Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Week One: What Bounty!!

Well, despite my good intentions I didn't remember to take my camera out to the farm this morning. Which is a shame as there were many beautiful and entertaining moments harvesting with CFK workers Nora and Cynthia and Farm apprentices Rebecca, Kristin, Nancy, and Angela, as well as farmers Anne and Paul and many member volunteers. Highlights include picking and counting 80 bunches each of dill and cilantro (it's always a trick to hit the count exactly on when you've got 6 people picking at once and trying to have conversations rather than count all the time, but we did it!) and picking strawberries while managing not to stand on any plants or berries (it's a bit like the game Twister--the strawberry version!). It was also great to see all the new members out at the farm just finding their way as well as seeing old friends, like Mark who was a CFK member last year and who has graduated to cooking his share for himself! Finally, after a relaxing lunch in the shade, we loaded up all 14 CFK shares (it was a squeeze in the Prius with three people... it's a real shame I didn't have my camera) and came back to Ann Arbor.

Here's what the share was this week for a whole share:
Strawberries - 3 pts (!)
Sage plants for your garden - 2
Kale /Collards - 1/4 lb
Beets - 3
Spinach - 2 lb
Green Onions - 10
Lettuce - 4 heads
Dill - 1 bunch
Cilantro - 1 bunch

This week's kick-off CFK Menu will be:

Grated Raw Beets with fresh dill and mustard vinaigrette from Farmer John's Cookbook: The Real Dirt on Vegetables p. 59 -- this is a great marinated beet topping for lettuce salad.

Katharina's Green Sauce for pasta -- house recipe (a perennial favorite I learned from my dear friend Katharina while I was working in Wales in the winter of 2007. Simple yet delicious.)

Veggie Burrito Bake from Simply in Season p. 64 -- featuring tortillas from the Ann Arbor Tortilla Factory along with kale/collards, beet greens, and spinach!

Cilantro Hummus -- variation on the Pendle Hill hummus recipe

Sprightly Salad with lettuce and green onions

Washed lettuce for your salad pleasure

Fresh Strawberries

Looking forward to seeing y'all on Friday!
peace,
Mary

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Everything is delicious, Mary!

We love hummus, and yours is amazing, but eating two tub-fulls in a week is a bit much for us. So I searched around online and found a recipe for a hummus casserole that looks promising. In case others have the same dilemma and/or would like to try this out:

Vicki’s Hummus-Quinoa Casserole
adapted from Vive le Vegan!
serves 4-6

2 summer squash sliced into thin rounds
1 zucchini sliced into thin rounds
1 cup green beans (ends cut off)
8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
pinch sea salt, pepper to taste
2 1/2 - 3 c cooked quinoa
2 cups hummus
3-4 tbsp fresh parsley, basil or coriander
1. Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl toss the veggies with the oil, vinegar and s&p. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes, until golden in spots.
2. Remove and begin to assemble your casserole. Reset oven to 375. In a lightly oiled 8x12 baking dish, spread the cooked quinoa evenly and press down gently. Drop spoonfuls of the hummus over the quinoa, then lightly spread to distribute evenly.
3. Distribute the roasted veggies over the hummus and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired.
To make this quantity of cooked quinoa, mix 1 cup rinsed quinoa with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 13-15 minutes, til water is absorbed.

Mary Harvest Kitchen said...

Ooh, this sounds nice! Y'all might think about freezing some hummus and saving it for when the summer squash comes in!
Mary

Anonymous said...

Everything has been great so far! We had a fabulous dinner with the green sauce over some cheese tortellini along with salad and grated beets.

Today I made some hummus sandwiches in pita w/ CF lettuce and brought them to Comerica Park - much tastier than hot dogs and pizza!