Monday, June 30, 2008

Recipes

Tasty steamed beet recipe drizzled in a fresh basil and garlic oil - great hot .

Beet and Basil Recipe
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup fresh opal basil leaves, shredded
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1lb. steamed beet cubes
8 steamed beet leaves

In a pan add butter, shredded opal basil. Add olive oil, garlic, salt and black pepper. Simmer gently.
Arrange beet leaves on a serving platter. Spoon steamed beet cubes onto leaves. Drizzle beets with the basil butter oil. Serve hot as a side dish to beef or turkey, or chill for a side salad for a barbecue.

Beet Recipe #2
Try a milder domestic Gorgonzola (rather than the equally delicious but more pungent Italian version). Using an assortment of different colored beets makes the salad more vibrant.
Prep: 30 minutes; Total: 1 hour 45 minutes (includes cooling time)
Servings: Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 4 ounces)

2 cups roughly torn bite-size pieces French bread

1/4 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, and rosemary)

1 garlic clove minced

24 baby beets, trimmed, scrubbed

8 ounces baby arugula (about 12 cups)

PREPARATION:
Place lemon juice and vinegar in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup oil. Stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper. (Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat remaining 1/3 cup oil in medium ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add bread pieces; toss to coat. Add herbs and garlic; toss to coat. Sauté until bread is crisp, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer croutons to plate in single layer. Cool.Add beets to same skillet, tossing to coat with any remaining herbs and oil. Cover skillet with foil and transfer to oven. Roast until beets are tender, about 45 minutes. Cool beets. Peel, if desired; cut in half.Toss arugula with 1/2 cup dressing in large wide bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with beets and croutons and serve.

Test-kitchen tip:After being roasted, baby beets peel easily, but the skins are perfectly edible if you choose to leave them on.

Beet Recipe #3
Fresh beets are delicious cooked with a mixture of brown sugar, butter, and balsamic vinegar.


INGREDIENTS:
7 to 9 beets, peeled, quartered
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter


PREPARATION:
Combine beets with water, brown sugar , vinegar, and butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue simmering, uncovered, for about 1 hour, or until beets are tender and most of the liquid has boiled away.Serves 4 to 6.
More Recipes Using http://recipes.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Category:Beet_Recipes

Carrot patrol

Friday, June 27, 2008

Having fun on the farm

Mr. B and the little farmers

Coming this week.....

Another great day @ Farm Camp. The kids watered the pumpkin patch, pulled a ton of weeds, and continued to sift our homemade compost. If you're a CSA member remember to sign up for Farm Camp by the 3oth. Camp for our CSA members is July 7th-11th. There are 2 sessions 10am-12 and 12-2. Let us know which session you prefer.

In this weeks harvest share:

Carrots
Onions
Cilantro
Cabbage
Spring Mix
Spinach
Chioga Beets-- beautiful and delicious from our friends @ Growing Grounds
Basil--from Growing Grounds too
Green Beans--last week was our first harvest
Snap Peas--these are so sweet that I can't stop eating them. We'll give you plenty so there will be enough for everyone in the family.
Summer Squash--variety

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Eating straight from the garden

Farm Camp





This has been a very exciting and fun day for us at Blosser Urban Garden. We had our first session of Farm Camp. 28 students and 4 parents from Los Adobes de Maria came to visit us and learned all about organic farming. What was amazing to us was how excited the children were about the day to day things we do on the farm. They helped pull carrots for our CSA, they planted a pumpkin patch and they took home some fresh produce for their families. And.. at the end of the 2 hours they were asking, "What are we going to do tomorrow?" Check out the pics The date on my camera keeps resetting but these really were taken yesterday.