Week #51 - Worth the effort...

Many people have a favourite recipes that we make at this time of year. We haul out Grandma's shortbread or nanaimo recipes, prepare to make that special stuffing we only make once a year or enjoy some warm cider or eggnog that bring a rush of memories. 

This year, I've discovered a new favorite that will likely be a regular feature in my repertoire! Sundried tomato and basil pesto cheese torte is festive, yummy and impressive! 

Using a springform pan lined with plastic wrap, you layer a cream cheese/ricotta mixture with alternating layers of sundried tomato and then green basil pesto, freezing after each layer. It takes a day to make while you wait for it to freeze in between but it is well worth it! 

Once complete you cut in wedges with a hot knife and wrap individually. I keep them in the freezer, ready to grab and go. An impressive appetizer for any potluck! They kept well for months. 

If you don't have the ingredients or the patience to make your own pestos, you can always purchase them pre-made from your local farmers or small business shop. 

Interested in giving it a try? I found a number of different recipes on line by googling 'cream cheese sundried tomato basil pesto torte'. They were all fairly similar. Don't be scared off by various steps.... it is well worth it! 

FFF CSA - Week 7/12 - What's in the Box? - Pattypan and Pesto!

Our shareholders are going to need some solid muscles to move this weeks' box. As we move towards the fall, the produce becomes heavier and more dense in preparation for the cold weather. 

This week we add some wonderful cherry tomatoes, peppers and pattypan squash to the usual offerings. For those that are not familiar with pattypan or scallop squash, you are in for a treat! A mild summer squash that can be used in a variety of ways. You can chop it up and put it raw on your salad, bake it, stuff it, pickle it, make soup from it, and dry it into chips (with or without seasoning).  We call it the sunshine squash in our household for obvious reasons (looks like a tiny sun) and hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 

We also have tucked in a bag or two (depending upon share size) of basil this week as it is enjoying this weather and is growing rapidly. This presents a perfect opportunity to make some pesto! Below is a recipe that you can use as a guide either reducing or increasing the recipe depending on what you have on hand. 

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (can sub half the basil leaves with baby spinach or even carrot tops! )

1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts, or even almonds)

3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Chop basil, nuts and garlic very well or place in food processor. Add cheese, salt and pepper and oil. One of my favorite ways to keep pesto is by freezing it ice cube trays and then popping into a ziplock bag. That way when I just want a little bit I can grab a cube or two! Either way its important to store in an air tight container as basil will go dark if exposed to the air. 

So... What's in the Box this week?

• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Beets
• Baby carrots
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Potatoes
• Peppers New! 
• Rhubarb
• Pattypan squash New! 
• Apples 
• Cherry tomatoes New! 
• Basil

Note: We do rinse the produce but it would be prudent to wash all vegetables when you get them home. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer. (unless of course, you are drying them for storage later.)

Reminder: Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (ice cream pails, plastic containers, etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 

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FFF CSA - Week 4/12 - What's in the Box? - Preserving Herbs

... and we are on to Week #4 of our twelve week CSA share and all our smart shareholders are munching on yummy veggies that they didn't have to lift a finger to grow! 

The new items this week include sweet garden peas and broccoli! Are you someone who thinks they don't like broccoli??? Promise me you will try some fresh out of the garden... and you will change your mind! Garden fresh broccoli tastes so mild and delicious its almost like a different food from that which you often get from the grocery store! 

This week's box comes with the usual bundle of herbs and I thought I would spend some time talking about how to use these gems each week! There are so many options! 

Eat fresh! Remove the leaves from the stems, chop or mince as desired and add them to salads, soups, sauces, or smoothies ... or any other recipe!

Dry! Hang the herbs in bundles in a cool, dry room until the leaves are dry and brittle. Strip the leaves from the stem in a bag or bowl, crush somewhat to create smaller flakes and you are ready to use! Note: it's important to be sure that the herbs are completely dry before you store in jars or bags or they may develop mold. If you have a dehydrator and want to speed the drying process, lay the herbs in the tray in one layer and dehydrate at 90-95F.

Freeze! Prepare the herbs as if eating fresh and then place in small freezable containers and cover in oil. My favorite tip is to place chopped herbs in ice cube trays and freeze. Then I put the small serving size cubes in a labelled ziploc bag ready to grab for any recipe I need! 

So... What's in the Box this week?

• Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Baby carrots
• Kale
• Zucchini or Cucumbers
• New Potatoes
• Broccoli New!
• Onions New!
• Beets New!
• Peas New!
• Bouquet of various herbs including: 
• Chives
• Parsley (flat and curled)
• Cilantro 
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Oregano

Note: We do rinse the produce but it would be prudent to wash all vegetables when you get them home. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer. (unless of course, you are drying them for storage later.)

Reminder: Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (ice cream pails, plastic containers, etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 

Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter at @FenezFollies

Bounty of Basil

FFF Photo a Day  - 212

This weather has been great for our basil crop! We can't harvest it fast enough!

Lots of basil = lots of pesto! 

Week #7 - 2014 FFF CSA - What's in the Box

What started as a wet year has turned decidedly less moist! Watering is becoming a full time job as everything is looking parched. The nice thing is that this kind of weather slows down the mowing and weeding.... so trade offs everywhere. This is an exciting week of for all tomato lovers as your first lovely gems of the season have finally matured. We grow many different varieties and I hope you enjoy exploring the different colours and flavours as the weeks go on.

As the summer trundles along, we inevitably must turn our attention to the coming fall and winter and I encourage all of you to think about how you can continue your enjoyment of your veggies into the colder weather. At the risk of being called lazy, I thought I would simply link you back to my blog last year where I walked our shareholders through a number of ways that you can extend your harvest from freezing, drying and pickling. 

I'm busy drying our first crop of basil plants for you all so that you will have some dried basil through the winter and we will do the same with our cilantro/coriander plants a bit later in the season. So check out what you can do today to eat better tomorrow by checking out last year's post here.

So... What's in the Box this week?

• Swiss Chard
• Romaine Lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes New!
• Beets
• Broccoli for full shares
• Turnip
• Kohlrabi for full shares
• Beans
• Ground Cherries for full shares New!
• Kale
• Carrots
• Peppers (mostly hot)
• Onion New!
• Potatoes

We pick the vegetables within 24 hours of the box being delivered. We do rinse the produce but it would be prudent to wash all vegetables when you get them home. Keeping the herbs (ends) in a cup of clean water will keep them fresh longer.

Please return your empty box along with all re-usable containers (ice cream pails, plastic containers, etc) so that we can reuse them all over again. 

Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter at @FenezFollies