9-2-2008
CSA Newsletter
September 2nd, 2008
I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border. I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error. ~Sara Stein, My Weeds, 1988
The Harvest
1# salad mix
Carrot bunch
Beet bunch
Leek bunch
2# All Red Potatoes
Hot pepper (Fish)
Herb bunch
Cabbage or Arugula (what ever you didn’t get last week)
½# Swiss Chard or Kale (mature, meant for cooking)
Gold Coin Onion
Garlic (Purple Metechi)
Not everyone will get the following:
Basil
1.5# Heirloom tomatoes
Cucumber
Eggplant
Sweet pepper (Purple Beauty)
Squash
Garlic – the first of the garlic! Yeah! Garlic will be out near the sinks along with the potatoes and tomatoes – should not be stored in the fridge. All of our garlic this year (and last) are Hard Neck varieties. I think you will find the flavor superior. Hard Neck garlic does not store as well as Soft Neck garlic, which is why most varieties at the grocery store are Soft Neck. Having said that, I keep the Hard Neck at my house good until at least March or April. Garlic just needs a cool, dry, dark spot for good storage (garage or basement perhaps).
You will notice the beautiful purple striping on the skin of this garlic. Purple Metechi is a Purple Stripe variety. Metechi is listed in the Seeds of Diversity Canada catalogue of heritage varieties as endangered and hard to find. I got the original seed for this garlic 3 years ago from Johnny at Ranui Gardens. Now I save enough garlic each year to re-plant for the coming season.
Purple Stripe varieties do well as baked garlic……and just about anything else you could think to do with it. Enjoy.
All Red Potatoes – a.k.a Cranberry Red. This potato has red skin with delicate pale pink flesh. Low Starch content makes it a good boiling potato for salads or any dish that requires potatoes to retain their shape.
The News
This is the 14th week of the 2008 CSA. We promised you 16-20 weeks of great food, and we’re definitely going to make that. I think we’ll be able to keep going for around 4 more weeks.
Got a pretty hard frost last night, lost some of the flowers, but everything else fared pretty well under covers. We are looking at another one tonight. But man! are the days gorgeous or what? And what about that 2 inches of rain!
We slaughtered 2 of the roosters on Saturday. Russell Taylor, the fella we are getting the Steers from, came up and helped us out. You’ve got it – he did the head chopping off part…..we did the plucking. Anyway, we had 2 too many roosters, and they were causing havoc in the flock, so they had to go……into the oven! I thought I was prepared, but really, I wasn’t. I went to bed that night remembering the little dance the biggest rooster used to do for the ladies……
Anyway, Ramirez is the one remaining rooster. He’s a nice guy, kind of funny looking, but we like him.
Speaking of the chickens – they moved over to our neck of the woods this weekend – don’t forget to check them out when you’re here tomorrow. They are being kept in a little yard right now, to give them time to get used to their new hood, but in a couple days we’ll start letting them free range again.
CSA POTLUCK – we are looking forward to seeing you here this Saturday at 5 for the CSA potluck. It will all be outside, so don’t forget to bring a warm layer. If any of you have not RSVP’d yet, but you’d like to come – just let me or Alayne know tomorrow.
Becca’s Nutritional Tip
Garlic, leeks, onions, shallots, and chives are part of the allium family. They have a long standing in history as therapeutic foods used to treat high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, worms, and the common cold. They have also been considered helpful in boasting immunity and destroying certain viruses and bacteria. Throughout history they have been referred to as the “poor man’s” antibiotic. Blended garlic, shallots, and chives make a healthy base for sautés, soups, and sauces. (To avoid the “tearing” when chopping members of the allium family, hold a piece of moist bread between the lips. The fumes seek moisture, and will find the bread before your eyes.)
The Recipe
Classic Potato Salad (from the Gardener’s Community Cookbook)
Serves 4-6
1 medium thinly sliced
Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh summer savory leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh marjoram leaves
1 cup mayonnaise
4 medium potatoes, cooked and cooled
2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
1. Place the onion in a small bowl and add vinegar to cover. Set aside
2. 2. Mix together the basil, savory, marjoram, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Set aside
3. Slice or dice the potatoes, and place them, with the eggs, in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Drain the onions, squeeze out the extra liquid, and add them to the bowl with the potatoes. Stir in the mayonnaise mixture and serve right away or refrigerate for up to overnight.
That’s all for this week, see you tomorrow.
Daisy
September 2nd, 2008
I appreciate the misunderstanding I have had with Nature over my perennial border. I think it is a flower garden; she thinks it is a meadow lacking grass, and tries to correct the error. ~Sara Stein, My Weeds, 1988
The Harvest
1# salad mix
Carrot bunch
Beet bunch
Leek bunch
2# All Red Potatoes
Hot pepper (Fish)
Herb bunch
Cabbage or Arugula (what ever you didn’t get last week)
½# Swiss Chard or Kale (mature, meant for cooking)
Gold Coin Onion
Garlic (Purple Metechi)
Not everyone will get the following:
Basil
1.5# Heirloom tomatoes
Cucumber
Eggplant
Sweet pepper (Purple Beauty)
Squash
Garlic – the first of the garlic! Yeah! Garlic will be out near the sinks along with the potatoes and tomatoes – should not be stored in the fridge. All of our garlic this year (and last) are Hard Neck varieties. I think you will find the flavor superior. Hard Neck garlic does not store as well as Soft Neck garlic, which is why most varieties at the grocery store are Soft Neck. Having said that, I keep the Hard Neck at my house good until at least March or April. Garlic just needs a cool, dry, dark spot for good storage (garage or basement perhaps).
You will notice the beautiful purple striping on the skin of this garlic. Purple Metechi is a Purple Stripe variety. Metechi is listed in the Seeds of Diversity Canada catalogue of heritage varieties as endangered and hard to find. I got the original seed for this garlic 3 years ago from Johnny at Ranui Gardens. Now I save enough garlic each year to re-plant for the coming season.
Purple Stripe varieties do well as baked garlic……and just about anything else you could think to do with it. Enjoy.
All Red Potatoes – a.k.a Cranberry Red. This potato has red skin with delicate pale pink flesh. Low Starch content makes it a good boiling potato for salads or any dish that requires potatoes to retain their shape.
The News
This is the 14th week of the 2008 CSA. We promised you 16-20 weeks of great food, and we’re definitely going to make that. I think we’ll be able to keep going for around 4 more weeks.
Got a pretty hard frost last night, lost some of the flowers, but everything else fared pretty well under covers. We are looking at another one tonight. But man! are the days gorgeous or what? And what about that 2 inches of rain!
We slaughtered 2 of the roosters on Saturday. Russell Taylor, the fella we are getting the Steers from, came up and helped us out. You’ve got it – he did the head chopping off part…..we did the plucking. Anyway, we had 2 too many roosters, and they were causing havoc in the flock, so they had to go……into the oven! I thought I was prepared, but really, I wasn’t. I went to bed that night remembering the little dance the biggest rooster used to do for the ladies……
Anyway, Ramirez is the one remaining rooster. He’s a nice guy, kind of funny looking, but we like him.
Speaking of the chickens – they moved over to our neck of the woods this weekend – don’t forget to check them out when you’re here tomorrow. They are being kept in a little yard right now, to give them time to get used to their new hood, but in a couple days we’ll start letting them free range again.
CSA POTLUCK – we are looking forward to seeing you here this Saturday at 5 for the CSA potluck. It will all be outside, so don’t forget to bring a warm layer. If any of you have not RSVP’d yet, but you’d like to come – just let me or Alayne know tomorrow.
Becca’s Nutritional Tip
Garlic, leeks, onions, shallots, and chives are part of the allium family. They have a long standing in history as therapeutic foods used to treat high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, worms, and the common cold. They have also been considered helpful in boasting immunity and destroying certain viruses and bacteria. Throughout history they have been referred to as the “poor man’s” antibiotic. Blended garlic, shallots, and chives make a healthy base for sautés, soups, and sauces. (To avoid the “tearing” when chopping members of the allium family, hold a piece of moist bread between the lips. The fumes seek moisture, and will find the bread before your eyes.)
The Recipe
Classic Potato Salad (from the Gardener’s Community Cookbook)
Serves 4-6
1 medium thinly sliced
Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh summer savory leaves
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh marjoram leaves
1 cup mayonnaise
4 medium potatoes, cooked and cooled
2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
1. Place the onion in a small bowl and add vinegar to cover. Set aside
2. 2. Mix together the basil, savory, marjoram, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl. Set aside
3. Slice or dice the potatoes, and place them, with the eggs, in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Drain the onions, squeeze out the extra liquid, and add them to the bowl with the potatoes. Stir in the mayonnaise mixture and serve right away or refrigerate for up to overnight.
That’s all for this week, see you tomorrow.
Daisy
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