FARM NOTES: WEEK 3: July 13- 19, 2014
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Coordinator: Mike Rabinowitz: House Phone: Before 5:30. 895-2884
Cell: 5:30 – 6:30. 759-2884
Pick up Time: 6 – 6:30 p.m.
Things are going well. Messages seem to be coming in on time. Last week Mike was a little longer at pick-up because he had a chat with an “old” member he hasn’t talked to in awhile, then he was off to THE WORKS, where he usually goes after pick-up.
Early Morning Pick Up at the Farm. Where To Go and What To Do!
On Thursday morning, I noticed the message manager flashing around 8 a.m. I thought it was an employee, calling in about work. Instead, it was the friend of a veggie coop member who couldn’t make it to pick up Wednesday evening due to illness in the family. He came up and looked around before 8, didn’t see a “living soul” and left, not wanting to disturb anyone. If this happens to you, please don’t go away empty handed. Come to back door of house/ kitchen. I am usually up and may be in the basement doing laundry. In fact, most family members are probably up and hanging onto a cup of coffee in some nook or cranny. The other option is to go into the processing shed to find the bag in the chill room and don’t worry about waking anyone up. The bags are in the walk-in cooler in the two story processing shed on the left as you enter the farm. It is the one with the bench and tables, displaying flowers and rosemary. The wide garage door should be open. Walk toward sinks, past the stairs to door with names written on it. Bags are marked Monday and Wednesday. If the name is not already on the door, leave a note with the name, indicating name of family.
As it turned out, Mike was able to take the bag in later on. All’s well that ends well, which is getting the veggies to folks while they are still fresh!
Recipes: Tried and True. How you can help!
All of the recipes appearing on the Website are recipes that have been used by people associated with the farm, especially the Little Red Hen and Veggie Coop members. There are lots of recipes from our history of sharing recipes among Veggie Coop Members that are still missing. If you are a long term member, please check the recipe list on the Website. If you have a recipe that came to you through Farm notes, some time in the past, that is not in the present list, please take the time to send it. Or maybe you are someone who sent in a recipe years ago, only to have it disappear into Cyberspace when the Website self-destructed. For example, the oregano chicken recipe from an Organic Herb Farmer in New Brunswick or the Garlic Scape Frittata I tried and passed along the first year we learned about garlic scapes.
I was having health issues when the Website fell apart. I THOUGHT I had paper copies when IT happened but LATER discovered these files are on an old computer, lost for now, without more IT help. Knowing this, some well intentioned person, associated with the farm, probably a WOOFER, who was staying at the farm that winter, brought in a lot of recipes from various sources on the Internet. At the time I was too distracted by the illness to care. Mike added and managed recipes over the past couple of season, the best he could from his files. However, this season, I have more energy and have removed the recipes that were not tried by us here at the farm kitchen or contributed by Veggie Coop Members. Building the recipe file again is a work in progress, one everyone can help with!
GETTING READY FOR GOOD THINGS TO COME!
Kale. This week the only new veggie is kale, the first cousin once removed to spinach and chard, apparently just as nutritious but a little tougher. In fact, over the past couple of years, kale is becoming one of the most sought after greens, especially for people juicing for special diets. Hopefully, kale will be with us for weeks, so we can start sharing ideas – from soup to souffles, on the grill or raw.
Zucchini. Not enough yet for your veggie bags, but we had enough to make our first dish of the season. That means it will get to veggie coop bags eventually. We suggest the recipe on the Website, with Monterrey Jack Cheese. When we were first married, I went along with Mike to buy blueberry bushes for our new place in Seattle. The farmer not only gave us zucchini but insisted that we take a copy of the recipe. Have a peek! When you are shopping this week, you might want to start your search for Monterrey Jack Cheese, which is not always easy to spot in box store cheese counters. But no other cheese will do. We usually get ours at Belbins.
Breakfast of Champions is Rhubarb Sauce with plain yogurt and fruit. This is Mike’s favourite way to prepare this luscious early fruit, or is it a veggie? Daughter, Toby chops rhubarb for sauce almost every day. We also recommend Mrs. Walters rhubarb cake recipe, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb punch and if you have an ice cream maker, rhubarb ice cream. .
My crystal ball tells me that Garlic Scapes are another thing in your future, so let’s start the talk about recipes. Why not Garlic Scape Pickles. A few years ago, two people at pick-up said they made garlic scape pickles. I googled and found several recipes. It was an idea of the time. I learned how to make pickles standing on a chair at the kitchen tables, fitting the cucumbers in the jar for my mother. Why not garlic scape pickles, before the season for cucumbers begins.
Garlic Scapes were another new “thing” for us a few years ago. In fact, we were removing and discarding because we thought the main strength of the plant should go into bulbs, until, one year, a Chef asked us for garlic scapes. Excuse me, please switch the on the light! We started using them in stir fries, soups and other dishes as a substitute for garlic bulbs and now make sure some are reserved for the house as long as they last.
Salad Smoothies. Last season, another member stood patiently in line with his wife, to report that they made cold salad soup and were very pleased with the results. A couple of others said, they are juicing the greens and feeling very healthy. These brief exchanges make things more interesting for us. Do please e-mail me if you have a recipe to share.
Garlic Scape Frittata
10 eggs
1 cup (1/2 lb.) chopped greens
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley or basil
1/2 c. finely chopped garlic scapes
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely chopped garlic scapes
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl mix all ingredients except oil and scapes. Heat oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet on the stove. Add the scapes and saute until tender on medium heat for about five minutes. Pour egg mixture in skillet with garlic and cook over low for three minutes. Place in oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until top is set. Cut into wedges and serve.
Fresh Onion Dip / Toss in Blender or Food Processor.
l 8oz package of cream cheese
2 small green onions or one Mike size green onion
dunk or two of soy sauce to taste
dunk or two of evaporated milk or yogurt or sour cream
Blend together, first three ingredients, continue to add soy sauce to taste. Then add milk or yogurt to make the consistency you prefer, depending on veggies or chips. Prepare around 2 hours before use so onion vapors are subdued. Store in covered container in refrigerator. Will keep for several days and can be made up in advance for parties or pot lucks. Substitute yogurt or sour cream and/or leeks or chives. (Beware. Toddlers will eat this dip with their fingers if it is left unguarded within their reach.)
Dozens of Recipes On Line!!
Not So, in 1978 when I worked part-time for Memorial University Extension Services, with various assignments related to women and children. One project was to develop some Guidelines or Criteria around Counseling Services to Family. There was not yet a Registry of Social Workers or a clear process for determining who was qualified and who was not. In appeared that any Dick, Tom and Harry could hang out a shingle, advertising Counseling Services. This was the time of Mt. Cashel and the interest and need for family counseling was high. The Extension Service obtained a grant from the Vanier Institute of the Family to begin the process, with a province wide committee made up a Guidance Counselor from MUN, Public Health Nurse from Port Au Basque, Psychologist from Gander, a Minister from Goose Bay and Amy Rossiter, a Masters Level Social Worker, University of Toronto, who provided service under the United Church Family Counseling Agency. It was at the meeting at Amy’s house, to meet and greet, that Barb Crosbie, who was on the Board of the Vanier Institute, introduced me to onion dip made with cream cheese and dried onion soup. We were building our house in Portugal Cove and already had a few things in our new organic gardens. Why not fresh, green and local onions instead of Lipton’s Dried Onion Soup Mix?
Needless to say, a tried and true, early spring treat with many variations over the years.
(LRH)
MOVING INTO THE RHUBARB PATCH!
Rhubarb Sauce
This is a recipe from the Organic Gardner Magazine, which was been inbred over the years, so am not sure if it is the same as original. It is a wonderful, tart, crunchy mixture, which can be used on ice cream as a dessert, with yogurt for lunch, or eaten plain, with raisin bread, like applesauce. It is more runny than jam. I have used it over short-cake, like strawberry short-cake, topped with whipped cream or yogurt.
The secret is in the cooking, or rather the not over-cooking. After this mixture is prepared, it is set overnight with a lid. In the morning, you will find the liquid bled from the rhubarb, making lots of juice. Bring to a boil with lid off, while watching, and set off the stove immediately. The juice will be clear, but the meat will be crunchy. This stores in the refrigerator indefinitely.
Preparation:
Wash young, fresh rhubarb stalks. (If they are old, I string them like celery, but Mike doesn’t.) Slice stalks lengthwise, into several thinner slats. Lay on cutting board and slice cross wise, giving small rhubarb pieces about l/2 to l/4 inch squares (or thereabouts). Mike’s are much chunkier than mine and it doesn’t seem to matter.
We use:
4 cups of rhubarb to l cup of sugar. My folks like it sweeter, so we add more sugar. Mike’s aunts like it more tart, so they use less sugar.
Mrs. Walter’s Rhubarb Cake
l cup sugar
l/2 cup butter
l egg
l t. baking powder
l t. soda
2 cups chopped rhubarb
l/2 cup sour milk
2 cups flour
Topping:
l cup brown sugar
l cup coconut/ optional/ Mike doesn’t like coconut.
l t. cinnamon
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
I usually make this as a coffee cake; although it can be made as a loaf cake, with less topping. This is from a Collection, One of a Kind! December, 1993. This was around the same time Marion White published a book of profiles of Newfoundland Women, most well known. This inspired writing about women I admired, most of whom would never be known outside the kitchen walls. Mrs. Walters was 78 or 80 at the time. For full story, see Website.
That’s It, Folks! We didn’t get to What’s Happening On the Farm! Now that we plan to put recipes on Website, there will be more space next week in Farm Notes.
Melba Rabinowitz
Go-For, Weeder and Armchair Boss.
July, 2014
