Paisley Farm CSA blog

In your shares, under the greens and over the beans, there lie bulbous red and white little radishes, complete with their green feathery leaves intact. Some people will bite right into the radishes after a quick rinse in water and be on their merry eating way… others, like myself some days, still do not fully understand what to do with this crispy and at times pungent vegetable. 

From the mustard family, the radish is a root who’s name comes from “radix” meaning root in Latin. Though we leave the leaves on, to store radishes, it is best to remove the leaves and refrigerate in a bag until the next share (in other words, they last five to seven days.) Say you wait a few days and your radishes have become soft and give to pressure…. which will make for a pithy and not as crisp bite. Soak your washed and sliced radishes in ice water for a bit before using to bring the crisp texture back. 

Radishes find their way into salads mostly and are welcome additions to good lettuces, but you could also cook radishes if you desired. Cooking radishes makes them taste like turnips with more bite, but just as little color. The heat will make the colors more pastel. With sweet butter and salt, radishes become a charming snack or crudites. Placing that mixture on a fresh baguette works well. Taking this same idea, a tea sandwich can be crafted with sliced radishes, sweet butter, good salt, a bit of lemon zest and thin slices of a firm bread. Another radish option I saw in a vegetable cookbook I flipped though is below; and sounds good considering most things are better with cheese. 

Radish Salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano (or a Dry Jack Cheese)

1 bunch radishes

fresh chives, chopped (1-2 tablespoons) 

olive oil 

1 to 3 ounces cheese

sea salt, fresh pepper

salad or radish greens to garnish or serve with if desired

* Wash and de-leave radishes. Pat mostly dry, and thinly slice. Place all ingredients *except* cheese in a bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat. 

*Top with grated cheese. Season and serve greens as well if doing so. 

I will also be pickling radishes this summer and will keep you all updated on how this works, if it works, and if it gives any more insight into what to do with radishes.

Contributed by Jenna Usatin

1 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1⁄2 cup pumpkin
1⁄2 cup parsnips, grated
1⁄2 cup turnips, grated
1⁄2 cup apples, finely diced

Sift dry ingredients together. Mix eggs, oil, and pumpkin. Then mix with dry ingredients. Fold in carrots, parsnips, turnips, and apples.

Bake at 300° F for 55 minutes in lightly greased and floured loaf pan.

Jenna Usatin is a wife, mother, photography producer, and food enthusiast. Her most favorite place to be is in the kitchen cooking for her family. It is important for her to only cook with the freshest of ingredients which is why she decided to join a CSA this winter. Enjoy her recipe!

Contributed by Sonya Romanoff

1 cup all-purpose flour & 1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup white sugar and 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar (or maple syrup!)
1⁄4 pound carrots
1⁄2 cup pecans or walnuts
3 large eggs (or the equivalent egg substitute)
1 cup canola oil (or 1⁄2 cup apple sauce and 1⁄2 cup oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 apple

Preheat oven to 350° and oil 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk in sugar. Coarsely shred enough carrots to measure 2 cups and chop nuts. Add shredded carrots and nuts to flour mixture and toss well.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Peel and core apple and coarsely shred. Stir shredded apple into egg mixture and add to flour mixture, stirring until batter is just well-combined. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling them three- fourths full, and bake in middle of oven until puffed and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool muffins in cups on racks 5 minutes before turning out onto racks to cool completely. Muffins keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

Sonya is originally from Oakland, CA but fell in love with New York (who wouldn’t!) and became a transplant. She lives in north Williamsburg with her boyfriend Daniel, who is also a member of the CSA, and sassy cat Gigi. Sonya is dedicated to maintaining a locally based, environmentally sustainable diet and educating others about the benefits of doing so. She is very happy to be a part of this CSA!

Contributed by Daron and Romney Jacob

Daron and Romney Jacob haven’t lived in Williamsburg since before it was cool, but they appreciate the neighborhood’s quaint shops and variety of restaurants (current favorites: Mesa Coyoacan, Roberta’s, Bakeri). Their cocker spaniel, Jah, loves to chase squirrels in McCarren Park. All of them hate the L train.

Simple Root Veggie Medley, contributed by Alice Eisenberg

Take all the root veggies from the share and cut into equal size chunks- sweet potato’s, squashes, pumpkins, potato’s, onions or whatever you have at home (cooking time depends on the size you cut veggies too). Toss all of the ingredients in olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper. Rough chop a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme and toss with root veggies. Pre-heat oven to 350. I make my chunks of veggies about an inch or so big. some squashes can take a bit longer to cook… I use a baking sheet and put a single layer of veggies with 1/2 cup orange juice. Roast for about an hour til soft and enjoy.

Alice lives on the east side of Williamsburg and works in Park Slope and rarely feels a reason to leave the boro. She has been know to spend more hours in foreign countries in supermarkets than on the beach.

Golden Hubbard Squash Soup, contributed by Matt Temkin

Start by cutting up and roasting the squash in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes in a water bath. Let the squash cool, and start your soup base in a pot on the stove. I used 1 red onion from the box, along with 6 cloves of garlic. Dice the onion and sweat until almost translucent and add the garlic, minced.

Extract the flesh from the squash and blend to a smooth consistency. (Here I added 1 thumb of ginger.) You may need to add water to your blender of squash. (Some of this water should be the water bath.)

Place all ingredients in the pot (with the onions and garlic) and simmer. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt, a half teaspoon of pepper, and cinnamon to taste.

Matt is a drummer/percussionist. He plays drums at Stephen Wise Free SynagogueNational Yiddish Theatre/Folksbiene. “On Second Avenue” starring Mike Burstyn, and “A Yiddish Vaudville” starring the late Bruce Adler. He is currently playing percussion for “The Big Bupkis” at the New Yiddish Rep. He also leads his own band, Matt Temkin’s Yiddishe Jam Band, which has recently released their first album Poykler’s Shloft Lied. Along with concerts they are available to play private parties.

Hello, your Maple Syrup here.

I love a good breakfast meeting but sometimes I like to feel a little more sexy and smooth… especially with Valentines coming up. Here is a simple way to make me into mousse.

6 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
3 Egg yolks
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla or…
1 to 2 teaspoons grated orange peel* optional
1 cup heavy cream

Combine syrup, yolks and salt in a double boiler… Whisk constantly until mixture is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon…this will look like marshmallow cream, and color will become tan and darkened… about 5-7 minutes.

Take care not to overcook this mixture so it doesn’t curdle. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla OR orange peel. Place over a bowl of ice if you want to cool this mixture quicker… but allow to cool.

Whip the cream until firm but not dry peaks form…Once mixture is cool, fold in the cream in two editions.

Refrigerate or freeze in ramekins…if frozen, let sit for 20-30 minutes to soften.

Serve with walnut cookies or glazed hazelnuts or sliced pears or stewed apples…

Week 2 is here! After last weeks grain mix up, Spelt berries… more info CSA Spelt Berries…

I’m here to break down the box for this week… which gets exciting with the addition of cheese and black turtle beans! 

Week two box contains:

Carrots

Parsnips

Beets, red and golden

Empire Apples 

Chippowa Potatoes

Butternut Squash

Garlic 

Onions, red and yellow

Eggs 

Green house local Salad Greens 

Harper’s Field Cheese in a variety of flavors

and….. Black Turtle Beans!

Carrots are still crispy and delicious. Parsnips keep me excited and have found their way into a puree under bay scallops and spinach for me this past week. Beets never fail to be champs; raw, roasted, juiced or stewed. The salad greens are a total fresh greens treat during winter days as well as the butternut squash for it’s humble familiarity….and versatility. 

Harper’s Field Cheeses can be read more about on their website Cheese!  and I would love to hear how everyone is using or eating the flavor they got! Share! I’m making cheese straws in true southern style… recipe soon. 

Beans, beans, the magical…. stop right there. Here is a piece I wrote on black beans with a little recipe, too! You could certainly sub potatoes or other winter squash cubes for the butternut/ sweet potato in this recipe. It could easily work under poached eggs as well as a riff on breakfast burritos and make for a lovely brunch or dinner. 

Beans, sweet potatoes, and corn provide for complex carbs, protein, iron, fiber, and not to mention, many other nutrients in this recipe. 

Warm Black Bean and Butternut Squash OR Sweet Potato Salad 

2 medium sweet potatoes (washed, peeled, and cut into bite sized chunks) 

OR butternut squash, 1 small-ish one, peeled and cubed

1-2 Tb olive oil 

1-2 cups chopped onions (amount based on your preference) 

½ cup diced red or green bell pepper 

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 finely diced jalapeno (optional)*

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon generally)

1 ½ cups cooked black beans (about 1 can, drained, if you do not cook your own beans)

1 cup corn kernels (canned or frozen both work)

1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

squeeze of lime juice, optional

***optional: a slash of orange juice OR diced avocado

1. Place the butternut squash OR sweet potatoes in pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender (do not overcook, or the squash/potatoes will become mushy, which you do not want.) 

Remove from heat, drain, and keep warm. 

2. Meanwhile, in a deep skillet, sauté the onions and peppers in olive oil, until they soften. Add the garlic and jalapeno, stir and sauté about 1-2 minutes. Stir in spices, sauté 1 minute or so. 

3. Add the beans and corn, cover and cook until heated through. 

4. Remove from heat, stir in the sweet potatoes and chopped cilantro. 

5. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lime juice if using…. and enjoy! 

This salad tastes great with a side of toasted corn bread, or grilled meat, tofu or shrimp. It can be served warm or cold, and feel free to alter the spices to your tastes, or change things up by trying this option:

  Leave sweet potatoes out, and do not cook any ingredients. Stir all together in a large bowl, adding 1 cup of chopped tomatoes for a black bean relish that is delicious as a side dish or over other foods. Have fun with these local black beans. 

*remove the seeds to temper the heat of the pepper, or omit completely if serving this to children.

<> More on the value of fresh dried beans and recipes later this week <>

Potatoes are a cold weather staple with plenty of creamy and hearty appeal, happy to be baked, boiled, mashed, smashed or turned into a mess of cubes as morning has browns. Content to be eaten all my themselves, it’s easy to forget that potatoes can be used for far more. Jumping into the baking world, I decided to take my potatoes to the oven in classic Potato Rolls. Home made bread still sounds like a head ache to some, but this recipe makes plenty to eat now, freeze or give away and is quite forgiving. These make great little sandwiches or serve with a big roast or stew. Soft, sweet and somewhat rich, these rolls are basic and take well to additions like Caramelized Onions (stir into dough, cooled, in the beginning mixing of all ingredients.) Also, see notes at bottom for using left over mashed potatoes. 

Being a fat enriched sweeter and soft dough, this can also be rolled out into a large rectangle after the first rise….brushed with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans… then rolled up (starting with the long side facing you) jelly roll style, sliced into rounds and made into Pecan Cinnamon Buns! Smear with cream cheese frosting or a quick powdered sugar, milk and splash of bourbon icing to drizzle on top. 

Potato Rolls 

makes 48 rolls

2-3 potatoes, skinned and cubed

water to cover (2 cups) 

2 packets yeast (1/2 ounce total) 

sprinkle sugar 

1/2 cup melted butter 

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs 

2 teaspoons salt 

6-7 cups of flour total 

egg mixed with water or cream or another yolk for egg wash

1<> Boil potatoes in water for 15-20 minutes until tender, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Mash potatoes until smooth, and cool mash to 110 to 115 degrees, while you cool the potato water to the same temp, again 110 to 115 degrees. **This is just to not burn and kill your yeast.) 

2<> Dissolve the yeast with the cooking water and the sprinkle of sugar in a large bowl. Let stand a few minutes while you gather rest of ingredients. 

3<> Add in the reserved potato mash, butter, honey, eggs, salt and 3 cups of flour. Beat until smooth and then stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet cohesive dough. Turn onto a lightly floured counter or bread board and knead until soft and smooth, about 8 to 20 minutes depending on your kneading skills… A dough hook will also do this for you if you have a stand mixer. 

4<> Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a draft free spot until doubles in size…about 1 hour. **Dough can also be placed in fridge and allowed to “slow rise” over night at this stage**

5<> Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured counter again. Shape into 48 equal sized rolls OR proceed with Cinnamon Bun Variation above. Place into greased round pans or on a greased baking sheet. I let the sides all touch to get that pull apart soft yeast roll side. Cover again and let rise another 30 minutes to an hour until double in size. 

6<> Preheat oven to 400^…. Uncover rolls and brush with egg wash. Bake 20-30 minutes until puffy and cooked through. Cool on racks. 

**Left over mashed potatoes can be used here but since they already come with butter and such, decrease the melted butter in the recipe or remove it completely depending on how rich you made you mashed potatoes. Cheese doesn’t not hurt either, and will work. **

**Freeze left over mashed potatoes for another batch of rolls or to break off chunks of the frozen mash for stirring into soups that need a little more body or thickening.**

Vegetable Super-Stock
This recipe is for a slow cooker, and is from “From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker,” by Robin Robertson. I’m sure it can be easily adapted for stove-top, probably by adding a little more water and then following whatever instructions are given for hours on the burner. Anyway, this is really great, and definitely uses a lot of the stuff you may still have hanging around. As with any stock, small modifications are probably no problem, so feel free to use a red onion rather than a yellow one, and etc.

1 lrg yellow onion, thickly sliced
2 lrg carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 lrg all-purpose potato, left unpeeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 lrg parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 celery rib, cut into one inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, left unpeeled and crushed
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper
half cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 dried shitake or porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 c. hot water until softened, drained. Strain liquid of grit, and reserve
2 bay leaves
half teaspoon black peppercorns
1 T. tamari or other soy sauce
7 cups water

1. Preheat the oven to 450. Place the onion, carrots, potato, parsnip, celery, and garlic in a lightly oiled baking pan. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables unitl slightly browned, turning once, about 30 mins total.
2. Transfer the roasted vegetables into a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Add the parsley, the mushrooms and their soaking water, bay leaves, peppercorns, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and the water. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, until the vegetables are soft and the stock is a rich golden color.
3. Let the stock cool slightly, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl or pot, pressing against the solids with the back of a spoon to release the liquid. Use at once or let cool completely, then portion and store in the refrigerator in tightly covered containers. Properly stored, the stock will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Submitted by Ben Masur. Thanks Ben!