August 28 - 2007
CSA Newsletter
August 28, 2007
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. "
~Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK! What’s all that stuff in my salad? We’re trying something new this week with the salad mix; it’s an Herb Salad Mix. Same old greens you have gotten used to this summer with the addition of: baby dill, baby cilantro, parsley, and tarragon. Most of those herbs you will probably recognize in your salad, the tarragon is a little tricky because it looks like a short blade of grass. There shouldn’t be any grass in your salad mix – just the tarragon. Although I didn’t add that many herbs to the mix, you should still get some fun flavors in your salad. Let me know if you like it or not.
The Harvest
· 1# salad mix
· ¼# arugula
· Cabbage or kale/beet greens mix (if you didn’t get cabbage last week you will get it this week)
· ¼# basil
· Beet bunch
· Potatoes (a mix of Banana Fingerling and Cranberry Red)
· Leek bunch
· Edible flowers
· Tomatoes
· Peppers
· Eggplant
· Squash
· Flower bouquet
· Garlic
· Herb bunch
Garlic: The garlic you are receiving this week is called Wild Rocambole. All of the garlic varieties you will get this year are Hardneck varieties. Hardneck garlic varieties (Allium sativum) are known for their exceptional flavor, large and easy to peel cloves. Hardnecks grow very well in colder climates. Their only downfall is that they have medium storage qualities, usually by January they are starting to get dehydrated. Rocambole is the most widely known of the Hardnecks, and has a very full bodied flavor.
This year you will get to sample 3 varieties of garlic: Metechi, Wild Rocambole and Georgian Crystal. If you are interested, eating a small bite raw will really let you appreciate the full bouquet of flavor each variety has. Once the garlic is cooked, you loose the subtle nuances.
There is a plethora of information out there on the miracles of garlic. It is REALLY good for you. I won’t bore you with too much information, but I will put out these few interesting bits: Garlic contains the compound allicin with has anti-bacterial effects and helps reduce unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Garlic also contains an antioxidant that reduces blood clotting, and other chemicals that help prevent cancer. The best way to eat garlic for maximum health effects is raw or baked whole in the oven. If you fry the garlic, do not allow it to turn brown.
The News
You will start to notice changes in the greenhouse……I’m getting it ready for the winter. Last week I pulled out most of the eggplant and some of the melons. Ahh, the melons. That was a failed crop this year. I hand pollinate the tomatoes in the greenhouse, and apparently I need to do that for the melons as well (of course that seems perfectly obvious now…..). We had lots of blossoms but only a couple fruit. Unfortunately I can’t afford to keep that much space in melons for just a couple fruit – out they come! I will be putting cover crop in all of the recently vacated soil in the greenhouse to help build organic matter and micro-nutrients. In September I will start to plant greens and root crops in the greenhouse for winter eating.
I have had a few people ask how long the CSA will go this year. Depending on the weather we will keep going through September and maybe into the beginning of October. I will let you know more when I know more.
The Recipe
Potato Leek Soup
2 tbsp olive oil ¼ tsp fresh thyme or 1/8 tsp dried
3 medium leeks, white part only, thinly sliced 1 small bay leaf
½ small onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth 1 tsp black pepper
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 cup milk (optional)
1/8 tsp mace (optional)
Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Stir in the leeks, onion, and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 25 minutes. Cool enough to handle, remove the bay leaf, then puree in a food processor or through a food mill.
Return the soup to a clean pot and stir in the milk, if using. Gently reheat, sprinkle with mace, if using, and serve.
That’s all for this week, enjoy the food, see you soon.
Daisy
August 28, 2007
"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. "
~Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKK! What’s all that stuff in my salad? We’re trying something new this week with the salad mix; it’s an Herb Salad Mix. Same old greens you have gotten used to this summer with the addition of: baby dill, baby cilantro, parsley, and tarragon. Most of those herbs you will probably recognize in your salad, the tarragon is a little tricky because it looks like a short blade of grass. There shouldn’t be any grass in your salad mix – just the tarragon. Although I didn’t add that many herbs to the mix, you should still get some fun flavors in your salad. Let me know if you like it or not.
The Harvest
· 1# salad mix
· ¼# arugula
· Cabbage or kale/beet greens mix (if you didn’t get cabbage last week you will get it this week)
· ¼# basil
· Beet bunch
· Potatoes (a mix of Banana Fingerling and Cranberry Red)
· Leek bunch
· Edible flowers
· Tomatoes
· Peppers
· Eggplant
· Squash
· Flower bouquet
· Garlic
· Herb bunch
Garlic: The garlic you are receiving this week is called Wild Rocambole. All of the garlic varieties you will get this year are Hardneck varieties. Hardneck garlic varieties (Allium sativum) are known for their exceptional flavor, large and easy to peel cloves. Hardnecks grow very well in colder climates. Their only downfall is that they have medium storage qualities, usually by January they are starting to get dehydrated. Rocambole is the most widely known of the Hardnecks, and has a very full bodied flavor.
This year you will get to sample 3 varieties of garlic: Metechi, Wild Rocambole and Georgian Crystal. If you are interested, eating a small bite raw will really let you appreciate the full bouquet of flavor each variety has. Once the garlic is cooked, you loose the subtle nuances.
There is a plethora of information out there on the miracles of garlic. It is REALLY good for you. I won’t bore you with too much information, but I will put out these few interesting bits: Garlic contains the compound allicin with has anti-bacterial effects and helps reduce unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Garlic also contains an antioxidant that reduces blood clotting, and other chemicals that help prevent cancer. The best way to eat garlic for maximum health effects is raw or baked whole in the oven. If you fry the garlic, do not allow it to turn brown.
The News
You will start to notice changes in the greenhouse……I’m getting it ready for the winter. Last week I pulled out most of the eggplant and some of the melons. Ahh, the melons. That was a failed crop this year. I hand pollinate the tomatoes in the greenhouse, and apparently I need to do that for the melons as well (of course that seems perfectly obvious now…..). We had lots of blossoms but only a couple fruit. Unfortunately I can’t afford to keep that much space in melons for just a couple fruit – out they come! I will be putting cover crop in all of the recently vacated soil in the greenhouse to help build organic matter and micro-nutrients. In September I will start to plant greens and root crops in the greenhouse for winter eating.
I have had a few people ask how long the CSA will go this year. Depending on the weather we will keep going through September and maybe into the beginning of October. I will let you know more when I know more.
The Recipe
Potato Leek Soup
2 tbsp olive oil ¼ tsp fresh thyme or 1/8 tsp dried
3 medium leeks, white part only, thinly sliced 1 small bay leaf
½ small onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth 1 tsp black pepper
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 cup milk (optional)
1/8 tsp mace (optional)
Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Stir in the leeks, onion, and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the broth, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 25 minutes. Cool enough to handle, remove the bay leaf, then puree in a food processor or through a food mill.
Return the soup to a clean pot and stir in the milk, if using. Gently reheat, sprinkle with mace, if using, and serve.
That’s all for this week, enjoy the food, see you soon.
Daisy
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