Week 8 News

Sounds like many of you are hitting the road! It is probably a good vacation week if you aren't into the Coast Guard thing. Thanks for making alternate pick-ups easy for us!

FYI - Our "What's in the box" list is the best estimate we can give on the weekend before harvesting for deliveries. It is difficult to know each item that will be ready and looking healthy to harvest until the day we are in the field picking each day. I keep track of what is given each delivery day so I can try and balance things out throughout the season (i.e. Our Monday group didn't get bok choy the last harvest so they will get it for sure this week...)

Blueberries- Special on extra quarts of blueberries this week for$5.00 with 3 quarts max per person for delivery. Thought we could fit in some some extra blueberry picking before our peaches are ripe if you're interested. We have Briggitas this week which is our favorite variety! Email me if interested even if you pick-up at the market so we can plan ahead.

What's in the Box:
Blueberries
Raspberries - Likely - they are already slowing down and we have many bushes filled with crumbly berries that were hit by the late frost we have decided aren't worth picking... Some of our raspberries are the everbearing variety that start up again in September.
Baby Bok Choy - Monday group for sure!
Lettuce Mix
Onions - If you have too many chop and freeze and use this winter in soups and stir fries, etc.
Zucchini and yellow squash - small ones need to be used quickly; great sauted up with our sweet onions, some seasoning salt, and a little chicken broth and or olive oil. Don't overcook!!! If you get a monster zucchini that is best to use in a recipe such as zucchini cake, bread, or cookies.
Cucumber
Basil or Cilantro with hot peppers (Hungarian hot peppers which have medium hotness)
If you get basil this week you will get hot peppers and cilantro next week and vise versa.
Adirondack Blue Potatoes - Good for baked or fried potatoes vs. steamed as they will lose some of their color.
Kohlrabi
Swiss Chard, Arugula or Mesclun Mix? - we are rotating the Mesclun and Swiss Chard
Green Beans - Likely
Tatsoi?
Carrots or beets?


Coming Soon!
More beets - including a yummy heirloom next week
Peaches - next week
Tomatoes - 1-2 weeks:)
Kale - some next week

EASY Recipes Ideas:
Spicy Bean Dip with Cilantro and Hot Peppers - excellent with pita or tortilla chips, and works great as a base for a veggie quesedilla (just add cheese and any other ingredients that sound good)

1/2 cup salsa
1 Can black beans (pinto would probably work also) drained and rinsed
1-3 hot peppers - cut off stems, chop into chunks, remove most of seeds and less you like HOT
bunch cilantro (tough stems removed)
1-2 cloves garlic

Chop garlic and cilantro in the food processor until fine then add hot peppers. Next add in beans and cilantro and puree until it reaches your desired consistency.

Optional: Could stir in a little sour cream

Broiled Zucchini
1) Cut zucchini into rounds about 1 cm width (keep them around the same thickness..)
2) Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with seasoning salt (we used M Salt we got at GH market)
3) Sprinkle with lots of parmesan cheese
4) With broiler on high place on center rack and cook for 5-7 minutes max.

2 DVD's in our collection to pass on-

"The World According to Monsanto" - the documentary Americans will never see: This movie helped put together so many things I have been reading about in the last couple years including dangers of GMO's and major issues surrounding the security of the world's food supply. This is a real eye opener and an absolute must see!!! This documentary came out in March 2008 and has been shown on national television in many European Countries but likely won't make it here anytime soon.

Good summary of the movie: at :http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/monsanto_movie080307

The Real Dirt on Farmer John - Documentary made by an ecentric farmer who started what is now"Angelic Organics, a huge CSA program feeding many families near Chicago. We ordered this one thinking it would focus more on his CSA but it focused more on his life on his family's farm leading up to the start of his CSA. I will just say has a different personality than your average farmer with a very artistic side....

*We would love to let you borrow one of these for a week. I can bring it with your box and will need it back when I pick up your box the following week.

Week 7 News

Baskets are growing! We have fennel this week- The whole plant is edible but most often it is cut an inch above the bulb and is cooked to soften and mellow the flavor. The stalks can be used like celery in soups and stews. It is best used two to three days after harvest. Fennel is new to us and this winter we tried some from Meijer knowing we would be growing it this season. We tried it marinated and broiled, similar to the recipe I posted. It was pretty good but we are excited to try it fresh this week as most fennel at the store is shipped from California. One large bulb makes two to three servings. If you test a good fennel recipe you want to share send it along as we hope to have more early this fall. Much of our second planting of fennel didn't make it through the hard rains early in June but we have a third planting going.

Cookbook/Fresh produce guide - $16

Put together by a coalition of CSA's in Madison, Wisconsin.

I use this one weekly! VERY helpful with storing produce and simple recipe ideas. Also a childrens recipe section, preservation chapter, and information about CSA farming.

All veggies listed in ABC order with information on more than 50 vegetables and herbs. I have quite a collection going of similar books and this is by far the best!

Whats in the box?

Fennel

Mixed Greens

Raspberries

Blueberries - either Spartans or Brigittas this week (both are big sweet berries)

Beans - Italian beans (flat), burgundy beans, and/or regular green beans

Zucchini, yellow squash - if you can't use it up in a few days chop, dice, or grate, and put in the freezer to use later in soup, stir fry, or zucchini bread, etc.

Cucumber - likely (the yellowish/white cukes are supposed to be that color! Heirloom variety)

Onions

Carrots

Snow peas - see potato salad recipe posted passed on from a member for a unique idea.

Arugula or Mesclun mix- mesclun is a spicy salad blend that is also good tossed into stir fry

Beets?

Potatoes - possibly Adirondack blues but they are more likely next week

kohlrabi?

Coming soon:

basil and parsley

peaches - next week?

Adirondack Blue Potatoes

Tomatoes - two weeks we think

Add On Extra Fruit:

Raspberries: 4.00/pint

Blueberries: 3.00/pint or 6.00/quart

*A few new recipe ideas have been added!!!

I just had to take a pic of my gorgeous salad I had for lunch today after the market. Arugula, beets, locally made goat cheese I got from the Sweetwater Market on Saturday, and a little garlic vinaigrette. YUM!!!! The skins just fall right off the beets after steaming when they are fresh! These three ingredients also work awesome on a sandwich with toasted crusty bread. Really!

Our first carrots! These were planted before the cold weather in May so many of the seeds didn't germinate. But we have some to get us through before the next big batch is ready in a few weeks. The next carrots will include a fun purple heirloom variety called Dragon Carrots. Also, in the background of this picture you can see some of our rows of sweet corn popping up. I can't wait!!!