WEEK 23: Last week of CSA 2009 – Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Potatoes, Winter Squash, Braising Greens, Chard OR Spigariello Greens, Radish, Beets OR Carrots, Onions and “Farmer’s Choice”.

This week’s share seems appropriate for the final of this season. Our tomatoes and peppers didn’t quite make it to the end, but we have lots of  Greens and more delicious  Potatoes, Onions  and  Squash  for you all. The  Radish, and Carrots  or  Beets  that remain in the fields are yours this week as well. We also have a bonus item for you, which will be the  Farm Choice.

We want to thank all you members this year for the help and support  in making 2009  an incredible season. It has been our pleasure growing your food and we hope to continue to do so in the years to come. This is a short and sweet note without much news, but please look through past posts if you fall short in creativity or ideas for your bounty this week. We will miss you….until next time…Thanks!

WEEK 22: Oct. 12 – Oct. 18, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Potatoes, Winter Squash, Onion, Braising Greens, Radish, Pepper mix, Tomatoes, and Beets OR Carrots.

Recipes, Information and what-nots: 

Howdy friends….sorry to leave you hanging last week, but the week got away from me with the Harvest Party plans and a very dear friend visiting us from Colorado. Here we are, back on track with another week of yummy vegetables to eat. But first I would truly like to thank all of you who made it out to the farm Saturday. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day on the farm! We had a great time and all the garlic for next year is now planted. Everyone worked really hard…thanks again!

The Winter Squash  is finally fully underway. Better late than never. This year’s bounty is behind last years by about a month. It never ceases to amaze us how despite our refining methods in annual crop planning, certain things do better than others each season due to things out of our control. The planning part is really the small part.  Anyway, Winter Squash is here. Here’s a blurb from Provident Organic Farm…

 

The term “summer” and “winter” for squash are only based on current usage, not on actuality. “Summer” types are on the market all winter; and “winter” types are on the markets in the late summer and fall, as well as winter. Thus, the terms “summer” and “winter” are deceptive and confusing. This terminology was never meant to confuse— it just dates back to a time when the seasons were more crucial to man’s survival than they are now. “Good keepers” became known as winter vegetables if they would “keep” until December. Winter squash comes in shapes round and elongated, scalloped and pear-shaped with flesh that ranges from golden-yellow to brilliant orange. Most winter squashes are vine-type plants whose fruits are harvested when fully mature. They take longer to mature than summer squash (3 months or more) and are best harvested once the cool weather of fall sets in. They can be stored for months in a cool basement-hence the name “winter” squash.

 

 We, here at Love Farm Organics grew a lovely little variety which did quite well called Honey Bear. Honey bear sets a new standard for taste in acorn squash – deliciously starchy and sweet. It’s cute, small and compact size makes it easy to work with and cook up quick. It taste’s better than regular acorn squash to me. We also have Delicata’s, Sweet Dumplings and Golden Acorns. You may also get  Butternut squash, Kabocha’s or red Kuri (Buttercup type) squash. Or you may get a large blue-hued squash, which is a  Hubbard-type we grew originating from Australia.  Here’s a recipe for the Kabocha squash that looked pretty good …. http://www.justhungry.com/sweet-and-spicy-roasted-kabocha-squash  And a great sounding bean and butternut stew…. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/health/nutrition/06recipehealth.html 

 The dish below makes a great side dish for dinner or a traditional holiday meal. Enjoy the squash!

Carmelized Winter Squash ~ from the LA Times        

Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6

2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 teaspoons minced rosemary
2 teaspoons minced lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds peeled winter squash, cut into roughly 1/2 -inch cubes (5 cups diced)
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat until lightly browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Combine the rosemary, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl and add just enough lemon juice to moisten. Stir together with a spoon, crushing and smearing to make a thick herb paste. The garlic and rosemary should be extremely fine because they will need to cook in a flash.

3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When it is very hot, add the squash. Sprinkle with salt and toss to combine, so the squash cubes are evenly coated with hot oil and seasoned with salt.

4. Cover tightly and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the squash. The cooked sides should be starting to caramelize. Cover and cook 2 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and toss the squash. Reduce heat to medium, stirring occasionally, until the squash cubes are just tender enough to pierce with a small sharp knife, about 5 minutes. The squash should appear somewhat glazed and browned on much of the surface but should not be so cooked that it falls apart.

6. When the squash is cooked, sprinkle with the herb mixture and the remaining lemon juice. Toss to coat the squash, letting the herb mixture sizzle briefly and become aromatic. Taste and adjust the seasoning for salt, lemon juice and black pepper. Scatter the pine nuts over the squash and transfer to a bowl.
**Each of 6 servings: 133 calories; 2 grams protein; 14 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 394 mg. sodium. Copyright © 2009, The Los Angeles Times.

 

This Week your share will also include the very last of the Tomatoes and the Peppers. We have had a hard frost out here on the farm and most all tender bushes are, as they say, toast. There was much fruit still on the plants in various stages of ripening. Some of you may need to keep your tomatoes on the counter for a few days to fully ripen.

The first frost does wonders for the Braising Greens. Don’t pass the greens by this week as the flavor is superb this time of year. Kale and Chard are tolerant of the cold and taste sweeter after the first frost. Here in the Pacific Northwest it is possible to eat fresh greens all winter long. We’re lucky!

Also in the share this week you will find Potatoes and Onions. These are great staples for the winter season ahead. Keep them in cool, dark storage and they will last, along with your squash for weeks if not months.

Lastly, some root crops return for your weekly share. You will all receive a Radish bunch, I know much to some of your disdain. They truly are good for you and have a nice flavor this time of year.  Here is a sweet little recipe for cooked radish… http://www.recipezaar.com/Cooked-Radishes-are-Yummy-147329 

Also, you all will receive either a nice bunch of  Beets or Carrots.  Hopefully you’ll have a hankering for whichever comes your way. We love the beets and they are so good roasted, with the squash or potatoes. Below is a version of the traditional fixture recipe I often prepare. I am huge on the goat cheese right now. I have been spoiled lately with an aunt who makes it fresh with her farm goats milk…..delicious.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Sweet meets savory in this stunning salad. Dappled with goat’s cheese and dark red roasted beets, this baby spinach (ALSO great with chard slightly wilted) side dish is lightly coated in a sherry walnut vinaigrette. The Dijon makes this dressing lovely. Toasted walnuts add a tasty crunch and a burst of flavor. Pistachios are a very good substitution. Add cubed avocado for a little something extra or dried cranberries or pear slices……. Yum! Serves 6.

Ingredients:

10 small red beets
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnut oil
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound baby spinach, roughly chopped
5 ounces arugula, roughly chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Preparation:

Heat oven to 400°F. Place beets on a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and make a pouch out of the foil, sealing it tightly. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let beets steam for 10 minutes. Open pouch and let beets cool slightly. Meanwhile, whisk together vinegar, mustard, agave nectar or honey, and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oils and season with salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside. After beets have cooled enough to handle, remove and discard skins and cut into bite-size pieces. Mix beets with half of vinaigrette, then mix spinach and arugula with the rest of the vinaigrette. Transfer greens to plates and top with beets, walnuts, and goat cheese.

Bon Appetit!

FARM NEWS:  Not much more to tell….first frost, putting beds to sleep, cleaning up the fields. It is starting to get crisp and cold and, wet and rainy. We are feeling the readiness of hibernation :->

Next week is the last week of the 2009 Season. Hope to see you…ta for now.

 

WEEK 21: October 5 – October 11, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Potatoes, Tomatoes, Pepper Medley, Winter Squash, Radish bunch, mild Mustard Greens, Cucumber, Sweet Corn, and “Farmer’s Choice”.

WEEK 20: September 28 – October 4, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Potatoes, Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Cucumber, Pepper Medley, fresh Fagioli Beans, Spigarello Greens, and “Farmer’s Choice”.

Recipes, Information and Suggestions….

New to the share this week we have fresh cranberry shelling beans a.k.a  Fagioli Beans. Some of you may remember them from last year. They are somewhat labor intensive as the fava beans were. Shelling beans (a.k.a. soup beans), as opposed to pole beans like green beans and wax beans, can be dried and stored for later use. You are recieving green or fresh shelling beans that are harvested while the pods are full size and the beans are big. Fresh shelling beans do not require soaking. Cranberry beans, pictured here and so named for their brilliant scarlet pods (the beans cook up a dull brown color), are the most commonly available shelling beans.  Fresh shelling beans are one of the great treats of local eating. Shell them, then par-boil if necessary to remove thin-skin, and then cook them in soups or simply braised as a side dish – they have an extra creamy texture and wonderful clean but earthy flavor.

 Fresh Shelling Bean Salad
About 2 cups (250 g)

Recipe  by David Lebovitz

You can use a favorite vinaigrette(about 1/4 cup, 60 ml) and perhaps include a chopped shallot to mix with the warm beans, too. A handful of fresh herbs is delightful, but  wait until the beans are cool to add them so they don’t lose their oomph. I enjoy them often tossed with good summer tomatoes and lots of fresh basil, which is pretty much a favorite summer salad. They’re also insanely-good tossed with thin spaghetti, steamed green beans, a swirl of pesto stirred in, then topped with toasted breadcrumbs.

3 quarts (3l) of very lightly salted water
1 pound (450 g) shelling beans, shucked
optional: a bay leaf, a few branches of thyme or savory, half a small onion

1. In a large covered saucepan, bring the water to a boil.

2. Add the beans and any, or all, of the optional seasonings.

3. Reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for 25-30 minutes with the lid ajar, until the beans are tender. But be careful not to overcook them. You may need to add more water while they’re cooking.

4. Drain the beans, then toss with while warm with vinaigrette and a peeled and minced shallot, or a drizzle of walnut or hazelnut oil and sea salt.

To serve, add a handful of fresh herbs, such as thyme, chives, or basil. Toss well, and mix with tomatoes, par-boiled green or yellow beans, or serve on their own, alongside roast pork loin or something else fabulous.

Also try this fresh shell bean soup. We haven’t yet, but it sounds interesting… http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Late-Summer-Tomato-Soup-with-Shell-Beans-Squid-Rings-and-Parsley-243585

The beans are also delicious with pasta. The meal in Italy, simply known as  Pasta e Fagioli   is an integrated routine in their kitchens. Pasta e fagioli – meaning “pasta and beans,” is the traditional meatless bean soup that is now a popular worldwide gourmet item. Like many other Italian favorite recipes, pasta e fagioli was a peasant food dish, due to cheaply available, stomach-filling beans and pasta. Casca a fagiolo, is the Italian saying that literally describes how something happens just at the right moment. This soup for example.

• 2 1/2 cups (500 gr ) dried cranberry beans, or about 3 cups fresh
• 1 garlic clove, whole
• 1 tablespoon rosemary needles, minced (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 oz (60 gr) pancetta or prosciutto
• 1 – 1/4 cups (250 gr) good quality dried tubetti pasta
• Salt & pepper to taste

If you use dried beans instead of fresh, sort them to remove stones or damaged beans and loose skins, soak them overnight and change the water at least once. Cook the beans in 2 liters (8 cups) of water, with the pancetta, garlic, rosemary and salt to taste until done—they should be quite soft. Remove half the beans from the pot with a slotted spoon and puree them through a food mill and toss them all back into the pot.  Simmer the soup until it takes on a creamed velvety texture, with the whole beans bubbling along. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook the pasta in the soup until it is al dente. Adjust the seasoning, let the soup rest covered for a few minutes, then ladle the ambrosia into individual bowls, and serve drizzled with a thread of raw olive oil, paired with a nice red wine like a Chianti Classico. Delicious!!!!

Returning to your share’s this week you will find  Spigarello Greens. These delicious braising greens very closely resemble kale and can be substituted as such. Its wonderful, slightly sweet, almost familiar flavor is like a cross between kale and broccoli rabe — it lacks the bitterness of many leafy greens — and is perhaps most similar to broccoli leaves or broccoli sprouts. It is considered a primitive broccoli. To prepare spigarello, first pull the leaves from the stems, much as you would strip the needles off a stem of rosemary. Then cook the leaves as you would other leafy greens such as chard or kale. Here is a nice link on the tasty greens… Enjoy!  http://passionatepalate.blogspot.com/2007/07/broccoli-spigarello-bruschetta.html

The  “Farmer’s Choice”   item for you this week may be melons, eggplants or a broccoli/cauliflower blend. We hope you enjoy whatever you take home.

Your  Potatoes  are Yukon Golds or German Butterballs. Their skins are more seasoned and firm and they will store longer now than when we first started to dig them. The flavors of these varieties are as tasty today as they were in the ‘new’ stage, roasted, baked or fried. Hope you continue to enjoy them.  All the various heirloom  Tomatoes  continue to flourish in the fields. Hopefully we can continue to have them for you to the end.  Here is a fabulous looking Marinara recipe sent to us by our member Debbie at our Monday Farm pick-up. I haven’t tried it yet, but she knows her stuff….

Marinara Sauce
 
In a crock pot on low, mix:
 1 ½ cups dry red wine (I use Chianti or Valpolicella)
2 Tbsp. sugar (I use turbinado)
 Stir until sugar dissolves
 Add:
2 Tbsp. olive oil or (grapeseed oil)
1 Tbsp. red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 12 oz. can tomato paste (or does it come in 10 oz.?)
 Stir until a thick liquid.
 In a food processor, chop:
1 bulb roasted garlic
2 jalapenos (or more, if you like the spice)
Flat leaf Italian parsley
Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano 
Add to the crock pot.  Stir.  Turn crock pot to high.
In a food processor, chop:
 ½ onion
3 beefsteak or 6 smaller (Roma or vine ripened) tomatoes – heirloom or orange tomatoes are fantastic!!!
2-3 bell peppers
 Add to the crock pot.  Stir. Allow to cook on high for 1 hour.  Reduce to low and let simmer until ready to use, up to 8 hours.  Chill after that. ENJOY!!!!

Cucumbers  are back again…. try the lemon, green apple and the sweet hairy Egyptian ones. The various pepper’s making your  Pepper Medley  will consist of the sweeter Bell’s and Italian’s, the medium heat Pablano’s and milder Banana’s, and/or also the hot Serrano’s and jalapeno’s. Here is a great recipe we tried, passed on to everyone from our member Chanda at NW Natural….Fabulous with banana, Pablano or the jalepeno pepper’s!

Pepper Poppers
 
Banana (or other skinny) peppers
Cream cheese
Shredded cheddar, or crumbled bleu or gorgonzola
Bread crumbs
Season to taste
Egg whites – to stick the bread crumbs
Measurements are at your discretion…..Just “smoosh” the cream cheese with the other ingredients (some of the bread crumbs), and stuff into halved (the long way) peppers.  Dip in egg whites, and roll in more bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes – until soft and golden. ENJOY!!!

Lastly, we hope you’re not weary of the  Sweet Corn. Please remember that in the winter months there is no farm fresh sweet corn. If you are tired of eating it now, simply blanche the cobs and scrape it off into freezer bags to later be enjoyed, assuming there is still space in your freezer! You will definitely welcome it like little warm rays of sunshine appearing in the cold rain and snow that lies ahead….

FARM NEWS:  It is hard for me to believe we are at week 20 with only 3 more weeks remaining for the 2009 season. It has gone by very fast for us, likely due to the new addition in our family. We are already looking ahead to next season and what we may want to change or definitely keep as is. Do you have suggestions for us? Let us know your thoughts.

We are very pleased to announce that Jen Warnock and family have agreed to continue to be our NE pick-up site hosts. Thanks! The SW Garden Home pick-up and the Farm pick-up will also remain the same. We certainly hope that our ‘Wednesday’ member’s will return with us next year as well. For those of you who do not know, we are very proud to deliver our farm fresh food to local Portland businesses on Wednesday. Thank-you Portland Development Commission, Oregon Environmental Council and NW Natural for your support this year! Here’s a link to a very nice article we were proud to read…   http://www.portlandtribune.com/sustainable/story.php?story_id=125201814803520200   We are looking forward to hopefully meeting some of you ‘Wednesday’ members at the Harvest/Work Party coming up. As for next season, CSA 2010, we will send an email out after the first of the new year reminding folks to think about membership with the farm again. We hope to see you all back next year!

The  Harvest/Work Party  is weekend after next, October 10th. We are of course dreaming for a beautiful day, but even if it rains we will be out planting garlic and then warming our hands by a soggy fire……hope to see you here! Here again are all the details…..Save the date!….October 10th, Saturday from 10 am – 4ish pm.  We want to start the day with garlic planting. Our fall garlic order is in and our field preparation is currently underway.  We’ll start with the garlic ‘work’  for an hour or two and then head to the woods for our potluck and party. We’ll have a grill there and some meat and veggies for grilling, and some beverages with and without alcohol. Please bring a dish to share and/or drink to share, and your outdoor chair and come hang out! Your gloves if it’s raining are another good thing to bring for planting. Of course foods and beverages hand made with farm fresh ingredients are lovely! Please don’t hesitate to bring the kids, but dogs should probably stay home. Woods tours and farm tours will be arranged for those who want. We are hoping for good weather and a very nice afternoon with all of you who can join us…….please do let us know if you’re expecting to come so I can get an idea of how may cookies to bake. We’d love to see you, and always love to have the help from our members. It is your farm afterall!

Looking back on the year I found some photos that made me smile.  Here’s a couple for now….

Isabella...the Blueberry charmer

Ava in the Black-caps

Cole on Grandpa Love's old tractor

 

Farm Pick-up

WEEK 19: September 21 – September 27, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Sweet Corn, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Summer/Winter Squash, Cucumber,  Bag of Chard Greens, Pepper Medley and “Farmer’s Choice”.

Information, Recipes and some Suggestions:   

This week’s share is a continuation of what the bounty has been the last few weeks. We are still harvesting Cucumber’s, Pepper’s, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Chard, Sweet Corn  and  Squash. Some of you will still get some Melons. Some of you may get the start of the Winter Squash. The pepper’s have really been coming on…..the Italian Sweet’s are very nice. They are somewhat long and plump and with a nice, sweet flavor. Some of the Bell Pepper’s are turning colors and look very Fall festive….oh and are also delicious! I am at a loss for new creative info and recipe’s this week…….please share your ideas, we’d be honored to hear what’s been cookin’ in your kitchen!

FARM NEWS: 

The face of the farm is slowly changing. This Tuesday evening Autumn is officially here. Personally my favorite season, and an interesting season for farming as well. Ground is being worked down and amended. Cover crops are soon to be seeded. We are planning several acres to be seeded into crimson clover or pea mix. We are excited to be seeding Walla Walla onions now, and look forward to having them next CSA Season. Our garlic field for this fall is basically ready to plant. We will wait to till once more before October 10th, when we plan to plant it at our Harvest Farm Work Party…….Hope to see you there!

WEEK 18: September 14 – September 20, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Tomatoes, Potatoes, Beans, Sweet Corn, Pepper’s, Cucumber, Chard Greens and “Grower’s Choice”.

Information, Recipes and Expressions: 

We’re welcoming the return of  Sweet Corn  this week, as the last planting is now ready. Our daughter Ava loves her corn on the cob. Raw and cooked. We hope you do too.

Also, returning to your share this week are  Chard Greens.  The greens that have been absent a few weeks are back. Hopefully you remember how you best enjoy them, braised, raw or crisped into chips. Here is the Chard-Chip link once again in case you missed it. Enjoy! http://oddkitchen.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/chard-chips/

You will also welcome back more heirloom  Tomatoes, Cucumber, Beans, Pepper’s and Potatoes  this week as well. Hopefully you are ready for more.  Please see past weeks post for more info on them. I’d love to post your recipes as well, so if you have some great ones to share, please let me know!

The  “Farmer’s Choice”   item this week might be Broccoli, Summer Squash, Melon, Cabbage or something  new. We hope you will enjoy it!

FARM NEWS:

The farm continues on course. Not by some mystical force (well sort of) of the universe, but by hard work, planning, preparation and luck. Mostly by the incredibly hard work we call help, of our outstanding  field crew consisting of Joel, Kody and Dean (Farmer Kip) does the farm truly thrive. We rarely have a ton of help or volunteers out here. Needless to say, all the weeds don’t always get pulled. Although this can look a bit messy at one’s first glance, it in turn encourages beneficial insects and diversity in general. Some may call it choas, but we can still find the good stuff! Yet, the farm continues to grow and the plants in the ground continue to flourish and we all continue to eat. Eat well. That said, no one should go hungry. If you are willing to trade a small bit of your time, you are always welcome to come out to Love Farm Organics and take home food, just let us know.

Our small groups of spring chickens are starting to come to size and soon begin laying. We took them on more for experiment sake than for actual egg production.  However, we may have a small amount of egg shares available next year. I will keep you posted. We have 6 different breeds and hope to keep them all separate to possibly breed them. It’s an optimistic little dream and already seeming too time consuming amidst the regular everyday farm chores, but we will see how it goes. Like the bees we acquired this year, we were hoping to integrate the chickens into semi-self sustaining roles on the farm. Even with chicken tractors in place, this is easier said than done!

Zoe, our newest addition to the family, is growing very well. Ava has become much more patient and understanding of the new little one in the house. She accepts and wants to love on her now, so for that we are grateful! Not a ton of rest around here yet, but that is what late winter is for ;-> Right?

If you have not yet heard, fast approaching is the …. 2009 Fall Farm-Member Harvest/Work Party….to which we hope you can all attend. Save the date!…. October 10th, Saturday  from 10 am – 4ish pm. You are welcome to come late and/or leave early or however it fits into your schedule. We would love to see you and of course have you see your farm. Just 5 weeks of the 2009 CSA season remain.

 Thanks again for all of your support!!

WEEK 17: September 7 – September 13, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Tomatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, Summer Squash, Cucumber, Potatoes, Beans and “Farmer’s Choice”.

Information, Recipes and Suggestions: 

New to the veggie share this week we have Beans.  Sometimes called string beans or wax beans, green beans are a versatile vegetable that is widely available fresh this time of year or frozen and canned. They are typically green, but there is also a yellow variety, as well as, less commonly, a purple one. We grew a mix of purple, green and yellow wax beans and any, if not all of these kinds you can look forward to this week. This site has lots of information on beans…… mainly green ones, but the recipes are fine for all the colored string beans. Check it out…  http://www.greenbeansnmore.com/index.htm

Also new to your share this week, we have Potatoes.  Technically they are considered new potatoes — or early potatoes. They have not had as much time to convert their sugar into starch. They are harvested ‘new’ for their tender, delicate, sweet flavor. Their skin is not very well developed, and will be very thin in places where it has not rubbed off entirely. Their high moisture content makes their best storage option the refrigerator. They are delicious roasted or baked. We grew Yukon Gold, German Butterball, Binje Red and Cranberry Gem for you this year.  Your share will reflect one or all the varieties, as each of them are currently being harvested. The following recipe is a farm potato classic, simple and easy…Enjoy!   http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_new_potatoes/

You’ll welcome back more heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumber, Eggplant and Summer Squash  this week as well. Hopefully your not tiring of these summer classics yet.  Please see last weeks post for more info on them.

Also Peppers  are a mainstay item this week. Our bell pepper varieties are doing well and you should have at least one of those. The more colorful ones tend to be sweeter than the typical green bell peppers. Also, you should get a banana pepper this week. They are long, thinner than a bell, and yellow hence the name. Mostly now they are mild to medium flavored. As is the case with most peppers, the hotness depends on the maturity of the pepper, with the most ripe being sweeter than younger ones. Use the peppers for a quick salsa-pico-del-gallo or enjoy fresh in salads. They are very nice roasted with other vegetables as well.

The  “Farmer’s Choice”   item this week might be Broccoli, Radish bunches, Melon or whatever else we come up with! We hope you will enjoy it!

FARM NEWS:

The farm is growing great and all kinds of work is being done now. We had 42 degrees out here this morning and the fog was thick at dawn……..very curiously feeling like fall. We are down to 6 weeks of our CSA left for 2009. It has been going by so fast! It’s nice to be back at the pick-up’s. Looking fowartd to seeing all of you soon.

Iwill post the blurb below, now until the date has passed…or perhaps I’ll just email it to everyone. More general news from the farm next week….

We are excited about planning our 2009 Fall Farm-Member Harvest/Work Party….to which we hope you can all attend. Save the date!….October 10th, Saturday from 10 am – 4ish pm. We want to start the day with garlic planting. Our fall garlic order is in and our field preparation is currently underway.  We’ll start with the garlic ‘work’  for an hour or two and then head to the woods for our potluck and party. We’ll have a grill there and some meat and veggies for grilling, and some beverages with and without alcohol. Please bring a dish to share and/or drink to share, and your outdoor chair and come hang out! Of course foods and beverages hand made with farm fresh ingredients are lovely! Please don’t hesitate to bring the kids, but dogs should probably stay home. Woods tours and farm tours will be arranged for those who want. We are hoping for good weather and a very nice afternoon with all of you who can join us…….please do let us know if you’re expecting to come so I can get an idea of how may cookies to bake. We’d love to see you, and love to have the help from you all participating in ‘YOUR’ farm. Thanks!~

WEEK 16: August 31 – September 6, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Summer Squash, Sweet Corn, Cucumber, Heirloom Tomatoes, either Pepper or Eggplant, a bunch of Radish, and ”Farmer’s  Choice”.

Recipes, Information and Suggestions: 

Summer Squash is holding strong in our fields and likely your kitchen. We hope you are still enjoying it.  Another fabulous resource for you to learn all about putting up the summer bounty is found through the OSU extension  http://extension.oregonstate.edu/umatilla/mf/sites/default/files/pnw214.pdf . It can be helpful information with your squash and even your tomatoes.

The second field of  Sweet Corn  is coming on for us all now. We harvest it last  just before you get to it each day for the freshest pick possible. The sugars begin to break down as soon as sweet corn is picked so be sure to enjoy your corn sooner rather than later.  Here is a nice site with multiple sweet corn recipes…..Enjoy the corn while it  lasts!  http://www.thatsmyhome.com/farmers/corn-recipes.htm .

Cucumber  is in the share again this week. I have been meaning to post a list of the varieties we grow so here goes. You usually have an assortment of Sweet Slicer, White Wonder, and a hairy one called Barese for your basic eating varieties. The round ones, which are my personal favorites, are either Lemon cucs, Crystal Apple, or Richmond Green Apple. Of course we also have the very basic looking, green cucumber called Straight Eight. We also have two varieties which ripen to a yellowish, brown color called Poona Keera  or the Armenian Yard-longs. Despite these cucumbers looking a tad unappetizing, their flavor is incredibly sweet and akin to melons, aka delicious!…..Farmer Kip really enjoys them!

Tomatoes  are coming out our aisles! We hope you all love them as we do. The various Heirloom variety list that we grow is extensive.  We grow all of the larger varieties in the photo below.  We also have several plum varieties such as Purple Russian, Tangerine, Cream Sausage and Yellow Roma. Some additional favorite slicers that we have are Wisconsin 55, Siberian, Black Sea Man, Lemon Boy and Monte Carlo. We grow a few other unique beefsteak, slicing varieties including Black from Tula, White Beauties and a bright orange one called Manyel. Yum. Have you had tomatoes with your eggs yet…?

Here is a fresh marinara recipe that is very good…..even better if you have fresh herbs. It can taste very sweet with the fresh tomatoes, so don’t be afraid to load up the simmering pot with extra garlic…or extra dashes of wine!

Ingredients:

2 TBsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup redwine                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           4 cups (about 4 large) peeled, chopped tomatoes
1 can(6 oz.) no-salt-added tomato paste
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp.fennelseed                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          2 bay leaves

 Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until tomatoes are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes; stir occasionally. Cool 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves. You can serve now, chunky or blend for a fine consistency….Place cooled tomato mixture in blender jar 1 or more cups at a time. Cover and blend at stir about 30 seconds after each addition. Blend on high about 30 seconds. Return mixture to saucepan. Simmer over low heat about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over fresh pasta topped with fresh parmesan or asiago cheese.

Fresh, crisp Radish  bunches make it back into your shares this week. Hopefully they are a welcomed returning friend.  We have really enjoyed having them again for a change. They make a great raw snack. You can also cook radishes – and they’re good too! Try this quick and easy side-dish recipe  http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/06/04/butter-braised-radishes/ .

Pepper  or Eggplant  will make it into your share this week.  Also the “Farmer’s Choice”returns again. Different types of Melons have been making an appearance as your wild card veggie.  We grow several different types of personal sized musk melons. Galia and Honeydew are two types of melons with sweet green flesh inside.  Charentais, Cantaline and Minnesota Midget are a few types of  the traditional orange fleshed cantaloupe.  The smoother skinned varieties, with white-yellow sweet flesh could be the Collective Farm Women or mini Canary melon.  Some have very unique flavors, but they all are something close to sweet! If you get a melon this week we hope you enjoy it. I have heard another possibility for your unknown veggie may be Broccoli, as some plantings are forming heads ready to harvest.

FARM NEWS: Farm life is going well….flora and fauna continue to amaze us. Our bees are very busy. The vegetables continue to thrive and the pests continue to attempt to thrive, but somehow manage to balance out or stay in check when you have enough beneficial insects and enough high fertility and low stress in your fields. We are currently dealing with nothing too damaging. Potatoes are busy producing well for us underground. They will likely make it to the veggie share soon. Winter squash production is down this year from last. We don’t anticipate having all the different varieties for you this year, unfortunately, but we do hope to have some anyway. Fall brassica’s are coming on nicely. We’ll have more onions and garlic for you as well.

We are excited about planning our 2009 Fall Farm-Member Harvest/Work Party….to which we hope you can all attend. Save the date!….October 10th, Saturday from 10 am – 4ish pm. We want to start the day with garlic planting. Our fall garlic order is in and our field preparation is currently underway.  We’ll start with the garlic ‘work’  for an hour or two and then head to the woods for our potluck and party. We’ll have a grill there and some meat and veggies for grilling, and some beverages with and without alcohol. Please bring a dish to share and/or drink to share, and your outdoor chair and come hang out! Of course foods and beverages hand made with farm fresh ingredients are lovely! Please don’t hesitate to bring the kids, but dogs should probably stay home. Woods tours and farm tours will be arranged for those who want. We are hoping for good weather and a very nice afternoon with all of you who can join us…….please do let us know if you’re expecting to come so I can get an idea of how may cookies to bake. We’d love to see you, and love to have the help from you all participating in ‘YOUR’ farm. Thanks!~

WEEK 15: August 24 – August 30, 2009 CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share:  Summer Squash, Cucumber, Heirloom Tomatoes, Chard Greens, either Pepper’s or Eggplant, and “Farmer’s Choice”.

Recipes, Information and Suggestions: 

By now everyone is well used to Summer Squash. I hope you are finding new, exciting things to do with it each week. I remember last year some members found that cutting it up and then after a quick blanching, just tossing in bags for the freezer was the best way to deal with it, so as to ensure loads of great sauces or muffins in the winter time. Here’s a great and informative link from ‘Pick Your Own’ explaining blanching and putting up squash….  http://www.pickyourown.org/freezing_summer_squash.htm 

Cucumbers  are still in the veggie share this year. We grow some interesting varieties that Farmer Kip quite enjoys for their subtle differences in appearance and flavor. I like them raw with salt, oil and vinegar and of course with fresh tomatoes!  Here’s a recipe for refreshing cucumber soup. If you’ve never tried Gazpacho, I encourage you to do it…..I finally did and found it surprisingly lovely!  http://foodandstyle.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/a-green-gazpacho-chilled-cucumber-soup-with-yogurt-and-fresh-mint/

I hope you’re enjoying the Tomatoes. I have been eating three or four a day with sea salt….I truly can’t get enough of them! Lately I have been loving them with basil all over the fresh scrambled eggs from our chickens. Add them to everything and enjoy them alone!

With Peppers  in the share now, you can always have some fresh salsa or pico de gallo around. With some tortilla chips or over fish or eggs, a quick and easy diced pepper, tomato, onion and cilantro mix makes a nice fresh addition to a meal. Or for the more adventurous chefs out there do try this delicious looking pepper popper recipe sent in by our delightful Garden Home member Jane…yum! http://www.hungrycravings.com/2009/06/happy-fathers-day-and-jalapeno-poppers.html  Jalapenos would be best for the recipe, but I suppose any pepper would work…..let us know.

Some of you will be getting Eggplant  this week. It is a fabulous vegetable which we love to roast or saute simply in olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar. Every summer I also try at least once to make a nice baba ghannouj. This middle eastern dip makes a great sandwich on pita with pickles and tomatoes. You’ll find a good recipe here…  http://www.sudairy.com/mer/recipes/ghannouj.html

Enjoy the hearty greens this week. Your Chard  could be what is also known as perpetual spinach (a vigorous variety of chard), regular bright lights chard, or you might even get it mixed with some kale.

The “Farmer’s Choice” could be anything this week….. we hope you welcome the surprise!

FARM NEWS:  Well here we are at week 15 of our season, and hope you all are enjoying the food bounty and what it means to be part of a CSA. We have 8 weeks remaining for 2009. Berry season has pretty much ended with only small remnants for the gleaners and birds left on the bushes. Hopefully you all enjoyed the berries this season and will welcome them back next year.

 The farm is doing well and the vegetable crops continue to prosper in the warmth of summer….however this morning we awoke to a very chilly 42! Brrrrr is fall here already? We still await the beans, potatoes, more onions and fall squash…and hopefully melons to have as new additions to your share, as well as returns of some favorite cooler Spring crops.

Our plans for two Farm-Member gatherings this year have unfortunately changed. It seems we were overly optimistic to think that right before, or directly after the birth of our second child, we could be ready to host a work party. Instead we are looking ahead now and planning the Fall Farm-Member Harvest Work Party….to which we hope you can all attend.  We are going to shoot for a garlic planting combo harvest party in early October. The date will be chosen by next week so I’ll post it then with more details.

All things are wonderful with our new little girl and the rest of our family. I have enjoyed the new nesting period and am now starting to feel eager to get back to working.  I look forward to seeing you again at pick-ups soon.  Hope you have all been well. Take care and until then….;->

WEEK 14: August 17 – August 23, CSA Newsletter

This Week’s Share: Sweet Corn, Summer Squash, Cucumber, Tomatoes, Chard Greens, a Pepper Medley (assortment of sweet, medium and hot peppers) and a “Farmer’s Choice”.