Siren Song Farm Newsletter
Volume 14
Hello wonderful CSAers!
This week we have an abundance of green onions, high in antioxidant potatoes, summer squash and zucchini, celery, heirloom peppers and a variety of heirloom tomatoes. It took me hours to harvest all of the tomatoes this morning, it was wonderful!
So, a funny thing happened when we planted the peppers this season. We were out in the hoophouse having a wonderful conversation and it wasn’t until we got to the end of the row that we realized that everyone was planting different peppers. So we have been able to make some educated guesses about the pepper varieties but Aby is suggesting that before you eat the peppers cut a small bit from the bottom and test it for hotness. You shouldn’t have any really spicy peppers this week but better safe than sorry. It’s always good to remember that the seeds are the hottest part of the peppers so watch out for them.
On a sad note I would also like to let you know that my computer died this week. I tripped over the cord and ripped my laptop off a high shelf. It cracked. The best tech guy I know has it now and is attempting to salvage my data. So I am working with e-mailing from my phone, which I am terrible at and all Facebook, twitter and blog posts are on hold. Sorry for any inconvenience.
I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!
Cheers-
Jen
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Chicken and Green Onion Cobbler
Packed with chicken and vegetables, this savory cobbler is a down-home main course. Uncork a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.
Yield: Serves 10
FILLING
7 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves with skin and bones
1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
2/3 cup diced carrots
2/3 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup frozen petit peas, thawed
1/4 pound smoked ham, chopped
2/3 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all purpose flour
TOPPING
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
FOR FILLING:
Combine 7 cups broth, chicken and saffron in heavy large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl and cool briefly; reserve broth. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch cubes; place in 15x10x2-inch (4 quart) glass baking dish.
Bring broth to boil. Add carrots and celery; cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to dish with chicken. Add green onions, peas, ham, onion and parsley to chicken.
Spoon fat off top of broth. Measure broth, adding more if necessary for 6 1/2 cups. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Ad flour; stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth. Boil until thick and smooth, whisking constantly, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add to chicken. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
FOR TOPPING:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Whisk milk, egg and butter to blend in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls over filling.
Bake cobbler until topping is firm and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
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Buttermilk Biscuits with Green Onions, Black Pepper, and Sea Salt
3/4 cup chilled buttermilk
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper plus additional for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
Coarse sea salt
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine buttermilk and green onions in medium bowl. Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in large bowl to blend. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk mixture and stir until moist clumps form.
Gather dough together. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead gently just to combine, about 3 to 4 turns. Roll out to 3/4-inch thickness. Using floured 2-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll scraps and cut out additional rounds. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Sprinkle each lightly with coarse sea salt and ground black pepper.
Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound orzo (or riso)
2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool.
Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature.
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White Cheddar Puffs with Green Onions
The puffs can be formed and chilled or frozen on baking sheets well ahead of time, then simply popped into the oven.
1 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
2/3 cup minced green onions
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 1 cup water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; mix in flour. Stir over medium heat until mixture becomes slightly shiny and pulls away from sides of pan, about 3 minutes; transfer to stand mixer fitted with paddle. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition to form sticky dough. Mix in cheese and green onions.
Using 2 teaspoons, form dough into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch ovals; drop onto baking sheet 1 inch apart. (Can be made ahead. Wrap in plastic, then foil. Refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cheese puffs until golden, about 30 minutes if at room temperature and 35 minutes if chilled or frozen. Serve immediately.
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Cream of Celery Soup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
5 cups chopped celery
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1-pound celery root, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 10-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon celery salted
2 14 1/2-ounce cans (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onions. Cover and cook until very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in celery root, potato, garlic and celery salt. Add 2 cans broth; cover and simmer until all vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Puree in blender in batches. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
Pour soup into large saucepan. Add cream; bring to simmer, stirring often. Thin with more broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.
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Celery Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 cups (lightly packed) grated smoked Gouda cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces)
24 small inner celery stalks with leaves, cut into 4-inch lengths (from about 3 bunches of celery)
Whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk and paprika in small bowl to blend. Mix in cheese and tomatoes. Season mixture with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Fill cavity of celery stalks with cheese mixture.
Volume 14
Hello wonderful CSAers!
This week we have an abundance of green onions, high in antioxidant potatoes, summer squash and zucchini, celery, heirloom peppers and a variety of heirloom tomatoes. It took me hours to harvest all of the tomatoes this morning, it was wonderful!
So, a funny thing happened when we planted the peppers this season. We were out in the hoophouse having a wonderful conversation and it wasn’t until we got to the end of the row that we realized that everyone was planting different peppers. So we have been able to make some educated guesses about the pepper varieties but Aby is suggesting that before you eat the peppers cut a small bit from the bottom and test it for hotness. You shouldn’t have any really spicy peppers this week but better safe than sorry. It’s always good to remember that the seeds are the hottest part of the peppers so watch out for them.
On a sad note I would also like to let you know that my computer died this week. I tripped over the cord and ripped my laptop off a high shelf. It cracked. The best tech guy I know has it now and is attempting to salvage my data. So I am working with e-mailing from my phone, which I am terrible at and all Facebook, twitter and blog posts are on hold. Sorry for any inconvenience.
I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend!
Cheers-
Jen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicken and Green Onion Cobbler
Packed with chicken and vegetables, this savory cobbler is a down-home main course. Uncork a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.
Yield: Serves 10
FILLING
7 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
3 to 3 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves with skin and bones
1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
2/3 cup diced carrots
2/3 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup frozen petit peas, thawed
1/4 pound smoked ham, chopped
2/3 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup all purpose flour
TOPPING
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
FOR FILLING:
Combine 7 cups broth, chicken and saffron in heavy large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl and cool briefly; reserve broth. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch cubes; place in 15x10x2-inch (4 quart) glass baking dish.
Bring broth to boil. Add carrots and celery; cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to dish with chicken. Add green onions, peas, ham, onion and parsley to chicken.
Spoon fat off top of broth. Measure broth, adding more if necessary for 6 1/2 cups. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Ad flour; stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in broth. Boil until thick and smooth, whisking constantly, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add to chicken. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
FOR TOPPING:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Whisk milk, egg and butter to blend in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls over filling.
Bake cobbler until topping is firm and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
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Buttermilk Biscuits with Green Onions, Black Pepper, and Sea Salt
3/4 cup chilled buttermilk
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper plus additional for sprinkling
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1 tablespoon melted butter
Coarse sea salt
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine buttermilk and green onions in medium bowl. Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in large bowl to blend. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk mixture and stir until moist clumps form.
Gather dough together. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead gently just to combine, about 3 to 4 turns. Roll out to 3/4-inch thickness. Using floured 2-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. Reroll scraps and cut out additional rounds. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Sprinkle each lightly with coarse sea salt and ground black pepper.
Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil
6 cups chicken broth
1 pound orzo (or riso)
2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool.
Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature.
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White Cheddar Puffs with Green Onions
The puffs can be formed and chilled or frozen on baking sheets well ahead of time, then simply popped into the oven.
1 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus additional for sprinkling
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (packed) grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
2/3 cup minced green onions
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring 1 cup water, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; mix in flour. Stir over medium heat until mixture becomes slightly shiny and pulls away from sides of pan, about 3 minutes; transfer to stand mixer fitted with paddle. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition to form sticky dough. Mix in cheese and green onions.
Using 2 teaspoons, form dough into 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch ovals; drop onto baking sheet 1 inch apart. (Can be made ahead. Wrap in plastic, then foil. Refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cheese puffs until golden, about 30 minutes if at room temperature and 35 minutes if chilled or frozen. Serve immediately.
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Cream of Celery Soup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
5 cups chopped celery
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1-pound celery root, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 10-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon celery salted
2 14 1/2-ounce cans (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onions. Cover and cook until very tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in celery root, potato, garlic and celery salt. Add 2 cans broth; cover and simmer until all vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Puree in blender in batches. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
Pour soup into large saucepan. Add cream; bring to simmer, stirring often. Thin with more broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls.
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Celery Stuffed with Smoked Gouda and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/4 cups (lightly packed) grated smoked Gouda cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (about 2 ounces)
24 small inner celery stalks with leaves, cut into 4-inch lengths (from about 3 bunches of celery)
Whisk mayonnaise, buttermilk and paprika in small bowl to blend. Mix in cheese and tomatoes. Season mixture with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Fill cavity of celery stalks with cheese mixture.