Month: October 2010

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Know Your Produce: Italian Plums

Italian Plums, also called plum-prunes (yes, these are what they make dried prunes with) are a late-season stone fruit that appears for just a short time during the month of October. Just sweet enough for eating out-of-hand, these take on a whole new dimension when poached or baked in any way. We will be offering these as add-ons for next week, as there aren’t enough to make another round in the boxes, so look for the updated special price on the web Thursday afternoon.

For a great (and gluten free!) recipe for Plum Crumble, go to http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2005/09/best-crumble-you-will-ever-eat.html

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Know Your Produce: Potatoes

Image from the Maine Food & Lifestyle blog

  • Potatoes should be kept in a cool, dark place with good ventilation. the ideal storage temperature is 45 to 50 degrees F. At these temperature, the potatoes will keep for several weeks. Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator, as a temperature below 40 degrees F. will cause the potatoes to develop a sweet taste. This is due to the conversion of starch to sugar, which causes potatoes to darken when cooked.
  • If you store potatoes at room temperature, use them within a week or so.
  • Wait to wash potatoes, until you are ready to use them, as they will keep longer & this prevents loss of nutrients.
  • It is not recommended that you freeze cooked potato dishes, as they tend to become watery after reheating. As the potato is 80% water, this water separates from the starch causing the reheated potato dish to be watery.
  • Potatoes are easier to prepare and healthier for you when cooked with their skins on. Always rinse and scrub the potatoes thoroughly before using.
  • When you are using cut up potatoes in your cooking, preserve the color by place them in cold water. Limit the water soaking time to two (2) hours to retain the water-soluble vitamins. Color discoloration (pinkish or brownish) happens from the carbohydrates in the potato reacting with oxygen in the air. Potatoes that do become discolored in this way are safe to eat and do not need to be thrown. Usually the color discoloration will disappear with cooking.
  • Sometimes potatoes will get a spot that is a greenish hue. A potato in this condition is “light-struck” which causes a build-up of a chemical called Solanine. This is a natural reaction to the potato being exposed to too much light. (store out of light!) The green part, if eaten in large quantity, can cause illness. If there is slight greening, cut away the green portions of the potato skin before cooking and eating.

See http://whatscookingamerica.net/potato.htm

For more tips on boiling, baking and making mashed potatoes.

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Heirloom Apples Available for Juicing, Saucing and Homemade Pies!

Clockwise: Photos from janespice, my recipes, Cooks Farm Orchard and smitten kitchen.

Don’t you just love fall?! The bounty of local food is being harvested by the bushel. Bright-colored winter squash varieties are being picked and stored in big wooden bins, farmers are picking that last patch of green beans, sweet and crisp from the cool  nights – hoping to get them all harvested before the frost comes, late season sweet corn – ripening in small batches as long as the sun will shine down on it, Italian plums, pluots, pears and…apples! Great kaleidoscopes of color, transferred from tree to box by nimble fingers. There are many varieties of apples that will never make it to the supermarket shelves because they aren’t well-known, or available in the quantities that common varieties like Fuji’s or Galas are. These apples are bursting with a flavor all their own, each variety is different than the other, including the color of skin, and color of flesh (inside)

We here at Klesick Family Farm have had the opportunity to purchase a few boxes of heirloom apple varieties and would like to pass this opportunity on to our customers. These apples are all from a few small, certified organic orchards in Okanogan, WA, who have been growing  heirloom apples for over 30 years. The apples will come in a  16-lb box (about 48-55 apples, sizes vary). There will be at least 4 different varieties per box. These apple varieties are uncommon and are unknown by most. The varieties you may receive in a box are Nickajack, Cox Orange Pippen, Cortland’s, Liberty, Wagener, King David’s, Spartans and Spitzenberg. Because these are coming from small orchards, where there may only be one tree of a variety, we aren’t able to get enough of these apples to put in all the boxes we send out every week; but this opportunity to share these historical treasures is too good to pass up!

This is a great opportunity to experience anew, the old-fashioned flavors of days gone by, make up a batch of unique and oh-so good applesauce, incredible apple cider, cobblers, crisps and pies, with some of the same varieties of apples our ancestors enj0yed over a century ago!

You can place an order by visiting our website at http://www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/main/order-fruit

If you are looking for a specific variety, of apple, or a larger quantity, please contact us by email office@klesickfamilyfarm.com or phone 360-652-4663.

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Know Your Produce: Shiitake Mushrooms

Long a symbol of longevity in Asia because of their health-promoting properties, shiitake mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese for more than 6,000 years.

Shiitake mushrooms are an excellent source of selenium and a very good source of iron. They are also a good source of protein, dietary fiber and vitamin C.


Tips for preparing Shiitake Mushrooms:

Mushrooms are very porous, so if they are exposed to too much water they will quickly absorb it and become soggy. Therefore, the best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water. To do this, simply wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.

If the fresh mushrooms become dried out because of being stored for too long, soak them in water for thirty minutes.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Shiitake mushrooms are traditionally added to miso soup.

Healthy sauté mushrooms with onions and garlic. Serve as a side dish or as a topping for chicken, beef, lamb or venison.

To give your vegetable stock an extra depth, add dried shiitake mushrooms.

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The Stillaguamish River

The Stillaguamish River runs by my house and empties into Port Susan Bay.  Our river is much more susceptible to flooding than our neighbor to the north, the Skagit River, and to the south, the Snohomish River. So in a rain event like Saturday, it is not uncommon to see spikes in the river of 10 feet or more. With all the rain we had in September our soil is pretty saturated and an early flood would definitely take longer to seep into the ground.

These early reminders that flood season is just around the corner “kick” us into a completely different gear. We still have crops out in the field that need to be harvested, cover crops to plant, and compost to spread. Last week and the week before we harvested all the potatoes in our lower lands that are most susceptible to flooding. We will be harvesting the remaining cows later this month and put that pasture to rest for the winter. Everything is timing and if I didn’t live where it floods, I would have a completely different farming operation. But since I live here, I farm with the natural constraints of the land and the river.

Lately, we have been using our own potatoes in the produce boxes and for special orders. It so rewarding to plant, hill, harvest and get them into your boxes. This time of year we pretty much just dig them up and deliver them, so they will be somewhat on the dirty side. I would leave them as they are and wash them when needed. The extra layer of soil keeps them fresher. I am working on a washing facility for potatoes and beets, but that is going to be a winter project.

Since we are talking potatoes, do any of you have a recipe for potato pancakes? I vaguely remember eating them as a child.  I will have to call my mom and ask her how she made them. My favorite way to eat potatoes is anyway my wife cooks them. A few weeks ago she made zucchini cobbler and everyone thought it was made with apples. It was a tasty desert and a great way to use those zukes.

Thanks for letting our family serve yours, the greatest compliment we can receive is knowing that we are helping you eat healthy. It drives everything we do as company. It impacts how we farm, how we pack the boxes of good and answer the phones. I have the best team to work with and all of us get to work with the best customers.

Farming nutrient-rich foods for you,

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Know Your Produce: Swiss Chard

Chard belongs to the same family as beets and spinach and shares a similar taste profile: it has the bitterness of beet greens and the slightly salty flavor of spinach leaves. Both the leaves and stalk of chard are edible, although the stems vary in texture with the white ones being the most tender.

To store, place unwashed chard in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. It will keep fresh for several days. If you have large batches of chard, you can blanch the leaves and then freeze them.

To prep: Wash the chard well to remove any sand or soil that may be hidden in the leaves. One way to do this is to immerse pieces of cut chard in a bowl of cool water, swirling them around to remove any dirt and then quickly rinsing them with cool running water. Trim the bottom end of the stalk. If you find the stalks to be more fibrous than desired, make incisions near the base of the stalk and peel away the fibers, like you would do with celery.

To enjoy: Treat chard much like you would any other green (spinach, kale, bok choy), sauté, steam, or chop and add to soups, casseroles, and pasta dishes. Chard can also be baked into “chips” by removing the stems and tossing with sea salt and olive oil. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are brown but not burnt.

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Fresh This Week Tips, 10.3.2010

d’Anjou Pears
STORE: Keep pears at room temperature until ripe. To test for ripeness, gently push on the stem. If it gives a little, your pear is ready to eat.
PREP: Wash pears in cold water and keep them whole, slice them or chop them.
USE: d’Anjou pears can be eaten out of hand, mixed into a spring salad, baked or poached. Remember the delicious Apple and Rhubarb Crisp recipe? Make another version of that crisp by substituting the apples and rhubarb with pears and dried cranberries.

Spartan Apples
STORE: Store apples in a paper bag in the crisper of your refrigerator. Spartan apples typically don’t keep for very long, so it’s advisable to use your apples within 1 week.
PREP: Wash apples under cold running water. If using your apples in a recipe, typically you will peel and core the apple before cutting it into slices or cubes. To prevent apples from browning, brush with a lemon juice-water solution (1 cup water mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice).
USE: Spartan apples are the small to medium sized offspring of MacIntosh apples. They are a favorite among children for their crisp, snow white flesh and sweet flavor. Pack your Spartan apples as a lunchtime snack or use them to make a wonderful applesauce or apple butter.

Bunch Carrots
STORE: Always remove tops from carrots as they take moisture from the “root” to stay green, leaving you with a limp carrot. Store carrots in the coolest part of the refrigerator in a plastic bag or wrapped in a paper towel to reduce the amount of moisture that is lost. They should keep for about two weeks. Be sure to store your carrots away from apples, pears, potatoes as they produce a gas that will make carrots bitter.
PREP:  Wash carrot roots and gently scrub them with a vegetable brush right before preparing them to eat. Peel (if desired) and chop according to your recipe or their purpose.
USE: You can steam, pickle, puree (for carrot soup!), juice, eat them raw or add them to any number of soups, stews and stir fries.

Yellow Corn
STORE: Store corn in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Do not remove its husk since this will protect its flavor. To enjoy your corn at its best, eat as soon as possible.
Fresh corn freezes well if placed in heavy-duty freezer bags. To prepare whole ears for freezing, blanch them first for seven to eleven minutes depending upon their size. To freeze the kernels, first blanch the ears for about five minutes and then cut the kernels off the cob. Whole corn on the cob will keep for up to one year, while the kernels can be frozen for two to three months.
PREP: To prepare your corn, remove or pull down the husks (depending on if you would like to cook your corn with the husks on or off) and remove the silk from the cob. Rinse under cool water (if desired, pull the husks back around your corn). To cut the kernels off of a corn cob, put the flat stem end in a bowl and run a sharp chef’s knife down the length of the ear using a sawing motion.
USE: Corn can be grilled, baked, steamed, boiled or broiled. For a last taste of summer, try this tasty Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob recipe. To enjoy your corn in Fall dishes, add cooked corn kernels to soup or chili for a heartier, more nutritious meal.

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Did You Know?

A few weeks ago, a person who has been a customer of Klesick Family Farm for a long time wrote, “I didn’t know your website had all this cool stuff!!! You should maybe write it up as one of the main stories in your box news.”Well, we decided to do just that. This newsletter is dedicated to some of this “cool stuff”–recent improvements to our service.


Find out what’s coming in next week’s boxes! Every Thursday around noon we update the “Fresh This Week” page of our website with what we have planned for the following week’s boxes, including our new Essentials boxes. The Essentials options are designed for single person households or for people who just want a smaller amount of produce.

Build your own custom box Do you want to order your own produce instead of getting one of our standard boxes? You can! Just choose from the many online options on our Products page and order only those items you would like to receive. You can order fruit, vegetables, bread items, coffee & tea, and other grocery items like eggs, honey, jams, and even pickles. In fact, in a few weeks we will be introducing a whole new line of products to this selection. There is a $3.50 delivery charge for custom orders, but when the order totals $37.50 or more the fee is waived.

Yes, we can make substitutions Don’t like zucchini? Are you allergic to green beans? Can’t have grapefruit? Good news! You can request a substitution when the items you can’t have or can’t use are scheduled for your box. You can either request never to receive an item or you can request just a one-time substitution. We will replace the item you do not want with another item of equivalent value. Please call or e-mail us for this service, as it is not available online. There is a $1 charge for each item that is substituted. We are sorry, but we cannot substitute items in the NW box, Juicer box, or Essentials due to the set up of these boxes.

We have a Blog! Did you ever receive something in your box that you didn’t even know what it was, let alone how to use it? Check out our blog for recipes and preparation tips (the link is located at the top of our home page). And while you’re there, you might want to read the latest words from Tristan or check out the produce specials on the “Goods and Goodies” page.

More good Would you like to switch from weekly to every other week delivery? Would you prefer to rotate between a certain box one week and a different box the next? Do you want to know how to donate produce to a local food bank? Would it be easier if you made an automatic payment with your credit or debit card? Do you need to know how to set up an online account? Do you need to skip a delivery? We are aiming for flexibility and variety in order to best meet your produce needs. If the service is not working for you or if you are having any difficulties, please contact us. There is probably an option that will meet your needs.