Shepherd's Pie

It's starting to pick up!
In the boxes this week:
asparagus
green garlic
long red radishes
mustard  greens (curly tips)
collard greens (two-toned leaves)
broccoli raab (aka "rapini")

Please add recipes, comments, and suggestions to the "pages" section of
http://groups.google.com/group/videnovichfarms

A few recipe tips.
mustard greens (or any "greens"): saute garlic, add the leaves, when
they wilt add a little red wine vinegar, reduce, serve over pasta.
http://www.seasonalchef.com/greens.htm suggests also adding toasted
pine nuts and raisins. Mmm.

That seasonalchef.com link also includes a broccoli raab recipe. There
will hopefully be plenty more rapini for the next month. In the past
it's grown like a hydra, two stems growing from the previous cuts. This
crop is a non-bunching form of broccoli and the whole plant is edible.
Great steamed or in stir-frys.

I have no idea what will be available next week. This weather has been
funky and farming has never been a friend to early predictions. The
Swiss chard and kale have been weeded and the recent rains create
favorable conditions for these plants. The sugar peas are in bloom. The
radishes are waning with the warming temperatures. I hope to bring them
back in late autumn. Garlic scapes should be available soon. Those are
the curly tops to the hard-necked garlic I grow. Delish steamed or
fried and make a wonderful pesto or aoili. Did I mention the garlic is
a special red variety originally grown by my grandfather in eastern
Serbia? It's one of the true Videnovich family heirloom veggies that
I've been growing since I was about 3 or 4 years old (when grandpa came
to visit). The other family heirloom are the quince fruit, available at
the end of the growing season (and in my special quince and
rose-scented geranium-infused marmalade). Here's a link to grandpa
during that visit:

Posted by verica at 08:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More green stuff. In the boxes this week:
green onions (scallions)
radishes
sorrel
mint
sweet marjoram (winter-hardy oregano)
pea shoots

Mint and sweet marjoram can be used fresh or dried. Quite a few of you
mentioned mojitos and mint juleps. . .  nice ;) I'll keep that in mind
for future CSA deliveries. Please keep the feedback coming, it gives
me direction for how to put these orders together.

recipe ideas:

sorrel: This is a common European vegetable. Here in the States it's
used as an herb. It's like a lemony spinach. Great in potato soup, egg
or fish dishes. Here's a blog that mentions it:
http://www.foodbuzz.com/recipes/307213-s-is-for-sorrel-sauce

pea shoots: delish thrown in salads. Also it's great in a quick stir-
fry with garlic, ginger, and soy. Taste like peas, even the tendrils!
Lots of nutrients in this one.

sweet marjoram: use it fresh or let it dry for later use. It's great
for all sorts of meats and egg dishes. Also great as an herb vinegar
or herb butter. Here's a link: http://www.superbherbs.net/Sweetmarjoram.htm

Posted by verica at 08:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the boxes this week:
radishes (!)
green onions
green garlic
sage
fennel fronds

So many radishes this week. They all ripened at once so I spent most
of the day harvesting and sorting. Good to know they're high in
vitamin C. There is a use for radish leaves, here's a link to a soup:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/GRANDMOTHERS-RADISH-LEAF...
or here for another recipe: http://www.reallynatural.com/archives/recipe/recipe_sauteed_radishes_...
Of course, I love snacking on radishes.

Sage: can be dried for later use. But a good recipe is sage butter:
heat butter until brown, add sage leaves. This is delish over gnocchi
or ravioli (I'm sure any pasta will do in a pinch).

Posted by verica at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The CSA deadline came quickly. With a frost overnight Sunday into Monday I have to admit I'm lucky that the season has been too cold and wet. Last year I had tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers in the field two weeks before this date. This year they're struggling little seedlings in the greenhouse. Except the chocolate peppers (yes, a rich dark brown sweet bell pepper), which are ready to go into the ground!

Next Monday is Memorial Day so the CSA drop off will be Tuesday 5/27/2008 by 4pm at both the Reader and the Hyde Park Art Center. Looks like there will be radishes, mustard greens, kale, and sorrel. There's plenty of green garlic and a few herbs. I'll pack whatever looks best for you and can be combined in recipes.

Posted by verica at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What's with my desire to meet genius?

I just got back from Doc Films at the University of Chicago. There was a screening of Milcho Manchevski's latest film Shadows. I've been a fan of this director since I attended the Chicago premiere of Before the Rain over a decade ago. It's the first film that spoke to my soul and I've been hungry for more work from Manchevski.

As I near another decade of my life I've been dealing with thoughts of my own mortality so this film's theme startled me out of my own funk. Once again Manchevski reaches me with his art and shows me my thoughts and fears aren't singular.

I got to the screening early so I made my way to 57th Street Books to kill some time. On the way there I ran into Manchevski and Professor Victor Friedman (Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures). I couldn't come up with anything clever to say so "screening in an hour?" came out of my mouth. Duh.

I did talk to the professor after the screening (we've met before through mutual friends). He left with Manchevski who smiled and acknowledged me on his way out the door. Let's just say my heart skipped a beat or two.

Posted by verica at 12:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)