Everything is well on it's way at Owl Pine Farm.  The very first Sungold Tomatoes are ripening and the long awaited broccoli is starting to be  harvested.  We planted 3 heat tolerant Lettuce varieties last week and are hoping to start harvesting head lettuce again within the next few weeks.  The baby new potatoes are almost ready and the Basil is almost long enough to use as an arrangement on your kitchen table. This week you will be enjoying the first green beans of the season, which should be extra tender.  This week's share includes:


Red Russian Kale is the sweetest variety when cooked

Broccoli                                       
Red Russian Kale                                     
Cauliflower
Green Beans
Shallots
Carrots
Basil
Parsley

Caramelized Shallots

3 tablespoons  unsalted butter

1 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact

1.5 tablespoons sugar

1.5 tablespoons good red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.

 

Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season, to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve

 

Owl Pine Farm's first CSA delivery will be this week.  This week's share will include:

Spinach
Japanese Turnips
French Breakfast Radishes
Siberian Kale
Butter Head Lettuce
Fresh Garlic
Strawberries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  This year's spinach crop has produced better, prettier leaves than any of our harvests in previous years.  This season we grew Japanese Turnips instead of the traditional southern varieties.  These turnips have a very thin skin, so there is no need to peel them before using them.  This is my favorite variety of turnips.  They are great raw in a salad, roasted or cooked as a traditional southern green- don't forget to use the bulb and the greens. The French Breakfast radishes are great for salads.  The Radish greens can also be used for sautéing. These radish bulbs are traditionally cooked in butter for a breakfast dish, when cooked they turn sweeter and lose their spiciness.  This week we are including Siberian Kale.  This Kale is the most tender of the Kale varieties, making it the perfect choice for a raw kale salad.  We started harvesting  garlic 2 weeks ago, it has been curing in the barn but will most likely still be 'green'( not fully dried) and much more pungent than dried garlic.
  This year's weather has been unpredictable and some of the varieties will be a little later than usual.  The ground has just recently warmed up enough to get the summer varieties planted. Some of the varieties were literally under water at times  however, most crops have survived and are doing well.  We had an unusual beginning this year but it seems that (other than the timing) everything is going to be just fine.  We hope that you enjoy this week's box!

Raw Kale Quinoa Salad
1) Cook Quinoa
2)drizzle Red Bell Peppers with oil and Roast  in the oven until skin separates or buy in can and drain the water off.
3)Remove the kale from the stem and cut in thin strips
4)Massage olive oil into the leaves and let sit in a bowl for at least 10 minutes until it is wilted (this breaks down the kale almost like it has been cooked except it retains all of the nutrients)
5) Mix the Quinoa, Kale, Roasted Red Bell Peppers and top wit feta cheese crumbles. Salt to taste
*  The Kale/Quinoa ratio can vary to your liking
This recipe is easy and really nutritious!