Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week13

Week 13 marks the half way point in this year's Grant Family Farms CSA membership, and has me thinking of the experience to date. So far the experience has been an enlightening reconnection with the local food chain - learning to what's in season, what grows in Colorado, and how to make great food out of it. While the Cherry Creek farmers market may have tomatoes in May (when you question the purveyor you'll find that they are actually sourced from California), Grant Family Farms provides honest, locally grown produce. They may be one of the "mega" CSA's around, with several thousand acres under management, but for a first timer this has been a great experience. I hope the fair weather and plentiful moisture continues, so we can reap the full benefits of the coming harvest.

So on to the harvest - this week's basket included:

• Read leaf lettuce
  
• Beans
  
• Tomatoes
  
• Cucumber
  
• Zucchini
  
• Corn
  
• Spring baby greens
  
• Radishes
  
• Parsley
  
• Yellow squash (pattipan?)
  
• Potatoes (Yukons)
  
• Cipollini onions
  
• Kale

Overall, a larger diversity in produce then summer's early baskets. I used the produce in several ways, with varying success.

The various lettuces, tomatoes and cucumber were used in fresh green salads.

The zucchini, yellow squash, parsley, and tomatoes were used in a light pasta sauce with garlic, red pepper flake, onion, italian sausage, and basil. This dish was a wonderful expression of summer's bounty - full of fresh bright flavors.

The corn was cooked on the grill (my favorite preparation).

The radishes were prepared using a quick pickle method (vinegar, sugar and coriander) - while tasty, the odor was beyond funky.

The potatoes and onions were tossed with olive oil, garlic, salt, black pepper and paprika. Then oven roasted until cooked through. Unfortunately, the potatoes were a bit dry - Yukons would probably do better in a stewing preparation, or mashed with copious amounts of butter and milk!

The kale was cooked with garlic, red pepper flake, olive oil and lemon - one of my favorite kale preparations. This dish is full flavored and spicy - however, you can adjust the flavor level by adding / removing garlic to taste.

Finally, I used the remaining parsley and tomatoes in a simple tabbouleh with bulgar wheat, mint, scallions, garlic, olive oil and lemon. This dish was a wonderful accompaniment to the Moroccan spiced lamb sliders w/ cucumber yogurt sauce.

With Week 14's basket arriving tomorrow, I still have all the beans, a few potatoes and a few onions to deal with. Overall, we worked through the basket effectively, eating many healthy flavor meals, despite eating out twice!

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week12

Week 12 was donated to a friend since I was out of town, enjoying the great food and restaurants of San Francisco (more to come on that later).

However, here is a quick overview of the week's produce:

• Collards
• Spinach
• Salad greens
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Beets
• Yellow squash
• Corn

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week11

This week's basket included a wider variety then the greens of early summer - squash, potatoes, and tomatoes are coming into season and expanding the menu!

The harvest:

• Potato
  
• Onion
  
• Tomato
  
• Beats (large and small)
  
• Hot peppers
  
• Yellow wax beans
  
• Yellow squash (perhaps patty pan)
  
• Cucumber
  
• Red leaf lettuce
  
• Carrots
  
• Italian zucchini
  

The potatoes, onions, and squashes made a wonderful roast vegetable dish - slice each and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flake, oregano and garlic powder. Roast at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked through.

The tomatoes were deep red and full flavored - so unlike any tomato that you'd buy at the store! Serve with cucumber, onion and feta cheese for a delicious Mediterranean salad.

Unfortunately, I'll be out of town for Week 12 and have donated the basket to some friends! Perhaps I can get them to blog on my behalf!

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week10

The horror ... The horror ... Week 10 went dramatically wrong when i forgot to pickup the weekly basket. Sorry for you regulars expecting an update but no new news this week. Week 11 shows up tomorrow so expect a full report this coming weekend! Yours truly - a very hungry Critic.

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week9

Week 8 was an abundant amount of produce and we had to work to get through it all - still had beets, green beans and kale left when Week 9 arrived.

The picture includes a little bit of each item, but not all the produce. Week 9's basket included:

• Spinach
  
• English Peas
  
• Green Pepper
  
• Corn
  
• Squash
  
• Tomato
  
• Zucchini
  
• Cabbage
  
• Baby Greens
  
• Eggplant
  
• Collard Greens

I experimented a bit with the produce and one created a couple of great dishes. First was a vegetable succotash with green pepper, squash, corn, peas, basil, bacon, feta and garlic. Cut the bacon into small pieces and cook until crisp and grease has been rendered. Drain the grease and wipe the pan out with a paper towel. Add a bit of olive oil and saute the garlic. Then add the green peppers and squash. After a few minutes, add the peas, and then the corn. Remove from heat and add the reserved bacon bits, the basil and the feta cheese. Taste for salt and pepper and serve!

I've never been a huge fan of cabbage, but I created a quick, fresh slaw that changed my mind. Use about half the cabbage and slice it very thinly. As you slice, transfer to a bowl and salt each layer as you go. Let the cabbage sit - the salt will draw the water out helping to keep it crunchy. Using a mortar and pestle, grind several garlic cloves with some kosher salt and olive oil into a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl and whisk in some spicy sriracha sauce, fresh lemon juice, mayonnaise, and olive oil. After about 30 minutes, place the cabbage in some cheese cloth (or paper towels in a pinch), and squeeze out the water. Return the cabbage to the bowl, add dressing and toss to mix.

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week8

Week 8 marks the first week when I did not make use of all the previous weeks produce! After bringing home week 8 from the local pickup point, I had to make room and tossed out the wilted chard and kale from the previous week. After weeks of greens, we're finally starting to move into the heart of summer - and that means tomatoes. Red, plump, juicy and flavorful tomatoes came in this week's basket. I used them sliced over cumin, cilantro turkey burgers with cheddar cheese wrapped in a leaf of lettuce. I used wedges in a salad with radish and red leaf lettuce.

This week's haul includes:

• Kohlrabi
  
• Curly Kale
  
• Red Leaf Lettuce
  
• Radishes
  
• Beets
  
• Zucchini
  
• Yellow Summer Squash
  
• Tomatoes
  
• Green Beans
  
• Artichokes
  
• Swiss Chard
  
• Cilantro
  

As for the other vegetables, I substituted thinly sliced zucchini and summer squash for nori in a smoked salmon roll. Salt and lightly oil the vegetables, then back for about 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Then arrange the slices on on plastic wrap, lightly pat out rice (in this case i used a purple sticky rice), then add ingredients and roll!

Another hit was a kohlrabi slaw dressed in a chipotle lime dressing. Peel the kohlrabi and shred using a box grater. Next, shred onion and apple. Salt the ingredients and let sit for several minutes. Prepare the dressing - in a blender combine the juice of one lime, honey, salt, mayonnaise, and a chipotle pepper. Blend to combine and add canola oil to achieve a thicker consistency. Squeeze the excess moisture from the vegetables then dress and enjoy!

Finally, take thinly sliced swiss chard and cook over high heat with lots of garlic and olive oil. Finish with a bit of lemon juice for a hint of freshness!

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week7

Wow, week 7 really snuck up on me - after eating out several times this week for the Denver Restaurant Review, I barely had time to cook anything and now I'm down to 2 days before week eight's basket arrives. Week 7's basket includes:

• Kale
  
• Swiss Chard
  
• Butter Lettuce
  
• Spring Greens
  
• Cilantro
  
• Zucchini
  
• Broccholi
  
• English Peas
  
• and mystery vegetable (see picture below).

If you recognize the mystery vegetable let me know - my best guess is immature cauliflower. The head was surrounded by the very similar greens. It didn't have the same sweetness as cauliflower but was delicious nonetheless. Cut into wedges, toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flake - then roast in a hot oven until tender and slightly toasted. Finish with a drizzle of nut oil (hazelnut or walnut).

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week6

Week 6 and I'm a bit behind on my eating - however, the trick is to find ways to combine the veggies together into one dish!

This week's basket includes:

• Kale
  
• Spring Onions
  
• Snap Peas
  
• Peas
  
• Beats
  
• Cauliflower
  
• Hearts of Romaine
  
• Dill
  
• Broccoli
  
• Zucchini
  
• Italian Parsley
  
• Swiss Chard
  

Try a grilled vegetable brown rice - grill quartered spring onions, sliced zucchini and mix with brown rice, peas, diced tomato and parsley. Season with salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and a good olive oil. This was fresh, healthy and a great side dish to a grilled teriyaki beef.

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week5

Its week 5 of the Grant Family Farms CSA - and the produce keeps on coming!

This week's take includes:

• Peas
  
• Red Leaf Lettuce
  
• Kohlrabi
  
• Spring Onions
  
• Snap Peas
  
• Swiss Chard
  
• Collard Greens
  
• Radishes
  
• Broccoli
  
• Curly Parsley
  
• Beets
  
• Spinach

So how do you use all this fresh produce? Well, the answer is only limited by your own creativity. So far I've made scrambled eggs w/ spring onion, parsley, peas and cheddar cheese. I sauteed the onions in butter, until softened, then added the peas and parsley. After the peas were just cooked through, i removed to a side dish, then scrambled the eggs in the same pan. Add the vegetables and cheese before the eggs are set and serve!

I also made a tort with collard greens and swiss chard. The tort was modeled after the Torta Pasqualina found in the Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian cook book. Make a simple tart dough of flour, water and olive oil. Then portion into 6 pieces, use three pieces and roll to create a layered bottom. Mix blanched swiss chard and collard greens with cream, parmesan and ricotta cheese. I also added some saffron for a bit of extra flavor. Fill the tart with the greens, then create small indentations and fill w/ eggs. Finally, roll the remaining three pieces of dough, and layer one by one with melted butter brushed between. Seal the dough on all sides but leave one small part open - then blow air in between the layers to create a beautiful puffed top. Bake until the custard is set (about 140), then remove and let cool before slicing.

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week4

Week 4's share from the Grant Family Farms CSA included:

1. Baby Beets
   
2. Peas
   
3. Garlic Scapes
   
4. Cilantro
   
5. Radishes
   
6. Kohlrabi
   
7. Red Leaf Lettuce
   
8. Green Lettuce
   
9. Curly Kale
   
10. Tuscan Kale
    
11. Rhubarb
    
12. Broccoli

It was a busy week with lots of dining out so I didn't have a lot of opportunities to experiment with the produce. The beets were halved or quartered to create a uniform size, then steamed with the greens and finished with a bit of salt, pepper and olive oil. The garlic scapes were sauteed in sesame oil. Then the kale was added and mixed until coated with the sesame oil. Hot chicken broth was added and the dish allowed to simmer until the greens cooked down and the broth reduced. The dish was finished with salt, pepper, sesame seeds and a bit of fresh sesame oil. This turned out great!

The only other interesting dish was a slaw from the kohlrabi - i peeled the kohlrabi, then shredded on a mandolin. While the kohlrabi dried a bit, i made a light dressing in the blender with mayo, lime, chipotle chili, honey, salt, pepper, rice wine vinegar, cilantro and olive oil. I added the olive olive oil while blending - adding enough to achieve the desired thickness / texture and flavor.

I then tossed the shredded kohlrabi with the dressing, added freshly chopped cilantro and allowed to settle in the fridge for about an hour. This was delicious - the texture was crisp, and the flavor spicy, tangy and a bit sweet.

Just picked up Week 5 today - included some perfect, fresh, sweet red cherries from the western slope - Yum!

Weekly Blog on Grant Family Farms CSA - Week3

So I should have started this on week 1 - the first week of delivery, but i hadn't even started the blog yet so I think that I should get a pass!

This year I've taken out a small share from the Grant Family Farms through their CSA program. For about $20 per week, you get a delivery of fresh produce to a local pick up point. This will be a series of blog posts chronicling the weekly contents and various ways to use them.

This weeks farmers basket included: collard greens, curly kale, tucscan kale, kholrabi, rhubarb, spring beets, spring turnips, garlic scapes, cilantro, italian parsley, green lettuce, and red leaf lettuce.

The spring beets are sweet and tender - I recommend separating the greens from the bulb. Toss the bulbs in olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast the bulbs gently in the oven until you can run a knife through with little to no resistance. Let the roasted beets cool, and prepare the greens. Saute the greens in a bit of olive oil, butter, salt and a quick squeeze of lemon. Once the bulbs are cooled, quarter or half depending on size. Plate the greens, then the bulb quarters. Finish with a drizzle of aged balsamic, high quality extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. For an bit more pizazz add some crumbled blue cheese.

Every week has included another bunch of cilantro - so I've had to be creative to keep using it. A couple of ideas have been: Cilantro rice with lime, turkey burgers with cilantro, lime, cumin, diced green chili, finished with extra sharp cheddar cheese, cilantro and collard greens slowly braised with paprika.

I cooked the rhubarb down with a bit of lemon juice, sugar, whole star anise and vanilla. Once soft and starting to disintegrate, added quartered fresh strawberries. This compote can be served chunky with plain yogurt, or as a topping to many summer desserts. Alternatively you could blend and strain into a smooth sauce that would be perfect base for a light summer cocktail with either rum or vodka, then finished with a sprig of mint.

So far the kholrabi has been a bit of a mystery - my own research indicated that you could cook the greens, but my first attempt still rendered rather tough eats. Perhaps with a bit more time they would cook down like collards into a more silky and soft dish. The main head can be prepared in many ways - I tried peeling, cutting into wedges, tossing with oil, salt and pepper then grilling. This came out well - make sure you cook out all of the raw crunch though! I finished with a bit of high quality extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of chopped parsley.

The garlic scapes have been wonderful additions to various kale or collard greens dishes - just be careful to not overcook or you'll loose the flavor. Speaking of kale, my favorite method is super easy - olive oil, butter, salt, roughly chopped garlic scapes and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper in a saute pan. Melt the butter and let the peppers release their flavor into the oil. Add roughly chopped kale and stir to coat with the butter and oil mixture. You may want to add a bit more moisture to help the kale steam and cook down - either lemon juice or chicken stock works well. I recommend finishing with a bit of lemon to cut through the oil and maintain a nice light, fresh, clean taste.

Kale also worked well with a light summer pasta made with grilled chicken sausages, fresh tomatoes, parsley, onion, garlic and, of course, cilantro! Cook the sausages until browned on all sides, then remove and let cool. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock. Then saute the onions, garlic, red pepper flake and summer squash. While cooking the pasta, slice the sausages on bias. Reserve some of the pasta cooking liquids, and drain the cooked pasta. Return the cooking liquids to the pot and add the onions, garlic, summer squash, and kale. Cook over medium heat until the kale has cooked through. Take off the heat and add the tomatoes, cilantro, italian parsley, fresh mozarella and the cooked posta. Stir to combine, then finish with high quality extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

The lettuces have been super fresh and wonderful in a light salad finished with a freshly prepared vinaigrette. I shake most of my vinaigrette's in a squeeze bottle for easy dressing, storage and cleanup. My favorite vinaigrette is olive oil, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, minced shallot and a bit of white truffle oil to give it a bit more body. Lightly dressed greens in this dressing will always be a hit.

Good luck with your weekly basket and I hope that I've inspired you to try something new!