September 1st harvest!

Green beans

Tomatoes

Zucchini

Cucumbers

Stinging nettle(Careful getting it out of the bag! Use gloves, or it It will sting ya!)

Peppers (jalapeno and Anaheim Chili)

Chard

Onions

Sage, Rosemary and Tarragon

Stinging Nettle Ravioli with Sage Butter:  (Borrowed from Fat of the Land)

Filling
Make the filling while your pasta dough is "resting" in the fridge. The hardest part in this step is dealing with the nettles. Wear gloves and clean up carefully—you don't want a stray leaf nabbing you when you least expect it.

10 oz stinging nettles (equivalent to 1 package frozen spinach)
1 15 oz ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

1. Blanche nettles for 1 minute in boiling water and drain. This is enough to neutralize the sting. Squeeze out excess water, remove stems and then chop the nettles.
2. Combine cheeses, seasoning, and egg into a bowl. Stir in chopped nettles.

Pasta: (You can make your own or buy wontons to use and skip this first pasta step - but there is nothing like fresh pasta!)

Be prepared to add more flour as necessary; as with baking, anything can influence the making of fresh pasta: heat, humidity, the stock market...

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tsp milk

Combine pasta ingredients in a mixer and mix with dough hook til smooth. Then refrigerate in plastic wrap while you make the filling.



After retrieving the pasta dough from the fridge, roll it into a log and cut it into a dozen equal parts. Each part then gets fed into the pasta maker, starting at 1 and finishing at 6.

Make two leaves at a time (top and bottom layers), trim them, and use a melon ball scoop to add the filling at intervals. Next sandwich the two leaves and use a fluted pasta wheel to get those nice scalloped edges, making sure to firmly press the two leaves together around each dumpling.

Sage Butter Sauce:

Figure a minimum of a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of chopped fresh sage per serving. Melt butter in small saute pan over medium heat. While the butter is starting to melt, gently drop ravioli into a pot of salted water on low boil. Add sage to butter. The ravioli should start floating to the surface after a couple minutes. Remove to a warm plate with slotted spoon. Meanwhile, stir the butter and sage as the butter foams, and just as it starts to brown a tiny bit kill the heat and pour sauce over ravioli. Add a few grindings of salt. The specks of brown, caramelized butter sweeten the sauce ever so slightly, and combined with the sage, this simple sauce packs a wallop that belies its meager list of ingredients.













Curried Lentils with Tomatoes and Yogurt Cucumbers:

2 ounces lean thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch strips (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pound lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 cups water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the cucumbers and yogurt:
1 large European cucumber—peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1. In a large saucepan, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring often, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the saucepan.
2. Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder, jalapeno and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lentils, water and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sprinkle the cucumber slices with a large pinch of salt and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

4. In a small skillet, toast the cumin and coriander over moderate heat until fragrant, about 40 seconds; transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in the buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream and orange zest. Stir in the cucumber slices and season with salt and pepper.

5. Transfer the lentils to a large shallow bowl. With a rubber spatula, gently stir in the orange juice and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the cucumber salad over the lentils. Sprinkle the bacon and tomatoes over the cucumbers and serve warm or at room temperature.

Harvest for August 25th

green beans

tomatoes

baby beets

peppers

onions

chard

baby carrots
squash

cucumbers

spearmint, thyme & oregano

Here is a great lentil salad with roast beets and carrots recipe at http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lentil-salad-with-roast-beets-and-carrotsecipie

Balsamic marinated roasted baby beets and baby carrots :

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic Vinegar
• 1 pound baby beets halved
• 1 pound baby Carrots cleaned and trimmed
• 8 ounces Feta Cheese crumbled
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves separated
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• Sea Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, add the beets and carrots, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425ºF.

Lightly oil a sheet pan and add the beets and carrots in a single layer. Sprinkle with thyme and season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until heated through and browned. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Notes:
For a more pungent flavor, use goat cheese instead of feta cheese.

August 18th's Harvest...

tomatoes

peppers

green/wax beans

kale or collard greens

cucumbers
baby carrots & their edible greens!

zucchini

onions

basil

Carrot tops are edible!!!! Yes, and they are delicious too! Great for soup stock, in with your greens or salad or as a garnish. Carrot greens are highly nutritive in minerals and vitamins and are an outstanding source of chlorophyll, the green pigment that studies have shown to combat the growth of tumours. Chlorophyll contains cleansing properties that purify the blood, lymph nodes, and adrenal glands. Scientists have been unable to synthesize chlorophyll in the laboratory, but green plant foods contain sufficient quantities to protect the human body. Carrot leaves also have antiseptic qualities, so they have been added to mouthwashes and, mixed with honey, to disinfect sores. They are also diuretic (increase urine flow), and can help treat kidney disease and edema. Chewing carrot leaves can heal injuries in the mouth, bad breath, gum bleeding and mouth ulcers. They also contain a lot of potasium witch make them slightly bitter. Chopping them up finely with some garlic and vinegar can cut the bitterness, and this makes a simple "pesto vinaigrette" that can be spread on bread or used as a marinade. Carrot tops can be sauteed with other vegetables with olive oil and garlic, and added to a variety of dishes such as casseroles, pizzas, and burritos. They can be cooked into soups and stews, and added to eggs.

Carrot Green, Parsley & Hazelnut Pesto for Green Beans or Pasta:

Great way to use up those carrot greens!

¾ cup hazelnuts (or mixture of hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts)
1/8 cup carrot leaves, chopped
1/8 cup parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
¼-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh-grated parmesan cheese generous pinch of sea salt.
*Green beans or pasta

Toast the nuts on the stove top in a pan for a few minutes to bring out the flavour. In a food processor, puree the nuts, carrot leaves, parsley leaves, lemon juice and garlic.

Add cheese, salt, and olive oil. Blend, and increase olive oil if the pesto is too thick. Cook beans or pasta until al dente, drain and toss with pesto while still hot.

Italian Stewed Tomatoes and Zucchini:

1 1/2 pint tomatoes

1 onion

2 zucchini

1 green pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons oregano chopped

2 tablespoons basil chopped

1 teaspoon Romano cheese grated

*(optional) Serve as a side dish or over pasta of your choice

Directions:

1. Peel tomatoes by placing in boiling water for a few minutes and then putting them in cold ice water. The skins will peel off easily. *If you don't mind the skins then skip this step!
2. Chop onion and green pepper.
3. Put tomatoes in a sauce pan with peppers, olive oil, garlic and onions, and sugar.
4. Cook uncovered about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Cut zucchini into coins and cut the coins in half and add them and the herbs at the end of the cooking process.
6. Serve topped with cheese. 

August 11th's harvest!

green/wax beans

tomatoes

zucchini

cucumbers

peppers

baby carrots

basil & chives

This year we grew two different cherry tomatoes - Principe Borghese and Purple Plum! The Pincipie Borghese is a traditional Italian grape tomato that's often used for drying due to its excellent flavor, small size, few seeds, and low moisture. Their flavor is so intense, they make a great choice for tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, eating fresh in salads or as a preserve. The Purple Plums are a dark mahogany color and plum shaped. They are thick walled with lots of meat so they can be sliced easily and are wonderful for eating fresh or making chutney. They also make a memorable sauce with their complex flavors.

Zucchini Stewed with Tomatoes:
1 medium sized zucchini sliced into 1/2 " thick circles
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 quart cherry tomatoes
1 medium pepper chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup white wine
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil separated

1. (If you don't mind the tomatoes skins in your stew then disregard the peeling instructions) To peel the tomatoes, place them in boiling water for 1 minute and then immediately transfer to cold water.
2. Peel and half the tomatoes, and place in a large saucepan with the peppers, garlic, salt, wine, 2 tablespoons basil and sugar then cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
3. Meawhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and saute onions until the edges barley browning (about 5 minutes). Add zucchini and salt and pepper and continue coking and stirring until the squash begins to soften (about 5 minutes).
4. Add to stewed tomatoes and continue cooking as long or as briefly as you like.
5. Add the rest of the fresh basil and season according to taste.

August 4th Harvest!

tomatoes

peppers

cucumbers

zucchini

green beans

onions

garlic

mint & oregano