Helsing Junction Farm Newsletter Archive

Greetings from Helsing Junction Farm!

Now that it is unabashedly September, we can break out the soup pot and get cooking. We found ourselves looking longingly today at a beef Bourguignon recipe that only a few weeks ago would have seemed preposterous. Autumn’s produce seems to lend itself to warm, rich dishes and substantial salads. There is no lettuce this week as we are in between plantings, but we have included several different salad recipes made with beans and tomatoes. The rain this weekend reminded us that we have much work to do before the end of the season. There are several acres of shallots and onions to harvest, as well as 2 acres of winter squash and several acres of potatoes. We just ordered 3,000 mesh bags in anticipation of the forthcoming harvest; soon our barn will be stacked with produce that’s going out to you. The winter squash looks beautiful this year, with lots more mature fruit than we usually have September 1st… It’s truly amazing to see what a little sunshine can do, after 2 very cold and wet summers in a row we had almost forgotten! All the sun loving plants on the farm have really thrived this summer, from the peppers to the tomatoes. The first planting of basil that we picked down to the stems for the bulk shares is now bushy and green again and the second planting is huge now too. Beginning Thursday we will have basil in the regular CSA shares again. We even put in a 3rd planting this year, so we should be able to have bunched basil all fall, weather depending.

The sun really has a dramatic affect on how things ripen. At 100 degrees, tomatoes ripen in a day or 2. At 70 degrees they ripen in a week. The weather has seemed to vacillate a lot this summer between hot and cold (hey we are a maritime climate!), but still it kind of feels like driving in a car with someone who keeps slamming on and off of the breaks. Unfortunately you can’t backseat drive the weather so we are just hanging on for the ride as always. The bees have pollinated the Sungolds so thoroughly that if the weather stayed nice we would have fruit into November. Our friend Kevin just made some green tomato pickles with the unripe Sungolds that sound to die for! We had visions of trying it ourselves, but somehow after a busy summer on the farm our fever for vegetables has transmuted into a fever to lie down and take a nap. We do have some strawberry jam that tastes like candy and 50 jars of cherry syrup. We had a blast working on our canning though and hopefully we’ll do better next year. We are thinking of trying to host some canning workshops next year (don’t worry we wouldn’t teach them!), that would include picking the produce then canning it in an outdoor kitchen. What do you think?

During the past month, you may have heard about Slow Food USA’s Time for Lunch campaign, which is working to ensure schools have the resources they need to serve real food for lunch. Time for Lunch is the first wave of a national movement of people who care about the food they eat and where it comes from, people who are demanding change to make it easier and less expensive to find food they believe in. Advocates within the food movement – along with politicians on both sides of the aisle – have long said that a strong grassroots voice demanding a transformation of the food system is critical to creating corporate and political change. The Time for Lunch campaign is our chance to demonstrate that the demand is stronger than anyone predicted. This Labor Day is our first opportunity to show that our movement is strong and far-reaching. But we need to make sure the media and national leaders hear the message. You’ve can sign the petition and find out more about the Eat ins, at http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/campaign/time_for_lunch and make plans to participate in the National Day of Action. Join in celebrating Labor Day and Real Food in Schools. Bring a potluck dish, your family and friends to a local Eat in near you!

Our Farm Open House is Sunday, September 13th from 1-4 p.m.
We will have tamales available for sale, as well as tee shirts and honey. It might be sunny, so bring a hat, some water, some sunscreen and a knife and smallish bag, which you can fill with produce you harvest yourself. We will include directions to the farm in next week’s newsletter.

Here is the remaining delivery schedule 2 pounds of basil that comes with your Bulk Share:
Tuesday September 1st to: Ballard, Bellevue, Crown Hill, the Farm and Fremont
Tuesday September 8th to: Green Lake, Kirkland, Phinney Ridge, Shoreline, Tacoma and Wallingford

The 10 pounds of potatoes that come with your Bulk Share will be delivered:
Tuesday September 22nd for Tuesday’s drop sites.
Wednesday September 23rd for Wednesday’s drop sites.
Thursday September 24th for Thursday’s drop sites.

We will pack the Bulk potatoes in 10# mesh sacks that will be in boxes at your drop site. We will remind you again next week, as well as let you know the exact date for your Storage Share delivery.

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This Week's Shares

Tuesday’s small shares contain:
5 ears sweet corn
1# slicing tomatoes
2 eggplants
1# green beans
1.5# red potatoes
1# summer squash
1 bunch carrots
3 cucumbers
1 sweet onion
1.5# tomatillos
1-2 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)
*Tuesday CSA boxes will get Asian pears and baisl next week.

Wednesday’s small shares may contain:
1.5# Asian pears
1# slicing tomatoes
green peppers
1# Roma beans
1.5# red potatoes
1# summer squash
1 bunch carrots
2 cucumbers
1 sweet onion
1.5# tomatillos
1-2 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)

Thursday’s small shares may contain:
1.5# Asian pears
1# slicing tomatoes
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
1# Roma beans
1.5# red potatoes
1# summer squash
1 bunch carrots
2 cucumbers
1 sweet onion
1.5# tomatillos
1-2 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bag Basil
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)


Tuesday’s large shares contain:
6 ears sweet corn
1# slicing tomatoes
2 pints Sungold cherry tomatoes
2 green peppers
1# Roma beans
1.5# red potatoes
1# summer squash
2 bunches carrots
2-3 cucumbers
2 sweet onions
1.5# tomatillos
2 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch chives
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)
*Tuesday CSA boxes will get Asian pears and basil next week.

Wednesday’s large shares may contain:
1.5# Asian pears
1# slicing tomatoes
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
2 green peppers
1# Roma beans
1.5# red potatoes
1# summer squash
2 bunches carrots
2-3 cucumbers
2 sweet onions
1.5# tomatillos
2 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch chives
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)

Thursday’s large shares may contain:
1.5# Asian pears
1# slicing tomatoes
1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes
green peppers
1# Roma beans
1.5# red potatoes
1-2 fennel bulbs
1# summer squash
2 bunches carrots
2-3 cucumbers
2 sweet onions
1.5# tomatillos
2 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch chives
1 bag basil
1 bunch flowers (only if your share contains flowers)
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Recipes

Curried Lentil Soup:
-Chop up 1 onion and 2 carrots into medium sized cubes.
-Dice up 2 potatoes into small cubes.
-Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large heavy soup pot, when hot add the diced vegetables.
-Sauté for 5 minutes and add 2 TBS curry powder and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Add 10 cups of low-salt broth (either chicken or veggie), 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes in juice, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 cups rinsed and drained lentils.
-Cover pot and simmer until lentils are very tender, about 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Crispy Parmesan Carrot Fries:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a large baking pan.
-Peel 1 bunch of carrots and then cut into small fry-shaped pieces.
-Coat with 2-3 TBS mayonnaise and 1 small clove garlic put through a garlic press, by tossing together in a large bowl until evenly covered.
-Put ¼ cup of dry breadcrumbs and ¼ cup powdery Parmesan cheese into another bowl and stir to combine.
-Take a few mayo covered carrots and toss them in the bread crumb/cheese mixture until well coated.
-Line up on the baking sheet and repeat until all carrots are done.
-Bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy and brown, un-sticking once or twice during cooking.

Roasted Carrots:
-Preheat oven to 500 degrees
-Peel 1 bunch of carrots and cut into half inch thick discs.
-Toss carrots with 2 TBS olive oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper and spread out in a large 4-sided sheet pan.
-Roast 20 minutes.
-Reduce oven to 325°F and roast, stirring occasionally, until carrots are browned and tender, about 25 minutes more.

Green Pozole with Chicken:
For the chicken:
-Bring 8 cups of water, 1 bay leaf, ½ thinly sliced onion, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp salt to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
-Add 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, skimming off any foam until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board to cool.
-Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids and reserving broth.
-When chicken is cool enough to handle, coarsely shred with your fingers.
To make sauce:
-Cook ½ cup hulled (green not roasted) pumpkin seeds in a small dry skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally until puffed about 6-7 minutes, the seeds will pop as they puff.
-Transfer to a bowl to cool then finely grind in a coffee/spice grinder.
-Take the husks off and wash 1½# of tomatillos.
-Add them to a small saucepan with 1 cup of water and half an onion, roughly chopped.
-Simmer covered until very tender, about 10 minutes.
-Drain tomatillos and puree in a blender with 2 fresh quartered jalapenos (seeds and all), ½ bunch chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp oregano, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 1½ tsp salt.
-Heat 1 TBS vegetable oil in a 4-5 quart heavy pot over medium high heat.
-Then add puree (using caution as it will splatter and steam).
-Cook uncovered, stirring often until thickened, about 10 minutes.
-Stir in ground pumpkin seeds and 1 cup reserved broth and simmer 5 minutes.
-Stir in shredded chicken, 2-15 ounces cans of white hominy (rinsed and drained) and 3 more cups of the broth.
-Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, then stir in ½ bunch of fresh chopped cilantro and serve in deep bowls with cubed avocado, chopped onion and lime wedges.

Green Bean Salad with Cilantro and Soy-Glazed Almonds:
-Place ¼ cup whole almonds in small nonstick skillet.
-Stir over medium heat until almonds are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
-Increase heat to medium-high.
-Add 2 tsp soy sauce and stir until soy sauce evaporates and coats almonds, about 1 minute.
-Transfer to plate and cool. Chop almonds and set aside.
-Cook 1 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes.
-Drain. Rinse beans under cold water. Pat dry.
-In a large bowl, whisk together 2 TBS rice vinegar, 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1 large garlic clove put through a press, 1 TBS minced peeled fresh ginger and 1 more tsp soy sauce.
-Add beans and toss to coat. Sprinkle 1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves and almonds over salad and serve.

Green Bean and Hazelnut Salad:
-Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle.
-Toast ¼ cup hazelnuts in a small baking pan 15 to 20 minutes.
-Cool to warm, then rub off any loose skins in a kitchen towel. Coarsely chop nuts.
-Cook 1# green beans in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
-Drain. Run under very cold water and pat dry.
-In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tsp grainy mustard, 1½ tsp Balsamic vinegar and 1/8 tsp sea salt.
-Then add 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, 1 TBS flaxseed oil and 1 tsp hazelnut oil and whisk again.
-Add beans, hazelnuts, and ¼ cup finely chopped onion and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.

Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad:
-Rinse and drain 2 cans of black beans.
-In a large bowl combine the beans with the kernels from 4 fresh ears of corn, 1 pint Sungold cherry tomatoes cut in half or 3-4 slicing tomatoes cut into medium sized chunks, ½ cup minced onion and some chopped cilantro or basil.
-In a small bowl whisk together the ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons) and 1 tsp salt.
-Toss the salad with the dressing.
-The salad may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Serve the salad at room temperature or chilled slightly.

Eggplant Sub Sandwiches:
-Preheat your oven's broiler.
-Halve and slice 1-2 eggplant the long way.
-Brush eggplant slices with olive oil, and place them on a baking sheet or broiling pan.
-Place the pan about 6 inches from the heat source.
-Cook under the broiler for 10 minutes, or until tender and toasted.
-Split 4 French rolls lengthwise and toast.
-In a cup or small bowl, stir together 1/4 mayonnaise and 2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press.
-Spread this mixture on the toasted bread.
-Cut up 2 tomatoes, pluck a bunch of basil leaves off the stem and crumble 1/2 feta cheese.
-Fill the rolls with eggplant slices, tomato, feta cheese and basil leaves.
-Serves 4.

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Helsing Junction Farm
12013 Independence Road, Rochester, WA 98579 | (360)273-2033
helsingfarm@msn.com | www.helsingfarmcsa.com

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