Posted on November 18, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
2015 CSA week 25 November 18th
In The Box
Bunch Baby Fordhook Chard
Sugarsnax Carrots
Green Cabbage
Bag of Winter Salad Mix
Pie Pumpkin
Onions
Russet Norkota Potatoes
Hello,
Sooooo………..We made it to the end of the CSA growing season and yesterdays weather during harvest was a dramatic punctuation and a fitting expression of how this season felt. Tossed around at the will of the elements!
While I feel this year was a mild improvement over last season there is plenty of room for improvement as we gain a stronger foothold on the new land. We have already started the planning process for next season and are looking at making some significant changes in how we do things. I’ll send out regular notes through the winter to keep you all informed as to what we’re thinking and illicit feedback.
As we approach Thanksgiving in the wake of the recent tragedy in Paris the perspective of gratitude has never been clearer. Many of you have been with us for years and have supported us through good years and bad. Some of you are new members and we hope that even in this challenged year we were able to come close to meeting expectations.
However long you have been with us, we are truly thankful that you chose to support us in this whackadoodle adventure. With so much access to fresh local food in our community it is truly an expression of values to join a CSA and we hope that if we aren’t the farm for you that you consider one of the other CSA’s in the area. All of us are a little different. The Portland Area CSA Coalition website is a good place to compare local CSAs.
From all of us here at the farm we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and a warm and safe winter.
Enjoy,
Dave
P.S.
We’ll be swinging by the pick up sites the week after next so if you could try to return your empty box or tote by then it would be appreciated.
Diogenes, the ancient Greek philosopher, once advised a young courtier, “If you lived on cabbage, you would not be obliged to flatter the powerful.”
To which the courtier replied, “If you flattered the powerful, you would not be obliged to live upon cabbage.”
RECIPES:
Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
Serves 6. adapted from Gourmet
4 cups finely shredded carrot
4 cups finely shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
In a large bowl toss together the carrot and the cabbage. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, the sugar, the oil, and the salt. Just before serving add the dressing
to the vegetables and toss the slaw well.
Braised Cabbage adapted from the Victory Garden Cookbook
two ways: butter braised and broth braised:
Butter Braised:
4-6 T butter
2-3 t curry powder (optional)
8 cups finely sliced cabbage (this goes quickly with a sharp knife or a food processor)
S & P to taste
Heat 4 T of the butter with curry powder (if using) in a large saute pan. Add the sliced cabbage and stir to coat with butter. Cover, lower heat, and cook gently for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the cabbage is tender. Season with S & P. Add more butter if you like. (Makes 4-5 cups)
Broth Braised Cabbage
8 cups finely sliced cabbage (this goes quickly with a sharp knife or a food processor)
1/2 Cup chicken, beef or vegetable broth
S & P to taste
2 T butter (optional)
Put all ingredients in a covered saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until just tender, stirring or tossing occasionally. Or, cook covered in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or longer, until tender. The timing depends on the cabbage variety and the size of the slices. (Makes 4-5 cups)
* substitute wine for broth or butter
* use bacon or duck fat rather than butter
CHARD
Greens Tacos
This recipe is one of my favorite breakfast recipes, but of course it would work at any time of day. Please note the amounts given are approximate, I don’t measure anything when I make these. You could use more or less of any one of these ingredients. Serves 2-3
3/4 pounds greens, cleaned well and sliced into approximate 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons cooking oil
2 stalks green garlic, cleaned as a leek and chopped, or another allium family, whatever you have on hand (onion, green onion, garlic, leek…..)
Pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne
2 Tablespoons cream cheese
4-6 small corn tortillas or 2-3 larger flour ones
Heat the oil and add the garlic, having the greens ready to go, and cook garlic for about 30 seconds. Then add greens and cook until bright green and wilted, add red pepper (and salt and black pepper if you like). Take off heat and stir in cream cheese. Heat tortillas, divide filling among them. Eat and enjoy.
IDEAS FOR CHARD
– Saute chard with garlic in olive oil. Put a cover on the pan and allow chard to steam for about 5 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and , if desired, some hot pepper flakes before serving.
– Blanch the leaves and add to soup. Try substituting chard for spinach or arugula in soup recipes.
– Make a gratin with the stems: Boil the stems until tender (about 30 minutes). Put them in a gratin dish, add seasonings (such as a little garlic and parsley), top with a bechamel sauce and cook under broiler until golden brown.
– Blanch the whole leaves and stuff them with meat or vegetable fillings.
Food writer Fay Levy says that in Lebanon, chard leaves are wrapped around rice fillings, like grape leaves.
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Posted on November 11, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
2015 CSA week 24 November 11th
In The Box
Russian or Dino Kale
Sugarsnax Carrots
Mixed Peppers
Beets OR French Breakfast Radish OR Winter Radish
Butternut Squash
Onions
Russet Norkota Potatoes
Hello,
A couple of quick logistical notes for today:
Both the Fremont and Multnomah Cafes will be closing at 4:00PM today for meetings. There will be people at the Fremont cafe until 5:00 but if you get there after 4:00 you’ll have to use your bread coupon on another day. At Multnomah any boxes not picked up by 4:00 will be put on the front porch of the cafe. (I hope, as I’m waiting on confirmation from the cafe manager)
A strange bright yellow orb hung in the cloud filled sky for a few moments this morning causing the crew to cower in fear like some ancient civilization being visited by UFO’s. After explaining that it was in fact just the sun everyone went back to work. A little short handed due to a nasty cold making it’s way around the farm means that some items may not be as well washed as we would have liked. A mad rush that went well into the dark hours last night had the healthy portion of our crew going above and beyond to get everything ready for this mornings box pack.
A few of you will receive winter radishes in your boxes today. The black ones are a Spanish heirloom “Nero Tondo” The white ones are a Chinese “watermelon” radish. One slice into these crisp roots will explain why. Best eaten raw, thinly sliced and drizzled with oil and vinegar, they can also be cooked in a stir fry or soup.
The baby beets are best roasted whole in a shallow covered baking dish with a little water at 400 until tender. remove, cool and the skins will slip off easily under running water. Toss with your favorite dressing and serve over a nice kale salad.
The Russet Norkota potato is a good masher or roaster and makes excellent oven fries.
Enjoy,
Dave
RECIPES:
Beijing Radish Salad
This can be made with watermelon radishes or other types…
1 bunch watermelon radishes or one medium daikon radish
2 tablespoons rice or balsamic vinegar (or a combination)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Wash and julienne radishes. They can be peeled or not as you like. I often use a mandoline to do the julienne-ing, or you can grate them. Mix together the rest of the ingredients and dress the radishes with the dressing.
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Posted on October 28, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
Winter Brassicas, Fall Colors and Mud
2015 CSA week 22 October 28th
In The Box
Russian Kale
Sugarsnax Carrots
Corno di Toro and Bell Peppers
Salad Mix
Delicata Squash
Beets
Cherry Tomatoes OR Broccoli
Hello,
The tail end of the CSA season always comes with mixed emotions. Shorter days don’t mean shorter lists of things to do and the pace of muddy boot, rain gear clad farmers and farm hands doesn’t match that of the frenetic dog days of summer. No longer solar powered we draw cold comfort from the knowledge that the season is sadly drawing to a close. A mixed bag of a season with the battles won countable on a single hand and the war waging on. This transitional stage of our farms story lingers beyond what my fatally optimistic self foresaw and I have felt a lot like sisiphous ever since the universe (and my realtor mother) first brought us to this new farm. Still so thankful for the opportunity to make a life here on this beautiful piece of land and for all of the people and families that support us. But as we come to the close of our second season here it still feels like “the new farm” in both good and bad ways. Still so much to learn about this land, this micro climate, this soil and with business as usual being not enough time, money or people it will be a lifelong process. There have been times over the last two seasons when my relationship with this place has seemed more like a confrontation than a loving embrace. Each of us, this land and me coming to terms with each others strengths and weaknesses, finding peace in compromise and a shared vision of health and beauty. As I come to terms with what was to me a less than stellar CSA season (It’s all relative) we are already looking to make changes to how we will do things here. Adjusting the scope and scale of our vision for this place with a lot more knowledge than when we had two years ago.
Enjoy,
Dave
RECIPES:
CARROT AND BEET SALAD WITH GINGER VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup
2 tbsp.
1 clove
1/4 cup
1 tbsp.
1/2 tsp.1/2 cup
4 cups
4 cups |
minced shallot
minced peeled fresh ginger
garlic, minced
rice vinegar (available at Asian markets and some supermarkets)
soy sauce
Asian (toasted) sesame oil
Tabasco to taste
olive oil
finely shredded carrots
finely shredded peeled raw beets (about 3/4 pound) |
In a blender puree shallot, ginger, and garlic with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and Tabasco. With motor running add olive oil in a stream and blend until smooth.
In separate bowls toss carrots with half of the dressing and beets with remaining half. Serves 6. Gourmet, April 1994
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Posted on October 21, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
Another fogged in morning
2015 CSA week 21 October 21st
In The Box
Russian Kale
Sugarsnax Carrots
Gypsy and Jimmy Nardello Peppers
Leeks
Acorn Squash
Green Toamtoes
Cherry Tomatoes OR Broccoli
Eggplant OR Melon
Hello,
Another foggy morning on the farm makes it hard to get going for farmers and farm hands alike. The soup like air mirrored on the inside of season wearied minds. It seems like the seasonally transitional boxes just keep going which is fine with me, I’m not sure I’m quite ready for winter’s seasonal eating just yet. The days of roots squash and hearty greens will be the norm soon enough, one more side of roasted eggplant or peppers fried with eggs works for me.
Green tomatoes in your boxes today as we ready ourselves to break down the tomato trellises and get that block worked down and seeded in cover crop for the winter. See below for some ideas beyond the classic fried green tomatoes.
Turnips, WInter Radishes, Chicory Greens and Cabbage should all be making an appearance in your boxes soon as we move into the inevitable c
Enjoy,
Dave
RECIPES:
Fried Green Tomatoes
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
4 medium sized green tomatoes
3/4 cup fine cornmeal
3-4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
salt & pepper
Green Chile Mayonnaise
Slice the tomatoes crosswise 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Press each piece into a plate of cornmeal and coat on both sides. Heat oil in a wide skillet over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and fry on both sides until golden. Remove to plate, season with salt and pepper. Green Chile Mayonnaise Add several minced and seeded jalapeños or 1-2 unseeded poblano or serrano chiles to 1 cup homemade or purchased mayonnaise.
Green Tomato Corn Muffins
2 cups seeded, diced green tomatoes (about 3/4 lb.)
1/2 cup butter, melted and divided
2 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix
5 large eggs
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Sauté tomatoes and 2 Tbsp. sugar in 2 Tbsp. melted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes or until tomatoes begin to caramelize and turn light brown.
2. Stir together cornmeal mix, lemon zest, and remaining 6 Tbsp. sugar in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together eggs, sour cream, and remaining 6 Tbsp. butter; add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in tomatoes.
3. Generously coat small (1/4 cup) brioche molds or muffin pans with butter; spoon batter into molds, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 450° for 15 to 17 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Green Tomato and Squash Soup
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup diced bacon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
2 pounds green tomatoes, chopped
1/2 pound acorn squash, diced small
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Creme fraiche
Directions:
1. Cook bacon in olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until crispy. Add leeks, garlic, and bay leaf, cooking until fragrant, about 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, squash, broth, water, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until squash tomatoes are very tender.
3. Let soup cool and transfer half of it to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended soup back into pot with the rest of the soup and heat again to serve.
4. Top each bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche.
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Posted on September 30, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
Bloodmoon eclipse oooooh
2015 CSA week 18 September 30th
In The Box
cucumber
charentais OR butterscotch melon OR broccoli
green bell peppers
sugarsnax carrots
new potatoes
delicata squash
fresh shelling beans
Hello,
Another week flies by on the farm as the normal fall zombie state falls upon myself and the crew. Glazed expressions, gutteral mumblings and heavy leg shuffles all commonplace sightings these days. The cloudy morning adding to the general prevailing mental foginess.
Another seasonally transitional box, with melons and cucumbers allowing us to try to hang on to the last vestiges of summer.
Fresh shelling beans:
Some of you will have the dragons tongue shelling beans from last week and some a french flageolet bean.Both types need to be shelled prior to cooking!
The flageolet bean is a variety of the common bean originating from France. The flageolet is picked before full maturity and dried in the shade to retain its green color.(it is a rare treat to have them fresh.) The bean is small, light green, and kidney-shaped. The texture is firm and creamy when shelled and cooked.
Delicata squash:
This is a favorite on the farm and one of the easiest to prepare as a delicious snack or side dish. Thin-skinned, there is no need to peel them. A length-wise slice from end to end is the toughest maneuver, and from there it’s typically smooth going. A quick drag of a spoon clears the seeds, and a run of cuts yields a perfect deck of scalloped crescents. More often then not, at this point, I’ll toss in olive oil and roast the squash at 400 degrees until a few degrees shy of oblivion – it becomes golden, crusted, and perfect straight from the oven.
Enjoy,
Dave
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Posted on September 23, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
There will be brassicas
2015 CSA week 17 September 23rd
In The Box
cucumber
charentais OR butterscotch melon
gypsy and jimmy nardello peppers
leeks
cavalo nero kale
new potatoes
red kuri OR delicata squash
fresh shelling beans OR Japanese eggplant
Hello,
Fall is officially amongst us and the chilly mornings have all but put an end to my state of denial regarding the demise of summer. The end of the marathon sprint that this time of the year is for us proves to be a substantial one as we pour over the ridiculously long list of things we need to do before the inevitable onset of the rain. With one of our wells running completely dry last week and the other barely hanging on. Ironic that we sold a farm that was six feet under water more times than we care to remember only to by one that while having ample irrigation rights barely affords us the ability to “put the kettle on.”
The boxes, much like the season have come full circle with the reappearance of kale this week. Cavalo Nero Kale (aka Dinosaur Kale, black Kale or Italian kale) has been the “in” vegetable in recent years and rumor has it that cauliflower is the new kale!!??!!
The thin pepper in the box this week is “Jimmy Nardello.” This fine Italian pepper was grown each year by Giuseppe and Angella Nardiello, at their garden in the village of Ruoti, in Southern Italy. In 1887 they set sail with their one-year-old daughter Anna for a new life in the USA. When they reached these shores, they settled and gardened in Naugatuck, Connecticut, and grew this same pepper that was named for their fourth son Jimmy. This long, thin-skinned frying pepper dries easily and has such a rich flavor that this variety has been placed in “The Ark of Taste” by the Slow Food organization.
Some of you are lucky enough to have fresh shelling beans in your box today. Those that don’t will see them next week.
Fresh shell beans in their pods can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. Good air circulation is important to prevent mold. Once shelled, the beans should be covered or put in a plastic bag and refrigerated no longer than overnight. Cooked beans will keep for a day or so in the refrigerator, submerged in their cooking liquid.
Fresh shelling beans are one of the great treats of local eating. Shell them and cook them in soups or simply braised as a side dish—they have an extra creamy texture and wonderful clean but earthy flavor.
Unlike their dried counterparts, there is no need to soak them before using. Most fresh shelling beans require 20 to 30 minutes to cook, so add them to recipes accordingly.
Enjoy,
Dave
RECIPES:
Beans and Greeens
- 1 pound shelling beans
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 bunch greens (kale, collard, turnip, or mustard)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Shell the beans. In a large pot or saute pan heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are just tender, about 45 minutes.
- Roughly chop and add the greens and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook until the greens are silken, about 45 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Variations:
- Cook 2 to 4 oz. chopped bacon or pancetta until the fat renders and the meat starts to crisp before adding the garlic in Step 1.
- Brown 4 to 8 chicken pieces in the pot before starting the recipe. Set the browned chicken aside. Return the chicken to the pot with the greens.
- Brown 4 to 8 sausages in the pot before starting the recipe. Cut them into bite-size pieces and return them to the pot with the greens.
- Add 2 to 4 chopped andouille or other smoked sausages to the pot with the garlic.
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Posted on September 16, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
2015 CSA week 16 September 16th
In The Box
cucumber
eggplant or summer squash
roma tomatoes
charentais or butterscotch melon
gypsy peppers
baby fennel
new potatoes
green and gold acorn squash
Hello,
I am officially spread too thin. WIth farm transition year two still kicking our rears and two guys quitting unexpectedly to go help with the early wine grape harvest it has been an insane couple of weeks. The farm continues its transition into fall production with a new list of tasks relative to getting the summer crop ground put to bed for the winter and the fall and winter crops taken care of. The transition (yes that’s the 3rd time I’ve used the word ‘transition’ in this paragraph but it speaks well to the state of things right now) is well refelcted in the boxes this week with both melons and winter squash present. The melons are either a french charentais type (ribbed, netted skin) or a butterscotch melon (smooth green/grey to yellow) The charentais It is a small variety of melon, similar in flesh to cantaloupes, but with a more fragrant smell. It was developed in western France around 1920 as a more refined cantaloupe. Some think the butterscotch melons have a taste reminiscent of butterscotch, hence the name. The flesh is green near the rind, orange in the middle. The green part is not only edible, but sweet. The pepper is Antohi Romanian gypsy pepper. It is amazing how seeds travel the world with people.
This sweet pepper came to the US with Jan Antohi, an acrobat who defected here from Romanian in 1991.
The yellow acorn squash is an heirloom from the Gill Brothers Seed Company of Oregon. Gills Golden Pippin is probably the best tasting of all acorns; the bright yellow, small acorn-shaped fruit have a sweet flesh that’s very flavorful!
Enjoy,
Dave
RECIPES
Roast Squash Appetizers
1 acorn squash
1-2 T mascapone cheese
4-6 sage leaves, chopped
2 portabella mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sour baguette, refreshed in the oven and then sliced into thin rounds
chives, chopped
Heat the oven to 400. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise, and put cut side down on some parchment on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until very soft and caramelized, 45-60 minutes. Cool and scoop out the seeds and strings. Then scoop out the flesh and mash it together in a small bowl. Add a little salt, the mascarpone, and the sage.
Taste for seasoning. While the squash roasts, roast the portabella caps. Discard the stems, and drizzle some olive oil, some salt, and some of the garlic on the gill side of each portabella cap. Roast those in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until very soft. When cool, cut into small wedges. Spread a little roasted squash on a crostini, top it with a wedge or two of mushroom, finish with a little chive sprinkle, and serve.
Polenta Stuffed Squash
You can turn this into a complete meal by serving this over a legume salad. Yum!
1 acorn squash, halved
2 c milk
1/2 c polenta
butter
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
3 T tarragon leaves, chopped
1/2 lemon
3 T marscapone
sprouts for garnish
Put the squash cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast at 400 until the squash is soft all the way through, about an hour. Scoop out the seeds and strings. In a small saucepan heat the milk with some salt. Add the polenta slowly, whisking constantly, and cook until it thickens up, about 15 minutes. In a small skillet melt a tablespoon or two of butter and sauté the mushrooms with some salt until softened. Add the tarragon, juice from half a lemon, and the mascarpone. Stir well and then incorporate everything into the polenta. Stir and taste again to make sure you like it. Scoop the polenta into the squash and serve everything warm, topped with some sprouts tossed in oil and a little lemon.
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Posted on September 2, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
Fall beets, fall sky (on the weed now list!)
2015 CSA week 14 September 2nd
In The Box
cucumber
onions
heirloom tomatoes
sweetcorn or carrots
red and green peppers
baby fennel
new potatoes
baby romaine lettuce or salad mix
Hello,
A crazy wind storm that had us fearing for the greenhouses and a substantial amount of rain seems have been the shift into fall this year. Nothing subtle about how that went down.
Summer rain always has us worried about the heirloom tomatoes. The sudden extra moisture in the ground and sometimes even high humidity can cause the riper fruit to split. One of the many reasons these varieties aren’t produced by big agribiz. These varieties have been selected through generations for their flavor and not much else and I believe there isn’t even a comparison in the world of green harvested, gas ripened, out of season grocery store tomatoes. Their season is always too short lived for me and we make the most of it’s briefness eating as many as we can.
Lettuce and salad mix are back, a reflection of the cooler temps the greens like. Look for more cooler weather crops to start joining the tomatoes and peppers over the next few weeks. Soon enough we’ll be turning the greenhouses back to fall and winter crops as well as the early tomatoes in those houses are done. Hopefully the corn some of you got this week is better than the meager little nuggets of last week. Sometimes we think putting something in the box even though its challenged in some way is a good idea but it doesn’t always pan out. With 200 shares packed and going out each week and a bleary eyed overworked crew at the helm, the details and importance of what we are trying to do can get lost in the chaos and I’m often spread too thin to micro manage the way I like to.
Those of you getting carrots, We thought an Imperator carrot with flavor was an oxymoron until we met Sugarsnax and It’s all we’ve grown since. Sweet and crisp and high in beta carotene.
Enjoy,
Dave
RECIPES:
Refrigerator Cucumbers
Several cucumbers
Several Onions
dill
garlic
peppercorns
bay leaf
salt
Rice Vinegar, alone or mixed with white vinegar
Slice the cucumbers and onions. Layer in a large glass bowl or jar with the dill, sliced garlic, a few peppercorns, and a couple of bay leaves. Mix the vinegar(s) & salt (about 1/2 teaspoon per cup of vinegar) and then pour over cucumbers. They can be eaten within the hour or in several days. Keep in refrigerator. (Disclaimer: I make this recipe a little different each time: experiment with a salt/vinegar ratio and spices and flavorings that work for you.)
Fennel, SOME IDEAS from The Victory Garden Cookbook
-
Sprinkle chopped fennel leaves on hot baked oysters or clams.
Add cooked fennel to omelets, quiches, stuffings or sauces.
Add stalks to stocks for their flavor.
Add sliced sauteed fennel to fish chowders.
Cook fennel in your favorite tomato sauce
Place stalks and leaves on barbeque coals as they do in France. The fennel scent permeates the grilled food.
Slice steamed or blanched fennel, cover with a vinaigrette and serve chilled.
Chop raw fennel and add to tuna fish sandwiches.
Slice fennel thin and layer with raw potatoes, cream and cheese to make a potato au gratin.
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Posted on August 26, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
2015 CSA week 13 August 26th
In The Box
cucumber
2-3 onions
2.5 lb heirloom tomatoes
4 ears ‘lil’ sweetcorn
2 pints blueberries
2 green peppers
zucchini or zephyr summer squash
new potatoes
1 bunch baby fennel
1 bunch ‘Italian’ flat leaf parsley
Hello,
The halfway point of the CSA season and a lot of good eating ahead of us. Yay. With rain forecast for the weekend we begin to look even harder at fall and winter prep and planning. Big plantings happening tomorrow of cooler weather fall crops….kale, cabbages, cauliflower, etc and direct seedings coming up for turnips, winter radishes and the like.
Green peppers in the box this week as we’re thinning the fruit on the plants to hopefully speed up ripening on the remaining fruit. ‘Lil’ corn is the second picking of the lower ears from the first planting ‘Lil’ they are but still sweet and delicious. The first pick on the next planting looks like it will be ready for next week. Probably the last of the blueberries as they finally seem to have petered out for the season. Quite a run though…The first real flush of the heirloom tomatoes in your boxes along with hopes that the rain doesn’t cause too much splitting and cracking of the fruit for next week.
The farm can set my OCD off pretty well this time of year as the last of the clean up from late spring and early summer crops still lingers and the general mess generated from the last few weeks of go go go mode.
Lori thinks I need someone to follow me around the farm tidying up after my various repair projects and tasks (sounds good to me.) Maybe I’d lose less hammers that way.
Enjoy,
Dave
Marinated Tomato Salad with Fennel and Blue Cheese
Adapted from a Cook’s Country Magazine
1.5 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced into ½ inch wedges
2 baby fennel bulbs, sliced thin
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
- Toss tomatoes, fennel and salt in large bowl, then transfer to baking sheet lined with paper towels; let drain 15 minutes.
2. Return drained tomatoes and fennel to large bowl and toss with oil, vinegar, garlic, tarragon, and pepper. Let marinate 15 minutes. Sprinkle cheese over salad. Serve.
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Posted on August 19, 2015 by CreativeGrowers
2015 CSA week 12 August 19th
In The Box
1 bunch carrots / beets OR cucumber
2-3 onions
1 lb heirloom tomatoes
3 ears sweetcorn
2 pints blueberries
eggplant or peppers
zucchini or zephyr summer squash
new potatoes
Hello,
A box indicative of the weather we’ve seen lately, With the first of the corn and heirloom tomatoes making an appearance. Expect to see much more in the coming weeks as the tomato field production is really starting to take off. Some spotty pollination in the corn and a weaker end of the block makes it not the best corn we’ve ever grown but sweet and delicious none the less. No lettuce again as we lost several rotations to bolting (prematurely going to seed) due to the heat. Hoping to be back on track with greens next week. Busy here prepping new ground for all of our upcoming fall seedings and transplan
True new potatoes are a rare treat. A new potato is not a small potato but a fresh potato harvested from a green, growing potato plant. A somewhat scuffed, frayed appearance to the potato skin is a frequent consequence of harvesting such tender spuds and is unavoidable because the skin has not yet hardened. If left to mature new potatoes would get a little bigger and the skins would get tougher making for typical potatoes that are easier to harvest and ship. Unfortunately for the potato connoisseur the potato, once cured, always loses some of its tender moisture. New potatoes wilt and must be treated like green vegetables and stored in a bag in the fridge. When I get them as a first treat of the potato crop I never store them at all but eat them promptly. I like to steam them briefly and then roll the hot little potatoes in a little butter, a pinch of salt, and twist of pepper and voila! Do potatoes get any better?
Enjoy,
Dave
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