05-28-11
Our Customers ROCK!
Although summer is not quite officially upon us, the gardens are changing seasons rapidly.
This week we've been eating squash and zucchini, cucumbers and the first cherry tomato (yes, only one. Patience!).
Our wonderful customers have been sharing recipes like these from Bonnie:
Bonnie's Roasted Potatoes with Chive Pesto
Bonnie's Sauteed Kale
Zucchini Pappardelle with Tomatoes and Feta
and from Sallie:
Roasted Fennel Salad
05-22-11
Note from CSA
Another round of CSA has come and gone.
Earlier this week I was talking with a customer about how he cooks, how he approaches his CSA share.
He said, "I always make whatever is on the recipe card for the week. Those recipes are awesome!"
Later in the week another customer told me that she never made the recipe although she always looked at them and found them interesting.
"I usually start by tasting," she said. "I'll go into the kitchen and taste everything and then just start putting things together."
Regardless of cooking style, I think having a share of fresh produce is a great way to get into the kitchen and start cooking.
Claudia, another CSA member, shared a wonderful recipe for bruschetta that illustrates perfectly how to begin with a recipe and adapt it to whatever you happen to have on hand.
You can read the recipe and her adaptations here:
Claudia's Bruschetta
I'd also like to share Claudia's note for the week.
We certainly understand that CSA is not right for everyone and comes with its own sets of challenges and demands, but it's working for Claudia and that makes us happy!
Hi BA and Gabe,
I am remiss for not having written you more often to tell you how much my husband and I (and my mother-in-law) love your produce and recipes! The way we eat has completely changed...and we thought we ate well BEFORE we found you (and we did!). But we have now moved to a while new echelon, a new 'vibrational level,' lol, thanks to Sapelo Farms.
Your recipes are inspired. Stunningly creative applications....bold use of herbs...unique and compelling ingredient combinations....we feel like we've been transported to a whole new taste smorgasbord!!
This week we made the Leek and Goat Cheese Tart. OMG. Unbelievable. I used some scallions left over from the previous week's CSA and substituted feta for goat cheese (because I had some in the fridge). The fresh tarragon gave it an incredible ambience. We ate leftovers the next night and the next. We ate every last crumb!
I also made the Summer Squash Blossom Hush Puppies...only I didn't have any squash BLOSSOMS, but I DID have some of your squash, so I put that and some more of the leftover scallions in my food processor and added that to the recipe. I also doubled the Old Bay Seasoning and quadrupled the cumin (still just 1 tsp of each). The results were awesome!! We also ate those leftover for several days (do you know that they're great leftover COLD?!).
Then, tonight...I had the small head of broccoli from my CSA share this week, so I searched the Sapelo Farms recipes for something to make with that...and I came across the Broccoli with Pasta, Feta & Sausage. As always, I tweaked the recipe a bit ;-) A whole pound of penne pasta (I substituted ziti since I had some) seemed a bit too much, so I cooked 8 ounces instead. The coolest thing to me is that with few exceptions, I always have the ingredients that your recipes call for (or I can substitute...such as half and half in place of heavy cream). So I didn't have to go to the store for anything...I had feta cheese and even had some smoked sausage in the freezer, which thawed quickly. Well, my husband almost fell out of his chair, the dish was so good!! He wants to meet you guys now and thank you personally, so I might have to bring him with me one of the these weeks when I pick up my CSA share!!
Just wanted you to know how much we love you guys, Sapelo Farms, and your incredible recipes!! Thank you so much for making our spirits soar and our tummies SMILE!!
Hugs,
Claudia
04-16-11
Tea with Neil and Kathy
This weekend our friends Neil and Kathy invited us to their house for an "English" tea.
What a wonderful time we had touring Neil's gardens! But the best surprise were the sandwiches Kathy served for tea time!
On very thin slices of bread, she placed different types of cheese (brie, goat cheese or cheddar), topped them with thinly sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and then sprinklings of herbs and lettuces from Neil's garden.
Nothing could have been more simple or more delicious!
Some of our favorites were brie with cucumber, chives and dill and tomato and cheddar with loveage and chives.
Inspired, I treated myself to a few thin slices of bread, some Sweet Grass Dairy cheese, a sprinkling of chive blooms, tarragon and dill.
Simple and delicious!
04-03-11
Greens
Two greens offerings from my kitchen this week.
On Saturday evening, with everyone away from the farm except the animals and me, I made a kale bruschetta by wilting kale with butter and garlic, adding a little vinegar and salt and pepper.
I ate this with some Applewood Cheddar cheese from True Vine and some toasted bread.
Bingo thought it was pretty good too.
(As a side note, some people are happy when their kids eat greens, I find...humor when my dog eats them!)
And this morning, feeling that we should eat some breakfast but not wanting too much, I sauteed spinach and garlic in olive oil, added three farm eggs and a generous grating of Parmesan cheese...not too shabby Farmer, not too shabby.
03-31-11
From our friend Claudia...
Hi BA and Gabe,
We LOVE the Ziti with Pork and Escarole in Creamy Thyme Sauce recipe featured on your website, and I cooked it a few weeks ago to rave reviews (from husband and mother-in-law). Well, I had some pork tenderloin on hand this week, but didn't have any escarole....however, I did have some lovely spinach from my CSA this week, so decided to use that instead. Thinking that it might not be enough greens, I decided at the last minute to include the greens from the kohlrabi that I bought as an extra this week. I also didn't have any ziti...but I had lots of other pasta (mmmmm....pasta!!), so I substituted fiori. AND, before serving my substitution-laden dish, I sprinkled some grated parmesan cheese on top! The result: just as delicious as the first time! I served it with some stir-fried (in olive oil) fresh okra from the Farmer's Market (I'm looking forward to YOUR okra this summer!).
Substitutions rock! And it's easy: just use your imagination and your common sense!
You also asked for my Bruschetta recipe, so here it is, with substitions/additions noted at the end:
Balsamic Bruschetta
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
sliced, toasted French or Italian bread
(Note: it helps to drain the chopped tomatoes before adding to the mix; I put them on a paper towel and roll the towel into a tube, then give it a minute or two for the tomato juice to soak into the towel before adding them to the mix; if you like really wet bruschetta, skip this step!)
Mix first 4 items well, then add the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Serve on toasted bread.
Substitutions: I didn't have any fresh basil, so I used the greens from the radishes from my CSA share; I also had a nice bunch of fresh chives in my CSA share, so I chopped and added some of those, too. It was really delicious! The balsamic vinegar was the 'keynote speaker' in this delightful concoction!
I can't thank you enough for the awesome produce! Keep it comin'!!!
Hugs,
Claudia
03-22-11
From our friend Jodi...
I was thinking some strawberries and gorgonzola with a lemon vinaigrette with those pecans. That kohlrabi is going into an indian yogurt soup, yum.
03-20-11
A couple of brunches
The past two Sundays, we've made wonderful farm brunches complete with True Vine wines.
Ah! Spring Sunday bliss!
Last Sunday we adapted the Leek and Goat Cheese Tart recipe from the website into a Fennel and Green Onion Tart.
This is a really, really easy recipe that involves simply browning a pastry shell and filling it with sauted vegetables. Last week we used sauteed fennel and green spring onions with a dash of cream and a sprinkling of feta cheese.
We completed our meal with a green salad and a bottle of Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde.
This week we were feeling more adventerous. With Katie in town and Mary and Carol joining the brunch fray, we made the traditional Leek and Goat Cheese Tart (ok, we did substitue feta for the goat cheese since BA can't handle goat cheese).
David smoked catfish provided by our friend Oakie.
Carol added an amazing braised red cabbage salad and a marinated mushroom and parsley dish.
The flavors were all amazing! What a wonderful time of year to enjoy fresh farm produce and friends and family.
03-14-11
Note From Stacy
BA & Gabe-
We are loving the produce! Even our 13 year-old son who can be just a little picky is enjoying almost everything.
Even with the full CSA share, we are running a little short on salad stuff (being just a family of 3, we go through a lot of salad and veggies - which is really good!)
I'd like to pick up an extra head of the red buttercrunch with my share tomorrow. Please just let me know where to leave the money.
Also, if you ever have an opening for eggs, please let me know. We go through a lot of eggs.
We loved the baked polenta with cheese and Swiss chard recipe! It made great breakfast leftovers with an over easy egg on top.
I also found a recipe for pesto using fennel fronds (I hate to waste anything,) and I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again!
Stacey Julien
03-14-11
Claudia Does It Again
Hi BA and Gabe,
We tried 2 more of the wonderful recipes on the Sapelo Farms website this week with great success!
Ziti with Pork and Escarole (substituted Asian Greens) in Creamy Thyme Sauce
Chinese Cabbage with Mushrooms, Noodles and Almonds
In the Ziti Pork recipe, we substituted the Asian Greens featured in CSA Week 2...we were blown away by the amazing thyme flavor! It was awesome! We used pork tenderloin, quite tender. I'll bet this recipe would be great without any meat, as well!
The Chinese Cabbage dish was also wonderful with the nice undertaste of sherry. We're big fans of chinese cabbage now...it's more like cabbage-flavored lettuce than traditional cabbage. I used some of it later in the week to make coleslaw!
That's another thing: the vegetables keep beautifully! We are still enjoying the scallions from week #1!! I've never tasted milder scallions...
BA, you had suggested that the radish greens could be used for Bruschetta...well, I made some bruschetta on Sunday; I decided to chop up and add some of the chives that were in our basket from Week 2, as well. Delicious!! The chives made a great addition! The recipe I used called for a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, which we love, and which added an interesting flavor. Let me know if you want the recipe (to add to your website in all of your spare time, lol!).
Looking forward to the veggies for Week 3!
Claudia
03-07-11
Notes from CSA Customers
Our CSA is in full swing and our members are cooking up a storm.
I wanted to share two notes we received last week that made us both very hapy and very inspired!
Hi BA,
Last week, I tried two of the Sapelo Farms website recipes with great success:
Fettuccini with Shellfish, Anaheim Chiles and Arugula
(substituted something called a 'longhot chile,' which was pleasantly mild) This dish had an intriguing and unusual flavor...we LOVED it.
Baked Polenta with Cheese and Swiss Chard
(substituted corn meal for polenta) This was very interesting...neither my husband, my mother in law, or I had ever had anything like this before and it was wonderful.
Both dishes were a roaring success, which was very gratifying to me, since I was cooking (tee hee), as well as to my husband and mother in law, because they were eating the food!!
Thanks for the wonderful recipes on your website! I'll be trying two more tomorrow night, and will be happy to send you a report next week.
We are still enjoying the awesome spring onions...they sure do store beautifully!
Sapelo Farms ROCKS!!
Claudia
and
Morning ladies,
Just sharing... to your delish ginger chinese cabbage recipe I added Swiss chard, nuts (no pine nuts which would be better), apples (at the end so they were not over cooked) and raisins (that absorbs some of the juice). That was so yummy the kids had a second serving.
Merci!
Anne
03-03-11
Dinner for A's Mom
Spicy Local, Wild Caught Georgia Shrimp (Knight's Seafood)
Logan Turnpike Grits with Sapelo Farms Sweet Potato Puree
Romaine lettuce salad with an avocado and green apple dressing
Blueberry and Peach Cobbler (from last summer's berries) with a Cornmeal Crust
To Drink:
Kumbaya, Red Table Wine, CA
Oceana, Riesling, CA 2007
(Both from True Vine, Downtown Brunswick)
03-01-11
Recipe
As promised:
Ben's Arugula Pesto
02-27-11
Arugula (finally)
Seems like we've been years without this spicy salad green, it's one of our favorites.
BA likes to make a salad dressing with lemon juice, cane syrup, olive oil and salt and pepper, the perfect contrast of sweet with the bite of the arugula.
Gabe's been wilting arugula over the top of pizza crust with just a touch of cheese.
We're excited to try a new arugula pesto recipe from our friends Zay and Ben.
Full details coming soon!
02-18-11
Friday
It's Friday. True, Sunday's valentine's Day Dinner is still a recent memory with highs and lows all of its own.
The beers were, mostly, a total hit. Highlights: Belgium Slightly Bitter Ale and the Innis and Gunn rum cask beer we served with our Rum Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
We never made it to the Merlot we bought to sample with the rib roast.
But today is Friday. It's been a long week. I want something simple.
I'm craving Mexican -- ok, Tex-Mex.
In the pantry we have tomato sauce we canned last summer.
I start the sauce simmering with some garlic and onions, then I run to the garden for a handful of cilantro.
It's dark, the full moon is just rising, but I can smell the clean, sweet smell of the cilantro the moment I touch it. I snag a few sprigs and head back to the house.
Once my sauce is warm, I add the beef scraps from the rib roast a few days before, simmer simmer until the meat is tender. Then I chop the cilantro, add it and the thickened sauce to the inside of a tortilla -- perfect!
02-14-11
Valentine's Day Dinner
Rib Roast
Swiss Chard with Lemon Oil
Italian Roasted Romanesco with Bread Crumbs
Wild Rice
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
02-07-11
Cilantro, Chard, Garlic and Chicken
Gabe's note:
I've been thinking for a while that we needed a place to collect notes on our cooking endeavors (and those of our customers and friends).
Last week our friend Jane arrived with an offering of small oranges. "They froze," she warned, "so cook with them instead of just eating them."
We used the juice to make an amazing viniagrette for our red Romaine lettuce!
Our intention with the oranges (ok, BA's intention with the oranges at the suggestion of Jane) was to stuff them into a whole chicken.
Since we still haven't progressed to raising our own poultry for meat, BA purchased a whole chicken from the store. She then made the mistake of leaving town.
I tend to be more of an experimental cook, I like to try new things. So knowing that my parents would be coming back late Wednesday night, and thinking to make them a nice dinner than they could enjoy, I turned to my cookbook collection and my new, favorite cookbook, "Moro."
Moro is a Spanish cookbook and I am in love.
So I planned to roast the chicken but not before stuffing milk-poached garlic under the skin, a little saffron too and some cilantro.
In the garden we have a small patch of cilantro that's managed to hang on all winter long. I helped myself.
For a vegetable I planned a "Zuni Cafe" recipe, Chard in Lemon Oil.
Thanks to another friend I had two beautiful Meyer lemons, just enough zest to make lemon oil for sauteing the chard.
The meal? Not too shabby!
Next week, we're planning a surprise Valentine's Day meal for the guys -- recipes and details soon to come!