CSA Week 11
Week 11 CSA is here! In your share this week:
Potato
Carrot
Poblano or Anaheim Pepper
Cucumber
Onion
Jalapeno
Sage
Beans or Broccoli or Cherry Tomato
Full Shares Only:
Romaine Lettuce
The season is turning, and things are changing fast around the farm. The colder nights and shorter days are drastically slowing down growth. The tomatoes saw a steep decline last week, going from 100# picks to 10# picks in the course of about 2 weeks. The zucchini have slowed to about half speed on ripening, and even all the greens are sizing up significantly more slowly. On the flip side, lots of the fall crops we have planted for you just aren’t quite ready: beets, winter squash, fall kale, yacon, etc. So we’ve got a couple of weeks of in between shares as we enter September. This will give you a chance to catch up on any veggies that have been building up in your fridge!
In this week’s share you’ve got the roots! You’ve got a lot of potatoes and carrots, an onion; all good to roast, use in a soup, add to a curry or use with your sage, because you all got it (yay!).
Sage has a strong aroma and earthy flavor, which is why it’s typically used in small amounts. Even so, it’s packed with a variety of important nutrients and compounds. Sage plays well with cocktails, soups, pork braises, and more. However you choose to use your sage, pick the leaves off the woody stem for use. To store, simply wrap the sage leaves in paper towels and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Make sure to use the leaves within four to five days. Fresh leaves that are covered in olive oil can be stored for much longer in the refrigerator, about three weeks.
You also have poblano peppers, or anaheims (see week 9 share notes for more on anaheims) . The poblano pepper is not considered a hot or spicy pepper, though they do have a small amount of heat. The poblano has been one of the most popular peppers in Mexico for years. They are served dried, fried with whipped egg, stuffed, or used in sauces such as mole. They are also popular as a salsa ingredient. Store unwashed poblano peppers in the crisper drawer in your refrigerator. Roasted, peeled peppers can be stored in a closed container for a few days in your refrigerator. Raw or roasted peppers can be frozen for a few months then used in various recipes.
Full shares have heads of romaine. You might try this sage vinaigrette. Store Romaine lettuce unwashed in a loosely closed plastic bag in the refrigerator, or wash the leaves, dry them thoroughly, and refrigerate in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Either way, Romaine should last for up to a week. Half shares have either beans or cherry tomatoes, both delicious and easy to use in a salad with the same sage vinaigrette! Enjoy!
Roasted Vegetables with Sage
● 5 cups cubed peeled butternut squash
● 1/2 pound fingerling potatoes (about 2 cups)
● 1 cup fresh Brussels sprouts, halved
● 1 cup fresh baby carrots
● 3 tablespoons butter
● 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
● 1 garlic clove, minced
● 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 425°. Place vegetables in a large bowl. In a microwave, melt butter; stir in remaining ingredients. Add to vegetables and toss to coat.
- Transfer to a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Roast 35-45 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
STUFFED POBLANO PEPPERS
- 1 teaspoon olive oil for the pan
- 4 medium poblano peppers (1 lb. total weight w/ refuse, 12 oz. cleaned)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced (10 oz.)
- ½ medium onion, diced (4 oz.)
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (not fine salt)
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (10 oz.)
- 1 cup part skim mozzarella, shredded (4 oz.)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ cup cheddar, shredded (2 oz.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed oven and broiler-safe baking sheet with foil and brush it with a little olive oil.
Rinse and dry the poblanos. Cut a thin slice off the tops and remove the core and seeds. Cut a slit down the side of each pepper. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt. Cook, stirring often, until liquids have evaporated, about 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in the chicken, the mozzarella and the cilantro, mixing well.
Divide the filling among the peppers, adding it from the top and pressing on it to fill the entire pepper. Place the stuffed peppers on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the poblanos are soft and charred in places, 20-30 minutes (the smell will be amazing!).
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and switch the oven to broil. Top the peppers with the cheddar cheese and broil just until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Sage Vinaigrette
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons roasted garlic
1 tablespoon minced sage
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup pure olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chop the raw garlic in the food processor. Add the Dijon, roasted garlic, herbs, and vinegar. Process well. Add olive oil slowly. Season with salt and pepper. Season with salt and pepper and a splash or two of vinegar.