glacier grist
issue #35 • Thursday, July 16, 2009
WHAT’S NEW? ALASKAN STRAWBERRIES ARE HERE!!!!
The new packaging is here for the Alaskan strawberries. If you have not made it to the South Anchorage Farmer’s Market and had them already, this will be a special treat! They are full of flavor and very fragrant, with that strawberry aroma you almost never see in the supermarket.
BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK FOR GLACIER VALLEY IS DONE!
Fran Durner, who does the gardening blog “Talk Dirt To Me” in the Anchorage Daily News did a great piece on the artwork done by Carol Lambert. A huge THANK YOU! to everyone involved in this project. Here is the beginning of Fran’s article:
Picture this: A plain white van drives across the intersection in front of you while you are stopped at a light. You hardly notice it at all, it is so nondescript and the roads hold dozens of these indistinguishable vans. Now think of that same van gleaming with side panels of luscious giant-sized vegetables arranged as a still life, brightly painted in saturated colors. The design looks something like an old fashioned seed packet with pea tendril curlicues framing the corners. Your eyes follow it across the intersection, straining to read the print before it fades out of view - Glacier Valley Farm CSA, Community Supported Agriculture based in Alaska.
If you would like to read more and see the pictures, please follow this link: Article by Fran Durner on Glacier Valley CSA artwork
MEET YOUR ALASKAN FARMERS: MAT-SU FARM TOUR!
On Friday, July 24th, from 8am to 5pm, you can take part in a incredible opportunity to meet your Alaskan farmers and see their farms (vegetables, fruits and dairy!) on all varieties and scales: large-scale produce farming, a small family farm, a large organic farm, a U-Pick farm, and even the Matanuska Creamery! You’ll drive by Palmer’s farmers’ market, the Friday Fling, and the Plant Materials Center. You’ll even get to eat an all-Alaska GROWN catered lunch in a beautiful garden setting, and take home an Alaska GROWN t-shirt. Cost of the tour is $45 for adults and $35 for children 12 & under. Please email to register, and to get more information about the tour.
KEEPING THINGS FRESH
Strawberries are delicate and they bruise easily too. Our Alaskan strawberries are picked at the peak of ripeness so we need to treat them like royalty. If the berries are wet with dew, I take them out of the container and put them on paper towels to dry. As soon as they are dry, I put them back in their dry container and place in the refrigerator. I also make it a point to eat them as soon as possible. Here’s what happens though. I usually end up cleaning them and eating them right away!
FARMER’S MARKETS AROUND ALASKA!
Are you traveling around Alaska this summer? Might you be tempted to stop in another town and look for a farmers market there? If this sounds like your ideal vacation (it’s definitely high on my list!), I have great news! I’ve just launched a website for the brand-new non-profit, the ALASKA FARMERS MARKET ASSOCIATION. Every farmers market in Alaska is listed by city, along with its location, dates, and hours of operation. www.AlaskaFarmersMarkets.org
GLACIER GRIST RECIPE INDEX [pdf file]
WANTED! YOUR WAX BOXES!! PLEASE RETURN YOUR BOXES! This helps keep everyone’s costs down. I like to bring a bunch of my shopping bags and just empty my box contents into the bags. Granted, sometimes I don’t have the time to do that, but when I do I feel like a real smarty pants.
ALSO VERY IMPORTANT...LOOK FOR YOUR LABEL ON YOUR BOX! PICK UP DAY IS...WEDNESDAY! It creates a bit of havoc on our end and for the customer who thinks they are missing a box. Thank you!
A NEW ADDITION!
Nancy has been on our Glacier Valley CSA team as our customer service contact, updating our website, and has also helped grow our young CSA by representing us at events and assisting in our marketing efforts. She’ll also be contributing to Glacier Grist, offering her ideas and recipes. Nancy is a creative home cook, previous owner of a specialty food business (Summit Spice & Tea Co.), and enthusiastic CSA supporter.
recipes
for glacier grist issue #35
strawberries romanoff
contributed by Nancy
Adapted from Joy of Cooking, by Irma Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker, this recipe can just be a guide. You don’t have to use the Cointreau if you don’t want to. I have made it without any alcohol, or substituted Grand Marnier or orange juice. I have to say, it is very delicious with the Cointreau.
1 pint strawberries
½ pint ice cream
½ cup whipped cream
3 tablespoons Cointreau, Grand Marnier, (or orange juice)
1. Clean and dry the strawberries. You can cut them in half if you like.
2. Whip slightly the ice cream in a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients.
3. Fold into the ice cream the whipped cream.
4. Add the Cointreau or orange juice.
5. Blend the cream and the strawberries together very lightly with a spoon. Serve immediately.
Cook’s notes: I really try to make just enough to serve. It does not keep in the refrigerator very well. The ice cream separates from the whipped cream. I have not tried it, but I bet you could put any leftovers in the freezer. If you try this, let me know how it holds up.
grilled broccoli with clary’s exquisitely wicked marinade
contributed by Nancy
This recipe is my version from Crescent Dragonwagon’s Passionate Vegetarian. Grilling broccoli? Sounds a little bizarre, but it is very good and an nice change of pace. We liked that the marinade didn’t mask the flavor of the broccoli, but just lightened the flavor enough to make it a little different. You can omit the rum. You are going to grill it so the alcohol will evaporate and just leave the flavor.
5 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup fresh pineapple juice (I have used canned)
juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons light rum (optional)
½ to 1 teaspoon cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, large enough not to slip through the grill bars (reserve the stems for another purpose)
1. Combine the garlic and pineapple juice in a blender or the food processor, processing until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the lime juice, oil, rum, cumin and salt and pepper and buzz to blend.
2. Pour this marinade into a bowl or zippered freezer bag and add the broccoli. Marinate, refrigerated, for 2 to 4 hours. Shake or turn the broccoli occasionally to distribute the marinade.
3. Preheat the grill to hot, then turn down to medium. 4. Place the broccoli pieces over indirect heat, and grill, covered, turning once halfway through, until the broccoli is crisp-tender and a little toasty in spots, 12 to 17 minutes. Serve at once.
Cook’s notes: I have used canned pineapple juice with no noticeable change. And, even though she tells you not to use the stems, I tried marinating the stems. Don’t bother. The stems don’t absorb the marinade. We also used a grill basket which made it a lot easier.
strawberry rhubarb crunch
contributed by our intern, Sherrill Smith Collins
There are many recipes out there for this dish, below is my grandmother’s recipe, the one I grew up with.
1 cup flour
¾ cup oats
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup butter, melted
2 cups rhubarb, chopped
2 cups strawberries, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.
2. Combine the flour, oats, light brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter and mix well.
3. Pat 1/3 of the crumb mixture into a lightly buttered 9-inch square baking dish.
4. Layer in rhubarb and strawberries.
5. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch, add water and stir until blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and clear. Stir in vanilla.
6. Pour sauce over the fruit and sprinkle with remaining crumbs.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until crumble is golden and the sides are bubbling.
Cook’s Notes: The crumble is delicious with a combination of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour. The butter can be replaced with vegan butter to make this a vegan dessert. If you are trying to avoid cornstarch, agar agar can also be used as a thickener.
Nancy’s notes: Don’t worry if you don’t have 2 cups of strawberries. I only had 1 cup of strawberries so I used a little more rhubarb and it came out great!
green salad with hazelnuts and rosemary-balsamic vinaigrette
contributed by Alison
Based on a recipe from rebar modern food, this salad is great with the lentil soup—or on its own as a meal, with a piece of hearty toast.
vinaigrette
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked pepper
2-4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, picked off their stems
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1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Put all the ingredients except the oil in the jar of a blender. Whirl everything until it is completely smooth—this might take a little while because of the rosemary. Slowly pour in the oil as the motor is running to make a smooth sauce. Adjust salt and honey to taste.
salad
large head of lettuce, washed and torn into small pieces
½ small red onion, cut in half and sliced very thinly
¼-½ cup hazelnuts
½ cup blue cheese (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roast the hazelnuts until golden-brown and fragrant, about 15 minutes. After the nuts are toasted, you can rub off some of the loose skins in a kitchen towel if you want, but they won’t come completely clean—that’s OK. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely.
2. Put the sliced onions in a bowl and cover them with boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain them and set aside.
3. Just before serving, place the greens and onion in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the dressing on and toss well. Sprinkle with nuts and optional cheese.
For more recipes, visit http://www.AlisonsLunch.com, http://www.SouthAnchorageFarmersMarket.com
Happy cooking! --Nancy and Alison
