July 1, 2008
CSA Newsletter
July 1, 2008
When the finance of crop production is considered together with that of the various social services which are needed to repair the consequences of an unsound agriculture, and when it is borne in mind that our greatest possession is a healthy, virile population, the cheapness of artificial manures disappears altogether. In the years to come chemical manures will be considered as one of the greatest follies of the industrial epoch. The teachings of the agricultural economists of the period will be dismissed as superficial.
Sir Albert Howard from An Agricultural Testament (1943) (p. 205)
Happy July! Hard to believe…
The Harvest
1# salad greens
½# spinach
¼# arugula (not everyone will get)
1.5oz basil (lettuce leaf, red rubin, lemon, sweet)
Pac choi
Jalapeno
1 bunch scallions (Deep Purple Bunching, or Evergreen Hardy White)
1 bunch radish (not everyone will get)
1 bunch Purple Top turnips (not everyone will get)
Eggplant (not everyone will get)
Tomatoes (not everyone will get)
Cucumber (not everyone will get)
Edible Flowers (not everyone will get)
Edible Flowers – what to do with those beauties?! Dress up a salad (after you have put the salad dressing on). Put them on a dessert, a cheese plate, or float in a chilled soup! So many things to do with them…
The News
You will notice that the flea beetles got to the pac choi. I cover the salad greens and all cabbages with floating row covers to hide them from the flea beetles – but it doesn’t always work. So….that’s who made those little holes in your pac choi. I guess it’s all about sharing some times.
What’s in my salad mix!? Those of you who were members last year will remember our herb salad – here it is. We like to mix things up everyone once in a while, so we threw some dill, tarragon, mint, and spearmint into the salad mix. Very tasty, and aromatic. The other item that is not usually in your salad mix is not something I put there or would like there…….You may have notice the summer snow falling lately…..yup, it’s cotton time. Although we have double washed and picked through the greens as usual, there is still some cotton hiding in there. It is a little unnerving to come across it as it looks like spit, or pile of insect eggs (sorry to be so graphic). Thankfully it is neither of those, just cotton from our beautiful trees around here.
Someone mentioned to me the other day that their radishes got ”all rubbery”, and I reminded them to cut the tops of their roots before stored in a plastic bag in the fridge. Thought I would pass that reminder along to all as we are starting to come into root crop season.
The Recipe
These two come from Rebecca Brenner from Park City Holistic Health.
Arugula/Salad Mix
3 small bunches of arugula torn into bite-sized pieces
½ salad mix
1 carrot shredded
1 tomato diced
3 fresh scallions
Roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Edible flowers
Dressing:
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 ½ tablespoons each of fresh chopped basil and cilantro leaves
In a large bow, toss together arugula, salad mix, carrot, tomato, scallions, pumpkin seeds.
Combine dressing ingredients, and drizzle over salad. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.
Decorate edges of salad with edible flowers. Serve and Enjoy!
Spanish Calzone
Dough
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons warm (110 F) water
¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached white flour
Dissolve the yeast in warm water and set aside for 3 to 4 minutes. Combine the cold water and oil in large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, then the whole-wheat flour, and salt. Gradually add the white flour to make a workable dough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, sprinkling a bit more white flour to keep it from sticking.
Put dough in oiled bowl and turn it once so that its surface is coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise in warm place for an hour – you want the dough to double in size.
Filling
While dough is rising…
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bunch chives, chopped
1-2 Eggplant, unpeeled, chopped
2-4 ripe tomatoes
3 cloves of fresh garlic
2 handfuls of chopped spinach
3 tablespoons of Spanish olives, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro
¼ jalapeno pepper
Light sprinkle of fresh, shredded mozzarella or jalapeno chedder optional
In a large sauté pan, sauté the chives until soft.
Add the eggplant and cook until the eggplants is soften (10 minutes)..
Add jalapeno, tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and olives and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 325.
Form dough into 2, 6 inch flat rounds. Roll it out on a floured surface, turning it regularly to keep a round shape. It should be about 1/8 inch thick, and slightly thicker around the edges.
Place the dough on a lightly oiled pan and cover half of circle with ¾ cup vegetable mixture. Fold circle in half, and wet fingers to pinch together sides.
Bake in lower half of oven until the crust is golden brown - 12 – 15 minutes.
Serve warm with side salad – may also serve with organic salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
That’s it for this week. Hope you are enjoying your CSA experience so far.
Daisy
July 1, 2008
When the finance of crop production is considered together with that of the various social services which are needed to repair the consequences of an unsound agriculture, and when it is borne in mind that our greatest possession is a healthy, virile population, the cheapness of artificial manures disappears altogether. In the years to come chemical manures will be considered as one of the greatest follies of the industrial epoch. The teachings of the agricultural economists of the period will be dismissed as superficial.
Sir Albert Howard from An Agricultural Testament (1943) (p. 205)
Happy July! Hard to believe…
The Harvest
1# salad greens
½# spinach
¼# arugula (not everyone will get)
1.5oz basil (lettuce leaf, red rubin, lemon, sweet)
Pac choi
Jalapeno
1 bunch scallions (Deep Purple Bunching, or Evergreen Hardy White)
1 bunch radish (not everyone will get)
1 bunch Purple Top turnips (not everyone will get)
Eggplant (not everyone will get)
Tomatoes (not everyone will get)
Cucumber (not everyone will get)
Edible Flowers (not everyone will get)
Edible Flowers – what to do with those beauties?! Dress up a salad (after you have put the salad dressing on). Put them on a dessert, a cheese plate, or float in a chilled soup! So many things to do with them…
The News
You will notice that the flea beetles got to the pac choi. I cover the salad greens and all cabbages with floating row covers to hide them from the flea beetles – but it doesn’t always work. So….that’s who made those little holes in your pac choi. I guess it’s all about sharing some times.
What’s in my salad mix!? Those of you who were members last year will remember our herb salad – here it is. We like to mix things up everyone once in a while, so we threw some dill, tarragon, mint, and spearmint into the salad mix. Very tasty, and aromatic. The other item that is not usually in your salad mix is not something I put there or would like there…….You may have notice the summer snow falling lately…..yup, it’s cotton time. Although we have double washed and picked through the greens as usual, there is still some cotton hiding in there. It is a little unnerving to come across it as it looks like spit, or pile of insect eggs (sorry to be so graphic). Thankfully it is neither of those, just cotton from our beautiful trees around here.
Someone mentioned to me the other day that their radishes got ”all rubbery”, and I reminded them to cut the tops of their roots before stored in a plastic bag in the fridge. Thought I would pass that reminder along to all as we are starting to come into root crop season.
The Recipe
These two come from Rebecca Brenner from Park City Holistic Health.
Arugula/Salad Mix
3 small bunches of arugula torn into bite-sized pieces
½ salad mix
1 carrot shredded
1 tomato diced
3 fresh scallions
Roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Edible flowers
Dressing:
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 ½ to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
1 ½ tablespoons each of fresh chopped basil and cilantro leaves
In a large bow, toss together arugula, salad mix, carrot, tomato, scallions, pumpkin seeds.
Combine dressing ingredients, and drizzle over salad. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.
Decorate edges of salad with edible flowers. Serve and Enjoy!
Spanish Calzone
Dough
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
6 tablespoons warm (110 F) water
¼ cup cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached white flour
Dissolve the yeast in warm water and set aside for 3 to 4 minutes. Combine the cold water and oil in large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, then the whole-wheat flour, and salt. Gradually add the white flour to make a workable dough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, sprinkling a bit more white flour to keep it from sticking.
Put dough in oiled bowl and turn it once so that its surface is coated with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise in warm place for an hour – you want the dough to double in size.
Filling
While dough is rising…
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bunch chives, chopped
1-2 Eggplant, unpeeled, chopped
2-4 ripe tomatoes
3 cloves of fresh garlic
2 handfuls of chopped spinach
3 tablespoons of Spanish olives, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro
¼ jalapeno pepper
Light sprinkle of fresh, shredded mozzarella or jalapeno chedder optional
In a large sauté pan, sauté the chives until soft.
Add the eggplant and cook until the eggplants is soften (10 minutes)..
Add jalapeno, tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and olives and sauté for 3 – 5 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 325.
Form dough into 2, 6 inch flat rounds. Roll it out on a floured surface, turning it regularly to keep a round shape. It should be about 1/8 inch thick, and slightly thicker around the edges.
Place the dough on a lightly oiled pan and cover half of circle with ¾ cup vegetable mixture. Fold circle in half, and wet fingers to pinch together sides.
Bake in lower half of oven until the crust is golden brown - 12 – 15 minutes.
Serve warm with side salad – may also serve with organic salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
That’s it for this week. Hope you are enjoying your CSA experience so far.
Daisy
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