Penne with Greens and Goat Cheese

This is a fast, versatile dish. You can use virtually any green from the CSA share. Currently greens are abundant at the farm. They cook down small so go ahead and use up the few bunches you've stock piled in the refrigerator from the last few shares.
Suggested greens: Dandelion, Chard, Kale, Spinach, Beet Greens

Making the pasta
1st: Start your water to boil for the noodles.
2nd: Prepare the greens
note- The main thing to remember is that you may want to de-rib or de-stem the greens before use. This will help it not to be stringy. I make the greens first by washing, preparing, and sautéing the greens in olive or coconut oil. Sometimes I like to add garlic and herbs. Ready in minutes. You'll know they are ready when they are tender and sweet.
3rd: Boil your noodles. And strain.
Lastly: Mix the greens and noodles with a little more olive oil, salt and pepper and add the goat cheese tossing gently.
Enjoy

Posted by Rio Gozo Farmers

A Bag of Greens (or Two)

Use those bags of greens!

You need:
2 tbsp olive oil
One bulb of garlic, cloves sliced thinly lengthwise
Slivered almonds
Half an onion, diced
Couple tbsp capers
Penne pasta (2/3 cup pasta water reserved)
A bunch of greens. I had rainbow chard and kale.
A handful of kalamata olives, cut in half
Some Parmesan & dill for topping



Get your pasta water going and heat up the oil over medium high heat
in a large pan. Dump your almond and garlic in there and stir til
golden, then remove & put on a paper towel to drain. Put your onion in
the oil and sauté with the capers til tender.
Put your pasta in, then add greens and olives to oil, turned down to
medium. Sauté til tender, about 5 minutes. Reserve your pasta water,
drain, and add to pan with reserved water.
Plate and top with Parmesan & dill.

This dish makes a great cold salad leftovers for lunch.

Posted by Mister Gardner

Farm Breakfast

A handful of the greens from your CSA box and a fresh egg makes the perfect quick farm breakfast.  All you need to do is season a cast iron pan for a generation.

Ingredients:

Egg

Salt 

Pepper

Greens

Well seasoned cast iron (otherwise a little oil)

Hot Greens with Crispy Onions

I was craving some greens, so I used everything left in the box. You could try the same thing with Escarole or Dandelion greens. 
Oh my. So freaking good.

You need
2 onions sliced thin
2 cups oil
Couple slices bacon
Bacon drippings
Olive oil
1/4 cup sugar
Tablespoon water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
A bunch of greens, use what you got, I had 2 bunches chard, kale,
purple cabbage, Savoy cabbage, and spinach
Cut out the tough stalks from your greens!

1. Fry the onions in batches in 350 degree oil. They'll be golden
brown and awesomely crispy. 2 minutes max.

2. Dissolve the sugar in one tbsp of water for about 5 minutes over
medium heat, then boil without stirring until sugar turns amber. Then
add the pepper flakes and cider vinegar and stir til the Caramel
dissolves. Cool, like a polar bear's toenails.

3. Next do your bacon low and slow til crispy.

4.Put two tbsp of bacon drippings and a tbsp of peanut or olive oil in
a large pot over medium high heat. Add half of greens and stir til
wilted, then add other half and cook until desired doneness, I like it
pretty al dente- so it took about 8 minutes.

5. Re- warm the gastrique, and pour over greens. Add crumbled up bacon
and top with crispy onions. Oh hell yeah!

Kale and White Bean Soup with Golden Beets

This recipe was passed on through our CSA recipe exchange by member, Anne Wang. It sounds wonderful, simple, and can be adapted easily for vegetarians. I'm going to try it this week with my fresh crusty bread from Rio Gozo's bread share and let you know how it was.

Send us your recipes to riogozofarm@gmail.com. We'll post to facebook and pass it on for all members to enjoy and get inspired by what is cooking in your kitchen.

Kale and White Bean Soup with Golden Beets and Spicy Sausage‬

Ingredients:

1/2 lb spicy chicken sausage, casing removed and thickly sliced

2 medium sized golden beets, peeled and diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth

2 15-oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed

1 large bunch green kale, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the thinly sliced leeks. Saute for five minutes then add sausage.

Brown sausage then add carrots, beets and celery. Toss to combine and continue cooking for another six minutes. Add kale and beans and cook until kale just starts to wilt.

Add chicken broth, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Serve with warm crusty sourdough bread on the side.

Time:

1 hour

Kale and Butternut Squash Pot Pie

For the filling:

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 leeks, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut in to 1/2 inch cubes

1 can Cannellini beans, drained

1 bunch Lacinato kale, chopped

3 cups stock (veggie or chicken)

1 rosemary sprig

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the topping

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

Coarse Salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/1/3 cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Directions:

1 Make the filling: Heat oil in a large cassoulet over medium heat. Cook leeks and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add butternut squash, beans, kale, stock, rosemary. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook covered until vegetabes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Make the topping: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1 tsp salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small clumps form. Stir in cheese. Add cream, and stir with a fork until a sticky dough forms. Divide into 8 balls (about 1/2 cup each).

3. Transfer filling to an 11 by 13 inch (10 cup) baking dish. Top with dough balls, and brush with cream. Bake until topping is golden and filling is bubbling, about 55 minutes. If biscuits darken too quickly, cover with foil.

Thanksgiving Feast

Maple Roasted Winter Squash with Kale and Blue Cheese

3 cups peeled and cubed squash

5 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Pinch of Cayenne

Blue Cheese

salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

Drizzle oil the cookie sheets

Peel and cube the winter squash (1 inch squares)

De-rib and cut kale into bite size pieces

Put the squash on one cookie sheet, drizzle with maple syrup, sprinkle with salt and a pinch of cayenne. Bake until golden brown, 30-40 minutes

Spread the kale on the other remaining cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt, bake for 10 minutes until roasted but not crunchy

Combine in a bowl and add crumbled blue cheese. Serve warm or cold.

Here are more of our favorite Thanksgiving ideas from CSA members in 2011.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Thyme

Ingredients:

- 2 lb. brussels sprouts

- 5 oz. bacon, diced

- 4 shallots, finely chopped

- 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

- 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups chicken or turkey stock

- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter

- 3 Tbs. olive oil

- 3 tsp. salt

- 5 oz. bacon, free of nitrates and preservatives

Preparation:

1. Cut or pull off any dry outer leaves from the brussels sprouts. Trim away any brown spots and slice off the dry stem end. Cut the brussels sprouts into quarters. Set aside.



2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a bowl. Pour off the fat in the pan and discard. 

Although I leave a little.

3. Return the pan to medium heat, add the shallots and thyme and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the shallot mixture to the bowl with the bacon. Pour 1/4 cup of the stock into the pan and, using a wooden spoon, stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Pour the stock over the bacon mixture.

4. 

Using paper towels, wipe out the pan and place over medium-high heat. Melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the brussels sprouts and salt and stir to coat evenly. Cook until the brussels sprouts begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir again, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Stir in 1/4 cup of the stock. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and adding more stock as needed, until the brussels sprouts are soft, about 15 minutes more. Add the bacon mixture and any remaining stock and stir to incorporate.

5. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10.

Time: About an hour

Sauteed Winter Greens

Ingredients:

- Any winter greens you have - Collards, Kale, Escarole, etc.. .Any, or preferably all.

- Garlic, minced

- 1 large lemon

- good salt and pepper

- 4 to 8 tablespoons of olive oil

Preparation:

1. Wash and separate the greens from their stems. Break into the size you like to eat and place in a bowl. Add 1/2 the oil on top for about 15 minutes.

2. When you are about ready to serve dinner, heat the remaining oil on med. high to high in a good saute or cast iron pan. Add the garlic and flash sear for under a minute (don't let the garlic brown).

3. Begin to add the greens by their thickness Collards first, because they are the heartiest, then the kale, then the rest. Saute each batch for just a bit. You want to wilt them slightly.

4. When you are almost done, add squeeze of lemon (optional) [ginger and a touch of soy is nice too], salt and pepper and cook for about 30 more seconds. Don't over cook, remember they greens will continue to cook once the heat is off. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Yield: approximately 2 per head of greens

Time: 15 minutes

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Ingredients:

• - 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• - 2 large sweet potatoes or yams, scrubbed,
  peeled and cut into rounds 1/2 inch thick
• - 4 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced on the diagonal or 8-12 smaller carrots left whole
• - 4 large parsnips, peeled and cut into rounds 1/2 inch thick
• - 3 Tbs. wildflower honey
• - Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• - 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• - 1/2 cup golden raisins
• (I sometimes add squash such as butternut, peeled and cubed)

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 425ºF. Using 2 Tbs. of the melted butter, grease a roasting pan just large enough to hold the vegetables comfortably.

2. Arrange the sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips in the prepared pan. Toss the vegetables with the remaining 6 Tbs. melted butter, then drizzle with the honey. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the lemon juice and raisins.

3. Roast the vegetables, turning twice (or as often as needed so as not to burn the top), until tender, about 1 hour.

4. Using 2 large spoons, gently transfer the vegetables to a warmed platter. Serve hot.

Yield: 8+

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Serving Tip: If desired, before serving the roasted vegetables, stir them with a wooden spoon to break them up and mash them together for a homey, comforting side dish.

Apple Pie with Thyme and Wild Honey

Ingredients:

• - 3 Golden Delicious, Gala or Fuji apples (or a combination), peeled and cored (about 1¼ pounds)
• - 3 to 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored (about 1½ pounds)
• - ½ cup wild honey
• - 12 thyme branches
• - ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), cut into small pieces
• - 2 tablespoons instant tapioca
• - 1/3 cup brown sugar
• - ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• - ¼ teaspoon salt
• - Flour, for dusting
• - Dough for 2 9-inch pie crusts
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice Golden Delicious apples and 3 Granny Smith apples into sixths.
• 2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, bring ¼ cup honey to a boil. Let simmer about 2 minutes, until honey is caramelized. Add 3 thyme branches, preferably tied up. Arrange half the apples in a single layer in skillet. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons butter over apples. Cook apples, turning, until well caramelized on all sides (but not cooked through), about 8 minutes. Scrape apples and honey mixture into a bowl. Add tapioca and toss to combine. Repeat cooking process with remaining honey, thyme, butter and sliced apples. Add second batch of apples to bowl; combine. Discard all thyme branches.
• 3. Thinly slice remaining Granny Smith apple and add it to bowl. Stir in sugar, ginger and salt.
• 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out both crusts to 12-inch circles. Place one crust in 9-inch pie plate. Scrape apple filling into crust and top with remaining crust. Pinch edges to seal. With a knife, slice 4 vents in top of crust. Or you can use cookie cutters to make a decorative lattice. I use butterflies.
• 5. Place pie on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.Bake for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is dark golden and apples are tender when pricked with a fork, about 45 minutes more. Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Yield: One 9-inch pie, 8 servings.

......................................................................................

Daryl Peveto

L U C E O I M A G E S

West Coast / California

+1 267 882 8378

darylpeveto@luceoimages.com

Creamy Potato Kale Soup with Leeks

This Potato Leek soup has been on my favorites list for the past 10 years. It's from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. Click here for more of her recipes. The main ingredients for this soup are in the CSA box, (hope you dried some of that dill.)

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped onions

2/3 finely chopped leeks

1/2 Tsp salt

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

4 c. vegetable stock (We like Rapunzel's pure organic w/ sea salt and herbs)

4 c. coarsely chopped potatoes

1/4 tsp ground fennel

1/2 c. finely chopped celery

2 tbsp white wine

1/2 tsp dried dill

2 tsp dijon mustard

1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh basil

2 tbsp minced scallions

1/2 c. evaporated milk

4 c. loosely packed shredded kale

salt and pepper to taste

squeeze of fresh lemon

Directions:

In a soup pot sauté onion, leeks, and salt in oil on very low heat until tender. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, fennel, celery, wine, and dill. Simmer 20 minutes, covered, until potatoes are tender. Puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to pot and stir in mustard, scallions, basil and evaporated milk.

In a separate pot, boil kale in just enough water to cover. When tender drain and add to soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cavolo Nero

"Cavolo Nero," also known as Lacinato, Tuscan, & Dinosaur Kale, means black cabbage in Italian. Its dark leaves beg to be cooked with something bright. When a cook's appetite won't stir after thumbing through books and blogs, it's time to play with intuition and the contrast of colors- perhaps the dark leaf of kale against bright orange. Isn't it possible that food is meant to please our eyes as much as our taste? For inspiration, I like to set out all the vegetables from the CSA on the kitchen counter and arrange it like a bouquet. Looking at the share this week, I am drawn to the colors of black kale and the bright orange and yellow hues of citrus.

Chef Tim Kilcoyne at the Local Cafe features Rio Gozo Farm's kale in his Cavolo Nero pizza. It is a wonderful wood fired pizza with kale and house made ricotta cheese. A masterpiece on its own, but I like to toss a side of bright orange winter squash & bacon on top. It's like going from the Mona Lisa to Botticelli's Birth of Venus.

Kale suggestions:

The leaf requires some effort to cook, you'll want to remove the tougher ribs from the leaf for even cooking.

• Add it fresh or sauteed to your Tuscan bean soup
• Sauté in a walnut oil and garlic and toss with chunks of winter squash and chevre.
• Braised kale with sweet onions, topped with the zest of your tangerines.
• Make a kale ceviche with your lemons, then drain the excess liquid and add olive oil, salt, and tangerine segments.

Other ideas on what to do with Kale Click Here

Please let us know how you like your kale tonight.

Kale

Once I figured out how to roast kale into chips, I decided that I was done with Kale recipes forever. Once a week kale chips and I was happy. For a while. Then I started craving something new. So under the theory that Bobby Flay never leads you wrong, I tried this. It's super simple, but returns great results. It will definitely be part of the regular rotation!

• 1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Kale and Chinese Broccoli Chips

This recipe was submitted by one of our CSA members. It makes a great snack or side dish.

" I have been roasting Kale and Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) and the results have been exceptional! I de-vein both greens then I coat the Kale with Olive oil and Himalayan sea salt bake it in the oven at 350, medium rack. I coat the Chinese Broccoli with Olive oil, Himalayan Sea Salt, sugar and mild curry powder. The leaves toast up like a chip, they are irresistible! For the Chinese Broccoli I also dip the chip in a Vietnamese sweet dipping sauce, it cuts all the bitter flavor"

Enjoy. And please continue to submit your recipes by emailing us at riogozofarm@gmail.com or commenting on the blog or as a Fan on RioGozoFarm's Facebook page.

Fast and Green

I often find myself looking for a fast whole-meal option that incorporates the healthy greens. Today I've found a winner. This recipe will feed your whole family, and takes almost no time or effort. Of course, I have to modify it a bit, by adding in a clove of the killer garlic that we have been getting. The recipe calls for chard, but kale works just as well. Found on Epicurious.

1 pound linguine

12 ounces bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

1 very large red onion, halved, sliced (about 6 cups)

2 large bunches Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped (about 12 cups)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until beginning to crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons bacon drippings from skillet. Add onion and saute over medium-high heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add Swiss chard and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add pasta cooking liquid to skillet. Toss until chard is wilted and tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle vinegar over; cook 1 minute.

Add linguine and oil to sauce in pot and toss to coat. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle with bacon and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Kale

From an evolutionary standpoint, Kale is the grandmother of all cabbage. You might expect such a veggie to be hearty, in a vaguely prehistoric way, and kale doesn't disappoint. Kale consumption is on the uptick in the Unites States, but it has always been a staple throughout Europe. In Scotland, the idiomatic expression to "be off one's kale" means that someone is too ill to eat.

Kale does all sorts of wonderful things for the body, but perhaps the most miraculous is to help prevent macular degeneration. It is also sky-high in vitamins A and C and is a good source of calcium.

Halibut Steamed on a Bed of Kale

(serves 2)

1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped

1 large onion, sliced into thin rounds

2 small halibut steaks

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

Arrange onion and kale in a large saute pan. Add enough water to come up the edges 1/4 inch. Place halibut steaks on top. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly and steam for 5 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Serve fish on a bed of kale and onions.

Kale

So the blogging has been a bit slow lately. I have been working my day job at the Ojai Music Festival, which just happened this last weekend. I should be back and in full force now, just in time for the lovely summer veggies to start arriving in our shares.

I've been glad to see the return of the kale, basically. Kale is so tremendously good for you that it's hard to root against it, even as I struggle to use it. I knew whan I started to see its resurgence that I would not be able to recap all the wintery recipes that kept me going through the cooler months. So I started looking around, and this one caught my eye. Something about the parmesan over the top made it sound like a lovely meal for an alfresco dinner.

This recipe is copied directly from 101 Cookbooks.

1 pound / 16 oz / 453g red beans, soaked for at least 4 hours preferably overnight, then drained
10 cups / 2.5 liters water1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil1 medium onion, chopped
28 ounce / 800g can whole, peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 small-med (1/2 pound / 8 oz) new potatoes, chopped
2 stalks celery2 cups / 13 oz / 370 g pearled farro1 - 2 cups water or vegetable brothfine grain sea salt to taste1/2 head / 9 oz savoy cabbage, chopped1/2 bunch / 4 oz kale, de-stemmed and chopped

Parmesan and olive oil to serve. Or do what I did with this bowl - whisk together a bit of leftover harissa and some olive oil for a spicier drizzle.

Cook the beans in a large pot or stock pot with the 10 cups / 2 1/2 liters of water. When the beans are cooked, remove a generous scoop of them from the pot, place in a bowl and mash them well. Return to the pot.

In a separate pan, saute the onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Just when it begins to color add them to the bean broth. Stir in the tomatoes, carrot, potatoes, celery, and farro. Bring to a boil again, then dial the heat down to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the farro is cooked through, 20 - 30 minutes. Be sure the vegetbles are cooked through as well. If you need to stir in more water or broth do so one cup at a time until the stew is the consistency you like. Taste. You are going to need to salt quite a bit. Start with a teaspoon and go from there until the flavors become bright.

Stir in the cabbage and kale, and cook a few minutes more, until they collapse. Serve topped with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and a generous drizzle of good olive oil (or alternately harissa oil/feta).

When you go to reheat leftovers you may need to add water to thin the stew out, and then readjust the seasoning.
Serves 12.

Weed Soup

Some greens are more challenging than others to work into the weekly routine, and dandelion is one of the ones that gives people more trouble than most. In truth, it can be handled just like you would any bitter green, but since you can only have so many days of sauteed greens with garlic, it's handy to have a few other recipes in your arsenal. That's where Weed Soup comes in.

This recipe comes from the midwestern Mennonites and can be found from the highly useful book Simply in Season.

1/2 lb sausage
1 C onion, or green onion
garlic scapes to taste (coming soon!)
4 C broth
1 C potatoes, diced
1 1/2 C evaporated milk
1 - 3 C tender greens, esp dandelion, kale, burdock, or spinach, washed and roughly chopped

Saute sausage in a soup pot. Set cooked meat aside and drain basically all of the fat. With the fat still clinging to the pan, saute the onion. Add broth potatoes, evaporated milk, and scapes and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are soft, 10 - 15 minutes. Add greens and simmer a few minutes more.