August 11, 2012 - Share #5

IN THE BOX:

Beans

An array of heirlooms.

Carrots

Squash

Celery

Onions

Tomatoes

Corn - new! Store in the fridge.

Basil

Asian spinach 

Garlic

Arugula or Sorrel

OPTIONAL: Squash Blossoms

NOTES ON THE BOX:

Squash Blossoms:
This week we have an optional add-on of squash blossoms. Squash blossoms are very delicate, and so they are best used within 24 hours after being harvested. If you remove the stamen from the inside of the blossom, place between damp paper towels, and store in a plastic bag in the fridge, they might keep for up to two or three days. However, the longer you wait, the less perfect the squash blossoms will be when you do use them. If you are up for the challenge, please take a pint!

Squash blossoms can be prepared in a number of different ways. Featured intern Katie prefers to fry her squash blossoms in a traditional Italian preparation (see below for the recipe). Samuel, our resident chef, stuffed his squash blossoms with a mixture of ricotta and herbs, similar to this Italian recipe. Or, simply wash them off gently, sliver them up, and add them raw to a salad or to a main dish as a garnish. They truly are delicious.

Katie's fried squash blossoms.

Thank you to Samuel for waking up at 3 AM to harvest these beautiful blossoms!

Heirloom tomatoes:

This week, as last, there is a beautiful heirloom tomato in your box. Heirlooms stand out for their exceptional appearances and flavor, but what exactly is an heirloom? There are many different definitions for what makes a tomato an heirloom, but a common one is that heirloom varieties must have existed before 1945. This year marks not only the end of World War II, but also the year after which hybridization of varieties became widespread. Many heirloom varieties have actually been around for a great deal longer, some even perhaps in pre-historic times! Heirlooms, therefore, are never genetically modified. Many, such as the Striped German, Rose, Black Krim, and Cherokee Purple tomatoes that we grow at Frog Holler have distinct appearances and unusual colors. All of the heirlooms we have are exceptionally tender and delicious. We hope you enjoy them!

NOTES FROM THE FROG HOLLER RECIPE BOX:

We started off this week with a recipe for Braised Green Beans and Summer Vegetables that utilized beans, squash, onions, tomatoes, basil, and some of Shannon's famous vegetable broth (we substituted basil for oregano, adding it for the last two minutes of cooking). This No-Bake Summer Lasagna is a fresh take on an old classic. Another tasty option for green beans and basil is this Pesto Pasta with Qunoa, Sundried Tomatoes and Green Beans (or try subbing fresh tomatoes for the sun dried tomatoes!)

With the next patch of carrots sizing up, we've been enjoying the bounty of carrots, carrots, carrots! We eat 'em raw with hummus, juice them, and of course cook with them. This week, we made a meal out of this tasty recipe for Sesame-Honey Tempeh, Carrot Slaw & Quinoa. If you are looking for a simpler side dish, try these Roasted Carrots with Cardamom Butter. Delicious and nutritious!

Arugula is always a great choice for salads, especially when lettuce is scarce in the heat of summer. For starters, try this recipe for Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan and Balsamic Vinaigrette. Along the same lines as an arugula pesto, this recipe for Pasta with Arugula and Goat Cheese Sauce has a comfort food feel with a little extra zing from the arugula.

For those of you who opt for sorrel with your box, enjoy the fresh lemony flavor of this salad herb. Like arugula, sorrel is an essential component of our Frog Holler salad mix, and we recommend cutting it up into medium size pieces to put it in your own salads. Sorrel also makes a great base for Sorrel Pesto, such as in this gourmet recipe. Sorrel Soup is a classic French dish, and this recipe is adapted from one of Julia Child's famous cookbooks. A few weeks ago, during the heat of July, we made a tasty Iced Sorrel-ade, a Jamaican-inspired iced beverage.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD:

We are really in the thick of things here! We are harvesting two squash patches, two bean patches, and two tomato patches, each of which get picked every other day. It's a lot of picking, but our crew has backs of steel and are up for the challenge.

MEET THE INTERN: KATIE BATTISTONI

You might recognize our first-year intern Katie Battistoni from around town, either playing her guitar at the market or bringing you your box at the stall. Katie was first inspired to work on a farm after reading Thoreau's Walden and thinking about the importance of self-sufficiency. When she came out to Frog Holler with friends for a winter sweat lodge, Katie fell in love with the farm and soon decided that she wanted to spend a summer learning about growing food and working the land.

One area in which Katie has taught all of us quite a great deal is squash blossoms. We had never really harvested or eaten them, but Katie grew up making squash blossoms with her father and started frying them up when it was her turn to cook. We were all quickly converted! Katie's father learned this recipe for Fiori, as she insists that it be called, from his grandmother who grew up in Italy, and she wanted to share it with all of you. We promise you won't be disappointed!

Katie fries up some 'fiori.'

Although she has committed herself to farming for the summer, Katie is at heart a jazz guitarist. She graduated from the University of Michigan's School of Music last year, and plays gigs around Ann Arbor. Her greatest musical inspiration is the Beatles, and she first picked up a guitar because of George Harrison. She writes her own lyrics, often adapting them from the poetry that she writes on her typewriter in the cabin. You can see her play at Holler Fest on Friday at 8 PM in the cabin (which, coincidentally, is where Katie lives on the farm!)

Katie in the cabin.

Katie's many talents also extend into the athletic arena. In high school, she was an all-state cross country champion, and on the farm she continues to run on the trails and country roads. Last weekend, she ran in the Run Manchester 5K race, winning her age group and coming in 7th overall for men and women. One of her goals is to run a marathon in the near future, and we feel that she is well on her way!

Katie with her gold medal.

Recently, Katie has picked up stargazing as a hobby. Climbing parking structures around Ann Arbor, she has spent many an evening studying constellations and enjoying the beauty of the skies. Since coming to the farm, she has been blown away by how bright the stars shine away from the city's lights, claiming to see twice the number of stars as she ever did in town. Katie wanted to share with your CSA members two exciting sky gazing opportunities on Saturday evening. Around 10 PM in the eastern sky, Saturn (a yellow planet), Mars (a red planet), and Spica (a bluish star within the constellation Virgo) will form an equilateral triangle. Around 2 AM in the western sky, you can expect to see an impressive meteor shower.

We wish Katie luck in all of her many endeavors and hope that you enjoy her great grandmother's recipe!

CSA BOXES:

Thank you to everyone who has been diligently bringing back your CSA boxes! We love to reuse our boxes and appreciate having them returned. Remember that wax boxes such as these cannot be recycled, so please don't put them in the recycling. Even if your box is no longer in pristine condition, we are still happy to take them back. Thanks!

HOLLER FEST PASSES:

With your share this week you will receive two free Holler Fest passes. We hope you can make it August 24-26! 

If you or any of your friends are interested in volunteering at Holler Fest, please check out the Volunteer Page to sign up for a shift in the kitchen, kids area, gate, merch and many more areas. We really, really appreciate our volunteers as they truly help make the festival run!

Katie practices for her show in the cabin.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK, EVERYONE!