First Week of Spring Share at Wild Hare

IN THE CSA SHARES THIS WEEK:

Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Onions
Carrots
Parsnips
Fingerling Potatoes
D'Anjou Pears

EXTRAS TO PICK THIS WEEK (FREE TO ALL SHARE MEMBERS):
UPICK for Herbs only from here on until Spring.  

Our 2018 Spring CSA begins tomorrow at Noon.  If you’re reading this and you didn’t get around to signing up for before this week’s harvest deadline, don’t panic.  We would love to have you!  You may sign up online to begin picking up NEXT week.  Our Farmstand CSA pickup & shopping hours will remain the same through the end of the Spring Share:  Tuesday 12-7pm & Wednesdays  10am-5pm.  As always, if you have trouble making it to the farm for a pickup, we are more than happy to pack up your box and make arrangements for you to pick up after hours if you email, call or text us at (253) 778-6257.
 
The beginning weeks of our Spring Share are geared toward the enjoyment of things that have overwintered , not just as in “Winter, we’re sooooooo OVER it,” but more that we count on crops that we set in motion anywhere from 6 months to even a year ago to carry us through until we can really get into the field and get rolling.  Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Kale and Leeks are just a handful of my favorite crops that I think overwinter for the better—the sweeten up after a frost and are just such a welcome treat when things are still a little on the colder side.  Overwintering comes with its gambles because we never know exactly what Fall and Winter will do to something that we plant in late Summer.  As we lead into this week, I’ve been thinking about something that our friend Melissa, a fellow farmer, shared about her mentor farmer, Bob Cannard.  In her words, “after 40 years of farming, he still took chances and he let us see him fail. And sorta brush it off and learn from it.  We are NEVER through learning.”  I miss my friend, but her sentiments have been with unshakably with me this week.  I needed them. Mark and I are beyond bummed right now, because after rolling out a stellar stand of Purple Sprouting Broccoli for the several springs, this year’s crop is a failure.  It is hard because it is such a favorite, and talking about wins in the field comes far easier than opening up to the vulnerability that comes with talking about shortcomings and failures.  It honestly feels a tad gauche on my part to be sharing this to kick off what should be “Rah Rah Week ONE” of the Spring CSA, but in all honesty, failures happen in farming.  We can either agonize in shame or we can go hard on the work, get seeds into the soil and keep learning.  And if you know anything about us and our crew, I think you know what path we’re going to choose.  And I’ll tell you one thing, this is one of those occasions where I’m thankful that we work within a web of local growers and distributors, because thanks to them, we’re lucky enough to have some of this year’s local crop to share with you all.  Just a little more farm love to go around on this one.  And with that, I suggest you roast or caramelize something with this week's share ingredients.  A little plant sugar goes a long way.

Best,
Katie

HARVEST HIGHLIGHTS &
WHAT'S IN STOCK AT THE FARMSTAND
CSA Members receive a 10% discount on most items at our farmstand

HARE-RAISED:  

• Salad Mix (limited)
• Celeriac 
• Greens
• Eggs 
• Winter Squash

FROM BEYOND THE FARM:

• WA Organic Golden Russet, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Opal, Fuji, Gala, & Melrose Apples. Bosc & D'Anjou Pears
• NW Organic Sprouting Broccoli, Roots, Potatoes & Onions 
• Organic Fruit: Blood Oranges, Cara Cara Navel Oranges, Red Grapefruit, Meyer Lemons, Bananas, Limes, & Lemons.
• Olykraut, Essential Baking Co. Artisan Breads, Grounds for Change Coffee
• Dates, Ginger, Nuts, Sweet Potatoes and Dried Fruit

SEASONAL RECIPES

PARSNIP 'RICE' & BROCCOLI
Sarah Britton for Oprah.com

4 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped (4 cups)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2½ cups)
2 orange bell peppers, cored and sliced
2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1" knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
Olive oil, for serving
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

CONTINUE TO RECIPE


RAW CARROT & PARSNIP SALAD
Cathy Erway, Not Eating Out in NY

2 large carrots
2 large parsnips
juice and zest of half a lemon (about 2 Tb juice)
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
about 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of salt and white pepper
fresh parsley, chopped

CONTINUE TO RECIPE


SPRING PARSNIP & CARAMELIZED ONION PASTA
Andrea Bemis, Dishing up the Dirt

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup dry white wine (or veggie broth/water)
2 very large parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3 cups worth)
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
5 cups fresh spinach
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 + Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
olive oil
Chopped walnuts
additional crushed red pepper flakes

CONTINUE TO RECIPE


CARAMELIZED PEAR STEEL-CUT OATS
Minimalist Baker

3/4 cup steel-cut oats, dry (GF for gluten-free eaters)
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 Tbsp butter or olive oil (non-dairy butter for vegan)
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Optional additional toppings: pecans, granola, nut butter

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

PARSNIP & PEAR SOUP
Alexandra's Kitchen

2 tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 cup shallots or onions, small diced (I used more like 2 cups of diced onions)
kosher salt
2 cups parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup celery root, optional
fresh thyme leaves, minced, about a tablespoon or so (original recipe calls for rosemary)
1 to 2 cups pear, peeled and roughly chopped (1 to 2 pears)
1 cup dry white wine
5 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
Pear vinegar (I used white balsamic vinegar)
truffle oil (optional, for drizzling, so good)
Pepper, optional

CONTINUE TO RECIPE


CARAMELIZED ONION & PEAR JAM
Striped Spatula

4 large onions , halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2-1/2 pounds pounds ripe Bartlett pears (about 5), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

Starting the year with the salad that started it all

In the CSA shares this week: 

• Turnips
• Parsnips
• Kale
• Carrots
• Onions
• Garlic
• Cameo and/or Melrose Apples
• Frozen Blueberries

EXTRAS TO PICK THIS WEEK (FREE TO ALL SHARE MEMBERS):
UPICK for Herbs only from here on until Spring.  

A little over a week ago, Mark passed an article from the Times my way entitled "Seeing Kale With New Eyes."  Mind you, we're in the throes of envisioning twelve months of crops in succession for the year ahead, and Kale is one of those greens that we're constantly trying to decide how much more we bump up our numbers, or if (gasp) 2018 is the year that folks will decide they're over it.  It diminishes in popularity over the Summer; however, in January, I always wish I had more, so it'll probably win us over on those grounds alone.  I happen to love Kale, and I fell for it in 2007.  That was technically the first year that vegetables paid my bills, and I spent hours calling around to kitchens all over the boroughs to catch chefs between the hours of lunch and dinner services each day.  In all of my years of schooling, that year I confronted the steepest of learning curves and some pretty tough customers (and some incredibly kind ones too).  But, in hindsight, it was a thrill--one that I have been chasing ever since. In talking to chefs about their menus, I gleaned some great ideas for how to use vegetables that Mark and I would valiantly try to replicate at home with varying success.  In particular, I loved to learn that the dark narrow leaves of Cavalo Nero (and all of its names Black Cabbage, Italian, Toscano, Lacinato, or most charmingly, Dinosaur) made an awesome raw salad green, thanks to the chefs at Il Buco who introduced me to the Kale Caesar and Joshua McFadden who is said to have brought Kale salads into our national consciousness.  And when there was a gap, crop failure, or bout of insect damage, I learned the more difficult way just how much people could love Kale.   Last year, McFadden published a really great book entitled Six Seasons:  a New Way with Vegetables, which has claimed a high rank among the stack of books that Mark and I turn to as we prepare for year four.  And while we're planning to bump up our Kale numbers so that there is a bit more for us to enjoy this time next year, I'm super thankful that our friends Amy and Agustin from Four Elements Farm had bunches of Kale to share with our CSA this week while what remains of ours is teeny tiny.  Kale Salad Kismet!

Best,
Katie

WHAT'S IN STOCK AT THE FARMSTAND
CSA Members receive a 10% discount on most items at our farmstand

HARE-RAISED:  

• Salad Mix (limited)
• Celeriac 
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Eggs 
• Winter Squash

FROM BEYOND THE FARM:

• WA Organic Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Opal, Fuji, Gala, Melrose & Winesap Apples
• Organic Broccoli, Fennel, Roots & Cabbage 
• NW Organic Roots, Potatoes & Onions 
• Organic Fruit: Blood Oranges, Cara Cara Navel Oranges, Meyer Lemons, Bananas, Limes, & Lemons.
• Olykraut, Essential Baking Co. Artisan Breads, Grounds for Change Coffee
• Jody's Honey--in stock!
• Dates, Ginger, Nuts, Sweet Potatoes and Dried Fruit

SEASONAL RECIPES

TURNIPS WITH YOGURT AND TOMATOES
Excerpted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian by Saveur

1 1⁄2 cups plain yogurt
Salt
6 medium turnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
3 tbsp. peanut or canola oil
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped (Katie's note--canned perfectly acceptable when fresh are out of season for this recipe)
1⁄4 tsp. cayenne

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

KALE AND PARSNIP QUINOA BOWLS
Dishing up the Dirt

2-4 medium sized parsnips, cut into 1/4 inch pieces, 
1 bunch of curly kale (or any type of kale/green) tough stems removed and cut into bite size pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Oil of choice for cooking (I used grapeseed oil)
Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

1/4 cup tahini
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 TBS pure maple syrup
1 TBS low sodium tamari
2 TBS rice wine vinegar
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup water

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP
Melissa Clark, NYT Food

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion or 2 leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 rosemary or thyme branches
2 bay leaves
3 ½ pounds mixed root vegetables (carrot, parsnip, celery root, turnip, rutabaga, sweet or regular potato), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
½ teaspoon black pepper, more as needed
 Juice of 1/2 lemon, more for serving
 Extra-virgin olive oil
 Flaky sea salt
 Crushed Aleppo, Urfa or other chile flakes, optional
 Grated Parmesan or pecorino, optional

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

BLUEBERRY DUTCH BABY PANCAKE
Averie Cooks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups frozen blueberries (add them frozen, do not thaw first; fresh may be substituted, possibly reducing baking time by a few minutes)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch salt, optional and to taste
confectioners’ sugar for dusting or jam for serving, optional

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

VEGAN DUTCH BABY
WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES & PEARS
Heart of a Baker

tablespoon coconut oil
⅓ cup almond milk
7 ounces silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Topping:
1 apple, sliced
1 pear, sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Powdered sugar, for dusting

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN
WITH PARSNIPS, FENNEL & SCALLIONS
Bon Appetit

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 3½–4-lb. chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 fennel bulb, sliced lengthwise ½” thick
2 large parsnips, peeled, sliced ½” thick on the diagonal
1 bunch scallions
3 wide strips lemon zest
Lemon wedges (for serving)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE