April unboxing with Rachel

Hello fellow CSA members,

The sun is shining, and the warmth is bringing me a lot of joy. I get inspired in the kitchen this time of year. I start transitioning out of the cold weather recipes and more into grilling and summer recipes.

I need the inspiration. Last month was a bit of a busy blur in our lives and I didn’t make it through our CSA share. In fact, I barely made a dent in it. I look forward to starting fresh with this share and having some of last months share in the freezer for back up.

Now let’s take a peek at my 20#/month share:

April 2024 CSA Share

  • Ground Beef 1.5# (1)

  • Ground Beef 1# (4)

  • Whole Chicken

  • Ribeye Steak (2)

  • Hotdogs: My Choice

  • Beef Kebab (1)

  • Pork Loin (1)

  • Lamb Stew (1)

  • Lamb Chops (1)

Ground Beef

For my 1.5# package I will make grilled burgers with it. I will make homemade brioche buns to go with them.

For the 1# packages I will make:

  • Ground beef hash and serve it over polenta. (1 pkg) The original recipe calls for ground turkey. However, ground beef, pork or lamb would also work. I just make sure to drain off any excess fat.

  • Taco bowl (1 pkg) I regularly use taco meat for quick bowls for my work lunches.

  • Gyro meat (2 pkgs) I have made this with a 50/50 ground beef and ground pork or with ground lamb. I prefer it with the lamb, but all ground beef is also tasty. I over mix the ingredients as suggested in the recipe as it helps bind it. I will serve it with:

    • Naan, hummus, and veggies or

    • quinoa, salad mix, and lemon yogurt dressing or garlic sauce

Whole Chicken

I am in need of more variety in my kid’s lunches. The whole chicken will help a lot. I can spatchcock it, marinade it in buttermilk and salt, roast it, and use the meat to help. I can make:

  • chicken, black bean, and corn quesadillas

  • chicken and rice. I save soy sauce packets from takeout and toss one in for them to use with this lunch.

Any other meat that is leftover I will use for my own lunches, making wraps with veggies, hummus and avocados.

Ribeye

Last fall I used the ribeye to make Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. I will plan on using this cut again to make them. They were super tasty and the whole family enjoyed it.

Hot Dog

We are starting off our camping season by staying in a yurt. I plan to take this package of hot dogs and roasting them over the campfire. It’s fun and an easy clean up.

Beef Kebab

I plan to use it to make beef fajita kebabs from my Kebab cookbook. I will use stainless steel skewers.

This is one of those recipes I can easily partner with someone else in my household. One of us can prep it the morning of and someone else can finish the recipe, make the skewers and start grilling.

Pork Loin

In looking for a recipe for this cut I came across one in one of my cookbooks, Complete Chinese Takeout. It is a relatively quick and easy recipe that I can make on a weeknight. I don’t have a wok, but I use a high sided nonstick pan with other recipes, and it works well.

Lamb Stew

I was pleasantly surprised to receive some lamb in my share this month. I really love it with middle eastern spices and served with naan or rice. I will cook this low and slow, shred it, then crisp it up a little in a pan with a little olive oil.

Lamb Chop

We will grill these chops and I plan to serve them with lemon dill rice and veggies.

Beef Fajita Kebabs

Makes 6-8 Skewers

Ingredients

KEBABS

  • 1 1/2-2 pounds of beef kebab meat, cut into cut into 1-1/4 inch cubes

  • 2 green bell peppers, cut into 1-1/4-inch cubes

  • 1 red pepper, cut into 1-1/4-inch cubes

  • 6-8 skewers

MARINADE

  • 1 cup flat beer, ale preferred

  • 1/3 cup lime juice

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons mild chili powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

FOR SERVING

  • 8-12 warm tortillas

  • 3/4 cup guacamole

  • 1/3 cup sour cream

STeps

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade.

  2. Cut the kebab meat into 1 1/4-inch cubes.

  3. Place the beef cubes into a plastic bowl or resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the beef and toss gently to coat. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours.

  4. Core and cut the bell pepper and peel and cut the onion int 1 1/4 inch pieces.

  5. Thread the marinated beef, bell peppers, and onion onto the skewers in the following order: beef, bell pepper, onion, beef, bell pepper, and so on. Discard any remaining marinade.

  6. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. When the grill is ready, oil the grates right before putting the kebabs on. Using long-handled tongs, dip some folded paper towels in a high smoke-point cooking oil and wipe down the grill grates, making at least three good passes to create a nonstick area.

  7. Place the kebabs onto the grill. cook for 12 minutes or so. Meanwhile, wrap some tortillas in aluminum foil. Place onto the cool side of the grill. Turn a few times during the cooking process.

  8. Once the beef is cooked to the desired doneness, remove the kebabs and the packet of tortillas from the grill. Place the kebabs on a platter.

  9. Using kitchen gloves, carefully open the aluminum packet and transfer the tortillas to a tortilla warmer or cover with a clean kitchen towel. Serve with sour cream and guacamole.


Meet The Member: Jen

Meet CSA Member Jen

Member since 2023

I want to introduce you to Jen. She has lived most of her life in Oregon, having grown up on the coast. She has two kids and is a massage therapist. Prior to moving to Portland, for over a decade she raised cattle, poultry, and pigs on a 60-acre farm in the valley.

She loves spending time in nature. She shared that even though she has traveled extensively to other countries, she still finds the Pacific Northwest to be one of the most beautiful places she has ever been.

CSA Pick-Up Location

Portland

Type of Share

10#

Up Close And Personal With Local Agriculture

Jen grew up with a family that cooked from scratch and owned a cooking store. They even had a mill that Bob from Bob’s Red Mill helped them set up. She shared she always had a local attitude towards food. After college she started familiarizing herself with purchasing local and organic food. She joined a vegetable CSA.

After living out of state for a few years she made her way back to Oregon. At the time the plan was to raise her kids on a small acreage. They found a unique property that was in farm deferral, a special land designation. This led to Jen raising cattle. She had a small herd of no more than 30. She would then sell shares of beef and yearlings. She admits it was a lot of hard work and it was a big learning curve, but she really enjoyed it. Over time she started also raising chickens and pigs.

CSA Origin Story

Raising animals for meat on her own farm gave Jen a unique perspective when life changed directions.

It was a challenge finding meat that met her standards In Portland. She had tried another meat CSA, but it wasn’t a good fit.

“When we had our own farm, I didn’t want to eat anything that we didn’t raise.

For a period of time, I felt that we really shouldn’t be eating the amount of meat that most Americans consume.

I would rather spend more for meat that is from an animal that has had a kinder life, and that’s more ethically and humanely raised. Then just eat less of it per serving.
”
— Jen

Jen later found out about the Double F Ranch CSA by word of mouth. While dining at the home of a friend who is a chef, another guest who owns a restaurant in town was talking about their CSA. Curious, she asked about it and Jen got excited. She showed up at pick up to purchase some of the extras provided and loved it! She quickly signed up for a membership.

Seamless Transition To The CSA

With her experience raising animals, Jen didn’t find joining the CSA as intimidating. Quite the opposite, she was used to trying new things and felt confident in her cooking skills. She even prefers to get the whole chicken and cut it up herself.

When raising your own meat,

...there was no I don't know what to do with this. When you move away from just getting chicken breasts you just have to figure it out.

Top Qualities Of Belonging To The CSA

Jen identified her CSA top favorite qualities as:

  • Having access to more variety of meats than are available for purchase at the store. She loves trying new things and getting the variety forces her to try new methods of cooking.

  • She loves being able to get meat from one specific farm.

  • High quality meat

Mealtime Inspiration

Over the years her inspiration has come from many sources including:

  • Saveur, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and New York Times Cooking.

  • Friends that are chefs who share their food on Instagram.

  • Sharing recipes with friends who also really love food.

She also has lots of cookbooks that she turns to for inspiration, but some are also for entertainment value, like her Campbell Soup Cookbook. Others though, like Victory Garden, the 1956 edition Betty Crocker cookbook and 1967 edition of Joy of Cooking are staples.

Jen shared that this past holiday season the plan was to do a white elephant gift exchange where everyone would look through the old cookbooks and find the grossest recipe to determine who goes first. Think mayonnaise popsicle! There is more than one way to use up those odd ball cookbooks.

Outstanding Cuts & Meals

The steaks are one of the outstanding cuts that Jen really loves.

  • She uses the leftover meat by thinly slicing it and making a cold Vietnamese salad with herbs, rice noodles, roasted veggies, and fish sauce.

She was excited to get a brisket and make corned beef this year for St. Patrick’s day. For New Year’s, she used a ham hock to make a soup with black-eyed peas, tomatoes, and collard greens.

Some of her go-to meals right now are mezze style. She shared her quick and easy mix:

  • In a food processor, pulse ground beef, shallots, mint, cilantro, sumac, and garlic. Flatten the meat and roast it.

Final Thoughts

Jen shared these final comments about her CSA experience so far;

I enjoy having it and I'm grateful for the fact that I have a deep freeze. I don't get through it all in one month, but I stage it and go through the most recent and it just keeps a lot longer. It is nice to have it on hand and not have to go to the store for it.

I prefer that it’s from one animal, from one butcher and not commingled. I just really like knowing that it's raised with good care from a small farm.




Thank you, Jen, for sharing your experience with us! -Rachel

March unboxing with Rachel

Hello fellow CSA members,

I hope this finds everyone well and looking forward to spring. We have signed up for our summer vegetable CSA, the farmers market is open, and the cherry blossoms are starting to form. I really love this time of year!

Now let’s take a peek at my 20#/month share:

March 2024 CSA Share

  • Ground Beef 1.5# (2)

  • Ground Beef 1# (3)

  • Whole Chicken

  • Chicken Thighs

  • New York Steak (2)

  • Beef Stew Meat (1)

  • Pork Tenderloin (1)

  • Bacon (1)

Ground Beef

I have been attempting to try new ground beef recipes each month. Last month was pastel de choclo (beef and corn casserole). This month I am trying pastelon, a layered plantain and picadillo Puerto Rican dish. I will use one of the 1.5# packages.

As spring approaches, our winter vegetable CSA is starting to wind down. But I still have a pile of squash! I will be using some of it to make pumpkin chili. I often times just sub whatever squash I have on hand.

My kids love frito pie and I love recreating this favorite from my childhood! We can add in some corn chips, diced onion, cheese, and pickled jalapenos for a easy dinner. I will use up two of the 1# packages. Any leftover chili can be put in the freezer to pull out for baked potatoes or a quick lunch.

For the remaining ground beef I plan to make:

  • Guajillo tacos (1.5#)

  • Sloppy Joes (1#)

Whole Chicken

This chicken will get roasted and picked apart. I am moving away from making soup and don’t forsee the need to make stock with the carcass. But I want to have it on hand just in case. So I will save it in a bag in the freezer.

I will parcel out the chicken to make:

  • One-Pot Creamy Chicken Orzo

  • Chicken Curry Salad

I have been relying a lot this winter on already cooked chicken for meals.

Chicken Thighs

I have a hard time not using the same recipe over and over for this cut. Cracklin chicken is super easy and has the crispiest skin, which is one of the things that draws me to this recipe.

New York Steak

My kids are really into garlic right now. It is a pleasant surprise because I love it too. I have been looking for more garlicky recipes and I came across one that uses the New York Steak in this months share. I will be cutting up the steak and cooking it in garlic butter. I plan to serve it with mashed potatoes, because I also have a pile of CSA potatoes to finish off!

Beef Stew Meat

With my instant pot I enjoy how I can take a cut like stew meat and make a quick weeknight meal out of it. I can easily toss it in the IP with a few seasonings, cook, and shred it. I plan to make shredded beef tacos with the meat.

Pork Tenderloin

Our local farmers market is open, and I am looking forward to finding a variety of mushrooms for purchase. I thought they would go perfectly with the pork tenderloin.

Bacon

For the bacon I want to use it to make breakfast sandwiches. I plan to cook it the way Katia suggested, in the oven. I have seen people cook bacon this way but have never tried it myself!

Cooking bacon in the oven:

  • Preheat oven to 400*

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper

  • Place bacon slices in a single layer on parchment

  • Bake for 10-20 minutes (15 minutes is perfect for my oven)

Extras

I bought some of the beef sticks so that I can have a quick protein on hand. They are hickory smoked and fully cooked. I will cut them up into medallions, put them in a mason jar, and store them in the fridge so we can toss them in eggs or over rice in the kids lunches.

I also bought some pepper sausage. Spring break is quickly approaching, and we are going on a road trip. I like having a variety of snacks in a cooler. I can easily cut this up ahead of time and pack it.

Guajillo Tacos

Makes 10 Tacos


Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 small white onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 12 ounces tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice

  • 5 dried guajillo chiles, rehydrated, stemmed and finely chopped (see note)

  • 1 large serrano chile, stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, toasted and ground

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef 

  • Juice of 1/2 lime

  • 10 (5 1/2-inch) crispy yellow corn tortilla shells, for serving

  • Garnish: Shredded iceberg lettuce and grated mild cheddar cheese

Steps

  1. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

  2. Add the tomatoes, guajillo and serrano chiles, cilantro, cumin, oregano, and the 3 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the tomato mixture down until the consistency of a thick marinara sauce.

  3. Crumble in the ground beef, mashing and stirring it to combine with the sauce, increase the heat to high and cook, covered, until the meat has lost its pink color and the filling is moist, but not liquid, about 12 minutes. The meat should be soft like meatloaf.

  4. Remove from the heat, stir in the lime juice, and serve right away, or keep warm in the pan until ready to serve.

  5. To serve, divide the lettuce, filling, salsa, and cheese equally between the crispy shells and arrange in a taco holder. Or, lean the filled shells in a row, propped upright, on a platter. Eat right away. To build your own, spoon some lettuce and filling in a crispy shell, top with cheese and salsa, and eat right away.


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February unboxing with Rachel

,

Hello fellow CSA members,

Winter just continues to fly by and life is busier than ever for us. This month for my unboxing I am looking to recipes that I am familiar with or new ones that would be relatively easy to prepare.

Now let’s take a peek at my 20#/month share:

February 2024 CSA Share

  • Whole Chicken

  • Beef Brisket (My Choice)

  • Ground Beef (5)

  • Beef Top Sirloin (2)

  • Ground Pork (1)

  • Ham Hock (Soup Season Extra)

Whole Chicken

This month I am going to use my whole chicken to make two meals. I will roast it, pick the meat, and then shred it. I will set aside 2 cups of the shredded chicken so I can make a quick and easy weeknight casserole of chicken, rice, and broccoli.

I will use 2 more cups of chicken to make a cabbage salad with miso-sesame vinaigrette.

If I have any chicken leftover, I can freeze it or use it for a lunch of curry chicken salad or to top some rice with a little teriyaki sauce and veggies.

Beef Brisket

A few years ago I made corned beef with a Double F Ranch brisket and I found it to be easier than I thought it would be and soooo much tastier than any store bought version. I made sure to source the spices and pink salt in advance as they weren’t necessarily something I regularly have. Word to the wise though, if you can, buy the pink salt in the bulk bins - then you won’t end up with 2 pounds of it like I did!

Gotta serve this with some potatoes, cabbage and Irish Soda Bread.

Ground Beef

The ground beef will continue to be a helpful weeknight cut. I will use it for some weeknight meals of:

  • Korean ground beef and rice bowls with broccoli slaw (2 pkgs)

  • Beef and corn casserole (1 pkg)

  • Picadillo over rice or quinoa with a salad (2 pkgs)

Beef Top Sirloin

I don’t always cook steak in the Instant Pot, but sometimes it is nice to have it with a sauce, mushrooms, and served over mashed root veggies or squash. This is something my spouse or I could prep while working at home and leave for the other one to finish depending on our schedules.

Ground Pork

Lately our kids are all about noodles. If it has noodles in it, it is almost definitely a guaranteed hit. This udon recipe looked really good and I am hoping it is a crowd pleaser.

Ham Hock

I continue to be partial to this soup season extra. I love using it to flavor soups and even for the tender ham bits. I have made black bean soup but not with a ham hock before.

I am planning on making this dish for a meal and then freezing half of it for another meal further down the road. I like having soup in the freezer during the winter. When life is busy and time gets away with us, it is nice to have some ready-made soup to thaw out for dinner.

Picadillo

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1/2 large chopped onion

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tomato, chopped

  • 1/2 pepper, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons cilantro

  • 1-1/2 pound ground beef

  • 4 oz tomato sauce, 1/2 can

  • kosher salt

  • fresh ground pepper

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1-2 dried bay leaves

  • 2 tablespoons pitted green olives or alcaparrado, capers would work too

Steps

  1. Brown meat on high heat in large sauté pan and season with salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat up into small pieces. When meat is no longer pink, drain all juice from pan.

  2. Meanwhile, while meat is cooking, chop onion, garlic, pepper, tomato and cilantro.

  3. Add to the meat and continue cooking on a low heat. Add olives or alcaparrado and about 2 to 4 tbsp of the brine (the juice from the olives, this adds great flavor) cumin, bay leaf, and more salt if needed. Add tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of water and mix well.

  4. Reduce heat and simmer covered about 20 minutes.

January unboxing with Rachel

Hello fellow CSA members,

I hope this finds everyone well and recovered from all the ice and snow. Can January just be over already?

One of the ways that I cope with this time of year is through my cooking. It helps a lot to have something tasty and nutritious at the end of the day to look forward to. Sometimes I find when I am in the kitchen prepping and cooking, I can find a calming rhythm that allows me to just tune out all the things. Other times I find comfort in cooking with others and the meaningful connection it provides.

I am able to, in a small way, do something to nurture myself and my family. In turn, the days seem a little less cold and dreary. Especially when there is soup and bread!

Now let’s take a peek at my 20#/month share:

January 2024 CSA Share

  • Whole Chicken

  • Chicken Wings (My Choice)

  • Ground Beef 1.5# (2)

  • Ground Beef 1# (2)

  • Beef Tenderloin Steak (2)

  • Cube Steak (1)

  • Pork Chop (1)

  • Country Sausage (1)

Whole Chicken

I found a tasty looking cast-iron roast chicken recipe that cooks with potatoes. The recipe calls for drying the chicken off, salting it, and letting it sit in the fridge up to a day. I have used similar methods in the past and they yield great results. But I have been thinking about marinading it instead.

I would use one of my favorite go-to marinades such as the buttermilk marinated chicken recipe from the cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. We all love the flavor and texture of the skin that comes with using the salt and buttermilk as a marinade.

Last month I forgot to marinade my chicken and ended up glazing it instead. Hopefully I don’t forget again this time!

Chicken Wings

This is our My Choice selection. I really enjoy prepping and cooking this cut. It goes well with so many things and a great cut for making ramen broth. This month I plan to make some glazed wings. I looked for recipes in, The Complete Chinese Takeout Cookbook. I found one for a honey and chili glazed wing.

In order to prep these wings, I will review the process for separating the wingettes and drumettes.

Ground Beef

I am always a little behind on popular food trends. I only recently ate my first smash burger! I thought this month we would make them at home. I will use one of our 1.5# packages.

I had a recipe saved from a previous I Ate It And It Was Great email. It was for Afghan Beef Dumplings. I will be making that this month too with the other 1.5# ground beef.

For the remaining ground beef (1#) I will make:

  • taco meat for taco salad

  • easy homemade lasagna

Beef Tenderloin Steaks

I am really looking forward to this cut. It is my favorite steak. I usually avoid cooking the steak in our household. As I have probably mentioned a few times, I usually overcook it. But I have had really good luck with cooking this, probably why I love it so much….that and the taste!

The recipe I chose includes a easy sauce and pasta. I think it sounds tasty with a side salad or wilted greens.

Cube Steak

Cube steak is a versatile cut but is best when cooked low and slow. This recipe has you cooking it in the oven for 25 minutes in a Dutch oven. If it isn’t tender in that time, I have found that it is ok to keep cooking it without the risk of it being overdone. I will usually put it back in for 5-10 minutes and check again, adding more time if need be. This recipe could also be done in a crock pot.

Pork Chop

These thick cut pork chops will be great with some hoisin sauce. I decided to use another recipe from The Complete Chinese Takeout Cookbook.

Country Sausage

I plan to make a herbed white bean and sausage stew with this cut. The recipe calls for Italian sausage but I sometimes use country sausage in soups if I don’t have the Italian. I will cook it ahead of time and skim off any of the fat before using it in the soup.

Extras

I bought some Hungarian sausage links on the online store. I saw in this month’s I Ate It And It Was Great that Dara made a baked risotto with Hungarian sausage. It sounded so delicious and the perfect January meal.

I love risotto but don’t like sitting over the stove, slowly adding in chicken stock and stirring it. So, the idea of tossing it the oven and focusing on something else sounded awesome. I could even toss in the Hungarian sausage to cook with the risotto for a one-pot-meal.

Honey Glazed Chili Wings

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken wings

  • 8 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

  • 4 tablespoons of runny honey

  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or ground nut)

  • 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Steps

  1. Put all the ingredients, except the toasted sesame seeds, into a large bowl.

  2. Use your hands to massage the marinade into the chicken, making sure everything is well coated. Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours.

  3. Preheat the oven to 170C or 340F.

  4. Toss the chicken again in the marinade before tipping the wings and sauce on to a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then flip the wings over and baste in the marinade. Cook for a further 20 minutes, flip again and baste one last time.

  5. Increase the oven temperature to 200C or 400F, then return the tray to the oven for a final 10 minutes.

  6. Once the marinade has achieved its sticky carmelisation, remove the wings from the oven, transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve piping hot.