Our very first week of CSA’s!!!!    I have been busy brewing up ways to bring lots of fun to your table this spring, summer and fall.   We’ll start by showing you what I have been teaching our farm Apprentices this week.

 

 

The guys milking in the morning:)   Azalea and Danielle are both really good girls on the stand:)

 

These are cheese curds that are ready to be formed and stretched for mozzarella.   If you didn’t know, Mozzarella can be one of the more tricky cheeses to make.   It can also be kind of messy and here is why-

While stretching the cheese curds, more whey and some cream is released.   This is what gives Mozzarella cheese its wonderful melting properties.

 

We have a great line up for this week, and we are going to do things a little different than in years past.   We will pack items that are not for sale, member only items that are exclusively for CSA members.   This week you will see some greek yogurt, fresh mozzarella, feta, ricotta or paneer.   If you have a preference, email me and I will make sure you get what you ask for.

 

What else will we get?

Lettuce- I have BEAUTIFUL full head lettuce ready for you to enjoy all week!  Red leaf and green leaf will take the stage this week.

Scallions to dress up your lovely salad!

Edible flowers- go on top of the salad, Nasturtium are slightly spicy and violas are delicate and mild.

I hope you all like us on facebook and follow this blog, because this is how I will communicate with you all and as promised you will get your very first bar of goat’s milk soap in this week’s goodies too!

You will get to choose 2 items from the market table as well.   That is what’ we are doing new this year.   That way you can customize your CSA to reflect your family preference.   As the season progresses, you will have more to choose from.   Yay for you all!

 

The early birds will get best picks, so I encourage you to get to market in time to get what you want.   For those that will not be picking up at market, I will do my very best to go by the surveys that you all submitted when you signed up.   I will make sure you get your favorites and we’ll try to keep the stuff that you don’t like out.

 

See you soon!

Dawn

 

Here’s an early season recipe that I love to make this time of year!

Savory Asparagus Cobbler

• 3 slices of bacon (optional)
• 3 leeks, white & light green parts only, sliced
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 lb. asparagus, washed and cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 c. sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 c. white wine (or chicken or veggie stock)
• 2 c. whole milk
• 1 T. cornstarch
• salt & pepper
• 2 T. butter

For the biscuits: (adapted from The Joy of Cooking)

• 1 3/4 c. sifted flour
• 3 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 5 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 c. milk

Make up your biscuits first. To a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until well combined. Using a pastry blender, two forks or two knives, cut in the cold butter until you have small, pea-sized (or smaller) bits of butter covered in flour. Do not let the butter melt, so work quickly. Make a well in the center and add the milk all at once; stir dry ingredients into the milk until you have a sticky, wet dough that is starting to ball up. Pause here while you make the vegetable base.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large, ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, cook the bacon until it is crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon to a plate and remove all but 2 T. of bacon grease from the pan. If you don’t have 2 T., add olive oil or butter to make up the difference. If you’re not using bacon, start with 2 T. olive oil or butter.

Add the leeks to the pan and cook for 2-3 mins. over medium heat; add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 2-3 mins. Add the thyme to the pan and stir, then add the asparagus and cook for about 5 mins. The asparagus should be crisp-tender, not cooked through. Add the wine, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any good, brown, flavorful bits and allow the alcohol to cook off for about 2 mins.

While the vegetables cook, stir the cornstarch into 1/4 c. of the cold milk until you have a smooth slurry. Whisk in the rest of the milk. After the wine has reduced a bit, add the milk mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as the sauce starts to bubble, remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt & pepper and add the cooked bacon back in, if using. Dot the top of the vegetables with generous scoops of biscuit dough, 5-6 around the edge and 1 in the middle, with room between them if possible (this allows them to cook a little faster); dot the top of each biscuit with butter. Carefully transfer the pan, uncovered, into your preheated oven and bake for 20-25 mins. The sauce will continue to thicken and the biscuits will brown; the cobbler is done when the biscuits are cooked through, though they will be slightly wet or doughy on the bottom because of the sauce. Serve the cobbler immediately.