Wednesday, July 27, 2011

July 27th CSA

July 27, 2011
We have gotten 3 inches of rain since Sunday night and today is predicted to be in the mid 90s.  This will be excellent growing conditions for okra and eggplant as well as many diseases.  We are trying to pre-emptively treat crops in the hopes to stave off powdery mildew and late blight.  Here's hoping for a good winter squash harvest and continued tomatoes!
Anne's neice, Adrian, has been working on the farm for several weeks.  Sadly, she had to go home to Virginia to prepare for her senior year of high school. 
A beautiful coxcomb celosia

The Crew: from left Veronica, Phelan, Aaron, Anne, Meredith
in wheelbarrow Adrian and Addiebelle
This week's box includes:  1 lb potatoes, 3 lbs tomatoes, 1 1/2 lbs sweet onions, garlic, 1 yellow-fleshed honeydew, 1 savoy cabbage.  Full shares also get 1 lb chineses eggplant, more garlic and potatoes, 1 pint cherry tomatoes.
The sweet onions need to be stored in the refrigerator and are great raw in salads and very mild to cook with. 

Creamed Cabbage
cut core out of head of cabbage and shred
drop into boiling water and cook about 10 minutes
drain the water

make a white sauce:
melt over low heat 2 T butter
add 1 1/2 T flour and blend over low heat
stir in slowly, 1 cup milk
add 1 small onion
cook and stir with whisk until thickened and smooth.
add a pinch of nutmeg

add the cooked cabbage to the white sauce and bake for 10 minutes.

this is delicious served with meatballs, stirfried vegetables, or tomato sauce.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Beet Ice Cream at The Hop


So The Hop bought golden beets from us a couple of weeks ago and have used them in a new ice cream flavor.  We got a pint today and it was great.  Here's a link and if you get a chance, go try it.
http://hopicecream.tumblr.com/post/7588557268/homemade-local-golden-beet-ice-cream-thanks

bird inthe hand is worth 2 in the bush

a nest in the potatoe patch

July 13
The heat has made some seemingly quick changes to the crops.  All of a sudden, tomatoes are ripening and the onions for storage are about ready to harvest.  Both of these things are 2 weeks earlier than last year.  Also soon to be ripe are eggplant, okra, and peppers.  All the brassicas of early summer (broccoli, cabbage) are over and tilled in and we are preparing ground for the fall crops to go in.  Its hard to imagine it ever getting cool again but we have to plan(t) now for the food we'll eat in 2 months.

This weeks' box includes:  2 lb green beans, 1 lb tomatoes, 1 head savoy cabbage, 1 bunch yellow onions, 1/2 lb basil, 1 lb red new potatoes
Full shares also get:  3 fennel bulbs, 2 lb potatoes, 3 lb tomatoes, 1 bunch beets

The tomatoes you eat are all grown in the field.  The early ones are a hybrid called "new girl".  There will be lots of heirloom cherry tomatoes and larger slicing tomatoes as they ripen.  It is significant to say field grown because the fruit is generally more flavorful than those grown in a hothouse but the trade off is in appearance.  The skin tends to have more blemishes when grown outside.  The potatoes were dug on tuesday and are "new" potatoes.  The skin is very tender and they need to be eaten this week.  The spots on the skin are edible and just because our soil is a little rough in texture.  Nutritionally, potatoes are high in vitamin C but it is all in the skin!  We thought a lot of basil would be nice so you can make pesto.  I usually make it without parmesan cheese or nuts and add those just when eating.  I make my pesto with olive oil, salt, garlic and a little lemon juice.  I keep it in a tightly closed jar in the fridge for a month or freeze in ice cube trays and put in a ziploc bag.  I'm just realizing we forgot to put garlic in the box this week...if you need garlic and want to get some at market just let us know who you are and you can get it free.  (Anne will be at north asheville and Phalen at the city on sat.) 

Baked Cabbage and Potatoes
shred 1 savoy cabbage
wash and thinly slice 3 potatoes
put in a large, buttered baking dish with cabbage on top
pour over it a mixture of:
3/4 cup cream
2 beaten eggs
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of nutmeg
paprika
cover with bread crumbs if desired
bake at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes

Meredith harvesting potatoes


Tray of New Girl Tomatoes


Freshly washed basil