September 18, 2007

CSA Newsletter
September 18, 2007

Gardening is a kind of disease. It infects you, you cannot escape it. When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistible impulse to get up and pull a weed. ~Lewis Gannit

Well, the thermometer is reading a chilly 32 degrees out in the field this morning. No rain turning into snow though, as the weather gave us a chance of. The greenhouse reached a low of 57 degrees (lowest it’s been yet). I am pretty impressed with that, considering we don’t have the insulated curtains in yet. This building is working quite well so far. All summer I was able to stay within 4 degrees of the outside temps during the hottest part of the day. I was really pleased with that, I had worries that the building would get much warmer. The design of our passive ventilation system and the burying of the back half of the building seem to work really well in mitigating the mid day heat. Phwew!

The Harvest
½# salad mix (yes, only ½ #....do I hear a collective sigh of relief?)
½# mature spinach (not everyone will get)
¾# Brassica mix
¼# basil
All Blue Potatoes
Tomatoes
Carrots
Beets
Rossa Di Milano and Gold Coin onions
Squash (not everyone will get)
Edible flowers (not everyone will get)

The News
Although I appreciate the thought behind it – please do not bring me your used plastic baggies. I can’t do anything with them. It’s up to you to reuse and recycle those at home. But….we will take your egg cartons if you have any. Just put them on one of the tables – thanks.
All Blue Potatoes – Yum! And sooooo beautiful. Be careful though, purple potatoes cook faster than other varieties and get mealy when over cooked.
This is the last of the squash – the plants froze after their covering blew off two nights ago.
The onions have mostly cured, and you will be seeing them till the end of the CSA. If you would like to buy extra onions to get you through the winter, let me know. One of the varieties – Valencia is a great storage onion.
I get lots of questions about cover crops, so I thought I would send out a little information on them. A cover crop is meant to improve the soil in some way. Different crops improve the soil in different ways. Legumes work with bacteria (Rhizobium bacteria) that live in their root zone to fix nitrogen into the soil. The two legumes that I mostly commonly use are Hairy Vetch and Crimson Clover. This year I did get a cover mix that had Biomass Field Peas in it. That was the mix that you saw growing rampant on the terraces. Grasses and grains generally provide organic matter and minerals. (Actually, all cover crops provide these when they are tilled back into the soil, or put into the compost pile.) There are some root crops that are used as cover crops because their deep roots bring minerals from deeper in the soil to the root zone of some of our more common food crops. Oilseed radishes for instance, have very long roots that penetrate deeper into the soil than say, lettuce or tomato roots. The oilseed radish roots access minerals that are out of reach of the other crops. When those radish roots are tilled in, or composted, those minerals become available for the next crop that is planted there (or that is composted with that compost). The carrots and beets that we plant for food crops do the same thing, it’s just that we eat them and get those minerals instead of putting them back into the soil.
Another thing I take into consideration with cover crops is what the plants actually look like. Many cover crops have flowers that attract beneficial insects; Buckwheat, Clover, and Peas are some examples.
I try to make sure that each bed gets a cover crop for every two food crops. Sometimes a bed will get more cover crops then that, depending on what kind of food crop it had previously. Some crops take more from the soil than others. Tomatoes, for instance, are a very heavy feeder, while lettuce is not.
Right now in the garden I am trying to get a cover crop into all the beds that won’t have a late fall lettuce or root crop, garlic, or flower bulbs in it. The new field is also planted in cover crop (a combination of Rye Grain and Hairy Vetch). In the greenhouse I am working on a balance between cover crops and winter crops.

The Recipe
Greens Sautéed with Garlic, Raisins, and Pine Nuts
2 large bunches hearty greens (about 1.5#) – the Brassica mix will be perfect for this
¼ cup packed raisins
3 tbsp olive oil
7 large cloves garlic – minced
½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Bring ½ cup water to a boil in a large nonreactive pot over medium-high heat. Gradually add the greens, stirring them down with each addition. When all the greens have been added and are well wilted, add the raisins, partially cover the pot, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary, until the greens are very tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the oil and garlic in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the garlic is soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the pine nuts, remove from the heat, and set aside.
In a small bowl, toss together the onion and salt and set aside.
When the greens are cooked, pour off any liquid remaining in the pot without draining thoroughly so the greens remain moist. Stir in the vinegar and garlic oil. Transfer to a serving dish, arrange the wilted onions over the top and serve right away.


** I told some people about a squash and goat cheese soup last week. I will send out that recipe in the morning when I have it.

That’s all for this week. See you soon.
Daisy

September 12, 2007

CSA Newsletter
September 12th, 2007

Odd as I am sure it will appear to some, I can think of no better from of personal involvement in the cure of the environment than that of gardening. A person who is growing a garden, if he or she is growing it organically, is improving a piece of the world. He is producing something to eat, which makes him somewhat independent of the grocery business, but he is also enlarging, for himself, the meaning of food and the pleasure of eating. The food he grows will be fresher, more nutritious, less contaminated by poisons and preservatives than what he can buy at a store. He is reducing the trash problem; a garden is not a disposable container, and it will digest and re-use its own wastes. If he enjoys working in his garden, the he is less dependent on an automobile or a merchant for his pleasure. He is involving himself directly in the work of feeding people.

Wendell Berry – A Continuous Harmony

Good morning everyone. Sorry for the late letter.

The Harvest
1# herb salad mix
¼# arugula
1 bunch beets
1 bunch leeks
2# potatoes
Tomatoes
Herbs (cilantro)
Squash
Peppers (Fish – the little red hot ones and/or Sweet Cal Wonder Bell)
Garlic (Wild Rocambole and Georgian Crystal)
Edible Flowers
Flower bouquet

The potatoes this week are German Butterball, they are great for steaming and boiling, with a nice buttery flavor. I would, or course, recommend steaming over boiling as you keep more of nutrients that way.
We are changing leek varieties this week. Now we are dipping into the hardier variety - Scotland Leek.
The only responses I got on the herb salad were positive ones, so here it is again this week. I have cut the cilantro out as that is such a strong flavor and not everyone loves it. Enjoy!
If anyone is going to be doing any pickling, give me a holler and I’ll get some pickling dill ready for you. I had some out last week, but not many takers on it, so I’ll just wait to hear if anyone needs it from here on out.

The News
This may be the last week for squash. We have been frosting here every night since Sunday. The squash have been covered, but it is REALLY going to slow them down. And if it keeps up this way, they are just going to call it quits. So, we’ll see if we can get another week or two out of them, but we might not be able to.
This will be the last week for peppers. I know you have been getting a lot of the Fish variety…….not gonna plant as many next year, they are such prolific producers. I hope you have been able to find uses for them. I made salsa last night, and man! did they add the perfect heat. I’m sure you all know, but salsa is super easy to make: some tomatoes, some onion, some garlic, some cilantro, hot pepper to taste, I put some of the sweet red peppers in and a Sweet Cal Wonder Bell, salt to taste, and I threw a little lemon juice in. That’s it! My husband also likes to put peaches or mangos in.
As I mentioned, and as I am sure you have all noticed, we have been freezing down low here the past few nights. September 15th is the first average frost date for this area. I hardly got a nip at my house near the top of the pass, so we can credit these freezes to the cold air settling in the valleys right before the sun rises. The lettuces, root crops, and most of the flowers have been fine with the light frosts. The only casualties have been squash, beans, and the Zinnias. Even the tomatoes that are outside in front of the greenhouse barely got a nip. There is just enough heat coming off the building at night to keep them happy. We’ll see how long that lasts…….
I would like to send out a HUGE congratulation to Alayne who finished her first Wasatch 100 this weekend. She is a total star! We are all soooooo impressed with her strength, determination and stamina. If you see her today and she is walking funny – that’s why.

The Recipe
This one comes from Kristi, out of her Williams Sonoma Cook Book.

Frittata with Zucchini & Goat Cheese
10 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tsp. unsalted butter
2-3 small zucchini, sliced
1/8" thick
2 Tbs. fresh oregano
2 tsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
Arugula salad for serving

In bowl, whisk together eggs and 1/2 tsp. salt

In deep half of frittata pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. butter. When it foams, add zucchini; sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt. Sauté 30 seconds. Add oregano and 2 tsp. parsley; cook 30 seconds. Add eggs; using rubber spatula, quickly and lightly stir eggs in small circular motion. Lift cooked edges to allow uncooked eggs to flow underneath. Sprinkle cheese on frittata; do not stir. Reduce heat to low; cook 4-5 minutes more.
Meanwhile, in shallow half of frittata pan over medium heat, melt 1/2 Tbs. butter. Place shallow pan upside down on top of deep pan; flip frittata into shallow pan. Reduce heat to low; cook, covered for 3 minutes. Remove top pan; cook until eggs are set, about 5 minutes more. Using spatula, loosen edges of frittata; gently slide onto plate. Garnish frittata with parsley. Serve with arugula salad. Serves 8-10
*Frittata pan is just 2 pans of approx. the same size.

That’s all for this week. Hope you have had a great early September and see you soon!
Be well,
Daisy

September 4, 2007

CSA Newsletter
September 4th, 2007

"My people believe if you are close to the Earth, you are close to people…What an African nurtures in the soil will eventually feed her family. Likewise what she nurtures in her relations will ultimately nurture her community. It is a matter of living the circle….Because we have forgotten our kinship with the land, our kinship with each other has become pale."

~Terry Tempest Williams quotes a conversation with a woman from Kenya in her book Refuge

Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely weather!

The Harvest
1# salad mix
½# baby spinach (yippee)
¼# arugula
¼# basil
Beets
Potatoes (Yukon Gold)
Onions (Gold Coin)
Leeks
Carrots
Radish
Tomatoes
Peppers
Squash
Edible Flowers
Flower Bouquet
Herbs
Garlic (Georgian Crystal)

Wow, seems like a lot of stuff this week. We are in that short period of overlap where we still have the summer produce, and the fall veggies are starting to come in also. You will start seeing spinach again now that the temps have cooled down; I, for one, am looking forward to that! And….radishes (I know not everyone is as excited about that as Craig Henry, but it’s one of the cool season crops). Those are two of the reasons we have so much this week.
The potato this week is Yukon Gold. Many consider this variety to be the best eating potato. They are good cooked any way. They have good storage qualities, the best of all the potatoes you will get from us this year. If you want to store some for later use, this is the one. Potatoes do not like to be kept in the fridge, or in plastic. Store them in a mesh bag, paper sack, or something similar, in a cool dry place.
The onions this week (Gold Coin) are fresh – kind of like the green garlic I gave you earlier this year they are meant to be eaten now. They have not gone through any curing process. The rest of the onions will be harvested and then cured for a week or two before I send them out to you – I just couldn’t resist this week.
The garlic this week is Georgian Crystal. Georgian Crystal is a Porcelain variety of garlic – often mistaken for Elephant garlic because of its large, pure white bulbs. Rich garlic flavor and large, red, easy-to-peel cloves make this a great roasting garlic (and as we know from last week, that is one the best ways to eat garlic to get it’s maximum health benefits).
I just wanted to remind everyone of a few things that were mentioned ages ago:
The little red peppers are HOT.
The long red peppers are sweet.
The green tomatoes are ripe! They are a variety called Aunt Ruby’s German green
Pick up times are Wednesday from 2-5 and Thursday from 8-12.

The News
What’s the news from the front? Did you guys like the herb salad or not so much? This week’s salad mix is back to the old mix. I haven’t heard any feedback so I don’t know if you want to see the herb salad again or not.
What have you all been doing with your vegetables? I would love to know what some of your favorite recipes are (ones that you haven’t gotten from the newsletter).

The Recipe

Creamed Radishes
1# radishes, preferably with tops 1/8 tsp black or white pepper
2 tbsp butter ½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp all-purpose flour radish leaves
½ tsp salt

Trim the tops off the radishes, leaving a little of the green stem attached. Cut the radishes length wise in half and place in a medium pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until pierceable but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the water, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a pot or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to smooth. Stir in the salt, pepper, and served water. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Whisk in the cream and continue cooking until thick again, about 1 minute more.

Stir in the radishes and reheat. Serve warm, garnish with the radish leaves.

Serves 6

Sauteed Zucchini with Red Onion, Dill and Aged Gouda
1 cup olive oil
1 large or 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced (1#)
1 tbsp sliced garlic
6 medium zucchini, sliced ¼” thick (about 2#)
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ cups coarsely grated aged Gouda cheese

Preheat broiler

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until slightly wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté until crisp-tender.

Stir in the dill, salt, pepper, and Parmesan. Sprinkle the Gouda over the top and place the pan under the broiler until the cheese melts and turns slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Serve right away.

Serves 4 to 6

I hope you all enjoy your box this week, and I look forward to seeing you.
Daisy

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 21- 2007

CSA Newsletter
August 21st 2007


"I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?"

~Robert Redford, Yosemite National Park dedication, 1985

Hello! I hope the transition back to school has gone well. Where did the summer go? It feels like it was June just yesterday and yet when I walk through the greenhouse it feels like it was eons ago that the tomatoes and cucumber, peppers and eggplant were tiny little seedlings freshly transplanted into the beds. Time………

The Harvest
1# salad mix
¼# arugula
¼# basil
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch King Richard Leeks
Squash
1 bunch herbs
Eggplant
Cucumber
Peppers
Cranberry Red Potatoes
Kale, January King Cabbage, or Red Drumhead Cabbage
Edible Flowers
Blue Lake Bush Bean and Purple Beans
Flower Bouquet

*This week you will either get cabbage or kale – the rest of the cabbage is still reaching the correct size. I will make sure everyone gets some.
*Eggplant, cucumbers, edible flowers and beans – not everyone will get all of those.

A little information on the potato: The potato was first cultivated by the Inca Indians in Peru starting around 200 B.C. The Spanish Conquistadors took the potato back to Europe around 1536. It wasn’t until 1589 that the potato made its way to Ireland with Sir Walter Raleigh. It arrived in N. America around 1719, the first permanent patches with the Colonists in New Hampshire. The potato was the first vegetable grown in space in 1995. But most interesting and historically important for the potato is that Marie Antoinette used to wear potato blossoms in her hair!.......
Potatoes eaten with the skin provide nearly half the daily recommended amount of vitamin C, and are one of the best sources for potassium and fiber.
Old folk lore says that putting a slice of baked potato in a stocking and tying it around your throat will help heal a sore throat. Or you might try curing your toothache by carrying a potato around in your pocket – good luck with those.

The News
We may have extra bags of tomatoes, extra flower bouquets, bags of salad, etc. If you would like to buy more of anything, let me know when you come pick up your box and I will get you all set up.
The garlic is finished curing, now comes the cleaning and selection process. I will go through and clean all the bulbs with a toothbrush (yes a toothbrush), pull out the biggest and best bulbs to use for seed this fall, and the rest will come to you all. I know that makes it sound like you are getting the short end of the deal, but by selecting the best cloves to use as seed it will ensure that our garlic gets better and better with each year. Like I have said before, this year I will be keeping the majority of the garlic to re-plant, but we will all get a good sampling. If you were wavering on whether or not to join again next year, the garlic will definitely make you a return member!

The Recipe
These recipes come out of a great cookbook of Alayne’s called Gardeners’ Community Cookbook.

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake Frosted with Chocolate Chips
Ingredients

Butter for the pan ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
8 tbsp butter (1 stick) ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup veggie oil ½ tsp ground cloves
1 ¾ cups sugar 2 cups finely copped zucchini
2 large eggs ¼ cup chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup clabbered milk (combine 1 tbsp of white vinegar and 1 cup of milk and allow to sit at room temp for 5 minutes or until it begins to curdle – use right away.)
2 ½ cups all purpose flour 1 cup sour cream whisked with 2 tbsp
½ tsp baking powder powdered sugar
1 tsp baking soda edible flowers for garnish
½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly butter a 13X9 inch baking pan.
Cream the butter, oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla, and clabbered milk and beat well.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir into the batter, then add the zucchini, mixing well each time. Pour into the baking pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven, cool slightly, then slice and serve. If using the sour cream, place a dollop on each plate and prop and edible flower or two, if using, in the center. Will keep, covered, for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Zucchini Blondies
Ingredients

Oil, for greasing the baking pan ½ cup coarsely chopped
5 tbsp butter, melted with 1 tbsp water walnuts or pecans
1 cup (packed) brown sugar 1/3 cup chocolate or
1 large egg butterscotch chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped into ¼ inch pieces (6 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking pan.

Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and mix well. Crack the egg into the bowl, add the vanilla, and beat until blended.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into the bowl and stir to mix. Add the zucchini and nits and stir to mix into a stiff batter.

Spread the batter in the baking pan and sprinkle the chips over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean but still a little batter coated.
Remove, cool enough to handle, and slice into squares. Serve warm or at room temp. Will keep, covered, for 3 days at room temp. Or wrap individually and freeze for longer storage.

Hope you enjoy your box this week.
Daisy