New hoop house
The farm’s latest addition, a 30’ wide 96’ long hoop house is going up in the garden! This is twice as large as one of our old hoop houses, and much taller. It will allow us to grow more crops under protection, enabling year round growing. Hoop houses are unheated greenhouses that benefit crops by protecting them from wind, rain, snow, and providing extra warmth. Crops that benefit from dry, warm conditions like tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers are more productive. Crops that are cold hardy can survive the winter better without exposure to wind and snow, like spinach, kale, and other greens. Unfortunately it is too late to plant in it this year, but next spring we are planning on 50 spring shares, which is up from 25.
Broccoli raab
On leave since June, broccoli raab is back! There aren’t quite as many flower heads as I hoped to have on it, which means I need to adjust the seeding date, but it is very tender and delicious even with mostly leaves and stalks. Broccoli raab cooks best when you add a little moisture to it when sauteeing, and it also can be boiled for a few minutes. It actually gets better with more cooking, so it’s better to cook a little longer. Good on its own with garlic and crushed red pepper, tossed with pasta, as a pizza topping, in a stir fry, or maybe even blanched, chopped fine and tucked into a lasagna. -Aaron
Vegetables
Kale, collards, or chard Carrots Garlic Onions Broccoli Raab Potatoes Broccoli
Herbs
Upper Garden: Mint, Oregano, Sage, Thyme, Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Hyssop, Catnip , Winter savory, Lovage, lemon balm
Lower Garden: Parsley, Marjoram, Cilantro, Summer Savory, cutting celery, Borage
Raab, White Bean & Fontina Pasta
8 ounces whole-wheat shells, fusilli or chiocciole
1 large bunch raab, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
2/3 cup Toasted Breadcrumbs, optional (see Tip)
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, according to package directions. Stir in rapini (or spinach) during the last 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Dry the pot. 2. Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Heat oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broth mixture and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Add beans, vinegar, salt and pepper and the pasta and rapini (or spinach). Cook, stirring, until the mixture is heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat; add cheese, stirring until it melts. Serve immediately, topped with Toasted Breadcrumbs, if using. from eatingwell.com
Roast Chicken with Rapini, Fennel, Olives, Pine Nuts
4 whole chicken legs, bone-in, skin on
2 bunches rapini, chopped or mix with kale
1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T pine nuts
1/2 c green olives, pitted and very roughly chopped
Heat the oven to 450. Heat a large (12 inch), heavy skillet on the stovetop until very hot. Season the chicken legs all over with salt and a little bit of pepper. Add a little olive oil to the skillet and then sear the chicken legs, outside side down, until deeply golden, about 6-10 minutes. Flip the legs over, toss in the sliced fennel all around, and transfer immediately to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove, put the legs on a sheet pan and cover loosely with foil while you finish the dish. Put the pine nuts and olives in a very small skillet and put into the oven (that has been turned off) and allow to sit in the residual heat from the oven until you are done with the dish. If there is more than 2T of chicken fat left in the skillet, pour off the excess. Heat the skillet with the fennel still in it, then add the rapini, stirring well. Wilt for a few minutes, then add a little salt and the garlic cloves. Cook until the rapini is as soft as you like it. Taste for seasoning. Remove to a serving plate. Top with the pine nut/olive mixture, then the chicken legs. If there is any juice left in the skillet at all, pour it over the dish now. Serve warm. From mariquita.com
Baked pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage
1 lb pasta
1 bunch broccoli raab, cut into 1”
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
6 oz mozzarella, cubed
2 cups milk
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic
grated nutmeg
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta, add broccoli raab during last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain, pour into large bowl. Heat 1-2 T oil in a large sauce pan, add sausage, brown it. Remove from pan. If there’s fat left, delete 1 T butter for the béchamel. Start heating your oven to 400. Melt butter in same pan over medium heat. Add flour, stir until smooth, cook for a minute. Whisk in milk slowly at first, once half of it is in, add the rest, whisking well. Add salt, pepper, garlic, nutmeg. Simmer 10 minutes. Add sausage and béchamel to pasta. Stir in mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Pour into 9x13 pan, top with remaining parmesan, bake 20-30 minutes. from smittenkitchen.com
Let my words, like vegetables, be tender and sweet, for tomorrow I may have to eat them. - Author Unknown