The 4th Annual Green Brooklyn…Green City Conference, coordinated by the Center for the Urban Environment, is New York City’s largest showcase of green and sustainability issues, programs, and products. A full day fair and symposium, Green Brooklyn…Green City brings together the community, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to share ideas with the public about how to live greener in our everyday lives.

Thursday, September 18, 2008, 11:30am - 5:00pm
Brooklyn Borough Hall
Free and Open to the Public

Green Brooklyn…Green City 2008 will feature workshops and discussions led by several of the city’s preeminent leaders in sustainable design, green manufacturing, transportation alternatives, energy efficiency, environmental education, and sustainable food.

A friend of mine recommended this recipe for grilled corn salsa. Since we got corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and cilantro from the farm this week, I think now is the time to try it out!

4 ears corn, in their husks
2 jalapeno peppers
2 vine-ripened, tomatoes, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Soak the ears of corn (in their husks) in a deep bowl filled with cold water for 1 hour, placing a plate or other heavy waterproof item on top of the corn to keep the ears submerged. Preheat a grill to medium. Lay the corn on the grill and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, turning frequently, until the outer leaves are blackened. Grill the jalapenos for 5 to 6 minutes, turning periodically. Remove the corn and jalapenos from the grill and set aside to cool. Once the corn is cool, remove the husks and silk and discard. Cut the kernels off of the cobs and place in a large bowl. Stem, seed and finely chop the jalapenos and add to the bowl with the corn, along with the tomatoes, red onions, garlic, cilantro, mint, lime juice, olive oil and salt. Stir well to combine.

From a fellow CSA member, Jonny Sender:
I’ve been meaning to pass along this NY Times plum torte recipe. It also works very well with other fruit, apples and cranberries, peaches etc. I’ve added additional spices when making it with apples, crushed cardamom seeds (out of the pod), clove, nutmeg. It’s one of the easiest and quickest cakes to make with a food processor.

Jonny Sender

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Recipe: Original Plum Torte

Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
24 halves pitted purple plums
Sugar and cinnamon for topping.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream sugar and butter in a bowl. Add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs, and beat well.

3. Spoon the batter into a spring form of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, or to taste.

4. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired (but first, double-wrap the tortes in foil, place in a plastic bag, and seal). Or cool to lukewarm, and serve.

5. To serve a torte that has been frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.

Yield: 8 servings.

Our second annual PLG CSA farm trip is coming up soon!

Where and When
Date: Saturday September 27th
Leave PLG: 10 am
Arrive at Farm in Salem, CT: 12:30 pm
Return to PLG: TBD (probably around 7 pm)

Activities
We will be going on a walking tour of the farm. Please be prepared for tall grass and muddy areas. In case of a forecast of rain, please also bring rain gear. If you are a photographer, please bring you camera!

Food
The farm will be preparing hamburgers and hot dogs (meat and veggie versions) for us at a small cost. Please also plan to bring a potluck dish to share. We will also need to bring hot dog and hamburger buns, condiments, beverages, and plates and napkins. We expect about 40 people.

You will also be able to purchase pork and beef while at the farm. Please visit woodbridgefarmonline.com for prices.

This is a great opportunity to meet the farmers, get a feel for how a biodynamic farm operates, and see where all of our beautiful food comes from!

If you plan to attend, please email Dara with the following information:

- Your full name and if you will be bringing someone along.
- Do you have a car? If so how many seats are free?
- If you do not have a car how many seats do you need?
- What food item do you intend to bring for the picnic?

We had a cooking demo with Kate Strassman of Kate’s Renegade Aboveground Kitchen (KRAK). Kate showed us how to make her excellently tasty and flavorful Coconut Corn Soup and her all-purpose quick and easy dressing. Recipes are below.

The Coconut Corn Chowder was quick and easy and had complex flavors of ginger, chili, garlic, coconut and vegetables. This soup is also vegan. The soup base, as Kate mentioned, makes a good base for any kind of soup you want to make b/c you can really add whatever vegetables you have on hand. Kate prefers the heaviest coconut milk you can find and I would agree, that the fattier, the creamier! The finishing touch is a good dose of minced cilantro.

Kate’s Dressing, equally simple yet complex in flavor, can be used as an alternative to butter or olive oil on steamed vegetables or salad. We also thought it would taste great with pasta or any starch if you are looking for a good quick meal. The Bragg’s is like soy sauce (salty and vinegary) but is a little thinner and has good amino acids in it. Nutritional yeast, similar to brewers yeast is full of B vitamins and has a nutty, cheesy flavor. So, the dressing is good for you!

One interesting nutritional note that Kate pointed out about oils is that not all oils are created equal. Oils that are processed correctly will not seem “oily.” For example, she pointed out that if you were washing out a bottle that had high quality refined oil in it, you would not need a lot of soap. She also pointed out that you should not use olive oil for high temperature frying/sautes. Not only is it a low temperature oil (it will smoke and burn at high temps), it can also be carcinogenic!

On a sad note, Kate is leaving us in PLG and Brooklyn at the end of October. Fortunately for her, she will be going to India at the end of the year to teach English! No doubt she will be eating and cooking (and teaching) her way through the country! Best of luck to you Kate! I feel fortunate to have been able to get to know you a little!!!!

THANKS KATE!

============= Coconut Corn Chowder =============
base:
1 can fatty coconut milk (no light stuff!)
3 tablespoons canola, peanut, or coconut oil (not olive oil! it’s just not right for this recipe!)
2 onions
5 cloves garlic
1-2 inches grated ginger
2 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
2-3 tsp salt
cilantro

optional, but yummy:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp smoked paprika
12 curry leaves

veggies!
3-4 ears of corn* (a must)

plus optional combos of these:
1-2 small zucchini
1 bell pepper of sorts
tomatoes are yummy
scallions or red onions
slivered collards, chard, kale

Coarsely chop your onions, garlic, and ginger.

Heat oil in the bottom of your medium sized soup pot, and add cumin, mustard, and chili flakes. Sauté until the seeds start to sputter and change color. (medium high heat) Add ginger, garlic, curry leaves and onions– Sauté until onions are translucent.

Pour in the coconut milk, plus 2 - 3 more cans of water. Add salt, turmeric, smoked or regular paprika. If you are cooking with collards or zucchini (half-inch cubes), add them at this point since they take a little longer to cook. Also, if you want to make this extra hearty, you could add a can of rinsed and strained chick peas at this point in time. Stir and cover, (medium heat), let broth bubble and infuse itself with yumminess for about 8 minutes.
While this is happening, shuck your corn, and with a sharp knife carefully sliver off the corn kernels from the  cob into a bowl. Mince your pepper into little cubes, tomatoes, onions, and chard or kale. Add all the veggies into the bubbling pot. And stir for just a minute, then turn off burner and remove from heat. This is what makes this soup delicious– crunchy, still tender vegetables. Do not overcook! Mince your cilantro, stir in it in, and Enjoy!

============= Kate’s Dressing =============
Do not cook with this. Simply dress steamed vegetables, tofu, or salads:

Find a clean jar or bottle.
Fill it 1/3 way with flax oil
Fill it 1/3 more with Bragg’s liquid aminos
Then 1/4 more with apple cider vinegar
Add 3 minced garlic cloves
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons black pepper

shake! keep in fridge.

This week we’re expecting the following veggies from Woodbridge Farm:

1 - Carrots
2 - Celery
3 - Garlic
4 - Basil
5 - Choice of other herbs
6 - Salad Greens
7 - Zucchini and/or Cucumbers
8 - Tomatoes
9 - Kale
10 - Beans
11 - Peppers or Eggplants
12 - Hot peppers

====================
COOKING DEMONSTRATION WITH KATE STRASSMAN
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
6:30 p.m.
MAPLE STREET SCHOOL
====================

START THE FALL THE RIGHT WAY BY
LEARNING SOMETHING NEW!

Schedule your share pick-up around this this excellent cooking demonstration with Kate Strassman, fellow CSAer and Chef Extraordinaire.

Learn new ways to cook with your CSA shares! Chef Kate will teach us how to make a vegan Coconut Corn Chowder and her favorite dressing for salads and veggies. We’ll sample these fabulous recipes and printouts will be provided for you to take home and try it for yourself. We’ll also post the recipes on this site after the event.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
About Kate Strassman:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Kate Strassman is the founder and chef of Kate’s Renegade Aboveground Kitchen (K.R.A.K.), a successful experiment in vegetarian fine dining. K.R.A.K. operates like a speakeasy, but in the end it is just a dinner party where Alice Waters meets Alice in Wonderland. Check out her website (complete with beautiful food photographs) at http://chezkate.com.

Kate has spent time volunteering in public schools here in Flatbush and Crown Heights, working on photography and writing projects with students. This winter she is moving to South India to teach English. Kate is part of the Lincoln Road community garden, where she has learned all sorts of farming skills from her Jamaican and Guyanese neighbors.

See you there!

Member tip: pickle workshop and festival on Sept 14th . Thanks Gabby!

Throughout history, on every continent, humans have been pickling as a way to preserve food in times of plenty and to ensure proper nourishment long after harvests have been exhausted. Today, refrigeration and a global food system have made pickling all but disappear from our kitchens and memory. Luckily we are slowly coming back to our senses — literally. Fresh, seasonal food is back in vogue and so is preserving it! This workshop covers the basics of the art of pickling and shows you just how simple it is to transform any vegetable into a mouth-watering delicacy.

The workshop will be conducted by food and media educator Martha Ma. Martha is Founder and Executive Director of Nani Ola Productions, which uses multimedia to promote local and sustainable agriculture, clean healthy eating, environmentally and socially conscious lifestyle, media awareness and active citizenship. Martha is also a Certified Holistic Health Counselor, and a Community Chef with Just Food.

Martha will discuss the history of pickling, explain basic fermentation and how it works, and address the health benefits of fermented foods. Then she will demonstrate four different pickle recipes and techniques, including sauerkraut, kimchee and miso pickles, and a vinegar-based pickle using produce from the farmer’s market. Light refreshments will be served and samples of Martha’s pickles will be available.

After Martha’s presentation, the program hosts will lead the group to the Eighth Annual NY International Pickle Day on Orchard Street between Grand and Broome Streets in Manhattan’s old Pickle District.

Here are the workshop details…

THE PLEASURES OF PICKLING
Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008 from 12 - 3 pm
Cost: $25 Members, $30 nonmembers; limited to 20
Location: Culinary Center at the Whole Foods Bowery, 95 East Houston

I just love this recipe for Tzatziki from The Joy of Cooking. It’s a cucumber and yogurt salad that can be used as a dip or spread, or even eaten with a spoon. I’ve left out the step of draining the yogurt and instead specified that you use Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is much richer and creamier than regular yogurt because it has already been strained of excess whey. I’m convinced the garlic mashing step is key to the amazingly tasty and refreshing dip that this makes.

Tzatziki (4-6 servings)

• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• salt
• 2-3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil

Toss the diced cucumber together with 1 Tsp of salt in a colander. Let it stand and drain for 30 min, then press the excess water out, quickly rinse, and blot dry.

Meanwhile, chop the garlic, then mash it together with 2-3 pinches of salt using the flat of your knife against the cutting board, until a paste is formed.

Combine the cucumber, yogurt, garlic mash, herbs, and vinegar in a bowl, adding salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the top with 1 Tblsp olive oil.

Serve with pita bread, fried zucchini, an indian curry, fried green tomatoes, cucumber sticks, or salmon.

There’s a fascinating profile on our fruit farmer in NY Magazine. I’ve never met Amy Hepworth, but I’d love too… she sounds like quite a character! In addition to describing how Amy and her partner took over the farm after her father left, the article also gives a great example of Hepworth’s techniques for “minimal treatment”, which I know has been a common question from many of our members.

Surprisingly, not everything that comes from her farm is organic. Her reservations about the “organic” label are not just semantic—many nonconformist farmers think the word has lost its alternative resonance—but scientific. She does not take an absolutist’s position on chemicals, for instance, arguing that today’s “gentle” synthetics are unlike pesticides of the DDT days, when growers sprayed willy-nilly any “shit that worked.” Hepworth chooses how to grow based on what’s best for the soil. In many instances, the best option is organic, but in others, it’s not. In her view, it’s sometimes better to use a small amount of something synthetic than a huge amount of something natural.

Consider a disease called apple scab. “One organic control is five pounds of sulfur per acre every time it rains,” Hepworth explains. “Twelve to sixteen times a year.” Sulfur kills other things, not just apple scab. It can also coat apples with residue, and, when she was using it, Hepworth suspected that it harmed her earthworm population. She switched to a synthetic, noncarcinogenic fungicide that treats apple scab specifically. “It does the job in small amounts,” she says. “Six ounces per acre. I used it three or four times last year.”

Click here to read the full article!