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  • Simple Asparagus Ideas

    These two asparagus preparations don’t warrant  recipes, just a couple photos to spark meal ideas.

    Here I washed and trimmed my asparagus and  pan roasted it in olive oil and salt. I added my Hazel Dell mushrooms, you can obviously leave those out, or add something like walking onions or leeks. The point is, compare and contrast textures and flavors. Use what you have and love.

    Sautee the asparagus and whatever else you like in a medium hot pan for about 8 minutes and finished it with a good squeeze of lemon and pepper. Oh boy was this a treat.

    Speaking of treat. Bacon wrapped asparagus bundles are fun to make and eat. Kids love to help make these. You can use any kind of bacon. Turkey, pork, vegan…it all cooks about the same time. You might need to add extra oil if you are using vegan or turkey but just a little.

    Preheat your oven to 400F and toss your asparagus in a little oil and salt and pepper. Wrap two or three spears in bacon and cook for 25 to 30 minutes turning them carefully once or twice until the bacon is done to your liking.

    The asparagus roasts perfectly wrapped in the bacon.

  • Hakurei Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

    Hakurei turnips are a perfect addition to any simple salad. Hakurei’s are juicy and sweet eaten raw. Cooked they become pleasantly soft and buttery.

    I made an old school Honey Poppyseed dressing here. I really like to have a few sauces and dressings in my refrigerator at the ready. This dressing is a great one to have on hand, it’s delicious and keeps for a long time and goes great with any seasonal green or chopped vegetable.

    Poppyseed dressing

    • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 3 Tablespoons honey can substitute with agave or maple syrup if vegan
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
    • pinch salt

    Put everything in a jar with a lid and shake it really well.

    For the salad wash and dry your greens and other salad ingredients, tear large leaves into bite size pieces and slice the Hakurei turnips as thinly as possible. A mandolin works great here. Toss the sliced turnips with a splash of dressing to coat and separate the slices.

    Toss everything together and enjoy!

  • Welcome to Red Wagon Farm’s CSA!

    We are very happy to be starting another CSA season! It has been a busy spring at our farm. The weather has been beautiful but that means things have been non-stop. No rain days for us! We’ve planted the first succession of the early season crops – radishes, peas, lettuce and all the other greens, and a whole bunch more. And most of the summer crops have been transplanted as well – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini. We’re still working on things like melons and winter squash but those will be planted very soon. It’s an exciting time of year!

    There are a few hundred lettuce heads that are almost ready!

    So much of our farm is planned around our CSA members. Wyatt does his crop plan for the entire season based on making sure we have a good mix of veggies to give you each week. I love the CSA model partly because we know how much to plant and at harvest time we know exactly how much we need with no waste. And for many of the crops you take them home within hours of harvest so they are almost as fresh as picking them from your backyard garden.

    Our CSA members are the backbone of our farm. You give us stability and shower us with your gratitude. Farming is hard. There’s no other way to put it. We appreciate every one of you for making Red Wagon possible!

    Amy

  • Welcome 2024 CSA Members

    And…we’re back. Hello and thank you to all new and returning Members.

    The first pickup is always crazy for us, we go from 0-100 in a blink of an eye. It used to be the first pickups were kind of lite and we sort of eased into the season. Not so this year. What a beautiful array of produce we’ll be getting this week.

    If you are new to our CSA or even if you are returning check out this blog for some tips to help you organize and prepare for the week and keep your vegetables fresh and easy to cook until your next pickup.

    Check out this blog as well for the best ways to wash and store your CSA share.

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    You might have a look around here to refresh your memory on past recipes, or if you need inspiration or feel stuck on how to use up your weekly share.

    Also, make sure you bring your bags to pickup and also have enough storage bags and containers to store you CSA haul.

    I’m excited, it feels like it’s going to be a great year.

    I’ll see you at pickup!

    Mo

  • Baked Potato Skins

    Mmmm crispy potato skins filled with your favorite vegetables and proteins and maybe a little cheese.

    Use anything your heart desires, there are no rules, you’ve eaten enough of these to know what you like! Look in your refrigerator for leftover vegetables like broccoli or chard or kale. I had some red chard, meatballs, a little bacon and a few roasted chilies (I wish I had broccoli for the photo) that needed using.  Potato skins are a great way to pull together a really delicious meal.

    To make your potato skins start by baking washed, oiled and salted potatoes in a 400F oven for 40-60 minutes depending on how big your potatoes are. Stab the potatoes a few times so they don’t blow up. Trust me on this and stab them. Make more than you need if you have lots of potatoes that need using up. These freeze beautifully or keep in the refrigerator for several days for quick meals or snacks.

    When the potatoes are done baking, let them cool for a few minutes and cut them in half and scoop out the insides. Save the insides for soups or mashed potatoes. If you’re a bread baker like me, use the insides for making bread or rolls. You can also use the mashed potatoes to stuff the skins and make twice baked potatoes. If you look at the top picture I used mashed potatoes and meatballs for some of my skins.

    Oil the skins and put them skin side up and bake for about 10 minutes to crisp them up.

     

    Then flip them over and fill them with whatever you like.

    Bake them for another 10 or 15 minutes until your fillings are crispy and melty.

    So versatile and so good.

    Have a great week. I’ll see you at pickup.

    Mo

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Celeriac Hashbrowns

     

    I have lots of root vegetables in my refrigerator, I bet you do too. I love making a big batch of various collections of roasted vegetables and using them in different meals throughout the week. This is another way I like to use root vegetables. Like roasted, these pan fried patties make delicious meals easy to pull together. Make more than you think you need. You’ll be happy to have leftovers.

    They look like potato latkes don’t they?

    That’s because I pretty much make them how I make latkes but I prefer to mix and match whatever root vegetables I have. Today I had some potatoes and celeriac. Kohlrabi or rutabagas make great hashbrowns too. Just sub what you have and what you like.

    Aim for about 1 1/2-2 pounds of vegetables for about 8 pretty good sized ‘patties’. Scale this recipe up or down with what you have.

    I used a food processor to grate the vegetables. You could use a box grater if that is what you have.

    • 1 pound celeriac peeled and grated
    • 1 pound potatoes washed and grated. I don’t peel them. I also use whatever potatoes I have. I know people say to only use russet. I use what I have.
    • 1 medium onion grated
    • 1 egg
    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch, potato starch, arrowroot or tapioca starch.
    • salt and pepper and optional red pepper flakes

    Throw everything in a bowl and toss/mix it really well. I know for latkes people squeeze out the water from the potatoes. I don’t ever squeeze. There is liquid at the bottom of the bowl, whatever, it always works out. If you want to squeeze your vegetables though, do it!

    All mixed up it looks dry doesn’t it? Don’t worry it will be great.

    Heat a skillet on the stove for a few minutes on medium. When it’s good and hot add a slick of oil and spoon mounds of the mixture into the skillet. Look at the photo below; It looks dry and like it will fall apart when you turn them. It will be fine, the egg and the starch and the moisture from the vegetables are making delicious magic. Let them cook for about 3 minuets and carefully turn them and give them about 3 more minutes on the second side. Set the finished ones aside and finish the rest.

    We ate these with some soup, dipping them into the soup the first night I made them. With the leftovers I made them into a kind of hybrid breakfast burrito/soft taco. I had some leftover refried beans from last week that were great with the leftover hashbrowns.

    Have a great week.

    Mo

     

  • Vegetable Broth from Leek Greens

    We are asked all the time; can I do anything with leek tops? Yes! Make some homemade vegetable broth! It is so easy to make and far superior tasting to anything you can buy. Making broth at home takes an hour or so and just a few minutes hands on time and lucky you, you are in a CSA so you most likely have everything you need to make at least 2 quarts of broth almost every week!

    Soups, risotto, grain dishes, stews, braising dishes all will taste brighter and more interesting with homemade broth.

    This is a photo from last weeks haul. I knew I wanted to make broth with all those beautiful green tops and trimming; leek tops, carrot tops, kale stems and lettuce heart.

    Here are the leeks trimmed.

    You’ll want to wash the green leek tops really well and save the white leek body for another use. 

    I cut the tops up so the dirt will fall out and put them in the sink with lots of water and swish them around really well.

    Cut up everything else you are using and wash them separately from the leek tops, the leek tops are really dirty but everything else you can wash together.

    There are no rules here, use what to have and what you like; potato peels, apple cores, seeds and guts from butternut squash, peels from beets or kohlrabi, anything–really try anything you have. I’ve never made broth and thought, oh, that didn’t work…. I will say, when you have leeks you almost don’t need anything else. They are that flavorful on their own.

    Cover the prepared leek and vegetable tops and scraps with water, just barely cover them, and add some salt and pepper and maybe a bay leaf or some herbs if you like and bring it to a boil. Boil it medium hard for 5 minutes or so then lower it to a strong simmer for about an hour. Make sure the vegetables stay covered with water, but not too much you don’t want to water it down.

    All the vegetable scraps and peels are mostly water and will break down after cooking for an hour or so and it will smell great when it is done. Taste it as you go add salt and pepper if needed. It is really interesting at first it will taste like mud, like ewww… you will think, this isn’t going to work. After a half hour or so you will start to taste each vegetable and think; I don’t know, is this going to be good?… and after an hour or so it will taste round and full and really flavorful and you will wonder how you ever used store bought broth out of a box.

    When it’s done let it cool and strain it and store it for a week in the refrigerator or freeze it.

    Make some risotto or minestrone soup and enjoy. I’m sure you will be happy with your efforts.

    Mo

     

     

  • Roasted Green Chile Charro Beans

    I was raised calling this dish Charro (cowboy) beans. This is a wonderful complex brothy variation of chili using roasted green chiles vs. classic red-tomato laden, chili.

    This one pot-big batch, robust dish can be made in a pot on the stove, in an Instant Pot, or in a crockpot. A whole pound of roasted green chilies add so much flavor combined with the beans makes a magic broth. You can add tomatoes and meat if you like. It is endlessly adaptable to all sorts off toppings and side dishes. But the star and co-star here are the green chiles and beans.

    All you need are a few ingredients and some time. You can make this quickly with canned beans but it won’t be nearly as delicious as if you make it with dried beans. I like to use either pinto or yellow eye beans. Start by soaking the beans for at least a couple hours if you can. If you don’t have time just give it more cooking time. The beans will cook eventually.

    I used;

    • 1 pound of dry beans (sub 3 cans of beans if not using dry) soaked if possible. I soaked mine overnight.
    • 1 pound of any variety of roasted chiles defrosted peeled and chopped. I used mild Anaheim.
    • Optional pint jar of tomatoes, I had some canned tomatoes from this summers You-pick tomatoes at the Farm. I bet lots of you have summer tomatoes in your pantry or freezer too! You can use store bought canned tomatoes of course.
    • 1 shallot or onion or leek chopped
    • a couple bay leaves, salt and pepper
    • Optional-bacon, ham, chorizo I didn’t use it and didn’t miss it at all.
    • 5 cups of water or stock. I always use water but some people like to use stock.
    • 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil. I forgot to put it in the photo but I always put some oil, or even butter (sounds weird but it is delicious) when I cook beans if I am not using meat. The fat makes the beans creamier and sometimes the beans foam up when cooking and it keeps the foam down….and fat=yum.

    Here are my soaked beans drained and rinsed and vegetables chopped, tomatoes, 5 cups of water and bay leaves.

    I dumped everything into my ancient crockpot with some salt and oil.

    Put the lid on (mine doesn’t fit right because I broke the original decades ago) and set it on high for about 5 hours. 8-10 hours or overnight on low.

    If you are using an Instant Pot follow the directions it comes with for making beans. I think it takes about 30 minutes on high under pressure and use the natural release, but check with your Instant pot directions to be sure. If you are making these on the stove top just keep checking after 2-3 hours until they are done to your liking.

    The house smelling great is usually the best way to tell when the dish is done, but do test your beans and don’t count on the time I’ve given. It’s just a guide. Taste if you need more salt (you will).

    This will make several servings and keeps well in the refrigerator for a week. I look forward to making some breakfast burritos and fajitas with some of these Charro bean leftovers this week. You can freeze any extras too. The beans are a little mushy when you freeze them but still just as tasty. I like to use frozen leftovers for refried bean dishes, like tostadas.

    Happy New Year All.

    Mo

     

     

     

     

     

  • Shaved Apple Kale Salad

    This seemingly simple kale salad has been on the menu at Oak at Fourteenth restaurant for over a decade. I think it is because it is a perfect balance of salty-tart-sweet-crunchy-and a little bit of spice.

    The chef-partner Steven Redzikowski has shared the recipe in local magazines and on social media several times. I have used his recipe and made it dozens of times and it is truly a restaurant quality salad if you don’t stray too far from the suggested portions and ingredients. I’ll copy the recipe below and put my comments in paratheses.

    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
    • 2 cups thinly sliced kale (any kale works, just slice it thinly)
    • 1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 cup roughly chopped candied almonds (you can use any candied nut (I use honey roasted peanuts sometimes) or even seeded granola if you can’t eat nuts. The sweetness from the candied nuts adds a much needed balance to the tartness in the salad. If you aren’t using candied nuts or granola add a little honey or agave or some other sweetener.)
    • 1 apple-sweet not tart apple (slice it very-very thinly-you want a thin slice of apple in every bite)
    • About 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
    • About 1/4 tsp. pepper
    • Ichimi togarashi* or red pepper flakes (*available the Asian area of the grocery store. You can use any red pepper flakes but the togarashi is really nice mild finely ground spice. The spice is a nice balance to the tartness of the apples.)

    • Whisk together oil, zest, cheese and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

    • Add kale, apple and almonds, then toss to coat.(Really-really-really toss this salad. I use my hands to tumble it in the bowl to make sure every single nook-and-cranny of the kale and apples are coated with the dressing and the candy coating from the nuts is ‘melting’ a bit to become one with the salad.)

    • Season with salt, pepper, and ichimi togarashi and pile it high on a serving dish.

    Like I said, don’t stray too far from the suggested amounts or ingredients. The beauty of this salad is the clean simplicity and balance; kale, apple, nut, salty and a hint of spice in every bite. Thanks for the recipe Steve, Chef’s kiss.

    Mo

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Seed (and Nut) Crusted Delicata

    This time of year I can’t get enough roasted winter squash.

    We celebrated Hanukkah this weekend I made these cute little seeded delicata rings and they were gobbled up as fast as the latkes! Everyone loved them!

    These are super easy to make.

    Preheat your oven to 400F. Cut two delicata squash (that’s how many fit on my sheet pan) into 3/4 inch rings and scoop out the seeds and rub them really well with olive oil and salt and pepper. I used garlic too, I don’t think I would use garlic again.

    In a food processor I added;

    • 3 tablespoons of turbinado sugar (you can use any sugar you like, coconut or maple would be nice here if you have it, or just brown sugar would work too.)
    • 1/4 cup almonds (use what you like, or just use all seeds)
    • 1/4 cup sesame seeds. I used white and black.
    • You could add cinnamon or herbs, I didn’t but I will next time.

    Pulse all that in the food processor until it is like sand then press one side of the oiled squash into the seed mix and arrange on a baking tray seed side up.

    I baked these for about 1/2 hour covered and uncovered for another 10 minutes. I covered the tray with another tray so they wouldn’t dry out and so the sugar in the crust wouldn’t get too dark. I wasn’t sure what would happen. I’d never made these before so I was cautious.

    You could roast them uncovered and they would be more caramelized and crunchy than mine were.

    I also roasted a couple delicata “boats” while the oven was hot and added the last bit of the nut/seed/’sand’ mix to the hollow of the squash. Yum.

    I will be making this again and again. It was easy and very very tasty everyone love them.

    Mo