Week 15, October 17

Both boxes have: Sunchokes, Russet potatoes, garlic, Lacinato kale, triticale berries, cylinder beets & greens, carrots

The Small box also has: Arugula

The Standard box also has: Baby leeks, Savoy cabbage

Sunchokes

A sunchoke is a tuber, or an underground vegetable, like a cross between a rutabaga and a potato, with the flavor of sunflower seeds and the crunch of water chestnuts. It’s also called a Jerusalem artichoke, even though it is not an artichoke at all, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Jerusalem. They are closely related to the sunflower. Native Americans were eating sunchokes centuries before the Europeans arrived in the 1500s. In fact, the Europeans thought sunchokes were poisonous at first. Once they got over that, they have enjoyed its nutty flavor in many dishes.

Jerusalem artichokes are easy to prepare. You can cook them just like you would a potato: roast, boil, saute, bake or steam. You can leave the skin on or peel it off.  It’s up to you, but make sure you wash them well. The surprising thing about these little roots is that you can also eat them raw. They add a great texture to salads, salsas, marinades and stir-frys, in small pieces or grated.

Sunchokes contain lots of vitamin C and a substance called inulin, a type of starch that can be tolerated by people with diabetes because it breaks down into fructose instead of glucose. This makes sunchokes a good substitute for potatoes for diabetics. Everyone, diabetic or not, can enjoy their great flavor, crunchy texture, and all the good nutrients they provide.

Sunchoke Parmesan

About Triticale Berries

Triticale is a cross between wheat (in Latin Triticum) and rye (Secale) first bred in the late 19th century in Scotland and Sweden. As a rule, triticale combines the yield potential, grain quality, and high protein of wheat with the disease and environmental tolerance of rye. Worldwide, it is grown mostly for forage or fodder, but it is tasty and nutritious and is now widely accepted as a delicious human food. It can be milled into flour and used as a substitute for wheat in breads, pie crusts, cookies, pizza dough and other baked goods, or rolled like oats, for a breakfast cereal.

The berries have a nut-like flavor that, once cooked, can be eaten either sweet (as a breakfast cereal with fruit, honey, yogurt and nuts) or savory (as a side dish, sautéed with onion, garlic , veggies and herbs).

Soak the berries overnight in plenty of water to cut back on your cooking time. Drain and add new water to cover, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 minutes. Strain (reserving the liquid for soup) and store in the fridge or freezer.

Add the cooked berries to soups, stews and salads., or mix with cooked rice for a tasty pilaf.

Kale & Triticale Risotto

Week 13, October 3

Both boxes have: Nash Red Kale, Red Beets with Greens, Napa Cabbage, Rainbow Carrots, Red Potatoes, Bartlett Pears, Naked Oats

The Small box also has: Baby Bok Choi

The Standard box also has: Corn, Apples

Naked Oats

The Naked Oats in your box this week are a variety called “Streaker.” Nash has focused on growing hull-less oats because when put through the combine, the grain loses its tough outer hull, and doesn’t require further de-hulling to cook and eat.

About 7 years ago, we tried growing naked oats, but the variety didn’t do well. Last year, Sam McCullough and the crew tried Streaker with success. This summer, our crop of about 8 acres was harvested in late August, yielding about 20,000 pounds of hull-less oats. We anticipate it will supply our store, markets, and farm shares until late summer 2015, when we harvest the next planting. With careful planning and attention to detail, we have been able to make an entirely new product available to our community, and increase the diversity of the grains we grow in the Dungeness Valley.

There are many health benefits of whole, hull-less oats. Traditional oats are 70‐75% digestible, whereas hull-less oats are 95% digestible. They still have the bran and germ, the source of soluble fiber and high protein, making them a good choice for folks at risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, or stroke.

Pre‐soaking naked oats gives you a jump on the cooking time. Place them in a bowl or cooking pot and cover with water overnight. In the morning, drain and add fresh water. They will cook in much less time.

Check our Recipe Blog for other ways to cook naked oats.

Pan-seared Oatmeal

Also, an easy Crockpot Oatmeal with Nash’s Naked Oats

There’s no rule that says oatmeal needs to be served sweet. Try cooking the oatmeal and then mixing it hot with 1/2 cup of a strong-flavored grated cheese, like a sharp cheddar or smoked Gouda. Top it with a mixture of sautéed sliced onions and mushrooms, minced garlic, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme and salt and pepper to taste.  Now there’s a breakfast that will kick-start your day!

Rainbow Carrots

Colorful carrots are not new. Purple and yellow carrots were grown in Afghanistan about 1,000 years ago, but for some reason, as carrots migrated into Europe, orange carrots were preferred, because they were more cold-tolerant. In the last 50 years, plant breeders have sought to bring the old varieties back.

Lots of color in produce indicates lots of phytochemicals. The more color you add to your diet, the healthier it is for you. Phytochemicals are compounds found naturally in plants that have only recently been studied in any depth. They are not considered “essential nutrients,” but appear to have effects on many human diseases.

The phytonutrients in these carrots help your body maintain good health. Orange indicates the presence of carotenes which promote healthy eyes. Purple have carotenes plus anthocyanin which help prevent heart disease. Yellow have xanthophykks and lutein, both of which help prevent cancer as well.

Rainbow Carrot Salad

Week 14, October 10

Both boxes have: Red Chard, Spinach, Curly Parsley, Apple Cider, Green Cabbage, Fennel

The Standard box also has: Arugula, Bok Choi, Red Potatoes

Your Apple Cider

In the United States, many people use the terms “apple juice” and “apple cider” interchangeably. Some states, however, specify a difference. For example, according to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, “Apple juice and apple cider are both fruit beverages made from apples, but there is a difference between the two. Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment. Apple juice is juice that has been filtered to remove solids and pasteurized so that it will stay fresh longer.” Your cider meets the above criteria for unpasteurized cider.

Unpasteurized cider is generally sold only directly from orchards or farms. In the absence of pasteurization, naturally occurring yeasts in the cider are not killed and they can cause fermentation with time. Even with refrigeration, cider will begin to become slightly carbonated within a week or so and eventually become hard cider as the fermentation process turns sugar into alcohol.

We reiterate—your cider has NOT been pasteurized, and refrigeration is definitely recommended. We can’t say for sure what varieties of apples are in the cider, since Nash spent many years collecting cuttings from the original old homesteads throughout the Sequim-Dungeness Valley, and your cider is a delicious blend of many of them. They were crushed and pressed in an old-fashioned cider press at the farm (below).

Mulled Cider

The perfect seasonal drink, mulled cider can be enjoyed with or without any alcohol. Place your cider in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add a cinnamon stick, 2 allspice berries, 2 whole cloves, and half a sliced orange and lower heat. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot. You can also add ginger, or lemon, or top it with a dollop of whipped cream.

Apple Cider-Brined Pork Chops

Apples and pork seem to be a combination that were made for each other. Put 4 cups cider, 2 Tbsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, a 1/4-cup chopped fresh sage, and about an inch of thinly sliced ginger in a pot and simmer for a few minutes. Allow to cool. Add 2-4 pork chops (Nash’s, of course!) and marinate for several hours.  Cook the chops however you like—grill, broil, or in a pan on the stovetop. Serve with some sautéed green cabbage, and roasted red potatoes.

Chicken with Cider & Mustard

Cook two chicken breasts in a tablespoon of butter in a heavy skillet. Remove from the pan. Add one-half cup cider and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard to the pan and mix well. Add the chicken and coat with the mixture. Serve on rice, and sprinkle with pecan halves and finely chopped parsley.

About Your Fennel

The fennel in your box comes from a new farm in our area, River Run Farm in Sequim. We are proud to support the young people who are now farming the excellent soil adjacent to the Dungeness River just south of Woodcock Road.

Fennel is related to parsley, carrots, dill and coriander. It originated in the Mediterranean region, and,  as might be expected, it is used extensively in the cuisines of France, Italy and Greece. It has a subtle licorice scent and flavor and is one of the three main herbs used in the preparation of absinthe, an alcoholic drink that was popular in 19th century Europe.

Europeans disseminated fennel around the world and it grows well in dry soils, especially in coastal areas. It has been so successful that it is considered an invasive species in parts of Australia and the U.S. Nonetheless, the bulb, stems, fronds and seeds are all widely used in many culinary traditions of the world, including India, the Middle East, and China.

Fennel is delicious raw or cooked. The bulb can sliced and sauteed, stewed, braised, grilled, added to soups and pizza, used for garnishes, and eaten raw as part of a salad. The delicate fronds are elegant as a garnish for creamy soups, pastas or added to egg dishes for a touch of sweetness. The stems can be boiled to make an herbal tea, or added to sautes, soups, stir-fries or veggie stock.

Fennel contains many phytonutrients that are powerful antioxidants. Its main benefits are anti-inflammatory and immune system support. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, and potassium.

A source of some really intriguing-sounding fennel recipes can be found at The Huffington Post.