Wednesday, June 26, 2013

June 26 CSA

Boxes this first week of summer include:
small shares:  2 lbs summer squash (some zucchini, some zephyr), 1 lb. pickling cucumbers, 1 english cucumber, 1 bunch of red onions, 2 garlic bulbs, 1 pint blueberries! (value $18)
regular shares get all the above plus:  a second pint of blueberries, 1/2lb. of basil, 1 bunch carrots (value $32)

Addiebelle is our resident berry picker and eater.  It is hard to keep up with her appetite for whichever berry is in season, but we managed to pick more than she can eat so enjoy!  The bushes were really loaded this morning.

The pickling cucumbers are great for eating fresh.  The skins are tender enough to eat and the seeds are small.  We eat them in salads, on sandwiches, in salsas.  The english cucumbers are amazingly sweet and have very tender skin.  They are also great for salads and great for juicing.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=42
Check the above link for info about the nutrition value in cucumbers.

Marinated Summer Squash Salad
you make this 24 hours before you plan to eat it.
no cooking required

-thinly slice zucchini or summer squash into long flat slices and place in a bowl
-mince 2 or 3 cloves of garlic (for 6 medium size squash) and add to zucchini
-sprinkle with salt and black pepper
-coarsley chop or tear a few sprigs of basil and parsley and add to bowl
-drizzle with olive oil
-combine all ingredients and taste to see if you like the amount of salt (add more if you need)
-cover and refrigerate for 24 hours

this makes a fine side dish with any meal; it can also be grilled and served hot or cold
Hoeing Okra this morning

The onion field

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

June 19 CSA

We are starting to feel like its summer!  The weeds are growing at a rapid pace and we are trying our best to keep up.  The first tomatoes are starting to blush slightly.  We picked the first cucumbers today so they will be in abundance next week and you'll see them in your box.

Your box this week: 
small shares:  1 head of sugarloaf radicchio, 2 lbs. summer squash, 1/2 lb. broccoli, 2 fennel bulbs, 1 bunch long red onions, 2 bulbs of garlic, 1 bunch of rainbow chard
regular shares:  all the same as the small share plus 1 bunch of beets, 1 lb. of cauliflower, 2 english cucumbers


Sugarloaf radicchio is the oblong light green head.  It is in the chicory family so it has a bitterness to it.  It is delicious as a bitter salad green.  It's also great brushed with  olive oil and sprinkled with salt and grilled.  The combination of radicchio, blue cheese, toasted walnuts, fresh pear, and balsamic vinegar as a salad is outrageously good too!
Some of your squash is "baby" size.  We have been cutting those in half lengthwise and sauteeing with some onion, parsley, and salt and pepper.  So Good!
This is the last fennel you'll get.  Try making fennel risotto if you have time.  It is also good grilled.  http://www.food.com/recipe/fennel-pea-risotto-360690
Check out this recipe for fennel. For those of you who don't eat meat, this is great without the chicken!
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/crispy-braised-chicken-thighs-with-olives-lemon-and-fennel

Everything in your box needs to be kept in the refrigerator.

A reminder about the CSA party at the farm on June 29th from 3 to 7.  We are going to grill a bunch of stuff and have all the fixings for tacos.  Please come out and see where your food is growing.  Let us know if you plan on coming so we prepare enough food!  We hope you can make it!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

June 12 CSA

Open Garden on June 29th 3-7 come out and see where it all comes from.  RSVP so that we will know how many to expect, we will have light food and drinks, byob

We are finally planting sweet potatoes after getting the field ready between rain storms the last 2 weeks!  I'm excited !  We are planting japanese (purple skin and yellow/white flesh, covingtons (orange), o'henry's (white), and all purple.  We will harvest these in mid to late September.  Farming is a combination of living in the moment and trying to see 3 months in the future and plan a year out...

Anyway, your box this week:
small shares:  1 head of green bibb lettuce, 1 bunch arugula, 1/2 lb. spinach, 1 bulb fennel, 1 bunch red scallions, 1 bunch green garlic, 1 pint strawberries  (value $15.50)
regular shares:  1 head green bibb lettuce, 1 bunch arugula, 1 lb. spinach, 2 bulbs fennel, 1 bunch red scallions, 1 bunch green garlic, 1 pint strawberries, 1 lb. yellow squash, 1 lb. broccoli, 1 bag curly kale (value $29)
All items will keep best in the refrigerator.
Soon to come to all boxes are broccoli, summer squash, beets, and carrots.  This week is probably the last lettuce you'll get for a couple months.

Strawberry Bibb Salad
-wash the lettuce, dry, and tear into pieces of desired size
-slice strawberries and add to lettuce in a bowl along with some crumbled blue cheese
-toast almonds in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat (when you can start to smell them they are toasted);  let cool and add to salad
-make a dressing of:
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp maple syrup
salt and black pepper to taste
-dress and toss the salad and enjoy!


The view from the seats of the transplanter.  Aaron driving.

Addiebelle and Cyril!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

June 5 2013

Boxes this week contain:
1 head green bibb lettuce, 1 head romaine lettuce, 1 bunch of yellow onions, 1 bunch of garlic scapes, 1 small fennel bulb, 1 kohlrabi, 1 bag of kale, 1 pint of strawberries.
Regular shares also have:  3/4 lb. of little cauliflowers, 3/4 lb. baby squash and zucchini, 1 bunch of arugula.

Garlic scapes are what would become the flower on a garlic plant.  We remove them so the plant puts its energy into growing a bigger bulb.  It just so happens that they are a delicious treat as well!  They are far milder than garlic cloves but can be used in all dishes that you would use garlic.  They are used well in pesto as well as sauteed or roasted.  We like to saute a couple of them and add to kale.

Everything in your box this week will keep best in the refrigerator.  The romaine should be eaten sooner than the bibb.

ROASTED GARLIC SCAPES with POTATOES
cut 5 scapes into 2 inch long pieces (using all parts but the flat bit beyond the pale yellow/green bulbous portion)
peel 3 to 5 russet potatoes and cut into long 1/2 inch thick strips
combine the scapes and potatoes and toss with olive oil and salt n pepper
roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or so (until taters are golden brown and scapes are sizzling)

KOHLRABI and FENNEL SALAD
remove leaves from1 kohlrabi and peel
julienne the kohlrabi
slice 1 fennel bulb thinly, starting at the bottom of the bulb and going up until you hit the leaves
combine the kohlrabi and fennel in a bowl
sprinkle lightly with salt
make a dressing of 1 T extra virgin olive oil, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 tsp. mustard (like dijon), and black pepper to taste
toss the dressing with
the veggies and let sit 30 minutes before eating