MLH newsletter

Local Food and Farm Products

GOOD FOOD NEWS
Volume 5 Number 30 July 30, 2013

MLH NEWS:

Mother Lode Harvest helped represent local agriculture at the county fair over the weekend, as part of a booth with Farms of Amador and the Amador Farmers' Market. Both local folks and visitors enjoyed talking with us about how to access local food and farm products here, or how to support local ag where they live.

Kids and adults alike were drawn to the fascinating bee display brought by Sean Kriletich, president of Farms of Amador. They also enjoyed tasting the honey produced by those bees. Many people purchased jars of honey and bottles of Amador Olive Oil, and even a few MLH logo tote bags.

Many thanks to FOA and the farmers' market for their part in creating this booth, and to the volunteers who helped staff it!

FIELD NOTES: Paloma Pollinators, Jackson

Late July News and Bounty at Paloma Pollinators, by Sean Kriletich

The waning moon lights the early morning sky as the days become ever shorter in the second month of summer. Here at Paloma Pollinators we have been working on keeping the plants well watered and fed even as they enjoy and we sweat through these unusually humid days. The peppers are ripening to rich reds, yellow and browns as their savory sweet flavors become ever more intense. The bees are enjoying the thick dark nectar dripping from the oak trees while also gathering pollen from the flowering plants for their young.

This year we are raising heritage turkeys. We have a mix of Bourbon Reds, Blue Slate and Royal Palm varieties. These birds are beautiful and much better able to gather their own food from their 25 acre forest than industrial turkeys would be. At thanksgiving time these birds will dress out at 15 to 20 lbs. We will offer them at $6/lb for your feasting enjoyment. To reserve yours today email sean@palomapollinators.org

We are also offering these turkeys as breeders or laying hens. Heritage turkeys make excellent mothers, lay eggs that we find tastier than chicken or duck eggs and are a great source of pest control and entertainment.

Prices if Purchased in July:

Hens (Bourbon Rd, Blue Slate or Royal Palm) - $50 each

Toms (Bourbon Rd, Blue Slate or Royal Palm) - $40 each

Email sean@palomapollinators.org to arrange for pickup.

Pasta with Zucchini and Caramelized Onions

Bon Appétit | August 2008

Adapted from a recipe by Lora Zarubin

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 large onion, thinly sliced

8 ounces penne pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups 1/4-inch cubes zucchini or other summer squash (about 3 medium)

1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh basil or chives, chopped

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until deep golden, about 20 minutes; set aside.

Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini cubes; sprinkle with salt and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, caramelized onion, and crushed red pepper to zucchini mixture; sauté 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add vegetable mixture and 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid to pasta and toss to coat, adding more liquid if dry. Stir in cheese. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl; sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Basmati Rice with Sweet Onions and Summer Herbs

Bon Appétit | June 2008

Adapted from a recipe by Maria Helm Sinskey

1 1/2 cups basmati rice (about 10 ounces)

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

2 cups chopped sweet onions

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Rinse rice under cold water until water runs clear; set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice, 2 1/2 cups water, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in herbs. Season with pepper and more salt, if desired. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Sunflower sprouts are available from Butte Mountain Farm on the MLH website.

BBQ Onion and Smoked Gouda Quesadillas with Mini Salad

Bon Appétit | June 2008

Adapted from a recipe by Rozanne Gold

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound onions, peeled, halved, thinly sliced

1/3 cup purchased barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons water

8 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas

8 ounces coarsely grated smoked Gouda cheese (about 2 cups packed)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 ounces sunflower sprouts

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add onions and sauté until almost soft, about 5 minutes. Add barbecue sauce and 2 tablespoons water. Stir until onions are evenly coated, about 2 minutes.

Place 4 tortillas on work surface. Sprinkle 1/4 of cheese, then 1/4 of cilantro and 1/4 of onions on each tortilla. Top each with second tortilla and press to adhere.

Brush skillet with 1 teaspoon oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add 1 quesadilla; cook until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes per side. Place on baking sheet in oven. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

Cut each quesadilla into quarters; arrange 4 quarters on each plate. Toss sunflower sprouts in medium bowl with 5 teaspoons oil, hot sauce, and pinch of salt. Serve salad with quesadillas.

Grilled Shrimp Satay with Peaches and Bok Choi

Bon Appétit | July 2008

by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

6 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter, stirred to combine

1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*

9 tablespoons peach nectar, divided

3 peaches or nectarines, each cut into 6 wedges

16 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined

6 heads of baby bok choi, halved lengthwise

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk first 5 ingredients and 5 tablespoons nectar until smooth; season sauce with pepper.

Arrange peaches, shrimp, and bok choy on grill. Brush with 4 tablespoons nectar; brush lightly with 1/4 cup sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until peaches are slightly charred, shrimp are just opaque in center, and bok choy halves are just tender, about 2 minutes per side for peaches and 3 minutes per side for shrimp and bok choy.

Mound shrimp, bok choy, and peaches on platter. Drizzle with some sauce. Serve with remaining sauce.

*Available in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX

Single Box

Red Torpedo Onion - Abbondanza

Yellow Squash – Harmony Hill Farm or Summer Squash– Tyson Hill Farm

Chives – Butte Mountain Farm

Garlic – Butte Mountain Farm

Looseleaf Lettuce, head – Casa de la Pradera

Gravenstein Apples– Casa de la Pradera

1/2# Red Tomatoes – Tyson Hill Farm

1# Mixed Fresh Fruit– Tyson Hill Farm

Family Box

Fresh Basil – Randall’s Corner

Juliet Tomatoes- Abbondanza

Cucumbers– Harmony Hill Farm

Salad Mix– Casa de la Pradera

Bok Choi– Casa de la Pradera

Gravenstein Apples– Casa de la Pradera

Italian Pink Onions (Oneto's!) – Randall’s Corner

2# Mixed Fresh Fruit – Tyson Hill Farm

Shopping at www.mlharvest.com
MotherLode Harvest has local food and farm products available to order at www.mlharvest.com.

THE ORDERING WINDOW IS FRIDAY AT 9 AM THROUGH SUNDAY AT NOON.

Orders received during that time can be picked up on Tuesdays between 10:30 am and noon, or 4:30 to 6:00 pm, at 1235 Jackson Gate Road in Jackson, behind Teresa's Restaurant. Payment may be made at pickup by cash or check made out to MotherLode Harvest.

New customers will need to register by using the "join" button on the website before they can shop. If you have any questions or problems with using the website, please contact our tech leader, Jo Ann, at joannd@volcano.net, or 304-7654.

MLH has enacted our new membership policies. Customers will need to sign a customer agreement and pay membership dues before they are able to order subscriptions or order from the website. Customer members will be able to increase their participation in MLH. Sign up today!

Local Events News:

Sunday, Aug 4, 2013 at 4 p.m.-- Mokelumne Hill Library & History Society presents

the Occasional Speaker Series— Adventures in South America with Sean Kriletich

What happens when a human being rides an average of 100 miles a day, performs eight hours of farm labor and parties every other night in Argentina? The learning adventure of a lifetime! Sean Kriletich will share stories about bicycle adventuring in southern South America while working as a Willing Worker on Organic Farms (WWOOFer). Please join us at Mokelumne Hill Library/Archives on Main Street-Mokelumne Hill. The event is free and light refreshments will be available after the presentation. For questions 772-1604.

Gardening Information:

from Sean Kriletich, Paloma Pollinators

-Even though it is still hot and dry fall will be upon us soon and we can prepare for that by seeding kale, chard, lettuce, beets, rutabaga, turnips etc. during the next moon cycle.

-Radishes are easy to grow, only take a month to mature and will grow all year (in the summer they must be grown in the shade of other plants). Seed some today and eat them in your soups and salads in a month. Also leave one or two to bolt and you will have radish seed for the next round. If you seed radishes every 2 weeks for 2 months and allow a few to go to seed you will not have to seed them again because they will reseed themselves and provide you with perpetual radishes.

Mother Lode Harvest is a non-profit membership association.