P r o d u c e & S o u r c e s

Newsletter

B i g , B a s i c , F r u i t , & V e g g i e B a s k e t s

Welcome to the weekly newsletter, which will contain tips about the produce you receive, recipes using several items from the basket, plus other useful information! Beginning July 17th, you can access it on Facebook or our website.

T H I S W E E K ’ S O R D E R

Blueberries Grapes

Nectarines Peaches

Plums Watermelon

Arugula Beets

Broccoli Broccoli Raab

Chervil Kale

Kohlrabi Lettuce

Marjoram Onion

Parsley Savory

Sugar Snap Peas Summer Squash

Swiss Chard

Fr

uit

Ve

ge

ta

bl

e

Featured

New Jersey California California California California California

Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ !Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ Starbrite Farm, Andover, NJ

July 3, 2014

We're Here! New Jersey produce is finally ready! John Kruger of Starbrite Farms in Andover NJ is our supplier of most of our vegetables starting June 19th. !With all the greens one can imagine! Lettuce, endive, arugula, bok choy, swiss chard and other leafy greens tend to monopolize the early summer, but we have thrown in a few peas, broccoli rabe and cucumber to make sure the baskets are well rounded. The fruit is sourced from a little further away than the vegetables, as organic fruit is now very difficult to grow here in the Northeast. The moisture, especially this year, makes a lovely environment for little pests.

www.mountainlakesorganic.comFacebook Pinterest

Photo by Stephanie Perrotti

Photo by Marnie Vyff

Marnie Vyff Barbara Taylor

Stephanie Perrotti

Co-op Manager Marketing Director Editor

S p o t l i g h t s

Kohlrabi Recipes: How To Cook The Tricky Vegetable In Your CSA It's easy to see how kohlrabi could throw you off your game the first time you see it. It looks like someone teleported a vegetable from Mars right into your kitchen. But in truth, kohlrabi is incredibly versatile. Kohlrabi, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale are all cousins, so you can expect that any flavor that goes nicely with one, will be lovely with the other.

After asking a formerly vegetarian friend what she likes to do with kohlrabi best, she said, "Honestly, just peel it, slice it, sprinkle it with salt and eat it raw." We love her style and hope you follow suit. You can basically treat kohlrabi, both the green and purple varieties, like a sweet, overgrown radish. Do be sure to remove all of the peel (which is really tough), unless you plan to cook it until it's soft.

Kohlrabi is a crispy, crunchy alien vegetable that you can prepare in more ways than we were able to catalogue. Here are some of our favorites.

huffingtonpost.com

Blueberries New studies make it clear

that we can freeze blueberries without doing damage to their delicate anthocyanin antioxidants.

Read more about this and what else is new and beneficial about blueberries at whfoods.com

Fruit Blueberries Refrigerate unwashed in original container if planning to eat in a few days. For slightly longer storage, place on paper towel in sealed container. Remove any damaged berries.

Grapes Refrigerate unwashed in perforated plastic bag. Use within a week.

Nectarines, Peaches & Plums Keep unripe fruit at room temperature to ripen or in paper bag to speed up the process. Do NOT refrigerate until fully ripe: this will result in mealy, flavorless fruit. Once ripened, keep in refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Watermelon Store whole melon at 55°F or above. They will keep for two weeks at 60°F, 7-10 days at room temperature and up to a week in hot weather. Refrigerate cut watermelon in covered container and eat in 3-4 days.

S t o r i n g & P r e s e r v i n g

“Hi Folks, We received .6" of rain this past week. I was hoping for more but we’ll take what we can get. As we head into July we typically experience a dry spell until sometime in August. There are scattered and isolated storms predicted for most of the week so hopefully some of these will drop some rain on us. In the meantime we are busy moving the sprinklers around; to help germinate recently planted seeds and to give the brassica, carrot and beet crops the moisture they require.…” Continue reading on Facebook !

John Kruger Farmer, Starbrite Farms

Aversion to GMOs becoming driving factor to buying organic. Of all the thoughts that race through the mind of a mom or dad as they do the weekly grocery shopping and decide whether to put an organic or non-organic item in the shopping cart, the desire to stay away from foods that have been genetically modified has never been greater.

Avoiding GMOs (genetically modified organisms), for themselves or their children, is an increasingly important reason why parents choose organic food, according to the Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) U.S. Families' Organic Attitudes and Beliefs 2014 Tracking Study, a survey of more than 1,200 households across the nation with at least one child under 18.

Almost 25 percent of parents buying organic said that wanting to steer clear of genetically modified foods is now one of their top reasons for selecting organic, the most in the four years the survey has been taken, and up significantly from 16 percent who said the same in 2013. Of the fifteen reasons for buying organic that parents were asked to rate, not buying GMOs showed the biggest jump by far from attitudes a year ago.

Continue reading at potatopro.com

www.mountainlakesorganic.comFacebook Pinterest

Photo by Marnie Vyff

(continued…)

R e c i p e s

Quinoa Confetti Salad with Sugar Snap Peas & Toasted Pepitas kitchentreaty.com !1/2 cup dried quinoa (about 1 1/2 cup cooked) 2 cups sugar snap peas 1/2 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds) 1/2 cup grated carrots (about 2 small carrots) 1/4 cup finely diced red onion (about 1/4 small onion) 1/4 cup minced chives 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper !Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Set aside and allow to cool.

Fill a medium saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the sugar snap peas and boil for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer peas to a few layers of paper towels to dry and cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch long pieces.

Place a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the pepitas and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Add quinoa, peas, and pepitas to a large bowl along with the carrots, onion, and chives. Toss to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss again to coat.

Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.

To store, cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to two days. !!

Baked Oatmeal wholeliving.com !3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for coating baking dish 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cup walnuts or almonds, toasted and chopped 1/3 cup fine-grain natural cane sugar 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt 2 cups milk 1 large egg 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices 1 1/2 cups huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries Maple syrup, for drizzling Steph’s Note: Slice up any of the stone fruit to substitute for the banana and/or berries. !Preheat oven to 375º. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

Combine the oats, half the nuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg, half the butter, and the vanilla.

Arrange bananas in a single layer on the bottom of the coated baking dish. Sprinkle with two-thirds of the berries, then cover with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle milk mixture over the oats. Gently tap dish on a work surface to distribute liquid. Scatter remaining berries and nuts across the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Let cool slightly. Drizzle with remaining melted butter and maple syrup.

Vegetables Arugula Store unwashed with stems loosely wrapped with damp paper towels in plastic bag for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Beets Separate beets from greens, leaving about an inch of the stems. Refrigerate unwashed beets in tightly wrapped plastic bag. Use in 2–3 weeks.

Refrigerate unwashed greens in plastic bag squeezing out as much air as possible. Use in 2-3 days.

Freezing: Greens freeze well. Wash, blanch for 3 minutes, drain, plunge into ice water. Chill for two minutes; drain. Pack in freezer containers or bags. Use within six months.

Broccoli Refrigerate unwashed in open plastic bag. Use in 3-5 days.

Chervil, Marjoram, Parsley & Savory Wrap in damp paper towel and place in plastic bag in refrigerator. Or, trim ends and place in glass jar with 1" of water. Cover with loose fitting plastic bag and refrigerate. Replace water periodically. Herbs will last 1-2 weeks.

Kale & Swiss Chard Refrigerate unwashed greens in plastic bag squeezing out as much air as possible. Use within 5 days.

Kohlrabi Cut off leafy stalks (you can use leaves as you would kale or collard greens) and refrigerate in plastic bag. Use within three days.

Refrigerate unwashed bulbs in plastic bag. Use within ten days.

Lettuce Store unwashed in loosely closed plastic bag or crisper. Do not wash until ready to serve. Best eaten within 2-3 days. Use within a week.

www.mountainlakesorganic.comFacebook Pinterest

(continued…)

Golden Beet and Barley Salad with Rainbow Chard thekitchn.com !4 medium golden beets, tops removed (see Recipe Note) 1 cup dry pearl barley 1/2 large red onion, minced (about 1 cup) 1 bunch (about 1 pound) rainbow chard 3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon, divided 4 ounces feta, crumbled, plus extra for serving 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided Salt and pepper to taste !Heat the oven to 450°F. Loosely wrap the beets in foil and roast them in the oven until they are just fork tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool enough to handle, then peel and dice the beets into 1/2-inch cubes.

Meanwhile, cook the barley. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the barley and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain the barley and return it to the pan. Cover with a clean dishtowel until ready to use.

Place the onions in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside to soak for at least 30 minutes.

Wash the chard and pat dry, but leave some moisture clinging to the leaves. Strip off the leaves, stack them in a pile, and slice them into 1/2-inch ribbons. Set aside. Dice the stems into small bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the diced chard stems with a pinch of salt until they start to turn translucent around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the ribboned chard leaves, half of the lemon juice (1 1/2 tablespoons), and a healthy pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring gently, until it is bright green and has wilted down, another 4 to 5 minutes. If the pan is very dry, add a few tablespoons of water so the chard can keep steaming.

Drain the red onion from the soaking water. Combine diced beets, cooked barley, chard stems and leaves, and red onion in a large mixing bowl. Let everything cool to room temperature, then stir in the feta. Whisk together the remaining lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and stir to evenly coat all the ingredients.

Taste the mixture. As needed, add salt 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Add pepper to taste.

Serve family-style in a large bowl or in individual bowls with extra feta sprinkled over the top. Leftovers will keep refrigerated for one week.

Recipe Notes: If your beets come with their tops still attached, you can substitute them for all or part of the chard.

Swiss Chard and Arugula Pesto onehotkitchen-kim.blogspot.com !1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup good fruity olive oil 1/3 cup walnuts, pine nuts or a mixture 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1/2 lb mixture of swiss chard, leaves removed from the stems, and arugula, tough stems removed 1/2 cup parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste !Toast the nuts until lightly brown. Remove from pan. Add 1 T olive oil and garlic. Toss to coat then add the greens a handful at a time tossing constantly. Steam lightly then remove to cool.

Toss the cooled greens and garlic, nuts, and parmesan cheese in a food processor. Start the motor then slowly add the olive oil. Toss with salt and pepper to taste.

Onions Store in mesh bag or other well-ventilated container in a cool, dry location between 45-55°. Do not store near potatoes. Whole onions will last about two months. Refrigerate cut onions in tightly sealed container and use within 2-3 days.

Sugar Snap Peas For sweetest flavor, serve as soon as possible. Refrigerate unwashed in perforated plastic bag. Use within five days.

Summer Squash Refrigerate unwashed in tightly wrapped plastic bag. Use in 4-5 days.

www.mountainlakesorganic.comFacebook Pinterest

Sources StillTasty The Kitchn Fruits & Veggies–More Matters® The World's Healthiest Foods eHow wikiHow SparkPeople Food Network

Sautéed Broccoli or Broccoli Rabe, Baby Carrots and Yellow Squash vegkitchen.com !1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large or 2 medium broccoli crowns, cut into bite-sized pieces or florets, or 1 good-sized bunch broccoli rabe, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 cup peeled and sliced or julienned carrots, or baby carrots, quartered lengthwise 1 medium yellow summer squash 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or cilantro, more or less to taste 1/4 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes or sliced black olives Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste !Heat the oil in a wide skillet. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two, until golden.

Add the broccoli or broccoli rabe, carrots, and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the broccoli or broccoli rabe just turns bright green. Lift the lid to stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, cut the narrow part of the squash into 1/4-inch-thick circles. Cut the wider part of the squash in half or into quarters lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch-thick half circles or wedges.

Add the squash to the skillet and continue sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are all tender-crisp to your liking.

Remove from the heat, then stir in the parsley or cilantro, and the dried tomatoes or olives. Season with salt and pepper, and serve. !!!!!

Sautéed Kale with Kohlrabi epicurious.com !1 1/4 pound kohlrabi, bulbs peeled 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 pounds kale (2 bunches), stems and center ribs discarded 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios, chopped !Very thinly slice kohlrabi with slicer.

Whisk together lime zest and juice, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss kohlrabi with dressing.

Finely chop kale. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté garlic until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add kale by the handful, turning and stirring with tongs and adding more kale as volume in skillet reduces. When all of kale is wilted, sauté with 1/2 teaspoon salt until just tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Toss kale with kohlrabi and pistachios. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baked Fish Packets with Broccoli and Squash wholefoodsmarket.com !4 (4-ounce) fillets of fish (cod, halibut, salmon, snapper, sea bass, etc.) 1 1/2 cup sliced summer squash 2 cups small broccoli florets 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 4 sprigs fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary or basil Steph’s Note: Use the herbs from the basket 1 small shallot, finely chopped 1 lemon, Juice of !Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut parchment paper or foil into four 12-inch squares and arrange them on a work surface. Fold each piece in half to form a crease down the middle.

Divide squash between the squares, arranging it just to the right of each crease. Top squash with broccoli and garlic, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange one fillet on top of each pile of vegetables, then season fillets with salt and pepper. Top each fillet with an herb sprig and some of the chopped shallots.

Drizzle lemon juice over fillets, then wrap up each square of paper or foil to form a sealed pouch. Transfer pouches to a baking sheet and bake until the fish is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside to let cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then cut pouches open and serve immediately.

www.mountainlakesorganic.comFacebook Pinterest