Farm Happenings at Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York
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Farm Happenings for October 1, 2020

Posted on September 25th, 2020 by Bob Baker

Hello Members - Happy Wednesday!  Farm volunteer activity of the week - pulling drip tape out of beds no longer in production - so we can till the soil - turn over the beds and plant winter cover crop.

Summer slowly making her exit as greens become fall's browns and blossoms blazing in color now turning into seed - beginning a process that will bring a stillness to the ground that has been a bundle of activity since Spring!

One of the veggies this week will be a return of bunched carrots with the greens on top - they will be a much younger carrot - than those you received last time in the bags.  

Also returning is the Senposai - a cross between Japanese Mustard Spinach (Komatsuna) and regular cabbage, is sweeter than most mustards and great for a salad, stir-fry or wraps.

Broccoli and the fresh herb - Parsley - also featured in your share this week!

   What to do with the boxes - for many reasons this year - sites are not holding the boxes for us - Options  - if the box does not appear to be in good shape - please just put it in your recycle at home - if it is OK - My suggestion is - you store them at home and when you have a good amount and happen to be heading toward the Food Bank - please drop them off - Monday - Friday - 8 am - 5 pm - Thank You to everyone  continuing to return your boxes each week!

Maybe some apple picking this weekend and enjoy a cider slushie and donut with family and friends

Very best, Bob

 

SENPOSAI, DAIKON, AND CHILI GARLIC CHICKEN WRAPS

 INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb chicken tenderloins
  • ½ C chili sauce
  • ¼ C apricot jam
  • 2 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1 C black forbidden rice
  • 2 C water
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 medium daikon radish
  • 4 medium carrots
  • 4 large senposai leaves
  • ¼ C hot water

Instructions

  1. Plan on assembling the chicken in the crock pot on the morning that you make this recipe. In the crock pot whisk together chili sauce, apricot jam, honey, chili garlic sauce, and corn starch until the ingredients are evenly combined, and there are no corn starch lumps. Stir in and coat the chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours.
  2. About 45 minutes before dinner, combine 1 C of black rice that has been rinsed with 2 C of water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
  3. While the rice is cooking, prep your vegetables by julienning your carrots and daikon. Remove the stem from your senposai leaves.
  4. Once the rice is cooked, stuff the wraps. First stack a layer of carrots and daikon, then black forbidden rice, and finally the chicken from the crockpot.
  5. To roll the wrap, tuck 2 sides of the leaf in towards the filling and then roll the from the ends the way you would a regular wrap. Cut the wrap in half using a sharp knife.
  6. Once the the wraps are assembled, add ¼ C of hot water to the crockpot and whisk it together with the remaining sauce. Evenly divide the sauce into small dishes before serving with the wraps.

Braised Chicken Thighs with Squash and Mustard Greens

Don’t have an acorn squash for this chicken thighs recipe? Use butternut. Not into mustard greens? Use kale, Swiss chard, or spinach or senposai 

Ingredients

    • 4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 12), patted dry
    • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
    • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 8 scallions, white and pale green parts sliced into 1-inch pieces, dark green parts thinly sliced
    • 4 dried chiles de árbol
    • 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
    • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
    • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
    • 1 acorn squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, sliced 1/2-inch thick
    • 1 bunch mustard greens, tough stems removed, leaves torn
    • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
    • Cooked white rice or your favorite type (for serving)

Preparation

    1. Lightly season chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Working in 2 batches and pouring off all but 2 Tbsp. fat between batches, cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is browned and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, placing skin side up (chicken will not be cooked through at this point).
    2. Cook white and pale green parts of scallions, chiles, and ginger in same pot, stirring often, until scallions and ginger are golden, about 3 minutes. Add wine, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced to about 3 Tbsp., 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and 1 cup broth and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Return chicken to pot, placing skin side up and overlapping if needed. Partially cover pot, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 25–30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
    3. Add squash and remaining 1 cup broth to pot and push in squash so it’s mostly submerged. Arrange greens on top. Bring to a simmer, partially cover pot, and cook until squash is barely fork-tender and greens are wilted, 10–12 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and continue to cook until liquid is reduced by about two-thirds and has the consistency of thin gravy, 10–15 minutes.
    4. Remove pot from heat and drizzle vinegar over vegetables. Taste sauce; it should be plenty salty, but season with more salt if needed. Add chicken back to pot, turning to coat in sauce, then scatter dark green parts of scallions

 

 Third time making this delicious recipe. Doubled the recipe this time and cooked in roasting pan in the oven using convection setting at 350. I cut down the soy (I use low sodium tamari ) by 1/3. I did brown chicken in pan on stove and followed directions using pan until step when you cook chicken. Did rest of cooking in roasting pan. I haven't been able to get the sauce to thicken. I even put the roasting pan on the stove burner to try to reduce sauce. Next time I will take out chicken and veggies and reduce sauce. May even add a bit of cornstarch. Thanks for the info about placing chicken under broiler to crisp skin. Will do that next time. Love this recipe. Served with brown rice and a romaine radish carrot salad with a mustard molasses pomegranate dressing. Yummy!

This was really tasty, but needs a few tweaks in the timing. By the time the squash was cooked, the greens were beyond wilted and looked unappetizing. I also popped the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes to recrisp its skin, then spooned the sauce and veg over it. Otherwise the skin, which we spent so much time browning, is a soggy mess. But the sauce is amazing. The family asked that I make this again.

 

Butternut Squash, Coconut, and Ginger Muffins

Ingredients

    • 2 large eggs
    • 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
    • 2/3 cup buttermilk
    • 2 tsp. grated peeled ginger (from one 2" piece)
    • 2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (packed) light brown sugar
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
    • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
    • 1 tsp. kosher salt
    • 2 cups grated (on large holes of box grater) peeled butternut squash (9 oz., from about 1/4 of a large squash)
    • 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
    • 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation

    1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Whisk eggs, butter, buttermilk, ginger, and 2/3 cup brown sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg mixture into dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Mix in squash, coconut, and pecans.
    2. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling to the brim (about 1/2 cup batter per muffin). Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbsp. brown sugar on top.
    3. Bake muffins, rotating pan halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30–32 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely.
  1. Do Ahead
    1. Muffins can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 2 months.

These are fabulous! Admittedly, they are a bit of work because you have to peel and grate butternut squash and ginger. But, with a food processor to grate the squash once it's peeled, it's not so bad. I only made two changes; I toasted the pecans a bit and allowed them to cool before adding them to the batter and I added 1/4 tsp of all spice. Next time I will add 1/2 tsp of all spice. I thought the balance of flavors, the light sweetness & the texture was perfect. I baked them in a non-stick muffin pan sprayed with Baker's Joy, no need for paper cups - they popped right out of the pan.

Great but coconut stayed dry. I might try soaking it next time. I made about 20 regular sized muffins and they were done in about 22 minutes. I used more than two tablespoons brown sugar for topping and I think they needed it.