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

Finally Catching Up!

After losing the use of our computer for a few weeks and then being swamped ever since, I am finally catching the blog back up! Here are the CSA Newsletters and contents for the last few weeks...

Share # 7

Tuesday, July 24^th

What You’re Getting:

Head Lettuce, 1 head

Swiss Chard, 1 bunch

Kohlrabi, 1 head

Zucchini and Summer Squash, 2 lbs

Cukes, 1 lb

Baby carrots, 1 bunch

Garlic, 2 heads

Basil, ¼ lb

Farm News:

We are just getting in to the part of the season where we harvest harvest harvest and try to sneak in our other tasks whenever we can. Looks like next week we will finally get you some peppers and tomatoes! They are starting to ripen in larger numbers now.

We have been way too dry lately, and are really hoping for rain here. Do a rain dance for us! We can irrigate some things at our home fields, but can’t irrigate at our leased fields.

Blueberry report: It doesn’t look good. Our field was apparently pollinated very poorly this year, possibly due to the rainy weather we were having during flowering, and the berries are very sparse, possibly too sparse to rake. We have been buying in berries to sell in the farmstand, and you are more then welcome to come by the farmstand and buy some of those, but we’re not sure what we will be able to harvest to put in the shares. We are hoping to get you some at least in one share.

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Summer Squash Salad

From the James Beard Foundation (http://www.jamesbeard.org/recipes/insalata-di-zucchine-e-menta-raw-summer-squash-salad)

    1/4 cup dried currants (or raisins)

    1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

    1/4 cup raw pine nuts (or chopped walnuts)

    2 medium yellow squash, seeded and julienned

    2 medium green zucchini, seeded and julienned

    1 green Serrano chile, thinly sliced

    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

    Juice from 1 lemon

    1/2 bunch mint, thinly sliced

    1/4 cup chopped oil-cured black olives

    1/4 cup sliced ricotta salata

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine the currants, cayenne and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Drain currants.

Spread pine nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet and bake until lightly golden and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes.

Combine the yellow squash, zucchini, and chile with the olive oil and lemon juice. Add the mint, olives, ricotta salata, pine nuts and currants. Gently toss together, season to taste with salt and pepper, and divide among serving plates.

Stir Fried Lettuce

    1 head lettuce

    2 teaspoons soy sauce

    1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

    3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

    1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

    2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

    1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger

    1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil (such as Kadoya)

Wash the lettuce, drain and separate the leaves. It’s important to make sure the lettuce is dry). Cut across the leaves into pieces about 1 inch wide. Combine the rice wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring. Set aside. Heat a wok on medium-high heat and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Stir-fry until aromatic (5 - 10 seconds) and add the lettuce. Stir-fry the lettuce, sprinkling with the salt, for 1 - 2 minutes, until the leaves begin to wilt. Give the sauce a quick re-stir and swirl it into the wok. Stir-fry for 1 - 2 more minutes, until the lettuce turns dark green. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Share # 6
Tuesday, July 17thWhat You’re Getting:

Head Lettuce, 2 heads
Kohlrabi, 1 bulb
Scallions, 1 bunch
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Parsley, 1 bunch
Zucchini and summer squash, 1 lb
Sugar snap peas
Garlic, 2 bulbs

Whew, we’ve sure been sweating around here with
the summer heat and humidity! The plants seem to
love it, everything is growing in leaps and bounds...
but we sure could use a little rain!

If anyone needs extras beyond what’s in their share,
the farmstand is now open four days a week:

Tuesday 3:00-7:00 (during CSA pickup)
Friday 12:00-7:00
Sat. and Sun. 10:00-6:00

You are all invited to our annual CSA Farm Dinner,
on Tuesday, August 7th at 5:00 pm. It will start with
a farm tour and then we will have a great dinner
made from our farm grown veggies and other
products. We prepare all the food, all you have to do
is show up! We hope you will be able to attend.
Email us to RSVP! Thanks!

Enjoy!
Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Grilled Summer Squash with Lime Cilantro
Dressing

Dressing:
¼ cup lime juice
2 Tbsp. shallot, minced
1 tsp. garlic, minced¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
½ Tbsp. thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime zest
1 lb zucchini, bias cut ¼” thick slices
1 lb yellow squash, bias cut ¼” thick slices

1. Preheat a grill.
2. Lime and cilantro dressing: Combine the lime
juice, shallots, and garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle with a
pinch of salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes,
Whisk in the olive oil. Adjust the seasoning with salt
and pepper. Stir in the cilantro.
3. Combine the extra virgin olive oil, garlic, thyme
and lime zest in a large bowl. Toss in
the zucchini and yellow squash. Adjust the seasoning
with salt and pepper.
4. Grill until just tender. Toss with cilantro and lime
dressing.

Source: The Culinary Institute of America at
Greystone, Napa Valley, California

Sugar Snap Peas with Scallions and Lettuce

1/2 cup Scallions sliced
4 leaves Organic Romaine Lettuce shredded
1/2 pound Sugar Snap Peas
Salt and Pepper to your taste
1 tablespoon Butter
1 tablespoon Oil

Slice scallions, including the green tops. Shred the
lettuce. Remove any tough strings from the snap peas
and cook peas in boiling salted water until tender,
about 5 minutes. Drain.

In a large frying pan, melt butter in the oil over
medium-low heat. Add scallions and 1/4 teaspoon
salt. Cover and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add snap peas and cook, stirring, until heated
through. Add the lettuce and stir until wilted. Taste
for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

http://www.recipebridge.com/g/297/2147786537/sug
ar-snap-peas-with-scallions-and-lettuce


CSA Share #5

Tuesday, July 10th

What You’re Getting:

Head Lettuce, 1 head

Salad mix, ¼ lb

Basil, ¼ lb

Kale, 1 bunch

Carrots, 1 mini bunch

Scallions, 1 bunch

Garlic Scapes, 1 bunch

1 greenhouse cucumber

 

Farm News:

We got our computer back! Hooray! Thanks for being patient while we were technologically impaired. In the last few weeks, things have really started to produce. We ate our very first few ripe cherry tomatoes and are hoping to be giving those out soon, maybe in two weeks.. they start in a trickle, but the flood will come!

We haven’t giving you guys salad mix yet this year. In the past we have alternated head lettuce one week, and then salad mix the next week. We haven’t been able to do that this year, as some of the earlier rains this year really washed a lot of nutrition out of the field where the salad is growing, and it’s been performing poorly ever since. However, we decided you guys had waited long enough, and we’ll start out by supplementing your head lettuce with a little salad bag.

The carrots from this week and last week were from the greenhouse – after this we’ll have to wait a few more weeks for the field carrots to size up.

Summer is really truly here! Summer squash, peppers, onions, tomatoes, beets, new potatoes… all coming soon!

Enjoy!

Christa, Mike, and Lizzy

Recipes:

Garlic Scape Pesto


1 bunch garlic scapes


¼  cup grated parmesan cheese


Olive oil (about ¼  cup)


Pine nuts if available (Walnuts do fine, too)

Chop the garlic scapes into 3 inch lengths. Put it in the food processor and process until pureed. Add the parmesan and nuts and process until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil as the food processor runs and continue until all the oil is combined into the garlic.  Serve over pasta. Will store well in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator. Also freezes excellently for winter use! Makes enough for 1 lb pasta.

You can add some basil to this too!

Scallion Pancakes

This is one of my all-time favorites – a dumbed down version of the amazing Korean scallion pancakes a friend used to make for us.

1 bunch scallions                       

1 t salt                                                ½ cup water

1 ½ cups flour                                    soy sauce

4 eggs                                                lemon juice

½ cup vegetable oil                        red wine vinegar

            Remove the scallion roots and dice the whole bunch (use all the green, right up to the tips!).  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a smaller bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and water, mixed thoroughly. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture, and mix well, until there are little to no lumps. Stir in chopped scallions. Oil the surface of a large skillet or griddle, and heat until water flicked onto it pops and fizzles. Pour the batter on, about 1 cup per pancake, spreading the mixture out with your spatula to achieve a nice thin pancake. Fry until golden brown on each side. Serve with a sauce made from ½ soy sauce, ¼ lemon juice, and ¼ red wine vinegar. 

CSA Share #4, Tuesday July 3rd

Hi CSA Folks!
Unfortunately, we have still not gotten our computer back from the fixers yet, so no blogpost or newsletter again, but here's hoping that we'll be able to catch up on those by next week.

Pick up is TODAY!

Here's what's is this week's share:

Standard Share

2 Heads Lettuce
1 bunch Swiss Chard
1 Kohlrabi
1 bunch Hakurei
1 bunch garlic scapes
1 mini bunch carrots
Snap peas


Family Share

4 Heads Lettuce
2 bunches Swiss Chard
2 Kohlrabi
2 Bunches Hakurei
2 bunches garlic scapes
1 large bunch carrots
Snap peas

Enjoy your 4th!

Thanks,
Christa and Mike

CSA Share #3, Tuesday, June 26th:

Hi CSAers!
We are sadly without a computer this week, so this will be short and sweet.

In the standard shares this week:
1 Head lettuce
1 Kohlrabi
1 Greenhouse cuke
Snap peas
1 Bunch hakurei summer turnips
1 Bunch radishes
1 Bunch kale

In the full shares:
2 Head lettuce
2 Kohlrabi
1 Greenhouse cuke
2 Snap peas
2 Bunch hakurei summer turnips
2 Bunch radishes
2 Bunch kale
If you haven't had kohlrabi before, it's delicious! Just peel and eat!


Thanks!
See you this afternoon!

2011 CSA Share #4, June 28th

1 bunch kale                         

1 bunch scallions           

1 bunch garlic scapes

1 bunch Hakurei summer turnip

½ lb salad mix

2 head pac choi

Farm News:

I spent most of this week wondering if I was going to have to set up irrigation, and after yesterday’s downpour, the answer is definitely not! Mike and I both got poured on at the farmers markets in Bath and Camden yesterday. Luckily, plants need water too, and we’re hoping to see them make good use of it this week.

            Things here have been going wonderfully – with the help of our fantastic apprentices, we have been able to add an additional farmers market, enlarge the CSA, and are still feeling sane! Lizzy comes out to the fields with us for at least part of each day, and entertains us all. Although some of our crops will be later than last year due to the wet, cool April and May weather (Namely peas, carrots, and a few other things), most of our crops are looking beautiful. Green tomatoes are on the vine… we’re excited!

Thanks so much!

Christa, Mike, and little Lizzy

Recipes of the Week:

Roasted Kale Chips

·       1 bunch kale, washed and spun dry

·       3 Tablespoons olive oil

·       1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

·       Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with nonstick pan coating.

Use a sharp knife to cut along each side of the central rib; remove ribs. Tear leaves into 2-inch pieces and place in large mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, stir together olive oil and vinegar with a fork. Drizzle over kale leaves; toss to coat evenly. Use tongs to lay kale leaves in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Roast kale for 5 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven and gently toss leaves with tongs or spatula; return to oven. Roast another 5 minutes, or until the kale is crispy and browned. The leaves with crisp further on standing, so don’t allow them to get too dark in the oven or they’ll be bitter. Let stand one minute on baking sheet, then remove to plate and serve.

What are garlic scapes?

Garlic scapes are the stalk and flower bud of the garlic plant. Some people believe that removing them from the plant encourages the garlic bulb to grow larger. Whether it does or not, we’re not sure, but they are delicious either way. They have a fresh garlic flavor, milder than the garlic bulb. They can be used as a replacement for garlic in any dish, or can be prepared on their own. They are delicious on the grill, chopped up into stir fry, or pureed and added to tomato sauce. Our favorite way to eat them, however, is as flavorful pesto.

Garlic Scape Pesto

• 1 bunch garlic scapes

• ¼  cup grated parmesan cheese

• Olive oil (about ¼  cup)

• Pine nuts if available (Walnuts do fine, too)

Chop the garlic scapes into 3 inch lengths. Put it in the food processor and process until pureed. Add the parmesan and nuts and process until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil as the food processor runs and continue until all the oil is combined into the garlic.  Serve over pasta. Will store well in an air-tight jar in the refrigerator. Also freezes excellently for winter use! Makes enough for 1 lb pasta.