Hey-o! I apologize for those of you who missed the paper boxletter. The first week of session tends to be filled with a bit more chaos than normal. I will try and post this here each week so if need be you can find it online!
Week 1 Box Contents
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Beets
- Winter Squash
- Green Tomatoes
- Whole Wheat Flour
- Lady Alice Apples
- Spinach
- Mustard Greens or Pea Shoots or extra Spinach
- Leeks
Recipes
How’d it get to be November already? Welcome to our Fall CSA! While I certainly miss summer, I get to the point that the fall is welcome and that I embrace the roots and squash of the Fall season. Hearty, warming dishes packed full of necessary nutrients to get us all through the cooler months. Please let me know if there are ever any box contents you need extra help with, we are more than happy to provide any help!
-Liz
Beef and Squash Chili
I get a variety of recipes in my inbox each week, most are uninspiring but this one peaked my interest. A bottle of beer in a pot of chili is definitely a must, toasted dried chilies and some shred-y beef? Yes please. If beans are your thing too, absolutely by all means toss in a can of black beans here it surely can’t hurt.
1 dried ancho chile
1 dried pasilla chile
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1/2″ pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 large white onion, finely chopped(or a leek or two sliced wouldn’t be bad!)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager
1 small winter squash, peeled if needed, sliced into thin wedges, then into 1″ pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Sour cream
Chopped avocado
Sliced red onion (for serving)
Toast chiles in a dry small skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally and pressing down to help them make contact with the pan, until darkened in color and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water; let sit 30 minutes to soften. Drain; remove seeds and stems. Purée chiles and broth in a blender until smooth, about 1 minute.
Once chiles have soaked 10 minutes, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Season beef with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. At this point, quite a bit of liquid will have accumulated; continue to cook until it has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot, then white onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, 6–8 minutes; onion juices will help loosen anything left on bottom of pot. Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Return beef to pot and add beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost completely reduced, about 4 minutes. Add chile purée, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly thickened and meat is tender, 20–25 minutes. Add squash; cover and cook until tender, 10–15 minutes. Stir in lime juice.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Toss pumpkin seeds and remaining 1 teaspoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool.
Serve chili topped with sour cream, avocado, red onion, toasted pumpkin seeds.
Adapted from Epicurious.com
Fermented Green Tomato Salsa
It’s that time of year when we get to harvest all those ‘maters that we know just won’t ripen on the vine. By all means we can let them ripen on our counters and they will still be better than anything you will find in a grocery store, but why not embrace their greenness and make this salsa?
About 6 medium sized, green tomatoes…or a combination of smaller tomatoes to make about 4 or 5 cups of chopped tomatoes.
1 or 2 red to red-ish tomatoes
3-5 jalapenos
1 large onion
1 bunch cilantro
5-7 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar with “The Mother” (like Bragg’s)
1 teaspoon yogurt with active cultures
3 teaspoons sea salt
3 teaspoons chili powder (optional)
Run the fresh tomatoes, onion and peppers through a food processor. Pulse them till they achieve a good rough chop, or chop them by hand. Put them all in a large mixing bowl.
Mince the garlic and cilantro, and add them both to the tomato mixture.
Stir in the lime juice, apple cider vinegar. Add yogurt and chili powder and salt and stir well.
Pack salsa into large glass jars, make sure all the salsa is submerged adding clean water as needed.
Fill a small Ziploc bag with clean water and insert into the top of the jar to ensure the salsa stays submerged. Alternatively, if you have fermentation lids, use them here.
Set aside for 3-5 days (checking the taste periodically) in a cool, dark place away from sunlight.
After fermentation, remove the fermentation lids if used and replace with regular canning lids. Store in fridge for up to 6 months (or more).
Indian Spiced Mustard Greens
This spread on some warm pita or naan topped with a little crumbled feta, maybe thrown under the broiler for a minute would not make me mad. This as a side to some grilled steak or fish? Yes. Please.
1 bunch mustard greens, trimmed and chopped
1 bunch spinach
2 tablespoons cornmeal
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the mustard greens and cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for 30 seconds. Drain the greens, transfer to a food processor and puree. Sprinkle the cornmeal over the greens and pulse briefly to combine. Transfer the pureed greens to a bowl.
Add the garlic, jalapeños and ginger to the food processor and finely chop. Add the onion and finely chop.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic-onion mixture and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the pureed greens and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally; add about 1/4 cup of water if the greens look dry. Season with salt to taste.
Jubilee Farm 