Siren Song Farm Newsletter
Volume 3
Hello wonderful CSAers!
I apologize for the tardiness of this newsletter! I have been in Corvallis all week taking a fantastic class, Permaculture Farming for Energy Descent, through OSU. It has been fantastic so far and I have learned a lot. I will be sharing more of what I have learned this week on the blog as soon as I have a free couple of minutes. J
So, this week in your bag you received zucchini, red onions, spinach, mixed baby radishes and green apples. It’s pretty straight forward this week. We traded some radishes with an apple farmer in Washington this week so that we could all enjoy this season’s fruit! The cows have been enjoying the bruised extras! We were interviewed at 5:00 on Monday morning for the local news and when it was over we had several hours before the Pioneer Courthouse Market began and we had a ton of fun carving Radish Flowers. So I am adding directions for that as well.
Here are some fun recipes to try with this week’s spoils. I hope you all are having a fantastic week as well and enjoying our summer sun!
Cheers-
Jen
Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
dutch baby pancake with apples, cinnamon and cloves
Thanks to the inclusion of both chopped apples and whole grain flour, this Dutch baby won’t rise quite as high as those made with white flour; however, you’ll find the results equally delicious.
Ingredients:
TIME : 6 to 8 minutes (stovetop), 35 to 45 minutes (oven)
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Apple and Cheddar Scones
Makes 6 generous scones
2 firm tart apples (1 pound or 254 grams)
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces or 195 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling (total of 2.2 ounces or 63 grams)
1/2 tablespoon (7 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams) plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams)unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes plus additional for baking sheet if not lining it with parchment
1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) sharp cheddar, shredded (white is recommended, I assume for aesthetics)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream
2 large eggs
Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and core apples, then cut them into one-sixteenths. (I assumed this meant chunks, not slivers.) Placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. (You can speed this up in the fridge, as I did.) Leave oven on.
Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
[Don't have a stand or hand mixer? I'd rub the cold butter into the flour mixture with my fingertips or with a pastry blender, hand-chop the apples coarsely and mix the rest together with a wooden spoon until combined. It might feel awkward, but it should all come together. Again, don't overmix it though it will be harder to do this by hand.]
Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (or use your hands to pat) the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.
Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Before you eat one, make sure you realize how addictive they might be. Once you’ve got that down, go for it anyway.
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Radish Flowers
Trim radish tops, leaving 2 inches of stems with leaves attached. Trim roots, then wash radishes, cleaning well around stem end. Holding onto stem end of 1 radish and working with a sharp paring knife, carve a 1/8-inch-thick slice down one side, starting at root end, following shape of radish, and ending within 1/4 inch of stem to form a "petal" (do not cut all the way through). Make 2 more cuts around radish, turning it each time and leaving an equal amount of space between cuts, for a total of 3 petals. Repeat with remaining radishes.
Soak radishes in a large bowl of ice and cold water at least 1 hour (to open "flowers"). Transfer radishes to paper towels to drain.
Cooks' note:
Radishes can be soaked in ice water up to 3 hours.
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Green Beans with Sweet and Sour Red Onions
Yield: Makes 6 servings
ingredients
1 pound slender green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons butter
1 very large (14- to 16-ounce) red onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
Steam beans until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add next 3 ingredients. sauté until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add beans; toss to coat and heat through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Mound in shallow bowl.
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Sephardic Spinach Patties
Among my favorite spinach dishes are these simple but delicious patties. Even spinach haters can't resist them, especially when they're splashed with a little fresh lemon juice; fresh juice does make a major difference in taste. Onions add a sweet flavor and textural complexity. These patties are traditional on Passover and Rosh Hashanah, corresponding to the emergence of the early and late spinach crops.
Yield: Makes about 16 patties
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (optional) 2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed, cooked, chopped, and squeezed dry, or 20 ounces thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
About 1 cup matza meal or fine dried bread crumbs
About 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges for serving
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and, if using, the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, matza meal, salt, pepper, and, if using, the nutmeg. Stir in the eggs. If the mixture is too loose, add a little more matza meal. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.
2. Shape the spinach mixture into patties 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with tapered ends. In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties, turning, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Cheese (Keftes de Espinaca con Queso):
Add 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Muenster, Swiss, Gouda, or Cheddar cheese; or 1/4 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese.
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Walnuts (Keftes de Espinaca con Muez):
Substitute 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped walnuts for the matza meal.
Italian Spinach Patties (Polpettine di Spinaci):
Add 3/4 cup raisins soaked in white wine for 30 minutes, then drained, and 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts.
NOTE
To reheat the spinach patties, place in a large skillet, add 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.
Volume 3
Hello wonderful CSAers!
I apologize for the tardiness of this newsletter! I have been in Corvallis all week taking a fantastic class, Permaculture Farming for Energy Descent, through OSU. It has been fantastic so far and I have learned a lot. I will be sharing more of what I have learned this week on the blog as soon as I have a free couple of minutes. J
So, this week in your bag you received zucchini, red onions, spinach, mixed baby radishes and green apples. It’s pretty straight forward this week. We traded some radishes with an apple farmer in Washington this week so that we could all enjoy this season’s fruit! The cows have been enjoying the bruised extras! We were interviewed at 5:00 on Monday morning for the local news and when it was over we had several hours before the Pioneer Courthouse Market began and we had a ton of fun carving Radish Flowers. So I am adding directions for that as well.
Here are some fun recipes to try with this week’s spoils. I hope you all are having a fantastic week as well and enjoying our summer sun!
Cheers-
Jen
Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
dutch baby pancake with apples, cinnamon and cloves
Thanks to the inclusion of both chopped apples and whole grain flour, this Dutch baby won’t rise quite as high as those made with white flour; however, you’ll find the results equally delicious.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2-3 medium apples, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch dice
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup whole grain flour or white flour
- no more than 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon, sliced thin, to serve
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Melt butter in a cast iron skillet over a moderate flame, then toss in chopped apples. Fry the apples in butter until they release their perfume and become tender when pierced by a fork, about six to eight minutes.
- Beat eggs and milk together in a separate bowl until smooth and uniform, then beat in flour, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and sea salt. Continue beating the batter for the Dutch baby until it is smooth with no lumps. The batter will be very liquid.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, pour the Dutch baby batter over the cooked apples and bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees Fahrenheit for thirty-five to forty-five minutes until puffed and golden.
- Serve the Dutch baby pancake immediately, garnished with sliced lemon.
TIME : 6 to 8 minutes (stovetop), 35 to 45 minutes (oven)
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Apple and Cheddar Scones
Makes 6 generous scones
2 firm tart apples (1 pound or 254 grams)
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces or 195 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling (total of 2.2 ounces or 63 grams)
1/2 tablespoon (7 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams) plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams)unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes plus additional for baking sheet if not lining it with parchment
1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) sharp cheddar, shredded (white is recommended, I assume for aesthetics)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream
2 large eggs
Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and core apples, then cut them into one-sixteenths. (I assumed this meant chunks, not slivers.) Placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. (You can speed this up in the fridge, as I did.) Leave oven on.
Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
[Don't have a stand or hand mixer? I'd rub the cold butter into the flour mixture with my fingertips or with a pastry blender, hand-chop the apples coarsely and mix the rest together with a wooden spoon until combined. It might feel awkward, but it should all come together. Again, don't overmix it though it will be harder to do this by hand.]
Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (or use your hands to pat) the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.
Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Before you eat one, make sure you realize how addictive they might be. Once you’ve got that down, go for it anyway.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Radish Flowers
Trim radish tops, leaving 2 inches of stems with leaves attached. Trim roots, then wash radishes, cleaning well around stem end. Holding onto stem end of 1 radish and working with a sharp paring knife, carve a 1/8-inch-thick slice down one side, starting at root end, following shape of radish, and ending within 1/4 inch of stem to form a "petal" (do not cut all the way through). Make 2 more cuts around radish, turning it each time and leaving an equal amount of space between cuts, for a total of 3 petals. Repeat with remaining radishes.
Soak radishes in a large bowl of ice and cold water at least 1 hour (to open "flowers"). Transfer radishes to paper towels to drain.
Cooks' note:
Radishes can be soaked in ice water up to 3 hours.
__________________________________________________________________
Green Beans with Sweet and Sour Red Onions
Yield: Makes 6 servings
ingredients
1 pound slender green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons butter
1 very large (14- to 16-ounce) red onion, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
Steam beans until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add next 3 ingredients. sauté until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir until sauce thickens, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add beans; toss to coat and heat through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Mound in shallow bowl.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Sephardic Spinach Patties
Among my favorite spinach dishes are these simple but delicious patties. Even spinach haters can't resist them, especially when they're splashed with a little fresh lemon juice; fresh juice does make a major difference in taste. Onions add a sweet flavor and textural complexity. These patties are traditional on Passover and Rosh Hashanah, corresponding to the emergence of the early and late spinach crops.
Yield: Makes about 16 patties
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (optional) 2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed, cooked, chopped, and squeezed dry, or 20 ounces thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
About 1 cup matza meal or fine dried bread crumbs
About 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges for serving
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and, if using, the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, matza meal, salt, pepper, and, if using, the nutmeg. Stir in the eggs. If the mixture is too loose, add a little more matza meal. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.
2. Shape the spinach mixture into patties 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with tapered ends. In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties, turning, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Cheese (Keftes de Espinaca con Queso):
Add 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Muenster, Swiss, Gouda, or Cheddar cheese; or 1/4 cup grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese.
Sephardic Spinach Patties with Walnuts (Keftes de Espinaca con Muez):
Substitute 1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped walnuts for the matza meal.
Italian Spinach Patties (Polpettine di Spinaci):
Add 3/4 cup raisins soaked in white wine for 30 minutes, then drained, and 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts.
NOTE
To reheat the spinach patties, place in a large skillet, add 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.