News From Windflower Farm

Clinton Hill CSA -- Delivery 1 -- June 14, 2012Spring greetings from all of us at Windflower Farm! This marks our 12th year doing CSA New York City and we are very exciting to be starting the 2012 season.  Thank you for joining us - we hope you enjoy your seasonal eating experience.  It’s salad season.  This first share of the harvest includes your choice of a bunch of baby arugula or a mixed bunch of baby Tokyo Bekana, purple mizuna and komatsuna. You’ll get a head of leaf lettuce.  And you’ll have your choice of two cooking greens from a lineup that includes Fordhook chard, Red Russian kale and Joi Choi bok choi.  I’ve attached recipes below.  To add zest to your salad, you’ll get a bunch of tender green scallions, a handful of garlic scapes and a pint of snow peas.  And you’ll also get cilantro in a little peat pot (alone or with chives or lemon basil).  Plant it in your garden, set it on your windowsill, give it as a gift, or clip it and use it in a recipe this week.  The pot is entirely biodegradable.  Next week’s shares will include more salad makings. This week’s fruit share will consist of strawberries from Yonder Farm in Columbia County.  We’ll be sending rhubarb and more strawberries over the next couple of weeks, and sweet cherries soon afterwards.  Flower shares will likely start next week. Best regards, Ted SWISS CHARD WITH PINE NUTS, PARMESAN, AND BASIL Adapted from Fine Cooking 1 large bunch of chard; 1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tbs. pine nuts; kosher salt; 1 tbs. minced garlic; 1 tbs. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces; ¼ cup grated parmesan; and a ½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves (8-10 leaves). Cut the stems away from the chard leaves.  Cut or rip the leaves into 2- or 3-inch pieces and wash and dry them well.  Rinse the stems and slice them crosswise ¼-inch thick.  In a 12” non-stick fry pan or skillet, heat the olive over medium heat.  Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer the pine nuts to a plate, leaving behind as much oil as possible.  Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the chard stems and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrunken and beginning to brown lightly, 6-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 15 seconds.  Add the chard leaves and ¼ tsp. salt.  Toss with tongs until just wilted, 1-2 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the cold butter, and stir just until the butter has melted.  Using tongs, immediately transfer about half of the leaves and stems to a serving plate and arrange.  Sprinkle on half of the parmesan, basil and pine nuts.  Layer on the remaining leaves, stems and pine juices, and garnish with the remaining cheese, basil, and pine nuts.  Serve immediately.  Serves 3 to 4. STIR-FRIED BOK CHOY WITH GARLIC, GINGER, AND SCALLIONS Adapted from Fine Cooking

One large bok choy, 2 tbs. oyster sauce, 2 tbs. low-salt chicken broth, 1 tsp. cornstarch, ¼ tsp. sesame oil, 2 tbs. peanut oil, kosher salt, a bunch of scallions, cut into 3-inch lengths, 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced, and 1 ½-inch square of ginger root, peeled and cut into thin match sticks.

Prep the bok choy by separating the leaves from the stems.  Quarter the stems lengthwise and slice the leaves into 1-inch strips.  Rinse and dry the stems and leaves separately.  Combine the oyster sauce, chicken broth, cornstarch and sesame oil in a small bowl.  Whisk well to dissolve the cornstarch.  Heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch stir-fry pan.  When the oil is hot, add the bok choy stems and season with salt.  Cook, tossing the stems until pliable and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the scallions, garlic and ginger and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the leaves and toss until they are completely wilted, 1 or 2 more minutes.  Remove from heat and combine with the sauce in a serving dish.  Serves 4.