Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

In my mind, caramel popcorn and Halloween go hand-in-hand. I can remember making popcorn balls with my sister to pass out to trick-or-treaters – back when you could hand out homemade treats and not worry about tainted candy scandals! This version of caramel corn becomes a decadent grown-up treat with the addition of the macadamia nuts, but the core recipe is the same: five pantry ingredients + popcorn + nuts = delicious.

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Caramel Popcorn with Macadamia Nuts

box no. 20 | contents

• Garlic
• Onion
• Brussels Sprouts
• Kohlrabi
• Butternut Squash
• Sweet Dumpling Squash
• Spinach
• Arugula/Totsoi Mix
• Toscano (Dinosaur) Kale
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Beets
  

After 44 boxes and close to two years, I’ve finally made peace with the fact that I don’t like all of the vegetables we receive. That’s okay. There are some things that I look at and think “I have no idea what I’m going to do with this.” In some cases, I view it as a challenge to figure out how to use this particular item. And in other instances, I’ve decided it’s better to give the item to the swap box in exchange for something that I do like and can use.

Such was the case this week with the kohlrabi and lettuce/radish bag. Greens and lettuce are my biggest box challenge and it’s something that I am going to make an effort to address next season. But for now, I think the lettuce and radishes would be better off in another shareholder’s home. As for the kohlrabi, I’m at a loss and I knew that I was going to have a busy week with work, so hopefully someone else has a fantastic recipe for kohlrabi and is happy to have the extra!

Click here to download a pdf of the Angelic Organics Farm News for box no. 20.

German Potato Salad

Traditional potato salads usually make their appearance at summertime picnics and BBQs, but when the air is chilly and temperatures drop, I’m not in the mood for a cold, mayonnaise-based salad. Fall weather calls for a hearty and warm potato salad with a slightly sweet, slightly tangy dressing and plenty of crisp bacon. This is a great side dish to serve with Oven-Grilled Turkey Reuben Sandwiches.

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German Potato Salad

Oven-Grilled Turkey Reuben Sandwich

Whenever I go to a diner, I always order a Reuben sandwich. I love the combination of the sweet Russian dressing with the pickled sauerkraut, cheese and corned beef. But I never tried making them at home until I ran across this Cook’s Illustrated recipe. The original recipe calls for the traditional corned beef, but I used smoked turkey instead to lighten the meal. And, of course, because I don’t like caraway seeds, I skipped the rye bread and went with a hearty wheat.

One of the tricks of this recipe is making a quick “sauerkraut” by simmering cabbage (or bagged coleslaw) with vinegar and sugar. They also replaced the typical sweet dressing with a simple blend of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. By oven-grilling the sandwiches, you can cook them all at once (and without turning them) rather than cooking them in batches on the stovetop.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Oven-Grilled Turkey Reuben Sandwich

box no. 19 | contents

• Onions
• Cabbage
• Delicata Squash
• Acorn Squash
• Popcorn
• Eggplant
• Spinach
• Baby Chard
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rutabagas
  
• Cilantro
  

Newsletter Excerpt

Bob writes… Unless you have a winter share next week is the last week. However, stay tuned for an opportunity to purchase a winter share. We plan and plant for about 1000 20-week shares, 350 12-week shares, and 800 winter shares. Besides the tragedy of Lora’s passing, this year we encountered 2 weather challenges and 1 weather plus. The challenges were the record wet August (which wiped out our carrot and tomatoes crops, amongst others) and an early frost. In any case, with the wet August and with last year’s cool fall and winter share shortage, we stopped selling winter shares early – at 600 shares.

Now, however, with the replantings after the rains and with this exceptionally warm fall, we are now confident that we can offer approx. 100 additional winter shares! And remember, that now, some cool weather and frosts helps the plants out – makes them sweeter. Here is a list of almost for sure winter box contents:

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi, beets, spinach, collards, kales (including red russian, toscano, winterbor & redbor), and popcorn. And likely the box will contain some of the following: potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, winter squash, arugula, swiss chard, choi, lettuce, and onions. (bolded items are sweetened by cool weather)

These winter shares are delivered over the course of November & early December (skipping Thanksgiving week). They cost $100 (if you already have a winter share and want additional boxes, the cost is $90 each). They are sold on a first-come, first-served basis based on when we receive your clear and definitive order – by phone, email, or mail. Our contact information is Angelic Organics, 1547 Rockton Rd, Caledonia, IL 61011, 815 389 2746, CSA@AngelicOrganics.com. Act fast if you’re interested.

Click here to download a pdf of the Angelic Organics Farm News for box no. 19.

Potato & Leek Flatbread with Roasted Garlic

What goes into the oven pungent, bitter and sharp, then comes out mellow, nutty and buttery?

Roasted Garlic: one of those wonders of culinary alchemy. The taste transformation is amazing. I happen to like it fresh, too, but if you’re put off by the taste of raw garlic, you will be amazed at the flavor of roasted garlic. When you add that to the earthy flavor of the potatoes and leeks and the salty, savory Gruyére cheese, you have a winning combination.

It’s a versatile condiment. You can use it on pizza or flatbread, as I did in this recipe. Use it on sandwiches, puree it into dips and spreads, or serve it with crusty, warm bread, with or without butter.

QUICK ROASTED GARLIC
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Break the heads into individual cloves, but do not peel them. Spread them on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with oil. Bake, shaking pan occasionally, until tender, about 30 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze roasted garlic from skins and mash to a paste.

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Potato & Leek Flatbread with Roasted Garlic

Salami & Arugula Sandwiches with Cream Cheese

This sandwich is a perfect combination of strong flavors: tangy mustard; savory, spicy salami; peppery arugula; and soft, smooth cream cheese. When brought together in a sandwich, all of them work together to create a satisfying and simple meal.

INGREDIENTS
4 slices good-quality sandwich bread
8-12 thin slices of Italian salami
dijon or whole grain mustard
arugula leaves, washed and dried
cream cheese, softened

ASSEMBLY
Spread mustard on two pieces of bread. Top each piece with 4 to 6 slices of salami. Top with arugula leaves. Spread remaining two slices of bread with cream cheese. Slice in half and serve.

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Salami & Arugula Sandwiches with Cream Cheese

box no. 18 | contents

• Onions
• Br0ccoli Florettes
  
• Butternut Squash
• Sweet Dumpling Squash
• Green Peppers
• Eggplant
• Spinach
• Chard
• Arugula
• Lettuce
• Radishes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Beets
• Daikon Radish

Quick Daikon Radish Pickles

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups daikon radish,
peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl, toss daikon with salt. Place in a colander or sieve over a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until 1 to 2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse daikon, removing as much salt as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel, and return to a clean bowl. Stir in rice vinegar, black pepper and, if desired, sesame oil. Cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Click here to download a pdf of the Angelic Organics Farm News for box no. 18.

Baked Acorn Squash with Granola and Apples

I am always trying to think of good, healthy breakfast options that are easy and fast enough to make on a weekday morning. This recipe fits the bill in the good, healthy and easy department, but the cooking time may slow you down if you’re rushing out of the house in the morning. If you work from home, it’s a piece of cake. This recipe takes only 10 to 15 minutes of actual kitchen time (seeding, dicing, etc.), but the cook time is about an hour total. If you can’t swing this during the week, try this recipe on a weekend and you’ll have a delicious breakfast that’s good for you!

Click here to download and print a pdf of this recipe:

Baked Acorn Squash with Granola and Apples

Broccoli Pasta with Peanut Sauce

As most of you know, my favorite food is bacon. There are a few other foods that follow very close behind on my list of top 10 (most of them not much healthier) – one of them being peanut butter (case in point). But, not much further down on the list is broccoli – another favorite food. And since broccoli is such a stellar super food in terms of vitamins and nutrients, I think it offsets any negative effects of the peanut butter and the combination makes for a tasty and quick pasta dinner.

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Broccoli Pasta with Peanut Sauce

box no. 17 | contents

• Onions
• Garlic
• Leeks
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
  
• Acorn Squash
• Sweet Dumpling Squash
• Sweet Peppers
• Popcorn
• Kale
• Baby Swiss Chard
• Lettuce
• Cilantro
• Potatoes

Did you know...

Illinois has a rich history and affinity to popcorn:

• In 2003, a group of second and third grade students from Joliet lobbied state legislature and the governor to declare popcorn the official state snack food of Illinois.
• There are 333 Illinois farms that grow popcorn on 47,000 acres, making Illinois the third largest grower of the product.
• The world’s largest popcorn ball was unveiled in October 2006 in Lake Forest, Illinois. It weighed 3,415 pounds, measured 8 feet in diameter and had a circumference of 24.6 feet.

And how does popcorn pop?
Popcorn pops because its kernel contains a small drop of water that suddenly expands when exposed to high heat. The kernel turns inside-out as it explodes.

Brussels Sprouts and M&Ms

When I was a kid, my parent’s told us that every once in a while, you might find an M&M inside of a brussels sprout. The only way to find one, of course, was to eat all of your brussels sprouts. Now I know what you’re thinking – didn’t you catch on after a while when these elusive candies never appeared? Ah, but my parents were tricky. Just often enough to keep us hooked, they would slip an M&M on to our plate and exclaim “Look! One of them must have fallen out!”. I eventually wised up and caught on to their scheme, but I never really cared for brussels sprouts – as a kid or an adult, candy or no candy.

Then last year, a stalk of them arrives in our Angelic Organics box. First off – a stalk?!? I honestly never knew how they grew; it was a revelation. My next thought – brussels sprouts, great... what am I going to do with these? But, I did some research and experimenting and found out that I actually really like them when they’re roasted. They become a completely different beast – sweet and caramely without a hint of the funk that the raw (or for that matter, canned) ones have.

When I saw these at the Green City Farmer’s market today, I couldn’t pass them up. Iron Creek Farms was also selling them in convenient pints, already cleaned and off the stalk – but what fun would that be? Now is the time to enjoy them while they’re in season. Of course you can find them all year round in the grocery store, but they don’t look like this!