CSA Week 13

Welcome to week 13 of CSA! It’s still business as usual here at the farm, not a lot has happened since last week, Although New Roots has been working to finish up the high tunnels. So far we have two finished and ready to be used for next season, also working to cover 3 more before winter hits. I have to tell you the New Root farmers are really excited and working together to have these high tunnels ready for next season. This is in some ways the start of prepping for next season already.

Beetroot Barley Risotto with Roasted Carrots

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large Beet
• 1 small White Onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup Barley
• 1/2 cup Dry Red Wine
• 4 1/4 cups Vegetable Stock
• 2-3 Carrots 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. First, wash and trim the beetroot, then place it in a saucepan of simmering water to cook for 30 minutes until soft. When done, remove from the water and allow to cool slightly before chopping into small chunks.
2. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. In a large stock pot, saute the onion for 3-4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add in the barley and cook for 1-2 minutes until covered with the onion and garlic mixture. Pour in the red wine and allow the barley to absorb it completely.
4. Start adding the vegetable stock one ladle at a time, allowing the barley to absorb all the stock before adding more. After 2 additions of stock, add in the beetroot, and repeat the process of adding stock, stirring and allowing it to absorb until all the stock is gone. This whole process will take anything from 30-50 minutes. The most important thing is not to rush it.
5. While the risotto is cooking, heat the oven to 350°F and chop the carrots into chunks. Coat with the olive oil, maple syrup and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden.
6. Serve the risotto topped with some of the roasted carrots and fresh greens. Recipe from http://laurencariscooks.com/beetroot-barley-risotto-roasted-carrots/ 

Maple Glazed Stuffed Squash

Note: this recipe calls for acorn squash, but I think it would be just as good with any other winter squash you have on hand- you just might need to adjust the amount of filling for larger squash.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup rice, cooked
• 1/4 cup almonds almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
• 2 leaves kale (or other green), torn into bite-sized pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. Fill a baking dish with 1/2-inch of water. Set aside.
3. Cut acorn squash in half. Use a spoon to scoop out seeds and strings.
4. Place both halves facing up in baking dish. Cut off a sliver of the rounded bottom if the squash won’t stay in place.
5. Whisk together olive oil and maple syrup in a small bowl. Pour evenly over squash halves, pouring any extra into the hollows of the squash.
6. Bake squash for 45 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add mushrooms and kale, and sauté until mushrooms are tender and kale has wilted.
8. Add cooked rice to a mixing bowl. Add almonds, mushrooms, kale, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Remove squash from oven. Fill both halves with rice stuffing and eat immediately (acorn squash can be a little tricky to reheat in the microwave). If you do have leftovers, wrap the squash in foil and reheat for a few minutes in the oven.

Recipe from https://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/maple-glazed-stuffed-squash

Rainbow Pizza

I’m including this recipe because it looks like so much fun to try out! As the original post says- “Think of these colorful toppings as suggestions. There’s so much room for experimenting and really making this your own creation. Do you have a soft spot for blue potatoes or purple cabbage? Consider swapping either one in, in place of the red onion. If tomatoes aren’t your thing, try a sliced red bell pepper inside, or swap broccoli for your favorite green veggies.” What a great way to put your CSA veggies to use- I know I’ll be trying this out soon.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• Olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 medium orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen yellow corn kernels
• 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450°F. Let the pizza dough sit out a room temperature while the oven heats.
2. Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, dried basil, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Lightly grease a rolling pin with olive oil. Roll out the pizza dough to fit a standard 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet, then use your fingers to gently press the dough into the corners of the pan.
4. Spread the cheese mixture over the dough, leaving about a 1-inch border around the edges. Arrange the vegetables in a rainbow pattern on top of the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil, or coat the veggies with a thin layer of cooking spray.
5. Bake until the edges are golden-brown, 16 to 20 minutes. Let the pizza cool for 1 to 2 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.

Recipe from https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-rainbow-pizza-233322