Fishkill Farms CSA

The social media hub for your local CSA. Recipes will be mostly vegetarian and vegan. Contact us at [email protected]

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EASILY THE LEAST HELPFUL RECIPE EVER - TOMATO SAUCE EDITION

Jarred sauces sometimes have a lot of sugar or just aren’t impressive enough for your mother-in-law, so try making your own sauce. What I love about this recipe is that it can easily be frozen and thawed as you need it, so feel free to make a bunch at once and pull it out whenever the situation calls for it.

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

Tomatoes (Like, 5 or 6? I don’t know, you figure it out)

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:

Onions, finely diced (I used the Tropea Onions from this week’s CSA)

Garlic

Parmesan cheese (or leave it out and be nice to the vegans in your life)

Basil

Thyme

Bay leaves

Red wine

Parsley

Oregano

Whatever else you think will taste good

THE MAKING PART:

Chop the tomatoes and put them in a food processor.

Process until it feels right

Set over very low heat and add the other stuff.

Just let it cook for a few hours and stir it every once in a while

That’s literally it. If it doesn’t taste good, it’s probably your fault, so no whining. 

Post pictures of your sauce on social media (don’t forget LinkedIn!) with #FishkillFarms and #FishkillFarmsCSA and (depending on your results) #IMessedUp or #IDidntMessUp

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BLUEBERRIES AND ZUCCHINI: A PAIR OF STAR CROSSED LOVERS THAT RESULT IN SOME AWESOME (AND STRESSFUL) BREAD

This zucchini and blueberry bread recipe is delicious and I love that it makes 4 mini loaves instead of big loaves (mini loaves -- bread babies can hold!). That being said, this was easily one of the most stressful baking experiences I’ve ever had, so for once I recommend not following the italics.

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup of vegetable oil

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups white sugar (Or you could use 7/8 of a cup of sugar and a cup of maple syrup if you want an adventure)

2 cups of shredded zucchini

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 pint fresh blueberries

THE MAKING PART:

Preheat oven to 350*F and lightly grease the mini-loaf pans

Decide to be a competent blogger for once and time how long this is going to take you

Beat the eggs together in a bowl

Realize you have nowhere near enough oil. Sigh, pause the timer and go to the nearest store. Get home and resume timer

Add the oil and vanilla to the bowl with the eggs

Realize you don’t have enough sugar. Pause the timer. Resist the urge to scream and call your mom instead. Follow her advice and replace the missing sugar with maple syrup but neglect to reduce the other liquids

Grate the zucchini and try to get as much of the liquid out as possible (Try just wrapping it in a paper towel and squeezing because you’re stressing about the consistency of your batter)

Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon (Or, attempt to add the cinnamon but realize the teaspoon measuring spoon is too big, so use 6 half-teaspoons instead of 3 teaspoons or even 1 tablespoon. Finish measuring and immediately realize that you have a wider mouthed cinnamon jar. Scream.)

Worry about the consistency of the batter to the point that you call your uncle and ask him how to fix this train wreck. Realize you never restarted the timer.

Get confirmation that the batter should be the consistency of thick, kinda lumpy cake batter (appetizing, right?) and fold in the blueberries.

Spoon all the batter evenly across the 4 pans and bake for 50 minutes or until a knife comes blah blah blah you know that already. Cool for 20 minutes in the pans and then pop them out to let them cool entirely.

Moodily eat your creation and try to focus on how tasty it is, not how messy your kitchen is

Upload pictures of your baby loaves to the world wide web and remember #FishkillFarms and #FishkillFarmsCSA and #MoodyBaker

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Want to know how this story ends? Me too.

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Hi Everyone!

In case you didn’t know, we also have an Instagram account, so if you’re on Instagram, follow us to see some food pictures mixed in with your cat pictures @FishkillFarmsCSA 

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GARLIC AND CHIVE BREAD THAT WILL HELP YOU TOTALLY WIN THIS MONTH’S POTLUCK

This garlic bread doesn’t get as ooey-gooey as most recipes, but that’s because it has way more going on than butter and some garlic powder. So bring it to your next potluck and prove to the other moms that just because those cupcakes were store bought, doesn’t mean you’re completely incompetent.

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

Roughly 1 pound (16oz) of bread (I prefer long, thin baguettes, but do what feels right)

1/4 cup of butter, softened

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced chives

1-2 minced cloves of garlic

2-3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

THE MAKING PART:

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Answer that woman’s text and let her know that, no you don’t need her to bring an extra dish to cover you

Mix the butter, chives, garlic, basil and Parmesan together in a bowl and pile it onto pieces of the bread.* (I slice the baguette in half lengthwise)

Bake for 15-20 minutes

Post about your victory on Tumblr and Instagram with #FishkillFarms and #FishkillFarmsCSA and #THISIsntStoreBought

SOME NOTES

A way to make this even tastier is to top pieces of the bread with tomato and mozzarella and a little olive oil. 

*Like, really pile it on. Keep in mind that you probably aren’t looking to get a goodnight kiss from any of these people

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FENNEL RISOTTO THAT IS WAY LESS SCARY THAN EITHER OF THE FIRST TWO WORDS WOULD IMPLY

I somehow got it in my head that risotto is a really complicated and challenging dish. Combined with the fact that I had never seen a fennel bulb before this week, the fact that I chose this recipe makes me a glutton for punishment. That said, this recipe was ridiculously easy. As in, “I just put stuff in a pot” easy. It did take about an hour, but that gives you time to go make friends as this recipe serves 3.

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

2 bulbs of fennel

1-1/2 teaspoons of butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 cup of uncooked rice (I used brown rice, but choose any kind that you and your new friends agree on)

3-1/2 cups of vegetable broth

1/2 cup of heavy cream (for a slightly healthier version, try using half and half or maybe whole milk)

3-4 tablespoons grated Parmesan  

1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley

the self confidence to know you can make risotto

THE MAKING PART:

Cut the base and finger-looking parts off the fennel bulb. Then cut the bulb right down the middle, which should reveal a cone-shaped core. Cut that out with a pairing knife and then finely chop the rest of the fennel.

In a stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion and fennel. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the rice and cook for another 2 minutes. See how easy that was? You’re going to have so much fun with this.

Add 1 cup of the vegetable broth and mix frequently until the broth is mostly absorbed. Repeat until all the broth has been added and absorbed.*

Stir in cream, cheese and parsley and cook until the rice is the chewiness you and your new friends want. Keep in mind, compromise in important.

Serve and toast to tackling new recipes

Post to the world wide web about it using #FishkillFarms and #FishkillFarmsCSA and #RisottoIsntThatScary

SOME NOTES:

If fennel isn’t your thing, I still think this recipe is a good foundation. You can substitute the fennel for something else, like shrimp or mushrooms. Experiment, guys!

*At this point, it’s really tempting to turn the heat up, but don’t. Higher heat means the broth will evaporate, not be absorbed, so be patient. Maybe play a rousing game of pictionary with your buddies.

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PLUM VINAIGRETTE

Trying to hate salad less? Join the club. Here’s a tastey way to use your plums and your leafy greens from this week’s CSA, brought to you by the cool people at Bon Appétit.

THE INGREDIENTS PARTS:

2-3 plums, halved and pitted*

1/2 cup olive oil

4 teaspoons plum or red wine vinegar (This really depends on what sort of flavor you want, so feel free to experiment with different vinegars. I used a citrus one, but I also want to try this with a maple balsamic. But seriously guys, get creative. Be an individual. Add your own flavor to life.)

2 tablespoons water

Salt and pepper to taste

THE MAKING PART:

Put the plums in a small sauce pan with 3/4 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil, then allow it to simmer for 15ish minutes. Make sure to sort of mash the plums with a back of a spoon, but don’t expect them to complete dissolve. I mean, they’re plums, not salt tablets.

Pour the plum water through a strainer and into a bowl. Mush the plums a little more to get as much liquid as possible out of those suckers. Set the liquid aside to cool.**

In another bowl, mix the olive oil, special snowflake vinegar and water into a bowl and whisk. Add the plum juice and whisk again.

Whisk until oil and water move past their differences and finally, truly mix. 

Pour your creation over some now better tasting leafy greens, take a perky picture of it. Bonus points if the slice of chocolate cake you’ll invariably eat is in the background.

When posting your greens and cake to Tumblr and Instagram, remember to use #FishkillFarms and #FishkillFarmsCSA and #VerySpecialVinegar

* You can use more or fewer plums depending on how strong you want the plum taste. I’m not sure how it will influence the consistency though, so keep that in mind

** If you’re like me and have the patience of a toddler, put the bowl in the fridge to make it cool off faster

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SECRET FAMILY PESTO RECIPE SO DON’T TELL ANYONE OR IT WON’T BE A SECRET ANYMORE

I grew up with my mom growing basil in potted plants on our back porch. When we wanted to have pesto with dinner, I got to pick the leaves off the plant and give them to my mom. Except, I was a five-year-old, so my picking process was more like yanking the leaves off a poor plant and proudly handing my mom a fistful of crushed leaves.

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

functioning food processor

4 cups of basil, chopped and packed

1/2 cup - 3/4 cup of olive oil (Start with 1/2 a cup and then add more if you want a different taste or consistency)

4 cloves of garlic (I used CSA garlic scapes, but I’m not sure how much I used. Start with a few spears, finely chopped and add more taste)

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

THE MAKING PART:

Accept the pulverized basil leaves from your toddler and try to not think about how clean your kitchen would be if you never had children

Wash, dry and chop the basil and put it in the food processor

Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until very fine. Feel free to tinker with the amounts of the various ingredients until you have the taste and texture you want.

Try not to think of the bottle of wine that would go great with this meal but you couldn’t afford because you have kids

Post pictures of your photogenic phood to Instagram and Tumblr, using the #FishkillFarmsCSA and #FishkillFarms and #IReallyDoLoveMyChildren

JUST SOME FUN NOTES

I think pesto goes great with angel hair pasta or tortellinis. For a thicker sauce, try mixing it into some alfredo sauce. You could also use it as a spread for a sandwich or mixed into scrambled eggs.

Any extra pesto can be frozen in an ice cube tray and simply thawed the next time you want to use it.

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BOOBERRY MUFFINS

I found this recipe on All Recipes but you’re reading it here because my color commentary is funny. Also, these muffins are so good they helped me make peace with the spirits that had been haunting my house. Also, this recipe makes 16, so you can exorcise the whole neighborhood.

THE INGREDIENTS PART

For the muffins:

3 cups of flour

1.5 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of baking powder

2/3 cup of vegetable oil

2 eggs

milk

2 cups of fresh booberries (this is where the ghosts get involved)

For the crumb mix:

1 cup white sugar

2/3 cup of spirit-friendly flour

1/2 cup of butter, cubed and brought to room temperature

1 tablespoon of cinnamon (I love cinnamon, so I used a little more than that)

THE MAKING PART

The batter:

Preheat your oven to 400*F. Grease muffin tin or finally use those Halloween themed liners that you always knew would come in handy

Combine 3 cups flour, 1.5 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. 

Place vegetable oil into a 2 cup measuring cup; add the eggs and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. 

Fill muffin cups right to the top and swear to yourself those muffin trays are exactly where you left them

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together remaining sugar, flour, butter* and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork or a pastry cutter, and sprinkle (generously) over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes

Prove that you ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts on Tumblr and Instagram, using #FishkillFarmsCSA and #FishkillFarms and #BooberryMuffinsIsTheFunniestJokeEver

*Don’t cream the butter before you mix the dry ingredients in because it makes it clump** weird

** I need a more palatable word than “clump” 

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SERIOUSLY YUMMY SMOOTHIE THAT’S ALSO PRETTY HEALTHY SO LOTS OF PEOPLE WIN HERE

I stumbled upon a version of this recipe but wasn’t a huge fan and ended up doing a whole lot of tinkering. Enough tinkering that I am calling this my own recipe.

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries* (I’ve found the consistency and temperature of the smoothie is best if one or both of the above berries are frozen)

5-6 strawberries, cut up

handful of spinach

handful of kale, torn up**

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 single serving container of Greek yogurt***

Sugar in the Raw to taste***

THE MAKING PART:

Wash your produce because dirt

Put the berries, leafy greens and coconut milk in the blender and puree until the consistency is what you want from life****

Add the yogurt and Sugar in the Raw

Brag about your blending skills on social media using #FishkillFarmsCSA and #FishkillFarms and also #BlenderMaster

Call your mom: she’d love to hear from you

* Ever wonder what raspberries are rasping about? I do. All the time.

** Tear it up like you and your college buddies did in Atlantic City that one long weekend in ‘86

*** You can either use plain yogurt and then add as much or as little sugar as you please or use flavored yogurt and skip the Sugar in the Raw

**** Follow your dreams

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CHERRY SLUSHY

I found this recipe from the awesome nutrition people at Runner’s World. I haven’t tried drinking this before a run like they suggest, but it’s perfect for a post-run pick-me-up or just sitting poolside. Basically, if it’s a hot day, make this. Also, it’s vegan, so it’s perfect for anyone* who comes to your get together. 

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

2 cups of ice

1 cup pitted cherries (preferably tart)

1 cup seltzer or flat water (I used lime flavored seltzer for some added flavor)

2 tablespoons finely chopped mint (You can use fresh mint, but Fishkill Farms sells dried mint. Just use 2 teaspoons instead. I’m a big fan of peppermint.)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

THE MAKING PART

This serves 2, so the first step is make a friend

Pulse the ice until pebble sized** and then set it aside

Put the cherries, mint, and lemon juice into the blender and add the ice back on top to make sure the cherries and mint are blended properly and the ice doesn’t get more finely crushed

When the mixture is the consistency you want, add the seltzer (putting the seltzer in after blending helps keep the fizziness that really adds to this drink) and serve preferably in a chic mason jar

Instagram and tumble your yummy creation and cute glassware, remembering to tag FishkillFarmsCSA and use #FishkillFarmsCSA and #TrendyGlassware

A QUICK NOTE

I’m not 21, so I haven’t tested this myself, but for a grown up version of this drink, try adding some summery alcohol. Let me know how you make out and email me at [email protected]

* Disclaimer: Don’t serve this to someone who is allergic to the ingredients or blenders

** Or put the ice in a ziplock bag and crush it with a food hammer. I guess it depends on what kind of day you’ve had.

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KOHLRABI AND CARROT FRITTERS WITH AVOCADO CREAM SAUCE

I got this recipe from the lovely people at A Couple of Cooks but made a few adjustments to the fritter recipe (my comments are in italics). I think these fritters are delicious and make a great side dish, but aren’t quite filling enough to be the main course.

THE INGREDIENTS PART:

2 kohlrabi

1 carrot

1 egg

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne I used ancho chili powder

some garlic scapes, finely chopped (or garlic or garlic powder if garlic scapes weren’t in your CSA share this week :D)

onion powder

½ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil (enough for ¼-inch depth in a large skillet)

½ avocado

¼ cup Greek plain yogurt

tablespoon of lemon juice

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

THE MAKING PART:

Cut the leaves off the kohlrabi and peel the bulb. Peel 1 carrot. Shred the vegetable using a grater. Squeeze the shredded vegetables in a tea cloth (or with your hands) to remove moisture (I tried putting the kohlrabi in a strainer and pushed down on it with a towel. It took a lot of liquid out)* then add to a medium bowl with 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne/ ancho chill powder, garlic scapes and onion powder**. Mix to combine.

Place ½ cup oil in a large skillet (enough for ¼-inch depth). Heat the oil over medium high heat, then place small patties of the fritter mixture into the oil***. Fry on one side until browned, then fry on the other side. Remove and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain excess oil.

In a small bowl, mix ½ avocado, ¼ cup plain yogurt, tablespoon of lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to make the avocado cream (or blend the ingredients together in a food processor)****.

Serve fritters with avocado cream.

Post pictures of your fritters on social media so everyone is aware of your culinary prowess. Make sure to use to tag FishkillFarmsCSA and remember us in the hashtags (#FishkillFarms and #FishkillFarmsCSA)

Share your food with me maybe?

*Like so much. Like “c’mon, there’s a drought in California” much.

** Make sure you mix all the seasonings in with the egg before adding the vegetables. It helps make the flavor spread more evenly. This may seem obvious but yours truly made that mistake the first time she made these.

*** Do not waste your time making patties. Just scoop the veggie mix into the skillet and flatten it with a spatula and use the time you would have wasted making patties volunteering for a cause you’re passionate about

**** Just whisk it. Build muscle mass pushing a wire whisk through yogurt and ripe avocado