2013 CSA week 12
August 28, 2013CSA week 12 August 21st 2013
In The Box:
½ lb ‘Pimente di Padron’
1 bunch Basil
2 zucchini
2 lb Potatoes ‘Jaqueline Lee’
1 lb of Cherry Tomatoes
1 Sweet Yellow Onion
1 melon ‘Butterscotch’ or ‘Charentais’
3 ears of Sweet Corn
2 Sweet Peppers ‘Gypsy’
I’ve been asked to speak at a friends wedding this coming weekend and in wracking my brain for the words that will allow me to wax poetic I have realized two things; firstly that years of reading fairytales to my daughter have given me a warped perspective on true love and secondly; there are a lot of parallels between successful farming and a successful marriage. Both require an unwavering dedication to the cause, an almost superhuman ability to compromise and in each case, when there is the right mix of passion, appreciation and effort, the rewards are real and tangible.
The new farm is beginning to feel like home even though I’m only there three days a week and the blessing that is our awesome crew ensures that everything doesn’t fall apart when I am. Throwing myself headlong into the ornamental tree nursery business has brought with it a steep learning curve. We would never have been able to buy this land if it weren’t for the inventory present and the business in place to sell it, but we need to clear some of the land faster and more completely than historical tree sales will allow. One of the issues I face is not wanting to rush into decisions, wanting to transition as quickly and smoothly as possible while considering the long term implications of our decisions and actions. All of the what goes where, when and how decisions are so much more difficult without having been here long enough to have a real sense of the land and how it moves through the seasons. The first order of business is to clear around five acres of land for our overwintering and early spring planted crops. Onions, garlic, fava beans, etc. will all have to be planted here before the end of the year to ensure a good crop next season. We also need to prepare ground for our field production greenhouses and propagation houses both of which we usually begin seeding into in late January. Never one to admit that I like to bite of more than I can chew, I will continue with that stance, after all, I’ve already won the hand of the princess and I don’t sit still long enough for the evil witch to find me.
The boxes this week continue their gradual morph through the season as we see the first of the peppers. The little green peppers in the bag are Pimente di Padron and hail from Galicia, Spain. A popular Spanish saying about Padrón Peppers: Unos Pican Otros No, Some are Hot, Some are Not. That’s because less than 10% of the peppers are hot and the person who is “lucky” enough to get a hot one is usually surprised by the heat. We refer to them around here as the Russian Roulette of the pepper world. These tiny peppers have become so popular that they have their own festival! The Padrón Pepper festival has been celebrated in the villages of Herbón and Padrón for over 30 years. It starts in the early morning with a traditional tractor parade. The procession travels two kilometers from the village of Herbón to Padrón with an enthusiastic crowd of both locals and visitors. Participants in the festival get to taste the latest crop of peppers served with corn bread, which is also typical of the region. As with any Spanish festival, musicians provide entertainment throughout the afternoon and into the evening hours.
Simply saute the peppers in a hot skillet (preferably cast iron) with a little olive oil. Toss frequently until blistered and very lightly charred. Sprinkle on some salt and snack away. Keep a cold beer or glass of chilled wine handy incase you get a hot one, they don’t call them ‘barkeeper’s friend’ for nothing. Both of our little ones love them but be sure to nibble the end of any peppers any really young kids are going to eat to make sure they’re not spicy….nobody needs that!
A quick reminder that there are Creative Growers Farm raised pork shares available from our farm hand Cain. Happy animals raised well!
Enjoy,
Dave, Lori and the crew
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