Week 7: Have you ever really looked at a Red Russian Kale plant growing in your garden or in a field? It’s magnificent – it’s leaves are dark-silvery green with purplish veins that lead to a purple crunchy juicy stem then lead to the purple stock which supports as many as 20 leaves at a time. This plant is a amazing – it keeps on giving from spring til really hard frost. There is a time that it might start looking like crap, but it is harnessing all that sun energy and storing it in its roots for when the summer cools off a bit – then it will explode again into these big juicy leaves. I often look at these plants, as I’m picking, I think of all the solar panels these leaves are – the original solar panels – here they are soaking up all the sun’s energy and making food for you and me. Photosynthesis is an amazing thing. Oh and will you wash it, the water slides right off it in a silvery hue. And don’t let this big bodacious kale scare you, chop it up and sautee it or make Kale chips out of it or oil it up and slap it in the grill 🙂
I know where they got the idea of Velcro from – farmers picking green beans. These leaves like to stick to your clothing like velcro and they have a bit of velcro like substance to them. My skirt this morning was full of beans – quite the stylish farm chic skirt. Thanks to Gail for solo weeding these lovely beans today J New crop of beans this week.
We are weeding like crazy and plating late summer and fall crops. The melons are looking good and the tomatoes are becoming more plentiful.
If you are worried about all the squash and zucchini – we have included some very yummy recipes – ones that involve chocolate and sweets this week. You can also grate zucchini and summer squash and freeze in 3 cups increments into freezer bags and freeze for the equivalent of 2 cups of shredded for bread or cakes or soups for later on. You can use summer squash and zucchini interchangeably.
We will be processing chickens this week and they will be fresh at the Wed, Thurs and Sat farmers markets and available here next Monday at pickup or pick up from the farmstand during the week.
Have a great week. We look forward to farming with you this season.
Peace, your farmers, Christine, Adam, Sadie, Frank and Julia
What’s in the share this week:
This list is what is in a full share this week. Things may change between Monday and Thursday and Individual and Salad share will get differing amounts and may not get everything on the list. lettuce, red Russian kale, Italian, purple or lemon basil, purple or yellow wax beans, summer squash, zucchini, full size cukes, pickling cucumbers, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and heirloom TOMATOES 😉
Farm Fresh Raw milk for Sale
We are very lucky to have two milking cows – Annie and Maggie – both give us plenty of milk each and every day and we would like to share that with you and anyone else would like to have raw milk. We sell it $5 a half gal. We also can do a sliding scale if needed for the milk. You can buy milk at CSA pickup or anytime out of our barn fridge next to our house at 34 quaker.
Eggs for sale We have the pretty girls’ eggs for sale – these are free-range, certified organic chicken eggs that are brown eggs– with the brightest yellow/orange yolks you ever seen. The eggs are $5.75 a dozen. $3.00 half dozen
***Frozen CERTIFIED ORGANIC whole CHICKEN AVAILABLE at the FARM TODAY*** 🙂
Recipes:
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 cup King Arthur All-Purpose Baking Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional but tasty
- 3 cups shredded zucchini (about one 10″ zucchini)*
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- *Why the range in weights? Zucchini’s weight varies a lot, depending on its moisture. To avoid having to make a decision about weight, consider measuring zucchini by volume.Icing
1 cup chocolate chips
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk, or yogurt alternately with the flour.
- Add the cocoa and espresso powder, mixing until smooth.
- Fold in the zucchini and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top springs back lightly when touched, and it seems set.
- To ice the cake: Slide the cake out of the oven, sprinkle it evenly with the 1 cup chocolate chips, and return it to the oven for 5 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and use a cake spatula or rubber spatula to spread the chocolate chips into a smooth glaze. Cool on a rack.
- Yield: 24 servings.
- For a slightly thicker, richer frosting: In the microwave or on the stove top, combine 1 1/3 cups (8 ounces) chocolate chips and 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) half & half, heating until the chocolate softens. Stir to melt the chocolate, and spread over the completely cooled cake. Fat-free half & half is fine; as is liquid coffee creamer — try different flavors for a tasty twist.
- Don’t worry about espresso powder giving this cake any coffee flavor; it’s there strictly to enhance the cake’s deep-dark chocolate taste, which it does admirably.
Zucchini Cheese Panacakes www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/PrintRecipe?RID=2133&radio=1
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or coarse black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup chopped chives or scallions; about 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil*
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano*
- 4 cups coarsely grated zucchini; about one 10″ zucchini
- 1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- *Substitute 2 teaspoons Pizza Seasoning for the dried herbs, if desired, reducing salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons.
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Cheddar, Monterey Jack or other cheese (or a combination)
Directions
- Preheat a griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat; if you have an electric griddle, set the heat to 400°F.
- Beat the eggs with the oil, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
- Add the herbs, scallions, zucchini, and cheese, stirring to combine.
- Stir in the flour.
- Grease the hot griddle lightly. Drop the batter in 1/4 cupfuls onto the griddle; a muffin scoop works well here. If necessary, spread the cakes to about 3 1/2″ to 4″ diameter.
- Cook the cakes for 3 minutes, or until they’re brown on the bottom, and bubbles have appeared on their tops. The top surface will appear somewhat dry and set.
- Flip the cakes, and cook them for about3 to 4 minutes on the second side, or until they’re as moist/cooked as you like when you break one open.
- Repeat until you’ve used all of the batter.
- Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold; with butter and grated cheese, or without. Store any leftovers, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator. Reheat in a toaster or toaster oven, if desired.
- Yield: about 20 cakes.
- Can you make the batter ahead and store it in the refrigerator? Yes, but you may find it becoming somewhat watery the longer you store it. Adjust its consistency with additional flour before cooking, if necessary.