Mountain Bounty Farm

We’re finishing up these last 2 weeks of the winter season - NEXT WEEK IS YOUR LAST BOX.

As a reminder, the summer season starts the week of May 28 – the week after winter ends. Be sure to sign up for the summer to not miss a box!

Riverdog’s Week 23 Winter Newsletter

Veggie Box Contents

1 bu beets
1 bu carrots
1 bu chard
1 bu Red Russian kale
3/4 lb baby romaine
1 bu spring onions
1 lb asparagus
3/4 lb snow peas

Recipes

Stir Fried Lettuce with Seared Tofu & Red Pepper - A great way to use those salad greens!

Asparagus with Hollandaise - Ina Garten (the barefoot Contessa) makes a great Hollandaise

Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Asparagus   - I’d add the spring onions, too

Roasted Beet Salad with Walnut Dressing, and Cheese Crisps - uses that chard, too

It feels like summer is right around the corner! That means the 2012 Summer CSA Season starts soon, too.

Winter into Summer
Don’t be left behind – the last deliveries of the winter season are May 23 & 24 – and the Summer season starts the following week. Are you signed up yet? If not, please do it TODAY! As a reminder, you can sign up at any point during the season, too.

Riverdog’s Winter Week 22 Newsletter

This Week’s Box

1 bskt Strawberries
3/4 lb Snow or Snap Peas
1 bu Red Spring Onions
1 bu Carrots
1/2 lb Spinach
1 bu Curly Kale
1 bu Green Garlic
1/2 lb Little Gem Lettuce
1 hd Napa Cabbage

Recipes

Kale has become one of my favorite things to cook with (and it is so good for you!) – try out one of these 15 kale recipes from Cooking Light Magazine.

Pork Tenderloin  with Balsamic Braised Red Spring Onions

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Dressing

Napa Cabbage Slaw with Sugar Snap Peas & Scallions

The weather has been so wonderful! It was great to spend some time outdoors this past weekend and plant some flowers and do some garden cleanup. Hope you are all enjoying it, too!

The box sounds great this week – and we even get the first organic strawberries! YUM! Try out the fun recipes below – or on Riverdog’s newsletter.

Riverdog’s Winter Week 21 Newsletter

What’s In the Box?
1 lb asparagus
1 bu carrots
0.50 lb snow peas
0.50 lb braising mix
1 fennel
1 bu spring onions
0.50 lb baby lettuce
1 basket strawberries

Soft Polenta with Asparagus, Prosciutto, & Spring Onions

Couscous with Roasted Fennel and Toasted Almonds

Fennel, Apple, & Beet Chutney (courtesy of member Stephanie Crano)

Pappardelle with Pistachio Pesto (and Snow Peas)

you’ll probably want to eat them all from the basket, but just in case – Strawberry Cake

It was great to meet so many of you at Earth Day at Squaw last weekend – what a fabulous event and the weather was gorgeous!

I hope all you enjoyed last week’s box – the spinach and greens were especially yummy. Looks like we have another wonderful box of goodness this week. Check out Riverdog’s newsletter and my links below for recipes.

Riverdog’s Winter Week 20 Newsletter

What’s in the Veggie Box?

1lb. asparagus
1 bu carrots
1 bulb fennel
1 bu beets
1 bu green chard
1 bu green garlic
1.5 lbs leeks
3/4 lb little gem lettuce

More Recipes

Leek & Green Garlic Risotto

Chard with Beets, Goat Cheese & Raisins

Carrot Cake (best recipe!)

Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus (a great way to eat that asparagus!)

Chicken Salad with Roasted Beets & Dandelion Greens (or Arugula) – a beautiful new salad from Sunset mag

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

As we celebrate this great day – let me say a huge thank you to all of you for your continued support of Mountain Bounty Farm, local food, family farming, and the local economy! We rely on folks like you to help sustain the farm. Please continue that support by becoming a MBF summer member and pass on the news to your friends. THINK LOCAL!

I hope to see you at Truckee Tahoe Earth Day, this Saturday, April 21 at Squaw Valley. I’ll be there tabling for Mountain Bounty – I’d love to meet you. You’ll also want to check out the Wild & Scenic Film Festival - it will kick off the TT Earth Day festivities at Squaw Thursday & Friday nights.

Riverdog’s Winter Week 19 Newsletter (with farm news and more yummy recipes)

This Week’s Veggies:

1 lb asparagus
1 bu beets
1 bu spring onions
0.5 lb braising greens (mostly baby kale, but also some chard, baby choys and spinach)
1 bu collards or 1-2 hds bok choi
1 bu carrots
1.5 lbs yellow carrots & golden turnips
1 bu spinach
1 bu cilantro

And Some Recipes:

Chicken with Lemon & Green Onion Sauce (we made this last week – really yummy!)

Beets in Orange Butter Sauce (a great way to use tangerines, too)

Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Cilantro Sauce

Emerald City Salad (this is one of the best kale salads I have ever made – super tasty – use the braising greens)

and try this one I posted last fall – with the Braising Greens – Kale Salad (so easy!)

Earth Day is next week – hope all of you are planning to do something to celebrate. In fact – mark your calendar for the Truckee Tahoe Earth Day, Saturday, April 21 at Squaw Valley. I’ll be there tabling for Mountain Bounty – I’d love to meet all of our members and finally put some faces to the names I’ve gotten to know. You’ll also want to check out the Wild & Scenic Film Festival (an event I started and was the director of in Nevada City for 8 years!) The festival will kick off the TT Earth Day festivities at Squaw next Thursday & Friday nights.

Summer Signups are Hot!
Our signups for the 2012 summer season are coming in strong – thank you to all of you who have signed up already. If you haven’t yet, be sure to signup soon to get your first choice of pickup sites. Many of our sites have limits.

Riverdog’s 2012 Winter Week 18 Newsletter - as a reminder it won’t be in the box, only here.

This Week’s Veggies
1.5 lbs Murcotts
1.5 lbs leeks
.75 lbs asparagus
.5 lb spinach
1 bu carrots
1 bu green garlic
1 bulb fennel
2-3 hds lettuce OR 3-4 heads of Baby Bok Choy

Recipes
Spring Veggie & Goat Cheese Dip – I made it this past weekend – super yum. I added spring onions – you could try the green garlic in it, too.

Caramelized Pancetta & Fennel Salad – I love Giada on Food Network. She loves cooking with fennel in her Italian recipes. Try this one!

Asparagus with Green Garlic

Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Sweet & Sour Tangerine Chicken Stir Fry

Tangerine Sherbet

INGREDIENTS

1 cup 3/4-inch pieces asparagus

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale-green parts only)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1 cup grated mild white cheddar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 14-ounce can chopped artichoke hearts in water, drained

1/4 cup fresh (or frozen, thawed) peas

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

4 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese, divided

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 450°. Steam asparagus in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; let cool.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 10 minutes. Whisk in flour; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened; remove from heat. Add cheddar; whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold in asparagus (reserve tips), artichoke hearts, peas, chives, mint, flat-leaf parsley, lemon zest and 2 oz. crumbled fresh goat cheese.

Transfer mixture to a 4–5-cup baking dish; arrange asparagus tips on top and dot with another 2 oz. goat cheese. Bake until golden brown and bubbling, 15–20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Hi wonderful MBF members -

Happy Spring! If you are celebrating spring break this week – try the great recipes below.

Also – Riverdog is trying to eliminate paper waste, so for the last 8 weeks of the winter season we’ll have a link in this blog to their newsletter that you normally would receive in your veggie box.
Riverdog Newsletter - 2012 Winter Week 17

What’s in that Box?

2 lbs Murcott tangerines
1 bu spring onions
1 bu parsley
1 lb asparagus
1 bu carrots
0.5 lb baby bok choi
1.5 lbs leeks

And the Last Week of Fruit? (as a reminder – this is the last week of fruit!)
Western Nevada County: grapefruit, lemons, navels, kiwis
Truckee, Tahoe & Reno: grapefruit, lemons, navels

Recipes

Leek & Corn Salad

To use that Baby Bok Choy – The Professor’s Drunken Noodles or Roasted Baby Bok Choy

Parsley, Kale & Berry Smoothie – super healthy and super good!

Lemon Pudding Cakes

Chicken and Dumplings (using the carrots and leeks)

Carrot Cake Cookies (I’m definitely making these this weekend!)

Did anyone try that beautiful Goat Cheese & Spring Onion Galette recipe on Riverdog’s newsletter last week? I made it Sunday nite and added an additional 1/2 onion + leeks and mushrooms. Super yummy. Click here for the recipe.

My family’s dinner last night I highly suggest – easy and good: Hummus-Crusted Chicken (from Oprah’s mag) and Mexican Cheesy Corn Risotto with Cilantro (I randomly found this recipe and it was yummy!)

I’m excited to see asparagus again this week – it is a short season, so enjoy! Some new recipes down below for asparagus and other fun things. I’m off Friday for Disneyland with the family  - does anyone have suggestions for another great place to visit with young kids in Orange County or LA that doesn’t cost a fortune?

Next week I’ll share some nice recipes for the Easter weekend (oh and if you’re into it, the Masters tournament – always a huge party in our home).

In the Box this Week:

2 lbs Murcotts tangerines
1 bu collards
1 bu orange carrots
1 bu purple carrots
1.5 lbs chioggia beets & gold turnips
0.5 lb arugula
0.75 lb asparagus
0.5 lb spinach
1 bu cilantro

And the Fruit Bag:

Blood oranges
Navel oranges
Grapefruit
Kiwi

Chicken Potpie – this is one of the best potpies I have ever made – use those carrots and asparagus, too. We like to smoke the chicken – if you have a smoker.

Asparagus & Rice Soup – a super flavorful soup – uses your leeks from last week, too.

Chicken Breasts with Mustard Vinaigrette, Roasted Asparagus & Carrots

Asparagus, Mint, and Lemon Risotto – did anyone see Oprah’s food issue mag? A great one – packed with lots of good info and recipes.

Frittata with Turnips & Olives