Tag: Organic
Summer Squash Recipes
Squash and Zucchini Burritos
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Squash-and-Zucchini-Burritos/Detail.aspx
By: HSICO
“An easy recipe to throw together with your summer squash. Can be tailored to your tastes and fresh vegetables on hand. Great new way to use up summer squash from your garden or farmer’s market. You can add fresh chopped cilantro to mixture before spooning into tortillas for a stronger flavored dish. Serve with sour cream, avocado, or salsa. ”
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 zucchini, shredded
• 1 large yellow squash, shredded
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup green salsa
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) package Mexican style shredded cheese blend, divided
• 6 burrito-size flour tortillas
• 1 (8 ounce) package Mexican style shredded cheese blend
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×12-inch baking dish.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, yellow squash, and red bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the zucchini and squash are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the black beans, green salsa, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir the filling until it thickens, 5 to 8 more minutes.
3. Divide one of the packages of Mexican-style cheese among the tortillas. Spoon zucchini-squash filling into each tortilla, over the cheese, in a line down the center. Roll up the tortillas, and place them into the prepared baking dish with the seam sides down.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are heated through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the other package of shredded cheese over the tortillas before serving.
Summer Squash Gratin Recipe
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/summer-squash-gratin-recipe.html
Be sure to slice your potatoes as thin as possible. They get all melty and creamy. Slice them too thick and you’ll have trouble cooking them through because the zucchini cooks up more quickly. I use a box grater to shred the cheese here (as opposed to a micro-plane) – you get heartier, less whispy pieces of cheese which is what you want here. I’d also strongly recommend homemade bread crumbs here (see asterisk below).
zest of one lemon
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/6th-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs*
1/2 pound waxy potatoes, sliced transparently thin
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, grated on a box grater (or feta might be good!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F degrees and place a rack in the middle. Rub a 9×9 gratin pan (or equivalent baking dish) with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with lemon zest, and set aside.
Place the zucchini slices into a colander placed over a sink, toss with the sea salt and set aside for 10-15 minutes (to drain a bit) and go on to prepare the oregano sauce and bread crumbs.
Make the sauce by pureeing the oregano, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in a food processor or using a hand blender. Set aside.
Make the breadcrumbs by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the butter is wonderfully fragrant, and has turned brown. Wait two minutes, then stir the breadcrumbs into the browned butter.
Transfer the squash to a large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and two-thirds of the oregano sauce. Toss until everything is well coated. Add the cheese and half of the bread crumbs and toss again. Taste one of the zucchini pieces and add more seasoning (salt or red pepper) if needed.
Transfer the squash to the lemon-zested pan, top with the remaining crumbs, and bake for somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes – it will really depend on how thinly you sliced the squash and potatoes – and how much moisture was still in them. You don’t want the zucchini to go to mush, but you need to be sure the potatoes are fully baked. If the breadcrumbs start to get a little dark, take a fork and rake them just a bit, that will uncover some of the blonder bits. Remove from oven, and drizzle with the remaining oregano sauce.
Serves about 8 as a side.
*To make breadcrumbs cut the crust off 2-3 day old artisan bread. Tear into pieces the size of your thumb, and give a quick whirl in the food processor. I don’t like my breadcrumbs too fine – and tend to leave the pieces on the large size – more like little pebbles than grains of sand.
Chicken and Summer Squash
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chicken-and-summer-squash/Detail.aspx
By: KMSMOKEY
“Great summertime recipe! The contrasting colors of the summer squash make this dish pleasing to the eye and the palate.”
Ingredients
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3/4 pound yellow squash, sliced
• 3/4 pound zucchinis, sliced
• 1 medium tomato – peeled, seeded and chopped
Directions
1. In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter in the oil over medium high heat. Season chicken with half of the salt and half of the pepper, and add it to skillet. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to large plate or platter, and cover to keep warm.
2. Pour off fat from skillet, and add squash, zucchini, and tomato. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until squash is slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat, and return chicken to skillet. Cover partially. Cook until squash is soft, and chicken is white throughout but still juicy, about 5 minutes longer.
3. Transfer chicken to platter, and cover with foil to keep warm. Raise heat to high. Cook vegetable mixture, stirring often, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Arrange vegetables around chicken, and serve.
What a Great Farm Festival!
Klesick Family Farm Fall Festival Schedule of Events
Schedule of Events
10:00 Binding Oats
10:00 Hay rides all day long (except during tractor slow race)
10:15 Raffle
10:30 Farm Walk with Tristan
11:00 Raffle, Potato Digging
11:30 Threshing
12:00 Raffle
12:30 Farm Games: Obstacle Course, Tug-of-War, Balloon Toss, Sack Race
1:00 Raffle & Tractor Slow Race
1:30 Potato Digging
2:00 Raffle, Farm Walk with Tristan
2:30 Threshing
3:00 Raffle
4:00 The End
Thank you for coming!
Schedule is subject to change
Fresh This Week Add-Ons
Klesick Family Farm Wheat Threshing
Watch two videos filmed by Tristan showing examples of Wheat Threshing at the Farm. To see a live demonstration of this make sure to come join us for our Old Fashioned Farm Day Festival this Saturday, August 21st from 10 AM – 4 PM!
Spinach
Spinach, prepare it right and they’ll eat it.
Spinach is a much maligned vegetable, but oh, so good for you. It is the prep work and cooking that makes for delicious spinach.
Children, almost universally, hate spinach.
Our ancestors grew spinach in their gardens right up until shortly before World War II, when canned vegetables became stylish. But in the 1950s, spinach came mainly in cans, and it tasted like it. It tasted like tin can. (Oh, the slime of it, the metallic taste that coated the mouth, the gagging goosh slithering down the throat, the repulsive yuck of it.) Then came along frozen spinach, which was marginally better, having as it does, almost no taste at all.
Fresh spinach? Who knew? Nowadays, fresh vegetables are both stylish and available, and, yes, if you prepare spinach right, they will eat it!
Spinach is extremely perishable and is best cooked within a few days of purchase. The proper cleaning of spinach is very important. Even people who love spinach do not like gritty spinach and gritty spinach is one reason many people do not use the vegetable fresh. Do not rinse it as if it were lettuce. Do not scrub it as if it were a potato.
Fill your kitchen sink with water. Take the whole head of spinach leaves in one hand. In a firm, all at once motion, twist off the stems with the other hand. Dump leaves into the sink and, while the spinach is cleaning itself, pluck off the remaining stems.
The spinach leaves will float on top of the water. Any dirt or grit or sand will sink to the bottom. Skim the spinach leaves off the water with a colander and let the dirty water out of the sink. Repeat the process.
Overcooked spinach is a second reason people don’t use it fresh.
To cook fresh spinach, dump the drained spinach into a pot. Leaving only the water clinging to the leaves from its wash, cover the pot and cook for 3-5 minutes. Spinach is a delicate leaf that cooks rapidly. If it is overcooked, it loses its tenderness and sweet flavor. It gains only in toughness and slime.
Drain the spinach and that’s it. Spinach does not like to be boiled. All of its goodness is lost to the cooking water. If you enjoy it sautéed in garlic and oil, let the raw spinach drain very well, then toss it into the hot oil and move it around for two minutes.
Yes, that’s all it takes.
And now recipe for people who don’t like spinach:
Spinach Balls
2 heads chopped, cooked (as above), fresh spinach, drained well
2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1 large onion, chopped fine
6 beaten eggs
3/4 cup melted butter
½ cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon thyme
Mix all ingredients together and form into loose balls. Bake at 350 degrees on a greased cookie sheet about 20 minutes until spinach balls are brown. Serve as a side dish to fish, meat or chicken.
Eat your spinach; it tastes good!
Parmesan Spinach Cakes
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/parmesan_spinach_cakes.html
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces fresh spinach, (see Note)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 large eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
3. Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).
4. Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.
TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Equipment: Muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups
Note: Baby spinach is immature or young spinach—it’s harvested earlier than large-leaved mature spinach. We like the sturdy texture of mature spinach in cooked dishes and serve tender, mild-flavored baby spinach raw or lightly wilted. Baby and mature spinach can be used interchangeably in these recipes (yields may vary slightly); be sure to remove the tough stems from mature spinach before using.
Weights & Measures
10 ounces trimmed mature spinach=about 10 cups raw
10 ounces baby spinach=about 8 cups raw
Old Fashioned Farm Day!!!!
Potato Salad Recipe Contest
Think Canning!!
Summer is here and the local produce is coming on full swing! Unfortunately summer doesn’t last forever…take advantage of the opportunity and make up some delicious homemade salsa, tomato sauce, dill pickles, relish and canned or blanched & frozen green beans! You will be enjoying these savory veggies deep into winter, bringing warmth and memories of the summer sunshine! What’s more, this is a great way to ensure that the foods you feed your family don’t come out of aluminum cans, with ingredients you cannot pronounce, from sources outside the US. Once you taste homemade tomato sauce you will have a hard time going back to the store ever again!
You can even get the kids involved in preparing the veggies for the freezer or canning jar, nimble fingers are great at stemming green beans, and actually fit inside the canning jars! : )
Please contact us if you have any questions about quantities! We can often get case quantities of other produce items to you, ask!
Local Roma tomatoes: Ideal for making salsa, chutney, canning, and sauce! 25# box for $42
Local Green Beans, 10 lbs for $15.00
Local Pickling Cucumbers, 5 lbs for $7.00
Dill, $1.50/small bunch (it’s young so has no seeds, you will have to use dried Dill seeds in addition to-this is all we could get organically grown!)
http://www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/main/order-vegetables
Cauliflower Recipes
Skillet Cauliflower Gratin
INGREDIENTS
4 cups 1-inch cauliflower florets (about 1/2 large head)
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
PREPARATION
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
Bring cauliflower, 1 1/4 cups milk and salt to a boil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup cheese and oil in a small bowl. Whisk flour and the remaining 1/4 cup milk in another small bowl until smooth; stir the mixture into the pan and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, chives, mustard and pepper. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture. Broil until the top is crispy and beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
Roasted Winter Vegetables with Cheesy Polenta
INGREDIENTS
4 cups cauliflower florets, (see Tip)
4 cups cubed peeled butternut squash, (1 1/2-inch chunks)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
2/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 500°F.
Toss cauliflower, squash and onion in a large bowl with oil, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, until tender and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine broth and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in cornmeal, rosemary and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until very thick and creamy, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cheese; remove the polenta from the heat. Serve the vegetables over the polenta.
TIPS & NOTES
Tip: To prepare florets from a whole head of cauliflower, remove outer leaves. Slice off the thick stem. With the head upside down and holding a knife at a 45° angle, slice into the smaller stems with a circular motion—removing a “plug” from the center of the head. Break or cut florets into the desired size. To store, refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 5 days.
Roasted Cauliflower with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
1 large head cauliflower, leaves trimmed
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/8 1/8 teaspoon plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon minced scallion greens
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
PREPARATION
Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
Cut cauliflower into quarters. Remove any extra woody core from the ends, but keep the quarters intact. Brush with 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes. Turn so the opposite cut sides are down. Continue roasting until tender, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, blue cheese, vinegar, water, scallion greens and pepper in a small bowl. Serve the roasted cauliflower drizzled with the vinaigrette.
Recipes provided by www.eatingwell.com
Preserving the Harvest
| Berry season is in full swing, but don’t blink or you’ll miss it. Just think, nine long months until we reach the next berry rush, so I highly recommend getting your fill while you have the chance. Better yet, stock up! You’ll be enjoying summer fresh produce all winter long. |
You could make jam to store your berries; in fact, that’s a very good way to preserve the harvest. But if boiling, sterilizing and waiting for those lids to “ding” isn’t your thing, then let me suggest a few other ways to prolong the season’s bounty.
First things first. You come home with (or you get delivered to your door) a delightful load of fresh fruit. In order to ensure that your produce will stick around for more than a couple of days, the best way to store these fragile gems is to carefully transfer them to a shallow Tupperware container that is lined with paper towels. Cover the top of the berries with more paper towels, then place in the fridge until ready to consume or preserve. It is very important to note that you should only wash your berries before you are ready to use them.
If freezing is the final destination for your fruit, simply place on a baking sheet in a single, even layer. Slide into the freezer and freeze until the berries are solid little berry popsicles (which, by the way, also makes a great healthy snack). Once completely frozen, place in Ziploc bags and label the bags with the date. Freeze and dream of fresh blueberries in your pancakes all year long.
Homemade fruit leather makes a healthful snack and contains much less sugar than the store-bought varieties. Dozens of recipes exist online for specific measurements but the general idea is to puree whatever fruit you are planning to turn into leather. Cook in a sauce pan with a bit of water, lemon juice, sugar (to taste) and cinnamon, if you wish. Simmer until slightly thick, strain with a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds then place on a baking sheet lined with microwave safe plastic wrap.
The layer of fruit should not exceed 1/4 inch in thickness. Place in an oven set to 140°F and let dry for 8-12 hours or until the fruit leather is no longer sticky. Store in an airtight container.
Finally, may I also suggest fruit purees. Simply blend your fruit in a food processor or blender with a touch of sugar (optional), freeze in ice cube trays then store in an airtight container. Thaw individual cubes for a fresh fruit sauce, an addition to yogurt or granola, or add to a blender, still frozen, to whiz up a healthy smoothie with banana, orange juice and yogurt.
by Ashley Rodriquez
Chef, food blogger, and full-time mom. Read more of her writings at www.notwithoutsalt.com
Fresh This Week Add-ons
The weather is beautiful and the produce tastes and looks amazing! We are very excited about this week’s add-ons. They are sure to make great additions to summer dishes.
Try this Summer Squash Casserole Recipe: Click Here
This Week’s Add-Ons
Fruit:
Pluots: $2.25/lb.
Blackberries! $3.50/pint.
Peaches, $5 for $3.75
Apricots, $0.60 ea.
Order Fruit: Click Here
Vegetables:
Summer Squash: $3.25/ 1.5lb
Sunburst Yellow Squash: $2.25/lb.
Zucchini: $2.00/lb.
Jalapeno Peppers, 0.25/lb. for $1.15, 0.5/lb. for $2.25
Cilantro, $1.00/bn.
Order Vegetables: Click Here
The Perfect Way to Freeze Fresh Vegetables
The Perfect Way to Freeze Fresh Vegetables:
Preserve Their “Straight From the Garden” Taste
By Kassidy Emmerson
There are basically two ways you can store fresh vegetables for an extended period of time: can or freeze them. You can virtually can any type of vegetable, fruit, or meat. You can freeze all meats and most fruits. When it comes to freezing vegetables, however, you’ll need to choose the best candidates. For example, potatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and celery tend to turn soft and mushy when they are frozen, then thawed out. But onions, peppers, and tomatoes can be successfully frozen if you’re going to use them in a soup, stew, or casserole. Other vegetables such as green beans, lima beans, peas, corn, et cetera, tend to maintain their original shape. They can be frozen, then cooked and served, and still look and taste as fresh as they originally were.
Before you begin freezing your fresh produce, make sure you pick items that are in good condition. Avoid using bruised, soft, wormy, or overly-ripe produce. For the best flavors, choose vegetables that have just reached ripeness. This is the time when the flavor is at its peak.
Then, start the process by washing each produce item thoroughly by using clean, cool tap water. Next, you’ll need to prepare the vegetables. That means, you’ll need to remove peas from their pod, remove strings and the ends from green beans, cut the tops and bottoms off of red beets, and so on. You’ll also need to cut certain vegetables up into bite-sized pieces.
The next step is called “blanching”. Blanching helps to keep the natural flavor intact while the item is in a frozen state. There are two ways to blanch vegetables. You can use the first method which is called, “The Boiling Water Method.” To do this, you’ll need to boil a large pot of water on your stove top. Then pour washed, prepared vegetables into the boiling water. When the water begins to boil again, you’ll start timing.
The second method of blanching vegetables is called, “The Steam Method.” This procedure uses a steamer that conveniently fits onto the top of a pot. The vegetables you want to blanch are then placed inside the steamer as soon as the water in the pot begins to boil. The steamer is then covered with its lid, and the timing is started.
The amount of time that vegetables are blanched vary. That is, different vegetables require different amounts of time. Check the Internet or with your local county extension office to find out the exact times.
Once the fresh vegetables have been boiled or steamed, you’ll need to chill them at once in order to halt the cooking process. The most effective way to do this is to carefully place the hot vegetables into a kettle full of cold tap water. Allow the produce to cool down until they are completely cool inside and out. You can easily check the inside temperature of a piece by gently biting into it. Be careful not to burn your tongue or mouth! The item could still be hot on the inside!
After the vegetables are completely cooled, take them out of the cold water and place them in a colander to drain.
The final step in this process is to place the prepared produce into freezer bags or into plastic freezer containers. Pack the produce into each bag or container firmly, and fill each one up. If you’re using freezer bags, you’ll need to carefully squeeze the air out before you seal them shut. Secure the bags and place lids on the containers. Finally, mark each container by listing its contents and the date it was frozen. Then, place your vegetables in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
I have used this method for freezing fresh vegetables from my garden, produce that was bought from a roadside stand, and items that were given to me, for several years now without fail. Every vegetable I have frozen has come out of the freezer tasting just like it was freshly picked!
Takeaways
- Veggies such as potatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers don’t freeze real well.
- All produce must be blanched first before it’s packaged and frozen.
- The best vegetables are just ripe and have no bruises or damaged spots.
It is fair season!
Come on out to Stanwood and Silvana over the next few weeks. July 31st is the Silvana Community fair; it is free, fun and not commercialized. The following weekend August 6th,7th, and 8th is a
fun packed three
days with a carnival, farm animals, lots of vegetable and other homemade entries, music and vendors. Our farm sponsors and volunteers at the Franklin Hanson Threshing demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday, come by and visit.
Then on August 21st we host the Klesick family our old fashioned farm days. I love this day, a chance to connect with many of you directly. Our team is planning an incredible day of festivities, with farm Olympics and tug o wars (dads vs. the kiddos, dadsvs. the draft horses) and water balloon tosses. We have gunny sack races and hay rides, our own potato digging and historical farm demonstrations. Del Fox meats will be on hand serving some great food and we will have some summer fruit and veggies for sale as well.
Mark your calendars and come and experience the Stanwood area where
there are a whole lot of farmers and a whole lot of fun.
Egg Production – Part 2
Researchers are apparently going to research whether chickens are happy in cages or not? Sadly, I think that Benjamin Franklin was right when he said, “nothing is more uncommon than common sense.” I have raised chickens and they do like to keep close quarters, but only when they are Roosting (sleeping), not all the time. I also know that chickens love being chickens. They are created to scratch and eat bugs.
So we, the tax payers, are going to pay a researcher at some university to study if the chickens are really happy in cages or not! I can save us a lot of money and answer the question. The answer is quite obvious, the chicken is not happy. Sadly, the research is not about chickens, it is about egg production. If we respected the design and nature of a chicken, it would be easy to conclude they are not happy. Chickens wouldn’t choose to live in a cage with 9 other birds, never seeing the light of day, never being able to stretch their wings and never scratching for some delicious bug! Organic and cage free chickens get to live more like they were created.
Join the good food revolution, vote with your dollars.
