Category: Box of Good

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Thanksgiving News

Thanksgiving Newsletter

The holidays are upon us again and along with them come good food and fond memories. Following are some items that we will have available to help make your Thanksgiving celebration a special one.

Delivery the week of Thanksgiving

Your normal delivery day is Wednesday. However, if you are scheduled for a delivery the week of Thanksgiving please note that due to the holiday your delivery day will be Tuesday for that week only. If you are not scheduled for a delivery the week of Thanksgiving then your regular deliveries will not change.

Special holiday items for your celebration

Whether you are hosting your own holiday meal or contributing toward someone else’s, we can help!

Holiday Box – Every year at this time we offer an additional special Holiday Box ($35) full of organic traditional Thanksgiving meal items for your celebration. This year, not only can you schedule a Holiday Box to be delivered the week of Thanksgiving, but also the week before and the week after (available Nov. 15-Dec. 3). You can have this box delivered along with your regular order or in place of your regular order (when you place your order please specify). The box menu is as follows:

Granny Smith Apples, 2 lbs.

Cranberries, 8 oz. bag

Satsumas, 2 lbs.

Breadcubes for Stuffing, 1 lb. bag

Celery, 1 bunch

Acorn Squash

Green Beans, 1 lb.

Garnet Yams, 2 lbs.

Carrots, 2 lb. bag

Yellow A Potatoes, 3 lbs.

Onions, 1 lb.

Holiday Items – Following is just a sampling of holiday products available online:

Traditional holiday produce items

Pies (pumpkin, apple, and pecan)

Rolls (multigrain, white, potato, and rosemary with sea salt)

Jams & Apple Butters

Honey

Salad Items

Pickles

Apple Sauce

**Coffee (try the coffee of the month: Holiday Blend)

Snacks (nuts, crackers, dried fruit, etc.)

Eggs

Remembering Neighbors in Need: If your celebration includes helping the less fortunate who live in our community, we would like to partner with you by giving you the opportunity to purchase the same Holiday Box, to be given to local food banks the week of Thanksgiving, for a discounted price of $29. Please call or e-mail us to set up this donation.

Ordering: You can place your holiday order online, via e-mail, or by giving us a call. We are here to answer any questions you may have.

**Please note: Coffee and bread orders for the week of Thanksgiving need to be received by 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 18. Coffee and bread orders received after this time will be scheduled for your following scheduled delivery.

Wishing you all the best this holiday season!

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Fresh This Week Tips, Week 10.31.10

Braeburn Apples

STORE: Store your Braeburn apples in a plastic bag in your fridge to keep them crisp.

PREP: Rinse apples under running water and peel or cut, depending on their purpose. To prevent browning on sliced apples, put the slices in a bowl of cold water with a few drops of lemon juice.

USE: Braeburn apples can be eaten out of hand, but are especially delicious when baked. They have a crisp, sweet taste and are perfect for applesauce, pies and cobblers.

Asian Pears

STORE: Keep your pears at room temperature for up to one week or for up to three months in your refrigerator. Asian pears ripen on the tree so there is no need to wait for them to ripen at home.

PREP: Rinse pears thoroughly under cold water.

USE: Eat your Asian pears out of hand, use them as a crunchy salad topping, eat them with peanut butter, add them to a slaw or enjoy them on sandwiches.

Cranberries

STORE: Store fresh cranberries for up to two months in a tightly-sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator, or wash, and dry them and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

PREP: Wash cranberries in a colander and remove the stems.

USE: Cranberries are a hallmark of the holiday season. Use them in jams, sauces, side dishes or desserts. Try this beautiful Cranberry Upside-Down Cake from Martha Stewart: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/favorite-cranberry-upside-down-cake.

Green Cabbage

STORE: Store unwashed cabbage in  a plastic bag in your refrigerator

PREP: Remove the thick fibrous outer leaves and cut the cabbage into pieces and then wash under running water. To preserve its vitamin C content, cut and wash the cabbage right before cooking or eating it.  To cut cabbage into smaller pieces, first quarter it and remove the core. Cabbage can be cut into slices of varying thickness, grated by hand or shredded in a food processor.

USE: Cabbage leaves are a great way to re-inspire your leftovers. Spoon some leftovers such as a rice salad or a vegetable mixture onto the center of a cabbage leaf and roll into a neat little package. Bake in medium heat oven until hot. Enjoy your easy and healthy version of stuffed cabbage, a traditional eastern European dish. You can also sauté cabbage and onions over brown rice for a hardy side dish or simply use shredded raw cabbage as a garnish for sandwiches.

Fuyu Persimmons

STORE: Store ripe Fuyu persimmons at room temperature for up to three weeks. Keep in the refrigerator for up to two months.

PREP: Prepare ripe Fuyus by hulling them (cutting out their top and its attached flesh), slicing, and peeling them. Remove and discard the large black seeds as you encounter them.

USE: Replace the tomatoes in your favorite salsa recipe with chopped Fuyu persimmons for a sweet salsa snack.

Add Fuyu slices to spinach salads and stir-fries.

Serve peeled slices on a plate like you would apples, with a toothpick stuck into each one.

Freeze peeled slices and enjoy as Persimmon“Popsicles.”

Fun Fact: One medium persimmon is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber!

Since it is still early in the month of November, your persimmons may need to ripen a bit. You can enjoy them as they are, crunchy and lightly sweet, or let them soften up a bit a room temperature, they will darken in color and become sweeter. Look for bright orange and red-colored Fuyu persimmons with smooth skins. Ripe Fuyus should be firm. To ripen persimmons faster, place in a paper bag with an apple or pear in a warm place. The natural ethylene gas the ripening fruit emits will speed up the ripening process.

Info taken from: http://www.cachampionsforchange.net/en/docs/produce-quick-tips/Fuyu-Persimmons.pdf

Thyme
See this week’s Know Your Produce for more information on thyme!

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Fresh This Week Tips 9.26.2010

DAPPLE DANDY PLUOTS

STORE: Your pluots will continue to ripen once off the tree. Turn them upside down and leave them on the counter away from the sun. When ripe, store them unwrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days.

PREP: If stored in the refrigerator, remove your pluots before eating and let them return to room temperature. They taste much better this way. Rinse and leave whole, slice into wedges or cut into chunks.
USE: These sweet Dapple Dandy Pluots can be eaten out of hand, as a fresh topping for yogurt, dehydrated into dried pluots or made into jam. You can also experiment by substituting them for plums in recipes (afterall, they are the delicious hybrid of the plum and apricot).

KEITT MANGO

STORE: Keep your mangoes in a plastic or paper bag in the cupboard. The Keitt mango changes color from an orange-ish green to a bright green when ripe. A ripe mango will yield to gentle pressure. Once ripe, refrigerate for up to 1 week.
PREP: Using a sharp knife, slice around the stone. Cut a checkered pattern onto the cut mango. Flip the skin inside out and slice the cubes into a bowl.
USE: The Keitt mango is larger, sweeter and less fibrous than other mangoes. They can be eaten whole or used in desserts and curries. For a delicious morning treat, enjoy a mango smoothie: a combination of diced mango, a banana, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 cup of orange juice and ice cubes. Blend till frothy!

JUMBO RED ONIONS

STORE: Store your red onions in a cool, dry place (not in the fridge as they will go soft). They will keep for several months. Once cut, wrap them up in the fridge and use within two or three days.
PREP: To prepare your onion, begin by cutting off the top and removing the papery skin. To chop, cut your onion in half and slice vertically from top to bottom and horizontally. To slice, trim the root off, then cut in slices moving from the root end towards the top. Leave as slices or separate each one out into rings.
USE: Enjoy your red onions raw in Greek salads or on turkey sandwiches. If you aren’t a fan of raw onions, add them to a stir fry, pickle them or try a new twist on the old classic with French Red Onion Soup. http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/09/redonionsoup

TOMATOES

STORE: Store unripe tomatoes in a paper bag until ripe. Store ripe tomatoes in a cool place for up to 5 days.
PREP: Wash tomatoes in cold water before use. Slice tomatoes vertically for salads and sandwiches to prevent the juice and seeds spilling out. To peel your tomatoes, cut an X on the bottom of each tomato and blanch.
USE: Tomatoes are wonderful accompaniments to salads and pastas. Chop tomatoes and add them to a simple pesto pasta. You’ll get beautiful color and fresh flavor with one easy step!

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Fresh This Week Add-Ons: It is cooking greens season!

If you like ratatouille…this is a great time! We’ve got basil, zucchini/yellow summer squash, red bell peppers,  garlic & onions available to go with! For a great Ratatouille recipe, go tohttp://smittenkitchen.com/2007/07/rat-a-too-ee-for-you-ee/

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Fresh this week 09.14.2010

Gala Apples:
A superb dessert apple that is excellent for fresh eating and baking! Enjoy them raw, cooked, roasted or in vegetable platters.

How to store:

To store, keep apples as cold as possible in the refrigerator. Apples do not freeze until the temperature drops to 28.5 degrees F.

Green Bell Peppers
Bell peppers add fresh flavor and splashes of color to raw and cooked dishes. They’re also great sources of vitamins A and C.

How to Store:

Refrigerate peppers unwashed (moisture speeds decay) in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer. Red and yellow peppers will last up to 5 days; green, about a week

Arrugula (Also called Roquette)
Arrugula adds spicy accents to dishes far beyond Italian. Arrugula is used in Italian dishes and with many foods containing olives, garlic, tomatoes & peppers. It’s leaves are zesty and when harvested before fully mature make a great addition to salads.

How to store:
Place the bunch, or the loose leaves, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator’s vegetable drawer, where they’ll last up to 3 days.

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Bean Recipes!!

Green Beans with New Potatoes

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/green-beans-with-new-potatoes-recipe/index.html
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients:
• 3 pounds fresh green beans
• 1/4 pound salt pork, sliced
• 1/4 cup bacon grease
• 2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
• 2 to 3 teaspoons House Seasoning, recipe follows
• 12 small red potatoes
• 1 onion, cut into slivers
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, sliced
• Ground black pepper
Directions
Remove the ends from the beans. Snap the beans in 2 pieces, place into a colander, wash, and set aside to drain.
Meanwhile, in a large cast iron Dutch oven, lightly brown the salt pork in the bacon grease over medium heat, turning often, for approximately 10 minutes. Toss the green beans into the pot, stirring them with a wooden spoon to coat well with the pork fat. Add the broth and House Seasoning. Cook over medium-low heat, covered tightly, for approximately 30 minutes, or until the beans are half done.
While the beans are cooking, peel a center strip from each new potato with a potato peeler. At the end of 30 minutes, add the potatoes and onion to the beans; add 1/4 cup more broth, if needed. Cook, covered tightly, until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes, periodically checking the pot to make sure a small amount of liquid remains. When the potatoes are tender, tilt the lid slightly, off to the side of the pot, and continue to cook until the green beans are wilted, approximately 15 minutes. While cooking, add the butter and season with pepper.
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Green and Yellow Bean Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing and Feta Cheese

Yellow wax beans in the salad complement a traditional green bean salad nicely. If wax beans are unavailable, use extra green beans in their place.

Ingredients
• 3/4 pound wax beans, trimmed
• 3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
• 2 cups chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
Preparation
Cook beans in boiling water 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Combine the tomato and next 4 ingredients (tomato through pepper) in a bowl. Divide the beans evenly among 8 plates. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato mixture over the beans. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sliced basil and 1 tablespoon cheese.

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Potato Salad Recipe's From Contest Winners

The Potato Salad Recipe contest is over! Thank you to everyone who participated; we truly enjoyed all of your great recipe ideas. We have picked our winners and
recommend you try them out for yourself for this Labor Day weekend!

From: Laura Strzelec:

“Those who don’t appreciate traditional potato salads will find much to enjoy in this recipe. Potato salads were never a favorite dish of mine – until I tasted this one. Wonderful things often come together – this recipe was shared with me by the same good friend who introduced me to the Klesick Family Farm. This recipe also provides a great incentive to keep my herb garden healthy.”

Herbed Potato Salad

serves 4 to 6

2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. chopped fresh oregano
1 T. chopped fresh chives
1 T. chopped fresh basil
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. diced red onions

Steam potatoes 12-14 minutes, until tender. Whisk vinegar, oil, Dijon, herbs, salt and pepper. While potatoes are still warm, toss with dressing and onions. Cool and serve.

From: Kristy Black

Ingredients:

5lbs red skin potatoes
4 Scallions
6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
2 tbsp of Chives
1 tsp dill
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Dice up potatoes into bite size pieces and boil until tender. Drain and set aside.

Chop up scallions, dill and chives (if using fresh herbs, dried are perfectly acceptable).

Whisk sour cream, sugar and vinegar together. Then add scallions, herbs and crumbled bacon. Once potatoes have cooled mix in with dressing and add salt and pepper to taste. Have it cool in the fridge at least one hour prior to serving as to allow flavors to “marry”. I sometimes add shredded cheddar cheese as well.

I will be honest, I am guessing at measurements here as I usually just eyeball everything. This is requested all the time by friends and family. Hope you enjoy as well!

From: Kelly Cooney

I made this a couple of weeks ago with the amazing fresh peas and potatoes in our box, and chives from the garden!
Yum! It is an adaptation of a recipe from epicurious.com

Potato and Pea Salad with Chive Aioli:
• 3 pounds small red-skinned new potatoes, unpeeled (can substitute with other types of potato as available)
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green peas, shelled
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain; cool. Cut potatoes into quarters. Transfer to large bowl; add vinegar and toss to coat. Mix in celery and peas.
Whisk mayonnaise, 5 tablespoons chives, mustard, garlic, and cayenne pepper in small bowl to blend. Add to potato mixture and toss. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives and serve.

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Not Until You Eat Your Veggies!

Those beets we keep sending in the boxes…do they just sit in the corner of the veggie drawer for weeks until they are limp and wilted, good for nothing except the compost heap, all because nobody will eat them if you fix them? Customers will tell us, “Um, beets? NO one in our household will eat them besides me!” Now, growing up I didn’t like things like beets, kale, or other green things either. For me, the only thing to do with beets was paint my plate, lips and face with them, until my mom caught sight of it and then I still had to eat them, which I did with great reluctance. (As a child, I discovered that if you plug your nose when eating foods you can’t stand, you can’t taste them as well so they’re easier to swallow!) My sister, however, loved beets and sometimes she was nice enough to eat mine for me. Today, I eat beets, along with many other veggies, probably largely due to my mother’s persistence in getting me to eat my veggies.

Good food should be something one enjoys! Often, certain veggies are an acquired taste and it takes time before we are to the point of enjoying them. If your family has recently made the switch to healthy eating, the transition of changing your diet to one that includes home-cooked meals with more fresh vegetables can be a bit of a challenge.
A balanced diet is important when it comes to your personal health but it can be doubly important in children. What your child is eating now is laying the foundation for later in life, and your behavior and attitude about food is making an impression on them every time you sit down at the dinner table.
For a three-year-old, a plate of veggies may not seem very exciting. Changing perception can go a long way in getting your children to eat healthy and balanced meals. A plate of veggies that is colorful and topped with a homemade cheese sauce can be very fun. Incorporating the flavors s/he is familiar with and enjoys may be the difference between food introduction failure and success, and first impressions are very important when it comes to introducing new foods.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! This rings true in the food world. Remember, taste buds do change over time. Also, by trying different ways of serving up the veggies, they may finish the entire serving the second or third time, despite having a declared hatred for it! The secret is to either make the vegetables tasty or go completely unnoticed. Serving up veggies on their own may not be that appetizing, but as soon as you throw a good dressing into the mix or pile them into a tasty casserole, you can enjoy watching as they are happily devoured!

Consider grating or chopping veggies to make them go unnoticed. Broth-based soups are a nutritional wonder and when puréed many things that have difficult textures are easier to swallow.
In summary, when it comes to changing your family’s eating habits, Moms, you are the ones who make it happen. You are changing your families’ futures for the better, and doing an awesome job!

Cheers!
Marty, for the Klesick Family Farm