Kretschmann Farm June 8, 2010
don@kretschmannfarm.com www.kretschmannfarm.com
Greetings from the Kretschmanns,
Rain’s over, suns shining, it’s cooled down
and we’re rarin’ to get into those fields where
everything is magically growing while you look at it. Have we been sleeping or is it just we’ve
been hunkered down inside for a week?
Chard, broccoli, kale, lettuce, grass—breakneck growth with our June PA
15 hour days. We’ll count our blessings,
no hail or washing downpours, just a few close calls of lightning to jolt us
upright from bed. And more rain tonight!?
Weird broccoli heads—not sure why they are
so loose. I’m thinking it’s because they
nearly were frozen when young—that’s how the plant looks. But then it’s been overly warm ever
since. Cold would stunt the plant and
cause it to “button’, but heat would cause loosness
from fast growth. Combine the two, and
maybe that’s what we see. The parsley is
“Italian” parsley. Use as you would the
curly type, or it’s especially good in cooking. Strawberries are the glory of
the June season. Enjoy them at any and
all meals. We’ll be in to beets soon,
as well as kale.
The potatoes are a little blessing preserved
in cold storage by our Amish friend, Aaron Schwartz from last season—the last
of ‘09. They are great fried up with greens and onions in a breakfast frittata,
or “mini-stuffed” with cheesy spinach.
Hoping you enjoy the fresh eats as we
progress through the season, we are, sincerely,
Don, Becky, & The Kretschmann Crew
Note: If we ever forget your box at a city stop or
the L stop, give us a call right away that evening because when we return on
Wednesday for the emptie, we can bring another box
for you.
Pasta
with Fresh Spinach, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola Saute
2-3 garlic scapes in 1 tbs
olive oil, add 3/4-1 lb. chopped spinach.
Toss and cook until wilted. Stir in 1/4 lb. sweet walnut pieces* and 6 oz.
crumbled Gorgonzola. Toss until well mixed. Season with pepper and serve over
pasta. (*Sweet
walnuts: mix 1 c.chopped
walnuts well with ¼ c. corn syrup and ¼ c brown sugar. Spread on cookie sheet and bake @ 350 deg.
about 10 min. until crisped. Cool.
Risotto with Swiss Chard and
Winter Herbs Saute in 2 tbs.
olive oil and 1 tbs butter 1 bunch Swiss Chard cut
into strips without stalks, 1 c. chopped green onions, ½ c. chopped garlic scapes, 1 tbs. chopped rosemary leaves, and 1 tbs. chopped
sage leaves, 3 tbs chopped parsley. Cook over low
heat 10 min. Bring 6 c. chicken of
vegetable broth to boil. Add 2 cups rice
to Chard/Herb mixture and stir until rice is coated with oil, about 2 min. Add enough broth to just cover the rice, let
cook, stirring often until the broth is absorbed. Add more broth, just enough to cover the
rice, again stirring often until broth is absorbed. Continue until the rice is al dente and the
risotto is creamy and liquid. Salt to taste. Stir in 1 tbs
butter and grind a little pepper on top.
Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Herbed Pasta: Use any
combination of fresh herbs you like (we like to include about 1/2 oregano),
chopped and tossed with minced garlic into about 1/4c hot olive oil. Let sit about an hour and toss with
pasta.
Our
Favorite Shortcake: Sift 2c. flour, 3 tsp.
baking powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 tbs. sugar.
Mix in 1/2 c. oil well, until evenly distributed. Beat 1 egg and 5/8 c. milk and mix with dry
ingredients. Pat out
with oiled hands or use a plastic spatula to spread dough onto an oiled cookie
sheet about 1/2 " thick.
Bake @375 deg about 20 min. (we use all whole wheat flour with fine
results) Cut up
strawberries and top with whipped cream.
Don’t let anyone say this dish
isn’t more delicious and better for you than anything in that breakfast
aisle at the grocery store.
Spinach/Potato
Fritatta: Dice up 2 c. potatoes with
skins on. Chop up ½ c. onions (green or
bulb)
Spinach
Lasagna: Saute
an onion and 1-2# chopped spinach in olive oil. Add to the ricotta cheese or to
3/4 # cream cheese. Layer with lasagna noodles and tomato
sauce. Bake @ 325 deg. Save time and work making lasagna by using
uncooked noodles, especially when adding vegetables or using more liquid homemade
tomato sauces.
Tabouleh: (Lebanese dish) to 1c. cooked
bulgur (cracked) wheat, add 1/4 c olive oil, 1/4 c lemon juice, 1 bunch finely
chopped scallions, lg bunch finely chopped
parsley. Salt to
taste. Another refreshing
addition is a little finely chopped fresh mint. Serve on bed of lettuce or Lebanese style, wrapped in single
lettuce leaves and eaten out of hand. (Parsley is loaded with vitamin C!)
Washing of the greens: We usually
wash our greens to knock the bulk of rain-splashed soil off the produce. We don’t wash to have them “table ready”. Rewash to your pleasure.
Special Orders: The seven
grain bread we had last week will be available until early July @$4/loaf
--Unfamiliar
Veggie ID notes: The crazy
ropey looking stems which
smell like garlic are garlic scapes. These are
the tender seed shoots of the garlic plant.
Use them anywhere you would use garlic. But it’s lots simpler—just chop
up and sauté in olive oil to add to greens, spinach, meats… http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/dining/18appe.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Oval leafed herb with the scapes which smells like oregano—oregano.
Use fresh or let it dry in an airy place, then crumble between your hands. The large bunched leaves with stems like
colored celery are Swiss Chard.