6/23/09
CSA Newsletter June 23, 2009 On every stem, on every leaf,... and at the root of everything that grew, was a professional specialist in the shape of grub, caterpillar, aphis, or other expert, whose business it was to devour that particular part. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes The Harvest ¾# salad greens 2 oz basil 2.5 oz arugula 1 bunch herbs (dill or cilantro) Not everyone will get the following, but you will get one of the following…. 1# tomatoes (Cherokee Purple, Red Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Double Rich, Striped German). Check the list on the white board to see if you get tomatoes this week. Jalapeno pepper 1 bunch turnips 1 bunch radish Bag of beans (purple and green) ½# Gwen’s Favorite Stir Fry Mix Turnips - Ahh yes, turnip season is starting. I know some of you are dreaming of turnip chips right now! Me too, but these may be too small for turnip chips. These are baby turnips – we have a lovely recipe for them later in the letter. Both the greens and the roots are edible. The greens should be cooked before eaten…mostly because they are prickly. For storing you are going to want to cut the tops off the roots, store them both in plastic bags in the fridge. Jalapeno Pepper – I just usually toss mine into the fridge, but I am sure that putting it in a plastic bag would help it keep longer. Striped German Heirloom Tomato – This is my favorite! It is a large multicolored tomato, with an exciting citrusy flavor. It’s a great slicer as the red, orange and yellow colors are a show stopper. So, don’t wait for it to turn all red – it won’t. The red part is mostly on the bottom, with the top being yellow. Don’t confuse it for the Yellow Brandywine which will be all yellow with no red. Stir Fry Mix – You may recognize some of the characters in the stir fry mix from your salad mix. The stir fry mix is made up of more mature Mustard Greens, Tatsoi, Kale, Swiss Chard, and Bulls Blood Beet Greens. We call it a stir fry mix because it will taste best lightly cooked. You can chop it up and throw it in at the very end of a stir fry (they only need a moment of cooking), or you can steam them for a couple minutes for a side dish, put them in a quiche, chop them up and add them to your cooking scrambled eggs, use in burritos or enchiladas…..you get the picture. The stir fry mix will have a slightly spicy flavor due to the Mustard Greens and the Tatsoi. Enjoy. Nutrition Tip and other random factoids (from Becca this week) Mustard Greens: Mustard Greens were originally grown in India over 5,000 years ago. They are packed full of phytonutrients like glucosionlates, antioxidants C and E, B vitamins, and minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These nutrients are associated with healthy lung and heart function, bone health, and soothing the nervous system. The high level of magnesium in mustard greens help to reduce stress and promote healthy sleep patterns. Mustard Greens are a great peppery add to salads, delight on their own in garlic, olive oil stir-fry, and mixed into bean and rice dishes. The News Yoga starts next Thursday (July 2nd). It’s hard to believe July is upon us already, but it is….and that means Becca’s yoga series starts (this is a class for all levels). Yoga will be every Thursday morning through August, 7-8am. Muffins and tea will be served afterwards. Bring a mat if you have one, if you don’t, there will be extra’s here. You can sign up for the full series by emailing me, or you can just drop in for classes when it works for your schedule. Thursday mornings, 7-8 am, July 2nd through August 27thAll 9 Classes - $108 ($90 for Copper Moose Farm CSA members)Drop in - $15 per class Hope to see you here. Dress in layers as it can be a bit chilly at 7 am…. Joy oh joy the sun is out! What a relief. We’ll be busy here this week trying to get back on schedule…..and so will the veggies probably. As I have mentioned before, the salad greens loved the rainy weather, but it seems that some other crops may have slowed down a bit. I expect we will see a huge growth explosion (all over the county) in the next week with the warm sunny weather. If you got your greens in plastic bags this week…….it means you have all the cotton bags at your house…..which is not the goal. You should have one set and we should have one set. There will be additional bags of salad greens available for sale in the fridge, along with some additional herbs. Help yourself – its self service as far as making your own change using the money jar which is on the tables near the sink. (3/4# salad greens $7.50, herb bunch $2). The Recipes The following 3 turnip related recipes come from Becca. Roasted Turnips in Wine with Baked Brie and Goat Cheese 1 bunch turnips, cleaned, greens reserved for Turnip Greens Meal1 cup red wine 1/4 cup honey 2 Tablespoons butter Place turnips in saucepan; add remaining ingredients and enough water to barely cover. (You may also add other root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, etc.) Simmer until tender. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees 1/2 hour. Serve with baked brie, goat cheese, and fresh bread. 2-3 servings. Baked Brie 1 large sheet of puff pastry dough or 1 tube of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1 round or wedge of Brie cheese (do not remove rind) Raspberry Jam, or other sweet jam Brown sugar 1/4 cup of maple syrup Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a stick-free cookie sheet, lay out the puff pastry or the crescent rolls flat; put brie round or wedge on top. Spread jam on brie, fold dough over top, cutting off excess dough. Drizzle maple syrup and place a handful of brown sugar on top. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes, pastry should be golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.Serve with crackers and apple slices. Turnip Greens Meal 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil3 Garlic cloves, minced 1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced (can find these fresh at Park Silly)1 Tablespoon Red Raspberry or cider vinegar 1 large red onion, sliced 1 can black beans 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 large potato, cubed (I would substitute a couple of the turnips...) cleaned greens from one bunch of turnips. Put all ingredients in a large pot, in the order listed. Bring mixture to boiling point, stir, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 or 20 minutes, or until potato is tender. Serve with a chilled fruit and yogurt accompaniment. This last one comes from our good friend Alayne (many of you will remember her from her hard work here at the farm the last two summers)! She is living it up in Chamonix France, tending a beautiful garden, and creating wonders in her kitchen. Thanks for the recipe Alayne – keep them coming! Radish Leaf Pesto - 2 large handfuls of good-looking radish leaves (could substitute turnip leaves I bet, if you don’t have enough radish leaves), stems removed- 30 grams (1 ounce) hard cheese, such as pecorino or parmesan, grated or shaved using a vegetable peeler- 30 grams (1 ounce) nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, or pinenuts (avoid walnuts, which make the end result too bitter in my opinion)- 1 clove garlic, germ removed, cut in four- a short ribbon of lemon zest cut thinly from an organic lemon with a vegetable peeler (optional)- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to get the consistency you like- salt, pepper, ground chili pepperPut all the ingredients in a food processor or blender or mini-chopper, and process in short pulses until smooth. You will likely have to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. This produces a thick pesto; add more oil and pulse again to get the consistency you prefer. (This can also be done with a mortar and pestle; it's great for your karma and your triceps.)Taste, adjust the seasoning, and pack into an airtight container (I use a recycled glass jar). Use within a few days (it will keep longer if you pour a thin layer of oil on the surface) or freeze. Hope you’re all out enjoying the gorgeous weather! See you tomorrow between 8-6. Daisy
6/16/2009
CSA NewsletterJune 16, 2009 The damages of our present agriculture all come from the determination to use the life of the soil as if it were an extractable resource like coal, to use living things as if they were machines, to impose scientific (that is, laboratory) exactitude upon living complexities that are ultimately mysterious. Wendell Berry in The Unsettling of America Last week after pick-up day we found too many green tomatoes that had been picked lying in the beds……please make sure your kids know not to touch any of the plants in the greenhouse, and especially not to PICK anything in the greenhouse. Thanks. The Harvest ¾# salad greens ½# spinach (cooking spinach) Pac Choi Herb Bunch Not everyone will get: 1 bunch radish 2 oz basil Edible flowers 1# Heirloom tomatoes (Cherokee Purple and Red Brandywine) Beans – Blue Lake Bush Bean (green), Royal Burgundy (purple/red) Pac Choi – Pac Choi is similar to boc choy – they are all actually just slightly different varieties of Chinese Cabbage. The two varieties you are getting today are Red Choi and Joy Choi. Your choi will store best in a plastic baggie (tied) in your fridge. Pac Choi is great in stir fries – use the whole thing, leaf and stem. The stems make a really nice, juicy addition to stir fries. You can also steam it whole and then serve as a side vegetable. Pac Choi can also be lightly brushed with olive oil and put on the grill for a moment. And then there is the good old stand-by of just chopping it up and adding it to your salad! Red Brandywine – The original Red Brandywine was introduced in 1889. These large, rosy red fruit have an excellent flavor. Beans – Normally these would be a u-pick item, and they will be once they are ready for harvest in the cold frame. The ones ready right now are in the greenhouse and they are a little more difficult to harvest, and the plants are more delicate. So, we’ll be harvesting these until more are ready in the cold frame. These will store well in a plastic baggie in the fridge (there’s a new one eh). Nutritional Tip (and other random factoids): From Becca this week….. BasilEven though Basil is now grown all over the world, it is native to India, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Africa. The word basil comes from the Greek word basilikohn, meaning royal, which gives us some understanding of how these cultures saw and used this aromatic herb. Basil is packed full of 80 health promoting nutrients. Recent research reveals that basil's flavonoids and volatile oils promote DNA protection and anti-bacterial properties.Some medicinal uses for basil are: rubbing fresh leaves on insect bites to relieve the pain and itch, an infusion of local honey and basil leaves to relieve cold/allergy symptoms, and an infusion of almond oil and basil leaves massaged into the body to relieve sore muscles.Basil is an important herb in Thai and Italian cooking, and is most often featured in pesto dishes, alongside olive oil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. Use it raw in a fresh caprese salad and enjoy the immune boosting qualities of this ancient gem. News Rain, rain, rain….that’s about all that’s been on my mind, and probably many of yours also. Things are doing pretty well out here, despite the routine down pours. We (those of us that work here, and the veggies that grow here) are looking forward to some nice sunny days though. Just give me a few weeks and I’ll be talking about the heat! We are only slightly off schedule due to the wet conditions. I haven’t been able to get into the field with the tractor because the soil has been too wet. Working the soil when too wet does damage to the soil structure, which could take a year or more to recover. Because of that we have missed a sowing of salad greens, and are just a little off track on some transplanting. Not that big of a deal though, you won’t even notice…..and neither will I once I forget about it. It has made me realize though, how used to being “in control” of the water I am. I have spent all of my life in New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah….all states where you have to irrigate to grow. I turn the water on when it fits into my schedule….the only times it’s too wet to plant is when I have messed up. Ahhh, just another fabulous opportunity to learn about myself and practice acceptance of the things you can not change. If you got any of your greens in a plastic bag this week that means you have two weeks worth of cotton bags at your house and we need them back! Just a reminder to folks who like to put their greens into plastic bags here at the farm and always leave their cotton bags here - you need to bring in your own plastic bags for that – thanks. The Recipe Spinach, Feta and Herb Quiche (I made this one this weekend – tasty!). Ohh – you could put radish or basil is this too! The crust may make it seem intimidating, but go for it – it’s easier than it first looks! Crust: 1.5 cups all-purpose flour ¼ tsp salt 8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, at room temp 2 to 2.5 tbsp water Preheat oven to 425. Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Cut in the butter and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Continue to pulse while adding the water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough adheres to itself when pinched. Gather the dough into a ball and set the ball on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and roll the dough into an 11-13” circle. Remove the top sheet and turn the dough into a 10-12” tart or pie pan, pushing gently into the corners and up the sides. Place in the refrigerator to chill before baking, up to overnight. If chilling overnight, remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Note: the dough can also be mixed by hand. You will need slightly more water with this method. After chilling for a bit, with a fork, prick all across the bottom of the crust and bake until beginning to puff up on the bottom, about 12 min. Gently prick the bottom again to allow steam to escape. If the sides are beginning to collapse, press them up with the fork. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes more, until the crust is golden on the bottom and around the edges. Remove and continue with the recipe, either right away of after the crust has cooled a bit but not longer than 1 or 2 hours and never chilled. The Filling 6 oz spinach 2 tbsp olive oil 2 eggs 6 oz feta 1 cup milk salt and pepper to taste .5 cup half and half 2 tbsp chopped herbs 2 cloves garlic 1 cup mushrooms 1 tomato (sliced) Turn oven down to 400. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes (until the mushrooms begin to soften). Add the spinach and quickly sauté – don’t over cook! Pull off heat and set aside Whisk together the eggs, milk and half and half. Add chopped herbs, salt and pepper and feta cheese and mix. Place spinach mixture in the pie crust. Next layer the tomato. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, until puffed and set. Remove and let rest for 10 minutes This one comes from Becca; another great recipe to use some herbs….and looks like a fun one to do with the kids. Bread PretzelsI pulled out my dear old friend, The Joy of Cooking, for this one. Chop and add your fresh Copper Moose herbs to the flour, butter, salt, and sugar mix. Combine in a mixer bowl:1 cup 105-115 degree water1 package active dry yeast When dissolved, add and beat at least 3 minutes:1 ½ cups sifted organic flour2 tablespoons organic, local butter½ teaspoon local salt1 tablespoon organic sugar Stir in:1 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose organic flour and as many chopped up herbs from Copper Moose Farm as you think sounds good and kneed until the dough loses its stickiness. Let rise in a covered greased bowl until doubled in bulk. Punch down and divide into 12 pieces for pretzels or 36 smaller pieces for sticks. With you palms, roll the 12 pretzel pieces into 18-inch lengths about pencil thickness, tapering the ends slightly. Loop into a twisted oval . Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise until almost doubled in bulk. Preheat oven to 475. Have ready a boiling solution of :4 cups water5 teaspoons baking soda Do not use an aluminum pan for this mixture. With a slotted spoon, carefully lower the pretzels into the water about 1 minute, or until they float to the top. Return them to the greased sheet. Sprinkle with:Coarse saltBake until crispy and browned, about 12 minutes. They are best served at once, but will keep about on week in an airtight container. That’s all for this week. Don’t forget to check the white board in the greenhouse for the tomato list and the flowers list. See you tomorrow between 8-6. Daisy
6/09/2009
CSA Newsletter June 9, 2009 Since WWII, American farmers have increased their use of agricultural pesticides tenfold – to about one billion pounds (500,000 tons) per year, yet crop loss due to agricultural pests has doubled. Dr. Arden Anderson, Science in Agriculture The Harvest ¾# salad greens *¼# arugula ½# spinach *1 bunch herbs (tarragon, oregano, thyme, or mint) 2 oz basil (not everyone will get this week) 1 bunch radish (not everyone will get this week) 1 oz edible flowers (only a few people will get this each week, I’ll just be working my way down the list……) * The arugula is probably going to be a little wet and muddy this week from all the rain, so make sure you give it a good wash and dry when you get it home * If you find you keep getting the same herb bunch week after week feel free to swap out for another type of herb. There will usually be a box of extra herb bunches in the cooler for our “a la carte” customers. It will say “herb bunches $2” – swap your bunch out for another variety in that box if you would like. You can also buy additional herb bunches from that box! This week there will also be additional bags of salad mix ($7.50), spinach ($5) and arugula ($4) in the cooler for sale. Nutritional Tip (and other fun factoids) Oregano is native to Europe, the Mediterranean region, and South and Central Asia. It is high in antioxidant activity due to a high content of phenolic acids and flavonoids. Oregano also demonstrates antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogens. Both of these characteristics make Oregano great for food health and food preservation. In the Philippines Oregano is mostly used medicinally, for relieving children’s coughs. In a mild tea it has a soothing effect and aides in restful sleep. Used topically, Oregano is one of the best antiseptics because of its high thymol content. Beyond all that, as I am sure you all know, Oregano is widely used in Italian and Greek cuisine. Bee Talk You got it! This is the section where Doug (our Bee Guy) will give you periodic updates on our bee hive. I’ll just turn it right over to Doug: We’ve got Bees! This spring here at the farm we brought in a hive of about 6 thousand European “Carolina” honey bees, to help make the farm that much more self-sufficient and benefit not only the vegetable and flower crops but the surrounding flowers and fields. As this is the first year for the bees and us, the amount of honey harvested in the fall may be small if any. The bees need a fair amount to remain in the hive to eat over the winter. We are going to play it pretty safe this fall and leave quite a bit as we don’t know exactly how cold and long the winter will be and how it will impact the hive. The bees are genetically classified as “Carolina” and have been raised in the Baltic states of Eastern Europe for hundreds of years. We selected this type due to there ability to over winter in particularly cold regions well. They are very docile and are for the most part unconcerned about people or animals. They are actively gathering nectar and pollen, building honeycomb and raising the hundreds of new bees. The hive population is about 16-18 thousand as of early June. About two to four hundred new bees are born every day! Feel free to walk over and check out the hive the next time you visit the farm. It is on the west side of the green house. If you watch from the end of the wood chip path you should be able to see the girls coming and going. The hive front door is at the base of the hive boxes. As mentioned before the bees are very docile and will not even notice you are there so long as you stay clear of the front entrance “flight path”. There is an empty hive currently sitting near the gate entrance to the field you are welcome to open it up and see all of the parts up close and bee free. If you have questions about the hives or beekeeping pleas let me know. Thanks and cheers to a sweet summer season Doug (the beekeeper in training) cdfryer@yahoo.comHere are a few photos of the bees: This last photo is the one that Doug is referencing in the following sentences: “In one of the photos there is a cell on the honeycomb frame that looks like a small peanut. It is a queen cell. The bees may be in the process of replacing the current queen (like laying three or four hundred eggs ain't enough.. sheesh!).. This is apparently a normal thing based on the queen’s laying ability and age. The News Well, it’s been raining a lot as I am sure you’ve all noticed…..the greens are loving it and growing like weeds. The tomatoes in the greenhouse don’t seem to mind the cooler weather too much; we are starting to see some of the big heirloom tomatoes coloring up! We do seem to be having a bit of an aphid problem on the peppers and eggplant right now. We usually get some of that in the spring, and have good success treating it with Lady Bugs. The treatment seems to be taking a little longer this spring…. It seems the cooler weather is just perfect for the aphids….hence their proliferation. The good thing is that it doesn’t seem to be affecting fruit set at this point, so we have lots of fruit maturing on the peppers and eggplant. The Lady Bugs are great at eating aphids, but their offspring are even better! The juvenile stage of the Lady Bug looks like this crazy little black and orange speckled dinosaur/alligator like thing. See if you can find any in the greenhouse! Leave them where they are though, they are hard at work. The Recipe This comes from Quail Hill Farm Cookbook. Spinach Cottage Cheese Gratin Preheat oven to 350. Oil an 8”X10” gratin dish. Cook 3 bunches of spinach with water still clinging to leaves in wide skillet until wilted. Press out and reserve liquid. Finely chop spinach. Beat 5 eggs with ½ cup chopped parsley, ½ tsp dill seeds, ½ tsp ground coriander, 1/2tsp salt and a little pepper. Add 2 cups small curd cottage cheese, spinach and reserve liquid. Bake for 45 minutes. And this comes from Gardener’s Community Cookbook. Arugula Lover’s Pesto 1 cup coarsely chopped arugula leaves ½ cup fresh parsley leaves ½ cup coarsely cut winter greens (such as Mizuna or giant red mustard) ½ cup walnut halves or pieces 2 to 4 garlic cloves, to taste 1 to jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped, to taste ½ tsp salt ½ cup parmesan cheese ½ cup olive oil Wash the arugula, parsley, and winter greens all together and let drip dry in a colander. Pulverize the walnuts in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, including the still-moist greens, and process until minced as fine as possible. Use right away or store in the refrigerator for up to a week. That’s all for this week, hope the kids are enjoying the beginning of their summer break! Daisy
6/02/2009
CSA Newsletter June 2nd, 2009 A truly fertile soil is inwardly alive. Rudolf Steiner The Harvest ¾# salad mix 2 oz arugula Basil (for those of you who did not get it last week) 1 bunch radish (not everyone will get this week) 1 bunch herbs (mint, thyme, or tarragon) Edible Flowers Let me introduce you to a little “friend” of mine. Some of you may remember this character from last year…..the Flea Beetle . Yup, this little guy is the one doing all the damage you see to your salad mix (the tiny holes). They like the spicier greens (mustard greens, Mizuna, arugula, Tatsoi). We cover all of those greens here at the farm with a light row cover to keep it hidden from them….but sometimes they still get in. I am going to call this ‘the spring of the flea beetle’; their damage is very wide spread right now…..we’re doing our best. I think I have mentioned before that farming is teaching me to share…..even when I don’t want to; this week it’s with the flea beetles. Edible Flowers – I only send out a couple bags of these a week….so we’ll slowly get through the list…The best way to store these little beauties is floating in some water in a little bowl, either in your fridge or on the counter. Edible Flowers are great to use on salads, floating on the top of a chilled soup, as a gorgeous garnish for desserts…..and anything else that sounds good to you. Right now the flowers that we have are Pansies, Chamomile, and Nasturtiums. The Nasturtiums have a spicy flavor, the Chamomile tastes like….chamomile, and the Pansies are very subtle. Last year Alayne put some Chamomile flowers into a scone batter and WOW, was it fabulous….subtle but wonderful. Nasturtium Pansy Chamomile Nutritional Tip (and other random factoids): The radish was first domesticated in Europe in the Pre-Roman times. Radishes are actually packed with lots of good stuff – believe it or not! They are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium and are a good source of Vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. So eat em’ up! The News The CSA Potluck Party is going to be Sunday August 30th from 5-8. Don’t miss it. It’s a great time here at the farm with all your fellow CSA members! We will provide the main dish and beverages, and you all bring one of your favorite vegetable dishes or desserts. We try to accommodate everyone with as many of the ingredients for their dish as we can. We’ll talk more about that later. But put it in your calendar now! Compost – we are going to set up a compost bucket for you on Wednesdays. The only items I can accept are things that came from Copper Moose Farm. So…if you don’t eat your radish greens, put them in a container and bring them back the next week. Some of your greens are going bad, bring them back here….you peel your carrots, I’ll take that! You get the picture. I can not accept cooked food – even if it is from the farm. So, to re-cap, I can only accept compost items that came from Copper Moose Farm. Thanks to all of you that made it to the CSA Prep Class – it was a great exchange of ideas! Some of you expressed interest in the juicers Dave was talking about – here is Dave Spealler’s contact information if anyone is interested in getting a good quality juicer: dave@cgiwest.com, 435-655-0058. Along with the juicer talk came a great “keep you young” juice recipe from Debbie Sebek. Here it is: Fresh Juice Drinks by Dr. Bernardo Make Drink 1 – 3X’s / day “Secret to Youth & Good Health” Juice (Juice together items below) Item Amount Details 1. Ginger Root ¼” Slice of 2. Daikon Radish ¼” Slice of Makes Alkaline 3. Asparagus 5 whole spears 4. Broccoli 1 Cup of 5. Beet ¼ - ½ of a 6. Granny Smith Apple - 1 whole 7. Pineapple ½” Slice of Fresh Take off skin 8. Carrot 1 whole 9. Cucumber 1/3 of a Cleansing 10. Cilantro Handful of Pulls metals out IMPORTANT: MUST drink with a Straw w/in 20 min. of making NOTE: Use organic ingredients whenever possible The Recipe These come from one of my favorite farm cookbooks, they’re from Smith and Hawken - “The Gardeners’ Community Cookbook” by Victoria Wise. Radish and Chive Canapés 8 oz quality cream cheese, softened 1 tbsp butter, softened ½ to ¾ cup finely chopped radishes ½ cup chopped fresh chives Salt Pumpernickel triangles and/or small cocktail rye bread rounds Thinly sliced radish rounds, watercress tips, and/or whole chives for garnish In a medium bowl, beat together the cheese and butter until fluffy. Lightly squeeze the chopped radishes to press out extra moisture and add to the bowl. Add the chopeed chives and mix well. Season with salt to taste, cover, and refrigerate until firm but still spreadable, at least 1 hour to overnight. When ready to serve, mound the cheese mixture on a serving platter. If using, arrange a ring of radish rounds, watercress tips, and whole chives around the cheese. Surround with a border of overlapping pumpernickel and rye bread slices around the edge of the platter and serve. Note: If you don’t have enough chives to make half a cup, top the measure with minced green onion. Herb-Marinated Feta Cheese 2/3 cup olive oil 1 heaping tsp green or red peppercorns 2 cloves garlic, slivered 2 tbsp shredded fresh basil leaves 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves 2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves 3 bay leaves, preferably fresh 1/2 # feta cheese, cut into ¾ inch cubes Place the oil, peppercorns, garlic, basil, thyme, oregano, and bay in a quart jar. Cap and shake well. Add the feta, taking care not to crumble it, cap again, and gently turn to mix. Let stand at room temp for several hours, turning the jar several times. Use right away or store, covered, in the fridge. Bring to room temp before serving. Keeps indefinitely. I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow - Daisy
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
|
|
|
