CSA Harvest #18

We finished harvest for your CSA bag this morning, and all the veggies are packed and on the way to the pick-up place.

Here's what we are going to have today;

Lettuce Green
Arugula
Choice of Zucchini or Kohlrabi
Italian Basil
Green Beans
Red Russian Kale
Eggplant
Pepper, Bell/Hot


Night temperature's getting lower and lower and we are getting ready for the first frost as well as cold season. Some of summer vegetable's will be gone soon - zucchini, eggplant, basils etc., but don't be sad, lettuce green's back in season with many other fall crops! We are working on putting our greenhouse back on and setting low tunnels to extend our fall season and to provide delicious veggies for a longER time to your family. If you want to know more about our low poly-tunnell, please check our previous post on Oct 25th, 2009 for the picture.

Our beef is completely sold out and planning to have it available in next year. However our pigs will be ready by November and we are going to take orders soon. If you are interested in or have any questions about our pork, please feel free to contact us at 309-378-2403 or info@epiphanyfarms.com.

We usually consume arugula for salad, however we found great cooking recipe for it today! Hope you enjoy!


Arugula Saute

1/2 bag arugula

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped

2 onions, chopped

3 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes

1/3 cup white wine

2 ounces feta, crumbled


Place pan on medium heat.
Add oil to the hot pan.
Add the onions and saute until softened. (Do not browned the onions)
Add the arugula and the wine and cook until the arugula is wilted slightly.
Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
Remove the pan from heat and add the feta cheese on top of sauteed vegetables.
And ENJOY!



Arugula plot and Hairy Houdini in the back...

CSA Harvest #14

This weeks harvest includes;

Beans (Long or short)
Basil
Turnips
Beets
Squash
Your choice of eggplants or cucumbers
Bell Peppers
Radish


We had finally sweet rain last night and our fall seedlings look great this morning as well as the harvest for today. This year, since Ken and I got back from Korea we didn't have solid 'raining day off' throughout the summer. I call it 'raining day off' because the rain soaks the land and we cannot work in the garden for a day or two. Plants need those days badly and we need it sometimes.. It wasn't that much rain but still we are happy to see some water from sky not from our sprinkler..

Last Friday, we had a great addition to our farm family. Our mama cow Pam had delivered a baby cow! It was little earlier than expectation but we were all excited to watch amazing moment together here. He's doing great and follows mom everywhere. We started to milk Pam and started to feed that to our pigs. I know. I cannot wait for a CSA pig roast party as well!

Since we have beets for this week's harvest, I'm so excited to share the link for the beet cooking video with you again on the You Tube. Below is the link to the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkNHTO0MExI


Here's one more oriental recipe for squash from Nanam's recipe book;

Hobak Buchimgae (Squash Pancake)

1 Squash (300g)
3 chili peppers (green & red)
1 Egg
1/2 cup A/P Flour
1/2 cup Water
1 ts Salt

1. Remove the seeds and thin slice the squash. Finely chop chili peppers.

2. Put all ingredients in a bowl. Add egg and flour and mix all together.

3. Heat up your pan, add oil. Spread out the dough and griddle the pancake until the color turns to brownish yellow.

CSA Harvest #10

Be ready to fill your CSA bags with:

Tomatoes
Peaches
Melons
Ground Cherries
Shishito Peppers
Bell Peppers
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Basil

…And for those of you who like things a little spicy we will have a variety of hot peppers to stock your bags.

We will be using the same format as last week for the CSA pickup, so make sure to bring a bag to carry all of your fresh produce!

With the heat and humidity we’ve been having, a chilled soup is a great way to avoid the stove. Gazpacho makes for a refreshing addition to a meal, and this recipe http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fresh-Tomato-Gazpacho-105333 is a perfect way to use some of your week’s harvest.


A recent gazpacho from a dinner party; the tomato broth was poured tableside.

Ground cherries grow wild in every state except for Alaska, but they are sweeter and more productive when cultivated. These intriguing fruits, which taste like a combination between a pineapple and tomato, are related to tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and tobacco. If you’re trying to figure out a way of using them, besides just husking them straight into your mouth, we like to put them in a fruit salad. Add the ground cherries with sliced melon, and for a more grown-up taste try pouring a splash of vodka and sprinkling a bit of hot chili into the mix. You can even garnish it with some basil. We have to thank the land for the inspiration for this dish, where the ground cherries grow by the melons, which grow by the chilies.


Melon and ground cherry salad we’ve been serving at dinner parties.

The plants around the farm are really enjoying the summer weather, especially since we’ve finally managed to catch-up with the weeds – at least for the time being. However, the animals are definitely giving the plants a run for their money on who can grow the fastest. We have 28 heritage turkeys that we just put on pasture, and they will be ready for Thanksgiving. The piglets have upsized, and now reside on 4 acres of pasture, including a nice patch of woods with plenty of shade to protect their fair skin. Also, we have two steers that are ready for slaughter next week, so let us know if you’re interested in purchasing grass fed beef.

CSA Harvest #7

This week's CSA bags feature:

Cucumbers
Potatoes
Basil
Carrots
Shishito Peppers
Onions
Sweet Corn

The shishito pepper's mild and sweet flavor make them perfect for snacking on raw, but can also be a delicious addition to a stir-fry. For a quick and tasty appetizer you can also try frying them.

Heat your skillet or grill pan on high. Toss your peppers with a bit of your favorite cooking oil and then drop them onto the pan. Turn occasionally until the skin is soft and charred in spots. Remove and sprinkle with salt - and if you'd like things a little spicier add some extra heat with a dash of cayenne. Make sure to enjoy them while they're still hot.

We know you have basil in your herb guild, but we feel there is no such thing as too much basil. If you're having trouble thinking of ways to use it try making a fresh pesto with this recipe:

1 large bunch of basil leaves
1 cloves of garlic
small handful of pine nuts (walnuts will also work)
3/4 cup parmesan
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Add basil, garlic, and pine nuts to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Slowly add olive oil to mixture until you get a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in parmesan by hand.

If your batch is more than your family can eat, or if you have surplus basil that you don't know how to use you can freeze the pesto in an ice tray and cover it with plastic wrap. This will keep for months in the freezer, and then even during winter you can pop out a few cubes to add to your meal and enjoy the fresh taste of summer. If you decide to freeze your pesto make sure to wait to add the cheese until you defrost it.

As for life on the farm the family just keeps growing. The latest addition to the clan is Dennis the billy goat, thanks to Keith and Donna from South Pork Ranch. In the last few weeks we've also gotten ducks, guinea fowl, a long horn bull, a dairy cow, turkey, and a lot more chickens. All of the summer crops are really kicking into gear with all of the sunshine we've been getting, but the heat hasn't kept us from the fields. We're continuing to plant for what looks to be a delicious fall harvest!

CSA Harvest and Beet Video

Here is the harvest list for your CSA's this week.

Zucchini
Cucumbers
Beets
Potatoes
Leeks
Onions
Herbal tea package

This week in your herbal tea package
Lemon Balm
Shiso
Anise Hyssop
Penny Royal
Chrysanthium Flowers
Wild Gooseberries

You can use last week's recipe for the herbal tea, As for the Wild gooseberries you can bruise them a little and add them to the hot water.

I made a cooking video for "how to cook beets" You can add a multitude of different things to your marinated beets. Cooked diced potatoes (Boiled), Sliced cucumbers (without seeds, slice lenghtwise and scoop out with a spoon), Parsley, Basil, thinly sliced onions... All which have been included in your CSA and herb guild.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkNHTO0MExI

Whats new on the farm??

Stu and I are glad that Kenny and Nanam are back from their honeymoon. The whole team is back together on the farm and the addition of our two new interns from Heartland Community College. John and Emma have been kicking major butt on the farm. We got a our first seeder in the mail this week and hooked it up. This thing is the best new tool on the farm other than Henry Brockman's Asian Weeders. I can now seed a bed in about 5 minutes when it would have taken me about 2 hours by hand. Now that the rain has been holding off, we have tilled up new ground and seeded everything for a plethora of winter vegetables.

Hope you enjoy the video, I made it in a new style this week. Let us know what you think of it.

Epiphany Farms-

Meat 'N' Potatoes for the Midwesterner Video

Here is the cooking video for this week. It is a Ribeye with Turnips and Potatoes, You can use your herb guild to elevate the taste. In the video we used parsley but you can use any of those, You can also add more vegetables to the dish, cook them the same way as the turnips (featured in video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXaZte0z7O4


As for the Herbal Tea bag, You have the following inside.

Chrysanthemum (Flowers)

Shiso (Big Leaves, Tastes like Mint, liquorish & Apple Also has Purple Hue on bottom side)

Lemon Balm (twigs with leaves and buds)

Anise Hyssop (Smaller version of the big leaves taste like sweet liquorish)

Vietnamese Mint (looks like a hand, very leafy and Minty,



The Microwave is the fastest way to heat a water molecule. Put a glass of water in the microwave. Heat for 1 min. the water should be about 160 - 180 it will also depend on how much water you are heating up. I think that 160 - 170 is optimal steeping temperture. Choose your flavors, mix and match, take notes on what you like about the flavor combo and design your own. You only want to steep for 4-5 minutes, by then your water will be about 130 degrees. 130 is optimal honey temperture. add some honey and taste. You only want enough to sweeten a little, too much and you can't taste the flavors, too little and it tastes bland. After adding the honey it should be perfect drinking temperture.

Spring Onion Flan

This flan acts as a great base for some freshly sauteed vegtables. We will use any combination of vegtables based on what is in season. Cook the vegtables seperately in salted boiling water to insure uniform doneness. Cool the vegtables and then once the flan is finished in the oven, saute the vegtables in butter or oil, season with salt and place on top of the Spring Onion Flan.

Onion Flan: Step One
6 spring Onions
4 cloves Garlic
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbs. Butter

- Slice the onions and Garlic very thin
- Heat a non- stick saute pan and add the butter. Once melted add the onions, season with a few pinches of salt.
- Once the onions and garlic become very aromatic but not colored add the cream and continue to cook for about 10 minutes on low. The onions and garlic should be completly soft.
- Once the milk mixture is cook through, place in a blender and puree until smooth.
- Be sure there are no lumps. We always blend the mixture for three minutes longer than we think we should. This insures a velevety smooth base.
- Let the base cool and proceed to step two.

Step Two:
Onion Puree
1/2 cup Half and Half
4 whole eggs
4 oz milk
2 Tbs Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Method:
- Combine the onion puree with the “Step two” ingredients and taste. Adjust seasoning and strain.
- Portion the mixture using a scale (if you don't have a scale use a laddle and mesure the same amout of each dish); make sure each dish is filled with exactly the same amount of liquid.
- Cover each dish with aluminum foil.
- Place into a hot water bath inside a 325 F oven. (The water level should be higer than the flan level inside the dish)
- Bake until set (the flan will be solid when set) and assemble the dish.




Some Pics of a recent variation.


Sauteed carrot, celery root, sunchoke and arugula.


A set flan with vegtables on top. We usually add some sort of foam to finish it.

This is a very rewarding recipe so good luck and enjoy!

Basic Salad Dressing

Emulsified Vinaigrette:

1 part Vinegar
.5 part H2O
Dijon Mustard
Honey
Red Chile
Pepper
Salt
1 Yolk
3 parts Oil

Method:

- Combine all ingredients except for the oil and stir. Using a whisk, blender or immersion blender, begin to agitate.

- Start incorporating the oil one drop at a time. Then progress to a very small stream until all is added.

- Once the ingredients are together you will need to adjust to the taste. Questions that you will need to ask yourself are:

o Is it too tart?
o Does it have enough sweetness?
o Enough salt?
o Does it need more flavor? Mustard, Pepper, Chile?

Use this dressing on anything that you need to season. Sometimes we will even add a little to sauteed vegtables and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Cooking Demo Vinaigrette

I'm having difficulty uploading videos directly to the blog. The link below will take you to youtube and you can see our cooking demos

Here is the first of many cooking videos. Hope you enjoy this vinaigrette!!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7mAx2HmdU4