CSA Share # 9, Tuesday August 5th, 2014

What You’re Getting:

Standard:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 bunch onion

¼ lb basil

1 head lettuce

1 bunch carrots

1 pint blueberries

1 lb cucumbers

1 bunch parsley

Family:

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 lb tomato

1 bunch onion

½ lb basil

1 head lettuce

1 bunch chard

1 bunch beets

1 bunch carrots

2 pints blueberries

2 lbs cucumbers

1 bunch parsley

 

Farm News:

Things are extra busy around here, it being the peak of the season and Mike being mostly out of commission! The crew harvests almost all the time, and farmers markets are extra busy.

If you like canning, or freezing veggies for the winter, this is the season to do it it! We will let you know if and when we have surplus crops for bulk orders. Tomatoes should be available for canning later this month. Right now we have a huge surplus of green cabbage. Into sauerkraut? 40 lbs of cabbage makes 5 gallons of sauerkraut to keep your winter tasty. Usually $1.00/lb, right now you can get cabbage for $0.25/lb when you buy 20 lbs or more. This is for CSA Members only! Let us know if you’re interested.

Thanks!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes

Basil Pesto

1/3 lb basil

1/2 cup pine nuts, or any other nut (I like walnuts)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, or any other hard cheese

1-2 garlic cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend half the basil with nuts, cheese, and garlic: Combine half of the basil with the nuts, cheese, cloves, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend continuously until the ingredients are finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the basil. Blend until a uniform paste has formed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

With the blender running, stream in the olive oil. Less olive oil will make a paste good for spreading on sandwiches and pizzas; more will make a sauce better for pastas and stirring into soup. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is emulsified into the basil and the pesto looks uniform.

Taste the pesto and add more salt, garlic, nuts or cheese as needed to taste.

Pesto is wonderful on pasta, sandwiches and almost anywhere you can think of. Believe it or not, you can substitute arugula or kale (or many other greens) in this recipe to make pestos with an array of flavors. Enjoy!

Cucumber, Onion and Parsley Salad

1 large cucumber

½ cup red or sweet onion, finely diced (or more to taste)

1/2 cup chopped parsley

½ tsp oregano

1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

2 T best quality extra virgin olive oil

1 T fresh lemon juice

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Dice cucumbers and onion. Pat Feta cheese dry with a paper towel, then crumble into pieces. Wash parsley and spin dry or dry with paper towels, then chop coarsely.

In large bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, and parsley. Whisk together olive oil, oregano and lemon juice and stir into vegetable mixture. Sprinkle feta cheese over and stir gently a few times. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Cherry tomatoes are a delicious addition to this salad…. but haven’t you eaten them already?

CSA Share #8, Tuesday July 29th, 2014

Standard Shares:

1 lb green beans

1 pint mixed tomatoes

1.5 lbs zucchini and summer squash

½ lb pickling cucumbers

½ lb salad mix

1 bunch beets

1 bunch kale

small bag basil

Family Shares:

1 lb green beans

1 quart mixed tomatoes

3 lbs zucchini and summer squash

1 lb pickling cucumbers

½ lb salad mix

1 bunch beets

1 bunch kale

1 bunhc chard

1 cabbage

small bag basil

Farm News:

Well, things are growing wonderfully around here, getting tall and green and bushy and producing all sorts of things… red beets, green cucumbers, yellow squash, orange tomatoes and so much more.

Unfortunately for us, Mike managed to tear his bicep last week, and can’t use his arm for 6-8 weeks…. Of course they are the busiest 8 weeks of the season! He will be spending a lot more time with the kids for the next few months while Christa and our great crew juggle things around to fill the gap.

With 8 weeks until the Common Ground Country Fair, the season is flying by! Hope you’re enjoying it, too!

Thanks!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes

Simple Summer Zucchini with Tomatoes and Basil

1 pound zucchini or summer squash

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup basil leaves, roughly chopped

freshly ground pepper

salt

Cut the zucchini into 1/4-inch slices diagonally, or 1/4- inch cubes.

    Heat the olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Cook the zucchini and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

    Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold.

From: http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/recipes/side-dishes-and-vegetables/Zucchini-with-Basil-and-Tomatoes

Super Simple Cucumber Sandwiches

(Mike’s current favorite snack)

2 slices bread, toasted per your preference (We love the Maine Grain bread in the farmstand)

1 pickling cucumber, sliced thinly into sheets

Mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Spread the warm toast with mayonnaise. Lay the sheets of thinly sliced cucumber over the prepared toast, and lightly add salt and pepper. Yum! A great snack in a hot day.

Crispy Kale with Lemon-Yogurt Dip

    1 bunch curly kale   

    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    2 garlic cloves, minced

    Salt and freshly ground pepper

    1 cup plain Greek yogurt

    1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

    Preheat the oven to 375°. In a bowl, toss the kale with all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and half of the garlic. Spread the kale on 2 baking sheets and roast in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for about 15 minutes, until crisp; shift the pans from top to bottom halfway through. Season the kale with salt and pepper and transfer to a large platter.

    In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt with the lemon zest and juice and the remaining garlic and 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the roasted kale.

From: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/crispy-kale-with-lemon-yogurt-dip

CSA Share #5, Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard:

1 pint sugar snap peas

1 bunch swiss chard

½ lb beet greens

1 bunch garlic scapes

1/3 lb salad mix

1 bunch scallions

Small bag of basil

Family:

1 quart sugar snap peas

1 bunch swiss chard

1 bunch kale

1 head lettuce

½ lb beet greens

1 bunch garlic scapes

1/2 lb salad mix

2 bunch scallions

Small bag of basil

Farm News:

What a rainstorm! It seems like we’ve come out of it ok, though… heavy rain can wash away soil fertility, erode topsoil, rot roots and more. Here’s hoping for some sun this week!

We’re excited at all the new things ripening up. We’re snacking on the first tomatoes this week, and even though it will be a few weeks before we have enough tomatoes to distribute to all our members, it’s still exciting! Looks like zucchini, cukes and summer squash aren’t far off, either.

Lizzy and Nicky are growing so fast and becoming more and more part of the farm. Nicky does chores everyday from his perch on Christa’s back and Lizzy is really loving being a wild farm girl more than ever. If it was up to her she would just pick and eat peas and cherry tomatoes all day long. We’ll try to hold her back so you can get some, too!

Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, Lizzy and Nicky

Recipes:

Wilted Swiss Chard with Fresh Basil

    2 Tbs. olive oil

    1 clove garlic, minced

    6 to 7 large Swiss chard leaves, rinsed and coarsely chopped

    ¼ cup chopped fresh basil plus whole leaves for garnish, optional

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Fresh lemon juice to taste

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, chard and basil, and cook just until the chard begins to wilt, for about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with basil, if using, and serve warm.

From: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/wilted-swiss-chard-with-fresh-basil/

Pasta with Beet Greens and Garlic Scapes

2 cups beet greens, chopped into 2 inch pieces

3 or 4 garlic scapes, chopped

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 c chopped toasted walnuts

your favorite pasta (I used angel hair)

1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes)

Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat skillet over medium low heat. Add oil, greens, garlic scapes, salt & pepper. Stir everything around. Cover for 3-5 minutes until everything is wilted. Add in chopped walnuts. Drain pasta. Toss tomatoes and greens with the pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese when ready to serve.

From: http://www.jamies-recipes.com/2009/06/farmers-market-beet-greens-and-garlic-scapes/

FAQ of the week:

When I pick my veggies up, some of the greens are wilted! What should I do?

            This time of year it’s easy for leafy veggies to go soft in the hot weather. If your veggies have wilted a little by then time you pick them up, try trimming the ends off your kale, head lettuce, or chard and soaking it over night with the trimmed end in a bowl of cool water. In the morning, it will be crisp again!

I’m feeling overwhelmed…. What should I do with all these greens?

            If you find your self with extra greens such as chard or kale, they can be easily frozen for winter use. Instructions on how to process and freeze these and lots of other veggies can be found at:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09330.html

CSA Share #11, Tuesday August 20th, 2013

What You’re Getting:

Standard Share:

1 lb zucchini/summer squash

1 lb mixed sweet onions

1 bunch swiss chard

0.25 lb basil

2 lb tomatoes

1.5 lb cucumbers

1 pint blueberries

Family Share:

2 lb zucchini/summer squash

2 lb mixed sweet onions

1 bunch swiss chard

0.5 lb basil

3 lb tomatoes

3 lb cucumbers

1 pint blueberries

1 cantaloupe melon

 

Farm News:

Hi all!

            It’s August – We are doing the best to get the most done each day, and counting down the days ‘til fall. In the meantime, we’re enjoying the incredible weather we’ve been having lately. The big harvests have begun – We’re bringing in the onions, and laying them out to dry in the greenhouse. After they have dried and been trimmed and bagged, we’ll bring in the winter squash and let it cure. Then there will be potatoes, carrots, beets, cabbages… Hopefully our new packing building will be done so we’ll have a good place to put it all!

I was hoping to get everyone a melon today, but there wasn’t enough from our Monday harvest for everyone, so just the Family Shares got them this week – Next week there should be enough to go around!

Thanks! Enjoy your veggies!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Summertime Salad with Tomato, Cucumber, Basil and Feta

 1 lb tomatoes, diced

    1 cucumber - peeled, quartered lengthwise, and chopped

    3 green onions, chopped (Or 1 medium white onion)

    1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

    3 tablespoons olive oil

    2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

    3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

    salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-basil-and-feta-salad/

Swiss Chard and Basil Salad

    1 bunch Swiss chard, washed and sliced into ribbons

    1 cup loose basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

    2 medium carrots, grated

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    1.5 tablespoons lemon juice

    2/3 cup dried cranberries

    1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

    salt to taste

Clean and tear Swiss chard from stems. Lay leaves flat and cut into thin ribbons. (This cut is called a chiffonade!) Add to a large mixing bowl and set aside.  Clean basil leaves and cut into thin strips as well. Mint and tarragon can also make nice additions to this salad if you have them on hand. Grate two carrots into the bowl with the chard and herbs, and mix to combine. 

Pour olive oil and lemon juice into bowl, and then massage liquid into the greens. The dressing should slightly wilt the salad.  Cover with a damp paper towel pressed directly against the top of the salad, and let greens marinate for at least 30 minutes.  When ready to serve, add sunflower seeds and dried cranberries, along with a few grinds of fresh salt.

http://www.dailygarnish.com/2013/05/swiss-chard-and-herb-summer-salad.html

CSA Share #9, Tuesday August 6th

What you're getting:

Standard:

1 bunch carrots

1 bunch fresh onions

1 kohlrabi

1 pint mixed tomatoes

1 lb summer squash and zucchini

1 lb cucumbers

¼ lb arugula

¼ lb basil

Family:

 

2 bunches carrots

2 bunches fresh onions

2 kohlrabi

1 quart mixed tomatoes

2 lb summer squash and zucchini

2 lb cucumbers

½  lb arugula

¼ lb basil

 

Farm News:

Hi all!

Can you believe it’s August already? Now we just need some warmer, sunny weather and warm nights to ripen up all these melons and tomatoes! They’re really taking their sweet time this year. Jeeze.

Some of you may be wondering about our CSA dinner this year. We usually do it earlier in the season, but with our construction project dragging on and on this year, it hasn’t been a good place to gather a large group of people. Right now we’re thinking about early September, and we’ll keep you posted about specific dates!

Hope you are all enjoying your summer and your veggies.

Thanks!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Bruschetta with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Basil

    2 ripe tomatoes, chopped

    1/2 large red onion, diced

    1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

    1 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded

    Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

    1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

    1 baguette

    2 to 3 peeled garlic cloves, for rubbing

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and basil; season lightly with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and vinegar, and toss well to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours.

             Heat broiler or grill pan. Cut bread diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of each slice lightly with olive oil; grill or broil on both sides until toasted.

Rub hot bread lightly with garlic cloves on one side only. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with tomato mixture. Let stand a few minutes to allow juices to soak into bread before serving.

http://www.marthastewart.com/332415/bruschetta-with-tomatoes-cucumbers-and-b

Kohlrabi and Summer Squash with Almonds

    2 small-medium summer squash or zucchini

    1-3 oz. sliced almonds

    1 T. butter or olive oil

    salt and pepper to taste

    1 medium-large kohlrabi bulb (optional)

    2-3 cloves garlic (optional)

Peel the kohlrabi. Dice into matchsticks, place in a bowl with 2-3 T. water and cook on high for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, boil/steam the matchsticks in a small saucepan.

Heat the butter or oil in a large pan. Mince the garlic, if using, and add the almonds and garlic to the fat.

While the almonds are toasting—or before, if you’re a stickler about having your mise en place—slice the squash into thin pieces. You want them to be thin enough to just cook through in about a minute in the pan.

When the almonds are turning brown, add the squash. Toss gently to coat in the fat. After about a minute, remove from the heat.

From http://soursaltybittersweet.com/content/csa-2010-files-kohlrabi-and-summer-squash-almonds

CSA SHare #7, Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

 

What You’re Getting:

Standard:

1 bunch chard

¼ lb salad mix

½ lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

1 ½ lb cucumbers

1 ½ lb zucchini

¼ lb basil

Family:

 

1 bunch chard

1 bunch kale

½  lb salad mix

1 lb green beans

1 bunch scallions

3 lb cucumbers

3 lb zucchini

¼ lb basil

1 head green cabbage

Farm News:

Hi all!

After the hot, hot dry weather lately, the rain today is a welcome drink for thirsty fields. We’re enjoying the cooler weather, too! Of course, plenty of things in the field love the heat – peppers, basil, tomatoes, cukes, zucchini and melons have all been thriving in the recent heat.

We hope you have been finding ways to enjoy your summer months! We’ve been squeezing little trips in to the beach and late night swims when we can. Got to enjoy it while it’s here!

Thanks and Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes

Sesame Green Beans

½  pound green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon  sesame oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

 Toast sesame seeds: Place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500ºF.  Toss green beans with olive oil. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Toss with sesame seeds, sesame oil, salt and pepper.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

In a small bowl combine 1 ½ cup cooked rice, 1 cup cooked lentils, 2 medium diced tomatoes, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup tomato sauce, salt and pepper, some fresh chopped basil and 1 lb cooked ground beef. Mix well and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cut the stem ends off of 2 medium zucchini and cut in half.  Scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/4 inch thick shells. Chop the reserved trimmings and flesh coarsely. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the shells for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain on paper towels.

            Heat  a medium skillet over medium heat with 1 T olive oil. Chop 1 small zucchini. Saute chopped zucchini for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in remaining basil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to the bowl that contains the other filling.  Spoon mixture into shells and place in prepared baking dish. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.

Basil Pesto

¼ lb fresh basil

1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts)

2 medium cloves garlic

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Process the basil, nuts, cheese and garlic in the food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. If the sauce seems dry (It should be a thick paste), add a little more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with linguine. Yum!

From the Joy of Cooking, 1997

Share # 12, Tuesday August 28th

What You’re Getting:

1 cantaloupe melon

3 lb mixed tomatoes

¼ lb arugula

1 head garlic

1 bunch beets

1 bunch carrots

1 lb mixed red and white onions

Farm News:

These cooler nights have me dreaming of fall, but summer produce will be here for weeks yet! Looks like we will have corn for next week (Or maybe today, if it’s ready when Mike checks it this morning!)

This summer has flown by. Yesterday I drove Kirsten, one of our apprentices, to the airport so she could go back to school. She will be missed! We have about three more weeks of very busy farm season, and then, after the Common Ground Fair at the end of September, things calm down for us a lot. We’re looking forward to it!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe:

    3 pounds tomatoes, seeded and diced

    1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

    1 large onion, minced

    3 cloves garlic, minced

    1/2 cup olive oil

    salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, cook tomatoes and basil over medium-low heat until tomatoes are soft. Meanwhile, in medium skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add onion mixture to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat for 2 hours or until thick.

Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese

    1 bunch beets

    3 tbsp olive oil

    4 oz baby arugula leaves, washed (about 2 large handfuls)

    1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

    1/4 cup rice vinegar

    2 tbsp sherry vinegar

    2 oz goat cheese

    salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Wash the beets and coat with 1 tbsp of the oil. Wrap in several layers of foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender. Let cool to room temp or refrigerate. This may be done in advance.

Cut in 1-inch cubes. Add to a mixing bowl, and add the rest of the ingredients, except the goat cheese. Toss well to combine, and divide on to 4 plates. Crumble over the cheese, and serve.

Share #11, Tuesday August 21st

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What You’re Getting:

1 cantaloupe melon

3 lb mixed tomatoes

1 head cabbage

1 jalapeno pepper

1 slicing cucumber

1/8 lb purple basil

1 lb sweet onions

1 flower bouquet

Farm News:

The last few weeks have been the peak of the season as far as farmers markets are concerned, and the produce has been coming in to suit the market! We are very excited to be into the melons now – a vine ripe fresh picked melon is 100 times better than any melon anyone ever had from the store! So delicious! We have been eating them nonstop all week. They are ripe and ready to eat!

We are in a little bit of a lettuce hole right now, one of our plantings didn’t make it in the heat last month, so we have to wait another week before we can harvest any more. In the mean time, enjoy the fruits of August!

Corn is taking longer than usual this year – we were hoping to have some for this week, but it looks like we make have to wait for next week.

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Pizza with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal

    2 (8-ounce) pieces of homemade or purchased pizza dough, recipe follows

    6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

    1 1/3 cups, grated pasteurized mozzarella

    2 Roma tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

    1/4 cup grated Parmesan

    1 large garlic clove, minced, optional

    6 fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish

    1/2 teaspoon salt

Position 1 oven rack in the center and the second rack on the bottom of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle the cornmeal over 2 rimless baking sheets. Roll out each piece of pizza dough into a 10 to 11-inch-diameter round. Transfer 1 dough to each prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle 2 teaspoons of oil over each pizza dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the pizza dough, dividing equally and leaving a 1-inch border around each pizza. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer over the cheese. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Arrange basil leaves on top, drizzle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle garlic all over. Bake the pizzas until the crusts are crisp and brown on the bottom and the cheese is melted on top, about 15 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of oil over each pizza. Sprinkle with basil for garnish and salt. Cut the pizza into wedges and serve immediately.

From http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pizza-with-fresh-tomatoes-and-basil-recipe/index.html

Delicious Fresh Tomato-Cilantro Salsa

I wanted to give you this great recipe when we could give you both tomatoes AND cilantro, but sadly, our cilantro supply has been pretty crappy this year. I decided to give it to you anyway, so you can try it if you want!

1 lb tomato

2 Tb finely chopped white onion

1 Tb of finely chopped cilantro

1 finely chopped chile (or just add to taste)

1/4 of a lime.

Salt

Chop the tomato and add it--juice skin and all--to a mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, chile and cilantro. Squeeze your lime quarter into the mixture. Add a pinch of salt and taste, you probably need to add another pinch, but that depends on the size of your pinch! This salsa is all about balance, so taste it and think about whether the sour and the spicy and the savory are all in balance. You can add more lime juice, salt or chile to harmonize the flavors.

http://johndlee.hubpages.com/hub/Delicious_fresh_tomato_cilantro_salsa_recipe

Share # 9 Tuesday, August 7th

 

What You’re Getting:

Head Lettuce, 1 head

Tomatoes, 1 lb

Red or white onions, 1 bunch

Zucchini and summer squash, 1 lb

Cucumber, 1 lb

Garlic, 1 head

New potatoes, 1 lb

Basil, ¼ lb bag

Farm News:

Not much to say except for that it’s August and…. Yeah, it’s just August, the time of year when we are so busy that I lose all brain function and just hold on for dear life.

We are really looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow at the dinner!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Easy Cucumber Salad

    2 cucumbers

    1 small red onion

    1 1/2 tablespoons salt

    1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

    1 teaspoon sugar

    2 teaspoons dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh

Slice the cucumber lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice thinly. Thinly slice the onion.

In a colander, toss the cucumber and onion with the salt and let it sit and drain for 20 minutes. Press the liquid out of the vegetables and rinse well with cold water.

In a medium bowl combine the vinegar and sugar and stir well. Add the cucumber mixture and toss to coat. Stir in the dill.

From: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/cucumber-salad-recipe/index.html

Fresh Basil Pesto

    2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

    1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

    1/2 cup olive oil

    1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (Walnuts are way cheaper and work just fine.)

    3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

From: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_basil_pesto/

CSA Share#14, Tues September 6th, 2011

Lizzy likes her veggies too!

In today's share:

Tomatoes                     1 lb potatoes

1 lb beets                     1 head lettuce

1 lb onions                 1 bunch parsley

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Farm News:

It’s beginning to feel a little bit like fall this week, and I’ve seen the first few changing leaves. This means that some of the summer visitors are gone from the farmers markets, and it also means that in a few weeks, life on the farm will slow down. We are always both sad and glad to see the summer come to an end.  Although the hustle and bustle of the summer months is exciting, and it’s continually rewarding to see our labor come to fruition, we are very much looking forward to the slower months as well, getting to spend more time relaxing as a family, visiting friends, catching up on our paper work, and fixing all the things that have broken over the season. Before that happens, though, we have about 2 ½ busy weeks of getting ready for the Common Ground Fair (September 23^rd, 24^th, and 25^th). We have already harvested all of our garlic and onions, and next week will be the winter squash. After the fair, we’ll cut down to more reasonable work hours, and work on our farm clean up, winter greens seeding and planting, and our building projects. This year’s exciting project is a new hoophouse – VERY exciting! 

Well, I’m blabbing. Better get to bed. See you on Tuesday!

           

Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Pickled Beets Recipe

            Easy refrigerator pickles!

• 1 lb beets
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Salt and pepper

Cut beets to uniform sizes so they will cook evenly. Steam or boil around 30 minutes or until done. (Alternatively, you can roast them by wrapping them whole in foil and cooking them in a 350°F oven for about an hour.) A fork easily inserted into the beet will tell you if the beets are done or not.

Drain the beets, rinsing them in cold water. Slice the beets.

Make the vinaigrette by combining the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard. Whisk ingredients together with a fork. The dry mustard will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Adjust to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine beets and vinaigrette in a bowl and allow to marinate for a minimum of ½ hour. Eat right away, or keep for weeks in the fridge.

Linguine with Tomatoes, Olives, Feta, Basil and Parsley

    2 cups chopped tomatoes

    1/2 cup dry white wine

    2 garlic cloves, chopped

    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

    3/4 pound linguine

    1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley

    1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

    1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (5 to 6 ounces), divided

Purée 1 cup tomatoes, wine, and garlic in blender. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato puree and olives. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, parsley, basil, and vinegar to sauce in skillet. Toss over medium high heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in remaining 1 cup tomatoes and half of cheese. Mound pasta in bowl. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

CSA share #13, August 29th, 2011

Yikes, it's almost September! How'd that happen so quickly?

Once again, we are experiencing some technicnal difficulties with our computer (IE, ours is unusable, and we haven't been able to replace it as quickly as we hoped), so I can't compose a Word document for the newsletter. I am including some recipes here today, though, because some of you guys let me know last week how important those were to you. Thanks for the feedback guys, and thanks for your patience while we deal with our computer issue! Don't forget, if you ever need a recipe, all past recipes are up on our blog! Click the CSA Blog link on the homepage of our website to check it out.

Also important: We are still drying down our garlic, and trying to see if it is curing well, or not. If you found a bad spot in your garlic from last week, please let us know.

We seem to be surviving the storm pretty well so far (Knock on wood!). It's been very busy here for the last few weeks, lots of harvest and not much sleep - But we should be busy in August, otherwise we'd be in trouble! We have two great apprentices helping us out - Dave and Caitie. Yahoo, we're running on adrenaline right into September!

Lizzy is doing great, trying really hard to crawl but not quite there yet. She's sleeping through the night now, for which I am extremely grateful.

In the share this week:

Tomatoes, 3 lbs
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 pint
Beets, 1 lb
Carrots, 1 bunch
Kale, 1 bunch
Lettuce, 1 head
Basil, 1/4 lb

Past recipes that will be useful for this week's share are:
Fresh tomato salsa
Pesto
Kale Chips

New recipes for this week:

Roast Carrots and Beets
1 lb beets
1 bunch carrots
1 onion
1 bulb garlic
2 Tb olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Chop beets, carrots, and onion into uniform sized chunks, about 1 inch or less. Mince garlic. Toss beets, carrot, and onion chunks with garlic and olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Roast in a 400 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until very soft and beginning to brown. Yum - one of our favorites.

A few wonderful Tomato and Basil recipes:

Tomato and Basil Appetizers

These tomato slices simply topped with freshly sliced basil and salt and pepper. Prepare these tomatoes about 30 minutes before serving and allow them to come to room temperature.

• 2 large tomatoes
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 large basil leaves, chopped or rolled and sliced thinly (chiffonade)
• vinaigrette or salad dressing

Slice tomatoes; arrange on a serving plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then the chopped basil. Let stand for 30 minutes. Serve with vinaigrette, salad dressing, grated cheese, or serve as is. http://southernfood.about.com/od/tomatoes/r/bl30620l.htm

Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe:

• 3 pounds tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, cook tomatoes and basil over medium-low heat until tomatoes are soft. Meanwhile, in medium skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add onion mixture to tomato mixture and add salt and pepper. Let simmer on low heat for 2 hours or until thick.

CSA Share #11, Aug. 15th, 2011

Tomatoes                        1 pint blueberries

½ lb green beans            1 lb red onions

Cucumbers                        Summer squash

Basil Bag                        1 lb beets

1 head cabbage

Farm News:

            We’re a little sad this week because it is our apprentice Carisa’s last week before she goes back to school. Luckily, we have our other great apprentice, Dave, here with us and a new girl, Caitie,  slated to arrive on the 25^th!

            We harvested the garlic two weeks ago, and it has been drying down in our greenhouse. This week we will hang it in the barn to continue the drying process. We’re also hoping to harvest all of our storage onions this week or next week, and they, too will get laid out in the greenhouse to dry for a few weeks before getting trimmed and bagged for winter. Our other big project this week is getting all of our blueberries raked. Next week will probably be the last week for blueberries.

            Mostly in August we just harvest harvest harvest all the time, and try to squeeze a little sleep in too!

            No Lettuce or salad this week – we are between successional plantings in both – but the leafy greens will return next week. In the meantime, enjoy the fruits of summer!

           

Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Fresh Pesto Pasta

1 bag basil

1/2 cup Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta with diced fresh tomatoes.

Super Easy Sautéed Summer Squash

4 small summer squash or 2 to 3 medium

1/4 cup vegetable broth or chicken broth

2 cloves garlic, diced

 1 onion, diced

 About a dozen medium basil leaves, chopped roughly

 Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Oil a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Sauté the sliced summer squash, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth to the skillet and continue cooking and stirring for a few minutes longer, until almost tender. Add the garlic and green onions and continue cooking and stirring until tender but still a bit firm. Stir in the basil and add salt and pepper to taste.