Pumpkin Pie!

Hi all,

Looking at those CSA pumpkins and thinking about pie? I experimented a lot last season and here's where I landed.

To use real pumpkin in a "canned pumpkin" recipe--try the following.

Roast pumpkins as you would any hard squash.

PUREE the roasted pulp in a food processor or blender--and I mean really get it broken down to just wet pulpy mass. Pumpkins are more fibrous than I imagined and it took awhile to get a true puree, but it happened.

THEN--here's the key thing--DRAIN the puree for 24 hours in a colander lined with a clean linen towels or cheesecloths. If you've made yogurt cheese, this is the same kind of process, only a little wetter at the outset. You'll need to refrigerate during this time too, so make some space. I set my draining rigs (2) up in casserole dishes with the colanders seated in the dishes and the towels (folded multiple times) in the colanders. For the first couple hours, suction off any liquid from the casserole dishes using a bulb baster. We did that about every half hour. Then change the towels and let sit for another few hours (we let them go overnight). Rinse out the casserole dishes and change the towels again the morning--let them drain for the day. There probably won't be much accumulation, but it'll soak the towels.

What you'll be left with may be even a bit drier than canned pumpkin--and LOTS tastier. It made excellent pumpkin pie (using a standard "canned pumpkin" recipe) and pumpkin custard--which is just the leftover pie filling baked in custard cups, as I was too tired to create more crust.

As for Food World News, it's pretty local. We've reached the end of the CSA season here, so I'm signing off as guest blogger. Dan and Joanne may post now and again in the off-season, but the blog will be pretty quiet until the CSA starts up again in the spring.

Thanks for supporting local farmers!
Marta

Thanks to all of you from Danjo Farms!

Just a quick shout out to all of you CSA'ers for your continued support and friendship this season. You have again made our small, family farm business a great success this year! We could have not done this with out you and yours. Are hats are off to you!

Next year is already gearing up with seed catalogs, fertilizer and the gardens being put to rest for the year. We have been working hard to get the greenhousing ready for late winter plantings. New and old members are joining with the greatest push in October that we have ever seen. Remember that anybody in previous year receives %10 off their 2010 CSA farmshare package.

We have added some new CSA options in 2010. Full and half "Berries and Fruit" shares / Full and half "Meat" share with our own pork and chicken / "Baked Bread" shares. We have also partnered up with Missouri Legacy Beef to provide a CSA program with their great product line. If you have any questions please visit www.danjofarms.com for more information.

So, come and join us in 2010 friends you'll be glad you did! Peace and love to all.

Dan & Joanne Nelson
Danjo Farms

Winter Vegetable Hash

Hi all,

Working on my pumpkin-pie skills and surfing around for more fall veggie recipes. Here's a great one for a Winter Vegetable Hash from allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com):

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Winter-Vegetable-Hash/Detail.aspx

In Food World News? Slow Food USA's day of environmental action is TOMORROW, Saturday, October 24. Slow Food USA has partnered with 350.org (http://www.350.org) to help raise awareness about safe and unsafe levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The number 350 represents the safe upper limit (in parts per million) for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, a number we are already well beyond. Demonstrations are happening around the world to help people conceptualize how many 350 is--and, though nothing has been officially organized here in Missouri, I'm sure they would love any feedback on actions you take to help spread the word.

See you next week!
;-)M

Recipe Poem and 350

Hi all,

I'm back and many thanks to Dan for covering the post last week.

I spent the week buried under hundreds of pages of poems, which are now successfully out the door to literary magazines. Thought, instead of a regular recipe, it might be fun to share one of my poems out of Dishing, a manuscript of recipe poems I've been working on the last year or so. The poem gives you most of what you need to know to prepare it, the only other note being that it should be rinsed thoroughly before cooking to get rid of a bitter coating on the grains. It's lovely with sauteed veggies of any variety. This piece first appeared in Copper Nickel #4 a couple years ago:

Quinoa

A word exotic enough for Goodbye,

or I love you, quinoa conjures suns,

hot stellar densities orbited by lighter matter.

Packed like French suitcases, sized

like mustard seeds, they grow into

translucent pearls, a grainy caviar, heated

with twice their weight in water.

And plentiful as the hail that comes down

now as we prepare to sleep, full of wine,

the night, quinoa.

In Food World News, Slow Food USA is encouraging everyone to observe October 24 as a day of environmental action and reflection on the impact of our present industrial food system has on global warming. They have partnered with 350.org (http://www.350.org) to help raise awareness about safe and unsafe levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The number 350 represents the safe upper limit (in parts per million) for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, a number we are already well beyond. Demonstrations are happening around the world to help people conceptualize how many 350 is--and, though nothing has been officially organized here in Missouri, I'm sure they would love any feedback on actions you take to help spread the word.

See you next week!
;-)M

Hey ya'll! Greeting from your farmers Dan & Joanne!

We have been thinking lately of all the friends, associates and neighbors we have encountered this season here at Danjo Farms. We have truly been blessed with all our your support, kindness and love for what we love to do most - farm for you! Most of the time we seem to be running around like a "bunch of chickens with their head cut off" yet we wanted to take alittle time and acknowledge those how have been giving their best.

Thanks Marta Ferguson for putting this blog spot in "live mode" this summer. Your input has been exceptional and your patience with me has been outstanding. I have been impressed with your recipes, links and stories that are complementary of our community and lifestyle. Keep up the good works friend!

Thanks to all of you CSA families and CSA individuals that have supported us this year. We have tried our best to provide a good steady mix of veggies, fruit, berries, eggs and meats this year and hope that this has been worthy of your time and money. We have enjoyed the conversations, new friendships and patience you have shown to us. Our wish is to continue on this journey with you as your farmers. Keep us in mind for next year neighbors!

Thanks to Certified Naturally Grown, Animal Welfare Approved, Shelter Feed Company, Morgan County Seed, Bradford Fertilizers Inc., KOPN 89.5, Ashland, Columbia and Moberly Farmers Markets and all our farmer companions that have made our family farm business a success this year. Your behind the scenes support makes or breaks our operation and this year has been another successful season. The extraordinary economic situation that we are all in has been won over by your hard work and dedication to the small farmer in this area. I wouldn't want any other associates to work with!

We have been putting the farm to bed this fall, working on winterizing the barn for the animals, pulling in the last of the harvest and working on plans for next season. Our greatest hope and dreams lie in the top eight inches of soil, the water in the ponds and the good air we breath every day at our farm. Our best wishes are to be involved with you our friends, associates and neighbors in gaining back our food security one farm at a time - Danjo Farms. Thanks partners for your undying support!

Little Kick Chili

Hi all,

In the box this week? Green beans, summer squash and hard squash, tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

Most of the recipes I've posted here are relatively small-batch efforts. However, 'tis the season to stock the freezer and share the bounty of the harvest. So I thought I'd share one larger recipe. Unlike most of what I cook, this one does involve a couple commercial shortcuts (canned tomatoes and garlic). It's a concession to the sheer size of the batch. Those of you scaling it down should assume a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes is 6-8 medium tomatoes and that each ounce of garlic is half a good-sized head. The recipe makes close to 80 servings and debuted this week, to rave reviews, at the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen here in CoMo.

Little Kick Chili

6 pounds of ground beef, browned and seasoned lightly with salt
6 pounds of ground pork, browned and seasoned lightly with salt
8 pounds of cube steak, browned, lightly salted, and chopped into 1/2" pieces

10 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1.5 8-ounce jars of diced garlic

6 large red bell peppers, chopped and sauteed
6 green bell peppers, chopped and sauteed

8 medium onions

18 tablespoons of chili powder
9 tablespoons of oregano
9 tablespoons of smoked paprika
6 tablespoons of coriander
6 tablespoons of cumin

1 teaspoon of cayenne
2+ teaspoons of salt
1+ teaspoons of black pepper

1 cup of corn starch slurry (4 ounces of corn starch, 3-4 ounces of water, shaken in a half-pint jar)

After preparing the meat, add it to a large restaurant-size stock pot along with the tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Add the herbs and spices in two or three batches, stirring in between to check the heat and flavor. The goal here is a savory chili with just a little kick, nothing that should burn out your mouth or stomach lining. Let it all simmer for at least an hour before adding the slurry to thicken. Allow at least another hour of low heat for the flavors to meld and the corn starch to integrate completely.

Enjoy with 79 of your closest friends or chill and store up against the coming cold.

See you next week!
;-)M

Marta's Garden Marinera/RBB

Hi all,

In boxes, this week: tomatoes, squash (summer and butternut), green beans, bell peppers, hot peppers, onions.

Recipe of the week?

Marta's Garden Marinera

15-18 medium tomatoes, blanched, skinned and roughly chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1-2 Summer squash or zucchini, chopped
4-6 Bell peppers, chopped
3 onions, chopped
5-7 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon+ medium grade safflower oil

2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon oregano

salt and pepper, to taste

2 lbs. ground beef, lightly salted, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Place the tomatoes in a large sauce pot, heat over medium-low heat until they begin breaking down. Blend to smooth texture with a stick blender or by putting them in batches in a regular blender. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and continue to simmer gently as you prep other ingredients.

In a large skillet, saute chopped squash, peppers, onion, and garlic in safflower oil. As things soften and become translucent, add basil, granulated garlic, and oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. When the herbs and the granulated garlic seem to have absorbed a sufficient amount of oil (the kitchen will smell fantastic at this point), scrape the entire contents of the skillet into the sauce pot with the tomato base.

Add ground beef if using.

Simmer for 30-60 minutes to allow flavors to blend and sauce to thicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4-5 quarts of sauce.

As for food world news? Columbia's Second Annual Roots, Blues & BBQ Festival seems to have been a smashing success. See the website below for more details:

http://www.rootsnbluesnbbq.com

See you next week!
;-)M

News from the Farm

Hi all,

Food World news straight from Dan at the farm this week:

"We have been transplanting strawberry beds, garlic and sowing buckwheat to start putting the gardens to bed of the fall. Lots of peppers, few tomatoes, winter squash, yellow squash and zucchini maybe some small pumpkins soon. Daikon radishes and some cabbages are creeping up and should be ready soon! Lots of toads and crickets appearing as one likes the other lots! You can guess which one! Ribett, ribett!!"

As for a recipe? One of my favorite cookbook sources now has a delicious website as well. Check out this week's recipe (Spicy Mexican Squash Stew--works with any hard squash) at The Moosewood Restaurant online:

http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/recipes.html

See you next week!
;-)M

Forgotten Summer Classic

Hi all,

I'm all out of time and ideas this week, so I went spelunking around online to find a recipe to share. Did not imagine I would find something so resonant out there in cyberspace, but finding this gem took me immediately back to my childhood: fried zucchini. Can't believe I'd forgotten how magical the combination of crispy breading and tender squash can be. Can't believe I've never attempted to make it myself. I think I'll be remedying that oversight this week.

Here's the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Fried-Summer-Squash/Detail.aspx

In boxes this week, lots more squash, hot peppers, wax peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers.

In Food World news, Slow Food Katy Trail will hold a Harvest meal at Chert Hollow Farm on Wednesday, September 16. The all-vegetarian meal will feature foods grown and prepared on the premises, including Hoppin' John, corn bread, greens, tomatoes and okra. Suggested donation of $15/diner. Limited seating. Contact Bernadette Dryden for more information: slowfoodkatytrail@yahoo.com.

Another Squash Idea (really!)

Hi all,

While we have stored a fair amount of the squash that's come rolling in this summer, it's nice to enjoy it fresh as well. Here's one of my favorite squash sides. Add cheese, tofu or more nuts for a quick vegetarian entree.

Nutty Squash Pasta

Two small to medium zucchinis or yellow summer squashes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup+ cashews, roasted and salted to taste
1/4 cup+ High-quality extra virgin olive oil
8+ ounces of dry pasta (gluten free if desired), cooked per package directions
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Saute the chopped squash in the olive oil until tender. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, for the last minute of cooking time. Turn off the heat and toss with cashews. Serve over pasta. Serves two as an entree, four as a side dish.

In food-world news, the local Slow Food Time for Lunch Eat-In will happen here in Columbia at 4pm on Monday, September 7th at the Ragtag Cinema. Contact Bernadette Dryden for more information: buonappetito@centurytel.net.

See you next week!
;-)M

Blanching!

Hi all,

Sorry for the hiccup in service last week. Technology issues.

But we're back this week with new box contents: peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and sweet corn this week, with a possible acorn or spaghetti squash, too.

Food World News? Time for Lunch is approaching rapidly! Here's the map with links to Missouri Eat-Ins:

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch-eat_ins_by_state/Missouri/

In lieu of a recipe, I thought I would share a strategy we use every year about this time, when we're too busy to properly cook up all the goodness from the CSA and Farmer's Market. We blanch most of our produce and freeze it. This strategy does NOT work with squash, cucumbers, peppers, onions, potatoes, or eggplants, but it's great for just about everything else, including some of those big tough root veggies, as my freezer can attest.

Last week alone, we blanched beans, tomatoes, and corn. Here's the procedure:

1. Boil water in the biggest pot you own.

2. Prepare the vegetables to be blanched (wash them, husk them, tail them, and so on, as necessary). For really big veggies like celeriac or beets, peel them and then cut them into chunks.

3. Add the vegetables (only one kind at a time) to the pot. The trick here is not to overfill the pot. Be sure to leave room for the water to circulate amongst all the veggies.

4. Wait, in most cases, for a color change to take place. With tomatoes, watch for the skin to start splitting. It should take 2-4 minutes, maybe a bit more for corn or beets.

5. Once the color has changed uniformly, pull the veggies and let them cool.

6. Prepare the veggies for freezing by cutting corn from the cob, skinning and coring tomatoes, and portioning out everything into freezer-safe containers.

7. Repeat with the next batch of veggies.

You are, of course, welcome to change the water between vegetable types, but we generally find if we start with the least messy stuff (corn or beans) and move to the more messy stuff (beets or tomatoes), we can use the same water.

See you next week!
;-)M

The Southern Foodways Alliance

Hi all,

If you don't know yet about the Southern Foodways Alliance in Oxford, Mississippi, now's a great time to check it out. The SFA studies Southern food as culture and history. Registrations for their fall symposium are still available. The topic? Music and Food: Exploring Interdependent Cultural Expressions. Here's the link:
http://www.southernfoodways.com/events/symposium/index.html

As far as recipes go? Here's a great side dish to help you use up any sweet corn that didn't get devoured in the hour after you arrived home from the CSA pickup: Sweet Corn Bread Pudding. Here's the link:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/sweet-corn-bread-pudding-recipe/index.html

See you next week!
;-)M

Down Home Salsa

Hi all,

This recipe was one of my favorites last year and I just made a fresh batch yesterday. It tastes great after a few hours of letting the flavors blend and it freezes well, too. We really enjoyed digging out a little taste of August in January.

Down Home Salsa

6 medium tomatoes, blanched and roughly chopped
3-4 ears of sweet corn, blanched, cut from the cob
3-5 sweet or low-heat peppers (bell, Hungarian wax, Anaheim, etc.), chopped fine
3-5 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1-3 crushed dried hot peppers (cayenne, poblano, etc.) or red pepper flakes to taste
1-2 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fine
2+ tablespoons of fresh cilantro
1+ tablespoon of lime juice

Combine all ingredients in large non-reactive bowl, pour off excess liquid, and allow to blend for at least two hours. Reserve liquid as desired for spicy cocktail mixer. Serve salsa with chips, avocado and cheese or use as topping for any Mexican dish. Serves 8-12 adult diners.

For Food World news? The Slow Food Katy Trail Eat-In to support the national Time for Lunch program happens on September 7, 2009. Here's the link for more info:

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch-detail/slow_food_katy_trail_eat_in/

In boxes this week: Sweet corn, tomatoes, muskmelon, green beans, cukes, zukes, peppers.

See you next week!
;-)M

Taste of the Market Tonight!

Hi all,

It's that time again. Most of my conversations this week were, in some form, about upcoming fall schedules. Quick lunches are the order of the day. Easy to pack for work or school, easy to grab on the run to all the last-minute fun we're having this month.

And I don't know anybody who does quick better than Mark Bittman. A friend sent me this article and I couldn't resist passing it on to all of you: 101 Simple Summer Salads.

In food news this week? Tonight is the second annual Taste of the Market event at The Columbia Farmers Market. Dozens of the market's vendors are involved in providing or preparing food for tonight's gathering. Tickets are $5 for adults, children 12 and under are free. It's going to be a huge party. We'll be there, come join us! Here's the link for more information:

http://www.farmersmarketpavilion.org

See you next week!
;-)M

Berry Yummy!

Hi all,

Another week of July gone already. Looks like the strawberries and blueberries are gone, but there's still raspberries and blackberries out there. And since I've yet to post a sweet-tooth recipe, here's a quick and easy one.

Berry Syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

1 cup+ berries of your choice, roughly chopped if large

Place water and sugar into small-to-medium size pot and bring to a boil. Add berries and simmer for 15 minutes or until berries have broken down completely. Serve over pancakes, short cake, ice cream, or other breakfast or dessert medium. If not serving immediately, strain, cool and store. Keeps several weeks in the fridge and is great to have in a squirt bottle for ease of use.

As to Food World news? The documentary Food, Inc. is now at RagTag. Go see it! Here's the link:

http://www.ragtagfilm.com/

See you next week!
;-)M

What do I do with all the squash?

Hi all,

And once again, I'm thinking in terms of storage options. While this doesn't have the instant appeal that the ratatouille does, it's quick and it also freezes beautifully. It's how we handle most of the squash we get each summer.

Roasted Summer Squash
by Marta Ferguson

6 cups+ yellow squash and/or zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup of safflower, olive or other cooking oil

salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450.

Lay out squash in shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with oil. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until squash is tender and beginning to brown or blacken slightly on exposed edges.

Remove, cool and store. Makes 2-3 quarts. Serves up great over rice or pasta with some nuts or beans added.

In boxes this week? We should have sweet corn, cucumber, zucchini, green beans, new potatoes, and mint. Also, we have sweet cherries for the fruit shares this week.

As for food world news? A conference to consider.

The Governor’s Summit on Food Safety on July 21‐22 in Jefferson
City will bring together health officials, consumer advocates, farmers,
ranchers and food industry representatives from throughout the state to
review current food safety standards and look at ways to improve
Missouri’s system, according to the Department of Health and Senior
Services.

The conference will be held at the Truman State Office Building in
Jefferson City. Registration is free.
For more information or to register for the conference, go to
www.dhss.mo.gov/FoodSafety.

See you next week!
;-)M

Ratatouille!

Hi all,

The Ratatouille Recipe
by Marta Ferguson

The tomatoes get roasted separately here so that the other veggies have a chance to soak up the wine, olive oil, garlic, onion and herbs on their own. Roasting everything together tends to make the tomato flavor overwhelming instead of complementary. I've listed seeding as optional, as I really don't hold with the notion that the seeds make a sauce bitter. My sense is they bring a piquancy and freshness to a dish like this that's missing if the tomatoes are seeded.

12 cups of tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and chopped (seeding is optional)

6 cups of eggplant, chopped
6 cups of yellow squash, chopped
6 cups of zucchini, chopped
4 cups of carrots, chopped
4 cups of onions, chopped
12 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons+ of dried rosemary
2 tablespoons+ of dried thyme
1 tablespoon+ of dried sage

3/4 cup+ of olive oil
1 cup+ of white wine

salt to taste
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450.

In one or two large shallow roasting pans, lay out tomatoes and pour off excess liquid. Drizzle with wine and olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes for 30-45 minutes until liquid level is somewhat reduced and some blacking is evident on exposed edges of tomatoes.

In a separate roasting pan or pans, lay out other vegetables, drizzle generously with olive oil and white wine, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with rosemary, thyme, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 30-45 minutes until everything is cooked through and some browning or blackening is evident on squash.

When roasting has finished, remove pans from oven and slowly ladle tomatoes into other vegetables, pouring off liquid as necessary so that the final consistency is more like roasted vegetables in a light sauce than vegetable soup.

Makes 6-8 quarts of ratatouille. Serve over rice or with good crusty bread. Add roasted beans and walnuts, loose ground sausage, or shredded Monterey Jack cheese to enhance protein content.

In boxes this week: yellow squash, zukes, cukes, onions, beans.

Food world news? The Time-for-Lunch Slow Food initiative to address the quality of school lunches is gathering steam. To find our more, click the link below:

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch/about/

See you next week!
;-)M

Celebrate Your COLORS Independents!

Hi all,

In the box this week? Squash, zukes, cukes, tomatoes, onions, carrots.

This fourth of July week has been the inaugural COLORS Independents week, celebrating local businesses. So, for food world news (and a couple yummy picnic-friendly recipes), I'll refer you to Trish and Jim Koetting's celebration of local chefs in the Tribune:

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/jul/01/a-tip-of-the-hat-to-the-local-cooks/

See you next week!
;-)M

The Farmer's Market Contest

Hi all,

Food world news at the top of the list this week, as Local Harvest, in cooperation with Care 2, is running another contest. They want to know your favorite farmer's market. For more details, see their website:

http://www.localharvest.org/

And for this week's recipe. One of my favorite freezer foods--this goes together fast and it freezes beautifully. Great way to store lots of green beans. Fabulous over pasta as a vegetarian entree or on its own as a side dish.

Roasted Green Beans with Walnuts
by Marta Ferguson

1 lb. green beans, washed and snapped
1/4-1/2 lb. walnuts, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons+ walnut or other oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 450. Lay beans on high-sided cookie pans (may need two). Sprinkle walnuts over beans. Generously drizzle walnuts and beans with oil. Roast for 5 minutes or until nuts smell good and beans look slightly carmelized. Remove and eat. Serves several adult diners.

In the box?

This week we will have cucumbers, candy onions, zucchini, cabbage, green onions, red leaf romaine, lettuce, collards, oregano.

See you next week!
;-)M

If not pickles, then what?

Hi all,

In boxes this week:

There will be spinach, cucumber, zucchini, beets, green onions, radish and mint. Green beans are on the horizon! Maybe next week.

So, more cucumbers on the way this week, and since I've just never been a pickle fan, I'm always trying out concoctions. Here's one from my appetizers-for-fancy-folks file:

Cucumber coconut shrimp
by Marta Ferguson

1 lb. medium (41-50 count) shrimp, defrosted, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons+ coconut oil
2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1/3 cup pistachio nuts, roasted and salted
1 tablespoon+ of light olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Lay shrimp in high-sided pan or pans, adding coconut oil as desired. Roast. After the shrimp has cooled, dice and toss with olive oil, toasted coconut and pistachio nuts. Chill and serve. Serves four adult diners.

As for food-world news?

Food, Inc., the food-industry documentary featured at The True/False Festival this year, begins opening at selected theaters this week. It will be at the Tivoli in University City on the 26th. It'll be here at RagTag by July 24th. Here's the website:

http://www.magpictures.com/films.aspx

See you next week!
;-)M

SOFAB!

Hi all,

Well, as we're in the travel season and some of you may be looking for slow-food destinations, I thought I'd share some information about SOFAB, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans. I had the pleasure of interviewing their director two years ago as they were getting ready to open their doors. Since that time, SOFAB has moved from conceptual idea to working museum and one-stop food-advocacy shop. Every week they host new events and classes. So if you're headed south for summer vacation, check it out!

Here's the link:
http://southernfood.org

Meanwhile, more great fresh food in your boxes this week:
Cucumber, Squash, Zucchini, Lettuce, Spinach, Green Onions, Radish, Asparagus, chives. Blueberries for fruit & berries CSA's.

And, though I will, I really will get our quiche recipe tweaked and posted, here's its ubersource. Alton Brown's suggestions for refrigerator pie:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/refrigerator-pie-recipe/index.html

See you next week!
;-)M

Omelets at the Farmer's Market This Week!

Hi all,

A little late with this week's post, but I've got great news from our local Slow Food chapter:

Brook Harlan, a chef instructor at Columbia Area Career Center, will be cooking made-to-order omelets with his students at the Columbia Farmer's Market this week from 8:15 until 11:15.

The fresh ingredients will be from the market farmers, of course. All proceeds benefit the Culinary Arts Department students, who are attending a national competition in Kansas City later this month.

In your boxes this week:

Asparagus, lettuce, spinach, green onions, radishes, snow peas, and oregano.

And the recipe, from one of my favorite breakfasts:

Fast Eggs Florentine
by Marta Ferguson

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
1 tablespoon of butter
4 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of grated cheese, preferably romano

Place butter in skillet and wait for it to bubble. Add spinach. As the spinach starts to wilt and shrink, add eggs and scramble. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate and garnish with cheese.

Works well over toast or with hash browns. Serves two adult diners.

See you next week!
;-)M

Grilled radishes!

Hi all,

Our test kitchen's running a little slow this week as we've had other projects calling for attention. However, I've found a recipe online that sounds like an absolute kick, Grilled Radishes!

Here's the link:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grilled-Radishes/Detail.aspx

From food world news, here's a local treat--a new restaurant in Columbia featuring fresh local foods: Cherry Hill Market & Cafe. The menu includes "local and organic ingredients whenever possible."

Here's the Cherry Hill link:
http://www.cherryhillmarketcafe.com/

See you next week!
;-)M

Local Harvest Contest and Radish-Cucumber Salad

Hi all,

Food news this week?

Local Harvest, an online clearinghouse for up-to-date info on fresh food--including farmer's markets and CSAs, is running a contest. They have around 2800 CSAs listed through their site. According to a recent USDA survey, that's not a very big percentage of the CSAs out there.

SO, they want folks to email them with info on any CSAs not already listed in their database. Know of any CSAs here in Mid-Missouri or anywhere else that aren't listed at Local Harvest? Let them know! A $100 prize will be awarded in October to their best informant.

To find out whether or not a CSA is listed at Local Harvest (Danjo IS)--visit their website and choose the CSA option in the What are you looking for? box. Punch in the approximate geographic location of the CSA and Local Harvest will let you know if they're listed. If not, look around for the Tell Us About a CSA box (on the CSA tab and possibly elsewhere) and send in your info!

Here's the link:

http://www.localharvest.org

This week's recipe: Radish-Cucumber Salad

Radish-Cucumber Salad
by Marta Ferguson

2 large handfuls of cleaned and dried lettuces
1/2 cup of radishes, chopped or sliced thin
1/2 cup of cucumbers, chopped or sliced thin
1/2 cup of Missouri pecans, toasted if desired
1/4 cup of goat cheese
2 hard-boiled eggs, crumbled or sliced
Salad dressing and croutons as desired.

Tear the lettuces and place in a salad bowl. Add radishes, cucumbers, and pecans. Top with goat cheese and egg slices or crumbles. Add dressing and croutons as desired. Serves two adults.

This week's box:

Asparagus
Lettuce
Thyme
Radishes

See you next week!
;-)M

2009 CSA Season Begins!

Hi all,

Welcome to the Danjo CSA blog for the 2009 season! I'm Marta Ferguson and I'll be your guest blogger for the summer. Each week Dan, Joanne and I will bring you food news, recipes, AND info on the contents of your box.

From Dan this week:
"Sure has been busy here with getting in 750 tomato plants, 1000+ onion sets, several rows of potatoes, squash, peppers, zucchini, cucumber in the ground Mon and Tues. Plus, beefing up the orchard with another 20 fruit trees and raspberries for the berry patch. Trying to stay ahead of the storms!

We will have 3 to 4 types of lettuce, radishes, asparagus, green onions, spearmint, and oregano this week for the CSA shares."

From the food world:
Mark Bittman's recent article in the NYT on freezing as a means of food preservation offers some great tips and ideas for handling abundant quantities of produce:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/dining/06mini.html?scp=2&sq=freezer&st=cse

AND The recipe:

Simple Citrusy Asparagus by Marta Ferguson

One dozen asparagus stalks
Two tablespoons of olive oil (extra virgin is fine, but not necessary)
One tablespoon of lemon juice
Kosher salt to taste

Rinse and inspect the asparagus stalks. Cut off the bottom half-inch or inch of each stalk, as that material tends to be too fibrous to chew easily. With the burner on high, heat the oil in a skillet large enough to accomodate the asparagus stalks in one or two batches. Once the oil is hot, quickly saute the asparagus stalks in the oil. Pull them out using tongs or a pair of wooden spoons as soon as the color changes to bright green. Plate the stalks and drizzle with lemon juice. Salt to taste and serve hot or chill and serve later.

Serves 2-4 diners.

See you next week!
;-)M