CSA News for the Week of May 27th

Reminder: This week we will be distributing vegetable, egg, dairy and meat shares. Next week we will distribute vegetable and trout shares.


 

This Week's Vegetable Share

• Baby Fennel
• Lettuce Heads
• Asparagus
• Red-Stemmed Spinach
• Traditional Spinach
• Green Garlic Bunch
• Jar of Tomato Puree

This Week's Dairy Share

• Mascarpone from Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese in Waterloo, WI
• Dill Havarti from Decatur Dairy in Brodhead, WI
• Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt from Sugar River Dairy in Albany, WI

         (More information plus great recipes are included in the dairy share newsletter.)

This Week's Meat Share

• Thick-Cut Porkchops & Breakfast Sausage from Byers Family Farm in Brodhead, WI
• Ground Beef & either Stew Meat or Fajita Meat from Riemer Family Farm in Brodhead, WI
• Chorizo-Spiced or Gyro-Spiced Lamb Sausage from Sandhill Family Farms in Brodhead, WI           

           (More information plus great recipes are included in the meat share newsletter.)

Summer Share Registration
The summer season starts the week of June 24th. If you're thinking about registering for a dairy, meat or trout share, there's not time like the present. We have a limited number of shares, so they are sold on a first-come first-served basis. Registration will close in a few short weeks and we'd hate for you to miss out! Registration is online at http://sandhillfamilyfarms.com.


Vegetable Notes

Green garlic is the immature stage of the garlic plant. We plant our garlic in October and harvest the bulbs in July. We allow most of our plants to develop bulbs, but a small portion are harvested in the spring when they look like very large green onions. Use everything but the fibrous dark green tops. I substitute green garlic for garlic cloves in many different recipes since the flavor and pungency are very similar.




The immature garlic plant looks like a cross between a small leek and a green onion.

Raw fennel has a distinct anise flavor that is mellowed by the process of cooking. The whole plant, including the fronds, can be cooked. Sauteed or braised fennel is excellent paired with baked or broiled fish and a touch of butter and lemon. Another of my favorite ways to use fennel is to sauté sliced fennel with onion and some Italian sausage. Then I add it to hot pasta, mix in wilted greens (spinach, chard, etc), drizzle some olive oil on top and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and salt to taste.



A bed of fennel grows next to a bed of swiss chard in one of the hoophouses.



Know your Food, Know your Farmers: A Profile of Nadia Stefko

Nadia Stefko has worked with us at Sandhill for three seasons. Nadia arrived on the farm by way of the University of Chicago Divinity School. She has finished her degree and is now in the ordination process in the Episcopal Church. Before deciding to go to divinity school, Nadia spent 5 years in Washington DC, working on campaigns to promote farm workers' rights. This interest, plus her love of hard work and her natural affinity for plants and animals, led her to a job on our farm. She is deeply interested in the ethical aspects of farming, and working here has helped her understand the pros and cons of family-scale farming. She started on our field crew but quickly rose to the rank of field crew leader. This year Nadia is taking on responsibility for more independent projects such as managing our laying hen operation and managing the planting of our direct-seeded crops. Nadia says that the 2 things she loves most about her work are access to wonderful fresh food and the fact that she drops into bed and sleeps like a baby every night. In the future, Nadia would love to work with an Episcopal Diocese that owns farmland, as many of them do. She would like to facilitate the process of converting land to sustainable agricultural and providing fresh food to people in the local community. We can't wait to see where this dream takes her, but in the meantime we are enjoying every minute of our time working with Nadia here at Sandhill!


This Week's Featured Recipes

Grilled Shrimp with Warm Spinach and Fennel Salad
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped green garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
40 (8- to 10-inch) wooden skewers
10-12 ounces spinach, chopped
2 bulbs baby fennel, bulbs and fronds chopped

In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of oil, plus lemon juice, green garlic, salt, pepper, and shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes. Soak skewers in warm water at least 20 minutes while shrimp is marinating.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over low heat and sauté fennel 2-3 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes (do in two batches if necessary). Remove skillet from heat and cover to keep warm.

Heat broiler or grill. Remove shrimp from marinade and thread onto skewers. Broil or grill the shrimp until just done, about 5 to 6 minutes. Serve the shrimp with the spinach.


Orange, Fennel, and Olive Salad

2 small fennel bulbs and stalks, thinly sliced, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons fronds

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 oranges

1/4 cup small olives, such as Nicoise

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

Red-pepper flakes

 

In a bowl, toss fennel with 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Slice away peel and pith of oranges and cut flesh into segments. Add to bowl with fennel and stir in small olives such as Nicoise, reserved fennel fronds, and extra-virgin olive oil. Season with coarse salt, ground pepper, and red-pepper flakes.

Next week's vegetable harvest (our best guess)... lettuce, asparagus, swiss chard, spinach, green onions, cilantro, dill, rhubarb and more