Recipe: Okra Saute Straight From the Farm

           OKRA SAUTE STRAIGHT FROM THE FARM 

INGREDIENTS

10 - 15 pieces of Okra cut into 3/4 inch pieces after removing the stem end

3 medium sized ripe tomatoes chopped into medium chunks

lightly chopped Kale without the stalks -- 10 -12 leaves

8 or more shitake mushrooms sliced (remove stems)

medium red onion sliced

salt and garlic to taste

olive oil

PREPARATION

Start by briefly sauteing the onions in hot but not smoking olive oil.  Add the okra.  Soon after, add the tomatoes, 

salt and garlic.  Finally, add the mushrooms until they've softened.  You know it's done when the okra is soft but 

still holding its shape.

COMMENTS

I came home from our Farm Trip with just picked okra and lots of other yummy fresh veggies.  I'm emphasizing

the okra because its texture is what makes this very simple dish special.  The only veggie that's not from the 

farm is the shitake mushrooms.

Susan Spieler

Pickup #13: Vegetables for August 29th

This week's vegetables:
Beets 
Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes 
Green Tomatillo 
Papalos (salad green) 
Summer Squash 

and one more item... 

Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Let Us Eat Local Early Bird Extended for CSA Members

We've recieved this from Just Foods and wanted to pass it along:

"We are extending Just Food's 5th annual Let Us Eat Local early bird ticket sale to CSA members.  Let Us Eat Local, which will be held on Wednesday, October 3rd, will gather some of the city's most celebrated chefs and food artisans for a night of unlimited tastings at the Altman Building, to help us achieve the delicious core of our mission: to unite NYC residents with the seasonal food grown on our local farms.

Our early bird ticket sale for Let Us Eat Local has ended and we are happy to extend it until August 31st for our important CSA partners.  The sale offers $25 off our general admission tickets and $50 off our VIP tickets, which brings tickets to $150 and $250 respectively.  Please use codes "FOJFGA" or "FOJFVIP" to access the discount at our ticket site:  http://luel.eventbrite.com/ "

Pickup #10: Vegetables for August 8th

This week's veggies are:
yellow tomatoes
eggplant
cabbage
cucumber
corn
cherry tomatoes

Fruit:
golden delicious apples
pears
nectarines

Lemongrass and Basil-Stuffed Chicken

I altered my general roast chicken recipe when we got the huge bunches
of herbs in our farmshares. It turned out even more delicious!

Ingredients

One cleaned chicken
One bunch fresh clean lemongrass
One bunch fresh clean basil
1 lb cleaned roughly chopped vegetables of your choice; my favorites
for this are brussels sprouts or baby potatoes
2 TB each:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Paprika

Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 450F
2. Mix all 4 spices together
3. Using your fingers, gently pull the skin away from the chicken in
each major section you can get to, and use your fingers to spread the
seasoning mix underneath the skin
4. Place one or two full blades of grass or branches of basil in each
quadrant under the skin, thus pulling the skin gently away from the
chicken in four little tents
5. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the remaining basil and lemongrass
6. Bring a large cast-iron skillet to high heat with 1-2 tsp oil
7. Quickly sear of any vegetables you're making, then remove from the pan
8. Place the chicken in the skillet, and leave for about 5-10 minutes
or until the skin on that side is starting to crisp, then urn the
chicken over and crisp for another 5 minutes
9. Slip the vegetables back into the pan *underneath the chicken* and
put the whole pan in the oven
10. About 45 minutes later, serve lovely, lemony, herbal chicken with
crispy skin and schmaltzy vegetables

Enjoy,
Adrienne

Pickup #9: Vegetables for August 1st

This week's vegetables:

Lettuce 
Green Tomatoes 
Cucumbers 
Salad Tomatoes 
Leeks 
Summer Squash 
Peppers

Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Baked Kale Chips

Here is an easy recipe that turns kale into a crunchy snack.

Baked Kale Chips
1 bunch kale

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt, to tastePepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Tear into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. 

Cool completely before storing in an air tight container. Will last a day or two, if you can stop eating them directly off the cookie sheet.

Submitted by Tara (who brought it to the CSA picnic in April!)

Pickup #8: Vegetables for July 25th

This week's vegetables:

Squash Blossoms 
Peppers
Lettuce
Celery 
Beets
Carrots 
and one more thing... 


Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Vegetable Skewers: A colorful side dish consisting of miscellaneous veggies

Consider buying a package of skewers (A package of 100 12-inch long bamboo skewers currently costs $2.99 at Fresh Direct) and using some of them to assemble random leftover pieces of vegetables as an attractive side dish.  

Use whatever vegetables you like or have in your refrigerator other than those which won’t stay on a skewer such as leafy greens.  Try to choose vegetables that together will create a bouquet of varied colors.  Keep in mind that you can either grill or broil them on the skewers or assemble them onto the skewers once you have cooked them.  The latter method is best if you will be using vegetables that require different cooking times or methods.

Roast small cubes of beets and inch long pieces of fingerling potatoes with salt and pepper, for example, and sprinkle salt and pepper on inch squares of red pepper, small round green squash and red onion and salt and pepper them, and broil or grill them along with small whole mushrooms (or halves or quarters of larger ones)  and cherry tomatoes.

While cooking, be sure to remove the vegetables as they soften sufficiently according to your preferences.  Be sure to remove them before they become too soft or they will fall off the skewers.

If you like caramelized onions, sprinkle raw onion squares with balsamic vinegar before saute’ing them.

Enjoy assembling the various pieces on the skewers, keeping in mind that their colors should be arranged attractively.

Try different combinations of vegetables each time you make this dish.  In fall, use chunks of sweet potato and cubes of zucchini along with whatever mushrooms are in season.  Whichever medley you use, the outcome is a colorful and healthy bouquet of veggies that can accompany any entrée.

Enjoy!
Susan Spieler

Pickup #7: Vegetables for July 18th

This week's vegetables:
-Fresh Onions 
-Carrots 
-Kale 
-Lemon Grass
-Lettuce 
-Basil
-Summer Squash 


Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Pickup #6: Vegetables for July 11th

This week's vegetables:
-Purslane 
-Carrots 
-Broccoli 
-Mint
-Spinach
-Summer Squash 
-One more surprise item 


Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Pickup #5: Vegetables for July 3rd

I know this post is after the fact, but the farmer has been busy and not able to post the veggies before they are delivered. We're working on that, and apologize if this causes any inconvenience. I also thought I'd post the fruit and veggie list so that others can check out what sorts of veggies we get throughout the summer - that seems to be a common question when first joining the CSA.

This week's vegetables:
-lettuce
-carrots
-spinach
-onions
-squash
-basil
-stevia

Also, we have talked to the fruit farmer and they will (hopefully) be making up for the mix up this week by sending more fruit this coming week.

This week's fruit:
-yellow plums

Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

July 4th pickup change!

Please note that pickup for next week falls on July 4th. 


Our farmer will be delivering the day before, on Tuesday July 3rd.

This is the only exception for this season. Pickup time (4-7pm) and location (W 84th between Columbus and CPW) will be the same as usual.

Pickup #4: Vegetables for June 27th

This week's vegetables:
-Swiss Chard
-Dill
-Basil
-Orange Mint
-Lemongrass
-Beets
-Kohlrabi

Fruit:
-Gooseberries
-Plums

Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Pickup #3: Vegetables for June 20th

This week's vegetables:
-kohlrabi
-broccoli 
-green leaf lettuce 
-red leaf lettuce 
-collard greens 
-kale 
-radish 
-herbs


Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Pickup #2: Veggies for June13th

This week's vegetables: (for sure)


-KALE 
-MINT 
-LETTUCE
-MIZUNA 

Possibly --
-Chamomile 
-Broccoli 
-spinach 
-cilantro

Want more info? Check our our farmer's FB page! 

Pickup #1: Vegetables for June 6th

Mizuna 

Red Mustard 

Chamomile 

Lettuce 

Garlic 

Cilantro 

Spinach

First Pick Up!

For those of you who have signed up for our burgeoning CSA, get excited for the first pick-up!

When: Wednesday, June 6th. Pickup anytime between 4-7pm

Where: In front of St. Matthew/St. Timothy church on W 84th Street, between Columbus and Central Park West

What: Bring a bag to transport your veggies home in (reusable shopping bags work well, as do the paper or plastic bags you get at the grocery store)

What to expect: When you walk up to the site, there should be a table with both vegetable and fruit sign-in sheets. 

-For full shares: the names associated with the shares are in an alphabetical list. 

-For half shares: you should have received an email with a number, your name will be listed on that line. 

Please initial that you are picking up your vegetables and/or fruits. After signing in, feel free to locate the dry-erase board with the vegetables and fruits listed and how much of each to take. 

Pick ups will run in the same fashion every Wednesday from now until October 17th with one exception: July 4th, pick up will be the Tuesday, July 3rd.

Enjoy your bounty! 

Picnic Success!

Thanks to all those who came out to the picnic in Central Park! We had a great day. The weather was agreeable and we shared yummy eats and lively conversation under the trees. The event was attended by current and potential members. It was wonderful to meet new people from the area and reconnect with those we already knew. Paula Lukats, who was there on behalf of Just Foods, said it eloquently that community is an important part of a CSA.

Our farmer, Ana and Lizbeth Angel of Angel Family Farm came out to meet the members and share information about their farm. We thank them for making it out and bringing delicious tamales.

We've met our minimum goal for membership, but we are continuing to grow. If you're still interested in joining or know someone who would like to join, please feel free to download an application or forward this on to a friend. If you have any questions, please email the core team at centralparkwestcsa@gmail.com. We'd love to have you join our CSA!

The picnic is on!

Hi all! We're still on for the picnic in Central Park.
The forecast for today says it'll be sunny with a high of 60^o F.
Hope to see you there!

When: Sunday April 29, 2012. 2-4PM

Where: Central Park, enter at West 86th Street

We will be on the grass to the left as you enter the park.

Please Bring: Finger food to share and a picnic blanket.

Please also bring your own drinks and re-usable cups or bottles.

Friends and family who are interested in joining our CSA are welcome.

There will be special guests, including the farmer, and music.

CSA Picnic!

The CENTRAL PARK WEST CSA

Invites you to a picnic celebrating our 3rd year

When: Sunday April 29, 2012. 2-4PM

Where: Central Park, enter at West 86th Street

We will be on the grass to the left as you enter the park.

Please Bring: Finger food to share and a picnic blanket.

Please also bring your own drinks and re-usable cups or bottles.

Friends and family who are interested in joining our CSA are welcome.

Check out our blog if it rains: http://centralparkwestcsa.blogspot.com

There will be special guests, including the farmer, and music.

Welcome to the 2012 CSA Season!

Central Park West CSA's Core Team has been working hard to bring you fresh fruits and vegetables for the 2012 Season. Enrollment is starting now and is currently open to previous members. So if you have participated in the 2010 or 2011 season, you may have already received our initial sign up email. Enroll now to reserve your spot!

If you are interested in our CSA and are not yet a member, please email centralparkwestcsa@gmail.com and ask be to put on the wait list. If there are spots open we will email you in mid March to sign up! Please don't hesitate as we do have a bit of room to grow!