Farm Notes
Welcome to the second week of the CSA! Hopefully you are just as excited as last week for vegetables and trying new things. Although we have recipe suggestions every week in the newsletter and a whole archive of recipes, feel free to share a new recipe you’ve found or tag us in your dinner creations on Instagram (@ ukcsa). If you email us a recipe, (uk.csa@uky.edu), we can even feature it on the newsletter.
We hope everyone enjoyed the Memorial Day holiday, but because of it we have had a short week here at the farm before pick-up day. Wednesday was a bit of a rush getting some harvesting done along with the last corn seeding and putting out cover crop seed in the you-pick aisles as a living mulch. There are many benefits to living mulches; it keeps the soil from washing away in between beds, it puts nutrients back into the soil and provides organic matter. We try to use living mulches as much as we can in the fields that have plastic raised beds. Most of our plastic fields do not have the living mulch in yet as the ideal time to seed is right before a rain event and Wednesday has really been almost the only time so far. Hopefully we will get the other fields done soon.
What’s In Your Share
For this week, you’ll receive:
+ Red Romaine Lettuce
+ Spinach
+ Peas (CAMPUS ONLY, farm will get it in the next week or two)
+ Kale
+ Dill OR Cilantro
+ Kohlrabi
+ Green Onions
Farm Stand
The UK Winery will be on campus this Thursday from 4-6pm, set up with the CSA. They will also be at the Farm pick-up location from 3:30-6:30pm. Check out their blog site, ukywine.com for more information on wine varieties and prices.
The CSA Farm Stand (which is for purchasing “extras”) will be set up at both the campus (from 4-6pm) and farm (from 3:30-6:30pm) locations. Items available will be on a first come, first served basis. At the farm, the Farm Stand table will also be set up separately from the regular pick-up line. We accept cash, check and credit cards.
Items Available for Purchase this Week:
+ Red Romaine Lettuce: $3/head
+ Spinach: 0.5 lb. bag for $4
+ Kale: $3/bunch
+ Dill: $2/bunch
+ Cilantro: $2/bunch
+ Kohlrabi: $1 each
+ Green Onions: $3/bunch
You-Pick
+ Every week that there is you-pick available we will list what is available in the weekly newsletter. The first time you come to the farm we ask that you find one of the organic team (in the organic shed or out in the fields) for a you-pick orientation.
+ We ask that you park your vehicle in the parking lot and walk to the you-pick area to keep vehicles out of our fields. However, if you require assistance to get to our fields or if there is an issue of accessibility, we can make exceptions but please talk to a staff member first for guidelines.
You-Pick Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday – 7:30am until 4pm
Thursday – 7am until 6:30pm
We are closed on all major holidays including Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day.
+ Please only pick from the beds that have a sign saying “You-Pick”. Not everything is ready or available to pick at this time.
Items available:
+ Raspberries under netting
Please find a staff member to assist and orient you. This is their first full year producing so we cannot be sure of how much fruit load they will bear or how long the berries will be available. Blackberries will soon follow.
Note that we are netting the berries to keep unwanted bugs (and birds) out. Please be sure to step under the net to harvest and replace any pavers removed to hold down the edges of the netting on the ground. There are two varieties planted and one of them (on the east side) is thorny, so you may want gloves handy. Review you-pick guidelines in your CSA Member Guide. Please also remember to bring your own containers for harvest and be considerate of others! Thank you.
Veggie Tips (or Facts)
+ One of the terms you may often hear in food preservation, particularly in regards to freezing veggies, is blanching. Blanching is when you bring a pot of water to boil and scald the vegetable for a short amount of time. Blanching is especially important when freezing vegetables because it stops the enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture when freezing. It also can help reduce the loss of vitamins. Even with stopping the enzyme actions, the vegetables will often still lose their crispness once thawed and used. For this reason, I recommend using your frozen veggies in dishes such as soups, stews, stir fries, curries, etc. instead of eating them by themselves.
+ If you are finding that you still have plenty of spinach left from last week, this week’s spinach could be frozen for later use.
How to Freeze Spinach
Cut off large, tough stems; discard all damaged leaves. Wash thoroughly several times. Blanch 1 lb. spinach in 2 gal. water. Blanch for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Cool immediately in cold water, drain, package and freeze.
+ Kohlrabis are one of the stranger looking vegetables we give out in the CSA. A kohlrabi is like a cross between a cabbage and a turnip and it is a VERY versatile vegetable. Try it raw, in slices with hummus or dips, shred it for coleslaw, or shred it to make hash browns. Add it to stir fries or sliced thinly in salads. I bet you could even make kohlrabi chips out of it, if sliced thinly enough! Kohlrabi will also store in your fridge for several weeks if you can’t get to it before next week’s share.
+ Sugar snap peas can be stored in the fridge, in a plastic bag for up to 3 days. The sooner you eat them, the better, as they will lose their crispness the longer they are stored. No need to wash before storing either.
Recipes
For your convenience this week’s recipes in a printable format.
Meal Plan Menu
Thursday:
How about this stir fry recipe below? Try experimenting with substitutions. You can use the snap peas AND greens…you’ve got kale and spinach this week!
Three Pea (or Greens) Stir Fry
This recipe comes from the “Simply in Season” Cookbook, and instead of the 3 kinds of peas it calls for, you can substitute 12-16 loosely packed cups of stemmed and chopped fresh greens (think Spinach, Pac Choi, or Kale). After adding greens to the garlic, oil, ginger, and hot chilies, cover and cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Add water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar immediately before serving.
Ingredients:
1 large clove garlic (minced)
1 Tbs ginger root (peeled, minced)
1/8-1/4 tsp crushed hot chilies
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas (cut in 1-inch pieces)
1 1/2 cups snow peas (cut in 1-inch pieces)
1 cup peas
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame seed oil
Directions:
Heat 1 Tbs oil in large frying pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add ingredients and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add sugar snap and snow peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Add peas and stir-fry until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir in soy sauce and sesame seed oil. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and salt to taste. Serve immediately.
Citrus Variation: Omit garlic, crushed dried chilies, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and sesame seeds. Add 1/2 tsp grated orange peel with the sugar snap and snow peas.
Friday:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked, shelled edamame
1 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped
3 green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 shredded carrots
8-10 leaves of bibb, butter or green leaf lettuce, washed and dried (Red romaine will work just fine!)
Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1-2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil (optional)
1-2 cloves minced fresh garlic
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, edamame, red pepper, green onions, cilantro and shredded carrots together. Combine the sauce ingredients together in an empty jar and shake well. Mix about half the dressing over the quinoa mixture. Place a couple of tablespoons of the mixture in a lettuce cup, top with a little extra drizzle of sauce, wrap and enjoy!
Saturday:
Massaged Kale Salad with Strawberries and Pine Nuts
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale, hard stems removed and torn into pieces
3 oz strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp pine nuts, raw or toasted (optional)
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Place kale pieces in a large bowl, add olive oil and salt.
2. Massage kale until it turns a darker shade of green and becomes soft.
3. Combine lemon juice and honey in a smaller bowl and add to the massaged kale.
4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Drizzle with more EVOO and add more honey if a little bit more sweetness is desired.
6. Add the slices strawberries and pine nuts.
7. Chill in the fridge for a few minutes and serve cold.
Sunday:
Kohlrabi Hash Browns
From “Farmer John’s Cookbook”
This makes a unique bed for serving just about any meat, or try it with eggs instead of traditional potato hash browns.
Ingredients:
4 medium kohlrabi bulbs, peeled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
2 Tbs dried bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 tsp dried red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
plain yogurt or sour cream
Directions:
1. Grate the kohlrabi and wrap it in a dish towel. Squeeze out excess moisture.
2. Combine eggs, onion, bread crumbs, salt, ginger, red pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add
black pepper to taste. Stir until well blended.
3. Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add the kohlrabi and press down firmly with a sturdy spatula. Do not stir. Let the kohlrabi cook until brown, 5-7 minutes. (If thekohlrabi is in a layer thicker than 1/4 inch, you may want to stir it up after the last 5-7 minute to let the inner part cook and brown.) Serve
with yogurt or sour cream.
Monday:
One of the quickest and easiest meals to make are these dragon noodles!
Dragon Noodles
Recipe from BudgetBytes
Ingredients:
4 oz. lo mein noodles
2 Tbsp butter
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 large egg
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sriracha (rooster sauce)
1 handful fresh cilantro
1 sliced green onion
Directions:
Begin to boil water for the noodles. Once the water reaches a full boil, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions (boil for 5-7 minutes).
While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha.
In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper to the butter as it melts. Whisk an egg in a bowl and then add to the melted butter. Stir gently and cook through. Once the egg is done cooking, turn off the heat.
When the noodles are tender, drain the water and then add them to the skillet with the cooked egg. Also add the prepared sauce. Turn the heat on to low to evaporate excess moisture, and stir until everything is coated well with the sauce. Sprinkle the sliced green onions and cilantro leaves (whole) on top and serve!
Tuesday:
Eggs or a protein of your choice would make a great addition to this dish.
Spinach Frico
Submitted by Eliza Bodkin from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups spinach leaves, chopped
Black pepper
2 cups grated Parmesan or Manchego cheese
Directions:
1. Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the spinach and cook, stirring, until the leaves have wilted and all of their liquid has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a good amount of black pepper and the Parmesan and stir.
2. Use a rubber spatula to distribute the spinach and cheese evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cook until the cheese is melted and golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes.
3. Use the spatula to slide the crisp onto a plate; put another plate on top of the crisp. Put one hand firmly in the center of the bottom plate and the other hand the same way on the top plate; flip the crisp over. Use the spatula to slide it back into the pan and continue cooking until the cheese is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve whole as an appetizer or broken into smaller pieces as a garnish.
Wednesday:
Leftovers day! Clean out that fridge for new vegetables coming Thursday.
UK-CSA 