8/25/2009
CSA Newsletter
August 25, 2009
Microbes in a healthy acre of soil will weigh as much as an average sized cow.
Hands on Agronomy by Neil Kinsey and Charles Walters
The Harvest
1# salad mix
½# stir fry mix
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch beets
1 small bunch leeks (a teaser)
Garlic bulb (not cured, not cleaned, fresh out of the ground!)
1 bunch herbs
Not everyone will get all of the following:
Cabbage (Red Express (red leaves), Famosa (curly leaves, it’s a Savoy cabbage) or Copenhagen Market (more of your standard blue-green heads))
1# potatoes – check the board
Cucumber
Squash
Tomatoes – check the board
U-Pick – check the board
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Peppers
Leeks – The variety this week is King Richard. This is a little sampler bunch, more to follow in a couple weeks. Leeks will store best in the fridge in a plastic bag.
Garlic – All of the garlic is out of the ground now and curing. As I mentioned two weeks ago, after it has cured we will go through it all, clean it, and select the best for seed for next year’s crop. Then we’ll start sending lots of beautiful, clean garlic home with you all. The variety this week is Wild Rocambole.
Potatoes – The potatoes this week are called La Ratte, they are a fingerling type potato. Potatoes should never go into the refrigerator, hence they will not be in your boxes, and they will be out in the main room in a box. Potatoes need to stay out of direct light so that they do not turn green. The green is a chemical called Solanine that is made by the potato when in direct sunlight or artificial light. In very high doses solanine can be poisonous to humans. If you have a little green spot on your potato, just cut that section of the potato off – the rest of it is good to eat.
When potatoes are stored at too cool temperatures the starches in them turn into sugars – although this may sound tasty, it doesn’t work out. So, store you potatoes in a cool (not cold), dark spot. A paper bag on your counter should work just fine for short term storage. For longer storage a paper bag in the basement or cool garage would be better.
Nutrition Tip (from Becca)
Leeks: Leeks are native to Central Asia and have been cultivated there and in Europe for thousands of years. Throughout history, the leek has held an esteemed position in the vegetable world. Aristotle credited his clear voice to leeks. Nero, a Roman emperor, used leeks to make his voice strong. Leeks also star as Wales’ national emblem.
Leeks are a member of the allium family, but have a more delicate and sweet taste then there relatives the garlic, onion, and scallion. Many studies reveal that alliums reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, are proactive in fighting cancer cells, and help to stabilize blood sugar. Leeks are a perfect add to soups, casseroles, roasted vegetables or make a fantastic side on their own when grilled.
The News
We’re looking forward to celebrating the season with you all this Sunday at the CSA Potluck (Sunday August 30th from 5-8). It looks like we have some incredible dishes coming! As you know, our parking is a bit limited, if you can walk or ride your bike, great, if not, most of the parking is going to be out in the field before you get to the greenhouse. We will make sure to sign it well.
Because I have put requested ingredients in some of your boxes for the potluck, if you split a share you may want to check with your partner to make sure you are not taking their ingredients.
This is the last CSA distribution of August and our 14th distribution of the season – hard to believe! I predict that the season will continue into the first few weeks of October, but weather will ultimately determine that. I’ll keep you posted as we get closer.
The new “barn” kitties have adjusted well to life on the farm. They seem to spend their nights out and about, as they always greet us very early in the morning, and then proceed to sleep most of the day. We have seen them catch quite a few mice and voles already, and Lorin and I praise them like proud parents. They have gotten over their fear of the chickens, and now go in and out of the duck house at will – which is good since that’s where their accommodations are (the carpeted 2nd story of the duck house, very luxurious). All in all we are completely attached even though we know we shouldn’t be because they are “barn” kitties. Either way, it’s great to have their playful personalities ripping around the farm.
The Recipe
Spicy Coleslaw
(Chez Panisse Vegetable Cookbook)
Great with anything BBQ’d or fried.
For every 4 cups of sliced cabbage (cored, quartered and sliced into 1/8” strips), add 1 diced small red onion, 1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper (with seeds and veins removed), juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp white balsamic or wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, the leaves from a good –sized bunch of cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together and let marinate for 1 hour. Serve at room temperature. Serves 3-4.
Stuffed Cabbage (From Quail Hill Farm Cookbook)
Remove the leaves from 1 large Savoy cabbage and soften for several minutes in boiling water. Drain.
FILLING: boil 2 cups basmati rice in water for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain. Meanwhile sauté until golden 1 to 2 thinly sliced onions and 1# sliced mushrooms in 2 Tbsp olive oil. Toss with drained rice, and season with paprika, pepper, and salt. Place 2-3 Tbsp rice mixture in the center of each leaf and roll, tucking the sides into the center to form a package. Pack the finished rolls tightly together in an ovenproof dish. Cover with broth or water and 1 cup tomato juice, 1 Tbsp grated horseradish and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce. Bake covered at 350 until the rice is cooked and the cabbage is very tender, about 1.5 hours. Serve hot or warm.
That’s all for this week. See you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy
August 25, 2009
Microbes in a healthy acre of soil will weigh as much as an average sized cow.
Hands on Agronomy by Neil Kinsey and Charles Walters
The Harvest
1# salad mix
½# stir fry mix
1 bunch carrots
1 bunch beets
1 small bunch leeks (a teaser)
Garlic bulb (not cured, not cleaned, fresh out of the ground!)
1 bunch herbs
Not everyone will get all of the following:
Cabbage (Red Express (red leaves), Famosa (curly leaves, it’s a Savoy cabbage) or Copenhagen Market (more of your standard blue-green heads))
1# potatoes – check the board
Cucumber
Squash
Tomatoes – check the board
U-Pick – check the board
Edible Flowers
Eggplant
Peppers
Leeks – The variety this week is King Richard. This is a little sampler bunch, more to follow in a couple weeks. Leeks will store best in the fridge in a plastic bag.
Garlic – All of the garlic is out of the ground now and curing. As I mentioned two weeks ago, after it has cured we will go through it all, clean it, and select the best for seed for next year’s crop. Then we’ll start sending lots of beautiful, clean garlic home with you all. The variety this week is Wild Rocambole.
Potatoes – The potatoes this week are called La Ratte, they are a fingerling type potato. Potatoes should never go into the refrigerator, hence they will not be in your boxes, and they will be out in the main room in a box. Potatoes need to stay out of direct light so that they do not turn green. The green is a chemical called Solanine that is made by the potato when in direct sunlight or artificial light. In very high doses solanine can be poisonous to humans. If you have a little green spot on your potato, just cut that section of the potato off – the rest of it is good to eat.
When potatoes are stored at too cool temperatures the starches in them turn into sugars – although this may sound tasty, it doesn’t work out. So, store you potatoes in a cool (not cold), dark spot. A paper bag on your counter should work just fine for short term storage. For longer storage a paper bag in the basement or cool garage would be better.
Nutrition Tip (from Becca)
Leeks: Leeks are native to Central Asia and have been cultivated there and in Europe for thousands of years. Throughout history, the leek has held an esteemed position in the vegetable world. Aristotle credited his clear voice to leeks. Nero, a Roman emperor, used leeks to make his voice strong. Leeks also star as Wales’ national emblem.
Leeks are a member of the allium family, but have a more delicate and sweet taste then there relatives the garlic, onion, and scallion. Many studies reveal that alliums reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, are proactive in fighting cancer cells, and help to stabilize blood sugar. Leeks are a perfect add to soups, casseroles, roasted vegetables or make a fantastic side on their own when grilled.
The News
We’re looking forward to celebrating the season with you all this Sunday at the CSA Potluck (Sunday August 30th from 5-8). It looks like we have some incredible dishes coming! As you know, our parking is a bit limited, if you can walk or ride your bike, great, if not, most of the parking is going to be out in the field before you get to the greenhouse. We will make sure to sign it well.
Because I have put requested ingredients in some of your boxes for the potluck, if you split a share you may want to check with your partner to make sure you are not taking their ingredients.
This is the last CSA distribution of August and our 14th distribution of the season – hard to believe! I predict that the season will continue into the first few weeks of October, but weather will ultimately determine that. I’ll keep you posted as we get closer.
The new “barn” kitties have adjusted well to life on the farm. They seem to spend their nights out and about, as they always greet us very early in the morning, and then proceed to sleep most of the day. We have seen them catch quite a few mice and voles already, and Lorin and I praise them like proud parents. They have gotten over their fear of the chickens, and now go in and out of the duck house at will – which is good since that’s where their accommodations are (the carpeted 2nd story of the duck house, very luxurious). All in all we are completely attached even though we know we shouldn’t be because they are “barn” kitties. Either way, it’s great to have their playful personalities ripping around the farm.
The Recipe
Spicy Coleslaw
(Chez Panisse Vegetable Cookbook)
Great with anything BBQ’d or fried.
For every 4 cups of sliced cabbage (cored, quartered and sliced into 1/8” strips), add 1 diced small red onion, 1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper (with seeds and veins removed), juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp white balsamic or wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, the leaves from a good –sized bunch of cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it all together and let marinate for 1 hour. Serve at room temperature. Serves 3-4.
Stuffed Cabbage (From Quail Hill Farm Cookbook)
Remove the leaves from 1 large Savoy cabbage and soften for several minutes in boiling water. Drain.
FILLING: boil 2 cups basmati rice in water for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain. Meanwhile sauté until golden 1 to 2 thinly sliced onions and 1# sliced mushrooms in 2 Tbsp olive oil. Toss with drained rice, and season with paprika, pepper, and salt. Place 2-3 Tbsp rice mixture in the center of each leaf and roll, tucking the sides into the center to form a package. Pack the finished rolls tightly together in an ovenproof dish. Cover with broth or water and 1 cup tomato juice, 1 Tbsp grated horseradish and a few dashes of Tabasco sauce. Bake covered at 350 until the rice is cooked and the cabbage is very tender, about 1.5 hours. Serve hot or warm.
That’s all for this week. See you tomorrow between 8-6.
Daisy
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