Salsa de Tomatillo

These happy little tomatillos appeared in our CSA basket this week. I had no idea what to do with them, so I started searching around the internet and immediately came up with a bunch of great recipes for tomatillo salsa.

What a perfect way to get to know these little guys! Their slightly sweet and tangy flavor is perfectly displayed in this fresh and zesty salsa. Perfect as a snack with chips, or get more creative and use it as a sauce for grilled chicken or fish. Or make a meal of it with Green Chicken Chilaquiles!

Salsa de Tomatillo
from AllRecipes.com

10 tomatillos, husked and rinsed with cool water
1 small onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon jalapeno pepper, chopped (seeds removed if you're wimpy like me)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatillos in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Simmer until tomatillos soften and begin to burst, about 10 minutes.

Drain tomatillos and allow to cool. Place in a food processor or blender with onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, salt and pepper. Blend to desired consistency.

Kale Chips (?)

I started bookmarking recipes using kale about a year ago now. We get tons of it in our weekly CSA baskets, so I wanted to be prepared for this season. Lucky me, kale has grown very popular over the past year or so and is touted as one of the healthiest foods you can eat these days! So it was easier to find some great recipes out there using kale than it had been in the past.

Well, it's a good thing I had done my recipe research because what was in our very first basket of the season but a huge bunch of kale! With my new arsenal of recipes (other than just stewing it with other greens), I went to work.

I have to be honest, when I saw this recipe for the first time, I had my doubts. Kale Chips (?) - seemed a little odd to me. But I decided to give it a try.

Well, the recipe did not disappoint in the least! These were delicious! What do they taste like? They were reminiscent of some really pungent salt and vinegar chips. Nice and crispy with that satisfying crunch, and it really delivers that punch of salt and the tang of sour flavor. The mildly bitter flavor of the greens really brings it all together. The hubs and I both loved these - definitely a great way to satisfy that craving for chips without breaking your diet.

Kale Chips
from Becca of Woman with a Whisk

10-12 kale leaves, washed and dried
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Chop your kale leaves into 1-inch pieces, discarding the stems. Combine vinegar, oil, and seasonings in a medium bowl, Add the kale pieces, tossing until completely coated. Arrange the kale on a large baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the kale is crispy and slightly golden.

Our Community Supported Agriculture "CSA" Farm

This is an exciting week in the Vintage Victuals kitchen - it's the first week that we got a basket of produce from our Community Supported Agriculture ("CSA") farm.

Maybe you've heard about the CSA movement, maybe you haven't. Either way, here's the skinny. A CSA farm operates a lot like a corporation. In the fall, you pay upfront to buy a "share." The farm uses the money to buy seeds and equipment for the following growing season, and then shareholders reap the dividends throughout the summer as the farm harvests each phase of produce. At our farm, a share gets you one huge basket of produce that you can pick up once a week. Starting around Mother's Day every year, we start picking up weekly baskets from our farm, packed with fresh veggies, greens, herbs, and fruits.

CSAs are considered part of the "green" movement for many reasons. First, many CSA farms are use organic farming methods. What's more, buying locally-grown produce helps the environment because it reduces the amount of pollution that results from shipping food over long distances. Finally, CSAs provide fresher, less-processed food resulting in better nutrition for our bodies.

Beyond the green, there are lots more reasons to belong to a CSA farm. We love being able to support the farmers in our community. We also enjoy the crazy varieties of vegetables that we get from the farm - lots of obscure veggies and heirloom varieties. They are loads of fun to cook with, and the produce from the farm tastes so much fresher and more flavorful than anything you can find in a grocery store.

Our farm co-op is family operated. Hubby's mom and dad have belonged for years, but this is only our second or third year taking part in the goodness.

So read on to find out more about our baskets and our farm! And get excited because the next several months are going to be full of recipes with great produce!

~ First Basket of the Season ~

Every week, we bring an empty basket to the farm,
and we trade it for a full one, like this.


They always attach a tiny chalk board
listing the contents of the basket for the week.


We also get a dozen farm fresh eggs with the basket.

~ The Barn ~

~ Out in the Gardens ~





Pole Beans


Garlic




Kale


Broccoli




Cauliflower


Okra




Bunches and bunches of beautiful greens!


~ In the Shade of the Fruit Trees ~
Not just veggies - we get some fruit through the summer, too!

Peaches


Pears


Raspberries

~ The Chicken Coop ~
The basket also comes with farm fresh eggs.
We save our egg cartons throughout the rest of the year
and bring them to the farm to be re-used.

And what's a farm without a faithful hound to guard the chicken coop? Here is Copper, the beagle, who has a little house next to the coop. And, yes, he is named after the dog in the movie The Fox and the Hound.

~ Back Toward the Flower Beds ~
No basket is complete without a small bouquet of fresh-picked flowers.
They have beds and beds packed with gorgeous blooms.

Bachelor Button


Pink Iris




Johnny Jump-Ups

For more info on CSA farms or to find a farm co-op in your area, this website is a great resource.