Monday, October 29, 2012


Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter
Vol. 17
 October 29, 2012
Happy Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, and Full Moon!!! The end of October marks the culmination of the summer harvest season as we begin hunker down for the holidays and stormy winter weather. With four more weeks of the CSA remaining, your shares will lend themselves nicely to stews, soups, and oven cooked meals. Winter squash is coming along with more apples, persimmons in a few weeks, and greens. Enjoy your pumpkin this week, they can be eaten raw, cooked, or used for carving!

Pumpkin and Sage Risotto
Serves 6 to 8

1 small pumpkin or about 1 lb.  Diced pumpkin or winter squash
20 sage leaves
Salt and pepper
7 to 8 cups Chicken stock
1 medium onion
5 ½ tbs butter
2 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

Peel, clean, and dice pumpkin. Put diced pumpkin into heavy bottomed pot and cook with a few leaves of sage, salt, and 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook until tender, but not too soft, about 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop 6 sage leaves fine and cut the onion into small chunks.
Heat the rest of the stock and hold at a low simmer. In and other heavy bottomed saucepan, heat 3 tbs of the butter, add sage, and cook for about a minute; add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and a pinch of salt and cook on low heat, stirring often for about 3 minutes. Turn up the heat and pour in the white wine. When the wine has been absorbed, add just enough hot stock to cover the rice, stir well, and reduce the heat.
Keep the rice at a gentile simmer and continue to add more stock, a ladle or two at a time, letting each addition be absorbed by the rice. While the rice is cooking, sauté the remaining sage leaves in butter until crisp. After 15 minutes, the rice will be nearly cooked. Stirring the cooked squash, the rest of the butter, and the cheese. Continue cooking for 3 to 5 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning. When done, serve in warm bowls and garish with extra cheese and sautéed sage leaves.


Sunday, October 7, 2012


Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter
Vol. 17
 October 8, 2012

Yippeeee its Fall!!! It seems that my prayers have been answered and I am definitely enjoying the break from hot weather and loving all that Fall in the foothills has to offer, chilly nights, stars, yummy food, great community, etc… A lot is changing at the farm, both of the greenhouses are getting new plastic, and the onions starts for next year are planted!

Roasted Apple, Bacon, and Frisee Salad
(From Sunset Magazine, Sep. 2006)

            2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
            1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
            2 tablespoons maple syrup
            1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
            1/2 teaspoon pepper plus more to taste
            2 medium shallots, very thinly sliced and separated into rings
            3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
            4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips
            2 large bunches frisée lettuce, outer leaves removed (see notes)
.                 1. Preheat oven to 400º. In a small bowl, combine apples, olive oil, syrup, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat, and then transfer apple slices to a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Stir, then continue to cook until golden brown and tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Set aside.
.                 2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine shallots and vinegar. Set aside.
.                 3. In a heavy frying pan over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp and brown, about 7 minutes; drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tbsp. of the accumulated bacon fat and return pan to low heat. Remove shallots from vinegar, reserving shallots, and add vinegar to hot bacon fat, whisking until dressing is emulsified.
.                 4. Arrange frisée in a bowl and add apples, bacon pieces, and shallots. Pour warm dressing over greens and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
.                 Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.
Note:
Crispy frisée lettuce is a nice counterpoint to the rich bacon; substitute 5 sliced raw endives if you prefer.

Sunday, September 30, 2012


Vol. 16
 October 1, 2012

Happy October! I’ve been spending my extra time doing rain dances and praying that the cooler fall weather is not too far off now. Some of the crops are getting a bit stressed from this unrelenting heat and dryness, as are we I must say. I’ve been busy re-claiming the greenhouse from the weeds that took it over this summer. It will soon be full of onion starts and lots of delicious greens, I hope. We are still harvesting melons from the fields and the tomatoes keep comin’! I hope y’all are enjoying and sharing the food with friends and family.  This recipe is a favorite among my family and an excellent way to use up your greens.

Greek Meat Loaf with Mizuna and Feta Cheese
Preheat oven 375-400 degrees

2 lbs. ground meat (turkey, beef, or lamb)
2 eggs
½ c quick oats
1 large bunch mizuna
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 oz. Feta cheese
¾ c sun dried tomatoes
Oregano, basil salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
Garnish with fresh basil.

In a bowl, mix together meat, oats, and egg. Season with spices, salt, and pepper. In a skillet, sauté onion and garlic until translucent. Add mizuna and cook approx. 5 minutes until wilted. On a clean surface, pat out meat mixture into a square shape about ¾ inch think. In the center of the meat spread feta, sun dried tomatoes, and mizuna mixture. Fold meat over the filling and form into a loaf shape. Place meat loaf in an oiled baking dish and cook for about 1 hour or until done.
Note: You can substitute any green for mizuna, especially chard or kale. 

Monday, September 24, 2012


Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter
Vol. 15
 September 24, 2012

This week marked the last day of the season at the Sierra Valley Farmer’s Market as well as record sales for Bakbraken Acres! Fall is definitely on its way, some crops are coming to an end, and the first pumpkins have been harvested from the fields. I’ve been busy planting greens and roots for fall and winter eating and trying to keep up with weeding the new seedlings. Many thanks to all of the incredible helpers that have been lending a hand in Mary’s absence I appreciate your help and company!

Enjoy this week’s harvest!


Mizuna Feta Salad
(This is my new favorite salad, amazingly quick and delicious)

1 bunch fresh, washed mizuna greens
¾ cup feta cheese
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
½ cup of your favorite vinaigrette,


Eggplant, Mozzarella, and Saffron Rice Bake
(Recipe from Claudia and Carol….Thanks!)

2 Tbs. plus 1 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 pinch of saffron
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
Kosher salt
3 large eggplants cut into ¼ inch rounds
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups tomato sauce
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, cut into 3/4inch cups (about 2 cups)
1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan

Arrange racks in tip and bottom thirds of oven; preheat to 425 degrees. Heat 2 Tbs/ oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Stir in saffron, then wine. Cook until wine reduces slightly, about 1 minute. Add broth; season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is very al dente ad still crunchy, about 6 minutes, remove pan from the heat.
Meanwhile, divide eggplant between two lined baking sheets, overlapping slightly to fit. Drizzle 1 cup oil over; season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning eggplant and rotating sheets halfway through, until tender and golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with 1 cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella over then 1/3 Parmesan.
Cover with a layer of eggplant rounds, overlapping so no sauce is visible beneath them. Add saffron rice, spreading out in an even layer. Sprinkle over another 1/3 of each of the remaining tomato sauce and layer of eggplant. Top with remaining tomato sauce and cheese. Cover dish with foil; transfer to a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melting, about 15 minutes. Uncover dish and bake until golden on top, about 20 minutes longer. Let set at least 10 minutes before serving.


Sunday, September 16, 2012

The Bakbraken Crew at Sierra Valley Farmer's Market



Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter

 Vol. 14
September 17, 2012

Howdy Do CSA Members! Get ready to do some serious tomato eating this week. The sauce tomatoes are ripening up and heirlooms are at their peak. If you are interested in putting up pasta sauce or salsa now is the time to special order tomatoes in bulk, for CSA members they are only $1.50/lb. Also in you box this week are red onions, they are reaching the end of their storage period so refridgerate them and use ‘em quick…they are great for salsa. Fall is coming to the farm and the apples and pears are a week or two out! Aloha to Mary who is off to Hawaii for two weeks, wishing her a relaxing and inspiring adventure. Hope y’all are finding plenty of time to cook and enjoy the veggies and are discovering new favorite recipes.
Thanks for your support,
-The Bakbraken Crew

Fresh Tomato Sauce
(From Sunset Magazine, July 2010)
Ingredients
            2 pounds very ripe tomatoes
            2 cloves garlic
            3 tablespoons olive oil
            About 1 tsp. salt
            10 basil leaves
Preparation
.                 1. Core and halve tomatoes. Remove seeds (either scoop them out with a spoon or hold a half in your hand and squeeze out the seeds) and cut tomatoes into 1/2-in. dice. Set aside.
.                 2. Thinly slice garlic. In a 10- to 12-in. frying pan over low heat, cook garlic in olive oil until it is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
.                 3. Add tomatoes and 1 tsp. salt and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until tomatoes give off their liquid and start to bubble. Reduce heat to medium-low or low, so the sauce gently simmers. Cook, uncovered and undisturbed, until oil separates from the sauce and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes.
.                 4. Meanwhile, chop basil. When sauce is done, stir in basil and add salt to taste.
.                 Variations
.                 Butter it up: Use unsalted butter in place of the olive oil and a chopped medium onion in place of the garlic.
.                 Explore the herb patch: Try 1/2 to 1 tsp. minced fresh oregano, marjoram, rosemary, or thyme instead of the basil.
.                 Add some heat: Toss in 2 or 3 dried whole arbol chiles with the garlic for a slightly spicy version. Remove chiles before serving.
.                 Pick more produce: At the beginning of step 3, add one skinned and chopped medium eggplant and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, before adding the tomatoes.
            1 seeded baguette (about 3/4 lb.)
            2 1/3 pounds firm-ripe tomatoes (red, orange, yellow, and/or green; large and small)
            3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
            3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as chives, basil leaves, and savory leaves

Rainbow Tomato Bruschetta
(Sunset Magazine, September 2001)
Ingredients
            1 seeded baguette (about 3/4 lb.)
            2 1/3 pounds firm-ripe tomatoes (red, orange, yellow, and/or green; large and small)
            3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
            3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as chives, basil leaves, and savory leaves
Preparation
.                 1. Cut 1 seeded baguette (about 3/4 lb.) diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange in a single layer on two 14- by 17-inch baking sheets. Bake in a 450° regular or convection oven until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool, then mound in a basket or arrange on a platter.
.                 2. Rinse and core 2 1/3 pounds firm-ripe tomatoes (red, orange, yellow, and/or green; large and small). For tomatoes larger than 1 inch in diameter, thinly slice crosswise; arrange in a single layer on a rimmed platter. For smaller tomatoes, halve lengthwise and scatter on top. Drizzle 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil evenly over tomatoes; sprinkle with 3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs such as chives, basil leaves, and savory leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with toasted baguette slices. Mound tomatoes on slices to eat.

Monday, September 10, 2012


Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter
Vol. 13
 September 10, 2012

The face of the farm has been changing the past few weeks as we pull the early summer crops and replace them with new rows of cabbage, broccoli, greens, and cover crops. As we are continually harvesting the bounty of summer we are ever reminded of how much there is to do and plant in preparation for winter. Now is the time to share food, stories, and laughter with friends and family, these are the golden days, the last sweet days of summer. It is in the exhale at the end of a long day that I am able to see the beauty in the work, as I sit to eat among friends I am so thankful to be a part of this incredible community.

Eggplant Lasagna
Ingredients
            1/2  pound  plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
            clove garlic
            4  tablespoons  olive oil
            kosher salt and black pepper
            1  cup  ricotta
            large egg
            1/2  cup  fresh basil, chopped
            1/4  cup  grated Asiago or Parmesan (1 ounce)
            4  cups  mixed greens

Directions
1.               Heat broiler. In a food processor, puree the tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
2.              In 2 batches, arrange the eggplant slices on a broilerproof baking sheet, brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Broil until charred and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
3.              Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, basil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
4.              Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. On top of it, layer a third of the eggplant slices and half the ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer of eggplant and ricotta. Top with the remaining eggplant and tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the Asiago.
5.              Reduce oven to 400º F. Bake the lasagna until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Divide the greens among plates, drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the lasagna.






A community is a mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other’s lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.
-Wendell Berry, from The Long-Legged House

Monday, September 3, 2012


Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter
Vol. 12
 September 4, 2012

            The whisper of autumn on the wind has given the space to take a breath, come up for air from the intensity of summer. Although the hot days are not over and the harvest is still bountiful the seasons are beginning to change indeed. The fall cabbages, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are in and nestled in their cozy bed of straw mulch. Early September always reminds me that it is time to pickle, whether it be cucumbers, beets, carrots, okra, or beans you never regret that jar of pickles come winter. 

Ratatouille
Recipe from Moosewood cookbook
Makes 4-6 servings

1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium peppers, cubed
2 summer squash, cubed
1 eggplant, chubed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium tomatoes, in chunks
1 bay leaf
1 tsp basil
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp oregano
dash of rosemary
3 tbs red wine
½ cup tomato paste
2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
freshly chopped parsley

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy cooking pot. Crush garlic into the oil. Add bay leaf and onion, salt lightly. Saute over medium heat until onion begins to turn transparent. Add eggplant and wine. Add gerbs. Stir to mix well, then cover and simmer 10-15 minutes over low heat. When eggplant is tender enough to be easily pricked by a fork, add zucchini and peppers. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Mix well. Continue to stew until all the vegetables are tender. Just before serving mix in parsley. Serve on a bed of rice, pasta, polenta, or in a bowl with some good French bread. Top with grated cheese and black olives.

Asian-Inspired Quick Pickles
Recipe from foodinjars.com
 Your choice of: cucumbers, sliced beets, baby carrots, or okra
1 chili pepper
1 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar (look for a brand that uses sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, Trader Joe’s makes a good one)

2 limes, juiced
3-4 scallions, chopped (greens and whites)

2 garlic cloves, sliced
4 sprigs of mint, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pack the cucumber spears into a quart jar. Slide the chili pepper down in among the cucumber spears. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the rice wine vinegar, lime juice, scallions, garlic cloves, mint and salt. Pour over the cucumbers. Using your fingers, poke some of the garlic slivers, mint and scallion down amidst the cucumbers. Screw a lid on the jar, and holding the over the sink (in case of leaks) invert the jar and give it a good shake, in order to distribute all the delicious bits.
Let your pickles sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before eating.

Sunday, August 26, 2012


Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter
Vol.  11
 August 27, 2012

The  cooler days last week gave us a moment to plant some broccoli and cabbage for winter. Erica is still putting in lettuce, beets, carrots, and parsnip seeds. We have had some volunteer weeders come out and do that beautiful meditaion in the evening- nothing like being close to the earth at the end of the day. G1 (garden one) is looking sweetly full of greens. We started a new compost pile at the farm and delighted in the great worm-full soil from the old one. Hope you are all getting full of summer and enjoying the rivers and the lakes. Fall is just around the corner and it is harvest season!

Baba Ganoush
(Recipe from davidlebovitz.com)
Eight servings I like my Baba Ganoush super-smoky, and leave the eggplants on the stovetop for a good ten minutes, but for most people, that’s probably too much. Five or so minutes, until the skin gets a bit charred, is probably right for most “normal” folks. If you have smoked salt, you can use that to give it another hit of smoked flavor, too. Sometimes I add a pinch of ground cumin. If you do, please just add just a bit. Baba Ganoush shouldn’t taste predominantly of cumin, which can quickly overwhelm.
3 medium-sized eggplants
1/2 cup (130g) tahini (sesame paste)
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1/8 teaspoon chile powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
a half bunch picked flat-leaf parsley or cilantro leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
2. Prick each eggplant a few times, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are uniformly-charred on the outside. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step.)
3. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft; you should be able to easily poke a paring knife into them and meet no resistance.
4. Remove from oven and let cool.
5. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.
6. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Serve drizzle with olive oil, perhaps some herbs and with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips for dipping.
Storage: Baba Ganoush can be made and refrigerated for up to five days prior to serving.

Caprese Skillet Eggs
(recipe by Maryanne Welton, Sunset Magazine)

            2 tablespoons olive oil
            1/2 cup chopped onion
            3 medium tomatoes, chopped
            1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
            1/2 teaspoon pepper
            4 large eggs
            1/2 cup shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
            1/4 cup mixed chopped fresh basil, oregano, and chives
            Toasted sliced pane pugliese or ciabatta bread
.                 1. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and released their juices, about 5 minutes.
.                 2. Use a spoon to make 4 wells in the tomato mixture and crack an egg into each. Cover pan and cook until whites are firm and yolks are just starting to set, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and cover again to melt cheese slightly, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with herbs and serve with toast.

 Eggplant Squash Saute

(Recipe by Beth Miller)

2 tbs Olive Oil
2 medium japanese eggplant sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
1 medium yellow pepper cut in strips
2 medium summer squash cubed
4 medium tomatoes cubed
2 ounces medium cheddar cheese cubed
2 tbs parmesan cheese grated
2tbs dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Saute the eggplant in the olive oil until soft about 5 to 10 minutes over medium heat. Then add the  yellow bell pepper and the squash and saute and cover the pan until soft about 5 minutes, then add the tomato and cook covered in the pan another 5 minutes. When all is soft and tender add the cheeses and cover the pan and turn off the heat. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings

Monday, August 20, 2012


Bakbraken Acres CSA Newsletter
Vol.  10
 August 20, 2012


Greetings from the Farm! We spent much of last week trying to escape the heat and harvesting tons of eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers! The cooler evenings have given us a chance to get a handle on some of the weeds, especially in the new rows of just emerging fall and winter greens. As I look forward to the slower days of winter I can’t help but wish I had more time to preserve the beautiful food that is so abundant in the fields now. Whether by canning, pickling, freezing, or drying now is the time to be saving the flavors of summer for the colder months a head. I’m reminded of a great Greg Brown song called Canned Goods…

Let those December winds bellow 'n' blowI'm as warm as a July tomato.
 Peaches on the shelfPotatoes in the binSupper's ready, everybody come on inTaste a little of the summer,Taste a little of the summer,You can taste a little of the summer My grandma's put it all in jars.
Well, there's a root cellar, fruit cellar down below Watch your head now, and down you go
And there's
Maybe you're weary an' you don't give a damnI bet you never tasted her blackberry jam.
Ah, she's got magic in her - you know what I meanShe puts the sun and rain in with her green beans.

What with the snow and the economy and ev'ry'thing,I think I'll jus' stay down here and eat until spring.
When I go to see my grandma I gain a lot of weightWith her dear hands she gives me plate after plate .She cans the pickles, sweet & dill She cans the songs of the whippoorwillAnd the morning dew and the evening moon 'N' I really got to go see her pretty soon'Cause these canned goods I buy at the store Ain't got the summer in them anymore.
You bet, grandma, as sure as you're bornI'll take some more potatoes and a thunderstorm.
Peaches on the shelf Potatoes in the binSupper's ready, everybody come on in, nowTaste a little of the summer,Taste a little of the summer ,Taste a little of the summer,My grandma put it all in jars.
Let those December winds bellow and blow,I'm as warm as a July tomato.

Yard Long Red Noodle Beans and Stir-Fried Pork

4-5 red noodle beans
1 lb ground pork
2 tbs dry sherry
2 tbs soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
2-3 tsp Asian chili sauce

Cut beans into desired length. Stir-fry until blistered and mostly tender, remove beans. Stir-fry ground pork with garlic, sherry, soy sauce, and chili. Add beans and stir until hot.

Beet-Green Pasta

½ c currants
approx. 2 lbs of beet greens or chard
1 small bunch of fresh mint
2 medium red onions
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
½ c olive oil
1 lb of your favorite pasta
salt and pepper

Cover currants with boiling water, let soak 15 minutes, then drain. Wash beet greens, strip them of their center stems and chop. Stem and chop mint. Cook pasta in a pot of salted water. Chop garlic and onions, sauté in a pan with olive oil and the bay leaf. Add beet-greens and currants and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes or so. Season with salt, pepper, and mint leaves. Serve the greens on top of a bed of pasta. Enjoy!