More on Kale

Found another resource regarding kale and other greens that you might like to read for more detailed information. Check it out at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/greens.html.

Kale

An experimental first message from Rita:
Writing isn't my strong point, but I do enjoy cooking, so will share a recipe that you can use with the kale. One of our CSA members shared this with me and we also thought it a tasty recipe.

Restaurant-style Zuppa Tuscana 6 servings
1 lb smoked sausage cooked and cut into ½" slices
2 potatoes cut into ¼" slices
3/4 c chopped onion
6 slices bacon
1½ t minced garlic
2 c kale--washed, dried, shredded
2 T chicken soup base
1 quart water
1/3 c heavy whipping cream
Fry onions and bacon together. Remove bacon pieces and crumble. Add garlic to onions and continue to fry for 1 minute. Add soup base, water, and potatoes and simmer 15 minutes. Add bacon, sausage, kale and cream. Simmer 4 minutes longer. Serve.

We also like kale in quiche. Recently, I sautéd some swiss chard with green onions and a small pepper which had matured to red. That was tasty and very attractive with the vibrant green, red, and white colors. I believe that the main trick with kale, swiss chard, and bok choy is to chop the stem separately from the leaf (or remove it from a tougher leaf of kale) since the stem needs more cooking time and the leaf portions can be added a few minutes before serving a stir fry or soup.

Zukes!

One of the very first days that I was here on the farm, my job was to plant rows of squash, zucchini, and cucumbers. I was incredulous. Yes, I understand mentally that seeds grow into plants, and understand more or less how it works, but... it seemed that it would be forever before these seeds would turn into plants that could grow any kind of actual food. Besides, last summer I tried to grow zucchini at my house in Kansas City, and I failed miserably. I hoped and watered and watched and coaxed until the plants were green giants sporting bombastic yellow flowers, only to come out one day to find them all nibbled off at the base of the plant before I even got one single zucchini.

Since planting these squash rows, I haven't done a whole lot with them, until yesterday. I stood at the beginning of the rows mentally preparing myself for a long day of weeding, when I noticed that I wasn't just seeing yellow flowers but also big green fruits peeking out between the weeds. I know this moment is the planned outcome of gardening, but it seems there are so many ways it can go wrong and that it is so out of our control, that the actual harvest is highly improbable.

But here were are--today I was able to put the first zucchini of the season into CSA boxes, and last night Rachel and I enthusiastically introduced Kim to our favorite zucchini casserole. I can't help but feel a little proud and a lot in awe of the ability of plants to produce food from the soil.

Here are two of the best zucchini recipes, ever.
Enjoy,
Miriam

Zucchini Casserole
This is the dish we wait for every summer--and we liked only having to share it between the three of us yesterday :)
2-3 zucchini, unpeeled--cube
3-4 carrots, grated
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
seasoned stuffing (yesterday we used wheat bread cubed and sprinkled with basil, oregano, garlic, & parsley)
butter
1 med onion, grated
Saute zucchini, onion, and carrots in butter. Add mushroom soup and sour cream. Put in greased casserole pan.
Brown stuffing in butter. Mix 3/4 c. in casserole and place some on top of casserole. Bake 35-45 min in 350F oven

Zucchini Cake
Anyone who thinks you can have too much zucchini hasn't had this cake.
1/2 c. margarine
1/2 c. salad oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs.

Cream well. Then add:
1 t vanilla
1/2 c sour milk
4 T. cocoa
1 t. soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Stir in grated zucchini (2+ cups). Put in 9x13" pan and sprinkle with 3/4 c. chocolate chips. Sprinkle with 2 T. sugar.
Bake at 325 for 40-45 min.

Strawberry Fields Forever.........

In preparation for this Tuesday's CSA shares, we picked 100 quarts of strawberries. This was partly because there were so many hands around to pick--Ginette, the oldest Friesen daughter, was in town with her husband Chad Swanson and his brother Reid. The three summer interns at Sunny Slope (Miriam and Rachel Friesen, and Kim Schmidt) were also available for picking, the first activity that the entire Friesen/Sunny Slope Farm crew did together for the summer.

100 quarts was much more than we could put in the shares, of course, and we have since been swimming in ripe strawberries and pulling out every strawberry recipe we can think of. In case you have some extra strawberries (or want to come take some strawberries off our hands...) here are a few of our favorites:

Strawberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (Simply in Season)
1 C Strawberries
4 t. rice vinegar
4 t. lemon juice
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 t honey
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. each garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil leaves, dried parsley flakes, pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
Puree strawberries in blender. Add remaining ingredients except oil. Blend, then gradually add oil while blending on low speed.

Strawberry Bread (Simply in Season)
1 c flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/4 c strawberries (mashed)
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c oil
2 eggs
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda.
Mix together, stirring until just combined. Pour into greased 8-in loaf pan and bake in preheated oven at 350F/180C until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (1 hour).

Chilled Strawberry Soup (Simply in Season)
1 c apple juice (actually, we tried it with orange juice, which was still good!)
3/4 c water
2/3 c sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
Combine in saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat (or microwave in glass bowl until boiling. Remove from heat; cool.

3 c. strawberries
1/4 c water
Puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl.

2 c plain yogurt
1 t vanilla
Add to pureed strawberries with juice mixture. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Garnish with additional strawberry halves. The soup freezes well and is especially good with small ice crystals left in.

Strawberry Pie (Simply in Season)
1 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
Blend in a saucepan

1 c strawberries (mashed)
1/2 c orange juice or water
Add and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

2 T lemon juice.
Stir in and cool

4-6 c whole strawberries
9-inch baked pastry shell/crust
When cooked fruit is cool, gently fold in additional strawberries and pour into crust. Chill for 3 hours.

Mabrooshee (Note from Miriam: This is a recipe I brought back from Nazareth. My friend Laura worked in a hostel and part of her job was to prepare "cake" for the guests, and this was it. I would call this a bar cookie, not a cake, but whatever it is, it is pretty delicious)
3 eggs
3 T. baking powder
1 T. vanilla
2 c sugar
1 c oil/butter/shortening
Mix together; add flour until not sticky.
Set aside about 1/3 of the dough, press the rest of the dough into a 9x13 pan. Spread a thin layer of strawberry jelly or jam on top followed by a layer of fresh sliced strawberries (actually this can be done with any jam or fruit filling, but it's strawberry season so we're calling it a strawberry recipe). Use a cheese grater to grate reserved dough over the top. Bake at 300F until golden (about 45 min)

Last but not least:
Strawberry Daiquiris (Cooking Light)
1 c. halved strawberries
1/2 c. Simple Syrup (Combine 1 1/4 c sugar and 1 c. water in small saucepan; bring to a boil; cook 1 1/2 min or until sugar dissolves stirring occasionally. Yields 1 1/2 c, enough for three batches of daiquiris)
1 T lemon juice
3 c. crushed ice
1/2 c. rum
3 T lime juice
Combine first three ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discard solids. Combine strawberry mixture, 3 c. crushed ice, rum and lime juice in blender; process until smooth. Yields 6 servings.

We'd love to hear your strawberry recipes too! We've still got a lot of strawberries to get through...

Early Summer Recipes

Sun Country Deviled Eggs (from the American Egg Board)
2 T. chopped dried tomatoes
6 hard-boiled eggs
2 T. Italian dressing

Reconstitute tomatoes according to package directions, drain and finely chop. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove and mash yolks. Stir in tomatoes and dressing until well blended. Refill whites, using about 1 T. yolk mixture for each egg half. Chill to blend flavors.

***

Clafuti (Egg custard)
3/4 C flour
4 eggs
1 can evaporated milk or cream
1 1/4 C. sugar
2 C. Rhubarb
1 C. Cherries

Beat eggs. Add other ingredients. Bake in 9 inch square pan at 325F for 1 hour.