Tag Archives: Moose Hill CSA

Zucchini Rice And Cheese Gratin

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Ryan B.

Ingredients

Butter for dish
2 1/2 pounds (about 1 1/8 kg) zucchini
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Diamond brand, use 1 1/2 of other brands)
1/2 cup (90 grams) plain, uncooked white rice
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons (75 ml) olive oil, divided
2 large cloves garlic, mashed or finely minced
2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour (optional)
1/2 cup milk, as needed, although water or broth of your choice would work just fine [1/2 cup needed for streamlined directions, less for original]
2/3 cup (55 grams) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish, or 2 smaller 1-quart dishes (as I did, with the intention of freezing one).

Prepare zucchini: Wash zucchini and trim ends. Halve lengthwise, and if seeds are particularly large, core them out. Coarsely grate and place in a large bowl.

Prepare remaining ingredients: In a large frying pan, cook the onions slowly in 3 tablespoons oil for 8 to 10 minutes until tender and translucent. Raise heat slightly and stir several minutes until very lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add uncooked rice and sauté for another two minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Assemble gratin: Transfer to bowl with zucchini and stir together with 1/2 cup liquid of your choice and all but 2 tablespoons cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

Bake gratin: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until rice within is cooked but not mush. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Remove foil, drizzle top with remaining olive oil (or dot with butter), sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake uncovered until browned and crisp on top, about another 10 to 15 minutes. For extra color, you can run it under the broiler for one minute at the end.

Source

Smitten Kitchen

CSA Pickup: Week 12

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Matt E.

A very bountiful pickup awaits! Corn and tomatoes are coming in very strong, yet we are still awaiting our melons, collard greens, cauliflower, and second planting of cucumbers to be ready for pickup.

Hers is this week’s list:

Onions
Garlic
Squash
Corn
Tomatoes
Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Green Beans
Beets
Kale
PYO cherry tomatoes
PYO zinnias

Monday is fish pickup for those of you with fish.

As always, we are selling pasture raised beef from the Trustees, spices from Organic Green Kitchen, Moose Hill Community Farm cookbooks, and our delicious honey!

Drying Chili Peppers

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Ryan B.

Drying chili peppers is a great way to store them for the long-term. You don’t want to waste any of those chili peppers picked from that huge harvest this year. Here are a few ways to dry them so they don’t go to waste.

The Basic Method for Drying Chili Peppers

Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt, then dry.

Place on a plate or a wire rack in a dry, well ventilated room. You can also string the chilies up on string or thread and hang to dry. Within several weeks, you will have dried chili peppers and you can grind them up or use them as ornaments as desired.

Oven Drying Instructions

Wash your chili peppers thoroughly after picking to remove any dirt.
Cut them in half, lengthwise to expose the pepper innards.
Arrange the chili peppers over a baking sheet.
Bake at low heat, about 100 to 135 degrees.
There is no set time to bake the chili peppers for drying. Keep an eye on them, turning every few minutes or so. You can leave the oven door cracked for some air flow. It will take several hours with this method. Keep in the oven until the moisture has been baked out of them. Use as desired!

Drying Chili Peppers Without an Oven – Air Drying

In this case, dry your chili peppers whole. Do not slice.
String them together on some strong thread with a few inches between each jalapeno peppers.
Hang the chili peppers in direct sunlight. Be sure it is dry and warm.

It can take several weeks for the jalapeno to completely dry with this method, but it’ll be worth it!

Last but not least, you can also consider a food dehydrator, which is a more fool-proof method of drying chili peppers.

Drying Chili Peppers with a Dehydrator

A dehydrator is probably the easiest method for drying chili peppers. A dehydrator encloses the chili peppers and dries them overnight in soft heat. Slice them up before dehydrating for faster dehydration. You can find dehydrators in stores or online.

What can you do with your dried chili peppers?

Grind them up to make your own chili powder, which is like cayenne powder, or keep them whole and use them as you might use a sun-dried tomato. They can be rehydrated with hot water and go great with many recipes!

Sources

Ultimate Guide to Drying Hot Chili Peppers

Storing Chili Peppers – How To Dry Hot Peppers

Drying Chili Peppers

CSA Pickup: Week 11

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Matt E.

Tomatoes Tomatoes are finally here! A very bountiful harvest awaits this week with several crops coming in healthy and plentiful. While we were able to pull in one harvest of potatoes last week, we may have to wait a bit more before the remaining potatoes reach their ideal size. Here is this week’s list…

Swiss Chard
Onions
Garlic
Cucumbers
Squash & Zucchini
Tomatoes
Eggplant
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Sunflowers
Tatsoi
Kale
Green Beans
Corn
Pick Your Own Cherry Tomatoes

Monday is fish pickup for those of you with fish.

As always, we are selling pasture raised beef from the Trustees, spices from Organic Green Kitchen, Moose Hill Community Farm cookbooks, and our delicious honey!

Canning Class Tuesday August 15th

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Matt E.

Interested in learning more about canning and preserving your Tomatoes? Register for a canning class this Tuesday hosted by our gracious shareholder Terry Greenstein. Terry will lead participants in harvesting various ingredients including tomatoes in our fields, followed by a canning demonstration in making a spicy salsa at the Moose Hill Nature Center.

The class this Tuesday the 15th will run from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. See link below to register…Hope to see you there!

http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/program-catalog#results:sanctuary=10:keywords=canning

CSA Pickup: Week 10

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Matt E.

A bountiful array of food awaits for this week’s distribution, yet due to the irregular weather patterns as of late, the tomatoes are sadly not quite ready. Carrots, cucumbers, and squash will be given out today (Monday), yet they may be rather slim later this week. Here is what to expect at pickup this week:

Green Beans
Onions
Carrots
Garlic
Squash
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Hot and Bell Peppers
Corn
Tatsoi
Arugula
Mizuna
Sunflowers
Pick your own cherry tomatoes

Monday is fish pickup for those of you with fish.

As always, we are selling pasture raised beef from the Trustees, spices from Organic Green Kitchen, Moose Hill Community Farm cookbooks, and our delicious honey!

How To Use Mizuna

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Matt E.

Several of you have been asking how to use this uncommon green that we have been giving out at distribution. After doing a bit of research I found a variety of methods, and I included a link to a recipe of Mizuna Quinoa Salad. Enjoy!

Using Mizuna

Mizuna is an Asian green that is commonly found in baby lettuce mixes. It’s a mild tasting green that can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Here are a few easy ways of how to use it.

Salad. Wash and chop the salad into bite size pieces. Mix with lettuce or any greens for salad. Try spinach and arugula, or even by itself.

Pasta. Even Asian greens can be tossed with pasta and fresh parmesan. One option is to use Mizuna with bok choy, penne, and parmesan. Boil noodles of your choice al dente. While the noodles are cooking sauté chopped mizuna in olive oil with garlic. When the noodles are ready, drain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Toss the noodles, parm, and a bit of the pasta water together in a skillet over low heat. Add more pasta water if the mixture looks dry. Can be served with crushed red pepper and more cheese.

Risotto. Another Italian-inspired use for mizuna! Stir chopped and cleaned mizuna into a batch of risotto at the end of cooking, and pair with mushrooms for an earthy dish.

Stir-fry. Asian greens are of course perfect for stir-fry! Pair with any vegetables in your share, lots of garlic, ginger, and tofu if you prefer.

Soup. Goes well with miso soup, and can be tossed into any vegetable soup at the end of cooking. Mizuna would also pair well with chicken noodle or light creamy soups.

Grain Salads. Here is a link for Mizuna Quinoa Salad with Lemon Scallion Vinaigrette. Toss raw mizuna with farro, quinoa, rice, barley, or any grain for fresh salad.

Sauté. The simplest of all…Wash mizuna and then toss in a pan with garlic and olive oil.

Reference:

7 Ways to Use Mizuna, https://www.earlymorningfarm.com/7-ways-to-use-mizuna/

CSA Pickup: Week 9

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Matt E.

Halfway through the season already! Tomatoes are approaching but are still not quite ready this week. Corn is also on the horizon, but was not quite ready to be harvested this morning. Here is what to expect at distribution this week…

Green Beans
Carrots
Bulb Onions
Garlic
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Squash and Zucchini
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Arugula
Mustard Greens
Mizuna
Brocoli
Pick your own Sunflowers

Monday is fish pickup for those of you with fish.

As always, we are selling pasture raised beef from the Trustees, spices from Organic Green Kitchen, Moose Hill Community Farm cookbooks, and we just received a new batch of honey!

Storing Our New Veggies

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Matt E.

Here are some quick tips about storing some of our new additions of garlic, eggplant, onions, peppers, and beans. Gotta keep those veggies for as long as possible!

Eggplant

Refrigerate?: No

At Freshest: 1 week

Optimal Storage: Store loose or in a breathable bag in a cool place. Refrigeration can lead to browning and off-flavors.

Freezing: Wash, peel, slice about ⅓-in/8-mm thick, blanch with ½ cup/120 ml lemon juice per 1 gl/3.8 L water, immerse in ice water, drain, then freeze in airtight container, leaving ½-in/12-mm of headspace.

Usage: Salt the flesh of older eggplant to remove bitterness.

Garlic and Shallots

Refrigerate?: Unpeeled, no; peeled, yes

At Freshest: Unpeeled, a few weeks to several months (garlic will last a bit longer); peeled, up to several weeks

Optimal Storage: Store unpeeled garlic and shallots in a cool, dark, and dry place in a well-ventilated container such as a basket or mesh bag. Do not store in plastic. To help prevent the heads from drying out, leave the papery skin on and break off cloves as needed. If peeled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Freezing: Peel garlic or chop shallots and store in an airtight container. Both will lose crispness when thawed but will retain most of their flavor.

Usage: In gardens, green garlic leaves can be used just like green onions. Similarly, if garlic grows a shoot while in storage, that can be eaten as well. Even garlic flowers are edible and have a mild flavor. Garlic scapes can also grow small shoots of garlic after being stored for several weeks.

Blend garlic with basil or blanched kale stems and other ingredients to make a pesto, which can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Green Beans

Refrigerate?: Yes

At Freshest: 3 to 5 days

Optimal Storage: Green beans and peas are fragile vegetables; they quickly degrade in quality, even at cold temperatures. Store unwashed peas and beans in the refrigerator in a breathable bag in the high-humidity drawer, but try to eat them as quickly as possible.

Freezing: Blanch, immerse in ice water, drain until dry, and then place in an airtight container.

Usage: If the pods are too tough to eat (this can happen when beans are over mature and bulging from the pods), they can still be shelled and eaten or refrigerated in an airtight container and used within 2 days.

Although often the ends of the beans are cut off before cooking, they need not be—remove only the stem end and enjoy the rest of the bean.

Salvage less-than-ideal green beans by removing any that are soft to the touch or slimy. Wash the remainder in cold water.

Briefly cooking older green beans can enhance their flavor.

Onions

Refrigerate?: No

At Freshest: Whole, several months; cut, 7 days

Optimal Storage: Store whole onions in a cool, dark, dry, well-ventilated place. Do not store in plastic. Remove onions with mold or other signs of dampness immediately so others aren’t affected. Storing in hanging sacks is a great idea, as it encourages ventilation. Do not store near potatoes; onions will cause the potatoes to sprout. Partially used onions should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, with the peel left on if possible.

Freezing: Remove the skins and root. Chop and freeze raw. Don’t blanch. Plan to use in cooked dishes when thawed.

Peppers

Refrigerate? Yes

At Freshest: Whole, 5 to 7 days; cut, 3 days

Optimal Storage: Do not wash until ready to use. Store in a breathable bag in the low-humidity drawer of the refrigerator. Store cut peppers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Freezing: Wash and core peppers, chop and lay out on a baking sheet to freeze, then transfer to an airtight container. Can also be blanched. Or roast peppers and then flatten them and pack into zip-top freezer bags. Best used for cooked dishes, as crispness can be lost when thawed.

Usage: Drying (hot peppers)—If you have a lot, string them up together and hang in a well-ventilated place in the sun as long as the evenings don’t get cool enough to cause dew. Alternatively, use a dehydrator or place in the oven at 120ºF/50ºC for several hours until fully dry.

Green peppers last a lot longer than red peppers, which are fully ripe when picked. All peppers start out green on the plant, then change to red or yellow, purple, etc.

Reference:

savethefood.com, I want to store vegetables

Smokey Eggplant Dip

Posted on July 20, 2017 by Ryan B.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, or to taste
6 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste), well-stirred if a new container
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced or pressed
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste, if desired
Pinch of cayenne or aleppo pepper
Pinch or two of ground cumin
2 tablespoons well-chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
Toasted sesame seeds or za’atar for garnish

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F. Brush a baking sheet or roasting pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Prick eggplants a few times with a fork or tip of a knife. Over a gas flame, grill or under a broiler, evenly char the skin of your eggplants. I like mine quite smoky and like to leave no purple visible. Transfer to a cutting board, and when cool enough to handle, trim off stem and cut lengthwise. Place cut side down on prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until very, very tender when pressed. Let cool to room temperature.

In a blender or food processor: Scrape eggplant flesh from skin and into the work bowl. Add tahini, lemon, cayenne, cumin and 1 tablespoon parsley. Blend in short bursts (pulses) until combined but still coarsely chopped.

By hand: Scrape eggplant flesh from skin and onto a cutting board. Finely chop the eggplant, leaving some bits closer to pea-sized. In a bowl, whisk together tahini, garlic, lemon, cayenne, cumin and half the parsley. Add chopped eggplant and stir to combine.

Both methods: Taste and adjust ingredients if needed. I usually need more salt and lemon.

To serve: Spoon into a bowl and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Scatter with second tablespoon of parsley, and some toasted sesame seeds or za’atar, if desired. Serve with pita wedges.

For a big delicious summer meal, you could serve this with a tomato-cucumber salad, ethereally smooth hummus and pita wedges. If you’d like to be fancy, grilled or pan-roasted lamb chops are wonderful here too.

Source

Smitten Kitchen