Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables

Zucchini

Snow Peas

Head Lettuce

New Potatoes

Swiss Chard

News from the Farm

By Rebecca Claypool

This weekend we mowed down the strawberry field. It was a short season, but certainly a nice treat while they lasted. Our spring lettuce harvest is tapering off, and slowly we are moving into kale, collards, zucchini, and basil picking. Soon we will have green beans, cilantro, beets and eggplant to brighten your boxes. Some crops, such as heirloom tomatoes are experiencing a bit of a delay from the over abundance of rain this spring but the plants still look terrific and we have even more this year than last.

On a different note, Rhys and I have noticed that at Farmer’s Market our potato sales are dramatically down from last year. We have a beautiful crop this year (better than last year), a variety of red, yellow and pink potatoes, and they taste great, but still sales are down. Finally it hit us that sales are low due to the new “fad” Atkins diet. Of course, carbs are the enemy, and potatoes are the worst of all, so folks aren’t buying them. It’s pretty crazy how a small farm in Southeastern Minnesota can even feel the effects of such a trend. I think it will take awhile, but hopefully folks will soon realize it’s a balanced diet and EXERCIZE that make us healthy.

Varieties

By Rebecca Claypool

Snow Peas are a wider, flat variety of pea. They have a great pea flavor without the hassle of shelling. To prepare edible pod peas break off the stems and peel away the center string.

Swiss Chard: This variety is Bright Lights and some Ruby Red is mixed in the bunches. Store chard in a plastic bag and keep in the crisper drawer.

Head Lettuce: This is a new variety of Red Oak Lettuce. It has a much darker red color and is very sweet. It makes a wonderful salad.

Potatoes: This week we have mostly Red Norlands and Yukon Golds. The Yukon Golds are a good all purpose potato and the reds are slightly more waxy, making them ideal for boiling and roasting.

Peppery Potato and Zucchini Packets on the Grill

· 1 ½ lbs potatoes (6 medium), scrubbed and thinly sliced

· 1 zucchini, rinsed and thinly sliced

· 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

· 1 tbl olive oil

· ½ tsp dried thyme

· ½ tsp salt

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Divide mixture among 4 pieces of foil, placing mixture near one end. Fold in half to form packet; fold edges to seal completely.

2. Grill packets 25-30 minutes turning over once, until potatoes are tender when pierced.

Chinese Style Snow Peas and Water Chestnuts

Adapted from Fast Vegetarian Feasts by Martha Rose Shulman

Sauce:

¼ cup tamari

2 tbl tamari

1 tbl dry sherry or rice cooking wine

1 tsp honey

½ tsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbl sesame oil

1 tbl Pernod, or ½ tsp crushed anise seeds

1 tbl cornstarch or arrowroot

Vegetables:

1 lb snow peas, strings removed

4 green onions, both white and green parts chopped

1 4 oz can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

2 tsp safflower or peanut oil

1. Mix ingredients for the sauce.

2. Steam the snow peas, green onions and water chestnuts together 5-10 minutes, to taste.

3. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet or wok and transfer the vegetables to it. Toss a few seconds to coat with oil and add the sauce. Cook up to 1 minute, stirring, over medium high heat until the sauce thickens and glazes the vegetables.

Quiche with Swiss Chard

Pastry:

1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ tsp white sugar

½ tsp salt

2 sticks cold, unsalted butter cut into small chunks

¼ cup ice water

Cut butter into flour with a fork or by pulsing in a food processor. Drizzle ice water over mixture 1 tbl at a time and mix or pulse until a ball of dough forms. Press into a round flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, up to one day ahead. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smooth a sheet of foil, shiny side down over the crust and fill with dry beans. Bake 20 minutes. Lift out foil and weights and prick the crust with a fork, bake 5-10 minutes more until the crust is golden brown all over.

Filling:

2 tbl olive oil

1 red onion, finely diced

1 lb chard leaves, stemmed, washed and chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbl chopped fresh basil or 1 ½ tsp dried

black pepper to taste

red pepper to taste

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup half and half

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Sauté red onion in oil. Add chard, garlic, basil, salt and black and red peppers.

2. Combine eggs, half and half and cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the chard mixture.

3. Scrape the chard mixture into the cooled pie shell and spread evenly.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until the filling is golden and firm, 25-35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and serve.

To contribute contact Margaret at (507) 452-7493 or margo1@hbci.com