This week, we expect the farm share will include beet greens, kale, sweet turnips, salad mix, bok choi, spinach, lettuce, and gai lon.  The hens are into their groove now, and there will be (mostly small) eggs available for people with egg shares, or at Victoria Park. Two recipes for this week are at the end of this post.

Today it feels like summer has arrived.  A thunderstorm is lurking, and everyone is wearing shorts.  The cattle busted out of their paddock.  We are still planting and putting up hoop houses and irrigating.  It is exhausting and invigorating at the same time, these long days.  The on-farm village keeps growing as more and more people join the team.  How did this happen?

Here are a few photos:

Recipes for week 2:

No-Crust Beet Greens, Feta, Mushroom Quiche

http://www.cutnclean.com/recipes/no-crust-beet-greens-feta-mushroom-quiche

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) bag Beet Greens

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup chopped onion (or 1 shallot, chopped)

1 garlic clove, finely minced

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

5 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mist a 9- or 10-inch (better) pie dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and sauté mushrooms and onions for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic during the last minute, so it doesn’t burn. Remove vegetables from pan into a small bowl and set aside.

In same pan (no need to wash), sauté beet greens until limp but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
In a mixing bowl, stir together eggs, milk and feta. Stir in pine nuts, ground nutmeg, and vegetables. Pour into prepared pie dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, allow to cool for 5 or so minutes, and cut.

This works as a meatless dinner, as a light lunch or a brunch entrée. A green salad and fruit salad work well alongside.

If you’re avoiding carbohydrates, this recipe is right up your alley.

How to toast pine nuts: In a dry skillet over low-medium heat, gently toast the nuts for a couple of minutes until they turn light brown, stirring frequently. Do not walk away or they will scorch. You may do this in the skillet before you begin sautéing the mushrooms and onions in this recipe.

Thanks to Michele Merrick

HEARTY GREENS, CANNELLINI BEANS AND TOMATO STEW

My mom gave me this recipe, it’s positively scrumptious. Originally it is made with swiss chard, but I got my hands on some local, organic beet greens and spinach so I substituted. So good!!!!

This recipe is awesome because it basically is vegan and gluten free, I chose to make it with butter and chicken stock because FLAVOUR.

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch swiss chard/spinach/beet greens – feel free to combine, I don’t think kale would compliment the textures, so maybe stick to these amazing leafy greens.
• 1 can cannellini beans, or 1 cup dry and cooked.
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 1 chicken bouillon cube – I use McCormic because it has no MSG and even though it is technically chicken flavour, it has no animal products. BONUS for you vegans out there.
• Chilli flakes to taste – I used some chipotle seeds I saved from a batch of pickled chipotles I made earlier.

Preparation:

• Sautee the onion in butter and olive oil until slightly golden then add the chopped swiss chard/spinach/beet greens and some salt. Once the greens start to wilt a little, add the minced garlic and chilli flakes and keep stirring.
• Add the rinsed and drained beans and stir, follow with the tomatoes. Add the cube of bouillon and some pepper and let the veggies work their magic for about 15 minutes at low-ish temperature, just a modest simmer. Once the tomatoes are cooked and all of the flavours have mingled and married, try it for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

I’m not sure who sent this recipe, but she has an awesome blog (http://thefoodeats.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/hearty-greens-cannellini-beans-and-tomato-stew/)