2023 CSA Farm Update: Week 2
Radicchio
Hello everyone and welcome to week 2 of the Katchkie Farm CSA. The days on the farm have been relatively mild this past week with various spatterings of rain which the plants are soaking up after a hot and dry May. There are some new arrivals this week to the CSA bags. Beets, zucchini, and radicchio will make their first appearances of the season. We have been enjoying zucchini sauteed with garlic scapes as part of our meals.
The other day I had the opportunity to sit down with my kids and watch the movie “Hook.” Many years ago, I saw this film with my mother in the movie theater. Much time has passed between now and then, and I did not remember much of it. Maybe some of you remember the tale of “Peter Pan”? The premise of this movie is that Peter Pan has forgotten that he is and ever was Peter Pan. His children are captured and taken back to Neverland by none other than Captain Hook. Peter must figure out how to return to Neverland and save his children. To do this he must rekindle the capacity he once had as a child for imagination and find his happy thoughts to regain the ability to fly. What does this have to do with vegetable farming and CSA you may be asking yourself?
Well, if I had to pick one vegetable crop that would bring me immense joy, it would be radicchio. The variation of color, size, shape, and flavor are too numerous to count. In our bed of radicchio this spring, we planted about 700 plants. Out of all those plants, some are small and round others are more oblong, others have a large dense cabbage like head, while others offer a looser more lettuce like head. The coloring is absolutely amazing. While held up in the morning light, the leaves are reminiscent of stained glass. These plants were all the same variety and from the same seed lot. There is something in this plant that keeps its childlike joy and imagination that I have not seen still viable in many of our cultivated crops. Yes, there are varieties that have been bred to be uniform, but this seems to be one of those crops that has kept its inherent wild nature. I could go on for days about the virtues of radicchio, but there is much to be done in the fields.
Until next time,
Farmer Jon
WEEKLY HARVEST INCLUDES*
Bel Fiore Radicchio
Bok Choy
Rainbow Lacinato Kale
*We try our best to provide the most accurate CSA list in the newsletter! However, there’s always a chance of last minute substitutions in some bags if we don’t harvest enough of a vegetable.
DELICIOUS RECIPES TO TRY
Chef Georgette's Recipe Corner
Summer Vegetable Tagine
INGREDIENTS
½ cup whole wheat couscous
1 tsp olive oil
2 oz dried apricot, reconstituted in warm water, quartered
5 oz red onion, thinly sliced
10 oz yellow and green zucchini, cubed ¼”
3 Tbsp olive oil
dash chili flakes
¼ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground fennel
¼ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tbsp honey
150g dried apricots, quartered
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
½ cup fresh coriander
Salt and pepper
VINAIGRETTE
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
½ tbs Sherry vinegar
Dash Ground Fennel
Dash Ground Turmeric
1 tsp honey
3 tbs Olive Oil
GARNISH
4 Tbsp fresh coriander, ½ roughly chopped & ½ whole leaves
2 Tbsp pistachio, roasted, roughly chopped
PREPARATION
Cook couscous in salted water with olive oil. Remove from heat and fluff to separate grains. Add half the apricot.
Sauté red onion in 1 tbs olive oil. Set aside. Sauté zucchini in remaining olive oil over high heat. Add spices, and cook very briefly, only until al dente. Add sautéed onion, remaining apricot, chopped fresh coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine vinaigrette ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Add some to zucchini, reserve the rest to serve on side. Arrange zucchini around couscous, garnish with coriander leaves and pistachio.