Dinosaurs or Russians?

This week some CSA members got our Red Russian friend.  An unruly relative of the refined “Lacinto” aka Dinosaur kale, Red Russian kale is flat with fingered leaves (pudgy little fingers), tender with a distinct edge.  Tastes just like...kale.  A good percentage of this variety was underwater several days this spring and so we didn’t have the huge yield we were expecting.  The crop is starting to look a lot better now so everyone will see more of it.  Thursday folks, you got the delicious Dinosaur variety.  Chefs go bizerko over it and--did you notice-- it can be cut into strips more easily than any other kale.

Farm is looking good.  Storm action has us a little more on guard than usual (what am I saying, we are always basket cases!) but we skirted an honest-to-goodness tornado this season so we are feeling lucky.  Todd’s son Max has joined our team of workers so we are additionally fortified and ready for anything.   Tons of squash have been getting in the ground on the farm, plus plantings of lettuce and radishes and beets are getting to size despite soil compaction by heavy rains.  Things are good and getting better.  

Eat your kale with FRESH YOUNG garlic bulbs this week!   They are juicy. More difficult to peel but well worth the effort.

STORING FRESH GARLIC: The best way I think is to just keep it on the countertop without touching anything (and not in the fruit bowl).  Eat within the week if you want the juiciest experience. Good ventilation will start to dry or cure the garlic, condensing the flavor and making it easier to peel.

Also in the share this week are mixed salad greens and a small bunch of delicious chard and a tiny leprechaun.  Chard basics and an archive of recipes can be found here:  http://www.peasantsplot.com/recipe_chard.html

STORING OUR BUNCHED GREENS:  Remember to throw the kale and chard into a reusable bag (can be the same bag) for its time in the fridge.

Good luck from your lucky farmers!  See you in July!

Quick Arugula Salad

Strawberry Arugula Salad

As with most salads, there’s a lot of room to play with the ingredients. If you have only one of the vinegars, use it alone, or try red wine vinegar. If you don’t have poppy seeds, it’s ok to omit them. You can also use spinach instead of arugula. Make it easy!

Arugula                                                       Goat cheese or feta

Strawberries                                              Toasted pine nuts

Dressing:

2 tablespoon white wine vinegar       1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 ½ teaspoon minced red onion          1 tablespoon honey or other sweetener

6-8 tablespoons olive oil                       1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

1 teaspoon poppy seeds                         ¼ teaspoon paprika

¼- ½ teaspoon sea salt

Toast nuts and sesame seeds separately in a skillet over medium-low heat until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool. Be careful on the pine nuts, they go from alabaster to char in a minute!

Combine all of the dressing ingredients except oil in a jar and shake. (Or whisk in a bowl.) Then add oil and shake (whisk) again to emulsify. Toss with arugula; sprinkle on the fruit, cheese and nuts.

Eat! 

Have you ever seen a dog eat a kale chip?

Their teeth are not made for it.

Human teeth, on the other hand, are perfectly suited to breaking down the fibrous stems and leaves of kale.  Those stems always taste like slightly sweet broccoli stems to me--anyone else?  It is the chewy quality of kale that is the number one obstacle to enjoyment, in my experience of talking with CSA members and customers.
Many people, Todd and I included, love kale chopped and cooked on the stove in garlic and olive oil.
If kale is a challenge for you, try the methods below that will drastically reduce the chew factor.

The Massage Method
De-stem and chop your kale.  (Save the stems for boiling into stock for later.)
Splash on equal parts sesame oil and lemon juice.
Generous dash of salt.
With clean hands, massage the salt and dressing into the chopped leaves until the pile of greens visually diminishes (just a couple minutes).
Depending on your personal preference, the leaves may be tender enough for you to enjoy after the massage.  Otherwise, let sit overnight in the fridge to marinate.

The Blanch Method
Boil a pot of water.  Fill a bowl with cold water.
Dump your kale (de-stemmed if you want) into the boiling water for 1 - 2 minutes and then remove with a slotted spoon into the cold water.

You can use the Massage Method or the Blanch Method to break down your kale before integrating into another dish, for example adding to a sauté.
More here:
http://www.peasantsplot.com/recipe_kale.html

"How's the Farm?"
I will mostly let the photos speak for themselves.  As my printed note mentioned last week, the spring has been overly wet.  This means that the soil has been too wet to till for much of the spring.  Todd has been getting on the tractor whenever he can, but many of our plantings are delayed.  Please be patient and don't worry--we will get everything to you over time!
We are not entirely upset about the rain.  In fact, we are thankful for the water because it has surely replenished our wells from last year's drought.  We also skirted a tornado last week.  Cannot complain.

Squash just transplanted last weekend!

Anna, Claire and Jake.

Red Russian kale.

Broccoli.

Dinosaur kale, with some leaves harvested.

We put a line of drip tape along all plants.

Chard, coming along, coming along.

Carrots!

Potatoes--17 rows 200 feet long.

Where the magic happens.

Another view of the packing shed and our truck.

Jay-Z

So many seedlings waiting for transplant.

Ladies and gentlemen...Basil.

Please don't take my picture.

Claire the Optimist.

A garlic scape ...escaping!