the first Gravenstein apple of the year.  I suspect that it was a little on the green side, but he didn’t seem to mind the tartness! Gravensteins are our earliest apples, and we usually begin harvesting them sometime in early August, so they are very close.  We realized that we still have jugs of apple cider in the deep freeze from the winter’s last press and since the new crop of apples is almost here we decided that the last of the cider would make a special treat in your boxes this week! This delicious apple cider is un-pasteurized and should be kept refrigerated.  It should be used in 7-10 days.

In this week's Full Share Box:

3 bean trio - mix of Blue Lake, Yellow Wax and Trionfo Violeto
Summer Squash and Zucchini
Basil
Beets
Potatoes
Lemon Cucumbers
Satsuma Plums
Blackberries
a jug of our very own Apple Cider!


 

Potato Green Bean Salad with Basil & Mustard Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette:
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
several grinds of freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1 lb potatoes
3/4 lb. green beans, trimmed
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
•Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and set aside.

•Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until just tender; drain and cool. Cut potatoes into chunks and add them to a large salad bowl.

•Cook green beans in boiling salted water until just tender; drain, then cool under running cold water. Dry thoroughly on kitchen towel. Add beans to potatoes. Add red onion and basil.

•Whisk dressing, pour over potatoes and green beans, and toss to coat. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

LEMON CUCUMBERS

Just what is a lemon cucumber anyway?!?  Only the sweetest crunchiest least bitter cucumber ever! These pretty round yellow cukes get their name because of their resemblance to the lemon not because they have a particularly lemony flavor.

Here is one of our favorite ways to quickly enjoy any garden fresh cucumbers

Slice thinly and dress with seasoned rice vinegar, sea salt, a drizzle of sesame oil and freshly ground black pepper.  Refrigerate for at least 30 min.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve chilled as a refreshing side.

 

 

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction

Ingredients

·                     1 pound pork tenderloins, cut in 1/2 crosswise

·                     Vegetable oil

·                     Salt and freshly ground black pepper

·                     1 1/2 cups apple cider

·                     1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

·                     1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions: Heat oven to 500 degrees F and put rack in the upper third. Brush tenderloins with oil, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of pork tenderloin and cook until brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Set pork aside on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining pieces.  Place pork in oven and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of the tenderloin registers 145 to 150 degrees F, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place pan over high heat, add cider and vinegar and stir, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is reduced by 2/3, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in maple syrup and remove from heat until pork is cooked.  When pork is ready, remove to a cutting board to rest about 5 minutes. Warm sauce over medium-high heat, add pork and any accumulated juices and spoon sauce over meat to completely coat. When pork is warm, return pork to cutting board and slice thinly. Serve with pan sauce spooned over.

SATSUMA PLUMS

Originating in the Satsuma province of Japan and popular in America since the 1890’s, this heirloom plum has a rich lovely flavor that is excellent for fresh eating, cooking, canning, drying or preserves.   These were just picked off the tree today and will still ripen a bit as they sit in your fruit bowl.

Summer Squash Pan Cakes

This recipe was recommended as “dinner pan-cakes” but I think they would be best as a savory breakfast, maybe served with scrambled eggs, salsa and avocado….mmmmm…..

Ingredients

·         2 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 3/4 pound)

·         2 tablespoons grated red onion

·         1 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

·         6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         Unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Directions

Grate the zucchini into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Pat or squeeze dry with paper towels, remove as much moisture as possible.  Stir in the onion and eggs. Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt, and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zucchini, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.)

Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low and drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes a few  minutes on each side, until browned. Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan with a dry paper towel and add more butter and oil to the pan if necessary.  Continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Thanks all!!! See you next week- get ready for apple time!                     ~Casalegno Family Farm