Mountain Bounty Farm

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

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

Have you signed up for Mountain Bounty’s Summer Season yet? We’re celebrating 15 years of yummy produce – greens, tomatoes, herbs, carrots, zucchini, melons, peaches, and MORE!
Get your share and sign up today!

YEAH! Winter may be (luckily) hanging on – but spring is here this week with the arrival of asparagus! Go crazy with it. I added its own page of recipes, here.

And BTW – I made that Orangesicle Ice Cream with the Roasted Bananas and Rum Caramel Sauce last weekend – what a treat!

What is in that Box?

1 Cabbage
2 lbs Murcott Tangerines
1 bu Carrots
.75 lb bunch of Asparagus
1.5 lbs Leeks
1 bu Spring Onions
1-2 hds Cauliflower
1 bu Cilantro

And that Bag?

Blood Oranges
Grapefruit
Kiwi

And for Some Recipes …

Yes – one bunch of asparagus and so many asparagus recipes ….. go here for inspiration.

Chicken (or tofu) in Green Chile, Mint & Cilantro Sauce with Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower - a bit of Indian flavor!

Potato Frittata (use your carrots, cilantro, + spring onions) I recommend not including the cherry tomatoes since they aren’t in season and adding roasted red peppers.

 Fast Fish Tacos – add that cilantro!

Have you signed up for Mountain Bounty’s Summer Season yet? We’re celebrating 15 years of yummy produce – greens, tomatoes, herbs, carrots, zucchini, melons, peaches, and MORE!
Get your share and sign up today!

I’m super excited to see the arugula this week – the start of spring greens is here! As one of my favorite foods, it gets its own blog page on the recipe section – a whole bunch of new recipes for your arugula. I also just discovered a great recipe website, www.gojee.com - beautiful photos and witty writing. And the recipes are new and fun. With all my oranges, this weekend I plan to make Orangesicle Ice Cream & Roast Bananas with Rum Caramel Sauce.

What’s in the Veg Box?
2 lbs oranges
1 lb tangerines
0.5 lbs baby arugula
0.5 lbs spinach
1.5 lbs leeks
1.5 lbs potatoes
1 lb cauliflower
1 bu carrots

What’s in the Fruit Bag?

Navel oranges
Grapefruit
Kiwis

Recipes

Corned Beef & Cabbage – if you want to go totally Irish for St Patty’s Day this weekend, try this traditional meal.

Pasties – this recipe is one from my mom – she basically created this recipe on her own after growing up in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan and eating them there. And as you may know, pasties come from Cornwall, England, and were also a favorite of the miners here in Nevada County and in the UP. They were an easy lunch for the miners, as they tasted good cold!

Arugula Fun – I can eat arugula all year long for my salads – the nutty flavor is great with a good balsamic vinaigrette, goat cheese, chopped apples, walnuts. But check out other ways to use that arugula on our recipe page.

Have you become a Summer Season member yet? Don’t forget to get signed up early to make sure you get the site you want. Sign up today!

And please pass the word that we are still doing signups for the remainder of the winter season. Really, the latter half of the winter season is the best – think spring greens, asparagus, and more! Folks can give me a call to signup – (530)292-3776.

Sometimes I think if I have one more thing to do in a day, I might explode … besides being mom to Roxy Blue (5) and Scarlet Jack (14 months), and wife to Brett (who travels a big chunk of the month for work), I work for Mountain Bounty as the CSA manager (as you know) + I am a graphic designer and illustrator. Every hour during my week is full, but yet somehow I am keeping cooking fresh CSA meals as a priority – in fact, I have really come to enjoy using all these veggies we wouldn’t have normally eaten, hunting for and testing out recipes, and sharing with you what I have found to be super tasty.

Thanks for all the great feedback and the new recipes you send my way – keep them coming! Check out the latest find of recipes below.

What’s in That Box

2 lbs oranges
1 lb tangerines
1 bu spinach
1.25 lb cauliflower medley (white and purple)
1 bu carrots
1 bu dandelion (chicory leaves)
1 bu spring onions
3 hds baby romaine
1 bu collards

What’s in that Fruit Bag?

kiwis
grapefruit
navel oranges

Roasted Chicken with Root Veggies – I made this last night – super good. Your traditional roasted chicken, but it was so tasty with the veggies – I used potatoes, carrots, and turnips (so glad I found something to use all those turnips in!)

Sausage, Kale & Cauliflower Potpie – this one is in the latest Real Simple magazine. On deck for Thursday nite.

Fresh Chicory Leaves Salad – a great one to go with the potpie!

Pasta with Greens & Tomato Sauce –  need a new way to use those collards? My family loves them just sauteed with EVOO and garlic – but this is a simple and really good recipe, too.

And for those tangerines? Thanks Martha – Salmon with Tangerine Lemon Hollandaise