Tuscan Vegetable Soup topped with sauteed sage leaves features seasonal locally harvested vegetables, as does the accompanying salad of Boston lettuce and Asian pears.
My thoughtful friend and neighbor Patricia Jarvis called early in August to offer me a month's worth of her weekly deliveries of Community Supported Agriculture produce while she traveled for the month. A proponent of both local farmers and seasonal produce, Jarvis subscribes to a delivery service of vegetables, fruits and herbs farmed by Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawk Farms in Upshur County and 13 neighboring farmers.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- My thoughtful friend and neighbor Patricia Jarvis called early in August to offer me a month's worth of her weekly deliveries of Community Supported Agriculture produce while she traveled for the month. A proponent of both local farmers and seasonal produce, Jarvis subscribes to a delivery service of vegetables, fruits and herbs farmed by Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawk Farms in Upshur County and 13 neighboring farmers.
Every Tuesday, a box of farm-fresh produce arrives at her front door, delivered in boxes that contain insulated bags with a cold pack to keep the vegetables fresh.
Most CSA subscribers pick up weekly boxes at a central location, rather than receiving home deliveries. Monroe County Farm Market, a collaboration of 20 farmers near Union, offers members a choice of available produce, grains, fresh flowers, eggs, meats and artisan baked goods. Members pick up their orders on Thursdays in Union, Beckley or Charleston.
For his first year, Hawkins made weekly deliveries to Charleston. He begrudged the day of farm production the deliveries cost him, and some of his customers found the weekly pick up system inconvenient.
"Some people couldn't make it to the pickup site," he said. "They wanted delivery to their doorstep."
Their costs increased 25 percent for the weekly U.P.S. deliveries, but the service attracted new West Virginia customers who live outside the Charleston market, Hawkins said. An eight-week, full share of produce, enough for four people, is $560, plus 3 percent sales tax. A half-share costs $280.
The first summer, Hawkins had 30 members; the second year the number jumped to 98. This year's subscribers number 70, which he finds to be a manageable quantity. He takes orders by e-mail only and e-mails subscribers notices of upcoming seasons and prices.
The first delivery I picked up was week five of the summer season. The box contained an enormous onion, chives, two green tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, green bell peppers, cucumbers and sweet corn.
Before I could even ponder what to do with such bounty, I read the material and recipes thoughtfully provided by Hawkins, a chef whose most recent position was executive chef at Stonewall Resort, and chef Michael Martir. Hawkins left Stonewall to manage the family farm and promote the farm-to-table movement.
For that week, he suggested fried green tomatoes, sesame cucumbers (which he said pairs well with smoked salmon from Joe's Fish Market), vegetarian jambalaya and baked barley with shiitake mushrooms and caramelized onions.
They all sounded wonderful, but I used the shiitake mushrooms, so much fresher than the grocery store varieties, in an old favorite recipe for salmon and spinach salad with red peppers and shiitake mushrooms. I'd just picked up some refreshingly inexpensive sweet red bell peppers from the Capitol Market outdoor vendors.
The next week's box yielded an interesting assortment of cabbage, pea shoots, tomatoes, more shiitake mushrooms, sage, cucumber and granola.
Yes, granola. No, they don't grow the oats and Craisons, but let me just say that I think I'm addicted to the Fish Hawk Farms granola. I tossed it in yogurt for a quick snack and with peaches and vanilla ice cream to add crunchy interest to a simple dessert. Sometimes I just scooped it up by the handful. That's the best way to taste the butter in which I suspect the granola is roasted.
The most challenging item in this box was probably the pea sprouts. Hawkins suggestions were to eat them stir-fried in a wok, as they are in salad, baked with fish or chicken, wilted in risotto or pasta, or chopped in marinades, sauces and dressings. Although I didn't get chance to try it before they wilted (they have a short shelf life), I loved Hawkins's suggestion to pair them with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and penne pasta tossed with olive oil and black pepper.
That week, I used the sage and tomatoes in Hawkin's Tuscan vegetable soup with fresh sage. His recipe didn't call for tomatoes, but I added them anyway. I didn't have any celery on hand, so I didn't include it in my version.
The next week's delivery marked the first of the eight late-summer season deliveries and featured beets, basil, green beans, swiss chard, tomatoes, potatoes, Asian pears and sweet green peppers. Hawkins' suggestions: roasted beet salad with walnuts and goat cheese, savory swiss chard, Italian flat green beans with tomatoes and garlic and bell pepper salad.
The red, pink, yellow and orange stalks of the swiss chard intrigued me, although I'd turned up my nose at the swiss chard from my parents' garden in my ill-spent youth. I decided to give it a try. Sauteed with nutmeg, sweet paprika and tossed with Worchestershire sauce and chicken stock, it wasn't bad, but I'd be more inclined to grow chard for the aesthetic interest provided by its colorful stalks than its taste. The Italian flat beans with tomatoes and garlic were a big hit at our dinner table.
The final delivery included peaches, parsley, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, Asian pears, Boston lettuce and granola.
The very firm pears were excellent in a Hawkins-inspired salad of torn Boston lettuce, walnut pieces, feta cheese and a vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Hawkins also suggested a simple cucumber and tomato salad and fresh corn fritters.
In addition to produce, Hawkins offers customers the option of adding artisan breads, pastries and shiitake mushrooms to their orders.
Other West Virginia farms provide similar CSA programs, but not farm-to-door delivery. Visit www.farm2u.org for a complete listing.
Reach Hawkins at chefhawk...@gmail.com.
For more information on Monroe Farm Markets visit www.monroefarmmarket.locallygrown.net/ or call 304-647-8017.
Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.
Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Fresh Sage
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup carrots, cut into coins
1 cup zucchini or yellow squash, diced
1/2 cup celery and leaves, stalks diced and leaves minced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 (16-ounce) can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups sodium-free vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
HEAT olive oil on low-medium heat in a soup pot and lightly saute the sage leaves for about five minutes. Remove the leaves from the pot with a slotted spoon. In the same pot, saute the garlic until soft, about one or two minutes.
ADD peas, green beans, zucchini, carrots, celery, potato and cannelloni beans. Stir mixture over medium heat for five minutes.
ADD the broth and red pepper flakes. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
SEASON with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with the sauteed sage leaves.
Sesame Cucumbers
2 cucumbers, peeled
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
THINLY SLICE cucumbers, cover with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Press and drain excess liquid.
COAT frying pan with oil. Sprinkle one layer of sesame seeds into pan. Cook over medium heat until brown.
PLACE seeds in a cup and mash with a wooden spoon. Add sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over cucumbers. Chill 1 hour before serving.
Italian Flat Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- My thoughtful friend and neighbor Patricia Jarvis called early in August to offer me a month's worth of her weekly deliveries of Community Supported Agriculture produce while she traveled for the month. A proponent of both local farmers and seasonal produce, Jarvis subscribes to a delivery service of vegetables, fruits and herbs farmed by Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawk Farms in Upshur County and 13 neighboring farmers.
Every Tuesday, a box of farm-fresh produce arrives at her front door, delivered in boxes that contain insulated bags with a cold pack to keep the vegetables fresh.
Most CSA subscribers pick up weekly boxes at a central location, rather than receiving home deliveries. Monroe County Farm Market, a collaboration of 20 farmers near Union, offers members a choice of available produce, grains, fresh flowers, eggs, meats and artisan baked goods. Members pick up their orders on Thursdays in Union, Beckley or Charleston.
For his first year, Hawkins made weekly deliveries to Charleston. He begrudged the day of farm production the deliveries cost him, and some of his customers found the weekly pick up system inconvenient.
"Some people couldn't make it to the pickup site," he said. "They wanted delivery to their doorstep."
Their costs increased 25 percent for the weekly U.P.S. deliveries, but the service attracted new West Virginia customers who live outside the Charleston market, Hawkins said. An eight-week, full share of produce, enough for four people, is $560, plus 3 percent sales tax. A half-share costs $280.
The first summer, Hawkins had 30 members; the second year the number jumped to 98. This year's subscribers number 70, which he finds to be a manageable quantity. He takes orders by e-mail only and e-mails subscribers notices of upcoming seasons and prices.
The first delivery I picked up was week five of the summer season. The box contained an enormous onion, chives, two green tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, green bell peppers, cucumbers and sweet corn.
Before I could even ponder what to do with such bounty, I read the material and recipes thoughtfully provided by Hawkins, a chef whose most recent position was executive chef at Stonewall Resort, and chef Michael Martir. Hawkins left Stonewall to manage the family farm and promote the farm-to-table movement.
For that week, he suggested fried green tomatoes, sesame cucumbers (which he said pairs well with smoked salmon from Joe's Fish Market), vegetarian jambalaya and baked barley with shiitake mushrooms and caramelized onions.
They all sounded wonderful, but I used the shiitake mushrooms, so much fresher than the grocery store varieties, in an old favorite recipe for salmon and spinach salad with red peppers and shiitake mushrooms. I'd just picked up some refreshingly inexpensive sweet red bell peppers from the Capitol Market outdoor vendors.
The next week's box yielded an interesting assortment of cabbage, pea shoots, tomatoes, more shiitake mushrooms, sage, cucumber and granola.
Yes, granola. No, they don't grow the oats and Craisons, but let me just say that I think I'm addicted to the Fish Hawk Farms granola. I tossed it in yogurt for a quick snack and with peaches and vanilla ice cream to add crunchy interest to a simple dessert. Sometimes I just scooped it up by the handful. That's the best way to taste the butter in which I suspect the granola is roasted.
The most challenging item in this box was probably the pea sprouts. Hawkins suggestions were to eat them stir-fried in a wok, as they are in salad, baked with fish or chicken, wilted in risotto or pasta, or chopped in marinades, sauces and dressings. Although I didn't get chance to try it before they wilted (they have a short shelf life), I loved Hawkins's suggestion to pair them with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers and penne pasta tossed with olive oil and black pepper.
That week, I used the sage and tomatoes in Hawkin's Tuscan vegetable soup with fresh sage. His recipe didn't call for tomatoes, but I added them anyway. I didn't have any celery on hand, so I didn't include it in my version.
The next week's delivery marked the first of the eight late-summer season deliveries and featured beets, basil, green beans, swiss chard, tomatoes, potatoes, Asian pears and sweet green peppers. Hawkins' suggestions: roasted beet salad with walnuts and goat cheese, savory swiss chard, Italian flat green beans with tomatoes and garlic and bell pepper salad.
The red, pink, yellow and orange stalks of the swiss chard intrigued me, although I'd turned up my nose at the swiss chard from my parents' garden in my ill-spent youth. I decided to give it a try. Sauteed with nutmeg, sweet paprika and tossed with Worchestershire sauce and chicken stock, it wasn't bad, but I'd be more inclined to grow chard for the aesthetic interest provided by its colorful stalks than its taste. The Italian flat beans with tomatoes and garlic were a big hit at our dinner table.
The final delivery included peaches, parsley, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, Asian pears, Boston lettuce and granola.
The very firm pears were excellent in a Hawkins-inspired salad of torn Boston lettuce, walnut pieces, feta cheese and a vinaigrette of olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper. Hawkins also suggested a simple cucumber and tomato salad and fresh corn fritters.
In addition to produce, Hawkins offers customers the option of adding artisan breads, pastries and shiitake mushrooms to their orders.
Other West Virginia farms provide similar CSA programs, but not farm-to-door delivery. Visit www.farm2u.org for a complete listing.
Reach Hawkins at chefhawk...@gmail.com.
For more information on Monroe Farm Markets visit www.monroefarmmarket.locallygrown.net/ or call 304-647-8017.
Reach Julie Robinson at jul...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1230.
Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Fresh Sage
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup carrots, cut into coins
1 cup zucchini or yellow squash, diced
1/2 cup celery and leaves, stalks diced and leaves minced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 (16-ounce) can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups sodium-free vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
HEAT olive oil on low-medium heat in a soup pot and lightly saute the sage leaves for about five minutes. Remove the leaves from the pot with a slotted spoon. In the same pot, saute the garlic until soft, about one or two minutes.
ADD peas, green beans, zucchini, carrots, celery, potato and cannelloni beans. Stir mixture over medium heat for five minutes.
ADD the broth and red pepper flakes. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
SEASON with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with the sauteed sage leaves.
Sesame Cucumbers
2 cucumbers, peeled
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
THINLY SLICE cucumbers, cover with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Press and drain excess liquid.
COAT frying pan with oil. Sprinkle one layer of sesame seeds into pan. Cook over medium heat until brown.
PLACE seeds in a cup and mash with a wooden spoon. Add sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour over cucumbers. Chill 1 hour before serving.
Italian Flat Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic
1 pound Italian green beans or string beans, ends trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 2- to 3-inch pieces.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
1 medium tomato, peeled, cored, seeded and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 to 8 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (stacked, then rolled tightly and cut into very thin strips)
BRING a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until tender. Drain immediately.
WHILE beans cook, heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic slices, distributing them evenly. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the slices become almost translucent and start to brown on the edges. Do not let garlic burn.
ADD diced tomato and salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tomato is heated through.
ADD cooked green beans and mix well.
TRANSFER to a serving dish and top with the basil, if desired.
SERVE warm or at room temperature.
Cucumber and Tomato Salad
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 fresh basil leaves
5 fresh oregano leaves
3 small cucumbers, peeled and diced
2 beefsteak tomatoes, diced
MINCE garlic, after discarding any green sprouts from center. Combine vinegars and add garlic to mixture. Let stand for 10 minutes to reduce the garlic's sharp flavor.
WASH basil and oregano leaves. Roll up leaves and slice into little strips. Chop herbs and add to olive oil.
COMBINE vinegar and olive oil mixtures, add salt and pepper and whisk to blend.
PLACE cucumbers and tomatoes in medium bowl. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss gently to combine.
Salmon-and-Spinach Salad with Soy Vinaigrette
Yield: 4 servings
Dressing:
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salad:
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
4 cups thinly sliced shiitake or button mushroom caps (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 6-ounce salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
8 cups baby spinach
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup red bell pepper strips
HEAT broiler.
COMBINE first 8 ingredients in a small bowl, and stir well with a whisk to make dressing.
HEAT 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 cup onions; sauté 8 minutes. Stir in corn; remove from heat.
PLACE the fish on a foil-lined baking sheet; brush evenly with 1 teaspoon oil. Broil 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
PLACE 2 cups spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1/4 cup red bell pepper, 1/2 cup mushroom mixture, and 1 fillet. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons dressing over each salad.
Nutritional information: cal 418; fat 18.8g; iron 6.1mg; chol 111mg; calc 163mg; carb 21.8g; sodium 549mg; protein 42.9g; fiber 7.8g
SOURCE: Cooking Light, MAY 2001
