CSA week 5: Squashes, beets, beans and more

We returned home from a short summer vacation to Utah to find a lot of wonderful surprises (and a few weeds!) in the field. While we were away learning about organic farming in the West, our plants were busy growing bigger and producing new vegetables.

Now halfway through the CSA season, we took a much-need few days off the farm to recharge our batteries, visit family and, of course, to learn from fellow farmers in Salt Lake City, Utah.

We visited two of Salt Lake City’s public markets and had a chance to talk with farmers about what they were growing and what techniques they were using both in growing their produce and in selling it.

We were surprised to find that, while the weather is dry and much hotter, the growing season is not too far ahead of us here in Minnesota. Farmers were selling many of the items we are delivering to members right now.

Of course, the best part about these visits was building meals based on what we purchased at the market. Cooking based on what’s available seasonally and making those meals a collaboration with our family members was great fun.

One evening, we grilled vegetable and shrimp kabobs, served with our favorite parsley-based chimichurri sauce.

For brunch, we orchestrated a feast that included wild morel mushrooms, pan-seared shishito peppers and an egg bake brimming with a medley of roasted vegetables.

Rising Phoenix gets noticed

The farm has gotten some local media attention in the past two weeks, which offers us a great chance to share our passion for growing and consuming food grown close to home.

Heather-Marie was a guest on the Duluth News Tribune podcast Pressroom Podcast last week. On the half-hour show, she talked about the history of the farm she founded almost a decade ago and even got the show’s hosts to try a little kohlrabi.

This week, Cloquet’s new, independently owned newspaper, the Pine Knot, included a feature story on the farm, talking about the farm stand we are now operating on Fridays at our location on Prairie Lake, just north of Cromwell. (Note, this article is only available to subscribers of the newspaper.)

What’s growing in the field

We returned home from Salt Lake City excited to continue the farm season and eager to see what we’d find in our own field after a few days away.

For farmers, it’s bad luck to expect that anything is going to happen because, well, anything can happen. So, we hope we are not jinxing ourselves when we tell you that this growing season we are optimistic about what we are seeing in our high tunnel and out in the field.

Plants are growing larger each day as they flower and begin producing the vegetables we hope to harvest soon. We are particularly excited (as are, we suspect, our members) about the number of tomatoes we have growing and suspect that it won’t be long before the first of those are in CSA deliveries.

Peppers, summer squashes, winter squashes and other plants are looking big, green and healthy.

Our garlic is starting to brown, which tells us it is soon time to harvest and cure them — though they won’t be available for members until late August or early September.

What’s in your shares this week

This week, CSA shares will include salad mix, green beans, snap peas, beets, Swiss chard, summer squash, basil and scallions. There will also be kale in the swap box.

We have been so pleased to see CSA members sharing recipes with one another and hope this will continue. Again, a reminder that these recipes don’t have to be elaborate. For fresh vegetables, simple is often best. We also want to encourage people to ask questions of the community.

Recipes

Here are some of our favorite recipes for this week’s vegetables.

Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts Recipe 

1 lb green beans, stem ends snapped off

1/2 medium yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

2 medium thin-sliced garlic cloves

1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts

1. Place rack in middle position, preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or Silpat. Spread the beans and onions on the baking sheet. Drizzle the beans with olive oil and use your hands to coat the beans evenly. Sprinkle the beans with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
2. While roasting the beans, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme, and garlic slices in a small bowl.
3. After the beans and onions have roasted for 10 minutes, remove from oven. Drizzle the vinegar honey mixture over the beans and onions; use tongs to coat evenly. Put back in the oven and continue to roast until onions and beans are dark golden brown in spots and beans have started to shrivel, about 12-15 minutes longer.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with toasted chopped walnuts, and serve.

Yield: Serves 4. 

Warm Salad with Swiss chard, Beets, Bacon and Sherry Vinegar Dressing

By Chef Jasper White from the Create program, “The Victory Garden”

In this warm salad the dressing is made right in the sauté pan, then the Swiss chard and beet greens are slightly wilted in the pan. In order to make this dish successfully, you must have every ingredient prepped and organized next to your stove. Success is counted in seconds here.

Makes 4 to 6 servings as a starter or salad course

Ingredients

2 medium size red beets (about 6 to 8 ounces each), plus greens

1 1/2 pounds of Swiss chard

4 ounces thinly sliced bacon

1 small (6 ounces) Spanish onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons canola or grape seed oil

3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Optional, feta or blue cheese

Directions

1. Place the whole beets in a pot and cover with water. Add salt to the water and cook the beets for about 40 minutes or until they are tender. Add water during the cooking when necessary. Rinse the cooked beets under cold water. Peel, then cut in half. Slice the halves about 1/3-inch thick so that they are shaped like half-moons.
2. Pick the stems from the Swiss chard and beet greens. Wash and drain very well.
3. Cut the bacon slices crosswise into 1-inch pieces. In the sauté pan on medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the grease. Pour off half of the fat from the pan and return it to the stove.
4. Add the onions and cook until they begin to become translucent, don’t overcook (about 1 minute).
5. Next, add the oil and vinegar along with the beets. Cook gently until the beets are very warm. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the onions and beets with a slotted spoon, leaving the dressing in the pan.
6. Add the greens and toss continuously using the tongs. When the greens are slightly wilted, divide it on plates and put the warm onions and beets on top of the greens. Sprinkle each plate with the crisp bacon, optional cheese, and serve at once.

Summer Pasta with Zucchini and Sugar Snap Peas

By Chef Darina Allen from the Create program, “The Victory Garden”

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

1 pound penne or spaghetti

1 pound green and golden zucchini, 5 to 6 inches in length

1 pound sugar snap peas

2 ounces butter

5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons chopped parsley

2 ounces fresh basil leaves, chopped

4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese

A few zucchini blossoms if available

Directions

1. Top and tail the zucchini and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices at an angle. String the sugar snap peas if necessary.
2. Bring 12 pints of water to the boil in a large deep saucepan, add 2 tablespoons salt, add the pasta, and cook until al dente.
3. Meanwhile shoot the sugar snap peas into 2 pints of boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes or until crisp and al dente. Drain.
4. If you’re adept at juggling and have enough stove space you can also cook the zucchini while the pasta and sugar snaps are cooking.
5. Pop a pasta bowl into the oven to heat or better still put it sitting on top of the pasta saucepan.
6. Heat the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan, toss in the zucchini, increase the heat, and continue to toss for 3 or 4 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, cover, and reduce heat to medium for another few minutes by which time the zucchini should be tender but still al dente. Draw off the heat.
7. By now, if your timing is good, the pasta should be al dente, so drain it quickly.
8. Add the sugar snap peas, chopped parsley, and torn basil to the zucchini. Pour in the steaming hot pasta, sprinkle on the freshly grated Parmesan and toss well.
9. Turn into the hot pasta bowl. Sprinkle a few zucchini blossoms and basil leaves over the top if available. Rush to the table. Serve on hot plates with extra Parmesan and freshly ground pepper.