Thursday, June 5, 2008

about our share

This growing season we got some friends and neighbors together and bought shares in Mike and Clare's Farm. We like what Mike and Clare are trying to do and like the idea of eating near food in season. The omnivores among us are also sharing shares from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm for eggs, fowl, beef, and pork.

This blog is a space where we'll swap recipes and photographs and anecdotes from our experience learning to cook new foods, watching crops fail and succeed, growing some of our own herbs and vegetables, and visiting the farm.

1 comment:

Kyle said...

So I'm Ryan's (see above) brother, and like him we are participating in a CSA this year, although a couple thousand miles away in Alaska!!.

Obviously the growing season is here with short summers, but when summer hits full throttle we have about 22 hour of growing sunlight a day which let the plants grow pretty quick when the DO start!!

I'd also like to say that I am by no means all into the organic/earth friendly/sandals and singing songs around a fire kinda guy. (Ryan can vouch for that), I just flat out like GOOD FOOD, and I've never seen veggies any fresher than these first few weeks. In Alaska so far we've gotten all greens so far. Arugula, mixed greens, baby bok choi, kale, deer tongue lettuce and a few others. Needless to say we've been eating a lot of salad lately but in a couple weeks we'll be looking at some veggies to.

With the kale we made a wicked Zuppa Toscana knockoff (that tasty creamy soup you get at Olive Garden). It's a delicious recipe served with.... salad and bread sticks.. another say to get some more greens :)
As far as the soup recipe goes.. just google "Zuppa Toscana" and you come up with about a billion knockoff recipes. Just make sure it's a recipe that's NOT low fat.... make sure the recipe calls for Half/Half or Heavy Cream... not milk.

Needless to say with all the lettuce we've been getting it's given us an opportunity to try out some new dressings. Here's one for all your greens.

ASIAN SESAME VINAIGRETTE

1 GARLIC CLOVE (MINCED) (or buy a jar of already minced garlic)

1 TEASPOON MINCED GINGER

1 SHALLOT MINCED

3 TBSP RICE WINE VINEGAR

1-2 tsps TAMARI (JUST USE SOY SAUCE

1 tsp BROWN SUGAR

1/4 CUP SESAME OIL
(take it easy w/ this stuff.unless you want your dressing tasting like peanut butter.. 1/4 cup is fine.

1/2 TSP CHILI OIL (GO CRAZY!!!)

I'LL SPARE YOU THE DETAIL OF PREP AND JUST SAY... MASH IT ALL TOGETHER.... LET IS SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES... GIVE IT A QUICK WHISK RIGHT BEFORE YOU SERVE IT AND DRESS YOUR SALAD!!

THIS SALAD WOULD BE GREAT WITH SOME THINLY SLICED SEARED TUNA FANNED OUT ON TOP!!!!!

(the lady who runs our farm is a vegetarian so none of her recipes include meat, so that's why I'm throwing a "meat tag" on the end :)

Kyle