5/26/2009
CSA Newsletter
May 26th, 2009
As George Watson pointed out in his book, Nutrition and Your Mind, the nutritional integrity of an individual’s diet determines the integrity of that person’s thinking and emotional stability. When farmers regenerate the soil, they recondition the food chain. This, in turn, improves the nutritional integrity of society, thereby enhancing people’s thinking and emotional stability. No drug, psychiatric counseling, rehabilitation program, welfare check, educational system, or legislative mandate can ever have such an all-encompassing influence.
Dr. Arden Anderson, Science in Agriculture
We are so excited to be starting the CSA this early! A week earlier than last year and 3 weeks earlier than 2007!! As I mentioned last week, these first few boxes will be mostly herbs and greens as we wait for more vegetables to come into season. I hope you enjoy the freshies!
If you still owe for the organic cotton bags, which are yours, please plan on bringing that money tomorrow ($25 per membership). I will send out invoices this afternoon for those of you that do still owe. Any outstanding balances will show up on this invoice…..no time like the present!
The Harvest
¾# Salad Mix
¼# arugula
1 bunch herbs (Chives, Tarragon, or Mint)
1 bulb garlic
**2 oz basil (not everyone will get this week)
**When I have items ready to harvest, but not enough of it for the entire CSA, I harvest it and send it out to as many members as I can. The following week I will send it to members who have not yet received it, and so on. You’ve got to trust me on this one….I keep very good records on this, and I promise you that when the season is over, everyone will have received the same amount as everyone else. Those of you splitting shares, if you are alternating weeks, you may feel that I keep shorting you on an item, but you have to remember that I do not take into account split shares…I treat that box as one share. So if you feel you haven’t been getting something that you have seen on the harvest list……talk to your splitting partner.
Salad Mix – The mix this week is different than you will see in the future. This is a mix of baby spinach and our piquant mix. Usually our salad mix is a mix of lettuces and our piquant mix, but the lettuce is growing a little sluggishly right now….so we’re using the spinach instead.
Here are the cast of characters in the piquant mix:
Bull’s Blood Beet Greens
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Red Russian Kale
Giant Red Mustard
Early Mizuna
Tatsoi
We double wash the salad greens here at the farm, in plain culinary water. Our sinks and the surfaces in the packing area are always cleaned with disinfectant, but no disinfectant is put in the water that washes the greens. You may want to take it a step further and wash them at your home – it is up to you. If you do wash again, make sure you dry them VERY WELL. If the greens are kept too wet in the fridge, the will go bad MUCH more quickly.
The salad mix is packaged in your new organic cotton bags – to keep the salad the freshest I think you are going to need to place the cotton bag in a plastic bag and then into the fridge. These are new to all of us, so tell me how it’s going and what you’re finding out.
YOU NEED TO BRING THESE BAGS BACK WITH YOU NEXT WEEK. There will be a box for you to drop them in when you come to get your veggies.
Arugula – We do not wash the arugula. It is just too delicate for our big salad spinner….so it’s up to you to wash this beauty. If you do not already own a salad spinner….it’s time to buy one. As with any of the greens that you wash, make sure it is well dried before you store it in the fridge in a plastic bag.
Herbs – All the herb bunches will store best in a glass with a little water in it, on your counter or in the fridge. Just like a mini bouquet of flowers! If you know you will not use the herbs, but want them for later use (winter), simply hang them upside down from the rubber band, away from direct heat. Once they are dry and crumbly you can put them in a little container or plastic bag for storage. Herbs that dry well are: tarragon, dill, sage, thyme, and oregano.
Basil – My new theory is that the basil is going to store the best with their stems in a little water on your counter. I have had some on my counter since Saturday and it still looks brand new. You can also try a plastic bag (not completely closed as the basil needs to breath) either on the counter or in the fridge.
Garlic – you guessed it…this is saved from last year. Some of it may be sprouting a bit – no better evidence that you are eating something alive! Now that’s gotta be good for you! Garlic should not be stored in the fridge. It will not be in your boxes either (as they are in the walk-in-cooler), it will be available on the counter for you to grab – don’t forget it!
Nutritional Tip (and other random factoids)
As I am sure you all know, spinach is very high in calcium and iron…but did you know that your body does not absorb the iron very well unless it is eaten with vitamin C? Yup, it’s true, so squeeze a little fresh lemon on your salad to help your body get the most out of that spinach.
It is most likely that spinach was first domesticated in Nepal. The Muslims, who conquered that area, helped to spread it to other areas in the Muslim world. By the 11th Century it was a common plant throughout the Muslim World.
The News
Beginning of the season – yippee! I will be around the building all day tomorrow to say hi and get everyone oriented. Lorin Tedeschi will be working here full time this summer; you’ll hopefully meet her tomorrow, and be seeing a lot of her for the rest of the season.
After tomorrow’s pick-up we will not be sticking as close to the building on Wednesdays, so if you come to get your veggies some week, and you don’t see either Lorin or I, that’s fine – grab your veggies, say hi to the chickens, enjoy the view, marvel at the beauty of a working farm, and hopefully we’ll see you next time!
Ramirez the Rooster – yup, he’s still around, and he’s still a meanie! Please no kids in the chicken yard. Ramirez means business, so it’s best to “appreciate” him from our side of the fence (to date, he has not bothered jumping the fence). None of the other chickens are any danger at all, and are most likely to mob the fence hoping to get fed when you wander over to it. Feel free to bring them stale bread any time you want, they will adore you for it!
The Recipe
This week’s recipes come from Kelly Epstein, a new member of Copper Moose Farm CSA and Co-Owner of DISH, a catering business located here in Park City.
Here are two options to dress your early season greens, using the garlic and fresh herbs from your basket. Any herbs work equally well in either recipe. Our favorites for the creamy herb dressing are chives and tarragon. For the basic vinaigrette, basil works particularly well but any herb will be great.
Creamy Herb Dressing
3 tablespoons 1/2 & 1/2
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon hot water
1/2-1 tablespoon minced fresh herb, packed
salt and pepper to taste
In blender, mix 1/2 & 1/2, sour cream, lemon juice and agave nectar. Add hot water to desired consistency. Stir in fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Basic Herb Vinaigrette
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh herbs of choice
1 teaspoon hot water
In blender mix all ingredients except water, salt and pepper. Blend to combine. Add hot water to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
That seems like more than enough info for one week… see you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy
May 26th, 2009
As George Watson pointed out in his book, Nutrition and Your Mind, the nutritional integrity of an individual’s diet determines the integrity of that person’s thinking and emotional stability. When farmers regenerate the soil, they recondition the food chain. This, in turn, improves the nutritional integrity of society, thereby enhancing people’s thinking and emotional stability. No drug, psychiatric counseling, rehabilitation program, welfare check, educational system, or legislative mandate can ever have such an all-encompassing influence.
Dr. Arden Anderson, Science in Agriculture
We are so excited to be starting the CSA this early! A week earlier than last year and 3 weeks earlier than 2007!! As I mentioned last week, these first few boxes will be mostly herbs and greens as we wait for more vegetables to come into season. I hope you enjoy the freshies!
If you still owe for the organic cotton bags, which are yours, please plan on bringing that money tomorrow ($25 per membership). I will send out invoices this afternoon for those of you that do still owe. Any outstanding balances will show up on this invoice…..no time like the present!
The Harvest
¾# Salad Mix
¼# arugula
1 bunch herbs (Chives, Tarragon, or Mint)
1 bulb garlic
**2 oz basil (not everyone will get this week)
**When I have items ready to harvest, but not enough of it for the entire CSA, I harvest it and send it out to as many members as I can. The following week I will send it to members who have not yet received it, and so on. You’ve got to trust me on this one….I keep very good records on this, and I promise you that when the season is over, everyone will have received the same amount as everyone else. Those of you splitting shares, if you are alternating weeks, you may feel that I keep shorting you on an item, but you have to remember that I do not take into account split shares…I treat that box as one share. So if you feel you haven’t been getting something that you have seen on the harvest list……talk to your splitting partner.
Salad Mix – The mix this week is different than you will see in the future. This is a mix of baby spinach and our piquant mix. Usually our salad mix is a mix of lettuces and our piquant mix, but the lettuce is growing a little sluggishly right now….so we’re using the spinach instead.
Here are the cast of characters in the piquant mix:
Bull’s Blood Beet Greens
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Red Russian Kale
Giant Red Mustard
Early Mizuna
Tatsoi
We double wash the salad greens here at the farm, in plain culinary water. Our sinks and the surfaces in the packing area are always cleaned with disinfectant, but no disinfectant is put in the water that washes the greens. You may want to take it a step further and wash them at your home – it is up to you. If you do wash again, make sure you dry them VERY WELL. If the greens are kept too wet in the fridge, the will go bad MUCH more quickly.
The salad mix is packaged in your new organic cotton bags – to keep the salad the freshest I think you are going to need to place the cotton bag in a plastic bag and then into the fridge. These are new to all of us, so tell me how it’s going and what you’re finding out.
YOU NEED TO BRING THESE BAGS BACK WITH YOU NEXT WEEK. There will be a box for you to drop them in when you come to get your veggies.
Arugula – We do not wash the arugula. It is just too delicate for our big salad spinner….so it’s up to you to wash this beauty. If you do not already own a salad spinner….it’s time to buy one. As with any of the greens that you wash, make sure it is well dried before you store it in the fridge in a plastic bag.
Herbs – All the herb bunches will store best in a glass with a little water in it, on your counter or in the fridge. Just like a mini bouquet of flowers! If you know you will not use the herbs, but want them for later use (winter), simply hang them upside down from the rubber band, away from direct heat. Once they are dry and crumbly you can put them in a little container or plastic bag for storage. Herbs that dry well are: tarragon, dill, sage, thyme, and oregano.
Basil – My new theory is that the basil is going to store the best with their stems in a little water on your counter. I have had some on my counter since Saturday and it still looks brand new. You can also try a plastic bag (not completely closed as the basil needs to breath) either on the counter or in the fridge.
Garlic – you guessed it…this is saved from last year. Some of it may be sprouting a bit – no better evidence that you are eating something alive! Now that’s gotta be good for you! Garlic should not be stored in the fridge. It will not be in your boxes either (as they are in the walk-in-cooler), it will be available on the counter for you to grab – don’t forget it!
Nutritional Tip (and other random factoids)
As I am sure you all know, spinach is very high in calcium and iron…but did you know that your body does not absorb the iron very well unless it is eaten with vitamin C? Yup, it’s true, so squeeze a little fresh lemon on your salad to help your body get the most out of that spinach.
It is most likely that spinach was first domesticated in Nepal. The Muslims, who conquered that area, helped to spread it to other areas in the Muslim world. By the 11th Century it was a common plant throughout the Muslim World.
The News
Beginning of the season – yippee! I will be around the building all day tomorrow to say hi and get everyone oriented. Lorin Tedeschi will be working here full time this summer; you’ll hopefully meet her tomorrow, and be seeing a lot of her for the rest of the season.
After tomorrow’s pick-up we will not be sticking as close to the building on Wednesdays, so if you come to get your veggies some week, and you don’t see either Lorin or I, that’s fine – grab your veggies, say hi to the chickens, enjoy the view, marvel at the beauty of a working farm, and hopefully we’ll see you next time!
Ramirez the Rooster – yup, he’s still around, and he’s still a meanie! Please no kids in the chicken yard. Ramirez means business, so it’s best to “appreciate” him from our side of the fence (to date, he has not bothered jumping the fence). None of the other chickens are any danger at all, and are most likely to mob the fence hoping to get fed when you wander over to it. Feel free to bring them stale bread any time you want, they will adore you for it!
The Recipe
This week’s recipes come from Kelly Epstein, a new member of Copper Moose Farm CSA and Co-Owner of DISH, a catering business located here in Park City.
Here are two options to dress your early season greens, using the garlic and fresh herbs from your basket. Any herbs work equally well in either recipe. Our favorites for the creamy herb dressing are chives and tarragon. For the basic vinaigrette, basil works particularly well but any herb will be great.
Creamy Herb Dressing
3 tablespoons 1/2 & 1/2
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon hot water
1/2-1 tablespoon minced fresh herb, packed
salt and pepper to taste
In blender, mix 1/2 & 1/2, sour cream, lemon juice and agave nectar. Add hot water to desired consistency. Stir in fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
Basic Herb Vinaigrette
4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons fresh herbs of choice
1 teaspoon hot water
In blender mix all ingredients except water, salt and pepper. Blend to combine. Add hot water to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
That seems like more than enough info for one week… see you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy
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