Week 7

This week we have:

Garlic!
Green onions
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Red Russian Kale
Beans
Shiitake
Genovese, Lemon, Thai and Purple Opal basil
Florence Fennel

Verdure al Forno:
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
5 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated mozzerella
1 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano
1 cup plain dried bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter

Coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. Arrange zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish and season with salt and pepper. Evenly pour 1/3 cup of heavy cream and then sprinkle with 1/3 cup mozzerella, 1/3 cup Fontina and 2 Tbs Romano. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of bread crumbs. Repeat the layers twice, ending with bread crumbs. Cut the butter into squares and sprinkle over the top of the dish. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place the baking dish on top and bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

Arugula and Fennel Salad:

1 large fennel bulb
1/2 red onion
1 bunch arugula
3 tbs olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper
1 small chunk of parmesan


Trim the fennel bulb and reserve the fronds. Cut the bulb in half and remove the tough inner core. Using a sharp knife or a mandolin cut the fennel into very thin slices and put them into a large bowl. Cut the onion into very thin slices and add them to the bowl. Add the arugula to the bowl and give it a good toss. Pour in the olive oil and lemon juice, season it with salt and pepper, and toss it again to coat all the ingredients; put the salad onto a large platter. Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin pieces of the Parmesan and scatter them over the salad. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

Our ENORMOUS amount of tomatoes and peppers are starting to take off! They should be ripening up in the next couple of weeks. If you're interested in extra tomatoes for canning, let us know! Also, we are hoping for broccoli and soybeans next week.

Week 5

This week we have:
Empress green beans
Zucchini
Red Russian Kale
Shiitake
Chives
Purple Opal, Genovese and Thai basil
Salad Sprout Mix with broccoli, radish and pea sprouts

The veggies are finally starting to take off! The green beans are great just by themselves but are also great in a garlic saute. Place trimmed beans in a saucepan with enough water to cover them and bring to a boil. Cook them uncovered for about 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain, then toss the beans with 1 minced clove of garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and then drizzle with olive oil.
Here's a link to a stir-fried kale recipe:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stir-Fried-Kale/Detail.aspx
They are also great sauted with the shiitake!
We tried out a shiitake mushroom stroganof recipe this week and really liked it. If you're a stroganof fan, try thowing some shiitakes in the next time you make some. Here is another good shiitake recipe:http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/semi-homemade-cooking-with-sandra-lee/edamame-with-shiitake-recipe/index.html
The basil is a great compliment to many dishes, including salads. You can also freeze basil if you don't feel like drying it. Wash the basil and salad spin it. Dry it off with a towel and put into freezer bags. It will lose some of its color, but many people prefer frozen basil to dry basil.
We tried sprouting peas this week and they turned out really well. They are included in the sprout mix this week. We haven't actually tried them on anything yet because they are so good by themselves!

Everything out at the farm is going really well. The half of the chickens that weren't laying are finally starting to this week and our rooster is just learing how to crow. The mushrooms have been exploding these last few weeks with all of the heat and humidity. The oyster mushrooms should start fruiting in the next week or so. We are also experimenting with onion sprouts and a salad sprout mix for Bluff Country Coop. People's Food Coop in La Crosse is starting to carry some of our produce and we're trying to establish relationships with some restaurants down there as well. Bryan and Ayden are in the Boundary Waters this week so if you have some free time and want to check out what happens at the farm let me know! Next week we're expecting more beans and zucchini as well as swiss chard and maybe broccoli and beets!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Week 4

Howdy folks,

This week we have red russian kale, purple and lemon basil, curly parsley, green onions, shiitake and broccoli sprouts.

Kale is a hearty green that is great in soups or stir fries. Make sure to keep it in the plastic bag in your crisper.

Link to quick, easy oven-roasted kale recipe: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1274

The purple basil can be used like any other sweet basil. It's flavor is a little bit more mellow than the genovese from last week. The basil goes great in tomato sauces, on pizza, sauted with veggies, etc. Its probably best to keep the basil out of the crisper or any other particularly cold part of your refrigerator as it will turn brown if its too cold. You can dry your basil and use it later if you're not sure what to do with it just yet.

Drying fresh basil. Rinse and thoroughly dry fresh whole basil leaves, about 2 cups. Place a paper towel on a microwavable plate. Lay whole basil leaves in a single layer on paper towel. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Turn plate and microwave at 30 second intervals until basil is dry. Store leaves in an airtight container until ready to use, then crumble into recipe.

Lemon basil can be substituted in any recipe that calls for lemons. You'll easily be able to identify it by the smell.

Curly parsley is pretty self explanatory.

You can use all parts of the green onions. Store in a plastic bag in the crisper.

Lately we've been sauteing the shiitake with butter, garlic, red wine and french tarragon. It is most excellent.

The broccoli sprouts are great on salads, sandwiches and any sort of asian dish.

We're hoping to have zucchini, swiss chard, and beans next week! If you have any questions about the boxes just shoot us an email at info@herbalturtlefarms.com or direct queries to Facebook. We still have t-shirts if you are interested and we are getting in kids sizes this week. Also, the Land Stewardship Project Hog Roast is going to be held out at the Crigler Family Farm on Sunday, August 15 from 12-4. There will be a potluck, hog roast and farm tours with a bunch of great folks. We'd love to see you out there!

Cheers!

7/6/2010

Hello peeps! Hope you've been enjoying your weekly batches of fresh treats! The rain and heat has been great for the garden and we'll have some tasty new treats coming your way soon. You'll all be getting eggs this week... Please be sure to get your egg cartons back to us when they're empty so we can keep supplying you with fresh eggs!