Titus Farms

Hope for some Rain!

We need rain, that’s all I have to say! So until there’s something interesting to talk about- here’s a photo to enjoy!

Cranberry Beans or Fagioli

The “dry beans” the CSA received this week was a variety known as cranberry beans. These pink speckled beans are delicious for just about anything, like soups and pastas; but our good friend and CSA member, Chip, has shared his best recipe for them, which he learned when in Italy through his many conversations about the food. Enjoy!

“Fagioli alla romana”

In Rome one would typically buy a kilo of borlotti (cranberry beans) in their shells or half a kilo of shelled beans.
To prepare:
Place the shelled fresh beans in a heavy-bottomed pot and cover generously with water. Add half a medium onion, chopped, salt (perhaps a tablespoon), and a substantial stalk of celery, including leaves if it has them, or the equivalent. (The celery is very important.) Simmer slowly until the beans are cooked, about 45-60 min. Take off the heat. Let the beans cool in the cooking water, leaving the celery in the pot until the beans are cool. The celery can then be taken out and the beans drained. After cooking they will be good for nearly a week.

Drizzle them with a little olive oil to serve as an antipasto or vegetable at room temperature.

For a summery main course, mix together the cooked beans and a can of good quality tuna packed in olive oil. Drain the tuna before mixing with the beans.

This is about 2lbs (about 2 quarts shelled)

Husk Cherries!

I forgot to post the link in the CSA emails- but here’s the heads up on Husk Cherries:

From what I know, they’re also called ground cherries and are grown in rural areas in many areas of the united states. They actually grow wild in many places too.

The look of the fruit is reminiscent of a tomatillo- but the taste is nothing like it. It is actually a relative of the tomato, so the texture is almost exactly like a small cherry tomato. The plant is like a tomato plant but it vines out a little farther, spreading across the earth. When the plump little husks are ready they drop to the ground- hence the name “ground cherry”.

They’re great eaten raw, when the husk is dark and the berry is dark yellow, and some people taste a hint of pineapple or something tropical. They can also be made into a pie (which is a country favorite). Or the berry can be husked and made into a syrup that’s nice on ice cream. Use about one part sugar to two parts water and a little lemon juice (everything to taste) and just simmer until they’re tender. Enjoy!

Radish Picture

This radish came out of the ground with a smile- no lies, we never touched it! Just thought I’d share!

Kohlrabi and Fennel

Two of the newest additions to the farm line-up are kohlrabi and fennel. Both of these vegetables have seemed to excite some and befuddle others. Kohlrabi is a relative of cabbage which gives it that sweet flavor, and sort of a cooling, watery sensation on the tongue. It’s best in the fall and when it’s young, but can also be eaten in stir-fries or just as a steamed vegetable.

Fennel, however is still a mystery to me. It seems to me in a class all it’s own, and has no known relatives in its genus. There are two types of fennel though , the bulbing and the non-bulbing type. Obviously we have the bulbing type, which lends a sweet licorice flavor to any dish. I love it roasted whole, but it’s also nice gently cooked in a gratin with other veggies, which helps to subdue the flavor.

Mason Farmers Market and More

Thanks to all those who made it out to the Mason Farmers Market this Saturday! We were very happy to be there (even though the weather was hardly cooperative). Hopefully everyone was able to pick up some nice broccoli or beets to try. Again, there are still a few wholesalers who promote themselves at this market, but Ferris Organic is also coming now, along with The Scarlet Pimpernel- both of which are organic farms in the area. Also, I learned that some people are trying to start a Mason Gardening Club- and I will have a little more information about them soon.

We hope to be able to go to the market again next week, but we cannot promise that we will have enough produce to go. But we’ll definitely be going to the okemos farmers market on a regular basis. But we WILL NOT be attending the Wednesday Market regularly, sorry.

Buckets from the Sky

Well we received about 4″ of rain last night- which was a little more than expected. However, since it was already very wet when we planted things a month ago, we had avoided those areas that tend to flood anyway- thus little was harmed.

Plus we’re hoping that the milder weather and the rain will help the strawberries to produce one last fruiting. And it’s looking good for the other crops too, though the wind of the storm tipped over a little corn.

Now that I’ve finally downloaded all the pictures from my trip I hope to be taking some pics of the farm too- which I will promptly post(and maybe some of my trip too).

Have a great 4th of July!

Forum

Well the blog wasn’t interactive enough for me, so we decided to include a forum this year. If you go to titusfarms dot com slash forum (and after you’ve registered) you can post your favorite recipes and interact with other CSA members who might have the same questions as you.

I’m new to the forum idea so we’ll see how it goes for awhile… but I hope to see some recipes up!

Beet Greens… huh

Yet another thing that you were unaware was edible right? Well Beet Greens have been enjoyed by many people, especially gardeners. But some have wondered… why don’t you just let them get bigger?

The answer is that well… we do. However, when you plant beets you have to sow them thickly (a lot, really close together) because they don’t have the best germination rate and every beet likes to germinate at somewhat different times. So we have beet greens now because we need to thin out the stragglers; which is those that are just too small or have just been planted too thick. What your receiving are those beets which couldn’t make the cut, but that’s okay because their sacrifice will allow the other beets to grow bigger and faster!

Anyway, you’re still probably wondering what to do with them? I found an interesting recipe on the food network page Beet Green Gratin. Generally you use them just like any other green, but you must cook the roots slightly longer than the stems and the delicate leaves. My maternal grandmother was always busy cooking for 8 children, so their garden was essential… and she loved her beet greens too- which is where my mother has learned to fix ‘em up. Enjoy your beet greens while they last!

What the Heck is Tatsoi?

So in the CSA you’ll probably encounter a lot of vegetables that you’re not familiar with, unless you’re an experienced gardener or like to experiment with vegetables.

Tatsoi or Pak Choi is one of those not-so-often-used vegetables that falls into the category of Asian green. It can be used like Bok Choy and is excellent in Stir-fries but it is also lovely when used raw. I’ve provided a nice recipe which is served cold…

SERVES 3-4
Ingredients
3 cups Tatsoi, roughly chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons mirin or rice wine vinegar
1 pinch sugar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Directions
1. Steam or boil pak choi to desired doneness- a bit firm is always nice.
2. Drain choi in a colander and use a wooden spoon to push the choi against the sides of the colander and squeeze out as much water as possible.
3. Once choi is as dry as possible, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and green onions in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add choi and toss to coat.
4. Allow to chill in the fridge for one hour.
5. Just before serving, add the sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss to coat. Enjoy!