Weekly Newsletter

This week we are honoring: CSA Week 18 SQUASH Sep. 10 – Sep. 16, 2012 Content BLOSSOMS 1. Bacon and Ricotta Stuffed "0f all the swoon- Squash Blossoms worthy ingredients 2. Squash Blossom Soup cycling through 3. Tofu and Squash Blossom gardens, ... few are Dumplings lovelier or more 4. Crispy Fried Squash Blossoms delicate than the 5. Cheese-Stuffed Squash squash blossom." Blossoms with Shaved Baby Squash and Toasted Pumpkin -Wall Street Journal Seeds 6. Nutritional Benefits & Usage

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Important Dates . Sep 10th: Farm’s Hens For Sale . Oct 20th: Loudoun County Fall Color Tour . Starting from now: Orders for Thanksgiving Turkeys

In about three weeks, from September 10th, we will be offering for SALE our freshly butchered, pasture Fair Oaks Farm, which is East Lynn's sister farm where we raise raised Rock Cornish Game Hens. cattle, goats, llamas, and most of our

free range heritage breed Turkeys . Cost: $20 each for non-CSA and chickens, is proud to announce members and $16 for CSA that it has been selected once again members. . Delivery: For those to participate in the Loudoun members who would like County Fall Farm Tour that is scheduled some of these delicious to be held the third weekend in October. hens, they would be delivered fresh, wrapped We will be offering hay rides, arts and crafts for the and packaged on ice kids, farm tours, etc. along with your weeks share. No additional Please mark your delivery charge. calendars, as this is a Please do not forget to reserve . When to Order: Orders for very fun event for the pasture raised, heritage these delicious birds will be taken all. The Fall Color breed Thanksgiving over the next two weeks. Please order early as we do Tour will be Turkeys which were raised often run out when we offer them for sale. October 20-21. on our farm! They sell fast. Act soon!

Cornish Game Hen with Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients: . 1 medium carrot, cut into large chunks . 1 medium russet potato, cut into large chunks . 1 medium parsnip or turnip, peeled and cut into large chunks . 1 small onion, quartered . 1 tablespoon olive oil . 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar . 1 Cornish game hen or poussin (about 1-1/2 pounds) . 2 cloves garlic, minced . 2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed . ¼ teaspoon salt . 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper . Fresh rosemary or sage leaves (optional) . Pear-shaped cherry tomatoes (optional)

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. In a large bowl, combine carrot, potato, parsnip or turnip, and onion. Add oil and balsamic vinegar; toss to lightly coat. Spread in a 9x9x2-inch baking pan; cover with foil. Roast for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degree F. 2. Meanwhile, gently separate the skin from the hen breast and tops of drumsticks by easing a paring knife or your fingers between the skin and the meat to make 2 pockets that extend all the way down to the neck cavity and over the drumsticks. In a small bowl, combine garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the fresh rosemary mixture (1/2 teaspoon if using dried rosemary). Rub remaining rosemary mixture under the skin onto the breast and drumsticks. Using 100 percent-cotton string, tie drumsticks to tail; tie wing tips to body. Sprinkle the reserved rosemary mixture on the skin. Uncover vegetables. Add hen to baking pan. 3. Roast hen and vegetables, uncovered, for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh of the hen registers 180 degree F (the thermometer should not touch the bone), stirring vegetables once or twice. Remove string. Cover with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 4. If desired, garnish with fresh rosemary or sage leaves and tomatoes. To serve hen, use kitchen shears or a long heavy knife to carefully cut hen in half lengthwise. Remove skin and discard. Serve with vegetables. Makes 2 servings.

Appetizer

Bacon and Ricotta Stuffed Squash Blossoms

MAKES: 9 stuffed blossoms

Ingredients:

. 9 squash blossoms 3. In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, . 4 slices uncured pepper bacon parsley, olive oil, and bacon (once it . 1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta has cooled). This mixture can be made . 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley a day ahead and stored in the fridge. . 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil 4. Fill squash blossoms gently, careful not Directions: to rip the petals. You eat it like a 1. lollipop. Wash squash blossoms and allow them to dry. If they are male, you have to remove Serving Suggestions: the stamen while keeping the flower in tact. Set aside. . You can serve it as an appetizer in individual cordial glasses. 2. Chop up bacon into little squares and . You can also lay it on a plate by itself, spread out on a cast iron pan on medium or as an accompaniment to another heat. Cook until browned and crispy. appetizer or dish. It would be great Remove to paper towel and allow to cool. with a zucchini dish, like a plate of fried zucchini with this stuffed blossom.

Mexico's soups are famous for their freshness and simplicity. This one marries delicate squash blossoms with chiles, queso fresco cheese, and shredded chicken in an enriched chicken broth. Credit: www.saveur.com/

Squash Blossom Soup

Ingredients: Directions:

. 8 cups chicken stock 1. Bring stock and chicken to a boil over . 8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs medium-high heat; reduce heat to . 2 cups crumbled queso fresco cheese medium-low and cook, covered, until . 1 cup cooked rice chicken is cooked through, about 25 . 8 chipotle chiles, finely chopped minutes. . 4 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced 2. Remove chicken and transfer to a . ½ medium white onion, minced bowl to cool; remove and discard . 1 cup roughly torn squash blossoms bones, and finely shred chicken. Set . ½ cup minced cilantro leaves chicken aside, and keep broth hot.

3. To serve, divide chicken, cheese, rice, both chiles, and onion among serving bowls; top with squash blossoms, and then ladle hot broth into bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Credit: www.gourmet.com BY YANGSHUO COOKING SCHOOL, YANGSHUO, CHINA

Tofu and Squash Blossom Dumplings

Makes: 20 dumplings each square diagonally into 4 triangles. Turn a triangle long-side down, point up. Cut a 1/2- Ingredients: inch-wide notch lengthwise out of top of triangle with a paring knife leaving a trough for . 5 oz ground pork filling. Fill with about 1 teaspoon of stuffing, . 1 scallion, all parts minced flattening edges flush with tofu. Stuff remaining . 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 15 large triangles of tofu in same manner and . 1/4 salt arrange in basket of a steamer. . 1 cake fresh firm tofu (1 to 1½’ thick) 3. Break or cut off stem (reserve) and side barbs . fresh squash blossoms around base of each squash blossom and . ACCOMPANIMENT soy sauce remove stamen. Fill each flower with 1/4 of remaining filling, then fold tops of petals over Directions: filling and pierce with a piece of reserved stem or a toothpick to secure. Add to steamer 1. Stir together pork, scallion, basket. oyster sauce and salt in a small bowl. 4. Bring water to a boil in bottom of steamer and steam dumplings until filling is cooked through, 2. Quarter tofu through center to 10 to15 minutes. Serve with soy sauce for make 4 squares, then quarter dipping.

Light and delicate, these fried squash blossoms are an unforgettable treat. Credit: Tartelette Blog

Crispy Fried Squash Blossoms

and whisk until smooth. Serves: 6 2. Heat canola oil in a medium deep pan Ingredients: until it reaches 375F.

. 1/3 cup millet flour 3. Dip the blossoms in the batter and fry . 1/3 cup flour superfine rice flour 2 or 3 blossoms at a time in the hot . salt and pepper to taste oil. Do not overcrowd them or it drops . 1 egg white the oil temperature down which . 3/4 cup beer or club soda makes them cook longer, soak in . 12 to 16 squash blossoms, washed more oil and get soggy. and patted dry . canola oil for frying 4. Heat at once!

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, salt and pepper. Add the egg white and beer (or club soda)

Cheese-Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Shaved Baby

Squash and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds For squash blossoms . 3 cups small cherry tomatoes (1 lb; preferably Sungold), halved Stir together goat cheese, cream, pumpkin seeds, basil, salt, and pepper lengthwise in a bowl and fold in half of oven-dried tomatoes. . 2 teaspoons olive oil . 3 oz mild fresh goat cheese (6 tablespoons) at room temperature Spoon 1 rounded tablespoon of this filling into each blossom and twist . 1 tablespoon heavy cream ends of petals gently to close. Chill, covered, until ready to fry. . 2 tablespoons chopped green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, toasted until they puff Prepare vinaigrette and shaved squash: . 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (preferably Thai) Purée vinegar, shallot, oil, pepper, and salt in a blender until smooth and . 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt emulsified. . 1/8 teaspoon black pepper . 12 male squash blossoms with stems (not with baby zucchini), stems Slice squash paper-thin (lengthwise) using slicer, then overlap squash trimmed to 1 inch slices decoratively on 4 plates to cover surface.

For vinaigrette and shaved squash Make tempura batter and fry blossoms: . 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (not seasoned) Heat 2 inches of oil in a 3-quart saucepan to 350°F on thermometer. . 1 tablespoon minced shallot . 2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil Set a bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, then whisk together flour . 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and salt in smaller bowl. Then whisk in sparkling water until combined . 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt well. . 1 lb assorted baby summer squash, stems discarded Working in batches of 3, coat blossoms in batter, lifting each out by its For tempura batter and frying stem and letting excess drip off, then fry, turning, until batter is crisp (it . 6 cups vegetable oil (preferably canola or grapeseed) will not brown), 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer blossoms as fried with a . 1 cup all-purpose flour slotted spoon to paper towels, drain, then season with salt. . 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt . 1 cup chilled sparkling water Assemble plates: Drizzle vinaigrette over squash slices, then For topping arrange 3 fried blossoms in middle of . 2 tablespoons green (hulled) pumpkin seeds, toasted until they puff each plate. Sprinkle remaining oven- . 1/3 cup small basil leaves (preferably Thai) or sliced larger leaves dried tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and basil around blossoms and season Special equipment: a mandoline or similar manual slicer such as a with salt and pepper. Japanese (Benriner); a deep-fat thermometer Gourmet Stuff squash blossoms: by Chef Odessa Piper Preheat oven to 250°F.

Toss tomatoes with oil and arrange, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan. Bake in middle of oven until slightly shriveled but not completely dried or browned, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer pan to a rack to cool.

Squash blossoms, like a breath of summer, Storing are delicate and short-lived. Their flavor is like that of a flower but one with tiny hints of mushroom and squash flavors. Once you buy them, place the stems in a glass of cold water, cover them with a wet paper towel and refrigerate them. Try to use them within a few hours, but they will keep overnight if properly stored.

In general, blossoms are picked up during Preparing morning hours when they are fresh and soft. To prepare, open up blossoms and carefully inspect for insects. Pull off any calyces attached firmly at the base. The yellow flower of zucchinis and other types of squash is a delicious option for eating plain and raw in salads, fried, steamed or sautéed. You can also stuff squash blossoms with cheese or rice.

Benefits These flowers have a sweet, nutty flavor but not much in the way of nutritional value: one cup of squash blossoms has 5 calories, 1 g of carbohydrates and less than 1 g of protein.