Farm Notes – Week 3, July 8, 2013
Veggie Coop Farm Notes
COORDINATOR: MIKE RABINOWITZ
If you can’t make it to pick up at MUN, let us know as early as possible by calling the house phone at: 895-2884 or Farm Cell Phone: 689-7693. By now, you probably know the bags will go back to the chill room on the Farm, which is inside the white processing shed, situated on your left as you go up the asphalt drive way toward the greenhouses. The dogs are friendly. Park near shed. Chill room is door on left past the stairs. Your name should be on the green chalk board. Please tick off your name so we know you have been there.
WHAT IF WE DON’T CONNECT?
Please e-mail Mike to make other arrangements. We will keep the bag at the farm for a reasonable period of time, before giving it to another deserving family.
WHAT’S IN THE BAG?
Salad mix, spinach, green onions, rhubarb, Chinese cabbage and garlic scapes, which bring us to the Recipe for the Week, which can be found by clicking here.
Mock Cabbage Rolls
Steaming Chinese cabbage is the easiest way to prepare it and also the way we like the best. After you have tried it in a stir fry, a sweet and sour soup, or layered with other veggies dribbled with olive oil and roasted on high heat in the oven and tossed with noodles, you might consider trying mock cabbage rolls.
When I was Director of Daybreak Parent Child Centre, a service for children with special needs and their families, we offered a weekly cooking program, using the kitchen in the parent centre. The idea was to bring in recipes that the women might like to use with their families, so they could taste it for themselves. When we finished, we sat together for a quiet meal, sharing ideas about cooking and parenting. We made all kind of things, but usually started our cooking program each fall with dishes which used ingredients that were already familiar such as the cabbage for cabbage rolls. Instead of making actual cabbage rolls which would take more time, the women made a casserole, with layers of cabbage leaves, rice, seasoned ground beef, and tomato sauce. Everything was cooked separately in advance; the cabbage was steamed, the rice and meat prepared separately, then layered in the casserole. First cabbage was added, then a first layer of rice, then meat, more cabbage leaves, then more rice and tomato sauce on top. A few days ago, I adapted this idea with the Chinese cabbage, using Italian sausage. The sausage was braised in a skillet in advanced. I started with several layers of steamed cabbage because it is so thin; next cooked rice, then added the sausages. These were put together closely, to make a single continuous layer almost like a meat loaf, then topped with more steamed cabbage leaves and finally topped with tomato sauce your favorite pasta sauce. I was in a hurry and just opened a jar of basil and tomato pasta sauce. Slip into oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes, until sauce has oozed down toward bottom and is bubbly. Sound good? It was. I could close my eyes and imagine the real thing – European cabbage rolls at Wolfsteins Restaurant in North Miami where we used to have dinner with Mike’s folks several years ago.
More Coleslaw
One of the women at pick-up said her family had enjoyed the coleslaw recipe. I made it again over the week-end; the idea being we would have it left over for pork sandwiches for lunch the next day. I choose the largest bowl I have in the kitchen for the coleslaw recipe. I filled the bowl as much as possible, leaving room for stirring, then added three or four thinly sliced tomatoes, one large thinly sliced onion and then made the dressing. I had already planned lunch for the next day – pork sandwiches and baked beans which is the pairing we have in Tennessee to celebrate July 4th .
We now have three WWOOF’ers in addition to me and Mike and whatever family members decide to eat with us that day. The problem with this plan is there were no left overs, except the l/2 cup I set aside in a secret place for Mike to have with his sandwich the next day. Of course, that was not really a problem. The next morning, the WWOOF’ers helped me begin the slicing and mixing for the next bowl of coleslaw.
PLEASE SHARE ANY RECIPES OR IDEAS YOU HAVE TRIED. THIS WILL MAKE THINGS MORE INTERESTING AND FUN FOR ME!
WHAT WILL I DO WITH THE GARLIC SCAPES?
A few years ago, garlic scapes were a new veggie to us, like most other people. But, we not only learned to like it; we also look forward to scapes. It is also quite popular with restaurants and is fast becoming popular with our Veggie Coop folks. Use your scapes like regular garlic in stir fries, soups or pesto. I usually use scissors to chip them up. Later, when they are bigger and more tough, handle them like asparagus, by feeling the stalk and cutting from the place where it become tender. Discard any hard or stiff parts. (See Recipes).
WHAT’S HAPPENING OFF THE FARM?
Our news this week is that we did get off the farm to eat out with friends at Atlantica Restaurant last Saturday evening. We have met the new chef, Dave Battcock. He comes by the farm fairly regularly to pick up sprouts but this was our first time at the restaurant. The meal was exceptional, beyond our expectations. The presentation on the Tasters Menu was more delicate and more beautiful than anything we have experienced elsewhere. Although we do not eat out often, we have tried most of the restaurants that buy from the farm. We get together with two other couples together three or four times a year to celebrate special events. This was one such occasion – a birthday. We arranged to have the Taster’s Menu, which is a series of small dishes served over the course of the evening. What is served is the Chef’s Choice and usually includes a couple of appetizers, mid and main courses and dessert. I asked for a copy of the Menu to share in Farm Notes, but decided the descriptions of various dishes is too detailed to include here. It included an appetizer, Beets In The Garden and seared scallops. The mid-menu choice was risotto and the main dishes included oven baked halibut and roasted chicken. The dessert was not as beautifully presented but, very rich and delicious. After the meal, Dave came over and talked about his plans for the season, as did the manager, Krystal Hayden. They explained that they are hiring and training new staff, expanding the service and expecting a great season. Dave says their feature is a couple of weeks will be Death By Lobster. I’ll be there; now, all I have to do is see who wants to join me.
Melba Rabinowitz, Co-Owner
